remember those dreams

Bangkok, the city of smiles

2012-01-24T01:35:00.010+08:00

sawadee-ka!

Never had I thought any place around Thailand would be fun. Yes, I used to be really prejudice towards the thai people due to some personal reason but that was so long ago and I was really really really childish to had generalised the entire Thai. *slaps self*

I remember the last time I was in Bangkok was about 11 years ago when I went with my ice-skating friends and our family. The only thing I remember about that trip was the "aqua" show, the Olympic-sized ice rink and my youngest brother running around naked in Pattaya Beach.

The trip started when my sister suggested to go shopping in Bangkok. I never knew that Bangkok has alot to shop until my sister told me. After getting all excited talking about how cheap things can go in Bangkok, I started checking out the air tickets and hotels and we booked everything at the beginning of December. (not so much of a spontaneous trip this time!)

Air tickets came up to 750+ per person and the entire trip costed us about 900 per person.

Unfortunately, after paying for everything, my sister and my brother-in-law could not join us because her grandmother-in-law passed away the night before our trip. It disappointed me abit because it has been a while since I went on a trip with my sister and she is usually the one who does all the homework and research while I'll just follow. Jian and I went ahead with the trip.

Us looking so tired on the 2-hours flight.

I did slept for a while :)

We got conned by some Limo service charging us 1200 baht from airport-pratunam

The taxi back to the airport on the last day was only 400 baht.

nvm. pfft!

I've booked Baiyoke Boutique Hotel due to :

1) it's strategic location based on feedbacks online

2) cheap rates!

it's located in Pratunam (less than 10 mins walk to Platinum Mall)

the hotel lobby looks great for a boutique hotel!

So, this was the standard room we booked for 99rm per night.

I would say, it was okay for the price we paid, but I will try avoiding staying here again

because :

1) The online photo defer from the actual room

2) air-cond was leaking

(and this was the photo shown online when I booked.)

Anyway, I asked for an upgrade from the hotel because my sister wasnt able to join so we would be having one room empty. (paid.)

The hotel staff could not upgrade us at first because we did our booking agoda,

but later on when they had more walk-in guests, they've made the smarter choice for exchanging our two room for one better room.

This is their deluxe-suite. Not so fancy but good enough for a boutique hotel.

I wouldnt mind booking the same room for my next visit.

We had two tvs. One facing the bed and one facing the sofa.Why didnt they make ONE rotatable one instead? nvm

After dropping our luggage bags, we headed directly to the Platinum Mall.

Famous as a wholesale fashion mall.

I did went really crazy in this place.

Jian has never seen me bought so much before!

Everything was so cheap!

and by cheap I mean you can actually get something with as little as 10rm!

note : buy 2 items/above to receive a wholesale price.

you can mix anything from the same shop.

tip : do bring a luggage bag along!

had mc donald's pork burger for lunch :)

We didnt know what to eat for dinner and our hotel's bellboy suggested us to this street with lots of local stalls.

He even got us a cab and told the cab where to bring us.

I tried remembering the street's name but I couldnt.

But if you really want to go to this place, perhaps by saying "Kuang Seafood" will bring you there.

The thought of having thai food for three consecutive days made me happy

We walked around for a while until Jian decided to eat at this stall located in an alley.

Food was really awesome.

Everyone eating there was local and the stall owner/waitress did not know how to speak english.

Lucky enough, the man who sat next to our table offered to translate.

raw shrimp

tom yum.

I almost finish the whole pot by myself!

Some spicy-sour vermicelli

Fish!

We both cleared everything on the table and Jian who is ever so hard-to-please

couldnt stop praising about how good the food was.

We both headed for a massage before calling it a day.

DAY 02 - Chatuchak Market

My sister was constantly talk-boxing me since the first day.

She told me to wake up real early for chatuchak market because

it would be really crowded and hot in the afternoon.

Jian and I decided to wake up at 6am (malaysian time 7am)

This time, to avoid the famous traffic jam in Bangkok, we took the bts instead!

By the time we reached Chatuchak, the shops are slowly opening.

Had our breakfast in a random stall.

Their noodle was really good too!

So good we went back to the same stall the next day :)

Chatuchak Weekend Market is a famous market in Bangkok covering 35 acres

and contains more than 15000 stalls.

They sell goods of all sort.

coffee

fabric

dried goods

furnitures

dogs!

chicks!!!

handicrafts

artworks, candles, and of course... clothes!!!!

I went crazy again in Chatuchak Market.

This time, I realised the stuff they sell here is much cheaper than those in Platinum Mall

(but of course, more choices in Platinum Mall)

tips : bargaining is a expected

bring along lots of mineral water with you.

Chatuchak is a really big market and trying to navigate around with a map will be quite frustrating

I very much preferred wandering around to my favor.

We bought a luggage bag in Chatuchak Market because Jian can no longer handle the things I bought.

We had lunch in a malay-food stall.

they've converted sewing machines into tables

And this is my nasi goreng melayu.

Jian and I made a conclusion that how everything in Thailand will taste good.

Any random stall

Took a Tuk-Tuk back to the hotel which was another wrong decision.

It was so hot and chatuchak-pratunam is not near!

I had terrible headache upon reaching the hotel.

Decided to take a nap while Jian went for massage.

At night, we went MBK mall and it was similar to our sungei-wang.

There wasnt anything that caught our interest there so we left after having our dinner.

We took a tuk-tuk to the nearby Siam Paragon.

and i spotted a shop which is very much alike Supre!
I fell in love with that shop and they were having a 70% off storewide!

Jian and I in Siam Paragon before we started shopping for more! :)

Tips : Siam Paragon sells more branded goods.

I've compared the price from several stores to those in Malaysia

and the price there is slightly more expensive.

Except only with sales.

We were lucky enough it was their sales period.

Spotted a night market right opposite Siam Paragon and we've decided to walk through the market before catching a cab.

I bought quite alot from the night market toooo :)

Really cheap alcohol from 7-11

I wish they do the same in Malaysia too!

Our last stop was Baiyoke Sky Hotel just a few steps away from our hotel.

Baiyoke Sky is the tallest tower in Bangkok!

for a moment, I had the entire Bangkok below my feet :)

did some camwhoring there too

And then we headed to their bar for some drinks.

It is located on the 83rd floor.

Tips : It is 300 baht for a pass to go up which includes one drink from the bar

Do not forget to catch breath-taking views from the rotating-observation deck , one floor above the skybar

Day 03 : Chatuchak Market

we did not have enough time the day before so we went back for more :)

I finally found what i've been craving for : mango sticky rice

love them alot!

And we had lunch in a shop that serves sticky rice with sides.

Tuna in thai style. Really appetising

Pork Neck

Fried chicken with mango and papaya salad. Yums!

We only had half a day to spent on our last day.

The trip marks my second coutry with Jian after Singapore and I had enjoyed the trip so much!

Three days is definitely NOT enough!

We both fell in love with Bangkok and Jian is already asking me to check tickets for this year end.

It really is a place to go for shopping and food!

And if you want to save money!

I've spent almost 2.8k rm excluding the airtickets and hotel.

And i've managed to buy clothes for the entire family!!!

Want to know how much did I bought?

Will be uploading photos after cny :)

So Bangkok, been there, done that!

Gratified

2012-01-17T17:41:00.000+08:00

I'm back from BKK.
with two HUGE luggage bags :)

Stay tune.

good-bye 2011

2012-01-05T12:06:00.003+08:00

It's the fifth day of 2012 already, and I still cant believe how time has flew pass the entire last year. It felt like it was last month when I concluded year 2010.
But anyway, lets do the annual summary thing for this year.

for 2010's summary, click here

JANUARY
1. The whole family began year 2011 with my sister's big day! on 01/01/11

2. And I flew back to Melbourne a few days after.

and did my summer semester all by myself. Very proud of my results too!

FEBRUARY
3. Celebrated Chinese New Year all alone for the very first time!

4. flew back from Melbourne a day before V-day
5. Went Penang with Jian :)

6. Sent booboo back from Melbourne which has costed me 1k aud.

(Booboo no longer have motion sickness after his flight experience too!)

MARCH
7. Refused to fly back to Melbourne. Disappoint dad for the very first time and for the longest time in my life, dad refused talking to me.

8. Started applying for Taylor's University.

APRIL
9. Worked in an architect firm for the very first time in my life!

without asking for salary.

MAY
10. Got my first iphone in White :)
11. Spent my entire month working.

JUNE
12. A very new member in the family!!! Daryl Boy was born on the 24th June 2011, a day I will never forget.
Read more about it here

13. Resigned a few days before Daryl's birth so I could be all-prepared when my sister call me :)

JULY
14. Visited Perhentian Island

15. Baked for Daryl's fullmoon :)

AUGUST (daryl boy learnt how to laugh by now)

16. Started class.

17. Explored Chow-Kit market all by myself

18. WCD company trip to Lanjut :)

SEPTEMBER
19. Turned twenty-three

OCTOBER

20. Attempted baking macaroons for the first time :)

got really busy with uni the entire month.

NOVEMBER

21. Visited Cameron Highlands with Jian

DECEMBER

22. Singapore trip

23. Christmas party :)

24. And finally, I ended my 2011 with the most wonderful people :) Joanne managed to come back just in time for new year's eve party. So what else can happen when you put us three girls together? - a drunk night!

2011 treated me really really well, especially looking at how Daryl grows and learns. I never knew being an aunty can be so happy. And I'm really looking forward to this boy's first step, or calling me "yi yi", whichever comes first.

Happy New Year everyone, may you and your family have a blessed year ahead.

Remember, choice is the only thing we truly have

2011-12-29T13:32:00.000+08:00

Right from the start, God gave Adam a choice, to eat or not to eat the apple.

The choice we had and the decisions we made shaped who we are today. I always have problems when it comes to making decisions, because every time when Im about to make a decision, my brain tells me the consequences to it, whether or not they're good or bad, I still find it hard.
Decision making from which apparel to buy to life decisions, I never fail to seek for opinions.

Throughout the year 2011, I've made many key decisions, all by myself. It has brought impact to many people whether big or small. It has changed the way people look at me, good or bad.

This is a random post towards the end of 2011, just to remind everyone that we DO have a choice. If you do not like the way you are now, stop complaining because it is never too late for a change.

And for me, I believe 2012 will be a better year for me and my loved ones :)

The singa-land

2011-12-28T12:45:00.001+08:00

Planned and organised by my aunty, it was a trip consisting of two big families :)

The initial plan was Sabah but was cancelled due to my grandma's difficulties in walking, so they've decided that Singapore would be a better choice. As usual, we invited the close friends along! This time, besides the usual Edmund and Chesper, my zaboh joined me too :) Remembering the last time we went to a trip together was Pangkor Island during our college days (4 years back?)

The 3D2N trip costed about 700rm per person for transport (bus), accomodation (4* hotel) , two meals and tickets to universal studio. I personally think that it's abit costly but we already expected that since it was a last minute booking again! (i think it's our last-minute genes)

On the first day, we left home at around 7.30 heading south to singapore.

Upon reaching, we visited the Merlion

and they actually built a deck to look at Marina Bay Sands hotel from far!

I've seen this building a thousand times in magazines/internet but never in real.

Those white floating balls were the first that caught my sight upon reaching!

aethetics!

Headed to Bugis Street next.

Nothing much to do here really, it was really packed and I could hardly move around.

I've spotted stalls that sells food which smells really good too but didnt bother to queue up.

It is very much like our Petaling Street but...10x packed

Squeezing our way through.

The only thing I bought from Bugis Street - iphone bread case!

They're only SG8 each! And they smells good too!

Notice the nerdy sad face?

That's mine! The other one belongs to rain :)

However, cheap things normally cant be put to good use, Rain's bread spoilt the next day!

Went back to hotel in the evening, all showered and dressed up for the night!

We spent our entire night shopping and taking pictures on Orchard Road

The super huge Christmas Tree outside ION

Edmund and Hendri

We went back after shopping because everyone was pretty tired and worned out.

Luckily they listened to my advice for not buying Zoukout's tickets first.

I knew we weren't that super.

The next day, we headed to Universal Studios right after our breakfast :)

The above picture was actually taken after we came out.

Notice that cap I was wearing?

It states.....

DIRECTOR :)

grandma :)

She's can still walk actually, we brought the wheelchair to ease her.

all of us :)

Madagascar

The madagascar ride

Apparently it started raining and we had to put on our 2dollars disposable raincoat

Transformer

keith and his yellow cab

Jian being drama!

Won 30dollars from Resorts World casino and went shopping on Orchard again in the evening

Went for drinks at Clarke Quay at night.

Jian :)

Spent the entire third day's morning in Marina Sands Bay

Visited their rooftop too!

I would love to stay in this hotel for my next visit to Singapore!
Till then :)

This christmas :)

2011-12-26T15:07:00.000+08:00

First of all, Merry Christmas everyone. Nothing beats having a blessed year.
I did not expect myself to wake up with more presents this morning even though Christmas is over.

So this year, I organised a really last minute karaoke session in Redbox, Gardens to avoid the jam in KL.
Disappointing enough, their so-called VIP room does not even have their own toilet.

However, we still had fun that night!

I was the Rudolph of the night :)

We had a gift exchange session too!
Everyone was told to bring a 30rm gift to exchange among ourselves.

And instead of using numbers, each of us got to choose a card to be stucked onto our present.
And the duplicated card is then folded to be "lucky drawn"
It was really fun especially when all of us tore open the wrapper to see what our friends bought!

With the girls, and we were all wearing red!

(rujin, rain, myself and eevon)

That's us with the present we received.
I got a candle set from edmund which I really love!!

The guys with their gifts!
Chesper got my mug from Starbucks :)

Rainrain :)

Such a blessed christmas :)

and thanks to all that had made an effort to buy me gifts :)

midnight piece

2011-12-07T01:45:00.001+08:00

Decided to blog when I am finally done with my semester.

Studying back home wasn't a really great experience for me when it comes to travelling time and traffic! I've decided to come back for good for a reason and majority told me I was stupid enough to do so. I did regret at times when I think my lecturers aren't as professional as the ones I had in rmit (its actually just one tutor and I was unlucky enough to get her, otherwise, this wont happen). But overall, I have to admit that I've learnt more back here, especially on architecture technology and calculations. At least today, I know how weight is distributed across the entire building and has the ability to determine column and beam size for every single one of them through calculations. And I did enjoyed that particular subject... alot!

I dont mind taking subjects which I have not taken before. Honestly, in architecture or any design professions, it is not about one particular thing you design that matters. It is more about how you equip yourself. People might be calling me stupid for not graduating at this age, but to me, all that matters is not that certificate. It is how much you have in you. And truly, i think I myself is more important than that cert.

Also being able to change and re-adapt to a new environment is never easy! I thought it would be much easier studying back home, in fact, I was really wrong. They have really long class-hours here and I have classes 4 days per week with 5 subjects whereas in Melbourne, I have short hours and only 3 days with 3 subs. I was so used to the culture in Australia I could no longer adapt to the class culture here. I guess the life in Melbourne has somehow became a comfort/routine in certain ways, when i came home with nothing, I was forced to stretch beyond that nest. Especially when you dont have close friends in uni and lunch alone is no longer a weird thing to do, at least for me.

I dont know, I felt like being able to accept all these changes and still staying positive on my decision despite what others have to say, has turned me into a stronger person.

instants

2011-12-01T19:58:00.002+08:00

Decided to post these photos in the midst of my assignment.

I notice how my blog posts increases when i procrastinate!

also, my unifi has finally arrived. I do not have to survive on that stupid limited broadband anymore.

♥jian

leng & juan

alvin

leng and eugene :)

woman in black!

(it was pure coincidence)

leng & edmund

kai

♥the sisters :)

♥ bestie!

charmaine aka moi

the chung

miechelle & rain

need some laughs? nobody does it better than Daryl.

2011-11-24T16:43:00.000+08:00

My bottle of miracle

2011-11-23T21:08:00.001+08:00

I had always wanted to try SK-II products but never had that chance because

1) I always have this perception that SK-II products are costly

2) I dont even do daily face cleansing, so I didnt want that poor bottle to lay there for a year or so-untouched

I changed my mind when I saw this 199rm Pitera Essence Set. I didnt know a bottle of 75ml miracle water (plus a facial treatment mask and a small toner sample) would be soooo cheap! What was I doing previously when I spent more money on other brand's products and not use it. Despite their fame, sk-II products are still in an affordable price range!

I've decided to put my money to good use, therefore purchasing myself a 75ml. I would say, it was the best money spent on facial products for me so far. (This is definitely not advertorial)

As a lazy person, I only apply it once every 3 days or whenever I felt like it. Even so, I could see the changes in my skin. It is glowing. Of course, dont compare my current skin condition to the skin I had when i was in melbourne because of the weather obviously. I got two-three tones darker within a few months of coming home, which is why sk-II came in and be the savior of my poor skin. My skin is getting better now and I would definitely go straight for their other products and not try-and-error any other brand's.

I highly recommend this product to everyone.

my short getaway.

2011-11-23T00:05:00.000+08:00

My initial plan was to revisit the eastern island of west malaysia and of course Redang was my choice. I was somehow warned about the monsoon season and when i called up the hotel, they told me it was mostly raining that week. Rain oh rain, why do you have to ruin my swimming plan. I am desperate for the sun, the sea and the beach!

Desperate enough, I gave myself a back up plan to Cameron highlands. We booked the hotel the night before. It was really spontaneous. Recalling the last time I was in Cameron highlands before this trip was about 10 years ago. It was a school trip.

So we booked our stay with Equatorial Hotel Cameron Highlands and regretted. The hotel is too old for a 4 star and definitely needs to be refurbished. Some kind of renovation was on during our stay and it was really noisy in the morning. Our room was close to the lift shaft and I could hear that poor lift running up and down the entire night.

the standard room.

the not so pleasant view from the room

Upon arrival, we drove to the famous BOH tea plantation but they are closed on Monday, so we spontaneously changed our plan to strawberry farm instead. Strawberry farm wasn't in our plan due to the crowd we've seen in the town. However, this one that we went were really quiet, (we were the only guest) due to it's distance from the hectic town.

driving through a really narrow 2-way driveway, spectacular view though.

At the strawberry farm.

The next morning, we had our breakfast at the BOH plantation.
They have an observation deck which serves tea and light meal.

The observation deck.

Facade :)

breakfast over breath taking views.
Food wasnt as good though.

My oh jian!

After breakfast, we headed to the market to grab some jagung (corns).

at the market

we bought all the jagungs from one particular stall because I couldnt find the same quality jagung anywhere else.

On the way back, we stopped by Smokehouse Hotel for their famous scones.

The interior with lots of natural sunlight :)

We were the only guests again.

Scones and tea.

They were really good. I fell in love with their scones.
Probably the best food I had in Cameron highlands.

Overall, the trip was descent. It was relaxing, but one night is MORE than enough for both of us. I've enjoyed myself but I guess I'll never go back again in another 5 to 10 years, because I am not a highland person.

Cameron Highlands, been there, done that!

2011-11-08T19:41:00.000+08:00

good morning November

2011-11-03T12:10:00.001+08:00

November hasnt been treating me well this year (well, not yet). It used to be one of my favourite months after September because it is usually the month when finals are over and the month to return home from Melbourne :)

This year, on the first day of November, my car got hit. Just so you know, Jian and I both exchanged cars a few months ago and we both drove each other' car. He drove my vios and i drove his city. That descent morning, he drove my car to one of the houses in Shah Alam and parked outside that terrace house like he usually does. A drunk ~~idiot~~ indian ran into my car with his. After making a police report, Jian thinks its a courtesy to inform that man. Instead, he got scolded by him over the phone. That ~~idiot~~ man ended the conversation with a threat saying "Later my son get angry, I dont know what he will do to you" and hung off. Non educated people acting like a gangster. Not surprising.

That same night, when i was about to sleep, I received a call from grandma telling me that she wasnt feeling well and needed to go to the clinic. I rushed her to the clinic, it was 11.40pm (they're supposed to close at 12) and the nurses told me "We are closed, the doctor went back". My grandma asked some of the boys and they told us "Oh we just came out, the doctor is still inside". In a very painful state, my grandma was pleading the nurses to take one last patient saying she's in real pain. I even told the nurses "it is an emergency, are you sure the doctor has left, its only 11.40pm, " (showing the time on my phone to them) , one of the nurses went "Sudah pukul 12 lah, tengok tu!" (pointing to their wall clock which was showing 11.55) I continued "Okay, jam saya sudah salah tapi jam kamu baru 11.55, belum 12 pun dan sekarang emergency, as a doctor, arent you supposed to be a little more responsible?" They totally ignored me and continue packing up to go home. Such an irresponsible clinic i swear I will not go back there again. We then headed to the hospital nearby.

So, that is my November so far, I wish it'll be good for the remaining of the month.

Macaroons

2011-10-31T18:54:00.001+08:00

I was first introduced to macaroons about 4 years ago in Melbourne by my sister. I didnt like it at first claiming that they were too sweet, which was true.

Few months ago, before my best friend came back from the UK, she asked if i wanted her to bring back any macaroons from the famous Laduree, I told her i wasnt a big fan of macaroons and No. But still, she got me some knowing that my sister is a big fan of it. I took a bite and gave the rest to my sister.

I think my love for macaroon started when I was doing my assignments one day, I was really stress and bored so I went to the fridge, opened it and saw some macaroons from Nathalie's laying inside my fridge. I started biting it while i do my work and without me noticing, it became a habit and slowly a love :)

I have to admit that macaroon is a very expensive dessert due to it's tenderness and the challenge in baking them! I was wishing to have unlimited macaroons in my fridge so I could bite on them without guilt.

My wish almost came true when Jian and I attempted baking them. It was a failure on our first attempt. (The italian method). We did not do any research before hand. Our macaroon has no feet, and they were hollow!

They say baking macaroon is a curse! Once you've started making them, you'll always want to make them which is really truee! The ego in me took place when i attempted second time with my sister that afternoon. I told myself "We had to make it this time without failing or i'll have my third attempt that same night".

To my surprise, the second attempt (the french method) was a success! It came out good. There were feet on each macaroon, and they wasnt hollow! Happily, we both started filling that 8 desperate macaroon with chocolate ganache and they were gone that evening itself.

The next day, my sister and I had attempted the Italian Method once again (the one which me and Jian failed on our first attempt)

mixing almond ground and icing sugar before further processing them with food processer

Sifting of almond and icing mix

Important : make sure you dont force them the residue through the sift.

This is the right consistency of eggwhite you should achieve before pouring in caster sugar

Caster sugar at the right temperature to be poured in slowly to the mixture
(this is the only difference between the french and italian method i guess. The French method doesnt require this step)

After adding colour and flavouring, they're ready for the oven!

Rose and Lemon flavoured macaroons :D
If you notice, there are a few cracked yellow macaroons behind.
This is because our temperature was set too high for the first batch

They make perfect gifts too!

It was again, a success :) :) Now I have about 50 macaroons laying in my fridge, hoping i dont die young of diabetes.

____________________________________________________
(we've discovered some very important techniques so your macaroon doesnt fail
IMPORTANT WHEN MAKING MACAROONS :

1) Use aged egg whites (preferably more than 24 hours, Seperate the yolk from the white, leave them to age at room temperature, of course, with cling wrap)
2) Knocking out air (This is crucial after piping)
3) Use double baking paper
4) Leave macaroon to set for one hour before putting them to bake

I hope it helped you solved your misery.

My twenty-third

2011-10-30T23:01:00.000+08:00

Okay this post is more than a month late and i am really trying to keep my blog alive.

For my 23rd this year, I didnt want a conventional "dinner and go" type of party, instead i really wanted a cosy space where i could fit all my friends in and have a private party, preferably with a swimming pool. After researching over the internet, I couldnt find a perfect place, they're either (1) no noise (2) too far (3) without a swimming pool. I got quite frustrated later on and when I was about to call a cancel to the party, Jian got me a venue :)

It was held in the Hypercubes Lounge in Verve Suites , Mont Kiara. I was more than satisfied with the venue (but it is only for residence). It was a very well equipped kitchen with stove, dishwasher, oven, wine chiller, refrigerator and basically everything you need in a kitchen, EXCEPT the appliance (pan, forks, spoons etc). My food was prepared at home, and has made used of the oven to reheat them. We all fell in love with the kitchen at first sight and would love to have that place rented for some cooking sessions someday :)

The exterior of the kitchen is where the swimming pool was, with bean bags thrown on grass. It was a really great place to relax and right beside the swimming pool, there was a room with pool table and tv lounge. I bet they've kept some of my guest company as i was too busy running here and there.

Thanks to my bestie Rain for getting me helium balloons for decoration. Due to helium balloons' durability, we had to pick them up from Bangsar only when we were on the way to Mont Kiara.

that was me preparing for the night

And my own private chef :)

Waiter of the night

♥♥♥

Keith and Edmund

Yen and Leng ♥♥

♥♥♥

♥♥ ~~Woman~~ Ladies in black :)

Kai and the gf

Jacky and Abigail

Chesper and Eevon

Sean and Jenny

Tung Yung, Yen, Leng and Eugene :)

The Cempakan and Murni gang!

The Limkokwing gang :) (Will, Michael, Yeeteng and Wanxin)

(L to R) Ray, Keith, Jonathan, Jian, Jezz, Chesper and Eevon :)

I had a really wonderful birthday this year despite the fact that some people was really trying to put me down. Thanks to all that has made time that Saturday despite how busy you guys were, appreciated that, and to those who are not IN KL YOU GUYS BETTER MADE IT UP FOR ME WHEN U COME BACK. (you know who you ares) Also my beloved sister who has made an effort to order and pick up certain food from me from a caterer, Edmund too, and Jian for the tiramisu and lagsagna. I know im blessed when i have people around me who has made the party happen. Thank for all those lovely pressie too :)

I know i know.

2011-10-13T17:15:00.002+08:00

Im aware of how dead my blog is these days. There are so many things in hand for me to blog about but I am just too lazy to upload photographs at the moment, and am pretty much tied down by assignments. So be patience with me now, i will update real sooon.

Things im up to lately :

1) School (the studying hours here is so MUCH more compared to melb, plus travelling time; it really took up most of my energy!)

2) Baby Daryl. (the 3 months old is growing and learning so fast! He's so fun to play with now because he has learnt to respond by laughing, and he seeks for attention too! Majority people who sees him thinks he's 6-7 months!)

3) .........

NOTHING much really!! very mundane lifestyle.

Partying ~~once in a while~~ every weekend! Should take a break this weekend to recharge.

Will end my entry with an edited photo :)

Thats all for now. Till then :)

an initially planned boring trip turned out adventurous :)

2011-09-29T17:57:00.004+08:00

Lanjut Golden Beach Resort.

Not so much of the resort, but the fun we had there.

I am definitely not recommending this resort to anyone.

Reasons :

1) The resort is infested with cockroaches.

We had the second biggest room, charging approximately 700 per night.

I am guessing that people who visits the resort dont normally go for such an expensive room, they'd prefer a same 2 bedroom wooden chalets which is much cheaper, therefore the room i stayed has been abandoned for a very long time, it slowly became a cockroach territory.

Lets stop my assumptions and get back to the cockroach story.

Upon arrival, i found a dead cockroach in the toilet. It was already a big problem because Jian is more afraid of cockroaches than I am. My brother found another dead cockroach in the second bedroom.

We didnt take this matter seriously at first, we left our room and went for some telematch organised by my cousins. After the game, we went back to the room and found about 6 more cockroaches (dead and alive).

Freaked up, I called the housekeeping people to come into our room at 6.30pm (when we're out for dinner) to clean our room/to kill cockroaches. However, the housekeeping people did not get me properly, they came at 6 when we were all still in the room. My brother chased the housekeeper away because she was spraying insecticides without first asking us. (was she trying to suffocate all of us?)

And so we all went for dinner. And right after dinner we had drinking sessions in our room.

Imagine, having cockroach to crawl through edmund's leg when we were playing drinking game.

This time, Ive lost all my patience. I went right up to the front desk asking for a swap in rooms.

Without even checking properly, the front desk attendant told me that there wasnt any rooms available.

Wait a second, no other rooms available? Are you kidding me? The freaking hotel was empty!

Jian told me not to make a big fuss over SMALL trouble, so i swallowed my anger and went back to the cockroach house. At that moment, I wanted to drive back to KL so badly, unfortunately we came in a bus and did not even have a car to sleep in. I was so paranoid, my dad wasnt around and my uncle didnt bother helping us out. I didnt know what to do.

Still believing in my instincts that the freaking resort is NOT FULL, i went back to the reception desk, this time, asking to see the manager/person in charge.

Me : Can I see your manager?

Receptionist : Oh, manager? he left already la.

Me : well, then call him to come over!

Receptionist : Hold on (make a phone call, click on the computer, and then)

: Oh, we can change you to another chalet.

Me : So, why did u say there isnt any more rooms available just now?

Receptionist : Just now didnt check properly.

So we were transferred to a much cleaner and well maintained room, although not as nice as the "cockroach's home" but who cares, i almost set up a tent for myself if they insisted of no available rooms.

Above everything, it was a great trip regardless on the resort's condition.

Its not the place that matters, its the people you spent time with that matters!

We had lots of fun because our earlier expectations were to gather everyone together and rot together

(since we were kinda forced to go, it's WCD's annual company trip)

Taken in the bus when we were all bored of the bus's speed.

The cockroach's home

outdoor shower

remember this unit, if you ever book your vacation there.

Telematch, and we won :)

Second day, Fishing trip.
Uncle booked a fishing boat for us at 1200rm 6 hours.

Fishing rods :)

We were fishing for small fishes and big squids!

Initially had the towel to wrap myself around because all the aunties were telling me how sunny it would be in the middle of the sea and i would definitely get sun burnt without wrapping myself up.

However, the weather was really good that day, it wasnt sunny at all.

I ended up using the towel as my blanket. It was pretty cold after the morning rain.

I was sleeping for almost the entire journey.

Me, my brother and Chesper had terrible sea sick, we did not get our father's genes.

BBQ fish and squids we catched for dinner :)

Of course we had other stuffs provided by the resort

My cycling plan failed. We drove buggy around instead.

Cousins managed to get some hermit crabs from the beach.

For night time, we had drinking sessions for two continuous days.

And I also managed to buy some fireworks from the local store.

I thought i was mischievous enough but the adults actually bought the real fireworks!

Happy people despite the coackroach tragedy.

Drinking sessions :)

It was a great trip, like i said, initially, we were expecting everyone to rot together in the resort but we did more than that :) Was fun having all the lovely people around. Not forgetting Jian's first time fishing, was taught by ME :) :)

photo credits to eevon and hendri

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio

2011-09-20T15:11:00.002+08:00

Was a typical Saturday when my sister suddenly suggested to have lunch at Nathalie's. We were supposed to go for their macaroon class on that particular day but sadly, they weren't any more space available, so to make do of that disappointment, we had lunch there instead :)

Nathalie's Gourmet serves french cuisine, having their menu changed every month. They also offers cooking classes, macaroon classes and catering services.

The interior space is simple and cosy, with tall tables and lots of natural sunlight.

Complimentary bread and butter.

I wish they gave more because im a big fan of dinner rolls :)

Tuna sashimi served with mussels and french beans miso dressing

Escargots wrapped in lasagna finished with herbs espuma

Fish wrapped in rice paper.

Duck confit

Lamb served with roasted tomato and brinjal

my ohjian and me :)

Daryl was really cooperative that day :)

And that's our baby boy in his stroller.

The thing about having tall tables and chairs is that we find it quite difficult to move around to handle the baby whenever he screams.

Above all, food was really great!

Even the ever so demanding Jian thinks its good.

Will definitely re-visit again, and is scheduling my time for the macaroon class!

Will end my post with a desperate picture of my macaroons.
It was too tempting i gobbled them up before Im able to capture nicer photos of them.

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio
Unit A4-1-5 Solaris Dutamas
Jalan Dutamas 50480 Kuala Lumpur
contact @nathaliegourmetstudio

03 6207957
019 666 0528

Words, not yet the truth

2011-09-05T13:44:00.001+08:00

"There is no point being the healthiest person in the cemetry" (stolen quote from jovin)

Same goes to the living people. Many say/do things just to make themselves feel better. This applies in many situations; events when people speaks harsh words just to make other look awful, when people say something and not do it, and when people say something just to avoid the fact (a form of giving self excuses) ; and when people speaks to get attention. People tend to SAY THINGS to make themselves feel better too - saying "im a better than him/her" doesnt make you REALLY better, it just makes you feeling better about yourself.

So words, a powerful form of language typed/said. So powerful people are using it for self therapy. Saying harsh things about others doesnt make you a better person ; or speaking of your plan all day long and not doing anything about it doesnt mean you'll go according to plan.

Therefore, think before you speak. Speak when you need to, otherwise, just shut up when there's no need for unnecessary words. Same goes to listening - Listen when you need to. Dont be a fool, some words may sounds so good you didnt know how many hidden truths there are. :)

my oh jian!

2011-08-22T01:49:00.000+08:00

happiness comes from the simplest thing, and I've found that simple reason to be happy!
I love living my life having you around me!

My oh jian, get well soon please!

Chow Kit Market

2011-08-16T00:35:00.001+08:00

"I work on Chow Kit" is my new favourite line. Yes I am, in another way.

So I've spent quite some time, either under the extremely hot sun or the pouring rain in chow kit market.

The task this semester is more about urban planning, therefore documenting the city is an essential way to start with.

I kind of enjoy doing this except for the weather, the vehicles, and the safety issues.

So i am basically dealing with a market district, having all sorts of activities like killing live chickens, selling fruits, cockroaches running around etc.

Jian couldnt believe it when he dropped me off last saturday!

I guess when it comes to dealing with work, i let go of the princess in me. It's like a working mode button switched on.

Anyway, pictures!

really old houses with shops/storage at the bottom floors

rubbish of all sorts!

a hidden space where old folks gather to chat :)
i really wanted to try their food but didnt had the chance too.
anyone interested?

Daryl's fullmoon :)

2011-08-08T21:57:00.003+08:00

Born on the 24th June 2011, his fullmoon party was held on the 23rd July.

I've decided to bake him some cupcakes! Of course, with the help from my sister.

Like i said, I am not a kitchen person, i dont cook, i dont bake, but i realise i do have some born talents :) *raise nose arrogantly*

So we've made some lemon cheese cupcakes, it was really easy to bake and tasted really good too!

Decorated the cupcakes with fondant and it was a problem because fondant melts, especially in hot weather.

I remember making a fondant teddy bear in Melbourne and it was standing on the book shelf for years, before i brought it back and started disfiguring.

So, thats baby Daryl, the new boss at home.

We basically had to bake the cupcakes in three different steps

1) The night before, we decided on the size of cupcakes, in our case, two different sizes,

Baked the cupcakes to be cooled in the fridge before they could be covered with fondant.

2) Decorations were made on the night before too.

3) Chilled cupcakes to be removed from freezer 2 hours before serving, covered with fondant about an hour after removing from the freezer.
*note : cupcakes top need to be flattened before putting fondant onto them :)

Fresh from oven :)

Decorations!!!

Above : my penguin vs jian's penguin

Mine's on the right, the fat and cute one, and he made an ugly and tall one.

So you be the judge

With the right sized cutter as the base of the decorations, to be topped onto the cupcakes

Teddy bears, done by me :)

Angry birds were done by aunty, she's really good since she deals with shaping clay toys/decorations all the time!

more teddy bears by me :)

penguin by me and jian :)

more baby faces from my sister.

Angry bird's pig by jian :)

Had fun playing around with ~~plasticine~~ fondant.

Told you i have hidden talents.

*aherms*

Somewhere over the rainbow....

2011-08-08T20:50:00.002+08:00

It was only the 3rd day of August, and i was about to rate it as my worst month of the year.

So when i thought the month would be a really bad month for me,
a rainbow appears right in front of me.
A full rainbow :)

Island Escape

2011-07-20T17:05:00.002+08:00

It was again a spontaneous decision, this time to escape to the east side of Peninsula Malaysia.

I've always wanted to visit Perhentian Island because Jian is always telling me about it.

He used to work in a resort there, and I've been to it's neighbouring islands, and have not step foot into Perhentian, until that perfect Sunday morning :)

We suggested a trip on a Sunday, booked a hotel on a Tuesday, air tickets on a Wednesday,

and flew on a Sunday :)

sub urban living.

At the Jetty

An antique looking shop that actually sells...... gold!

while waiting for the boat to come :)

did some "shopping" and realised i sucks max at bargaining.
bought myself a giant hat :)

I was so smart i brought my sunglasses' box and forgot my sunglasses!

in case you're guessing, thats me :)
They thought i was trying to be funny but i really couldnt open my eyes when the wind hits my face with that speed. I felt so much more comfortable in there :)
They're just jealous they didnt have any hats to do that! JOKING!

the boyfriend :)

(Above) My first picture captured with my phone, from the jetty :)

Bubu Long Beach :)

What To Do in Perhentian?

Snorkelling Trips!

Three spots :

1) Fish Point

2) Turtle Point

3) Shark Point

I saw the biggest turtle i've ever seen in my entire life!

It is approximately 1.7 meter diameter! imagine that.

Jian brought my chasing after turtles, and i was wrong when i thought turtles are slow!

We've also came across a few sharks that lengths about 3ft-5ft.

cam whoring :)

evening cocktails while the rest plays beach volleyball :)

Lots of Swimming!
So make sure you love to swim!

falling asleep

spotted a baby digging a hole bigger than himself :) how adorable.

the beach is so seducing i actually stayed under the sun all day!

Thats Ryan, our snorkelling guide from Scotland

hamsap monkey!

Evening walks

Took a 25 minutes ~~walk~~ climb uphill

Thats actually a picture of us going downhill (back to resort)

I swear i was complaining the entire journey, it was hot, tiring, the pathway is rocky

the sand makes it slippery.

And worse still, we forgotten to bring water!

I kept asking Jian where are we heading, and if it was worth the struggle.

You judge :)

We came to this observation deck with breath taking views!

p/s look at the stairs, all the way down!

it was so tempting i actually went down, forgetting about the fact that i need to climb back up!

the love <3

Thats me and edmund struggling back up :)

More Photos

Evening Walk 2 Sunset Discovery

This is a much easier journey, notice that foot path?

We went to the other side of the island to watch sunset :)
It's part of the resort's activity actually.

jacky and abigail :)

Jian and I

and the three sakais.

Photo credit to my youngest brother, Shen.

Dinner at "tarzan's house" i call it.

Things To Do At Night

we found a perfect cosy spot to spend the night away
It is a mini bar with low tables on the beach, threw mats to sit on.
Chilling :)

And whats more, they actually sells shisha tooo!

So thats, shisha + beer + fireshow
with the perfect people :)

We all came home, sun burnt and i am still dealing with the after effects on my skin.
But it was all worth it :)

_____________________________________________________________

If you're planning your trip to Perhentian Island as well, I would highly recommend Bubu Long Beach Resort.

Why?

We've been to a few other resorts while the boat pick up/drop off passengers,
And i've noticed that the long beach is definitely the cleanest beach, with whitest sand!
Plus, as the name suggests, it is the longest beach in Perhentian Kecil.
Resort serves really good food.

RATES

Quad Share - 450/person
Three Share - 490/person
Twin Share - 560/person

Price includes boat transfers, snorkelling trips and breakfast
Gears are excluded.

So the 7 of us booked one three share and two twinshare, and our air tickets was about 280rm return

But, if you're looking for luxury resort getaway, dont go for this.
It is the local culture that i appreciated in this trip.

Thanks Jian for the perfect experience, and everyone for making time despite our last minute decision.

So Perhentian Island,
been there, done that!

another member in the family :)

2011-06-27T16:52:00.002+08:00

(Daryl; also mean dear, beloved and dearly loved)

Born on the 24th June 2011, this boy is definitely a gem to everyone in the family! And what's more, I am, officially an aunty :) a happy one!

It all happened so sudden when my sister called me at 9am in the morning, telling me to fetch her to the hospital! I was prepared at the same time not!

When I say I was prepared, it is because I quit my job 2 days before with the 'reaaon' saying I need to be on call for my sister :) also unprepared because I was still in my dreamland when it happened.

I jumped off my bed, booboo was shocked, grabbed a dress (can't even be bothered to choose a top, and a bottom, therefore one piece will do), ran upstairs, gave myself sometime to pee before I grabbed my car keys and speed to my sister's place to fetch her! Yes, I had to brush my teeth in the hospital :(

Upon reaching my sisters plae, I see a steady pregnant woman who will be delivering anytime holding her reasonable heavy bag, asked what was inside she told me "oh I brought my laptop and the iPad".

I was speechless for a moment when she continued "stupid, I told u not to rush cause I am not feeling any pain yet" I've never seen someone who will be delivering soon so un panic before!

So that was my Friday morning :)
Baby Daryl came out around 2pm in the afternoon.

I don't know how to describe that feeling while I was waiting outside. Definitely excited, at the same time worried about the sister, and as expected this girl couldn't take the pain of natural birth so she went for c-section instead.

Baby Daryl, born healthy, weighs 2.5kg is the 2nd smallest boy in the nursery that day. Also the fairest among all, he inherited my sisters skin :) such a cute little boy with all sorts of expression when he sleeps!

It's his first day home today!

Am definitely looking forward to this baby's growth and may you be a healthy happy good boy, yes you will be, you're blessed with all the good things around you, everyone loves you baby boy! Yiyi definitely loves youuuuuu!!

A little surprise from Jian

2011-06-11T23:17:00.004+08:00

Yellow tulips bouquet! (according to jian, they ran out of white ones)

And i guess its not easy to get nice tulips here in Malaysia, unlike in Melbourne they have tulips season in September :)

Anyway, i was really shocked to receive this bouquet in my office one usual morning.

It was lovely wrapped too!

Thanks love! :)

However, tulips dont last long in vase i dont know why, and my sister was suggesting that they might not need alot of water, so i might be killing them by putting them into a vase. I dont know if its true, any suggestion?

and finally a camwhore photo of us, with the mini bouquet attached to the flowers.
Thanks love, appreciate what you've done.

North Indian Food Kl

2011-06-11T22:59:00.002+08:00

I fell in love with north indian cuisine ever since I tried the one on Lygon Street, Melbourne.

Tried looking for some good indian food in kl and thank god i found them after a few tries on the wrong ones.

So look no further if you fancy indian spices like i do.

1) Khaana Peena @ Plaza Mont Kiara

G-Floor, Block E

2) Indian Kitchen @ Bangsar

Jalan Telawi 3

Very rich variety of spices.

They're both equally great and reasonably priced.

Definitely worth trying!

changed my number again

2011-05-22T21:24:00.001+08:00

for those of you out there who is forever claiming that i went mia since i came back, and thought you've completely lost contact with me, you might hate to hear this from me again, yes, i changed my number ~~again~~

I know, i said i'll be committed to that 017388xxxx , it wasnt that i didnt want to, but the number was registered under my mums name since she got it for me when i was in melbourne, and i couldnt transfer that number to my name without my mum's "approval" and so happen my mum wasnt with me when i waited for one freaking hour in maxis, i might as well, select a new number.

So please, if you're looking for me, and you so happen to land in my blog, pm me in facebook for my new number. Thanks :)

(at least this time ive acknowledged almost everyone in my contacts)

till then :)

the public holiday :)

2011-05-20T23:07:00.000+08:00

it was a public holiday on tuesday (wesak day) , i was so tempted to take monday off as well,
and of course i didnt, i already took 2 and a half day off.

so this was it, the public holiday, which has made my week seems shorter :)

the cousins, and my dad

my cousins designed this "spongebob game" and was challenging everyone in the house.

thats jian preparing dinner

brother wanted to learn how to cook a proper mushroom soup.

thats my booboo boy

running around the house as usual.

some grated lemon skin and herbs

and thats me..

playing around as usual.

at least i made garlic bread okay!

soup

i call this the monster sauce because everything is in green

booboo begging for food from the maids, as usual.

wrapping bacon around the steak gives it a better taste, i dont know why.

booboo getting bored.

grilling :)

me loves mushrooms :) :)

and thats the end product :)

jian prefer mushroom soup with a combination of big pieces of mushrooms and blended but i prefer it all blended.

Mummy's Day belated

2011-05-16T20:50:00.001+08:00

Grand Millennium Hotel was the choice for mother's day buffet this year. Of course, i've missed one , ~~two~~ three years of mother's day celebration because i am usually rushing for assignments in melbourne during this time of the year.

The hotel is located directly next to pavillion shopping mall, opposite Fahrenheit 88. We booked for 27 pax and they were kind enough to waive the charges for 5 pax. Was really curious about the standard of their buffet dinner since non of us been there before and was expecting something as i saw good reviews online. (not to forget that the whole family will be dining there, if anything goes wrong, it will be our fault since we were the ones who wanted to give it a try) and by we, i mean my sister and i.

It turned out, the food wasnt as good, variety and quality wise. Of course we dont usually expect super good quality in buffet dinners, but there is a certain standard and i thought it could be improved, especially in their cold cuts. The indian corner was awesome thou :)

The kids were having much fun and the adults were not complaining, so i guess its a pass :)
Their hospitality was good too compared to some other experiences i had.

Overall, i guess its worth trying if you're looking for a place to dine and want to avoid the hassle of ordering food for everybody, especially for big family like mine. Some people think it the other way, say u spend so much per person, you might as well go fine dining but i still think, again, especially for big family like mine, you wouldnt be able to get everybody to agree to one type of food, so might as well go for everything, though i never fancy buffet dinners, its always the easiest.

a candid shot of keith and shen

and the adults :)

the pregnant woman

i actually have alot more pictures but my stupid laptop ran out of memory to copy all of them over.

___________________________________________________________________________

Venue : The Mill, Grand Millennium, Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours : 6.00 - 23.00 ( buffet dinner starts at 1900)
Price : 102 nett per pax

My work review

2011-04-26T19:26:00.000+08:00

Decided to blog with jian's phone since we're both stucked in a terrible jam right now. So I've been working for one week now and it was... tough, as expected. So I finally got all the answers I was asking in my previous entry. I've definitely learnt a lot in this week, things I wouldn't learn in uni. I've learnt mire than expected but in another way, things I was expecting to learn was 3d programmes and renderings but I've learnt something bigger, which is to plan and layout in large scale. Definitely something new to me sincce I alwaysgo for small/medium scale studios in uni. Okay I'm feeling really dizzy in the car now. Till then :)

work!

2011-04-18T01:01:00.000+08:00

This is a sudden jump to what i am dealing with now.
So everyone who knows me should know that i am back in Malaysia for good :) will write about this in a separate post.

So yea, as the title suggests, WORK. I am told by my dad to work in his friend's architect firm to kill time. And tomorrow will be my first day. *nervous*

why work?
According to my dad, I shop and spend too much when i am bored and when nothing occupies me, therefore he ~~suggests~~ told me to go and work. Not exactly working, i am taking it as a training since i dont get any pay at the moment, something which i dont mind as long as I get something out of my working experience at the end of it. And according to jian, my dad is paying me, just to get me to work.

Anyway, I am obviously confused now. How is working like? I've never had an official job before except working in my dad's office, and that was okay because i had my sister to accompany me. This time, i am all alone, i dont even know what will my job scope be? Am i good enough? Who will i have lunch with? What am i supposed to wear to work?

Well i guess this is the process of growing up, right?

so, face it!

tiramisu :)

2011-04-01T11:42:00.002+08:00

I'm not a big fan of tiramisu because most of the tiramisus out there taste nothing but coffee + cheesecake.

Plus, I'm not a coffee person therefore tiramisu has never been my type of cake, until one day, Jian forced me to try the ones he made.

And I instantly fell in love with it. :)

I hope he did not regret making me fall in love with his tiramisu because every now and then, i'll crave for it and he will need to bake for me :)

im not a kitchen person, he is.

booboo wants vitagen :)

*drools*

mr boo emo ing because nobody wants to play with him :)

im sorry, this post is actually more than a month late and i know i have neglected my blog.
will update soon. i promise :)

Blog is not dead, not yet

2011-03-14T12:05:00.000+08:00

Wait till I get a broadband! Meanwhile, I'm trying to blog with my sisters iPad.

Penang 19th - 20th February

2011-03-02T18:15:00.002+08:00

time flies when you're happy, even faster when you're with your love.

anyway, my two weeks back home was awesome! done so much in so little time, nevermind about the fact that i did not have time to catch up with my friends, no time to shisha (or more like no place to shisha) , im sorry peeps for coming back and disappearing.

Penang is over rated! i think the last time i went there before this trip was 4 or 5 years ago. Upon booking the resort along batu ferringhi, and as far as i could remember, batu ferringhi is quite a decent beach and my flashbacks told me that i used to pick up seashells along the beach with my sister, but in fact, the batu ferringhi today disappointed me. Jian and I did not even bother swimming in the sea. took a stroll along it and that was it.

Our stay with Holiday Inn was quite disappointing too. If you didnt know, the Holiday Inn in Penang has two parts - one the Feringghi Tower, and the other one the Beach Wing, As the name suggests, the beach wing will be closer to the beach whereas the feringghi tower is across the road. We booked the seaview room and was suppposed to be on the ferringhi tower but upon checking in, the receptionist were being "nice" enough to "upgrade" our room to the beach wing, she then located us onto the 2nd floor with shitty view. I could hardly see the sea from my room.

see that desperate bit of the sea?

That night, we went food hunting in Gurney Drive. Food was so so, except for the Assam Laksa and Rojak which is better compared to the rest. We ordered Grilled Fish, Char Keow Teow, Sotong Kangkung and took away Assam Laksa, Rojak, Popiah, and my favourite Mochi. Jian never fail to satisfy my crave for food.

The bad thing about Gurney Drive is - one, the parking, took us more than 20 minutes to find for a parking spot and still we had to walk really far. second, the service, i dont really like the self service system in gurney drive in which you'll have to order AND take your own food. It is really difficult for two people like us, which explained the takeaways.

The next morning, we decided to go for something more local, so i went to search on the internet and found good reviews for the shrimp paste rice noodle (chee cheong fun) in Genting Cafe at Lorong Delima 3, Island Glades.

curry mee

st george

botanic gardens

i insisted to bring an umbrella. pity my umbrella boy :)

if only i could control the sun's intensity

bye penang, till then :)

the trip was hectic but i guess we've made the most out of it.
everything was a little less than expectation except for the sun and the boyfriend's hospitality :)
now you know why i always imagine myself in penang/malacca whenever im freezing in melbourne.

few more days

2011-02-09T12:03:00.000+08:00

till i see my love again :)

so much to do , so little time, yet still procrastinating.

2011-02-07T16:08:00.002+08:00

i think i deserve the procrastination award more than anyone else, if there is one.

my february

2011-02-06T22:02:00.002+08:00

so one week of the month february has passed, and according to my tarot card reading, february will be a bad month for me with bad luck. I used to believe blindly in fortune tellers and tarot card readings or any sort of future telling strategies, do not deny that i used to be very superstitious despite my age (due to the influence from my mom i guess).

~~Things changed after i met Him.~~ Things changed after i found that door in my heart and decided to open up to Him. I believe in Him and put all my faith in Him. He is God. Many might go against the change in my believe but you know what, every individuals in this world was born with one thing God gave us and will never take away from us - choice. We've got every right to choose, and as for me, Ive chosen to believe in Him, because God loves me.

I actually regretted, why didnt i let God come into my life earlier? For a few times in my life, i was introduced to God by different people. My first kindergarten was a church, and all these while, i've been avoiding it, neglecting His love for me, I once rejected God, to a point when im actually scared to talk to Christian friends, didnt really understand their passion for God. Thought it was all bullshit, until one day I have this sudden urge to do some research, and then approached Jian to tell me more. I found my personal relationship with God and I feel so so blessed at this very moment.

Bible says we dont act like hypocrites, we dont pray at the roadsides and let everyone see

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others" - Matthew 6:5

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you" - Matthew 6.6

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" - Matthew 6.8

Well, i am not trying to act like a hypocrites here but i really want to share Jesus in my blog. I might not change anything but i really hope it did made a difference in you today.

Jesus loves us, he knows us more than anyone else. Nothing much to do actually, just love Him back!

Really, its not a big harsh, cause it is so so so easy to love someone who loves you back!

Believe

Amen :)

preserving memories

2011-02-06T18:09:00.002+08:00

flowers are great gifts, and i loveee receiving them, however, it often saddens me a little when i throw dead/dried flowers away.
I was cleaning my house today when i came across the loveliest bouquet of flower i've ever received in my entire life. It's not the typical rose bouquet , it is a bouquet with all the flowers i ♥ and whats more important is that, they're from jian. I would really love to keep them with me.

so that was the flower when it was still blooming and fresh

So here was what i did to them, nothing much, everyone could've thought of this

but it meant so much when i made everything out from the bouquet!

First i took off the dried petals

Wrapping the dried petals up, crushing them at the same time.

took off the wire that was tying the bouquet together,

cut it into half

secure the wrapper with the wire

and i thought it looked plain.

p/s the net was coming off and it was really sharp so i burnt the edges with a lighter, and ~~accidentally made a hole in it~~ but the hole was removed after that :)

So now you know, flowers dont always goes straight into bins :)

nothing but pure rambles

2011-02-04T18:31:00.001+08:00

okay. im bored. im sleepy. im tired. im sick ~~im lazy~~
i miss home. i miss my boyf. i miss my bed.
i got a plan. perhaps some plans. and im leaving them to God.

home is just 9 days away, yet i feel super miserable.
i cant wait already.
dont worry. im still in one piece.

happy rabbit year

2011-02-02T18:35:00.002+08:00

i cant be home this chinese new year

2011-02-02T16:44:00.004+08:00

it is my first time in my ~~23 years~~ 22 years and 4 months years of life, that i am spending chinese new year without the family :(

worse still, im spending it alone, literally.

sighs, i miss home, i miss all the fun back there, the reunion lunch when all of us always fight for the best seat, then the angpao giving time, the chinese new year cookies, the bak kwas, the ~~coke~~ and ~~the heat~~

aww, let me fill my blog with some chinese new year ambience can?

pictures were from last year ~~im desperate~~

i was wearing my grandma's 46 years old qipao!

yes my grandma had 22 inches waist last time.

i really love it, back then, it was custom made,

the material, the design, details and everything is so pretty compared to the qipaos nowadays!

that is our reunion lunch :)

my sister never fail to get herself the best spot!

argh! i miss chinese new year so damn much!! lets count together, 11 more days to go for me!

and i really want to go HOME!!!!!
i wish there's no "dong dong qiang" in melbourne! i have to admit that i hate that sound, it makes me scared :(

also, can i praise myself for being sucha strong and brave girl, living alone for a month now.
i really thank God my studio is an easy one this sem!

hello, my dog is smarter than yours!

2011-01-31T22:10:00.002+08:00

I was so bored today i came across a video on facebook about a girl performing stunts with her poodle. Inspired by her video, i went and grab booboo's snacks and started teaching him something new!
He amazingly absorbed the lesson in less than an hour!

Here's what he can do now

Me : Booboo Ni yao chi ma? (booboo do u want to eat?)
Booboo : Nods head (more like a bow) :) :)

That sums up to the things he can do :

#01 sit
#02 hand hand (right hand)
#03 left hand
#04 down
#05 rollover
#06 hop
#07 high 5
#08 inside! (goes into his pink house)
#09 where's your ballball?
#10 where's your toytoy?
#11 booboo u wanna eat?

wow. am i supposed to praise myself or the dog?
if only i had more patience and time, he would be a youtube star!

the day my sister left home to be with tungyung forever

2011-01-31T16:36:00.005+08:00

(Sorry this post is almost a month late)

So, it was my sister and tungyung's big day on the 1st January this year,

and today i'll be blogging about the wedding ceremony which took place in the morning.

(before i start, please, i dont really know much about Chinese wedding tradition but through my sister's wedding, i was revealed to it, so dont judge me if ive said anything wrong)

Okay. To me, a traditional chinese wedding is super complicated, it is impossible to accomplish the whole ceremony without the help from everyone. The actual day was so much more hectic than what the pictures show, so busy we didnt have time to stop everything for a while just to take a proper photo. Well, that's because we've got "time" to follow according to the fengshui.

Here we go, the night before the wedding, my sister and tungyung wasnt allowed to see each other. So everyone gathered in my place for some praying ceremony which took place at 12 midnight. It was also New Year's eve, so i was grounded at home too.

And as for me, i was busy preparing the things needed to play "games" with the groom and his "brothers"

I guess most people is familiar with this, in order to get the bride, they had to pass through the "sisters" stage, to accomplish whatever we told them to do.

Yen is MY ONE AND ONLY sister, I was assigned to think of the "games"

So, Jian helped me with my welcome drinks :)

colorful welcome drinks consisting of all four tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy)

yellow - pure lemon squeeze

green - pure blended bittergaud

red - blended chilli padi, pepper, herbs, and beetroot

pink - blended tomatoes with tomato sauce

brown - honey

The bride woke up at 6am

getting ready :)

my idea of "bride" is someone who is always lady-like and doesnt do things like the above picture!

until my sister spoilt the whole idea

even attempted to ~~eat her flowers~~

with her besties , jengmun (above) and limay (below)

they were friends since the "catching-catching" and "hide-n-seek" days

she told me she was so bored in the room waiting.

another chinese tradition, dad had to feed the daughter with "mee suah"(shown below)

i dont know what's the reason/idea behind this, im sure even my dad doesnt know.

and also putting down her veil for her

so she's all done waiting for the groom to come :)

MEANWHILE, what was happening upstairs :

we prepared heart-shaped "bow tie" for the "brothers" to put them around their neck.

our welcome drinks. they look good in wine glasses right?

i was so nervous while waiting for the groom to come!

the relatives played a prank on us, they did the car horn thing twice and we were all like "hey they're here they're here faster get ready, close that door dont let them in!"

so finally, here comes the groom

another tradition thing, the bride's brother has to open the car door for the groom

i wonder what they did during the olden days when there wasnt any cars.

they still have time to sit down and relax and have their breakfast WHILE the "sisters" had to wait at the door for them to come and get the bride.

our wasabi bread

hendri chee

jovin

kenny and poh

we made the groom wear disposable underwear and collect lipstick stains from his brother :)

was happily playing pranks on them when they said its "time" for the groom to meet the bride.
so we proceeded to the next step :)

of course, the "ang pao" for the "sisters" before we open the door for them
we had two ang paos because one was given at the main door (upstairs)
and one was given outside my sister's room (downstairs)

he read his vows :)
i know my sister almost teared

tea serving ceremony for the elderly

of course the grandma comes first :)

then the parents

the best part of the ceremony i reckon. haha!

mum is so happy she cried

(i dont understand why we used bowl instead of tea cups.)

daddy :)

and the ceremony goes on with aunty, uncles, great grandma, for hours.

the day is also a historical day for me and my brother,

it is the FIRST TIME EVER we're calling my sister "jie jie"

we usually call her by her name.

she was happy i guess. haha!

and then we received angpaos from her

and the cousins :)

daddy, mummy and me

jian

the whole family.

and all the cousins! :)

so the family portrait was taken in a rush, before we all head to the groom's place.

upon reaching tung yung's place, they prayed
and basically, the whole ceremony repeats in his place, with his family members

ending this blog with a picture of myself serving the bride, just to prove that i wasnt missing in action ~~like she claimed~~ :)

haha!

it was a VERY tiring day for all of us.
I went back home, took a shower and headed to leisure mall for my brunch at sakae sushi with Jian. i fell asleep during lunch. and then we went home and collapsed for a while before getting ready again for dinner at the groom's place. After dinner, me, kai, jovin and jian headed to Gsix and i was too tired to party. What a day to remember :)

we all await for the baby to come now :)

and tungyung, welcome to the family :)

home is just.... 16 days away :)

2011-01-28T21:16:00.001+08:00

another friday :)

2011-01-28T13:40:00.003+08:00

booboo needs some obedience n manners training be4 going back to kl,just in case my grandma chase him out of the house for being sucha king!

God will make a way

2011-01-25T19:39:00.003+08:00

I was lost, helpess, clueless and indecisive.
Sometimes when things dont go the way we want them to, and when situations aren't in our control, have faith in God.
He will make a way and he surely does
song video on youtube here

lyrics
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way....
He will make a way

Oh God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way.....
He will make a way

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today

Oh God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way...
He will make a way

Oh God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way....
He will make a way

With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way....
He will make a way

________________________________________

have faith in Him :)
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed

mr boo

2011-01-24T15:18:00.002+08:00

and so i got home after my mid semester presentation which went pretty well.

tired but couldnt sleep.

saw a video on facebook regarding a %^&*($%^&*( moron torturing his toy poodle

throwing, strangling, slapping and shouting

got really pissed at that ~~f*ck*r~~ ~~idiot~~ oh well, i just couldnt find words to describe him

i dont know wtf are these people thinking, if you hate dogs, dont get one.

if you love dogs but do not have that patience to train them, dont get one too!

and to everyone who loves torturing dogs,

get a life for fucks sake.

you dont even deserve to see them wag their tails.

think of the pain from the dog's point of view, a small helpless creature who just needed some love from you.
and to everyone out there who thinks its not wrong to hit a dog when he disobeys you, you're so wrong.
nobody deserves physical tortures from anyone and nobody has the right to hit/slap a dog, or even, a human.
so please.. violence sucks.

anyway, back to the topic, i saw that video and i realised that dogs can be so vulnerable.
they dont live long like human do.
i love my dog,

thats how he "manja's" me everytime i come home.

and we will be going back together next month, for good.

i am less than 12 hours away from mid semester when i decided to blog about

2011-01-23T19:55:00.001+08:00

........... Halloween last year!

Super delayed post i know, but as promised.
Finally i got the pictures from lilyleng :)

~~slaps myself for procrastinating at this very last minute~~

anyway, let me recall.

It wasnt a typical friday night with spontaneous clubing nights. It was my brother's gf's birthday, so we booked a table at Quan Jude, Melbourne for Peking ducks :)

thats one and only miserable picture i have.

What happened during dinner was, someone spontaneously suggested to go for vii's halloween party.
It was pretty late already and we didnt know how/what to dress up.
Zero preparation.

Had a great laugh over the dinner when all sorts of suggestion came out.
Suggestion like
#1 wrapping yourself up with toilet rolls and be mummy
#2 Steal Quan Jude's chinese costume and be some chinese ghost
#3 something to do with table cloth as i remembered.

We're a bunch of creative creatures :)

I insisted on something that will look GOOD on me like a fairy or an angel or u know, a princess.
Because i always dream to be one and why not just grant my wish lah.

Anyway, out of randomness I thought i could just be one of my favourite disney character - mickey!
Coincidently Joanne had mickey ears she bought from Disneyland.
Didnt know what to wear, so i randomly wore my favourite color - white
tied a ribbon around my neck attached to a broken rubber hair band.

so thats me, kinda failed because everyone is calling me a cat instead of a mouse.
:(

and thats edmund, make up done by lileng :D

with my girls,
li leng the school girl and joanne the wicked witch :D

I did all their eyeliner except for edmund's :)

was a great night.
and i am missing those nights right now :(
Where are all of youuuuuuuu!!????

2011-01-22T19:24:00.003+08:00

be it baby girl or boy.

I skipped class yesterday for shopping. I was so stressed and i needed some kind of money spending therapy to release my stress. making sense?
This time, i did not shop for my brothers or my sister.
Instead, i went to myer kids section, and started hunting for things i could buy for my future niece/nephew.

I couldnt buy much because the ultrascan still couldnt tell if its a baby girl or a boy.
I was so tempted to buy both.

and if you're wondering what is tat snail doing there,
its actually a growth chart with mini pockets by the numbers to insert photos into it.

vacation needed.

2011-01-22T13:45:00.001+08:00

never.

2011-01-21T23:13:00.000+08:00