from Sydney with lurve

I type in this blog post from Sydney, this being my last day here, and also *sob* the last day of our holidays! Boo hoo... =(

I've only got a few hours left here before we take off to the airport and I'll probably be spending that time...
(1) playing our table tennis grand final with my cousins
(2) taking a swim at the pool
(3) pack my bags
(4) take a shower
(5) have our final dinner here
(6) watching Star Wars: Villains (it's a freebie that came with the Saturday Daily Telegraph!)

Well, it sure has been a great break and I'm not sure I'm ready to get back to work. I might call in late or something...heheh

Lala: Unfortunately, I didn't get to do yum cha at Market City, but I had loads of good food here...had escargot last night too! =)

Fie: Unfortunately, I didn't get to try the black sesame gelati either...really disappointed about that actually. As a consolation, I did drop by Dolce Freddo when I was at Lygon St a couple of days back. Had strawberry, mango, green tea, roche, and DURIAN! YUMMM!! =)

Okay, my little cousins are beckoning me over for a swim (did I forget to mention there are EIGHT siblings altogether?!) Well, gotta go now. Next post will be from back in Kay-el.

my long break

I have been surrounded by a whirlwind of activities for the past few days, as I draw closer to my 2 week break! =) There's just been so much to do...flight bookings, car rentals, arranging accommodation, wrapping up work in the office, delegating tasks accordingly...I'm swamped!

Yes, I will be officially on leave tomorrow, all the way to the 21st of this month. I'll be joining the YF kids at their Bukit Tinggi camp from the 7th to the 11th, following which I will be flying off to Australia, where I will be travelling (frantically!) with family from Sydney, to Adelaide, to Melbourne and back to Sydney again.

I'm sooo really looking forward to the break, which I am hoping it will turn out to be. Would appreciate your prayers as I travel with friends and family over the next 2 weeks.

I'll be back! =)

recipes galore

Too many uneaten dead animals in the freezer! Some fish fried after seasoning with salt and turmeric, on a bed of potatoes and chives.


A pasta dish that I fixed for C&S Group potluck not long ago. Farfalle with roasted back bacon, roasted red peppers, tomatoes and chives (again!), and seasoned with salt, pepper, chopped basil and lemon juice.


Was in the mood to experiment one Sunday evening and that yielded pretty fruitful results =) Fried chicken patties (made from chicken, mashed hard-boiled egg, flour, salt and oregano) served with pasta, long beans, and this purplish-green vege that I found in the supermarket. Nice!


By now, you should have figured that I had quite a large stock of chives to finish off! =p Dory fillet poached in some milk, with some canned button mushrooms and chives thrown in for flavour and colour. Served on a bed of spaghetti and that green-purple vegetable again.


I returned from my little trip to Bukit Tinggi on Sunday afternoon with 3 packs of REALLY fresh vegetables. Here, I get to sample the fresh brown mushrooms that I bought, and some purplish-green leafs (not the same as the abovementioned) that I was curious about.

I also had some tiger prawns in the freezer that mom had bought for me some time back. It was a splendid opportunity to experiment again! What you see is a simple mushroom and prawn pasta dish with a tomato-based sauce, thickened with some milk, and flavoured with some basil, salt and pepper. Served with spaghetti and blanched leafy greens.

go away

Thanks, but no thanks
I was enjoying my life, why
I was having a pretty good time
I don't need you to return
And Haunt me

Bye, yes good riddance
I shall walk away and
I shall leave you, for
I don't need you to return
And Haunt me

hopping from rock to scummy rock

I have yielded to the incessant calls for a blog update. Nevertheless, this will be just a quick note to let the world know that I am still very much alive but...

... busy BUSY BUSY!!!

of fish, turtles, chicks and a cookbook...

25 October 2005

It was a rainy night, but our celebratory spirits were not dampened. And so the celebrations continued! This time, it's the MEGA birthday bash for Anderson, Benny and I =) Za had suggested this restaurant in Sea Park, which supposedly has good assam fish.


She was right!


For the birthday subjects


Subject #1


Subject #2


Subject #3


First, we cut the cake...


...but we didn't stop there =p


Michaelangelo becomes turtle soup *slurp!!*


To everyone who was there that night, thank youuuu so much for great time of fellowship, the cutesy "birthday chick" card, and of course, the Jamie Oliver cookbook!!

i'm alive!

22 October 2005

The memories are faint now. It might have been the effects of the drugs that they gave me, or simply the trauma of going through the whole experience.

I was kidnapped.

It happened after choir practice on Friday night. I was caught unaware while chatting with some friends outside the church. They approached me and bundled me into a car together with all my belongings. I was helpless against the four ruthless accomplices.

We drove for what seemed to be hours. The minutes passsed by slowly. My attempts to solicit an answer as to where they were taking me yielded nary a response.

Soon, we left the bustling highways and ended up driving on a lonely trunk road. Dark trees loomed all around us. I noticed several signs of civilisation from time to time. That provided a glimmer of hope in the event I should succeed in escaping my captors.

And then, at the stroke of 12 midnight...








...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU...

=)


Now being held captive in a lonely shack in Bagan Lalang, Marie attempts another surprise with me catching her in the act =p


Happy birthday to meeee!!


Darth Tater rules!!! Thanx Keith! Thanx Marie! =)


Supper by the beach...fried squid. Not quite Jamie Oliver but still pretty good stuff =P~~~


Then it's time to head to the river for some stream-trotting! =)


Sleepyheads


Would you like some cheese cake and champagne, luv?


Breakfast in bed! =p


Keith is errr...drunk?


Ber-posing outside the chalet


And then we head to the Bagan Lalang beach to pick seashells and whatever we can find


BIG CRAB...small crab


Meet Billy the lobster/crayfish! =)


We graciously sent Billy back to sea with a word of advice to eat more, and to grow bigger and juicier! *smacking my lips* ;)


But Billy didn't wanna leave and came back to shore...


...so Billy ended up as lunch =)


Little white shadows sparkle and glisten...part of a system, a plan


Marie, that's a bat, not a dove! =p


Doo-dooing with Doodolls at our YF class ;)


To Keith, Marie, Gabe and Wenz...thanx a bunch for really making my day special. You guys rock! =)

Richard's 18th

15 October 2005

Richard's belated birthday bash @ Zoe's.


Cher Ru working hard on the taters


AHA!! Now we have proof of Gadiy laying his hands on the satay before we said grace!


Eu Bing flashes a sheepish smile


The Playstation enthusiasts


Danny, Bing, Marie and I


Poor Lauren!


Richard looking ummm...surprised?


If you're planning a birthday party at Zoe's, do plan to get wet ;)


Richard the merman


Desperately trying to keep dry


Baywatch best buds...Pamela and David

long overdue birthday pictures...Keith's 26th

16 September 2005

The gang gathers and attempts an early surprise birthday do under the pretense of playing lanterns with Missa (haha!) =p These "surprises" don't work that well anymore these days...


Keith plays the piano and sings his own birthday song!


Snuffing out those candles with the double barrel


Decisions, decisions!


The group pressie which yielded...


...Star Wars trilogy comics!!


After then it's time for that crazy game, Cranium...arrgghhh!


18 September 2005

It's the actual day, so Marie and I bring Keith out for dinner. Since it's a smaller group, we decide to be a little more adventurous and head towards KL, ending up at Tengkat Tong Shin, a row of really cool refurbished prewar shophouses that now house some really chic restaurants and funky bars...


Dinner stop...some Vietnamese restaurant called Sao Nam


An appetizer that we shared...it was err, Vietnamese pancake? =p


This is how it looks like all assembled on my plate...yum!!


Bright posters all around the restaurant...


...that carried equally bright messages! =)


Ze tandas ;)


Being part of the nation's gejala lepak outside La Bodega


Don't ask what I was doing =p


Sweet desserts @ Sweet Talk


It's to DIE for (talk about alternative suicide methods, PB...haha)


Wenz and Marie


Me, Keith and Gabriel