Friday, February 11, 2022

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner At San Jose 2022

TABLE FOR FOUR...

We had our own reunion Chinese New Year dinner on Monday evening.... we made a simple one, just hot pot at home.  All we have to do is to clean the vegetables, get everything defrosted... and the hot pot boiling with a packet of seasoning.  They sell a lot of hot pot seasoning over here, from tomato soup to shrimp and chicken soup, I just threw in the whole packet of paste.  No doubt not so healthy but it is so easily done.... 

As usual, Chinese New Year won't be CNY without a plate of Loe Sang... 

No crackers so I put in a few pieces of Tacos... LOL...
Most important is the sauce.... 
The apricot, plum sauce and honey makes it right....
And our dishes for the evening.....
We ate too much shrimps the day before so we omitted for this evening....
Simple and yet satisfying meal for our Reunion Dinner....

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Tips To Prepare For Home Inspection

 Tips To Prepare For Home Inspection


If you are selling your home, you might not think that a home inspection is worthwhile; after all, surely the property market is booming, and you’ll be able to sell your house, apartment, or condo without any problems, so why undertake a property inspection at all? 

 

The reality is that, although property is selling, there is also a lot of it on the market, and buyers can have their pick of what they want to buy and where they want to live. If it came down to a choice between your home and another that had had a property inspection and therefore could pass along all the essential information a buyer might need, yours could be left on the market, even if the truth is that your property is a better buy. With this in mind, it’s crucial to ensure you are ready for a property inspection when yours is due. Read on to find out more. 

 

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

 

Check First

Although any major issues will undoubtedly be found on a property inspection, this is not the ideal time for a homeowner to find out about them. Not only would it be a shock, but it could also knock thousands off your asking price, be costly to fix, or even mean you can’t sell your property at all until you fix the issue. 

 

Therefore, before the property inspection – and ideally before putting your home on the market – make the necessary checks yourself. Look for electrical issues, plumbing problems, a leaking roof or flooding basement, mold, and insect infestations, among other things. If you already know about the problem, you can put things right before the property inspection, or engage specialists such as water remediation services, to help you, thus giving you a clean bill of health that buyers will appreciate. 

 

Get Professional Help

If you haven’t ever sold a property before because you were a first-time buyer previously or it’s been a long time since you last did, and therefore since you last had a property inspection carried out, the best thing you can do is get professional help. Speak to your real estate agent about what the inspection will entail and how you can best get your home in good condition to meet all the requirements to pass the check. 

 

This advice is invaluable. Remember, your realtor is someone who has vast experience in property of all kinds, and they will know exactly what sells and what can prevent a sale from taking place at all; they will have experienced it all. This is why they are the ideal people to speak to about your home inspection, and you can rely on their advice to ensure you get things done the right way. 

 

Don’t Ignore Minor Issues 

We’ve mentioned that it’s a good idea to look at the major things that might be wrong in your property, but don’t forget about or ignore the more minor issues. They can be just as problematic when it comes to selling your home and will need to be addressed. 

 

Minor issues include:

  • Ensuring your doors close and lock properly

  • Fixing peeling paint and wallpaper

  • Carrying out some exterior maintenance to improve curb appeal

  • Weeding the yard

  • Updating old appliances 

  • Changing broken bulbs

 

All of these things can make a difference, and if everything is in perfect working order, even things that it would be easy for a new home buyer to fix, the property will pass the inspection and be sold quickly, assuming the major issues aren’t a problem. 


Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Our Chinese New Year Celebration On Sunday

PRELIMINARY ROUND of CHINESE NEW YEAR.... 

There is no public holiday for CNY here in US, thus my kids have to work through this festive season.  Instead we celebrated few days earlier, during the weekend instead of Tuesday.  They invited one family over to join in our dinner which was held at 5pm.... 

Our cooking started in the morning and we were proud to present the following dishes, all made from scratch... LOL... I would never have done these dishes by myself... with the cooperation from my daughter-in-law, I think we did a pretty good job?  LOL... Just complimenting ourselves!  LOL... 

Our own homemade Loe Sang.... 
Consists of cucumber, radish, carrots, smoked salmon... and raisins!
No Kacang Puteh sold here... so we used Bali fruits and fried wanton skin... 
We also made our own sauce... Plum, apricot, honey.... 
Our own homemade roasted pork and roasted chicken....
Oh, we made our own Char Siew as well... BBQ Pork.... 
Three in a platter...
Mixed vegetables...
And the main attraction is this Poon Choy.... 
Never expected we could make this so well...
Ahem... sorry, can't help it... 
LOL... 
Maybe I do this again next year... or perhaps on any other day...
Does not have to wait for festive season, right?
My first CNY meal here in San Jose....







 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

How To Be Sure A Used Car Model Is Reliable

 If you’re about to buy a new car for your family, and you want to make sure you’re getting an affordable model for the value it’s worth, you’re going to be heading down to the nearest second hand dealership! However, before you agree to buy anything, you’re going to need to double check the reliability of the car model in question. 


After all, no matter how you’re going to use the car, whether you’re just going from A to B or you’ve got a lot of traveling to do, a car’s reliability factor should be at the top of your priority list. And when you buy used, you’ve got to go the extra mile to ensure you’re making the right decision! So to help out with that, here are some reliability related pointers to keep in mind when you go car shopping. 


Pexels Image - CC0 Licence


Check on the Brand (and the car’s!) Reputation


First off, check out the brand of the car and their reputation for reliability. Have they often had to recall parts, accessories, or even entire vehicles? Are they known for making family cars? And have you ever owned a car from this brand before? What have your personal experiences been like before now? 


Once you’re sure the brand is just fine for your needs, it’s time to look into the car itself. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do to investigate a car’s background, origins, and what it’s been through up until the point where you bought it. It’s a good idea to get online, as many car advice websites and even government portals will allow you to tap in a car’s licence and/or registration to find out more about it. 


How Does it Handle?


If you’re able to, take the car you plan to purchase for a test drive. Make sure you get comfortable behind the wheel to see how it feels and find out what the handling of the car feels like. Take your time on this test drive to test out the way the car starts, how it feels when you pull to a stop, and what happens when you suddenly brake, and then get out to perform a little roadside inspection. 


What are you looking for here? Any visible or tangible signs that the car isn’t performing up to standard. Check out the tyre pressure, and make sure you open up the bonnet to see what’s going on inside. Do you see signs of major wear and tear? Is there a weird smell coming from the engine? How does it feel to the touch? When you’re driving, does the engine sound weird, or louder than it should? 


At the same time, check out how the car generally looks. What’s the paint work like? Do you notice any dents or chips or even a crack somewhere? Are there spots on the car where it looks like it’s been repainted? If so, you’ve got some questions to ask the seller when you get back again! 


Get a Mechanic’s Opinion


Did you know you can get a mechanic to inspect a second hand car before you buy it? Known as a ‘pre-purchase check’, this is a great way to ensure you’re getting your hands on the right car for you and your family. With a mechanic’s approval, you’ll be far less likely to need the services of a Car Accident Lawyer, and you also won’t waste money on a dealer’s possibly inflated price point! 


Of course, if you’re a bit of an expert in cars yourself, you can forgo this inspection and just check around the vehicle yourself. However, it can be easy to miss a detail or two when you’re trying to inspect in a car lot, especially if a sales representative is nearby with some distracting questions for you. 


But if you do pay for a pre-sale inspection, be sure to work with a mechanic you trust, and read the terms and conditions of the mechanic check very carefully. They may not look for everything when conducting the check, which can then cost you a lot more in the future. They may even charge extra for specific checks, such as vehicle history, which you won’t know unless you read through the fine print. 


Any used car you’re interested in could have a chequered history. Get to know more about the car before you buy it using tips like those above; it’ll save you time, money, and a potential argument with the seller! 


Saturday, February 5, 2022

Cookies For Chinese New Year 2022 In San Jose

MISSING IN BLOGGING AGAIN.... this has become a norm now ever since I arrived to this continental... LOL...

Now I understand the word of Full Commitment when it comes to taking care of baby... seriously, I have to be fully commited and occupied by this little cheeky fella who is now going to be his 10th month soon.  Wow... time flies, when I first came, he was just slightly over four months... that being said, it is soon time fo rme to pack my bags and leave.  LOL... My 6 months being a babysitter is soon over... and did I say I can hardly wait?  NO, NO... I love my job here and I am going to miss my baby tremendously!  I only don't miss his cries!  LOL... 

OK, by the time I write this post, Chinese New Year is over, it is now the 4th day of CNY.  Two days before the Lunar New Year, my daughter-in-law and I cooperated fully and baked a few types of cookies.  Looking back at these pictures, I dare say that we did a good job... not on the cookies but at least we had a great time bonding and cooperating, both of us are actually quite fast!  LOL.... 

So what did we do?

Pineapple cookies!
She did the pineapple jam and I did the pastry....
Though I used two sticks of butter, the pastry was not buttery but soft and melt in the mouth..
I will definitely use this recipe again... 
It is featured in Rasamalaysia and from one of the bloggers... 
Peanut cookies with cashew toppings.... 
I like this recipe too but I forgot from which one...
Must google back the recipe... 
The cookies just melt in the mouth... 
Not that I want to compliment myself... hahaha....
We did these cornflakes with cranberries... 
Florentine cookies.... 
My DIL likes them...
Just egg white and sugar and they stick to the molds... .
And lastly and not least, I have to do these....
Couldn't find them in the supermarkets...
Anyway, it is quite easy to do as long as the oven is free... 
A very meaningful bakes this year indeed... LOL... 

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...