Saturday 30 November 2013

Auto & Science: How To Cut Fuel Consumption When Driving?


Volkswagen XL1 has a drag coefficient of 0.189, the lowest in all production cars to date
Image from NewCarShow.com

Before we go into how to cut fuel consumption, I would like to find out,

  1. exactly how far can a supercar go with just one gallon of fuel, and 
  2. just how much does driving style affect fuel consumption? 

Jeremy Clarkson of Topgear has the demonstration for us.


After watching the whole video, you'll know that driving style does play a key role in fuel consumption. Even a BMW M3 can be more efficient than a Toyota Prius!

But exactly what makes a good driving style? What's more, do other factors also play a part in fuel consumption? We have the answer below!



Here's the summary

  1. Shape --> Aerodynamics --> Air resistance --> Drag --> Drag coefficient
  2. Weight --> Light material 
  3. Less cargo and fewer baggage
  4. Tire pressure
  5. Slower Drive
The more streamlined the car is, the better the aerodynamics is, which leads to lower air resistance and thus lower drag and drag coefficient. The lighter the car is, the more fuel efficient. Properly inflated tires minimise contact with the ground and thus friction with the road. Finally, the optimal fuel efficient driving speed is 55 mph (88kph).
Drag Coefficient of production cars ranked by Cd
Image from Wikipedia
Talking about aerodynamics and drag coefficient, my dream car the Tesla Model S has a .24 drag coefficient  (see Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review ) -- the lowest of all production cars in 2012 until Mercedes-Benz CLA and Volkswagen came along in 2013.

Tesla Model S has a drag coefficient of 0.24
Image from Autoblog
Just how do auto companies test their drag coefficient? They make use of something called a wind tunnel. Volvo has a nice detail video which shows us how this is done.



Hope you have learnt how to save money on the road and understood after the science behind it. Let's start driving wisely for the weekends!



Resources:

2012 Tesla Model S [w/video] First Drive - Autoblog @ Tesla
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/11/2012-tesla-model-s-first-drive-review-video/

Automobile Drag Coefficient @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient#Typical_drag_coefficients

Top Gear : Supercars: The One Gallon Fuel Crisis Race - Top Gear - BBC @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/JmxUsGiGp3w

4 Ways To Cut Gas Costs @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLv_KyZM-ag

Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review  @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/technology-opinions-my-tesla-model-s.html-

World: Fun Facts We All Should Know -- Part 2 (Viewer Discretion Is Advised) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/world-fun-facts-we-all-should-know-part_29.html

New Volvo Wind Tunnel @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/TtLh2P56LvY


Wednesday 27 November 2013

Auto: Mercedez Benz C180 Kompressor Review


My sister's C180K in Stanley
Image from Locky's English Playground
Mercedes Benz C180K isn't a new car at all, this particular one that my sister owns was produced in 2006 and it's a 4th-hander, but that doesn't mean this car is a terrible. In fact, it is easier to drive than most of the latest vehicles around.

Image from Locky's English Playground
Though this 1,794cc 16V I4 supercharged petrol engine may not be youthful enough to deliver the 143 PS (105 kW; 141 hp)@5200 rpm, 220 N·m (162 lb·ft)@2500–4200 rpm any more, this vehicle is still a very good fuel saver with superb reliability after spending an extra HK$30k on sensors and wheel s upgrade, making it a fantastic on-the-go car for daily use and a family car for the weekend. 

I say that it is fuel saving because the car is not too heavy to draw too much petrol to move and thus I can make use of the momentum most of the time instead of stepping on the brake to burn fuel. That said, "momentum driving" is just my style, which is why Tesla Model S' regenerative braking suits me.

Image from Locky's English Playground
The exterior has been maintained amazingly well for a 7-year-old, hardly a scratch due to weathering.

Image from Locky's English Playground
The rear trunk is not especially large, but it has the capacity for 1 to 2 large luggage cases for business trips. 


Image from Locky's English Playground
The interior is the classic layout you would expect from a classic model, nothing too fancy about it might be a weakness, but for some who prefer simplicity with practicality like me, a clean and tidy panel is much preferred than buttons galore. 


Image from Locky's English Playground

Sadly, a car as lasting as this does not match the taste of modern girls and so it is now put up for sale. To an extend that my sister has already purchased a BMW 520i before she can find a buyer for the predecessor. There has been a couple of people asking for driving tests, and I am sure the next buyer will be a happy one.

Since I can drive her BMW 520i, I will also be writing a review on that. Let's hope that it is what you would anticipate.


Resources:
Mercedes-Benz_C-Class#C-series_engines @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C-Class#C-series_engines


Tuesday 26 November 2013

Message: Goodbye To "Loanwords" & "Spices"! Hello to "Auto"!

Tesla Model S
Image from Locky's English Playground

Hello my friends!

This is just a quick update on the modification of Locky's English Playground tags and the menu list of the Android app.

Since the post on "Loanwords" and "Spices" have not been a lot, I have decided to remove them and add a new list named "Auto", which will of course be talking about automobiles, including my test drives and car reviews.

Previously I have already reviewed my dream car, the Tesla Model S, but that will not stop me from testing others.

For those of you who love to learn more about cars from my perspective, do come to visit the English Playground often!


The Android app update will arrive at your Android phones in about 2 hours' time.


Locky
CEO of Locky's English Playground

Sunday 24 November 2013

Food & Dining: Beef Bibimbap @ Maxim's MX

Beef Bibimbap at Maxim's MX
Image from Locky's English Playground
Listed as World's 50 best foods: Readers' picks by CNN Travel, the Bibimbap 비빔밥, Korean pronunciation: [pibimp͈ap̚]) is one of the my very personal favourites Korean dish. I have always ordered bibimbap whenever I can, because it has enough carbohydrates for me to get by and it is hardly ever disappointing even if it is from the worst restaurant.

This Wednesday, I found myself suddenly drawn to a Maxim's MX in Mongkok by its Beef bibimbap poster, and the next moment, I was already holding a number 333 waiting ticket.

The bibimbap, kimchi, honey grapefruit tea and chili sauce (bedhind it)
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was written on the poster that it will at least take 15-20 minutes of waiting but I waited 3 minutes 33 seconds before I asked the manager where my dinner was. Then after another 5 minutes or so, my ticket number finally appeared, and I went to collect my meal.

From another angle
Image from Locky's English Playground
I have already forgotten the price but I'm sure it was less than $50 for the entire set, and looking at the portion of the food, I will say there is enough food for 2 ladies or 1 very hungry Locky.

The appearance was fantastic, it was colourful with carrots, turnips, wood ears and green veg nicely laid out on the rice, the rice was cooked with the right hardness/softness and each of the grains was defined even against one another. The beef was no-kiddingly thick! While the first bite was really tough, further chewing revealed the juiciness and beefineess which you'll expect from looking at the poster, and tenderness came as a big delightful surprise with the rest of the pieces.

Kimchi all dumped into the bowl and mixed
Image from Locky's English Playground
To enjoy a really awesome bowl of bibimbap, I like to dump all kimchi (cabbage and beansprouts) into the bowl then stir the mixture thoroughly with a generous supply of Korean chili sauce. Usually it will look messy after the mix but as you can see from the photo above, this particular bibimbap still looked gorgeous!

Sweet hot drink for the post-rice stomach
Image from Locky's English Playground
At less than $50-a-set at Maxim's MX as compared to the easily above $60-a-bowl anywhere else, I must say this has to be the best deal in Hong Kong if you want the food to taste and look as good as the poster!!!

My only complaint was that the rice was already not hot when I started eating, it was even colder than "warm". Had there not been a miss in my food order, could this have been so much better?

I would love to think so, and that said, I will return for a confirmation soon.


Vocabulary:
Bibimbap --

Resources:
World's 50 best foods: Readers' picks @ CNN Travel
http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/readers-choice-worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-012321

Bibimbap @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap#cite_note-4

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Message: Letter To My Lovely Baby Girl!!!

My Daughter -- Muse Law
Image from Locky's English Playground
Locky's English Playground has been a bit lazy all week because I have been busying with the arrival of my lovely daughter, Muse! She was born yesterday on 18th November 2013 after midnight. From the start of the contraction at 9pm on the 16th through the amniotomy at 7am on the 17th till Muse was born at 1am on the 18th, in that 28 hours of labour, her mummy had to be administered almost every form of pain relief possible including a morphine shotepidural analgesia, then epidural anaesthesia in an attempt to have a natural-cum-induced labour before finally undergoing a Caesarean section.

"What does milk taste like?"
Image from Locky's English Playground

Muse, do you know? Your mummy was being cut opened, pulled, squashed and pumped severely in the tummy like a Scale 8 earthquake by 3 surgeons for a whole 10 minutes before getting you out? The anaesthetic was so strong that your mummy's body shuddered violently even when my hands were pressing her shoulders down hard, yet she was shouting through her gritted teeth with every clobber.

"I'm also called BB Chu and I am adorable!"
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was traumatising to watch your mummy in pain as such, gave me bad dreams every night since your birth. You had better be really really good to your mummy once you know who she is.

"You can't see me~ You can't see me~mummy!"
and mummy is just in the background
Image from Locky's English Playground

That's not all! When the doctors urgently called for nurses to "come up to rescue the B", I acted calm in front of your mum and kept telling her that everything will be okay, but I feared real badly that we were going to lose you. I think you mum did not hear what the doctors said due to the anaesthetic in her body so she was still asking me why you were not crying. Luckily, soon enough, I heard you giggling and told your mummy that you were born a happy girl. Then after another couple of minutes or so, we finally heard you crying.

You were brought to us and your mummy immediately gave you a kiss on the face while she was still shaking. Obstetric forceps were used and your head had a cut, but to me, those forceps pulled you and your mummy out from death.

"Muse maybe the youngest Facebook holder, " says Aunt Winnie Li
Muse owns a Facebook account in less than 1-day-old
Image from Locky's English Playground

We are both very proud of you as you have already fought so many battles even before you were born, and we wish that you will continue to be strong in face of danger, illness, sadness and pressure. Daddy and mummy will do our best to give you a delightful childhood, and you can almost guarantee that you will not be forced to take many interest classes and subjects because we are not monster parents and we'll never be. We will assist you in finding your dreams and guide you to achieving them should you need our help. As for now, let's not worry too much and just enjoy every moment with your families and friends.



Daddy and mummy loves you the most, and so do all your relatives and friends. You are very lucky to have come to this part of the world where food and basic needs are not a concern, and you are especially lucky to have 6 grandparents to love you.

So please!
Don't forget, be healthy and be a good girl!
Don't forget, nothing comes easy in this world, so never take anything for granted.
Don't forget, to love the world, all animals and plants, because they will help you grow,
and lastly,
Don't forget, you must always love you mummy, Muse, because she loves you the most!


With Immense Love,
Daddy Locky & Mummy Ceci
(00:41am, 20th Nov 2013)


Vocabulary:
amniotomy -- (n)[U]
morphine -- (n)[U]
epidural analgesia -- (n)[U]
epidural anaesthesia -- (n)[U]
induced labour -- (n)[U]
Caesarean section -- (n)[C]
anaesthetic -- (n)[C] 
shudder -- (vb)[I] When something shudders, it shakes violently and quickly:
grit (your) teeth -- (idiom)  to press your top and bottom teeth together, often in anger:
clobber -- (vb) informal to hit someone or something hard and repeatedly:
traumatise -- (vb)  [T usually passive] (UK usually traumatise)  to shock and upset someone severely and for a long time:
Obstetric forceps -- (n)[C] 


Resources:
Muse Law @ Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/muse.law.16

Hello World My Baby Girl! Muse Law @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExJqD9St4Wc

Amniotomy @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniotomy

Using Narcotics for Pain Relief During Childbirth @ APA on Narcotics
http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/narcotics.html

Epidural @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidural

Induced Labour @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_labour

Caesarean section @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesarean_section

Anaesthetic @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaesthetic

Obstetric Forceps @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetric_forceps

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/anaesthetic?q=anaesthetic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/shudder_1?q=shudder+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/grit-your-teeth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/clobber_1?q=Clobber
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/traumatize?q=traumatise+

Sunday 17 November 2013

Dining, Travelling & Living: King Ludwig Beerhall -- A Day At Stanley


Stanley Bay
Image from Locky's English Playground
A gorgeous day with cool sea breeze and an azure sky, best for driving and German food. After 30 mins of driving, my family and I arrived at Stanley. It was convenient enough to find free parking space by the roadside as it was a weekday, but the price to pay was some really hot car seats.

Murray House
Image from Locky's English Playground
Stanley is a really beautiful place, a place where modern blends with tradition, the Western blends with the Eastern so naturally that faults are difficult to spot. Take for example the Tin Hau Temple and the Murray House, practically neighbours, do not steal the limelight of one another.

Murry House on the left and Tin Hau Temple straight ahead, food arcade on the right
Image from Locky's English Playground

Palm trees on both sides of a long open path gradually unfolds the main entrance of the Tin Hau Temple.

Tin Hau Temple
Image from Locky's English Playground

It is not grand like the Po Lin Monastery, not gold plated like many temples of Thailand, even the lion statues are not particularly large, but the absence of incense ash and the presence of bright colours which rarely associates with Chinese temples transmit a sense of tidiness and Zen, reflecting the importance of the temple to the villagers of Stanley.

An amazingly obedient golden retriever, waiting for the master outside
a restaurant on the 1st floor of Murry House
Image from Locky's English Playground
With a stomach full of nothing, we made our way to Shop 202, 2/F of Murray House. I have heard the name and quality of this German restaurant from many of my students, but never had the chance to try it out until now.

Indoor panorama
Image from Locky's English Playground
The interior design spares no expense. Every piece of wood, every light bulb and every barrel plays a key to the transformation to this beerhall. 

Great atmosphere
Image from Locky's English Playground
Could there be some sophisticated mathematical calculations in the arrangement of the furnitures?

Reserved table
Image from Locky's English Playground
The reserved table really does look like one of those mini-slightly-Viking dining room, and would make a cosy corner for a fireplace dinner gathering with friends and family, but on a fine day, it is probably the last resort.

Beautiful lamps
Image from Locky's English Playground
Then where are the best seats?

View from the balcony
Image from Locky's English Playground
The balcony!!! Where else can you have such an amazing view?

Lager Beer
Image from Locky's English Playground

Onto the food.

King Ludwig's Pork Knuckle
Image from Locky's English Playground

The signatures include this crunchy golden King Ludwig's Pork Knuckle, which is on every table. Despite the wonderful look of it, the skin is way too tough and thick for my jaws, but the meat is tender smooth and lean. The taste is not as vibrant as the Chinese roasted pork, however I suppose the two pork dishes are prepared using the same part of the animal, thus it is not a fair comparison so to speak.

King Ludwig's Pork Knuckle
Image from Locky's English Playground
The fried potatoes side dish was so delicious by the way, so don't miss it. Coleslaw, they were okay.

Sausage Sampler
Image from Locky's English Playground
More fried potatoes made Locky a happy person, sausages sampler on the other hand, tasted like sausages, needless to say.

Creamy buttery potatoes
Image from Locky's English Playground
The sausage sampler also comes with buttery creamy potatoes. If you ask me though, I will save my room of my stomach for the fried ones.

The Boathouse
Image from Locky's English Playground
So that was it! That's all the good food we tried. I am sure there are more, as listed in the official website, nonetheless, we were all too full eating all those potatoes, we couldn't try any more and had to go for a long walk.

Stanley Market Road
Image from Locky's English Playground
The walk was my first in Stanley, as much as I cannot believe myself, having lived in Hong Kong for so many years. The surrounding was pretty, kind of like Paris riverside plus Amsterdam while ruined by red taxis.

Shopping Lane
Image from Locky's English Playground
The shops sell various Hong Kong souvenirs tailored for westerners ranging from surprisingly reasonable to low prices. I was expecting all kinds of rip-off until I was proven wrong with my own eyes! There are garments for sale that even I will consider buying if I were a tourist, impressive!

Blake Pier at Stanley
Image from Locky's English Playground
If you happen to have time in the weekends, do pay a visit to Stanley!


Vocabulary:
steal the limelight -- to get more attention than anyone or anything else in a situation:


Resources:
King Parrot Group : King Ludwig Beerhall
http://www.kingparrot.com/restaurants.php?tab=signature&id=15&bid=21

Culture & Academic Research: Historic Buildings, What Are They Really? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/09/culture-academic-research-historic.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/steal-the-limelight

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Technology: Fun Facts About Tesla Model S We All Should Know


Tesla Model S
Image from Tesla Motor
Low Maintenance Costs

For many, there are concerns about electric vehicles. Other than the range (distance coverage) and recharge time, maintenance could be a big one.

The truth is, there are far fewer moving parts in a Tesla Model S than a conventional vehicle -- no exhaust pipes, no petrol engine, no clutch, no gearbox to name a few, that the maintenance cost is so so much less.


8 Years Battery Warranty
Image from Tesla Motor

The car battery though, is one new item for many drivers. What if there is something wrong with my battery and I need to get a replacement? That's okay, because first, your battery has 8 years warranty for all models (125k miles for the 60kWh model, unlimited for the rest), so owners will be pretty happy with this length, considering most of the other renowned brands such as BMW and Mercedes Benz offer only 2 years overall warranty.


Hyperspeed Battery Swap

Next, will the servicing take a long time? Our common sense tells us that minimum a week or two is inevitable for the conventional vehicles. What about the Tesla Model S? The battery replacement can be done in less than 90 seconds!!!! Take a look!



Endorsement At Its Best

"I would buy another one in a heartbeat." -- The Owner of the Tesla Model S 
involved in the 3rd ever Tesla fire.

Image from Tesla Motor
Calling itself "The Safest Car In America" seems to be a bit arrogant, but they have indeed got the proof for its claim.

3rd Tesla Model S Fire
Image from Tesla Motor Blog
Thus far, there has been three fire incidents for the Tesla Model S, all related to collision with objects on the road.

The most recent one created quite a stir in the industry and questions about its safety slowly surfaced. While non-Tesla EV owners voice out their worries, the Tesla owners are not showing any signs of panic. As a matter of fact, quite the opposite, the Tesla EV owners are in skyrocketing mood about the safety of their beloved car.

The Tesla Model S owner involved in the third fire even wrote a lengthy blog entry arguing that he was in fact being saved by the EV rather than endangered by it.

The following statement is exactly they one in question,

I was driving home from work on the interstate in the right lane at approximately 70 miles per hour, following a truck. In the middle of the lane, there was a rusty three-pronged trailer hitch that was sticking up with the ball up in the air. The truck in front of me cleared the object. I did not have enough time to swerve to avoid the hitch, and it went below my car. I felt a firm "thud" as the hitch struck the bottom of the car, and it felt as though it even lifted the car up in the air. My assistant later found a gouge in the tarmac where the item scraped into the road. Somewhat shaken, I continued to drive.
About 30-45 seconds later, there was a warning on the dashboard display saying, "Car needs service. Car may not restart." I continued to drive, hoping to get home. About one minute later, the message on the dashboard display read, "Please pull over safely. Car is shutting down." I was able to fully control the car the entire time and safely pulled off the left shoulder on the side of the road. I got out of the car, and started to get all my belongings out. About 5-10 seconds after getting out of the car, smoke started to come from the front underbody of the car. I walked away from the vehicle to a distance of about 100 yards. More smoke started to come out of the bottom of the car, and about two minutes after I walked away, the front of the car caught on fire.
I am thankful to God that I was totally uninjured in any way from this impact. Had I not been in a Tesla, that object could have punched through the floor and caused me serious harm. From the time of impact of the object until the time the car caught fire was about five minutes. During this time, the car warned me that it was damaged and instructed me to pull over. I never felt as though I was in any imminent danger. While driving after I hit the object until I pulled over, the car performed perfectly, and it was a totally controlled situation. There was never a point at which I was anywhere even close to any flames.
The firemen arrived promptly and applied water to the flames. They were about to pry open the doors, so I pressed my key button and the handles presented and everything worked even though the front of the car was on fire. No flames ever reached the cabin, and nothing inside was damaged. I was even able to get my papers and pens out of the glove compartment.
This experience does not in any way make me think that the Tesla Model S is an unsafe car. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
Juris Shibayama, MD

Talking about word of mouth, this has to be as good as it gets. Who on earth will actually tell you he "would but another in a heartbeat" after his previous one caught on fire? If the car isn't THAT good, I doubt no one will. At least I haven't heard any owners of any cars from any other brands who have said the same thing, ever!

Is this the reason why the stock price rebounded 4.89% to USD 144.7?


How The Tesla Model S Is Made?




For more fun facts about the Tesla Model S, do read Science & Technology: Fun Facts About Electric Cars We All Should Know as well as Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review .


Resources:
Science & Technology: Fun Facts About Cars We All Should Know @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/science-technology-fun-facts-about-cars.html

Science & Technology: Fun Facts About Electric Cars We All Should Know @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/science-technology-fun-facts-about.html

Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/technology-opinions-my-tesla-model-s.html

Supercharger @ Tesla Motor
http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

Batteryswap @ Tesla Motor
http://www.teslamotors.com/batteryswap

From a Model S owner in Tennessee @ Tesla Motor Blog
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/model-s-owner-tennessee?utm_campaign=na_hq_model_s_fire_blog_nc01&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=d20d0ffccf9843ba888221b61a6d6bad&elqCampaignId=725

How the Tesla Model S is Made -- Behind The Scenes -- The Window - Wired @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/8_lfxPI5ObM

Saturday 9 November 2013

Cooking: Dad's Pan-fried Drunken Pork (Secret Recipe Leaked!!)


Dad's Pan-fried Drunken Pork
Image from Locky's English Playground
It's Cooking Friday Saturday!

This simple yet scrumptious dish is a huge part of my childhood memory. When I was still a kid living in London, my dad only got to come home once a week, so every time he returned home, he cooked for the family. Since he was a chef at a Chinese restaurant somewhere in Portsmouth, he does have quite a bit of skills when it comes to cooking. Among all dishes he cooked for us in those days, this pan-fried drunken pork is the easiest to cook and top-notch in taste!

This has never been documented before and so this is his secret recipe being leaked for the first time ever in history!


You'll need, 
  1. fresh pork (loin)
  2. soy sauce
  3. dark soy sauce
  4. Shaoxin wine
  5. sesame oil

Ceramic knife rocks!
Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 1: cut the pork into thin slices.

Slicing pork in the speed of light
Image from Locky's English Playground
The thickness is for you to choose. Thinner slices means less cooking time but thicker slices is better at juice retention.

The meat is cut
Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 2: Once the pork is sliced, place them in a large bowl or container.

Soy sauce followed by dark soy sauce
Image from Locky's English Playground
Add a generous amount of soy sauce to bring out the taste, and a teaspoon of dark soy sauce to give the colour,

Image from Locky's English Playground
followed by half a cup of Shaoxin wine -- the essence of the drunken pork.

Mixed and marinate
Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 3: Mix well and let the pork marinate for about 2 hours in room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Cooking starts
Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 4: Use a pan or a wok, cook the marinated drunken pork thoroughly with a small flame or a medium flame.

Why not use a large flame? Because we don't want those heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons created in the process of high temperature cooking like that with a halogen oven. Using large flame for cooking also tends to produce undercooked food because of the shorter cooking time, and undercooking the pork is also not cool, unless you want to have some bacteria and parasites in you, such as staphylococcus aureustoxoplasma gondiicampylobacteriayersinia enterocoliticalisteria and trichinella.

Here's a sidetrack video for those of you who want to learn more about bacon / pork.




Pork 100% cooked
Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 5: Switch to large flame and slightly sear the pork to lower its moisture content.


Image from Locky's English Playground
Step 6: Tuck in! Beware, it is irresistible!



Vocabulary:
scrumptious -- (adj)  (UK informal scrummy) tasting extremely good:
retention -- (n) formal the continued use, existence, or possession of something or someone:

staphylococcus aureus -- a bacterium that is a member of the Firmicutes, and is frequently found in the human respiratory tract and on the skin. Although S. aureus is not always pathogenic, it is a common cause of skin infections (e.g. boils), respiratory disease (e.g. sinusitis), and food poisoning. Disease-associated strains often promote infections by producing potent protein toxins, and expressing cell-surface proteins that bind and inactivate antibodies. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant forms of pathogenic S. aureus (e.g. MRSA) is a worldwide problem in clinical medicine.

toxoplasma gondii -- an obligate, intracellular, parasitic protozoan that causes the disease toxoplasmosis. Found worldwide, T. gondii is capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals. In humans, it is one of the most common parasites; serological studies estimate that up to a third of the global population has been exposed to and may be chronically infected with T. gondii, although infection rates differ significantly from country to country. Although mild, flu-like symptoms occasionally occur during the first few weeks following exposure, infection with T. gondii generally produces no symptoms in healthy human adults. However, in infants, HIV/AIDS patients, and others with weakened immunity, infection can cause serious and occasionally fatal illness (toxoplasmosis)

campylobacter -- Campylobacter (meaning "twisted bacteria") is a genus of bacteria that are Gram-negative, spiral, and microaerophilic. Motile, with either unipolar or bipolar flagella, the organisms have a characteristic spiral/corkscrew appearance (see photo) and are oxidase-positive. Campylobacter jejuni is now recognized as one of the main causes of bacterial foodborne disease in many developed countries. At least a dozen species of Campylobacter have been implicated in human disease, with C. jejuni and C. coli the most common. C. fetus is a cause of spontaneous abortions in cattle and sheep, as well as an opportunistic pathogen in humans.

yersinia enterocolitica -- a species of gram-negative coccobacillus-shaped bacterium, belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Yersinia enterocolitica infection causes the disease yersiniosis, which is a zoonotic disease occurring in humans as well as a wide array of animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, and birds. Many of these animals recover from the disease and become asymptomatic carriers. It infects the host by sticking to the cells of the host using Trimeric Autotransporter Adhesins (TAA).

listeria -- a genus of bacteria that contains ten species. Named after the English pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister, the genus received its current name in 1940. Listeria species are Gram-positive bacilli. The major human pathogen in the Listeria genus is L. monocytogenes. It is usually the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease, listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. The disease affects primarily pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and the elderly.

trichinella -- a genus of parasitic roundworms of the phylum Nematoda that cause trichinosis (also known as trichinellosis). Members of this genus are often called trichinella or trichina worms. A characteristic of Nematoda is the one-way digestive tract, with a pseudocoelom (body cavity made up of only an ectoderm and endoderm).

tuck in -- UK informal — phrasal verb to start eating something eagerly:
irresistible -- (adj) impossible to refuse, oppose, or avoid because too pleasant, attractive, or strong:

Resources:
Health & Fitness: Is Halogen Oven Safe For The Health? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/health-fitness-is-halogen-oven-safe-for.html

Harmful Bacteria Found in Samples of U.S. Pork @ WedMD
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20121128/harmful-bacteria-pork

Staphylococcus aureus @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus

Toxoplasmosis gondii @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosa_Gondii

Campylobacter @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campylobacter

Yersinia enterocolitica @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_enterocolitica

Listeria @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listeria

Trichinosis @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scrumptious?q=scrumptious
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/retention?q=retention
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tuck-in-tuck-into-sth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/irresistible?q=irresistible