Are You Woke?

As 2019 is literally just around the corner, I have a question for you. 

Are you woke?

You must be thinking, "Of course I am awake! I'm reading this!" Furthermore, the grammar nazi in you must be screaming. 

Let me ask you again.

Are you WOKE?

Woke? What the hell is woke?

In the Matrix movie, Neo was offered two pills by Morpheus, the rebel leader. Neo was asked to choose between the blue and the red pills. The red pill would free Neo from living in a controlled machine-generated world which was unreal. He would be set free but would live in the real but harsh and difficult world. But he would be living in the "truth of reality". The blue pill would lead him back to the perfect-dream-world which was comfortable and without want but fake which was stimulated by the Matrix. 

Most of us having watched The Matrix know that Neo chose the red pill. 

He then became woke.

He was enlightened. 

The scales fell off his mind.

He saw the lies and the fake reality he had been living in. Yes, it was comfortable. He had security within a confined environment. But he was living in blissful ignorance. Everything was an illusion. He was living in a fake world! 

What kind of life is that? Is that even living? Life is about having knowledge (many times by gleaning), the freedom to choose, experiencing the hardships so that we can become stronger and wiser and living in the truth. 

Living in a lie or living a lie is NOT living. 

As tomorrow is the last day of 2018, ask yourself this, "Am I woke?"

Are you WOKE?

*picture taken from HERE

Merry Christmas!

*picture taken from HERE

Just For Laughs (28)

Yes, we all would like to tell Death, "Not today!"

*picture taken from HERE

Dysthymia

In almost every show after a person faces a devastating experience, they spiral into a depression so deep that it results in an unkempt appearance and house, half-eaten food strewn all over the place, not having bathed for days and weeks, non-stop crying and a stupor-like-Walking-Dead mannerism.

It is very rare that shows portray the highly-functioning depressed human. And in shows where they did portray the highly-functioning depressed human, the remark thrown at them would be this:

"But you don't look or act like you're depressed!"

Welcome to the world of dysthymia.

* "A person diagnosed with dysthymia would have been able to function in his day-to-day life, but never feel quite right. He would have reported feeling like he had been depressed all of his life or said he felt like he just barely managing to keep his head above water."

*taken from HERE

A person who has been diagnosed with dysthymia could have had a major depressive episode in his life. Once the major depressive episode was over, he would return to his chronic, low-level depression. The major depression episode when superimposed over dysthymia is called double depression.

Click on LINK to read about double depression.

**According to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), for a person to be diagnosed with dysthymia, he or she would be in a depressed mood most of the day, for more days than not, for at least two years with two or more persisting symptoms such as poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self-esteem, poor concentration or difficulty making decisions and feelings of hopelessness.

**taken from HERE

***11 Symptoms of Dysthymia

1. Difficulty experiencing joy - Nothing brings you joy anymore.
2. Relentless criticality of self and others - Can't turn off the negative wheel in the mind.
3. Constant self-doubt
4. Diminished energy - Getting through everyday feels like clawing up an icy mountain.
5. Irritability or excessive anger
6. Small things feels like huge things 
7. Feelings of worry and guilt over past and future
8. Relying on coping strategies more and MORE - In need of more and MORE extensive zone-out time to escape your life.
9. Generalized sadness
10. Seeking perfection - Striving for unrealistic demands to the point of beating yourself up when you fail.
11. Inability to rest and slow down - Even after an exhausting day or days, you cannot rest or sit still. You must continue to work in any sense even in exhaustion. 

***taken from HERE

One who is suffering from dysthymia cannot just "will themselves out of it". Without getting the proper help, the symptoms will get worse. If one does not seek help to get treated, dysthymia can explode into major depression or major depressive episodes where it could cause harm to the physical health and also the psychological health. 

To understand more about dysthymia:

9 Things People With Dysthymia Want You To Know

Dysthymia

8 Signs You Could Be Having High Functioning Depression

Dysthymia: Break Through The Fog

4 Things To Know About Dysthymia

Emotional Abyss; Physical Cause?

If you feel that this is you, do not hesitate or delay in getting professional help. You matter!

Thermomix Oat Milk

Ingredients:

1. 50gm organic rolled oats

2. 2.2 litres filtered water
3. 1/2 teaspoon of sea-salt
4. Coconut nectar OR maple syrup (use whichever which suits your needs)

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1. Pour 50gm of rolled oats into a bowl and soak with water overnight in the fridge.

2. Pour away the water and rinse the oats (on the next day).

3. Fill the TMX jug with 500ml water and add the oats. Add the salt.

4. Place the lid (and MC) and set 30 seconds/speed 8.

5. Fill the TMX jug with water until the max level.

6. Set 13minutes/80C/speed 2.

7. Once it is done, pour the drink into glass bottles and allow to cool before keeping it in the fridge. You can add the sweetener to your drink before you drink it.

Try it without any added sweetener. It's as delicious too!

Bon appetit!

Thermomix Water Roux (Tangzhong)

There is a technique called the "Tangzhong method" which is used in Asian baking. By adding this "Tangzhong/water roux" to the dough, the bread/buns will be extra soft, lighter and fluffier.

The water roux starter is made up of water and flour. It is then cooked at 65 degrees until the starch starts to gelatinize.

Before I had my Thermomix, I made the water roux using the gas stove. It was tedious as I had to stir it continuosly in order for it to gelatinize. One must be alert to not burn this too!

Now with the TMX, making the water roux is a breeze!

Ingredients:

1. 100gm plain flour
2. 500gm water

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1. Place both ingredients into the TMX jug. Set 30mins/65C/speed 1. (I have done it at 70C too.)

2. Once it is done, pour the water roux into a container/bowl to allow it to cool. Use it as desired. I kept the extra in the fridge. Bear in mind if you keep it too long, it will turn grey-ish in colour. It has gone bad.

I did not want to waste this. I made bread dough with whatever that was left in the TMX jug.