Khai Sheng's Back to Malaysia

I'm off again...

2010-06-29T02:06:00.002+08:00

Off from blogosphere? No freaking way, dude...but, as a matter of fact, yes...

After a series of disappointments, North Korea out...USA out...England out...I started to wander and wonder: "Kek sim a, why every team I supported lost de? It's seldom for me to sit down properly and watch with clarity...and they lost! How can? I got so sui bo?"

Anyway, I hardly remember how loud I shouted till I nearly lost my voice and how hard I slapped my palms on the floor till it went red when the England second goal was disallowed...The thought of it made my blood boiling again...

Despite of what had happened, I actually enjoy the feeling of disappointment. (I have not gone crazy yet) But, yeah, winning and losing are parts of life...happiness and sadness are inevitable...When you poured your heart and support something you deeply believe in, no matter what the outcome is, good or bad, at least you kinda "fought" for it and you felt it...Emotion is something so special and so abstract. It doesn't take a physical form but we feel it immensely. We should appreciate the emotions we can feel...without sadness, we may never feel happiness. If you feel sad, embrace it! Cry it out or shout it out and get over it...

Another thing I realized about myself, I am always prone to support the underdogs, the dark knight, the weaker ones. I enjoy watching shocking upsets and great comebacks...I could still remember one of the first stories of this kind - David defeating Goliath...I could still remember one of the football classics - Liverpool vs AC Milan...These people, however you call them, have something to prove. No matter how the world looks down upon them, the more they want to prove to the world what they can do. No matter how the odds pile up on them, the more they strive and shine...These people show character and attitude. That's the kind of spirit I love and becomes my source of inspirations...

So, tonight - Brazil vs Chile...You know which side I'm on...=)

Back to the topic, off from blogosphere again...away for a couple of days off to an island...TALK PUNISHED...

I'm going to zip my mouth...know where I'm going?

The American Dream?

2010-06-27T02:35:00.000+08:00

As I typed this post, it's just minutes away from the kickoff of USA vs Ghana...

Dang the Four-Four-Two predictord...Ghana to win 2-1? No freaking way! I'm going for 2-1 in favor of USA. Not much explanations and logic needed. Just gut feeling...

USA has a special place in my heart already...I don't need any extra reason to support. "You are going down, Ghana..." That's how an American might say...I heard it whenever I played table tennis with Americans during my exchange last year. It's not that they are trying to scare you or look down on you...it just shows how much confidence they have.

And one thing I like about the American team...never say die! Remember how they tried so hard against Algeria? This never-say-die attitude gave them the late goal in stoppage time clinching the top spot in their group...

Americans, it will be a sweet revenge! Come on...

"You are so going down, Ghana!" That's what I'm saying...

ISABEHLAH

2010-06-25T16:55:00.001+08:00

A somber night it was, when dark clouds dawn the earth. It was a dark dark night...which night isn't dark? I guess the national television had already foreseen the bad outcome. They must have seen the sign. They did not want the citizens to have witnessed the fall of the giants. It was too much to bear. Dammit...as I returned home few days back, I still thought: "Not bad what? TV1 also got show World Cup...mana tau, not every match...=.=" With no Astro, apa boleh buat? Watch football live commentary on Soccernet syok pun...

The French were first slaughtered. As a matter of fact, they commited suicide, I should say. And the jinx falls on their counterparts, The Azzurra. Nightmare...isn't it? Albeit, I don't support either of them. Just enjoying the thrills of how new teams like Slovakia could topple the former world champions. Especially the drama at the end...even without watching them live...I tell you, no joke, watch live commentary also very syok...I actually hoped the Kiwis could snatch a late goal and had the last laugh...how wicked!

Anyway, talking about nightmare...a thread of recent memory came back in my sleep. As I was held "captive" in that foreign land..."Ma! Cau" I was scouted and became the main actor in this upcoming box-office called ISABEHLAH. This poster was published subsequently...

I think the director - River Mother Goose implied something surreptitious...Guess what he's trying to convey?Cannot simply arrest people and lock them up de ma...what law? Innocent, you know...

Inspired by ISABEHLAH, this film Isabella came to light...

Stay tuned for more glimpses from "The Sound of Bangku Model"...

Credits to River Mother Goose for putting me in the limelight. I owe you for all the fame. I'm in tears T.T Even the sky is touched and crying now...

3 months already?

2010-06-25T04:00:00.000+08:00

Can't believe it's been 3 months already!?

For more than a month, I was in a mess of SHITES. I also had countless sleepless nights, suffering from the complications of ANEMIA-TOXINS. I digested books instead of medicines which seem like a better cure, of which then, I vomited everything out. Now, I don't remember much.

I finally got home on STORMY-HEAD. My guardians were glad to see me back in better shape. I rested and recuperated from fatigue and exhaustion while spending much time at home being the best son I could ever be.

As I recovered fully, for a week, my DNA evolved developing a code to lead in a camp called YCA. I was not the primary specimen but was in charge of a group of specific cells focused on providing and preparing the food consumption for the entire body.

Upon completion, I was immediately transported by an air vehicle, mistakenly called PEON-AREAL to another foreign country. I believe it was pre-arranged that another 2 companions and I were sent through 3 countries in 6 hours. Throughout 6 days, we tested on 66 different types of food. During our course of migration, we escaped into a different realm of strange DEADLY-INNS filled with weird human-like creatures. It turned out to be a magical kingdom and those creatures are wonderful characters which only shoulders one purpose: to bring happiness. One of them confusingly called himself "ICKY ME"! Our happy moments were short-lived as we had only less than 10 hours when showers of fire and lights rained down signalling that we have to leave.

In just a blink of an eye, we were back safe and sound. Our whole experience was recorded in digital memory. Upon arrival, I was immediately summoned for 2 interrogations. They all went successfully and I am a free man right now.

Not for long, I guess...

So, at least now you know the reason I disappeared from the blogosphere for awhile and thanks to those who have showed concern...I'm alright and back in action...=)

What's in store for me next? The next level...dude!

The 让 Culture: Featuring TEDxKL

2010-03-25T15:15:00.002+08:00

I have longed to write about this post a long time ago...it has always been in my mind since few months back...

Just to explain the title to those who don't know Chinese...The 让 (pronounced rung) word is a Chinese character...duh! If you try to find an English word to translate that, words like "let", "give"，"allow", "permit" can explain a little bit, but they seem not to be able to portray fully the meaning of 让 in Chinese...Simply put, it's a higher level of "giving"...

If you breakdown the word, it explicitly signifies "讲上" which means talking about the above. Put it another way, whether it's coincidence or my own justification, it's 讲上面的人（talking about the people on top)...

I don't know whether y'all still remember a story we heard when we were young about the story of 小明让梨子给弟弟 (Little Ming give his pear to his little brother)...We never come across stories where younger/smaller subjects 让 elder/bigger subjects...It's always 大的让小的...一个被自己更需要照顾，保护的人，我们都要"让"...

Now, I'm going to start my rantings...there is a (not a, quite a few actually) situation(s) in Malaysia that I think Malaysians should rectify and practice the 让 culture...

I don't know why 让 which initially is an Asian virtue but seemed lost as time goes on...and in contrast, I realized that when I'm in the US (Mississippi), people seem to do that better than us Asians! One simple example, as I walked near the curb to cross over the road, a car from afar will slow down and stop to 让 me cross...Another example, in T-junctions without traffic lights, people will take turns and 让 those who have been waiting to take their turnings to move first...Over here in Malaysia, it's not that I'm impatient to wait to cross the road, but, we have to wait for cars swooping by in F1 speed, wait till completely safe only cross the road...Where is the 让 culture?

Are pedestrians not important as ducks?

In other circumstances, it's true when people say that the Westerners are more gentleman compared to Asians...Do we 让 ladies to walk ahead of us? Do we 让 our dates to sit down by pulling the chair for her? Do we open car doors to 让 the girls to come into the car? There are gentleman among Asians too, I believe =P

In my university, all students can't park in proper car parks (even alongside of the road) around campus except for colleges carparks which are so limited...They "encourage" (eventually forced) the students to park off-campus and take a feeder bus into campus...At the same time, there were plenty of parking spaces for the staff and professors (which are more highly intellectual and seem more important than the students)...Where is the 让 culture?

Picture Credit: http://sinuxblack.blogspot.com

In a bigger picture, it applies to those government authorities. Why do they need Benz or BMW? Do they need it more than the poor people? Yes, they are powerful, but where is the 让 culture?

Why I was finally motivated to write about this because I just watched the last speech of Yasmin Ahmad during TEDxKL last year. If you have time, please spend your valuable 15 minutes and listen to what she said...

Oh, another final push to make me write this long is after watching this...It's just a 6 minute TED talk by Gary Lauder about something creative - new traffic sign!

Well, the last thing...I'm proud to be selected as one of the 20 volunteers for TEDxKL this coming Saturday! So, if you haven't heard of TEDxKL, please visit here for more details.

If you are interested being part of TEDxKL, don't miss this great opportunity by registering online here...

And to wrap it up, TED and TEDxKL are perfect examples of practising the 让 culture. It's motto: Ideas Worth Sharing is to let more people share about wonderful ideas with everyone around this world...There's nothing like keeping private or confidential, trying to take credits or what...

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas." ~George Bernard Shaw

"Drawing" a woman from inside out

2010-03-22T18:51:00.002+08:00

About a month ago, I attended the graduation ceremony of the McKinsey's Youth Leadership Academy Workshop 2010 at Tchao Restaurant. During the last closing statement from one of the partners, Mr. Seelan, one of his messages struck me so deeply that till now it's still stuck with me (I believe, for more years to come)...

He gave us three advices:

"Be unreasonable, be unpredictable, be unshakable."

I'm not going to spend too much time elaborating on these three points as I could not have conveyed the message as well as Mr. Seelan did. Anyway, pertaining to the "BE UNPREDICTABLE" aspect, I started thinking to myself how can I be one? According to his advice, to be unpredictable, one should never stop learning new things, exploring new experiences, being open-minded, meeting new people and what not.

Then I thought to myself, how am I going to apply these in my daily life routine?

Then, as miraculously and timely it could be, I was introduced by a good friend about a browser add-in application called StumbleUpon. I don't know how many of you out there who knows about this...

With StumbleUpon you'll discover great websites, videos, photos, blogs and more — all tailored to your personal interests. After you installed the simple add-in, simply click the Stumble! icon on your toolbar. StumbleUpon will show you pages based on the Topics that you chose. StumbleUpon has millions of sites in its database, all submitted and recommended by other Stumblers.

Well, for me, this is just the perfect thing that I'm looking for! Guess what? I checked every possible boxes of interests as I'm going to do what I preach about...be unpredictable!

One day, I stumbled upon this interesting stuff! I don't know what "interest" does that categorized under...

Here is the link for ya! Now we see how "drawing" a woman from inside out can be so complicated...

PS: Mom and dad, if you see this, this just a creative artwork! =P

DESINGES

2010-03-21T16:53:00.002+08:00

Do you believe in coincidences?

I was chatting with one friend on Facebook and was discussing about something related to design...and I was typing so furiously fast that I mistyped the word "DESIGNERS" to "DESINGERS"...

Then within the next 3 minutes or less as I was reading someone's else blog and commenting on his post...something weird happened...

You know that sometimes we have to type the word verification to post comment...yea, and the word I was required to type down was DESINGES...

So ngam? I thought I was having a dejavu! *Blink* *Blink*Such coincidence?

I have had a lot of "coincidences" happening around me throughout my life...I don't really know whether it was because I'm too over-conscious about the little petty details of my life or there is a reason or meaning behind that...I sometimes wonder to myself whether it's some kind of message sent through from the outer galaxy or a voice signaling me to do something?

Coming to think about it, we understand so little about the world we live in, so logical yet so mysterious...I came across this quote..."The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in the safe." - Peter De Vries...So, we might never get all the answers then...

Back to the question...coincidence...Is coincidence God's way of staying anonymous? So, I might as well jot this thing down, keeping that in mind and one day, maybe I will get the answer and understand what it truly meant?

Can you figure out whose blog am I on?

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6541811090571854820&postID=5929933970237086134

82 times...

2010-03-17T17:50:00.005+08:00

Hey guys!

I know there are some loyal readers who follow my blog. I'm terribly sorry for not blogging for some time...

It's not that I don't have things to talk about, just I don't have the time to do it! Everyday is like a race against time for me...Yet, I have so much to write and talk about and they're all now inside my cranium waiting to burst out...and without a channel to release that, I'm going crazy...That's explains my severe migrain today! Or is it because of the freaking hot weather or the saturated French terminologies in my head? (I just had my French quiz just now...=P)

Normally I will give in much time in writing my posts but I couldn't afford to do that anymore...You know, bz times...So, from this post onwards, I will change the way I blog...in short quick bursts! Only if I have the time, then I will write more...teehee! Afterall, maybe some don't like me going on forever too...Ok...one thing to keep in mind to remind myself...Winston Churchill once wrote..."Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all." I'm still not old, so making it short is still the best...

That's it for today!

Phew, at least a spit-out for today! Or this thing will haunt me tonight...

PS: Who knows what's the meaning of 82?

Late Fees - A Bigger Picture

2010-03-05T18:43:00.001+08:00

For quite some time, I have this thought of writing about library late fees. You know why? Although my hostel is like a stone throw away from the university library, thanks to my poor memory and forgetfulness, I've always succumbed to being charged a few cents of late fees (RM0.20 per day).

To make things clear first, I know that it's entirely my fault of not returning my books on time. I admit that.

So, what right do I even have to write a blog complaining about our library right? And it just cost a few cents...come on...I don't have to spend minutes typing and ranting about it right?

Perpustakaan Tun Seri Lanang, once had the most collection of books in the whole South-East Asia...

In terms of financials, functioning as a library, it doesn't have to depend on our late fees charges to keep it running or to multiply their collection of books. Furthermore, it's a university library with funds and grants pouring in from the university itself or the government. The main purpose of the library is to increase the knowledge and promote reading among university students. Do you think students, not to even say off-campus students, who got charged late fees will be encouraged to borrow more books in the future?

Well, well, well...

The point I'm trying to make here is very much about fundamentals. Is the library creating an environment for making mistakes or errors? In a bigger context, does the university allow students room for growth and improvement? Even from a wider perspective, does this country have this kind of mentality?

Nobody is perfect, people makes mistakes. Sometimes, even though I had a big post-it note pasted in front of my desk to remind myself to return the books, and yet, clouded by numerous errands and tasks, it just slipped off my mind. And I got penalised for that!

What I'm suggesting is that please do allow room for errors and mistakes. It's ok to return late for one freaking day, or even for an entire week. What's the fuss, right?

When I was in University of Mississippi back then, I returned several books which were already due two weeks. As I approached the counter and starting to reach for my wallet ready to pay the late fees, I was surprised when the librarian said, "That's it! Thanks." I replied expecting more, "That's it? I thought I were to pay my late fees." And he smile in reply, "No, the system doesn't state that."

J.D. Williams Library at Ole Miss...which I spent lots of serious and fun time inside...

Also in the US, if the speed limit is 60mph, there is a leeway of 10mph before you get your speeding ticket. This means that, if you drove till 70mph, it's still ok. It's difficult to constantly maintain at 60mph; often times, one will be carried away and accelerate a little bit. Do you think due to this simple mistake, that person should deserve a ticket? I believe it works almost the same way here in Malaysia in terms of speeding on highways.

On my way back from Memphis along the free way...the storm ahead...

That's the point I'm making. No doubt, there are certain things that should not be compromised like serious crimes. But there are a lot of situations where people should be allowed room for mistakes and errors. Often times in life, people deserve a second chance.

The same concept should be apply in schools and workplace. We heard so much about how learning from mistakes and failures is invaluable towards success. Apply it! Let the children have the room to make mistakes and learn. Let the students have a chance to fail and improve better. Let the workers have a second opportunity before they were given the word "You're fired!".

When you see that expression and hand gesture, you know what's coming next...

If people are punished for their simple mistakes, people be afraid of making them. I remember from Proverbs, "If one doesn't make mistakes, one doesn't make anything." Even Albert Einstein second that: "Anyone who has never made a mistake never tried anything new."

like vandalizing this door?

PS: What eventually made me write this post was this article about "Struggling Blockbuster Bringing Back Late Fees on Rentals". Previously, even there wasn't any late fees for DVD rentals, what to say about books?

Monologue on Relationships - Part 1

2010-02-25T02:40:00.005+08:00

Today, I'm opening a little bit of the door for you to come into my world.

I rarely write about my thoughts in my blog.

Lately, there are a lot of thoughts going on in my mind, constantly...It's like a self-dialogue, better put - monologue. If you were to put a camera in my brain, you could see a TV screen like a maniac switching around every channels on a TV. People said I think a lot, I don't deny that. Maybe that explains my increasing strands of grey hair.

So, out of so many stray thoughts, wild insights and crazy ideas, I'm just going to pick one to write about first. I will start with one of life's most important yet difficult things to deal with - relationships.

When I mentioned the word "relationships", what comes into mind first? Many would first think of bfgf relationships. No doubt that's is one heck of a relationship. But, before going that far, I would like to bring you back to our first encounter with people which is when we were first born from our mother's womb.

When I was 2 or 3...

Family. Family relationships come naturally. We didn't get to choose and we don't need to. This relationship comes so automatically and easily that often times, it's the most taken-for-granted things in life. It's like a having it's own self maintenance system which we don't have to really have to take care that much, which after many years later I realized it's not true.


CNY Family Reunion Dinner 2010...Yum Seng!

I could admit that for the past 20 years, I could describe how I deal with my family relationships as on "autopilot" mode. It's not necessarily bad, afterall. This "autopilot" mode was set and calibrated by default through the teachings from my parents and what we learnt along the way. During my primary schooldays, I could still remember that my parents want me to hold my sis hand when we walk to class every morning. I could still remember that we have our own ritual of bidding good night; I would shake hands with my dad before going to bed and for my sis, she will give a goodnight kiss to my mom.These are just two of the many examples of my parents' upbringing which had shaped me the way I am today. This "autopilot" mode works pretty well all these years.

Memories during primary school...

As we grow along the way, subconsciously, I use this "autopilot" mode in dealing with friendships. Not saying that I still hold girl's hands or shake hands before sleep. This "autopilot" mode is the way I see and deal with relationships. What I am trying to say here is that either consciously or subconsciously, we use what we have learnt through our family and apply to friendships. In the past, how many of us consciously choose their friends? Do we even choose our own friends? Out of so many friends in Facebook, have we ever wondered why we are close with only a few? Reflecting back, when I was young, making friends was also a very natural thing to me just like family. We were naturally connected with similar interests and hobbies, or same hometown and background.

But, I think the turning point of my life was through my one-year exchange program in the US. Why? I was sent to a new place with no friends or family. Nobody knows me. I was a nobody. It feels liberating, to be frank. I felt like I could become a completely new person and be whoever I want to be.

17 Aug 2008 - Touchdown on Memphis Airport...

But, it's not the case, I am still who I am. The "autopilot" mode is still there. But what was different is that I have to "consciously" make friends. It's like building my own network of friends all over again from zero. This process really made me think thoroughly about my own mode settings. As a matter of fact, I remember I even made notes of new friends to make me remember their names! It's not automatic anymore. It's like putting all I have learnt in the past into the real test.Through those months, I have different circle of friends and I am proud to make some good friends.

Returning to Malaysia, dealing with my existing friends and family is not automatic anymore. It's more like a conscious decision to me now.

To be continued...

Hon Kee Porridge @ Petaling Street

2010-02-08T22:51:00.002+08:00

Next up...We ventured our way into Petaling Street filled with foreign tourists and stalls selling all kinds of stuff...

We were not distracted by anything else as we had only one thing in mind...the quest to search for the legendary famous porridge! Confused by the map we have in hand, searching for Jalan Hang Lekir was not the hard part, but locating this obscure little shop tucked away amid the sea of stalls was the challenging one...

We walked the whole length of Jalan Hang Lekir but missed it, turned into another lane and asked the lady in 7-11 whether is that the only Jalan Hang Lekir around...sounds so idiotic!

So, here it is! How could we have missed the two large side banners?! Deep inside this little small compartment is where the kitchen is located...My first thought was that: Where am I going to sit down?

Then, there was this "usherer" who brought us over to the opposite side, just in front of Hong Leong Bank where there were just a handful of tables and chairs around...Another lucky round where we got our seats rightaway!

That gentleman listed down several choices which I had no idea what to order. They serve a variety including Chicken Porridge, Raw/Cooked Fish Porridge, Century Egg Porridge, Pork Innards Porridge and Pork Meatballs Porridge.

Brought up in Penang Island where I used to follow my dad to savor his favourite "Zhu Cheong Zhok" at New Lane, I was inclined to order the Pork Innards Porridge for my virgin experience with Hon Kee...

I believe that this is the Cantonese-style porridge (Zhok) where it's more gluey and smooth compared to Teo-Chew version (Moi) which is a more liquid type. I grew up eating both as I'm a Cantonese myself and my maternal side are Teo-Chew Nang.

Texture: Gluey, thick and smooth which is perfect for this type of porridge.

Pork Innards: The fried pork innards/intestines "Zha Cheong" is one of the most sought after condiments and my favorite as well. They are moulded into round shapes and I love the crispy sensation accompanying that smooth porridge.

Taste: The taste was very fragrant and but does not have too strong of flavor. It is 清淡 yet 够味...

To sum it all up: the long, slow, careful cooking of the porridge produces the very silky, creamy texture which when accompanied with the crispiness of the pork innards create quite a sensation. It was served hot and we took our time savoring and slurping the fullness of its contents. A dash of sesame oil and lots of shredded ginger, spring onion and coriander enhanced the overall taste. Nice!

Upon further investigation of it's kitchen which is packed with foreign workers, I actually have a serious doubt of it's cleanliness status. There are pails of dishes soaked in detergents while the porridge were cooked on the stoves not far from them. You could also notice that Indonesian lady who was constantly stirring the porridge which explain the texture described just now.

The photo highlight which tells the whole story...

This little business was founded in 1959. Currently, Hon Kee is now operated by Vivian, the 3rd generation in the business...

Yet once again, despite not doing enough homework before, little did we know that the best one is the very famous Raw Fish Porridge (Sang Yui Zhok) accompanied with a plate of sliced Yau Char Kuai. Well, that's another reason to visit this shop again! But, I believe it will definitely worth the trip...

Details:
Location
Jalan Hang Lekir, Off Petaling Street.

Cuisine
Chinese

Ambience
Noisy

Food
Pork Innard Porridge, Cooked/Raw Fish Slice Porridge, Chicken Porridge, Yau Zar Guai, Century Egg Porridge

Price
RM5

Business Hour
5 am to 1 pm

Shin Kee Beef Noodle @ Petaling Street

2010-02-05T21:57:00.004+08:00

Few weeks back, a good friend of mine and I went for a food-hunt adventure around Petaling Street...Just the thought of Petaling Street makes me yearning for good food!

First things first, just before we ventured into the crowded mid-afternoon Petaling Street, we stopped by Shin Kee 新九如, so-known for serving the best known Petaling Street Beef Noodles...

This small corner shop is located along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, about a half block on your left from the entrance to Petaling Street. (Opposite Lai Foong Coffee Shop)

If you look close enough at the sign, it is stated that Shin Kee was claimed as the "Beef Noodles Specialist". Wow! Even there is a specialist for making beef noodles! Will it live up to it's name? We will see...

As in bracket (午市) meaning for lunch. They also set up their evening stall inside Petaling Street behind Hong Leong Bank...Look out for that!

As you can see, this shop is not too big as it serves only less than 30 people at one time..We went during lunch period but we were lucky to secure one small table at one corner. As we slumped on our seats waiting for the food, people kept streaming in and some even had to wait to get their seats...

The specialist in action...heard that she has been doing this business for more than 50 years! It was said that their noodles are handmade, and the chilli sauce with garlic and ginger is their family secret...

You must be anxiously wondering...where is the food!? Coming coming...enough talk d...

The menu is simple - three choices for their noodle soup, either only beef slices, only beef balls or a mix of sliced beef, beef balls and tripe (beef intestines). We opt for the "all-in-one".

Jang! Jang! Jang! Presenting the most-sought-after beef noodles in town!!!

Based on our actuarial analysis...we broke this simple bowl of noodle down...

Noodles: Hmm...so so, just normal noodles...handmade, I wonder? It didn't really surprise me...next!

Beef Slices: It's cooked fresh, not too strong of a beef odor...you know 骚味...but what I like most is its soft and tender texture...it's so thinly sliced that it's not that kind of "chew-till-like-forever" kinda beef...

Beef Balls: The beef balls are pretty special, bouncy, springy and spongy. It tastes different from conventional ones...

Tripes: Normal....

Minced-meat: After having much thought of why this bowl is so special, we figured that this minced-meat is the masterpiece behind that. It's beef-stuff, cooked long and low with a secret mix of seasonings. Nobody will ever know what's exactly it's made out of. What the lady told me was just "ngau yok sui"...

Soup/Broth: I think it's not too salty (not much MSG)...which is a good thing! It's dense with tiny meat shreds too. So, we slurped and cleared everything...they can even reuse that bowl straightaway...haha!

Combining everything! Perfect! They all complemented each other very well...the seemingly common noodles and tripes made the beef-slices, balls and minced-meat looked outstanding! The broth gave us a satisfying final fix!

We also noticed that others, mostly were having dry noodles without any balls or slices...just with the piles of mince-meat! Hmm...it really intrigued me to come again next time...to try out the dry version!

There were other popular places like Lai Foong and Ngau Kee offering beef noodles. We tried Lai Foong too...stay tuned for it's updates and we will compare both.

Details:

Location

Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, about a half block from the entrance to Petaling Street.
7A, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
50000 Kuala Lumpur

Cuisine

Chinese

Speciality
Beef Noodles

Price

Small noodles (RM 4), Big noodles (RM 5)

Business Hour

10.30 am to 3.30 pm

As usual, to wrap this post up...I will showcase one of the photo highlights!

Specialist? Well...duh!

Rainy Wetty Sweety @ Broga Hill!

2010-01-29T10:52:00.002+08:00

I just realized that I haven't posted much beautiful photos lately compared to last month during the holidays...haha...

I know, i know...there has been way too many blog posts/facebook photos about Broga Hill nowadays...But, I'm still going to share my experience here anyway...

Last semester, when Song Keat came over KL for a weekend break, Ze Hang and I took him up to Broga Hill to take some awesome photos...I will save that for last...

Here is an account of my second Broga Hill hike with my QA buddies earlier this January...

It was 5am...freaking early...as we dropped by Kajang for McD Big Breakfast first...

As we reached the foot of the hill...it rained dogs and cats and even rats! Ever hiked Broga Hill on a rainy day? I tell you, no kidding one...not day tim! It was still pitch black and so slippery...Along the hike up, we had too few umbrellas, too many people and pity the girls...see how they got wet! =P

Finally! We were dripping wet, despite having those umbrellas...Lucky us, the rain stopped once we reached the first peak...Hooray! Look at those happy smiles...I guess it all paid off!

Waiting for the sunrise at the first peak...rear views are always better...=P

Posing like Survivor? Lost? Nice poses dudes!

As it gets brighter, time for me as the photographer to polish up my portrait skills...First portrait! Don't be mistaken, they are not couples but siblings. How sweet! I like these two photos a lot as it portrayed a very intimate and warm connection between both of them...

Next, solo...

Couple photo...with two grass sticking out from their heads...

Looking far beyond...Got feel right?

KC: *mischievious*

WY: Don't be so bad...*pulling him back*
KC: Kick!
CC: *unaware*

WY: No!
KC: 老大去你的...本英雄只爱美人不爱江山...*Kick harder*

CC: FOOT! Who kicked my butt? Arggh...*losing balance*

I'm falling or flying? 果然是大力金光腿...我终于飞起来啦...

Nice silhouette...

You are my sunshine...

Awwh...<3

Expecting more? Eat shoe! *slap* The ~~slide~~ climb down was pretty adventurous as it was so damn slippery! I even had to wash and scrub my shoes after that...

---The End---

Before really ending this post, I'm gonna highlight one of Malaysian future photographers - Song Keat aka Lost Noob. Please visit his blog to enjoy some of his handiworks...Oh, today is his birthday today too...=) Happy Birthday buddy! (Treat this as my small present for you)

Here are some of his photos taken during the first Broga Hill hike...which I never got bored looking at them...(coz I'm the model ma)...wakaka!

No extra words need to describe them...simply stunning! Can't get enough of it...visit Broga Hill Shots...

So, anyone in Malaysia or Singapore interested in having someone to take graduation photos, event photos, ROM/Marriage photos...feel free to drop him a message!

Lasbella Paris 2010...

2010-01-26T10:52:00.000+08:00

What do all these films have in common?

The Da Vinci Code:

This is one of my favourite thrillers cum puzzle-solving-kinda books. The film based on the novel itself featuring Tom Hanks (one of my favourite actors) captured my heart...

The story revolves around one of the most famous museums in the world - Musee Du Lourve in Paris which housed Mona Lisa and other famous artworks of our recent human civilization...

Upon reading and watching the film, I was filled with curiosity and ever wishing and imagining how it would be like in person, like Tom Hanks uncovering the mysteries and see all these stuff with my own eyes...

G.I. Joe - The Rise of The Cobra:

It went beyond my expectation turned out to be pretty good! I think a lot of people would agree with me on this...right?

I believe many won't forget this scene when the Eiffel Tower was eaten up by nanomites and toppled over onto the Place la Condorde. Don't ever let that happen! I still want to see it standing...

Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen:

I don't think I need to talk much about that because it's the top box-office film in 2009, I supposed...

Remember this scene? After sending him off to college, Sam's parents go on vacation to Paris. They're seen eating escargots at a restaurant near the Place de la Concorde in Paris in Paris' Champs-Elysees when boom! meteorites-like-decepticons came showering down...

...

So...still wondering what this post is all about?

Visit this blog to learn more...Lasbella Paris...

Btw, that's me in that photo! So, that adds another reason to visit yea?

And don't forget to bookmark/follow that site, trust me, you won't regret that...=)

Risk Theory

2010-01-21T01:46:00.000+08:00

For my blog readers, you might have noticed that I seldom blogged about my university life, huh? Well, this time, I have some pretty interesting "academic-related" stuff to share with you all...

During my first Risk Theory class, our professor gave a pretty cool introduction about risk-taking.

"There is a very common problem for all of us in life. We hesitate while taking risks. However, life is also a great challenge! Risk it and you might discover a new person in yourself..."

I need not say much, just enjoy our "lecture" slides...

Isn't that true to our hearts?

And you must be wondering, what kind of class will this be? It's nothing like the above...Risk Theory is one of the major Actuarial Science subjects and involves plenty of mathematics calculation...I think I should just stop here before I bore anyone...haha! I wouldn't want to risk losing you...

"The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing!"

Claypot Rice @ Jalan Tun Sambathan (KL Sentral)

2010-01-17T15:07:00.000+08:00

Ever crave for good claypot rice around KL?

Upon googling for this particular stall, I found that there isn't any blog recommending this one...I wonder why? My guess...those food bloggers out there could have missed this humble little stall located a-little-out-of-sight amidst the hustle-bustle of the KL city...

But, trust me, this particular stall serving a meek count of less than ten tables has one of the most delicious claypot rice I have ever tasted (normally I eat claypot rice in food courts =P)...I'm lucky to have a good friend recommended this good eat!

Ok, enough of all the suspense...this claypot rice stall is situated along Jalan Tun Sambathan 4,which is a few minutes walk from KL Sentral towards Tun Sambathan Monorail Station (on your right)...

What's so special about this claypot rice?

See those flares? Food cooked using charcoal always has a nice taste with it, plus, it shows how much or work and heart the chef put into preparing those food...

See that red basket of rice grains on the right? For every claypot rice cooked, the chef cooked it from scratch...though it took a little time...just a little more...

Cooking rice...with the fan blowing to flame those burning charcoals...

The final production...rice tinted with soy sauce, added on a generous amount of chicken pieces, topped with spring onions, plus the small plate of some ginger...

After mixing it all up, it's good to eat! It was a little bit wet compared to the usual claypot rice, but without any charred rice sticking on the inner sides of the pot...(which cause is very unhealthy)...The taste? Nice la...*hard to describe*...

To add to the toppings, a bowl of "white carrot" (Dunno what's called in English) soup is served...

All in all, it cost two person approximately RM17 plus drinks which is considered above-average, but definitely worth it! Give it a try especially for those claypot-rice-fanatics!

To wrap it up for this post, love to feature this personal favourite photo as it exudes an antique kinda feel portraying the hard work and long history of the claypot rice in making and at the same time the closed pot conveys the notion: "What's so special inside this"?

New Year Eve Countdown @ Gasoline & Times Square, New York

2010-01-12T21:39:00.002+08:00

Just a week later, QA buddies met up again. This time, to countdown for New Year!

We opt for somewhere more relaxing and not as crowded as other popular places like around Bukit Bintang in KL center...yet, not lacking in atmosphere and view...Cheras Lookout Point came into mind!

This place had gained much popularity these days as it's one of the best places around to have a bird-eye-view of the whole KL city. It's like Victoria Peak in Hong Kong...? (Hmmm...can compare not? =P) Or like standing on the Top Of The Rock at Rockefeller Center in New York? Whenever I go to a new place, I surely try my best not to miss out a trip to the highest point I could possibly be to have a panaromic view, to have that kind of "I'm the king of the world" kinda feel...Hmm...talking about Leo's personality...haha!

Ok...so this is the view from Gasoline @ Cheras Lookout Point for KL! Quite breathtaking too, right?

We initially planned to drive up by 7pm but for a thousand different reasons, we delayed for two hours. Upon approaching the lookout point, there were already many cars parked along the side of the road. We had to walk about 10 minutes from our car up to Gasoline. It's more like a hike. Oh, before I forget to explain what Gasoline is...FIY, Gasoline is one of the restaurants at the Lookout Point.

Without much optimism, we thought that we would not be able to get any tables, not to say to have the perfect spot...We searched around the already-crowded restaurant for a table...we got lucky as we got a pretty good seat which is directly under the air-conditioning...pretty cool (literally cooling)...

Compared to Fusion Haven which I blogged previously, Gasoline must have learnt their lesson ,because for Christmas eve and New Year's eve, they have only 5 different set menus to choose from instead of the whole menu. Moreover, for whoever who takes a seat, it's compulsory to order the set menu, which also means they will earn at least RM30++ per customer seated. I bet this strategy paid off for them as in lessening their workload plus the best thing - we got our food real fast, within 10 minutes! (Too bad, I don't have those photos...) Another plus point, every customer even get a free party bag which include those party toys and glow-in-the-dark lollipop!

As the clock ticks into 2010, more people moved towards the railing to get the best view...

I guess you should be able to figure what's so special? Everyone is waiting for the fireworks!!

Too bad, in my opinion, the restaurant didn't create quite a hype or party atmosphere as it countdown...everyone was just busy enjoying the view...a little bit lack of new year countdown mood...=(

Anyway, the most anticipated moment of the night was when all the fireworks around KL city lit up all at once...

Thanks to my camera I couldn't really capture or portray what we saw that night! As you can see the "little" fireworks in the far distance...imagine that: there are like 50 "little" colorful fireworks mushrooming around the whole city! It was really magnificient!

We stayed back till around 2am chatting about each other's dreams and resolutions for the new year...

Rewinding one year back, it was like two worlds compared to when I celebrated my 2009 New Year countdown in Times Square, New York! Believe it or not? It was one of the once-in-a-lifetime best experiences ever!

I have never blogged about this yet. For one year, I didn't get the ooomph to blog about it...this is the best time, I guess!

Copied from my sis link...Dreaming of Last White Christmas...

The following photos are courtesy of my twin sister, Khai Shing...=)

I will briefly describe how it was like counting-down with more than 1 million people in Times Square, New York...For many years, it was just a distant dream watching how the Americans celebrate their New Year at Times Square on TV. Never did I imagine myself to be in that crowd...never did I imagine how it actually felt like!

It was around 8pm (31st Dec 2008) @ 9am in Malaysia (1st Jan 2009) as we walked to be part of the Times Square Countdown fun! You must be thinking, 8pm? So early? Oh yeah! This following map illustrates better...

The pink smileys are the many many many people...The black circle is where all the action took place = Times Square...The red crosses are the roads blocked...The blue dashed line is how far we walked...And finally the yellow smiley is where we stood...

As we approached the crowd along 7th Avenue, we passed through 2 rounds of security screening...like in airport, frankly! No backpacks, no bottled water, no bombs...It was only 8pm and we were already 12 blocks away!!!

That's how far we were...and the quarter-sized (20cents) ball is the famous Times Square New Year Eve's Ball...which is what everybody is waiting to see when it drops at the stroke of 12 o' clock...

There were also many people behind us...

Imagine the situation...without any water, no restrooms, standing there for 4 hours, without much space to move around, and the chilling 18 degree Fahrenheit (-5degree Celsius), plus the wind did not help much...(I salute those who were really at the front where they had to wait since 2pm! CRAZY...)

During the long, agonizing, freezing wait, we had to constantly cuddle each other, keeping ourselves as active as possible so as to heat up a little bit...plus taking a lot of photos as the four hours seem to be the longest wait ever...

During times of dire, fashion doesn't count! My twin sis and me...=)

Daniel and I looked like terrorists...me promoting Tommy Hilfiger!

Martians and other extra-terrestrial beings even joined in the fun!

I had an extra three layers under this jacket! And trust me, it still sent chill to the bones and spine...I was the videoman that night too...

Alas! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Happy New Year!

Everyone around chanted together...jumped up and down in excitement...greeted each other...couples hugged, kissed...The thought of that still warms my heart!Within few minutes, the crowd dispersed as it got even colder...We got ourselves hot chocolate drinks from Starbucks on the way back...syokness! Once-in-a-lifetime? Absolutely! Once is enough...haha!

All in all, celebrating new year countdown with friends and loved ones always leave beautiful memories...no matter in New York or KL!

Christmas Eve Dinner @ Fusion Haven & Dai Ga Seng

2010-01-11T01:54:00.006+08:00

Another due post but I think worth sharing with y'all...

It was Christmas eve when my QA buddies last minutely came into accord to countdown for christmas without any apparent reason but merely to just get-together, sit down, have a good meal to celebrate good-will.

We came up with the decision to patronize Fusion Haven which is new to us except for the other Sri Petaling-ers.

Pay attention to the timeline:
9.05pm
We stepped into the restaurant with almost all seats taken.

9.15pm
We ordered our food and drinks.

Cucumber with lime

I ordered cucumber with lime drink...which sounds kinda weird but, out of my expectation, tasted not bad! It's greenish fiber blended with ice creating a nice sensation to the mouth. Plus, the not-too-cucumberish-taste with a tinge of sour lime is refreshing and cooling!

9.30pm
The waiter told us that they ran out of carrots to make two glasses of carrot juices as what we ordered. Only one glass could be made. =.= Alright, one of my friends had to change the order.

9.45pm
The waiter came out again saying that they ran out of muttons to make 2 plates of lamb chops...=.=!!! (I guess they took 1/2 hour to search for their muttons or just realised they lost some lambs behind their kitchens?) So, my friends ordered the other dishes.

10.00pm
The first out of 7 main dishes arrived on our table! (At that time, I have finished with my glass of drink already and we were so damn hungry...)

10.15pm
The rest came except the last one of which my friend reminded them.

10.30pm
The six of us gobbled up our food in no time as our poor friend, WY sat there still waiting for her Korean BBQ Steak!

Introducing some of the food prepared that night...

Korean BBQ Steak which I ordered. It was a little bit hard and not warm. But, the taste and the setting was quite nice.

Some kind of Korean Kimchi noodle...

Some Korean Unagi Rice...

10.45pm
Patience ran thin and we complained about the missing last dish! OMG, we saw through the kitchen window as one of the chefs just took out a hard-frozen meat from the freezer!! We eventually cancelled the order and waited for our desserts.

11.15pm
We finally got our desserts! Finally!!! (The restaurant was supposed to close at 11pm and we were the last customers around)

Warm Hearts Chocolate & Ice Cream.

That was the best of that night, I think! The chocolate cake on top was warm and the vanilla ice-cream under it was cold (duh!!)....The combination was really special and heavenly!

11.25pm

Settled our bill. (As the compensation for the delay, mis-orders and customer dissatisfaction, the boss generously gave us a 30% off on our total bill and the complimentary five Warm Hearts Chocolate @ Ice Cream...which kinda warmed our heart a little bit to celebrate Christmas within an hour...=P)

As we left, the boss even told us that we shouldn't have come during festive season, holidays or any special occasions as there will be a lot of people with way too few staffs/chefs to handle well!! Ok, as if we were wrong patronizing them on Christmas eve!? Anyway, I don't think he meant it that way, but still, not a good business move here!

While we were so free waiting for the dishes to be served...

Anyway, in my honest opinion, Fusion Haven is a better restaurant for normal days serving a fusion of Asian flavours and European classics. They really put much effort in preparing those dishes especially creating a very good visual and taste effect. Too bad the serving is kinda small to fill my tummy...

A little information about Fusion Haven Cafe & Restaurant:

Location:
No. 45, Jalan Radin Anum Satu,
Sri Petaling,
57000 Kuala Lumpur.
(It is located right next to Clickers (StreamyX outlet) in Sri Petaling.)

Cuisine:
Asian and Western Fusion

Price:
Average (RM10-20 for main dishes)

Contact:
012 200 6736

Business Hour:
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun, lunch (Noon-3pm); dinner (6pm-11pm). Closed on Thursdays.

As the other friend still haven't got herself anything to eat yet, we went across the other road to Dai Ga Seng Dim Sum Restaurant for our second round - Midnight Dim Sum! To be frank, I was still hungry...=P

This Dim Sum Restaurant is pretty famous especially for it's Gai Wo Bao...

Wondering why is the Dim Sum restaurant still open at that hour? For those who can't read chinese, it stated that the restaurant is open from 8pm to 2pm the other day. Interesting? Haha! I wonder whether there will be anyone eating dimsum after midnight...

Our poor friend, WY who had not eaten anything yet...all for you! (Well, she can be considered lucky as the boss at Fusion Haven promised her that she will get a complimentary meal whenever she goes back there again!)

I ended up eating quite a lot too...and we got our counted-down for Christmas there too! It was a very very long Christmas Eve dinner...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! What a night to remember!

I won't be elaborating on this Dai Ga Seng Dim Sum Restaurant for now...till next time when I really get to try their fresh breakfast menus!

Karaoke @ Balakong & Seafood Steamboat @ Yuen

2010-01-05T21:27:00.000+08:00

There were still some outstanding 2009 posts due here...

The last few days of the last decade lived out to what my 2009 was supposed to be...ended in a blast!

Just the second day of school reopen...(i just love using "school" instead of ~~uni~~...made me feel so much younger =P)...my QA coursemates and I went K-ing at Greenbox, Cheras Selatan @ Balakong! That day was Jusco Day....jeezz...way too crowded that we had to park our cars quite a distance away!

Nothing too significant about singing Karaoke with a bunch of friends which is a pretty common entertainment for city folks like us in Malaysia...(I just realized my blog readers for today consist of only 50% Malaysians) So, have to sek zhou a bit!

We got a huge room with 5 mics...ended up shouting our lungs out! coz we can't even hear our own voice...LOL!

For those who wonder what purpose that mouth-cover is for, it's for H1N1 preventive measure ba...part of Greenbox's risk management...

Hohoho! We were visited by Santa Claus too...you can see how we ~~adults~~ teenagers have lost all those childhood magics, not believing in St Nicholas and reindeers anymore...Nobody even got excited seeing that fella coming in and giving out sweets and didn't give him a heck! Continue singing K...=.=

Anyway, we took a photo with Santa, at least!

The fun didn't end there...JW and I went out for a seafood-buffet-steamboat dinner at Sunway - Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant! This restaurant can be considered sai lei lo...got 2 storeys! Customers have to wait to be seated at the ground floor while they use CCTV to monitor which tables are available...efficient la! Plus can "kap" whether you got waste any food...haha...but I doubt they are so free doing that...

Just look at the people! It rained a bit that night, so good timing for some warm stuff!

Walao, this was my first time to this kind of all-you-can-eat-SEAFOOD steamboat! The main thing is SEAFOOD! Just look at the variety of selections...that was insane!

Steamboat basics...

Vegetables...

And save the best for last...SEAFOOD!!!

That's what we got for ourselves...just the first few plates...=P

In the process of "da bin lou"! Imperfect circles...except two! Can u find it?

ATTENTION HERE!

Remember, I always save the best for last...these grilled chicken wings are so good!!! And they are pretty well-known for it...there are people who just don't care about the buffet/seafood/steamboat but came here just to eat this chicken wings! No kidding...Don't miss it! It came out every 15 minutes and gone in 15 seconds...I'm not exaggerating...I was one of the fanatics out there fighting hard for it! I know...*uncivilized*...=P

After three hours of glutton...I was so full to the brim =) Syokness...

The aftermath! Before and after...we ate till the people left and nothing's left...crazy!

Thanks to JW for bringing me to give my tastebuds and my stomach a good treat! Appreciate it so muchie...=) And to mention...it was cheap! Just a little over RM20...

We went to a pub nearby and drank a few glasses of beer (I was so afraid that I puked) and headed up to Gasoline at Cheras Lookout Point to have another cup of coffee before back home to UKM at 2am...terus dropped dead on bed!

Oh, before I forgot, the restaurant details as follow:

Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant

Location:
Mentari Plaza, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
32A-1, Jalan PJS 8/6, Mentari Plaza, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. (At Shop lots opposite Sunway Pyramid)

Cuisine:
Chinese

Food:
A variety of choices (vegetables, chicken meat, squids, fish balls, beef balls, and even escargots), Honey chicken wings, “Kuih”, Fruits, Ice-cream, Seafood, Chicken Meat Pieces, Wantons, Mini Hot Dogs, Tofu, “Fu Chuk”, Bee Hoon and Chicken Rendang, Crab

Price:
Average (RM18.80 per person – excluding drinks)

Contact:
Mrs. Susie Teh: 016 208 6678, 03 5637 5825

Business Hour:
5.30pm – 11pm. Peak hours: 7pm-9pm. But can be very pack as early as 5.30pm.

Ps: Actually, I just watched a clip on FB posted by Kaevin about a lady in her 50s who goes around KL every night picking up food leftovers for her kids and herself to eat to survive...how hearbreaking! As I blog about this, a remorseful guiltness overwhelmed me as I realized how lucky I am and there are more unfortunate and needy people out there...=(

Disclaimer: No food was wasted during the process. Everything except the bones and shells went straight into where it should be...

-20-10- Resolutions

2010-01-02T02:48:00.000+08:00

P/S: I should have posted this by 2010! Too bad, I couldn't manage to blog it coz was too busy counting-down for the new year...hehe...

As much has been talked about...now everything boils down to this last post of the year...2010 New Year Resolutions!

I have been hearing a lot about setting resolutions for the new year...read a lot of blog posts about listing down their resolutions...What does the word "resolution" really mean? Have you ever wondered?

Resolution:
1. a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner;
2. the trait of being resolute which also mean firm in purpose or belief;
3. a solution to a problem.

So, based on these three statements, resolutions are not merely vague hopes and faint dreams, it's more to setting down what you DECIDE to do and really DO it!

I have my 2010 almost well-planned out...won't be too worried about my studies, my work...most have already been pretty much decided...oh and the few overseas trip too as I have already booked the air tickets...that won't be considered resolutions then...=P

Hmmm....But here are some of my ideas/wishes which are just only lingering in my mind...

Listing them down as my resolutions in my blog publicly will leave me no doors to escape...it's like forcing myself to make it happen then! 2010 - To make it easier for me to remember I have consolidated them into 10 big areas and 20 little steps...

1. Personal

- Eat at least 3 proper meals per day, exercise at least 3 times a week and sleep at least 6 hours per day

- Read One-Year Bible

- Manage money and time effectively

2. Family
- Create hand-made presents and cards during special occasions

3. Friends
- Meet up, stay in touch on FB/MSN and hang out like usual

4. Career

- Pass C and MLC

- Excel in EXCEL

5. YCA
- Prepare and improve both YCA and myself

6. Insurance Project
- Make it happen either in March or September

7. Photography

- Buy a DSLR before May

- Follow and read photography blogs

- Have at least 20 photography projects

8. Travel
- Travel West Peninsula Malaysia

9. Blog

- Write at least 3 posts per week

- Follow and read blogs
- Create a niche blog which I am passionate in

10. Language

- Polish up my English writing and speaking through various methods

- Watch French movies and learn traveling conversation

- Read Chinese books and learn business communication
- Watch Cantonese dramas and listen to 988

Phew...quite a lot to achieve, huh! I would appreciate for friends who could remind me sometimes to get me back on track...=P

Happy New Year!!!

Wrap-up for 2009!

2009-12-31T05:00:00.001+08:00

Hey guys, we are hours away from 2010! Everybody is wrapping up what they did in 2009 and setting new resolutions for 2010...

Upon reading some blogs out there, I was exceptionally impressed with the way Calvin rewinded his 2009! Here, I'm not going to wrap up my entire 2009...It has been quite a year for me...for the first half of 2009, I was in the US...for the second half, I'm back in Malaysia...That explains my blog's title...Back To Malaysia!

There were so much that I have experienced and gone through during my stay in the US...so much as I looked back at my previous posts...I was overwhelmed! Due to the time constraint, I would ~~let bygones be bygones~~...(not so appropriate here)...should be, let those beautiful memories remain in my blog...for those who are interested...u can click on the "older post" and enjoy...be forewarned...it's a lot! But I would definitely appreciate if you read them...at least glanced through....especially those who are new to my blog...hehe...(I have fewer readers back then =P)...

Ok...enough of all that crap and blog promoting...so what am I going to do now? Still have to wrap-up de...

Wrap up about my life back in Malaysia then...=)

=.= Suddenly blank...What have I done for these past few months? To be frank, I didn't blog much after I returned to Malaysia...

29 May 2009
《越来越爱》飞轮海签唱会 @ Juru Autocity (Link from my sis blog)
To make it clear, I got two tickets and just accompanied my twin sis to this event! Can't believe I had to squeeze with those girls, hearing them screamed their lungs out. Fahrenheit and WuChun, especially...just made the girls go crazy...(my sis is a huge fan...=P)

5 ~ 7 June 2009
全国中学干部训练营 @ 霹雳育才独立中学

This was my third time facilitating the YCA Leadership Camp. The leadership camp is open to youth (13 – 18 years old) to provide them guidance and motivational course. Our roles as facilitators are to be by their side guiding and ensuring the camp goes smoothly. This is one of my major volunteering efforts in Malaysia as I love working with youths and be part of the fun!

12 June, 2009

Malaysian 2008/2009 Global UGRAD Debriefing Session (Link from sis blog)

We were the 7 Malaysian pioneers to be selected to participate in this Global UGRAD Exchange Program, funded by the US Department of State. This time, upon completion of our UGRAD journey in the US, all of us got together to share about each of our amazing experiences in America!

13 June, 2009

Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) Workshop 1 (Link from Mike's blog)

The Youth Leadership Academy is dedicated to nurturing and building capabilities of future young leaders. It consists of
* Two structured full-day workshops led by faculty from McKinsey & Company as well as eminent corporate and community leaders, with proprietary curriculum addressing three themes: leading self, leading others, and leading Malaysia
* One-on-one coaching sessions
* Access to mentors who are young professionals and successful leaders of Malaysian companies and will guide you along your journey of self-discovery

This was the first time McKinsey & Co. organized this sort of program and I was lucky to be selected to be one of the few participants. I remembered having to undergo one hour of telephone interview while I was in the states! Anyway, the best part was to get to know many of different talented university students plus listening to Dato Seri Idris Jala talk and sing!

For those who are interested, please check out this link...I'm not sure whether they will be offering this program next year...

27 ~ 30 June, 2009
Bali Family Vacation (Link from sis blog)

One word, syok! This is one of my best vacations...of course the main reason is that this trip consist of the most family members: 8! Everybody in the family first time travelling together, old and young! Imagine that...=) Plus the sunset sceneries really put a spell on me...even till today...I dream of going back!

6 July ~ 13 Nov, 2009

Academic Life

Last semester was one of my toughest semesters! It was so hard getting my engine warmed up after relaxing for more than 9 months...rusty! Moreover, all my previous batchmates have graduated and I was one of the very few staying on campus...everything has to be on my own! Everytime I bumped into something I don't understand...I could only bury myself deeper into the books! It went pretty fast, hectic, tiring, lacking of sleep...and in the end, I scored a CGPA of 3.73 for that semester which summed up 3.76 in overall. I'm pretty satisfied as I'm almost certain to settle for first-class honors with another semester to go...phew!

Social Life

There were quite some gatherings here and there especially with my previous buddies...most photos can be found in FB...not in blogs though...my bad for not blogging =P

Family Life

I realized I cherished and appreciated my family more after my one-year away-from-home experience...Some of the most memorable moments happened during birthdays!!

My dad turned 54...Grandma celebrated her 80th Grand Birthday...Two-two-twins Birthday...Mom's Birthday Surprise...too bad we can't celebrate my bro's birthday as we were away from home...but I'm going to blog about my bro's big day soon!

Photography

I embarked on my journey of photography as I polished up my skills and having as much fun along the way...

Some highlights:

1. The Life of A Fan...
2. Left Out In The Rain...
3. Dad in Action...
4. Motherly Love...
5. Trespassed...
6. Flora...
7. Man's Best Friend...
8. Break of Dawn

Oops...A lot of words huh?

14 Nov ~ 21 Dec, 2009
I have revamped my blog and posted about most of the happenings during this period, but here are some of the additional updates during my semester break...

Ambulance Service

Accompanied best buddy for a one-day ambulance service duty...

5S1 Classmates Reunion Dinner @ Hao Ji Restaurant in Tambun

It wasn't many of us just the same bunch of local dudes hanging out...

Promoting some great food here!

This is one of the signature dish called Bamboo Prawns...it was hot and spicy...but is finger-licking good!

Another good fresh dish of octopus with it's special custom-made sauce...

5 years since we graduated and parted...here we are again rekindling those memories and good times...maintaining the bond and friendship...

While touring around Penang with my best buddy Kent and his gf, Erica...here is one of my favourite photos of the year!

I'm still thinking about the caption/description about this photo, any ideas? I will prepare something special for the best one...;)

This is a pretty long entry! Thanks for those who have come so far...

Next...2010 resolutions? I'm running out of time...hehe...procastinating!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2009-12-23T17:09:00.003+08:00

I'm finally back with my new entry...woohoo!

It wasn't particularly new as these photos were taken more than one month ago...It was when we celebrated my mom's birthday which falls on the November 17...

Our family has a thing with the number 7, it seemed to be our lucky number! My dad's birthday is on July 31 (the 7th month)...my sister and I was borned on August 17, 1987...Our first house was F-7-7 (7th floor, 7th unit) and when we moved to Tambun, our home address is 17, Lorong 17! Talk about the odds...=P (Now you know why my favourite number is 7 or 17...haha!)

Well, back in uni life, a friend and I were the main masterminds for lots of fun+ridiculous+special birthday pranks for our actuarial coursemates...so, I was thinking why not give a surprise for my mom? My sis and I managed to pull off a very spontaneous surprise as we presented the birthday cake and song in the dark at the most unexpected moment...I will see whether my sis will post that clip in her blog sometime...

As I just borrowed SK's camera that night, we tried out some portraits since my mom was in one of her best dress...Thanks to my sis for capturing some of these photos...=)

Seldom saw my photos in my blog? haha...here you go...=P

Mommy and I...

My sis love this photo very much...not because of the subject but the shadow...how sad! =(

We also had a steamboat birthday celebration, mostly prepared by my mom though...=P

My sis lended a lil hand here...see? just a little...

Talking about technological advancement, nowadays we used this so-called electronic induction cooker to replace those gas stove lo...safe, easy and most importantly not so hot!

Even though our home-made steamboat had neither much variety nor the best taste, but it was the fun and atmosphere that matters when a family sits together on the same dining table, spending time, eating, chatting...nothing beats that!

To round up, it's not about the food, not about the place...it's just about the people!

Jeng...jeng...jeng...presenting to you...mon famille!!

Again...Happy Birthday Mommy!

Back then, back home...now back!

2009-12-17T00:06:00.001+08:00

As I am writing this, I am 10 minutes away from departure...this entry marked the end of my holiday break...how fast time flies!

One month back, I was welcomed home with this bowl of "tang yuan" prepared by my grandma...signifying the reunion of the family...

I'm gonna miss this! Although I can't celebrate "tong zhi" with my family this time...which seemed a little bit sad. But to be on a positive note, I have tried my grandma's home-made peanut-stuffed "tang yuan"!

Durian is also one of my favourite fruits (I like all kinds of fruit, as a matter of fact) where I got to only taste it whenever I am back in Penang...

Grandma

Grandaunt

Look at those wonderful smiles while they were enjoying their durians...I could still remembered that was the time I just borrowed SK's DSLR and was busy snapping away everything that came across me...I just returned that DSLR last night which means I could only use back my old point-and-shoot camera...which also means...not much high-quality photos anymore...how sad! =( I promise I am going to get one as one of my 2010 TO-DO List...

Anyway, it's time to say goodbye...again! I just don't like this feeling...but that's life...

Take care my family and my friends! Cy'all in a bit...just a bit! CNY coming ma...hahaha!

PS: I will be away for YCA Camp for the next 4 days and will be hoping to be back in this blog in a week time as I settled myself back in UKM!

Phew...that was the fastest entry I have ever done! =P...peace!

Mee Suah Tow & Oyster Omelet @ Ang Hoay Loh

2009-12-15T15:49:00.001+08:00

Ang Hoay Loh (紅火爐) may strike a chord among many Penangites.

It is one of the restaurants within Penang selling great Hokkien-style cuisine. The name of this restaurant sounds almost same with Ang Hoay Lor restaurant in Jalan Brick Klin (Jalan Gurdwara); some people said they are different, but according to my mom, both were managed under the same boss...I don't know which one is true...but I would trust the latter...=)

It was my mom's birthday the other day so we decided to have our lunch there. That was my first time there as I was not around in Penang for quite some time...

This restaurant is located along Jalan Perak, which occupied the corner garden space of the State Chinese Association(槟城洲华人工会), just a stone throw away from the France Taipei Bridal House and Chinese Recreation Club which my family spent most of our saturdays there. It's easy to miss it but look out for the red banner on your left.

There are a two signature dishes that most customers will order - the Bak Kee soup and the fried oyster mee. I'm not going to blog about these two as there are many foodblogs out there talking about the same stuff...it's worth to try out for yourself...

But, for my entry this time, I would highlight the other two dishes which were quite good as well...

Mee Suah Tow - an exquisite dish of noodles...I forgot whether its BeeHoon or glassnoodles...with gravy filled with oysters, eggs and vegetables...A spoonful of vinegar adds the final touch! All of us in the family likes vinegar...You can see how good this Mee Suah Tow just by looking at that smiley face...LOL!

And the oyster omelet, well, the oysters, I tell you...they are huge and juicy! The chef was pretty generous as we just couldn't stop picking up those oysters...As you could notice, it's not too sticky like other Oo Chien around Penang...but it was good...=)

Heard from others, this restaurant's food has less oil, which is healthier, but still very tasty. It's not too expensive as well.

In terms of environment, most of the tables were arranged out in the open under the shade and few big trees. Gosh, I remembered how we had to change our tables due to an uncivic-minded guy smoking pipe next to us. Even it's consider open-air, but that's restaurant, dude! RY, promote Green Lung to him!

Break of Dawn @ Tambun

2009-12-10T13:10:00.000+08:00

Another round of my photo collection using SK DSLR...

My alarm clock buzzed. Cracking an eye open reaching for my cellphone. 5.45am. After a few moments, my groggy mind remembered why I set my alarm in the first place. Never in my holiday did I wake that early...After another minute, I rolled out of bed.

I didn't have to take a peek out of the window to see that it was still dark outside. Everyone in the house was still sleeping soundly beneath warm covers...

After washing up and making my milk for breakfast, I grabbed a bottle of water and a wooden fold-up chair knowing that I might be out for quite some time. Not to forget I put the camera bag across my shoulders and off I went walking on the road loomed with street lamps...

It wasn't a long walk before I reached the junction, the spot which had a clear view towards the east direction. That's my plan: if possible, capture the morning sunrise...

Unfortunately, it was a cloudy morning where there was not a sign of sun rising...As there were some tinge of light in the sky, I set up the camera in a long shutter mode (20-30 sec), a little warmer colour temperature and despite not having a tripod, I sat the camera on the fringe of fence, snapping away every half a minute...

Break of dawn...

Remembering some tips learnt about taking sunrise/sunset photos, if possible, add a subject to make the photo more interesting...Looking around for some ideas, the barb wire serve as my only possible option...

A little glimpse of sunrise...

Talking about interesting subjects...As it gets brighter, hardworking red ants came crawling out of nowhere along these barb wires...

三 “蚁” 行...必有我 “食” 焉 ...

As I was borned and raised in the city, I always yearn the kind of kampung childhood which I only get to read and watch in movies where kampung kids get to be in the nature climbing trees, catching fish, playing in the river, you know, stuff like that...

Even after ten years ago, where my family moved to Tambun, a famous fish village known for its fresh seafood. Nonetheless, the taman I live in is nothing like village...

Bordered by barb wire and metal fences, although it's just a stone throw away, it seemed far from reach...

So, even though I didn't get any breathtaking sunrise images and even triggered a part of me waiting to be filled up...these photos at the very least give a litte bit insight of what it looks like around the place I live...more to come, perhaps?