My first Grisham

Just over one week into law and I’m already looking for things to make me feel a little more law-student savvy. Thanks to Borders and their 20% off sale for students and teachers, today I purchased my first John Grisham novel, “The Chamber” (Grisham’s an ex-lawyer, now author synonymous with the modern legal thriller). I’m into the first chapter and so far I’m thinking money well spent.

I’ve forgotten what it feels like to not be able to put a book down. I haven’t read a novel since those compulsory English literature high school days. And I haven’t read a decent novel since I can’t remember (maybe Harry Potter?) . But then again I was never one to read that much.

I think I’ve done more reading in the last one week than I did in the whole of last year. Ok, that’s a slight exaggeration, but it sure feels like it! I guess what they say about law is true.

“The best” dressed

Wouldn’t it be so encouraging to wake up and find all your clothes labeled with the tag “The Best”. Well that’s what this hilarious art project by Tamara Shopsin was trying to achieve.

Your mum’s most expensive silk dress, your dad’s favourite imported/custom made tux, your sisters… face – label them all! That way your loved ones can literally wear your heart on their sleeve.

I will certainly try this one day. To those who I call my friends, watch out!

Product design that blows your mind

Japanese product designer, Yuta Watanabe, is one innovative genius I tell you. Seriously, it’s worth checking out his other designs. It’s incredible how he fuses together two completely unrelated objects like a peg and a pencil.

The only bad thing about QUT…

is that we don’t have milk and cookies delivered to us at 3am in the morning…

But other than that… QUT’s got the rest covered.

Uni week 1

Just finished my first week of uni having just begun Law and continuing my 2nd year of Business. Here’s my brief reflection of week one:

My first tute on Monday was for law. The tutor was an older man with this permanent frown that just makes you want to sing, “Sun’s gonna come out TOO-MORROW, bet-cha bottom dollar that to-MORROWW“- I mean even when he attempts to smile it still looks like he’s down in the dumps. Anyway he seemed like a nice enough guy. But after 2 hours of monotonous ramblings about general admin and law history, my enthusiasm for starting the law degree began to wither. Similar to that of a juicy grape becoming a shriveled sultana. However I continued on with the hope inside me that the sun would, in fact, come out tomorrow.

My second tute was for another law subject. I sat in the tute and analysed my surroundings. Based on material appearance alone, my tutor seemed to look like he knew his stuff. I think it’d be a safe guesstimation to say he’d be pretty high up the corporate/law-porate ladder. He started talking and I was relieved to hear his non-monotonous voice. Then he got up to write his contact details on the board. His email went something along the lines of, “steamtrain62@hotmail.com” – all credibility was lost from then on. Nah, he’s cool, he just REALLY needs a new email address.

The last thing I’ll mention about my week is my AYB220 Company Accounting lecturer. I shall crown him my favourite lecturer. I sat in the lecture laughing on multiple occasions for periods longer than socially accepted. I mean I was still cracking up 5 minutes after everyone else had stopped. The lecturer had photos of places around the world pasted onto random slides throughout the lecture. He told us that for “no extra charge” he was taking us for an “around-the-world tour” and that we should bring our “passports to the next lecture”. He showed us a picture of a River and said, “What’s this a picture of”? We all responded with the Brisbane River. “You’re all correct… Ok, so I’ve given you a sample question and I’ve given you the answer, so I can safely say that that will not be on the mid-semester exam”. He was a cracker. He’s also my tutor next week so I am happy.

Cool cufflinks

My 80s mullet

Look! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Diana Ross! No, it’s Tina Turner!

…Oh… false alarm guys, it’s just Li.

Mirror You

FINALLY finished a song I’ve been working on for about 2 months now. Yes, some closure 🙂 Thank you Holy Spirit for helping me write this song. All praise and glory be unto You.

Well here it is! Hope you can some how strum along…

---

MIRROR YOU
Lyrics & chords by Jien-Li Tan

Verse 1:
Am C
I see my reflection,
G D
But I don’t want to see what the world sees of me
Am C G
Trapped in mediocrity
D Am C
Consumed by the identity this world demands of me
G D Am
Against my divine plan in its entirety

Pre-Chorus:
Em C G D
I can see, but I’m not taking
Em C G D
I am moved, but never shaken

Chorus:
Am C G
I desire to be a reflection
D
A mirror conception (OR The mirror perfection) of You
Am C
Everything in my heart, Let it be close to You
G D
Part of You
Am
Let Your plans guide my heart
C
Let Your will guide my path
G D
Let everything I do
Am C
Mirror You
G
Mirror You

Verse 2:
Am C
I lift up my eyes to see
G D
All that You have for me
Am C
Restored, renewed
G D Am
By the love I’ve found in You
C G
Are the key to life lived purposefully
D Am
For eternity

[Repeat Pre-Chorus + Chorus]

Bridge:
D Em C G
I am in, but never of this world
D Em C D
What I see will never define me
[pick/pluck this bit] Am C G D
He set me free
Am C G D
He set me free

[Repeat Chorus]

Chef Li: Spanish hot chocolate

Made this Spanish Hot Chocolate this morning. I got the recipe off one of Mum’s Mediterranean cook books.

It’s pretty darn easy and it tastes nice and smooth, but what makes it Spanish? I do no know. I think it might be the type of chocolate they use? But since that special type of chocolate isn’t readily available, as the cook book describes, they suggest using cornflower- which I used.

Here’s what you’ll need:
– Chocolate a la taza OR
– 200g chopped good-quality dark chocolate
– 2 tbsp. Cornflower
– Milk
– Sugar

Here’s how to make the magic happen:
1. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. cornflower with 2 tbsp. milk to a smooth paste
2. Place 1 L milk and 200g chopped dark chocolate in a saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat until just warm
3. Add 2 tbsp. of the milk to the cornflour paste, then return all the paste to the milk
4. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it just begins to boil
5. Remove from the heat, add sugar, to taste, and whisk for another minute. Serves 4-6

Chef Li: Steak burger

For some reason I’ve been in a innovative cooking mood for the past few weeks. I think part of the reason for this unusual mood was because I was on the Atkin’s a couple weeks ago – that diet really makes you appreciate good food. I found when I was on that diet that I didn’t miss lollies, chips and all the bad stuff, but rather I missed being able to have meat and rice, meat and noodles, meat and bread, rather than just meat, meat and meat.

Now I’m not the world’s best cook for sure (I’m pretty sure I’ll never be), but I can at least try!

I got the biggest complement last week from my ultimate food critic, jamie-oliver-wannabe sister, Mae, when I made an improv salad complete with: spinach, feta, pumpkin cubes, Mongolian lamb, sour cream, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes and beetroot. She said it looked like something Jamie Oliver would make, quote unquote. That was one of the nicest ever things she’s said to me, I shall treasure it.

The above are photos I took of my steak burger I made for Friday’s dinner before church – how pro does it look!

It’s unmis-steak-ably the best steak burger I’ve ever made (probably because I’ve never actually made a steak burger on my own before…) 

Here’s what you need:

• White Bap Bread Rolls (60c each at Bakers’ Delight)
• Spinach salad (any lettuce type you want really, I just like the bold spinach colour)
• Cherry tomatoes (Halved)
• Beef steak (Any type you prefer. I used rump)
• Pesto (make your own/be lazy a nd just buy it, like me)
• Cucumber and/or Celery
• Natural Yoghurt
• Beetroot (optional)

One of my new years resolutions is to not buy food so much at uni. Hopefully I can make things like this for lunch instead.