I have a friend in Singapore who I often joke can’t sit still, and I mean this in the best way. With every little pocket of time, she can find something productive to do or make.

She makes sourdough and has a starter that she has been nurturing for a few months now. When I told her that I was moving to Norway, without hesitation she told me that she would pass me some dehydrated starter so that I can make my own sourdough.

I am no professional — or even casual — baker, but I do enjoy the occasional cooks and bakes. With my move to Norway, I will have to learn more to fend for myself in the kitchen. Having lived in big cities like Metro Manila and Singapore before, I was used to the fast pace of life. People would often work overtime such that cooking own meals is one of the last priorities, or outsourced to house help. Alternatively, inexpensive meals are easily accessible from restaurants or food courts. This culture was so ingrained in me that I also did not feel like I needed to make my own food. I am looking forward to this changing in Norway.

According to Mr. Fantastic, this sourdough starter the perfect gift, because:

1. it weighs nothing, and
2. it takes up no space.

I couldn’t agree more! I did not hire movers to ship my stuff as I found it expensive when I did not have much to bring. I mostly needed to transport only clothes and my favorite workout gear. Mr. Fantastic also frequently flew back and forth between Singapore and Norway, so he gradually brought some of my things before my official move. Even then I still had quite a few things left, and I made my first vlog on my YouTube channel about this. I did not expect to enjoy making this, so that was a pleasant surprise.

If you want to see my style of packing and my journey into starting my vlog, this is for you.

Soon enough, I will also make a video of the starter experiment. I have never done it before so I have my fingers crossed.