jalan-jalan cari makan

On Diwali day, we took a drive to KL (the usual trip for book-hunting during holiday). Before we started book hunting, we dropped by Low Yatt Plaza and Sg Wang to get accessories for brother's sony xperia. We ended up by a new cover for my iphone and also headphones for Dan.

Then we headed to KLCC as the kids needed to check out Kinokuniya. Next destination...Sunway Pyramid. KC had to show me how to drive home from Sunway as I got lost when I drove Ma for checkup on Tuesday. Brother wanted to get me a GPS but I declined...I don't intend to drive around KL so I have every excuse not to drive if I don't know the way. Driving is too stressful.

Here are some pictures of some of the food we ate that day. At Sunway we went to Simply Penang for dinner. Was so hungry that I forgot to take most of the pictures.
This is oyster egg...nice. Oysters were pretty big.

Nyonya rice...I love this. Kunyit kembong (excellent), barbequed prawns (really good) a little of prawn shrimp sambal and turnip at the corner. There was also a small bowl of curry and sambal belacan. Lyn and I shared this plate of rice and we enjoyed it totally.

I love drinking 'patpoh ping' when I was studying in Penang. So I ordered this patpoh with cincau and longan. It was so so sweet. The herbal taste of patpoh not strong enough. Maybe drowned by the cincau. So so...

Brother had asam laksa. He was choosing between this and prawn noodle and I insisted he try asam laksa because it is difficult to find good laksa in Seremban unless I cook. It's nice, very thick (mine a bit watery...maybe they add cornflour???) but not sour and spicy enough.

As for the rest of the dinner, I didn't take pictures but I think we enjoyed our meal here. Can visit this place again.

This next two pictures should come first but I messed them. This was our lunch which we too at Low Yatt Plaza. We saw Soup Express and the bread looked so inviting. So Lyn and I shared bread in soup while the rest took pasta and sandwich. The serving is not too big but good enough as we are not very big eaters.

Those square looking bowls are actually bread. That was the thing that caught our attention.

Soup in bread. It's placed on a tray. Cut the bread into small pieces and let the soup flow to the tray and soak up the bread. Fantastic. I love the soup and the bread. Definitely will come for this again.

spread hex tesselation

This is a form of tesselation. It takes hours and hours not to fold it but just to make the lines/creases. I see Lyn holding the paper from morning till night and it's nothing but lines. The next morning, she showed me the final product.

vegetables in her pocket...

She was searching her pocket, touching and turning it....Ing, get the vegetables for me...no response from Ing. Then..SM, get the vegetables for me. When I asked why she needed the vegetables, she couldn't answer me. So I touched her pocket and rubbed her tummy for a while but she wasn't satisfied.

Finally I asked Lyn to get me a carrot from the fridge. I placed it in her hands and asked her what it was. Cabbage, she said. She returned it to me and said she doesn't want it anymore.

Next she tried getting up. Asked her where she wants to go, she said she wants to go pasar to buy vegetable. Very confused today.
Ma returning me the carrot.

Malam Sejambak Kasih 2011

The prom night came and went. It was an extremely busy time for me; helping Vim with the prizes etc. Last year did the same job too. Hope this will not become tetap dan berpencen post. Ok...won't complain this is about the NIGHT.

The whole excitement started in the morning though it wasn't that exciting in the morning. The girls were dressed like Hollywood stars. I couldn't even recognise some of them. Amazing what kids nowadays do to look good.....hair, face, clothes......

I started dressing at 635pm and jumped into the car at 710pm. Got caught in a mega jam and reached at 750pm. A journey that takes 10min or slightly more took me....I reached the venue all jittery and nervous because the VVIP bouquet was with me.

When I walked into the ballroom, oh my.....dazzling sight. They must have started dressing themselves very very early. Good to see them enjoying themselves despite some hiccups.
The 5 Alpha girls and I. Look at how they dazzle beside plain me. Michelle Leong won the best dressed category, Sonia, Fathi and Faniza. I scold this class the most and get pretty upset with them many times but at the end of the day....it's for them that I get emo over and they are very gracious to me too...

Hehe....the older generation... Pn Yee joined us this year. Chan will be leaving us soon. Changes...

from big bad wolf to logos

The adventure started when I drove home from Nilai Spring Resorts yesterday. Spent a night there with KC who had to work. I was on the middle lane. A big truck carrying cars was in front of me and another big wheeler next to me. Suddenly I heard a loud bang....checked the rear mirror; nothing behind. Looked front, the truck with cars was swaying slightly and swerving to the left. As it moved to the left sparks were coming from the back left wheel. One of the tyre had burst. I moved to the fast lane and rim came speeding towards me; quickly moved in to middle lane again. Thank God cars at the back were quite a distance and the big wheeler was also alert.

Reached home, Nelda was worried. Ma was bleeding everytime she did her big business. I checked her potty and saw it looked quite serious. Took her to Dr Lim immediately. Nothing from the rectum; Dr Lim suspects it's from further in. Need to do colonoscopy. Ing and I will be working that out this week. The bleeding has stopped after medication but we need to know what is happening inside and treat it.

Then cousin CYean and her brother came with their spouses and her daughter. I just came back from the hospital. Ma was really happy to see them and could identify each one of them without mistake. Took them for beef noodles during lunch time. Immediately after lunch; KC called to say he is done and waiting for us.

Went home; packed the kids into the car and off we go book-hunting!!!!!!!

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale is in UPM. It started early in the month I think. Today is the last day. Totally packed with people and books. Can faint look at the books and especially the price. Kids went their direction, I went on my own and KC on his own. I picked a whole lot of books on Amish romance. At the end I had to select the books that have a complete set. Don't want to read books and not find the next book or the book before. The most expensive books I saw was RM10; kids books were as cheap as RM3. The most expensive book we bought was RM10. We bought 13 books for RM106. Dirt cheap!!!!!! Lyn was upset that we didn't come earlier because the titles which she wants are no longer there. We will start early next year...don't care about the crowd. We shall jostle and elbow everyone there to get to the books.

Next destination was Logos Hope. According to KC it's berthed at Star Cruise Harbour. As it was evening, we decided to have dinner first. Since we are going to Klang; I suggested Klang Bakuteh. Googled and found Klang Lek Bakuteh. Typed the address into google map and the light started blinking and showed us the way. (We used the same map to get to the book sale; pretty accurate till the end where it showed a dead end and we had to jump through some hedges and field to get to the building.)

I had to be the co-driver; reading the map and making sure that the dot was still blinking on the highlighted track. It wasn't easy especially if I had to read it from the opposite as I get the left and right all confused. I lifted the ipad for KC to see and he almost drove up a curb! Sigh....told him to get a GPS but he thinks I sound better than the GPS. We managed to get to the shop; after passing a temple and some villages.

The steaming hot bakuteh. The taste is different from what I am used to. It's not so strong; milder in taste and aroma but very nice. The only thing we missed was yauchakueh.

Jasmine tea is a must after eating so much oily meat. Ate lots of meat yesterday; earlier was beef.

We get to choose our own tea. There is a kettle on a stove next to us; so we can keep pouring hot water into the pot. Such practical way of serving tea. A satisfying dinner.

Consulted the map and off we go again....passing through a cowboy town.

Stopped at this traffic light. Above us is a highway. Next to us is a row of shoplot...the highway is almost touching the top of the building. What a way to build the road.

Following the map we ended up in a different place. Asked an Indian man and he said we had already passed the place...it's Glenn Cruise. It has changed name and Google had not updated it. Anyway, Google Map is not reliable to bring us to the actual destination. It can bring us to somewhere around the area but after that we have to figure our own way to get to the exact location. Finally we reached the harbour....yes...we remembered the place. We were there many years ago when Doulos berthed there.

Wanted to take a picture of the signage but somebody appeared suddenly in front of me.

It was past 7 when we reached. So the ship was lighted and bright. There was hardly a queue except when going up the ship. Guess it's late and the crowd has left.

The three of us before going up the ship. When we visited Doulos years ago, we bumped into Wong Kam Fook and his girls. We were in USM together.

Lots of books of a variety titles. Saw a few of the Amish books which were at BBW but it's more expensive here; by RM4. I decided not to buy any but Lyn picked up quite a few. The books are still cheaper than the local book stores.

Dan picked a book on how to play the guitar. Only 600 units, he said. 100 unit = RM8. That's RM48!!!! I watched him carrying the book all over. After a long while, I couldn't stand it anymore. Wonder why the father did not talk to him. I called him over; asked him to show me the book. Words and pictures on chords etc. Had to tell him that the father can teach him for free. And...with a book; it's even more difficult to learn. He plays the drum and the piano....with people teaching him. Of course he will learn the guitar with somebody teaching him too! Maybe I was a bit hard but I felt I was being fair and practical...knowing him the book will be a white elephant in no time.

Later when I asked the father why didn't he talk to the son, he said he did...he asked the son to choose wisely! Sigh...I'm always the bad person...putting my foot down.

MY books.........RM8 each. Amy Tan is for Chan...she likes Amy Tan's books.

Lyn's books........she spent the most!

KC bought a few too. Dan spent only RM8. He already has Rick Riordan's books; so no need to get them. Well....the book-hunting was really enjoyable. A most fruitful but tiring day.

freedom

There are two very free teens at home. Free from the major exams....UPSR and PMR. What do free teens do?

One reads non-stop his ebooks by Rick Riordan and keeps reading aloud interesting parts to whoever who care to listen.

The other is catching up on her comics in her ipod touch and also looking up new origami to fold.

Both will not dream of missing school. That's where the fun is...no exam, no studies...it's just play and fun!

graduation / prom night

Prom night...a very American culture. We see it on tv when the American kids finish high school, this is when they will have a final celebration with their friends in the basketball court or community hall which are transformed into a ballroom or dance floor.

For the past two years (I think) the school has been organizing this kind of do for the fifth formers. A lot of time and effort have been thrown into the preparation; including a whole week of rehearsal after school. Someone mentioned that it's almost like preparing the girls to meet the queen. Their clothes were checked to make sure they look decent. Shoes were checked too.

I try to put myself in the shoes of the fifth former. How would I want my graduation night to be? (Never had one as it wasn't the thing during my days).
a. First of all, my close friends and I must be in agreement that all of us would attend.

b. I would like to be given the freedom to choose my clothes; of course in accordance to the dress code. If my clothes are too plain or simple, would appreciate if no comments are made about them (look like the maid's clothes etc). Being a simple person and lacking in dressing sense; I would most probably dress very simply. But of course, constructive suggestions which will not incur more expenses would be most helpful.

c. Shoes....I may not even wear high-heeled court shoes. Probably a pretty sandal with slight heel which can be worn for all occasions.

d. Makeup and hairdo...well if there are friends who are willing to help me with it and let me use their makeup; I'll have my face coloured and what have you. (Remembered Irene doing my face when I was in Form 5....think a bit overdone; now that I look at the pictures. Didn't quite like looking at myself like that). Otherwise, lipstick would do.

e. Well, if this were to take place back home in Sitiawan; I would probably arrive at the destination on my motorbike! With the helmet on my head, whatever hairdo that I had prepared would have probably gone flat.

f. Most importantly the program. I would like to sit with my own friends. Enjoy a wonderful time of chatting, laughing and giggling. If there is entertainment; good and well. Shaking hands with dignatries would be great as it adds glamour and prestige to the night. But most important of all, I want a night where I can have good, clean enjoyment without the stress of making mistakes.

Tomorrow is the night the girls will shine and glitter. I hope they have a real good, enjoyable and memorable time.

making memories with 5 Theta

There are 27 students in 5 Theta 2011. A rather small class compared to the other Form Fives but the amount of noise, fun, craziness and mischief that come from this class is triple or more than the others.

Today is Stephanie's birthday. Stephanie is the class monitor; rather small girl who can be very stern and organized. Sai had been her hyper excited self since I entered for relief at 10.10am. With such excitement oozing from her; I'm not surprised that her planned surprise for Stephanie is no surprise at all. She was practically bouncing up and down her seat and moving about restlessly the whole time I was in class. On her face were written the words :STEPHANIE, WE HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!

Anyway, when I entered the class at 1.10pm, I was reminded again it was Steph's birthday. Since the PMR exam was over for the moment; I allowed them to sing Happy Birthday to her softly. But they went off loudly, clapping their hands and singing in four languages!!! Then at 2pm this funny group of girls decided that they need to go out to get THE cake. So I said aloud, 'Go get the cake quickly la...' How was I to know I was to be quiet about it? I thought everybody knew a cake was coming up soon.....so I leaked the surprise (which I think was no surprise at all to Steph).

The cake came in from the next class with another round of singing. They invited Pn Nallina (their ex-English teacher who has moved to another school but doing PMR invigilation here) to join them and she turned up suddenly to add more excitement. I went down to get tissue paper and ran up lintang pukang to take pics etc. It was indeed such a flurry as the girls couldn't focus on the Kedah Trial Paper 1 which I made them to do. Oh well.....it's Stephanie's 17th birthday and doesn't happen everyday...let them have fun. The birthday girl with her cake which Sai got from the shop last night.

Some of the girls....

Stephanie, Pn Nallina, Sai and myself....there was so much comments from Elya who was sitting behind. What a bunch of noisy, talkative girls...gave me a headache!

To Stephanie, Blessed birthday again. To the rest of 5Theta, it was fun just now and it is enjoyable teaching all of you. All the best in your SPM!