belakang padang pt 2

belakang padang pt 2

Yeah, so where was I....?

Been griping so much, haven't I?

Howwabout' leaving it to the pics? I upload already, might as well blog it...

Fish crackers. They don't usually come coloured but since the taste remained unchanged, I have no complaints. The glaring shades used for the colours kinda' freak me out, though.

It's already so colourful and put amongst the similarly colourful YET inedible plastic straws and toys. Little wonder it took me some time to find these goodies. Pfft!

Always prepared by one of my relatives upon our arrival. The javanese call the dish: 'Mendo-an'.

Translated to: 'soft' or 'limp' cos the actual dish is simply batter fried to the consistency of pancakes (a tad oily, though).

To cater to us Singaporeans' tastes, however, they've added rice flour to the batter to make the dish more crisp when fried. YUM!

Oh, being 'tempeh' (fermented javanese soy bean cakes) makers, they have a generous slice of that inside the mendoan. That and some chopped cilantro. Dipped in chili sauce or alternately bite on the fiery green cili padi. Fuh!

Even my cousin who doesn't eat tempeh, loves this!

The wedding reception: A simple affair. Dessert came in the form of tangerines. Just take the whole fruit and peel it yourself.

3 dishes: chicken cooked in soy sauce and lotsa' spices (with a strong hint of black pepper), sambal goreng with potato, cucumber & carrot achar & fish crackers (kept in an air-tight container).

The rice taste soo good. I betcha' they steamed it.

It says: Thank You ladies & gentlemen for your attendance. May god bless your goodwill.

Wedding favours for guests: A simple pack of candies with a Thank You note on behalf of the couple.

Bridal dais

Bridal chamber: Thats the change of clothing there. some 'Solo' ( a region in central or western Java) garb.

I guess it's customary for them to serve food to their guest, despite knowing that we came from a wedding.

Nothing beats noodles in piping hot broth to ease the belly.

Chendol: Strips of agar2x, kernels of sweet corn & home-made chendol swimming in ice-cold fresh coconut (from the backyard) milk & authentic palm sugar.

Mango tree: My dad attempting to use the fruit picker contraption.

The first mango we got, my mum gave it to my grandma. Pretty big, huh?

Finally a mango that's OURS. It's also the biggest of the lot. =D

Silver Queen chocs: Something that I dun' leave Indonesia without. The winning combo of milk chocolate and cashew nuts. Works for me!

Check out this pic of the chunky version.

belakang padang pt 1

belakang padang pt 1

motorised sampans, originally uploaded by crush-ice.

A quick day-trip down to Belakang Padang over the weekend to attend a wedding.

However, it's an open secret that the wedding is just a lame excuse for the real reason that we all troop there - shopping!

Sure, the market place is no longer like back in its heyday, when residents of neighbouring islands drop by there to do their shopping. Well, until they totally develop the main island of Batam and people start flocking there instead.

For those in the unknown Belakang Padang is 5-10mins boat ride away (depending on what boat you take) from the port of Sekupang, Batam.

Heck, even the ferries from Singapore used to stop there back in those days!

But stuff that can be obtained there are worth checking out.

It's no surprise when my aunties admit that they really need to stock up on lots of things like groceries, tidbits/snacks, cleaning agents & even medication!

All of which, we haul back to Singapore by the cartons/boxes.

My aunt had the grocer pack a box of Mie Sedap instant noodles, with all the flavours offered by the brand mixed inside.

Her daughter kept a mental note on all the tidbits she saw being advertised on the Indo channels that she watched religiously. Any new products will be taken note of and she will make sure she try them out.

By 'trying', she will buy a box of the said product.

I should really recommend her to start a blog, posting entries with reviews of the various products that she's tried.

My mum meanwhile, she'll stock up on their detergent. They seem to work pretty well somehow. Too bad, they sell in such small portions, to cater to the locals, most of whom can only afford to buy a little at a time (that's why most products come in sachets).

For eg. washing detergents here are sold in 5 kg packs. Over there, they only sell in 1 kg packs. So my mum will purchase 5 packs of them. Dun ask how we cary them back.

Same goes for their supplements & medications. Their cough syrup that come in sachets, we buy a whole box of them. Similarly for their cooling soda powder mix (like Eno). A box had 5 sachets. We bought a whole pack with 20 of those boxes.

Seeing that we bought so many of certain items (esp. medication), we're lucky to pass thru' the customs. I think we could have started a small business with the amount of stuff we brought back!

Needless to say, shopowners are gleeful when they see us.

And did I tell you how cheap these stuff are..?!

Cos' we won't know when we'll be dropping by there next and the price of the ferry tickets never cease to increase. Gotta' make the trip worth it.

2nd day mc 2

mc - 2nd day
part 2

Like I said, I was really bored, keeping house.

My mum had insisted that I make my way to the gym.

Geez, what aspect of 'resting' and 'recuperate' doesn't my mum get...?

My bro has asked for the longest time, for me to watch him skim and snap some shots. And yesterday was the first time that I wasn't working when he's skimming.

So I took the plunge and hail a cab at 4pm. And what luck, it rained as soon as I reached East Coast Park! Pfft!

The rain eventually ceased in less than 1/2 hour so I got trigger happy.















































































































And somehow, my favourite shots are of their rough tumbles.

Heh.

Not that I'm being sadistic. Cos' it hurts, aite?

But the pics seem to have a more dramatic effect, liddat.

Check out the last one. Hehee...

2nd day mc 1

mc - 2nd day
part 1

And I'm sick and tired (pun intended) of being cooped up at home.

Cooked lunch for my hungry mum. I dislike the taste this time. For I only discover that I have the wrong type of milk when I'm already halfway through preparing the dish. HL milk is sooo not suitable for preparing cream sauce, I tell ya!

Euugh! The taste..! Please, next time, stick to UHT milk. No decent amount of flour can thicken the sauce to the right consistency.

It doesn't help that I only have chicken meatloaf left in the fridge. Talk about blandness....

And the penne this time was bigger-than-usual. Much too filling to be enjoyed. I much prefer the fusili.

My mum had many helpings, though...

I choose to layer mine with pasta-cream sauce-(lotsa') cheesemix-repeat and topped with more cheesemix and parmesan granules for that extra crunch.

Much more palatable that way.

careful wish

be careful what you wish for

Sometimes, things that you wished for even in passing might just be granted.

It can be something totally insignificant, unimportant.

I've been through this many times over and yet, it's hardly a lesson learnt.

For example, since the start of Euro 2008, I've been lamenting about how I wouldn't wanna come to work after watching the finals, cos' the match is on Monday morning.

And yet, I forgot to take leave before my bosses went overseas, so I guess not.

True enough, I managed to watch the match and stayed at home today. And tomorrow.

I'm on MC, that's why.

Because yesterday, I had the runs. More like food poisoning. Geez!

I starved myself till' the evening because I fear going to the loo with everytime I consume something, even water.

I managed to have a hearty dinner, only to do a merlion right before entering the clinic. Such a waste!

By then the doc had diagnosed me with gastric flu. And I thought it was mere food poisoning...

And man! Don't those clinics that opened till late charge a lot..?! I heard the patients before me all being charged more than $60. And they were kids!

I anticipated mine to me at least $80 but it came to only $55. But that's still a far cry from the $20++ that my family doctor charged.

If not for the fact that my family clinic doesn't open till late on Sundays, I wouldn't have bothered...!

But most importantly, I got to wake up in time to watch the whole match! Woo!

And relish in watching Spain's sweet victory.

FINALLY! The broke their Underachiever's curse! After 44 years!

And since I was the only one who watched the match, I did my rendition of a victorious Red-Indian dance around the living room as Casillas lifted the cup.

So it's not a wasted effort for me to walk around Parkway Parade wearing my Arsenal jersey, to show my support for Cesc Fabregas (he was in the starting 11!). Ok, some of you may say that I might be supporting Jens Lehmann. Oh puhleez, those who know me, will know just how much I dislike that keeper.

And I'm so having the hots for Sergio Ramos. Eversince I watch that Nike ad and he went bare bodied for quite a while before accepting his medal...

And guess, Aragones can finally retire in peace, huh? He had looked sooo old! I remembered telling my mum, "This manager, he looked like he can collapse from a heart attack anytime!"

And I remembered when the team joyously lifted him up into the air, the commentator said, "Oh, put him down! He's 69 years-old!" Haha!

Mark Richmond even said, "Aragones must have been the oldest manager to win this cup."






















































And since the meds made me drowsy, I had to sleep it off, only to find that my mum had left me alone at home - AGAIN.

So I got myself a new hobby to pass the time. SUDOKU! I can't believe I would end up liking it. I dislike brain teasers because I deem them to be 'a waste of my brain juices'. But the challenge is addictive!

herbal tea

herbal tea

First it was the bottle of sun-dried yellow chrysanthemums.

Then it's that reddish looking dried fruit stuff (it's orange peel).

I've always been a sucker for health stuff so I asked for the benefits of these.

2 words had me drink this herbal infusion religiously.

remove. oil.

I know that it's best to boil them chrysanthemums but having them steeped in boiling water works fine for me, thank you.

The fragrant flowers plus the tanginess of the sour orange peel... Such delight!

I insist on drinking this sans sugar. Works all the more better.

Baby Birds 2

Baby Birds at the Office (Part Deux)

You See that..?

I came into the office to see only one fledgling left in the nest.

I frantically searched for the other one and found it on the cold floor, outside the timber decking.

Soon after my colleague came and he helped to put the little one back.

By calling it, 'little one' I mean every word of it. Maybe because it kept being oppressed by it's (much) bigger sibling, its growth seemed stunted.

I went in awhile and when I looked out I saw it looking distressed, hanging on the edge by its 2 puny claws.







I rushed to fold a kitchen towel and cut some tape. I came back out to see it hanging on with only a claw.

I carefully placed the towel beneath it and tape it.

And darn!

Due to the uneven surface of that ruddy nest, I can't see the tape clinging much so I rushed back in and cut more tape.

And so, the nest looked like that.

Something tells me that the big one ain't too pleased with my effort, though.

My colleagued had mentioned, "That's the way it is in the animal world. Only the fittest survive."

Oh well, then. I'll make sure this little one become the fittest!

Did you watch Happy Feet??!

**Update:

Egad! I saw for myself! The big one PUSHING the little one off. AGAIN!

And the lil' one frenetically flapped it's wings just so it won't land on the floor again and manage to get on the roots of the plant right below the nest. Now it's just perching there.

I give up. There's no way I'm gonna let it back on the nest and risk it being pushed off again...

Geez!**

baby birds

baby birds at my office

The same species - Yellow-Bellied Sunbirds, set up their nest on my office garden terrace yet again. The same thing happened around the same time last year, too.

Check out last years batch at my colleague's page.

This year, they built the nest on the same plant near the same place and used the same kind of junk. By saying 'junk', I mean it - literally. Icky stuff like hair, thread, scraps of paper & plastic bits yadaa yadaa..

Whatever happened to twigs..?

Even birds go thru' modernisation....

The nest was so close to the door that we have to be careful to not slam into it. And we have to be more cautious during the roosting period, where the timid mum will fly out of the nest whenever we come out to use the sink. Last thing we need is for the long, pointed beak to poke our eyes!

The other day, one of the fledglings fell out of it's nest. This year, I guess the nest's built ain't as strong or that the babies are bigger. The opening to the nest got pretty big, as it strained under their weight. The one on top kinda' slipped off the other one and plop-ed onto a puddle.
My colleague brought it to a drier spot. I then brought it up, closer to the nest at where the sun is, to dry it so it won't shiver so much.

My other colleague eventually put it back into the nest.

The following pics were taken in sequence and zoomed in with every shot.

e-Hubbing

e-Hubbing w/ Dinah & Lil' Aqil

Something that we planned since we heard of Kung Fu Panda. Just the right show to watch with the little boy.

My gosh, despite parents bringing their kids to the show for their entertainment, it seemed like the adults are the ones who laughed the most (us included)!

Those kinda' laugh-a-minute kinda animation.








Post movie, I brought everyone to BBQ Chicken Restaurant, a fried chicken chain from Korea.

I've been wanting to come here since my accidental stumble upon it after I got lost, wanting to look for the carpark entrance.






I've just taken a look at the menu but never really checked the interior (despite the glass frontage *duh!*). And boy, was I impressed when I stepped in!

The restaurant is divided into 3 parts.
Green area for regular dining, White area where the booth seats are.


Pink area for sofa seating, which I find to be really suitable for kids cos the seats are low.














The hot pink goes really well with the black background, eh?















The food..?

I love the chicken! Juicy and well marinated. The skin ain't so thick (unlike KFC).

Choices aside from chicken ain't much though. Just a beef patty dish and the typical fish & chips.














This is the Charboiled Chicken Sandwich that I ordered.


Yes, I know! Big, rite...?

But veryyy nice!







I mistook the 2-pc chicken set for a set of drumlets and we end up with an extra portion of fries and coleslaw.

Oh the fries are the fat-fat type (ala Swensens) and the coleslaw taste fresh!










I'm so glad we finally get to meet up. Looking forward to the next one! ; )

bro's new workplace

bro's new career move

Last Friday was my brother's last day at work.

So those who have been to Wild Wild Wet @ Downtown East, please be informed that THIS 'Botak' lifeguard is no longer working there.

Cheh, as if he's so popular, liddat.























I wonder how does it feel like, to leave a particular workplace after having been slogging there for the past 3 years...?

Well, not that I want to go through that. I love my current vocation, thank you.

I accompanied him to downtown east yesterday as he had to return to WWW to return his uniform and clear his locker.

He had told me that he took a VERY long look at his locker before he finally bade goodbye to the place as a whole.

In fact, his colleague had jokingly put up a notice much similar to a classified ad, advertising his (now) available locker.

Sigh.

Today is his 1st day at the new workplace. Hopefully all goes well.

There's a lot of conveniece that he had to sacrifice to take up this job. He had to do away with the direct bus route to work and be a newly converted MRT commuter. Then there's the need to wake up at an ungodly hour and be on the train by 6+ am.

Well at least they pay better and have dual shifts (shorter hours per shift). Hopefully this will give him a chance to pursue that sports management course that he's been eyeing for so long.

Best wishes on this career move, bro!

Puteri pacific JB

lunch @ The Puteri Pacific Hotel, JB

Okay, more specifically, it's at The Newsroom Cafe.

My family's been craving to go back there. The last time had been rad! We did try the lunch buffet at Hyatt but we somehow prefer it here. Maybe because it's more spacious.

I kinda miss the teppanyaki counter at Hyatt, though.

Hungry and raring to go, especially after going through the jam at the S'pore customs we devoured almost all the varieties available on the counters. Or at least we tried...

My bro stuffed his face with bread, bread and more bread. My dad gave up soon enough. My mum and I were like 2 curious girls, venturing from one station to another, cheking out what's available. My cousin, he's the best person to bring to a buffet. Though his massive appetitie has subsided a weeny bit...


Starters - Cold dish


















Salad - I love them Alfalfa Sprouts!














Main course (L-R) - Veggie LAsagne, Lamb Spaghetti, Chicken in Cream Sauce, Oyster Sauce Kailan, Black Pepper Beef.













Fat, juicy mussels cooked in black pepper.

And Pumpkin in Coconut Stew.

Both my fave.









My cousin's bowl of ice-kachang.

There's an ice-shaving machine to do your own.

Since we came late for lunch and they never really close to prepare for tea-time, we got to see the spread they've prepared and brought out for that next session. I can resist snitching this mini-burger and add on my own stuffing of smoked ham and alfalfa sprouts!

*burp!*