壩羅

A wedding in this family means a good excuse for yet another knees' up. Time to catch up on the latest family goss, happenings, happy and sad events, and to tease the young ones who're bewildered by all the activity going on around them. :) This latest round, the venue was Ipoh. It was certain it would be worth the long drive up and down.

From one of the worst hospitality experiences we have ever had the misfortune of coming across, to being conscripted at the last minute for various errands related to the wedding, this trip had been marked by happy chaos all round. Even as events unfolded, we could still muster up laughter at the incredulity of it all. Our sense of humour reigned, together with our willingness to step up to the plate. Family.

Rising early on the morning of The Day, we were greeted with fantastic views of limestone mountains rising in tandem with the buildings of Ipoh city. The same mountains that gave the city its nickname, "Little Guilin". A well-deserved alternate moniker, it was like we were looking out at a scene from a Chinese ink painting.
After a long and tiring morning spent taking endless shots of those serving, and those who were served, tea (yours truly had enough seniority to be served, yet enough good fortune not to have to part with cash for it! Haha!), we needed nourishment. What's a trip to Ipoh without a taste of the famous Ipoh Kuey Teow?? And this, apparently, is the "best in the country". We shared table with an old couple, who educated us on the highlight of the chicken and prawn kuey teow in this place - it's in the soup. Fresh and delicious, with soft smooth kuey teow!

See proof...:)

On the last morning, before we packed up and made our way home, naturally, we needed to fill our stomachs one last time. Just "one for the road", you know... Unfortunately, the "second best curry mee" in Ipoh was WAY too crowded for our party of 11. So we settled for the "third best hakka mee" just two doors away. DBK, as usual, over-ordered, and we all over-ate. The YTF that came with the noodles was nothing spectacular, but the noodles were well coated with the tasty minced meat gravy. I had mine with a teh c, while the others had the "Ipoh White Kopi"-peng. A very satisfying meal. *burp*
Walking back to our cars, we came across pomelos - a specialty of Ipoh. Some came back lugging these as souvenirs. :)

All in, an exhausting but happy get-together this time. Can't wait for the next gathering...minus the chaos, please. :)

Sunset

夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏

Sometimes, one is wont to spend too much time worrying about a future (good or bad) which may never arrive. One's sight is cast so far ahead, one misses whatever is before one's eyes. From young, the story of the little singing grasshopper and the hardworking ant is drilled into one's consciousness, leading to a fear, bordering on paranoia, of starvation should one let down just a moment's guard to enjoy the present.

For what would be the point of rueing the little paper wealth one manages to scrounge together in this life, when none of these are "transferable" to the hereafter? Would we only realize, too late, that the sunsets from our window have always been spectacular displays of fiery colours across the majestic skies, but we had been too busy dreaming about the bigger window to look out of?

Recent events are a timely reminder to re-align one's perspective with what one values in one's life.

只是近黄昏, 夕阳无限好

And sometimes, a touch of bitterness lends one the ability to truly appreciate the sweet parts of life.

Weekend Getaway

It was one of the most fun I had ever had at a wedding! I guess it made all the difference that I was there for people whom I actually cared about. 

I had a smile welling up all the way from my heart throughout the entire proceedings. I was THAT happy for the couple. For having found each other in the sea of searching singles out there, for persevering, for keeping an open mind, for overcoming doubts and differences in religion, race, and even values, to finally take that plunge to share a life together. I guess it's the romantic in me feeling all that LURVE is all around us...heh heh heh.

We took the opportunity to spend the night at the hotel. A little getaway from the main island. It turned out to be a most enjoyable break from the usual routine. For a change, we actually had to get up early enough for the free breakfast that came with the room! :P After checking out, we took the chance to play tourists and visited the Underwater World. Been meaning to pay a visit there for a long time, but somehow, just never got around to it. It was small and crowded with children on their school holidays, but we enjoyed the outing like we were school kids on an excursion, experimenting at the various stations, snapping photos and squealing away (well, I did anyway) when the stingrays swam by and splashed water at the naughty children taunting them at the water's edge (*hah*). Much fun was had all round. Pics of the outing another day, when I can get those photos out of W's camera. :D

Meanwhile, here's one of the peacocks which roam the island freely. Did you know they climb trees??

But the weekend ended too soon. 48 hours is too short for a weekend! Must conspire another break soon...I so need a break! 

Storming!

After an unusually dry spell in January this year, marking a 10-year historical low, the rains are back with a vengeance. It's been raining every day of late, long and hard! As I type this, it's absolutely pissing down outside, complete with lightning, thunder, and a howling wind. All windows have to be closed to barricade against the invading moisture, even the usually secure louvred windows in the back!

Thankfully, we had risen early this morning, and ran through a gamut of errands, including scoring a decent office chair at a secondhand place at a discount (for a slight defect to the chair), before the rains came. But plans for a brisk cycle in the early morning were scuttled as the rains came early. So, without having a chance to burn off all that cholesterol consumed during the week...

The last stop before heading back to The Cave was Flower South (Hoa Nam) Prawn Noodles at Tai Thong Crescent, to slurp up some delicious prawn/pork rib noodles for sustenance. *burp* Verdict : Better than 人人大虾面! Thumbs up!

On Friday night, we picked a safe comfortable favourite. A real hole-in-the-wall cosy little Japanese restaurant, serving grilled food. That's the BBQ-ed beef in the foreground, which we were trying out for the first time (very tender, but the fatty bits freaked me out). One of our favourites, the enoki mushrooms wrapped with strips of pork and grilled over an open fire, is in the background. Biting into the wrapped mushrooms, there is a burst of juice, with the fragrance of butter! Mmm...! Every single bit is freshly prepared in front of your eyes before the chef pops them onto the fire. Izakaya Tamako - thumbs up! 

Let's see what sinful great food J2 introduces to us tonight...

I really gotta find a chance to go burn off some of all this good food that's being consumed endlessly. If not for beauty's sake, then at least, for health's sake. My cholesterol count is not exactly in the "optimal" range...darn it...I blame it on the faulty family genes... Besides, I need to try out the new expensive bike I have just recently inherited. :D

Culinary Adventures I

I name this Part I because I seem to have embarked on a culinary adventure of late. Not helped by our friend not really taking any interest in being responsible for ensuring we are fed, so I've been spending a little more time and making a little more effort in this aspect of our lives.

Over the weekend, it was my turn to feed the family. I got the recipe (and the secret ingredient!) to dish up a big bowl of vongole with angel hair pasta. It went down well enough (though there were no rave reviews except from myself. Probably because I knew how low my competency level has been all along). Heh. 

So this evening, with leftover chicken stock and wine sitting in the fridge, I was inspired to repeat the performance. Alas, the supermarket was not co-operative, and there were no clams to be had for the evening. So I changed tack, and went for prawns and oyster mushrooms instead. 

*Burp* Mm, mm!! An excellent effort, if I may say so myself! *pat on back* The aroma of the mushrooms, wine, and chicken stock, wafting through the cave, was mouth-watering. The best part of all this was, it took less than half an hour to throw the whole thing together, including trimming the prawns' unwanted bits. The prawns rounded out the chicken stock, giving it a robust flavour, and the chilli gave it a real kick. A hit recipe, by my books! Now, I'm inspired to vary the recipe, and attempt a herbal prawn soupy thing. :) I can't believe I'm actually excited about cooking...

On a separate note, CMY decided we HAD to try the durian puree dessert in this shop along Liang Seah Street. Yes, she is a real durian freak. So she and M had her favourite, the durian puree with pomelo and mango bits. Whereas I was a little more "adventurous" and went for the double boiled milk with durian puree. It was basically durian puree "injected" into the soft and smooth double boiled milk dessert. Both of which were good, but really, shouldn't be eaten together for full enjoyment. :P 

Akan datang - our Paella & Sangria Night, and Baking Tea Breads session will be coming up next month. Looking forward to getting pissed and pretending it was all in the name of picking up a new skill. Heh heh. :)