Exotic Pancreatic Insufficiency

Big words, but it meant my dog is unable to digest fat in her tummy. She's been losing weight for the last few months (Symptom!) so now I know why. I am very amazed at how many medical terms there are in animal healthcare.

And I was amazed at the chicken who went to my vet to get its claws treated....

README Today's Meal: Black Pepper Chicken Pasta with Pear Salad

One of the perks of having your own place with a functional kitchen is more home-cooked meals. The fact that I have not sent Fabian hanging over the sink trying to regurgitate our dinners so far probably means I am doing not too bad (either that or it's because Dudok Cafe closed down and he does not have anywhere else nearby to eat).

Since I usually come up with something new each time depending on what's in the fridge (or what's available fresh at the GK Supermarket), I think it's a good idea to start writing the recipes down....in case I might want to cook them again.... haha....and of course, to share them with whoever brave enough to try. :) Here's the first one, dinner for today. Please note that measurements are approximate only....cooking is always an experiment and taste differ from person to person.

Bon Appetit!

Black Pepper Chicken Pasta (serves 2)

Main Ingredients:
One whole chicken breast meat - boneless
Garlic
Red bell pepper
Fresh or dry mushrooms (if dry, soak until soft)
Pasta (whatever type you fancy)

Seasoning:
Bottled black pepper sauce
Black pepper
Soy Sauce (light)
Salt to taste
Fresh herbs or dry bottled herbs
Olive oil

Method:
1. Clean and dry chicken breast.
2. Season chicken with black pepper sauce and soya sauce. Leave in fridge for at least 4 hours, if possible.
3. After chicken has been marinated, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. This is to prevent chicken drying out when grilling. It also gives the meat a nice brown tint.
4. Grill chicken breast in oven (150-200degC) for about 45-60mins or until thoroughly cooked.
5. Remove chicken from oven and allow to cool down. Set aside.

6. Meanwhile, boil pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
7. Chopped and crush some garlic - about 4-5 tablespoons of chopped garlic. You can have more if you like.
8. Cut red bell pepper into strips.
9. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, sautee garlic until brown. Add bell pepper and chopped mushrooms.
10. Pour sauteed mixture onto boiled pasta. Add some salt, black pepper and herbs. Mix well.
11. Thinly slice grilled chicken and sprinkle on top of pasta before serving.

Pear Salad (serves 2)

Main Ingredients:
1 pear - slice into chunky pieces. Rinse with some lemon juice or lightly salted water to prevent oxidation (browning)
A handful of sultanas/raisins
1 small potato - boiled and cut into small pieces
1 small shallot - thinly sliced (you may leave this out if you don't fancy raw onions, but I like the slight 'kick' it gives the salad :))

Dressing:
Oilve oil
Brown sugar
Salad cream (just a little bit for taste. Alternatively you may substitute this with fresh lemon juice)

Method:
Well...it's a salad. Mix everything in and toss well.

Mommy's Coming...

Spent whole of this morning tidying up the house, did loads of laundry and sun our extra pillows. Mom and dad will be arriving next week and staying for 3 weeks!

We cannot wait...ahhh...coming home to home-cooked lunches and dinner....wonderful!!

PANIC ATTACK!

OMG !!!

Our wedding is two months away!!!

OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERDEKA!

The iconic snapshot on 31 Aug 1957, Tunku Abdul Rahman, first PM of Msia declared independence.

Today my country celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence. Almost everywhere in the city, and at homes the blue, white, red and yellow Malaysian flag flies proud.

To all my fellow Malaysians, within the country and abroad…, be proud today. For wherever you may be traveling to, moving to or have moved to for the last say…ten years, you will always say “I am Malaysian”.

Happy Birthday to us all.

Excuse me...May I Help You?

While on the KLIA express one evening from airport into the city, I overheard a conversation further at the front of the car; between a tourist and a local guy. The tourist was taking a detour into KL city to kill time during his 6-hour stop-over. His intention was to visit KLCC after having seen pictures of the towers in a flight magazine.
However he seemed immensely worried that he might not make it back in time to the airport to catch his midnight flight back to Europe, or that he might get lost at the KL Sentral Station.

Fortunately a passenger sitting next to him on the express train started giving him short directions on getting to KLCC, estimated travel times and other friendly information while at the same assuring Mr Tourist that he will safely make it to KLCC and back to the airport in time. And then more people sitting nearby started offering hand-drawn maps, more advice…..and by the end of the short 28-minute journey into the city Mr Tourist had found a pseudo-guide who had offered to accompany him to the ticket counter to get his LRT train tickets to KLCC and thereafter to the LRT platform.

It puts a smile on my face to see such spontaneous kind gestures among strangers. They are rare in our often busy and sometimes, selfish days. These are the little good things in life that we often over-look.

I DO

There is a very lovely song called "I DO", sang by Lea Salonga on her wedding day, for her husband.

Here's a video of Lea's wedding with a background of this very emotional song...try to watch it without tears in your eyes.. :)

http://choiee.multiply.com/video/item/18

Room No.315

This is it! This will be where I will spend my last night as a single girl and then the next day squeeze into my wedding gown. The hotel room has a small verandah and garden at the front, which I think is quite charming.
I am taking the corner room so there will be plenty of space for setting up some snacks for the guests/families who will be there for the bridal pickup in the morning.

Oh, this is the Lone Pine at Feringhi Beach, by the way.

Little Gem Tucked Away

My aunties and I were looking for a nice cozy restaurant to have the 'lau tiah meh' dinner in Penang when Aunty Linda suggested Feringghi Garden. It has both open and enclosed eating areas serving a mix of western, local and fusion food in semi-fine dining concept.

We went to have dinner there one night and it was a lovely lovely lovely place. I just LOVE the lush green garden setting. We met the owner, Cynthia, and booked the upper level bungalow room for our family dinner. Attached pic. Food is nice and the ambiance ..... sigh....

It will be something different, no round table chinese course dinner, rather long tables. I think it is going to be a lot of fun! We will also be celebrating the November birthdays in our family that night.

The Shoes for the Dress

They are not Jimmy Choo's but this one last pair I found at NOSE, Lot 10 Bukit Bintang caught my attention immediately!

To do list: Wedding shoes......CHECKED!

Updates on Wedding Preparations

We managed to get some things done last weekend in Penang. Since I was in KL for work, I took 2 days off last week and went up North to settle what we needed to settle.

I finally secured the booking for my bridal makeup! Excellent. Her name is Mandy and she did a wonderful job in making me look like a radiant bride ! Ahem...hehe. She did a trial makeup for me and Fabian liked it too....he is not a fan of any sort of facial articial enhancement so it was a big relief to have him say she did a good job (...but would he dare say otherwise..? Hmm...). Anyway it was an experience for me...my eyelids had tape at the tops so it will open up (something like that lah!). So much so that when I first had a glimpse of myself in the mirror I was shocked at how huge they were....made me think of that furry nocturnal rat-thing that lives on tree tops....hmm. You know, the one with the BIG BIG eyes!

Next we stopped by TSL Jewellery and got our wedding bands! Nothing fancy, just a plain gold band with minimal details. We opted for rose gold...it is much like yellow gold but with a bronze tint. We thought the shade has a more classic look to it...and it will not tarnish and will only look better with time. Even though I have such teeny weeny fingers, hence my ring is so much smaller, I was not given any discount! Hmmph! I might as well have fat fingers.....

The other thing I managed to confirm was the wedding cakes to be given away to the dinner guests. My Aunty Linda found a very nice bakery that will bake the cakes a day before and pack them in small giveaway boxes. We opted for fruit cake....personally I am not a fan of fruit cakes (never like really sweet food) but I brought a sample back to office and people seem to like them, so I suppose there are fruit cake lovers around.

I managed to cross over to Prai to have dinner with my future in-laws too. They are so very nice people that I feel so blessed to be getting them as my new family.

So I think we have most things covered. Oh, this weekend Joe and I will visit the printers to get a quote for the wedding card insert printing. I hope we get bulk discount. Hmm...Fabian's china man thrifty trait is rubbing off on me......

Happy Full Moon Chloe Foo!

It is one full month since my buddy Chiek gave birth to a lovely baby girl on 7/7/2007; and this weekend was the full moon party.
I had to fly back to Miri on Saturday so Fabian and I paid mommy and baby a visit earlier last week.

It was a strange scene to watch Chiek with her daughter; we had always been school mates and girlfriends, and girls at heart. Watching her with her baby, I suddenly realized how grown up we all are now-Chiek, Szen, Angel, Veen, Maureen.

Nevertheless, we had always been friends and we will always be friends. Perhaps our daughters will have that too. :)

The Cable Has Been Stolen..AGAIN!

Been out of action for a while now because I've got no broadband connection at home for 2 weeks.
The main telephone cable has been stolen yet again - the third time - and this round, it is supposed to take the authorities 3 weeks to replace.

Can't write too much from office as well. Over and out...

Do I HAVE To..?

Sigh...I am going to have to spend the next 5 weeks travelling to and from KL for work. I really really don't like doing it...I guess it is age catching up. I used to jump at every opportunity to travel . Now, I try to find all sorts of excuses NOT to.

Destination: Penang-Location Location Location

For those travelling from KL, Sarawak, Singapore and Brunei (thank you so much for coming!), I try my best to put in bits and pieces of information about Penang. While most of my relatives reside on Penang Island today, I grew up in Alor Setar. So, I do not actually know a lot about Penang except how to get to my Ah Mah's (grandmother) place from the Penang Bridge and back again.

My 10 months spent in International College (Bukit Jambul, Penang) were mainly confined in a students' apartment barely 5 minutes away from the school - not much of an outgoing person then.

Anyway, here's a first look at where the event will be taking place, and some suggestions of where to stay.


That island above is Penang Island, situated somewhat West of Peninsular Malaysia with mainland Butterworth and Prai to its East. Further inland and towards the North will be the state of Kedah-where I come from.

The map below is a magnified section of the top right quarter of the island above. The Eastern & Oriental (usually only known as E&O) Hotel, where the wedding reception will be, is located right under that word GEORGETOWN. See it?


For those not considering to stay at the E&O, there are plenty of other hotels nearby.

If you'd like some seabreeze in your face and sand in between your toes, Paradise Sandy Bay, Copthorne and Tj Bungah Hotel aren't too bad. They're about 15-30 minutes away from E&O by taxi.

Now, for those who simply MUST go to Gurney Drive (but seriously, there ARE other similarly or better eating places elsewhere but I'll humor you anyway) The Gurney Hotel and G Hotel are pretty much quite close to your heart's desire. G Hotel is brand new and is literally glued to the Gurney Plaza - quite good shopping there for those in need of last minute touch ups to their party gear. Plus there are a number of cafes there for a late night drink or two. Apart from those two, the Evergreen Laurel hotel is not too bad, so is the Northam AllSuites. In the map above Gurney Drive is roughly between Northam and Evergreen. That's where G Hotel and Gurney Hotel are as well.

Other hotels within the vicinity of E&O to consider are:

Cititel
City Baview
Traders Hotel (Shangri La in the map above)
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (a magnificently restored mansion of a chinese merchant converted into a heritage hotel. A breathtaking work of asian architecture)
The Merchant Hotel

The next map is mainly dedicated to those who wish to stay nearer to the airport. I know some of you have an early flight to catch on Monday morning (19 Nov) after the wedding reception.

This is a magnified section of the Bayan Lepas/Bayan Baru area-bottom right quarter of island. Around this area there's the Vistana Hotel or Krystal Suite or Equatorial.

More to come on Things to Do and attractions along the Feringghi stretch. Later...

-Disclaimer: As I've always stayed at home when in Penang, I do not actually know how good these hotels are. Those that I would recommend (from friends' experiences) are G Hotel, The Gurney and maybe Cititel. Bayview I heard is not too bad too.

Horse Tales

Old tribal wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. Businesses, however, often try other strategies. These include...

1. Buying a stronger whip.
2. Changing riders.
3. Saying things like "This is the way we always have ridden this horse"
4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.
5. Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
6. Increasing the standards to ride dead horses.
7. Appointing a tiger team to revive the dead horse.
8. Creating a training session to increase our riding ability.
9. Comparing the state of dead horses in today's environment.
10. Change the requirements declaring that "This horse is not dead".
11. Hire contractors to ride the dead horse.
12. Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.
13. Declaring that "No horse is too dead to beat."
14. Providing additional funding to increase the horse's performance.
15. Do a CA Study to see if contractors can ride it cheaper.
16. Purchase a product to make dead horses run faster.
17. Declare the horse is now "better, faster and cheaper."
18. Form a quality circle to find uses for dead horses.
19. Revisit the performance requirements for horses.
20. Say this horse was procured with cost as an independent variable.
21. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Homer Back Home

Did anyone come across the news article about Homer Simpson on several major newspapers in Malaysia the last three days? Apparently some college students stole a life-sized model of Homer Simpson used for advertising outside one of the cinemas in KL.

Well, unfortunately these fellas forgot to check for surveilance cameras and was caught on tape, trailed by police and later caught sometime yesterday. Not very smart, huh....

Gee...the news even made it to international news sites.....

I wonder what they were thinking.....what do you do with a 4-ft tall statue of Homer at home??

Meeting the Dressmaker

I stole an afternoon off today (it is after all, Work Hard Play Hard Friday today) to pay a most important visit to a lady whom I hope will weave some magic into a piece of red satin fabric.

That Special Occasion has been at the top of my list for wedding gowns since the first time I stumbled across their website. I spent hours staring at the elegant gowns with exquisite detailing. At long last (after almost 10 months of deliberation), I met Anna at her nice little shop at Desa Sri Hartamas.

We sat down for an hour going through the designs I liked, and eventually she sketched out the PERFECT evening dress. :)....all I will say is that, it will be red satin....

My first fitting is on September 1st. I am bursting with excitement!

"Bantal Busuk"

That literally translates into 'smelly pillow'. In our culture, it refers to that item from your childhood that you just cannot do without...

It could be a blanket, a certain old toy or perhaps a lumpy old pillow that one simply MUST have, safely tucked away in bed.

For me, it is the 'sarong' in which I slept in as a baby. It is still in good shape right till today, thanks to Mom who never believed in washing machines and painstakingly hand washed all our laundry when we were young. Now, with a machine, I would place that 'sarong' in a laundry bag for delicate clothing.

So, what's yours?

Recently Watched: Saving Face

A 48-year old Chinese widow in America, suddenly finds herself pregnant. On top of that, there's the daughter - pretty, successful and suspiciously single. If you liked The Joy Luck Club, you will probably enjoy Saving Face.