SHALOM AND BLESSED NEW YEAR 2013!

Counting down.....10...9.....8.........7......6...5....4......3.....2.................1 ....  Happy............



Alright, just kidding.. it is not time to 2013 at this moment of writing this ... took me an hour to get these done while watching Moonlight Resonance at the same time.... Multi tasking is indeed tough...  LOL.... 

No, I am not born in January but can anyone tell me what these alphabets mean?  DLMMJVS as in the calendar?  Funny, how come I didn't notice it earlier... hmmmm....

Well, I guess I am getting "un-younger" by minutes... being blur a bit is still excusable... LOL....

Okay, here's wishing all of you who come by here a ..............

BLESSED NEW YEAR AND MAY YOUR 2013 

BE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS AND GOOD HEALTH 

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!

 SHALOM!!

Durian Season Ending Soon

Good to have him back for the long weekend... whatever I want to eat, he readily agrees unlike my princess who is more picky on food.. hahaha...  so when I suggested durians, he said "Let's go!"  The durian season is going to end soon and near to my house, there are a few stalls selling these King of the Fruits.

I heard so much of those Branded Durians being sprayed with heavy pesticides so I opted for the "unbraned" ones, that is the originals.... and they are much cheaper too.... For just RM10, we brought home 5 small ones which filled up 2 plates of durians ....

 

 Andy performing the opening ceremony... LOL..

 

5 Mini Sized durians...

Bitterish!!  That is what I love!

AA, please do not "salivate"...

 I try to bring some for you next month... LOL...

Wedding Eve Buffet Dinner

My friends called me for badminton this afternoon and I agreed without hesitating. No, I have not hung up my racket yet, I still need it once awhile for "training" and "sweating out" especially tonight I have a buffet dinner in Gunong Rapat.

My cousin is getting married tomorrow and this evening we went to celebrate his wedding eve by filling up our stomach with the food, glorious food! After sweating out so much this afternoon, I could eat more than the usual share... hahaha...

Arriving at the buffet dinner held in my cousin's house....

 

Smiles... before the food... 

Big tents were being put up to cater for the cooks and the people invited...

Amused by the Giant Wok!

 

Andy and the younger ones went to collect the food 

while we elders sat and wait to be served.. LOL...

Mingling around while waiting for the food.... 

Soon the table was filled with food...

Savoury and Sweet Desserts....

Andy finally could taste the "Tong Yuen"

 

Fresh crispy roasted meat ready to be cut up....

Within minutes, the whole "meat" was gone...

Our second meal for today....

Filled to the brim....

Thank God for the Glorious Food....

Tomorrow... the Wedding Dinner...

Looking forward to it...

Buntong Noodles, Here I Come

Do you know.. today is Friday again! This week passed by super fast! Before I know it, the kids are home again... hahahaha...how nice if we only have to work Three days per week instead of five!

Since time passed so swiftly, we didn't have time to cook... time just slipped through our fingers, so to speak and for our dinner, we took nearly half an hour drive to look for this stall in Buntong.

Since it was evening and my sense of direction is nearly "hopeless," I had to make a few turns here and there before I finally located it.... the Famous Wan Ton Noodles

We arrived a bit too early... 6.30pm...

The boss was just getting ready to set up the ingredients and utensils...

After waiting for some minutes,  the Boss started his business... 

 

While waiting, we ordered "black & white"

(cincau with soya bean)

 then...

We ordered two different types...

  

Wet... soupy noodles with wanton dumplings...

the dry type .. with special sauce... *yummy*

and the wan ton dumplings....

One plate is definitely not enough for those who are feeling too hungry.  As for the taste, I would give it a rating of 8/10.   :) 

Groupon Sales, To Buy Or Not To Buy?

For the past two weeks, I have been opening the Groupon emails regularly to see what's in store for Ipoh.... and I have been attracted by a few!  But no, I have not purchased them yet.. still hesitating even though the same promo appearing in my emails each day... very tempting to buy!!

 

These Super Cheap coupons attracted my attention....

First the Food:  Yummyyyy.....

Sunday BBQ Buffet Dinner at Bricks & Barrels Gastrobar.Beergarden for RM30

Then the Massage:  Relaxxx....

Classic Mani-Pedi + Hand and Foot Scrub + Hand and Foot Massage + Callus Removal for 1 (RM32) 

Food again:  Slurrrpp.......

Crispy Pi Pa Roasted Duck (½ Bird) + Steamed Herbal Chicken (½ Bird) + Dessert at Super Taste Steamboat & Seafood Restaurant for RM25

Finally the massage:  Sighhhhh.....

2.5-hour Full Body Spa Package: Swedish Massage + Facial + Steam Bath / Sauna + Jacuzzi for 1 (RM38)  

 

And now the question is..... should I buy them all????    *take out calculator*  RM123 and that is for one person.... 

 

Moral of the story..... Do not open Groupon emails daily... once awhile will do... now I am still contemplating....  To Buy or Not To Buy.... :)

Christmas Is Sharing And Caring...

Heard it on the radio this morning... Christmas is also about Sharing and Caring, giving and receiving... peace and love for one another.... all these are true blessings..

This year I received a number of gifts... posted here and here.. and besides that, I also received a few gifts from my blogger friends and now that Christmas is just over, I would like to "show off" what I have unwrapped a few days earlier...

 

I am like a kid when I receive presents...

My Grins are as wide as them above...

How can I not grin when I received such beauties...

All I Like.. LIKE!

Thank you.... Thank you....

A lovely shawl from Philippines... 

Thank you!

Really appreciate all your gifts, my friends...

How nice everyday is Christmas, rightZ? 

so....er... any more on the way?   LOL...

 (greedy Claire!)

If you are curious, you can click on the "Thank you" to know who the giver is... hehehe...

Wedding Event

One of my cousins is finally going to settle down this end of the month.  At last there is going to be a wedding taking place after so many years of courtship.  Everyone is happy for them and by now, most of the preparations are ready.  There will be a church wedding on a Sunday morning, exchanging of rings will take place and I heard that his ring is something like this mens wedding band  as displayed here.  Nice, right?

Our Simple Homecooked Christmas Meal

Called up few restaurants in the late afternoon but all same reply, "Sorry, full.." or "Come around 8pm.." Not surprising to hear that especially during the festive season... Those popular eatery places are normally crowded or full.. unless we are willing to wait but stomach usually cannot wait that long.. hahaha... so where shall we go for our food... or what shall we eat..... I asked my kids... and their answer was ....

Yes... Yours Truly ended up folding up her sleeves and tied an apron around her waist... (cough.. cough.. ahemmmm....) 

Spent some time in the kitchen...  and 

some funny dishes appeared...

 

my kids' favourite dish...

Potato Chicken

my newly invented dish...

Bean sprouts with ladies fingers (Okra)

steamed "golden fish" with ginger slices...

(roughly done.... hahaha.... )

After some minutes...  the final result...

For dessert.... 

Durian cheesecake, Carrot cake and Turkish indulgence..

Phew.... one meal settled.... 

and...The rest of the meals?  

Road side stalls lor...

Christmas Greetings And A Farewell...

Tomorrow is Christmas Day... and wishes of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year has been "flying" here and there in Facebook, in blog posts, Sms-es, telephone calls... and from colleagues, friends and family...

So how are you celebrating your Christmas today?  Tomorrow? As for me, going to church is something quite sombre tomorrow morning... no, it is not about the Christmas sermon... the sad news is that my Pastor will be making his last appearance in my church tomorrow and he will be leaving our church here inIpoh...I, for one, will miss him and I am sure many of the church members will miss him too...

Okay, sad news aside.... let's continue to wish one another a Blessed Christmas and A Happy Healthy New Year!

 

Merry Christmas.....

And

 A Blessed New 2013!!

Big Eaters In Zento Festival Walk

Kids are back!! Andy reached home at 9am yesterday, no jam from the north because he started the journey early in the morning. I was surprised that he was able to get up early and drove home...(he is always a late riser!)

Before we went to church in the evening, we set off to Zento in Festival Walk... my girl told me that it was her 6th time to this place whereas her brother had not even stepped in there before till last evening....

at last he is finally here in Zento after hearing so much from his sister....

His cute expressions....

Couldn't remember why he laughed out loud..

Maybe I mentioned that he could order anything he likes?  LOL...

We ladies can only grin back in return....

Part of the food we ordered...

Yes, order..... Eat with satisfaction...

And when the bill came, I was not at least surprised...

That it came to RM123.....  

For just three of us, we are really Big eaters!!

On Second thoughts, My Kids are the ones, not me... .

His Best Interest

When it comes to IT or ICT, I admit I am "illiterate" in all that area.  But when I was told that Andy is now doing his internship in some electronic project, I am so happy for him.  I know he is very much interested in all those electronic gadgets, dashboard software or web workflow software (goodness knows what that is), but as long as his interest is there, he will be very happy working in such an environment.  As a mother, I can only stand at the side and give him all the moral support he needs.  I need no explanation whatsoever. :)

My Gift To Myself

Well, Christmas is not only about giving and receiving.. It is also about remembering how our good Lord sacrifices himself to save mankind... we are all precious in His eyes, right? Praise The Lord... And besides these points, I also want to remember Christmas by "pampering" myself with a gift I need for my own use... heheheee... 

After receiving a small bonus from my Boss, I bought a gift for myself.. :p  I got during the promotion sales in Parkson Grand where they give free vouchers on certain amount of purchase...

 

 Effective or not?  

Actually I am not sure.. 

But if I look older than my age, 

then definitely they are not effective... hahahaha..

But so far, I heard none of them yet...

Maybe they are being considerate and nice.. hahahaa...

Keeping Fit

Though my cholesterol level has gone down a bit, I still need to exercise!  Daily evening walks may help but too bad, I don't sweat much doing that.  My friends encouraged me to go into some aerobics but I find that rather boring.  Oh gosh, I am really picky when it comes to sweating!  For my age, I was told to do some sitting up exercise instead, it helps!  Before I do, I must come by here to look at these best selection theraband for the stretching and sitting up exercises.  One must have a proper equipment before indulging into some strenuous and physical movements.

Thank You For The Presents!

During this Christmas season, I have received a number of gifts and most of them were already opened by yours truly here.. I cannot wait till Christmas to open the presents I received.. "unbearable patience!" I call it... but of course before I opened them, I will take a picture of these pressies with their "dress on."

Besides the presents I received, there are a few cards sent to me by some bloggers and friends, I really want to thank them too.. STP, Mandy, Kristy, Lee among a few... :) 

The gifts I received were already opened... 

Can you guess what they are?   Silly question.. hahahaa... .

Anyway, no matter how big or small..

How pricey or cheap...

I am indeed touched by your gifts and cards..

Thank you!!

The Day She Retired

When my sister retired as a registered staff nurse, we were all glad for her actually.  For many years she has been toiling and working hard during the night shifts in the Pediatric ward and it is time for her to call it a day.  Her whole family is also relieved that she quit, at least she can have her normal family life again, no more late night shifts and coming back at the early hours of dawn.  Her bluish nursing scrubs are still in neatly folded and her comfortable nursing shoes are still kept in separate boxes.  I remember her heaving a sigh of relieve and say, "That's it. No more late night movies!"  :)

Noon Outing With Sweet Blogger

This sweet blogger came to Ipoh last night... so glad to see her again, the last time she came to Ipoh was last year (I think)  and it was for the same reason that she came again this year with her family...

After taking my own kids out for breakfast and taking them back, I adjourned to the hotel to pick my guests up for another round of "food." By the time I reached the hotel, it was almost noon, just in time for Lunch...

And the hilarious thing is... I went to the same restaurant twice within a couple of hours!  hahahaha... My kids love having Dim Sum in China Chuan Kwong and when Ling suggested that she wanted Dim Sum too, I said, "Why not?"  And so I ended up twice in the same restaurant in less than a couple of hours in between..

Ordered a bowl of Dan-Dan noodles for Ling and her girls...

and Ethel ate most of it... must be nice... :)

 

speciality for the day is this Polo buns filled with BBQ meat.. 

 
Ling's pictures definitely will be much better than mine here..

 

some "Siew Loong Pau" and mini Egg Tarts...

our Fellow Blogger in action!!

Anyway, it was a very light meal... Ling is a small eater.. so are her girls...

And the food session ended after we adjourned to the Perak Stadium for a bowl of Bak-Bak!

By then the kids were getting restless, it was time for them to take a nap..

Well, Ling, next time till we meet again.. I got much to learn from you..

LOL...

Lifetime Experience

Do you love camping?  Frankly I have never been to one before, never slept outdoors before, under the stars. Have you experienced that before?  During my school days I didn't join any outdoor activities but my siblings did.  They love to go scouting and camping during the year end holidays.  I could feel their excitement days before they were supposed to go for their trip.  The preparation they have to get ready, all the camping supplies need to be packed and precautions checked and re-checked.  Well, I guess it is a lifetime experience and memorable always.

Colleague's Birthday

Another birthday celebration in the office, right after I met up with Wenn, there was a cake cutting session when I reached the office... not wanting to miss out the "action," and I saw not only one cake but Two!  One is from Secret Recipe and another one cake was home made... and both were equally nice in their own way.

 Happy Birthday wishes to my dear colleague...

Full as I was after a heavy meal with Wenn, I still have enough "space: to try the two cakes!  Well, I did say I am a Dessert Maniac.. didn't I...hehehehe...