Brainstrummings from a Bug-Eyed Bookworm

Tiff is a PhD student in English literature at UC-Berkeley. She takes no prisoners, bars no holds, holds no bars.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Fat-Phobic Gourmand

For those of you out there who desperately want to shed those extra pounds for a summer sun funtastic body, yet still want to indulge in the joys of sinfully rich and creamy fruit, here is a wonderful recipe for non-fat fruit salad.

Non-Fat Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 non-fat orange, peeled and sliced into small wedges.
1 non-fat apple, cored and diced.
1 fistful of non-fat grapes (a baby's fistful).
2 cups of non-fat cantelope, diced.
1/2 of a non-fat lemon.

1. Combine orange, apple, grapes, and cantelope in a (non-fat) bowl.

2. Squeeze lemon juice over the mixture.
3. Toss and serve chilled.


And for those of you who wish to delight the savoury-craving side of your palate, here's a recipe for non-fat french fries.


Non-Fat French Fries

1. Slice non-fat potatoes into thick wedges.
2. Deep-fry in non-fat oil.

3. Sprinkle with non-fat salt and non-fat pepper to taste.


*Sniff Sniff* : They Grow Up So Fast

If you know the tune, sing along...

Is this the little grub I carried? Is this the little larvae at play?
I don't remember growing older.
When did they?
(Sunrise, Sunset. Fiddler on the Roof)

Monday, May 14, 2007

Bebop and Archibald

Meet Bebop and Archibald.
I met them after going jogging this morning. They were hanging out on the anise plants next to my apartment building. "How do you do?" I said to them. Then I plucked off the anise stems they were on, carried them to my apartment, and put them in a glass jar. And now they belong to me. And they shall be called Bebop and Archibald, and if they live, they will grow up into Anise Swallowtail Butterflies. Actually, I can't tell which one is Bebop and which one is Archibald.

"It's a long way down..." (Sarah Mclaughlin, "Ice Cream")


"Feed me Seymour, so I can grow up big and strong." (Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors--the musical)


"Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?" (Diana Ross, "Do You Know Where You're Going To?")

Sunday, May 13, 2007

I Forgot I Had This.

I forgot I took this picture. It was in an airport bookstore in Asia somewhere (either Hong Kong or Singapore, I think). Now it's time for fun and games. What's odd about this picture?


If you guessed it, your cheque is in the mail. If not...ponder for a while the "Asian Interest" signage above the shelf. Then let your gaze rest on the second shelf from the top. Now let your gaze wander over to the yellow book on the far-left side of that shelf...the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's actually his latest book, Never Let Me Go, which is set in England in the future and has no identifiably Asian characters in it at all. Kazuo Ishiguro is also recognised as a British novelist, even though he was born in Japan (he moved to London at the age of 5).

All right...to be fair, the title and author of the book are rather blurry in the photo. You'll receive half the cheque in the mail. The other half has been donated to the KitchenAid corporation on your behalf.

What does "Asian Interest" even mean anyway?

Saturday, May 12, 2007

I Passed, I Passed!

Qualifying exam was yesterday! It's over! It's finally over! Hooray!!

I have nothing witty to say. Only written expressions of sheer, unadulterated joy and relief.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Let the Countdown Begin!!

Approximately 96 hours left until my qualifying exam (high noon on Friday, May 11th).

Dum Dum DUM!!!!!