Fun with 360-degree spherical media and virtual reality on your mobile phone

Some of you may already have heard of or experienced the Oculus virtual reality (VR) headset or saw the Samsung Gear VR on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  With these headsets, you can do cool things in VR like fight aliens in a spaceship, fly through the universe, stand in the middle of a forest and listen to the birds, dive in the open ocean with sharks, and so much more.  It's amazing to able to turn my head all around and see what's above me, behind me, and to the side of me. (looking down is a bit disconcerting since there may or may not be a body there!)  To be honest, watching a Democratic presidential debate (as demonstrated on the Colbert show) was not on my VR wish list...was it on yours?

wearing the Oculus VR headset

Did you know that you can do this with your mobile phone?  Right now?

Google Cardboard is a cheap and easy way to turn your phone into a VR headset.  There are several apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play that offer VR experiences.  I recently played around with the InMind VR app in the Apple App Store (also can be found in the Google Play Store for Android) using the cardboard VR headset and my iPhone.

a more affordable VR headset

The Cardboard product I am using is the KnoxLabs V2 Viewer.  It works pretty well and breaks down to fit inside its rectangular storage sleeve.  There are less expensive viewers available but this is the one I've been playing with.  Just be sure to buy version 2 (V2) as it has the conductive foam button to interact with the phone while it is encased in the cardboard.  And also consider putting a piece of shipping tape on the forehead portion and everywhere your face might touch to help avoid stains.

your mobile phone is inserted on its side in front of the lenses

Try 360-degree videos right now, even without a cardboard VR headset:

• Go to the YouTube app on your phone and search for the #360Video channel.
• Select a video for viewing. (did you click on the diving video??? :) )
• Move your phone around and the video will show that direction.  Pause the video, and you can still continue to move your phone in all directions to view the space.
• If you have a cardboard VR headset, you can select the "Cardboard" symbol in the YouTube video and your phone screen will split into two images for viewing through the lenses. (currently only available on Android, iOS coming soon)

Did you know that you can, right now, create your own VR videos using a 360-degree spherical camera?  Immerse into your memories time and time again...record your experiences like standing atop a mountain peak, a family get-together, driving down the Las Vegas Strip in a convertible, sky diving, and so on.  If you own a business, you can benefit from VR; for example, a real estate agent can replace the existing "360" photo tours with a Cardboard VR video so potential buyers can "look around" inside.  For creative types, make a 360 theatrical show or a "whodunnit" mystery game where you search for clues in rooms.  Teachers can take students on "VR fieldtrips"...perhaps to the Grand Canyon for a geology lesson, or Gettysburg for a history lesson; no need for transportation, chaperones or distractions from other students.  And so much more...the possibilities are endless.

Are you excited about 360 video?  How do you go about recording spherical videos?  The equipment can range from hooking up 16 GoPro cameras in a spherical frame to simple hand-held cameras that can be found on Amazon.  You can do a search on the internet to find all sorts of companies hawking their latest gadgets and rigs to support 360 videos, but not all of them are available yet since the concept is so new.  Here are a couple that caught my eye that are available now or soon:

• The Kodak SP360 is more of a "hemispherical" camera since it only has one lens.
• The Ricoh Theta M15 is a full spherical camera but currently only supports up to 3 minutes of video.  A newer model to be released end of October 2015, the Ricoh Theta S, will be able to record up to 25 minutes of video.
• Both Kodak and Ricoh videos can currently be uploaded to YouTube's #360Video channel if you follow their specific instructions.

I recently read an article about Facebook working on a virtual reality app so you can share your experiences with friends in the near future. 

Now that you're in the know, be an early adopter/pioneer and create awesome content.  Wouldn't be cool to produce student fieldtrips?  I certainly plan on adding 360 videos to my travel blog in the future. :)

I quit my day job...now what?

In case some of my friends haven't heard, I quit my day job a few months ago.  Old colleagues, go look me up in Outlook or Lync and see that I don't exist anymore.  I found out in March that my group was dissolving due to consolidation and had the following options:

1. Move to the Arizona or Oregon campus to keep my current job, with paid relocation
2. Stay until the final dissolution of the group (providing additional months of income) then take a severance package, terms unknown for a few weeks
3. Find a new job at my current site before the group dissolved
4. Opt into the voluntary separation package (VSP) offered by the division, a cost-cutting measure and not related to the dissolution.  I could return to the company after six months and not have to pay back the severance. But the deadline for this option would occur before details of option 2 would be available.

Option 1 wasn't really an option because I didn't want to move.

I did consider option 2, since extending my employment a few more months would take me past my 21st work anniversary and qualify me for a full 8-week sabbatical versus 4-week.

In a way I was ready for option 3 as I had been perusing the internal job postings a couple of weeks prior.  I was getting a bit bored with my current position, and found a listing of high interest (though accompanied with higher stress).  However, when our manager broke the news to us, the company also initiated a hiring freeze (unrelated to the dissolution) and all job listings were removed.  So much for option 3.

Option 4 had been brewing on the back burner of my mind ever since it was offered in past years.  I never had a compelling reason to take VSP until now, since I was on career "cruise control".

My final decision...option 4, take the VSP.  Why?  I had no details yet on what the severance package would be, and I doubted that it'd be better than VSP.  There was no guarantee that the dissolution of the group would happen after my 21st work anniversary so I may not get the extra 4 week sabbatical anyway.  I figured that an extra four months or so of pay wasn't worth dealing with the stress of the unknown and the low morale of the group. A key deciding factor was that I could return to the company after six months at the earliest and not have to repay the VSP severance, which for my years of service, came out to be almost a year's worth of base pay.  I had friends who could recommend me for positions if I wanted to come back.  I was looking through job listings a month ago, already thinking of change.  Why not take a 6-month break and see what happens?  I was excited to find out.

I clicked my acceptance of VSP online the morning of the deadline.  It wasn't a sure thing though; human resources still had to tally all the volunteers and decide which to accept such that it wouldn't cause a gaping hole in any one team within the division.  I was concerned that HR would deny my request since there had been a recent campaign to increase hiring of technical females and they might not want to lose any.  But my fears did not come to pass; I received an acceptance email from HR.  It turned out that for my specific group, 4 volunteered and were accepted, and 3 of them were women. Maybe they thought we'd come back after six months.

I had 8 business days to take care of whatever I needed to do before termination. 8 days!  It was hardly enough time to pass off my work; it made me feel like my contributions were insignificant, even though I and another colleague (who also opted for VSP) were the only ones on the team performing these technical duties.  Our projects would have experienced delays had we not spent time doing a whirlwind of training or transferred and organized our data onto the shared server.  Though I know that even if we hadn't been so accommodating, the projects would eventually finish.  No one is irreplaceable.
 
My exit interview was on Friday, May 1; however, my 4-week sabbatical was scheduled by HR to start the next day, so I was technically an employee until June 1. When the following Monday rolled around, I didn't have to drive to work, climb the stairs to my floor and spend 8 hours staring unblinkingly into a monitor, typing and mousing in a drab gray cubicle under fluorescent lights. It was just like being on vacation/sabbatical, but the difference was that I didn't have to worry about projects I'd left behind or needing to return.

I did go in once during this time period to meet with friends who couldn't get off campus for lunch.  Even though I was still an employee, I felt like an undercover agent sneaking into an enemy compound.  My heart quickened a bit when I scanned my badge at the security station.  Would it work?  The badge reader beeped happily and glowed green, welcoming me back.  When I made my way to the cafeteria, an old colleague spotted me, gave me a puzzled look and started in a hushed voice, "I thought you were..." as if not to blow my cover.  I smiled. "Just here to meet with friends..."  When you get out of prison, the inmates don't want to see you return.

What about reactions from co-workers, friends and family?  When I told people I was going to be unemployed, responses ranged from "That's great, I'm happy for you!" to "Are you going to find another job?", but most seemed to shrug it off.  No fanfare or celebration, as everyone was thinking that this was just a break from work and not early retirement.

So how have I been spending my time?  It's now been over three months since I've received a steady paycheck. Considering that I spent almost 21 years at one company since leaving college, it felt a bit surreal not to go into the office after so many months, but I got used to it very quickly.  Though it still feels like I'm infiltrating a secure compound on the rare occasions when I drive into campus to pick up my husband for a lunch date. Income-wise, I'm still working as a travel agent, booking for friends and family.  I've also been doing odd jobs here and there for fun and variety.  But note that I don't do these things solely to collect income but because I enjoy and want to do it.

Speaking of travel, you'd think that I'd have more time to do so without the shackles of employment but since I've traveled a lot already (as journaled on my travel blog "Where in the world is Kat Kong?") and my husband is still working full-time, the urge hasn't been there.  Once in a while I see a great deal come along, but companions with few family or work obligations are hard to find (are YOU interested?), so I can't always take the opportunity.  I would prefer not to travel alone, though I have in the past, like my solo stay in Singapore.  Not to say that I haven't traveled at all since I left work - my husband and I went on a 7-night Alaskan cruise around Memorial Day (planned before events unfolded) and visited his family on the East Coast for an extended week.

I still go to Pilates weekly like I did when I was working full-time, but now I attend in the morning instead of evening.

I do miss my evening Pilates pals

I've been taking walks around the neighborhood for additional exercise and even shopping for groceries on foot, armed with reusable bags. (fortunately many major shopping areas are within a one-mile radius of my home)  I try to limit driving when I can.  I've even walked 35 minutes one-way to a doctor's appointment.

enjoying the view on my neighborhood walk

My to-do list is long but time flies. I don't know how I managed to work full-time and also support my travel agency, exercise, blog, read and do other hobbies. I thought I would be all caught up writing my travel blog (8 months behind at this moment), but you guessed it, time flies!  It doesn't take long for the day to pass, then suddenly it's after 5pm and my husband is home.

I learned how to knit, something on my to-do list for a long time. It's actually not that hard...only took me less than an hour using Nici Beason's DVD. 

attempting a complicated pattern for my first knitting project

Will I go back to work after a six-month-plus break?  I haven't missed the corporate life and I'm not bored at all.  The money is nice to have but is it worth the time spent?  I've run some calculations (which I'll discuss in another post) and we don't need the extra income.  So for now, I wouldn't bet on me returning for quite some time, even with the stock market falling in recent weeks. (Read "How about that stock market?" and not panic)  There are things to accomplish on my bucket list.  Don't worry, I am not exiting high-tech forever; some of the things I want to do involve using technology in innovative applications.  Exciting times ahead!

Benefits can outweigh the $450 American Express Platinum Card's annual fee

It's been quite a while since I've updated my non-travel blog but as I've been getting questions regarding my use of the AMEX Platinum Card in the last post on my travel blog "Where in the world is Kat Kong?", I want to explain why I would pay $450 to American Express yearly for the privilege of having the Platinum Card.  For those who haven't considered applying for one, you may find after reading this that having it can be quite profitable if you use a number of the card's benefits.  For existing cardholders, don't close this page as it is possible you might not know all of the card's benefits!

The Platinum Card is its own product; in fact, the name "Platinum Card" is a registered trademark of AMEX.  There is a personal version and a business version.  I'll be focusing on the personal Platinum Card. (I did have the business version at one time, but I couldn't justify owning both, so I reaped all the benefits to make it worthwhile for the year that I had it)

At the time of this writing, the card's annual fee is $450.  Ouch...$450?!?  Why pay so much when there are credit cards with no annual fee?  Other reward cards have annual fees of less than $100.  So why would I be willing to fork over 4x?  Truth is, I'm not paying a dime.  I'm currently making a profit by holding the Platinum Card.  Do you want to know how?  It's all about utilizing the benefits to their full potential.  I'm not even using every one of them and I'm ahead.  Note that it is because of my lifestyle and traveling that this card is profitable for me, as my normal purchasing habits activate a lot of the benefits.  If you don't travel very much, it's almost not worth applying.  All right, enough talk, how do I profit off the Platinum Card?

40,000 POINT SIGN-UP BONUS

The current bonus for becoming a new Platinum Card holder is 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3000 (not including annual fee!) within the first three months of account opening.  You can redeem the points towards any charges on your card like cash, but the redemption value is better if you used it on other rewards, like gift cards (GCs) or miles/points into your favorite airline or hotel rewards program.  For example, today there is a 20% off special on Home Depot GCs - normally 50,000 points gives you a $500 GC but you can get it for 40,000.  Gee, that's the sign-up bonus! You've covered your annual fee and then some if you were already planning on purchasing something at Home Depot.  You can also transfer the points into a hotel or airline awards program and redeem them for airfare or hotel stays.  I'm not going to go into these details as there are plenty of blogs that talk about getting the most value out of your points, including smart ways to meet a $3000 spend in three months if you don't normally spend that much.

$450 - $500 = $50 profit!

See, you've already turned a profit in the above example.  But critics will argue, you only get the sign-up bonus once-in-a-lifetime (a recent AMEX rule).  How do you continue holding the Platinum Card for "free" in subsequent years?

$200 AIRLINE FEE CREDIT PER CALENDAR YEAR

Travel several times a year and have to pay luggage fees?  Paying to upgrade to a more comfortable seat?  Ticket change fees?  Buy-on-board meals and snacks?  Getting a one-day pass for the airline lounge?  Once you designate a specific airline on your account, when you pay fees to that airline with your Platinum Card, you will receive credits on your statement, totaling up to $200 per calendar year.  You can change the airline each calendar year.  What if you are an elite member of an airline program and don't normally pay baggage fees and get free upgrades?  Or you fly Southwest that has no lounges and not many fees?  You can try purchasing gift cards from the airline; sometimes these transactions qualify for the $200 credit.  Rules always change so I check the airline and AMEX forums on FlyerTalk to learn the latest on what qualifies for the credit.  This year, I signed up for Southwest and got a credit for purchasing $200 GCs. (example Flyertalk thread here)  I fly Southwest several times a year, so this is money I would have spent anyway and the GCs don't expire.

Assuming we are starting over from scratch and ignoring profit from sign-up bonus:  $450 - $200 = $250

GLOBAL ENTRY APPLICATION FEE CREDIT

The Platinum Card offers a credit towards applying for Global Entry, every 5 years. (since Global Entry is good for 5 years)  This is worth $100.

$250 - $100 = $150

You can increase the savings by adding "authorized users" to your account, each with their own unique Platinum Card account number.  The best value is paying $175 to add 3 authorized users.  Since each of these users has their own account number, you have three credits towards Global Entry, worth $300!  This is only valuable if you have a need for Global Entry for multiple persons (ie. your family).

$150 + $175 - $300 = $25

I'd pay $25 for the rest of the Platinum Card benefits! (and I'm not even done talking about them)

Okay, so Global Entry credit only happens every 5 years...how do you continue collecting value for the annual fee in the other years?

Let's assume you + 3 authorized users = $450 + $175 = $625 and that you collected the $200 airline fee credit = $425.  (the $200 airline fee credit can only be redeemed by the primary cardholder)  Let's knock out the annual fee dollar by dollar...

LOUNGE ACCESS

The Platinum Card comes with complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs as well as AMEX's new Centurion Lounges, which are starting to pop up in airports around the U.S.  Cardholders also have access to Priority Pass Select lounges, some located in the U.S. and many of them internationally.  If you travel a lot and have long layovers, having lounge access is very helpful.  Many lounges have comfortable seating areas and workspaces, free wi-fi, clean restrooms (some with shower facilities), snacks and/or buffets, and complimentary beverages, including alcohol.  The Centurion Lounges are very nice and fortunately are in many of the airports that I frequent; I described the one in Las Vegas in my travel blog.  The admission policy into the Centurion Lounge is very generous as a cardholder can bring him/herself and spouse/children under 18, or 2 guests.  The Delta Sky Club requires a boarding pass on a flight operated by Delta, and only the cardholder can enter for free; guests pay $29.  This is the same for Priority Pass Select lounges; only the cardholder can enter for free and guests pay $27.  (you must carry a Priority Pass Select plastic card by calling AMEX; your Platinum Card itself does not grant admission to a Priority Pass Select lounge)

$425 - $100 (pessimistic example: 2 visits to lounges at $50 each) = $325

BOINGO WORLDWIDE INTERNET

The Platinum Card comes with a complimentary Boingo account, offering wi-fi access for up to 4 devices at 1 million hotspots worldwide.  The going rate is around $10/mo, so that is $120 in value every year.  I've found this handy a few times traveling in Europe.  Boingo hotspots aren't everywhere, but it's nice to have just in case.

$325 - $120 = $205

Each card can open a Boingo account, so the additional users can benefit and we've already got the annual fee covered and then some.  Let's pretend there aren't any other Boingo accounts and keep the tally going...

PREMIUM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

Locked your keys in your car?  Battery died?  Need a tow?  Ran out of gas?  Platinum Card holders can call 1-800-333-AMEX and receive complimentary Premium Roadside Assistance, up to four times a year.  It covers things like towing up to 10 miles, 2 gallons of gas, jump starts, lock-outs, etc.  Full details here.  You can stop paying for a AAA classic membership or your auto insurance policy for roadside assistance.  How many times do you actually use the service?  Probably none!  So four times a year should cover most people.

$205 - $56 (AAA classic membership fee) = $149

FINE HOTELS & RESORTS PROGRAM (FHR)

The hotels participating in the Fine Hotels & Resorts program are usually higher-priced, luxury brands.  But if you use this program even once, it would definitely cover the remaining portion of the annual fee!  I haven't yet updated my travel blog regarding my experience using FHR, but to make a long story short, I stayed at a hotel that I had to go to anyway for an event, which happened to be on the FHR list.  The FHR website allowed me to book a lower-priced room that wasn't even offered on the hotel's own website!  I also received a $100 hotel credit, an upgrade to the next room category, daily breakfast for 2 people, and early checkin/late checkout privileges.  I'd say that the $149 running total is now eliminated.

And we're not even done yet...

AMEX OFFERS

Okay, AMEX offers aren't limited to just the Platinum Card; many other American Express cards have it (check your AMEX account online for offers that can be added to your card), but this adds to the "profit", especially for things you already buy.  I've personally taken advantage of offers such as:

• $10 off $75 at Whole Foods
• $10 off $75 at AT&T (use up to 3 times)
• $20 off $20 at samsclub.com
• $5 off $5 at iTunes
• $25 off $50 at Smart and Final (use up to 3 times, I bought gas gift cards with this)
• $5 off $25 at Chevron
• $10 off $50 at Lowe's
• $25 off $100 at Staples (I bought Southwest gift cards)
• $10 off $10 during Small Business Saturday (use up to 3 times)

This isn't even the whole list, but just from these offers, I've saved $210 on things I already buy.  If additional users also have AMEX accounts online, you can possibly find these offers on their card as well, so you multiply the savings.

Now you can see that I don't pay an annual fee for my Platinum Card, but make a profit, because of all the benefits I reap with my normal spending habits.

AND SO MUCH MORE...

I'm not going to get into any more details as this is getting long, but here are other benefits that I use:

• Access to pre-sale tickets for concerts and events
• National Emerald Club Executive level membership
• Starwood Gold Preferred Guest level membership
• No foreign transaction fees

There are many others I don't use, but if you are curious, you can read all about them in the Terms and Conditions.  The Platinum Service is an interesting one.  I haven't needed it, but there have been stories about people calling the Platinum Card Concierge to help them get out of crazy situations.  Read this reddit thread for some amusement.

Now that you know more about the Platinum Card, do you see value in holding it in your situation?  It's not for everyone, but if you travel a lot, you'll find that the benefits outweigh the annual fee, as the money you would have spent covers the cost and then some.  Adding additional users further increases the potential value; they will have all the same benefits as the primary cardholder, except for the $200 airline credit.  I'll keep my Platinum Card (and the 3 additional users) until the benefits disappear...deals don't last forever.

Interested in applying?  You'd need very good credit.  If you are lucky, you can find a 100,000 point sign-up bonus offer on CardMatch, so give that a try.  If you are not lucky, please feel free to sign up through this link to the AMEX website, currently offering 40,000 points for spending $3000 in three months.  I'd get 7500 points as a referral bonus if you are approved...thank you in advance!

One last thing:  as this is a charge card, the balance must be paid in full every month.  However, large transactions may trigger the "extended payment plan" and you are allowed to carry that portion of the balance.  I do not recommend carrying a balance...pay in full!

(Kind of) free fruit in your neighborhood

People who know me well, know that I love to eat fruit.  I prefer fruit over sweets such as ice cream and chocolate. (not that I would necessarily turn the other two down if offered!)  So when I found out that there was a website called Falling Fruit that listed the locations of "public" fruit trees for the (considerate) taking, I was so excited!  I found blackberries, plums, persimmons and even fig trees in town.  Expanding the search area, I found other interesting varieties such as apricot and loquat.  Nut trees are also listed.  I haven't visited the locations yet but it was comforting to know that if I was strapped for cash, I could forage.  The database isn't comprehensive; it depends on people's contributions and willingness to share locations to the public.  For example, I went to check for trees in Hawaii, as Kaleb and I had found mango trees growing wild on the hiking trails, but not very many were listed.

picking mangoes from trees in Maui

Of course, just because the fruit is free for the taking, doesn't mean that it's good for you.  There could be chemicals, pollution or pesticides depending on the tree location, so use your good judgement.  Don't forget to wash fruit and peel the skin (if possible) before consuming.

You can read about good etiquette on public foraging at the Urban Edibles website based in Portland, OR.

Happy gathering!

#TBT - Old memories found in boxes

I recently had some time to go through two boxes filled with old possessions that I had left at my parents' house (which they gladly packed up for me), some dating back to my elementary school days.  It was funny to read that I was "a bit chatty" on my 4th grade handwritten report card along with multiple "a pleasure to have in class" printed in dot-matrix on several of my middle school report cards.  I also was reminded of the one B+ I received in high school PE which dropped my GPA to 3.96, spoiling my chance to be one of the valedictorians at graduation. (we had 7!)

Perhaps the following items will trigger memories in your head?

does anyone use Pee Chees anymore?

I couldn't afford a Trapper Keeper so I just got a folder

Duran Duran centerfolds from Bop magazine

I don't think I referenced crib sheets much for tests even though it took me hours to create them

more stuff I don't remember, such as this work in chemistry

I don't use calculus at work

I didn't pursue any of these professions

5.25" floppy disk

I saw that most of my notebooks from class were half filled with information, half with doodles of things like "I heart Don/Eric/etc.", signing my first name with a crush's last name, bands I liked, random drawings of whatever was on my mind that day.

I found a shoebox full of handwritten notes, folded in many different styles, which were entertaining to read since they talked about the "problems" we had in our middle and high school years:  the standard question of "How's your love life?", crushes on guys, friend stealing other friend's crushes, interpreting some guy's actions as him noticing or liking us, guys making moves on us, girls being mean to others, how much homework we had to do, how we were "so bored", exchanging locker combinations, etc.  I still can remember how to fold a few intricate designs.  I also have a collection of snail mail.  Kids nowadays probably can't comprehend waiting for a letter from a friend every week or two in this age of texting and email.  I also remember getting sore ears while talking on the (corded) phone for two hours straight in the evenings.  With no call waiting at the time, my parents would constantly tell me to get off the phone as someone might be trying to get through.

Going through my junior high yearbook was entertaining, reading messages such as "KIT!" (keep in touch), which most of the time, we did not.  Comments like "You're such a sweet person!  I'm so glad we were in English class together!" meant either, "I have no idea why you want me to sign your yearbook as I don't know you very well but I'll think of something nice to say" or "I'm signing all the yearbooks I can get my hands on".  In the end, I still am in contact with a small group of people from middle school and high school.  Facebook is great for "keeping in touch".

we look so young

Other memorabilia:  School awards, including "Perfect Attendance" (is that still given out nowadays?).  Embarrassing school photos.  College acceptance letters.  Paystubs from summer jobs.  My driver's education certification and permit.  I'll always remember the first time my dad took me on a practice drive, him grabbing the passenger seat and door handle in a death grip as the vehicle moved forward.  Really, he had nothing to worry about because I learned all of my slick driving skills on the Atari and in the arcade:  Pole Position, Enduro, Outrun, Spy Hunter, and my favorite, RoadBlasters.

I gladly recycled all of my old class notes and homework, but I saved the sentimental items to remind myself of what it was like during those years, especially when my future children get to that age and have "problems" or get into mischief.  However, Kaleb can have the honor of taking the kids out for driver training!

Adventures in cooking Chinese roast pork

I have a Nu-Wave Pro portable oven, a hand-me-down from my mom.  She didn't have a need for it anymore and I was curious if I could make Chinese roast pork in it.  My mom had tried before, but it didn't turn out as expected...the skin wasn't crispy enough.  This past weekend, I gave it a shot, especially after finding what looked to be a good recipe (Christine's Recipes) on the internet that used a similar type of oven.  Using the Nu-Wave versus a regular oven seemed like it would help cut down on the clean-up, plus save energy and not heat up the house during the summer.

I purchased a slab of fresh pork belly (skin-on) from Koreana Plaza.  The fat and meat layers weren't perfectly proportioned, but since this was my first attempt at roast pork, it would be good enough.

not the most perfect piece but it worked

I blanched the pork belly in a pot of gently boiling water for about 10 minutes, then placed it on a plate to cool down.  I dried the pork with a paper towel, then proceeded to poke holes in the skin using a bamboo skewer.  It would be faster if you had a "skin poker" tool. (a picture of it can be seen in Nasi Lemak Lover's blog)  I also scored the bottom meat layer in order for it to soak up the spice mixture.

not too long to poke as it was a small piece

scoring the meat layer underneath

I changed the spice mixture to the following:  4 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp palm sugar, 1/2 tsp five-spice powder.  I've had tasty results using palm sugar in other recipes I've cooked, such as curry, so I thought it would be good here too.

I rubbed rice wine all over the pork belly, applied the spice mixture to the sides and bottom (not on the skin, as directed by Christine), then wrapped it in foil, exposing the top.  It sat overnight in the refrigerator to marinate as well as dry out the skin.

pork belly the next evening

The next evening, the skin was pretty dry.  I poked it again with the bamboo skewer (much harder this time as the skin was cold and hard compared to just-boiled) and put it in the Nu-Wave oven, set on the highest temperature (around 350 degrees).

baking in the Nu-Wave

Unfortunately, since that was as high as the Nu-Wave could go, and Christine's recipe called for 390 degrees F baking and 430 degrees F for crisping the skin, around the end of bake time, I had to do something to get the skin crispier.  I ended up jury-rigging a higher platform to bring the skin closer to the heating element at the top, using inverted small glass bowls.

raising the pork belly closer to the heating element

It helped to blister the skin more, but now that I am more familiar with the Nu-Wave oven, I think I will try a different approach next time.  I also may try a different method to poking the skin.

The end product was very tasty, almost restaurant-quality, except for the skin, which certainly was crispy, but not "flaky" enough if you know what I mean.  The skin texture didn't stop us from inhaling the meat!
 

voila!

looks like restaurant-quality!

Since I placed a sheet of foil on the bottom of the Nu-Wave oven, clean-up was a breeze.  I just had to wash the clear plastic dome and the rack.

Not too bad for a first timer, but I endeavor to improve on the skin next time!

***

Don't wait for Facebook or Twitter to let you know of new entries...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!

If you're not already hooked up, check out my travel blog "Where in the world is Kat Kong?"!  You can sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!

If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for liking or retweeting!

Inaugural post, plus playing with my birthday gift - an AeroGarden!

Dear loyal readers of WITWIKK and new visitors,

I decided to start a new blog documenting snippets of my "everyday life", as I don't travel year-round, even though the entries in "Where in the world is Kat Kong?" look like I am on vacation all the time.  Thus, here is the debut of "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?" (witwikkdn.blogspot.com)  Hope you find this new blog at the very least entertaining.  I hope it'll be helpful sometimes.  Perhaps even eye-opening.  I'm sure there will be days where I get flamed; that's fine with me as we all have our own opinions and I invite you to share yours.

Enjoy!
Kat

***

For my birthday this year, my fiance Kaleb bought me an AeroGarden Ultra. I had seen the ads on TV and thought about growing an indoor garden.  However, I didn't recall mentioning to Kaleb that I was interested in getting one.  I interpreted this as evidence that he could actually read my mind, contrary to what all relationship self-help books preach.  But in reality, it wasn't hard for him to know he hit a home run - I love to eat, and if all I have to do is pop the seeds in, fill the tank with water and nutrients, push a button and food comes out a few weeks later, I'd think it was the best!

The seed pods that came with it consisted of 7 herb varieties:  two kinds of basil (Thai and Genovese), mint, parsley, dill, chives, and cilantro.  It was easy to set up and fill; the hard part was waiting for the plants to grow.  I was pleasantly surprised that several of the seed pods had germinated within a few days, faster than what the instructions had mentioned.  There was a paragraph saying that distilled or reverse-osmosis (RO) water would be better for the garden; we filled it with RO water, so that may explain the quick growth.  Some days, the plants would seem to grow in front of our eyes.  By the third week, I was already harvesting basil for my Thai curries and dill for fish.  Kaleb used the mint in a mint julep and I plan to use it in spring rolls later this week.

herb garden at around 27 days; will be even bigger next month

Almost a month has passed now and you can tell from the picture that the seeds grow at different rates.  Unfortunately, the cilantro has not germinated (lower left corner).  AeroGarden has a warranty on the seed pods and will send you a new one for free if you call and let them know.  The parsley pod on the lower right corner has been the slowest to develop, though it was the first to show signs of germination.  Thus I call it "a shower, not a grower".  :)

Since the garden was a success, I plan on owning a couple more:  one to grow tomatoes and the other to grow salad greens.  There are seed kits for other plants like peppers, strawberries, and flowers.  If you want to grow your own seeds, they have the Grow Anything kit but you'd have to use trial and error to see if they'll survive in a hydroponic garden.  Some gardeners use the AeroGarden to quickly germinate seeds, then plant them outside when they are big enough to survive.  There are also forums on the internet such as aerogardentalk.com to learn what others have been planting and their successes and failures.

I'll keep you posted on how the garden is doing as time goes by.  I'm having a lot of fun watching the herbs grow as well as eating the bounty!

***

Don't wait for Facebook or Twitter to let you know of new entries...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!

If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for liking or retweeting!