Raya Break 2013

I had the loveliest and most wonderful Raya break ever. 

We didn't go anywhere at all. Most of my time was spent at home, doing the things that I don't have the time and energy to do on normal days. I can totally understand why people look forward to retirement.

I managed to cook two meals, one a nondescript meal to eat with rice and the other which is spaghetti in beef bolognese sauce. Hubby loved the spaghetti. His only complaint, "Why no cheese?" His absent-minded cook forgot all about the cheese. :(

Spaghetti in Beef Bolognese Sauce

And I even drummed up enough enthusiasm to bake a Carrot Walnut Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting for my birthday. That's my 4th birthday cake this year. 

A healthy cake full of carrots and walnuts and covered
with the most delicious lemon cream cheese frosting

I love birthdays and birthday cakes. No birthday is complete without a birthday cake and I cannot have enough of birthday cakes. Sometimes I think that I am worse than a kid. Could this be a sign of second childhood?

Anyway, back to my lack of enthusiasm for cooking. It's the thought of waking up early to go to the market before going to the office that is the greatest demotivating factor whenever I start toying with the idea of cooking anything. 

And the thought of all the washing up would totally squelch whatever spark of interest that remains. It's not that I don't like to cook. I enjoy cooking but not slogging for two hours or more after a tired day to serve a meal that is eaten in 15 minutes. That doesn't make sense at all and thank God, Hubby understands. 

But on holidays I have ample time to go marketing, do all the preparation and cooking as well as the washing up without running out of time or energy. Since it is difficult to cook such small portions for two persons I ended up cooking more and freezing portions for another day. Hah! How's that for killing two birds with one stone?

Best of all, the holidays gave me time to catch up on some posts that are way, way overdue on my blog. Unfortunately some had to be discarded because the event was over and done with so long ago that it had lost much, if not all, of its oomph. 

But do you know what was the one thing that made this Raya break extra-special? There was some badminton championship being played out in Guangzhou and so, except for half-a-day that he spent in the office, Hubby the spent the whole Raya break with me at home. I am so happy to have him home with me even though it's badminton that got most of his attention. 

Holiday Gifts

We have a tradition in KRPG. Whenever one of us goes for a holiday he or she will return to work bearing gifts from wherever they have been.

This week two of our colleagues came back from vacation with these gifts.

Sweets from Shireen (Singapore) and key chains from Esther (Kota Kinabalu)

Nowadays young people really travel a lot. Even the ordinary wage earner. I feel like a "katak di bawah tempurung" compared to them.

Hong Kong 27-30 November 2009

Warning! This is a long overdue post left in the drafts folder for the past two years. Skip this post if you prefer something more current. If you are still interested here it is.....

This was our first trip to Hong Kong and it was disappointing.

We realized that there is nothing made in Hong Kong. Look at the labels and you'll find that most of the stuff are made in China or elsewhere like Bangladesh.

Despite the fact that Hong Kong is now a part of China, 

I always associate China only with mainland China.

And our timing for the trip was lousy. All the clothing on sale are for fall/winter, totally unsuitable for our Malaysian weather. So we ended up not buying anything.

In fact we had plenty of HKD left over from the trip. Considering the fact that we had to pay cash for everything because most establishments do not accept credit cards, we practically came back empty-handed.

As if that is not depressing enough all I brought back from Hong Kong was a really bad flu.

But we had some good memories 'cos memories are made up of people not things and I had my favourite people with me on the trip.

Like all tourists, we took a photo at the Golden Bauhinia sculpure at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (top left) and another photo by the waterfront (bottom right). It was so hot so we were all squinting.

As we were leaving the Convention Centre we met a group of Chinese Christians sharing the gospel (top right). They were singing the song "All Our Praise and Glory" energetically with all the actions.

Then we went to Repulse Bay but were bored waiting for some of the people on the bus who went to pray for fortune at a temple there. So we entertained ourselves (middle left) and put up our feet (middle right).

We are lazy tourists so rushing here and there is really not our cup of tea. 

The purpose of a holiday is to rest and recharge, not tire ourselves out.

At Aberdeen we saw luxurious yachts and also boats that serve as homes for those who live on the water. We went for a sampan ride and the sampan operator reminded Pam and I of her Kong Kong (middle left).

No visit to Hong Kong would be complete without a trip up to the Peak. It was cold up there (top left) and the view was beautiful (top right).

At Madame Tussaud's Pam had an argument with Michael Jackson (middle left) and tried to sneak a peek under Marilyn Monroe's skirt (middle right). Naturally, as a writer, she couldn't resist the opportunity to have a chat with Shakespeare (bottom right).

Hubby, on the other hand, was overjoyed to find the Beatles and decided to help George Harrison  with a chord or two (bottom right).

On one of the days (cannot remember which one), we took the subway to Mong Kok (top right & left) where we went to the street market to shop for souvenirs.

During dinner we over-ordered the dishes even though the waiter was there to help us. We were shocked to see how huge the portions were. The food was delicious but we couldn't finish it hence the glum faces despite the thumbs up (middle left). What a waste.

We stayed at the Renaissance Kowloon located at Tsim Sha Tsui so we only had to walk out to the back of the hotel in order to access the promenade where we could watch the Symphony of Lights (middle left).

At the Avenue of Stars we tried to identify the stars of some of the Hong Kong actors we know.  Hubby decided to take a photo with his sword-fighting hero David Chiang's star (bottom right).

We didn't really enjoy Hong Kong and really looked forward to going home (bottom left).

Langkawi Getaway IV

We're supposed to take the cable car up Gunung Machincang yesterday but it was closed due to strong winds. So this morning we had an early breakfast, called to check that the cable cars are running and sped off for our ride before going to the airport.

The cable cars were running but the sky bridge was closed due to bad weather conditions. : (

We'll have to come back again for our tree top walk.

Hubby in the cable car with the middle station behind him

Tiny toy cable cars going up and down the oldest hills in Langkawi

Putumayo Dinner

We decided on Putumayo (not Putumayong) for dinner and it was a great choice. Not only does the place look beautiful, the food is also delicious, well presented and reasonably priced.

We liked the curry chicken best of all because it's all made from lean and tender breast meat and floury potatoes. And the curry is really lemak - the way I like my curry. And a nice touch was the star-shaped rice.

Located along Jalan Pantai Cenang, Putumayo truly deserves the Outstanding Restaurant Award for 2010/2011.

The food

The place

Langkawi Getaway III

It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for Hubby when he saw the padi fields beside the road on the way to Pantai Cenang. He became a little boy again and even wanted to catch a fighting fish or two!

I dissuaded him and as we went along we passed the Laman Padi so we stopped by to have a look at how padi is grown. That place shows padi at all stages of growth from nursery stage to harvest time.

Hubby trying to snap a photo of his old firend, the Sar Looi Bak fish, at Laman Padi

Next stop was the Underwater World. I must say it's better maintained now than it was almost 2 decades ago when we last visited Langkawi.

And now we have just finished lunch at the Lan Kwai Fong cafe which is conveniently situated opposite the Underwater World. They serve set lunch that is much too salty but the dessert that didn't look appetising was surprisingly tasty.

A copy cat Lan Kwai Fong at Pantai Cenang

My meal

Chocolate oozing from the yummy dessert

Cheesy Breakfast

I repeated my order for the cheesy everything-pun-masuk-kiasu omelette while we enjoyed the view over breakfast.

Honeymoon Surprise

We're, ahem, supposedly on honeymoon so the agent booked a honeymoon package for us.

When we returned to our room after the eco tour we found a bottle of wine, chocolate pralines and fruits waiting for us.

We should go on honeymoon more often.

Langkawi Getaway II

This morning we went on an eco tour to the Kilim Geoforest Park, visited the Crocodile Cave that is no longer inhabited by crocodiles, had a great time at the Fish Farm (surprisingly), and also learned about bats at the Bat Cave.

A not-to-be-missed tour

At the eagle feeding I was reminded that we're to soar like eagles. That was my text for our HI convocation speech.

Thank you Lord for the reminder.

On our way back to the hotel, Albert, our guide gave us an FOC trip up to Gunung Raya, the highest mountain in Langkawi. So kind of him. It was really the favour of God.

Climbed up a tower and we're at the highest point in Langkawi

Langkawi Getaway I

We finally took off to Langkawi today for our holiday courtesy of 'Bee. Arrived at 2:30pm and checked into Four Points by Sheraton Langkawi Resort.

The room is huge and I simply love the rain shower. It's a luxury to have water cascading down on me instead of the pathetic, powerless spray at home.

Dinner was at Shin Mi Seafood Restaurant where we were served the biggest prawns we've ever seen in our lives. We also ordered two crabs - one was really fresh but the other was disappointing.

Pictures later when we get back. I can't seem to get blogger to upload photos on either iPhone or iPad.

Update: Downloaded Blogger app. Here are the photos.

Fresh giant Tiger Prawns

Grilled Crabs

Return to Malacca

We made another trip to Malacca and this time we stayed at another heritage boutique hotel, Courtyard @ Heeren.

The entrance from the back where we parked our car

The lobby area with beautiful antique furniture
and a lovely water garden below the staircase I'm standing on

Curtains separated the sleeping area from the rest of the room.
Each room is individually decorated, so every room is unique.

Beds were simply mattresses on a raised platform
which reminded me of the 'balay' that my grandma used.

The side table

One of the many beautiful court-yards in the super-long house
that brought in the natural light.

Long corridors that showed the original brick work of the walls

We saw gaudily decorated trishaws along one of the lanes
off Jonker Street

Sis said that mom would have been so pleased that I've finally found my nyonya roots.

A Visit to the Highlands

We had some family time up at Cameron Highlands over the weekend. We have not seen our babee since she left after the CNY break so this short vacation is really long overdue.

Our must-visit place every time we go up there

Must-have English Devonshire tea featuring yummy scones
served with butter, cream and strawberry jam

Hubby's favourite pastime up there
besides tinkering on the computer

The flowers up the highlands are always a joy to behold

'Bee caught taking a photo of me

Another must-visit place for us is the Boh tea plantation near Habu but this year we decided to try a new place so we went to the Bharat plantation instead since it was on our way down to Simpang Pulai. It was such a disappointment. The place was hot; there were plenty of flies and too many people polluting the air with their cigarette smoke. We're never going back there.

'Bee and I at the Bharat tea plantation

Hong Kong 27-30 November 2009

All I brought back from Hong Kong was a really bad flu.

Happeeeee!

Yup, cos I'm with my babee!

Hardly any traffic all the way down to KL. Driving down would have been a breeze.

Aeroline made it to 1U in 3½ hours! They usually take 4 plus to 5 hours.

Holiday Time

We're just arrived home from our Merdeka weekend in KL.

The plan was to leave as early as possible on Saturday morning. When we woke up at 9am I was pretty certain we would be able to make it in time for lunch in KL.

Unfortunately I forgot to factor in 30 mins to set the home computer on download, another 15 mins trying to extricate a stuck CD, 30 mins for breakfast, 15 mins to pump petrol and check tyre pressure and finally, another 30 mins to set the office computer on download. By the time we left it was already 12 noon.

What a waste of holiday time! I could have enjoyed another hour of sleep or gone to the First AG Food and Fun Fair.

Weekend in KL (15-17 May)

I drove down to KL with Lillian and Jewel last Friday.

It was a really long journey with stops to make calls to a client and a media owner in order to defuse a potentially catastrophic situation. One party was asking for cooperation and the other party was yelling blue murder for breach of promise. Anyway we ended up with a win-lose situation. As expected, the client won.

The car was super heavy because we brought down my mother-in-law's sewing machine for Pam. It's an appropriate inheritance to pass on to her 'cos her obsession with a perfect fit has cost her a bomb in terms of alteration expenses and sometimes she is still not satisfied with the result.

Ah Ma's hand sewing machine looking good as new.
Pretty box contains all the sewing parphernalia I packed for her.

By the time we arrived we were all so tired that we just crashed until it was time to get ready for Men in Tutus. We were very hungry but we were already late so we had to resort to cornetto to lapik perut or "lace our stomachs."

Colourful seats at KLPAC so the audience
don't lose their seats after intermission

The promotional snippet for the show was really hilarious so our expectations were very high. As in most cases where expectations are too high it led to some disappointment.

But there were some high points as well. We almost died laughing over the dying swan - dropping feathers all over the stage - act by Victor Trevino. He is the artistic Director and our compere for the night. We loved the expressive faces of some of the dancers and Joel Morris as Odette in Swan Lake was simply amazing.

Victor Trevino in his dying swan costume. Check out his eyelashes.
They are the longest pair of falsies I've ever seen!

That's Joel Morris in his Odette costume between Pam and me.

Some of the dancers were so pretty and petite that they could well pass off as ballerinas but when we saw them in their own clothes after the show they didn't look all that effeminate at all.

Pam then took us to a Beef Noodle stall at Jalan Alor for dinner. The soup was black! I still prefer our Penang Beef Noodles.

The next two days were spent on our feet shopping all day. Lillian the shopaholic would wake up every morning and start counting how many shopping hours she's losing simply because we could not get our driver and tour guide out of bed.

Totally beat

Pam gave Lillian (her Khai Ma/god-mother) and me a belated Mother's Day treat at Pavilion's Dragon-i on Saturday night. Thank you 'bee.

The food was scrumptious and the company was even better. Lillian and I regaled our daughters with some grandmother stories, most of which they have not heard before.

We had such a good time that we lingered over dinner. Eventually we were the only diners left. The restaurant switched off the aircon and we still sat there. Then they switched off some of the lights. We finally took the hint and left.

The thing that wore us out this trip, more than the walking and shopping, was the heat. I have always thought that the weather in KL is cooler than Penang but this trip proved me wrong. The heat was energy-sapping, like a blast from the oven and we just wilted, melted and evaporated. Evaporated was Jewel's description.

Then I came back and heard that it was just as bad in Penang.

We had a lovely ladies' weekend. Should do that more often. Lillian and I had so much catching up to do that we talked all the way down to KL and all the way back. 10 hours of talk. Talk what also I don't know.

Monday in KL - Day 3

First thing I did in the morning was to mop her bedroom floor. Another mission accomplished.

Then we rushed out of the house to collect her orders for facial masks.

On our way home to sort out the orders, we decided to stop by at Li Er Restaurant for an early lunch. The prices were very reasonable. If I remember correctly we paid not more than RM38 for Sweet Sour Fish, Hot Plate Tofu, Fried Kailan with Garlic, rice and drinks.

Delicious meal for less than RM40

Isn't my 'bee too lovely for words?

After sorting out the orders for the masks, we went to Sunway Pyramid (again) to shop and enjoy another Kwai Ling Gou treat.

Dinner was at a Japanese Restaurant at Sunway Pyramid and too soon it was time for her to send me to Terminal 3 for my flight home. That was when the misadventures with the canceled and transferred flights occured.

Menu at Sushi Zanmei Restaurant

She didn't want me to take her photo hence the funny faces. I think she still looks adorable whatever the face she wears.

Three days went by so fast. Not enough. It's always never enough. I miss her. Dreadfully.

Need to plan my next trip down or her trip up.

I made her bed for her. A farewell gift to put a smile on her face
when she climbs into bed tonight.

Sunday in KL - Day 2

Sunday was the karaoke day.

"Operation Feed My Babee" didn't have a good start today. We just ate the Subway which we bought the day before for brunch and after that we headed for Mid Valley. Walked around a bit before we had to be at the mysterious somewhere by 3.00pm.

They do serve food at the karaoke but nothing that met my criteria for "Operation Feed My Babee." Anyway only one mouth so we could either sing or eat. We chose to sing and leave the eating for later.

After the karaoke session 'bee took me to Fong Lye, a Taiwanese Restaurant at the Gardens. The food was fantastic! I suspect that's because it's been adapted for Malaysian taste buds.

They provided nice comfy chairs for us while we waited to be seated. Such thoughtfulness for the comfort of the patron is to be commended. They also served us little glasses of lime juice. The juice is full of flavour yet not sour. Absolutely delicious.

'Bee knew what she wanted to order so she didn't even look at the menu. That's my 'bee; she always eats the same thing at the same restaurant. Never change once she finds something she likes. Not willing to take risks.

After yesterday's fiasco with the Chicken and Leek Pie I decided to order what she ordered. So we both ended up ordering the Miso Fish Set and some Sweet Potato Balls for appetizer . No regrets this time.

Miso Fish Set that comes with a bowl of rice with minced meat,
soup, some kerabu thingy, some green stuff and a slice of egg roll

Mouth-watering Miso Fish

We also ordered a pot of what we thought was chrysanthemum and oolong tea. Somehow we wrote the wrong number and ended up with twin oolong instead. The tea was too bitter for us once it had steeped for some time.

Lovely tea set

Cute drawing of a Chinese girl on the tea-pot

After dinner we went to fill up the car which was running on an almost empty tank and then it was home sweet home.

Saturday in KL - Day 1

'Bee picked me from the airport and "Operation Feed My Babee" commenced with an early lunch at delicious, Bangsar.

I should have ordered the Smoked Salmon with Angel Hair Pasta she recommended. Instead I pandai-pandai ordered a Chicken and Leek Pie thinking that it would not be as rich compared to the pasta which was served with cream sauce.

When my meal came, regret was served along with it. It was not that it wasn't tasty. Pastry crust was simply not the best food to stuff down an already dry and scratchy throat.

Chicken and Leek Pie at delicious, Bangsar

Hot honey lemon to balance the heatiness of baked pie

After lunch I accompanied 'bee for a walk-in visit to the dentist. We expected a long wait but we did not anticipate leaving the dentist's office 3 hours later!

We entertained ourselves watching episodes of "Gossip Girl" on her Samsung Omnia before she went in to see the dentist.

She disappeared in there for more than one-and-a-half hours. Only came out once for an x-ray. I was left to entertain myself watching a little boy riding his "horse" (an umbrella) up and down the hallway.

'Bee later told me that she was first given one jab. When she did not feel any numbness, the dentist gave her another jab. I think the anesthetic finally took effect and the accumulated potency was such that she fell asleep on the dentist's chair!

I tell you, this girl of mine can have an adventure any time anywhere.

We went to Sunway Pyramid and had Kwai Ling Gou for pre-dinner dessert before going to Dragon-i for dinner.

Kwai Ling Gou for teh complexion and to cool down the system

I told 'bee that there was no increase in price but the portions have shrunken tremendously. Anyway, we ordered our favourite Prawn in Salted Egg Yolk. We could not believe it when the dish came and we counted only 7 prawns for a dish that costs RM38++!

[Edited at 9.39pm: Mistake. The dish costs RM32.00++.]

7 miserable prawns garnished with half a cherry tomato
and a few pathetic strands of dehydrated pea sprout

Just last week I had dinner at Dragon-i at Queensbay Mall Penang and we also ordered the same dish. My dinner companions and I were commenting that overall they have significantly reduced the portions but I was very sure (based on the no. we ate) there were defintely more than 7 prawns. At least 13, maybe 15 prawns.

After dinner we dashed into Jusco for some urgent purchases before the store closed. By then our energy level was also running low so we headed for home.

When we reached home I accomplished an important item on my agenda for the weekend. I changed her bed clothes for her. I had a boo-boo moment there which you can read here.

Mission accomplished. She's finally using the new comforter set we bought her.

We ber-mask-mask and then it's an early night for both of us. I strongly suspect that for 'bee the early night was the after effect of the anesthetic overdose.