~cHoCoLaiTe~

Missing in action

2011-07-13T23:03:00.000+08:00

Hello again.

It's been more than a year since I last blogged. Blame that on the advent of Social Networking sites that made it ever so easy to update statuses, post pics, twit happenings, check-in locations....

Plus the fact that I've been most tied up with work, the bane of life. And in the last 9 months, the amount of travelling was like... phew!

So how do I blog the last 9 months, anyway?

Let's see. Last blog was back in March 2010.
Since then, I've traveled around the Country to conduct audits and training. Recently married, honeymoon was deferred to a later date.

October 2010
I changed role, and went Regional. It was a slow start initially, feeling my way around, getting the hang of the support role.

January 2011
New role got more active. I started travelling the Region.
First it was Indonesia, then Singapore. Then more Indonesia, followed by India.
Next stop was HongKong, then Indonesia again, off to Philippines. Then there was Thailand. I didn't get to step foot in Brunei, though I got them at Kota Kinabalu.

July 2011

Now I'm in HongKong and soon to head to Vietnam for a short visit after 3 years away.

It seems for the next 3 months, I'll be chartering to fro HongKong mostly.

So where else do I have? Let's see, there's Taiwan, Korea and China.

With these three, I would have set foot on all the Asian businesses, with exception of Japan.

They're always not in the list. Why is that anyway....

In the past year, I took up active trekking for awhile. It slowed, though parents are still active. Amazing what retirement can do...

I wonder when will I get to post again...

Posting in anger

2010-03-30T21:51:00.000+08:00

Its been awhile since I last blogged. Life had been exciting, full of variety and tasks. With exams fast approaching, deadlines everywhere, I can't complain more.

Then again, surprisingly it is a dumb arse woman that finally prompted me to sign in and start posting again. And for that, I must allocate a line for her. Kudos for being a hated road user, bane of drivers and embarrassment of the gender.

What happened?

She chose to exit a junction, block the road and made everyone wait a full traffic cycle, just so she gets a spot ahead of everyone else (Ching Ming's right around the corner, ain't it?)

So there you go.
Your 5 seconds of fame. Hope your colleagues and friends see this. Some good example you are.

Conversation with a Uni Grad

2010-02-22T20:49:00.002+08:00

Ujin says:

weekend apa plan? tak mau datang ambik angpow ka?

joevan says:

nak nak nak..

joevan says:

pos laju cannot kar?

Ujin says:

nope. u mari ambik.

joevan says:

but kor kor said go bac on thursday night o..

Ujin says:

hohoho.... then tak dapat loh...

joevan says:

=.=

joevan says:

pos laju..

Ujin says:

nope. cannot pos money.

joevan says:

can can can

joevan says:

got wang pos de

Ujin says:

kenot kenot kenot

Ujin says:

want angpow mari angkat...hahaha

joevan says:

okie i ponteng class go take angpow

Ujin says:

okie, but i no ponteng work, so i reach home thursday nite only

joevan says:

=.=

joevan says:

i go ur workplace take..

joevan says:

u leave it at home

joevan says:

i go ur hs take

Ujin says:

kenot, you must wish gongxi gongxi to me only can take.

joevan says:

i wish here

joevan says:

take angpow

joevan says:

at home

joevan says:

at ur hs

Ujin says:

kenot..... must shake hand mah

joevan says:

u close ur eyes now n imagine

Ujin says:

kenot laaaaa...

joevan says:

can de can de..

Students nowadays.... haish..

Chinese New Year 2010

2010-02-13T22:17:00.000+08:00

Nostalgic moments

Our first CNY without Gramps. And after so many years, we're back in Cameron, the place that we celebrated CNY whilst growing up with Gramps. In some way it was nostalgic. Quite a pity that Lim Villa is no longer available. It would make quite a good closure.

That's my hand, doing the arsonist's job.

Dad lending a hand to get the fire going. Secret to a good BBQ is the heat, not the flames.

On right, the charcoals getting a good warming.

And at the bottom, the Perfect flame.

The food

The Cooking

Visitor at home

2010-02-01T22:02:00.001+08:00

Little "squirrel" came visiting to parent's place from the neighborhood. He (I think) constantly visited for food, despite having been caught, released, caught and released again.

This time round, he's marked. You'll know its him if you see a *white little fella bounding down the streets. Hahahaa..Dad marked him white on the body, whilst the previous guy got marked *greeen....

Dinner @ Home

2010-01-31T21:27:00.000+08:00

Dinner preparations started with a glass of Rosemount Cabernet Shiraz 2007 - exquisite

Main ocourse was baked "chicken meat" fish using a mixture of parsley, watercress sauce and plain salt and pepper.

And the finished product... nicely served with a unique sauce of watercress +garlic +mayonaise +lemon sauce.

Way to eat it... small bites with the sauce.

For tummy filler, a good slab of Malaccan roasted pork, generously served...

Not to forget Jo's filo pastry with spinach and cocktail sausages... and a good helping of honey mustard spicy Chat potatoes and cheese baked Chat potatoes.

Dessert imported from Ipoh - Coconut Jelly.

Breakfast @ Glenmarie

2010-01-25T10:14:00.002+08:00

One eat-spot in town that serves a good selection of economy rice and noodles can be found at U1 Glenmarie.

Famous dish to look for would be the Curry Mee, with a variety of ingredients to include...

Spice level - High. Mark Tan will attest to that.

As always, good food must be shared. And good company makes it better.

Life is no bed of Roses

2010-01-18T21:31:00.003+08:00

One thing's for certain. I cannot live life expecting roses everyday.
Sometimes they come, at the most unexpected moment, from the least expected people.

But the one who is supposed to deliver... disappointment again.

What do I do?

Of lifelong decisions and mistakes on the spur

2010-01-17T10:56:00.005+08:00

Life takes twists and turns expectedly. And in life, there comes a time where things are simply expected.

So there I was, happily cruising thru in a 2 wheeler, enjoying the bachelorhood and couldn't-care-less... to the day I had to switch to a 2 door ride. Add-on in techie, or in McD if you prefer.

There's the adjustment to deal with. A little tuning here and there is a requisite every now and then. Mood swings, temper tantrum... its all in the package. Take it or leave it.

I did a little pondering. It'll be great to have to do this for myself. That doesn't work this lifetime. Commitments and a duty to deliver pretty much sums of the path.

Certain I didn't make a mistake? I suppose I did have lots of silly stubborn mistakes. Some I just have to live with for awhile.

Finally it became clear. I deliver. I always deliver.
Tempers I can deal with. Tantrums I can live with. I have mine to share, so its only fair [then live's not always fair]. And now I embark on this path, one which I stand firm on not turning back.

6 days to go.

Wish me luck.

Paying by the size of your car

2010-01-10T16:19:00.002+08:00

You all heard about the fuel subsidy for vehicles with smaller CC.
Here's what I heard, and a thought for you:

Users are to swipe their Malaysian ID at the fuel station before filling up.
The swipe will tell what vehicle's CC the user own.
User gets fuel at the earned value.

So now think on this.

Father owns a 7 series and 1.5cc, but registers the 7 series as a gift for the son.
Father drives the 7 series to the pump, swipes his ID (which says he owns a 1.5cc)
So he gets cheaper fuel, for his larger car.
Son drives the 1.5cc, pays fuel for the 7 series (cant be bad, since the tank's so minute)

The rich gets a loophole, the working class pays for it?

Getting married

2009-12-26T11:22:00.002+08:00

A moment in my life to remember...

Waiting in line to take the marriage vow [and waiting for the witnesses to arrive]

Repeating the marriage vows by taking an oath :o

Exchanging wedding rings [Now we're bound for *life*]

Christmas Day Dinner

2009-12-25T23:42:00.000+08:00

The meal preparation started around 4pm. We targeted dinner to commence 7pm.

A swirl of activities - everyone's hard at work, under the Chef's supervision (ahem!)

Cream of pumpkin all ready to go (a whole pumpkin went into this - no Campbell contribution this time round)

Potato stuffed capsicum, topped with melted cheese and cheese baked aubergine. Trying to go less-meat this year.

Boiled brussels sprouts. My favourite, also a legacy from grandpa.

The roasted turkey, from The Ship, Damansara. They always lived up to their name.

A flurry of knife work. Turkey carving had become my main task each year.

Not too shabby eh...

Ask me not what those bratwurst are. I've no idea. The can's not in English, it was a gift, and the instruction given was to boil em, peel em, eat em.

Tasted ok, a little saltish. For the life of me, I couldn't really stomach what I don't recognize.

The highlights of Christmas - 3 lobsters, imported frozen from East M'sia.

Halved, spiced with oregano by recommendation, salted and peppered. Generously topped with mozarella cheese.

Oven baked for 30 minutes...

Voila! Pardon the poor photography. Cheese was nicely browned...

Dessert was fruit tarts, infused with 12 year old Glenfiddich Single Malt Whiskey. Yummy....

And to wash it all down, I made a little cocktail...

P.Wen felt the kick from the first sip...

Jo says "Hmmm..."

Sunkist + Vodka + Lemon juice = Can't go wrong cocktail

And that's me after dinner, and a full bottle of Vodka.

Christmas Eve dinner

2009-12-24T21:34:00.000+08:00

Decided to do a light Christmas Eve dinner this year, since Jo and Cheng will only be back on 25th.

So for the 5 of us, oven bake was the order of the night.

Baked potatoes in dried parsley

Oven baked Salmon

Baked, cheese stuffed chicken breast

Movie night: New Moon

2009-11-27T23:00:00.001+08:00

My review of this movie may likely ellicit some resistance from the many chicklets and chickadees who're fans of this saga.

Having sat thru 2 hours of the movie (excluding the various snipped off scenes by 1M'sians), it got me thinking of some of the practical aspects of being the mythical creatures...

Like the human lady who's dinner to one, and lover to another...

Or the group of hunks (I kept hearing loud ooohs and aaahs from the chicklets in the cinema each time these gents appeared) that changes into *stinking mutts* conveniently when provoked.

Ever wondered where they got their pants when they change back to their human form? I'd reckon werewolves don't have a pouch akin to kangaroos. Which leaves them with one possible hidey hole - the butt!

And not to forget the fact that vampires can re-create their kind with a little *infection*. This rather tilts the balance in the face-off. Imagine 5 w-wolves vs 500 vamps? After all, the movie makes it clear w-wolves were a genetic trait of the tribe. So don't expect to see an afro-american wolf?

Me being a leather-freak, I got to thinking about those sparkling hide - they could be a good income earner if nicely cured. You'll have the supermodels strutting the catwalk with a Cullen hide, sparkles brighter than diamonds in the sun..

But what impressed me the most [not having read the books] was Jane's ability. She said *pain*, and you get *pain*.

What if she said *orgasm*? Hmmm..... [humans are never meant to be given special abilities] :)

First meal from home

2009-11-25T22:00:00.002+08:00

Just wanna share the first meal cooked at home. None of your business anyway hahaha...

Pan Mee @ Jln Abd Aziz, Kuantan

2009-11-14T12:48:00.000+08:00

I was introduced to this whilst on a business trip to Kuantan...

Hand made pan mee with fish ball, anchovies and lots of seasoning

Extra serving of pork lard, fried till crispy.... and blardy sinful

Extra serving of fried anchovies...... I'm headed to hell for this

But of course, I didn't have it all to myself. Food for two.

DELL kaput

2009-11-11T11:43:00.002+08:00

How could this happen?
One moment it went just fine, the next... kraaak!

And there goes one hinge...

Father's birthday

2009-11-07T13:46:00.004+08:00

Father's birthday at San Francisco Steakhouse...

Opening starters with a limited edition Murray McDavid Macallan 1990. The verdict - super aromatic and smooth.At 58% alcohol content, its definitely an excellent throat whetter...

Old timer frozen margarita

Angus Beef Burger, 150 days of grain fed beef

Crispy Fried Chicken Maryland

Angus T-Bone Steak

Upside Down Pear with Vanilla Ice Cream

Thai food for dinner

2009-10-16T09:34:00.003+08:00

Trying our hands on Siamese fare...

Corn soup. Yucks for this... totally unappealling.

Tossed spicy and sour sauce. This turned out well, with quite a kick..

Green curry chicken. Too much gravy, not enough cream. Its pungent and spicy, with little else. A bummer...

Fruit salad on filament sheets... passable. A good wrap for the disastrous dinner.

Chocolate coated cookies to fill the tummy. At least something decent for the meal...

Wedding - Lindy's cousin

2009-10-03T21:19:00.000+08:00

Cousins...

Nephew Kai Jie

Mini family getogether in Ipoh

2009-10-03T15:13:00.000+08:00

Ma wanted to "announce" the wedding to the ancestral family before the 100 day anniversary of Grandma's death. We couldn't figure out what was the reason for this, but since the "hand me down" knowledge had meant to be good, Ma decided its better to be ignorant and go along...

And so we went thru the motions (pretty quick and fast), with a little lunch for the family after.

The foodies above were not from the restaurant. We figured the appetizer (peanuts) would be of meagre portions, so some mooncakes were brought along...

This dish was great. The spicy and lime-sour taste worked really well with the vegetables and fish slices.

To those that wastes food....

2009-09-25T08:06:00.002+08:00

Let this be a reminder to all - cook what you need, eat what you cook. Waste not.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Healthy potatoe dinner..

2009-09-22T22:20:00.003+08:00

Home cooked meal in the healthiest possible way...

Dish One

Potatoe, Broccoli, Chevril, Cheese and some filo sheets that's supposed to appear flaky after backed. This is a vegetarian dish.

This is how it looked inside

Cross section. Looks great. Unfortunately the taste was a little lacking. Needed more salt, and some bacon strips to add flavor (says mum).

Dish Two

Filo sheets used to wrap minced chicken, prawn and carrots. This worked well.

Dish Three

Chicken breast stuffed with mashed potatoe and spinach. Topped with a fresh tomatoe sauce. This dish worked perfect minus the coloring...

Dish Four

Dessert - chilled chocolate coated Marie biscuits with coated with cooca powder

The cross section. This is the perfect finale for dinner. And the best compliment came from Dad "Where did you guys bought this?"

Bingo!

Perils of enjoying food too much

2009-09-15T21:43:00.003+08:00

Presenting to you the effects of gout (suspected).... Somehow, I don't feel that rich to get this Rich Man's Disease.

My sick right toe...

My healthy left toe...

Dinner at Za's Kitchen, a Fusion Restaurant

2009-09-07T19:13:00.001+08:00

A newspaper article brought us here... On that article, it says Za's Kitchen in SS15 Subang Jaya. And so we drove through the road looking for Za's Kitchen.

Shown below, its more Fusion than Za. No wonder we missed the place and had to drive by twice to get it right.

The rightful name, nicely tucked inside the shop..

Warm water, lightly flava'd

A interesting beef dish of Thai spicy sauce. Good stuff, a little heavy on the salt.

Thai green curry. Passable dish that would be great if it has the little unripe aubergine.

Thai fried rice

Another Thai fried rice

This we didn't ask for. It came by mistake, we had it (pretty nice) and was complimentary on the bill (Thank you!!!) Glass noodle would have made this dish better...

Tom Yum Kung!

By now it would be rather obvious Za's Kitchen has much Siam influence. Even the staffs showed some exotic flair with their halting English and lack of comprehesion towards our questions... :)

So why Fusion? I'd recommend you pay a visit to find out. Find Station One in SS 15, Subang Jaya, drive about 50m past the wet market and you'll find the place on the left.

Just for kicks

2009-09-07T17:41:00.000+08:00

Her's, not mine...

Most expensive liquor ever seen...

2009-09-06T21:56:00.001+08:00

Sorry the image is so grainy. Best I could get discretely. The label is Dalmore, Single Malt Whiskey of Scotland, aged 40 years and it cost RM8,188.00.

That's right, double the price of Louis XIII. Is this for real????

Official website www.thedalmore.com says this elixir had been nurtured by the Master Distiller since 13th February 1965. That's some 44 years ago... whosh!

Cam whoring in Langkawi

2009-09-06T12:03:00.002+08:00

H1N1's a definite scare, though it didn't keep us away from the trip...

Waiting for lunch...

Hotel dinner

2009-09-05T20:36:00.000+08:00

We didn't felt like going far for dinner, and decided on packed stuffs instead. So here's the local fare....

Getting engaged...

2009-09-05T17:59:00.002+08:00

Another major expense hit me... this time for the 2nd (supposedly 1st) ring....

His - Hers - Hers (hey!)

Definitely a yes for this...

And so we begin....

The classic proposal on bended knee

Look of surprise

Slipping on the ring

Making sure it fits perfectly

SUCCESS!

Kampung Siam, Pantai Chenang

2009-09-05T12:22:00.001+08:00

Introduced to this place, a former Eden Restaurant located at the side of Underwater World.

Uniquely prepared, a spicy Thai fried Grouper

This was disappointing. it didn't hit the mark, though I finished the whole hot!

Underwater World, Langkawi

2009-09-05T10:23:00.000+08:00

The below a series of images taken on a Canon Ixus 850 IS.

This would be good if steamed with ginger slices...

New addition to the family - quite a swank guy

For some reasons, this chap likes to pose for pics

Creepy to have something so big next to your head..

Fugu!

Day 2 - Langkawi

2009-09-05T09:26:00.000+08:00

These were painted on the wall of the cafe, which was owned by a Korean couple at Chenang Beach. To locate, walk in a lane once you see T-Jay's signboard. Its just next door.

For RM10, I'd say its not a bargain. Oh well, that's a lesson for seeking food along the tourist stretch. Ouch!

Duty Free liquor

2009-09-04T23:41:00.000+08:00

Being a duty free island, this place has 3 things to look out for. Cheap tobacco, cheap chocolates and cheap liquor!

And with it being cheap, the temptation to go crazy is certainly uncontrollable...

Card games with liquor stakes...

Good beer!

Bad wine! (Its Chilean, its canned, and its definitely *canned)

Total consumption for this nite...

Rootian Seafood Restaurant, Kuah (Langkawi)

2009-09-04T20:33:00.001+08:00

Our main reason for being here... the good food below!

Presenting Rootian Seafood Restaurant @ Kuah town centre, 04 966 0580.

The food hunters:

Good food is always accompanied by good drinks. For seafood, its definitely white wine.

Basic greens as I was still recovering from a nasty cough (worried I may be apprehended at the airport as I just recovered from a bout of fever)

Butter fried squid with curry leaves, an excellent dish that's never missed.

Two tiger prawns, split in half and stir fried in a creamy sauce. Each prawns the length of my palm.

Pan fried Oysters with egg

In Cantonese its referred to as meat crab. The huge claws and succulent flesh makes this a killer dish

And here's the killing bullet - crab roe in great abundance all down my throat as no one else wanted them... tsk tsk... this is gourmet food

Can anyone decipher the text on the shell?

Deep fried shrimp roll - a pretty good dish

The cost - RM217 (RM89.60 for the prawns! RM72.00 for the crabs! RM12.00 for the squid)
Pretty decent rates, judging from the amount of heart stopping stuffs I took.

* I ended up with a limp the next day. Suspected gout attack. Sigh.....

Couldn't pass the opportunity to get this - Louis XIII, RM4,800. The crystal stopper slotted into the underside of the cover.

Holiday breakaway - Langkawi

2009-09-04T13:15:00.001+08:00

At the Low Cost Carrier Terminal, all bundled against H1N1

Meeting of the in-laws

2009-09-01T18:11:00.001+08:00

The big day arrived. My parents made a trip to Melaka to meet up with Lindy's parents. We started the session over lunch at Bei Zhan. A very nice meal, with her aunt, and her sister's in-laws as well...

Lunch was a little awkward, with 11 around the table. The place was echoing rather badly (bad choice) and Dad decided to pay them a visit at home to discuss the details.

All in all, pretty ok. They got along just fine. Now that the first meet had taken place, we can look forward to arranging some future meets.

snowflake - taiwanese dessert secrets

2009-08-30T21:51:00.002+08:00

This place was introduced on a food channel, and we've been here a couple of times... thought it'd be great to share it a bit....

But then once the dessert arrives.....

I wasn't kidding about the couple of times... hahaha.

Beeper to notify us once the dessert's ready.. its a UFO, and it vibrates!

And we were so hungry till I forgot all about taking the pics....

Another good yet strange meal

2009-08-24T14:05:00.000+08:00

This northern state continues to surprise us...

Tofu, all nicely hidden in soya sheets

Pork in lam yee marinade

3 layered pork in salted fish, really really good.

Kailan in salted vegetable

Lotus roots fried in salted eggs

Ginger and chinese wine chicken soup

Yee family moving to hallowed grounds

2009-08-24T11:30:00.000+08:00

Big day for the family. We decided to move the ancestral plaque to a temple, since the house will be rented out soon.

Filling up the tummy before the shift.

Almost everyone's here...

Young and old, weird and quirky...

Dust to dust, ashes to ashes...

New home...

A well guarded modern abode, air conditioned with 24 7 security, fully serviced with cleaning and community prayer facilities

Dessert

2009-08-23T21:18:00.000+08:00

New Overseas Restaurant, Ipoh

2009-08-23T20:40:00.000+08:00

A new branch of the chain, located near Pasir Pinji.

One half of the suckling pig's jaw..

Blue accented... yucks!

A combo dish of chinese mantou with venison patty

Chinese Venison burger...

Pomfret in 2 styles - fried on one side, steamed on the other

Herbal chicken... ho humm...

RM250 for this dish!!! What a rip off!

Coconut pudding

And the verdict: Eat at your wallet's risk! A RM800 meal that would have been better spent elsewhere

Dinner @ Tg Tualang, Perak

2009-08-22T23:48:00.000+08:00

Wetting the lips before the dinner....

A really good dish, cooked to the right taste with the perfect heat.

Cooking a fresh fish in two ways proved the chef's versatility and skill...

Self made tofu

Fried squid

Stir fried mini lobsters with curry leaves

Stir Fried crabs

All there to feed a table of 6, at a cost of RM150.00

At times living away from an urban city certainly has its plus points.

Job Vacancy

2009-08-17T18:04:00.002+08:00

Available Vacancy at Rentokil Initial Malaysia

Position - Service Controller (Administrative staff, 2 vacancies)
Location - Menara Yayasan Selangor, opposite Tmn Jaya LRT Station
Requirement:

Speaks and writes comprehensible English
Computer literate
Familiar with Microsoft Office and email use
Has good sense of responsibility
Organised (neat freak encouraged to apply)
Bubbly and cheerful character recommended

Work environment:

Head office, 15th Floor
5 days week, 8.30am-6.00pm
Has plenty of mentor, works with fellow controllers (6 people)
Occasional travel to Operations centre at Kota Kemuning with fellow controllers

Interested please write to me.

2009-08-14T22:15:00.002+08:00

Day 3-5

Good and bad. Some lecturers were engaging and others barely.
It goes to show the background and expertise of each makes a difference. Exposure counts, experience doesn't.

And all those references to P'tics, misdirected religion, Arabic words in lieu doesn't help. This is Safety class. Philosophy is philosophy. There's no need for translation to other languages if its not the spoken language in class.

At times the mind drifted. I was making comparisons to the teachers of Hogwarts!

2009-08-11T19:36:00.001+08:00

Day 2

Another long day in class. Still a little dull, prolly due to the subject matter. Policies and Documentation.

Having not attended a lecture for so many years, it took awhile for the engine to jump start. But the materials are good. I'm learning to do my job the proper way. Can't really rely on info dissemination within the Company. Somehow it's never enough.

Gotto gear up for tomorrow. Supposed to be a really long day.

Back to school

2009-08-10T18:34:00.000+08:00

Day 1

Registration day at NIOSH, Bangi.
I'm officially a student again. This time I'll be taking the Certificate Programme for Safety & Health Officer. The aim - get certified by DOSH as a SHO. I will be registered with the agency.

The stove is mine, again

2009-08-08T22:26:00.000+08:00

8th August, a day that was fun for me, but also a disaster of great proportion in Taiwan.

Brussels sprout - I love this

Angel Hair Bacon

Fried Breaded Chicken Breast

The guest of honour...

I've been too occupied

2009-08-06T20:05:00.005+08:00

I have not been blogging for such a long time. Month of July had been hectic. Weekends were practically non-existent with stuffs to do and places to go...

SO what's been happening then...

Transformers II, Revenge of the Fallen

Caught the movie early July after Granny's funeral. The four of us hit 1U on a Monday morning and got the whole cinema to ourselves. Plus it was a paid 2 free 2 tickets at non-peak hours. Imagine - RM3.50 per person to watch the official movie in a 100 seater all to ourselves.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The long awaited movie... which turned out to be quite a bummer. They weren't joking when they wanted to give us the gist of the book. So much crucial scenes removed... only to be replaced by teenage romance??? What happened to the fight out of the castle scene? Where's Bill and Fleur? What about the fight with the werewolf? Sigh...

PC Fair

An annual event that must not be missed for the geeks and gooks (there such a word? nevermind, it rhymes...) Amazing bargains, galore of chicks, hardwares and junks, people, people, people everywhere.... and my reason for being there?

I got my HWM renewed, and grabbed the last digital photo frame... woo hooo....

Staff's camp-out

Business affair, with some non-official activities thrown in... all an excuse to get away for a bit, bonding and being silly. Its been sometime since I roughed it out in nature. And being there is where it all began. I've always had it in me. Right from the schooling days, to the multitudes of field trips in Uni and my first job right there in the middle of nowhere... The camp-out helped me put things back into perspective. Its a darn big world out there. Especially past midnight when everyone's asleep in their tents, and I'm lying outside all alone, wrapped up in the sleeping bag. Its a really big world out there... darn big.

Co's car wash

Another business affair. Get everyone together to wash the fleet...show some teamwork. Also a darn good excuse to have some fun.

B'sides the weekends there's the usual honcho's meeting (getting better this time round), dinners and work, lunches and work, getogether sessions and work...

And what's next... well its August now. 4 months to go for the big day. Suddenly I don't feel like having a lot of time now... Aarrrrgggghhh....

Happy Birthday Lindy

2009-07-29T22:19:00.000+08:00

Another year older, another year wiser...

Happy Birthday, darling!

And to pass the time....

2009-07-10T04:36:00.000+08:00

Passing time in the wee hours of the morning whilst doing nothing is tough job. Add the fact that there's no WiFi, no Astro, and practically no practical entertainment of any sorts....

To the cards we go.

And since we're not into monetary gambling (forbid!), we made do with the largest supply of gamble-able stuff available...

Drinking water!!!!

My penalty after 2 rounds....

After 4 rounds....

Getting bad. There's so much water sloshing in the tummy we couldn't go on.

Time to change the stakes.

Ground nuts!

My penalty again...

Gosh, this may likely end my as my funeral if we went on....

Midnight vigil....

2009-07-09T07:25:00.000+08:00

Customary to the Chinese, family members take turns to watch over Grandma's body thru out the night. Whilst there're options to place her at designated places meant for these purposes, we elected to do it at home.
And so there's Grandma, sleeping peacefully behind the elaborately decorated facade....

And the supper, supplied by the caretakers (I forgot what they're called)

And me, all puffy eyed and fuzzy brained after 48 hours of interrupted rests...

Grandma's funeral

2009-07-07T23:45:00.000+08:00

Grandma passed away, at the age of 84. She had had a good life, long and fruitful. Grandma went thru a period of Alzheimer's, plus brittle bones to boot. She's not great on mobility, but she's fighter none the less.

In a way, I am happy for her. She went away in her sleep, peaceful and contented. It was unfortunate that none of us were by her bedside this night.

I last saw her back in April, when we celebrated her birthday. She had her sons, her grand children, and even great grand children with her. Though we couldn't really know what was in her mind, but I had no doubt that she knew we were there, and she was happy.

Rest in peace, and a blessed journey ahead.

We've moved in...

2009-06-21T20:03:00.004+08:00

Its all in!
With the curtains all nicely hung, we're all set to stay comfortably...

Next on the list... a dining table. Hahahaaha..... We're eating on the sofa like all couch potatoes...

2009-06-21T08:02:00.000+08:00

HAPPY FATHER's DAY

Battery needed

2009-06-14T20:40:00.003+08:00

This is an outrage! I can't find a replacement battery for my MWG Zinc II pda phone. I went back to PDA Expert, the one place that sold the Zinc II back in July 2008. After one full year of faithful use, the battery had started to act quirky.

The unfortunate part, O2's service centre had been taken over by MWG and they don't even exist in Malaysia now!

!@(*^(^!@!!!!!

So where else can I find an original battery for my trustee (and yet to fully depreciate) phone????

Anyone could lend a hand?

Friends and Food

2009-06-07T22:31:00.008+08:00

Two of the nicest things to look forward to... good friends and great food.
In a little tucked off corner of town, amidst trees rolling countryside...

Taking our city rides onto the dirt road...

Strange how the off beat places usually draws the most crowd...

Our dining room. That's where we'll have our dinner caught for us...

Kate and Alfred, our guides...

CK and Cynthia, our entertainment....

The kitchen, by the main entrance...

Grilled...

Grilled again...

And grilled again...

More grilling..

Dinner being grown...

Dining in the open

A myriad of dishes ala Siam

This dish blew me away... fried chinese spinach!

Simple directions? Not unless you had a guide. The entrance off the road's unassuming. The road'll never reveal its culinary secrets. And the best part, my GPS indicated off the grid!

Verdict: Cheap good food, in a mystique location that'll set your heart thumping for a good 5 minutes before you see the actual place. Plus a bonus tourist spot - Lookout Point

Downward spiral

2009-06-04T21:50:00.003+08:00

Wedding preparations can be so exhausting. Even more so when all the work involved moving into the new place. Imagine the endless list of must gets to make the home liveable.

And to make things more hectic, I reversed into some else's car today. The dumbest mistake ever to look left, reverse, and knock into another reversing car from across the street. Aaarghh....

I'm finally home. Ate. Showered. Resting with aching eyeballs (is there such a thing?)

I'm so tired...

bibiwok, Bandar Puteri, Puchong

2009-05-24T22:49:00.000+08:00

Starters...

Ala carte buffet. You ask for it, you get it.... make sure you try the smoked duck breast!

Sumptuous spread of grilled meat...

The YinYang soup - chicken soup on one side, and chicken soup with tomyam ingredients on the other

Secret ingredients to making the tomyam soup. Spicy.

It looks kinda gross, but that's my dumpling in tomyam soup...

Beef bacon

Lamb shanks

New Beggar's Chicken Restaurant, Ijok

2009-05-23T21:12:00.001+08:00

Truly, where food is concerned, no one can beat the Chinese at creativity. Even the destitute could come up with great cooking methods that gets penned in cook books (and history!)

We made a trip to Ijok, a northern part of the Klang Valley about an hour and half from KL. The attraction - Beggar's chicken.

Road leading to the eatery. Who would have guessed there's such a place to find good food?

That's business with an attitude. 3 days week, advance order, and with minimum pax criteria, or no food for you.

Goodluck finding the spot. Here's the GPS Coordinates: East 101°25'8.7", North 3°18'24.0".

It may not seem like much, but do remember this is a beggar's meal. Hence it's low price, large portion. You can feed an army with a couple of those rice packs.

Signature dish - baked chicken, and baked pork shoulder.

The chicken bathed in its own juice, nicely spiced with chinese herbs that warm the body.

Pork shoulder, the unhealthy portion.

Pork shoulder, the healthier version.

Baked glutinous rice. This is definitely the tummy filler. One bowl of this, and you'll feel bloated right thru the whole day...

Very large serving of vegetables

Prawns, spicy and really great (this ain't a beggar's dish)

Stuffed fish. Interesting way of having it. Imagine this, you catch the fish, gut the fish, pound the flesh with spices and flour and stuff it all back in.

For a table of 7, it's RM188. And the meal should have fed at least 10. Needless to say, we couldn't finish the food. (Leftovers dinner again...)

Baked chicken breast in lemon wine, cheese stuffed

2009-05-22T21:04:00.000+08:00

I wanted to do up a meal for the family, for all the help they had given me with the painting and cleaning at the condo.

And with that in mind, I headed off to Cold Storage, Ikano with the grand idea of making a baked chicken breast stuffed with cheese. I made a marinade of lemon juice + peelings, white wine and pepper. Figured this would be make a juicy and tender piece of healthy dinner.

For greens, it's Coral leaves tossed in balsamic, and Coral leaves tossed in Italian dressing. And baked honey coated potatoes with abalone mushrooms.

Rounded the whole meal with some chunky vegetables and beef soup.

Verdict - the chicken turned out fine, but I couldn't get a nice brown tan on the meat. The rest didn't fail.

Getting better...

2009-05-19T21:05:00.003+08:00

A long long time ago, a young kid had the grandest ideas of what he would want in his future. A beautiful home, fully equipped with every imaginable necessity that makes life wonderful and easy...

Reality is somewhat different.

Moving into a new home, man, that costs money. Lots and lots of money... Everyday its a couple of stuffs here and there.

An advice to the unprepared... have lots of fund in hand, and if you could, try to move in basic, and build up along the way.

Roasting with leaves

2009-05-10T20:32:00.000+08:00

I learnt this from a Chinese cuisine. Try a roast chicken marinated with pepper, salt, ginger, garlic and onion, stuffed with chinese chestnut, carrots and potatoes, sitting on a bed of Pu Er leaves.....

Yummy... it went pretty well, except I must have used a tad too much ginger. Scorching hot!

Oh, and not to forget, mum's tumeric and lemongrass roast.

I'm proud of me

2009-05-09T22:34:00.002+08:00

Today, I did a good thing. I took part in a deed that made me proud of myself.

We found a small dog wandering the streets in Subang whilst enroute to lunch. For the first time, we did an about turn and went to the dog's rescue. He was thin, hungry and seems neglected. However he had a licensed collar and leash attached. This isn't right.

Thinking he may have ran out of the house, we asked around the street, to no avail. A lady (Serene) came out to help identify the chap. Since we couldn't locate the owner, she agreed to let us put the dog in her garden, whilst we try to locate the owner's address and PAWS (Paws Animal Welfare Society, I think).

The local council confirmed we could obtain the license once the office reopens on Monday. And PAWS will send someone to collect him on Monday too.

That puts us at ease, and off we headed for a well deserved lunch. Towards evening, Serene asked us to pick up the dog as she couldn't keep him overnight. Well, since da and ma are not keen on having him around over the weekend either, we sent him to PAWS instead.

I wouldn't know if he's grateful for the help (since he tried to snap at my hand) but he certainly was happy with the doggy bites.

At PAWS, I was truly humbled to have met a really nice guy named Roy, who happened to be a volunteer at the shelter. There's certainly more to a weekend when spent saving lives. It was also really sad to hear that for every 10 dogs brought to the shelter, 2 would return home. The rest became residents.

As for the owner of the lost dog below, I certainly hope he or she would find the compassion to take him home. What manner of a person would abandon an animal like that? Are they expecting the same in their old age?

Roy, I agree with you. A taste of their own medicine would be a lesson well learnt. I lost a dog too. And I want him back.

Lost dog found at SS17, Subang Jaya

2009-05-09T13:26:00.002+08:00

LOST DOG!

This poor chap was found wandering on the road at SS17, Subang Jaya. He had a leash and collar, with MPSJ license tag #2154.

He is currently under the care of a good samaritan, whose house is along the same road. Please contact me if you know who the owner is.

Otherwise PAWS will collect him on Monday 11th May.

We are trying to locate the owner via MPSJ's records on Monday as well.

P.S. The chap is rather thin, but with hair cropped very short, indicating he is not a stray.

Yut Kee Coffeehouse, Jln Dang Wangi (formerly Campbell Road)

2009-05-03T17:08:00.000+08:00

It is famed for this. RM8 for a box.

But I loved this. Marble butter cake....

Hainanese Pork Chop

This place had been there eversince I was a little kid. I still remembered the day when my dad parked the car down the road and went to pickup the famous swiss roll from the shop.

The food's mainly Hainanese influenced. The chicken and pork chops are fully drenched in watery black pepper sauce...

I'm an Emcee!

2009-04-30T23:44:00.000+08:00

Co's annual Sales Conference, I was the emcee for the night with a fellow colleague from HR. My first foray, and I'm quite relieved that it went well... Although crowd control is certainly difficult when there's free flowing drinks.

Granny's 85th birthday

2009-04-26T20:10:00.002+08:00

We got together for a simple lunch session with granny. This has to be the oddest combination of meals we've ever made.

Fresh vegetables...

Curry chicken

Fried noodles

Garden salad

Suckling pig ???

Pan seared salmon

The grand old dame

With her two sons, and an overly large chunk of lemon cheese cake

And the rest of us, keeping busy with the tikes..

Aching hearts and lonely times

2009-04-25T20:23:00.002+08:00

Its a wonder that we can never shelter ourselves from the ups and downs of the heart's whims.

I came across a friend who just broke up recently. A separation that she had no control over. Men are fickle-minded, aren't we all?

Visiting SPCA

2009-04-11T10:37:00.002+08:00

Made a visit to SPCA today. Couldn't help it, I simply must see for myself. Would never forgive myself if JD had indeed been waiting there for months.

My arrival was greeted with raucous barking (standing ovation at that!). First thing that hit was the stench... of overnight soiling and rank from living in close quarters.

Walking around the cages is almost like walking the green mile. Only diff was that the green patch happened to be in the cage, not the pathway. Some would bark incessantly, seeking attention and drawing hope. Others skunk into corners far from the door, not knowing if they faces the abuse from cruel hands again.

I saw the chap that was said to look like JD. Yes, he does have the features, though the dark mark on his back was on the wrong side. He stared forlornly, a habit of JD's. And yet no recognition comes to his eyes. The sadest part, he showed no excitement, no hope, as if he knew this would be his home for the rest of his days.

The caretaker offered him for adoption. To me. Said the poor chap was nursed to health, only to suffer from skin infections round the bum again. I would have wanted him. And yet I couldn't knowing I still have hopes for JD's return. There can be no replacement. Never.

Frustrations...

2009-04-08T20:21:00.002+08:00

Priority always goes to others. And all because I'm too nice. Pushover.
This sucks!

iNSPiRATiON

2009-04-06T20:40:00.002+08:00

I've been wondering, is my blog really all about food and travelling only? What happens when the food runs out, or I'm no longer mobile?

What then becomes this blog? Is this the end of all the fun stuffs?

Nah! Fun is relative (Einstein's theory can be applied to all). It's all in the mind. If we find it fun, it'll be fun.

By the way, I just realized there's one language spoken worldwide that's instantly understood. And no schooling is needed for that...... dog talk!
Ever wondered if a French poodle could speak doggie language with a Malaysian street dog?

Hahahaaaa...

Quiet weekend

2009-04-04T18:54:00.002+08:00

Hey May Li,

Happy Birthday!

It's a quiet weekend for me. Everyone's gone off to the east, and Lindy's staying put down south. Feels good, though all thoughts only linger in the head. No one to talk to....

No harm, cos I have my trusty PS2 to keep company. Its two whole days of mindless gangterism. The game, 25 to Life. Yeh, its an old game. So what... rite?

Dashed hope...

2009-03-31T21:03:00.003+08:00

Its not JD. They're puppies of Shih Tzu breed. Bummer...

But then, my thanks again June and Elena. I am really glad that you had noticed and took the effort to contact me. This despite JD having gone missing for more than 8 months. You both deserve a big hug from all JD's friends.

Jo and I were prepared to take the day off to get JD back from Melaka. We had been waiting for that call to come the whole morning. By 10.30am, I got the call that brought all hope down into the guts again. It wasn't him. So many lucky pups having been found, and he wasn't there.

I can only hope he's safe and well taken care off. Whoever you are, wouldn't you want to return him?

News of JD

2009-03-30T13:52:00.000+08:00

I received a message on Facebook from a stranger named June Then (whose photo was taken with another person that looked remarkably like a friend I knew). She said a friend known as Elena had seen JD in SPCA recently.

I called, and was given quite a good description of the dog. I'm positive, and waiting for the good news from Lindy. We're anxiously waiting...

God bless you, June and Elena. I'll definitely let you know if that's JD.

Nicole & Cheah Kit's wedding

2009-03-09T21:20:00.002+08:00

A blessed union is wished upon the both of you, may your lives now entwine and brings forth beautiful memories... my heartiest congratulations to you both..

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice, Singpaore

2009-02-28T12:19:00.000+08:00

On the last day of our holiday trip, this became the highlight. Apparently a well-known chicken rice outlet in Singapore, located a short walk from Novena MRT station.

Movie street...

2009-02-27T19:05:00.000+08:00

Nothing much, just wanna share the sights of this street...

Ouch!

Leaving Taipei

2009-02-27T15:09:00.000+08:00

Our departure...

Waiting for our Value Added Tax returns... enough to pay for our bites below.

They take recycling waste seriously. You're encouraged to dispose the unfinished drinks and place the used cups on the metal stakes. Clean waste...

Taipei Day 7 - Lunch at Ximen

2009-02-27T12:55:00.000+08:00

One last meal before getting out of Taipei...

Mango sherbet...

Braised tofu... yummy

Deep fried pork meat with chili sauce

Braised pork rice... yes, again.

Cuttle fish soup..

What the Irish believes in Taiwan

2009-02-27T11:11:00.001+08:00

Walk along Ximen street. If you ever comes across this shop, walk up to it and read the advertisement board on the right.

Enlarged, it says "Ireland's proverb says: There are two things in the world that can't be joked. 1. Marriage 2.Potato"

Agreed?

Taipei Day 7 - Starbucks

2009-02-27T11:04:00.000+08:00

You'll be wondering why we're in Starbucks. The invitation of a warm cuppa cafe in 20 degree Celcius morning.... irresistable.

Taipei Day 7 - Donuts the Taiwan way

2009-02-27T10:52:00.000+08:00

Don't know why, those little animals reminds me of a certain type toothpaste...

Chocolate filling.... yummy

Umbrellas anyone?

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000+08:00

This is a really niche market... Amazing selections

Taipei Day 7 - Breakfast at Ximen

2009-02-27T09:41:00.001+08:00

Finally, a real breakfast out of the hotel...

Taipei Day 6 - Footsie recovery

2009-02-26T22:15:00.000+08:00

Note: Prolonged usage of lower appendages for mobility may cause severe pain and loss of mobility.

A darn good excuse to get a foot massage... and live to regret it...

Dip and clean in rose scented HOT water. It's cooked!

The master at work. He must be rather peeved that I refused to pay for an additional 15 minutes of package, by paying for more... and so he squeezed....

And squeezed...

Mummy.....!!!!!

End of torture... felt kinda good in the end... hehehee..

Taipei Day 6 - Shilin again...

2009-02-26T21:26:00.000+08:00

Knowing what this place has to offer, we thought it'd make good sense to visit this street again the night before we left.

Suntory...

2009-02-26T16:00:00.000+08:00

I've only known of Suntory as the whiskey. So this...

TEA!

Taipei Day 6 - Walking bout town

2009-02-26T15:52:00.000+08:00

Kimchi, found at City Super. A well known supermart found in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Wish we had something as good here...

This is a bakery found at Breeze Centre in downtown Taipei. Its famed for amazing breads and pastry. A little expensive, but worth every bite.

Russian ice cream, of texture and quality far better than what I had all my life. Buds? Gelatomio? Haagen Daaz? Its all over-rated marketing. Until you taste what the world had to offer...

This is to be expected at Breeze Centre. LV, Bvlgari, Burberry...

Taipei Day 6 - Muzha Zoo

2009-02-26T09:46:00.000+08:00

Muzha zoo, Taipei is presently the largest zoo in Asia. Obviously a visit here is a must. I will not bore you with pictures of all the habitants, save a few stars.

"My armpit hairy enough for you? Take a good whiff!"

"Regal. The king of the jungle. A most apt title"

"Oohhhh, my head.... I knew I shouldn't have ram the tree"

"I wonder what's for dinner?"

"Say cheese..."

They're the highlight of the zoo. A pair of Panda from China, bilateral relations gift.

Isn't this the dream job/life? Eat, Sleep, Digest, Mate.... and repeat it all over again.

Do you know pandas have 6 toes?

We're all the same, rite?