Ben & Jon

After almost 3 years of not meeting up with each other, finally Ben and Jon are back in SP!

And my, have they grown so much. The boy that I used to fight with a lot is now a charming handsome man and the brother who used to be so short and chubby with rosy cheeks is now even taller than me and is kinda quiet (until he gets warmed up, then he starts chattering non stop)

They were being so sarcastic at the point this picture was taken, they were like, Awww, in a sickly sweet way and then mocking me saying things like SuYin san khi, or something like that to embarrass me.

Jon's brilliant with the piano, having performed all over the world as part of an orchestra, played all sorts of tunes and songs just for the fun. I had a lot of fun teasing Jon that he's gotten fat and plump and that he has a bigger ass than me that took up half of the back seat of the car.

Bringing the two monkeys to watch National Treasure cos Jon's only 17 and can't watch Alien Vs Predators, which is rated PG18 hahaha.

Will update if I take any more pics.

Bukit Genting Leisure Park & Restaurant

This will be the dumbest review ever... cos I did not take pictures of the food there! Camera went out of battery, like 5 mins upon taking pictures of the scenery.

The restaurant is on top of a Genting Hill off Jalan Teluk Kumbar, Balik Pulau, Penang has a magnificent view. The slope up the hill was pretty steep but the environment was worth it. Cool wind blows as you dig into spicy Thai cuisine.

We had a total of five dishes: Green Curry, Squid Kerabu, Tomyam, Deep Fried Kangkong and Pud Pet Fish.

8 of us were there, and the bill came up to a total of RM140, at roughly RM17.50 each, which in my opinion was pretty worth the view AND food.

I would love to come back again!

Kuantan Christmas Edition

Loads of photos, random and not.

Started out from Penang at 1:30am after GM. We both agreed (more like I force TY to agree) that I will drive first, until Sungai Perak, then he can take over from there straight to Kuantan as from Sg Perak onwards the roads are quite windy.

Reached Kuantan around 7am, me driving only to a max of 130, and the other bloody fella up to 150. Some times I got too panicky that I decided to just close my eyes and sleep and just trust that I shall live. If anything were to happen to any of my limbs, then he will be eternally responsible of me.

Had Curry Mee in one of the best curry mee shops in Kuantan, and soon after that got back home, showered and slept all the way through noon.

Got up at 3+, and had bee hoon soup for tea,and steamboat + beehoon soup again for dinner!

It was also the Winter Festival or something like that. Made some really colourful tang yuan. Added colouring and boiled the yuans in water and then as soon as it floats to the surface, remove to soak in cold water.

Colouring for tang yuan

Moi, hard at work!

Syrup made of water, and sugar boiled with ginger. I'm not a fan of tang yuan and normally I don't have them but I made this exception. Had egg tart and teh si (again) later.

Can you see the snowman? Hehehhe

Also went over to Telok Cempedak (beach) for TY's volleyball game with friends. Collected some (tiny) seashells along the way...

Beach volleyball

Tea leaves

Dinner on Christmas Eve!!!!

Out from the oven after 4hrs

Cauliflower in cheese sauce

(cheese sauce: flour and butter-with equal weight-mixed
on hot pan till melts and whisk the whole time, then eventually add in milk slowly,
more milk, more liquidy, less milk, more gravy-y)

My happy meal: roast turkey, garlic bread, cauliflower, coleslaw and mashed taters

Birthday christmas girl

Chocolate moist cake

Aunty and Wei En baked the chocolate moist. Can't remember what the recipe is like exactly but it includes a chocolate powder (250g), sugar 200g, 5 eggs.

Eggs whisked with sugar till fluffy (white) then slowly add in chocolate powder with minimum whisk. Coat cake tin with oil and then bake at 300 degres (?)

Last dinner in Kuantan:

Nasi dagang

And that concludes the extravaganzas of the Christmas edition :)

22nd

By far, this has to be the best birthday I have ever had. Caught up with a few of my old friends and even get to go home to enjoy a truly lazy and stomach-satisfying holiday.

A very cute fruit-cake in the shape of a muffin from Sue Wern and Li May. Bless them! Weird hand gestures trying to keep the candle flame from going out.

With christmas-y details.

Well-spun lies that brought this black monkey in front of my doorsteps at 1.15am of my birthday, cakes and flowers. Who else are in the plot? What experiment is he trying to perform? Says that'll be answered next year.

Mouses (of all creatures?) that sit in the bouquet.

Chocolate Brownies from TY.


And then mom bought yet another cake, blueberry.

Li Chin and Yeong Wen treating me at de Sabai.

I am truly blessed :)

Love, A Year Older.

On the second week of my first year at USM, I received a message from a senior, who was a PPMS (Pembimbing Pelajar Minggu SuaiKenal-I think) and knew of my interest in swimming. He suggested that I take up a certain Lifesaving Course. Encouraged by the sound of it, I went to the registration counter at the Library Foyer to sign myself up.

At the counter, sat a group of university students, a fair Chinese guy, with spectacles who I later got to know as Fook Seng, captain of the Lifeguard Corps; a dark but fit female in a smart white shirt, Pei Ting, one of the super lao pengs in the Corps, and finally, an even darker person, male, with a seemingly moody face. I approached the counter and announced that I would want to take up the course. The moody-faced guy answered, good, with almost like an arrogant relief as here was this person willingly signing up without having to waste any of their time persuading.

Little did I know that the moody-faced fella will eventually kao me and become my boyfriend in 2 years' time.

God.

Few first impressions that I had of him, were negative, to say the least. Arrogant and intimidating was what I would label him, during those few encounters. Sometimes he reminded me of a dark monkey, with his antics. And extremely hairly legs.

Fast forward two years, I have not only grown to know him, but to love and understand.
He has been an amazing person, one who would readily accept my flaws and turn them into my strengths, never hesitating to play the hero and rescue me from a tight spot. Sensitive to my moods, he makes the lamest jokes just to see the corners of my mouth turn upwards. I am so very blessed to have him in my life.

Of course, he's not the only one doing all the work. I have also been accepting his flaws like a sponge absorbing water. Like when he would use his little finger and dig the bats out of the cave while I'm eating right in front of him. Or when he would oversleep till the late hours of the noon when he is supposed to bring me out for lunch. Or when he would make monkey antics at a moment of grave seriousness. Or the way he would chew the food that I cook and give comments food critic-like. Not enough salt, or not enough liaw. Or the way he pretends everything is all right as I am practically exhaling fire and smoke. Or when he will bend down to type something on his laptop and then scratch his bum in the process. Hot, huh?

Yea. These are the few things that makes him so adorable *sarcasm*.

But, give and take right?

To have someone to talk to in the dead of the night, to have the most ridiculous of questions asked and to have him patiently answer. To be able to be myself around him, being able to feel safe and comfy.

Happy 1st Anniversary.

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Update:

Celebrated in Queensbay (where else?) with dinner in Sakae Sushi. Been a long time since we ate there. Initially I wanted to try something new, at TGI Friday, but the bugger (see pic below) said his friends said the place not nice la, prefers sushi la...

Too much food on the table, did not took that many pictures (human and food alike), cos was feeling particularly annoyed after HE (refer to pic below) got annoyed that I couldn't make up my mind whether to eat dinner first or to shop first.

With his most bo kam muan face

I gotta say, after so many times also, my favourite has to be the Don, salmon or chicken teriyaki. Always order that. Sometimes I can be most un-adventourous.

Shopping details! Bought a black satin-y spag top and a red cardigan from MNG. None were on sale though, but pretty much reasonably priced. Happy, happy, happy with purchases!

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First-Timer Guinea Pig

Last year, I got to know of this money making 'scheme' that involves no hard work, nothing illegal and might even be fun.

How's this for making money, all you have to do is stay overnight at a certain place, eat, sleep and let some docs check up on you from time to time. The whole remaining time you are allowed to spend as you like, online-ing, reading magazines, PS2 game console available, mahjong sets for you and your friends, all that and they PAY you, around RM300 for 48 hours!

This certain place is no other than a hospital teehee.

Basically, your work is to become a guinea pig. You have to take some pills, sleep there and have your blood drawn from time to time. Pills in question are safe to be consumed. The whole objective of this BE (Bio-equivalent) study is to assist in the research of generic pharmaceutical cures.

I received a call from Info Kinetics to undergo a study for Ketoconazole, a drug to treat fungal infections. I decided to give this a try, as I would not mind earning some cash.

I checked into Pantai Hospital close to 9pm. Once there, the research staff took my BP, weight etc and showed me to my room for the night. It's kinda small, 3 beds in a room. That night, I couldn't sleep at all, pillow was too hard, bed was too stiff.

In the middle of the night, one of the girls who I am sharing the room with suddenly woke with a start and started shrieking,"Mak! Tak pakai baju!" -__-

As I couldn't really sleep, I was up even before the morning call is sounded. Get this: at 4:45am. Weirdly I did not feel that sleepy, just tired with a buggy crick in my neck. Showered, luckily hospital has warm water and dressed. While I was combing my hair beside my bed, another one of the guinea pig, she's called DIYANA and she has curly unmanageable hair with weird skin, wanted to borrow my comb!!!!!

T__T

Generally, I don't really like sharing personal belongings, what more with strangers. Then she had this pimply face sumore.... I was pretty pai seh to not agree to lend her my comb, so I just said ok, and stuff the comb back into my duffel bag, with the handle just slightly peeking out, hoping that she won't be able to see it and if she asks me, then I could innocently say, oh it was there what, you din see meh?

BUT NO!!!!! She bloody took it! *grumble grumble grumble* And the horror doesn't end there! Later, as we were having tubes inserted into our arms, Diyana was right beside me, and I could hear the docs telling the nurses (about Diyana) that she has bad skin, flaky skin on her arms!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Making a mental note to dump the comb, a sudden too-late-idea came to me, shoulda told her I had dandruff myself! Hmmph.

Tube poking through skin:

You will have to have the thing in your arm for the whole day~12 hours. It's kinda uncomfortable, but you get used to it.

Then here comes the dramatic moment:

As I mentioned, I did not get enough sleep the night before. The same could not be said for the night before last night. I slept too much then, and throughout the whole of yesterday.

In short, I was feeling lethargic, lack of sleep and hunger pangs (we were supposed to fast from 10pm night till 11 morning).

After the tube was inserted, I grabbed a magazine and plonked onto a chair and started browsing. Slowly, I felt my heartbeat grew faster and faster. Then, I was feeling particularly nauseous and a sudden urge to vomit. I took a few deep breaths, telling myself to calm down. But it got worse, and then I can only see darkness, although I am still very much aware that my eyes are open. I feebly life an arm and called for a staff passing by, and later I can feel a number of hands bringing me to the ward bed.

Sigh. I call this bo su chui su.

The doctor said it could have been me feeling nervous and as I wasn't feeling good, they called me off the study. And then there I was, lying on the bed, this time REALLY sick.

Since I was called off the study, this very nice doctor, Kenneth was his name brought me oat and biscuits (yay!). After being hungry for so long, this was most delicious.

My breakfast in bed T_T

Pretty much slept the whole morning and lunch was surprisingly good:

Bread for the female!!!

Lol, kidding, that was just a piece of the whole lunch. We had:

Fish in bean sauce, stir-fried broccoli and cauliflower, cabbage soup and green apple!

Hmm... so much for being a professional guinea-pig...

Palace d'India

Mom's idea to try this place out. Had to walk a LONG way. Weird enough, there was only about 3 tables occupied during that day, Sunday. They probably get a larger crowd at night? Anyway I think it's probably due to their location. The restaurant is somewhere at the end of the mall, at one of the less-frequented sections.

There are only 3 of Palace d'India in Malaysia. One in KL, and 2 more in Penang (Tanjung Tokong and Queensbay Mall).

In isolation

The decor there is kinda cute although certain areas seem to be empty; and they sell clothes too at the entrance. I suppose some other means to earn profit is needed as not many people frequent the restaurant. Mom said that the decor in the Tanjung Tokong branch is much much nicer and elaborate. Haven't been there myself, I can't comment.

My Mango Lassi

The darned Mango Lassi costs RM7 per glass! All three of us had a glass, meaning drinks alone already cost RM21! However, prices for other dishes are not that expensive, just the drinks, but they are certainly very good and sweet.

Appetisers up first, served:

Pappadam with Mint Sauce

Then the rest, we ordered:

Tandoori Chicken


Veggie Makhanwala

Andra Fish Curry

The waiter told us that the fish curry is one of the spicy dishes, but I was disappointed! However, the curry is so omglicious, thick gravy and all, with a burst of exotic spices. Oh... I ate with my fingers... highly satisfying =)

Yeah, baby

Don't be deceived by the small bowls of rice. They look like they are only enough for 1, but that darned thing can actually fit in rice enough for two! Two bowls there stuffed me dad, me mom and me.

Now you see them, now you don't

Dad entered himself in a Sudoku competition by MSIG, supposedly the second largest insurance company in Malaysia. He's really quite good at the puzzles and taught me a number of tricks to solve them too. Anyway, mom and I had confidence that dad could walk away with something.

Alas! Dad seems to be pretty nervous about the whole thing and was able to complete the puzzle in 10 minutes. There were 2 batches in his category, with dad in the 2nd one and none in his batch seems to be able to complete the puzzle too. Apparently, the puzzle is too hard for them too hehehhe, but there were about six in the first batch who were able to complete the puzzle. Naturally, the puzzles for the two batches were different, to avoid leakage. So, it is very much possible that the first puzzle was slightly easier than the first batch.

Oh well, at least I had fun shopping around while waiting for dad's turn at the puzzle! Bought a pair of shoes with polka dots.