Blog Bomb!

Ok, that is a ridiculous title but you know how when you say 'photo bomb' when someone invade into your photo space? So, this blog is called Blog bomb cause you are about to get invasion of Poochy!!

I got so much of her pics and videos lately that I had to clear some space in my Iphone. Hubby told me grudgingly that I am being too obsessed with her. Whenever I take out my Iphone to snap a shot of Poochy, he would roll his eyes now. I told him in a whisper that it is because I am secretly scared that he would quietly sell her off or send her away behind my back so I need to have more solid memories of her (apart from chewed up useless laptop adapter, my broken blinds' chord, my broken necklace and etc etc). Bahh... Excuses, he said. But that didn't stop me!

But it is not always Rainbow-farting-cyan-cat days with her. There are days when she kissed me a few times a day as opposed to days where she bit me every chance she got. Or the time she very obediently pee and poo outside whereas today she suddenly choose to do it all inside. Funny thing with pet is that they always know how to wriggle into your heart.

Poochy in her play pen which she now knows how to climb over. Sigh... Proud of her but worried because now she is free to run out and probably get hit by a passing car.

Poochy begging to let into the house

Poochy bringing me out for a walk

Poochy 'helping out' with gardening

Poochy playing with her toy (mighty sturdy to withstand her playing)! 

Poochy and her new bed

Extremely happy mousey...

'What? There's chicken wings for dinner?!?' 

That's all photo bombing session from Poochy for 2012!! Have a happy new year~! 

My happily ever after

I have come to wonder this question ever since I got married:

How do you comment or asked your newly wed friends? Or in other words for fear of lost in translation, how do you 问候 your newly wed friends?

Do you ask:

How is wedding life treating you? or do you ask how is he/she treating you?

Marriage is an important step in two person's life and our lives undergo tremendous change whether we realize it or not. But somehow when my friends treat me anything different from how they used to treat me, it felt really weird. 

Like previously, I had a bad day (as mentioned in this post here) and I called up a friend. I told her that I was feeling unhappy and before I could say another word, she asked me really seriously, 'before you say any further, I need to ask you... are you pregnant?' 

My response had to be somewhere along the line of  '.........' I guess she'd taken my comments that I am not into childbirth in the near near future VERY seriously. 

Or the other day, I mentioned to my friend that I didn't get a good night rest since my hubby came back. She glanced back at me with her enlarged eyes and barely concealed laughter. *Sigh... Roll my eyes* I guess she must have thought something along the line of crazy monkey sex. So I had to clarify that I wasn't used to having someone sleeping beside me and since I was a light sleeper, his tosses and turns woke me up incessantly throughout the night. I was so annoyed that I sat up during the night and screamed 'Enough already!' and then fall back down to sleep. The next day I asked hubby whether he heard it, and he said no... lucky for me... And boy, was my friend disappointed. Rotfl... 

Truth is life is pretty... for want of a better word ... normal and boring. Yet, I hate to think and imagine of a different life. Yes, we are happily married and days with the right person is way better than years with someone wrong. Yes, it is more comfortable since we do not need to be alone when we are sick. Yes, we enjoy each other's companionship and hence we have more adventures out there together. Note: Out there! Don't you perverts go ruin my romance now ya! 

A dollar for my Christmas thoughts

Just kidding... I give it freely... 

2 years ago Christmas, I made a wish list and honestly I got everything on the list. Apart from thinking that I should have wished for more things and maybe more expensive stuff too, I also decided that this Christmas should be a time to give back.

Recently I started watching a show call 非诚勿扰 (because I was toilet training Poochy and it gets boring outside). It is a matchmaking show where they set up a panel of about 20 single females and then bring in a single male contestant. The male contestant would have 3 videos to showcase anything about his life, love and friend's comments about his personality and the female contestants would have chance to ask him questions along the way. There was one that stood out for me; this one contestant mentioned about his painful past and how it inspired him to help those in similar conditions after he got a job. Although in the show, he mentioned he gave 40% of his pay per month as scholarship to poor struggling students, apparently none of the girls wanted him in the end and he left the show alone. 

I didn't pity him that day, I just felt immensely touched by his gesture even though I am not too sure the authenticity of what he said. 40% is a lot of money, especially when you are living alone in a big city. If you ask someone to even save 40% of what he earned every month for himself, a spendthrift would even find that near impossible. He or she would probably like to indulge in branded stuff just to emphasize their status difference in the society. He or she would probably stand out momentarily in their community during their life time on earth, but they make no impact in the world. He or she would probably end up like thousands or millions before them madly chasing after worldly pleasures; blinded by worldly possessions that they did not realize they are but another face in the worldly chase. 

Growing up, life wasn't easy. At the age of 13, I recognized that education was my escape from that awful life. Having a goal in life helped me through a lot of hard times like bullying and peer pressure. I know not a lot of people would understand and I do not look to them for understanding, even relatives alike. They can fool around; they can waste their money and their time in meaningless pursuit of pleasures because if they lose their way, their parents and family would help them out if not emotionally then financially. I didn't know that option and for a time when I only had the chance to see my dad once a year, I didn't HAVE that option. But life wasn't that hard. I still had a fighting chance and with that realization in mind, life was much easier. 

I forever would remember the encouraging words of a malay teacher who encouraged me in form three. I forever would remember my first scholarship (and how I spent it on something ridiculously expensive for me back then) and how I felt. I am not sure where I would have been if I did not recognize the importance of education, resolve and encouragements along the way. 

So this year, I do not wish for material goodness. Those that I can buy will be bought sooner or later. But at least today, I wish for peace in everyone's heart. Peace from knowing who you are and your purpose in life. Peace from knowing that you are unique and beautiful but so is everybody else but that's ok. Peace to pursue a better life and to build a better place on earth. And enough peace to give back when you still have a chance. 

Merry Christmas~! 

On Bitch Talk

Whole night yesterday and today I felt quite disturbed, couldn't quite put a finger on it. (actually I can put a thumb on it, but probably not my pinkie finger) until I had a more thorough talk with one of my friend.

So yesterday, I went out for a farewell dinner for my friend. There were 7 of us and this one particular person (not really my friend) got on my nerve so bad, I even went to the extend of bear hugging her (a tactic I have always used to stiffle Poochy as in 'shut up, already!'). I didn't know I was doing it until I did, which was actually the extend of how much she upset me.

The problem was that she sorta singled me out for verbal abuse.
And when the following conversation unfold:

Her: You are so stupid and crazy! ( I don't remember what stupid act I did that made her said that, maybe I ate through my nose or something. But I would consider that as a talent lo, not stupid ... not saying I did) How did you cheat that husband of yours to marry you??

I think she repeated that twice cause I would always ignore such crude remarks on the first roll in case they are just too stupid for their own good and just need time to re-track their words. But on the second turn, I got pissed off!

Me: Well, at least such a stupid and crazy person such as I am, I still scored a husband while you are ALONE and SINGLE!! You jealous? (I wish I could have one hand on my hips and waving a finger in the air a.k.a cool mode)

Her: *hesitated a moment before saying* then your husband must be stupid! Stupid and blind!

WTF??

That was my limit, if this was old me... TRUST me I would pounce on her and tackle her head under my armpit and demand that she apologize. Luckily my friend (the one who was going away) kinda defended my husband, that kinda defused the bomb a little.

So I was at home later that evening and I kept wondering why I felt so confused. I was upset (yes, she said things that was hurtful and insulting) but I also felt bad (because even though it was hard to admit it, I had stoop to her level. I have let her get the better of me in that moment of anger.)

I have friends who are still single to this day and I felt their pain when people say that something might be wrong with them that they are still single. I think they are lovely and wonderful and I believe that everyone is entitled to their version of 'happily ever after' if you have faith, have a pure heart and work at it. So, for me to say such a thing to someone (no matter how upset I was) was unacceptable even to myself.

Yes, maybe such an action is acceptable and maybe even expected when someone challenge you to this degree. But this is a measure of my moral compass and not hers. Maybe she can brush it aside as easily as the fly during summertime but then I can't deny that when I utter those words, I meant it to HURT, it was not just a joke. Even though others might think it is alright, I can't deny that what I did wasn't right.

I was at wrong.

God says that He looks at people's intentions and not merely on their actions. It wasn't whether what I did turned disastrous or not, it was that I had wanted it to.

If I had learned anything from training Poochy is that when someone do something you don't like or doesn't approve, punishing them or giving them attention will not make them realize their faults. Ignore them, withdraw your presence and your helping hand would prevent them from obtaining joy from the situation.

So my thought today is that I do not like Bitch Talk at all and I would NOT participate in it at all. I am not there yet, I can't fully walk away yet but everyday is a training ground. The positive thing is I noted and I want to change.

Five gift ideas for Xmas

It is now 17 days to Christmas and while Christmas sale is the best time to get the special someone in your life gifts, don't forget yourself in this time of hustle and bustle.

I have come out with 5 gift ideas just for you! You don't even need to wait for sales to get it going cause that's how awesome they are. ;P

#1 Brunch date
Seriously, who can resist brunch on a lazy saturday or sunday morning? I mean truly, really, unless you have an allergy to eggs or runny egg yolks irks you. If rissoles and pies upsets your mood, then you can still go for good old MacDonald breakfast but that's just sad for me (especially on weekends).

But more than food, it is the lazy gathering of friends over cuppa coffee or tea just chilling it out. Brunch is the ideal meal where you just want light silly talks and none of those heavy where-you-see-yourself-in-10-years-time talk often associated with dinner. Plus, no one goes for brunch for anytime longer than an hour (unlike dinner), so they'll definitely have no time to glossed over their achievements as compared to say 'What's the weather going to be like later?'

And the best thing? (Cause I am not a drinker) You get to skip on those drinking-prone activities most often associated at NIGHT! If someone ask you to drink so early in the day, you can safely scold them for being an alcoholic without being a spoilsport~! (*thumbs up and gleaming teeth*) You get a puke-free time to continue the second stage of rest, afternoon NAP!!

#2   Dance to a song
Turn up the music and shake that booty! If you are confident, just rock to the music in public. If you need something simpler, you can always fall back on to Gangnam style. Whatever. Although I much prefer it if anyone wants to dance to Gangnam, please warn me beforehand. I need my noise cancelling earphones and an ice cream.

#3   Buy a happy book
When I say happy book, I mean a book that makes you laugh and feel good. I don't mean those lusty romance novels dripping with sexy love. Those books often leave people lusty, wanting and generally unsatisfied. After you read those books, you'd probably salivate in your sleep dreaming of Edward Cullen or Jacob. Then your pillow will probably be stained with your saliva and that'll probably be an excellent breeding ground for germs. Then those germs and the combination of your dandruff resulting from sexual frustration will probably cause acne, blackhead and pimples on your face. Probably, not definitely. But I was just being nice. :P

So if you want a good and relax time aim for something comedy and light heart, maybe like the book Ellen Degeneres wrote or Caithlin Moran's How to be a woman.

If you are one of those who felt happy reading theoretical book, then by all means go buy the book by Stephen Hawking on space and have fun with that! Let it blow your mind away so whatever you say when you are done, it has to be something along the line of 'wow'.

#4   Go for a walk in the park
I love walks in the park as much as a dog pulling on its leash, partly because so far parks in Australia has yet to disappoint me. There is no flasher behind some trees, red ants crawling up my legs or litters all over the place. The natural scene just soothes my frayed nerves after a frustrating week, and with nice songs blasting down my ears courtesy of my iPhone, everything is in place and AWESOME!

#5   Try something new - and make some mistakes!!
And more importantly, while you are still young try something new! You don't know what secret talent and loves you might have if you don't explore them. So what if you make mistakes, I personally think that it is totally excusable to make mistakes while you are still young. Imagine when you are older and you have kids of your own looking up to you, it would be way harder!

I am not talking about unprotected sex ya. I know the media is just blasting that down every hole they could, most notably my eye hole and my ear hole, that just shows how desperate they are. I am talking about that idea you have putting on hold and some dreams you wanted to pursue. I hope you all the best of luck with it.

And most importantly, Merry Christmas in advance!

Poochy lessons

Hi all!

I have been pretty preoccupied since Poochy, my little pup joined my family. She got sick recently and I had to bring her to see a vet and when I saw the nurse wrote her name as Poochy Liaw, it just dawned on me that she is legally part of my family now! (And that my hubby is probably gonna ask me why I didn't use his surname. If you are reading this, sorry. I thought the nurse wanted my surname so she can call me into the vet's office but it turned out she called out Poochy). 

Ever since I have Poochy around the house, there has not been a dull day but it is definitely tiring at times. She is like this hyperactive little furball that looks like a mouse, a beaver and a rabbit sometimes (that's what I call value for money). Having her around also made me realise a few life lessons, example...

#1 If you are cute, you'd probably be able to get away with most things. Even public urination!

'I am a walking poo poo and pee pee machine!' 

She is so cute but she has yet to be properly toilet trained so I had to clean up her poo poo and pee pee. 

Some more, she was sick last few days and she suffered diarrhea and vomit so it was very tedious to clean up. But while she was sick, I realised how much she had wedged herself into my heart that I couldn't bear to have her die. 

#2 But even if you are cute, there is one thing that you'd probably couldn't get away with (apart from murder, I think) like whining and complaining.

'Hold me please'

For the first few days, she kept whining every time I leave her alone to sleep. She was so good at it that she could get it going for 3 hours straight. *headache and heartache* Honestly, I couldn't much tolerate it even though she could be so cute when she does it. So, I am training her to be alone by herself with her toys at the moment. Now, when she wants me to hold her, she sits down right infront of me and give me THAT face. I don't think anyone could resist that look. Much improvement! 

#3 How to encourage good behavior!

So I enrolled her in puppy pre-school last week and I really felt that it was very beneficial for both of us. The main lesson that I learnt and I think can be brought forward to many aspects of our lives (mainly motherhood) would be how to encourage good behaviors. I guess coming from a strict asian family, my parents (mostly dad, anyway) have always resorted to punishing bad behaviors while good behaviors are often ignored (maybe a nod of approval but definitely no nice spicy chicken wings as reward). But during this class, I learnt that in order to encourage good behavior, always use the reward system. When the puppy is misbehaving, break eye contact to indicate disapproval and turn around to ignore. When the puppy does something good, make eye contact, compliment, and reward it. Puppy is such an attention seeker that sooner or later they will catch on to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. 

Using this method, I will tend to notice when she is behaving correctly to reward her and honestly that feels much better than trying to find out when she is misbehaving and then punishing her. It is a more positive experience and helps bring us together. 

Ok, that is all from Poochy and me. Looking forward to Xmas! 

Take care and wish you score all the good xmas deals you dream of! 

How I got my first Pomeranian cross pup

Ok, I blamed it all on maternal hormones that kicks in after you are in a relationship for too long. Most normal couples (especially after getting married some more) would actually start baby making process but I chose instead to embark on puppy hunting process. 

Most of the time, I was like this.... 

I dare you not to say 'aw...' when you see pics of puppies like this... 

Or this... 

Or this... 

I even cried a bit when I see these pics. They are so cute!! I feel like cuddling them and never letting them go!! But my puppy hunt wasn't all that touching, it got a bit heart wrenching, actually. 

I heard about puppy farms and was determined not to get a puppy that was farmed illegally but then registered breeder costs a ton! And so I tried to set my sight to adopt stray, unwanted or rescued puppies. I will be honest, they weren't that cute. The cute ones were gone like hot cakes! 

Then a friend of mine suggested gumtree so I searched around for puppies in gumtree. Let me tell you, that was the most heart wrenching one. I will not recommend that place to anyone who are seriously looking for a pup. All the time I was there, 60% of the people doesn't reply, 5% of the pups advertised has been taken (it is like quick sale going on there!) and 15% of the time someone set up pranks or hoax ads to cheat good people to call up other good people and waste both of their times. And that leaves 20% right? Well, the hard truth was that 20% of the time, I couldn't afford the price that they were charging for the pup. Sad, right? (Y U NO CHEAPER??) Plus don't know whether the puppies are from illegal farm. 

So sad in fact, I actually cried.

Funny how I have been hunting for a few months now and I have yet to venture into a pet store. So hubby suggested we take a look one day. We promised each other that this would only serve as a survey mostly and we wouldn't get any pups today. But one look at the female pomeranian x papillon and I was lost. LOST! Well, luck has it that she is not for sale till the very next day because she needs to receive her first vac shot but the next day would be the day we are travelling!! So, we asked the cashier whether they could reserve the puppy for us but they won't. So sad, offering them money also wouldn't help! Got money also don't want to do business! Damn! 

The day we got back (2 days after), we touched down in Perth at 7pm (after 5-6 hours flight!) and we rushed to the pet store. See, SOO dedicated! And would you believe it? She was still there! (One of her sibling was sold though so I really felt relieved that she was still there). As hubby said, since she was still there, maybe she was meant for us after all. 

See, how cute? Poochy (that's what we named her) in her new bed~! 

Poochy with her chew toy but I think she prefers to chew every other thing as well! (especially my toes!)

Poochy's soft toy, ENGIBEAR! (In case you don't know, it means engineer bear! :P)

Poochy with her soft toy (Engibear!!) and pink blanket and chew toy at the corner!

Poochy with her pink blanket

Poochy ala racoon style

The thought that she was meant for us sounded sweet in the first two days, but days afterwards when I had to clean up after her shit and urine and also endured her relentless biting and crying (when left alone), I am sure that was too romantic a thought! 

 I still love her though

Eye Talk

The one thing I could say I love and hate about myself would have to be my eyes. I have large eyes but I always joked that with big eyes comes big eye bags! It is not a joke unfortunately, more of a sad misfortune. On good days with good lighting, I could probably ride it off like the puffy pouch of korean stars. 

But on bad days plus bad lighting, my eye bags went out shopping and bought new bags to flaunt! 

All thanks to natural genetics and those late nights I had to suffer during my degree years, I was even mercilessly nicknamed 'gold fish'. 

They say that eyes are the natural windows to the soul. I am not too sure about that but I do know for sure that the eyes are usually the first thing that captivates attention. Well shaped and maintained eyes and eye areas are usually the symbol of beauty. It is also the first indication of tiredness or alertness. Which is why taking care of the eye area is so important. Actually the practical solution would be just to sleep on time at night, but then I think that would have to be like the hardest thing ever to do. So Thank God for beauty products that promise instant albeit temporary solution. So, I did obsessed about eye products and if you are too, I hope my review can assist you in this area. 

The first thing is mind would have to be...

Eye cream and mask

You can opt for the au natural overnight tea bags/potato slices or something meticulously prepared and fragrant that is convenient. I can almost confidently say 'been there, done that' but I chose to review those that I have purchased because home remedies tend to vary from one to the other. 

1. Kose Astalution eye zone mask

' An intensive treatment mask for the eye zone that delivers deep moisture to help reduce the appearance of fine lines. The skin feels smoother and more supple. Contains: Astaxanthin' 

Price: RM115 for 10 eye masks 
each packet contains 4.2ml of essence 

This one would have to be my current favorite sheet mask for the eye area. The great thing about this mask is that it contains asthaxanthin which is a strong anti-oxidant that rejuvenates and improve the appearance of tired eye area. But also because of the nature of asthaxanthin which has a natural reddish orange tint to it, you have to be careful not to color any white clothes you might have on yourself. The effect is quite lasting, currently I am using it once a week and it helps with moisturizing my eye area which improves wrinkles. 

2. Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight eye mask

'Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight Eye Mask, a soft and comfortable mask that can be left on the eye zone overnight, smoothes out the wrinkles of the eye contour and visibly reduces dark circles. It leaves your eyes re-plumped, brighter, tighter, more elastic and younger looking'

Price: $25 - $50 for 15ml

I am not sure if I reviewed this mask before because I have been using this mask for quite some time. This mask squirts out as clear liquid which is applied to the eye area. It comes with a short manual to teach you some basic massage technique in applying the eye mask but I prefer to sweep it outwards from the inner corner of my eyes. When it dries, it tightens the area around my under eye area which significantly reduces the appearance of puffiness. The moisturizing effect is pretty basic on me but it might be sufficient for others.

3. Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream 

'Packed with peptides, natural plant oils and humectants that target fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness and dryness, this rich, concentrated cream visibly revives eyes.'

Price: $120 for 15ml

The texture of the eye cream is not heavy. I'd say in terms of moisturizing effect, this eye cream is rich enough to provide hydration without triggering any unsightly oil cysts under the eye. It might be a bit oily during the day time for the make up to adhere to the skin so I'd learnt to use it at night which is very good for skin restoration. Especially for dry weather, the extra moisture is always welcome. 

Eye massage

I once saw on a long forgotten tv show on massages to combine with eye cream that will significantly improve absorption and reduce eye stress. I tried it before and can definitely notice the difference! I can't find the original link to this, so I will show this with my funny face. :) 

First step is using the ring finger and lightly pat the eye cream on to and around the eye area (as noted by the red dots). I think Niu Er (from Taiwan) recommends using the eye cream both on the top and bottom lid, but my lid is pretty oily so I usually ignore this step. Pat around each eye about 100-120 times. It is actually very relaxing after a while. :P 

Second step, use the index and middle finger and lightly apply pressure along the indicated red arrows. Slowly trace down to the neck and onto collar bone. Gently massage the top collar bone, it helps release collected fluid from the eye bag and reduce puffiness. Repeat this about 3-4 times. 

Step 3, using the ring finger again gently press down on the key pressure points around the eye. The first place is right where the eyebrow starts, then the inner corner of the eye, followed by the middle point of the bottom eye socket, and the ending of the eye. In circular motion, massage the pressure points side of the eye near your ear (also known as 太阳穴) and finally the middle point of the top eye socket. Each press or massage should take about 3-4 seconds and the whole routine should be repeated around 2-3 times. 

Lastly, heat up your palms by rubbing them against each other and place it on your eye area. The heat would help the final absorption of the eye cream. Since it is very hard for me to achieve this without irritating my already dry hands, I like to use those eye gel patch (which you can heat up or cool down by putting it in hot water or fridge) and apply it on my eye area. Aaahh.... just great, now I can go to sleep!! 

Well, in the event that you... like me need a quick save... well, there is always reliable color corrector and concealer to conceal the under eye area!! :D

Have fun!!

Early November Update

I know some people around me keep pressuring me to have kids now that I am married but I am just  SO obsessed with puppies and dogs at the time being. I spent at least 1-2 hours a day hunting for free to cheap puppies for sale. It is not easy lo. Puppies and dogs sell for such a high price in Australia, it is not even funny. When I say cheap, I am already looking at a budget of $500 but pure breeds cost some where from $800 - $1000 +. So good luck to me on that! 

There are days when I just looked at pics of puppies and dogs and I just teared because omg they are so adorable!! There shouldn't even a price tag on these cute puppies.

This pomeranian pup is so cute!!

Or even this pup that looks like Chubaka from Star Wars?!?

I saw this pup on a rescue website but barely a day and it was unavailable... damn! 

I even followed famous dog on Instagram who has MORE followers than my Instagram profile, ok?? 

And when I am done ogling pics of puppies, I end up ogling food. Perhaps the fact that there are quite a number of visiting friends did not help my eat healthy philosophy but gosh the food is yummers! 

Rissole with golden crumbed potato mash, and tomato salsa

Hot Taro latte

Sashimi on rice

Churros (with dark chocolate dip and milk chocolate dip)

Plus there are so many events for the year end, I am really like totally spoilt! Just last week, there was Fremantle festival and I just had to take a look! Fremantle is already one of my favorite spot in WA so this is just wonderful. So, I drove me and my friend to Fremantle on Sunday. One minute I was joking about the long queue in front of the cold stone ice cream shop, the next minute everyone was scrambling to the street with chubby colored chalks. I never experienced such enthusiasm of chalk drawing!!

So I drew this... 

Later, I found another empty spot and continue my drawing. I tried to draw clouds and a sun but after my clouds were mistaken for UFOs, I decided to spare the sun and wait for the parade instead. 

What greeted my eyes were myriad of really colorful people with funny looking bicycle, costumes and face paintings singing, dancing and laughing as they paraded. I tried to capture a few picture but I guess parade is one of those thing you have to see by yourself and not take pic. Either you annoy the people around you or you lose the moment while looking for the best angle. 

Like this one!! Omg... this guy is so damn funny. He was dressed as a turtle and halfway through the break in the parade, he lies on his back and asked his friend, 'Roll me!! Roll me!!' So random that it makes me laugh. 

Most of my pics afterwards just happens to be like these lor... 

(Now I believe that purple is one of the color in the sun ray!! :P)

Got me wondering whether it is a transsexual... Guess not la... 

But it has not been only fun and food for me, I have been busy........ watching dramas!! (Omg... guilty pleasures!) At least.... I did managed to buy basic storage unit and finally unpack the last of my cutlery and arrange my kitchen and laundry room a bit!  

Nice, right? (The box to the right is gone now) 

So that is about it for me this early November. Hope everyone reading this would have an even more enjoyable month as we look forward to Christmas sales and the joys it brings us. Yeay!! I am gonna be a  slight party popper by saying 'Remember God in all of these and don't forget to give Him thanks!'

Penang - Day 3

I've come to the last day of our stay in Penang. Although it has been mostly food so far, I don't think I have finished all the must-try food in Penang. It is times like this that I wish I have the stomach of a cow.

I kinda felt guilty that we did not actually take the time to visit all the cultural or heritage sites. Well, apart from Kek Lok Si. And I hope our visit to a well established local food specialty shop in Penang counts as another! (We didn't buy tambun biscuits although it is the specialty there because unless you excrete lots of saliva or drink tea with it, the tambun is probably gonna lodge in your throat) So as penance, we decided to go to Batu Ferringhi and explore the beautiful beaches and also visit their six star hotel - Rasa sayang Shangri la~! (We tried to book a night there but luck was not with us, it was fully booked!!)

So that was how I ended up a camho shot in Rasa Sayang's toilet!

For a 6 star hotel, I was slightly disappointed with the service in their cafe. For a whooping Rm30+ for a plate of char kueh tiaw, I know there won't be lobster but a smile probably won't hurt, right? 

The atmosphere is pretty nice though. Probably explains the next picture... 

Oops?

The main redeeming factor would be the awesome beach! The view was awesome!!

I don't even know why the sand is so spiky. 

.

I took picture of a close up view of their beach, but I am not sure what is it. Calcified mineral thingy?

Having found nothing special to nom here in Batu Ferringhi, we went back to Georgetown. And before we head to the airport, we went on a trishaw ride. I was quite hesitant, once again, because I secretly suspected the trishaws were flea ridden. My fear slowly turned to embarrassment as we crammed into the trishaw driven slowly by an old man. I have clearly forgotten the Malaysian culture, where everybody stares googly-eye at tourists or foreigner. And clearly someone who takes a ride in a trishaw is non-local. 

Actually the seat turned out to be quite clean and the trishaw was decorated with love. I felt bad that the cyclist had to cycle around town with our combined weight of almost 150kg! But old uncle cyclist clearly took it as a bit offensive remark and continued to cycle and educate us about Penang's history and heritage. 

Old uncle cyclist was also very confident in his maneuvering, and only uses his hand to signal in the busy road occasionally tinkling his little bell to other road users. I think I could have died of heart attack once when a car tried to cut to our lane without noticing us, I doubt the car driver could hear the little tinkling bell through the glass. But I live, so maybe the little bell wasn't so useless after all. :P 

Overall, I had great fun in Penang! I am really gonna miss my friends there and the char kueh tiaw (always the char kueh tiaw!!).