LESLIE & MARYANN

Year 2010

2010-01-03T22:24:00.003+08:00

Time really flew in 2009.

It felt like not too long ago a bunch of us were going mad in a suite at ParkRoyal Hotel, drinking tequila shots, eating chicken wings from Jalan Alor and most importantly having a jolly good time!!!!! Gosh & that was to celebrate the coming of 2009!!!!

When the clock strike 12.01am on 1st Jan 2010, guess where was I? Deep in Slumberland!!!! What a difference a year makes.

Leslie and I are really looking forward to what 2010 has in stall for us. We foresee a year filled with new & exciting adventures, not to mention sleepless nites :-)

Cobwebs...

2009-08-07T10:17:00.007+08:00

I CAN SERIOUSLY SEE COBWEBS SPINNING ON MY BLOG NOW...hehehehe

Fong Lye, The Gardens Mid Valley

2009-07-15T09:56:00.001+08:00

Someone commented that my blog is always about food. Well that's about the only thing I do nowadays - eat, sleep & sh** :-)

During one of our outings to The Gardens, we stumble upon Fong Lye. Goodness gracious, we actually had to queue for a table!! That's not something I usually like doing but on that particular day I didn't mind - we were served some drinks while waiting so everything was o.k.

Mind you, both Leslie & I are very small eaters, so we didnt order much. We were actually busy staring at what other ppl were eating!!!!

We started off with sweet potato balls, hehehehe...nice but pretty hollow inside.

Next we had Beef Roll, which was so tasty.... . The skin was a bit dry but the beef inside was so yummy :-)

Finally, we had some noodles, "sa cha" noodles with pork.

The only comment I have about Fong Lye is - eveything is so damn tasty, not sure if its the MSG or the cooking !!!!!!!!!

Chicken soup for the soul ..

2009-06-28T20:00:00.008+08:00

On Saturday nite Leslie & I had an excellent meal at Sassorosso (http://www.sassorosso.com.my/) with 2 great friends. It was a time to catch up after not meeting for the longest time. As usual, we had a great time, conversation was flowing & laughter was abundant and the food was delicious!!! ..... but I do think we ordered a bit too much, as usual :-)

IMHO, nothing tops having dinner with wonderful friends...

On Sunday, it was all exercising and moderate eating :-)

A morning walk is a must nowadays. I have to say, venturing about the neighbourhood is indeed an experience. Leslie kept on trying to figure out which Condo Ida Nerina live in since the n/paper mentioned she stays at Persiaran Syed Putra....

The we were off to MV. Wanted to catch Transformers, but an 10am the queue was already blardy long. Good sense prevails and we decided to wait till next weekend!!!!!

After indulging on Sat nite, we absolutely must have s'thing home cooked on Sunday. Something light and healthy - skinless kampung chicken soup with carrots and green beans....

As usual Leslie did ALL the washing up because his lovely wife was kind enough to cook for him - a fair trade one may say :-)

Eating Healthy....Oregano Chicken Salad

2009-06-04T19:35:00.000+08:00

Leslie loves this healthy dish & I love making it, because it is so easy.

Just stir fry the chicken strips (all cut to edible sizes already, courtesy of Cold Storage), season with sea salt, black pepper & then add some oregano for flavour. Absolutely fantastic!!

Layer the serving plate with heaps of vege ie lettuce, japanese cucumber, baby tomatoes. Put the chicken strips on top. For added taste, I fried some oyster mushroom and added them on top.....simply cannot get enough of this.

Of course I also need some side dishes, ie corn and chicken peas (for protein) :-)

We finished off dinner with Indian mangoes, they are simply the best!!. Fragrant, juicy & not sickly sweet - PERFECT!!. (& it does not burn a whole in the wallet like Australian mangoes..). There are loads of Indian mangoes in the market, but look for Ranee - they are to-die-for.

& the best part - Leslie did all the washing up....

Guess who I bumped into at IKANO???

2009-05-31T14:18:00.008+08:00

The moment I stepped into Ikano I went ...wow..... the ground floor was literally transformed to a rainforest by KL Bird Park.

The best part was ... they brought some of their resident birds for a day out :-)

I'm am not the best judge of the bird species but this owl looks really handsome ...

these on the other hand look a bit scary....

Some of the birds have such vibrant colours....

I'm not sure why there were young chickens but one things for sure......after being man-handled by some kids, they will definitely grow-up to be deeply traumatised adult chickens!!!!!!!!

The Truth about Cats & Dogs

2009-05-16T22:48:00.000+08:00

I read this funny article in The Sun newspaper a few months back and had a good laugh.

All dogs are male (even the females ones) & all cats are females ...

Proof that ALL DOGS are MALE:-

Dogs, like men, are completely predicatable
They are supremely interest in your nether regions and pathetically unable to hide this fact
They dont respond when you should in their ear, but can hear the sound of a packet containing something consumable being opened a kilometre away
If you once let them hog your sofa, they will feel like they own it
They eat anything. Their basic philosophy is put stuff in their mouths first, ask questions later
They are intensely loyal but sometimes stray through sheer stupidity
When they are not happy they dont say anything but sulk and growl and knock things over
They emit large amount of gas from both ends
They often consume ill-advised items until they are sick, give you a sad "never again" look, and then do the same thing again the next day

Proof that ALL CATS are FEMALE:-

They are completely unpredictable
They expect to be worshipped all the time
They look cute but are surprisingly tough-minded creatures who make all the decisionns
You can call them, but you never know if they will actually turn up
They leave bits of their hair all over the place
They completely ignore you when you come home
They take the stance that you exist solely to ensure their happiness

Rest & Relax at Balas Chalet & Restaurant - Cameron Highlands

2009-04-29T14:54:00.007+08:00

We will never ever go to Cameron on a public holiday !!! The traffic was an absolute nightmare..and the number of ppl there were really scary too...

But having said that, we did enjoy our little getaway. Balas is such a haven - quiet, peaceful, serene. Eventhough the place was packed, the crowd was hardly noticable.

Our main objective was to rest & relax. Leslie wanted to play his PSP and I wanted to finish my twilight sage (Eclispe & Breaking dawn). Objective achieved!!!! very happy!!!!

I shall devote an entire post on Twilight Sage later - I think I am seriously in love :-)

Some pics on Balas - have uploaded more on facebook.

the cottages are just so colonial.

our room

We intend to head back there soon (on a weekday, of course). Book ourselves in one of the Raffles Suites (which is like a duplex), so perfect for R&R. Cant wait!!!!

Quote for the Day..

2009-04-22T15:47:00.002+08:00

I got this from one of my all-time favourite blogs www.perezhilton.com on the much hyped insensitive remarks by Miss California on gay marriages.....

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"

-Abraham Lincoln

I love rainy days :-)

2009-04-13T09:35:00.010+08:00

I just love rainy days. Nothing beats curling up on the sofa with a good book and a steaming cup of hot cocoa!!!

After 2 weeks of working throughout the weekend, I was in absolute need of some alone time with my latest purchase "Twilight".. hehehe...I know I've seen the movie (love it, love it, love it) but I'm 100% certain the book is better (they always are!!!)

Later that evening, Leslie & I had some home cooked dinner by the balcony while enjoying the sound of rain & the cool breeze. It has been quite some time since we ate by the balcony & really we should do it more often.

of course we cannot leave the cat out!

To complete the meal, we had caramel creme which I got fr Village Grocery. Really delicious!!

Next week Leslie is going to surprise me by cooking me dinner. I just cant imagine what he'll be making..nescafe chicken or something more exotic sounding ;-)

A much needed break at Krabi

2009-04-05T20:45:00.018+08:00

Our first time in Krabi and we really didnt know what to expect!! Both of us were so busy with work we didnt even have time to check out what Krabi has to offer....but you know what, being spontaneous can sometimes bring a few suprises!!!!

The moment we landed at Krabi, we headed to our Hotel at Ao Nang and off I went shopping!!! Yup, cant get away from shopping, my favourite pastime. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Leslie) I didnt see many things which I liked. The only thing I really wanted was a fake Jimmy Choo bag which cost a whopping 8,000 baht!!!

Leslie doing an impersonation of the mannequin...lol

I have to admit, Krabi is quite cheap compared to Langkawi. Despite being a popular tourist spot for Westerners, the prices are still pretty reasonable. It makes me wonder why Langkawi (one of my fav retreats) is so damn expensive!!

On Fri-Sun, starting at 5pm, Krabi Town has night market, something like our pasar malam, but they have such a huge variety of food. People in Thailand really enjoy food!!!

Fried Ice-Cream
and of course, Phat Thai

A visit to Krabi will not be complete without exploring the island. Due to time constraint, we decided on Railey, which is located approx 10 min away from Ao Nang by Long Tail Boats. The cost, 80 baht per person. The catch..you'll have to wait till the boat has min 8 ppl!!! Not a problem when you go to Railey, but major hassle when you return...hmmm...that's another story to tell!!!

Railey has Railey East & Railey West. Most people will stop at Railey West and soak up the sun at Tonsai Beach. But Leslie and I did a bit of exploring. We walked from Railey West to Railey West (more famous for rock-climbing). FYI, no, we didnt do any rock climbing...because Leslie said it looked pretty easy :-)

Leslie playing with some kittens

On our final night at Krabi, Leslie and I decided to have massages. Leslie had a whole body massage which I settled for foot reflexalogy :-P. For dinner, we choosed a quiet place by the beach. Nothing beats the sound of waves while you're sipping wine!!!

I am sure Leslie and I will return to Krabi. It is indeed a agood place to just unwind after working our butts off :-)

Dating again....

2009-03-14T20:18:00.007+08:00

Leslie and I have decided to make Friday our date night :-)

Because of our hectic schedules, we hardly have time to have meals together anymore. So, we made it a point to spend Friday night together, exploring new restaurants and catching up on what's happening in our lives!!!

Last friday was our 3rd date, and we decided to try The George and Dragon at BSC. (Have you seen the new BSC ? very nicely renovated). Some friends recommended this, saying the sausages are really good, and I absolutely love sausages!!!

Because we were in a pub...I had to have a drink (yes, I know, I did mention in my previous post I'm going to stop drinking but i've to qualify that drinking with my husband is perfectly alright!)

Leslie had a ginger beer (it's still a beer, right?)

Next were sausages wrapped with pork belly, oh..so lovely. (Leslie was actually transported to the Friday before when we had an overdose of pork at Vintry, Medan Damansara ;-))

And we also had a pork sandwich which was basically, pork in between 2 slices of white bread. No lettuce, cucumber, pickle whatsoever (which looked really sad), but it did taste quite good.

We choose to sit outside at the smoking area, eventhough both Leslie & I do not smoke because we felt like enjoying the cooling night air.

I cant wait till next Friday because Leslie & I will be in Krabi..hehehe...waiting in anticipation!!

Movie : Twilight

2009-03-09T15:06:00.013+08:00

Last Friday after months of waiting, finally I got my copy of Twilight :-)

When Leslie asked me what's Twilight about, I told him that it is a vampire movie with love story on the side. Little did I know it was the other way round, a love story, involving a girl and a vampire - no horror what-so-ever!!!!

This is the synopsis from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twilight/

TWILIGHT is an action-packed, modern-day love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school.

When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she's ever met.

Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for – a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires – James (Cam Gigandet), Laurent (Edi Gathegi) and Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) – come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?

Anyway, I was not disappointed. I absolutely love this movie. Now, tell me, which girl can resist a movie about a guy who will do just about anything for a girl...esp a bad boy with a panache for blood..ahahahha.

There are so many parts which I enjoyed - like when he stares at her when she sleeps. When she piggy back her while scaling trees, when both of them were talking on the bed and she fell asleep and cuddled him while he looked so uncomfortable.....so romantic!!

Putting all that aside, this movie definitely has flaws..cheesy line being one of them. Like when Bella said Edward looked beautiful when the sun ray shines on him...eeewwwww....... that really made me cringe.

To me the most spectacular thing about this movie was the scenery. Esp the view from the top of the trees. Absolutely amazing.

All in all, it was quite a good movie. I think I'll re-watch it again now ;-)

Outing at Bangsar Village

2009-03-03T12:27:00.007+08:00

Leslie & I love spending time at Bangsar Village. The place is just so spacious and there is never a huge crowd. We normally spend the whole day there. I will do what I do best, ie shopping while Leslie will usually sits at Starbuck and does what he does best – working!!!

One afternoon after a hard day of shopping, we decided to have a light meal at Su Chan. I’ve never been there before but have always wanted to try. Ever since a good friend brought Su Chan’s signature Tiramisu to one of my dinner parties, I was hooked!!!

But, remember, this was a light meal, so no tiramisu. Anyway, you’ll find out why later..

I had their Thai Laksa, which was fabulous ( it tasted a bit like Kelantan Laksa which I absolutely love), the soup was not spicy at all with loads of santan. I ate all my noodles and drank all the soup, not a single drop left. I really enjoyed the meal.

Leslie had the vegetarian linguini, a tomato based pasta with carrots, capsicum and very (I mean very) generous dose of oregano…really flavorful…

As usual Leslie spent all this time on this computer. Sometimes I do think he loves his computer, PSP, car more than me :-(

Anyway, all was forgiven when he agreed to bring me to Outback Steakhouse for ….. Chocolate Thunder From Down Under….ahahahaha. Yes, I was saving my tummy for another dessert.
I saw an episode of “Sweets for my Sweet” on Asian Food Channel, with Allan Wu and wife & I could not wait to try the desserts at Outback Steakhouse after that!!!!

I have to say, I was not disappointed. Chocolate Thunder from Down Under have basically 3 layers, a base of sinful pecan brownie, a huge scoop of vanilla ice-cream, topped off with a dollop of light & fluffy whipped cream. OOohhh…did I mention that the pecan brownie sits on top of most wonderful chocolate sauce….everything just blend together so perfectly.. a truly magnificent dessert!!!!!

I think I gained 3lbs from the dessert but, you know what… it was worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time to hit the GYM :-P

St.Moritz Cafe, Solaris Mont Kiara

2009-02-07T14:21:00.007+08:00

I really have to stop drinking on Friday nite!!! Seriously...last friday was another another late night & to make matter worse I had to leave my car & asked my husband to pick me up because I was not up to driving!!!

On Saturday morning, Leslie had to drive me to get my car. (sorry darling).

Anyway, since we were already at Mont Kiara,we decided to have brunch at Solaris. We've always wanted to try St.Moritz Cafe (owned by Euro Deli, I think). Its a non-halal place which serves really meaty breakfast & lunch sets.

Upon inquiring their speciality, we were recommended the Big Lunch Set, consisting of ham, sausages, pork chop, bacon & mash pototoes. Because the set looked huge, Leslie & I decided to share. (very wise decision indeed...)

The waiting time was a bit too long for my liking but when the food finally arrived, they were absolutely wonderful, not to mentioned, a lot!!!!

The bun that came with the meal was warm so when we spread the butter, it melted immediately. With a slice of ham sandwiched in it, the bun tasted fantastic. So much so, we ordered 2 more of them!!! (oink oink)

As mentioned early, Leslie & I made an extremely wise decision to share the meal because it was so damn huge. But even when we share, both of us had a meat overdose!!!!

But all is good because after the meal, we went grocery shopping at Cold Storage to walk it off :-)

How to make a cranky wife happy.....

2009-02-02T21:40:00.009+08:00

I have to give Leslie some credit...he knows how to please his cranky wife - give her some good food and bring her shopping :-)

I was working on FT Day (not because I am hardworking but I really need to finish some work) and was feeling really cranky. To add salt to wound, I was also hungry!!! So, when I left the office by 4pm, I was in a foul mood.

Earlier on I've promised to cook dinner for Leslie, but one upset phonecall to Leslie and he suggested going to MidValley to cheer me up ;-)

Because I was so damn hungry, Leslie immediately suggested we eat first (very clever indeed of him). We've been eyeing Canton-I for quite some time but never really had a chance to try it out.

Canton-I was a very good choice. I had the Signature Prawn Wanton Noodle and Leslie settled for Roast Duck & Char Siew Rice.

The roast duck was one of the best i've ever tasted. The meat was tender, juicy and melts in the mouth. Yummy!!!!! I think I ate most of Leslie's roast duck..poor Leslie, has a glutton for a wife!!!

My Prawn Wanton Noodle looked really ordinary but looks can be deceiving!! The noodle was cooked to perfection and the prawn wantons were so fresh.

And, thanks to CIMB, we had 10% off our bill...yes, we just love discounts :-)

After food I was off for some well-deserved retail theraphy. I've to say, The Gardens is one of the best places to shopping!!!

Too damn many public holidays in M'sia

2009-01-26T12:59:00.005+08:00

I can't seem to get into the mood of working ..... yes, I am lazy but that's not the point :-) there are just too many damn holidays in M'sia.

For the past 4 years I was with a local PLC, so, when its holiday, I dont give a shit about work. But now, my HQ is in UK and they are not on holiday. My emails piles up when I dont check them even for 1 day!!!

Shit...looks like I may have to go to work on FT day & Thaipusam!!!

A peek into what’s in store for 2009 for the Ox and the Dog

2009-01-26T12:18:00.005+08:00

At the beginning of every year I enjoy reading what’s in store for the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Of course when the fortune is not good, I’ll just brush it off, but when the fortune is good, I’ll be so damn freaking happy..heheheh.

Earlier this year when I read 2009 fortune for the Ox, I was not enthusiastic, because the outlook was not exactly great, so imagine my surprise when I read what Feng Shui master Wong Keen Ming said in the Star dd 26 Jan 2009.

Ox
This is your lucky year; everything is favourable. You’re probably the luckiest of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. You’ll make significant progress in your career. Big money comes your way and you’ll enjoy good health.

Career: You have two important lucky stars. You could be promoted and can expect a windfall.

Love life: You’re not so lucky in love this year. The female Ox wants to bask in luxury, while the male Ox is in a foul mood. Relationships may turn cold.

Health: The Ox loves sports and healthy food, and rarely gets sick. In fact, the Ox will enjoy better health this year. The young Ox should not have too much of a good time lest he/she gets into trouble.

Take note: Remember the old Chinese saying: Never forget the hard times when you’re lucky.

Dog
You’ll enjoy good luck this year as you have two lucky stars. Your career and health should be fine. However, your career can drain you of energy.

Career: You’re likely to be promoted to a position of authority, owing to your loyalty to the company. However, you lack assistants to help you achieve greater success, and you need to work doubly hard.
Fortunately, the Dog is never afraid of hardship. With patience, success is possible. Meanwhile, you have two unlucky stars, so be cautious and abide by the rules.
Love life: The married Dog will find unconditional love within the family. The Dog in love may bring his/her relationship to a new level. The single Dog may find a new romantic interest.

Health: You should enjoy good health as long as you avoid stress-related issues.

Take note: Spend more time with your family. Be careful of being exploited or betrayed.

Whatever fortune has in store for Leslie & I in 2009, someone told me sometime ago....….this too shall pass. ...

Leslie's Day!!! (Part 2)

2009-01-18T22:43:00.004+08:00

Being a slave was no easy task!!!

On Sunday, Leslie's agenda for me, his slave, was - send him to Toyota to get his car serviced , send him to SS2 to get his hair cut and then back home to do some spring cleaning for the upcoming CNY!!!

huh...nothing like you imagined leh....ahahahah!!!!!!!

Leslie's Day!!! (Part 1)

2009-01-17T22:52:00.015+08:00

I am such a terrible wife, I nearly forgot my husband's birthday !!! But I did make it up to him. I agreed to be his slave for the weekend. Now, before you start getting naughty thoughts, it was nothing like that at all, it more like whatever he wants for the day, he gets....

But since we're a boring couple, nothing exciting happened ;-).

The highlight of the weekend was when we dumped into an ex-manager from KPMG, whom we have not seen for 10 years, while having dinner at Peranakan Restaurant at 1 Utama. KL is just too small!!!!

Dinner was fantastic. We had Paku, Honey Sotong and Beef Rendang. Leslie could not stop singing praises about the food.

Paku was yummy, but they kinda leave a tingly sensation in the mouth/ The Honey-sotong was just a tad too sweet for my liking

The beef rendang was to-die-for. It was melt-in-your-mouth tender without being too spicy. I could this everyday.... (but wont because then I'll be HUGE!!!)

No dinner will be complete without dessert. Since both Leslie & I were already stuff to the max, we decided to share the dessert & opted for Sago Gula Melaka.

Saturday ended quite early because Leslie had a football match to watch & I have to wake-up early for a run the next day.....oh well...let's see what Leslie has in stall for me tmrw ;-)

My weekend started at 5pm on Friday nite !!!

2009-01-11T20:05:00.017+08:00

On Friday nite, my new boss suggested that we have a get-together drink with the new staff. To cut the story short, I had a few beers and was drunk by 5.30pm!!!! To make matter worse, the drinking continued before we adjouned to The Mansion at Heritage Row for more drinking and dancing!!! I've to say, I had a blast, laughing and dancing, these ppl are just insanely crazy and hilarious!!! It wasnt until 3am did I reach home after some drama (now, that will be an interesting story for the future!!!)

After 4 hours of sleeping, I woke up for my morning run at Bkt.Gasing. ahahaha...DEDICATION!!!!!

On Sunday, I was back to normal!! Leslie & I went for our usual lazy breakfast with our Sunday newspapar and decided on dim sum at Chopstick Noodle Hse, Mid Valley. The dim sum was just fantastic. We had yam puff, carrot cake, siew mai, chee cheong run and dumpling.

The Yam Puff was just heavenly...crispy on the outside but soft yam & pork on the inside, perfect!!!

Another highlight was the chee cheong fun, diff because they were slightly fried, so they were not runny. Leslie loved this...

I had another excellent week. I love my life!!!! : - )

New Year Resolutions for 2009....

2009-01-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

I do not usually make New Year Resolutions. Partly because I dont usu keep them. But this year, maybe putting them on the blog will propel my friends to remind me to stick to them :-)

New Year Resolutions for 2009.

1. Spend more quality time with family & friends (family - still trying to figure out how to achieve this / friends - maybe dinner once every 2 mths) & less time WORKING~!!!!!!!

2. Exercise more - at least 3-4 times a week for > 40mins each time & 1 long run a week!!!!

3. Go for sojourn (local or overseas) with Leslie at least 3x a year.

4. Eat healty - make home-cooked meals (at least 2 nites p/week) instead of eating out.

5. Set a monthly budget for shopping, and stick to it!

6. Stop buying unnecessary clothes, shoes, handbag which eventually ends up lying in the closet, unworn!!

7. Give back more, in terms of both time & money to charity.

The Long Christmas Holiday.....

2008-12-29T16:10:00.007+08:00

The past week has been really fantastic. There were some wacky moments, family get-together and also quiet time-out for Leslie & I.

Our Christmas holiday started on 24th. Due to our hectic schedule, Leslie & I decided not to attend any functions on Christmas eve. Instead, I opted to cook Leslie a Japanese christmas eve dinner of beef teriyaki, vege & soba. Later on we chill out over a cup of coffee and watch "Taken".

Then on Christmas Day , we hosted a Christmas dinner for some friends. We had a wicked time - filled with fun & laughter. The company made this dinner absolutely fantastic. For the entire 5 hours conversations were free-flowing. Our friends were absolutely fabulous, they brought the best dessert, ice-creams (not any ice-creams but Haagen-daaz & Baskin Robbins), Su Chan to-die-for Tiramisu (no words could describe this cake!!!) and of course sake & wine.

Yes, the next day I did wake up with a hangover...I am not very good at holding my liquer!!!!

Subsequently Leslie & I were kept busy ferrying my mum & sister (who is visiting from Perth) to shopping centers for shopping, shopping and more shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last day of our holiday, I finally have some alone time with Leslie. We decided to chill out at The Yogitree at Mid Valley for some back to basics cooking.

I cannot imagine 2008 is coming to an end ............................... but wait..there will still be the New Year's Party!!!!

A Christmas Poem for you............

2008-12-24T13:29:00.006+08:00

Christmas New Year Wish

I made a Christmas wish for you,

For a holiday full of pleasure,

Friends and family all around,

And memories to treasure.
I wish for you a Christmas filled with joyous holiday cheer;

I wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a very Happy New Year!

By Joanna Fuchs, www.poemsource.com

Our 8th Wedding Anniversary

2008-12-24T10:43:00.005+08:00

Time flies when you're having fun.....yes...that statement is definitely true. Last Friday, 19th Dec 2008, Leslie & I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. (yes, we have passed the 7 years itch ;-))

In that 8 years Leslie & I have also learned more about ourselves and each other. Some good, some bad & some downright nasty!!! But the best part is, we are still discovering new things about each other and I think that will never end......

Temporary Suspension ;- )

2008-12-18T12:33:00.002+08:00

will resume when I am back on my feet.
currently trying to cope with my new role.

hope my jan-feb09 everything will be settled & shall continue to blog then.

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 3)

2008-11-01T11:40:00.001+08:00

No amt of words can describe my Taiwan adventure, so I decided to post pics instead...ahahahha....or maybe I'm just to blardy lazy to write!!!

Yehliu Geopark for some interesting rock formations.

this was spotted on the driver's chair of a tour bus ... so cute......

Chuifen - I've to say, I love this quaint place. With traditional looking houses

The magnificient Taroko Gorge

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 2)

2008-10-26T23:51:00.031+08:00

Oh dear…I think I really need a holiday after my Taiwan trip. Seriously, the amount of travelling was absolutely horrendous!! It has been quite some time since I’ve been on so many long bus rides. And checking into different hotels every nite!!

But all in all I’ve to say that going to Taiwan was fun and both my mum & I had a great time. The excitement began the moment we landed and did not stop till we boarded the plane back, yes, the itinerary was that jammed packed!!

My mum & I at Yehliu Geopark posing by the Queen's head...heheheh

Some highlights of the trip are:-

Dinner at Five Cent Driftwood House at TaiChung. I must say, this restaurant is pretty unique because of its cave theme. I felt like I was transported to one of the caves in Mulu, sans the guano smell, of course!

Ohhh...btw..dont ask me about the food, because I was so busy taking pictures I could not remember what I ate!!!

National Palace Museum (of course I saw the famous Jadelite Cabbage & Siu Yoke), but since there no cameras allowed, I could not snap any pictures.

Taipei 101….ahahaha…to think that I’ve never even considered going up to KL Tower if not for the Towerthon!! By 5pm, the sun begins to set in Taiwan, so I could not see much from the top!

Lunch at DinTai Fung, infamous for Xiu Long Pau and fried rice (apparently each grain of rice is covered with egg). Gosh, one cannot imagine the amount of people queing up for a table. There was a long line outside and inside the restaurant it was jam packed too!! (btw there is also a branch at Mid Valley Gardens...)

There is still quaint Chuifen & magnificient Taroko Gorge, but let's leave that for Part 3. Time for a break. That reminds me, one of the hotels we checked into has a Jacuzzi in its bathroom, soaking inside after a whole day of walking is definitely heavenly!!!

Holiday with my mum - Taiwan (Part 1)

2008-10-19T01:42:00.004+08:00

One of my friends recently commented that I’ve not been updating my blog.

The first thought that crossed my mind was.......ppl actually visit my blog ??? blimey :-)

Frankly speaking, I’ve been super busy last week, trying to complete ALL my work because for the whole of next week I will be touring Taiwan with my mum!!!

I’ve no doubt this trip will be memorable because this will be my first holiday with my mum since….since……since……20 years ago, gosh…how time flies.

Looking at the itinerary, it looks jam packed with activities. We'll be visiting Sun Moon Lake which is the biggest natural lake in Taiwan, natural rock formations, Taroko Gorge, loads of night markets, Memorial Halls, Shrines, Museums and of course shopping malls like Taipei 101. Ahahahahah....I may just need a holiday for my holiday when I return!!

I shall write more about this trip when I return.

A possible beginning to my J-Drama craze ??? Takuya Kimura - PRIDE

2008-10-12T15:38:00.028+08:00

After a bout of K-drama madness now I’ve jump onto the J-drama bandwagon…ahahahaha…..thanks to one of my close friends who has gone absolutely crazy over Kimura Takuya. This girl smsed, emailed & called to tell me that I have to watch Kimura’s dramas, because “Kimura may not be the hunkiest guy but he is definitely the sexiest and when Kimura dances – can die!!!!” (yes…that’s a direct quote from her email to me)

She then sent me this picture and I was sold!! :-P

The J-drama that she so highly recommended was PRIDE , which is about an ice hockey team and the relationship between Halu & Aki. Kimura plays Halu Satonaka the male lead while Yuko Takeuchi plays Aki Murase the female lead. I’ve to say they really have a good chemistry on-screen. (To read more about the plot go to www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_(TV_series)#Basic_plot )

The 1st time I watched Pride, I was not blown away because I fast fwd too much!!

I am so used K-dramas which are very long-winded and the lead actors and actresses are constantly staring into each other eyes without much conversation so I thought J-dramas will be the same.

How wrong I was. PRIDE is very fast paced, the conversations are damn fast, blink and you’ll probably miss something poignant!!!!

The 2nd time I watched Pride, I love it. I love the interaction between the two leads. Halu who treats relationship like a game because he believes it will have negative impact on his game and Aki, who is waiting for her architect bf to return from New York but has not heard from him for 2 years. During the “game” Halu discover a different side to Aki and falls in love. What happens then…go watch, it is such a touching drama of love, hope and persistence.

Now I cant wait to watch another J-Drama by Kimura....goodness gracious....looks like I am hooked!!!!

Did I also mention that PRIDE's main theme song is "I was Born to Love You - Queens". Now this song is constantly ringing in my ear!!!! ;-)

What do you get when you put 30 “mad” ppl in a pub with lots of beers – an extremely insane PARTY!!!!

2008-10-06T17:23:00.014+08:00

I simply could not remember the last time I had so much fun!!!!!
Drinking, stripping, silly games, boisterous conversation, puking….what else could one ask for from a birthday party.
The location was Ronnie Q, Bangsar and the event was Ming’s & Ray’s birthday bash. The birthday girl turned 18 (eyes rolling) so she requested for a “gila-gila party”, yes – that was how she described what she wanted!!! ( oh..btw, little ole me was silly enough to volunteer to organise this event)

We started off well enough with buffet dinner, consisting of chicken, fish, vege, beancurd (yes, all the healthy stuff, we are afterall health freaks) but after dinner was when the real action began….heheheheh.

The free beers (courtesy of the b’day boy and girl) really loosen everyone up. Pretty soon, we were all doing yum seng (I think we had more yum seng that a Chinese wedding), standing on tables, touching & hugging each others and puking!!!!

yyyyyyyuuuummmmm ssseeeennnnngggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

B'day boy & girl doing their stunts on the table. Yeah..that was before they were forced to drink more lethal cocktails by someone freakingly sexy that nite !!!!

As more beers were consumed, the men got more frisky...but strangely the touching was limited to men only.......ahahahha!!!!!

The highlight of the evening was definitely an impromtu strip tease by

King Kenny (wah..the name also sounds like a porno star wannabe ....)

Finally the birthday cake, which I got from http://fatboyrecipes.blogspot.com/. Brandy truffle cake & Orange Lemon Cheesecake, which looked and tasted absolutely fantastic.

The birthday girl wondering how come there a so many damn candles on her cake

...........she is 18 after all!!! LOL

An absolutely fantastic evening with great friends. We should definitely do this more often!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leslie's Favourite Mango Dessert

2008-10-03T13:36:00.001+08:00

Nobody would believe me if I tell them I enjoy cooking…well, I don’t blame them.

But to tell the truth, I do enjoy cooking. When I surf, I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try out. The only thing is they cannot be complicated because if they are I will mess up…seriously.

Recently I saw a write-up on Mango Dessert on http://www.babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/, so on one of my visits to Village Grocery at Bangsar Village, I picked up the very same Mango Dessert. ..hehehe.

Actually the main reason why I choose this dessert is because it is so simple to make - pour out the contents, add hot water, stir, place in cup, chill & serve. I also added loads of Nata De Coco because Leslie absolutely loves them.

The texture was creamy and a bit gooey. Luckily I added some Nata De Coco, because the freshness & sweetness of the Nata De Coco actually gave a balance to the dessert. Anyway, the most important thing is Leslie loves it & he could not get enough of it.

Linguine with Pesto Sauce

2008-09-28T19:59:00.007+08:00

During the weekends, there is nothing I enjoy more than to cook for Leslie.

Actually, Leslie had promised to take me out for a “nice” dinner, but his hectic work schedule over the weeks has taken a toll on him. With his constant coughing and sneezing, I thought it will be better to just stay in.

So, what is a wife to do for dinner – something very simple, of course. :-)

Linguine with Pesto Sauce
This is something very quick to make. Boil linguine (per packet instruction), stir in pesto sauce with fresh basil, ham, baby tomatoes. Finally add a generous dose of parmesan cheese & voila…

With a side serving of salad, I have to say, Leslie absolutely loves the meal. Hmmm……come to think of it, he enjoys eating whatever I cook. Either he is an extremely unfussy eater or I’m a good cook, I tend to think the former is more believable!!

Movie - Pathology

2008-09-25T11:58:00.001+08:00

I watched this movie because of Milo “whathisname” and the review said there will be sex!!!! ahahaha…yes, I am that shallow.

Pathology is a thriller about a group of students, secretly playing a game after hours on how to commit the perfect “undetectable” murder. This group of students basically goes out & kills someone and the group tries to figure out how the kill was done.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the movie, except the parts with lots of blood. It was fun to see how the murder occur. But the ending was quite predictable.

......

...... spoiler

......

The hero cannot die and the bad guys cannot live!!!

A Lazy Sunday Morning

2008-09-21T13:00:00.004+08:00

I love what I call “lazy Sunday morning”, sitting at my balcony overlooking the greens, enjoying my self-made breakfast, sipping coffee & reading newspaper. Life does not get better than this.

Actually, this morning I was at Bkt. Gasing for my usual run, but instead of 1 round, I did 2 rounds, which I’m very happy with because more exercise means I can eat more!!!

Instead of buying breakfast, which I usually do, I decided to cook s’thing. Looking thru my fridge I decided on bacon, 3 eggs (with only 1 yolk), greens, cherry tomatoes, 2 pcs whole grain bread with lots of butter. & of course coffee. (cant live without it)

There used to be a time when Leslie & I used to have “lazy Sunday morning” together. Strangely, nowadays we prefer to sit at some coffee shop or restaurant, doing the same thing. I guess variety is the spice of life.

An evening of good food and great company

2008-09-15T14:04:00.005+08:00

I love spending my Saturday night eating and gossiping with this bunch of friends. We can chat about everything under the sun and most importantly nothing is taboo!!!

We started off from my apartment at about 7pm and headed towards Woo Lan Restaurant at Jalan Scott Brickfields. The restaurant looks rather old but the food, OMG, they were so good. We ordered mee suah, asam fish, fried pork (so delicious, best i’ve tasted)), veg & butter squid & the "si tau poh" was kind enough to give us free soup, which was boiled to perfection, so damn tasty. Everyone was raving on and on about how good the food was, seriously!!!! Ops..no pictures since I forgot my camera!!!! And the price - soooooo reasonable. It worked out to only RM20 p/person My friends commented that it has been quite some time since they have had such a cheap but fantastic meal….lol.

For dessert, it was a toss between Delicious, Bangsar and Nero Vivo. Since I’ve never been to Nero Vivo but have heard so much about it…hehehe….I managed to persuade the group there.

Mind you, if you ever want to go to Nero Vivo, do make a reservation. That place was so packed. I wanted a table at the terrace but the only table they have available was indoor. The noise….let me tell you…deafening. Leslie said Nero Vivo is like a high class pasar malam!!!

For dessert, we ordered nearly ALL the desserts available….well, there were not that many to choose from in the first place. We had the Tiramisu, Chocolate Flan, Pannacota & Crème brulee. I was not particularly impressed with the desserts, expect for the chocolate flan, which was out of this world! The chocolate cake was so sinfully rich and the chocolate sauce oozing out was just heavenly....yummy.

For the entire night from Woo Lan to Nero Vivo, the conversations flow like water. We talked about everything.....well...... not really...... SEX was the key topic. Btw, I learned that men like their anus to be licked……ahahahha…too much info????

All in all, definitely a night to remember.

Our silly cat, SUSHI

2008-09-04T14:13:00.007+08:00

A long long time ago, I used to run 20km at Bukit Aman. During one of the runs, I had an encounter with this pretty & friendly off-white cat. There are quite a lot of stray cats at Bkt.Aman but this one caught our eyes because she bravely came near us and started rubbing herself against our legs...awww.

I was ready to "adopt" another cat after the last one. However Leslie needed some convincing & rightfully so as the last cat we adopted from SPCA "commited suicide" after merely 6 mths with us. He jumped from our 14th floor apartment & obviously died!!! We are still traumatised by that.

Well..to cut the story short. We took the cat back and now she has been with us for 2 years.

Sushi is now part of our family, hmmm...come to think of it, she is actually the queen of the house. She prance around the apt with her tail up high like she owns the place. At bedtime, she will reserve her spot on our bed, so much so, Leslie & I have to limit ourselves to one corner so that she can sleep peacefully. Sigh..the things we do for her......

But, we absolutely love her. She always greet us when we come back home from work, provide warmth to us with her oh-so-soft fur, sit next to us when we watch tv and talk to us endlessly. What more can we ask for......

Umai-Ya, Damansara Utama

2008-09-01T16:29:00.011+08:00

I’ve had wanted to bring Leslie to Umai-Ya since I myself went there for a friend’s birthday quite some time back. However, the previous time I brought him there, we went at about 4pm. Little did I know, Umai-Ya is only open for lunch and dinner, and not in-between...hehehehe. So this time, we make sure we went at dinner time, 6pm!!!

Leslie’s first impression of Umai-Ya – where is the entrance??? ahahahaha. Yes, we are one of those idiots who could not locate the entrance…who knows the wooden thing with rattan thingy sticking all over is the door…duh….

But once we sat down & ordered, everything was fine ;- )

We started off with the Spicy Tofu Salad, nice but nothing spectacular.
Next came Roppongi Beef Maki. Who would have thought of putting beef on sushi. However the combination works & the outcome is this wonderful burst of flavor which is simply to die for.

We also tried Hawaii Maguro Sushi. Emm....I dunno, but the tuna is a bit hard (yes, I knw tuna is suppose to be hard...duh) and not that flavourful.
For me, a Japanese meal is never complete without Salmon Sashimi. I must say, the salmon are just so fresh. I can feel them melting in my mouth. So absolutely wonderful.

Leslie had a rice dish, Oyako Don. Chicken, eggs, onions on rice. He loved it but, the eggs were a bit raw so, I skipped that.

Finally, dessert, wasabi ice-cream!! I didn’t really know what to expect but, much to my surprise, it was actually quite good.

All in all, a great night out. Excellent meal, not too heavy but oh-so flavourful.

My first time...... ... in Bangkok...

2008-08-21T13:21:00.026+08:00

“What???” my friend remarked “your first visit to Bangkok & you spent the entire time at Patpong??? naughty, naughty…..”
But seriously, to those who know me, I am definitely NOT the naughty type ;- )
My first trip to Bangkok and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Shopping, eating and more shopping. What else could a self-confessed shopaholic like myself ask for.

The moment we landed, we check-into our hotel and off we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market for some retail therapy. Chatuchak Market is definitely a must go, they have a huge selection of clothes, pottery, spices, paintings, furniture, books... you name it & they'll have it. It is absolutely amazing. A word of caution, that place is like a sauna. With the heat, scorching sun and huge crowd, it can get a bit unpleasant

Besides Chatuchak, I also had a ball at MBK Shopping Center, which is a cross between Sungai Wang & Petaling Street..heheheh...my kinda of place.

One of my friends said Siam Paragon is a must go – but it basically reminds me of our own Pavillion (ie, filled with expensive and unafforable items). We just had our lunch at the food court, which looked fabulous and the food prices are damn reasonable.

As for food – I just had an absolutely marvellous time sampling Bangkok’s street food. Cheap and really good. (& no, I did not get food poisoning) The best part is, they are available everywhere and at anytime of the day. It is just so amazing.

What facinates me most about BKK is the city itself, which has a myriad of things. We can see street food being sold in front of restaurants. Temples near shopping centers or office buildings. There is a sense of modernity and tradition but everything seems to co-exist very well together.

Will I go back? Absolutely YES. In fact, I am trying to get free AirAsia tickets now :-)

Mr.Ho's Fine Food - Mid Valley

2008-08-11T12:00:00.027+08:00

Sunday breakfast is often a slow and lazy affair for Leslie & I. We just want to sit in a quiet restaurant, read newspaper and enjoy some good food. Originally we wanted to go to Marmalade, Bangsar Village 2, but since I had some errands to run at Mid Valley, we thought we should have breakfast there instead.

After much walking, we finally decided on Mr.Ho's Fine Food. Well, I actually saw their breakfast menu - Mr.Ho's Real (Porky) Breakfast Set consisting of 2 eggs, bacon, baked beans, sausage, sauteed tomato and wholemeal bread and unlimited refill of italian coffee or tea for a RM16.90 ++ and was immediately sold. As for Leslie, he wanted roast pork, but was informed that they will only be ready at 11.30am :- ( so he too ordered the breakfast set.

We had to wait for quite some time for our breakfast, but, when it arrived, I knew the wait was worth it.

Thick succulent sausage (yummm), eggs with runny yolks, perfect to dip our bread into and tomatoes sauteed to perfection. Everything was just perfect!!!

To top it off, the mgr, Anthony, kept us entertained with hilarious stories about the perils of selling pork at Mid Valley, which made our trip even more enjoyable

Before we left, Anthony mentioned that Mr.Ho's at Mid Valley will be relocated to Solaris, Mont Kiara by 16 Aug 08. Check out the flyer.

Leslie & I will definitely check out

the new venue when it opens. Just look at my plate, that will give you an idea how much I enjoyed my breakfast ;- )

Pet Peeve # 1 - People who are late....

2008-08-08T10:22:00.018+08:00

Don't you just hate it when someone is late? +/- 5-10 mins is ok but anything more than that, to me, is unacceptable.

Generally I get frustrated when people are late, because it indicates that they do not respect my time. What makes their time more important that I have to sacrifice mine?

What made me write about this?

Yesterday I had a meeting with a certain someone, who made me wait for 1 hr 30 minutes before seeing me!!!!! Terrible, isn't it? When I relate this experience to a friend, later the same day, her first reaction was "& you didnt walk out and leave??????" She knows that I am known to just pack up & leave meetings/appointments if the other parties do not show up within a specific time.

Subsequently when that person arrived, at least, he had the decency to apologise, that helped a bit.

( I used to have a friend who thinks its ok to make me wait for 1+ hours, no apologies, nothing - well, save to say, that person is no longer a friend!!)

Time is something everyone has equally of - 24 hours in a day, so dont waste other ppls' time.

A word of advice, The next time, if you're out to meet me & you cannot be on time - BE EARLY!!!

A New Toy.

2008-08-04T10:19:00.008+08:00

"Enjoy your new toy" - that was what the salesperson's remarked to Leslie after we completed our purchase.

So what "new toy" did he finally get for himself?

The Bose® SoundDock® digital music system

For me, its best features are:-

1) it is black (yup..black goes with everything ;- ) )

2) it has a remote (reducing walking time....)

So, are we enjoying our new toy, one may ask.....hmmm......it will be good if someone can just get it out of the box .... currently it is lying by a corner in our study room!!!!

An English Afternoon at Olde Smokehouse...

2008-08-04T10:16:00.065+08:00

I love Fraser's Hill, wonderfully clean fresh air, cool weather, peaceful and tranquil, the perfect getaway from the hustle & bustle of KL.

And The Olde Smokehouse is a must whenever we are there.

As usual, when I entered, I was immediately greeted by the scent of fresh lilies.

The place was quite packed compared to the last time I was there.

We were there for their Devonshire Tea, which consist of 2 freshly baked scones served with strawberry conserve, fresh cream & heavenly butter plus a cup of tea, of course.

Despite numerous visits to Olde Smokehouse, this was the first time I had a chance to walk around the surrounding ( & that's because we had to wait 40 mins for our scones).

I must say, the surrounding is very English. ...

With the cool breeze and relaxing atmosphere, I felt like I was transported to an English countryside...hehehehhe

As we were settling the bill, I noticed some homemade almond & chocolate cookies for sale.

RM5 for 5 yummy cookies. Who can resist cookies, right?

Watching 2 Movies Back to Back......ouch....my butt...

2008-07-29T16:34:00.009+08:00

Frankly speaking, sitting thru 2 movies back to back is not my idea of fun.

However, since Leslie's company was nice enough to book the entire cinema, for staff & their spouse (hurray...) & children, to watch HELL BOY 2 & HANCOCK......how can I say NO to that :-) plus there were also yummy popcorns & cokes.

Let's get the review started.

HANCOCK - unbelievable..yup, that 1 word basically sums up the entire movie. 2 "beings", when together become human but when apart possess super human powers......jeezz......

But all is not lost, Charlize Theron looked absolutely fantabulous......

HELL BOY 2 - I dunno, but a story about someone/ something wanting global domination by unleashing unearthly army just does not appeal to me.

Over dinner, we agreed that the 2 movies just lacked a certain something. There were "feel-good" and funny moments, watchable but only when you've nothing else better to do!

Next stop : Dark Knight

Finally.....

2008-07-29T12:21:00.018+08:00

We have had this blog for the longest time, but getting it up and running is another story......but, phew.....finally, it is up.

Now, time to sit back & see just how long this will last.....heheheheh....

In the meantime, enjoy a sneak peek into our life.