Swirls and Twirls: September 2008

D'Chahal's

Lydia brought us to this cafe in SS15. It serves semi organic food (supposed to be real healthy)

The exterior (below) is nothing to shout about and neither is the decor inside the cafe, but what makes this place special is the food. Don't expect hotel quality food or atas restaurant cooking.. this is the place for simple Western food that's healthier than your Western Food Corner in coffee shops

Le Butter Fish

Mixed Grill Platter
Yup, it's lamb there!

This was supposed to be Cod fish chowder.. but turned out like this.. -.-' But it tasted good anyway

Humongous Lamb Shank

Our great company for the night... Lydia and Peter

For those who studied in Taylor's College -- Recognise the guy on my far left?

I am going to....

CHERATINGTINGTINGTINGTING!!!

Next week darlings, I will be by lazing by the pool under the hot tropic sun sipping a pina colada

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Absolutely heavenly

Toenails

Few weeks back, I went to Serene Nails Studio in USJ10/1G (Taipan) with Mom. We were stressed and wanted some pretty feet.

The nail salon is on the first floor and it is roomy and spacious. The girls there are polite and extremely efficient and fast. The owner, Serene (03-5621 1788) did the nail art on my toenails and she's a real pro. In just a few swipes of her tiny nail art brush, my toes were transformed into FUN, FUN, FUN!

It cost me about RM50something for the pedicure + nail art. I think their usual rates are RM28 for manicures and RM30something for pedicures. And of course, only OPI products are used.

I'm going back this weekend (after pay day) for another pedi and to try out some bright funky colours for my fingernails.

A bad world

I've been blogging less this month. Why? Because I'm busy.. that's WHY! *rolls eyes* Okay, enough of bitchy me.

I couldn't sleep very well last night. Bro told me that the someone attempted to break into the neighbour's house (not the rumah bakar, but the one on the other side). It happened early yesterday morning at 4 am. The neighbour's security system triggered the alarm and scared away the would-be burglar.

Seriously, I curse these low life burglars. Who gives them the right to break into homes??? My cousin Sara's home was burglarised TWICE. Gosh, I'm so angry right now. I wish I could carry a gun to protect myself and my loved ones.

I hate being scared. Afraid even be in my own home. After the fire incident, I started hearing 'noises' and needless to say... I was spooked out by my own imagination. Things are made worse because the rumah bakar is left empty and the condition of the house is exactly the same as the day of the fire. The owners have not done anything to restore the house and I doubt they would until after Hari Raya.

I worry about my house being broken into. What am I supposed to do? Not go to work? Hide all my valuables? Bring my laptop and jewellery to work every single day? I also fear that someone would enter the house we are at home and harm us.. like the recent case in Shah Alam where the mother was killed.

Sigh. I am deeply troubled.

There goes the weekend

This weekend has got to be one of the most un-weekendly weekends ever.

One half was spent in detention and the other in labour camp.

As most of you would know, my neighbour's house was razed and the fire had affected my house as well. This weekend, the workers came to fix up the cracks on the walls. It is sorta like a mini renovation with a lot of hacking, drilling, plastering and painting. The workers were everywhere and I was stuck at home on Saturday... Couldn't watch TV because they were walking in and out the hall. So, I played games on Mackii. Thank god for SPORE! After many hours of being couped up in the room with my eyes glued to the Mac, it was starting to feel a lot like being locked up in a cell. I couldn't walk around my own house because there were so many creepy men around! The workers don't flush the w/c --- wa-ay gross!

So, Sunday came and I had two choices. I could stay home and be confined to my room or my bro's - or I could accompany my mom to my gran's for a MASSIVE baking session. Mom has quite a bit of pineapple tart orders for Hari Raya. Thus, I domesticated myself somewhat and helped with the tart making. And boy, it is no easy task. Rolling the pineapple jam and baking the tarts took EIGHT LONG HOURS at 'labour camp'. A joke I made because I know for sure, I won't get paid.

(BTW, My mom's pineapple tarts are damn good, ok. So... if you want to order some leave me a message. You won't regret it! :P )

Tomorrow's Monday and the countdown to the weekend (and pay day) starts....

Hilarious!

From BBC News:

21:03 GMT, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 22:03 UK

Uganda seeking miniskirt ban

Uganda's ethics and integrity minister says miniskirts should be banned - because women wearing them distract drivers and cause traffic accidents.

Nsaba Buturo told journalists in Kampala that wearing a miniskirt was like walking naked in the streets.

"What's wrong with a miniskirt? You can cause an accident because some of our people are weak mentally," he said.

The BBC's Joshua Mmali in Kampala, the capital, said journalists found the minister's comments extremely funny.

Wearing a miniskirt should be regarded as "indecent", which would be punishable under Ugandan law, Mr Buturo said.

And he railed against the dangers facing those inadvertently distracted by short skirts. "If you find a naked person you begin to concentrate on the make-up of that person and yet you are driving," he said.

"These days you hardly know who is a mother from a daughter, they are all naked."

Vice list

According to the minister, indecent dressing is just one of many vices facing Ugandan society. "Theft and embezzlement of public funds, sub-standard service delivery, greed, infidelity, prostitution, homosexuality [and] sectarianism..." he said.

Earlier this year, Kampala's Makerere University decided to impose a dress code for women at the institution, our reporter says.

The miniskirt and tight trousers ban has yet to be implemented, but our correspondent sought the opinions of women on campus about the minister's opinions.

"If one wants to wear a miniskirt, it's ok. If another wants to put on a long skirt, then that's ok," one woman said.

But others had more sympathy with Mr Buturo.

"I think skimpy things are not good. We are keeping the dignity of Africa as ladies and we have to cover ourselves up," one woman, called Sharon, told the BBC.

Mmmmhmmm.... Margarita

It is no secret that I like to sip margarita every now and then. The margarita in Bubba Gump is pretty good. Even better than the shrimps, if I may say so. But I could be biased since I like the drink.

Picture below taken during a rare 'triple date' with myself and Vic, Lin and Min...(ooo... it rhymes!) and their respective partners Dennis and Adry. However the guys were shy and the girls were lazy, so there's only one good photo from the night. How sad for a photo junkie like myself.

I was having a weird hair day... had dried my hair with my head 'terbalik' and somehow my hair ended up bigger than usual!

Argh!

Back in Standard Four!

Spent quite a bit of my childhood being the new girl in class. Dad got transferred around quite a bit from - KL > Kota Kinabalu > Johor - before we finally settled down in back in PJ in 1995

It wasn't easy being the new kid all the time. Kids aren't exactly nice. Well, some are and others are just plain mean. But thankfully, I've met a lot of nice kids. :D

The below pictures were taken when I was studying in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru

I love my bangs back then... perhaps I should revisit that look. Nyehehe

With Siti Hajar

I only remember the name of the girl on my right -- Sheena Jayne (I think!)

It's fun looking back at old photos. Perhaps I shall dig out some more!

I've been sick forever

It's true. I feel like I've been sick forever. *sniff*

Was on MC since Tuesday and today I still feel sick.

Got a bad case of the flu - perhaps the worse I've ever had! My throat is screwed up. My body aches and I walk like an old lady. My nose has finally stopped running and is now stuck. I feel feverish everyday. There's so many things I want to do, but can't because I'm too weak.

Urgh. I feel cheated of six days of my life! Six days spent... resting!

HOW BORING! I just want to go out and PLAY!

Like a spoilt child, I feel like throwing a tantrum. Curse you, stupid virus that infected me!!!! *coughsplutterscough*

On a brighter note, today we have the birthdays of two beautiful ladies: -

Carol Lee and Robbie Koh

Happy Birthday! XOXO!

Hope you have a blast today
(surely, everyone would be having a better day than me!)

May your dreams come true and the year be filled with love and tons of fun :)

Green Eyed Monster

I will have greenish eyes for the next two months

After that I might opt for a hazel hue or back to my favourite grey

So cute right? Haha

This is my good girl face

I'm not that fair (and my nose looks huge). But only in this lighting can you see the green contacts

@.@

This has got to be the most about me that I've ever posted

Goodbye Lyn ...

I first met Lyn about 3 years back when I was servicing her agency Westcoast. She is the type of person that will just instantly become your friend.

The sad news came yesterday afternoon that she passed away. Until now I am still in disbelief. It still feels like she's in her office or at an event where she will welcome us with her sweet warm smile, always making sure that we get our media goodie bags and that we enjoyed our time.

I am glad that I have the opportunity to have met her, worked with her and most of all become her friend.

We love you and you shall be dearly missed.

May she rest in peace..

Here's a beautiful poem for her written by her colleague:

Goodbye To A Friend

(by Lashvinder Kaur)

She came to us some years back,
Seeking a new home,
One where she could grow,
And show her true worth.

My, how she blossomed,
Displaying a sense of purpose,
Resilient and determined,
To make a difference.

She had a kind soul,
Never saying no to those in need,
Always sharing and a source of strength,
She went the extra mile for the less fortunate.

She had an inner radiance that shone through,
A willing smile and quirky sense of humour,
Always seeing the funny side to things,
No matter what the circumstance.

Given the room to grow,
She shone like a bright star,
Endearing herself to many,
With her ready smile and cheeky grin.

Lyn, The colour purple will always remind us of you,
You made a difference to all of us,
You were a colleague, a friend and our family,
We will miss you deeply.

Our prayer is that you will always keep smiling.

Farewell sweet Lyn with the beautiful smile.

I love you

Today, I got news that a friend had passed away. This, together with what happened last week reminds me how life is so very precious.

What is the last thing you want to tell someone you care about before they die? "I love you"-- that's what I'd like my friends and family to know if I never get to see them again. I think we often take people around us for granted, I know I do it sometimes. That's life... when things are great, you get swept away and you forget to be thankful for the good things.

If somehow, I don't see a tomorrow... I want my family and friends to know that I love you and thank you for being in my life. And I'm sorry for being such a brat!

*SOB*

I'm feeling emotional right now

..........................

To my friend, Sassa Lyn @ Evil Tarae Bunny

It was a delight knowing you and your bubbly persona lights up every room you walk in

Obligatory good things tend to be said just because people pass away, but for your case... you were known and loved by all because of your niceness

Rest in peace, Bunny!

I will keep up the Evil-ness for you

...............................

Random Food in August

Would any of you be interested in knowing why I've gained weight?

Scroll down for the answer

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Vic's salty fried chicken. OK. It tastes MUCH better than it sounds

Ze famous pork noodles in OUG

What do I think about it?
The dry noodles are better than the other famous pork noodle in Jalan Nagasari, KL, but the soup in the KL shop is... better!

HOWEVER! One thing that the OUG shop has that tops any other pork noodle shop in Malaysia is.....

jeng jeng jeng

JAPANESE FOOD!

Sashimi, sushi, tempuras, handrolls...

You name it! They serve it!

Soft Shell Crab in the picture below

Imbi's Soo Kee Sang Har Mee

More famous than it tastes :P

Urgh, that doesn't make sense. What I mean is that the noodles are seriously overrated! Sorry, Aishah... I know you love them.. and as nice as it tasted the other day, I expected much more.

On the other hand, the beef noodles at Soo Kee was surprisingly good!

Korean food at James' Korean Restaurant

Sakae Sushi

Fish head in Jalan Chan Sow Lin, KL

OH MY! How'd this picture get here? :P

My new Coach key chain thanks to Elaine!

Grandma's DELICIOUS food from dinner a few weeks back

The nyonya must-have pong teh or pon teh

Acar

Joo Hoo Char

Egg Tarts from Tong Kee

Ramen at TonChan

Imbi's foodcourt

Do I need to say what this is?

Chicken steamed with Chinese wine

Some fried thingy at Berisik, Jaya One

Vonnie Khoo gave me some Starbucks pretzels and I just checked the bag and found a...
Silver Starbucks... chocolate coin?

Oh, below are some random shots from work. Taken by Nova

Ada Kebakaran! (Fire!)

Today, my neighbour's house caught fire and the chief tenant perished in the unfortunate incident

My brother was at home at the time of the fire and luckily, by the grace of god, he was unharmed. The maids who work in the neighboring homes alerted everyone with the screams of "API! API! API!" and everyone had ample time to evacuate their houses, except for Chua who was apparently right at the fire's point of origin

It's sad. I just saw the man a few days ago and now he's dead

I feel compelled to say something about Chua. We never knew his name until today when the firemen retrieve an ID card from the house. We had always known him as Gollum, simply because he was a peculiar hoarder. You will see in the pictures that his garden is quite amazing. The man was somewhat weird, but he had a love for plants and greens

Rest in peace, Chua

It is truly good luck for those who are unharmed and their homes unaffected by the raze as it would have been so easy for the fire to spread across the immediate houses. The neighbourhood is one of 2-storey terraced homes, which are all linked together by common walls. The fireman said that the fire was contained because the developer Sime Uep had built the brick walls straight up to the ceiling - effectively dividing each house from another. THANK GOD FOR THAT! Or I would not have a home to or even a computer to post this blog.

Here are some pictures:

Taken by Bro on his camera phone

After it all...

Look at Chua's garden on the right! It is a jungle

Imagine how hot the fire must've been...

The back. The fire happened here and spread throughout the house

One of the bedrooms on the second floor

Chua was found amongst the debris there....

Our air conditioner unit has melted. The electrician says that it cannot be used anymore

The cracks on my house

My family is shaken by the incident and the death, but we remain thankful to have a roof over our heads

This shows one thing... life is so very precious

*yawn*

What a day. I have a crazy headache. Time for bed

Goodnight and say a prayer for Chua

*****

Over Merdeka Weekend

My Merdeka break was well spent

I slept. I lazed. I had a massage. I painted my nails. I cleaned the guinea pig cage

I ate...

at Joy Cafe!!

Joy Cafe has been a recent favourite after Mingu told me about the place. I've been there many times and each time, I am find myself liking the food even more! I'm not going into an indept review of the restaurants as there are other blogs who would do a much more detailed job. All I can say is that the food at Joy Cafe will not disappoint even after the 10th time!

Ice Chocolate. Look how thick it is! For the chocolate fans, this is a must try!

Egg Otak Otak

Okay... This and the picture below... I can't remember which is pork and lamb.. wait... did we have beef? See, the food is that good! I gobbled away without knowing what I'm eating... as long as it tastes good, right!