Sunday, August 31, 2008

The Yester Years I

During my days, there were no shopping complexes in IPOH town, but we had only two (2) Emporiums, ie the IPOH and Perak Emporium. Most of our groceries were purchased from sundry shops. But now both the emporiums had already "disintegrated" and sundry shops too are slowly fading away....

I cannot help talking about my younger days... When I think back, how did we survive, it was a great achievement....kudos to my parents....My father being the sole bread winner, worked 2 jobs to bring home RM150.00 per month to feed and bring up 6 children and special award to my mum who was a good finance and home minister, for being so wise in the budget as well as in the upbringing...

All of us were brought up in one last room in the town house with a balcony overlooking the backlane. How did we sleep in such a small room? Nowadays whenever we talked about our younger days, we would laugh at how we survived then, with all the 'inconveniences' and the fear of cockroaches at night.

As far as I can remember, The man of the house, ie my father and my 2 brothers would sleep on the bed, my mum, me and my youngest sister would sleep on the floor mat and..... my 2 elder sisters would sleep outside at the corridor leading to the balcony. Stunned or not? haha.. Thank goodness for mosquito net, the lizards, cockroaches or at times rats were given no entry. :)

Anyway, that was only the sleeping part, there are so much to tell... endless.. I wanted to write all these down, slowly..... hopefully, one day, my kids, my kids' kids and great grandkids will be able to imagine how our childhood days were like...
and how blessed they are now.....



having the time of their life...with whatever they want....

Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Crappy Crab Dish

THIS MORNING AA and I went to Yik Foong Complex to repair his fren's printer. While waiting for him right in front of the main market, this scenerio caught my eyes. Aha.. its been a long long while since I last came to the main market and since having nothing to do but wait, I got down from the car and went up to see my crabby chums...


My old chums are the seafood, mainly cockles, lala and .....


these..... below....


my favourite chums.. (before)


after.... (sorry, chums)


my chums' companions...


all dumped in...
to produce

a crappy dish...

Friday, August 29, 2008

6 Question Taggie



Thanks Weng for this special TAG.

The rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then go to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? - A decade ago, it was kind of tough life. I was trying to make ends meet because I was suddenly left alone with 3 small kids ranging from 3, 6 and 9.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? - this is easy, I switched on the PC first thing, read blog, replied to blogs, think of what to write in my blog and now blogging on my blog.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Kacang Putih dan Hitam (nuts... all kinds of nuts to keep me sane)

4. Places I’ve lived: - All my life since baby till now, its IPOH all the way..

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire: - I'll say goodbye to Malaysia and hello USA... :)

6. People I want to know more about: - God and myself... ( I m still trying to find the real me)

Now I am tagging Hiongkongkiok, Raynebows, Sheng, Rose, Marly and Lis

Happy tagging... Have a Nice Weekend!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

AAAHHH!!! I'VE BEEN POISONED....

HELP, HELP,....I WANT TO ASK FOR A REMEDY to kick blogging habit...I accept ideas from sinsehs, doctors or even great grandmothers' antidote.

Just Now My Bestest Friend "blasted" me...WHY? Cos I have forgotten to do something for her, it was long overdue, she waited patiently for nearly a month ..(poor girl) and no action from me, very sorry ......(Am I that forgetful... *face down*)

"You have been poisoned!", she told me ..... Oh really? Have I?

"Yes, all you think of is BLOGGING ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT but you don't know.... BLOGGING HAS EATEN YOU UP INSTEAD!"

Aiyoh....really ah? Alright, alright, tonight no food blogging....tonight is HER in my blog...

If she sees this, I will be 'bombed' once more but I know she won't... she doesn't read my "poison" blogs ........*sly laugh*

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

One Is Lonely, Two is Just Nice, Three is too Many...

MOON CAKE FESTIVAL is around the corner and my kids don't have any excitement as I had when I was at their age. Maybe I didnt instill the significance in them when they were younger, all we did was buying and eating the moon cakes then. No lanterns or playing of candles in the garden as I did during my younger days. Even the lanterns of today are battery operated, plastic type unlike my days, it was all colourful transparent paper made into shapes of all kinds of animals.

Talking about this brings back old memories... I was brought up in a town house where we have balconies at the top portion. Those days parents in the 1950 and 60s have at least 6-10 children... (how scary) So imagine my neighbours' children left and right side, there would be around 18 of us more or less and we would be playing together, displaying our colourful lanterns at our balconies or at times we played along our five foot way in front of our houses. Never did it crossed our minds that we would be robbed or harmed or kidnapped during that time. It was just so peaceful and wonderful then.....

When I told my love ones about the fun I had those days, they couldnt imagine how it was... they don't have the scenerio of how and what our kind of fun we had then.... I can't blame them... Nowadays, most families in residential houses keep within themselves... safety and taking precautions against society come first....

Life is definitely not the same, the 60s, 80s and now 2000s... During the 60s, one couple at least have 6-8 or 10 children, very common sight.... during the 80s, dwindled to 3 kids, more than that, you will hear "wah, so many ah"..... and now in the new millenium year, some are opting for either 1 or 2 kids, some might want to adopt only and there are some who just wouldn't want to get married or all.....

Which one is you? :)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Around The Corner Shop...

TODAY I had lunch with my ex colleagues at our usual place along Labrooy Road, it is our "old place" (lau ti fang) ... We normally have lunch together once awhile to catch up with our updates, what is happening in my former office, but today the hot topic is on our country's politicians, there is a by-election today in Permatang Pauh under Penang. We had a lot to discuss about but then its confidential, we started to 'hush hus'h when we were talking about politics.... and at the same time we enjoyed our lunch get-together here....


the name of the shop...
meaning "Around the Corner"




3 types of steamed eggs...chicken egg, salted egg and 'century' egg


i like this dish, celery stir-fry with bitter gourd...


deep fried talapia fish indonesian style....


and of course not forgetting, my plate of rice... :)

Price is RM38.00 ie. less than USD 10.00...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Passion in Singing

SINGING IS ONE OF MY PASSION in life... blogging only started this year but I love singing ever since I was young. Though I m no soprano or madonna, nevertheless, with my croaky voice, I still love music a lot. So when my pastor's wife gave me singing lessons few years ago, I was so ecstatic and excited... she is really a good music teacher, teaching us how to use the diaphragm and not just singing with the throaty voice...how to breathe in and out... just like doing 'big business' if u know what I mean....


Methodist Church


the entrance...


practising the day before Sunday service...



If the clock turns back to the time I was 18, I might join the Malaysia idol and experience being 'kicked out' by Paul Moss, our favourite judge like Simon Cowell... hehe...

Sunday, August 24, 2008

She's My Mother

This evening it was raining quite heavily, I thought of cooking maggi mee at home. Then mama called me, wanted me to take her out for dinner. Feeling quite reluctantly, I drove over and picked her up... In my mind, I was still thinking of having a quiet meal at home...sigh.....

Anyway, to cut the story short, we went to this Florex restaurant in town, it offers only RM3.80 per dish, no joke... we went in, ordered 5 dishes for 4 of us and it came to only RM27.00..... so cheap la.. With all the nice decorations, beautiful chairs, big stage-like and with the cold grrrrr... air con, it was so worth it.

After dinner, we walked over to The Store shopping complex, holding mama in hand... she just loves shopping eventhough she doesnt buy much. But tonight she bought quite a lot, thanks to the big sale going on....

Later, when I dropped her off at her house, I was so thankful that I took her out. I regretted feeling reluctant earlier... she is my mama, she is in her 70s, how many more decades can I take her out? When she left just now, I could feel she was very happy with tonight's outing eventhough she has spent an amount on her shopping...

And no matter what, I as a daughter, should make her days as happy and wonderful as she wants it to be.... I hope and pray that I will be able to do more than that FOR HER.....

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Lunch At Kampong Bali, Tronoh

Went to UTP, Tronoh to deliver AA's laptop which was under repair last week. After the 45 minutes drive from IPOH, we were famished. I was very tired too, from 8am in the morning till 2pm, all my energy were nearly exhausted by the running of errands. AA took over the wheel when I reached there and he took us for lunch in this Kampong Bali, I have never been there before... It seems the chinese students normally come here for chinese food, at least some home-cooked chinese style... for those who miss home, this is satisfying...

Kampong Bali, a small village in Tronoh


we ordered shell seafood called "lala"


steamed talapia fish with mixed sauce...

kailan vegetables with meat...

and being 'chinesey', soup is a must... this is 'kau kei' mixed with battered egg...
Price ? Cost RM38/- Comments ? so-so, just a simple home cooked meal to satisfy hunger...

After our late lunch at 3pm, Andy and I rushed back to IPOH, my church singing practice was at 5pm... with the speed limit at 90kmp, we reached home around 4.20pm... now I m so tired... how nice if I have an Ogawa massage chair now... hmmm....

Please Slow Down, Time

Time..time....I m rushing for time.. another 20 min I got to leave for church... I been so busy from morning till now, eventhough it is a Saturday today... Rushed here and there, just came back from Tronoh after visiting my AA in UTP...ok,will upload the pictures later... got to prepare myself for church practice now....wait for me, guys...

Friday, August 22, 2008

I'm Dreaming Of A White...

MY PREVIOUS POST entitled Pre Wedding Lunch had many of my bloggers mistakenly taking me as the bride... Initially I didnt realise that... when they congratulated me, I was thinking my blog was great and wonderful (big headed me), then when one said I looked beautiful with that dress.......aiyoh.... then only I realise..... I am deeply amused indeed....

HOW I WISH I AM THAT YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL....awwww....

Anyway, I think I am 'young looking' (from behind) ... Perhaps one day, a white knight out there would sympatise with me and woo me once again..........riding on a white horse ......

HELLO....OI..., WAKE UP!!! TOO EARLY TO DREAM LA!!!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

PRE WEDDING LUNCH in TAMPIN

THE PRE WEDDING LUNCH was held at the most established restaurant in Tampin at 1.30pm. By then, we were feeling kind of hungry, that implicated the morning's dim sum breakfast were just not enough to satsify us ...

Ok, coming back to the topic.... The beautiful elegant Bride and the boyish yet handsome Bridegroom arrived at the restaurant...flashing their smiles of happiness and joy to everyone they see... They were so cheerful and so escatic throughout the function (well, which couple doesnt feel that way) and here's to wishing them......


GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS ALWAYS...

The Food...

I missed snapping the 1st dish..too hungry I guess.. this was the 2nd dish, in fact..


a delicacy consisting of scallops, crab meat and shark fin...


honey lemoned chicken


roasted duck


steamed promfret


fried prawns coated with honey


sea cucumber, scallops, mushrooms.. etc etc


this is not a cap...its lotus leaf 'embracing' the rice...

the lotus leaf being 'undressed'

After the lunch, it was already 3.30pm...patting our stomachs, we said our goodbyes to the happy couple and started our 4 hours drive journey back to IPOH..........

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Malacca Food In Jonkers Street

FOR OUR EARLY DINNER, (it was only 4pm), Lynn took us to eat chicken rice balls along Jonkers Street... the shop was still crowded eventhough we went in at such odd hour, well, nothing surprising if we are chinese.... have food will travel one...
I love the architectural surrounding of this shop, it looks like those ancient sword fighting movies...this shop's design is similar to my previous post...the heritage house....

the shop was really crowded... but food came fast, less than 10 minutes...


the steamed chicken with extras toppings...


these looks like fish balls, right? but they are actually chicken rice balls...
i couldnt remember how many balls i have eaten... oopps..



of course, must be accompanied with a plate of vegetables...

the display on the table...cost us RM32.00, quite cheap too

MORNING BREAKFAST was in Jonkers Street...haha..that was the only place within walking distance from our budget hotel. Actually we didnt know where to eat, just walked around and finally ended up in this shop selling dim sum. Well, looks nice but I still preferred IPOH dim sum anytime....(i m bias :))

here we come....

waiter, please....

what shall we choose??

these......(not enough leh)

plus these.... some were missing though..
anyway, it was cheap eating here...only RM22.00

Monday, August 18, 2008

From Back To Front....

WE ADJOURNED TO MALACCA after the home cooked lunch...Lynn took us to see her auntie's house behind Jonker's street...it is an old heritage house, we were very fascinated because of its length, it is a very long house built to accomodate the entire clan family during those olden days. Now the house is practically empty... Lynn led the way through the back lane, like thieves..... ...shhhh......shhhh.....

one young lady leading the way...


from the back door


chopped woods for cooking...


anything cooked with this type of stove is anytime more delicious than gas stove


part of the kitchen


the olden days type of bed...


the well (not a wishing well though)


one of the staircase...there are at least 5 or 6 staircase..



one of the living halls...


another part of the living halls..


the tourists posing in front of the heritage house...

and finally the main road in front of the house....

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