Home-Grown Cili Padi

The cili padi at my mom's house are bearing fruits. They look so ripe for plucking. Unfortunately, I don't like this type of chili because of its spiciness. Both my mom and Tusi love cili padi and planting them in the garden was such a good idea don't you think?

A Day Out with Dan & Patty

They have seen most of Penang, Malacca and KL. Where else to bring them?

We went to Mid Valley, a famous shopping complex in KL. Yeah, sounds boring right? Anyway, we thought that if we could come back early we could go to Jerom Toi to see the waterfalls.

Another disappointment. It was the 15th day of CNY. WHERE ARE ALL THE CNY DECORATIONS??!!!

We spent most of our time in bookstores,namely Borders and MPH. Then we went for our lunch...LATE lunch because it was already 3.30pm when we were done with the bookstores. We ate in Madam Kwan's and had some local food. Dan had nasi lemak with chicken curry, Patty had curry laksa, Esther had asam laksa and I had Char Kueh Teow. My Char Kuey Teow didn't taste as good as the ones by the roadside.

After lunch we went back to Seremban.

On the way we stopped by at the Nilai Memorial Park... just to "look see look see".

It was already almost 6pm when we reached Seremban and it was too late to bring them to Jeram Toi since we needed another half an hour to get there and by that time it would be too dark to take pictures.

We ended up eating in my mother's house and later Esther took them back to Frankie's place.

Chap Goh Mei 2009

We celebrated Chap Goh Mei one day early this year. Well, usually we will celebrate the weekend before the last day of CNY and this year happens to be the 14th day of CNY. Actually if you noticed my older posts you'll realized that we find any excuse to get together and makan (eat).

We started off with Lo Sang.

The food was cooked by all the aunties. Each brought a dish or 2. My mom cooked 3 dishes, Rachel made the sardine cutlets and I made chocolate brownies. Prior to this week, Aunt Annie asked (at least 3 times on separate days) if I was going to make any desserts. I said no because usually the main dishes were so good that many would be to full to have desserts.

On Sunday, the day of our celebration, I invited Dan and Patty to our feast. It was then that I'd decided to make the brownies. I baked it in my mom's house and asked Tusi to help me with lighting the fire in the older-than-me oven. When I was done with the batter, I put it in the cake tin and into the oven without realizing that the oven was set at 300 degrees celcius. After the stipulated baking time, I opened the oven door and to my horror, the cake looked shrunken and over-baked.

It looks worse than this, ya.

Since there was no burnt smell and the cake was more crispy than it should be, I thought I would just bring it to the party and if nobody wants them then I would throw them away into the rubbish bin.
To my surprise, many complimented me on the brownies. I told them that it was over-baked but they still liked the cake. Thompson even said he preferred this texture.

My brother's (yes, I do have a brother, although many of you have not met him before) birthday happens to be on the day we had the party, so we made him come back from PJ so that we could sing him a birthday song. :)

The Books I'm Reading Now

I kid you not. These are the books I'm currently reading.

5 books at in a period of time. Of course depending where I am. I think I will finish the Enid Blyton's book first then followed by Archie's and then Nora Roberts'. I am looking for Casino Royale's book. Anyone has it? Can pinjam (borrow) ah?

My Slippers

I'm not a fashion crazy person. Once in a while when something catches my eye, I will check if it's worth it to buy or do I really need it. Sometimes out of "gila-ness" (craziness), I will just grab and proceed to the nearest counter for payment.

I like unique and sturdy shoes/slippers.

Okay, this is a very old pair of slippers. I bought it in Thailand 1 1/2 years ago. It's still going on strong, much to my amazement. Usually my foot wear will probably last less than 6 months.

On the 29th of December 2008, I went shopping with Rachel and Min Chee. I bought a pair of slippers. Cost me RM37.90 less 20%. I was very happy about the discount but wondered how long this pair of slippers could last.

Not surprisingly, it lasted only 1 month month before something broke.

Two beads came off. Well, I guess I could either sew them on again or just stick them with elephant glue or something. Or.... (excited)...

I could buy more of the same kind... hehe.

Actually, right after I bought my first pair, Tusi saw them and said she liked it a lot. So two weeks later, I went to the same shop to get her a pair. It was on 50%. It's so cheap - less 50% off RM37.90. I couldn't resist buying another pair for myself (because I knew the first pair wouldn't last) so I bought 2 pairs that day.

It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of purchase and yes, I was a little crazy that day, but boy, was I glad I bought them .:)

Have You Ever Wondered

Have you ever wondered what will happen to you when you are old? How will you health condition be? Who be be your eyes, your ears, hands or legs? Will your mother be there to take care of you? Must you rely on your children or nurses to help you with your basic needs? Who will care for you when you are old and helpless?

Sometimes I do think of such things... but not for long because they are depressing thoughts.

Two weeks ago, the eve of CNY, Mctc's mom was warded in GH. She had trouble breathing and she complained of chest pain. Most people would think it was bad luck for her to be in the hospital during this festive season, but we thought it was a good time to be warded. Why? Because during the CNY hols, the visiting hours were longer. It made it easier for us to visit her anytime.

She couldn't move, well, not without help and she had no strength to feed herself. She was really very weak. I could hear her breathing in heavily and at times I felt like wanting to breathe for her too. She's only 72 going on 73, but yet she looked 10 years older.

She had (mild) lungs infection and it was a good thing we brought her to the hospital early because we were told that this infection could lead to pneumonia and death (seeing how weak she was) if we didn't care.

Anyway, she stayed in the ward for 5 days before she was allowed to go home and with some medication, she should be better in no time.

After 2 weeks, she's much better, but I don't know... she's so much weaker and hardly have any life in her. Like she's living for because she's not dead. Know what I mean?

Anyway, while I was at the hospital ward, I spotted this. Bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere at each bed, in the toilets and some along the walkways. I don't know when they put these. Must be quite recent because all of them were full. I'm just so glad that it's for the public to use and not only for the staffs. :)

Free Hair Cut

Last Monday, the guys had dinner in a restaurant near my parents house and they made plans with Voon Fui for a mah jong session in my parent's house.

The guys who came were Eddie, Steven, Steve, Mctc, Albert and Philip. Only Eddie and Steven knew how to play mah jong, so the rest of them chit chatted. My mom gave all the single guys an ang pow.

The guys who came were Eddie, Steven, Steve, Mctc, Albert and Philip. Only Eddie and Steven knew how to play mah jong, so the rest of them chit chatted. My mom gave all the single guys an ang pow.

After a while my mom was asking if Philip could cut her fringe because it was disturbing her. Philip is a professional hair stylist. He said he would and so they proceeded to the back kitchen.

My dad brought out his best scissors.. made in USA, probably purchased for USD10.00. I laughed and said that Philip uses a pair of scissors worth more that a thousand ringgit. Phillip corrected me and said some scissors costs more than RM2K.

And so he worked on my mom's fringe. After a while my mom ask if he could cut the sides of her hair.

Ended up he cut her whole head for free!!!! We had to make do with clothes pegs since none of us had proper hair clips.

We who were in the living hall joking said that he had to work for his ang pow. :)