Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei 

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei is the story of Li Ge Xiao, who is intelligent with the martial arts skills to match. At one time Li Ge Xiao was a high ranking marshal with authority.  However, he went on the run when an enemy frames him and execute his wife.  To help a old friend now a high ranking marshal to retrieve gold meant for refuge relief.  Li Ge Xiao teams up with thief Yan San Niang, master of disguise He Xiao Mei and muscle Chai Hu and formed the team called "Yi Zhi Mei."  Yi Zhi Mei robs from the rich to give to the poor and bring justice to the helpless fighting against the corrupt.

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei Cast

Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei has a good mix of action, humor, suspense and romance. I liked the partnership between the heroes and the family that they end up forming.  They had each others back and were loyal.  I also liked the setup of the different stories and how the backstory and flashbacks were woven into it.  Also how all the characters that Yi Zhi Mei meet or interacted with during the journey help them deal with the final conflict at the end.  

Li Ge Xiao (Wallace Huo)

I think that all the actors did a pretty good job.  You got a good sense of each character and some of the changes they went through and the challenges that they faced. I liked the opening theme song by Hu Ge and the song by Lilith.  I played Lilith's song to dead.   The things that I think I liked the most were the strategy and thinking that went into the planning and dealing with the conflicts.  The fight scenes were cool and I also liked the illustrations that helped introduce the characters during the beginning of the show.  

Chai Hu (Shu Xingyu)

Although I liked the show over all there were somethings I did not really like or did not really seem to work well or serve a purpose for me.
However, an aspect that I thought elevated the show was having almost each member of the main cast have their own back story arc.  

Laiying Bao attacked by bandits

I felt some sympathy for Laiying Bao when he first feels defeated about not being able to make more of himself, protecting Ruyi and getting her love.  But knowing someone first or being their childhood friend doesn't me they have to love you back if you fall for them.  Plus to me, Ruyi seemed to desire to live with dignity and not just for herself but for her father, her heritage and her family.  Ruyi seemed to want someone like her father.  Because despite his exile he continued to maintain his innocence and lived with dignity.

Ruyi

When we first meet Laiying and Ruyi traveling to the city, Laiying seemed always on his knees begging.  Even when he did not need to, especially in an environment where those with power liked to bully others just because they could.  Ruyi saw Laiying as a brother and not as a man she could admire.   The scene where they are attacked by the bandits, she tells Laiying to stop begging because one, the bandits were enjoying his debasement and would probably kill them anyway.  So, why give up their self respect and dignity aswell. When Laiying joins the marshals he still continues to blame Li Gexiao and starts bullying others like he felt he was.  When Laiying Bao gets the name Ying Wu Qiu, he doesn't really care able real justice but just getting praise, seems to take pleasure in killing and getting back at Gexiao for being responsible for all his misery.

Marshal Ying Wu Qiu

    Although, Sanniang is a pretty cool female character and Lui Shi Shi did a good job at the acting. I really could not get into Sanniang's story or what her back story was suppose to reveal about her character.  We learn  that a young Sanniang and her family were fleeing some disaster but not being a biological child, the father decides to abandon Sanniang for his new born son.  At this point there is already so many interesting stories and lead ways as to why Sanniang would be a mater thief but the story goes on.  We learn that Sanniang is almost deadly afraid of bugs but the only support as to why this is through the back story is that she swallowed a bug when she was alone in the woods. This seemed contrived and weak compared to the possibilities that were available from the situation. We know that people were starving and that's one of the reasons Sanniang's family left their home then her. She could have seen livestock and food devastated by bugs, seen worms turn food everyone needed into poison or a dead body covered in flies and worms. These possibilities would have carried more weight for her fear considering the situation was in.  I am not saying that a seemingly small incident cannot have a bid impact on a fear or phobia.  But in this situation it just seemed like it might  as well been having her seem girly and be afraid of creepy crawls than what was presented.  Or maybe they just didn't want things to get too serious and needed something.

Yan Sanniang 

At this point, we would have a plausible explanation as to why she became a thief. She's a child, alone and starving.  So she started stealing in order to survive, that makes sense. She falls in with a group, where she learns martial arts and has an obsession with pearls because they represent wealth, beauty and security. All the things she desires.  But the story continues and she is saved by the Abbot and taken to the temple.  From that young age to adulthood, Sanniang as other people around her, she has food, shelter, clothing and is taught martial arts and how to be literate.  So, considering where she could have been she had a good life.

Abbot and Sanniang's mother

One thing, I am curious about in Ancient Chinese Series is why matching amulets always seems to mean your family (parent/child) and at times lovers.  The amulets are usually valuable but do people not lose, exchange, have them stolen, pawn or have them copied?

So Sanniang has a matching amulet to that of the Abbot's and we are told that her birthmother left it with her.  Sanniang confronts the Abbot, but the Abbot denies it.  Here, I saw some interesting possibility.  The Abbot in front of the altar and other members swears that she is not her mother.  I really hoped that this was true, because the Abbot was pretty swearing in front of God and others that look up to and respect her that she is not Sannaing's mother.  So unless the Abbot is a really deceitful person, why would she tell such a lie just to distance herself from Sanniang?  I saw two quick possibilities here. One, the Abbot was hurt by a man and the temple's abbot saved and took her in.  They become close but the abbot in getting involved with the (current) Abbot becomes pregnant and dies leaving her amulets for the Abbot and baby Sanniang. Two, the Abbot and Sanniang's mother were sisters (blood or sworn) but she dies leaving the Abbot to take care of her baby.  But because the Abbot blamed Sanniag's father, she gave Sanniang away since the temple could not take care of a baby.  So seeing the amulet with Sanniang brought back a lot of things that the Abbot thought she had resolved and forgotten.  

Sanniang's red outfit (I liked)

Sanniang leaves the temple.  I understand that in Ancient Chinese Series family and knowing your heritage is an important theme but for me that did not really explain why Sanniang left and became a thief. She could have done it because she knew the Abbot hated thieves and it was a way to rebel.  However, that would make sense only if people knew that Sanniang was related to the temple and the Abbot. Not even Li Gexiao who knew of Sanniang's love for pearls and how to catch her was aware that she was from that temple. So what was the point? Also by the time Sanniang left she was already an adult, and knew martial arts.  So there were ways she could take care of herself without having to resort to thievery.  

Sanniang's blue outfit (I liked)

For me, Sanniang's back story arc seemed the weakest and least necessary.  It really did nothing to add or reveal more about the person we meet and the person she becomes.  It just seemed like they wanted to give her a tragic background, which she already had up to the point she meet the Abbott.

Chai Hu

I liked Chai Hu backstory with the lover, because it played a little with some themes in Ancient Chinese Series.  Particularly one I saw in the Fairies of Liaozhai, was this idea which placed importance on male characters who lost a love was that they had to live and move on and have a family again.  It seemed like story after story in the Fairies of Liaozhai was about men who had one or two loves who die.  They are pitied but firmly told that they must love again.  I am not saying if someone loses someone close they shouldn't grieve then try to move on and live again. However in the stories it seems quite one sided. This was only done for the men.

In Chai Hu's story, he leaves his first love to go make money and doesn't come back.  However, for the lover being a woman, she did not have many possibilities at having a good life.  She was lucky to meet a man who loved and married her and her baby was born has his.  The differences that happened and the roles were played around with was that in this case the male lover leaves not gets killed off. All the women in Fairies of Liaozhai were killed off.  Chai Hu's lover doesn't have much backing or support.  The men in Liaozhai had support in one form or another.  When she does manage to move on and tries the best way she thought she could to protect the family she had now. She was portrayed almost like a complete villain.  I am not agreeing with her and her daughter's method at trying to deceive and use people especially Chai Hu but I didn't really see her as a bad person.

Her decision not to tell Chai Hu that she was pregnant seemed to me more of a contemporary notion. Because then women did not have the resources some have now to take care of a child on their own. She did not have a family or many friends. Even though she had a job that resource would have disappeared the moment her stomach started to show.  And once she had the baby things would have been worse.  This does not even involve the harassment she would have had to endure for being a single mother.  Most want to know that their lover stays with them because they want to and not by force. However, that really was not something of top priority in this situation because she and her child absolutely needed the support of another person in order to survive.  

He Xioamei

Xiaomei’s background had interesting potential, especially when the story started playing with the idea of hereditary ailment which tied into Xaiomei being a doctor.  The element of the supernatural was not an overall theme of the show but plays a part in Xiaomei’s story. Thought the show was more grounded in reality, there are things that happen that cannot always be explained or given reason even by someone as smart as Gexiao.  So, I wanted them to address that idea more than they kind of did.

The first issue that I had with Xiaomei’s story was how easily he believed and took off with the woman and old man who claimed to be his family when up to that point he had not really shown any interest about family except for his dead mother.  I am aware that family knowledge is an important priority for orphans especially and in Asian culture.  However, this seemed a bit extreme to me. Also Xiaomei seemed to me to be second in intelligence in the group. But when it came to observing things when he was on his own, he only seemed to come to some understanding only when Gexiao pointed them out to him.  

Xiaomei in Marshal outfit

This was another part of the show that I questioned.  I saw each of the partner’s back story arc as a means not only to show their story but to show their strengths and what they brought and made Yi Zhi Mei great and the other members including Gexiao would be there to aid and support them.

Another issue I had with Xiaomei story was that I wanted them to deal with the issue that Xiaomei might not live a long life because many male members of his family had died at a relatively young age and he also gets poisoned.  To me it seemed like the poison would have lasting effects that would likely kill him instead of being cured as quickly as it was.  There was also the story of the curse.  The explanation that was given just left me with more questions and loose ends.   Why did his father a seemingly good person kill all those people just because his second wife left him and took Xiaomei.  He still had Xiaomei’s older brother and his mother. Even if he loved Xiaomei’s mother more. Not to say that one love can replace another.   However you also had previous ancestors that also went on murderous rampage. 

Sanniang as a stand alone figure without the backstory and some things I found annoying was cool. But I wondered what if Xiaomei had been a woman? And she was the one that Gexiao loved?  It would have been interesting to have a girl Xiaomei be a master of disguise and be an absolute master at Chinese Opera male roles but couldn’t perform the female roles that she loved watching her mother do.  That would deal with the ideas of femininity, roles, perception and how people love.    

Yi Zhi Mei (illustrated shot)

I overall enjoyed the Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei.  I had some issues that I tried to quickly address but it was a good show.

  

                     

Kimchi (김치)

Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made from vegetables and a variety of seasoning.  Traditional Kimchi is allow to ferment underground in clay pots for periods of months.  There are hundreds of variety of Kimchi but most being made with either Napa cabbage, radish, cucumber or scallions as a main ingredient.  

I like Kimchi very much and have been eating it for a while now.  Mainly as a side dish or made into fried rice.  The first think I even thought that an individual could make Kimchi in a small apartment was in the Fall of 2011 at the Korean Festival in New Jersey.  I attended a Kimchi making demonstration and made some to take home.  However, even then I thought the preparation and making of the sauce was difficult.  That is until I was roaming the Internet for more Korean recipes.     I found that making Kimchi was relatively easy.  One just needed some time and the proper ingredients.  

So this June, I set out to make some Kimchi.  The recipe I used did not involve any anchovy or fish ( I was afraid to poison someone).  

Ingredients:

- 2 whole Napa Cabbage
- 1 Cup of Salt
-10 Cups of Water
- 7 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
- 1 1/4 Cup of Crushed Red Pepper
- 8 Pieces of Green Onion
- 1/2 of a Radish
- 1 Whole Garlic
- 1 Piece of Ginger
- 1/2 of an Onion
- 1/2 of an Apple
- 4 Tbsp of Sugar

First you will clean all the ingredients like the Napa and radish well.  Then, peal the radish, ginger, onion, garlic and apple.  Then cut the Napa into sections or bite sizes, depends on what you want. Also cut the radish into julienne.  Then slice the onion and green onion thinly.  Submerge the Napa in a bath of water and salt mixture. Allow that to seat for 2 hours.  

In a blender, puree the ginger, garlic, apple and onion. in a bowl combine the puree, red pepper, fish sauce and sugar.    

After the 2 hours, rinse the Napa and radish about 3 times.  Now completely cover the Napa leaves and radish in your red pepper mixture.  (Gloves and apron are recommended.  The red pepper mixture will stain your hands and cloths).  Put your Kimchi in a nice jar and store it in your kitchen in a dark cool corner for 1-3 nights depending on how sour you want then store in the fridge.  (I stored mine for 3 nights, shaking it every night because of the natural sediments that settles). 

Kimchi recipes also call for apple pear but i didn't have any so I substituted. 

Zucchini and Summer Squash Kimchi


 I also made a Kimchi from summer squash and zucchini.  The next one I made I would like to add carrots.


     


     

World Drinks

World Drinks

     I tent to like drinks that sweet, refreshing and sometimes fizzy.  When I was younger, I drank soda. However, realizing that it was bad for you, I stopped.  I mostly drank water and 100% fruit juices on occasions.  But every now and then I wanted something refreshing and fizzy but I did not want regular artificial soda. However, the well made ones, I wanted were just too expensive.  So I would buy syrups by Monin and just add seltzer or club soda to it..  Then I realized that many of Monin's syrups were not that healthy either, because of the artificial flavors and coloring.  So for a while I just missed the drinks I wanted.  

     A while ago, I came across a recipe about making your own strawberry syrup.  Which just involved strawberry, sugar and water.  No artificial flavors or any coloring.   So using that recipe I made strawberry syrup, which I used to make soda.

Strawberry Soda

The soda was very tasty and did not take that long or cost a lot.  The recipe for making the syrup was quite simple too.  

The recipe involved cleaning, hulling and cutting up the fruit and placing into a soup pan.   Add water  and put the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil.  Stir the mixture and turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.  After about the 15 minutes the fruit will lose all it's flavor and color into the water.  Strain the mixture discarding the pulp.  Add the sugar (based on your taste).  Bring the liquid to a boil on high heat.  Once it boils reduce the heat to medium for  5 minutes until the liquid as reduced.   At this point, skim the foam from the liquid, if there is any.   Let the liquid cool and there you have your syrup.  I just added club soda and garnished with pieces of strawberries.  

     Another syrup that I have been drinking since I was young is grenadine.  For a long time I used the grenadine from Monin, until I read the ingredients.  Grenadine is a syrup that is made from pomegranate, and is used to make many types of drinks.  However many grenadine manufactures don't use pomegranate to make their grenadine just  coloring.  I stopped buying Monin but I wanted my grenadine.  So I researched and found that grenadine is not that hard to make.  The recipes I found were usually written by bartenders since they use it so much.  The traditional recipe for grenadine usually uses molasses but some have used pomegranate molasses or fruits (mango and pineapple for a tropical hint).  Also there is orange blossom water, which I did not have the first time I tried it but it was still good.  There are different techniques to making grenadine. One is to heat your mixture  but not boil  and another is to boil it to reduce it further.  

Grenadine

Recipe:

2 cups 100% Pomegranate juice (can be concentrate)

2 cups sugar (white or cane. I used raw organic)

2 oz molasses (regular or pomegranate)

Few drops Orange Blossom Water

In a pot you will mix the pomegranate fruit and sugar.  Add the molasses and drops of orange blossom water and mix well.  I am not sure which method is best whether to simmer it to reduce it or just heat it enough to dissolve the sugar. What I did was simmer it to reduce it.  I have also seen a recipe where you add some lime zest or dried hibiscus to add another flavor and a deeper color.  If you add either, you are going to need to strain the liquid then you can store in a nice bottle in the fridge.   

Honey Lemon

I found another good recipe for a citrus syrup.  It was posted by ochikeron on youtube.  She has a great channel with amazing recipes that are quite easy.  She makes things seem so simple and effortless.  The recipe was for a honey lemon.  To make the honey lemon, you just need lemon, honey and a jar to store  it.  

Recipe;

2 organic lemon

300g of honey.

Wash and sanitize your container. Wash and dry your lemons.

Slice the lemons into thin slices. Put the lemon and pour honey over it alternating.  Store the jar in the fridge. shaking the juice once a day.  Remove the lemon slices after three days or it will become bitter.

I used the honey lemon for drinks and the honey lemon cupcakes that ochikeron also posted.  I also made another one that had lemon, lime and oranges which reminded of the syrup agrume from Paris.  

Thai Tea

    Another drink I really like is Thai tea.  I like it warm, cool and with Boba (Bubble/Tapioca).  Thai milk tea with Boba and pudding is great.  Thai tea is a special tea mix of tea and other spices.  I would make the mix myself but some of the spices are kind of expensive.  So for now it just make sense for me to buy the mix.  To make the Thai iced 

Recipe:

1/2 cup Thai tea mix

Evaporated milk

Water

Sugar

Bring the water to a boil.  Add in the tea mix and sugar, stir and allow to cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Filter the tea and cool in the fridge (when I am in a hurry or can't wait I skip the fridge part).   Pour into glass with ice and add condensed milk.  Enjoy.

Thai milk tea w/ Boba

    When I want it warm I just add condensed milk and enjoy.   To make Thai milk tea with Boba.  You just follow the instruction for the iced tea and add the boba to your drink.   There are different types of bubble/boba/tapioca balls that can be found at asian food markets.  I got the ones that says it will cook in 5 minutes.  For the Boba you need to boil 5 cups of water and add 1/2 cup of the boba with 1 tbs of brown sugar (more based on taste). Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain, let cool and add to your tea.  You can used some other teas or add some juice for a flavor you would like to try.  

Ginger Beer

Ginger beer I had in Hong Kong

    The first time I ever came across ginger beer was in Hong Kong.  When I tried it, I hardly every dank anything else except this apple and jasmine drink.  I came back to New York, I could not find ginger beer anywhere.  Until I stopped in at a Pret a Manger store and saw it in the fridge.  But the can was around $4. Then, by accident I came across a youtube video about making your own ginger beer.  The recipe was simple enough but the process was long and used machines I didn't have.  But I wondered why it never occurred to me that I could try and make my own ginger beer.  Finally, I find recipes and processes that were much simpler.

Recipe: 

8 oz of finely chopped ginger (I used zester)

64 oz hot water

16 oz of sugar (I used raw)

2 lemon juiced

8 oz of water

1/4 oz active yeast

In a sauce pan put the water, ginger and sugar.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Strain the ginger  liquid.  Let the liquid cool until just warm.  I used two 1 liter soda but you can used a larger one.  Use a plastic bottle with a screw top because of the carbonation that might cause a glass bottle to explode.  Divide the ginger liquid between your two bottles.  Also divide your yeast between the two bottles. Shake well to mix.  Add water to the mixture, leaving about two inches of space.  Shake well and store in a dark cool place.  You will leave the bottle for about 48 hrs then put it in the fridge to stop the carbonation before drinking.  Check the bottles at the 24 hrs mark releasing some of the carbonation slowly by slowly un-screwing the cap.  You can drink it at the point if you like the amount of bubbles. Just cool it first.  There will be sediments at the bottom of the bottle.  You can drink or toss it. 

   My liked the way my ginger beer came out although it was darker because of the raw sugar and had a more intense ginger flavor.  But Since I can't have the one from Hong Kong, mine is just as good.  Even better.  

   I also used this same process to make PINEAPPLE BEER.  I just substituted the ginger for some pineapple I had and voila!

Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel. Clockwork Prince and Questions

Infernal Devices

 I heard from many that the Infernal Devices were much better than the Mortal Instruments especially since the author had published two more books after City of Glass.  I had found the idea of the Shadowhunters interested but felt the story was not that good. So, I wanted to see how the Shadowhunters would be when done well.  

Clockwork Angel

  I listened to the audio book of Clockwork Angel.  I did not mind the narrator, she made each voice seemed distinct although Tessa sounded similar to the other voices.  Clockwork Angel was similar to the Mortal Instruments, but I liked it a little more.  I liked Tessa more than Clary.  At the being Tessa was actually strong and not just said to be. I felt Tessa was strong because she had just arrived in London but someone else picked her up than her brother whom she expected.  Then we jump forward a few months and we find that she as been imprisoned all this time.  She has been emotionally and physical tortured and at one point whipped.  Though I don't remember her having any physical signs of it.  Did she change her skin so it would not have scars.  I would have liked to see Tessa's letter since it seems writing them played a part in remaining hopeful, sane and alive throughout her ordeal. 

    I was okay with Will, I didn't liked him as much as others seem to.  I liked Jem but it felt like he was just nice and there was nothing else to him. I felt he should have had more to him and thought he should have had sarcasm, bitterness, dark spirit and edge considering went the went through. Maybe in the following book we will see more to him.  I liked Charlotte and her ability to run the institute despite her youth, the criticism and that she probably had not been given any help in doing it.  Henry and his constant inventions.  Jessie did not appeal to me.  Sophie was okay.  I had the suspicion that whole time about De Quincy and the Magister.  I thought that the Magister would be someone human. I liked that they had Tessa used her power to go against the Magister, but I thought it stupid that she didn't take the object and gain information but not turn into the person or answer the Magister's question.  Since Tessa is conscious and aware no matter whom she turns into.  So why didn't she? It seemed a bit of a cop out that Tessa didn't even prick herself though she was supposedly ready to defeat the Magister and die if need be.  It seemed like other characters were able to move the events along, which if done right would have been great.   

Clockwork Prince

  Once I heard of Will's curse, I immediately knew it was not real.  Not because a curse like that couldn't exist but because nothing surrounding it supported it being true in any way.  I do see why a young Will would have believed it completely but once he would have reached the institute and started to be educated that he should have seen all the clues that concluded that there was no curse and his sister died of something else.  I found it weird that Will based everything over one event and it was never even spoke about it. I don't remember the demon saying that part of the curse was not to speak about it.  I would have thought will would become a expert in demons and the pyxis but he hardly knew nothing about it. Not even that the pyxis weakened demons.  What's the point a pyxis when it keeps the demon strong? 

     I found it sweet but a bit lacking that both Henry and Charlotte loved each other but based on a misunderstanding thought did other did not care for them.  Especially when Henry did all to protect Charlotte from the automaton and was holding her so close.  Was she unconscious then?   The blackmailing of Benedict Lightwood also seemed lacking in some tensity.   I didn't like Tessa as much as when I first learned of her.  the more I learned about her, I found she knew that she liked and was more attracted to Will and almost always thought of Jem as a friend and she said her goal was finding her identity.  But then she just accepts Jem proposal even when she knew that if she married and will suddenly wanted her she might have an affair. Tessa was willing to marry Jem because he too delicate and she is so selfless because she broke her own heart to make someone else happy? 

      

Clockwork Princess

      From what I have heard about Clockwork Princess, I don't think I am going to read it. The biggest issue for me is the ending and what they did to Jem and the Epilogue.  Why did Cassandra Clare not let Jem die since he had asked all his friends not to look for a cure.  He should have died in battle. Jem I don't see choosing to become a brother because he would lose everything that he held dear or had cared about that kept him living.  Jem died and Will felt the break of their parabatai link.  So how did a dead Jem become a brother, although I never heard of the process that makes a brother.  Even if for whatever reason Jem becomes a brother, he stopped being Jem so there is no way that ending would have happened.  I don't know much about the brothers and the clave but Jem would have been a great asset so why would they just cure him, lose a great brother so that Tessa could have Jem after she had already had will? 

    Another, which I already suspected since the beginning was Tessa's warlock origin.  Once they said that she was a warlock I knew she would from a combination that was deemed rare.  I didn't understand why no one suspected that she could be a Shadowhunter and Demon offspring when the possibility existed. I know Will kept saying the offspring would be dead but that seemed based on propaganda to stopped any Shadowhunter from consorting with demons and not based on real evidence. So, it was not a big shock that Clare wanted to make it.  Also, why is that Tessa can have children? I have yet to read so I don't know what reasoning Clare gave, but in all the previous books warlock are not fertile.  What makes Tessa so special? Because she is half shadowhunter and shadowhunters are so great? Tessa should have remain infertile so we could see what losing that possibility did to the relationship with Will or anyone lover who would have wanted children in the future. 

Questions:

Here are some questions that I had that linked the overall mythology of shadowhunters from the Mortal Instruments, Infernal Devices and now the movie.   

     Why is it that in the Mortal Instruments only Shadowhunters and downworlders can see themselves.  While in Infernal Devices Shadowhunters and Downworlders are only hidden when they are using glamour or something similar.  Will mentions this sometimes the only time he is not seen by normal people it was because he was using some glamour, but in The Mortal Instruments people can not see them "unless they believe" although in the movie clip people can see Clary.  She is actually a shadowhunter, so why can normal people see her but not the others? The logic in Infernal Devices makes more sense.   I don't understand why that logical gap was not fixed in the Mortal Instruments movie that was filmed after the Infernal Devices came  out.  In the trailer there is a clip where Clary is walking down the street with the other shadow hunters and someone recognizes and sees only her. Why? Clary is a shadowhunter since she was born so no normal person should have been able to see her, Jocelyn and Luke from the beginning. For me that does not make any sense. 

      Why is that Jace in the 2000s is saying that women shadowhunters were only allowed to be warriors a generation before while in Victoria, England Charlotte and Jess were both great warriors.  The Clave even had Sophie and Tessa trained even though Sophie is a person and a servant and Tessa a downworlder.  Did something happen? Because that a big gaping question.  

         I liked the idea of Parabatai but in Mortal Instruments Jace and Alec were not even friends let along have the bond of a Parabatai.. Will and Jem were a little bit of a better example.  However, how is it that though they had this suppose stronger than brotherhood bond with a steadfast friendship despite all  neither knew that the other had some feelings for Tessa?
        Of the City of Bones trailer I have seen. There are only two things I liked.  One, the kind of tone they are trying to go for with the darker and fight scenes and two the image of Magnus Bane below. The movie seemed to have been modified so that Isabel and Alec will be at the fight with the vampires. Also Valentine does not look anything like Jace and it was one of the things I thought might have been great in the book.  The physical resemblance between Jace and Valentine and how that could play in foreshadowing of Jace's life. Even Jocelyn who knew Jace was not her child could not seem to get over the resemblance.
     The image below invokes the idea of Magnus that I had in my head someone sexy and mysterious with experience and wisdom behind his eyes and beyond the years he appears and has lived. With all the other images I can't see beyond the glister and lip gloss.

Magnus Bane



 

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass

Mortal Instruments

I read the Mortal Instruments when the three books: City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass were published and it looked like it would end with the third book.

City of Bones

               Clary is a fifteen year old girl that witness a murder by three teenagers cover in strange tattoos brandishing weapons in New York City.  However, the victim's body vanishing and she seems to be the only one able to see the three teenagers.  This is her first encounter with the Shadow Hunters, within a day Clary is pulled into their world searching for answers and her missing mother.

               When I started with City of Bones I knew nothing about Cassandra Clare.  After I started reading the book and had passed the night club scene, I had to stop and think about whether what I was reading was really what I thought I understood.  I found many thing wrong with the story.  Clary was suppose to be around 15 years old  but yet she and her friend Simon (around the same age) were going to the Pandemonium Club.  The Pandemonium Club was a night club with long lines filled with teenagers and adults that ran outside the side of the building, and had a bouncer.  The bouncer was an adult and inside the club people are drinking, using drugs and having sex. I believe that the book falls under the contemporary genre.  Where things run basically like today's contemporary America and in the case of City of Bones, New York City, until you are shown and told otherwise.    Where in New York City or most places (I assume) is there a legal night club that serves alcohol for 15 year old to go to?  Ms. Clare made a note to bring our attention to the long line outside, so presumably everyone knows about it. Any passerby could see it.  If it was a club created by some wealthy kid in his parents basement or some abandoned place where kids met secretly to throw parties, that I could buy more. However, this was a legitimate club with a bouncer, so their is an owner who owns or rents the space, has an alcohol license that the city has to issue and caters to 15 year old.  It's not like Clary got a fake i.d or tried to sneak in.
          Then Clary and mother, who is an artist are suppose to be poor.  I have never lived in Brooklyn but I know that brownstone walk up or with elevator in New York City, so the five boroughs are not cheap to own or rent.  I would be living in one.  Where in the five boroughs can someone as poor as they are suppose to be afford to live in a brownstone selling pieces of art and jewelry.  Well, unless her mother had 5 karat diamond and gold necklaces she brought from Idris, then yeah.  Also having a tarot card reader as a neighbor doesn't give credit that you are poor.  The neighbor would not be able to afford the place on card reading alone.
        The whole reason that Clary supposedly sets out on this whole journey is to find her mother and maybe get some answers. But I felt that her mother was hardly ever mentioned, Clary hardly thought of her or brought her up and we learn very little about who the mother was or is now.
        Throughout the book Clare tells us that Clary is suppose to be shy but I felt like she was not, especially when she would slap someone she didn't know or for any good reason.  Clary is also said to be clumsy but then she was fighting vampires in a mini, and high boots when she had never really fought before. Even throwing a knife that struck a wolf.  Clary is said to not be beautiful but everyone says she is. And a lot of boys want her except Alec and I think that was just an attempt for useless competition for Jace's affection. Then, suddenly she has this amazing power, wields it better than more trained and experienced people. The worst for me was with the runes, suddenly she can read and write them. It's like  an English person who grew up in Thailand all their lives never knowing that England existed, when they meet someone from England they suddenly can read, write, and speak English not only that they can create new words for the English language.  Clary can do everything that takes Shadow hunters years to accomplish.  Also the way Clary treats people around her. She has no interest in Simon, but gets jealous when  he shows interest in Isabelle.  Isabelle welcomes her, but she dislikes her because she is prettier than her and her comment about there being no ugly vampires. Like only beautiful people could want to live forever or that an ugly person could find no reason to go on.  Clare tries to make Clary down to earth and different but all I got was that Clary was the opposite.  So what if Clary is rich? Being able to relate to someone is not completely dictated by wealth or the monetary kind.
     As for Jace, I did not like him at all.  From the first scene, he murders that boy.  Some will say he was a demon and wanted to kill someone.  However, they did not know that and he didn't hurt anyone. Isabelle lured him to get killed.  We never get a real reason as to why shadow hunters really exist.  Especially when Jace and company were the ones constantly causing trouble for humans, downworlders and shadow hunters.
     Why did Jace go with Valentine? I found nothing Valentine said convincing enough to join him and I disliked him. Then Jace wanted to build a life with Valentine.  Nothing Clary said or did was enough to give up a life he wanted, so I did not believe those scenes.  Clare seemed to bring in too many supernatural creatures that had little to do with the story or served a purpose.  Plus, Clare was always changing the definition of things even when those things were used in the context of the definition we are familiar with.

City of Bones Japanese Cover #1

I like the Japanese covers for City of Bones. I believe the book was separated into two in Japan. The above is the first cover and I think that is Isabelle, Alec and Simon. The outfit is the one that Isabelle wears in the Pandemonium Club and I like it better than the one from the movie trailer image.  I also really like her necklace.
The image below is the cover for the second section and I believe that is Jace and Clary.

City of Bones Japanese Cover #2

City of Ashes

I read City of Ashes and later City of Glass just to see whether the story would get better and how it would end.  

               City of Ashes picks up with Clary's mother being in a coma.  Valentine, who is revealed to to be Clary's father and also Jace's is suspected of murdering Downworld children.  The Shadow Hunters discover that the second of the Mortal Instruments being Soul Sword has been stolen and the Shadow Hunter Inquisitor suspects Jace.  The first of the Mortal Instruments was the Mortal Cup that Clary's mother hide in the City of Bones.

              In city of ashes I did not like the running theme that if anyone argued with a main character they were portrayed as the bad guy. even if they were an adult and had a point.   I did not like Simon becoming a vampire.  It went against his beliefs having the life of a vampire. Clary let him get turned because of her selfish reasons.  Simon pretty much has been banished from the world he liked living in.  And Clary should have been allowed to deal with the consequences of Simon being turned.  Plus Simon woke up a vampire and not really all that upset or anything, I mean now he can't even utter god's name or hold symbols that hold meaning for him. 

           I did not like how, it seemed that Shadow Hunters had disdain for humans even though it's their duty to protect them. They seemed to see humans as low and weak.  They didn't seem to be protecting humans because they saw value in them but because it reinforced their feelings of being superior. They seemed to hold no responsibility to humans, downworlders or other Shadow Hunters.  The clave seemed useless since they couldn't do anything about young Shadow Hunters running amok.  Also these young ones, in particular Jace since people seemed to see him as a great Shadow Hunters was the best they had.

City of Glass

I spoke a little about this, but I did not like Simon on how his beliefs and traditions seemed mean so little to him.  When Clary turns him he just seemed fine even though it meant he would be losing his family and these he held dear would now be out of his reach. 

          Max's death meant little to me even though they made it seem like such as great tragedy. Yes, children dying is never okay, but I knew very little about him.  I knew more about the cat than Max and really served no purpose except maybe to try and show how Valentine was suppose to be such a villain, but I didn't feel it worked.  Question, if Idris had wards to protect it how did Jonathan who has demon blood in him since he was born able to get through?

           Clary had the power through the angel to do almost anything but all she chose was for Jace to be brought back? She could have wished for something in the past to happen, like Valentine actually dying instead of hiding away and she would have helped so many people.  Her brother and Jace would probably been raised in better environments.  Her mother would not have needed to go on the run, whipping her mind and she would have had both her children with her.   Max would not have died as well as many other people. I am sure some fans would like what about Clary and Jace, they would not have meet. But they probably would have since the young kids would most likely be in Idris training or visiting.  She had many choices but she chose something that benefited her just like she did with Simon.

      Having said all that, I found that there were character's I found I would like when you meet for the very first time.  But as I got to know what the author made them into I disliked them.  Most notably Alec and Magnus. I liked the idea of who I thought Alec might be from the first scene we see him in.  His image seemed better looking than Jace and it seemed like he would be a complete jerk.  Alec seemed to be mostly in the background saving and protecting Jace, Isabel and the institute. While Isabel and Jace jumped into danger and then claimed the glory though Alec kept them alive so they could bask in it.  But then Clare showed him to be just as bad as the other characters.   Then there was Magnus, I imagined him as a tall and sexy warlock with wisdom but still found joy and cared for life despite his many decades of life.  I imaged him as someone who loved those he had a stable, nurturing, genuine connection with whether they were man or woman. but I did not get that and I did not liked him having a relationship with Alec.  Magnus despite his real age looks to be in his 30s-40s and Alec was around 16 years old.  So he should not have been in a romantic relationship with a minor. This got worse when I found out he was immortal and had lived at least 80 years. so what could 2 years of waiting have been for Alec to become an adult and more mature?  i know you can't always chose whom you fall in love with or find a connection with but if you are an adult man or woman.  If you love and care for someone and they are a minor then wait for them to become an adult. If you can't wait a few years, that often pas quickly stay away from them. If your feelings are true a few years won't matter that much.  If they are not then you won't have harmed anyone.

City of Glass Japanese Cover #1

The image above looks like Simon and Isabel.  And below is another Clary and Jace cover.



 

Korean Recipes

Korean Food

I have been trying some food recipes lately and some of them have been Korean food.  Although, I never had the actually one, in Korea or at a Korean restaurant.  I felt that what I made was not that bad.  But I wish to taste the authentic recipes one day.  I have tried three things lately. Kimchi Fried Rice, Heoddok and Pajeon.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi fried rice was the first Korean recipe, I tried.  I found a couple of recipes online and just used the steps that were similar. While online I saw many recipes that included adding an egg.  I have yet to try it but it looks good. One item I did add to my fried rice once was Panbroiled Oden and it was tasty.  My recipe is quite simple.

Ingredients:

4 cups of Kimchi, chopped

4 cups cooked Brown or White rice

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

4 Scallions, chopped.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium flame.

2. Add chopped kimchi and half scallion and fry until tender.

3. Add rice and mix well. When all is cooked. (I like to cook it well that the bottoms browns a little and becomes crispy)

4. Serve and add scallions for garnish. 

Heoddok

Heoddok, often called Korean sweet pancake.  I first saw Heoddok at a Asian mart, there was package including all the ingredients to make it. So, after about a week I bought it and look online for instructions to follow on how to fry it.  Then, I tried a different stuffing because I did not really like the cinnamon in the packaged mixture.  The next time I made my own.  Below is my own recipe. I have another recipe where I used warm milk instead of water. There just add the warm milk to the mixture of flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Below are two fillings that I tried and liked. You can used one or the other.  

Ingredients:

11g Yeast

2 cups (16oz) All Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoon Raw Sugar

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 cup (8oz) Luke warm water

Canola oil for Frying

Filling:

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons chopped nuts (Walnut, Pecan, Almond, Peanut etc) or

3 Tablespoons chopped banana

1.5 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut or Almond Butter

Directions:

1. Mix envelope of yeast, sugar and warm water and set aside for about 5-10 minutes.

2. Combine flour and salt to the yeast mixture.  Mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be sticky. Let the dough rest in a warm place 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

3. The dough will double in size. Now make the mixture for your filling. Mix chopped nuts with brown sugar (adding cinnamon is optional). Mix chopped banana with creamy nut butter.

4. Oil your hand with some oil. Take a piece of dough (adjust depending on size) stretch it with your hand. Place about a teaspoon of filling (more if desire) at the center. Pinch the edges of the dough towards the center to close making a ball shape.  Repeat.

5. Coat your pan with oil and heat over medium flame.  Place the dough ball in the pan and let cook until brown. Then, your the ball over and with the back of a flat spoon or spatula flatten the ball until round. Look for a nice brown crust.

6. Serve and enjoy. 

Pajeon

I first had Pajeon at a Korean restaurant in Hong Kong.  It was a seafood one, and I loved it. I had it every chance I could, when I got the chance I wanted to see if I could make some. The recipe I first made had only shrimp and squid because that was all that was available to me. Feel free to use other seafood. I did not make a dipping sauce but there are recipes available. I also tried a recipe where you use half all purpose flour and half rice flour. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch of green onion, cut into 4 inch pieces

1 small-medium size Zucchini, thinly sliced

1/4 lb Shrimp, chopped

1/4 lb Squid, chopped

 Batter:

1 cup (8oz)+ 2 tablespoon water

1.5 cup flour

1 egg

1 seafood Bouillon

Vegetable oil for Frying

Directions:

1. In a bowl crush bouillon, add flour.  

2. Add water and egg. Mix until well combined. 

3. Add the seafood, green onion and zucchini and coat everything. 

4. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. 

5. Add a ladle of the batter mixture and spread. 

4. cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Browning well.

5. Repeat until all pancakes are made.