Happy New Year!

May year 2009 be a wonderful year for all. Joy, Happiness, Good Health and Wealth.


I have been neglecting my blog recently. Hee.. so sorry to all..

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Tomorrow is Christmas eve.. then soon New Year's eve.. and we will be stepping into Year 2009.
This year has been really hectic especially towards the end.. I have been rushing for so many things in the past few weeks that I have neglected a lot of other things and blogging is definitely one of them.

Here, I wish you all Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and may Year2009 fulfills your dreams and wishes (all the good ones).

Cancer

I have previously blog once that my mother in law has a relapse for her breast cancer. Fortunately, the cells are those suitable for this new cancer drug which has marker targeted to "cure" them. This is called Herceptin. However, not all breast cancer cells are curable with this. Well, she is on her last chemo next week and then, if everything goes according to plan. She will be pronounced free from cancer (for now). It has been difficult as family members to support her emotionally. Although you tend to act normally but it is not easy. You will be more careful on the selection of topics you discussed or raise with her.

These days, cancer seems to be a very common thing. Is it because our generation (and those following) have worse cells and genes? Or it is because medical sector is coming up with more and more advance technologies to detect these? Has our living environment deteriorate so significantly to caused cancer? Has our eating habits and lifestyle caused this???? I have no answer.

Recently my own aunt (youngest) is also suspected to have cervical cancer. Apparently when you go for a Pep smear and if the report shows that there are detection of "CIN" it can be an indication of cervical cancer. There are three stages: CIN1 to CIN3, if it is CIN3 then it is definitely cancer. In addition, to confirm this, a tissue sample will be taken for biopsy. If this is the case, then the whole uterus will have to be removed. I cannot even begin to imagine how she must be feeling, the waiting and not knowing the results. To hope for good news but at the same time to prepare yourself to face the worse. Worrying everyday that it could be true. She sent me an SMS saying that she is really worried.. and honestly I do not know what to say. So all I can do is to stay positive when she can't. To have faith and give her faith when she doesn't have it. And most importantly, to be there whenever she needs.

I hope ... I wish... I pray... this is just a false alarm.

sigh....

Little Fat Goat - Mongolian Hotpot (non-Halal)

Hubby found this website:

http://sugarsugarbeanbean.blogspot.com/2008/03/xiao-fei-yang-little-fat-lamb.html

and was attracted to this restaurant. Since we had something similar at London before, we thought of trying this again to relive some memories and also to make a comparison. Of course we also like to try new things. So feeling adventurous, we set off to this restaurant last Friday for dinner. It wasn't difficult to find but it is quite hidden in the sense that it feels like it is not really safe since it was situated towards the end of the street and the street wasn't very well lit. Nonetheless, we have decided to try this out, hence we parked our car at an empty area next to the restaurant (beware of the street rats and it wasn't very clean!). Ok.. with all these bad review, hee.. actually the restaurant was surprisingly well lit inside and nice decor (very chinese theme). The waiters and waitresses are all very polite and you feel that they are genuinely happy to serve (we just had Nandos at Mines Shopping Mall the same day for lunch and the service was horrible! WILL NEVER EVER GO BACK THERE UNLESS THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICES!!!!!!!!!). Anyway... the prices of things are still the same as reported in SugarBean's blog. The hotpot (soup) for 2 type (spicy and clear broth) is RM22, regardless of number of people. The clear broth is loaded with chinese herb and very fragrant! I like the spicy one too, the spice is not too heavily loaded that it numbs your tongue within seconds (unlike the one we tried in London). The meat was sliced to nearly paper thin and hence it takes only seconds to cook them and soaked with the broth.. i can only describe it with the word.."YUMMMMM". There are many other choices of food too... too many to list out here.

Anyway, if you have the chance, I highly recommend this.
For now....enjoy the pics!

The descriptions of the benefits of the soup.

The dual broth

Paper thin mutton

The address.. if you can't see this clearly, please visit SugarBean's website. More info there.

Two starter (from bottom): Salted roasted peanuts and some sort of marinated beancurd and carrot.

The three dipping sauces (from top right clockwise): Garlic sauce, chili oil and sesame paste.

Starter and dessert menu

A long list of choices for the hot pot. Prices ranges from RM3 to RM30 per plate. All sliced meat (pork, chicken, beef and mutton) are RM10 each.

Our selection.. way too much for 2 people, we were really hungry and greedy!

Plus dumpling!!!!

Finish off with noodles cooked in the broth. YUM....

Complementary dessert. Agree with SugarBean about having fruits at the end... but couldn't eat.. too full....

TGIF

Really TGIF (Thank God It's Friday)... it has been a quick week because I was really busy. After Monday's blog I can't seem to find time or energy to blog. Looking forward for the weekend, organised some of my travel and food pictures. I have always wanted to blog more about travel and food.. but.. heh.. still planning. =p

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Pretty...

If I am still in UK, I would love to have this. Saw it at a window display while I was walking down the commercial district during my previous business trip I made to Melbourne. Price tag is also very pretty (at AUD300-yish).

Ghost story...

During lunch today with workmates...

Colleague A: When I was young and still staying in kampung [kampung is village/hometown.. and..i think his kampung is somewhere in Pahang], there was a religious school nearly and there was a time that has mass possession happened.

Other Colleagues: yeeeekk!! SCARY!!!!

Colleague B: How come?

Colleague A: Apparently the school was built on a land where they used to do scarification for black magic!

Colleague C: So what actually happened?

Colleague A: 500 students were possessed.

Colleague D: WOW! FIVE HUNDREDS?

All colleagues look horrified

ME: Wow.. that was a massive number of ghosts.. five hundreds?! Where do they come from?

Colleague D: [Roll eye and ignore me]... and some of the likes the ceiling fan and jumped onto it and hanged to turn with the fan.

ME: monkey ghosts?

Colleague A: [keep in ignoring me]... and the 'head' of the gang actually said that 'they' were from hell and came to make havoc.

######

During dinner, at home with TTB and hubby.


ME: OH! My colleague told me a ghost story today.. he said last time at his kampung there was a mass possession at a religious school. 500 students were possessed. Guessed what my reaction was to this?

TTB: Wah so many ghosts

ME: HOW DID YOU KNOW??!?!?... anyway, my colleague also said some of them were attracted by the ceiling fan and hang onto it.

TTB: Monkey ghosts...

ME: [SHOCKED!].. you knew this was my answer too?!?!?


We spent a lot of time laughing... conclusion of the story.. TTB actually do know me very well.

Detox with fruitjuices

TTB and I just went through a week (actually only 6 days as we ran out of fruits today) of fruit juices aiming to do a detox and also to have better skins. So i have been pampered the whole week by TTB waking up extra early to make fruit juices.. and the variety she came up with is just brilliant. We have...

Monday: Green apple, Carrot and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Tuesday: Red and Green Apples with pears

Wednesday: celery, cucumber and honeydew melon

Thursday: Watermelon, pineapple and apple

Friday: kiwi and carrot

Saturday: Papaya, celery



THANK YOU TTB!!!

P/s: Actually I can't really remember some of the combination. Heh.. will let TTB to correct me =p

"We think that if we don't check our emails our workplace will stop running and everything will fall apart"

This is what a friend of mine recently quoted and it is a behaviour he observed from himself. I reflected that I too have this habit. As a workaholic myself, I do agree to this statement. I can't survive for not checking my work email at night before I go to sleep. And sometimes I checked again in the morning before I go to work, it is as if my staff/colleagues will work between 11pm to next morning 6am and attended to my email?! Although some of my collaborators do reply my email but it really doesn't make any different to them (especially those in UK that has 8 hours time difference now) whether I reply at 6am or 9am when i get to work right? So why do i bother? Sometimes I find my behaviour not logical and really such a workaholic!!! Even when I am on leave, I check my work email, when i am travelling abroad, i check... luckily i don't have one of those blackberry that i can check my email as i travel!

So at the end, I concluded that I (we?) really do think that the world revolve around me (us?). I also think that sometimes we do need to think it this way in order to work harder. I wonder whether you will agree with me =p

Lost

I seems to have lost tract of time.. suddenly it is Friday. I have been extremely busy this week that I also feel a sense of lost now on Friday night because there is no deadline tomorrow. Weird...

Monday is nearly gone!

Today is one of those long meetingssssssss days.. it is as if I've spent the whole day being very busy but at the end nothing seems to have progressed. All the tasks on my "to do list" are still on the list!!! Tomorrow will be another long day... but I am very happy that at least the blue Monday is nearly gone! Tomorrow will be a better day!

Think positive, keep positive and be positive!

^_^

"99.99% marriage is just misery.. but I have nothing against marriage"

This is what I heard from a friend whom I met up for dinner when I was in Melbourne (yes! i am back!). He is a dear friend as we have known each other for a long time but never close and it was the first time we actually sat down alone to chat. It was certainly very good to catch up with him and he is just such a gentleman. We spent the time during dinner talking about absolutely everything and of course naturally one topic fall on marriage and relationship. It is funny when he said that 99.99% of marriage end up in misery but he has nothing against marriage. Well... that statement, to me, sounded like he is 99.99% against marriage. He did say that he hope mine is within 0.01% (i hope so too.. so far so good). Relationship is something really very amazing.. because it is always subjective. I realised that the level of your understanding and feeling towards relationship especially in the love department changes as you get older (mainly influenced by your experiences in life).

I am one of those lucky ones who has my 1st boyfriend as my last and he is my hubby now (coming Jan we will be celebrating our 8th anniversary). However, I do understand (or more accurately describe as I can imagine) how you feel if you are one of those who go through numerous relationships (or might still be searching for the Mr Right). When I was young, my perception of love is very pure (I think generally we were like this once), it is either love or no love.. no grey area and it is a BIG deal plus everything must be absolutely clear, either right or wrong. At that age, I would never understand why there is a saying that "love is never right or wrong"... However, I find that as I get older, I begin to understand a lot of things. Just like on Friday I was listening to the radio and someone on air said this: "It was because of not understanding hence brought my first girlfriend and I together, but it is because of understanding each other than has caused our break-up". This is actually very philosophical, but it is really true. Of course all these are specifically on love. Marriage however is a different subject all together. Marriage can have right and wrong. To me, marriage is a commitment of a life time promise you gave to each other. It is not just a piece of paper. In the modern world we are staying now, marriage has become something different, has a different quality. Sad..

Nevertheless I still believe in fairy tale ending, the happily ever after. Do you?

Greetings from Melbourne

Hee... sitting in my hotel room at Melbourne now.. paid Aus$5 for 1 hour internet. GOSH.. so expensive. Things that we used to take for granted at work and also at home.

Anyway, haven't experience much of Melbourne yet as I touched down at 8.30pm and been dark during the taxi trip to hotel. But WOW.. the bagage check at the airport is seriously something! Detailed questions and they go through your bag! SERIOUSLY!
But then my boss said it also depends on what address you put on your landing card as he didn't get searched whereby me and my colleague did. HUMPH!!!!

More updates from Melbourne soon.. if i have time. this is just a short trip.. will be back home on Thurs!

Oh.. Happy Belated Deepavali to my Indian friends!

Biological clock

Mom: It has been raining so much lately and how long has it been since it rains every day?

Me: almost a month i think [half heartedly as i was vegetating in front of the telly]

Mom: I remembered we don't used to need air-con, the one back at our old house was seldom switched on!

Me: ... cannot remember lo...

Mom: We seems to be happier there.

Me: [ALERT!!!! How did we get from discussing the weather to aircon and happiness?!?!?!]... erm .. Ma, are you not happy now?

Mom: We [please note the use of 'we'] are more settled now.. but seems happier then.

Me: [Now she has my full attention] .. erm.. why is it so?

Mom: Both you and your sis were younger and I got kids to play with... [sigh]

Me: [Oh No.. i can see where this conversation is heading.. me? back to watch telly.. and half heartedly said .. also playing dumb]... I will ask sis in law to bring her two kids for you to play lor. They have grown up a lot and very cute now.

Mom: It is just not the same.. those are still others.. but yours will be different.

AH HA!!! SEE.. it is about nagging me (emotional blackmail!!!) to have kids. Well.. i have to give her credit that this is something so totally new.. how would i expect that kids are related to weather?!?! Well... i wonder whether we all have a biological clock in us that tells us it is time to be a grandparent?

I love weddings...

Attended a friend's brother's wedding recently and weddings always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. The bride is always pretty and slim ^_^ They had a church wedding which hubby and I attended and it is so different from the traditional Chinese wedding. When the bride walked down the aisle .. I felt that my eyes have became watery and the look on the groom face was just so happy.. so thrilled and absolutely radiated with love and I truly believe that he must be thinking that he is the luckiest person in the world... and I would agree with him if he said that out loud.. hee...

On the same day of the church wedding, we also attended the wedding dinner at Equitorial Hotel, KL. We were nearly late because Smart Tunnel was closed due to rain and hence thrown our carefully planned schedule out of the window! Making matters worse!!! The hotel carpark was fulled that night and we had to parked at the carpark next building, then walked over. So we were running (with my high heels not a good idea!) up to stairs and went under the nicely decorated arch and the swans ice sculpture. I was thinking at that time that I will come out to take pictures later! Went to the registration counter and I was thinking how come my friend (the groom's sister) who said she will wait for me were no where at sight?!?! ... but I didn't think too much at that time ..we gave our names to the 'receptionist' who are taking registration and they could not find our names! Despite we gave them the few versions of our names (I forgot to ask my friend what names she registered us under!!!).. while Hubby was trying to figure out with them why our names were not on the list, I glanced to my left and saw a group of people was admiring the wedding pictures of the bride and groom. I was looking at that album thinking "hmm.. how come i missed this album the night before at the pre-wedding party?" I was sure that I have scrutinised every single wedding albums and pictures. So.. I was half heatedly looking at the pictures while listening to Hubby.. also thinking.. hmm.. the bride looked a bit different in these pictures (ok.. you must agree with me that most of the brides looks the same from far if their 'shape' is the same!!).. so as the lady who were holding the album turn a page.. I suddenly realised we must be at the wrong wedding because the groom is double the size of my friend's bro (please do not think that this groom is fat... just that my friend's bro is superbly lengthy!)... and when I realised we were at the wrong wedding reception I whispered to Hubby that we were at the wrong wedding.. but Hubby had to asked the receptionists:"Who is getting married here?" They said two names which it sounded like alien language to us.. ha.. then we spoke the two names of the bride and groom were there for and they immediately said "UPSTAIRS" in unison (i bet they get a lot of people going for the wrong wedding!!!). So.. we have to climb another flight of stairs to go to the Ballroom where the right wedding dinner was held. Told my friend this experience and she laughed her head off.. well.. I am not surprised as I feel like laughing myself thinking about this now. Told TTB too and she spent some good time laughing. Well.. it is not everyday you get to attend two weddings right? HAAAAAAAAAAAAA....

Happy Birthday little niece

My niece is 2 years old now! Went to her 2nd birthday party today and since we haven't seen her for a few months she seems to have grown 5inches! She is just so adorable and also likes to talk to you.. although we still can't figure out what she said... kids do grow up very fast...

Humph!!!

Ok.. I really hate traffic jam.. for some reason.. I still have not gotten used to it after being back here for slightly more than a year now. I get cranky whenever I am stuck in the jam for more than 1 hour.. I will turn into Medusa (just without the power.. too bad)!

Hee.. other than this.. I am actually very busy.. the long holiday passed by without me noticing... what have I done? Well.. paint the house, family waterfall trip, family friend wedding (tied up 2 days nearly).. attended Body Pump launching at The Curve...REALLY GOOD!!!! and still suffering from muscle ache! I felt that my legs and arms just do not listen to my command anymore when I have muscle ache... very amusing.. I think I look like a sumo-wrestler whenever I climb the stairs. THANK GOD someone has invented lift and escalators!!! Since Monday I have jumped back in to the busy working routine and hence only now I get to blog a bit.. Arghhh.. but brain not functioning that well.. so keeping this short!

^_^

Witnessing an accident + evasive maneuver + long holiday

I was really busy last week that I didn't get the chance to blog after Wed. Was kept on my toes at office with meetings and meetings, then when I got home at night I was rushing for proposals. For some strange reasons, this kind of working schedule gave me a satisfactory and fulfillment for work. It is very strange but really content.. HA! Yes.. a clear sign of a workaholic!

Anyway, on Friday as I was driving back to home and was taking the motorway I witness an accident right before my eyes, actually right in front of my car. Luckily I was not in mood for speed that day and hence was doing quite slowly (100km/hr). There was this motorbike toppled and skidded from the left lane to the middle (3 lanes motorway)! I was at the middle lane! When I saw that happened it was exactly like in movies for slow motion.. everything happened so fast but your brain activity was at super speed! I immediately stepped on the breaks to a point that my car tyres are making the skidded sound (I wonder whether I left tyre track marks on the road)!!!! I was praying hard at that time that the motorbike and its two bikers will stop rolling.. as I cannot stop in time and must do some evasive maneuver to either left or right to avoid running them over and seriously causing harm.. I immediate assessed my situation, look at both side mirrors and since there was no car at my left and the motorbike+bikers have stopped rolling, I immediate turn my steering to the right and avoid running them over!!! PHEW!!! This is really scary!!!!!! My heart rate was pounding faster.. was considering to stop to aid them but I am just one of me.. and since I saw a car with a few passengers inside plus another motorbike actually stopped to help hence I just drove away. I wonder what actually caused this and what happened to the injured motor bikers, most of my friends and family said probably tyre problem.. They seem alright as they were able to sit up when they stopped rolling (view from my mirrors).. hence I am sure they didn't suffer from severe injury.

Changing the subject... It is long holiday coming up soon. Tomorrow is officially half day for me and am off for the rest of the week. Really can't wait for this long holiday (although i have a lot planned for this holiday, wedding functions to attend ..etc). I take this opportunity to wish those who are celebrating Ramadan/Eid a Happy festival (Selamat Hari Raya!). Those who are not.. Happy Holidays!

Too busy to be blue

When you are busy time will just zoom pass without you noticing. It is actually Wednesday now since it is passed midnight of Tues night now.. I had pre-Monday blues but when Monday was approaching (ie on Sunday night). However since 8.30am on Monday, I have been so busy that I had no time to feel blue at all. I feel quite accomplished these two days.. managed to did all planned meetings and discussions, even urgent matters that threw at me. Have been really really busy at every single second.. even burn midnight oil to sort things out. Hence, I am seriously looking forward for the long holiday next week (Raya also called Ramadan or Eid - at different countries) to sleep.. and sleep and SLEEEEPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^_^ TTB is back! YEAH!

My Weekend

This weekend has turned out to be fairly relaxing.. managed to sleep a lot and even take naps which are really such a luxury these days. As always, I have been very optimistic on how 'hardworking' I would be during weekend and I have planned for myself to read 4 documents and write 4 proposals. I mean not only write but complete, and these are current still a piece of white paper. HA HA HA...

Ok.. so at the end, I read ZERO documents and wrote ZERO proposals. However, I had a good weekend which I think is important. Hubby asked me yesterday that why do I get stress during weekend for not working since weekends are supposed to be your own time and hence relax and enjoy it. If you stressed about work during weekend and stressed about the same thing during weekends then might as well don't have weekends. Hmm.. very true. He always come up with the most logical and sensible theory (very annoying most of the time!!!).

So what did I do? Went to Mid Valley Megamall on both Sat and Sun. Saturday was to just window shopping whereas Sunday is to collect "Brisingr" (book 3 of Erragon series) that we have ordered last month from MPH plus some window shopping. Oh.. and baked a batch of double choc cookies and some self-invented ones. Quite chuffed about my new invention. HA HA HA...

Plus also took my new car for its first service! Departed with RM175... sob... need my next salary soon!

Oh, on Sat we actually went all the way to Pelita near KLCC for breakfast. I still think this serves the best Tosai (Dhosai).. which is my all time favourite!

My breakfast

hubby's mee goreng breakfast

Lunch today was at this Chinese restaurant (non-Halal) that we have always passed by when we walk-a-bout at The Gardens and has always wondered about its food. Hence today we finally went in. Our verdict? I think Dragon-i is better and the food served is similar in terms of style. Oh.. by the way, their wet towel is charged at RM1 per towel and the starter veg is at RM2. Feel like cheated as they served you without asking whether you want or not but they charged you for it. It will be much better if they build these costs into their service charge right?!

Wet towel cost RM1.

This is the started veg cost RM2!

Also, we come across some really interesting designed restaurant at the top floor of The Gardens. I have never walked to the top floor. Normally we parked at the Gardens' parking and walked to Mid Valley.. but since we did this on Sat, hence today we were mainly walking around Gardens. Plus hubby was looking for Borders. The feeling Borders gave me is the same as Starbucks. Ok, you must be wondering what is the connection. Hee.. I just read TTB's blog about going to Starbucks in HK.. well, a lot of times we went back to the same restaurant or same 'hang-out' place might not necessary for its food or coffee.. but its environment and the familiarity. Hubby and I always go to Borders on Sunday when we were in UK, then we will buy a book or two and spent some time in Starbucks. Yeap.. we bought a lot of books. For some reasons, books seems more affordable in UK.. hee.. i guess it is because most books here are imported (or i shall say all the books that we would like to read). So today as we walked into Borders, the familiar surrounding actually hit me like a tidal wave.. it also brought some home-sickness. If you haven't noticed, all Borders are decorated exactly the same... all shelves units are light wood, with black sign boards and white text. The entrance will always have some bargain books on a table-like display shelve, then there will be a shelve with 'recent published books' too. Been to Borders in USA and Singapore and yes.. all the same... Similarly, all Starbucks outlets are the same (even in Japan). One thing for sure, there won't be any nasty surprises when we visit familiar places. Perhaps this is the secret to their success... anyway, to end this blog.. will show you some pics i snapped at the Gardens. Have a good week ahead!!!

Missing TTB

TTB is away...
Weekend is just not the same without TTB...
Come home soon ya!

New Working times...

During this month my working time is not as long as normal due to the adjustment for fasting month plus the company is majority Muslim. Hence it makes sense for a shorter working time. I am not complaining. In fact i am actually enjoying having more time in the evening. For example, i have time to go dating with my hubby, had a good romantic dinner and then walk around .. still arrive back home before 8pm. GREAT right? However, I also find that there isn't enough time to work and complete my tasks!!! So as a result.. it is as if i am fasting too as i skipped lunch with them. I wonder is it because of lack of food that makes me cranky or is due to lack of sleep? Hmm.. i think is the combination of both. Today i am having one of those days that i really cannot be bothered with problems and just want everyone to leave me alone. I think bears really do have the best idea to hibernate for a period of time in a year. Perhaps that's what i need.

Well, on a happier note.. I am suffering from muscle ache!!!!!!!!!! Attended DC's pump class yesterday at LM. Did some 'leveled-up' on some of the arm tracks (I HATE PUSH UPS!!!) and also squat. OUCH! Regretted it, should have kept the same weights i used last time (this was 2 weeks ago!)...felt like vomiting after the lunges but did really enjoy the class.

Cool Starbucks outlet

Found this Starbucks outlet at NZX, PJ. It is actually a building inside a building. NZX itself has nothing that special in terms of shopping but there are some really interesting architecture, for example this cool Starbuck outlet.

Skip gym...

AIYAH... didn't go to my usual pump class today. WHY? need to rush for a document to be submitted tomorrow.. plus.. heh.. lazy. I skipped lunch today.. ok.. in comparison to those who are fasting this is really easy peasy and no excuse for not going to gym.. but I really cannot summon the energy. Plus.. need to do last minute mooncake shopping for mom. Hence stopped by Jusco on the way home. Ended up.. i still haven't started on this urgent document yet... heh.. and usually we all do the things we dislike last.. the walking example is me! Writing this blog instead of my report. =p Ok.. really should get back to the report...

My new car - The new Hyundai i10

Collected last Tues... been driving to work on my own since. Miss having 'drivers' but hee.. it is also good to have the flexibility now. Especially when my job is quite adhoc sometimes (most of the time)... this pic is not my actual car as haven't gotten time to take nice pic of my car yet.. but bought the same model and same colour. Cool right?

Togetherness

Saw this at Gardens last weekend. Find it really amusing... about the jam part.. very true. I was stuck in traffic on Friday for an hour and half.. which normally takes me half an hour to reach home.

Monday and not blue colour

Well, I have always write an entry for Monday and complaining about Monday blues, hence I thought I shall uphold the 'tradition' and put a blog entry today. However, just no Monday blues because it is public holiday!! Yesterday attended a party, actually tagged along with TTB. The party was great!!! Simple but good company with a bunch of fun people! Food was good too since it is pot luck so we get to sample a lot of different food, some home made some fast food. The party was held at my sis friends' new town house and the environment of the houses is really very good. It gives me a feeling of Canary Wharf or St Katherine's Dock back in UK. Feeling home sick!

1 Year Anniversary

I only just realised that the 1 Year Anniversary of my blog has passed!!!!!

I created this blog on 11June2007, at that time I was still in UK and the main reason I created this is to share my journey of leaving the country that I have lived for 11 years and sharing with my friends and family different stories from then on. Although I don't update my blog frequently (actually sometimes i do but most of the time i don't =p), I have tried to remember to publish most interesting stories. My blog has evolved from random stories of my journey through life to a lot of posts that review about hotels, food and moaning about Monday blues. Heh... ^_^

For all my loyal and frequent readers.. THANK YOU so much for "stopping by" my blog and also occasionally drop a comment or two!! I also take this opportunity to wish all of you Happy Merdeka and have a wonderful long weekend ahead. For those who are going to "Balik Kampung".. have safe journeys!

Formal Chinese Banquet meal - Park Royal, KL

9 Course meal at Park Royal, KL...THE Verdict: Not bad.. but not brilliant either. The service is quite messy. I have no idea how much this meal would cost per table of 10ppl, however, I will say it can only be worth it if it is 800 per table or less.

Starter: Hot and Cold combination platter

Shark fin soup with crab meat and scallops.

Roast crispy chicken in garlic sauce

Poached prawn in Chinese herb

Braised sea cucumber with seasonal vegetables

Hong Kong fried noodles with assorted seafood

Chilled soya milk with snow fungus (left) and baked pear puff with lotus paste (right)

Yes.. you are correct.. there are only 8 dishes here because I forgot to take the picture of the 5th dish, which was steamed pompret in superior soy sauce. =p

Guoman Hotel, Port Dickson, Malaysia

This is a hotel (beach resort) at Port Dickson. Recently went there for a workshop and found that the environment is really great. Would love to go back for a proper holiday! For golf players, they also have a golf course.. the room rates are different depending on whether you are facing the beach view (more expensive) or the golf course view. The rooms are either 1 king size bed or 2 queen size beds (sleeps 2 adult 2 children).

The drive way leading to the main entrance.

Lounge area at the entrance.

Water features are the entrance.

View from 5th floor balcony foyer.

View from my room at 5th floor.

View of my room (shared with a colleague)

The restaurant (breakfast and other meals, they have 2 this and the other one is a Chinese restaurant, lunch and dinner only. Both serve buffet style).

Starter served during dinner.

Some selection of food during dinner.

Dessert selection!!