Updates & #1000KM Goal

Today officially marks the half way point of 2016. Time is really one thing that never fail to surprise me every single year. I am still amaze how time passes so fast. Honestly, it really feels like just days ago that I am still back home in Malaysia, whining how it was going to be 11 damn months till I get to be back home, till I get to see my family and friends again, and that was 5 months ago.

Now, 5 months later, I have completed my spring semester and now half through my summer semester. I officially surpassed the half way point of my graduate course last month and in one month time, it would be officially one year since I moved down to LA. It's really crazy how time passes so fast and things changes so fast.

Looking back at my life last year and comparing it to this year, many things have changed. So many things had happened, both bad and good. Quite frankly, the first half of the year this year, was not the best time of my life. It was and is still the first time for me being away from home for a such a long period of time. On top of that, I ended two relationships that were important in my life.

But, it wasn't all that bad. I also gained new close friends, grew closer to my parents, gained new experiences and knowledge and was offered new opportunities. Compared to same time last year, my priorities really have changed and I think I personally also have changed quite a bit. I am confident to say that I have grew stronger physically and mentally and also have learnt to stand on my own two feet again.



Speaking about growing stronger physically, I have decided to change my #500KM goal to #1000 goal, just because of my progress so far:

January 2016: 30.5KM

February 2016: 15.8KM

March 2016: 30.8KM

April 2016: 107KM

May 2016: 107KM

June 2016: 93.3KM

TOTAL SO FAR: 384.4KM

TOTAL KM LEFT: 615.6KM

One of the few things that makes me proud of myself so far, this year. 6 months to go till the year end and 5 months till I am back home. I am really looking forward to see what I will achieve by the end of this year. 

Two Weeks Vegetarian Challenge.

I am finally done with my Spring semester! Currently I am having a short break and my summer term will resume back at the end of May. Two weeks before the Spring semester ended, Ninja asked me whether I was interested in going on a vegetarian challenge thing with her for a week. 

Of course, me being me, I was pretty hesitant at first. Then I thought about it, I did start consuming lesser meat a couple of months ago. I became from a person who eats meat at least two meals a day to just eating meat for one meal per day. I thought to myself, if I could reduce my meat consumption, I could definitely stop eating meat for 7 days. So, I took up the challenge!  

Me being excited to start something new, I immediately went out to buy groceries. Besides fruits and vegetables, I also bought other source of protein like tempeh and eggs. Frankly, the first few days were quite bad. It wasn't that my body needed meat, it was just the thoughts of it. Breakfast wasn't bad because on regular days, I just have a bowl of oatmeal and a toast. 

It's lunch meal that was bad for me, because I usually have meat during that time, and not having it, just makes me feel like I was not satisfied with my lunch. But it got better through the week. However, I started losing my appetite for dinner. Wasn't really sure whether being vegetarian actually makes you lose appetite, or the fact that the thoughts about having vegetables only for a meal, makes me lose my appetite. 

When we reached the seventh day of our challenge, Ninja decided that she wanted to continue, and I voluntarily joined her and we ended up continuing it for another week. So yeah, 14 weeks without meat. It may not sound like a big thing for you, but it really is for me. For 23 years of my life, I don't think I have ever gone a day without a meat because I just love meat that much. That's why I feel so damn proud to have accomplished this challenge.

What makes me even more happier is that, I am actually considering to continue it. I dont know how to describe it specifically, but I really like the feeling I get from it. It's not just the sense of accomplishment but also I also feel pretty damn good about myself overall. So yeah, I'm going to continue it :)

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April #500km goal update.

I am honestly quite proud of my achievement for this goal for the month of April. When I decided to set this goal, I know I wanted to achieve it, but I just didn't expect I would achieve this much in one month. I think for this month, I jogged on average about 4 days a week and the total distance came up to 107KM :)

January 2016: 30.5KM

February 2016: 15.8KM

March 2016: 30.8KM

April 2016: 107KM

TOTAL SO FAR: 184.1KM 

TOTAL KM LEFT: 315.9KM 

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Now You're Just A Stranger With All My Secrets.

I rarely share things on my Facebook page, well, unless it's really funny. The point is that I have never found anything that meaningful or more importantly something I could relate to entirely. But the other day, I came across this online article that my friend shared entitled Now You're Just a Stranger With All My Secrets. I have got to admit, the title of the article itself already caught my attention before I had the chance to click on it. And yes, I clicked on it, and it is one of the most relatable article I have ever read:

"It's sad yet ironic that you're a stranger now but you know all my secrets. You have the keys to my heart and soul yet you can't get in. You are holding my secrets but you can't hold my hand.

You're a stranger who knows what keeps me up at night and what I'm terrified of. You're a stranger who once calmed my storms and made me feel safe.

You know my demons and you tried to fight them with me, you know my darkness and you used to guide me to find the light. You're a stranger who saw my dark side and told me that it makes me even more beautiful.

You know my deepest secrets and you promised not to hold them against me. You know the things that I couldn't tell anyone else and you know the lies I told every else. You're a stranger I once trusted with my life.

You know who my best friends are and who is secretly my favorite. You know who I count on the most and you know who I talk to when I don't fell like talking to anyone else. You warned me about some of them and you told me to fight for some of them and I always listened to you. You're a stranger who was once my best friend.

You're a stranger who I once talked to about other strangers.

You know my dreams and how I plan to achieve them, you know what I truly want and what makes me happy, you know how I plan to change the world and what I really want to be known for. You're a stranger who was once a dream come true.

You know my words and my silence and you understand my ramblings. You're read my journals and my diaries and you've all my letters and you still have the letters I wrote to you. You're a stranger once I wrote about- you're a stranger I still write about.

You're a stranger I saw a future with, you're a stranger I was willing to love with all my heart, you're a stranger with memories that will remain engraved in my heart and you're a stranger who I once talked to about other strangers.

You're a stranger who knows exactly what I'll do to get over you and how I will pretend to be fine when I see you but when I get home I will cry myself to sleep. You're a stranger who knows where I escape to heal myself because you were once my sweet escape and you once healed me.

Now you're a stranger who I have to pretend never moved me, that your touch never mended my broken heart, that your words never soothed my wounded soul, that your smile never brightened up my day, that your strength never lifted up when I was down, that your eyes never made me forget all my worries and that your presence in my life never saved mine.

You're now a stranger, who I once believed will never be- who promised he will never be. You're now a stranger who said he was different but then turned out to be like everyone else."

Written By: Rania Naim

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It is okay.

During my undergraduate days, I always kept myself busy. If I wasn't doing my uni work, I would be either be busy with club activities or with my family or friends. I love keeping myself busy, because both my time and days passes by faster and it also made me appreciate time more. But then, ever since I moved down here to California to pursue my masters, my schedule has been the total opposite. Because I only have 2 days of classes every week which is on Tuesday night and Saturday morning, the rest of the time of the week, I have practically nothing on. 

Initially, I really did not like it at all, because I was not used to it at all. I have never been this free for a long time. Even before my undergraduate days, I was not even this free during my primary and high school days. Honestly, I also felt guilty, because I knew life isn't supposed to be like this. I thought that at this point of my life, I should not be this free and that I should have a job and start earning my own money and should stop leaching of my parents. I should be independent like how my elder cousin and some of my friends are, in terms of earning a living. 

Then, I applied for several jobs and still have not lucks in getting a job, which made me feel even worst. But then, these past few months, I learnt something I feel that is important. I learnt that it is okay to be wherever and however I am right now. Yes, I am not earning any money at the moment and yes, I am 23-year-old still relying on my parents, but I learnt that it is okay for now. 

It is okay firstly because I am not doing nothing. I am furthering my education, so I could get a better job in the future. It is also okay because not everybody figures out their career in their twenties. 

It is also okay because not everyone's lives is the same. I may not be financially independent now, but this does not mean, I will be a failure in the future. Lastly, it's okay because at this point of my life, I may not be financially successful, but I learnt one of the most important thing in my life, I learnt to love myself. 

So it is okay :) 

Yeoh Eening

Weekly Updates (Second Week of April 2016).

Last week's weather was rather gloomy. It rained several days but on Tuesday, it was rather hot. The temperature went up to 31 degree celsius, which I think it's quite high for spring. But then the rain brought the temperature down, so it has been a lot of jacket and sweaters the past few days. On a brighter note, I took the driving written test today and passed it! Starting my week very great, this week.

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Ipoh's Not So Hidden Treasures.

When I was young and still didn't knew what hometown really mean, I always told people that my hometown was Ipoh because that was the place where my grandmother came from and it was also the place where I go down to every Chinese New Year. As I grew older, I found out that Ipoh was not actually my hometown because I was born and raised in KL. But, I still like to think of it as my hometown because it reminds me a lot of my grandmother and my childhood memories. 

For me, Ipoh has always been my hometown but for most other people, it is place where they would go down for a day or so just to have amazingly good food which are not only authentic but at cheaper price compared to KL. If you have been to Ipoh, I am sure you have eaten the Ipoh's famous chicken floss hor fun (rice noodles), chicken rice, dim sum and even drink Funny Mountain's soya bean drink. But, this post isn't about those places, this post is dedicated to places who have plain simple good food that have not yet turned mainstream. So let's get down to it: 

#1. Big Tree Foot Yong Tau Foo- Pasir Pinji 

In Ipoh, my hometown is specifically located in Pasir Pinji. Even though, I did not know all the good food in Ipoh, I thought I knew most of the good food in Pasir Pinji, but I didn't. During my last trip to Ipoh in January, my friend, Artemis told me that I have to eat the Asam Laksa at the Big Tree Foot at Pasir Pinji, so I gave it a try and it definitely did not disappoint me.

Though I personally find the Yong Tau Foo just ordinary, I fell in love with their Asam Laksa. It had the perfect balance of sweetness, sourness and spiciness, and it is really difficult to find a perfectly balanced Asam Laksa in the market these days. Also, even though it only costed me like RM3 for a bowl of laksa, it had like chunks of fish meats in there! Highly recommend the Asam Laksa!

#2. Char Kuey Teow at Restoran Sin Lean Lee- Jalan Bandar Timah 

This is one of my dad's favourite to go breakfast place in Ipoh because it is located very near his old school. I know, I know, you don't go to Ipoh to eat Char Kuey Teow and I used to think so until my dad brought us there and it is not my favourite place to have Char Kuey Teow. I personally love Sin Lean Lee's Char Kuey Teow because unlike the usual Char Kuey Teow, it's more wet and goey because the egg that they top on top of it is usually not fully cooked, so if you like it more wet like me :P, give them a try! However, you really need patience to dine here because you usually have to wait for a minimum of 30 minutes.

#3. White Coffee at Kedai Kopi Xiang Er Nong- Jalan Peh Kee Koh

In the coffee market, we know that there is black coffee. If you aren't local, you probably have not heard of white coffee, which is the coffee that Ipoh is famously known for. As you can see, it is not actually white in colour. Though it looks like black coffee with milk, it doesn't taste like the normal black coffee and milk. The aroma of white coffee is distinctive and fragrant. I am not actually a big fan of white coffee, but when I do feel like drinking it, I usually buy a packet of iced one from here because they make it really kau (strong) and it is one of the best I have drank.

#4. Kaya (Coconut Jam) Puff at Ming Yue Confectionery- Jalan Peh Kee Koh 

If you are fan of pastries just like me, I strongly strongly recommend having a Kaya Puff from here. I have not exactly tried anything else from here because I love their Kaya Puff that much. Reasons why I love it: a) they are make from real actual kaya and not the fake bright green in colour kind b) the size of it is really small. It's both a good and a bad thing. Good, that you don't have to eat a whole big piece by yourself (like those kaya puffs you can find in regular stalls are big). Bad because they are super addictive, so you most likely wouldn't eat only one :P

#5. Muar Chee (Glutinous Rice Balls) & Fa Sang Wu (Peanut Soup Dessert) at Hong Kee Mah Chee- Pasar Pinji 

I love Muar Chee and I love Fa Sang Wu. Did you know that Muar Chee and Fa Sang Wu is such a good combination together? I bet you didn't know. This place is located super near my hometown. It used to be super hidden where the guy who owns this shop used to sell right in front of a random house along the street, below a big tree. But, the last time I went there, he moved to this small little turquoise house which can be spotted very easily.

But, he also told me that the turquoise is all temporary and that he will be moving again. However, if you do come by Pasir Pinji, you have to really come here. Though the Muar Chee isn't anything besides the ordinary but the Fa Sang Wu is really amazing as the consistency isn't too thick and it tasted like its made more of peanut than flour. And the guy who owns the stall actually recommended me to eat both together, because ordinary people like me would eat them separately. Seriously, they both go so well together!

6. Wat Tan Hor (Stir Fried Rice Noodles) at Tuck Kee Restoran- Jalan Yau Tet Shin

Like the Big Treet Foot place, I have not actually tried Tuck Kee until my last trip. I have heard of it but have not tried it because it only opens at night, if I am not mistaken and I always go down to Ipoh for less than a day and be back before night. Catering mostly for dinner, they have a wide variety of stir fried noodles to choose from, but that time when I went tried it I ordered their Wat Tan Hor and their famous steamed octopus.

Their steamed octopus wasn't anything special, but I did like the how well it went with their chili sauce. However, I did really like their Wat Tan Hor. All my life, I have eaten alot of Wat Tan Hor because it's one of my family's favourite noodle dish and I only have had one really good one before this. But, Tuck Kee's Wat Tan Hor could actually compete with that. It wasn't diluted and it had the right amount of seasoning. The next time I go down, I will like to try their Hokkien Mee.


#6. Yong Tau Foo & Teh Ais (Iced Milk Tea) at Kedai Makanan Kum Kee- Pasir Pinji 

Kum Kee really brings a whole lot of good memories to me because it is actually the nearest kopitiam (coffee shop) located to my house at Ipoh. When I was a kid, whenever I overnight at Ipoh, my family always went to Kum Kee for supper. It really has been a long time since I went there. They serve the usually Ipoh Yong Tau Foo, but what I really enjoyed there is actually their Teh Ais.

I usually wouldn't order Teh Ais because there aren't good ones. Most of the kopitiams serve diluted teh ais because usually they will premake the milk tea and then pour it over ice whenever an order is made which makes the drink so diluted. But I decided to order it from here because I saw one of the customer from the next table ordered it and the colour of the teh ais looked really 'kau', so I tried my luck and ordered it, which did not disappoint me. Then, I realize all their drinks are actually 'kau' because the they actually make the drink only when there is an order, which makes a whole lot of difference! If you are very particular with your drink being 'kau' or not, like me, you would understand.

That's all I have for this post :)

Yeoh Eening

500 KM Goal.

I really have been on a jogging strike lately. I don't know why or how, but I have been super duper motivated to jog everyday. Jogging has always been an exercise I enjoyed doing. Personally, I like doing it because a) it's like me time for my self (even though I have been having a lot of me time since I moved to the states) b) the sceneries I see whenever I jog c) I could enjoy listening to music while doing it d) it makes me happy for some reasons e)lastly, I just feel damn good after a good jog.

Just last week itself, I jogged up to 32.95KM, which is making me feel pretty darn proud about myself. One of my life goal this year was to actually join a full marathon, but then I checked around and could not found any that I could go for. So, yesterday while I was jogging I was asking myself how I could continue this strike through a whole year and I thought, instead of having a goal of a marathon, how about setting an accumulated distance I should run for the year. 

Then I thought that 100KM is a good distance to start with. I got back home and started calculating the total distance that I have ran this year so far and found out that, I actually have ran this much so far: 

January 2016: 30.5 KM

February 2016: 15.8KM

March 2016: 30.8KM

April 2016: 16.2KM

TOTAL: 94.3 KM

The total really took me by surprise. I know I have been jogging more this year compared to last year, but I just didn't know it was that much more. There and then I decided that if I can almost reach, into the fourth month of the year, I can reach much more throughout the year and that was when I decided to make the 500KM goal. At first, 500KM seems pretty unrealistic, then I started doing the math again:

Goal of this year: 500KM

Distance I have achieved so far: 94.3KM

Distance left for the remaining 9 months: 405.7 KM

Distance to achieve each month: 45.08KM

Distance to achieve each week: 11.27 KM

and I realize I can actually do this!

Yeoh Eening

Weekly Updates (First Week of April 2016).

I have decided to regularly take photos so, instead of updating my life regularly in words, I think pictures will say more. This week's theme: black & white :)

Yeoh Eening 

#nowplaying

History by One Direction

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Thankful.

I grew up learning that it was extremely important to have a direction in life. I was taught that, in order to be successful in life, we should always know what we want to achieve in life and set goals to achieve them and I have always believed in this philosophy. I believe by knowing what you want in life, you will always have something to look forward to and more importantly, you will always have a reason to wake up everyday and to go on with life, despite what life throws at you.

Being born fortunate, I grew up in a really good environment. My parents has always believed in the importance in good education and because of this I was sent to a private school for my primary and secondary education. The friends that I made at that had similar family background like me and because of this most of the people I mixed knew clearly what they wanted to achieve in their lives and for those who don't which were just a few, were fortunate enough to be sent to good colleges as they figure out what they really wanted to do with their lives.

Growing up in this environment, I have always thought that it was common for people to know what they want in life and even if they do not know what they wanted in life, their parents will somehow support and mould them to know. I was really oblivious with the real world, up until I came out from high school.

After I graduated from high school, unlike most of my classmates who continued their studies aboard, I stayed back in Malaysia to continue my tertiary education. It wasn't because my parents couldn't afford or didn't allow me to, I personally felt like I wasn't ready to leave home just yet. I have to admit, choosing to continue studying in Malaysia may not be one of the best decision for my education but it was one of best decision I made for my life.

By staying back in Malaysia, I had the opportunity to meet people with all sorts of family background and this really helped me to open my eyes about life. I got to know people whose parents were not able to support them to continue their studies after high school. I got to know people who had to not only support themselves through college but also their family. I also got to know people who really didn't know what they wanted to do with their life. Not because they don't want to know. But because they couldn't afford to dream big and unlike me, they weren't lucky enough to be taught or exposed to stuff that teaches them to strive. The sad thing was they grew up being taught to live just to get through the day. Because of people like them, I always feel blessed and grateful of my life and to have my parents, my family and friends. Also because of people like them, I always tell myself to not strive and not give up in life.

However, it is always easier said than done. Unlike some people who was lucky enough to always know what they wanted to do in their lives, I only figured what I wanted to be just last year after I graduated from my bachelors. At that time, I was so damn sure that was what I wanted and finally decided to move to the other side of the planet to achieve it. However, along the way, I have to admit that I started to slowly lose motivation and direction to achieve this goal. Despite being so clear before, as life started to throw me all sorts of shit and I started to doubt myself whether it was even possible to do this.

It has been seven months since I moved here to the United States and this month has by far been the worst month. Despite already starting to lose hope and motivation to achieve my goal, life decided to throw me more shit in my face this month. It really has been a shitty month with one problem and another and honestly, giving up was all I thought all month. Regardless of how optimistic I try to be, I just ended up pulling myself down again because that was just easier than pulling myself up.

But then, everything changed after having a conversation with my elder cousin last night. He reminded me that despite all the shit life throws at you and all the negative feeling that you are feeling right at this moment, was all temporary. He told me that your life will become how you want it to be. Most importantly, he reminded me to remember my dream and remember why I was striving for. Despite being miles away from home, he reminded me I was loved and missed and because of that one simple conversation, I felt lighter, happier and motivated.

The whole point of this long post, is to remind you guys out there who are feeling demotivated and the future demotivated me that we have dreams! It's normal to feel like the whole world is falling apart while trying to achieve what your dreams. You will most probably will feel like it is shittiest time of your life but no matter how much you want to take the easier route and just give up, DON'T! It is okay to cry your eye balls out and feel like that's nothing more to look forward in life but never never give up and remember that this is all TEMPORARY.

Just make sure not to stay in the negative phase for too long. Like my cousin said, it's exactly like running, if you stop running, it's difficult to regain back the momentum to start back, like how it is difficult to be positive back again, if you drown yourself too long in negativity. Take your time and I know when you are feeling so much negativity, mixing with positive people is the last thing on your mind. When you are ready, talk to your friends and family, people who are close to you. They will remind you why you have decided to do this, in the first place. Really, all it takes is just one person to remind you why you are living.

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Meat-less Dinner Week 1.

Today marks the 8th day on my meat-less dinner journey. I know it has only been a week, but I am pretty proud of myself that I managed to sustain this long. Before I started this whole thing, let's just say, that I am very anti-vegetarian. Don't get me wrong, I support people and also really look up to people who are vegetarian, vegan and such. But, it really wasn't my thing. 

I never thought of even trying to become go all vege because I love, love, love meat, so much. Every meal I had last time MUST contain some kind of meat and it was preferably chicken, pork, lamb or beef because I never really consider fish or seafood as meat. 

How did it all start? I literally woke up one day and decided I should start eating less meat. I think it's mainly because this year, I really want to better myself, overall. I thought why not start making small changes, like stop eating meat per meal, everyday. 

I didn't want to become fully vegetarian nor vegan, so I decided to go meat-less. I thought it was just something I made up, but then I google-ed and realize, meatless does exist and it exists as a campaign called 'Meatless Monday'. It's an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays, to improve their health and the health of the planet. Paul, Marry and Stella McCartney even launched a whole campaign called "Meatfree Monday", to support this. 

But, I dont think I can go a whole day without meat. So, I decided to go meatless everyday but just one meal. I am not vegetarian or vegan because I still eat meat, but just for breakfast or lunch. For dinner, its purely no meat, not even fish balls or fish cakes. My dinner meal usually consist of vegetables, beans, mushroom and egg.

For vegetables, I don't eat raw green salad everyday. I sometimes steam or stir fry it, depending on the vegetables. If I do eat them raw, I like to pair it with ranch. I know ranch isn't the healthiest salad dressing in the world, but it's my favourite. I believe, its important not to deprive yourself from things you like, even if you are taking care of your health because it's not what you eat, it's how much you eat.

If you asked me last year whether will I ever consider going meat-less for my diet, my answer will probably be no. But, now I am doing it and I am feeling really damn good about myself. Not just physically but mentally. I really recommend for everyone to go meat-less. You don't have to do it every day, or every meal. Cutting down meat for at least one meal in a week is good enough, not just for you but also for the environment!

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Taman Connaught Pasar Malam, Cheras.

Pasar Malam is what we Malaysians use to call night markets in our place. Night market is something very commonly found in Malaysia. There is bound to be at least one night market that takes place some where, every day in the week. Taman Connaught Pasar Malam is located at Cheras and it is used to be famous for being the longest night market in Kuala Lumpur. But now, I heard Setia Alam Pasar Malam has took over that title. 

Taman Connaught Pasar Malam 

Prawn Fritters, Deep Fried Radish Cake, Savoury Onion Fritters and Steam Chinese Dumplings with either Radish or Chives (left to right)

Hakka Mee (Hakka Noodles)

Apong and Apong Balik (Assorted Malaysian Pancakes)

Deep Fried Squid

Chow Tofu (Smelly Tofu)

Assorted Siu Mais (Shrimp & Pork Dumplings)

Ice Blended Papaya Milk Shake

Lemon QQ Jelly Drink 

Nevertheless, Taman Connaught Pasar Malam is still really long. But I feel that it's only long because the shops are pretty repetitive. It only takes place once a week, every Wednesday. Went there the last time with my boyfriend because he wanted to try chao tao fu (smelly tofu), which he didnt' like very much :P The market starts as early as 5pm, so I strongly suggest to go around that time because it gets really pack when the sun sets and it's also more difficult to find parking.

For those who are looking for street food, I would recommend Taman Connaught because the choices of street food is so wide. If you intend to buy groceries, I advice you to opt to go to a different market, because when I went there, I felt the stalls selling groceries was so few compared to the others. So, choices might be limited :/

Among all the things we ate on that day, the only that I strongly recommend to try will be the Ice Blended Papaya Milk Shake. It's abit costly, as it is priced higher than regular drinks in the market for about RM8. But, they provide a generous amount and the drink is really good. It's something new and different. Never thought papaya + milk + ice, would be such a good combo (;

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Kimchi Jjigae Recipe.

Out of all the things I can cook, I felt like the first recipe that I have to share in my blog was my Kimchi Jjigae recipe. Because, a) I have been told that I make good Kimchi Jjigae and b) I personally love my own Kimchi Jjigae and trust me, I have tried a lot of Kimchi Jjigae. 

Actually, Kimchi Jjigae was the first Korean dish I have ever tried which was recommended by one of my high school friend. After having it, it was like I was introduced to a whole new world. Then I got into the whole Korean culture thanks to KPop, and my love for Korean food just developed further and further. However, no matter what, I always fall back to Kimchi Jjigae whenever I crave for Korean food because it is really easy to make. This, I really kid you not. 

Honestly, when I cook, I always 'agak-agak' with the amount of ingredients I put in. Basically it means, I just estimate based on how much I cook and experiences so the ingredients that I will be sharing will not be precise. I also believe the key to cooking is not really about being accurate with the amount of ingredients but to always make a habit to try from time to time the thing you are cooking, so you'll know what it is lacking.

Ingredients:

• Kimchi (Preferable the chopped ones, so you can save the hassle of chopping one)
• Gochujang (Red Pepper paste)
• Garlic 
• White onion 
• Pork (Belly part) 
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil 
• Water 
• Pepper for seasoning 

My first step is always to marinate the meat. If you don not consume pork, you can always replace it with other meats like chicken or beef, but I personally feel that Kimchi Jjigae tastes so so much better with pork. Usually, people would recommend to use the belly part of the pork because of the fats, but I always use other parts like the ribs because I prefer less fatter meat. The first step is always to marinade your meat with some sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper for at least one hour. As always, the longer the marination, the better. 

Once you think that the meat is marinated enough, then it's time to cut the garlic and onions. To prepare a pot full of Kimchi Jjigae, I used 9 cloves of garlic and 1/2 a white onion. The best Kimchi Jjigae that I have tasted was this shop at Namdaemun and I realize, it tasted so good because it had a lot of garlic in it. If you dislike garlic, you can reduce the amount, but you might regret :P 

After done cutting them, throw them some oil into the pot and slowly stir fry the garlic and white onion until its light golden in colour.

Next is to put in the meat into the stir fried garlic and onions and continue to stir fry all of the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes. After that, pour water into the pot and wait for it to boil. 

Once it's boil, it should look something like the picture on the far left. The next step is to add the chopped kimchi, kimchi juice (from the kimchi packet) and the Gochujang. I usually also put lot of kimchi, because I like my soup to taste strong. As for the Gochujang, for that pot I put 2 tablespoon full. If you can't take spicy, I suggest to reduce the amount of Gochujang. 

After that, it should look something like that and all you have to do after that is turn the fire down and let it boil. The longer you boil it, the better taste and there you have it. It is as easy as that and also the ingredients are so easy to find. 

Hope this recipe helps :)

Yeoh Eening