11 november (aka yesterday) is known as singles' day in china, and pocky day in japan. all that's got to do with the singular nature and long, thin shape for the number 1. interesting trivia: i vaguely remember that many couples in china chose to get married on 11 november 2011, to the point where there were mass weddings organized. somehow, this date is significant to me too. i consider it our "real" dating anniversary, because the date said that they wanted to give dating me another try on this day last year. we didn't celebrate on the day itself, because the date had a bad day at work. today, however, we had a slightly more atas dinner at ma maison anchorpoint. it's japanese food at heart, but with french influences. so far, we've eaten at the bugis outlet as well. the standard is really consistent, both that of food and service. i had tonkatsu curry udon this time round. it was easily the best tonkatsu i've had in singapore. the pork was fried amazingly, and cut so that each slice of meat was sufficiently dense. curry sauce was nice; i think they mixed soup stock into it. only minor thing was that the udon were limp from being slightly overcooked, but i can easily overlook that due to the excellent service. what impressed both the date and i was that while ordering our mains, i asked the waitress about their cream puffs, which were on display (i had a mild craving). she gave me the info, and i offhandedly mentioned to the date that we should get some after dinner. as we were finishing our food, the same waitress came by to clear our plates and asked us if we'd like to order the cream puffs, which we did. i was beyond impressed, both with the cream puff itself (amazing thick vanilla cream) and with the service standard, but more so with the latter. the dessert was such a minor detail to the point that that neither the date nor i thought about it while having dinner. the fact that she remembered shows how attentive she was. i guess that's what separates good/nice service from exceptional service. both of us definitely enjoyed the dining experience.

although it was our anniversary celebration date, things got a little...tension-filled (i was going to say "bittersweet", but it didn't sound exactly right) when the date suggested we played shadowverse, which is a trading card game(!), but does not have interrupts like magic. we played 3 games, and i lost all 3. while it was more or less expected, i still felt frustrated, especially since i thought i had a glimmer of hope. the date said that they were using cards and leaders that they weren't familiar with, and still managed to beat me soundly. i hope this will allow the date to appreciate how far apart we are in terms of standard. one thing that quite got on my nerves was that towards the end of the last game, the date was telling me not to worry. i then asked, "so does it mean that i won't die this coming turn?" the date replied in the affirmative, then played a card that would give them the means to finish me off, which they did. they said that they didn't plan it and didn't even see that effect. while i do not doubt that they are telling the truth, i was quite annoyed that they said something but didn't stick to it. as i told them later, if i had assured them of their survival, i would have stuck to my word, no matter how good my hand was, or what card i drew. but that's a fundamental difference between us, i guess. so, i finally told them once and for all, no more card games. not competitive, not even cooperative. i figure that it's best that we avoid this until (1) i get good enough to play on a similar level, (2) the date figures out how to lower their level sufficiently, (3) both. going from our past discussions, option 2 isn't likely to happen, and from what i know of our relative abilities, option 1 probably won't happen either. so the best way to avoid conflict is just that. to avoid the source of the conflict totally. reminder to self: NEVER EVER agree to play ANY trading card game with the date, no matter what format. the negativity just isn't worth it. in my imaginary universe where people generally try their hardest not to upset others, the date would have thrown me a bone, so to speak, and lost a game. after all, 2/3 isn't bad, right? i think that's why i'm a lousy competitor. if i'm up against someone whom i care about, their feelings generally come first before my own ego and victory. but well. i can't demand that they lose on purpose, right? actually, scary seems to think that i can, or that the date should do it automatically. because once again, partner's feelings and encouraging them > winning at a game that you're already good at. then again, we are all different people with different ideas and values.

dealing with conflict in this manner isn't my preferred way, but i think it's the best way in this situation. i'm trying that out with driving as well. when i'm in the rightmost lane and someone is going super slowly, my usual reaction is to high beam them as i'm approaching, signalling them to get out of the way. a few cars do this, and life goes on as normal in that scenario. for the cars who either don't see, don't understand, or purposely remain slow, my next reflex action is to horn. nowadays, i'm trying to just overtake them from the left. it's not quite right in terms of traffic rules, but there's no other choice. my other traffic annoyance is when people try to cut in at the last minute before the double white line to turn into sengkang. to be honest, i can understand why. during heavy traffic, the queue can extend to 30 cars or more. so those who cut in just want to get home fast. can't say i blame them. at the same time, it isn't fair to all the cars who have been patiently waiting in line. imagine getting close, and someone just swoops in ahead of you. worse, that is the last car that manages to make the turn before the traffic light goes back to red. on days where i was already feeling not-nice, i have thought about following such a car back to its parking lot, and confronting the driver. but nah. if there's one thing i've learnt, it's best to get back at someone via legal channels. so, primarily to cover myself in case of an accident (and secondarily to have video evidence of moron drivers), i got myself an in-car camera. it's shipping now, should reach me in time for the new work week.

should be heading to bed. not sure what's on the agenda tomorrow. right now, i can think of judo and/or gym, and grocery shopping for the week's stoup. not too bad a way to spend sunday, i think.

-random thought of the day: When to renew FFXIV subscription?-

Suppose i'm overdue for a major update. sorry for leaving you all in suspense for so long. to cut a long story short, things are fine between me and the date. we talked for a while before dinner the sunday before, during which the date apologized. i guessed right, "patronizing" was the word that they were unhappy about. but as i've told them, i wasn't referring to their play style. i was referring to the words themselves, and in the context of the game and everything. the date said that it was their way of encouraging me. call me old-fashioned or dense, but wouldn't "you're playing well!" be a much more straightforward compliment to get the message across? different people express themselves differently, i guess. at the end of the day, the date acknowledged that it was an overreaction, and that it was wrong to bring up all the things that made them unhappy, and told me that they would focus more on my positives. that was nice, and i'm happy that everything's been resolved. it seems to me that we are better off playing cooperative games only. that's fine by me, actually. one thing that i'm not quite sure what to make of is that the date told me that they wouldn't change their way of speaking, meaning that if it happened again, i would have to squash the irritation and take it for the (backhanded) compliment that it's meant to be. am i ok with that? not really 100%. in my ideal world, the date would see that it's something that i didn't like, and not do it. if the date expects me to not do the things that they dislike, surely reciprocating that gesture wouldn't be too much to ask for, right? i could say that yelling at cars is my style, and although they don't like it, they should learn to accept it because it helps me to destress. but well...no point creating additional conflict and disagreement. i figure that if i can't defuse the land mine, the next best option is to avoid stepping on it, hence only co-op games from now on. surely that's reasonable?

i'm into my third week of meal prep, and i've learnt a fair bit already. very quickly, some of these lessons are:

• onions and leeks are great for bulking up the dish and giving some additional flavour
• saute the mushrooms first. not doing so makes their flavour watery and diluted. it's a small step that makes a big difference
• using more pots and pans means more convenience, but also more washing up
• add peas at the very last minute to avoid them going mushy
• herbs make a world of difference
• deboning a whole chicken isn't as easy as youtube would have you believe
• cuts from a really sharp knife heal quickly
• corn starch has to be dissolved in cold water (not hot) before it's added to the soup
• daikon radishes are nice in stews
• onsen eggs have to be cooked in the pan in which the water was boiled. transferring boiling water to a cold pan causes heat loss, and results in raw-ish eggs.

it's definitely a work in progress, this stoup recipe of mine. i don't think there will ever be a final version, because it's also subject to availability of the ingredients. not that there's anything wrong with that...a versatile recipe is great for dealing with the unexpected, like say, if a key ingredient could not be procured.

there's been a whole frenzy on social media about an eatery having lousy customer service. if you want to know the story, just google "the western co". there are a few articles out there. it's somewhat died down already, though there were a few interesting/entertaining twists and turns. by some coincidence, the date and i actually went there for dinner on that very day. we missed out on the drama, but i must say that it makes me indignant. although i wasn't involved in the conflict, i am beyond horrified to know that people like the shop owner exist. acting all high and mighty and offending her customers. they only tried to make amends when someone with a rather significant social media presence (a food blogger) wrote a piece on them and exposed some irregularities in their licensing, as well as the fact that they had defaulted on some payments. too late! if the intent to apologize was there, an apology should have been issued the second they realized that it was their mistake, not continue to troll the customer and other people on social media. call me cold-hearted, but i find it extremely difficult to sympathize with them. in fact, i think that they haven't been punished enough! they should be investigated for the irregularity, and hopefully banned from ever opening an eating establishment. too bad that powerful social media guy was kind enough to remove the post after they offered restitution. it says something about lack of journalistic integrity, maybe? i don't know. honestly, if i was in his position, i'd leave them to die even after receiving payment. it's two separate issues! and yes, i know the whole "do unto others" rule, but i can confidently say that i will never reach that level of moron. just kill me if i do. again, maybe i lack compassion, but i am happy that they got their comeuppance, and then some.

really, it makes me wonder. how can people like that exist? bear in mind, the owner is 23 years old. if she was 16, i'd probably just have shaken my head and went, "teenagers". but this girl is only 5 years younger than me! and her behaviour is so appalling! i was telling the date, i wonder what made her decide to open an eatery, which requires excellent food and service. incidentally, the food wasn't all that fantastic, either. the fish was nice, i'll give them, that. but their main attraction of melted swiss cheese over other food, fell way below expectations. and their prices were outrageous, too. how much would you pay for 2 thin slices of roast beef, 5 pickled pearl onions, 2 small dill pickles, about 6 roast baby potatoes, 2 (small) slices of baguette, a salad consisting of lettuce, that purple cabbage thing and carrot strips, and about 35g of melted cheese? i would have paid $6, maybe $10. and even then, somewhat unwillingly. they charged $18. ridiculous. for that price, i was expecting more in terms of both quantity and quality.

but you know, i think if they have a sucky attitude, that's still easier to let go. people will just visit once, maybe leave a not-nice review, and never go back. unfortunately, their social media skills suck as well. the facebook page manager, who seems to also be the owner, took the time to respond to negative reviews and comments in a completely sarcastic and condescending manner. example: one reviewer, like me, was astounded at the price. he said something like, "for the price of one portion there, i could go across the street and have 2 bowls of pig's organ soup". the owner took it personally and said that he didn't know how to appreciate the cheese that was flown in from switzerland and some other nonsense. while it may demonstrate confidence in their brand, i would call it overconfidence, especially since i've tasted the food before and really, it's nothing to shout about. in fact, the melted cheese solidifies again rather quickly, which is a disadvantage, because it becomes hard and cold. it actually glued a significant portion of our fries together. doesn't really make for elegant eating. and the cold cheese was rather rubbery in texture.

latest news is that the owner is still unrepentant, saying that her conscience was clear in an interview with a newspaper. yet, their facebook page said that they were sorry and humbly apologized for not handling the situation properly blah blah. the wording is ambiguous enough that it can be interpreted as that they were only sorry that the whole saga blew up, because they caught the brunt of the explosion. their only attempt at making amends was to offer to engage a social media agency. it's so fake, it's laughable. no mention of training the staff, no mention of paying closer attention and communicating better with the customer, and no commitment for improved levels of service in the future. i am further convinced that this owner needs a harsh(er) punishment than what's already happened. bear in mind, she still hasn't apologized to the affected customer (who happens to be my friend's friend). moron at its finest.

commenting on facebook really makes me thankful for that philosophy module i took back in undergrad year 1, and for a university education in general. not looking down on the people who for whatever reason didn't go to university. you won't believe how many people have broken logic, or compare two unrelated issues. like i commented that hiring a social media agency was only treating the symptoms, and not the root cause. someone else replied to my comment, and said that given their finances and newness, they probably couldn't afford to hire a firm, and maybe someone was helping them for free. it is a legitimate point. at the same time, it has NOTHING to do with my comment! i don't get some people. on a related note, US elections are either upcoming or ongoing. damned time zones. i really wonder what the next 4 years are going to be like. i'm rather concerned, actually. hopefully i can continue to not need to go there for whatsoever reason.

-random thought of the day: Expand on arguments and debates.-