May H.

Jumping into the list of 21^st century food fads, alongside cupcakes, frozen yogurt and milk tea—would most probably have to be the Chocolate Mug Cake—a dessert concocted and cooked in a ceramic mug.

After the Mug Cake’s recipe circulated around social media networking sites such as Tumblr, Youtube and Facebook— people across the globe have been posting videos and sharing pictures of the instant dessert. Some have even created their own variations—adding in fruits or whipped cream for a quick, gourmet fix.

Well, don’t expect it to be as light as fluffy as an ordinary chocolate cake—although it is moist enough to pass off as one. It’s the perfect dessert for people who have no time or budget to go out and get a dessert. The Chocolate Mug Cake is quick and effortless to make, and it requires only a few ingredients—making it easy on the pocket.

Now all you need is spoon to dig into your chocolate-y dessert—and a napkin to wipe the crumbs off your lips! 

CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or oil
• 1 large mug

Add the dry ingredients to your mug and mix well to avoid pockets of uncooked flour later on. Pour in the oil or melted butter and the milk and stir. Microwave it for 3 minutes in a 1000w oven, or 4 minutes in a 700w oven. If the cake rises up to the top, don’t worry—it will collapse once you take it out of the microwave. Dig in and enjoy!

(Source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IyvpGZbkwgI/UA7wU23rehI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/EwfNQhHfgnw/s1600/chocolate-mug-cake-2.jpg)

Culinary Shockers:

Five weird dishes from across the globe

May Heasse

Why don’t we take a break from the pasta, the chicken and the pizza—and start with a plate of duck embryos, smelly fish heads and sheep heads? Here’s a list of the weirdest food in the world, guaranteed to get you hungry, or the other way around

Lutefisk

A Norwegian dish made from cod soaked in Lye. First, it is soaked in cold water for five to six days (with the water changed daily), and then soaked into an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for two days (Take note, Lye is used in oven cleaners and drain openers). It is then soaked again in water, steamed and served.

Balut

Balut is a popular street-staple in the Philippines. It is a fertilized duck egg, steamed and eaten straight from the shell.

Stinkheads

This is a dish that was invented by the Yup’ik Eskimos, made as a rite of passage for foreigners who claim to know about their culture. It is made from a salmon head that is buried underground for the summer—it is then dug up and eaten.

Pacha

A dish originating from Iraq, it is the whole head of a sheep boiled in a broth consisting of its own stomach. It is served with pickled vegetables.

Casu Marzu

A dish from Sardinia, It is basically sheep-milk cheese infested with fly larvae. Yes, the maggots are part of the dish—and people claim it to be creamy and tangy.

Img source: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dHqcNMdghs8/TNex3feVB6I/AAAAAAAAAGE/WKuiUGHy4ZM/s1600/balot_by_queijokuki.jpg

Masquerade is a play at least 185 years old, yet with as much significance now as it did back when it was written. Often called a Russian Othello, the play examines human motivations in all their guises – love, pride, jealousy and many more. With this and his two other plays, Menschen und Leidenschaften and A Strange Man, Lermontov became a strong influence on and herald of the Romantic school in Russia.

The play is about Yevgeny Arbenin, a young Russian nobleman, who wants to be independent of his circumstances. However, due to a series of misunderstandings he believes that his wife has been unfaithful and fatally poisons her. After finding out that she was, in fact, innocent, Arbenin goes insane.

The play follows the familiar path of love, jealousy and pride. However, throughout the drama the character motivations are many-layered. Arbenin alone is not held responsible for his deed, although his crime is the greatest and so is his punishment. The masks the other characters wear to protect themselves and their interests don’t hinder and sometimes help the delusions Arbenin labours under.

D. Nuragani

Success of Huawei

Jianwen Gao

Huawei, a high-tech company producing electronic products, has became very successful in
the field of telecommunications. In fact, with its foundation in Shenzhen, China, a city full of technological energy, Huawei has become the third-biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world.

So how did they do it?

The first reason can be traced to their products. As a Chinese company, Huawei’s business scope includes microelectronics, radio, communications, routes, and interchanges. For example, they have successfully developed and produced their own smartphones. Their software and hardware products are of good quality and inexpensive, resulting in general public praise. In this regard, their ability to offer products that are of good quality at low prices represents one reason behind their immense success as a company.

The second reason can be their enterprise positioning. It is well known that Chinese consumers tend to consider electronic products made by Chinese manufacturers as having poor quality and low technology. And this perception is not without some convincing examples. Therefore, there was a need to change the public’s perceptions. This is where Huawei has been able to stand out. Huawei decided to start with simple products instead of high-tech products to accommodate Chinese consumers’ perception that Chinese companies cannot make high-tech products but perhaps can make low-tech products of high quality at low prices. As a result, Huawei started with simpler phones at lower prices to be closer to the average consumer, and then gradually through good word-of-mouth communication by satisfied consumers, they later entered the high-end market. This has turned out to be a key strategy.

Finally, Huawei generally exudes a positive and caring attitude. It is really clear that they care about their the quality of their products and consumers’ needs and wants. As a result, consumers have praised Huawei’s products as well as the company itself.

China has 1.3 billion people. Today 20% use high-end phones, and 20% have no phones. That is, there still remain many people who require phones. This represents a huge market, and Huawei has effectively seized it using a winning strategy. As a result, they have become famous not only in China but also across the world.

How to develop good study habits

Mai H.

With a new school year ahead, there are many things you should look forward to: Like being on top of the honor roll, or at least acing a big exam. Here are a few tips on how to develop good study habits:

1. Set a proper studying space—somewhere quiet and comfortable would do.
2. Set a schedule—Get an organizer and list down all the things you need to finish for the day.
3. Take down notes during class, and always avert your attention to the noise and bring your eyes to the teacher.
4. Develop a calm attitude towards your subjects (Yes, even math.)
5. Start with the hardest homework given to you—that way, your brain will be fresh.
6. Avoid distractions and always maintain focus.
7. Take a break once in a while to rejuvenate and have fun. As they say, All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
8. Keep a pad of sticky notes for reminders.
9. Focus on the subjects that need more work—for example, if you received a low grade in math last year, you should work for a better grade this year.
10. Make sure you get enough sleep, as your brain would work better if it is well-rested.

Img source: http://cornerview.me/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/studying.jpg