.: Recipe : Peanut Butter Pie :.

Since I had some leftover peanut butter from my previous attempt (note the word "attempt") to make some Choc Chunk Cookies, I decided to try on these simple, fuss-free unbaked/frozen Peanut Butter Pie.

Ingredients as below (unmodified)

110 g cream cheese
90 g sugar
130 g peanut butter
120 ml milk
225 g frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

First, beat together cream cheese and sugar, then mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into the 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy right?

Psssstt.... I am going to modify and add some chocs - so I will reduce the sugar just to make sure its no sugar overkill.

Let's just see how these turns out! :)

Updated :

My totally modified recipe (as I could not find the most of the ingredients). But it turns out super lovely I must say (I know, self praise is no praise, but I wouldn't say it's good, unless its good).

So here goes:
110 g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia cheese)
90 g sugar
130 g peanut butter
225 g yogurts (natural, unsweetened)
200 g chocolate
A handful of salted roasted peanuts

For crust
1/2 pack of Digestive biscuits
Some melted butter

First, prepare crust by mashing Digestive biscuits with butter and flatten it into a baking tray (alternatively you can use Oreo cookies - like Bridget did with her apple crumble and it turned out super yummy!).

Then melt chocolate in a bowl on top of a pan of simmering water (this is known as the bain marie technique). Beat together cream cheese and sugar into the slightly cooled melted chocolate. Mix in peanut butter and yogurt and continue to beat until smooth. Lastly, add in the peanuts.

Spoon into the pre-prepared crust; cover, and freeze until firm.

.: Dating An Auditor - My Story :.

It isn't easy when you are dating an auditor.

Work life-balance as an auditor, especially when you are attached to multinational jobs is minimal, almost immaterial, if there was even one exist to begin with. The jobs sometimes requires you to work during weekends, on top of your 90 hours week (which should officially be 40 hours week as stipulated in the employment contract).

And there are times where appointed dates have to be postponed because your manager or partner decides at his or her own convenient time (usually in the evening) to review to working papers, forsaking the convenient of others. There are times when such incidents falls on the more important dates - like anniversaries or birthdays. It's really, really frustrating to have the one I love say "I am sorry, but my work is more important". Well, it didn't exactly came out of your mouth that way, but that was all I hear.

The only time you get to talk is on the handphone ; in the morning on the way to work, a couple of stolen minutes during lunch and on your way back from work. Quality couple times are usually restricted to weekends, but then again, as stated earlier, it depends if you actually needs to WORK on those days too.

Then there is the compulsory need to study for a professional paper - which is challenging by itself. With balancing work and the pursuit of this professional qualification, you barely have any time for yourself or your family - yet alone me. It's not easy, I have to have the patience of a saint to endure this lack of quality time, often that not resulting in the perceived lack of affection.

But it's funny, that you can use this audit knowledge to your advantage. Like when you wanted to send me flowers to my office - and didn't know which floor I was, instead of asking around, like any normal guy would do (Ching, a friend, asked me to get May's office address for him, coz he wanted to surprise her with flowers too) - you go to Bursa, download my company's Annual Report and got the registered address from there.

How unconventionally romantic of you! :)



His side of the story - to be continued……..

.: Theory Of The Day :.

My brother's theory on Tammie & Kevin (my two cousins). Absolutely funny, in a very lame sorta way.

Facebook message on Tammie's wall post*

BEN : Tammie I heard that you have flu from Yin. Is it true or she is just pulling my leg? If so you better take care. This swine virus is mutating constantly and maybe even Tamiflu can't work. I heard that a 20 year old girl died in malacca from swine flu. So pls do take care!

KATH : Tammieflu can't cure Tammie!~

YIN : Kath, dude you rhyme...! Nah, Tammie would be fine. She'd been living wif a swine aka Kevin for the pass 19 years. Her immuned system against some pathetic pig flu is excellent. =p
Ben, DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS SAMPAT GIRL ACTUALLY FEELS VERY HAPPY SHE GOT QUARANTINE!....
Apparently school > life for her.

BEN : Crap.and I thought I sympathize Tammie. Apparently she is happy instead. Did someone damage her head or something. *lol* And Yin that was a good one. You are so imaginative.

Based on Yin formula :
-Kevin = swine which is directly related to swine flu kevin = swine = swine flu
-Based on Kath formula tamiflu is less significant compared to Tammie life as tamiflu can't cure Tammie... Tamiflu < tammie life -Hence from here we can relate tamiflu with swine as swine is a vector for swine flu and the only way to cure it is by Tamiflu. Tamiflu = swine -Since Kevin= swine, hence Tamiflu = Kevin therefore Kevin < Tammie life or in otherwords there is a 95% chance that kevin life is more insignificant compared to Tammie life. -This only applies if the core theory of Kath and Yin is correct!

* Note : Spelling and grammatical error have been duly corrected for the purpose of this blogpost. Almost all the Man-glish have been harmed in the posting of this post.

.: How I Got My Money Back :.

I have been faithfully submitting my Income Tax Returns ever since I started working in 2006 [although it sounds like it, I am not THAT old *in self denial mode*].

And for the past 3 years of assessment, i.e. 2007, 2008 & the recent 2009, I am suppose to get an income tax refund of quite a substantial amount. May not be substantial to some, but to me, every single penny counts! So one day I decided, enough is enough, and that I need to claim back from the government what is rightfully mine. And so I started to draft an official letter to the IRB (short for Inland Revenue Board). And since it was an official letter - it had to be in Bahasa Melayu. I must say that tho I am not that fluent in the language, but I believe that my command in this language is slightly better that the average Chinese *cough* (I know, self praise is no praise), so my initial thought was - how hard can it be to draft a few sentence right? It wasn't as if I was about to write a love letter with all the pantun and prosa and peribahasa and all that jazz.

But was I way, way, way wrong! I manage to tupe my details including my name, address, telephone contact number, email (which is emel in Bahasa - I didn't realise that till at the very last moment when I was visiting the IRB's website), income tax number and date. Ah, I was even at one point in time proud that I manage to spell Julai (July in English) correctly! :)

And this is when to torture begins. The opening words. I type "Dengan dukacitanya…." (which means "with regrets") coz I remember my BM teacher used to teach me that the opening words for a formal letter should be either sukacita or dukacita, and in this case I think dukacita is the most appropriate - I haven't receive my money for 3 years! Of coz it's WITH REGRETS!

And then I started to compose the letter, the sentences came out was in English, and then in my head I tried to literally translate word by word. And then I realise that the structure doesn't sound right. And was tweeking here and there - and you know the Malay proverb 'tikus membaiki labu'? Well, I was the mouse in this case, and the pumpkin was this supposedly short and simple letter. It was a MESS!



I gave up, nearly wanted to go back and dig out my Mr Goey notes (infamous BM tuition teacher at that time, not so sure bout now) - but in the end, I manage to compose something legible. Or so I hope. But since the newspaper didn't report that there's someone for the IRB that choked on a goreng pisang after reading an email from some taxpayer, I guess it's not THAT bad! :)

So then, surprisingly I got a reply the very next day. It's not that I am being prejudice , fine, I was being a lil bit prejudice over the efficiency of our government service department, so I was kinda skeptical of the letter replied, which said that my case has been checked and forwarded to the relevant department to process my payment.

And after not getting any emails subsequent to that, I thought "yeah, typical government departments".

Little did I know that they have sent me a snail mail, informing me that my cheque is being processed, and about 3 days letter - I receive the cheque itself!

And yes, tho I know that this was cheque was due to me aeons ago (as JC has clearly pointed out to me), I really would like to thank Cik Haszriani and Encik Mohd Fadhil Ibrahim for their time and consideration on this matter!

I guess sometimes we just have to stop complaining about the inefficiencies and look at the efficiencies and give compliments where it is rightfully due!

.: And I Miss You So... :.

I miss my grandpa ever since his passing 3 years ago.

And I still miss him, but I didn't realise how much, until I was talking about my Ikea cabinet in my room holding my Winnie the Poohs collection.

Then it just hit me as I recall that it was my grandpa installed it for me after I repainted my room pink. And I started to have flashes of memories of him, with a drill, in my room, installing this cabinet and he was wiping the sweat of his forehead with the back of his hands.

And tears just burst out as I sobbed uncontrollably.

I miss you grandpa.

I wonder if your still proud of me today as you were 3 years ago?

Watching Yasmin Ahmad's advertisments makes me even more emo! *sobs*

.: Teaser :.

Teaser post @ 9.15am

A lil clue to what I will be cooking tonight....
Pic credited to http://www.foodpoi.com/

Updated @ 2.47pm

And the Malaccan girl (Tammie) got it right - it's Jonker 88, a food shop located along Jonker Street :)

Now if you could guess what I am going to cook? *wink*

--hours before--

I went to the market this morning.

No, not this kinda market.

It's this kinda market!

My mom usually goes to the Seksyen 17 market, so I tagged along today. And it has really been a while since I went marketing with my mom, so when the chicken seller and the pork seller saw me, they were like (in Hokkien) "Wah, tuah han liao lo lu gei char boh kia!" which translate to "Wah, your daughter has really grown up!". And they reminised bout the days where my brother and I would follow my mom to the market. It used to be a weekly family affair, my dad driving all of us, while we are still half awake, in our pajamies. Then he would drop my mom, while looking for parking space, then we would head straight to.....

.... the coffee shop - while my mom does the shopping! *lol*

That's the reason why I wake up so early every Sunday! *wink*

I remember I loved (still love) roti canai. And my dad used to order a piece for me. And as I was still small at that time, my dad would patiently use the fork and spoon to tear my roti canai into small bits. Just for me! ♥

It's amazing how this lil memories just stick to you - and you realised how loved you are!♥ :)

Further update in the next post!

Till now, have a great weekend!

xoxo

p/s : updated pic of my brownies here! :)

.: Gym Class (Heroes) :.

I finally step foot into the gym after a very short *scratch* quite short *scratch, scratch* a couple of weeks *scratchsss* after a month *scratch*ugh* fine fine, after 6 weeks of hiatus. Well, I was in UK for two weeks AND me workload has been absolutely crazy the past few weeks. Not that it's getting any better now, but I thought that if I am already paying RM 150+ a month for my gym membership and not utilise it, it would be an absolute waste.

Left the office at about 7.45pm and manage to arrive just in time for my favourite yoga class with Chin Lai (at Fitness First Uptown). There was only 5 students yesterday (me included) of which 3 of us are the regular ones. Before class we were talking to Chin Lai and guess what? He cooks and bakes! How interesting! After class I was pleading to him to bring some cookies next week for us, to which he playfully poked me with his keys and said no, no, no! Reason being - it's fattening and it defeats the whole purpose of exercising. Well, at least I have tried! :)

My body ache right now, but at least I feel better (in a strange, unexplainable way). I guess exercising has that effect!

Feel like baking this weekend. I have a few cups of flour left, about 200 grams+-, can't do much, so perhaps I will just finish it off by doing some apple crumble as what Bridget suggested!

.: BeaniPet :.

I was just reading the facebook profile of my ex-schoolmate when I stumbled upon her blog. And to my utmost surprise and delight, she is selling these in her blog! Aren't they uber cute?




And she does it as a hobby, and design them according to her own idea and concept. And she sews them! Such a talented and brilliant genius! *green with envy*

So if you are ever running out of the ideas on what to give mom on Mother's Day, or to your significant others on V-Day or even as an engagement or wedding gift, instead of the common teddy off the shelf, you could have your own customised pillows!




And guess what….. the designer does not do repetitive design, so you can rest assured that your customised pillow is uniquely one in the world! Just another way of telling your special one how SPECIAL he/she is to you! :)

It's just a few simple steps of customising your order. First, decide if you want a single pillow or a couple pillow. Secondly, tell the owner what kinda animal you have in mind. Then, pick your cloth (or trust the designer to pick one out for you *I would definitely do this as I have no creative genes whatsoever*) and also inform her if you have any special lil extras (like ribbons, bells, tie, etc). And lastly, wait patiently for your cute pillow to be delivered to you right to your doorstep (nominal postage charges applies).

A single pillow would typically cost about RM 75 onwards and a couple pillow would be RM 160 onwards, but this all depends on the different cloth used and of course if you have special customisation or requested for those lil extras.

Jun Mei (the designer) has been interviewed by a couple of magazines/newspapers, including KLUE and KOSMO! , not to mention blog reviews such as Shopping Critique, Fashion Republic, Shopping Bible, Shopaholic's Den…you get my drift…..

Interested? Well you can visit her blog here! :)
And below, her masterpieces! :)

Psttt.... she is selling these bags too for only RM 55 each! :)

.: A Social Experiment On Facebook :.

A post on Qian's facebook status caught my attention. It seems fun, so I decided to post it as well. It came back with a few interesting comments, that I find it really amusing and really made me day.

I often wonder what would people would remember me by, and I often had this fear that it is NOT the way I wanted to be remembered. But these comments really made me smile, knowing that even if I drop dead today, people will still remember me for the smallest, funniest things!:)

The facebook post goes :

Try a little social experiment: If you read this, even if we do not speak often, post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you like. Once finished, post this paragraph on your own status and you may be surprised what people will remember you....

The comments I got was from:

Su : Mcds centrepoint =D We laughed too much while stuffing ourselves with fries lol! lol! [ *lol* Absolutely bizarre that we talked and laugh like long lost friends, but in fact, it was the first time we met up after knowing each other for like 2 mths (we met online). Isn't it strange the way friendship can be formed over shopping? ]

Nicole : Colgate audit, u and me listening to ghost stories from auden and getting creeped out, hehe… [Until I was reminded, I totally forgot bout this incident, where our Audit Senior (now Audit Manager) was creeping us out with his personal encountered with some ghostly thingy at client's place. Don't know if he was pulling our legs or what, but from thereon, we never risk going back so late. *lol*]

Qian : my pooh~~~ =)))) [My Tigger!~ We have shared so much since our secondary school days. One of my closest confidante! :)]

Chin Kang : In front of SMKDJ library. I think that was the only time we ever spoke to each other [I seriously don't recall this, but I am not surprise, considering I am a librarian and hang out at the library most of the time - as nerd-ish as it may sound, I am NOT a nerd! I was the cool librarian.]

Alvin : That one time you drove me from Sunway to Kelana Jaya LRT using your Kia Picanto at night!! [Again, I have no recollection of such incident til Alvin pointed out to me! But this comment made me smile coz it obviously meant something to him that he could remember this particular incident!]

Dason : We were in the same class 4-5BATAI.:-) [Yes, we were! :)]

Kwei Li : walking soooo far....from kelana jaya LRT to DJ... ended up walking like a pregnant woman during yumcha session at nite :P [Hence, the nickname pregnant lady got stuck ever since. *lol* I didn't walk for Kelana LRT to my house by choice, it was bcoz I couldn't get a cab *lol* But I wasn't as bad as what Su did! Ask her if you want to know how FAR she has walked! :)]

Ting : winnie the pooh and smiles that make your eyes go ^^ [My quiet, soft spoken friend, sitting behind me in class - I guess I will always be remembered as Pooh. Afterall, it has been immortalised in my school yearbook! And my eyes going ^^? Must be because I have small peepers! ^.^]

Yin : Christmas 2007- You and me eating marshmallow fondue. ...also the times when I'm left alone in your room cus you went to work, I re-re-re-read Pooh book of Wisdom and memorise lines such as "what's for b'fast"(<---my fav Pooh line) [Yes, I remember the home made marshmellow & chocolate fondue! It was during Christmas! We had an overdose of chocolate that day!]

RachelT : You and me talking about Judy's future husband 10 years ago. Hahahaha [*lol* Yes, those were the day! Also remember that we promise to meet up like 10 years later *which is like now* talking bout husbands and babies and stuff. I guess we overestimated, as none of us are married yet *wink*]

Gillian : I remember you talking to me in class.... but what about I can't remember! *lols* [This one I remember, it was during ICAEW class and I was about your lil hoop thingy to hang your plastic bag of hot tea *lol* Creative invention if I may add :) ]

Ann : I remember u as the 1 who's v good in physics and add maths but nvr admits it [I am just mediacore la Ann! Not as keng as others! Honest! :) ]

Ser : definitely in chemistry tuition class. Our agreement to eat pizza together. (i still owe u pizza after 8 yrs) and to donate our blood to mosquitoes in Taman Negara. =p [*lol* when we should be paying attention to Mr Hong instead of making random plans to donate blood and what not! Yes, you still definately owe me a pizza, now that you have reminded me! I am gonna claim it from you one day! *lol* ]

Ben : well.I remember it very vividly.I remeber last time when we were young, me and you alway fight for the remote control.lol.that was like 12 years ago.But now we dun even bother bout it.we merely just give in to those who wants to watch TV.lol. [Not only fight, I think we actually "battled" for it. I think you may have some battle scars to show too eh? *lol* The tooth imprint on our wooden staircase for example? *wink* Those were the days huh? :) ]

Fei : where shud i start? u used to be the girl next door when i was in sena? hmmm....used to be the junior i hated? hangman kaki? mahjong kaki till dun wanna leave my house...can you still remember the characters? oh...not forgetting you freak me out for sejarah PMR with those weird question!! i love best when i gave u a crazy hair do right before puan kok came in. oh..remember the love letter with feather?frequent yumcha and makan tripssssss.....nothing beats singapore adventure and how i make you bring in illegal drugs!.....where shud i stop???? [Fei, fei - a friend whom I have known for almost a decade! So many memories together - the one you have listed, plus the tajau, putting Xiao's bag and it's contents for sale, sharing our BGR problems, lighting up the candles on your birthday cake, etc, etc where do I stop too? *wink* We've really come a long way now haven't we? Everytime I recall the moments we share, I start to grin like an idiot! Hehe! ]

.: Saturday | July 18, 2009 :.

Kath,
Your personality is Phlegmatic Melancholy

Phlegmatic Strength:9 Weakness:8 40%
Melancholy Strength:7 Weakness:9 43%
Choleric Strength:3 Weakness:1 10%
Sanguine Strength:1 Weakness:2 8%

Ok, so according to this personality test, I am a PhlegMel.

I remember I took this same personality test about *pause to calculate* 7 years ago, right after I graduated from high school. *Damn! It's 7 years already?*
And I guess my personality hasn't change! (according to my friend, our personality may change over time - so I was kinda expecting mine to change as well)

Anyways, if you are interested to take this test, click here!

I am quite happy with today's shopping agenda. Went with JC to One-U at bout 10.30am (to avoid the crowd) and manage to get myself 2 pair of shoes (for only RM 50+ both!) all within 3 hours *pat on my back* *two pats for JC for being so patience*. I was looking for a bag and a wallet too, but didn't manage to find any to my liking. Nevermind, I shall continue my quest soon, perhaps next week? :)

Met up with Yin in One-U for a short while, she is taking part in this RAGE : Campus Dodgeball Championship 2009 . Apparently she's there only because they needed a girl in each team to qualify to participate. Hmmm.....

So while I was there, Yin gave me a 101 on the dodge ball game, and it sounded like it is quite a violent game - throwing balls at opponents. My advise to Yin was to run in circles! :) Ok, not the best strategist, but I can't stand to see my precious Yin get hurt!

All the best for your game tomorrow Yin (her team was automatically qualified to the finals as their opponent team did not turn up to register - perhaps late?)!

.: And That's How... :.

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.
My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'
'Yes,' I sighed, 'She was my senior year girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'
'My God!' says my wife. 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And that's how the fight started....

I asked my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?'
It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation. 'Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!' she said.
So I suggested, 'How about the kitchen?'

And that's how the fight started....

My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have sex?'
'No,' she answered.
I then said, 'Is that your final answer?'
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying 'Yes.'
So I said, 'Then I'd like to phone a friend.'

And that's how the fight started....

I heard my wife crying in the bathroom. 'Honey? What's wrong' I asked.
'Oh, George! Just look at me: I'm getting so old! I have more gray in my hair than blonde, I have varicose veins on both of my legs, and I'm just fat and wrinkled all over! I really need someone to say something positive about me right now!'
I looked deeply into her eyes and said softly: 'Your vision's real good, honey. That's something, isn't it?'

And that's how the fight started....

One year, a husband decided to buy his mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift.The next year, he didn't buy her a gift. When she asked him why, he replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.....

My wife walked into the den & asked "Whats on the tv?"
I replied "Dust".

And that's how the fight started.....

I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. 'I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please.' He said, 'Aren't you worried about the mad cow?' Nah, she can order for herself.'

And that's when the fight started.....

I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95.Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95. I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.

And that's how the fight started......

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for SocialSecurity. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later. The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application. When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office. She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too'.

And that's how the fight started.....

A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies.
Suddenly, at 3 o'clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside.
The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man 'Holy crap. That must be my husband!'
So the man jumped out of the bed; scared and naked jumped out the window. He smashed himself on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and to his car as fast as he could go.
A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom and
screamed at the woman, 'I AM your husband!'
The woman yelled back, 'Yeah, then why were you running?'

And that's how the fight started.....

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch,
Grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage.
I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a Torrential downpour.
The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.'
My loving wife of 10 years replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband Is out fishing in that?'

And that's how the fight started....

.: Tsunami Prediction : Real or Hoax? :.

I received a fwded email from my colleague this morning


Subject : July 22nd 2009 Another Tsunami

Hello there. I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all around in the month of July. There is a prediction that there will be another tsunami hitting on July 22nd. It is also when there will be sun eclipse. Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Mauritius, Si Lanka, India, Indonesia, Philippines are going 2 be badly hit. Please try and stay away from the beaches in July. Better 2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for all beings.

Thanks and have a nice day.


And you know these fwded emails where you do not know the credibility of such mails, I did what any curious person would do - I Googled.

And there are two website that I picked - Snopes.com and About.com. This is what they have to say:

Snopes.com

Conclusion : Claim false, coz apparently the whole theory that there will be an earthquake coz by the gravitational pull (hence the solar eclipes) is not valid as earthquakes are not caused by gravitational pull. And, apparently, earthquake are not predictable as scientist who have spend their whole lives studying it still can't divine when and where one will hit.

For full article, please click here.

About.com : Urban Legends

Conclusion : Claim is a hoax as Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, not eclipses and though astronomers are able to predict eclipses, no such capability exists for earthquakes, nor is there any known correlation between the two phenomena.

For full article, please click here.

So there you go, the tsunami myth busted.

If you have time to spare, you can try reading this and this articles.

.: And If Tomorrow Never Comes :.

If I knew it would be the last time that
I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise.
I would video tape each action and word,
so that I could replay it back day by day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I would spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say "I love you",
instead of assuming, that you know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I would be there to share your day,
but I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can just let this one slip away.

For surely there's a tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything right.

There will always be another day
to say our "I love you's"
and certainly there's another chance
to say our "anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much "I love you"
and hope you never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young and old alike,
and today may be the last chance you get
to hold your loved ones tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day.

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
whisper in their ear,
tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear.

Take the time to say "I'm sorry,"
please forgive me. "Thank you" or "it's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

-- Unknown --

.: Role Model :.

Comic : Dilbert

My dream is to someday be like you. I hope to advance from being totally worthless to being totally worthless and overpaid.

.: Trust The Lord :.

I was shocked when I received an sms just a while ago. In Rev Peter Young's sms, fwded by Nancy, he mentioned that Mrs Betty Young's recent medical report shows that her cancer has recurred. Their plans to visit their only daughter in UK have to be cancelled.

But in spite it all, they both are claiming on this verse which was given to them on their wedding day on the 8th August 1964 - Proverbs 3:5-6.

Just wanted to share that this verse has also been something very personal to me. I remember sharing this experience with Mrs. Young once, a few months back, as she listened attentively to me.

I shared with her that it was this verse, when after praying so fervently during really difficult period of my life, that I heard coming from God. And though I do know that God answers my prayer, never would I imagine hearing His voice - so clear and so audible.

And I continued to share with her that tho this verse is very simply understood, the word that was greatly emphasised to me was "all". So it sounded to me like this : Trust the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall make your paths straight.

And tho as a young Christian I understand that I need to place my trust in Him…. I never realise, up to that point, that I need to place ALL my trust in Him, without holding back, without any reservations.

So, instead of saying "Lord, I trust You handle this part of my life, and this part, and oh that part as well… but this one, and this and this… I can handle them myself.", I should be "Lord, I surrender all. I absolutely and completely trust in You in everything."

She nods her head, and I was then interrupted for some other matters that I needed my attention.

In SLS, during the month of our birthdays, we will receive a home-printed card, specially hand-written by Rev Young & Betty. And for the past three years, they wrote down the same verse for me - Proverbs 3:5-6 (this was before I shared with Betty what the verse meant to me).

I believe that in many ways God has always reminded me to hold on tightly to this verse.

And today, He just did. Just when I needed that assurance the most.

Thank you Lord for assuring me then.

Thank you Lord for assuring me now.

Please do uphold Betty Young & Rev Peter Young in prayers as they continue to place their complete trust in the Lord; as they have been faithfully doing all these years.

.: Crazy Cravings :.

I was really hyped up over the plan to eat as much durian as you can in SS2 last Sunday. It was suppose to be a father and daughter's day out (my mom wasn't interested as she was down with sore throat after her trip to UK).

I woke up that Sunday morning with a sore throat and flu-ish like symptoms. So I had no choice well actually I did have a choice; postpone the durian frenzy til my throat's better or to go ahead with the plan and feast with an almost guaranteed worsen sore throat. Being the responsible girl that I am *cough* and knowing that I have tonnes of work waiting for me, I made the responsible decision to stay away til I am better.

But yesterday was like the worse I-crave-but-can't-have moment for me. I was craving durian since morning. Thinking bout it during lunch (and it doesn't help that this blog has the picture of the lovely durian pancakes that just brought me back to the moment where I had it melting in my mouth). Thought bout it on the way to JC's place. Craved for it during dinner. Carved for it after dinner.

I know, I know - I sound like this overly pregnant woman, having the weirdest crave at the oddest time, but you can't say that you didn't see it coming. The craving I mean, not the pregnancy. I am not pregnant! (Better disclaim this before Tammie goes all crazy from misinterpreting that sentence. Blame it for her being a lefty and only see the whole picture and not breaking it down into bits an analysing them!)

And so there I was driving home, on the handsfree phone with JC (didn't I already mentioned that I am the responsible one? Safe driving!) whining bout how much I crave for durians, how I wanted to just stop at some shops and buy them.

Then at one point I jokingly asked JC "If I prayed hard enough, do you think there will be durians waiting for me at home?"

To which he replied "You can try, but remember, selfish prayer don't work!"

So then I arrived home. When I walked down my driveway, I was actually disappointed that I couldn't smell any durian smell. I guess a part of me was really hoping that there was durian waiting for me at home.

Moment later, I called JC, nearly shouting like a mad woman on the phone "CAN YOU SMELL IT! HAHAHA!"

Yes, there was really durian waiting for me at home afterall. When I open the door and got a whiff of that heavenly smell (JC begs to differ - he hates the durian smell, so un-Malaysian lah!).

I ran to the kitchen, open the fridge, took out this tupperware and I pry open the tupperware as if I was opening a treasure chest, and inside it, laid 7 golden durians pieces. Awwwww…..

And now, in that lil treasure chest, 4 golden durians pieces left! *wink*

.: Losing All In Get Rich Schemes :.

A lenghty article was written by The Star today, which have highlighted my concerns over this "Get Rich Quick Scheme" or also known as "Skim Cepat Kaya". Just to very quickly summarise what have been written, which I have also basically covered in my previous post here : For The Love Of Money.

- Most of these schemes thrived in “grey areas” which can only be loosely regulated, many of which operates under the guise of multi-level marketing (MLM) operations which blur into pyramid schemes.

- Like Ponzi schemes, they makes no or very little actual investments from money collected from public, but would promise returns that even top fund managers found hard to attain in good economic times and often that the earlier investors would get some returns compared to those who join later.

- Their aggressive and “successful” marketing approach has even become somewhat of a trend and they are able to navigate their way around existing laws and capitalise on their marketing strategies before the law catches up with them.

- Even though the company is registered with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) with a identifiable business, how they market their products/services are not within the purview of ROC

- With regards to companies illegally taking deposits without having an investment licence, Bank Negara (BNM) has the right to investigate and prosecute them, but due to the sheer number of operations, it is not possible to catch all of them. (during the year, about 19 companies have been raided and being under investigation)

- An official from the Consumers Association of Penang said such MLM companies were perfectly legal as long as they were licensed by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, but some MLM operations get into grey areas when the bulk of their sales are not derived from products/services but rather from other forms of collections. A sign of a possible scam was when most of the earnings of the company is derived from activities unrelated to the sale of goods or services.

For the full article, please read here.

Remember, do not be blinded by greed. If things sounds too good to be true, then they are likely to be that.

.: Malaysia's Education System :.

Picture credited to The Star

When the government decided back in 2003 to gradually introduce the use of English in Science and Maths, my initial reaction was - why didn't this happen sooner?
Note : I graduated from highschool in 2002.

But I was still rejoicing nonetheless for the generation after me i.e. my brother and my cousins will be able to enjoy this progress in Malaysia's education system.

From what I understand, the decision to introduce English as the language of instruction for Science and Maths came from the fact that the local graduates have been strongly criticised for their poor command for the language.

But recently, the now Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has announced that after six years of experimenting, the government has decided to revert back to the old system. The decision was made as there were critics that argued that the use of English has dragged down students' performance and is particularly unfair on children who are not proficient in the language.

"The government is convinced that science and maths need to be taught in a language that will be easily understood by students, which is Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, Mandarin in Chinese schools and Tamil in Tamil schools." cited our DPM.

Our DPM has also said that one main reason for the failure of the old system was the lack of proficiency among teachers, many of whom struggled to hold a conversation in English much less teach in the language, especially in the rural areas.

In the months since this decision, this decision has received many strong critics from various parties - parents, teachers, politicians and even our former Prime Minister - Tun Mahathir.

I too, feels very strongly against the current government's haste decision. It's as if we have took a step forward, only to take three steps back. Just because there are some slight hiccups when reverting to English, this should not be an excuse to change back to the old system. As to the proficiency of language among teachers - how embarrassing it is to admit that the teachers that are to teach this generation, the same generation that are to be the leaders of this country in the future, can't even hold a decent conversation of this international language. In the first place, we should have competent teachers to teach, not just any Tom, Dick or Harry.

On the same note, a recent spoll is being carried out on Tun Mahathir's blog (click here) of which the 66,057 who has voted, 86% are against the government's decision to revert back the teaching of Science and Maths in BM.

The poll is still on, so do your part if you have a say on this matter!

.: Obsessed :.

So I finally step foot into Golden Screen Cinema at Tropicana Mall today. Well, aside from the fact that it's just a stone throw away from my house (JC and I walked there today - to avoid the jam, finding a carpark & saved on RM 2 on carpark) what's there not to love of the new cinema. The smell of new seats and new carpets - ahh... almost the same high you get from the smell of fresh laundry or the first night in bed with fresh, new sheets (which reminds me, it's bout time I change my sheets *wink* )

Anyways, we decided to watch Obsessed (the bf wanted Ice Age 3, while I insisted on Drag Me To Hell, so a compromise was made by both parties).

What was the show about? In short, it's about a some psycho temporary girl Lisa, stalking her successful boss Derek, who is already happily married to Sharon. And it's not the I-have-a-highschool-crush-on-you kinda stalking, mind you.

How was the movie? Well, it's not something I would recommend anyone to watch. It's the second movie I saw Beyonce Knowles (playing Sharon) on screen - the first was Dreamgirls; and I have to say that I prefer her in the former role, perhaps a tinge of biasness, coz I enjoy watching musicals. I didn't really enjoy the movie plot, it was like it was scrambling for a identity. I actually had to cringe at one part where there was a catfight scene between Sharon and Lisa. Gosh, it was like something you would see in WWE or from a B-rated movie plot. Seriously!

I slightly regretted that I didn't give in to JC and watch Ice Age 3 instead, for I would think that I would have enjoyed it more (but then again, Ice Age 3 may not be that enjoyable).

From the rate of one to ten rotten tomatoes (1 being ok, but I am not gonna watch it twice to 10 being really, really bad), I would give this movie 6 rotten tomatoes.

.: My Wedding Plans :.

Catchy title ain't it?

No no, I am not catching the "it's time to get married" wave. Even after finding our that a couple of other friends who are married or who are engaged to be married. And please do not interpret the sighs as I say "looks like we are getting old" as a sign of desperation that I want to be married like right now. I sigh as I thought back of how time really flies.

I am 24 23.6 years old now. I was just a blink of any eye ago that I was just graduating from Uni. Another two blinks that I first step foot into SMDJ (my secondary school) and another three blinks that my grandpa was carrying me, watching the colourful parakeet he rears back then.

Anyways, reason for the title is - Drew tagged in in Facebook. And since I was doing it, might as well post it on my blog. So here it goes :


Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with d wedding plan! =) At the end, choose d people u want to be tagged.

1. How old are you?
* 24 23.6 years old to date

2. Are you single?
* Single as in not married :)

3. At what age do you think you'll get married?
* I actually don't know

4. Do you think you'll marry the person you are with now?
* Perhaps... Perhaps not. It's all God's plan, and I accept that He has planned out the best for me.

5. If not, who do you want to marry?
* Whoever that God has planned out for me. Or perhaps, remain single forever? *wink*

6. Who will be your bridesmaid / bestman?
* Bridesmaid - my two cousins :)

7. Do you want a garden/beach or traditional wedding?
* If it's in Malaysia, let's just stick to the traditional wedding. Tho an outdoor wedding sounds absolutely romantic doesn't it? :)

8. Where do you plan to go on honeymoon?
* Wherever, as long as I am there with my soulmate :)

9. How many guests do you think you'll invite?
* A small group of close friends and relative. Not into the GRAND, big ones if you know what I mean.

10. Will that include your exes?
* If they will come, why not? :)

11. How many layers of cake do you want?
* Don't want cakes - I wan cute lil cupcakes!~

12. When do you want to get married, morning or evening?
* Evening. Am so NOT a morning person. *lol*

13. Name the song/tune you'd like to play at your wedding.
* I said this before in one of the tags = Please Release Me *lol* :)

14. Do you prefer fine dining or just normal spoon&fork?
* May consider something of my heritage - Peranakan, so perhaps with hands? *wink*

15. Champagne or red wine?
* I cheap, no alcohol! :)

16. Honeymoon right after the wedding or days after the wedding?
* Erm, does it really matter?

17. Money or household items?
* Money please!

18. How many kids would you like to have?
* 18. Yes, no typo there. Eighteen! Hehe

19. Will you record your honeymoon in DVD/CD?
* Erm, no!

20. Whose wedding plan would you like to know next?
* Anyone who has the spare time to do crappy tag post like me.

Okies, got to go for a movie date with JC tonight. He wanted Ice Age, I wanted Drag Me To Hell, so we settled for Obsessed instead.

.: Faithfully Unfaithful :.

And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.
-Tennyson-

.: Guess Who's Back - With the Same ol' Nag :.

Mom's back!

Prepare myself for the naggings to come - on the uncleaned house, unswept porch and unwashed laundry. Yes, I am a utterly and hopelessly undomesticated (this just sound wrong).

Well, at least I kept her kitchen neat and tidy - just as it was before she left.

Hopefully.

Or the nagging list has one more item to add.

No more cooking and baking for me. Well, at least I have enjoyed it while it lasted….

.: King of Fruits :.

Ok, so I thought the Durian Egg Tarts from Tuan Yuan would have satisfied my cravings for the King Of Fruits, and it did a pretty good job……until today!

A customer (or someone) gave the whole finance department a delightful treat this morning.

It consist of fruits with fresh cream wrapped in a popiah-like wrap. It had (individually wrapped) jackfruits (nangka), mango (mangga) and of course durian (durian)!

Why am I translating each fruits to BM, I have absolutely no idea, but perhaps it because I am still high from consuming this lovely durian!~

Oh, I had two pieces *rub hands with glee*

Mmmmmmmm…….

p/s : I wish I knew where these durian-rolls (it shall be now known as this till I get it's official name) came from. No clue whatsoever. Comes in a transparent plastic container. Someone please let me know!

Updates :

I was hardworking enough to Google this up after Su highlights to me that this is the durian pancake she was talking about in Ikano (opposite Bread Story).

Well, when she said pancake, I thought it was like those conventional flat, round type. But I guess I should start thinking outside the box? Blame my squareness from being an accountant.

Anyways, the pics here below are taken from Malaysian Food Guide. According to the blog, it's a Vietnamese restaurant located in Uptown PJ - named Du Viet (it's own by one of Dinah's relative if my memory serves me well).

Gosh, I am now just staring at the picture and drooling all the way. If you want to grab some of these - head down to Uptown DJ (same row with HSBC) or you could try the one in Ikano (according to Su it's RM 10 for 6 pieces) or you could have it in a place call Honeymoon in One Utama (but slightly pricier according to reliable source *wink*)

.: Just Married! :.

Picture credited to The Star, Monday 6th July

Congratulations Alex Teo & Jacqueline on their wedding!

Read here on The Star's coverage of their wedding.

The first of my friends to get hitched. Looks like we are all gettin old eh?

.: Deadlines - I Am So Dead :.

I can so tell that this week is not gonna be my week. Or month for that matter. Seriously overwhelmed with work. Phone calls non stop since morning. Emails that I have yet to reply. Chasing from colleagues the reports they owe me like weeks ago. When my colleagues don't meet my deadlines, who is answerable? Me - coz I am suppose to churn out the Group's report. Thank goodness the colleagues in Singapore that I report to are super nice and super understanding.

Gosh, I really don't know if I can manage. I am actually at the brim of my sanity today.

Asking Su to help me look for a rich man to marry, so I don't have to work for the rest of my life.

If only there is such an easy way out...

.: Dedication - Emma & Nicola :.

I am currently reading this :

Kate Hollis's ex-boyfriend's face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he's famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her -- from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist's office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived.

On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song "Losing" -- about his and Kate's first sexual experience -- shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before.

Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate's life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now?

From the same authors who has written The Nanny Diaries.

.: The Corrs : Looking In The Eyes Of Love :.

The Corrs

Album : In Blue

Looking In The Eyes Of Love

♥

I wonder should I tell you
About all the crazy things that I have done
I've been hiding all my life
When I should have stayed
I tried to run...

I was searching for an answer
In a world so full of strangers
But what I found was never really enough
Now that I've found you
I'm looking in the eyes of love
(In the eyes of love)

Baby you've been good to me
Oh, so much more that you
could know, yeah, yeah
I never thought that I would find
Someone who's so sweet and kind
Like you...

Please believe me when I say
This time I won't run away
I swear be all the heaven's stars above
Now that I've found you
I'm looking in the eyes of love

Looking in the eyes of love...
I can see forever, yeah...
I can see you and me
Walking in this world together

Oh, my heart's found a hope...
I've been dreaming of...
Now that I've found you
I'm looking in the eyes of love

Looking in the eyes of love...
I can see (forever), I can see forever
I can see you and me
Walking in this world together

Oh, my heart's found a hope
I've been dreaming of...
Now that I've found you, I've found you
I'm looking in the eyes of love..., yeah

Oh...

♥

One of my favourite love songs from The Corrs.

Dedicated to dearest JC, not for any special occasion, but for being that someone special in my life.

I ♥ you.

.: Sunday, Sunday :.

Memory verses that my Sunday School kids need to memorize. So proud that most of them can! :)

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth

Psalm 139:14a
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made

Hebrews 12:1b
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us

Romans 5:8
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Encourage one another and build each other up

And the verse for the month of July:

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again : Rejoice!

I will be doing a short presentation for the kids. Pray for a effective presentation next week and that the kids will be attentive and not get distracted!

On another note, I came across this joke by Jimmy Holmes in Reader Digest's Juuy edition, which has a subtle message behind it.

A banker approach the Pearly Gates sweating and struggling with a heavy suitcase. St Peter greets him and says "Set the suitcase down and come in."

"No way!" barks the banker. "I have to bring it in!"

"What could possibly be in there that's so important?" asked St Peter

The banker opens the suitcase to reveal 50 gold bricks. St Peter's jaw dropped open: "You brought pavement?"

Indeed, there is truth behind this joke. As Christians, the bible has already provided us with an idea of how heaven may look like. It is a beautiful beyond imagination.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stones. (Revelation 21:19)

So what is this banker 50 bricks of gold worth? Well, it would be of very high value here on earth, but what is it's value in heaven?

This is why in Matthew 6:20, we are asked to store our treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust will destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. In this verse, Christ has already cautioned us not to be so soaked up in the worldly joys and glories that are only temporary. Afterall, our short plus minus eighty years on earth is merely temporary. Let's all not be too short sighted and learn to see the bigger picture of life. Learn not to be a worldly man, but learn to be a godly man!

.: Recipe : Fantastic Roasted Chicken :.

Tryin this out tonight! :)

Updated :

Well the chicken turned out okay! :) I love the subtle lemony zesty taste in the chicken, the stuffing of butter, bacon and herbs is sooo sinfully good. The chicken meat is soft and juicy, but I would prefer the chicken to be slightly more roasted, the skin a lil bit more burned and crispier.

The roast chicken was served alongside with some grilled vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, green pepper and baby sweetcorn), some spicy angel hair oglio oglio and fresh Swiss mushroom soup served with warm dinner rolls.

Oh, and I had cookies and cream ice cream for dessert. Guess where the cookies in the ice cream came from - click here for hint. *wink*

Goes to show that nothing goes to waste in my kitchen, even failed recipes! :)

For the simple recipe of cookies and cream - a handful of crumbled cookies (or if you like, Oreo cookies) and a couple of spoon of soften vanilla ice cream. Mix them together and leave in the freezer for a while, til ice cream hardens. Taste just like McDs McFlurry (even better if I may say so!)

.: One, Two, Go.... :.

A short 1 hour nap, a stong cup of coffee and I will be charged up and ready to go....

Long day ahead!~

Update : A quick to-do checklist for the day....

Prayer meeting at 6.30am in the morning. Checked.

Dim sum with daddy at 9am. Checked.

Nap at 12pm. Checked.

Volunteering at Soup Kitchen in Pasar Seni at 2pm. Checked.

Dinner & date with JC & daddy :) at 5pm. Checked.

Yumcha with highschool mate at 10pm 10.30pm. Checked.

Preparing minutes for meeting. Erm....

Final preparation for tomorrow's Sunday School. Checked

.: All In A Day's Work! :.

Why did the auditor crossed the road?
Because he looked into the file and that was what was done last year!
(Auditors & ex-auditors would get this joke!)

So my colleague and I was laughing about the silly lil things that this junior auditor asked her!

On the 29th June, she asked "Can I have the bank reconciliation pls?" to which my colleague explained that our year end is only 30th June and we could not possibly receive bank statement in advance (being sarcastic) and even if we had online banking, the transactions will only be updated 2 days later. The auditor thanked her and went back to her workstation, only to approach minutes later and ask the same colleague "In that case, can I have the subsequent bank clearance statement?". We laughed our heads off when my colleague told me this! And I jokingly said that this junior must have been using checklists to perform audit blindly.

For the sake of those who do not understand - subsequent bank clearance is an audit test to ensure that the cheques we received before year end are subsequently cleared in the near future. As you may all know, it takes roughly 3 days for in house cheques to clear and about a week or two for overseas cheques. In the first place, it's not a statement that we (as client) prepare. The auditor should, get the subsequent month bank statement (albeit July's bank statement in our case) and check line by line that the cheques received before 30th June are cleared within the normal time.

Ok, to simplify this joke to my non-accounting background reader, its like this

Auditor : Hi! Can I have your June's bank statement?
Colleague : It's only the 29th today, we will only get the statement after the 30th.
Auditor : Oh! In that case, can I have your July's bank statement?

ROFL. Ok, don't be mean. Afterall, I was an junior auditor once! :)

.: Birds Of A Feather, Flock Together :.

Edited : 3/7/09

After a day of cooling down, I realise that I should not be so frustrated over such petty issues and petty people. In JC's words ; we are only paid work 40 hours a week (or even more if it's OT), but end of it all, this is NOT your life.

So I am not going to let this small incident affect me.


It's the company's year end, and it ain't fun - especially at the Group level where you are responsible for meeting unreasonable deadlines after deadlines.

The only thing that makes this torturous time of the year more bearable is the colleagues I worked with, which I really must give credit too for their efficiencies and effectiveness as a colleague as well as their empathy and understanding as a friend. But, the thing that makes this time really MISERABLE is SOME of the colleagues I work with.

I mean like, at the end of the day, we are all here for work. You don't have to be my friend if you don't want to, but there should be a certain level of respect we have for each other. I can't understand why there is still this few old stubborn, imbecile mules that just seems to have this real BIG attitude problem that only know how to make other colleagues life miserable.

No wonder they have been in the company for ages but is still at the bottom of the corporate ladder. I am not being mean by saying that, but I believe that anyone can progress at the workplace provided they have the right attitude. And these people don't.

Just so frustrated with them. And it is not once off. It's for every single dealings I have with them. Well, to comfort myself, it's not just them with me but them with everyone else in the company, including their boss. And to make snickering comments out loud on purpose so that others could hear, well I could also vent out my frustration that way, which was what I did. A bit immature I must admit, but it's much better than me blowing up and telling it straight to their face, which I was one milliseconds away from doing so.

And ya, they go to prove that morons seems to attract morons, as they are the bestest of buddies in the company.

In case there are people whom I do not want them to read is reading this blog, let me first disclaim that the above "story" is purely "fictional" and any similar resemblance to any person, living or dead, is "strangely" coincidental.

.: Crabtree & Evelyn :.

Another victim of the recession....

Crabtree & Evelyn has filled for bankrupcy protection under Section 11. This is the same bankruptcy protection that GM has filed exactly a month ago. Read here.

Crabtree and Evelyn was founded in 1973 as a family business and then turned into an international business with branches in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, France and other countries including Malaysia - with 7 branches ; 6 located within the KL city center and 1 in Gurney Drive, Penang.

Known for their rich English apothecary English tradition and fine living, Crabtree & Evelyn offers products ranging from bath & shower gel, body moisturiser, hand care & foot care products. I got as a Christmas gift a Summer Hill Hand Therapy Cream and I love the smell of blended fresh grass, orchard fruits and wildflowers. And the best thing is that the fragrance last for a very very long time.

Well, it is such a shame that this company is not spared from the economic downturn. I guess we shall see if this company could still be revived after their planned restructuring. But if not, there will likely be a closing down sale with great bargains out there.

One man's loss, is another woman's gain!

.: Recipe : American Choc Chunk Cookies :.

I was google-ing for a chocolate chip cookie recipe when I stumbled upon this recipe by Maria Socratous (or so the site claimed).

And coincidentally, my multi-talented friend, who has the greatest passion for cooking and baking, swears that this is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe she has come across, so I would take her word for it.

The recipe below:

American Choc Chunk Cookies
Makes12

300g plain chocolate
100g milk chocolate
100g light muscovado sugar (a type of unrefined brown sugar)
85g butter at room temperature
100g crunchy peanut butter
1 medium egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g self-raising flour
100g large salted roasted peanuts

l Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Chop the plain and milk chocolate into chunks. Melt 100g of the plain chocolate over a pan of simmering water.

l In a bowl mix together the sugar, butter, peanut butter, egg, vanilla and melted chocolate. Stir in the flour, all the milk chocolate chunks, the nuts and half the plain chocolate chunks.

l Drop big spoonfuls in 12 piles onto a baking sheet leaving room for them to spread. Stick remaining chocolate chunks into the cookies.

l Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are tinged very slightly darker around the edges. They will be soft in the middle but will crisp up as they cool. Leave to cool and firm up before transferring to a cooling rack. Cookies will keep crisp in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.

And since I have the habit of adjusting recipes according to my own whims and fancies, this shall be the FIRST that I follow without any modification!

So I will need to purchase a bottle of chunky peanut butter and some roasted peanuts! Can't wait *excited*! :)

Updated :

This was a D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!

I guess baking cookies isn't my forte! After mixing all the ingredients up, exactly as per stipulated in the above recipe, the cookies dough looked really soft and gooey. I went online to check to make sure I wrote the right recipe down. After confirming and double confirming this, I put in my 1st batch of cookies, only to take it out and realise it swell two times its original size - I kid you not! And nowhere did this recipe of my friend's website that mentioned that this is the case. Bear in mind I am a newbie when it comes to cookie, so I was absolutely clueless and got the shock of my life when I took out a saw my 8 tiny cookies before consolidated into one giant cookie!

2nd batch, I was more wiser - I space each cookie out more, and reduce its size to half compared to the 1st and it did come out ok, but.... it wasn't as "crispy" as I expect it to be, albeit, a lil too soft. I have still no idea what could possible have went wrong, as I followed the recipe to the dot. Perhaps this has thought me that my instincts and intuitions should not be ignored, even when it comes to cooking/baking.

Anyways, I think I will shy away from cookies for now and stick back to my comfort zone - baking cakes and roasting chickens and making pastas.

Gosh, it was such a horrifying experience!