蒜蓉油焖虾
1.大虾去头去虾线，清洗干净，沥干水分．为的是吃的时候方便，同时因为没有完全去除虾壳，保留了油焖之后焦香的口感．
2. 蒜头切沫，还可切姜丝葱丝．
3.锅里放油，稍微多出一般炒菜的用量，烧热之后加入姜丝和大虾，盖上锅盖焖至一面变色，然后翻至另一面，同时加入料酒及蒜末，盖上锅盖．
4.焖至另一面也变色之后，掀开锅盖，加酱油和少量盐调味，关火．
5.撒上葱丝．翻炒出锅．
觉得这是我做的最好吃的虾了．
Muir Woods National Monument
劳动节长周末约上一群朋友去红木公园hiking．根据介绍，红木在150万年前曾经覆盖了北半球的很多区域，然而随着气候变化，目前在北美只有两种红木：the coast redwood and the giant sequoia．前者生长在太平洋沿岸从俄勒冈南部到加州北部big sur地区的狭长地区，是世界上最高的物种；后者则生长在内华达山脉西侧山坡的小片树林中（比如Yosemite & Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks）, 是世界上最大的物种．
Muir Woods在金门大桥北侧山谷中，距离金门大桥40分钟车程左右．但是恐高的人或许不适合开车到公园，因为这一段山路相当陡峭曲折．事实上，由于假期人多，而公园停车位很少，我们不得不将车停在他们的shuttle parking lots, 然后搭乘巴士抵达公园，但是到达公园之后，所有朋友都说，这3块钱的车票花得很值得，如果自己开，怕不是每个人都有这个胆量．
公园trail维护得挺好，有比较平坦可以推小推车的小道，也有很陡峭可以爬上山坡眺望大海的小路，还有翻过山头抵达海滩的更远更有挑战性的选择．我觉得挺不错的，只是不太过瘾，不过真走远了或者爬山我也不见得能坚持下来．途中见好几只小鹿在吃草，一群游人兴致勃勃的拍照留念，而小鹿们则无一例外地异常镇静，没有惊慌失措，没有仓皇离开，只是如视而不见般，泰然自若，丝毫没把大家放在眼里．也许他们见惯了人们好奇兴奋的模样了吧．
他们一直说，big basin是个不错的公园，想来是觉得这里不够impressive吧，其实我也这样觉得，尤其前期颇有些drama的情况下．
P.S.途中颇领略了一番三藩有名的大雾和极冷的夏天．金门大桥整个被雾气笼罩，在任何一端都远不能看到对面，但是北侧下了桥之后，立马天气晴朗；回程在金门公园驻足休息，结果长裤外套穿着却冻得要命，转到280的时候，也是立马放晴，晚上到家，同样的衣服甚至感觉有些热．看来是再也无法抱怨南湾的冬天冷了．
今天从半月湾回来也是同样，92号公路上翻越山头的时候，眼看大雾越来越浓，天色也渐渐转暗，就在我以为已经天黑的时候，却柳暗花明，原来过了山头仍是晴天，天色也还亮着呢．
finished reading “the time traveler’s wife”
Finally.
And one tip is if you want to see a movie adapted from a book, then watch it before you read the book. Otherwise, it’s gonna be boring and disappointing.
Reading is always fun.
The Descendants, a movie
其实有点搞不太清楚全片的重点或者说中心思想是什么，不知道导演要表达什么，或者不要表达什么．
George Clooney的表演还是那样，很好，但是又不足够好，总是能看到很深的表演痕迹．每次看他演的片子我都想：表演也是要天赋和灵性的呀．他好像就一直缺少那么一点点灵性的东西，也许只是这一点，就让人老感觉到一点点不自然，不能够不漏痕迹而引起人的共鸣，至少我的共鸣．不过已经赢了一座奥斯卡小金人了，虽然是作为配角，主角也提名很多次了，也许不远的将来就有了．即使没有也够了，口碑很好，票房很好，本人又帅，关键还有才，编剧导演也都样样行．不知道他是不是提名类型最多的一个，最佳改编编剧(best writing, adapted screenplay)，最佳原创编剧(best writing, original screenplay)，最佳导演，最佳男主，最佳难配，如果都拿了那得多牛叉才行啊.
不过不过，风光真没啊，整部片子在夏威夷拍摄，讲的又是拥有很多土地以至于可以发很大很大财的一家人的故事，看着人心里总是有点爽的吧．
反倒觉得小演员演的很好．大女儿很漂亮．
He’s just not that into you, a movie
我觉得很有趣的一部电影，看了两三遍，不过在大头看来却有点无聊．
Sex and the City的编剧写的，主要还是讲男女感情，关系及婚姻．编剧或作家真是要有极敏锐的观察力，极敏感的心思以及非常敏捷而开阔的思路．真是很佩服这两位作者，在这个主题下写了那么多东西，竟然还一直有新的思绪，然后通过极简洁直接的方式非常清楚的表达出自己所看所思所想．
印象深刻的一是Ben Affleck 和Jennifer Aniston 扮演的一对恋人，在一起七年而一直没有结婚，原因是男生不相信婚姻，认为只要感情在，完全没有必要以一纸证书去证明和约束什么，因为如果感情不再，这张证书也变得毫无约束和意义可言．分看是因为女生认为如果相爱就会想要结婚，直到有一天发现结了婚的男人也不一定更有责任或更加可以信赖，而曾经的男友对她的帮助和爱胜过很多身为丈夫的人所能给与的，于是跟男生复合．电影的结局男生还是求婚了，因为想要所爱的人感到幸福．可是我倒是希望他们能保持这样相爱的关系而不结婚，这样不是更能证明前面所表明的一切吗．如果最终还是结婚了，那又怎么说明相爱不一定要结婚呢？
二是Jennifer Connelly 和Bradley Cooper 扮演的一对夫妻．男人遇到了一个hot girl，于是春心不断荡漾，最终说服自己的理性和道义，发生婚外情．很多挣扎是因为还有感情，责任，道德，责任等，可是最终出轨也给自己找到了足够的借口：当自己还没准备好的时候被逼结婚，可是当你在这样心不甘情不愿的婚姻里面发生婚外情还要被骂混蛋，自己也很冤枉啊！
Scarlet Johnson 在这里面确实很hot啊，以前一直不理解她为什么被认为大美女什么的，当然现在也没觉得她就真的漂亮，但是站在西方人的角度看，可以理解他们所说的．大胸脯，大屁股，就是他们所谓的性感，而Scarlet在这里确实展露无疑．不过Bradley确实很hot.
五彩鸡丁
1.煮好的鸡胸或鸡腿肉放冰箱冷藏，然后切小丁．
2.西红柿去瓤切丁．洋葱切丁．青红黄椒切丁．
3.Basil切碎．
4.以上原料装碗，加入适量盐，黑胡椒和橄榄油，混合均匀．
可配脆脆的Taco，也可当做简单的开胃凉菜（可加少量香醋和香油调味），非常爽口．没有鸡肉的素彩丁一样好吃．
红烧牛肉
1.买已经切好块的牛肉块(beef stew)，清水浸泡去血水，时间可长至一天一夜，也可短至简单冲洗．
2.牛肉块切成满意小块入锅，放水没过肉块，大火烧开，去血沫，捞出牛肉块．
3.净锅中火，放红糖化开，入肉块翻炒上色，加入酱油和清水．另取适量花椒，八角，香叶，葱，姜等装在调料包里，丢入锅内．大火烧开，转小火再煮一个半小时左右，
4.其间取土豆，甜菜根(beets)，胡萝卜，洋葱等去皮切块．西芹(parsley)切碎．
5.将4中原料入锅，加黑胡椒(ground black pepper)继续煮半个小时． 关火．
可配米饭或Taco, 简单又美味．
What the heck is it?
Do you think Shiwen Ye doped?
Well, of course you could say it’s not impossible, although the tests have shown that she is innocent, at least temporarily, if you insist. After all, no one has better ways to prove his or her innocence, given the fact that we all have forgotten the presumption of innocence in this case.
Put this argument aside, I am just wondering where we got the impression that she doped. Is it the article we read which says she is faster, in the final 50 meters of a total 400 meters IM, than Lochte, the world’s second fastest player in the same event? The conclusion that she is faster than men seems impossible, and hence she must have doped, according to this author. I am not surprised if you are talked into this idea. But have you had any question marks in mind? Have you done any research to confirm that this assumption is true or not?
Anyway, some simple questions to provide. In the final 50 meters, 1) is Lochte the fastest male player or is this his best performance ? 2) is Ye faster than all male players? 3) is Ye the fastest female? 4) is there any other female players who once swam faster in the past than Lochte or other male players did this time?
I bet you could find the answers without any trouble, if you want to. The answers are Lochte isn’t the fastest or didn’t do his best this time, and Ye is slower than some other male players, and some other female player(s) swam faster than Ye and Lochte did in this Olympic. And of course, I am talking about the performance in the final 50 meters, not the entire competition.
So what does it mean? Does it mean the other female player must have doped, too?
If you say no, then I don’t understand what it is, racialism or discrimination? If she could do it, then why couldn’t Ye?
If you say yes, well, sure, they swam faster than Lochte did this time. In fact, they swim than most, let’s say 95% and I don’t think I am exaggerating, of men in the world in most time. But that’s why they must have doped? Come on, what the heck is the sense and logic here?
Are we really using our brain and thinking? I suspect.
the bee eater
on the reading list
I love you Philip Morris, a movie
Have you seen Catch Me If You Can, the movie costarred by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks? Well, I would like to name I Love You Philip Morris as Catch Me As You Can (Oh, By the Way, I’m Gay).
Both are movies about capers. Leonardo plays a teenage who sees that his father go bankruptcy and his mother run with another man. He starts to learn to live on his own and soon finds himself a genius to make money by faking payroll checks and identities. He becomes rich but feels lonely. Tom is the guy woking at CIA or FBI who tracks Leo desperately and frustratedly for years without catching him. And imagine what happens at last. You won’t believe it.
Jim Carrey plays a man who has a car accident which encourage him to end his marriage with his wife and come out of the closet as a gay. And he finds himself also a genius as a fraud. It seems he could do everything he wants to and make tons of money. But unfortunately he gets caught every time. Well, don’t worry about it, cause he’ll find a way to get out of the prison, anyway. A very funny movie. Performances are fantastic.
And believe it or not, both movies are based on true stories!