The Mystery Of The Missing Letter

Each time my girl applied for scholarships to respective companies, I would help her to send them out by courier.  I normally use "Fast Post" to courier down the documents and I take granted that they will reach the destinations safely.

But it is not so.....

As I was tidying  up my office drawer during lunch time, I saw the receipts.  Out of curiosity, I logged into their website and keyed in the tracking number one by one.

To my shock and dismay, there was one document that was not delivered successfully!   And that was dated in May this year..... Too late to do anything.... my fault for not checking earlier.... I wonder where the documents has gone to.... I checked the address of the slip, they were written correctly... till today, I do not know why it was not delivered...

One question... Does the courier company inform the sender if the document is not delivered successfully?

1/11/2013
Latest Update :
I called up the Pos Laju, it seems that the tracking cannot be done after 3 months from the date of sending.  Since my letter is in May, they already deleted the record online... but the staff on the line checked the tracking number for me, the document was successfully sent and received!

Summary:  Not the Fast Post's fault but mine cos I only tracked it yesterday..... Sorry!!

First Time To Canton-i, AEON Ipoh

Heard much reviews about Canton-i but I have never tasted the food there until only recently.  It was a Sunday and I need to drop my girl back to her university.  Since we have to pass by AEON Station 18, we decided to have our dinner there, let her eat full-full before going back to her hostel.  To avoid the crowd and queuing, we reached there around 5pm.... true enough, no queues, no crowd and service was fast too! 

For my girl, it was the second time and she knows exactly what she likes... so I leave the ordering to her... and these are what she ordered....

Fried raddish... both of us like these...

I wouldn't mind having this again....

Wait till I get my pay... LOL...

 

My girl ordered porridge with century eggs... 

The broth was very smooth... 

 

My girl knows I love this.... 

The noodles are very springy...

The Roasted Pork is crispy... the two Wanton-s are tasty....

Another one of her favourites not to be missed...

Mini Egg Tarts.... flaky and fresh...

 

We can really eat, right?? 

How to budget when it comes to food?

Our fabulous dinner in Canton-i make me think twice about retiring now... hahahaa....

Canton-i Restaurant

AEON Ipoh Station 18

Pasir Puteh, Ipoh

My Qualms On Retirement 2014

I have been seriously thinking about retiring next year. I have even informed many of my colleagues and friends that this is what I am going to do early next year. Once I submit my optional retirement documents, there will be no turning back... but of course, I haven't submit as yet. I have plans to submit in January and retire in August or so..... but then....

After the budget announcement, I am having qualms of my intention.  First question, can I survive with comfort with just half of my current pay?  Petrol has risen, then sugar and one thing will lead to another...

I love Food... I love traveling... if I retire, will I be able to enjoy what I am doing now?   I think I have to tighten my belt a bit and fly less...

Out of 10 persons I asked, not even one of them encouraged me to give up working for good!  Oh, wait a minute, not true... the only ones that encouraged me to retire are actually my own Kids!!   But once I tell them that they should give me a fraction of their salary, I wnder whether they will change their mind?  hahahahaa.....

Will I have the luxury to devour in these temptations anytime after I retire for good??

My Food View On Budget 2014

Budget 2014 has been announced... how will it affect me in any way?  Yet to be seen but one thing for sure, more people will be wary about how they spend from now on and that includes me..

This morning I took out RM10 for my breakfast and the remainder I had after the meal was only RM2.20.  Meaning to say, one meal is almost RM10 for one person, a bowl of noodles and a warm barley drink.  That is it.  Lunch is not included... if I were to go for lunch, there might be another RM10 gone.. so meaning to say in one day, I alone will spend around RM20-30 if I were to eat out for 3 meals in one day.  But being me, I normally take breakfast, skip lunch and take dinner...

Imagine a family of 4, how much does one need to feed them?  Let's me put the minimum rate of RM20 per person for 3 meals... multiply it by 4, it will be around RM80 per day for 4 persons and for one month alone, the food expenses will come to a whooping amount of RM2400!  And that is just on food alone... minimum rate.. no Big dinners or yummylicious ones...

I am just talking about food, I dare not think of other expenses....

For a middle income earner with a family, it is really hard to make ends meet....

Malaysia is indeed not cheap to stay anymore..... one can hardly buy a decent meal with RM1...

It is indeed disheartening to read the papers from now on... everything seems to be hiking up... sugar is no more subsidized... in a way, we should be cutting down on our sugar... less diabetics in Malaysia from now on.... hopefully!

my lunch...

oats with orange...

I am starting to feel the pinch now... Got to spend within my means... Thought of retiring next year .... But now seems to be having second thoughts..

Kinta Riverfront Walk, Ipoh

If anyone were to visit Ipoh and asked me what to eat, maybe I can tell them a few places... but if they were to ask me where to go for tourist spots, I have to crack my head.... I really do not know which place is attractive in Ipoh other than Food and Food.

But last night I discovered a new place... though not really attractive or something to shout out loud, it is still worth going especially during the night.  This so-called place is just opposite Kinta Riverfront Hotel.  Recommended to come here especially after a heavy dinner and need to shed off the calories... LOL...

 At the entrance of The Sands Bistro Cafe,...

Just opposite the Riverfront Hotel... 

If I've known earlier, I should have brought my camera along...

But now have to make do with my old phone iPhone 3 only!

Kids and adults alike... all having a good time here though it was after 10pm...

I must bookmark this place if there is another reunion with the Golden Girls... LOL...

Good to shed off some calories here.. walking up and down and opposite the river bank...

 

wahhhh...very glaring!

Something like I-city in KL?
Not sure, I haven't been to that place...

 

If only there are more events going on here...

Still a lot of improvement to be done...

The place is still not fully occupied yet...

Nevertheless, coming by during weekends should be safe....

Will come again when opportunity arises... 

Hope by then, there will be more Happenings in this place... 

Kinta Riverfront Walk

Jalan Lim Bo Seng

30000 Ipoh

Cooling Days Ahead With Kulcar

Weather is really unpredictable these days, some days it can be extremely hot and other days, it pours the whole night through.  But when the weather is hot during the day, even my car air con is affected in a way.  I have to switch it on full blast to keep the heat away from the car which is parked under the hot sun daily.  In doing so, I have to spend more on my petrol and the recent hike in petrol prices have added more expenses in my monthly expenses.  I really have to think of a way to cut down my monthly petrol consumption and at the same time, be able to enjoy the coolness of my car under the hot sun.

I am glad to say that I have found a solution to cool down my car and at the same time, it cuts down my petrol consumption in a way.  My friend recommended me to use Kulcar, she has installed one in her car and she loves it so much. 

Here it is... my own Kulcar!

 Can't wait to try this out!

 Must read the instructions carefully... 

Looks complicated to me but to my amazement, it took me less than 10 minutes to fix it up!

So what actually is Kulcar? It is a car device invented to harvest solar energy and at the same time, it is environmental friendly. Manufactured and produced by Sonray Technology Inc website, Kulcar Solar Powered Car Ventilator :-

•  patented design internationally registered
•  Made In Taiwan
•  Kulcar Solar Powered Car Ventilator 5 V high efficiency solar cell
•  Twin Turbo fans each with 17.3 cfm capacity
•  90sec total air replacement for average car
•  Reduce fuel consumption
•  Reduce hazardous fumes emitting from plastics under high heat
•  Added Comfort to passengers
•  Maintains car interior in like new condition
•  Kulcar Solar Powered Car Ventilator pivotal design for easy installation and storage

For instance, living in a tropical country, the temperature inside a sealed car under the blazing sun for the whole day can quickly exceed 80-90 degrees Celsius.  I read that when the temperature exceeds 65 degree Celsius, harmful fumes will like methyl, acrolein, butanone, toluene, benzene, propyl benzine,etc.,are released from a car's interior materials.These compounds are all known to be cancer causing poisonous chemicals.  Oh, isn't that kind of scary?

It is further added that careful testing has proven that the TVOC level of these compounds can exceed 12 times the cancer causing hazardous warning level when a car is parked under a blazing sun for only one hour. Cancers of unidentifiable origin have been the top killer for 31 consecutive years.

Volvo, a world leader in car safety has ensured that all new cars are equipped with the CZIP system as of 2013. When a car is parked under the sun, the CZIP system automatically pumps out the hot and hazardous air inside the car prior to the driver entering.Leading car makers are now concerned with not only driver safety,but also passenger health and safety.

 Here it is.. all fixed up!

Well, after reading the above and from their website Kulcar America, I guess we ought to take some preventions to avoid the hazardous from happening to us.  For now, I will use Kulcar in my car, let me test if it helps. I am surprised with myself, I thought I could not be able to install this technology stuff in my car but I eventually did!  Since I can do it so easily, any other kids or ladies like me will not find it a problem.  Trust me! hahahaha... Here is what I did...  

Tried it on my sister's car... she loves it!

The sounds of the fan blowing...
I also took a video with the fans blowing from inside
Here's the one from inside the car...
The fans are really "Sucking" the hot air OUT from the car...
Fascinating!
I have been using Kulcar for a few days, it has been blazing during the afternoons, just nice for me to experience the effectiveness of Kulcar.

After the installation of Kulcar...

Just a small fraction of it behind the driver's seat is most effective..

 I was at the railway station...

Parked under the hot sun...

 Went to town to have my lunch...
Parked my car for more than two hours...
Amazingly, when I got into the car, it was not as hot and stuffy as it used to be....

Having all these said and done, I am making plans to go for a short trip to the island, one of my favourite place of all times!!

Phew... this trip is going to be a cooling and comfortable one
because I have Kulcar with me all the time!

 Latest news updated on 15/5/2014 :  I just got to know that this Kulcar product is being listed in Kulcar Amazon, it is going on a cheap promotion rate now and for more details, the reviews from customers are available too. Check it out today!

Disclaimer: Our opinions are solely based on our own experience and may differ from others.

All By Myself In The Best Restoran, Ipoh

The Best Restoran, it is named.... but is it really the best?  :)

I went to The Best Restoran this evening for my dinner.  This is my second time there but I have not blogged about it before because then I did not know what the name was and secondly, I think I hadn't start blogging then...

But what I did know that this restaurant (Ipoh has many restaurants with or without air-con, they are also called restaurants) serves the most varieties of soups.  I am a soup lover, I drink any kind of soup as long as not too bitter... and since I am feeling kind of "soupy" this evening, I opted for this soup restaurant....

While waiting, I noticed these herbs displayed on the walls...

Anyone can tell me what those words mean? :)

Upon entering, I saw a few patrons having this on their table...

 

Feeling curious, I ordered one too..

Double Stewed Coconut With Scallop...

Inside consists of black chicken with lots of herbs and One scallop....
The soup has a nice coconut fragrant... something special a bit ... pricing at RM16

For myself, I ordered a mini claypot of Lemon Grass Chicken....

I love the lemon grass smell....

The chicken is beautifully marinated and soft... just nice for me...

Dipping them in "cilipadi" and putting them into the mouth... hmmm...

Satisfying... for a price of RM6

Well, that is my dinner...

The coconut soup is quite special actually...

It can be shared by 2 or 3 depending on how soupy you are...

As for me, I don't mind drinking it All By Myself...

The Best Restoran

Jalan Yang Kalsom

Ipoh, Perak

Famous Pan Mee In Chung Wah, Ipoh Jaya

No home cooking food last night, we went out for a simple dinner in Chung Wah open air restaurant in Ipoh Jaya.  My friends told me that the place here is famous for their Pan Mee, Cheap and Nice, that's what they used to say.. only setback is our patience.  We must be prepared to wait at least twenty minutes or so, depending on the days and the time.

Yesterday was a Wednesday, we waited around twenty minutes or so, I didn't really time it... anyway, I was not too hungry myself so I wouldn't mind waiting longer than that. :)  But one is too hungry, we can always order some fried chicken or fried noodles as a starter.... hahaha...

Simple open air restaurant...

 

Here is the stall that sells Pan Mee

 

We wanted to try the Soupy and the Dry type...

For soup, we ordered the flat noodles... (choe meen)

For dry, we ordered the finer type of noodles... (yau meen)

Don't be misled by the above picture...

The portion of the noodles are actually very BIG...

I couldn't finish one plate by myself... 

It comes with a bowl of soup with some greens and fish balls...

Beneath the noodles are the black sauce and the "lard" oil... 

that makes the noodles tasty, right?

I like their crispy fried anchoives.. but not the fish balls.. I can go without that...

As for the greens, they are "Sabah shu chai choy"... (something like cangkuk manis)

Overall, the Pan Mee here is worth trying out...

Especially their dry version...

Their noodles are kind of special in a way...

Pricing :  RM3.80 only!

Restaurant Chung Wah,

Selasar Rokam 11, 

Taman Ipoh Jaya, 

31350 Ipoh, Perak, Ipoh.

The Lost Dalmation

The other day I nearly add another flurry member to the family...Really, I nearly did...

It was drizzling that particular evening and I was in church attending a function in the concourse.  Then all of a sudden a flurry member joined in our feast... walking up and down... looking up at us with a sad face.  She was kind of walking direction-less....

She was looking very forlorn and scared...

Perhaps she has lost her way or maybe she has been abandoned...

Either way, she found her way to the church compound to avoid the rain...

Then my friend, Paul who is a dog lover went over and pat her....

Her body was quite wet due to the rain... and she must be pretty hungry too..

We gave her some porridge and some noodles... and she gulped them within seconds...

Uncle Paul is really nice... he took a dry cloth and wiped her dry....

Just look at her tail.... poor thing....so scared stiff...

Uncle Tan asked us to take her back.... he has a few dogs at home himself..

and he couldn't handle anymore....

I nearly wanted to take her home..... but who will look after her when I am not at home...

My Flurry Member at home already occupies much of my time...

Then the last I heard, someone from the church has "adopted" her and took her home...

Hope she does not have the sad look anymore....  

Kolo Noodles And Steamed Pumpkin Cake

By the time I reached home from office, my stomach was like "beating the drum" inside me.. Very quickly, I did all the necessary house chores and walked doubly fast to my mom's house... On the way there, my mind was filled with homecooked food.. any food will do as long as they are ready on the table! LOL...

True enough, to my amazement and surprise, I saw these two dishes on the table, all ready to be eaten!  What lovely surprises... I really appreciate my mom and my sister who are always springing up with something nice for dinner... 

 My sister was in the "cooking-new-dishes" mode ...

And she swooshed up a new dish for us to try...

Steamed Pumpkin Pudding!

She put lots of shredded pumpkin, dried prawns and chinese sausage... 

She even prepared sambal belacan to go with these... 

What a great combination!  

And now thinking back, I wonder how many pieces I took!!

On second thoughts, I better not count...

Lest I feel guilty

Ok, the above is for starters... LOL... 

My mom also prepared something...called...

KOLO NOODLES!

 

"Half-dressed-up" noodles... 

My mom made some special sauce to go with the noodles... 

But after "dressing it up"... it looks too good to resist!

This is my type of meal... 

Anytime... Anywhere... 

It doesn't have to be decorated to the fullest...

What I really need is a nice simple meal....

And I am fully Satisfied!