Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Four Friends' Meal At Keng Kee Restaurant, Rawang

WOKE UP WITH HEAVY EYES very early around 6am the next morning.  Couldn't get to sleep very well, maybe way pass my bedtime, or maybe different bed and environment, or perhaps it was my own "snoring" that woke me up, my room mates were telling me!  LOL... Alright, I accept the above, they are truly me.  Since we were up early, we got ready to go for our breakfast, contemplating over Kundang or Rawang noodles.... and eventually we settled for the latter.

I think it has been a number of years since we last went to Keng Kee for our meal.... at least 3 to 4 years ago.  This place is famous for the Hokkien noodles aka Tai Lok Mee or Thick noodles cooked with Yam.  Yes, only can find it here at Keng Kee in Rawang.  Another specialty is their Saito Fish Pancake and their Clams.  And we ordered the above for the four of us....
This is Keng Kee at Rawang.... pic taken in 2011... 
Their specials on the wall... 
The Saito Fish pancake... two different types..... 
Something crispier... fried Wantons....
Ginger Clams...
One small portion of Lor Mee... 
Best eaten with black vinegar.... 
And the Yam noodles with the Hokkien Mee... 
Portions for four of us... 
Not sure how much the bill is cos it was taken care by our hostess.... 
Thank you for the wonderful meal....
Till we meet again, Fren.... 


Buying An RV? Read This First!


If you’re thinking of buying an RV so you can go on some amazing adventures with the people you love, you need to make sure you know what to look for. You also need to make sure you have the accessories to make your time in the RV as amazing as possible. Read this if you’re on the hunt for the right RV!

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Think About What You Consider ‘The Essentials’ To Be
Many people say that they only take ‘the essentials’ with them when they get on the road with their RV, but this means different things to different people. Some will actually take the least amount possible, while others will pack up their RV with half of their home. You need to know what you consider your essentials to be so that you can buy the right sized motorhome.

What Kind Of Trips Will You Be Taking?
A motorhome trip to you might be a leisurely weekend jaunt, but to somebody else it might mean weeks on the road driving from place to place. You need to know how you’ll likely be using your RV the majority of the time so you buy the one that will last.

Don’t Expect Too Much Help From RV Salesmen
RVs are expensive, but you shouldn’t expect too much help from RV salesmen. Some have no idea what they are talking about, and some will straight up lie to you to make a sale. Make sure you research dealerships if that’s where you plan on going for your RV, to find the most reputable, knowledgeable one.

Go To A Major RV Show
Visiting a major RV show is the best place to go for your RV. Not only will you have the widest selection of RVs available, you’ll also likely get an incredible deal with lots of extras thrown in. If you plan to go to one of these, be prepared to part with your cash. However, it could be a good idea to wait until the last day of the show to make sure you get the best deal possible!

Make Sure You Have The Accessories You Need
When you get your RV, you need to make sure you have the accessories you need too. This can vary depending on what you do and how you use your RV. Some would never dream of setting off on the road without their coffee maker, while others make sure they look at rear view camera systems to ensure they can drive safely on their travels. Be prepared to buy accessories as well as your RV to have the best time on the road.

Make sure you do your own research and buy your RV from the right place at the right time. When and where you buy your RV will make a huge difference to price and quality. Teaching yourself as much as possible is key, because you can’t always rely on salespeople to tell you what you need to know! Come back soon!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Self-Driving Cars: The End of Road Accidents?

Earlier this month, Formula E's Buenos Aires ePrix event played host to a world-first: a race between two self-driving cars. The vehicles, which are destined, one day, to compete in the Roborace series, hurtled around the track at 115 miles per hour, but there was a slight problem – one of the cars crashed.


For autonomous car naysayers and technophobes, the incident was proof that the widespread adoption of self-driving cars is some way off yet. For fans of the technology, however, it was simply a blip; the kind of teething problems that you expect with any new technology. And what’s more, crashes are an unfortunate, but entirely expected, part of racing.


Image credit: Flickr


The opportunities


Even taking into account the Roborace crash and the other incidents that have disrupted the testing of self-driving cars, the industry still holds a great deal of promise. If the technology can develop quickly enough, we could see a world where accidents are a thing of the past. Where human error on the roads is a mere memory. Where individuals suffering from long-term disability can gain greater independence.


In addition, it’s important to put any high-profile setbacks into context. Self-driving cars are undergoing rigorous testing – Google’s autonomous vehicle has already covered more than 2 million miles. Although it is the accidents that make the headlines (not the miles of safe driving) they are few and far between and often result in no injuries – as was the case in the Formula E race.


The challenges


One of the main challenges that has to be overcome is the fact that the entire automotive industry, with its decades of history, would have to change substantially to accommodate self-driving cars. Already we are seeing traditional car manufacturers becoming more interested in software development in order to make the transition that would be required by the adoption of autonomous cars. Self-driving vehicles would also, in all likelihood, have some form of wireless connectivity to send data back to the manufacturer. This connectivity, however, also introduces risk – what happens in the event of a computer hack or malware?


Moreover, who is ultimately responsible if a self-driving car is involved in an accident? Car accident lawyers Mark K. Gray and Matthew L. White cite driver distraction, aggression, inexperience and similar causes for the majority of accidents. In a driverless world, who is to blame and how would insurance claims be handled?


Another challenge facing self-driving cars is the simple fact that humans are perhaps not quite ready to embrace this technology, even if it could offer stronger safety guarantees. For many, driving is an enjoyable experience and not one that they would be willing to give up without a fight. Comments made two years ago by Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggesting that self-driving cars could eventually see human driving made illegal won’t have helped matters.


So at the moment, it’s too early to say when autonomous vehicles will be packing our motorways and side streets. It is surely inevitable, however, that self-driving cars will one day lead to safer roads for all of us.

Wedding At Glo Damansara Restaurant, Petaling Jaya

ATTENDED A WEDDING DINNER AT PETALING JAYA... We drove a four hours journey to Rawang on Saturday to celebrate  my best friend's "promotion."  She has been my "buddy" since Form 1 and now she is being promoted to "Mother-in-law" ...So this dinner must attend one... no excuses!  LOL... A few of us stayed over at her house for we were given a task to be "receptionist" during the wedding dinner.  Yes, "aunties" like me were given the special job to welcome the guests, not SYT *sweet young things* but experienced elderly aunties, don't play play.. Anyway, whatever it is, we were dressed up to kill, young or old aside.   LOL...

And so...we were there before 6pm... The ballroom was beautifully decorated, photobooth at the front and fingerfood were displayed just in case, guests like us were feeling hungry while waiting.  Since we were early, we had the opportunity to take pictures and "fooled" around at the photo booth.  The photos were instant and we got a few for remembrance... Dinner started around 8.30pm and by time we reached home, it was over midnight.  A few of us stayed overnight at my friend's place and we did not get to sleep till after 2am!  The next morning, our eyes look something similar to the pandas'... LOL... Jokes aside... the wedding dinner was indeed a memorable one... so Happy for my friend!
Welcome to the Wedding!

Part of the scenerio at the entrance... 
Beautiful layout of the ballroom...
The main table.... 
Dinner on the Go!
Vain Auntie.... me!
Happy Moments with my classmates/schoolmates!
 Empat Sekawan....
CONGRATULATIONS to my Dearest Friend & her Family!!

Sunday, February 26, 2017

How to Negotiate Your Rented Condominium Lease

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While some condominium are going to be the ones that look like they belong on magazine covers, are always full and have waitlists, and even just sound luxurious from their names alone, the fact of the matter is there are too many apartments out there. Too many landlords even right now are panicking because they just don’t know how they can get additional tenants into their units, and so when it comes time to rent you may just be able to secure a property with a bit of negotiation on your side instead of just accepting the initial price. Think about the following options in order to lock in a great price at a great place.
Longer Term
As the Christian Science monitor lists, there are many ways to lower your apartment rental rate. However, while many strategies work for some people, others can be uncomfortable with complete haggling situations. One of the easiest ones to deal with is to simply put the efficiency and convenience back on the landlord by letting them know you would be willing to sign a longer lease if they were to drop the price. This might not be a major concession for you especially if you want to live there for a few years. However, for your property owner, they can avoid having apartment turnovers and minimize the amount of time that the unit sits empty or needs repairs if you were to move out.
The number one thing you need to keep in mind when it comes time to actually looking at properties to rent is the person on the other end will not only appeal to reason, but that they have a motivation as well. If you can find out what is driving their operation and know what their goals are, then you can capitalize. The interesting thing is that for the most part property manager and landlords just want to get people in units and avoid any additional hassle. If you tell them you will stay longer, the decreased turnover and stress might be enough to drop the rates.
Find a Property Off the Beaten Path
Another major point of view that you have to be aware of when you are searching for an condominium with PropertyGuru Singapore is that while everyone loves to live where the action is, you can save money by opening up your search and by trying to find properties that are just a few minutes outside of the fun. When you consider the landlords who have to try and fill units away from the fun, they may just be desperate enough to listen to reason and be flexible. They know they have an inferior product in that they are located far away, so as long as you are able to appeal to their reasoning skills and tell them you need a slight discount, they might just do it if it makes sense and they have vacancies.
Put Down a Higher Security Deposit
One of the biggest things you can do is to try and establish yourself as a more attractive renter up front. Whether that means putting down additional cash, showing your employment status and how it has been consistent, or even showing off your credit score, all of these things could make you look like less of a risk. If a landlord doesn’t want to deal with a deadbeat who won’t pay, and doesn’t want to have a problem within their walls because it will just cause more work for them, then you need to show them right up front how you will never be much of a risk at all. Let them know you don’t like to go out and party, you aren’t in a band or don’t enjoy loud music, and your favorite activities are reading and meditation. Anything that paints you in a positive light as an easy tenant who won’t cause problems would be the best strategy for you to pursue.
Trading Work for Rent
An interesting article on Kiplinger suggests that you can live rent free, but you would have to exchange work and services in order to do so. It’s an interesting strategy and may not be one for everyone, but if you have a bit of free time, some extra skills that can come in handy, and you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves now and then to get work done then perhaps you can save on rent.
From a basic living point of view this doesn’t mean you should expect to work a considerable amount and you won’t wind up getting completely free rent either for smaller work. However, if you could simply agree to do something like water the flowers in the morning, take out the trash from all of the neighbors, or even drive a shuttle one or two nights a week for the tenants without cars to get groceries, you could see rent being kicked off of the list fairly quickly. It might be a bit outside of the box for some people, but why not help out a bit with any of the duties or amenities that a potential apartment owns if it means you can save some cash in the process and keep more money in your pockets?
The key to getting ahead when it comes to finding a tremendous rental opportunity is just knowing to ask for more. There are more opportunities to negotiate in life than many people realize, and until you feel comfortable doing so then you will never be able to start racking up the major savings. If you are going to look for a new place (or even stay where you are currently), then you just need to become more comfortable with trying to think outside of the box and making sure everyone wins. Come up with a strategy that actually seems like it is beneficial to the landlord, and then you have found a way that you could potentially get the apartment you want for far less.

Friday, February 24, 2017

A Treat At Nyonya Treats, Perling

BEFORE WE LEFT FOR SINGAPORE, we took our lunch at Nyonya Treats in Perling.  It was after 1pm when we reached the place and the tables were all occupied.  Thanks to my in-laws, they went there earlier to book a table for the seven of us.  The lights are quite dim inside the restaurant, my pictures below also turned out darker than usual.  Anyway, the moment we sat down, we ordered our food and requested for the desserts to be served first!  :)  We were all yearning for the Durian Cendol which cost RM5 per bowl....
Fresh Durian flesh embedded beneath the mountain of ice... 
Must not miss ordering this.... 
My son ordered their Bubur Cha Cha for a change...
And it came out creamy and fragrant... 
Sweet Potato, Yam and Tapioca... all three I LIKE!
As for our dishes..... 
Or Hiang or Chicken Spring Rolls....
Rendang Chicken....
Two greens... Sweet Potato Leaves...
and Young Kailan... 
The Sambal Fish is a Must-order too...
For these six dishes with rice and desserts, the cost came to around RM180.
With tummies full, we drove to Singapore for a short visit.... 

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Our Spicy Moments At The Spice Kitchen, Johor

DURING ONE OF THOSE LAZY EVENINGS when Reanaclaire's kitchen was closed, we went for something different for our dinner.  AA suggested that we go to The Spice Kitchen since ND is a member there too.  Member = 50% discount.  LOL... So off we went and this time, our food came very fast unlike the other time, we waited almost an hour, maybe it was on a Saturday then.

The Spice Kitchen is a fusion restaurant, an authentic Indian-Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurant where traditional Hakka recipes are infused with Indian spices.... hmmmm... no wonder the menu shows a combination of both....

We ordered something simple for our dinner that evening for we do not want to tuck in too full, all of us seem to be "rounded" by now... LOL...
The boys did the ordering.... 
While I admired the layout in front of me.... 
Started off with Dry Cauliflower Manchurian.... 
Famous Kolkata tossed with spices...a bit sweet and spicy..
Indeed it suits my taste buds!
Mutton Curry....
AA wanted Lentils to go with the Naan....
Oh wait... there is another chicken dish...
I must have forgotten to take the picture... aiyah...
And we ordered dried fruits Naan.. they were good and we ordered another round of this...
Something sweet to go with the savoury dishes....
A picture before we partake our food... 
And our usual thanksgiving .... 
Couldn't remember the price, must be around RM60... :)
This is the place... The Spice Kitchen where all the spices are... :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Dinner At Tian Lai Garden, Gelang Patah, Johor

RECEIVED A MESSAGE from my cousin in Singapore stating that he will be coming with his family to JB the next day.  Great!!  I was all ready to welcome them and my cousin kept in touch with me all the way from Singapore till the customs.  After that, no more news from him... Alamak!!  His data must have shut off by the time they crossed over to Malaysia.  How eh... I have not confirmed where to meet and all that with him.  He also must have forgotten about the wifi when he drove over.

Anyway, I took the chance and drove all the way to AEON Bukit Indah, they surely have to pass by there on the way.  We did mention AEON but never confirm where and when to wait.  So I estimated... I parked the car and waited at the grocery entrance.  After some 15 minutes or so, a call from Messenger came in.  Phew... they were just outside AEON at Block D.  Great!! True enough, they did not have data when they came in to Malaysia and one of my cousin quickly subscribed to a plan just opposite the mall.  So all turned out well....

I took them for lunch at Tea Garden, just opposite... and after that, they came over to my little nest to look see and rest.... After a couple of hours, we drove to AEON again, this time to do some shopping and I also ended up buying a piece from Padini. :)  By then it was almost 5.30pm and my cousin suggested going to Gelang Patah for dinner.  Great!!  I have not been there before.... Let's GO!

We went to Tian Lai Seafood Garden along Jalan Leong Bee, it was the first time for them too, using Google Maps, it took around 20 minutes to reach.  Nice timing, no crowd yet and by the time we finished our dinner, the place was fully occupied.
My sengat picture of the entrance... 
Looks like it is a house being renovated to cater its seafood business...
All the dishes were recommended by the "Loe Sai" *Captain*
Curry Pork Ribs in Claypot...
My picture didn't do any credit to the tasty curry....
The curry was thick and not over spicy.... 
Their signature yellow beancurd.. it was yellowish inside... 
Maybe made from pumpkin.... I didn't ask... 
Spicy dry chilies clams.... 
Ching Loong Choy.... 
And the best was the Claypot Fish Bass... 
Thick skin full of collagen, so they say.... 
The meal cost around RM170 or so with drinks and rice... 
My auntie and cousins... 
Thanks for the treat, folks!!


Games Storming The App Place Today…

The Online Entertainment industry has grown drastically and is really omnipresent today. We have access to almost every entertainment virtually through our smartphones through the help of Internet of Things. This article talks about the various gaming diversions that have cropped up and are a top notch priority of the entertainment industry today. The Google Play store and the IOS are available for gamers to play all day on their mobile phones and smart devices.

Word games like Crossword, Hangman, Multiplayer board games like carom and family games like Monopoly are now available on these Applications for us to play at an ease from anywhere and anytime! This is so simple and economical the same time. We can enjoy a game of snakes and ladders and at the same time enjoy chess to improve our skills on the go. Socializing and play are now so easily susceptible that no one finds an excuse for boring gatherings or parties as well.

Popular virtual reality games like Pokémon-Go which recently stormed the internet and the gaming sector are examples of how fast evolving this industry is. There are several such virtual gaming and motion sensing game platforms open for gamers on the apps to enjoy and have entertainment on their hands. Online Bingo Games and the extremely enjoyed gambling and casino games are also app driven today and one need not go to casino halls to enjoy a game of black jack or 21. The famous scratch card games and bingo are so easy to play on mobile. One has enormous chances of winning online and websites and app based bingo games come with sign up bonuses and humungous cash prizes and jackpots.

Online gaming became more interesting for gamblers after casino was brought on the E-platform. This is likely to increase in popularity with new games coming up every day. So if you haven’t yet had your chance of enjoying online poker, bingo games or any other diversion- try today!

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Weekend At VivoCity, Singapore

LEFT FOR SINGAPORE after lunch in Johor and reached VivoCity around 3.30pm... It has been several years since I last visited Vivo Shopping, the largest shopping mall in Singapore.  We had to spend a couple of hours there before leaving for Changi airport... Every mall in Singapore looks almost the same to me, huge as always, crowded with people and sales everywhere.  LOL... I thought I would be holding my handbag very tightly but ended up buying some stuff all the same.  My handbag is still tight cos someone paid for me instead.... Thank you!!
After a couple of hours walking inside the mall, we came out to the Harbourfront....
Sentosa Island is just opposite... no, we did not go there...
We bought some Old Chang Kee curry puffs and relaxed here watching the train goes by...
A nice place to rest and relax.... 
Watching the boats sailed by, feeling the sea breeze on our face....
Then we got fascinated with these two teenagers... 
Who have no fear of water.... I felt Jelly-like just watching them.... 
They were doing some "Titanic" shots with the sea water just below them...
And we only left after they finished their shots.....
Just in case.... my son said..... 
Then we proceeded with our sightseeing on the Harbourfront...
A view of Vivocity from the other side... 
Yes, we ate, we walked and we ate again....
 
Soon, it was dusk and we left VivoCity to proceed to Changi Airport....
Bye Singapore!



Lunar New Year 2024 Before And After

TODAY IS THE SIXTH DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR.... And this is the day when I am now free to blog a few lines to activate back my blog after a lon...