Thursday, September 30, 2010

the art of balance

There's a saying in Chinese that goes something like, "Today's tasks, finish today"... Something like that lah... And I suppose likewise, "This month's stuff, post this month"... hahaha

Let's not delay my outing post anymore. Since I have 27 minutes here before my very LAST co-curriculum activity in school starts! TT (crying tears of joy again hahaha)

I don't remember which Monday, but Monday it was, when we cuckoo-ly decided that we should go break some bones by ice-skating. And we got there quite early... 10.30 am I guess, when there were less skaters and audience there watching us making a fool of ourselves. :P Just what we needed.

So we paid 180++ per person, and enrolled ourselves in the Sunway Skating Academy.

Are you shocked? You should be. Coz we're cuckoo but not to that extent yet. Hahahah. It was a cheap RM21 including gloves. Not too bad eh? And dont cha agree with me that this was a pretty nice shot? ^^ Triple date ahaks.

Trying on our blades. They are blades, like... literally. They cut into your ankles and bit your toes!

But for the sake of fun, we're more than willing to sacrifice our feet... at first. == Please tag yourself. Haha.

The spirit of unity is strength! Muahaha.. and later on went ahead and skated on our own! :P

Please do not be fooled by the seemingly cool and stable pose. We're actually shaking and struggling to keep still. :D

I tried this like... 6 years ago, when I think my bones were still strong and... flexible? Haha... now it was such a vast difference! Gosh, the signs of aging! TT Anyhow I had to start learning from scratch again.. and once again appreciate the existence of friction... like seriously! I actually walked on the same spot without moving more than a few inches for quite some time. But that's normal for novice like us right? Right right!? :P

But I think the ultimate key to getting the hang of skating is to allow yourself to fall. To not be afraid of falling, now that's the trick. ^^ Coz when we had overcome that fear in us, we'd try to skate, without depending on the railing on anyone which could keep us balanced.

And that's how they fell in love. Hahaha.

See? ^^

In fact, I managed to have my own 'quiet time' as I slid round and round with occasional falls. It was as if God was speaking to me and showing me that life as a Christian could be equate with skating.

LESSON NO.1: You know how we'd go 'wowww' at those pro ones sliding and twirling around.. that's how Christian life should be. Free, not bound by any railings; and attractive and interesting. And how could we upgrade from a novice to a pro? Through the famous saying that goes, 'Let go. Let God.' Stop depending on the railing or anyone and take a step forward, with that little faith in you that however I fall, I won't break a bone. Likewise, stop depending on the world and people in life, but with the mustard-seed faith in God that He will look after me in all situations, step forward in life.

LESSON NO.2: Don't be shy to fall. ^^ Because we can always climb back up again. You've guessed it. One of the hardest lessons in life is not to care too much about how people perceive us. I guess God's reminding me again and again that it's perfectly okay to make mistakes, that's how we better ourselves... as long as you learn from them! If skating in a certain pose made me fall again and again, I should change my ways!

LESSON NO.3: Don't look at others; don't compare with people! I found that as long as I watched this person fall and how s/he got up, or how good that one was, my legs would start to wobble like jellies and the next thing I knew, my ass was in pain! So I'd learnt to fix my eyes on my path, where I should go and how I should go about doing them. And that's how things should be in life isn't it? Fix our eyes on Him and not on how good@lousy others are. Our paths are different, but eventually we'll reach the destination.

LESSON NO.4: I don't know why I feel much acceptance and love within the skating rink. Hahaha.. Although we didn't know one another, but whenever people fell around us or vice versa, there'll surely be this reflex action of reaching out and lending a hand, or a friendly smile or sth. Perhaps it's because we knew we're all in the same boat.. :P In life, we're in the same life-boat as well.. God's reminding me the famous verse: love your neighbour as yourself!

Yeap. so enough of lecture.. let's just take a break and browse through some pichas...

Dont you think this looks a lil' like an album cover or something (except for BeeGuat's weird pose)? Hahaha... Actually they didn't allow us to take pics in the rink. I didn't know it until a guard or sth came over and stopped me. But by that time I'd taken quite some dy hahaha..

And then we're getting to leave... our bones couldn't take it anymore. Caryn actually felt the pain even like one or two weeks after that. Old women, biaselah...

5 hands only.. Coz I so super-smartly tore my ticket and threw away even before we came out, only to realise that it was needed for barcode scanning during exit and also Papa John's pizzas at some special price! Arrghh... then Kevin and Jong actually went back to the rubbish bin and retrieved it for me! TT Thank you so much for your servanthood heart!

So I got my ticket back, and our next destination was of course

Papa John's! Saw in Times Square for countless times but never did try it...

Camwhootzing before meal... ^^

The 1st few things that came included a pickled chili. A jalapeno? I'm not too sure. B said it wasn't hot, just sourish.

Garlic butter cream and tomato sauce that tasted like Prego for dipping! d^^b I wanted a refill but they said they're going to charge, oh well~

Some super-duper cool drinks. Coke. Haha.

We abandoned the special price offered by the Pyramid Ice entrance and went for a set meal for 6 instead, RM58.90 ++. ^^ Comprising of...

Breadsticks! So different from Pizza Hut's! They looked like kacang tumbuk right?

Came with sweet and spicy drums and wings and a touch of greens. But I still prefer Pizza Hut's honey BBQ and Sweet Chilli wings! :9

Some potato wedges...

The highlights of the day: Fisherman's Catch.. yup, seafood~

*up close*

... and Chicken Super Papa's...

Fresh ingredients! They're all fresh and non-frozen (Papa John's, 2010).

And I especially *heart* (x100) the crust! Crispy on the outside and soft inside yet not too thick. Not too bread-ish like PH. :P

Add on Cheesesticks for RM6.50

And we ordered another Chicken and Mushroom Pizza Pocket, RM8.90... it reminds me of sea creatures I don't know why.. Hahaha..

Align Center
Kevin dissected it and exposed the inside.

My share... now you could see the ingredients more clearly righto? ^^ Juicy and cheesy chicken and mushroom in 'pizza pastry case' (love the description!) baked to perfection!

How could we possibly miss cheese powder?!! Thank God I remembered to ask. Hahaha... Ask and you'll receive! (Ya ya I admit I looked kinda weird here.)

The secret to superb pizzas: cover it in cheese powder!

Not fattening at all. Don't worry. We've shed kilos of fat in the skating rink dy remember? :P A balanced diet. And hence the title of the post. Hahahaha... Ciao!

P/S: Tomorrow is my last day in school! Woohoo!! Stay tuned for pichas!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

happy birthday to NINY

Before it strikes 12 and becomes too late, I would love to wish my cutest, most beloved and adorable darling niece Sarah Ho

a very Happy 1st Birthday!
(so fast 1 year dy!!?)



cheeky girl :D

May the Lord be with you, my dearest, as you grow and learn about Him.

Love you!

Am coming back to give you wet, wet kissessssss~! :-* Heehee

honor God and be honored :)

It's the end of September! (which means my TP is ending!! TT <-- crying tears of joy hahhahah) The weird thing is, I'm getting busier and busier! It's not the TP stress anymore I guess; it's the PF stress... PortFolio!! Jeng jeng... Imagine tracing back to July 19 onwards and trying to remember how well@teruk my lesson was on this and this particular date... *faint*

Let's just leave it aside first shall we? I have better things to share! ;D

I'm currently helping Ps Philip to do some translation... from English to Chinese!! TT It really shows how rusty my Chinese is! I really thank God for Google Translate... like seriously! If not I'd have to go out and get myself an Eng-Chinese dictionary, for that matter!

Well, I did the first part last, last (and last...?? dont remember) Friday. And it took me like 6 to 7 hours to complete 12 pages! Averagely, 1 hour on 2 pages.

Okay you can skip this para...

So last weekend I got the second part from him again, this time 8-9 pages. And last weekend my time was jam-packed like marathon! Saturday 7am - 1pm replacement class in school, 2pm - 4pm class in church, then I konged in the evening, 8pm to 10pm Youth service. Then Sunday naturally we went for church... by the time I came back and konged, it was night time and I had to prepare two 1-hour lessons for Monday! And Monday after school we had to go to UM and Cheras to get some things done! By the time I thought I was free it was already Monday night!

The conclusion is: I was EXTREMELY busy last weekend. And Monday too! :P

So I delayed the task until last night. And I had promised Ps Philip I'd submit it on Tuesday. But looking at my past experience, 2 pages per hour!!?? That means I need at least 4 hours to complete it! And I haven't done my devotion that day!

And the dilemma came: devotion? Or translation? Devotion. Translation. Devotion. Translation.

In the end I thought.. Ahh just pray first la. Since that is a task from God, might as well 'cleanse' myself first. (I have this peculiar idea that devotion cleanses us... from all worldly or unclean things that we might have got ourselves into... maybe that is how I feel every time after devotion -- refreshed! Yes that's the word!) And God showed me that when I honour Him with my time, He honours me with time! Extra time...?! Let's see!

And when I was done with everything, I was so exhausted I thought I could have just slept through till morning! The trip down to Cheras and everything was taking its toll on me! And then there's the translation waiting for me! I surrendered to my sleepiness for 20 mins, so when I was ready for work, it was 10pm. I thought in my heart, arrghh... I'm gonna do half now and another tomorrow then...

And off to work I was, with the time tick-tocking away.

And to my amazement (!!!), I managed to finish the whole piece, 8 to 9 pages in all... (and that's not it)... all in 2 hours!

8-9 pages in just 2 hours!

I was like... gosh this is not me! I couldn't have been that fast...! This is a MIRACLE!

And how I thanked God!! Jesus, You are so real!

Another lesson learnt: it really is not how good you are when it comes to ministries. It's about Him and always has been! When you do His work, You gotta do things His way! And when I put my priorities right, I see miracles and blessings! Praise Him!!! Lalalalala~

Honor Him and He'd surely honor you!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

all for a GOOD cause

I have an outing post pending but I don't feel like completing it.

It's the mood... the atmosphere these few days... the people and things that happen around me... which did not allow, or motivate me to write on such a pleasant outing. I felt that even if I forced myself to write on it, I would forfeit some of the enthusiasm and pleasure and enjoyment on that blissful day.

Anyway, let's cut the crap.

I don't know how to sum up everything. But it was a bit of this and that. Interpersonal relationships, struggles in faith, different perspectives on a certain issue, lack of favor from men, things that we can't control, expectations and disappointments...

Well, they ain't really my problems. Like I said, they are happening around me... which somehow, not surprisingly, have some kind of influence on me. Not exactly negative ones. They just probe me to think, I think (see? I'm thinking haha). And my conclusion is that, everyone's learning their little life lessons from God.

God's molding us little by little, day by day. Through things that happen around us. Through people who cross paths with us.

We're all growing. But sometimes we tend to go out of shape. Like trees. Plants? Flowers? Bushes? Whatever you call it. And we need a bit of trimming here and there from time to time. And of course they're not pleasant experiences. Who likes it when people disappoint them? Who likes it when God doesn't seem to answer prayers? Who likes it when things got out of hand?

But whatever it is, always remember Romans 8:28: (And we know that) in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

That is what gives me hope every time. That is what allows me to give thanks and praises to Him in all situations (though sometimes I do forget :P), that God loves us so much that he won't let us go through sufferings without a reason. The faith that in the end, you will see the GOOD purpose that God has set for you in that particular situation.

Here's a reminder to myself and everyone out there: let's not give up hoping.

Let's not give up on things.

Let's not give up on people.

Let's not give up on ourselves.

Let's not give up on God.

Remember that it's only through problems that we see His miraculous hands.

Believe it or not, Jesus loves you! Like... seriously! ^^

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Penang food hunt: epilogue

Yippie Penang posts are finally ending! ^^ I think I've been looking through the pichas over and over again until I got bored of them! Haha... Anyway just a few more left, and not much of food pichas this time... I'll just dump what I have here k.

View from our hotel room...

Was in time for some quiet time with God before we packed and checked out. Sitting at the balcony enjoying the cool morning air and sea breeze was a bonus during morning devotion! How I wish I could have a house by the seaside or a stream or sth next time... Then this privilege would become a way of life. Hahaha... Yea maybe I'd have that chance if I got posted to some ulu places ya... Hahahah...

Checked out early in order to get our shopping done in Queensbay Mall! The ladies were more than ready! Yay~~!

Wait... just one more k!

Breakfast must never be forgotten, of course! We ordered food from a coffee shop... and they were oh-so-cheap! My Kueh Tiaw Th'ng (Kueh Tiaw soup) was only RM2.60! My goodness, where else to find? In KL the cheapest you could get would be... RM3.50 or RM4 okay!

Then we went across the street to buy some ORIGINAL apom that no one wished to miss! And this was the morning when we experienced how pleasant and friendly and kind and caring Penangites are!

First and foremost we went into the coffee shop, only to find that it was quite full and the tables left were those small ones for 3-4 ppl. So we thought... it's okay we could just cram a bit. Suddenly a couple sitting at a bigger table nearby (they're just about to eat I think) stood up, carried their bowls and cups, and voluntarily switch tables with us! And we're so.... TT... touched!! I couldn't believe it. Such displays of care and concern are usually rare in big cities!

Then it was the Apom uncle... He gave us an extra apom for free without us asking for it! Although it was just an apom but it was enough to make our day... again! ^^ Thanks uncle! I know it's not easy to earn a living through small business like this! TT

And finally before we went off we found a parking ticket stuck to the windshield. That was like one of the cute things in Penang. They dont seem to use parking coupons. Some places do have parking meters but not all. They have ppl walking around writing on a receipt kinda thing and you have to look for them to pay! Like playing hide and seek.. hahaha... We went to an auntie and asked her where to find the P.I.C. and she volunteered to pay for us! Save us lotsa time and trouble! So we're all like... woww Penangites are so nice~~!! d^^b

Next stop was of course Queensbay. And yes, it looked A LOT like MidValley!

Shopped halfway and stopped for tea eggs!! *love**

Didn't buy much. Just 2 bags for RM50 after a lil' haggling! I simply love the red one!! ^^

And finally~~ going home! It was a fun trip but I guess we still couldn't wait to be home... somewhere familiar... with our smell and all that. Hahaha

On Penang Bridge again... bye Georgetown!

Dear and me sempat camwhootz a bit... before snoring all the way back to KL!

Jong was really settling down nicely and curling up in her seat! Gosh.. like kucing!

Reached KL at 8.30pm.

And had the most unhealthy dinner ever: McDonald's... I'm still loving it! ^^

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Penang food hunt cont.

Omigosh, I must really write faster coz there're more pictures coming! o.O

The food hunt continued on Day 2! We walked to our brunch place, banyak healthy right... hahah.. Nah, it's not at Choo Plaza. We just passed by this place and took photo coz my name appeared again. :P

I'm so rich in Penang. Hahahah XD *PSfJA*

We had Dim Sum!! Yay yay~~~!! But I still love Tmn Connaught's! :P Wont go into elaborating each and every one of them since they were more or less like KL's. But their pig stomach in herbs were d^^b!!! :P

There wasn't any particular plan that morning so we went window shopping (which turned into real shopping for some of us, hahaha... it's just too hard to resist for us girls)! Went to Penang Times Square half expecting it'd be like KL's but were surprised that there wasn't anything to see there... so we dropped by at Prangin Mall instead.

I have this 'weird' interest towards wayang kulit characters and I dont know why... It'd always remind me of my childhood. Not that I watched any of it. But I remember there was this Pae Pa Kou advert which utilised wayang kulit (remember ppl?), and I have always thought that was very cool. Hahaha...

Ooh I love the chickens! Lol!

My harvest from loitering around in Prangin: white VKI sandals! Ya ya, I know, there're LOTS of VKI outlets in KL... in case they dont have the same cheap stock mah... *excuses excuses!* :P

And after a while dear started to nag for food. Sigh... see the difference between guys and gals? Sometimes I wonder if he's a cow... with 4 extremely huge and spacious stomachs... Remembering what we had missed the day before, we went back to Penang Road! Here we go again!

This time around we went back for their ais kacang! Fuyohhh~!! Our bowls were so generously filled, and all this for only RM2.30! The 30 sen was actually commission given to the uncle who opened a coffee shop opposite the stall. The bizarre point was, it seemed that the uncle didn't sell anything in his coffee shop. Maybe just drinks. I suppose he earned from little commission as such from customers of the cendol stall. Not bad eh?!

And the asam laksa that you should never miss, RM3 only! Superblicious~~~!! I for one never liked asam laksa in KL before, but here I simply gobbled up everything till the very last drop of soup (except for the bowl)! Love the occasional surprises of chunks of fish! Yum yummmmm~

Another must-try: Char Kueh Tiaw, RM3.50! We waited for half an hour for this okay~!! Nice! The prawns were fresh and BIG. A real treat for Jong the shrimp freak.

Hahaha... Both the dishes were from the coffee shop behind the cendol stall... Forgot to check out its name. It was like packed and JAM-PACKED with people! Since they're so busy, the aunties and uncles at the stalls weren't exactly friendly. But yeah, we could understand... just make sure to serve us 1st class food that's all. Hahahah...

The full-to-the-brim makan gang. ^^

After lunch, err... not exactly, since we had brunch. So this was... heavy... teabreak? Gosh... Fatness! Loitered a while at the bazaar and bought jeruk and tambun biscuits... I love jeruk kedondong~!! :9

Next destination: Batu Ferringhi!

We got a better and bigger hotel room this time. Hahaha... of course more $$ too... Anything for a more comfortable night. :)

Nice photo, don cha think so? ^^

More camwhootzing~

Ahh this was just a break from the food hunt. Hahaha...

In the lift also sempat.. my big face again... 0.O

We thought we had to drive to the beach... Turned out that it was just an overhead bridge away...

And they called it Miami Beach... Lol... why cant they think of a more Malaysian name for it? XD

'Stop! Yeah stand where you are and say Cheeese~~!'

The Ferringhi seaside...

Birdies at the beach... *yawn*

The locals chained the seashells together and hanged them on trees...

A-ahh... the locals... from left to right: Maria, Daisy, Timah and Rebeka.

Planned to go swimming initially but changed our mind coz the waves were quite terrifying. So just took pichas lah... Year-end wasn't the best time to go to the sea. You dont want to go home with one or two missing. That would be the most heart-breaking thing to happen seriously!

So we thought we could dip ourselves in the pool. For 5 minutes, yea... but suddenly the guard came over and told us... sorry yea, are you clothes made of cotton? Yes ah? Cannot lah like that...

Fine... let's just sit and sunbathe under the umbrella. Hahaha...

After shower and everything, we went in hunt for food... again! This is what the makan gang does for living wad... :P From Hydro Hotel we drove further in to Ferringhi and found the small town springing to life as it got darker into the night... It's a good lively town with stretches of bazaar selling AA goods... from branded bags to perfumes to shoes to clothes, you name it!

Oh let's forget about shopping for a while. Food first! ^^ We found a hawker centre filled with tourists. Let's see what they have!

Apom! With special ingredients: pineapple, cheese and ham! But for RM3.50, it's quite disappointing coz... I expected too much? Hahaha.. I thought we'd be able to taste fresh pineapple chunks and in the midst of that, sweet juicy ham... and on and on... Nah.. nvm...

Banana and chocolate apom, RM3.50 as well. Better... but perhaps the ori always tastes better.

Deep fried spring roll. RM3 for one. Not bad... *PSfJA*

And we ordered asam laksa again! It's sooo the very HOT~!! Lots of bombs inside -- cili padi~~! Auwwww... I was turning into Charmander eating this.. Ended up Doreen finished everything for me. Hahaha... I still prefer the one Penang Road! :9

Fried oyster... again.. Are you wondering... isn't there anything else to eat? I did think the same thought... but yea, maybe we're just looking for the ultimate, 'bestest' of each kind throughout the whole trip. Hahah.. coz we ordered CKT also (again!)... No pichas. They all looked the same. :P

And we went jalan2 to digest our tea-break and dinner... and took a good look at a seemingly famous restaurant called The Ship (in the shape of a ship of course).. Some of us bought a lil' of this and that along the way.

Ahh and there's always supper before the night ended. :P Ice-cream for RM1. Definitely a good dessert to 'wash down' everything else, if not, added on to the workload of our digestion system.

Who hadn't poo-pooed by then?

Me. TT

Note:
PSfJA = Picture Stolen from Jong Again

the art of balance

There's a saying in Chinese that goes something like, "Today's tasks, finish today"... Something like that lah... And I suppose likewise, "This month's stuff, post this month"... hahaha

Let's not delay my outing post anymore. Since I have 27 minutes here before my very LAST co-curriculum activity in school starts! TT (crying tears of joy again hahaha)

I don't remember which Monday, but Monday it was, when we cuckoo-ly decided that we should go break some bones by ice-skating. And we got there quite early... 10.30 am I guess, when there were less skaters and audience there watching us making a fool of ourselves. :P Just what we needed.

So we paid 180++ per person, and enrolled ourselves in the Sunway Skating Academy.

Are you shocked? You should be. Coz we're cuckoo but not to that extent yet. Hahahah. It was a cheap RM21 including gloves. Not too bad eh? And dont cha agree with me that this was a pretty nice shot? ^^ Triple date ahaks.

Trying on our blades. They are blades, like... literally. They cut into your ankles and bit your toes!

But for the sake of fun, we're more than willing to sacrifice our feet... at first. == Please tag yourself. Haha.

The spirit of unity is strength! Muahaha.. and later on went ahead and skated on our own! :P

Please do not be fooled by the seemingly cool and stable pose. We're actually shaking and struggling to keep still. :D

I tried this like... 6 years ago, when I think my bones were still strong and... flexible? Haha... now it was such a vast difference! Gosh, the signs of aging! TT Anyhow I had to start learning from scratch again.. and once again appreciate the existence of friction... like seriously! I actually walked on the same spot without moving more than a few inches for quite some time. But that's normal for novice like us right? Right right!? :P

But I think the ultimate key to getting the hang of skating is to allow yourself to fall. To not be afraid of falling, now that's the trick. ^^ Coz when we had overcome that fear in us, we'd try to skate, without depending on the railing on anyone which could keep us balanced.

And that's how they fell in love. Hahaha.

See? ^^

In fact, I managed to have my own 'quiet time' as I slid round and round with occasional falls. It was as if God was speaking to me and showing me that life as a Christian could be equate with skating.

LESSON NO.1: You know how we'd go 'wowww' at those pro ones sliding and twirling around.. that's how Christian life should be. Free, not bound by any railings; and attractive and interesting. And how could we upgrade from a novice to a pro? Through the famous saying that goes, 'Let go. Let God.' Stop depending on the railing or anyone and take a step forward, with that little faith in you that however I fall, I won't break a bone. Likewise, stop depending on the world and people in life, but with the mustard-seed faith in God that He will look after me in all situations, step forward in life.

LESSON NO.2: Don't be shy to fall. ^^ Because we can always climb back up again. You've guessed it. One of the hardest lessons in life is not to care too much about how people perceive us. I guess God's reminding me again and again that it's perfectly okay to make mistakes, that's how we better ourselves... as long as you learn from them! If skating in a certain pose made me fall again and again, I should change my ways!

LESSON NO.3: Don't look at others; don't compare with people! I found that as long as I watched this person fall and how s/he got up, or how good that one was, my legs would start to wobble like jellies and the next thing I knew, my ass was in pain! So I'd learnt to fix my eyes on my path, where I should go and how I should go about doing them. And that's how things should be in life isn't it? Fix our eyes on Him and not on how good@lousy others are. Our paths are different, but eventually we'll reach the destination.

LESSON NO.4: I don't know why I feel much acceptance and love within the skating rink. Hahaha.. Although we didn't know one another, but whenever people fell around us or vice versa, there'll surely be this reflex action of reaching out and lending a hand, or a friendly smile or sth. Perhaps it's because we knew we're all in the same boat.. :P In life, we're in the same life-boat as well.. God's reminding me the famous verse: love your neighbour as yourself!

Yeap. so enough of lecture.. let's just take a break and browse through some pichas...

Dont you think this looks a lil' like an album cover or something (except for BeeGuat's weird pose)? Hahaha... Actually they didn't allow us to take pics in the rink. I didn't know it until a guard or sth came over and stopped me. But by that time I'd taken quite some dy hahaha..

And then we're getting to leave... our bones couldn't take it anymore. Caryn actually felt the pain even like one or two weeks after that. Old women, biaselah...

5 hands only.. Coz I so super-smartly tore my ticket and threw away even before we came out, only to realise that it was needed for barcode scanning during exit and also Papa John's pizzas at some special price! Arrghh... then Kevin and Jong actually went back to the rubbish bin and retrieved it for me! TT Thank you so much for your servanthood heart!

So I got my ticket back, and our next destination was of course

Papa John's! Saw in Times Square for countless times but never did try it...

Camwhootzing before meal... ^^

The 1st few things that came included a pickled chili. A jalapeno? I'm not too sure. B said it wasn't hot, just sourish.

Garlic butter cream and tomato sauce that tasted like Prego for dipping! d^^b I wanted a refill but they said they're going to charge, oh well~

Some super-duper cool drinks. Coke. Haha.

We abandoned the special price offered by the Pyramid Ice entrance and went for a set meal for 6 instead, RM58.90 ++. ^^ Comprising of...

Breadsticks! So different from Pizza Hut's! They looked like kacang tumbuk right?

Came with sweet and spicy drums and wings and a touch of greens. But I still prefer Pizza Hut's honey BBQ and Sweet Chilli wings! :9

Some potato wedges...

The highlights of the day: Fisherman's Catch.. yup, seafood~

*up close*

... and Chicken Super Papa's...

Fresh ingredients! They're all fresh and non-frozen (Papa John's, 2010).

And I especially *heart* (x100) the crust! Crispy on the outside and soft inside yet not too thick. Not too bread-ish like PH. :P

Add on Cheesesticks for RM6.50

And we ordered another Chicken and Mushroom Pizza Pocket, RM8.90... it reminds me of sea creatures I don't know why.. Hahaha..

Align Center
Kevin dissected it and exposed the inside.

My share... now you could see the ingredients more clearly righto? ^^ Juicy and cheesy chicken and mushroom in 'pizza pastry case' (love the description!) baked to perfection!

How could we possibly miss cheese powder?!! Thank God I remembered to ask. Hahaha... Ask and you'll receive! (Ya ya I admit I looked kinda weird here.)

The secret to superb pizzas: cover it in cheese powder!

Not fattening at all. Don't worry. We've shed kilos of fat in the skating rink dy remember? :P A balanced diet. And hence the title of the post. Hahahaha... Ciao!

P/S: Tomorrow is my last day in school! Woohoo!! Stay tuned for pichas!

happy birthday to NINY

Before it strikes 12 and becomes too late, I would love to wish my cutest, most beloved and adorable darling niece Sarah Ho

a very Happy 1st Birthday!
(so fast 1 year dy!!?)



cheeky girl :D

May the Lord be with you, my dearest, as you grow and learn about Him.

Love you!

Am coming back to give you wet, wet kissessssss~! :-* Heehee

honor God and be honored :)

It's the end of September! (which means my TP is ending!! TT <-- crying tears of joy hahhahah) The weird thing is, I'm getting busier and busier! It's not the TP stress anymore I guess; it's the PF stress... PortFolio!! Jeng jeng... Imagine tracing back to July 19 onwards and trying to remember how well@teruk my lesson was on this and this particular date... *faint*

Let's just leave it aside first shall we? I have better things to share! ;D

I'm currently helping Ps Philip to do some translation... from English to Chinese!! TT It really shows how rusty my Chinese is! I really thank God for Google Translate... like seriously! If not I'd have to go out and get myself an Eng-Chinese dictionary, for that matter!

Well, I did the first part last, last (and last...?? dont remember) Friday. And it took me like 6 to 7 hours to complete 12 pages! Averagely, 1 hour on 2 pages.

Okay you can skip this para...

So last weekend I got the second part from him again, this time 8-9 pages. And last weekend my time was jam-packed like marathon! Saturday 7am - 1pm replacement class in school, 2pm - 4pm class in church, then I konged in the evening, 8pm to 10pm Youth service. Then Sunday naturally we went for church... by the time I came back and konged, it was night time and I had to prepare two 1-hour lessons for Monday! And Monday after school we had to go to UM and Cheras to get some things done! By the time I thought I was free it was already Monday night!

The conclusion is: I was EXTREMELY busy last weekend. And Monday too! :P

So I delayed the task until last night. And I had promised Ps Philip I'd submit it on Tuesday. But looking at my past experience, 2 pages per hour!!?? That means I need at least 4 hours to complete it! And I haven't done my devotion that day!

And the dilemma came: devotion? Or translation? Devotion. Translation. Devotion. Translation.

In the end I thought.. Ahh just pray first la. Since that is a task from God, might as well 'cleanse' myself first. (I have this peculiar idea that devotion cleanses us... from all worldly or unclean things that we might have got ourselves into... maybe that is how I feel every time after devotion -- refreshed! Yes that's the word!) And God showed me that when I honour Him with my time, He honours me with time! Extra time...?! Let's see!

And when I was done with everything, I was so exhausted I thought I could have just slept through till morning! The trip down to Cheras and everything was taking its toll on me! And then there's the translation waiting for me! I surrendered to my sleepiness for 20 mins, so when I was ready for work, it was 10pm. I thought in my heart, arrghh... I'm gonna do half now and another tomorrow then...

And off to work I was, with the time tick-tocking away.

And to my amazement (!!!), I managed to finish the whole piece, 8 to 9 pages in all... (and that's not it)... all in 2 hours!

8-9 pages in just 2 hours!

I was like... gosh this is not me! I couldn't have been that fast...! This is a MIRACLE!

And how I thanked God!! Jesus, You are so real!

Another lesson learnt: it really is not how good you are when it comes to ministries. It's about Him and always has been! When you do His work, You gotta do things His way! And when I put my priorities right, I see miracles and blessings! Praise Him!!! Lalalalala~

Honor Him and He'd surely honor you!

all for a GOOD cause

I have an outing post pending but I don't feel like completing it.

It's the mood... the atmosphere these few days... the people and things that happen around me... which did not allow, or motivate me to write on such a pleasant outing. I felt that even if I forced myself to write on it, I would forfeit some of the enthusiasm and pleasure and enjoyment on that blissful day.

Anyway, let's cut the crap.

I don't know how to sum up everything. But it was a bit of this and that. Interpersonal relationships, struggles in faith, different perspectives on a certain issue, lack of favor from men, things that we can't control, expectations and disappointments...

Well, they ain't really my problems. Like I said, they are happening around me... which somehow, not surprisingly, have some kind of influence on me. Not exactly negative ones. They just probe me to think, I think (see? I'm thinking haha). And my conclusion is that, everyone's learning their little life lessons from God.

God's molding us little by little, day by day. Through things that happen around us. Through people who cross paths with us.

We're all growing. But sometimes we tend to go out of shape. Like trees. Plants? Flowers? Bushes? Whatever you call it. And we need a bit of trimming here and there from time to time. And of course they're not pleasant experiences. Who likes it when people disappoint them? Who likes it when God doesn't seem to answer prayers? Who likes it when things got out of hand?

But whatever it is, always remember Romans 8:28: (And we know that) in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

That is what gives me hope every time. That is what allows me to give thanks and praises to Him in all situations (though sometimes I do forget :P), that God loves us so much that he won't let us go through sufferings without a reason. The faith that in the end, you will see the GOOD purpose that God has set for you in that particular situation.

Here's a reminder to myself and everyone out there: let's not give up hoping.

Let's not give up on things.

Let's not give up on people.

Let's not give up on ourselves.

Let's not give up on God.

Remember that it's only through problems that we see His miraculous hands.

Believe it or not, Jesus loves you! Like... seriously! ^^

Penang food hunt: epilogue

Yippie Penang posts are finally ending! ^^ I think I've been looking through the pichas over and over again until I got bored of them! Haha... Anyway just a few more left, and not much of food pichas this time... I'll just dump what I have here k.

View from our hotel room...

Was in time for some quiet time with God before we packed and checked out. Sitting at the balcony enjoying the cool morning air and sea breeze was a bonus during morning devotion! How I wish I could have a house by the seaside or a stream or sth next time... Then this privilege would become a way of life. Hahaha... Yea maybe I'd have that chance if I got posted to some ulu places ya... Hahahah...

Checked out early in order to get our shopping done in Queensbay Mall! The ladies were more than ready! Yay~~!

Wait... just one more k!

Breakfast must never be forgotten, of course! We ordered food from a coffee shop... and they were oh-so-cheap! My Kueh Tiaw Th'ng (Kueh Tiaw soup) was only RM2.60! My goodness, where else to find? In KL the cheapest you could get would be... RM3.50 or RM4 okay!

Then we went across the street to buy some ORIGINAL apom that no one wished to miss! And this was the morning when we experienced how pleasant and friendly and kind and caring Penangites are!

First and foremost we went into the coffee shop, only to find that it was quite full and the tables left were those small ones for 3-4 ppl. So we thought... it's okay we could just cram a bit. Suddenly a couple sitting at a bigger table nearby (they're just about to eat I think) stood up, carried their bowls and cups, and voluntarily switch tables with us! And we're so.... TT... touched!! I couldn't believe it. Such displays of care and concern are usually rare in big cities!

Then it was the Apom uncle... He gave us an extra apom for free without us asking for it! Although it was just an apom but it was enough to make our day... again! ^^ Thanks uncle! I know it's not easy to earn a living through small business like this! TT

And finally before we went off we found a parking ticket stuck to the windshield. That was like one of the cute things in Penang. They dont seem to use parking coupons. Some places do have parking meters but not all. They have ppl walking around writing on a receipt kinda thing and you have to look for them to pay! Like playing hide and seek.. hahaha... We went to an auntie and asked her where to find the P.I.C. and she volunteered to pay for us! Save us lotsa time and trouble! So we're all like... woww Penangites are so nice~~!! d^^b

Next stop was of course Queensbay. And yes, it looked A LOT like MidValley!

Shopped halfway and stopped for tea eggs!! *love**

Didn't buy much. Just 2 bags for RM50 after a lil' haggling! I simply love the red one!! ^^

And finally~~ going home! It was a fun trip but I guess we still couldn't wait to be home... somewhere familiar... with our smell and all that. Hahaha

On Penang Bridge again... bye Georgetown!

Dear and me sempat camwhootz a bit... before snoring all the way back to KL!

Jong was really settling down nicely and curling up in her seat! Gosh.. like kucing!

Reached KL at 8.30pm.

And had the most unhealthy dinner ever: McDonald's... I'm still loving it! ^^

Penang food hunt cont.

Omigosh, I must really write faster coz there're more pictures coming! o.O

The food hunt continued on Day 2! We walked to our brunch place, banyak healthy right... hahah.. Nah, it's not at Choo Plaza. We just passed by this place and took photo coz my name appeared again. :P

I'm so rich in Penang. Hahahah XD *PSfJA*

We had Dim Sum!! Yay yay~~~!! But I still love Tmn Connaught's! :P Wont go into elaborating each and every one of them since they were more or less like KL's. But their pig stomach in herbs were d^^b!!! :P

There wasn't any particular plan that morning so we went window shopping (which turned into real shopping for some of us, hahaha... it's just too hard to resist for us girls)! Went to Penang Times Square half expecting it'd be like KL's but were surprised that there wasn't anything to see there... so we dropped by at Prangin Mall instead.

I have this 'weird' interest towards wayang kulit characters and I dont know why... It'd always remind me of my childhood. Not that I watched any of it. But I remember there was this Pae Pa Kou advert which utilised wayang kulit (remember ppl?), and I have always thought that was very cool. Hahaha...

Ooh I love the chickens! Lol!

My harvest from loitering around in Prangin: white VKI sandals! Ya ya, I know, there're LOTS of VKI outlets in KL... in case they dont have the same cheap stock mah... *excuses excuses!* :P

And after a while dear started to nag for food. Sigh... see the difference between guys and gals? Sometimes I wonder if he's a cow... with 4 extremely huge and spacious stomachs... Remembering what we had missed the day before, we went back to Penang Road! Here we go again!

This time around we went back for their ais kacang! Fuyohhh~!! Our bowls were so generously filled, and all this for only RM2.30! The 30 sen was actually commission given to the uncle who opened a coffee shop opposite the stall. The bizarre point was, it seemed that the uncle didn't sell anything in his coffee shop. Maybe just drinks. I suppose he earned from little commission as such from customers of the cendol stall. Not bad eh?!

And the asam laksa that you should never miss, RM3 only! Superblicious~~~!! I for one never liked asam laksa in KL before, but here I simply gobbled up everything till the very last drop of soup (except for the bowl)! Love the occasional surprises of chunks of fish! Yum yummmmm~

Another must-try: Char Kueh Tiaw, RM3.50! We waited for half an hour for this okay~!! Nice! The prawns were fresh and BIG. A real treat for Jong the shrimp freak.

Hahaha... Both the dishes were from the coffee shop behind the cendol stall... Forgot to check out its name. It was like packed and JAM-PACKED with people! Since they're so busy, the aunties and uncles at the stalls weren't exactly friendly. But yeah, we could understand... just make sure to serve us 1st class food that's all. Hahahah...

The full-to-the-brim makan gang. ^^

After lunch, err... not exactly, since we had brunch. So this was... heavy... teabreak? Gosh... Fatness! Loitered a while at the bazaar and bought jeruk and tambun biscuits... I love jeruk kedondong~!! :9

Next destination: Batu Ferringhi!

We got a better and bigger hotel room this time. Hahaha... of course more $$ too... Anything for a more comfortable night. :)

Nice photo, don cha think so? ^^

More camwhootzing~

Ahh this was just a break from the food hunt. Hahaha...

In the lift also sempat.. my big face again... 0.O

We thought we had to drive to the beach... Turned out that it was just an overhead bridge away...

And they called it Miami Beach... Lol... why cant they think of a more Malaysian name for it? XD

'Stop! Yeah stand where you are and say Cheeese~~!'

The Ferringhi seaside...

Birdies at the beach... *yawn*

The locals chained the seashells together and hanged them on trees...

A-ahh... the locals... from left to right: Maria, Daisy, Timah and Rebeka.

Planned to go swimming initially but changed our mind coz the waves were quite terrifying. So just took pichas lah... Year-end wasn't the best time to go to the sea. You dont want to go home with one or two missing. That would be the most heart-breaking thing to happen seriously!

So we thought we could dip ourselves in the pool. For 5 minutes, yea... but suddenly the guard came over and told us... sorry yea, are you clothes made of cotton? Yes ah? Cannot lah like that...

Fine... let's just sit and sunbathe under the umbrella. Hahaha...

After shower and everything, we went in hunt for food... again! This is what the makan gang does for living wad... :P From Hydro Hotel we drove further in to Ferringhi and found the small town springing to life as it got darker into the night... It's a good lively town with stretches of bazaar selling AA goods... from branded bags to perfumes to shoes to clothes, you name it!

Oh let's forget about shopping for a while. Food first! ^^ We found a hawker centre filled with tourists. Let's see what they have!

Apom! With special ingredients: pineapple, cheese and ham! But for RM3.50, it's quite disappointing coz... I expected too much? Hahaha.. I thought we'd be able to taste fresh pineapple chunks and in the midst of that, sweet juicy ham... and on and on... Nah.. nvm...

Banana and chocolate apom, RM3.50 as well. Better... but perhaps the ori always tastes better.

Deep fried spring roll. RM3 for one. Not bad... *PSfJA*

And we ordered asam laksa again! It's sooo the very HOT~!! Lots of bombs inside -- cili padi~~! Auwwww... I was turning into Charmander eating this.. Ended up Doreen finished everything for me. Hahaha... I still prefer the one Penang Road! :9

Fried oyster... again.. Are you wondering... isn't there anything else to eat? I did think the same thought... but yea, maybe we're just looking for the ultimate, 'bestest' of each kind throughout the whole trip. Hahah.. coz we ordered CKT also (again!)... No pichas. They all looked the same. :P

And we went jalan2 to digest our tea-break and dinner... and took a good look at a seemingly famous restaurant called The Ship (in the shape of a ship of course).. Some of us bought a lil' of this and that along the way.

Ahh and there's always supper before the night ended. :P Ice-cream for RM1. Definitely a good dessert to 'wash down' everything else, if not, added on to the workload of our digestion system.

Who hadn't poo-pooed by then?

Me. TT

Note:
PSfJA = Picture Stolen from Jong Again