Kopi-O!

When Uncle Lim's first started its business at Ikano, I was extremely surprised to hear that business was quite good, despite of the higher than normal prices. The company was set up by my friend's father's good friend, and I was told that there were plans to expand, and it did.

Quite recently, my dad told me that our famous railway station kopi has now opened a new biz at One Utama simply known as Kluang Station. My dad wanted to pay a courtesy visit to his friend's new shop but I really didn't like the idea of going all the way to One Utama for a cup of kopi!! I mean... I get ALL I want to eat for a fraction of whatever the price listed there in Kluang!

As a young child, I loved going to the railway station for the (then cheap-cheap) nasi lemak, kopi, half boiled egg and (yummy, yummy) my all-time favourite toast bun with home-made kaya and butter.... As business grew, the nasi lemak became more expensive and without the "liao" like cucumber and egg some more. Each time hubby and I balik my kampung, we'll always try to stop at the railway station kopitiam, makan and then tapao a can of kaya to bring back to KL.

To date, I've not tried any of the two new kopitiams and don't know if I'll ever drop by there to see-see-look-look. For now, I'm happy with the can of kopi I tapaoed back from the railway station in my kampung Kluang and the occasional kaya that I get from there as well. Mum makes good nasi lemak as well, so not much of a worry there. Half boiled egg? sap-sap sui... can make at home.

Still..... the perfect texture of the egg, the softness and nicely toasted buns plus the fragrant kao-kao kopi is to die for lah.... Aiyo...... I think no choice but to make my way there to Kluang Station at One U.!!

Once upon a golden goose

Reading Chief's blog gave me an insight into the life of the farmer and the golden goose.

A quick look at the farmer's story:
Farmer had a good golden goose which laid golden egg.
Farmer started to ignore the once beautiful golden goose and once beautiful farm.
Goose fell sick, farm deteriorated.
Farmer sold goose to another farmer.
Farmer became richer and live life like nothing happens.
(right, Chief?)

It came as a surprise to me, though not shocking that the farmer sold his most precious golden goose. "Behind every successful man is a W.O.M.A.N." and that woman is his first wife, NOT the second wife.

The goose laid so much golden eggs and sacrificed its time and life to give its trusted farmer the best that he could give. Having overwork and not being taken care of, the goose sure pushed itself to continue doing more with the hope of having a once-wonderful-life. All these in return for peanuts. After all these while, it felt betrayed and sold off to another farmer, which no doubt, promised to nurture it back to health and all, it sure isn't the same as before.

It doesn't have the will to lay any more better eggs coz its heart is broken, its mind is confused, its health is at stake and most importantly, its sacrifice was not well appreciated.

However, the new farmer may be able to give it a better life, to heal its pain, to appreciate the goose... not because he loves the goose, more of because he could be even more richer than before, just like the first farmer.
So, how? What should poor golden goose do? Poor old goose.... being treated like a scapegoat....

Prizes in parenting mags.

After reading Loc Kee's blog about his SweetSweet winning some interesting prizes, it brought back memories of how I used to get lots of freebies for Brendan.

Well, I subscribed to a local parenting mag just before the birth of Brendan at a cheap-cheap rate of only RM3.++ per issue for one year (a special rate given to me by someone I know). So, I took the opportunity to send in some photos in some of the various contest form available. The various magazine features has so far entitled me to prizes ranging from baby toiletries from Johnson & Johnson (got that twice in 2 separate occasions), Crabtree & Evelyn and Do Re Mi products, Anmum milk, Fernleaf milk - kids and adults (got that twice - gave two tins away and haven't even finish the ones I have at home yet), Heinz baby jar food, Scotts Emulsion and Sweet Cherry products.

one thing I noticed about these magazines is that there's always a "pull" effect. When my subscription ended, I stopped buying the magazine until a friend said that Brendan's feature was in one of the mag. So, I went out to buy the mag. And since I bought the mag, I sent in some left-over photos (one of it more than a year old) to just simply "try my luck". Mana tau, the photos were published again, AND again, AND again.. It's like a never-ending cycle. Good ways to get people to buy your mags isn't it? To be fair to baby Eryn, I should also be sending in photos of her. Hmm....

Here's one of Brendan's "priceless moments" :




Mother & Baby Magazine
June 2004 issue
say hello to... contest
photo of Brendan taken at 2 months old

and another one :

Parenthood Magazine
April 2005 issue
Wild Wild Wet! contest
photo of Brendan taken at 11 months old

super micro mini skirts

I was driving out of my office and there was this college girl, crossing my path in her super duper micro mini skirts, swinging her hips from side to side, wearing a super duper low cut fitting blouse and carefully balancing in her super duper pointed stilettos. She was carrying a sling bag plus some files in her arms. I took a look at her face and I must say that she's quite 'cun' also lah..

It was getting dark and two thoughts came to mind.

1. If someone were to grab her, sure gone case. Cannot even walk properly, how to run. Holding so many things, how to fight back. Well, that's not her concern I guess.

2. Her bums were soooo small and her skirt looks like it belong to a young girl going through puberty. The skirt was so short, it's just below her bum. One blow and *tah dah*! got free show already. Those boys in her classes must be having a super duper good time when she walks in. I don't know how she's going to sit properly. It's so short that I don't even think she can sit on her skirt! Simply reminds me of Britney Spears' and Christina Aguilera's dressing. Can save lots of space in the wardrobe. Washing also easy.

You see ar, people like me also stare. How can it not attract all the guys' attention?

Seriously, I do admire these girls with such bods. Hmm.... either I'm getting fatter, or they're getting smaller.

Happy Birthday to me?!

My name is Brendan, and I am TWO today! I'm so excited becos all my favourite people in my life are here over this weekend! Uncle L came all the way from Singapore to see me. Uncle L came with his girlfriend as well. We have fun playing ball. Then, Auntie C was here too! We had a giggly good time at night before I go to sleep And my very favourite kong-kong! Everyone says kong-kong always manja me. I'm just a toddler!! I deserved to be pampered!!

So... I've been laughing, squealing, giggling and jumping (and poh-poh says "whining") around the whole house that I'm losing some of my baby fats!! hahaha. Hmm.... But I ate a lot what, so that should make up for the losses. Mummy never really give me junk food and sweet stuffs but today, I get to eat my own cake, sweets, chocolates, mummy's fried chicken, mummy's homecooked mee (I eat porridge most of the time so this is a big change), mummy's dessert and junk food! I've never seen a birthday cake specifically for myself. Mummy said I had my own homemade cake when I was one year old, but I can't seem to remember that. I remember celebrating poh-poh's birthday when I was about 18 months old though. Mummy didn't allow me to eat the curry chicken she cooked later that night.

I even had two lighted candles up close. Mummy never allow me to play with fire. Of all the presents and angpows, I like the new mini learning computer mummy bought for me. That is a new change to my regular DIY toys and hand-me-downs. Auntie C bought me a mini computer earlier on, so I can be considered an expert in this IT stuffs (daddy says "not!!"). I'm a big boy now but that doesn't mean that the attention should be given to mei-mei. Afterall, I'm a toddler and I deserve to be given the same attention! Mummy wanted to take me to some petting zoo yesterday but she was too busy accompanying poh-poh to the hospital, and then had to fetch Auntie C and Kong-Kong from the bus station. Well, it's ok, mummy. I'm already having lots of fun at home.

Mummy is getting all sniffy because time passes too fast for her. Poh-Poh is getting all sniffy too because it reminds her that she's getting old. I think everyone is getting sniffy because I'm such a cute little boy! Kakak is sniffy because she remembers her son who's going to be 6 years old next year. Kong-kong says everyone is sniffy because the cold bug is passing around everywhere. Well, I don't think so! hahaha

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to darling me......
Happy Birthday to me!!!


(patters off to continue playing)


click here : me & my red-red, ang-ang egg

Berbuka Puasa in McDonalds?

Hahaha! I couldn't help laughing when I received this poster via email.

I really do wonder what kind of people go for such a ramadhan buffet. Imagine, having to eat the cholesterol high spread is really gonna make you puke! Gosh! if this is for real (err..... it's not right?), I can imagine the sight of bloated stomachs and the amount of fatty food that you have to digest - burgers, cheese, fats, carbonated drinks, sundaes, fillets, burgers, burgers and more burgers!

I don't even think they can handle the demand. I mean, you have to be real quick in making the burgers and ayam goreng to top up with the demand. Oh gosh... squashy burgers, cheese and creamy fillings, the crumbs... lying all around.....

I eat one whole big mac already I feel so full, what more this never ending supply of fast food!! And that, from 6:30pm onwards?? No need to sleep man, can sit in the toilet the whole night.

Oh boy! I'm feeling squeamish already..... Gotta go grab a cup of ginger tea...

Datin Seri Endon Mahmood

Gosh! I stepped into the office about half hour ago and my colleague informed me that Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, our PM's wife has just passed away approximately one hour ago!

I've been following her news when she underwent treatment for breast cancer in the states.

I've always look upon her as that lady full of courage, feminism, passion in life, gentleness and also her showcase of the nyonya kebayas. I love her book, The Nyonya Kebaya. The book somehow show me the beautiful person that she is and the love she has for such traditional but beautiful things in life. I'm especially touched by the perfect couple that she and our PM is. They seem to be ever sooo in love with each other after all these while.

In memory to one of the most beautiful woman in Malaysia.....

Astronauts

I was amused at one recent news on the naming of the Chinese Astronaut. Taikonaut? When I first read that word, I did wonder why they choose taiko... coz in my opinion a taiko is someone prominent in the underworld groups.. (ya, see how naive I can be?) When I read further on, Taikonaut seems to be the better choice due to it's easier pronounciation over two other proposed words. Apparently, taiko is derived from the word 'tai-kong' which means 'space' in chinese.

Once, I remember hearing a joke by a radio DJ, Tim, over Red FM.

He said something like this : a person who goes into space is known as an Astronaut. The Russian Astronaut is called as a Cosmonaut. The Chinese Astronaut is called a Taikonaut. What do you call a Malaysian who sends its first Astronaut into space??

One call came in and the guy said something-naut (can't remember the word).

Tim later said that the Malaysian Astronaut will be known as a DATUK.

hahahahaha! Good one, Tim!

Falling leaves...

I'm on leave today, and am I glad to be home, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, esp. in this fasting period! The jam seems crazy at times.

Anyway, I took Brendan to the kids playground in one of the housing area near my apartment this morning. As we were approaching the playground, I saw one guy sitting all alone on one of the see-saw. He was wearing this shirt with the words "Kontraktor Alam Flora" on it and a rake on the ground just right beside him.

Wah.... damn shiok man... get paid just sitting around doing nothing, relaxing under the shady tree. Dry leaves were strewn all over the ground and it makes me wonder what (the heck) was he doing there, lazing around.

After half an hour, a phone rang. It was that man's phone. He was chatting with someone over the phone happily. He later took out a shiny golden piece of plastic from his pocket and started picking up his rake and walked away from the playground. The packaging looked so suspicious and I really do wonder whether the authorities (his boss) knows of what he's doing.

Fish Story

Today, some of my friends and I were sharing thoughts on recipes for toddlers and came on the looooooooong topic on fish names...

For me, I like going to the fish section at the hypermarkets to check out on the names and the prices coz' the I don't really recognise some of the fish slices at the morning markets most of the time and the prices and be high. I normally go for mah yau, se pan or hong chou for my son.

Can't help but post part of the "e-conversation" here. Can be quite funny too.

C.Nee : My gal loves fried fillet. Try to fry the fillet first without salt ya), then cook the fried fillet with some water and soy sauce. Very yummy....
Y.Leng : .....eh, what fish fillet u r talking abt? .. r u talking abt the 'ikan sebelah' which we can get from the market or the frozen type?
C.Nee : 1 piece of fish potong horizontal like "ma yau" (cantonese), "beh kah" (hokkien), "hong chou" (cantonese)...any fish lar...If can get fresh one lor....frozen not so good. "beh kah" (hokkien), "hong chou" (cantonese). Very fragrant when fried.
Chanel : For steaming ok ah?How the fish looks like, got picture ah?
C.Nee : Venice, pls help with the fish terms. Errr....same look lar...."beh kah" is the one without sisik, with dark shinny smooth skin. Jenahak has got red,black skin with big
sisik....sometimes myself also cannot recognise, will ask the fishmonger.....
Venice : i still wondering what fish lar chin nee. can u pls resend the photo to me again
C.Nee : Haha....remember liao....in english , it is called Mackerel. In hokkien, it is called "tua pan"......
Sharon : there's a few type of mackerel. One of it is considered "tuk"
C.Nee : Tuk is the ikan tongkol, I believe..
Venice : in bahasa malaysia is called ikan tenggiri. in cantonese called kau yue. taste very good when fried it but steam is a no no coz doesn't suit the taste if u steam it. Ikan tenggiri can oso make fish ball, buy from market which oredi pre pack then can have home made fish ball
C.Nee : Ok, let me get this straight:-1. Ikan tenggiri = 'kau yue' in cantonese and "tua pan" in hokkien.This is a not scally fish, usually used to make fish ball, mamak shop use to fry it and sell in pieces of make fish curry. Another variety is the fish look very much like tenggiri but in rounder body is called ikan tongkol.
2. Ikan senangin = 'mah yau' contonese and "beh kah" This is a longish, white and scally fish.
3. Ikan jenahak = hong chou???
4. Ikan parang = 'sai tou yue'??
correct??
Sharon : no lah. Beh Kah is not senangin (mah yau). Beh Kau is "ang hu" / "ang chor". You can get mah yau slices from wet markets.
C.Nee : Sharon, ang hu and ang chor different ler.....
Sharon : Aiyo... I pening already..
C.Nee : Ang hu = ikan merah (cheap). Ang chor = jenahak (expensive) black red colour. Almost look like "se pan".

So, what's the conclusion? I'm really confused.

I think the summary is :
senangin - mah yau (cantonese), beh kah (hokkien), threadfin (english)
jenahak - hong chou (cantonese), ang chor (hokkien) {black red colour}
parang -sai tou (cantonese)
kerapu - sek pan (cantonese), garoupa (english)
kurau - ??
tenggiri (longer body) - kau yue (cantonese), tua pan (hokkien), mackerel (english)
tongkol (rounder body) - mackerel (english)

Laughing baby

Babies.... They are such magnificient beings created by God. No matter how stressed and tired you are, they bring you the joy and gives you the medicine for the sadness. They are what I call the "antibiotic" solution after a weary day.

When I was much, much younger, I used to frown on parents with babies who cry, poo, puke, makes a fuss, scream etc. Then when I got older, I couldn't imagine how people can have babies living with them, draining out all the energy from their daddies and mummies. To me, babies are always so so so cute. Well, "nice to play with" according to most of my single friends, but "not to take care of". Then, when I got pregnant, I knew my carefree lifestyle is over. Caring for a baby takes lots and lots of time and effort (not to mention the money). I knew that there's lots of responsibilities, there will be the lack of sleep and the adjustment of my lifestyle to suit a new comer to the family. BUT...... I didn't expect more than that than what I had imagined and expected. It took more than that to be a mother!! Well, time is the factor that brings you through the phase day by day and by God's grace, I'm still taking a day at a time, absorbing all the baby vibes around me. Though the thick and thin, I know that I'll pull through....

Here's one of the many many many best moments I've ever had in my WHOLE life....


Eryn (4 months) laughing at the sound that daddy is making.

Little Echo.

Grandma & Daddy were sitting in the hall. Mummy was having dinner at the dining hall. Mei-mei was kicking in her bouncinette and Brendan was sitting around minding his own business.

We were all having a conversation.

Mummy : blah blah blah... we have lots of things going on lately and I'll be very busy.
Brendan : bee-shee
Grandma : blah blah blah... so, I'll follow Raymond back to Kluang in his new car.
Brendan : kah
Daddy : .blah blah blah.... we'll take turns to take leave.
Brendan : liff
Mei-Mei : *gurgle gurgle* weahh....... (crying for milk)
Brendan : weahhh weahhh... ( going towards mei mei )
Mummy : Brendan, don't disturb mei mei
Brendan : mei mei
Mummy : blah blah blah..... ok, I'm going to pump now (takes pump towards the room).
Brendan : (eyes brighten up) ha ha ha... pom pom pom.... ( follows mummy to the room ).
Mummy : don't be a busy body, Brendan.
Brendan : bor-jhee.
Mummy : ya ya ya, bor-jhee. Kepochee lah you...
Brendan : ha ha ha ( pretending that he's holding the breastpump and pumping milk )

Youth English Camp

Here's something I hear from a friend who's helping to promote a Youth English Camp this coming school hols. I've never heard of such camps. Further to my earlier post before this, it's actually a good opportunity for parents who can afford to send their teenage kids to this camp, founded by Dr Robert Lam, a former TV news personality and renowned professional speaker who will be the newest and most exciting endeavor to help youth speak, write and communicate better. He'll have certified instructors from Canada to join him in the camp as well.

The Youth English Camp will be held this coming November 13th to 18th in Awana Genting Resort, consisting of a 6 days / 5 nights package of exciting and enjoyable activities targetted at teens 13-16 years old. At RM3,000; the fees seems to be relatively reasonable compared to other similar camps around the region.

Camping notes for parents' knowledge :
> a whole new concept of self-discoveries through English language learning
> Using creative and dynamic communicative approaches, kids will be engaged in problem-solving exercises, active discussions, role-plays and interactive team sessions
> lots of space for cultivating the spirit of adventure and cultural awareness.
> safe, fun and education program within the outdoors, supervised by a team of experienced trainers

Check out part of the brochure appended below.

hee hor hee hor

" ... we have oredi sending out the skillers last week. The shongs pleesenthird will only know later once we get the confirmation from the organising people. The tare-gate group is.... "
(practically translated as ".... we had sent out the circulars last week. We'll only know the songs to be presented upon confirmation from the organisers. The target group is...").

Well, that was 'pleesenthird' by the presenter in one of the many presentations I attended quite recently. Sometimes, I have to stretch my ear to understand what was spoken. My colleagues like to call these people the "hee hors" (started from one sentence which was something like this : "he went to the...." It then became "he hor, went to the...").

Sometimes, the china-beng, err...... the chinese can't seem to speak properly. I can understand the grammar mistakes but when the pronounciation (especially the "r") goes haywire, it's really, really hard to comprehend what is being said. With all the "lahs", "lor", "hah?", "mah", etc in our malaysian conversation, things get worst when more rojaks are added in. I'm one of those who use a lot of Malaysian slang, but only in my casual conversation mah...

I have lots of friends who can't speak proper "Inggrishh". "England" no good, I can understand. But when you hear it in a public presentation to dozens of people, where lah you going to hide your face?

Something should be done to improve Malaysian's English (I'm not saying mine is good coz I've only got a credit and not a distinction in my 1119 English exams).

*beep beep* I received an sms on my handphone. "hee hor hee hor" it read.....