Snap & Drive

I took this pic while I was driving back home from work this afternoon. Look how beautiful is that?? Yes,  I'm indeed guilty of Snap Driving and I do that all the time :P. Kids, don't do this at home ya!

Guilty As Charged

I know I'm guilty of not updating this space for the longest time. It's not that i'm busy, but it's because that I'm lazy. Woah, it rhymes! hahaha. Lame, I know. I'm just going to ramble on random things in this post.

1. Managed to complete 3 photobooks from scratch since I came back from the Eidulfitr holidays. See, I told you I have too much time on my hands.

2. I'm supposed to blog about my last visit to JPO and Pulai Springs Resort during the holidays. But, procrastination took the best of me. Nevertheless, our daughter had a fabulous time in the pool. That was our second time there and we would definitely come back. The hotel is quite far from the city and tucked away in an isolated area, however its perfect for those who wanted to go to JPO or Legoland as it's very near to the hotel and they also provide tours to both places.

3. Have be traveling abroad back to back in the past couple of weeks. was very busy preparing for both trips and had a hard time trying to pack for three destinations (dont ask me why). The first trip was actually a business trip and it was really nerve wrecking and its stressed me out big time. I was carrying the burden of the world on my shoulder, alone(drama!). I'm glad that its now over.

4. The second was some sort of reward for all the hardships that I had gone through for the past couple of weeks (yeah, right).. 

5. When I was driving to work this morning, as weird as it seems, I realized that I missed my mundane daily routine.I actually felt that its really good to be back even though I was like really tired as I just landed in KL yesterday evening. I know, what's wrong with me right??? Its only almost 2 weeks that I was away and it felt like I have been away for ages! This is a new self - discovery thang for me, I always thought I would never, ever miss going to work.. hmm..

6. Last but not least, I'll leave you with these pics to get some flavor of posts to come ;-)

Eid Mubarak

Today is the last day of Ramadhan and here I am at my desk pretending that I'm actually doing my work. Who am I kidding? haha.. There's practically no one in the office. However, me being here today is not against my will, but it's my own  choice as I have to save my precious annual leave (whatever I have left) for my future trips :) Besides, my hometown is just a stones throw away from my office :)

For those who might not know, Ramadhan is the ninth month in the Muslim Calendar. During this month, faithful muslims will fast from dawn to dusk. And on the first day of the next month (Syawal), we will celebrate Eid al-Fitr which is also called the Feast of Breaking the Fast. For us (Malaysian Muslims) this is the main festive celebration and a major holiday season of the year.

For those who happen to travel to Malaysia during Ramadhan and Syawal, it's the best time for you to get to know about our local traditions and celebrations. During Ramadhan, Food Bazaars will sprout all over the country and it is the best place to sample local Malay Cuisines. Some of them you wouldn't be able to easily find during the other months. And also, there will be sales everywhere - so it's one of the best time to shop. One of the best place to feel the excitement is at the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman / Jalan Masjid India. But do take note of the crowd ya. Best to go during working hours of  the weekdays. 

Apart from that, our Prime Minister will be hosting the Eid al-Fitr open house at his residential in Putrajaya and you don't need an invitation to get in. So this could be your only chance to meet our PM in person and take a look at his residence. And this year,  our Yang Dipertuan Agong (King) will be hosting an open house tomorrow as well at the National Palace.. So, this would be a golden opportunity to get into the brand spanking new palace.. Just remember to wear decent clothing or you won't be able to enter.

During the first week of Syawal, you could expect that there will be less people in the city so you can enjoy the city minus the crazy crowd (to a certain extent). Do take note that quite a number of establishments including department stores will close on the 1st day of Eid al-Fitr but normally will resume business on the second or third day of Eid al-Fitr. However, a point to note is that the highways are jam packed. And the cities in the East Coast will be very busy as people return to their hometown. It's more advisable to travel by airplane - however be sure to book your tickets in advance (applies to all mode of transportation (and hotels)) and expect a surge prices as well as it's a peak season.

So this year I'll be celebrating Eid al-Fitr here in KL and then to Malacca and from there we will make short trip south.. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and blessed Eid and be safe on the roads! 

This might not be the best pic but it's the only one I have that's somewhat related to Eid :) taken during a short business trip to Brunei last year.

How's The Weather Today?

It's 1.15pm and the rain just subsided. However, the weather felt different, and kinda bizarre. It's quite unusual for me to see the sky as  gloomy this. As if it can read my mind, or my heart rather... (drama! :)) Anyways, it's really dark outside for this time of the day and the street lights are turning on automatically. Hmmmmm... Is it mists or fogs that im seeing outside my office window or is it the haze coming from our neighbors? Hmm, I wonder. All I know that it's making it hard for to me to focus on my work and not thinking of things that's not supposed to be thought of (confused much?)

Speaking of weather, it's raining a lot these days. I love rain. Yes both "rains", I mean the rain rain and the kpop star, Bi Rain :P (he completed his mandatory military service just recently.. ehem..)..I can't remember it raining this much in July last year. Malaysia used to have only 2 seasons which is the hot and rainy season. Nevertheless, one can still enjoy traveling in the rainy season in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia as it does not flood much as compared to the East Coast (rainy season in the East Coast starts in November until March). However, since few years back we have an additional season which is the Haze Season - which is really not a good time to travel here as you can only see and smell smoke. The smoke is coming from our neighbor country which had hot spots that burns the forests / agriculture plantations. And there are also cases of open burning but I do not want to dwell on this. U can just simply google them and you'll know what's been happening. This year the schools have to shut down a few times as the air quality was really bad. (I guess school kids love the hazy season). So those who intend to come to Malaysia, do take note that the haze season is in June-July.. I'm not sure about August but usually it subsides when the heat cools down. I think the East Coast of Malaysia is less affected of the haze, but I could be wrong. Btw, June to Septmber is the perfect time to go to our islands - perhentian, redang, tioman - you wont regret going there :). Well, I think that's all about the senseless ramblings about the weather for today.

Ahh... It's raining again.. I even saw a lightning in the horizon. I think I better lie down for a bit and enjoy the sound of the rain.. (it's the lunch break time btw) :P

It does not look that dark in the picture isn't it. Pardon the quality of my phone cam.But in actual, it was really2 dark outside..

My First Photobook

Ok again, before anything I have no affiliation with Photobook Malaysia whatsoever and this is not a paid entry. This entry is based on my own experience which I would like to share with my readers. 

Actually I did my first Photobook using FotoBuk software which I bought at a bargain when I last bought my camera. I put a lot of effort into creating that book - I painstakingly gathered all my photos which are scattered around the place, arranging them according to date and ocassion and finally putting them together in the FotoBuk. The FotoBuk software is one that is really2x UN-user-friendly that it's really SO difficult to put it all together. And at last, all my efforts has gone to waste when the document that I worked on is corrupted. I actually redone the whole thing THREE freaking times and its still not working - mind you that I have to go back and forth to the shop to send the softcopy. I was so frustrated that I vouch that I will never go near photobook again.

However, recently I was "influenced" by a friend about a deal pon Groupon on this photobook,  I don't mind sharing - it's Photobook Malaysia. I browsed their website before actually buying the deal (bearing in mind the ordeal that I endured before with FotoBuk). I liked what I found, they actually have ReadyBooks which are templates where you can just drag and drop your pictures in the album. The designs are also great and decent unlike some other brands are offering. It is so easy and user friendly and the album can actually be sent in online. I couldn't be happier when all they take to process the album is ONE day. Can you believe that?? I sent in my Photobook on Thursday and on Friday afternoon I received a notification email saying the book has already been shipped out. WOW!!! Totally amazing, right. On Monday I received the book at my office and I really liked it. The quality is very good and in the future I won't be looking at any other brands.. :) So here's the final product- can't wait to share it with my friends and family.

Oh, the places I've gone.....

Is there such a thing as time machine? For foursquare users, the answer is yes! As an active foursquare user, I was psyched to come across this feature while blog-hopping and decided to give it a try. The time machine visualizes all your check-ins and will transport you back to the place where you checked in. Try it for yourself!

シクラメン「舞い桜」

Don't ask me what the title means. It's the title of the song in the below video - which is one of the songs that I fell in love with while listening to the songs piped in through the room speaker during our stay at the Hearton Hotel Nishi Umeda that I mentioned in my previous post. When I Google Translated the phrase it gave me "Sakura Mai" by Cyclamen. However a search on Cyclamen in youtube lead me to nowhere. Only managed to find this by using those Japanese wordings and everything else related in Youtube are in Japanese as well. Tried to find the roman lyrics of the songs but to no avail unlike translations for korean songs which can be found easily. I remember how JDrama and Jpop was doing really well in early 2000 -  I was one of the fans but now it's being overwhelmed by the Kpop craze. It's a pity since there are quite a number of quality JDramas and songs, but remains to be undiscovered as Hallyu Wave swept in and dominates the world.

Btw, how I found this song you may ask? I used an app on my android phone which is called "Shazam" (It is also available in iTunes). I found this app really2 helpful for me as it can quickly find the title and singers of the songs within seconds! You'll be amazed! However, there's one more song that I tried to search but to no avail :( and that seldom happens. Till then, enjoy the song (I find the vid clip quite difficult to understand).

Update:

Romaji and translation of the chorus part courtesy of  http://awordfromjapan.wordpress.com/ Many thanks! :)

Azayaka ni saku mankai no kirei na sakura no ki no shita de
Under the beautiful vividly blooming cherry trees in full bloom

"Mata ne" to namida nagashi bokura wa arukidashita
"Good bye" and tears flowing we walked away

Omoide wa kimi o sasaeru deai wa kiseki o motarasu yo
I'm bringing a memory as a miracle to support you

Itsu made mo kimirashiku are
It will always be just like you

At Random

1. Watched The Perks of Being A Wallflower recently. Falling in love with it. A++. Totally recommended! It's been a while since I'm really excited about any movie.. This one even topped the latest Iron Man installation. Love the lead role, he really carried the character well.

2. Alamanda is getting more happening these days. Many of my favorite stores and restaurants are opening their doors here. Earlier this year Uniqlo set its foot here and yesterday was Dorothy Perkins opening day. yeay! I was one of their first customers! haha... this is posing a very dangerous threat towards the health of my wallet. owhhh... What i like about it is that being a new outlet it has every size - my size is sold out in most of the branches! Tips, sign up for the Fashion Forward membership and get a RM30 voucher as well as enjoy 10% discount on all normal merchandise at Dorothy Perkins, Topman, Topshop, Ms Selfridge and Diva. I didnt know that Ms Selfridge is already here? Gotta check that out soon.  

Dorothy Perkins Alamanda

3. I've recently found the secret to cook a delicious Kimchi Jjigae. Yesterday I made the Kimchi Jigae with Beef Balls and it was the best Kimchi Jjigae I've ever made so far. The key is the longer you simmer the soup the better it tastes - minimum 30-45 mins. Also, add some anchovy stock to enhance the flavour. I used the maggi cube anchovy stock. My Recipe:

    Kimchi Jjigae with Beef Balls    
    - saute 2 cloves of garlic in sesame oil for a while and add the beef balls (i cut the beef 

       balls in half), cook until somewhat brownish   

    - after that put in the kimchi, gochujang and add water
    - let it boil for a while and add the anchovy stock
    - simmer for at least half an hour
    - Put in some spring onions and enjoy it while its piping hot!
 
Add ramen/noodles/other vege as u like. I had mine with the udon i bought a few days ago at Jusco. Made enough to save it for today. Cant wait for dinner tonite! Btw, I'm using the bakso beef balls which can be bought from Carrefour / Aeon Big. I think it's just perfect to use these beef balls with any kind of soup.

Kimchi Jjigae with Beef Balls and Vermicelli

Baso Sapi Beef Balls

4. I really have to buck up and complete my research / itinerary for our next trip or otherwise we will end up being lost later which will lead to frustration. Taking a taxi is not an option as taxis there are super expensive! I know I'll be super busy starting next week until right up to the trip but i still can't find the spirit to seriously get into it. Fighting!
http://feel100percent.blogspot.com/2013/05/at-random.html

Still Alive

I have not said much about politics and the recent elections, but i just have to let this one out of my chest. I'm really happy that the general election is over-regardless of whatever the result was. I really hope that now everybody can just take a step back and just chill a bit. As a citizen, i really really appreciate that we were able to live in peace and carry on with our daily lives as we please and without any fear in our own country. and i pray hard that fellow citizens shares this value as well regardless on which side we are on. Full stop.

On another note, 2013 seems to me like not a good year to travel.. Why la, when i have all my travels planned out for the whole year up to early 2014.... With the bird flu and all, natural disasters etc. hmm. My china trip in June will have to be cancelled. I'm still mulling on whether should i cancel or should i postpone. I have a feeling that the bird flu thing is in for a long haul.

I can still recover the accomodation cost, but with regards to the tix, its a lost cause. I did enquire AA about this, but they said that, bird flu or not, their flights still runs as usual. So no refund or credit shell whatsoever. Kinda unfair, to me. I think its not a wise decision to risk ur health like this-especially when ur travelling with kids. I have learnt that, next time when u book ur tickets, DO NOT pre book ur seat, meals and luggage just yet. Wait until u are really sure that ur going on with the trip. Or otherwise, your hard earned moolah will just go to waste.

Since the captain has applied for leave, he insists that we still carry on with our plans with an alternative destination. We are still undecided. If its up to me, i would love to go on a snorkelling trip, but the captain hates being in the sun. and the sea. Argh... Hope we are able to make up our minds soon so that I we can start preparing the necessary. I'm not one to go on a trip unprepared, kiasu, i know :P

Our next trip later this week is to up north. This time we will be travelling with our extended family and hope everything will go smooth. I've started packing bit by bit since saturday to avoid last minute chaos. keeping my fingers crossed for an uneventful week in the office..!

Updates (Or rather lack of)

it has been 2 months since i last wrote in this space. a lot of MAJOR events happening at work since then which i think has more or less affected me not really in a good way. other than the workplace, life has been quite ok. with raya celebration - the festive holiday season, our lil daughter 2nd birthday and all. we also managed to squeeze in a few trips in between. ill try to be more diligent and update on those in a bit. till then, daaa... ;)

teaser :)

Wishes

*credits to pic owner

Taking this opportunity to wish everybody for a blessed Ramadhan Al Mubarak..

Semua Tak Sama

buka mata,
dan hatimu,
relakan semua..

Observations...

I know this is kinda overdue but what the heck.. during our trip to Seoul last May there were a few things that i noticed while we were there:

1. There are a lot of groups of elderly people in Seoul as if they were on a field trip 
2. The elderly has the power to do anything they like
3. Koreans love kids especially the ahjummas and ajusshis
4. Young people don't use elevators, its meant for the elderly
5. Im amazed on how they maintain their city. i once saw an old man literally scrubbing the pavements in myeongdong and an ahjumma scrubbing an escalator at the airport
6. Stroller is quite unpopular - they usually use baby carriers - but perhaps its because of the places we went

Random Stuffs

its monday and im feeling the blues... just a few things here.

1. my bfast this morning.. swiss miss hot choc. yum.

2. its frustrating how I, an avid online shopper, found out that lotsss of US shopping sites does not ship to malaysia but does ship to singapore and indonesia - which is just a stones throw away from malaysia??? to add salt to the injury, they also ship to cambodia, nepal, gibraltar, maldives and othercountries ive never heard of, and even pakistan??? we seem to be invisible on the map.. why oh why???

3. had dim sum @ Xing Zhu, Cyberview Lodge recently with Jo -  a good fren i hadnt met for quite a while.. the dim sums were delish! the ambience was nice too. shud do this again sometimes. it costs RM80 for 2 pax.. there was a combo set RM44 - eat all you can but we did not chose that one cos its a little bit too much for us. but if ur up for the challenge, by all means! i think its worth it..

view from our seat

yummyness!

4. discovered a lot of restaurants are coming up in cyber.. im phsyched!! recent addition nandos and kenny rogers.. starbucks, subway and obriens coming soon!!! lots of other exciting restaurants are also coming up at the shaftsbury.. cant wait...!

5. there is no decent gym within 30 km of the vicinity. hmpph...

6. not sure why suddenly am missing lil Q pulak.

7. balik kg last weekend - had bakso by the beach.

8. View from my desk during a stormy morning. Scary stuff.. never seen this kinda cloud before. it was gone as fast as it came.. no editing whatsoever was done to this pic.

Call Me Crazay...

i did something that ive never done before today.. it might seem normal to someone else, but to me, ive never thought of going to to the cinema alone. yes, by myself. i don't know what got into me but since yesterday this idea seems to came into my head. this morning i booked the ticket online for the show at 12.15 which is just in time for lunch break. its good to know that nowadays you can print ur own ticket. its been that long since a watched movies at the cinema. the last movie i watched was --- Avatar... in 2010.. yes, almost 2 years ago.

yes, i bought 2 seats, to avoid any "unfortunate events"

i reached the cinema quite late due to a meeting that i did not know i have this morning. luckily the one sitting next to the empty seat beside me was another person watching the movie alone. i was strangely comforted by that. :-)

the movie was just starting...

btw, i watched SnwWhite and the Hntsman. beware of the spoiler ahead. overall, the movie was just ok.. when it comes to movies, im kinda hard to please. there are only a handful of movies that managed to impress me. and twilight is not one of it. not even harry potter or LOTR. yes i did layan those movies but its not the kind that keeps rerunning in my mind afterwards..

im having a hard time to separate the image of Bella frm KristnStwrt and in the movie i think (imho) she did not have the kinda grace of a princess to carry the character of snw white.. shes more suitable to be a tough fighter chick - again, imho. its also kinda weird seing snw white being that in this movie after all this while reading about snw white who's supposed to be so soft, gentle and kind hearted princess..  other than that, charlize theron did a good job of being an evil queen and both of the heroes are quite yummy:P

the filming locations are breathtaking.. hard to tell which part are graphics and which parts are real.. after some googling, the filming locations are in the UK:

Backlot, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Bourne Woods, Farnham, Surrey, England, UK

Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Frensham Ponds, Farnham, Surrey, England, UK

Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

credit to owner of the picture..

To sum it all up, im glad that i decided to do this today.. It could add to my list of thigs to do to destress during friday lunch break - which is the only me time i have in a week.. .. Yeah, i shud do this more often!

Friday Ramblings

The Captain has a peculiar way in preparing his fried eggs. i used to make fun of it but recently i tried the egg that he cooked and it tasted superb! cant seem to forget the taste and today i secretly made the eggs myself during lunch (its friday and we have long lunch breaks on friday. i always go back home to laze around on fridays :-)) he'll surely tease me on this one if he gets a whiff of this.. lets see how he prepares his eggs..

 the ingredient - ur fav soy sauce, an egg and a glass!

crack the egg carefully into the glass and pour a few slush of soy sauce into the cup. 

fry it in a small wok..

and tadaaa.. well, my egg is not that pretty today.. the yolk was broken :(

my lunch for today - sardine fried rice extra spicy + "special" fried egg

kinda look like kimchi fried rice or kimchi bokeumbap ;-)

Sulking

am NOT IN THE MOOD to be positive at the moment. I just want to SULK in self pity. 

blearghh..

A Confession

i had to (reluctantly) admit that i do enjoy watching the kardashians.. i watch em all frm the original - the kardashians, kk takes new york and Khloe & Lamar (thanks to the astero pv recorder - i got time :)). i do think they are an interesting lot, but at times i do have a hard time to tell whether if its for real or is it staged just for the show- but i do enjoy watching it nevertheless. here are my 2cents:

1) im amazed at how open they can be.. they seems not to be bothered of the camera following them round 24/7… even in their private bedrooms and also during their visit to their gynecologist! O_O

2) i just cant imagine how can they be their real self in front of the camera. they had to put on make up all the time and be prim and proper. if its the real them on tv, i do think that they are cool for not being menggelabah or a klutz like me at home. and also, the house has to be in order all the time. i think they must’ve had a team of helpers at home.

3) they can be rude to their parents at times. i do pity kris J. however, they do have good values — be grateful for what u have, treat others with respect (except for their mom), work hard to achieve things, etc

4) yes the ladies have their guys on a leash.. they do control them and they can do whatever the hell they want.

5) Kourt is super strong (mentally), Kim is a hopeless romantic and Khlo is v forward and true to herself. at first, at first i thot Kim is the eldest, but actually Kourt is. Kris J and Kim can be v business minded / materialistic.

6) the are very tight knit family and they take care of each other — thats how a family’s supposed to be.

oklah. thats all that i have. bye

and so how it goes..

this is one of the monday mornings that im not feeling well and i dont feel like working at all. in this kind of situation, i always resort to bloghopping just to fill in the hours without doing nothing.

i just spent a couple of hours reading through the pioneer woman's blog. i love to read her blog and i think shes so good at writing. i so wish to be as eloquent as her, but im not. at all. i always have the toughest time to express my views. most of the times, im lost for words just to kick myself later when i realize i should have said this and that, and i hate that feeling. well, this is something for me to work on this year which relates to one of my micro resolution - to be more feisty!

well, back to the pioneer woman. she has this comprehensive blog comprising of cooking, photography, home & garden and also a blog. i have started to read her blog since a few years back and it has grown bigger and she now also has a show on food network (one of my fav channel). the point im trying to make is, how on earth does she have the time doing all that shes doing? she cooks for her family all the time, goes to the ranch, does tv shows, goes on trips, take photos and updates her blog all the time! as for me, as for me i have a 5 day 9-5 job and a hubby + a kid + a cat (yes, the cat is family-- even though i have a love hate relationship with her) and still find it hard to manage to keep the house in order (most of the times is out of order.. huhu). what with the cooking, laundry, cleaning - which consists of dusting, vacuuming, mopping, wiping, & all the mak neneks), and owh the dishes! what more with blogging, photography, working out and stuffs. to manage to do all those stuffs takes a lot of energy.. man.. just thinking about it is exhausting..

yes i know it depends on "rajinness" and im not that rajin of a person. i can only wish. haha. but i think most importantly, it depends on ur physical fitness. which is also something that i need to improve on.. i dont think you can ever achieve doing all of those if ur body says u cant. it does not help when you came back from work exhausted and worst still if it comes with a headache-double whammy. u just want to do what u need to do and be done with it, and quickly go to bed.

and the cycle starts again tomorrow.....
and so how it goes..

Test

Test 1 2 3.. Ehem ehem