Geocaching all over the world

 

drew this in my Bujo as a remembrance of the fun!

I cannot remember how I first came across this concept of Geocaching. Probably it was one of the things recommended to do in your home country when the world was on lock-down. But who made the recommendation? *shrug shoulders* Anyway, I was immediately taken with the idea and promptly downloaded the app. 

The very first cache I found was with the kiddos when I gatecrashed their staycation in the Civic District. There are many in the area! As we strolled around the area, I steered them towards this particular one titled Momentum which is located right in the corner of a road junction. It was rather strange to be looking blindly around the bushes. We did not even know what it looked like. But being with children made anything less suspicious/conspicuous. Hahaha.... 

The joy and excitement of eventually finding it was indescribable! The children doubled that dosage with their squeals of delight. We were initially dismayed that we did not have a pen to log in our find but when there is a will, there is a way: we went to the office building nearby and borrowed one from a security guard. 💪

the little missus holding the cache container

That was back in October 2020. Despite the successful first attempt, I was not so lucky tracking down the many others available in Singapore for a long long time. There was one near home in Bukit Panjang but the hubby and I were not successful in finding it. He even got hurt looking high and low under a flyover. I had even wanted to create and hide my own Geocache, thinking of ideas for the container and the location. But a whole year passed without another find.

Early 2022, my BFF sent me a text "I learnt of a game today that I think you will like!!!" Of course she was right! Her success in finding two in a single day spurred me back on the Geocaching trail again. Promptly found two located near my workplace in the central area. As I was alone this time, it really felt odd to be probing into shrubs and structures in open public places. I always feel like I need to pretend to be doing something 🤣 As another Geocacher wrote in the notes, you will be "shooting awkward smiles at the muggles walking by".

BFF and my logs on the same logsheet

Now that the world is not in lock-down mode, I always open the app to see what I can find in my vicinity. Sadly, I was unable to log any finds in ulu Uruguay or terrific Turkey when I was in those parts of the world. However, here in Germany, I had already found three! As the description of the Geocaches are in Deutsch, I have the added load of deciphering the text (or I should see it as a way to practise my Deutsch!) before I can begin my search. Again, one that was along a busy main road had me pretending to tie my shoelaces while I was writing the log. Ha!

     

Just last week when C brought us to check out the interesting town of Baarle, I whipped out the app again and we found this one right on one border. And she got hooked! I was already really enjoying this re-found (not really newfound) hobby on my own but it is so much more fun to go Geocaching with a buddy!! She got to practise her Dutch deciphering the descriptions. Haha.. Spent quite a bit of my visit cycling around to search for hidden tokens in Belgium which apparently is really big on Geocaching.

this one had such a lovely back story to why a mill in this location

 

It should be big everywhere... it is fun, interesting and a great way to make a simple walk that much more exciting. Some Geocaches include background information of its location or its origin so you may even learn something new as you log your find. I can't wait to log more here in Germany before I return to Singapore and conquer the rest! Wanna join?

Of course it is Edible!

The forgotten and forsaken domain

 
I knew very early on that I could never be a chef. Fire, splattering oil, sharp knife on slippery ingredients, and the constant worry that whatever I cook is not cooked through... I was so thankful that we were put in pairs for Home Economic lessons in the kitchen. My poor partner often had to take over the portions I was squirmish about but I was always more than happy to do the dishes thereafter! As a young adult, I could never do more than instant noodles and scrambled eggs. Even when I moved into my own apartment, my standard "cooked" meal was simple wraps using my trusty waffle/panini/sandwich maker. 

So when the lockdown last year forced me to rethink my resistance to cooking, encouraged and enticed by a newly renovated kitchen available to me, I decided to document my exploration into this forgotten and forsaken domain. Because.. me?!?! cooking?!?! the effort definitely deserves mention and byte space! But when I had to name the album in which I intend to collate pictures of my food creations, still concerned about the possibility of my husband and myself coming down with food poisoning, I could only come up with a "Edible?"

 Seventeen months after, I have to say I come a long way. 

In the initial stage with near-zero experience, I felt more secure following recipes to a T. One tablespoon means exactly that. I would use a proper measuring spoon and level out whatever ingredient that is being measured. A cup of rice to two cups of water. Placing the measuring tool on the counter top, I would lower myself to avoid parallax error in reading the measurement. I struggled with the ambiguity of corn flour versus corn starch. I googled for definitions of simmer and broil, and watched videos on how to clean or cut an ingredient. Sticking the thermometer into every meat dish. I favoured recipes that state the exact time requirements and often relied on the timer of the induction cooker. I especially disliked recipes with judgement calls such as "when the onion turn translucent". I would never start on a recipe unless I had absolutely everything in its ingredient list. 

Cooking was stressful. Ha!

Just made the fifth iteration of a favourite of this household - oven baked chicken and rice. Whilst cooking, I noticed an ease and confidence in myself that was not there before. Although I was still referring to the online recipe in my tablet, I had decided to make my own judgement calls - reducing the amount of rice and matching the required amount of broth accordingly; additionally marinating the chicken in a concoction I remembered from a previous recipe; skipping an entire step because I didn't see the need to waste a non-essential foil wrap; shortening the cook time because the chicken looked done. I could hardly believe this is the same me from last year!

With how well this dish had turned out with my experimentation, I feel like I have "graduated". At least into secondary level. Hahaha... I still can't cut onions and I avoid pan-frying at all cost but cooking is no longer stressful. It is almost enjoyable. I am also starting to see how cooking for loved ones is an expression of affection regardless the standard of the food. 

Thus I think it is time for me to change the name of my photo album... suggestions?