Seriously??

Have you seen this brand of instant noodles out there? (Never mind where I got them; and nope I didn't buy them... :p)

I am well aware that women are used to sell all kinds of products (terrible, I know); from beers, to cars, to helicopters- but this??

Seriously??

Sigh... don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see something like this. Hmm. Maybe they're targeting men who don't cook?? :p

On the plus side- the noodles themselves are actually kind of nice...

Soo Kee Restaurant, Jalan Imbi

Harry Potter decided to grace us with his presence one weekend so we rounded up the usual suspects for dinner. We ended up at Soo Kee Restaurant on Jalan Imbi; the busy one, not the quiet one right across the street- yes, both are named Soo Kee (!).

Anyway, here are some pictures of what we had that evening. Sorry about the photos- for some strange reason everything we took ended up looking a bit weird that night.. :p

Paper-wrapped chicken- super oily, but super yummy!

Kam Heong La La

'Lam Yu' Spare Ribs

It was nice catching up with friends, and moaning collectively about the upcoming IOA exams! :p

A Night at Clarke Quay

Recently, I went to Singapore to attend an architectural course. I booked into a 'no-frills' budget hotel near Keong Saik Road, which wasn't too far from where my course was being held. The room was simple and clean. The best part was that they provide WiFi internet access at the lobby area for SGD 3 an hour, hee hee.. I paid for an hour to get on to Facebook that night - what a facebook addict! :p

Simple Superior Room with double bed

My course ended at about 8:30pm and I decided to test out some night photography with our new Panasonic Lumix TZ2. So off I went to the nearest attraction, Clarke Quay. I heard the area was recently spiced up- themed restaurants, water features and alien-looking roof canopies!

Along the way, there were many colourful lanterns being displayed as part of the Lantern Festival. I quickly whipped out my Lumix to test out its capabilities; though unfortunately in the hands of an amateur photographer :)

Colourful lanterns with an underwater theme

Close-up shot of the lanterns....can you find Nemo? :D

When I reached Clarke Quay, I was really impressed with the overall concept. It looked very different from the last time I visited it 3-4 years back when I was still in Singapore.

The alien-looking roof canopy- think War of the Worlds :p

I was quite amused when I discovered this restaurant with a hospital theme. The outdoor dining chairs were designed to look like wheelchairs. Not sure if they can really be wheeled around.

Dining 'wheelchairs'

Some additional night shots with the Lumix TZ2....

View of Clarke Quay from across the river

Another night view

Overall, I'm quite happy with our Lumix TZ2. It's a compact camera but it gives me enough control to adjust the exposure and settings to take night shots to my liking. My next project will be to try out daytime photography and portraits!

Koryo Won, Starhill Gallery

It was Mother-in-law's birthday recently and we ended up having Korean food at Koryo Won on the lovely Feast floor of Starhill Gallery.

As usual, different types of starters were served- some of which were quite tasty. We also tried the barbequed meat (eaten wrapped in cabbage leaves); however I found the meat a bit too salty for my liking.

Maybe it's just me- but I really find Korean food in KL to be seriously overpriced. And I don't think it's because it's Starhill Gallery (did I mention a cup of green tea was RM10?). Most Korean dishes seem to consist of 'normal' (cheap, even?) ingredients, and there isn't much meat in items like the bibimbap or the beef soup. As for the grilled meat- the 2 thin slices above (with a huge bone in the middle, no less) cost more than a hearty steak! Hmmm.

Bibimbap

Beef soup with kimchi (I think...)

Oh well, I guess it was still a fun experience nevertheless. And walking around the Feast floor is always great fun!

Dinner for Hox & Hax

A few weeks ago we went to Fatboy's lovely home for a dinner held in honour of Hox and Hax. He said it was a simple dinner- but as you can see from the menu below (yes, there was a menu!) I don't think I would call that simple! Heh :)

Yummy crispy roast pork..

Duck and pasta- two of my favourite things, together! :)

Molten chocolate puddings...

We had such a wonderful time that evening. Oh, and who could forget the stories on Boggle boo-boos and scary newspaper men? ;D

End of the 'Kluang Chapter'?

It was rather nice hanging out for a few days at home in Kluang. The place seems to change every time I go back (ok maybe that's because I go back uhm, only once or twice a year.. :p).

Life moves a lot slower there. Everything is nearby and it's usual to meet a friendly face when you're out and about town. It's quite nice being friends with the kuay teow auntie, the owner of the textile shop, the baker, the fishmonger, the fruit man.... the list goes on. The fishmonger used to deliver fish right up to our doorstep- talk about great service! :)

My family has lived there 17 years now. Time really flies. Of course, I've 'left' for KL a long time ago now, but in some ways, I guess it still feels like home.

But maybe not for much longer though. Dad may be moving to Vietnam for work, and Mum is going along with him. So it looks like the 'Kluang chapter' of our lives is coming to an end soon. I feel a little sad, thinking about it, but I guess change is inevitable, right?

I'll miss the crabs and the buns that we usually have when I'm back...

The Shanghai-style mooncake, that has such lovely pastry...

Yes, I think I'll miss Kluang. I'll miss the fun of buying fabric with my mum and brainstorming for dress designs at the tailor's, the chance to get cheap(er) curtains done for the new house, my beef brisket noodles, etc etc. And oh, I have to start looking for a dentist here in KL too. Sigh.

Kluang Rail Coffee

Some of you may have heard of the famous coffee shop at the railway station in Kluang. I was quite excited when all the 'Kluang Stations' started popping up all over KL (if I'm not mistaken I think everything still remains a family business venture). If you've been to the one at 1 Utama, you will notice how they have tried to make the outlet look like a real railway station (the old kind- not the KL Sentral kind :p) I found it rather endearing, really.

Anyway, I was back in Kluang recently, and Mum took me to the new 'Kluang railway station coffee shop' that just opened recently. It was a bit strange, not being in the super-warm and crowded original shop right next to the railway tracks (by the way, the old one is still there).

'Railway tracks' on the ceiling!

The famous buns..

The food still seems to be the same; and on the upside, there is air-condition now! :)

House-hunting done at last!

Those of you who know us probably know that we have been searching for a home to make our own for the longest time now. The search began even before we got married, and it has been a really challenging, time-consuming, and often frustrating quest.

After more than a year of searching, we’ve finally decided on a place! We just want to thank God and give Him all the glory for guiding and leading us as we did our research, prayed and pondered on this major financial decision.

It’s not a 100% perfect purchase, nor the proverbial dream house, but we've got to remind ourselves to be realistic and start somewhere (we're no millionaires!). God has been exceedingly gracious to us- and we will continue to commit this to Him and to trust Him with this. More importantly, it’s about the home, and not the house, isn’t it?

The place will be ready sometime in the 2nd quarter of next year; the next big thing to do would be to go furniture hunting! :D

Gosh, we’ve never felt so grown-up (or so broke)!!