beautiful life, sensitive individual...

Absenteeism

2009-04-23T11:11:00.002+08:00

Pardon my absence, I'm not fit to write this month. I will hope to return in May, if possible. In the mean time, do check the links on the right side.

Truly,
CarolineL

Eating out: Chakri Xpress

2009-03-24T16:57:00.000+08:00

Chakri Xpress is located in Alamanda Shopping Center in Putrajaya. I was there today with my folks for lunch.

Por Pia Savoey, RM9.90

I ordered the deep fried vegetable spring roll. It has very little vegetables in it and it's not crispy at all.

Tom Yam Gai, RM7.50

This is another disappointment. The clear tom yam soup is bland. It is not spicy nor soury.

Omelet, RM15.90

Nothing special about the omelet. A little oily and still has bits of egg shell in it.

Green Curry Chicken, RM15.90

I find that the green curry is not thick enough, more watery compared to other Thai restaurant. The taste is rather acceptable.

Khow Phad Pattaya, RM15.90

I had the Pattaya Fried Rice. I can find better cooking elsewhere. Also, it tasted more on the sweet side.

Overall, the food is disappointing. Good Evening Bangkok and Sri Ayutthaya still serve authentic Thai food. However, if you're on the move and in need of Thai food, Chakri Xpress fits the bill.

Eating out: Tony Roma's

2009-03-23T15:45:00.000+08:00

Onion Loaf (Half), RM12.90

We ordered an onion loaf for sharing. It tasted pretty good but still we could not finish it. And there were 8 of us!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, RM18.90

The fries was really good. But can't say the same for the fried chicken. Quite disappointing.

Rosemary Chicken, RM31.90

The western style chicken rice. Not sure how it tasted like but Gan managed to finish the chicken. I guess it was acceptable.

We took photos before meal time. Also, we were waiting for the arrival of the star! :p

Here comes the star of the day! Shally and Mr P will be here for a week but only had hours to spare. How generous :/

Us with our partners :)

Nonetheless, everyone felt pleasant to be able to meet up. I hope the next time won't be far from now ;)

Eating out: Pasta Zanmai

2009-03-17T17:35:00.001+08:00

My cousin Jessica dropped by for a short visit. The next day, we went to Midvalley for a movie. Afterwards, it was lunch time. I picked Pasta Zanmai as she has never been there.

This is Jessica holding onto our pasta.

With my own pasta.

Agedashi Tofu, RM9

I just love the smooth tofu and the sweet soy sauce. It's just like eating pudding!

Ebi Tempura Pasta in Sesame Sauce, RM26

Since this is her first time, I suggested the pasta in sesame sauce. This is different from the normal sauce and it's very Japanese. I'd recommend this for all first-timers out there.

Tori Kinoko Pasta in Cream Sauce, RM19

This tasted like Carbonara but minus the cheesey flavor and it is very creamy too. There were too much chicken and I couldn't finish it. The mushroom goes really well with the sauce.

Eating out: The Lakehouse Hotel & Restaurant

2009-03-13T17:18:00.000+08:00

The Lakehouse Hotel & Restaurant is located about 5-10 minutes from Ringlet, Cameron Highlands. This English concept hotel houses 17 rooms and a honeymoon suite. We were there for dinner with our relatives.

You definitely won't miss this hotel as you drive upto Tanah Rata and Brinchang.

In this hotel, you cannot find television set nor wifi. This is absolutely for those who wants to rest and relax.

This is the lounge where we sip our beverages and chat the night away.

Also, you won't find lift in this hotel. You gotta use the staircase to reach your room.

Prawn & Mango Salad in Honey Mustard Dressing, RM24

I ordered a salad as I have not green vegetables the whole day! The dressing is good, however, it became very watery as I about to finish the plate.

Rack of Lamb in Blueberries Sauce, RM72

I have not tried blueberries sauce that goes with lamb. This is something unique, but in a good way. The lamb, though, is about too well-done. Portion is just nice for one.

Garlic Sauce Beef Fillet, RM62

Mom ordered the beef fillet in garlic sauce. She didn't finish it coz she's not much of a beef fan, haha. It was alright, portion is just nice for one too.

Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, RM72

Dad opted the sirloin steak in black pepper sauce. The portion is big and he couldn't finish it. He said that nothing special about the sirloin too.

Snapper

Relative A had the snapper. I don't know how much is this though. Either it's RM60 or RM52.

Grilled Salmon

Relative B had the grilled salmon. Again, this is either RM60 or RM52. I guess the salmon wasn't really nice, coz she didn't finish hers.

Blooming Cameron

2009-03-12T10:05:00.001+08:00

It was an overnight trip to Cameron Highlands. The last time I went, was still a toddler. I still remember going uphill with my maternal family. Us kids would play ping-pong, pluck monkey-cups (some plant) and just chase around in the rented bungalow. The Hainanese housekeeper would spoil us with 4 delicious meals a day. It was fun!

Now, decades later, I don't even remember where the bungalow was. But it's OK, we booked ourselves a room at the Strawberry Park Resort. We only checked in at about 10pm! Why? Coz we spent the entire afternoon and night in Ringlet!

My parents and I visited a relative's flower farm. All that was planted is chrysanthemum. I don't even know that there were these many species of chrysanthemum.

We were given half a dozen bouquet of chrysanthemum. Many of these are still not available in Malaysian markets yet. The mini type of chrysanthemum is especially planted to be exported to Japan.

A very vibrant colored chrysanthemum. I don't know what it's name though.

I like this very much. This is called the Viking. I was told that the Chinese don't really fancy this kind. Wanna guess the reason why?

This is the factory where all the staff handle the flowers: from plucking to sterilizing and from deleafing to packing. However, this factory is not open to general public :P

The next morning after breakfast, we drove ourselves to Mt Brinchang. The Sg Palas Boh Tea Center is about 30 minutes drive from our resort. The view and breeze was amazing! I could spend the entire morning reading and drinking (tea!) there.

The route to the center is narrow and winding. Be careful and try going before the sun gets hotter in the afternoon.

Ahhh...

Many hectars of tea...

Eating out: MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee

2009-03-09T20:40:00.000+08:00

We were in KL for lunch today. After a scrumptious dim sum lunch in Shanghai Restaurant. We walked across to Pavilion for some window shopping. At about 3pm, dad wanted to try the MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee.

Red Bean Paste, RM9

Dad ordered this to share with mom. I tried a scoop of the red bean and find it too sweet for my liking. The red bean tasted like the ordinary, so I assume this is not azuki beans.

Abekawa, RM11

Gan ordered this. I don't exactly know what this is, but it tasted like baked mochi. It is both crunchy and chewy. Add the red bean paste to it and there's an extra gooey taste. This is rather better than the first dessert.

Hot Macha Latte, RM9

I opted for something as simple as a latte. This is a let down! The green tea powder was too thick, thus tasted bitter.

I thought Ministry of Food should be something for us to look out for. I find that the desserts from Pasta Zanmai is even better. I'm not too sure why this place is crowded. Perhaps they're first timers? Or may be I'm just too picky. I don't know. Try it out and you be the judge.

Eating out: Michelangelo's

2009-03-08T00:10:00.000+08:00

Hui Bao and I were out to Sunway Pyramid for a movie today. Come lunch time, we headed to Michelangelo's. We were quite surprised that no other diners in the restaurant although it was already lunch time. We glanced through the menu and ordered 2 main course and 2 drinks.

Then it was photo time! Hui Bao, looking great as ever.

I looked so charn. I miss my long hair days now :/

Pasta, RM19.90

I ordered the Crispy Soft Shell Arabbiatia Pasta. The sauce was aplenty and the portion is just nice for 1. Unlike in Italiannies, the serving is huge. There were garlic, black pepper, chives and abalone mushroom in it. This is one of the many recommended dishes.

Pizza, RM17.90

Hui Bao ordered the Triple Meat Combo Pizza. The portion is just nice for one. As for toppings, there were pepperoni, Italian sausage and ham. The crust is thin and it wasn't very cheesey. This is one of Michelangelo's signature dish.

However, I must say that Italiannies still beat Michelangelo's. Perhaps other dishes might taste better. I certainly won't be back for the second time.

Rice, RM20

For dinner, we went to Sri Petaling's Al-Diafah Restaurant. It is one of the top restaurant in our list that serves really good middle eastern food. We had Kabsa Rice with Chicken. There were 4 pieces of chicken and a moutain of rice. The rice is moist and flavored evenly with herbs and tomatoes.

Macaroni, RM15

We usually order the sambosa. We decided not to this time. Instead, we tried the macaroni with tuna. This dish is unusually good too, especially when it's still hot. The fried shallots and onions really went well with the macaroni. I thought there'll be tuna chunks, unfortunately, only tuna flakes found, haha.

Al-Diafah is located directly opposite Kam Lun Tai Restaurant in Sri Petaling.

25 Random things

2009-03-05T22:45:00.000+08:00

Yes, this is the meme tag that has been going around in Facebook. I got tagged awhile ago and I moved the meme here. I like la kan? Bleh~ :P

1. I am a very lazy person. I rather skip breakfast than to make myself a cuppa.
2. My bolster was never a millimeter away from me when I was single. Now that I'm married, my bolster has gone to Gan instead :/
3. I used to play the piano, but can barely play it now. Stopped at 5th grade.
4. I don't own more than 5 CDs, since teenager till now!
5. I am a food person, I don't mind spending hundreds on food *slurps* Just look at my size! Sigh...
6. Guess what? I like to read!
7. I've got 2 little trophies at home, hehe.
8. I've only been clubbing once! Why? Something awful happened!
9. Pearlycarol is a nick I used in mirc back in 1997.
10. I'm hooked on internet since then.
11. I have met David Blaine, Jackie Chan, Bai Ling, Michelle Yeoh (2x), Raymond Lam, Kevin Cheng, Tavia Yeung, Michael Schumacher, Lance Bass, just to name a few :P
13. I don't drink coffee/tea at home.
14. I talk to my late brother when we visit him.
15. I find Malaysian politics like a joke! I skip all its articles in the paper.
16. I have never been to a concert :/ So, that is not how I met those people in No 11.
17. Oh yes! I did meet people I got to know from the Internet. I even invited them to my wedding!
18. I can barely cook, but I cook western food better than Chinese.
18. I am never into trance nor heavy metal musics. I'm only into sentimental and contemporary.
19. I still have not covered African and Americans continents.
20. I am now struggling to finish this tag... grrrr.
21. I have back problem since 10. And it will only get worse :/
22. My toes are very short and cute :P
23. I like to :D at my parents.
24. Somehow, I am thankful I wasn't sent to Chinese school.
25. If you haven't noticed, No 12 is missing, ekekkeee. Yay! I get to miss one! Nah, there're two 18s up there ;)

That's about it. Who do I want to tag? People listed in my links!

Mixed reaction

2009-03-03T22:05:00.000+08:00

Hey! It's been sometime since my last post. Life has been the same, slightly changed though since I'm married. Married life has been good. We get along fine with both sides. Since we're staying with our folks, I find that we're lack of privacy. Our only private moment is when we're out on our own or during bed time.

Anyway, this is not the topic I'm getting into. Noon time, we received a call from my uncle. He said my grandpa urinated blood this morning. And that he's sent him to hospital for checkup. Soon after lunch, we reached my uncle's house. Grandpa took an ultrasound and it showed that there's a small tumor in his bladder. I was shocked upon hearing the report. How could a man at his age (gonna be 87) being diagnosed with tumor. Ridiculous! However, the urologist has to confirm this by performing another scan to make sure.

An hour later, grandpa went back to hospital for cystoscopy. The urologist performed the scan himself and gave us good news. Bladder is clear of tumor! The reason that caused the bleeding is scarring of tissue. Apparently, my grandpa carried flower pots yesterday. The pots might be too heavy for an elderly like him, thus, hurting him internally without him knowing. All of us at home was relieved with the news. In the end, my grandpa got nagged at by his sons for carrying the flower pots, hehe.

On a separate note. I read the paper today. It is reported that there are more than half a million Malaysians residing abroad. These Malaysians are either working, studying or migrated. What is wrong with that? Nothing! Why not report the amount of illegal foreigners residing in Malaysia. I am sure every Malaysian desires to find out. For all you know, the amount could be drastically huge. Having the freedom to come and go, it's not odd if the amount is even larger than our Indian population!

Valentine's Day Mass Wedding

2009-02-16T16:03:00.001+08:00

On Valentine's day, we went to celebrate Gan's god-brother, Tim's marriage registration to his new wife Chem. It took place at Klang's Hokkien Association, the same place where Gan and I registered. On that faithful day, there were 102 newly weds.

I'm sure most of you have seen this news on the local media. Noticed the bald lad with his pretty wife in white? Yeap, that's Tim and Chem. They were on RTM, 8tv, Sin Chew Daily and The Star.

This is Chem and her on-site artist, getting ready for photoshoot.

This is Tim in his naval uniform. He's being interviewed by the media.

Chem with Tim's hat on and him holding her bouquet. How sweet~ Wishing you both a blessed journey ahead!

Later on, Jo Ann, Tim's sister grabbed his hat and put it on. Next to her is her mommy.

Without hesitation, Gan too grabbed his hat and put it on, kkekee. Later that night, they invited us for dinner in Taman Rashna Restaurant. Therefore, Gan and I didn't have our alone time this Valentine. He said he'll replace it another time. Let's see when :D

Business opportunity

2009-02-11T23:40:00.001+08:00

Couple of days ago, I received a call from an ex-colleague that I haven't spoken to for ages. She asked me how was I, what am I doing and the usual questions. I sensed something was amiss since we lost contact for so long. I was right, soon after she asked "Hey, are you interested in doing business? My friends and I just started the business and are looking for potential partners with foundation."

Potential partners with foundation? Hmmm. Then I asked what is the business about. She went "Do you have time? We could discuss this further over a cuppa. I can introduce you to my friends too." Not wanting to drag this further, I decline her offer kindly by saying I have other commitments.

In this economic time, many businesses have gone bust. At the same time, it creates business opportunity too. There are many genuine investments, but there might also be those which are cutting corners. Being a non risk taker, it never crossed my mind to jump into any opportunity. I tend to think too much and also, I don't trust anyone handling investments for me. To me, the best financial manager is none other than my ownself.

Even if I do ever invest, it would be years from now when I have spare cash to dump in. At this point of time, I still trust the bank. Thank you very much. What about you? Are you a risk taker?

Trip to HK & China

2009-02-10T08:30:00.002+08:00

My parents, Gan and I went for Chinese New Year holiday. Initially, we booked ourselves on a tour to Egypt. No thanks to the economy downturn, many did not pay and the tour was canceled in the end. With less than 2 weeks away from Chinese New Year, dad decided to join the crowd and booked us a tour to Hong Kong and China!

We left for Hong Kong on the first day of the new year. We spent 2 nights in Hong Kong, 1 night in Shenzhen, 2 nights in Zhuhai where we crossed to Macau and the last night in Guangzhou. It is our first time experiencing the new year in China. It is definitely something different as we normally visits cold winter places like Europe. These are a few shots of the trip.

With Kelly Chen in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I'm not that fat la, haha. I guarded my handbag with the trenchcoat over it :D

The view from Victoria's Peak.

At Repulse Bay. Jackie Chan's pad is in white on top of the hill behind me.

Windows of the World, Shenzhen.

Miniatures at Splendid China Village.

A very nice chandelier in Sands, Macau.

In front of Babylon Hotel, Macau.

St Paul's Ruin, Macau. We had 2 portugese egg tarts each after this shot *yumz*

Sun Yat Sen's Memorial Hall, Guangzhou.

Shopping at the famous street in Guangzhou, Siong Ha Kau Lou.

Wedding 23-Nov-08 (Night)

2009-02-09T11:45:00.000+08:00

The photos of the wedding continues... I just returned from a family vacation, thus the delay.

The venue.

Us, marching in.

Wearing designer gown and matching tie.

The platter.

Toasting.

Pouring champagne.

Photos with my chi muis.

Table toasting.

More toasting.

With cousin Nicholas and Annie, and Richard.

Family shot of my new family.

Gong Hei Fatt Choi

2009-01-26T06:00:00.002+08:00

source

Happy Chinese New Year to all readers! Wishing you health, joy and prosperity as we all usher into a bull's year!

Love,
CarolineL & everyone at home

Wedding 23-Nov-08 (Day)

2009-01-21T17:35:00.000+08:00

It has been almost 2 months since our wedding and life has been good. Everyone has gone home and we're now very much settled now :) Over the last weekend, we met Jon to collect CDs since he has processed all our photos. I love every single one of the photos. Thanks Jon!

These are few of my favorites...

Rings over name.

The back of my gown. A long beaded train.

One of the games.

Another similar game.

Smooching in front of respective entourage.

His heng tais.

My chi muis all dressed in theme.

Cousins of my dad's side.

Cousins of my mom's side.

Lastly, group shot of our entourage again.

Eating out: Pasta Zanmai

2009-01-15T17:35:00.000+08:00

We were in Midvalley earlier today for some groceries shopping. When it came to lunch time, we opted for Japanese food. This is my nth time dining in Pasta Zanmai. I lost count already since I eat there every month. Goodness grace, not weekly, haha.

Assorted Temaki, RM5 each

We ordered the Ebi Tempura and Soft Shell Crab temaki. Both wrapped with tortilla and served with spicy mayonnaise. Temaki always tastes better when wrapped with seaweed. With tortilla, it's something different and it's worth trying too.

Unagi Onsen Set, RM26

Dad had this set, which served with salad and miso soup.

Pepperoni Plain Pasta, RM11

Mom had something light and simple. This pasta is tossed with garlic, pepper, olive oil and chili powder. Good for those who wants some side dishes.

Unagi Spicy Pasta, RM23

I needed something spicy, so I ordered this. Other than unagi, there were 3 types of mushroom too, shitake, abalone muchroom and ... don't know what's the other one.

I would also recommend Kani Avocado Salad with sesame dressing. This is different from the usual salad we usually have. The sesame dressing makes it even tastier :D

Eating out: Extra Super Tanker

2009-01-14T23:08:00.000+08:00

Wow! What a restaurant name. I wonder who named it. This fine restaurant has been in operation for at least 6 years. It is located in Damansara Kim. The executive chef used to cook in Oversea Restaurant. We always makan at this restaurant as the food's good and convenient location (near uncle's house).

We were there again earlier after visiting grandma in Damansara Specialist.

We had a Jellyfish Yee Sang to start off the dinner. It is my third time having yee sang even though new year is more than a week away. This yee sang tasted pretty good too. Its plum sauce is neither too sweet nor too sour. Very appetizing indeed.

Then we had a pork dish. I don't exactly know that it's called. If not mistaken, its Cheong Pau Yuk (braised pork). It tasted pretty good too. There isn't any pork smell like you can taste in some restaurants. I often find that smell foul, like it's not cleaned properly.

Next up was the Turbo Fish. Haha, in Cantonese, it is called Toh Bou Yue. This is my first time having such fish. From the aquarium, it swam like a stingray. And it's an expensive fish, priced at RM198/kg! In Unique Seafood, it is even pricier! Anyway, the flesh tasted very tender too, better than garoupa.

We also ordered the steamed eggs. This was pretty normal. However, I find that there were too much century egg. If you're ever in Damansara, do drop by. And if you're a UOB card holder, you'll get a 3% rebate for lunch only :)

Eating in: Dry Kolo Mee

2009-01-07T22:08:00.000+08:00

I was home alone since Gan was at work and my folks were off to Singapore. After weeks of guilty pleasure, I decided to cook something light and hearty :P

I cooked myself dry kolo mee *yumz* These are what I used:

garlic and onion
olive oil
kolo mee
fish paste
lettuce
dash of oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce
pinch of pepper and sugar

Heat up the pan with olive oil. Then saute garlic and onion till brownish
Add in some water. Later, add in sliced fish paste and let it simmer
Few minutes later, add in all the sauces
Then put pepper and sugar into the pan
In another pot, boil water and cook the kolo mee for 2-3 minutes
Toss dry the noodle and serve it hot

*yumz* That's my hearty kolo mee from Kuching for lunch.

Fried Bean Sheet, RM4.20

Few days ago, we were in Kepong to fix Gan's car. Whilst waiting for it to be fixed, we had some snacks at the Shanghainese cafe next door.

We ordered the fried flat noodles. It was ok. But worth trying if you have not taste this before.

Sesame Rice Ball, RM4.50

We also had tong yuen. This tong yuen definitely served differently from other cafes. Each rice ball is covered with shredded coconut. Tasted pretty good too since it's chewy.

If you're ever in Kepong, remember to head to Min Huang Restaurant at Taman Perusahaan Kepong.

Eating out: Shanghai, JW Marriot

2008-12-31T23:52:00.000+08:00

non-halal

Dad wanted to dine finely on the eve. Since we're in Pavilion, we headed to Shanghai Restaurant in JW Marriot Hotel for lunch. 5 of us, with popo and yima, had dim sum there. We always like its dim sum, with a kick of Shanghainese flavor.

Braised duck tongue, RM16

I don't eat spare parts at all, but this is an exception. This duck tongue can totally quack! I mean delicious :P It can either be eaten as either cold/hot appetizer.

Baked Biscuit, RM25

This is absolutely a must if you're there. The outer layer is crispy and soft filling. In it, there are spring onions, diced mushroom and other ingredients. Caution: hot filling!

Shanghainese Ramen, RM18

This is so-so. Nothing to brag about. Other than this noodle, we had the transparent flat noodle. That is much tastier.

Stir-fry Yam Cake, RM9

Totally different from the usual radish/turnip cake. This tastes better, non-oily and refreshing as it's something different.

Prawn & Scallop Cheong Fun, RM12

The flat noodle is really soft and chewy.

Pan fried vegetable dumpling, RM12.50

I absolutely love this vegetable dumplings. The lower layer is crunchy and top layer is chewy, combined with the spring onions filling, made it perfect.

Custard Bun, RM15

For dessert, each of us had custard bun. The filling oozed out the moment we split the bun into half.

Other than these that I posted, we also ordered Siu Long Bao, Salmon Yee Sang, noodle and few other dim sum. In total, we paid about RM300. Worth every penny as you can't have this elsewhere, especially the duck tongue and the transparent flat noodle. A great way to end the year with great food!

CarolineL wishes all of you a fantastic 2009!

A weekend that was

2008-12-31T00:03:00.007+08:00

We were back in Ipoh for a wedding dinner. We reached in the morning and hung out at my grandma's place. For lunch, we drove over to Menglembu.

We dined at East Ocean Restaurant. We had a total of 5 dishes, in which I forgotten to snap photos. Anyway, seen here from left is my nephew, cousin-in-law, pretty Annie and Eddy. After lunch, we checked into Hotel Excelsior. We had to as all the rooms in my grandma's house are occupied :/

The wedding dinner held at Oversea Restaurant, which is just opposite the hotel. It's pretty convenient for us.

Seen here are all my cousins: Christina, Annie and Jared. The one standing beside me is Nicholas. Tina is only 13+ but she's already much taller than all of us! Except for Gan :P

With my leng leng Annie Lee :)

With Florence, Elson and my yima.

Yima and popo. Popo is hitting 80 next year. Doesn't she look young? Perhaps good genes will pass down to granddaughters too :D

Yima, mom and popo. A mother and her 2 daughters :)

Finally, there's us, hehe :D

Season's greetings

2008-12-24T14:01:00.001+08:00

pix sourced from email

The season of good cheer and joy is here. May this Christmas brings this year's beautiful moments and happy memories in your home as you welcome the new year with family and friends.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Eating out: Oversea Restaurant

2008-12-23T17:30:00.000+08:00

This particular Oversea Restaurant is located in Sri Petaling. We were there for the first time after noticing it for quite some time.

BBQ Pork, RM25

We had the famous char siew. In every Oversea Restaurant, its char siew is roasted to perfection.

Stir fry beansprouts and dried scallop wraps, RM30

This dish comes with fresh lettuce. You need to wrap it with the lettuce, like a spring roll. I still prefer the seafood wrap of Extra Super Tanker Restaurant in D.Kim.

Fish with Spring Onion & Ginger, RM30
Hong Kong Choy Yuen, RM18

The choy yuen is really soft and the siong thong makes it sweeter. As for the sliced fish, the fish is really fresh. Good to go with rice.

Kuching Escapade

2008-12-18T15:43:00.000+08:00

I'm back! December is month of R&R. If it wasn't for hubby's leave cancellation, we'd be enjoying our month-long break.

Anyway, we were in Kuching during the past weekend for a 2-night stay. I last went there 14 years ago. Not much changed except for more housing projects and shopping complexes.

We stayed at the new 360 hotel. It's only RM147 nett a night including breakfast for 2. The room is spacious and had a great view of the city.

On our first day, we joined a local tour to Cultural Village. This shot looks a little like a volcano on the edge of erupting.

Gan, standing in front of Rumah Cina in the village. Nothing fancy about this house.

Me, by Rumah Melayu. In this house, there was a man dressed in baju melayu performing a dance.

Rumah Orang Ulu. I never heard of Ulu tribe before, I think. Have I?

Gan went into the Ulu house and this is how it looks like.

Then there's a pedestrian bridge made of bamboo.

A moment later, there were cultural show for all visitors. The show lasted for about 30 minutes. It was OK.

Then there's a famous cats statues, in front of Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza Hotel. Though we stayed in 360 Hotel, but we had breakfast in Crown Plaza for free. Why so? :P

On our last night in Kuching, we had dinner in my uncle's house. We had seafood 9 tai kwai (9 dishes) for dinner. We only managed to squeeze 7 dishes on the dining table. We had to place the 2 other on another table.

Seen here are Gan and my little cousins: Joel, Julia and Daniel.

Everyone digged into the scrumptious meals. Seen here are Daniel, yi ma, popo and Uncle Albert. It's been awhile since my last 9 tai kwai. In the end, everyone was stuffed! Great way to end a short trip with family :)

Bridal suite getaway

2008-12-10T13:39:00.000+08:00

I got a free one-night stay at Bangi Equatorial Hotel's bridal suite since I had my wedding banquet there. I didn't use it up during the dinner so that Gan and I can enjoyed the getaway later on. That later on fell over the last weekend :D

We checked in around 2pm to suite 531. To the left of the living hall is where the sofas, chocolates and fruit platter were.

And to the right, is where the tv and the door towards the bedroom were.

Our king-sized bed for the night.

This is the very spacious bathroom. On my back, there're bathtub and standing-shower.

A closer look of my new hair style, short!

This is the view from our suite.

A closer look of the fruit platter: bananas, apple, orange, pink guava, dragon fruit, mango and grapes!

In the midst of enjoying a movie, someone came knocking and sent us a bottle of sparkling juice. We wasted no time, popped the cork and finished by dinner time :D

We took a stroll in the evening. This is how the hotel looks like from front.

A big Christmas tree welcomes guests in the lobby. We dined at the Cafe Lavista at night.

Onion soup, RM14.50

Hubby and I shared the soup. It tasted lovelier when shared :P

Chicken Tikka, RM32.50

Look at the portion! There were 6 slices of naan, but Gan could only managed 3 slices, and there were 6/7 pieces of Tandoori chicken. Again, we couldn't finish it.

Nasi Goreng, RM24.50

I had the nasi goreng. Well, nothing to shout about except for its satay. It was really good, IMHO, it is even better than renown Haji Samuri's Kajang Satay!

After dinner, we took a stroll around the hotel and enjoyed the rest of the evening :)

Honeymoon in Bali - Part II

2008-12-05T16:02:00.000+08:00

continued from Part I

We continued touring on the third day. Wayan took us to Tegalalang for its famous rice terrace. As there are hilly areas in Bali, you can find many rice terraces across the island.

We were driven to Kintamani for lunch later. This restaurant has a magnificent view of the Mount Batur volcano. This volcano last erupted in the 90s.

We treated ourselves with scrumptious buffet whilst enjoying the beautiful view of the volcano. It was really a relaxing moment. A mouthful of food and a sight to look at, splendid! The buffet for 2 costs about RM50.

After lunch, we descended from Kintamani to Tirka Empul temple.

This temple is a sacred place that offers cleansing baths and rituals. Devotees come here to cleanse their sins away.

After a number of Balinese meals, my husband finally needed a break. For dinner, we headed to Kuta. It's time for western food, Hard Rock Cafe!

There were many Malaysians(I think) dining there. I don't see many caucasians. Perhaps they'll be there later at night.

I ordered the Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad. I haven't eaten a light meal for days when I was there. It was time for something light, especially for dinner. In it, there's cranberries, capsicum, lettuce, nuts, cheese and other goodies.

Gan had the Pork Burger. To my surprise, he didn't even finish half of the patty. He said the pork had an acquired taste and he couldn't eat another bite. I think the way they slaughter pigs is different from ours.

The bill came upto about RM120. After dinner, we headed back to The Westin for our much needed rest. Because of the pork scare, we didn't try the Babi Guling during our stay in Bali.

The next day, we started our journey after our big buffet breakfast. Wayan drove slightly over an hour to Taman Ayun temple. Nothing much to see there, so we continued our journey again.

We stopped over in Pacung for lunch. This restaurant yet again, has a maginificent view. This time, overlooking rice terrace.

I ordered the Ayam Panggang with rice. It wasn't anything to shout about. It's basically grilled chicken with 2 satay sticks, crackers and some vegetables.

Gan had the Nasi Goreng. We paid about RM40 for the lunch.

We finally reached Bedugul about an hour later. This place housed the Lake Bratan temple. Look at the misty mountain across the lake. It is much better looking in real life! It was quiet, holy and the breeze was cooling.

This is another side of the previous photo. This temple is well maintained and clean. Totally a must-see spot for tourists.

We left for Tanah Lot after spending over an hour in Bedugul. It was really sunny when we reached Tanah Lot. We didn't stay long as it was too early for sunset. So we quickly leave for our hotel.

And we managed to catch the sunset on our last night in Bali :)

Honeymoon in Bali - Part I

2008-12-03T12:00:00.000+08:00

We were there for 5 days from 25-29 November. We stayed at The Westin, Nusa Dua, hired a local guide to bring us around, had wonderful Balinese food and spent quality time together :)

This is our room at The Westin. The room is nicely decorated for honeymooners with chocolates, apples and flowers!

After checking out the room, we explored the nearby hotels. This is Laguna Resorts. This hotel has beautiful pools for guests to take a dip.

We thought of having lunch at The Laguna's Mayang Sari Restaurant, but it is only open for dinner. Nonetheless, we were served with complimentary tea time snacks. The peppermint tiramisu is lovely! In the end, it was a tad too late for lunch, haha.

On our first dinner in Bali, we eat out at the award-winning Balinese restaurant, Bumbu Bali. I found this restaurant on the internet before the trip. This is the authentic one compared to the one in Puchong, haha. This restaurant provides free pick-up service for diners staying in Nusa Dua area only.

Gan ordered the Sambal Udang, RM60. While I ordered the Ayam Betutu, RM35. It comes with 3 different types of rice, Nasi Kuning, steam rice and brown rice. Other than those, we ordered 2 drinks and dessert. The total came up to about RM150. The food was amazingly good, ambience was cozy and companion was lovely!

In the morning, we walked by the shore and enjoyed the morning breeze. Our tour won't start till noon. This is my second time to Bali and I forego Barong dance and Kachak performance this time. I have seen them and in my opinion, once is more than enough.

During lunch, we ate in the hotel. This is Ikan Restaurant and it's open from noon till late. Both of us had the Nasi Campur that has otak-otak, beef, chicken, prawn, vegetables and etc in it. This must be the most expensive meal we had. The total was close to RM300!

Our guide, Wayan, came to pick us from our hotel after lunch time. We headed to place like Uluwatu temple (seen here). It was really windy up at the cliff.

We walked further and our guide brought us to this amazing side of the area. Wind was stronger, view is pretty and the sound of the waves crashing the rocks was louder!

Later at night, we dined at Jimbaran. It was impossible to eat out by the beach because the wind was too strong at this time of the year. We had no choice but to sit inside the restaurant. We ordered a grilled fish in Balinese sauce and a sweet and sour prawn. We wanted but couldn't order more as there were only 2 of us. The total bill came up to about RM110.

Stay tune for Part II of the honeymoon :)

Another update

2008-11-22T00:15:00.001+08:00

1. Canopies are up! Friends and relatives will be here tomorrow to savor all the goodies. Buffet starts at 7pm, be here early you guys! :D

2. The newly wed couple's room is nicely decorated by yours truly. It is really amazing! Worth every dime, hehe.

3. Makeup artist, photographer and videographer are all set! They will be on time!

4. Gowns for the actual day are ready, so is the accessories.

5. Must prepare myself emotionally. Be focused and alert at all times.

6. Arrgh, can't wait for our honeymoon! My much deserved holiday after months and months stuck locally.

p/s: Won't be updating for at least a week. Take care y'all, see you in December :)

Wedding banquet 15-Nov-08

2008-11-19T10:45:00.000+08:00

These are only few of the photos taken on that night. I'm awaiting for more photos from John. To those who has more pics, please send them over! You have my email, if you don't, there's one listed here :D

Other than thank yous, I'd like to apologize too if the food was lousy, if you were seated far back, if the service was lousy, if the wine tasted funny, if I didn't say my hellos or simply because it wasn't upto your mark. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. At least, I did! Hehe...

That's all from me now. I'll update when I have the time again :)

Eating out: Pasta Zanmai

2008-11-17T23:00:00.001+08:00

Pasta Zanmai is located in 1 Utama's old wing, right next to Carl's Jr. It mainly sell Japanese soba, although there is some rice bento too. Other than that, there are really nice beverages and desserts to choose from.

Shishamo, RM8

The shishamo is really fresh. It wasn't fried until dry, unlike some Japanese restaurant. Each fish is filled with gazillion roes. I felt the roe bursting in my mouth *slurps*

Agedashi tofu, RM8

There are 4 cubes of tofu, each topped with different condiments. The Kikkoman sauce really brings out the flavor *double thumbs up*

Beef Noodle in Curry, RM25

Dad ordered this and it tasted good. Beef's tender and the noodles was delicious in curry. Unlike other curries, Japanese curry actually taste salty and barely even spicy. Oh yes, it's brown in color :D

Ebi Ika Wafu, RM25

Mom had the seafood noodle soup. In it, there's squids, 3 large prawns and topped with fresh cut spring onions.

Goma Ebi Tempura, RM25

And I had the best of the lot :P This is noodle in sesame sauce with prawn tempura. The sesame sauce is something new and I never tried this anywhere else. It is an interesting combination and it went well with the noodle. Perhaps, I am rather adventurous. And this scores high! One of the must-haves in Pasta Zanmai.

Thank You!

2008-11-16T21:35:00.002+08:00

Hi guys!

The wedding dinner went really well yesterday. I wasn't expecting a punctual timing but it did. All my guests arrived before 8pm! Can you belief that? It was really a wonderful surprise and I'm really thankful for their presence.

At about 8pm, we got ourselves ready outside the ballroom waiting for the cue to march in. As soon as we heard our march-in song playing, we slowly walked down the red carpet. At this moment, Gan was like a walking stick! Haha. Everyone was applauding for us but somehow, I couldn't hear it! I kept telling myself to smile, to look left and right and smile even more! Fortunately, everything well accordingly :D

Once again, my utmost gratitude to Amy, Adeline, Pui Kwan, Monita and Joe for taking care of guests registration; Nelson and John who wouldn't stop snapping photos; Chuen Hau for preparing the slideshows; Khiam, AH, Sun, Wong and Chuen who shouted their lungs out during toasting; friends & relatives whose names I didn't mention for helping us with the banquet; all my guests for being punctual; and lastly my parents who has raised and loved me all my life.

I thank all of you wholeheartedly :)

p/s: 1 wedding banquet over, 1 to go! Also, all proceeds will go to charitable organizations :)

More updates

2008-11-13T15:29:00.003+08:00

Most preps are done for the upcoming banquet. Next thing I need to worry is the actual day and the so-called hen's night.

Luckily I got my sayang to design the invitation card for me. The invitation is now ready and waiting for its delivery time.

My next door neighbour is absolutely wonderful. She offered to get wedding favors for me, FREE! Thanks Aunty Za!

Eating out: The Emperor

2008-11-10T22:34:00.000+08:00

My cousin, Kean has just arrived from the UK today with his friend, Richard. My parents and I went to have dinner with them at the hotel they're staying. The Emperor is a fine dining Chinese restaurant located inside Sheraton Subang Hotel & Towers.

The Emperor too is participating in the MIGF this year. It costs RM240++ per person with Chinese wine and RM200++ without it. It's a hefty price to pay especially since they're 5 of us. So, we had the ala carte menu instead :P

Tenderloin Beef with Onion, RM54

These tenderloin cutlet is absolutely tender. The sauce tasted good too. But I find the onion to acidic. Should've stir fry them slightly.

Fried Rice, RM22

Ken said Richard likes fried rice very much. Be it yong chow fried rice or nasi goreng kampung, he takes all sorts of fried rice. However, he doesn't take seafood nor shrimps. So this fried rice has only egg and green peas. Quite good too.

Greens, RM22

This HK choy sum is very garlicky. Not oily too.

Garoupa Fillet in Lemon Sauce, RM45

Nothing special about this dish. The lemon sauce is very very mild and bland. It is basically tasteless, haha.

Pi Pa Beancurd, RM22

This is the house specialty. The tofu is stuffed with fish paste and some mixed vegetables. Then pan fried slightly and top with special gravy by the chef.

This is Richard and Ken. Nice meeting you Richard! I have heard so much about you. I'll see you both again this Saturday! *hugs*

Goodies! Whenever Ken comes home for holidays, he'll bring back lotsa goodies! Seen here are my Radley large tote, blusher and goodie bags from No7, eye shadow and lip palette from 17, hair gel, toner and Max Factor goodie box. Woooot!!

Updates

2008-11-05T22:40:00.000+08:00

Days are drawing nearer. My singlehood life is coming to an end soon. Am I excited welcoming this next stage of life? Yes! Living and sharing a life with someone so dear gets me excited and chills at the same time.

Excited, because now I have someone to look after and someone to take care of me. Besides, good things are better shared. Chills, because I'm worried I can't adapt to a married life. The thoughts of being a mom gives me the goosebumps. Being a good mother, that is.

It is now less than 3 weeks to the big day. I'm still doing my pilates, facial and spa regularly. Hopefully that is more than enough.

Other than that, my guest list is almost done, gown fitting done, bridesmaid's gifts done, venue and food tasting's finalized, paid the caterer and much more.

Oh yes, our gua dai lai was on last Sunday. I think it is the simplest gua dai lai ever. There isn't any roast piglet nor coconuts too. They brought 30 boxes ka lui peng, oranges, 2 bottles of Chivas, red cloth, lai see representing the roast piglet and not forgetting dowry. In return, we have oranges, 2 boxes of ka lui peng, a lai see for the groom's expenditure and another lai see returning half of the roast piglet. Isn't that the simplest ever? Haha

I won't be updating often due to on-going wedding prep. More so on the last-min prep, haha. Other than the banquet and wedding, I am also looking forward to see my friends, pals and buddies that I haven't seen for months, some even years!

Eating out: EcoGreen Organic Cafe

2008-11-03T17:20:00.000+08:00

EcoGreen Organic Cafe is located in Wisma Bakti in TTDI, which is a floor below the studio where I go for my pilates. It offers 100% organic and vegan food. This is our first time dining there despite after knowing this place for months.

There are ample of spaces with tables that seat 10s too. It is open for both lunch and dinner throughout the week, except public holidays that is. All ingredients are truly organic, and it uses no MSG, artificial flavoring/coloring/preservatives, no transfat and none of the food is microwaved too!

This place comes highly recommended from doctors/medical centers for those who are on-going chemo patients and cancer survivors, not forgetting those who are health conscious too.

Yoghurt, RM6.90

I tried the mango yoghurt with raisins and pumpkin seeds. Following the recent melamine scare, I have not had yoghurt since. This organic yoghurt truly fills the desire :P

Fried Mee Hoon, RM13.90

Mom had the fried meehoon. There are 2 options of fried meehoon, vegan or non-vegan. Mom had the non-vegan one and there's sliced fish in it. Tasted pretty good too despite the low sodium usage.

Spicy Fish Rice, RM25.90

Look at the gravy! It goes really well with the brown rice. It tasted soury and spicy, which is really appetizing. Dad finished the entire plate within 20 minutes, or less! Haha.

Oat Curry Chicken Rice, RM21.90

I had the dry curry chicken rice. The curry tasted really good and again, goes really well with the rice. There are potato cubes, carrots and a half-boiled egg, served with steam vegetables too.

Other than these dishes, there are lots other organic dishes too eg: Lui Cha, Nasi Ulam, Sweet & Sour Fish/Chicken, desserts and lots more!

EcoGreen Organic Cafe
Unit G3, Wisma Bakti
Changkat Abang Haji Gopeng
TTDI
Tel: 7729 2789

Eating out: Good Evening Bangkok

2008-11-01T22:52:00.000+08:00

Good Evening Bangkok is a restaurant serving Thai cuisine. It is located on the 1st floor of the New Wing, 1Utama. Hui Bao and I were out today to celebrate her birthday. After watching adrenaline-pumping Eagle Eye, we went there to soothe our growling tummy.

Spicy Tom Yam Seafood Soup, RM10.90

I have always love tom yam soup. This restaurant serves good tom yam soup, it is definitely not for the faint-stomach :P It really really hot & spicy. There are squids, fish and shrimps in it.

Thai Fish Cake, RM12.90

Nothing special about this starter though. It is basically fried fish cake. It should have added more chopped basil leaves and garlic into it.

Kangkong Belacan, RM12.90

Honestly, this belacan is barely hot. It tasted more on the sweet side. There were lots of chopped garlic and made it very garlicky. The Morning Glory is young and tasted good.

Stir Fried Chicken in Plum Sauce, RM15.90

We chose to have something not spicy and opted this dish. It tasted fairly good too. Lots of chunky chicken pieces.

Pineapple Fried Rice, RM14.90

Can you belief that this is a portion for one? Haha, it is definitely enough if one decides not to order any dishes besides this. For us, it is just nice to share this portion alongside with other dishes. It tasted good too, especially with cashew nuts, raisins and tumeric.

However, couple of hours later, I nearly died of thirst! I think GEB uses too much MSG on its food. I do not condone the use of MSG, but at this age where everyone is health conscious, it is unwise to rely too much on MSG. It just hurt one's business.

Happy Birthday Alex!

2008-10-31T00:01:00.001+08:00

It's been 5 years now. This is your 5th birthday you're celebrating with God. We miss having you around especially during festive seasons and birthdays. Until this day, I still question Him why you were taken away from us so soon. Though the questions are not answered but I belief in His great purposes He has for us.

It has been a bumpy road ever since your departure. But of course, time eases the pain a little. Still, it is not the same without you. Whenever friendly strangers ask papa and mommy about their kids, I can see their sadden expression. Very often, they brushed off the question by answering "Only one child." It's not that they don't acknowledge you, it's because it aches us thinking back the past.

Lately I've been feeling worst! Especially when my big day is getting closer. It just break my heart knowing you won't be around to witness the occasion. But this I know, that you will be smiling down from where you are blessing the both of us.

Happy Birthday baby brother!

Love,
Sis

New entertainment set!

2008-10-30T04:45:00.000+08:00

Recently, dad bought a new TV replacing our already-out-of-order TV. Well, not really out of order, just that the TV is not responding to the remote control anymore, the volume is constantly soft and we could only adjust from the TV itself. Oh yes, it's getting old too :P He decided to get an LCD TV.

After been waiting patiently for a day, our new tv set finally arrived! 2 good men delivered to our doorstep and assembled the entire set for us.

Best Denki was having a promotion and we got a complimentary home theater system to go with our new LCD TV.

Approximately 30 minutes later, our new TV and home theater are working! The surround system of the home theater is great! The picture on the TV is so much clearer now that I can even see pimples on the girls :D

Eating out: Nyonya

2008-10-29T22:00:00.000+08:00

We were in PJ earlier today and decided to have an authentic Nyonya cuisine (halal) for lunch. We headed to Nyonya Restaurant in SS2. This restaurant has been in operation for as long as I can remember. I was still in my primary school when I first eat there.

Otak-otak, RM4.50

The otak-otak is really good. Big fish chunks hidden in the herbs. Comes highly recommended for those who loves otak-otak. But then again, who doesn't? :P

Sayur Paku, RM12

This Paku vegetables is best fried with sambal belacan. This style of cooking is good too. A lot of minced dried shrimps are added into it.

Beef Rendang, RM15

The cubed beef are cooked for hours. It is really tender and filled with the rendang aroma. Best to eat with rice!

Sambal Petai Udang, RM15.50

This dish is amazingly good! But a tad too oily though. There are many shrimps, lots of onions and lotsa sambal!

When I was younger, I hated petai. Not everyone can get used to its acquired taste. As you all know, petai is also known as stink beans. LoL! As I've grow older, my tastebuds changes slightly and I don't mind having a spoonsful of petai these days. FYI, it is very good for those with diabetes and migraine.

As for dessert, I ordered the Cendol, RM3.30. It is served in such a small bowl. Also, I've had better cendol elsewhere, ie: Madam Kwan's! Should have ordered its renown onde-onde. Made a mistake there, tsk!

Do try this restaurant out. It also does catering.

Nyonya Restaurant (Opposite RHB Bank)
52, Jalan SS2/24
47300 PJ
Tel: 7875 9709

Equatorial's Food Tasting

2008-10-26T22:32:00.002+08:00

I'd like to dedicate this entry specially to my dearest Shally, kekekee.

The wedding banquet of my side is less than a month's away. So, I booked a table and 10 of us headed to Equatorial for food tasting.

Seen here are my grandparents and parents. The table has been decorated exactly as the VIP table for the banquet. There are several napkins folds to choose from. I've selected the swan for VIP table and bird-of-paradise for other tables.

This is the sample of the menu. During the actual banquet, the menu will be printed in Chinese and English.

Combination Platter: A combination of 3 hot dishes and a chilled dish.

Soup: Shark's fin soup with crab meat and roe. It is a little watery compared to other places, which is good. That shows how little starch that was added into it.

Chicken: Roasted chicken in two styles. The chef remove most of the breasts meat and made kerabu out of it. It tasted really appetizing with its sour and sweetness of mango, cucumber and onion.

Fish: Steamed red garoupa with shredded ginger and tangerine skin. The fish is really fresh and it is not overcooked.

Prawn: Wok fried prawn in spicy brown sauce. The chef should refine the taste as it lacked the spicyness and wok-hei. Otherwise, it tasted good too.

Vegetables: Braised abalone & sea cucumber with broccoli. It was pretty bland. For those who are health conscious, the less additives and preservative, the better. For those who isn't, there is always extra soy-sauce on the table :D

Rice: Lotus leaf rice with dried seafood. This is by far the best lotus leaf rice I've eaten. The rice is nicely cooked, it wasn't too salty, lots of dried seafood and .... yummy! 'nuff said!

Dessert: Shanghai pancake and mini bun. Both of these were pretty basic. The fillings is red bean paste.

Dessert: Chilled sea coconut with ginseng. It's pretty good too. Lots of dates and dried longan. But I find the sea coconut were bit too soft. It supposed to be chewy.

There, first look on our 9-course banquet. It may looked great and delicious now. Hopefully it stays that way on the actual night. But if it isn't, you also know how hotel food tastes like right? Haha, don't put too much hope! See ya on that day!

Eating out: La Esquina

2008-10-25T23:58:00.000+08:00

La Esquina is a Spanish's tapas corner located in Era Walk, Seremban. I was in town today to meet up with my girls from college. It has been over a year since I last met them, tsk!

Masa del Pollo, RM10

Tapas is Spanish appetizers that can be served hot or cold. This is chicken chunks dip in olive oil with garlic, onion, capsicum cubes. It is very garlicky. Also, it is served with a dash of wine.

Seta de Boton, RM8

This is Garlic Button Mushroom. It tasted almost the same as the chicken. Just that, this is mushroom and that was chicken, tsk! Though that, it tasted pretty good if you'd dip baguette into it.

This garlic bread is really one of a kind! I make better garlic bread! Haha, look at the coarsely diced garlic and capsicum.

Pollo Asado, RM21

Anne ordered the chicken thigh topped with vegetables. I tried a bite and it's creamy and tangy. I think it'll taste much better once squeezed with lemon.

Cangrejo Basque, RM18

Yen Yen and Michelle ordered the same dish, crab casserole. Again, I grabbed a bite. It tasted quite good, bit on the salty side, which is great to eat with the vegetables and/or sliced baguette.

Tortilla omelet, RM18

Hui Bao and I shared this dish. It is basically omelet made to the shape of a tortilla wrap. In it, there's potato, chicken, onion and capsicum. Tasted quite bland, should have ordered the crab casserole :P

If you've notice by now, most dishes are served with baguette. I don't remember having alot of baguette when having meals in Spain. This is definitely Malaysianized Spanish food. I'd definitely drop by elsewhere next time, haha. That's what I rate this eatery.

It's great meeting my girls again. Seen here are Anne, Michelle, Yen Yen and Hui Bao. Thanks for coming out to meet me! *hugs*

La Esquina
Jalan Era Walk
Era Square
Seremban
Tel: 06 768 7405

Fwd: Divorce letters!

2008-10-23T10:43:00.000+08:00

I've just received this funny email from my aunt! I'm sure it has been circulating around for some time now. To those who haven't seen it, read it. By the way, we women aren't nasty :P

Dear Wife,

I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you forever. I've been a good man to you for 7 years & I have nothing to show for it. These last 2 weeks have been hell.
Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today & that was the last straw. Last week, you came home & didn't even notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favorite meal & even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers.
You ate in 2 minutes, & went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps.
You don't tell me you love me anymore; you don't want sex or anything that connects us as husband & wife. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me anymore; whatever! The case, I'm gone.

Your EX-Husband
P.S. Don't try to find me. Your SISTER & I are moving away to West Virginia together! Have a great life!

Dear Ex-Husband,

Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter.It's true you & I have been married for 7 years, although a good man is a far cry from what you've been.
I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining & griping. Too bad that doesn't work.
I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the 1st thing that came to mind was 'You look just like a girl!' Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say something nice, I didn't comment. And when you cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago.

About those new silk boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them. I prayed it was a coincidence that my sister had just borrowed $50 from me that morning. After all of this, I still loved you & felt we could work it out.
So when I hit the lotto for 10 million dollars, I quit my job & bought us 2 tickets to Jamaica.

But when I got home you were gone. Everything happens for a reason, I guess.
I hope you have the fulfilling life you always wanted.

My lawyer said that the letter you wrote ensures you won't get a dime from me.

So take care.

Signed,
Your Ex-Wife, Rich As Hell & Free!

P.S. I don't know if I ever told you this, but my sister Carla was born Carl. I hope that's not a problem.

Eating out: Penang House

2008-10-22T21:28:00.003+08:00

Bestie and I were in Cyberjayae to meet 2 college buddies. However, Keith didn't show up and his excuse was "I need to go gym! I had chicken rice today!" Oh my. I didn't know that he's obsessed with his body :P Or may be that was just an excuse :P So that's just left three of us and decided to go Penang House, in Street Mall.

Hui Bao and Kiean ordered the Penang Nasi Lemak. I think it tasted like any other nasi lemak. I haven't had this nasi lemak for over a year. I've forgotten how it tastes like.

I had the Fried Wantan Mee. This is the ONLY place I know that serves fried wantan noodles, and it's good! Really good! No joke! Kiean has been working in Cyberjaya for years and had never tried this. Guess what, both Hui Bao and Kiean loved it. Haha. It's a little moist, which is good as wantan mee needs some moist in it.

This is Kiean! It's great to see you again. Can't wait to see you soon :D

New gizmo in town!

2008-10-21T14:47:00.000+08:00

I'm not the first to blog about PhotoFunia. It has been making waves and crashing our shores lately. Tons of people have been making use of this intelligent gizmo and all I hear is good feedback. Of course, it was my turn to try it out.

I didn't try most of the effects though. I prefer sketches and building artworks the most! I find them really surreal. Take a look!

Some of my friends have commented that I was like doing a commercial for toothpaste company, shampoo, etc. So I guess this photo suits this building effect :D

Look at this sketch artwork! It's an amazing piece! I wish I had my face sketched when I was touring Europe last time. Well, at least I know how it'll turn out now. I shall then anticipate future sketches with ... err... more anticipation! Haha!

Eating out: Oversea Restaurant

2008-10-20T22:40:00.000+08:00

We dined at Oversea Restaurant during lunch today. Everywhere was packed and it almost rained this afternoon. So, we headed to JayaOne as the carpark is covered. This particular branch of Oversea was previously located at AmCorp Mall before moving to this strategic location.

We tried the set lunch that includes 4 dishes that is priced at RM128++

Oversea Restaurant's renown BBQ Pork! Caramelized coating wrapped every inch of the pork belly. Pork lovers out there would definitely love this. Then there's roast duck too. Really crispy skin and came with accompanying plum sauce.

Next up is the pan-fried Cod fish in soy sauce. I love Cod fish! The tender meat is filled with fatty omega goodness, hehe. This style of cooking is good too, rather than the normal steaming. It is rather sweet because of the caramelized onion underneath the fish.

This is claypot glass noodles with Chinese cabbage. In it, there's ginkgo, tau kan and dried oyster. It tasted a little weird to me, it was added with fu yue. Though the taste wasn't strong, but I prefer the natural taste of Chinese cabbage.

Lastly, there's beancurd. The gravy on the tofu is really nice. There's diced garlic, ginger, chilis, dried shrimps and tau cheong. The rich flavoring is really good as tofu is basically bland. It goes really well with rice. By now, I was stuffed! I didn't even finish the bowl of rice.

Oh yes, we started off with a bowl of soup of the day, which was lin ngau(lotus root) soup. It ended with a complimentary fruit platter (honeydew, watermelon, mango).

There are daily set lunches for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 pax. Drop by and try it out.

Raya Open Houses!

2008-10-18T23:54:00.001+08:00

I went to 4 Raya open houses alone today! And I'm not even Malay! Here are the photos from 2 houses: M&M and D'Sentral neighbourhood (my housing area).

Look at the crowd! It's only 6.45pm! By 8pm, the tables were fully occupied.

There were many many hawker stalls to cater M&M's guests tonight.

For one, it's this dessert stall. Free advertisement :P Pretty good. I'll definitely try them out when I'm at Midvalley the next time.

Then there's a mamak stall, making roti canai and tosai.

Briyani rice and dhal. Other than these, there were char kuey teow, satay, roast lamb, drinks, popiah, curry noodles, lontong and much more. And you know what I ate? Only 1 popiah! Yea, that's what I get after attending 2 other Raya open houses before this :/

About an hour later, we left and came back to our house and attended the next one.

More food!

And more!

Mom and I were seated with neighbour living next to us. It was enjoyable getting together once a year :)

Eating out: Jusco Supermarket

2008-10-16T21:52:00.002+08:00

Was at Midvalley today for my fortnightly facial appointment. After a 2-hour of rejuvenating moment, I came out with a growling stomach. My parents have already had their lunch and I can't imagine myself having to eat alone. Then, I decided to buy food from Jusco supermarket.

Potato salad, RM2.50

It's been awhile since I last had potato salad. It's pretty good too, though I think it lacks of black pepper. There are potato cubes, carrots and fresh onions. Best to eat when chilled.

Skewers, RM5.60

Other than that, I had some skewers too. Seen here are fish balls, vegetable balls and minced chicken balls. Fuh, that's whole lot of balls there :P They're quite good too. The Japanese sauce tasted sweet too, quite like the sauce that usually served on unagi.

Yeap, that was basically a simple lunch. Got tired of the usual ricem noodle meal. Opted something simple and hey, I like simple food too :D

Eating out: Al Diafah

2008-10-15T09:30:00.000+08:00

Al Diafah Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant located in Sri Petaling that serves middle eastern cuisine. It made headlines a couple of years ago in NST for spending close to RM5 million just on renovation! The restaurant looks really classy and elegant, money well spent!

There are plenty of choices to choose from the menu: arrays of drinks, hot & cold appetizers, dishes and desserts. We ordered a starter, a tuna with bread and a rice to share.

Iced Lemon Tea, RM10

This is Hui Yee's iced lemon tea. Cute isn't it? I've never seen it served individually and she gets to mix around till she got to the perfect combo.

Vegetable samosa, RM10

I've always loved its vegetable samosa. It is cripsy on the outside and soft, warm fillings inside. There's turnips and carrots fillings. It came with a creamy sauce with cubed cucumbers and carrots.

Tuna with bread, RM10

Lovely taste. Chunky tuna cooked in a tomato sauce, fresh chili and lots of herbs. It really tasted middle eastern flavor. You get to dip into the dish with bread (sort of like naan).

Kabsa rice with chicken, RM20

This is a rather huge portion. Just look at the mountainous size, strictly for sharing. Unless one manages to finish half of a chicken and the rice! We shared this amongst the 3 of us! The rice is actually cooked in herbs and tomato sauce, thus the color. Then again, there isn't the slightest taste of the sweetness of tomato, more on the herbs flavoring. There are 2 other types of rice to choose from too.

Who was at the dinner? As usual, there are Hui Bao and I. We came up to meet with long time college pal, Hui Yee. It's been 2 years since we last met.

Meeting Hui Yee brought back lotsa memories of college time. How we used to hang out almost nightly for supper, yum cha at the mamaks, late night movies and even to catch some sea breeze off the beach! Must plan for more meet ups :D

Al Diafah Restaurant
43 & 45, Jalan Radin Anum
Sri Petaling
57000 KL
Tel: 9059 6237

Eating out: Canton-i

2008-10-14T15:32:00.005+08:00

Canton-i is a Chinese eatery that specializes on wantan noodles and congee. Not exactly my type of cuisine, but dad was overly attracted by its roasted pork and BBQ pork. This Canton-i that we dined in is located opposite TGIF in 1Utama.

Turnip cake, RM6

This is pretty good. Unlike some other restaurants that the turnip cake came out solid hard. This is soft and tasted good.

Prawn rice roll, RM9.80

This chee cheong fun is good too. There are 4 little shrimps in each roll.

Vegetables, RM9

Just a normal plate of green. Nothing fancy about it.

Roasted pork belly, RM16.80

As you all know, I'm not a big fan of pork. And I don't find anything special about siew yok :P But what surprises me is that it's not served with vinegrate chili, instead, it comes with kai lat(chinese mustard) and sugar. Is that how you suppose to eat siew yok?

BBQ Pork, RM12.80

I find char siew worth more than siew yok. Based on quality and quantity wise ;) Though that, char siew is chopped thinly. It would be much better if its thicker.

Braised fish, RM26

Instead of garoupa that was written in the menu, it now uses "wan yu". It was really a messy job eating this boney fish in a restaurant. Luckily, it tasted good. There were black beans and rice wine in it.

If you'd like to try out, stick with its specialities: wantan noodles and congee. I think those are much better than ala carte dishes :D

11-Oct-08

2008-10-13T15:59:00.000+08:00

These are some of the pictures taken on the registration day. My cousin, Chuen Hau was the photographer for the day. More pictures from him later.

My aunt, made this bridal bouquet herself. It only costs RM50 when it usually costs easily over RM100.

Gan bought this red roses specially for me. He wanted to surprise me but it didn't work out, haha. It's the thought that counts baby :P Hence, on that special day, I had 2 lovely bridal bouquets of roses.

Hands together :)

Right after our ROM, all of us headed to Taman Rashna Restaurant for lunch. It is the day for food tasting too. Yes, our wedding dinner (of the groom's side) will be held in this restaurant.

First up is the hot dishes combincation platter. I like the round thingy the most. Tasted better when dip into chili sauce.

Next was the Shark's fin soup. This was really yummy and it was served in a creative way. There's a candle underneath each bowl to keep the soup warm. Somehow, it got the soup boiling! Haha, nearly burn my tongue :P

Soup aside, next up was the roasted piglet. The skin is really crispy. But one thing's missing, where the steam mantau that goes with it? There isn't enough spring onions too. I love fresh veges! There were 6 more dishes that I didn't snap. Well, basically there're the 9-course wedding banquet that you usually get on a Chinese wedding.

Food tasting of my side will be this 26th. Hopefully the good will be just as good.

Collectibles!

2008-10-13T08:12:00.000+08:00

We like collecting souvenirs whenever we go traveling. Some people likes key chains, postcards, t-shirts, crystals and so much more. Us too! Most of the time, our collectibles are breakable items. We had to hand-carry all the way back. We don't really rely on the "Fragile" sticker. Better be safe than be sorry...

Seen here are silvery reindeer and Bohemia crystals. The reindeer was bought while we were touring in Finland last year. Apart of this silverware, I also bought a glass version of a reindeer. As for the Bohemia crystals, we bought them from Eastern Europe few years ago.

Now, these are my favorite items! Lladro porcelains and musical box! This particular Lladro piece was bought in Singapore's Takashimaya, few years ago. This is the second china that we bought. Hopefully not the last piece :D

This see-through magical box is handmade in Hokkaido, Japan. That particular shop sells mainly musical boxes: from wooden to see-through glasses ones. There is also a special booth to listen to its music. We bought this after trying a handful of boxes.

This china is named May My Wish Come True. It is a limited edition and there are only 2,000 pieces of this in the world. We bought this from Italy in year 2005. The petals is delicate that nobody is allowed to touch this piece! Hehe. Isn't it lovely? By the way, the two little angels are butt-naked, hehe. That's so cute :p

Married!

2008-10-11T13:27:00.000+08:00

We're officially married this morning at 11.15am. Both our parents, his siblings and partners, my uncle's family and Gan's god-siblings witness our holy union at Klang Association. More update later :) with photos!

Eating in: Maggi Pancake

2008-10-10T13:54:00.003+08:00

Cook the simplest meal today, instant noodle pancake!

a packet of instant noodle
an egg

1. Cook the instant noodle until al dente
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and pour in the MSG

3. Drain the noodle and mix well with the egg.
4. Heat up pan with a dash of oil (I used non-stick pan, no oil needed)

5. Pan fry on both side like pancake
6. Serve hot, with chili sauce or Thai chili sauce

Kiss - Because I'm A Girl

2008-10-09T17:43:00.002+08:00

Many, many years ago, this Korean song was a hit! Back then, I was still in college and the MV and mp3 circulated like airborne disease! Hehe, somehow, glad it did. I'm sure most of you have seen this. Perhaps, another time to refresh the mind? :D

Hot Stone Massage

2008-10-08T23:46:00.000+08:00

I went for hot stone massage for the very first time today. I have heard so much about it but have yet to try it. If not for the cash voucher I have in hand, I would think twice in treating myself a spa this expensive. Nevertheless, I felt energized and rejuvenated after a 2-hour spa. I enjoyed every second of it.

My masseur, Chris, did a wonderful job. She made me feel at ease 'coz I wasn't feeling comfortable in the beginning when was told to remove all my clothes. Moments later, I didn't even feel it anymore, was so into the hot stone! The stones were placed everywhere, neck, back, palm, knee, ankle and even on my ribcage!

Hot stone massage is good for blood-circulation, detoxification and relaxation, especially after a stressful day. I hope this won't be my last session. I want to go back for more! :P

Update

2008-10-07T11:32:00.003+08:00

I haven't been updating as frequent as I want it to be, do excuse me for that. I've been fairly busy with the Raya open houses. To date, I have been to more than 5 houses. More coming! The great traditional Malay food has definitely ruin my diet, haha. And I don't mind it one bit :P

Apart front that, I am anticipating for my upcoming ROM. Gan and I will be registering this Saturday at the Klang Hokkien Association. Both our dads are our witnesses. I can't belief that I am one step closer to the next stage in life. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Not sure what's in-store for us. Living together as a married couple is definitely a challenge and it needs both our effort to make sure this last a life time :)

Eating out: Cinnamon, Gardens

2008-10-03T20:52:00.003+08:00

Cinnamon is a fine dining restaurant offering northern Indian cuisine located on the 3rd floor in Gardens, Midvalley. Cinnamon has been in operation ever since Gardens opened to public. This is my second time dining there and unfortunately, it will also be my last time. Let me explain...

Complimentary titbits. Papadom with mint sauce. The sauce is refreshing. Great way to start a meal.

Peas & Mushroom, priced at RM18

The Indian waiter suggested this dish as there's gravy to go with our rice. I like the peas and mushroom that comes in it. Sadly however, the gravy is a let down. There isn't any herbs nor spicy kick in it.

Murgh Tikka, priced at RM26

There were only 6 TINY pieces of chicken. Average about RM4/piece, totally overpriced! Luckily it tasted superb. But then again, I'm sure I can get thandoori just as tasty elsewhere with a cheaper price.

Naan, priced at RM10

This is Kulcha DO Pyaza, which is naan with onion, spices, herbs and garlic. However, I can't really taste the herbs. It is rather small in size too.

Kashmiri Pulao, priced at RM16

This is basmati rice with dry fruits and nuts. The rice is pretty good, the only thing I want to complain is, the rice is rather dry. But it goes really well with the vegetables.

Can you belief there were only us the entire hour when we're there? I wonder how they managed to survive until this day. Cinnamon's neighbor, Sushi Zanmai, was packed that patrons needed to queue! For those who like Northern Indian Cuisine, like me, I'd suggest you to Spice Garden. They can be found at Bukit Bintang, Subang Jaya and Genting Highland :)

Eating out: May King Cafe

2008-10-02T20:50:00.004+08:00

May King is located in Pudu, is famous for its Lam Mee. Just look at the crowd! The time was almost 2pm and people are still flocking into this eatery. Luckily, there were more seats upstairs.

Back in the 90s, there was only lam mee, meatballs and fu chuk. Now, there are dry curry and soup based noodles. Smart eateries should always improvise and changes menu regularly to secure regular customers.

It has been years since I last ate here. The size of the meatball remains, but now, it is 90 cents each. It still taste the same too, still as yummy as ever.

Lam Mee, priced at RM5.50

This is the much anticipated lam mee! It may looked very yummy, but I don't find it so. The gravy seemed too starchy for my liking. I don't remember being this starchy last time. Besides, the noodles tasted a bit bitter, probably because of kan sui (alkaline) overdosed :/ I should have chosen mee hoon or kuey teow instead. Next time, I'll definitely try the dry curry noodle. It really looks good.

My Radley bag

2008-09-30T21:16:00.000+08:00

My cousin Ken and his friend Richard, bought me Radley bag! I was thrilled when he sent me pictures of the bag. Radley is one of the most renown brand in the UK. A large tote bag can easily costs more than £100. There are many products under Radley's wing, umbrellas, luggages and toilettries too.

This is the one they got for me. Since I was born in the year of dog, this small little doggie tag suits me perfectly! I can't wait to get my hands on this tote bag. I wonder how many compartments are there in the bag.

Look at the color of the straps! The color combination is just nice! Thanks Ken and Richard for the great gift! Looking forward to see you both this November :D

Salam Muhibah

2008-09-30T10:25:00.002+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada semua umat Muslim. Semoga anda berbahagia bersama keluarga tercinta di hari yang mulia ini. Pastikan anda patuh pada kelajuan yang ditetapkan. Biar lambat, asalkan selamat.

Kalau kamu nie mat rempit, tak payahlah tunggang motorsikal masa raya nie. Main saja dengan bunga api bikin sendiri tu. Tak sebahaya aksi-aksi motorsikal korang :D Dah penat, boleh jamu kuih-muih and biskut raya. Pada kawan-kawan saya tu, jangan lupa ajak ke rumahmu. Kan ada masa, raya sebulan tu :P

Ini adalah entri pertama yang dikarang dalam BM. Kalau ada silap sasul, maaf ~~zahit~~zahir dan batin.

Eating out: Loon Sing, Nilai

2008-09-29T17:45:00.000+08:00

My cousin Jessica came over to overnight. We brought her to the most famous restaurant in Nilai, Loon Sing Restaurant. And on this night, we bumped into Toh Toh, a food critic from Hong Kong.

Paku Choi, priced at RM10

Have you tried this type of vegetables before? This is Paku Choi. I think it's called paku-pakis in Malay. This isn't my first time eating this vege. It taste much better when fried with sambal belacan.

Fish, priced at RM35

We ordered the Chef's Special Fish again. The gravy went superbly well with rice. You might need an extra bowl, haha. You can find chucks of sliced garoupa, beancurd and fu chuk in it.

Prawn, priced at RM30

This is Soy Sauce Fried Prawns. There were many prawns in it, at least 10! After peeling off the shells, dip the prawn back into the sauce before eating. It tasted sweet and salty. Most children would like this dish.

Black Pepper Ribs, priced at RM15

Last dish was black pepper pork. It came with mantau. We stuffed the meat into the mantau and eat it like a burger. However, there wasn't enough black pepper to taste like a black pepper dish. It tasted mildly, not much kick and oomph :P

Camwhore a bit with my cousin before and after dinner. Now all we need is to wait for Annie to come back before we can camwhore again :D

Eating out: Manhattan Fish Market

2008-09-28T22:34:00.004+08:00

Met up with Alina and Derek for lunch today. I went down to Klang and we had Manhattan Fish Market at Aeon, Bukit Tinggi. I haven't seen them both for months! It's always good to catch up with friends.

This is the menu with plenty of choices. As there are 4 of us, we ordered 2 sets of Flaming Platter for 2.

Just look at the size of the servings! Shrimps, a big piece of fish, fried calamaris, fried oysters, garlic rice and chips! Gan and I didn't want our portion to be flamed, so our shrimps were spared :P I've always loved its garlic rice, very garlicky and not oily.

This is Alina! She lost weight after wearing braces, tsk! I felt like a giant sitting next to her. It felt like a story of 2 girls with 2 different disorders, bulimia and anorexic :/

We should do this more often you guys. I don't wanna wait for another year or two anymore. Let's do this again before Chinese New Year shall we?

Friday night take-out

2008-09-27T09:51:00.003+08:00

I hosted a dinner yesterday to few friends of mine. Since my culinary skill is still below par, I had to order take-out from Pizza Hut.

I bought 2 regular sized pizzas and a variety box of appetizers: 10 chicken wings, potatoes and bread sticks. The entire meal costs slightly above RM80, which is OK, considering there're 6 of us, hehe.

The ladies got here first, Loong however, was a little late :P Seen here from left are Mandy, Felicia, Esther and Kirsten. They are all my secondary school mates. I've known them for more than a decade. It still felt like we've just graduated from school. Although school time wasn't anything to shout about, but it felt great to befriend such good pals.

This is us after dinner. We talked and talked and didn't even realize that it was almost midnight. Good time passed quickly, sigh. Thanks for coming over you guys *mwahs*

Eating out: Delifrance

2008-09-25T15:31:00.003+08:00

After doing my facial at Jurlique, dad called asking if I wanted to eat in Delifrance as they've just ordered a cuppa. I said OK and joined them 10 mins later.

Garlic baguette, priced at RM5.50

My parents have had their lunch when I was away. Still, they ordered a plate of garlic baguette to munch on. It's pretty bland. The baguette was good, crispy crust and soft bread. There was not enough garlic butter spread.

Tuna Croissant, priced at RM8.90

I settled for a simple lunch, Tuna Mayonnaise in Croissant. It's been months since I last eaten in Delifrance. We make it a point to stop at Delifrance at the satellite building in KLIA: sip a cuppa and have some pastries. The croissant is warm and crispy, the dressing on my salad is good. I reckon it's honey lime mayonnaise, like the one from Subway. Speaking of which, I haven't been to Subway for a long, long time. Tsk!

PMS

2008-09-24T23:44:00.000+08:00

PMS stands of Pre-Marrital Sex! Thankfully, I'm not talking about that. Today, I'm gonna talk about Pre-Menstrual Syndrome :P

PMS is the nastiest thing that could happen to me. I really don't know how my hormone works in my body. I am very receptive towards certain words/attitude during this "crucial" time. During PMS, I'm the meanest person on earth! So, if you taste a piece of me during this time, I apologize.

Beware, this happens 12 times a year!

Eating out: Dave's

2008-09-23T21:56:00.000+08:00

My dear Hui Bao took leave today. Two of us went out to 1Utama for some shopping and eating. We got there about 11am and we headed to GSC. Bought tickets to our movie, Halloween. Gosh! This is the second biggest flop after Superheroes! I couldn't belief we stayed till the end. Tsk!

Anyway, we went directly to Dave's (non-halal) for lunch after the show. It was way after 2pm by the time we sat down. This is our very first time in Dave's and it took us awhile to decide what to order. Dave's is located at the Old Wing, opposite Burger King and diagonally opposite TGI Friday's. In the mean time, I snapped few shots.

We were seated at the non-smoking section. There is smoking section too, which is separated by a glass door, which is underneath the Tiger neon signage. This place is really cosy, good spot for happy hour.

This is Dave's menu. A good varieties of everything, ranging from starters to desserts, and from lassi to cocktails. We ordered 2 main dish to share. Hui Bao ordered her favorite Chocolate Banana(RM10) and I, Banana Lassi(RM12). By the way, I don't have any favorite drinks. I'm game for anything new :P

Carbonara penne, priced at RM28 (50%)

As pastas is on 50% off on weekdays, we selected the Chef's Signature Carbonara. Good thing about Dave's is, we are given choices what to be put into our pasta, ie: mushroom, sausages, clams, etc. We went for sausages and mushroom. The Carbonara tasted excellent! It is not watery, the sauce is creamy and rich and it lived up to its name ;) Chef's Signature!

Sauteed mushroom with avocado puree sandwich, priced at RM16

Again, we can choose the type of bread: white, wheat or foccacia. IMO, foccacia is the best choice. Indeed it was! The top was crispy and soft in the inside. The filling is really good too. I got bored with meat lately, so I chose mushroom and avocado puree. Honestly, I don't see any avocado puree not I taste any. But it's ok, the greens filled the absence of avocado.

Hui Bao and I had a great time dining in Dave's. We'll definitely be back for more. Thanks Hui Bao for driving us There! Can't wait for our next day out :D

Eating out: Golden Phoenix

2008-09-21T21:01:00.001+08:00

My grandaunt and her daughter, Sim, came over for lunch today. Sim is a scholarship student, who is back from UK to collect samples for her bio-genetics research. She will be leaving for the UK next week and won't be returning until mid next year. 6 of us went over to Bangi Equatorial Hotel's Golden Phoenix for lunch.

Each of us had a bowl of Shark's Fin soup. It is quite watery compared to others. I'm actually ok with it, less starch is good for health too. There wasn't much shark's fin in it. Also, I don't think there are even shark's fins to begin with. Probably synthetic ones, which is fine with me.

Then there's green vege. This is Baby Nai Pak.

Then there's Salad Prawn, which is really yummy. Some restaurant might have mayonnaise overdose, haha, but not this. You can find fish roe everywhere, covering from the head to its tail.

This is Sweet and Sour Fish. Each slice is a big chunk, unlike other restaurants where the fish is sliced thinly. Would be better if there were more capsicums in it.

This is Venison in brown sauce. The meat was seasoned before cooked. Venison is tender and is a little chewy. There were also asparagus and enoki mushroom in the plate. The gravy was really yummy, good to go with steam rice. We also had dessert after our meal.

Have a safe flight Sim. See you next year!

Isetan's Presales

2008-09-19T22:57:00.000+08:00

Madness! Madness! This is my first time going to Isetan's presales! Ok, this is not as bad as Jusco's Member's Day though. People actually started going to Jusco as early as 6am! Goodness grace! Well, Isetan's madness isn't anywhere near Jusco's. But still, just look at that queue!

I got there around 10am. Being a good girl that I am, I joint the crowd and queued patiently :P There were even escorts. About 1-2 mins later, the queue started moving. I made my way through by showing my member's card.

There are at least 20 cashier counters on each floor and sufficient staffs to cater the amount of shoppers. Everything was well organized. However, there weren't enough fitting rooms. It is definitely not an inviting sight just by looking at the queue.

Somehow, I braved myself and bought some decent stuff. Bedsheet is 70% off, Lesport Sac is 40% off, Padini shorts is on 70% discount and even the stingy Jurlique is offering free gifts. First 12 customers(ME :p) are entitled to free gifts.

Presales ended today, it is open for public from tomorrow onwards. Happy shopping!

Eating in: ABC Soup

2008-09-18T14:41:00.010+08:00

This is my very first attempt making soup. No thanks to Vincent who always bragged about his daily nourishments, I was tempted :P

This is, by far, the easiest soup recipe to follow. Of course, you can always improvise on your own. This is my very own ABC Leng Tong ingredients (for 3):

Potato (skinned), tomato, carrots: cubed in large chunks
Onions
Anchovies
A pinch of peppers
Chicken bone
Salt, to taste

Boil 3 bowls of water in a pot
Once boiled, put in chicken bone, anchovies and peppers
A moment later, put in potato and carrots
About 30 minutes later, put in the tomato and onions. You might want to lower the heat now. Let it cook for about an hour
Lastly, add in salt. A pinch will do.
Walah~ Serve hot

This is my very one ABC leng tong. Yumz~ at least it satisfy my craving for soup, hehe.

Eating out: Teo Chew Fishball

2008-09-18T14:41:00.004+08:00

Teo Chew Fishball is a reataurant located in Sea Park, same row as KFC. It sells all kinds of noodles.

Click to enlarge

Once you enter, you'll find a big menu placed on the wall. Read: No preservatives, No boric acid. Generally, human are getting more and more conscious of the food intake. So this eatery is wise enough to cater the public needs.

This is the menu, a complete list. The price is reasonable too.

This is our side order: fu chuk and fish cake.

This is chee cheong fun. Mom said it's good. Only RM1.50

I ordered the handmade noodles. Unlike other noodles that is served dry, this comes without dark soy sauce nor sesame oil. It is plain and simple, only some fried shallots, spring onion and minced meat. Priced at RM5.

This restaurant is usually packed during lunch hour. Expect to wait for food if you're there during peak hours. All food and beverages are 50% off after 9.30pm.

Tang House of Fishball
Sea Park
Tel: 7876 5461

Shhh

2008-09-16T20:32:00.001+08:00

Dad was watching the RTM's Chinese news earlier. Though I don't really understand, but I still watch it. You know, just for the sake of getting the latest news. Anyway, one of its on-site reporter was asking the public's opinion about the recent hoo-hah. Half of them who were approached, gave their opinions. However, another half of them refused to comment.

Upon hearing their excuses, I burst!

Uncle 1: shh shh, mou man (shh shh, don't ask).
Uncle 2: shh shh, mou kong gam doh. jing gan bei yan lai hui sik ka li fan! (shh shh, don't say so much. later will get caught and eat curry rice!)

What have the gamen achieve? Instill fear in us? Please! Although these uncles did not answer publicly, that doesn't mean they don't talk about it among themselves. That only make us unite and bad mouth the gamen even more!

Eating out: Baba Nyonya

2008-09-16T13:57:00.004+08:00

Baba Nyonya Restaurant is located in Semarak, Nilai. We were there for a simple lunch today.

Ordered a foo yong egg. In the omelet, there's onion, carrots and celery and a little cincaluk. I don't really eat cincaluk, but this combination is kinda tasty. Most dishes are served on banana leaf. Truly authentic home-cooked baba nyonya food.

Next was the ginger prawns. The ginger, garlic and lemongrass are shredded, then fried till golden brown. The fresh-water prawns is big, almost the size of my palm.

This is Kangkong Belacan. We had another dish, Asam Red Garoupa. I was too consumed with the food that I forgot to snap a photo, hehe. The Asam fish is a must-have. Everyone who dines there would never fail to order this. It is sour and spicy at the same time. Really good to go with the plate of rice.

On a different note, have you seen horns grow from fu kwai plants?

This is taken from my mom's fu kwai plants today. I've never seen anything like that my entire life. After years of having the fu kwai plants, this is our first time seeing such "phenomenon". Mom said in the horns, these are the seeds of the plant. So far, there are 3 horns grown from the same plant. wooot

Eating out: Sushi Zanmai

2008-09-13T22:53:00.004+08:00

Was at Midvalley today to visit the Thai Fest at the exhibition hall. After that, went directly to Sushi Zanmai.

One of our must-have items. Toro Salmon! Each slice is equally thick. The toro is so tender. Just look at that. The fats between the flesh is layered evenly. Priced at RM13 for 5 slices. Absolutely reasonable.

This Rainbow roll is the promotion for the weekend. Each week, Sushi Zanmai will introduce a new dish for promotion. Rainbow roll is a tropical taste of Japanese maki. To those who love Kiwi, you might want to order this. Priced at RM11.80

Next is Caterpillar roll. This is one of our must-have item too. This is topped with creamy avocado and more avocado and unagi wrapped in between. Taste even better after dipping into the Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce.

Quick! Head over to the nearest Sushi Zanmai outlet now. They are at Gardens Midvalley, 1Utama and Sunway Pyramid.

Eating out: Leong Ya

2008-09-12T22:47:00.000+08:00

As most of you know, Serdang is a food haven! It is renown for its Yong Tao Foo and paper-wrapped chicken (chi pau kai). I have stayed in Serdang for almost 25 years before shifting to a new residential area. Was at Serdang today and we headed to Leong Ya for lunch. There are a total of 3 Leong Ya restaurants, operated by the same family. The one I went is the one directly facing KTM, Serdang station.

For those who's able to read Chinese, this board list down all the dishes. But of course, there are more to choose from, just ask the friendly boss-cum-waiter.

We ordered Ginger Duck, chi pau kai, Curry Fish Head and a green vege. All of these for only RM43.70 with 3 bowls of rice and 3 glasses of leung char.

This is the Ginger Duck. Usually, the gravy is thick and full of taste. Today, it tasted a little diluted. Perhaps the restaurant was crowded, so they added more water into the pot of Ginger Duck.

This is the famous paper-wrapped chicken. The entire chicken is deep-fried after being wrapped. So the chicken is piping hot when served. After ripping off the paper, the gravy just seemed to ooz its way out. Chicken's tender, gravy is tasty. No other chi pau kai can beat this. Belief me, 'coz I've tried few other restaurants.

This is the Curry Fish Head. The fish head is chopped in pieces, so, you won't actually see the actual fish head itself. The curry is thick and creamy and not too spicy. Sufficient enough to entice ones tastebud. In it, there are long beans, brinjals, lady's fingers and potatoes.

This restaurant is usually packed during lunch hour and on weekends. Be sure to drop by if you are ever in Serdang. Remember, it is directly opposite KTM station in Serdang.

Series are back!

2008-09-11T22:19:00.003+08:00

YES! The popular series are finally back after months of disappearing. Shows like Heroes, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dexter and more are slowly making their way back to prime time. These few months have been hollow without these hit series. Thankfully, I have AXN to fill me up. I watched shows like House, Las Vegas and even CSIs.

The first show (that I watch) to return is Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 1 was really impressive but sadly it ended at the 9th episode. No worries, the comeback is even better! The writers really did a helluva job! By the way, the main cast are getting hotter too :P Thomas Dekker is a lil more mature now. Lena Headey (of 300) is still as gorgeous. Hurry up, there's still time to catch up to this highly anticipated new series.

Next up on the list is Heroes! It will return with Volume Three: Villains later this month. In this season, more villains will be revealed, aka excitements! In the previous season, it ended with Adam being buried in a casket, Niki was trapped in a burning, then exploded building and Nathan was shot when delivering a speech. Wonder who made it and who didn't. Can't wait to find out ;)

Dexter too is returning this month, right after Heroes. Dexter, Dexter, Dexter... He's a serial killer who works for Miami Metro as a blood spatter analyst. He was actually trained by his foster-police dad to be a skillful killer. And his life motto is: Don't Get Caught! Although when his colleague did find out that he was a serial killer, he wasn't apprehended too. Why? Because that colleague of his, was murdered! Anyway, this series contains soft .. err, light obscene clips that MAY offend some viewers :P You know how the usual killing spree scenes are like right? It can be really bloody :P

The last show (that I watch) will be shown next year! Awwww... It's like I can't even recall how the season finale ended, haha. And then I have to wait till next January for the next season. By then, I've forgotten 7788 of the series. But I'm sure I'll still remember the main cast :P

Oh well, guess I gotta be satisfied with these 3 shows at the time being.

Eating out: Secret Recipe

2008-09-10T17:20:00.004+08:00

Gan's on leave today. So, I headed over to Klang to settle some personal matter. I was craving for Thai food after watching a colinary program on TV the other day. However, the nearest Thai restaurant is quite a distant. Then I remember Secret Recipe serves Tom Yam Noodles too, and off we went.

Chocolate Indulgence, priced at RM6.30

We started with desserts! Chocolate Indulgence is one of the best seller in Secret Recipe. The biggest hit is still Chocolate Banana. I still remember that a slice of these cakes used to cost only RM4.90.

Tom Yam Noodle, priced at RM13

There're 2 types of Tom Yam noodles in Secret Recipe, one is served with prawn, one is without. I ordered the one without. The broth is no longer as spicy as it used to be. It still served its purpose though, since I was craving for Thai food :P

Chicken Burger Steak, priced at RM13.50

Gan ordered this because he wanted to have some mayonnaise, haha. Overall, not bad. The fries is not as skinny as McD's. The bun was a little oily, it soaked off from the patty :/

Eating out: Jaya Palace

2008-09-09T16:26:00.004+08:00

Jaya Palace is newly opened Chinese restaurant located next to Federal Highway. You will definitely see this new building upon approaching Crystal Plaza.

This is the interior settings. There are over 20 tables in the main hall. Not to mention the rooms too. At one glance, this is a fancy restaurant.

Pan Fried Scallop, priced at RM20

Each of us had a plate to our own. It comes with accompanying sauce which is quite plain with shredded spring onion.

BBQ Roasted Pork, priced at RM18

Dad wanted to try their Char Siew and ordered a small portion. The char siew at Jalan Alor still tops the list. This char siew is a tad too sweet.

Grilled Eel, priced at RM60

The grilled eel is a let down. Not only it's tasteless, the eel is rather fat and boney. Remember not to order this when you're there.

Garoupa with tofu, priced at RM36

This is quite good. The combination of garoupa and tofu fah are rather odd, but they blended well together. It is quite refreshing to try something new. There were condiments like spring onion, chopped ginger and choi pou. I would recommend this if you like something simple.

We'll definitely come by again next time. They serve dim sums too. Be sure to check this place out. This place is quite pricey though, however, good for business luncheons.

Just my luck

2008-09-08T22:33:00.000+08:00

Not sure if this happens often to any of you, but it certainly does on me. It is just my luck that I often find hair and even dead flies in my food. YUCK, that's gross! I know! I can't help it. It seems to happen all the time, to ME especially. Maybe my eye sight is better or I tend to find fault of the restaurant. Or maybe these things have tendencies to creep their way onto my plate. Seriously, I don't know.

It's been numerous times I found hair in the food. I dare not even type what kinda hair is that! *urrgh* Occasionally, I get a bonus! Flies! It's been twice this year I get that bonus! If only lottery would come my way as well.

Belief me, I am very, very verbal when it gets on my nerve, especially when feeding myself. I will ask for the captain or F&B manager and show them my findings. High end restaurants usually respond the quickest. They won't want to tarnish their good names. Whereas when it comes to hawker center or coffee shops, my complains will go down the drain. Most often I'll get "OH? Yes ar?", even without apologizing *grrrr*

Not sure when this luck gonna end. Perhaps when I get older and my eye sight is no longer as sharp? Oh my, by then I'll taste some extra in my mouthful.

Eating out: Wong Kok CCT

2008-09-06T17:36:00.005+08:00

Met up with my secondary school buddies for lunch earlier today. Out of the original number of 7, only 3 made it, Kirsten, Mandy and Loong.

Fried Rice with beef

Kirsten ordered the Fried rice with beef. The portion is really generous that she needed Loong's help to finish it. Infact, Loong helped himself all the way with our food, haha :P

errr, bucket of noodles

Seriously, I don't know what it's called. Loong ordered this. I think it's ramen with pork. Everyone just awed as the noodles came in a bucket, kekekee.

Mandy ordered the handmade noodles with sliced chicken. It looks pretty bland to me though. Not sure how it tastes like, forgotten to ask her.

Grand XO Roll, priced at RM7.90

I ordered this for us to share. It's pretty yummy. This is actually chee cheong fun wraps with eggs and shredded meat. I don't mind having this as my main too.

Baked Fish Fillet Rice in Twin Sauce, priced at RM15

I ran out of idea of what to order. Most of the items serve with pork. I'm tad tired of chicken, so I had fish instead. The white sauce is pretty bland, not sure what it's made of though. The red one is basically pasta sauce with minced meat. Portion is quite big too.

Most food served in fancy tableware, the bucket and my ship lookalike bowl. Wong Kok has various of beverages too ie: cappucino coke, moonlight mango smoothies, etc. Most of the smoothies are served in bottles. Not glass but bottles!

This is Mandy, Kirsten and Loong. He's 187cm! Thanks for all the laughter guys! Let's meet up again soon!

Women multiplies

2008-09-05T23:18:00.003+08:00

I received this forwarded mail earlier and find it really beautiful. Although it's short, it is really meaningful. Share it with the women in your life :)

"Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply...

If you give her sperms, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
But, if you give her crap, she'll give you a bucket full of it."

Yeap, that's what you'll gonna get! Although I always make my mom upset/angry, she'll always love me :) And I always love you Mom!

Eating in: Pasta

2008-09-05T15:50:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, I invited Hui Bao over for dinner. It's been a while since I cook her something. I went to Jusco to get some fresh ingredients for my pasta.

4 slices of ham (or minced meat), cubed
1 fresh green capsicum, cubed
handful of button mushroom, cubed
half a bottle of Barilla pasta sauce
spaghetti
paprika powder
salt & pepper
olive oil

Cook spaghetti until al dente. Leave aside on plate
Heat up olive oil and fry the ham till crisp
Next, stir fry the capsicum. You may want to add in more olive oil now
Lastly, add in the mushroom and pasta sauce
Add in paprika, salt and pepper, to taste
Scoop out and top it over the pasta. Serve hot

After cooking, we were too into the pasta jor and I forgotten to snap photo of the finished product, haha. It tasted really good, even my mom came over for a mouthful :p

Peekaboo

2008-09-03T22:25:00.004+08:00

Peekaboo!

p/s: too lazy to write further...

Eating in: Popiahs

2008-08-31T19:56:00.000+08:00

Popiah is actually a larger version of spring roll. The popiah skin is made of flour and it is eaten fresh, not fried. This dish is popular amongst the Hokkiens. Gan's mom made popiahs today, so I brought home some for parents and myself.

The usual ingredients used to prepare popiah:

popiah skin
stir-fry turnip, carrots, French beans, shrimps (cubed)
fresh greens
shredded eggs
fried shallots
sweet sauce (hoi sin sauce) and chili sauce

Popiah is really good for those who are tired of having meat all the time. It is rather refreshing to go plain once a while. Besides, it is good for those who are on diet too. This is my wrapped-popiah. A little loose on each end though. It tasted really good. Gan's mom makes popiah monthly. I think

After a mouthful bite on my popiah. You can see the eggs and the turnips blasting out from the crepe, hehe. Great meal to end with on National Day.

Eating out: Padi House

2008-08-29T22:55:00.005+08:00

Padi House is located in Cyberjaya. I was there tonight to meet up with my friends, Seema and Eza from the previous workplace. It has been months since our last makan session.

I thought Friday night will be less crowded, since most folks would want to head home for the long weekend. But no... It was so packed that some people needed to queue. Luckily we got there bit early, we managed to grab a table.

Seema ordered the Salmon Steak Rice. She said the rice is too grainy and hard. While Eza has already had her dinner at home.

I ordered the Chicken Burger with salad and fries. There're 2 layers of chicken patty, a slice of cheese, tomato and lettuce. But I find the fries too skinny.

Thank you for the treat and the gossip! Can't wait to see you guys again :)

I'll be missing you

2008-08-28T23:09:00.003+08:00

Sung by Diddy, Faith Evans and One-twelve.

I've been playing this song the entire night. The lyrics is really meaningful. I know, it's an old song (not that old la), but old songs rock no? Enjoy the lyrics!

i'll be missing you.... :)

-----------------------------------------

Yeah... this right here (tell me why)
Goes out, to everyone, that has lost someone
That they truly loved (cmon, check it out)

Seems like yesterday we used to rock the show
I laced the track, you locked the flow
So far from hangin on the block for dough
Notorious, they got to know that
Life aint always what it seem to be (uh-uh)
Words cant express what you mean to me
Even though youre gone, we still a team
Through your family, Ill fulfill your dream (thats right)
In the future, cant wait to see
If you open up the gates for me
Reminisce some time, the night they took my friend (uh-huh)
Try to black it out, but it plays again
When its real, feelings hard to conceal
Cant imagine all the pain I feel
Give anything to hear half your breath (half your breath)
I know you still living your life, after death

Every step I take, every move I make
Every single day, every time I pray
I'll be missing you
Thinkin of the day, when you went away
What a life to take, what a bond to break
Ill be missing you

I miss you big

Its kinda hard with you not around (yeah)
Know you in heaven smilin down (eheh)
Watchin us while we pray for you
Every day we pray for you
Til the day we meet again
In my heart is where
Ill keep you friend
Memories give me the strength I need (uh-huh) to proceed
Strength I need to believe
My thoughts big I just cant define (cant define)
Wish I could turn back the hands of time
Us in the 6, shop for new clothes and kicks
You and me taking flicks
Makin hits, stages they receive you on I still cant believe youre gone (cant believe youre gone)
Give anything to hear half your breath (half your breath)
I know you still living youre life, after death

somebody tell me why

On that morning
When this life is over
I know Ill see your face

Every night I pray, every step I take
Every move I make, every single day
Every night I pray, every step I take
[puff] every day that passes
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] is a day that I get closer
[puff] to seeing you again
Every night I pray, every step I take
[puff] we miss you big... and we wont stop
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] cause we cant stop... thats right
Every night I pray, every step I take
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] we miss you big

source

Mid-Autumn Festival

2008-08-28T16:58:00.000+08:00

... aka Mooncake Festival is just around the corner. Chinese from all over the world, celebrate it annually on the 15th day of the 8th month, based on lunar calendar. And this year, it falls on 14 September.

I notice that renown restaurants like Oversea, Kam Lun Tai, Tai Thong and etc, have started selling mooncakes as early as July! I guess business is very competitive, that they need to sell earlier than the rest.

As most Thursday goes, I will be in Midvalley. Today, there are more carts selling mooncakes located on the center court, lower ground floor. Mostly are big hotels such as, Westin, Nikko, Renaissance, Shangri La, Hilton, etc.

I'm not a mooncake fan myself, but I do like the mini mooncake from Shangri La. We bought 3 mini mooncakes, 2 are Lotus Seed and 1 is Bird's Nest Custard Ping Pei.

Apart from mooncakes, you can get lanterns too. These days, lanterns are powered with batteries. Tsk, nothing beats the traditional, old school lanterns. They use candles! Mine was a unicorn, what's yours?

Anwar won!

2008-08-27T00:08:00.003+08:00

Yeap, as predicted, Anwar won the Permatang Pauh by-election. He won with a majority of over 15,000 votes! I guess all the residents of Permatang Pauh came out in full force.

Apart from winning the by-election, he will also be returning to a familiar building, the Parliament. The 10-year wait is finally over for him. He will definitely be making headlines this day onwards.

Merdeka is just around the corner. Anwar Ibrahim has many reasons to celebrate this day, with his family and party members.

We'll see what's in store for us on this upcoming Merdeka. Don't forget September 16 too. The day when Malaysia was formed.

There comes a time

2008-08-26T15:13:00.000+08:00

Earlier today, I received a mail that reads:

...There comes a point in your life when you realize: who matters, who never did, who won't anymore AND who always will...

That is so true isn't it?

When I was in school, I didn't get to hang out as often (that's for having strict and over-protective parents). Apart from school, the only time I got to see my friends was during tuition. FYI, I went to Sekolah Kebangsaan. I got along really well with my fellow peers of all races. Then came SPM aka graduation. Right after examination, we had a small gathering at the nearby KFC. Only then I felt "Wow, this is it! We're gonna say our goodbyes." We took tons and tons of photos. It was all too memorable then.

Sorry la, can't find any secondary photos in my PC :p

But now, the photos have been chucked aside, along with all the autographs that we used to write to one another. Besides, I have not spoken to them since. Only a handful remains.

Then it was college life. I was able to stay in the hostel, had late nights with my friends, shared blood and sweat developing projects together and had hearty talks. It was the best time in my life, to date! I met so many of my friends whom I am still keeping in touch with. And it was during college life too where I found my besties and love.

Second year, Inti-UC

Though my heart was shattered not once, but twice, it made me stronger and value my friendship even further. Thus, I am blessed to have such girlfriends to share my ups and downs with. The 3 years I spent in Inti was over in a zap. Whenever I think back of the good 'ol times, it always bring a smile on my face.

Then came the corporate life. My first job was with Victoria Station, as an IT admin, where I worked for 3 months. Second job was with an IT company in KL. There, I got really close with my colleagues. Every Friday after work, we would go for karaokes, pool and sometimes, bowling at the nearby mall. It is in this company too that I found love once again. I am thankful for that. However, the company wasn't performing well. So I decided to leave before it was too late.

Chinese New Year 2007

Next, I landed in this MNC based in Cyberjaya. Though we did not have so much fun outside the company, but being one of the organizing community member, we made sure the fun starts from within. We celebrates birthdays every month, different theme costumes each month and BBQ dinners, treasure hunt and even inviting the radio crew over.

I have left the company for over a year now. I still keep in touch with a handful of them. We will meet up and talk/gossip over lunch. Mostly are still working there and many have left and moved on.

I might have a lot of friends, but most of them are too busy and have other priorities in life. Therefore, it's easier for me to keep few friends closer, hehe. And I'm happy to be treated like one too.

Now, I know who matters, who never did, who won't anymore and who always will.

Eating out: Golden Phoenix

2008-08-24T22:54:00.002+08:00

Gan had his annual increment this month. So we, together with my parents, went to Equatorial's Chinese restaurant for lunch. We are often seen dining in this restaurant. So often until the captain and his staff have known our likes and dislikes.

Salad Prawn, priced at RM30

This has got to be one of our favorite dish. We love that our prawns is served without shells. Each prawn is covered evenly with mayonnaise and roe. You can feel the roe bursting in every bite. Fresh fruits is served as the base.

Teo Chew Vermicelli Soup, priced at RM16

Instead of having rice, we ordered the appetizing Teo Chew styled vermicelli. It tastes a little sour. It is served with condiments like fish, shrimp, squid, spring onion and green vege. Also, it is not as heavy as having the entire bowl of rice. Other than these two dishes, we also had Sliced Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion, priced at RM33.

Golden Phoenix serves dim-sum on weekends too. Whilst waiting for our main course, we had few plates of dim-sum: Avocado Baked Bun, Deep Fried Tuna Yam Puff and Steam Yu-Mai. All dim-sums are hand-made by the chefs themselves. Hence, the quality is absolutely assured.

The Olympics

2008-08-22T21:47:00.006+08:00

08-08-08 is definitely a date to remember. It happens once in our lifetime. It is also when the Summer Olympics is held. The night of the opening ceremony, I made sure I'm home and get ready to watch this event. It was really fascinating that the Chinese managed build the Bird's Nest, Water Cube and other Olympic villages on time. And the opening ceremony, watched by millions all over the world, was awesome!

The past Olympic games did not mean much to me. This time around, it meant more. Perhaps that I have been to Greece and have witnessed the ruins in Olympia itself. It is the very birth place of the first Olympics game.

Ruins in Olympia

I stepped on the same ground where past athletes step foot on. Now, almost 3000 years since the first game was held, the mighty stones of yesteryears is still around. Though it no longer stood highly on the ground.

Did you know that these mighty stones is made of shells? Here, take a closer look. Amazing huh?

Priestess lighting up torch

This is Maria, our friendly Greek tour guide. She formerly worked as a History teacher in a local university. We were well-fed with the Greek ancient myths and stories of Gods and Goddesses. Here, she showed us that in the past, a holy priestess would light up the torch before passing it to the torch bearer.

Now that the Olympics is nearing its end. It will be another 4 years before the next Summer Olympic takes place in London. Make sure you stay home this Sunday night and watch the show on your comfy couch.

Eating out: Cook's Idea

2008-08-21T21:06:00.003+08:00

It is Hui Bao's and my night out again. This time around, we went to a familiar place for our dinner: Nelson's Cook's Idea in Seri Kembangan.

Chocolate Banana Shaved Ice, priced at RM5.80

Hui Bao ordered the Chocolate Banana. It is her favorite combination, ever! Plus, it comes with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Just look at that, are you salivating already?

Red Bean Shaved Ice, priced at RM5.80

I ordered the best selling Iced Red Bean. It too, comes with a scoop of ice-cream... yumz~

Thai Styled Fish, priced at RM6.50

This particular dish comes with a bowl of rice. Since Hui Bao and I were not that hungry, we chose not to have the rice. Come to think of it, it is really economical coz you get to have 5-6 slices of fish and rice to go with it. Other cafes might charge at least RM8 for the dish, taxes too.

Salad Chicken, priced at RM6.50

The mayonnaise is really appetizing. There is slightly tumeric powder in it, rather than just plain mayonnaise, which is quite bored.

So, if you are ever in town (Seri Kembangan that is), drop by to try the food and drinks out.

My Ipanema flipflop

2008-08-20T20:55:00.004+08:00

I bought my first pair of Ipanema flipflop today. I know it's been out for a while, can't blame that I'm kinda slow when it comes to fashion. Some say, better late than never.

And they also say, good things come in twos. So I bought 2 pairs straight away *beam* However, I'm not so sure the exact name of this model, think should be one of G2B Pure category.

I bought it at Studio R, 1Utama for only RM36.90/pair. When I checked it online, it is selling at £15.99/pair. woooot~ Saved so much.

Can't wait to parade it on the beach :D

Eating in: Grilled Ribs

2008-08-19T22:55:00.000+08:00

Very often, I am triggered after watching AFC. And from there, I will try to improvise using any ingredients that I can find in my fridge. For dinner, I tried the Tex Mex Pork Ribs which was found in that site too. But my recipe is much, much simpler.

I only use:

paprika
salt & pepper
brown sugar
oregano (I used parsley instead)

If you could follow exactly like the given recipe, I'm sure it'll taste much better than mine. Keep the ribs marinated for at least 4 hours.

Lately, I'm really into garlic spread. So, I tried that on one the ribs. This is only seconds away before being grilled. Remember to preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes at the highest temperature. Mine was set to 300ºC

According to the instruction, I have to leave the door open at the first position.Barely 5 minutes in the oven, the aroma filled my dry kitchen. About 8 mins later, I turned the ribs over and continue grilling, with door closed. And at this time, I have chopped some capsicum to be grilled as well.

7 mins later, timer stopped and I removed the grilled tray from the oven. Tada~ My ribs!

Just look at them. MmMmmMm~ Crisp on the outside, juicy in the inside. Not too well-done and tasted just nice. However, I need to double up my ingredients. I can barely taste the paprika and the parsley. My ribs tasted a little sweet. The rib with garlic spread tasted good too. Basically, the taste was covered with garlic and not paprika anymore.

Mom and I had a tough time washing and rinsing off the stains and burnt meat that were sticking on the grilling grid and trays. It wasn't much fun after all.

Preview

2008-08-16T23:02:00.000+08:00

About a month ago, I gave a very important duty to my trusted Shally: to design invitation card. 'Coz I know she won't let me down in anyway.

So earlier today, she sent me 2 artworks that she designed and drafted.

Isn't it gorgeous? All I did was tell her my requirements and tada~ simple yet marvelous. Just what I wanted it to be.

Now, all I need is to finalize the details and let her midas touch beautify it up. All credits goes to her *mwahs babe*

Eating out: The Cave

2008-08-16T15:29:00.005+08:00

The Cave: Couple Cafe & Restaurant is an eatery located in SS2. I spotted this cafe some time back and its advertisement in our dailies. So, Gan and I went to check this place out.

All seatings are from 1st floor upwards. We climbed a flock of stone staircase. The entire structure is made of stone. It really looks impressive.

All waiters/waitresses are dresses like cavemen. Nah, I'm just kidding :p Most of the seating arrangements are comfortable for 2. However, if there're 3-4 of you, there are always extra chairs around. Perhaps, there are even bigger cave dwellings to occupy 3-4 person nicely.

The Cave offers western and Asian food. As we're dining in such an extraordinary place for the first time, we opt for western food. You know, the mood and atmosphere is as such that having Asian food is totally out of our mind :p

Salmon Fillet, priced at RM26

Both Gan and I ordered seafood. Gan had the Salmon Fillet, to which he said is fresh, but tasted rather bland. It was served with mashed potato and spinach.

Barramundi Fillet, priced at RM22

Mine is served exactly the same as the Salmon Fillet, which is a disappointment. I thought it is cooked in a different style but it is not. The Barramundi is worse than the Salmon, the skin is hard and cold, like it's being heat up with microwave.

Eh baby, your neck looked so long! :p Anyway, I don't mind going there again to try out other choices. Price is quite reasonable too, won't hurt one's wallet.

The Cave
16-18, Jalan SS2/61
43700 PJ
Tel: 7873 9888

Been tagged!

2008-08-14T23:29:00.001+08:00

Two Things

This tag was passed to me by Ayeen

Two names you go by
1. Lian
2. Carol

Two things you are wearing right now
1. Specs
2. Earrings

Two things you want very badly at the moment
1. Splurge myself with an expensive, luxurious holiday!
2. Repeat no 1 over and over again!

Two things you did last night just before bed
1. Brush teeth
2. Get cozy with my quilt :p

Two things you ate today
1. Japanese food, yumz
2. Ipoh's dim sum, wooot

Two people you just spoke with
1. Parents
2. Gan

Two things you are doing tomorrow
1. Visit my late brother
2. Go KampungKu to pay deposit

Two longest car rides
1. 3-hour ride from KLCC-home, which usually takes 30 mins
2. To the east coast

Two favourite beverages
1. I don't
2. have one

Two persons who are chosen to do this meme:
1. Shally
2. Winston

Eating out: Sushi Zanmai

2008-08-14T17:40:00.002+08:00

We like Japanese food very much. There aren't much frying nor marinating needed in preparing the food. Most are eaten raw or cooked lightly. Today, we had lunch in Sushi Zanmai in Midvalley. Sushi Zanmai is operated by the corporation that runs Rakuzen. Hence, its quality and even presentation are up to standard. This is our nth time dining in. You can tell how much we love them :D

Toro Salmon Sashimi, priced at RM13

We ordered 2 sets of sashimi. The amount of Omega oil in each piece is high that you can feel in every bite. After dipping into wasabi and soy sauce, you can still taste the freshness of the salmon. Simply succulent!

Rolls, priced at RM12.80 each

We also ordered Caterpillar Roll and Dragon Roll. We love that each piece is topped with avocado. These two are definitely in our must-have list. Not forgetting, Stamina Roll too. Stamina Roll is topped with sliced Unagi.

Cha Soba (small), priced at RM8.80

Cha means green tea. This soba is served chilled, even the accompanying sauce is chilled. It tastes really good. I still can taste it in my mouth, yumz~

Salmon Salad Maki, priced at RM4.80

Other than those, we also had some sushi. We took few plates from the sushi conveyor. There are many varieties to choose from. You might have a hard time to decide which sushi to get.

Natto Maki, priced at RM3.80

This is not the average sushi you can get anywhere else (at least that's what I think). Natto is actually fermented soybeans that the Japanese usually take for breakfast. It is really good for health and it is said it can reduce blood clotting, lower cholesterol, full of Vitamin K and prevent cancer. However, not everyone can acquire it. The texture is rather sticky and has a strong flavor. I used to eat this daily whenever I'm in Japan. Just eat for the sake of health :p

A short trip

2008-08-13T22:11:00.001+08:00

My parents and I went back to Ipoh early this morning. We didn't stay over-night though. The reason for such a short trip was my aunt had gone for a mastectomy surgery last weekend.

Weeks after my grandmother had hers, it was my aunt's turn. She was discharged just after 2 nights of admission. Though she might looked a little pale, but told us that she didn't feel any pain nor discomfort. Just that the wound affects her mobility to run errands. That's what my grandmother told us too. I am glad they are thinking so positively and give grace to our Lord.

My mom and I volunteered to cook them a simple, healthy lunch! My mom's in-charge of Miso Steamed Chicken, while I cooked Aglio Olio Spaghetti. My grandmother isn't a big fan of Japanese and Western food, she only had a few bites on both dishes. My aunt, on the other hand, ate with acceptance, hehe.

Most of us kids are grown-ups now. The only time we gather around is during festive seasons. That is, if everyone is back to hometown. It saddens me whenever I think back of the past, where we share laughter and joy. Even if times like this are hard to seized, I will make sure I treasure every moment.

Surprise!

2008-08-12T13:36:00.000+08:00

Take a peek! Don't worry, it's not virus nor spam related sites. It's totally safe to be clicked wherever you are, be it office or home.

Still feeling doubtful? Well, it's your loss!

Pilates

2008-08-11T20:53:00.003+08:00

I have yet to post any photos of the studio where I have my pilates at. Let me do so today...

The studio is very simple with only one workstation. Seen here, there are a notice board, floor mats, workout balls and few more items which I don't know what to call them. There are also sweat clothes for sales.

These 3 equipments are the usual place I workout with. Using these, I focus on areas like my back, arm, shoulder and abs.

The 2 equipments that looks like bed is called reformer. I get to workout on my belly, back and legs (thigh, calves, ankle and foot). Not to forget, a gym ball too helps a lot.

Yes yes, this is the only equipment where I have yet to conquer. I've seen other pilates mates who work on this get to focus on their abs and waist.

I've been going pilates classes regularly for almost 4 months now. I managed to shed few pounds and toned up just a bitsy tiny little. Most importantly, it helps my back. Hopefully, my lumbar lordosis won't get worst.