Across the South China Sea

Build "Repo"

2011-02-26T08:15:00.008+08:00

I have been called into my boss room to have a chat yesterday.

Prior to this i have been warned by one of my colleague that i should be aware (in which i did) of my subordinate's "small gesture" and i actually see this coming.

My boss is of the opinion that i am not "approachable" and hence cannot work together as a team. He said i should spend some time to have a drink with my subordinates on a Friday night to build my reputation among my subordinates.

The fact is, i don't think having a drink with my subordinates on a Friday night is part of my work. This should never be the only reason why my subordinates are able to "gel" (as in my boss terminology) with me.

I always thought that a certain distant need to be maintained between superior and subordinate. We are all employees of the same company and we received salary every month in exchange for work done. We are just doing our work, nothing more.

Am i the boss who own the company? No. Do i get anything more than my salary if my department is able to do more files? No. Then i am of no different from them except that i might ranked slightly higher than them with a room of my own.

Does that mean i need to hang out with them on a Friday night to build up my so-called "reputation" among my subordinates? I don't think so. We are all, in fact, sitting in the same sampan whereas my boss is sitting in a cruise. I don't think i am very different from them.

With this, it really gets me thinking... am i being employed to do sales and marketing (even among my subordinates), as opposed to clerical work? I never believe in colleague = friend. Colleague can never become friend because tension and conflict in workplace will always come between colleagues.

Maybe next time my boss should ask this question during an interview for my post: Do you drink? Do you hang out at pub during weekend?

Then my answer would be: I drink and hang out at pub occasionally but only with certain people in which i am comfortable with and people that i called "friend".

With this, i am not going to change myself just to please my subordinates because this is not something that i believe in. Different boss might have different way of dealing with people but what my boss advocating is definitely not something that i would do.

你也不过是个旅客

2010-12-14T21:46:00.006+08:00

有“紧张大师”之称的著名导演希区柯克有次在苏格兰山区迷了路。

不知走了多久才在漆黑的夜空见到一盏灯火。

他定睛一看：原来是一户人家，立刻兴奋地奔上前去。

“我家又不是旅店！” 屋主听到他所提出借宿一晚的要求后，立刻板着脸拒绝。

“我只要问你3个问题，就可以证明这屋子就是旅店！” 他笑着说道。

“我不信，倘若你能说服我，我就让你进门。” 屋主也爽快回答。

“在你以前谁住在此处？” “家父！”

“在令尊之前，又是谁当主人？” “我祖父！”

“如果阁下过世，它又是谁的呀？” “我儿子！”

“这不就结了！” 导演笑道，“你不过是暂时居住在这儿，也像我一样是旅客。”

结果，当晚他就在屋里舒舒服服地睡了一觉。

人生如白驹过隙，在历史长河中每个人都如匆匆的过客。

Nescafe

2010-12-05T17:28:00.003+08:00

I have always like to compare products from different countries.

Here, you can see Nescafe can drinks from three different countries, namely Malaysia, Hong Kong and Korea.

The Korea Nescafe can drink was bought from Malaysia at a Korean Grocery Store whilst the Hong Kong Nescafe can drink was bought from Hong Kong which (if not mistaken) costs me double the price in Malaysia.

All of them tasted essentially the same, but i find that our Nescafe tasted slightly sweeter as compared to the rest.

Here, you can see Nescafe sachets from South Africa.

These were provided by some of the hotels in South Africa to their hotel guests.

You can see the word "special filtre" on their packaging.

The last two sachets are Nestle creamer, which are known as Cremora creamer in South Africa.

Noisy Wedding Dinner

2010-11-20T21:31:00.005+08:00

One of our Indian neighbour downstairs is having a wedding dinner near the entrance of our block.

The tents have been set up one day in advance and the stage is extremely grand.

They have rented 2 BIG speakers and they have been very NOISY for the past 2 hours since 7.30pm.

Those songs played by the sound system is very LOUD and is akin to an EARTHQUAKE.

On top of that, they also play fireworks similar to those we see during countdown party in the town.

Although its of a smaller scale, the noise is ear-piercing as the fireworks were released in close proximity to my unit.

I cannot understand those people... just because they are having fun, the whole block of residents have to suffer.

I felt like i am in a club right now... the noisy bass is disturbing my heartbeat... WTF!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:39:00.005+08:00

Happy Halloween everyone... Ha Ha Ha!

Thrust or Trust

2010-10-30T21:41:00.006+08:00

Every now and then, i would come across some correspondence with spelling errors all over the place.

This is just one of those silly mistakes which brighten up my boring day.

The person who signed this letter is a manager and he must have had a bad English teacher.

Benefits of Drinking Tea

2010-10-30T16:46:00.003+08:00

By now you've probably heard that tea is a great mood booster, stress reliever and all-round master of making you feel Zen. Tea can improve some areas of life that mean the most - your job, your skin, your finances and your confidence.

Landing a Job

Tea obviously cannot walk into your job interview and force the Human Resource representatives to hire you on the spot, but it can increase awareness and alertness, without the jitteriness coffee often causes. The morning of your interview, sip on a cup of tea to perk up without suffering an energy crash mid-interview.

A Raise or Promotion

The secret of calmness could land you your own promotion or even a raise. Those who have a tendency to stay calm under pressure and not fly off the handle are often the first ones to be brought up when it comes to time for a promotion.

A Flawless Face

Tea is full of antioxidants that detox your skin and fight against free radicals (basically, the annoying factors that make your skin age). Tea also contains rooibos, which is full of Vitamin C, Zinc and Magnesium. These are three big factors known to improve complexion and promote healthy skin.

A Positive Outlook

Don't sneer at the bubbly girl at the coffee shop everyone is drawn to - become her. To reap the benefits of a mood-stabilizing tea, pick one with a high concentration of L-theanine. This little miracle worker also helps your body strengthen its immune system, which is why you never see the bubbly coffee shop girl with a cold.

P/s: The above Golden Pekoe Tea was bought from South Africa and was told that it's famous among the locals.

New Work, New Life

2010-10-30T15:07:00.009+08:00

I have worked in this new company for 3 months now.

For the past 3 months, i am enjoying my work and my life very much.

On my first day at work, i was properly brief by the Customer Service Department on the working and practice of the company. No "first day start work, no briefing no explaining" (which happened to me in my previous company).

On my first day at work, i was properly introduced to all the colleagues. No one "gave me a sour face" nor "turned her face away" during introduction (which happened to me in my previous company that left me with embarrassment after the Boss "begged" the Account Manager to look at me).

All basic stationery were given to me up-front on my table. No "send in request and we will buy for you" (which happened to me in my previous company that left me longed for 1 week when i was merely requesting for 1 blue pen and 1 red pen).

Company driver will drive me to attend any outside appointments. No "you can take a cab and claim it by end of the month" (which happened to me in my previous company that i can only get all my claims once a month).

Company driver will accompany me to attend any outside appointments. No "there's nothing to worry about" (which happened to me in my previous company that include meeting clients in industrial area or rural area ALONE).

Cleaner will clean the office and clear the rubbish everyday. No "3 times a week is more than enough" (which happened in my previous company that left the office with bits and pieces of papers on the floor and stench of rubbish from all four corners of the office).

Cleaner will wash the toilet everyday. No "our toilet is clean enough, no need to wash with water, just mop will do" (which happened in my previous company that left the office toilet with weird urine odor every time you walked into the toilet).

All the staffs will discuss about their problems in a peaceful way. No "shouting and cursing" (which happened in my previous company that make the office sound like a wet market and one can hardly hear the voice from the other end of the phone).

Now, that's why you know why I THANK GOD THAT I RESIGNED from my previous company!

When I Feel Sleepy At Work

2010-10-08T22:23:00.009+08:00

When i feel sleepy at work...

I'll just look out of the window and expose myself to bright light to try tricking my body to remain awake. I used to work in an office where the lights are extremely dim. At the end of the day, i feel very tired and my eyes goes blur. Now that the office that i am currently working at have brighter lights and lamps, the environment are definitely much better.

When i feel sleepy at work...

I'll try to keep myself uncomfortable by standing up as much as possible. Another way is to stay cold and chilly in the office. I used to work in an office where the ventilation system is terribly bad. The company is trying to save electricity by installing just a small air-conditioner for a large area of 8 staffs. The warm environment often make me feel sleepy.

Now that my current office is bright and chilly, i seldom feel sleepy at work and hopefully this will allow me to be more productive at work.

At 31, Hong Kong

2010-09-13T14:46:00.008+08:00

Last year, i went to Hong Kong. Just like the slogan goes: LOVE IT! Loved the culture, food and architecture. I was there for 4 days and 3 nights, with a super hectic schedule.

We chose one of the Airasia Holiday Package on-line as well. With last year's "hotel horror" experience in Singapore, i called the hotel in Hong Kong 2 days in advance to confirm our booking. This time, the accomodation is confirmed.

It was winter in Hong Kong and i have never been to four seasons country. It was when i felt my face so DRY and was about to CRACK that i actually realized i need to apply moisturizer! Luckily i did applied lip balm. Otherwise, the condition would be worse!

I went to buy moisturizer at a Body Shop outlet which costs double the price in Malaysia. But look on the bright side, the moisturizer that i bought locally during that particular season might be more suitable than the one i bought in Malaysia... or maybe i'm just fooling myself...

Travel Pointers: Remember to bring along moisturizer when you go to places with four seasons. Never under-estimate the cold weather in those countries.

Weng Wah Lou Poh Beng and Lou Gong Beng. Just so-so.

Kee Wah Egg Roll. Very nice and soft. It literally melt-in-your-mouth.

Kee Wah Lou Poh Beng. Very nice. Soft and moist.

Kee Wah Assorted Biscuits. Loved all the biscuits except the Ginger Biscuits, but my mother loved it very much.

Kee Wah Lap Cheong. Err... it's a bit hard. Not to my liking.

A Hong Kong Post Office Box Coin Box. I've always fascinated by Post Office Box. I bought this at Temple Street night market in Yau Ma Tei. Oh ya! There is a terror story to be told about this visit.

Apparently two bottles of acid were dropped from buildings in a pedestrian zone at the Temple Street night market in Yau Ma Tei. Nine tourists and a child were among 30 people injured in the said acid attack.

We saw the news on television upon arriving our hotel room. We were shocked as the incident happened just half an hour after we left Temple Street. We just count ourselves lucky for not being one of the faces showed on the television.

Cute souvenirs. It was supposed to be souvenirs for my friends but at the end i decided to keep it for myself. Too cute to give them away!

Influencing People

2010-09-13T14:34:00.004+08:00

These are five ways to win over others:-

1. Be empathetic. Having the perception to ascertain people's true feelings is at the heart of most successful relationships.

2. Listen. Listening is just as important - if not more - as talking in communication. To truly listen, you must derive meaning from what is said. Don't interrupt or finish other people's sentences - you may pull them in a direction that's detrimental to your cause.

3. Look approachable. Crossed arms and legs can make you appear closed.

4. Control your manner. The volume, tone and speed of your speech are all important. Use volume and inflection to your advantage - appear soft when appropriate but firm when establishing control.

5. Remember names. A name is the most important piece of information you can know about an individual. Make sure you attach a name to a face and engrain it into your mind.

Don't Work Too Hard

2010-09-09T13:57:00.001+08:00

Gain Back Time

2010-09-09T13:48:00.004+08:00

These are tenets we seldom follow (but really should) to liberate ourselves and gain back the gift of time:-

1. Get in early and go home on time.

2. Assumptions kill.

3. Trust your gut.

4. Know what's being asked of you.

5. You can't please everyone.

6. Every conversation should have a purpose.

7. Recognize when it's all been said.

8. Don't be afraid to hire people your're going to lose.

9. Don't confuse activity with accomplishment.

10. Take back the weekend.

Dressing At Work

2010-09-08T12:33:00.007+08:00

As modern as we all are, the workplace still calls for some sense of conventional and conservative dressing. If you demand respect at the workplace, dress respectfully.

Although i truly believe in flaunting it if you've got it, in the office, we should do so in a more subtle way. I used to work with a sexy lady boss, Ms. L, who thinks that dressing super sexy is a fundamental requirement of her work. Tight shirt, short skirt, bare midriff or transparent dress is her code of dressing, which never fails to make us blush.

Maybe these more salacious girls are bad representation of the modern woman. There was once a client told me that Ms. L dressed like a GRO and on another occasion, a client told me that Ms. L looked like a Club Dancer. I felt truly embarrassed by such remarks. Would i pretend her sexuality doesn't affect the man she do business with? No, because it does.

It is said that a sexy woman in the office is as a symbol of power or an agent of seduction. I remember my ex-boss (who is a male) from another company once told me: "If you want to be successful in your career, wear short skirt." Initially, this sounded extremely sarcastic but after i worked with Ms. L, his remarks have unfortunately started to make sense.

Be it as it may, i always believe that there are definite dress expectations and a mandatory strict adherence to office clothing customs. More so if you are a professional, your clothing represents credibility. Unbuttoning your blouse to reveal bare skin will not only compromise your credibility, but also send a message that you are incapable and incompetent.

So when can you wear your new top with a plunging neckline? When you're not at work.

Old Post Office @ Kuala Lumpur

2010-09-03T15:03:00.003+08:00

If one were to look for a building with the most distinguishing feature at Jalan Panggong (which joins the end of Jalan Petaling), it would have been this old post office. Sadly, it had been left idle for many years and seemed to be unable to withstand the devastate condition any longer.

The double storey building which combines Malay and Tudor style architecture was build in 1911. Squarish body with slanting door, the ground floor comprises of cement wall, whilst the first floor comprises of wooden enclosing rail. You can see the distinctive black and white wooden strip decor below the red tile roof at the front.

It is said that in the old days, when transportation is not convenient, each time when the steamship which carry mails arrives at Klang port, the authority will transmit telegrams to Kuala Lumpur. Thereafter, this old post office will raise a red flag signifying and informing the public that mails will be arriving soon.

It is also said that there were traders out there who proposed to the authorities to repair this old post office and transform it into a museum and antique store. However, nothing had been done on the site so far.

At 30, Singapore

2010-09-02T16:15:00.008+08:00

At 30, the line of demarcation, i told myself that i must travel to oversea once a year. Be it for leisure holiday or enlightenment journey, i am willing to part with my money just to fly to another country.

My first destination was Singapore. I just thought that it was a wise choice as it is geographically nearer to Malaysia and culturally similar to Malaysia, albeit with a big difference in currency rate.

We chose one of the Airasia Holiday Package on-line, which is inclusive of air fare and accommodation. It's rather cheap for a 5 days and 4 night trip.

However, our nightmare began when we arrived at the hotel and ready for check-in.

We were told that the hotel do not have any record of our booking in their system even though we showed them our confirmation slip from Airasia on-line.

It was after the hotel manager (who came much much later) called someone at a company possibly related to Airasia for confirmation and we got our problem solved.

Travel Pointers: Always call the hotel in advance and confirm the booking before departure, especially if you place your booking on-line.

I bought this Samsui Woman Chopsticks & Spice Holder at Chinatown Heritage Centre, Singapore. It was not very expensive and not exquisitively made at all...

But the fact that my grandmother is also a Samsui Woman who hail from Kwang-Tung province of China gave me a "sense of belonging" reason to buy it as a souvenir.

Whenever i go outstation, i would normally buy local products (especially food) so that i can munch at home. But not for this Singapore trip. I found that a lot of their local food are very similar to Malaysia, but the price is double due to currency exchange.

To Have? To Be?

2010-08-27T22:50:00.004+08:00

Many people spend their lives trying to

HAVE money and things so that they can

DO what they want, so they can

BE happy...

when it should be the other way round:

BE, then you can

DO, so you can

HAVE whatever you want.

Be who you need to be to fulfill your ambitions.

Go within, find your purpose, know your strengths and use your gifts to the full.

Then you will have.

Mad World

2010-08-25T12:55:00.005+08:00

Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a bus hijack in Manila, Philippines, two days ago. My condolences to their families, and may the victims rest in peace.

This is a mad world. Most, if not all, hijackers are lunatics. It just saddens me that bloodshed cannot be prevented in this isolated incident which rarely happens.

Snappy Snapshot: Riverview

2010-08-21T21:17:00.003+08:00

The condominium is called Riverview.

I'm just curious... what kind of river view are they referring to?

Snappy Snapshot: Vuvuzela

2010-08-21T20:45:00.002+08:00

My friend bought me a Vuvuzela keychain as souvenir during a trip to Johannesburg, South Africa. Being the city which hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, i guessed buying something related to the said event would be something everyone would have thought of.

Although the major media networks tried to ban these brightly coloured horns for their unbelievable din, it was decided that the horns are an integral part of South African football culture and FIFA agreed to permit their use in stadiums during the said event.

Mesmerizing Concrete

2010-08-21T20:13:00.006+08:00

This is a picture of apartment complex in Tokyo, Japan. This building seemed to extend forever. Creepy!

On the other hand, this photo was taken during my previous Hong Kong trip. Hong Kong was one of the most densely populated place, and judging from this apartment complex, i can believe it.

T-Shirt Connection

2010-08-19T17:30:00.004+08:00

Last Sunday i had dinner with my friend at a Chinese restaurant that we used to patronize some time ago.

The waiter at the restaurant kept looking at me. After we placed our order, the waiter finally asked me, using his simple English: "You... that (pulling his shirt and pointing at my shirt)... from Myanmar?"

I was wearing a T-shirt with the wordings "Beautiful Myanmar" printed on it.

Then my friend told him that the T-shirt that i'm wearing was indeed bought from Myanmar from the previous Myanmar trip.

The waiter was very excited and told us that all the waiters working at the restaurant were from Myanmar.

I guessed for those who have been forced to leave their homeland to earn a living at a foreign soil, seeing things related to their own country really means a lot to them.

Later when we were returning home, the little Indian boy stays on the ground floor unit pointed at my friend's T-shirt and said: "Saya pun ada satu baju yang sama. Siva (I guessed it's one of his siblings or relatives) pun ada satu."

My friend was wearing a T-shirt with the wordings "Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur" printed on it.

That T-shirt was bought at Kota Raya, RM5.00 per piece, free size. The price would suggest that one bound to see a lot of people wearing the same T-shirt as you on the street.

Of course, this would include our little Indian boy.

It's amazing how a simple T-shirt can relate and connect one with another...

生命是个橘子

2010-08-19T16:23:00.004+08:00

“生命是个橘子”，自己决定了生命，就像你选择买了这个橘子，酸甜就要自己负责了。橘子买了，酸甜自负，何须怨尤？

“生命是个橘子”，失去健康就像变味的橘子，可能发生在自己身上，也可能发生在朋友身上。“时间”一到，早晚要变味的，唯一的“生命”是在变味之前。

“生命是个橘子”，一瓣跟着一瓣，有时一瓣瓣都是甜的，也有时是酸的，但也都要亲自尝了才酸甜自知。

“生命是个橘子”，太酸了不好吃，太甜了也腻，酸酸甜甜都尝才是真人生！

“生命是个橘子”，人生一路走下来，是否只有等到人生将近，才真正能体会橘子是酸多于甜？还是甜多于酸？

“生命是个橘子”，事件总是一瓣接一瓣的发生，滋味酸或甜只由自己决定。

“生命是个橘子”，好像人生也不必有一定的游戏规则，人生哪里有答案？如果，人生只是个橘子而已，那橘子放久了会坏。为什么不趁新鲜时多尝尝？真的是这样吗？

其实生活原本就是片片段段，但加在一起就是人生。就像一个橘子，不正都是由一瓣一瓣的橘片组合而成？

Zainal Abidin Meet & Greet @ The Summit Shopping Complex, Subang

2010-08-13T15:19:00.008+08:00

Stumbled upon our veteran local artiste, Zainal Abidin, at The Summit Shopping Complex, Subang last Sunday. There was a "Zainal Abidin - Meet & Greet" session in conjunction with "Raya Raya Kat Summit" Balik Kampung Fair at the said shopping complex.

Zainal Abidin was presence for only about 15 minutes and i count myself lucky for being able to see him in person at a very close range, watching him singing a few songs, including "Hijau". I still remembered watching Zainal Abidin's music video being aired on RTM when i was a kid.

"Hijau" is sung back in 1989, which has already highlighted the issue of saving Mother Nature. Part of this song (if not mistaken) is sung in Kelantanese dialect. This song has successfully blend the unique dialect into the plight of environmentalist. It was a hit back then.

Zainal Abidin, in my opinion, is one of Malaysia’s most successful singer. To be frank, i only knew a handful of local artistes and Zainal Abidin is definitely in the list!

Talked about how time has passed... Zainal Abidin's look has changed so much in 20 years...

Life Is Not Fair

2010-08-09T18:43:00.003+08:00

Recently two friends of mine rambling about their "psychological imbalance" towards money matters.

One of them, C, an ex-classmate of mine and currently in education field, told me about how she felt that life is unfair as one of her colleague charged double the fees that my dear C charged in her tuition lessons. C is of the opinion that her colleague has over-charged in tuition fees and that her colleague does not "qualify" to charge that high (as C thought that her colleague is not that up-to-standard after all).

Another one, S, also an ex-classmate of mine and currently in construction field, told me how she felt that life is unfair as one of her ex-classmate in University earned double the salary that S is earning now. S is of the opinion that she has been ill-treated by her company by underpaid salary. Hence, C and S are now consider themselves on the same boat and embrace each other on their "ill-fate".

This is my two cents worth. C and S's case are totally two different matters and cannot be placed on a par. The two cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

Tuition fees and salary are two different matters. Tuition fees is offered by the teacher (C) and regardless of what is the price, it is all depends on whether the parents think it is worthy or not. In other word, say a price and the parents will consider whether it is worthy of the services rendered/price paid.

I used to provide tuition lessons many years ago. It was a one-to-one tuition class, RM25 per session, 2 hours per session, twice a week. My brother also provide tuition lessons when he studied his A-Level. It was also a one-to-one tuition class, but he charged double my fees with the same duration of time. If you asked me, i never considered my tuition fees under-charged. In fact, i think it was reasonable considering the mother of my tuition student often provides me with meals at the end of tuition lessons (which is a cost in itself).

I just thought that C can always revise her tuition fees if she really thinks that she has under-charged but at the same time, she is wary of the fact that she might lose some of her students due to price-hike.

On the other hand, salary is often offered by the employer to the employee (S). It is the employer who consider whether S is worthy of the salary paid. S may ask for an expected salary that she thinks she worth but it is up to the employer to determine the salary amount.

When i just joined my previous company, i was offered an X amount of salary. I took the offer as i thought that the salary is reasonable and not very far from my expectation. More than a year later, my previous company employed another one for the same position with the same working experience, but with a salary of RM200 more than what i got when i first joined.

A colleague of mine from the same batch felt that it is very unfair for someone to receive a higher pay when the position and working experience is all the same. However, this is not an issue for me. I always think that everyone has a price that he or she worth in the working arena, be it academically or capability.

If i were to look for a reason for a RM200 more in salary, i would say that the new staff excelled academically than i am and the new staff used to work in the company on a part-time basis and from there, my boss got to know what kind of employee he is looking at. As opposed to someone like me whom he never met, of course there would be lots of doubts arising.

S can try to voice out her concerns to her boss and see what are the reactions. If the company thinks that this is what S worth and S thinks that she has been under-paid, S can always opt for a better job elsewhere. However, S must first prove her worth and strive to place herself in the same salary range as her ex-coursemate. After all, there is no free lunch in this world. Everything comes with a price.

Like Bill Gates said “Life is not fair - get used to it". You must accept that life is unfair. You must learn to adapt to your life, then change it.

机会

2010-07-21T14:50:00.004+08:00

一个有非凡成就的大企业家受邀对一群即将进入社会职场的大学生演讲。

他拿了一张中央有一个黑点的白纸展示给在座的人看。

他问：“ 你们看到了什么？”

大家都说：“ 一个黑点。”

“对。” 他说：“ 很多人都只注意到这个黑点，而忘了旁边这一大部分的空白，今天我要讲的题目“机会”，重点也就在这里。我们在日常生活中，往往只注意到自己或别人犯的错误而耿耿于怀，甚至自暴自弃，却忘记了其他可能做好的机会。”

这个故事提供我们从另一个角度来看待人生的错误。

人难免犯错，就像一张白纸上的黑点一样，然而只注意到这个黑点却不修正，甚至因此而限定了将来可能的成就，那么这个人就真的被这个小黑点所影响了。

Learn To Be Extreme

2010-07-14T23:33:00.006+08:00

I once read an article in the newspaper saying that great leaders are a peculiar group, almost like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it comes to their leadership actions. Great leaders know the right time when to alternate between contrasting leadership traits.

Here are the Extreme Leadership Traits:-

A B

Humility Assertiveness

Visionary/Big Picture Detail Oriented

Using Influence Using Authority

Street Smart Academic Knowledge

Time For Self Time For Community

Discipline Creativity

Task Oriented People Oriented

Leveraging Strengths Developing Weaknesses

Showing Love Using Fear

Using Intuition Data-Based Decisions

Extrovert Introvert

Personal Reflection Social Interactions

Ensuring Perfection Ensuring Speed/Execution

Telling Stories Using Data

Listening Talking

Quitting Pursuing Excellence

Teaching Others Learning From Others

Doing It Yourself Delegating To Others

Learning From Mistakes Doing Things Successfully the First Time

Experimenting Adhering To Policy

Hence, you have to learn to be extreme if you want to be a leader!

The End, At Last

2010-07-13T12:38:00.011+08:00

Spain won the FIFA World Cup for the first time after securing a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands. With Spain's World Cup squad receive heroes welcome home and Paul the Octopus shocking retirement, this marked the end of FIFA World Cup 2010.

Sharing some of the promotional event photos by Adidas at the Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall taken on the first week of FIFA World Cup 2010.

And now, let's seal it (FIFA World Cup 2010) with a kiss...

Iker Casillas is the Spanish captain and Sara Carbonero is the TV presenter girlfriend who interview the emotion-filled boyfriend.

Awwwwww My God!

HonKee Porridge Restaurant @ Taipan USJ, Subang Jaya

2010-07-12T14:43:00.011+08:00

I had porridge for dinner last night at HonKee Porridge Restaurant. This is the 5th branch of the famous congee stall in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur which spans three generations since 1949. Fresh Sliced Fish Porridge has been their specialty over the past 60 years. It is located just a few doors away from Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Taipan USJ, Subang Jaya.

Even though HonKee is just opened a week ago, people just seems to know of its existence since the day they started their business as you can see the shop is constantly packed! My friend and i were there around 7.30pm and there were only 3 tables available. By 8pm, people have started queuing outside the shop waiting for vacant table.

Not long after we have ourselves seated, we heard a young lady screaming from behind. It turned out that a waiter had accidentally spilled a glass of drinks on her. She should count herself lucky because it's not the super HOT porridge that spilled on her. The shop is in a chaotic state due to overwhelming customers and (maybe) inexperienced waiters.

From then onwards, i dare not take out my camera to take pictures of the shop and food. Even my blackberry was kept intact in my handbag. It's just that i'm scared the same thing will happen to me. That's why there is no picture posted about food in this post. Honestly, i would not want to be part of the training object for those waiters.

My friend ordered Cooked Fish Porridge (RM5.00) whilst i ordered Minced Pork and Bitter Gourd Porridge (RM6.50). Both of us ordered fresh Soya Bean Milk (RM2.30 per glass) and You Tiao (fried dough stick) (RM1.00).

In conclusion:-

Cooked Fish Porridge - Quite a lot of fish bones, must eat with extra care.

Minced Pork and Bitter Gourd Porridge - The minced pork is extremely salty.

Fresh Soya Bean Milk - Very diluted, no "home-made" taste.

You Tiau - It's not freshly-made and hence not crunchy. The portion is extremely little.

With HonKee started to expand their business by opening branches like this, one cannot help but comparing them to I Love Yoo (老友鬼鬼) which sells similar food. If you asked me, here are my two cents worth:-

Porridge - Both have great quality porridge. But HonKee's portion is bigger than I Love Yoo.

Soya Bean Milk - I Love Yoo's soya bean milk is very "home-made". This is lacking in Hon Kee.

You Tiau - I Love Yoo's You Tiau is freshly-made. Hence, it's very crunchy and you'll not get those "greasy" smell. Did i mentioned to you that the You Tiau at HonKee have this "greasy" smell that i think it spoiled my delicious porridge?

Anyway, i'll still patronize HonKee Restaurant, just for their delicious porridge but nothing else.

Meanwhile, you can visit their website at www.honkeeporridge.com for more information. I presumed the website is still under construction as the person who claimed to have a BSc. (Hons) IT (UK) can do far much better than this.

List of Outlets:-

Petaling Street: (5am - 1.30pm)

No. 93, Jalan Hang Lekir, 50000 Kuala Lumpur.

Lot 10 Hutong: (10am - 10pm)

Lower Ground Floor, Lot 10, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

Damansara Uptown: (7am - 10pm)

No. 71, Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Bandar Puteri: (7am - 10pm)

No. 52, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.

Taipan USJ: (7am - 10pm)

No. 59, Jalan USJ 10/1A, UEP Subang Jaya, 47620 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 012-238 0362 (Mr. Wong)

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

What A Pleasant Surprise!

2010-07-07T18:47:00.004+08:00

I paid a visit to my ex-coursemate, Yau last weekend. We are not particularly close. It's just that she is one of those friends whom we'll meet up for a cup of coffee or tea annually since the day we left college.

I went to her house at Salak Selatan, KL in which she had just bought early this year. It's a 30-years-old Single Storey Terrace House but it's very spacious due to the extension renovation made on the backyard.

She served me Ginger Tea which she bought from Taiwan. She went to Taiwan on April this year and bought a lot of food-stuff and drink-stuff which cannot be found in Malaysia. That goes to explain why she need to buy another luggage to carry all these tit-bits.

Despite the fact that i only see her once a year, this year would be a very special one.

Reason being...

1. Yau has just set-up her own company and is now THE BOSS.

2. Yau is one month PREGNANT.

This really sounds like 双喜临门 to me. She is now marching to another level of her career and becoming a mother in eight months time will surely mark another level of her life!

I am so happy for her.

Her husband, Siong is very supportive and understanding. He treated me (as Yau's not-so-close-friend) very well. For me, this is definitely a good sign of a loving and caring husband!

I am doubly happy for her.

Yau is expecting her baby by the end of February 2011. I do hope to see her new-born baby next year after Chinese New Year!

The Origin of... Olympic Rings

2010-07-01T00:00:00.002+08:00

Designed in 1913 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the five rings represent the five regions of the world that participated in the Olympics: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

While the individual rings do not symbolize any single continent, the five colors - red, blue, green, yellow, and black - were chosen because at least one of them is found on the flag of every nation.

The plain white background is symbolic of peace.

The Origin of... Dollar Sign

2010-06-30T23:55:00.002+08:00

When the U.S. government begin issuing its own money in 1794, it used the common world currency - the peso - also called the Spanish dollar.

The first American silver dollars were identical to Spanish pesos in weight and value, so they took the same written abbreviations: Ps.

That evolved into a P with an s written right on top of it, and when people began to omit the circular part of the p, the sign simply became an S with a vertical line through it.

The Origin of... Ampersand

2010-06-30T23:51:00.001+08:00

This symbol is stylized et, Latin for "and".

Although it was invented by the Roman scribe Marcus Tullius Tiro in the first century B.C., it didn’t get its strange name until centuries later.

In the early 1800s, schoolchildren learned this symbol as the 27th letter of the alphabet: X, Y, Z, &.

But the symbol had no name. So, they ended their ABCs with "and, per se, and" meaning "&, which means ‘and’".

This phrase was slurred into one garbled word that eventually caught on with everyone: ampersand.

The Origin of... Equal Sign

2010-06-30T23:41:00.002+08:00

Invented by English mathematician Robert Recorde in 1557, with this rationale: "I will settle as I doe often in woorke use, a paire of paralleles, or Gmowe [i.e., twin] lines of one length, thus : , bicause noe 2 thynges, can be more equalle."

His equal signs were about five times as long as the current ones, and it took more than a century for his sign to be accepted over its rival: a strange curly symbol invented by Descartes.

The Origin of... Exclamation Point

2010-06-30T23:34:00.002+08:00

Like the question mark, the exclamation point was invented by stacking letters.

The mark comes from the Latin word io, meaning "exclamation of joy."

Written vertically, with the i above the o, it forms the exclamation point we use today.

The Origin of... Question Mark

2010-06-30T23:29:00.004+08:00

When early scholars wrote in Latin, they would place the word questio - meaning "question" - at the end of a sentence to indicate a query.

To conserve valuable space, writing it was soon shortened to qo, which caused another problem - readers might mistake it for the ending of a word.

So they squashed the letters into a symbol: a lowercased q on top of an o. Over time the o shrank to a dot and the q to a squiggle, giving us our current question mark.

十句话

2010-06-26T12:30:00.005+08:00

第一句
如果我们之间
有1000步的距离
你只要跨出第1步
我就会朝你的方向
走其余的999步

第二句
通常愿意留下来跟你争吵的人
才是真正爱你的人

第三句
付出真心　
才会得到真心
却也可能伤得彻底
保持距离　
就能保护自己
却也注定永远寂寞

第四句
有时候　
不是对方不在乎你
而是你把对方看得太重

第五句
朋友
就是把你看透了　
还能喜欢你的人

第六句
就算是believe　
中间也藏了一个lie

第七句
真正的好朋友
并不是在一起
就有聊不完的话题
而是在一起　
就算不说话也不会感到尴尬

第八句
没有一百分的另一半
只有五十分的两个人

第九句
为你的难过而快乐的　
是敌人
为你的快乐而快乐的　
是朋友
为你的难过而难过的
就是那些　
该放进心里的人

第十句
冷漠　
有时候并不是无情
只是一种
避免被伤害的工具

这十句话很有深度，很有意思。认真去思考，你会得到意想不到的收获。

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-03-01T21:52:00.011+08:00

Happy belated Chinese New Year everyone!

These cute pair of tigers have been put on my office table one month before Chinese New Year, contantly reminding me that Chinese New Year is just around the corner.

Just to keep myself happy all the time.

My assistant has been absent for the past one week, without informing me or my boss of her whereabout.

The aftermath: files were piling up and work became almost stagnant.

Upon returning to office after my Chinese New Year leave, this is what i get: completing most of the unfinished files in the absence of my assistant.

I was fully recharged after Chinese New Year leave but were exhausted after one week of dog's life.

I am indeed physically and mentally exhausted.

My colleague asked me why don't i give my assistant a call.

I told her that i will not do that.

In fact, my assistant should be the one to call me and inform me and not vice versa.

These are basic office etiquette that need not be taught.

I just do not seem to understand why people can be so irreponsible.

Anyway, life still goes on and happpy belated Chinese New Year 2010.

Updates:-

3 months + thereafter, i have resigned from this company.

I loved my job and there is no second thought about it.

Maybe my boss thought that i can handle all the files alone so there's no need for me to have an assistant.

Or maybe my boss is trying to cut the overhead as business is not that good and need to get more business in (as opposed to staff).

However, as far as i can remember, there is file to be opened everyday for the whole year.

Obviously, my boss's motto is "bite off more than you can chew"!

Personally, i felt i had performed and proved that i was an exemplary employee.

When things do not turn out right, i leave them for better and wider horizons.

At the end of the day, hard working employees with good working attitude are being overlooked or taken advantage of.

Maximizing profit is an employer's sole objective - even if it means exploiting the employees for it.

No wonder more and more employees are losing faith...

Christmas Red

2010-01-20T23:22:00.005+08:00

This is the first time i've came across real Christmas Red. There are a lot of these at the Hong Kong International Airport, neatly placed along the road outside the Airport. A lot of these can be seen in the city itself. A beautiful plants indeed.

Hong Kong - Duk Ling

2010-01-20T13:36:00.006+08:00

I went to Hong Kong for a 4D3N trip 2 weeks ago. Need to give myself a break after months of "inhumane" life. The trip was fantastic! Not so much of shopping, but sight-seeing is good enough for me. I'm fully recharged now.

Living Corpse

2009-12-13T23:27:00.003+08:00

This is my office table.

Files were put on the right side of the big table (which i purposely excluded from the shot).

Worked like a dog for the past one month or so.

My boss was supposed to recruit a new assistant for me but yet to get one.

Works are piling up and i'm doing it all by myself.

People are celebrating holidays but i'm working on weekends.

Pathetic.

But then, life still goes on and the best has yet to come.

Snappy Snapshot : Subway Ad

2009-11-02T22:05:00.002+08:00

Two's Company...

Three's a crowd...

I like the idea of a mini car pulling a mini trailer... cute!

Eat At Your Own Risk

2009-10-31T21:50:00.004+08:00

My friend and i were having our dinner at this Pan Mee Restaurant at Bandar Puchong Jaya.

Both of us ordered Fried Pan Mee and we were so shocked to see the Fried Pan Mee soaked in heavy oil upon served.

For the extremely oily Fried Pan Mee, RM6.30 (per plate) and a terrible diarrhoea were the price to be paid.

When two of you having diarrhoea at the same day after eating the same food, surely there must be something wrong here.

This shall be the last time i set foot in this restaurant.

Law of Seed

2009-10-28T21:37:00.002+08:00

This is a good way to think if you want to be happy.

Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples on the tree, each with ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds! We might ask: Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more trees?

Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: Most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you had better try more than once.

This might mean:-
You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.
You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, ideas, etc.
And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find one special friend.

When we understand the Law of Seed, we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them - and work with them.

IN A NUTSHELL
"Successful people fail more often. They plant more seeds."

Caught In A Wind Storm

2009-10-27T21:44:00.002+08:00

A policeman noticed an old lady standing on a street corner during a sudden windstorm.

She was bracing herself by holding a light post with one hand, and she was holding her hat snugly against her head with her other hand.

Unfortunately, a strong gust blew her dress upward, and it continued to flap in the wind, exposing her under wear for everyone to see.

The policeman asked, "Hey Lady, everybody is taking a look at what you've got. Don't you think that pulling your dress down is more important than worrying about your hat?"

"Look here - what these people are looking at is 85 years old, but the *hat* is BRAND NEW!"

Snappy Snapshot : Meow Meee

2009-10-27T20:32:00.002+08:00

"A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays." ~ English Proverb

Melaka Street Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya (Revisited)

2009-10-26T20:56:00.005+08:00

I pay a second visit to this restaurant after my previous visit which left a good impression on me. I was there during lunch time. The workshop next door tend to be very noisy at times as the restaurant opened their door during lunch time.

We actually informed the Manager of the noisy ambience. The Manager has been so kind to close the door at our request. This is what i called GOOD SERVICE. Service has always been extraordinary here in Melaka Street Restaurant.

My friend ordered Dry Curry Chicken with Wantan Mee @ RM7.50. I was told that the Dry Curry Chicken was superb! The curry is flavourful and not too spicy.

However, the combination of curry chicken and wantan mee seems to be a bit odd to me. My friend is of the view that the Dry Curry Chicken taste best with plain white rice.

I ordered Golden Fried Pan Mee @ RM7.50. You can hardly find Fried Pan Mee in a restaurant's menu. Even though some of the restaurant do serve this dish, it was badly done.

But this one, i must say, is above average. The Fried Pan Mee is not oily, unlike most of those Fried Pan Mee i have had. The most important is the "wok hei" itself. Delish!

Add: No. 34, Jalan SS 2/66, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 03-7873 6232
Opening Hours: 10.30am - 3pm / 5.30pm - 10.30pm (Daily).

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Eddy's Cafe @ Nineteen Digital Mall, Subang

2009-10-20T22:00:00.004+08:00

Went to Nineteen Digital Mall, Subang to buy a computer mouse the other day and settled my dinner at a cafe in the Mall. Eddy's Cafe is a cosy little cafe which offers a very limited selection of Malaysian and Western dishes.

The Boss must have been a big fan of Elvis Presley. There is a corner full of Elvis Presley's collection, with lots of pictures and Piring Hitam.

Iced Lemon Tea.

Chicken Soup.

Chicken Chop... comes with gravy which does not suit my taste buds and over-fried french fries. It is unlikely that i would visit this cafe again.

The Chicken Chop Set Meal (inclusive of Chicken Chop, Chicken Soup and Iced Lemon Tea) is priced at RM12.90.

Add: G3A, Ground Floor, Digital Mall, Jalan Persiaran Kewajipan USJ 19, Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Happy Deepavali

2009-10-16T22:15:00.001+08:00

Happy Deepavali!

Our Life...

2009-10-13T22:30:00.001+08:00

Snappy Snapshot : Chipmunks

2009-10-13T22:16:00.001+08:00

My favourite cartoon character... Alvin and the Chipmunks!

Snappy Snapshot : Bamboo

2009-10-13T21:56:00.004+08:00

View from the first floor.

View from the ground floor.

Last weekend, i went to Alamanda Shopping Centre, Putrajaya. There is a Bamboo Walk outside the shopping centre. I've always like bamboo. Like the saying goes: The bamboo that can bend with the wind will survive.

Niu Ze Xui and Disney

2009-10-09T22:28:00.006+08:00

Went to Niu Ze Xui which is located at Ara Damansara. The place is rather quiet now and i think they are on the wane. Anyway, i managed to snap a few pictures of its Disney character displayed along the main street.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are getting married...

The angry-looking Donald Duck...

The adventurous human-like Goofy...

Ooops! Minnie Mouse's dress is a bit too short here...

Nightmare Before Christmas... An interesting motion picture by Tim Burton.

K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam @ SS15, Subang Jaya

2009-10-08T21:48:00.004+08:00

Went to K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam for dinner. It is a nicely renovated corner shop located at SS15 in Subang Jaya, same row with AmBank Berhad.

K3K stands for Kwai Sam Kee (桂三记) and originated from Kuala Lipis, Pahang. They set up their first branch in the urban area at The Place, Damansara Perdana and had since expanded from there.

It was said that the business has passed on to the third generation. K3K Benta Kaya Kopitiam is famous for their heirloom of cultured kaya and toast bread, aromatic coffee and tea.

My friend ordered Curry Chicken Rice @ RM7.80. The curry was flavourful but the portion was pitifully small. See the little drumstick on the big plate?

I ordered the Original Hakka Mee @ RM7.80. Again, the portion was super duper small. The noodles were home-made. Hence, it looks different from those i normally had. The soup tasted like "stew soup". Delish!

However, i do think that the food are over-priced. Nothing is cheap here. Even plain warm water will costs you RM0.60.

Add: No. A13, Jalan SS15/4D, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 03-5621 3566

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Xian Ding Wei @ Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya

2009-10-07T22:08:00.003+08:00

I visited this Taiwanese tea room-style restaurant called Xian Ding Wei at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall the other day. Frankly, i hardly came across Taiwanese cuisine in Klang Valley so i just went in and gave it a try.

The restaurant is located on the lower ground floor of Sunway Pyramid New Wing. You can opt for the indoor dining room or the dining area outside where you get a view of the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park (not much of a view actually).

Nice hanging lamp.

The server led me to a comfortable couch beside the glass wall, overlooking the front part of the restaurant. The lights were extremely dim, thus projecting a soothing feel as you sip your tea.

Nice chopsticks. The metal at the tip of the chopsticks makes it a bit heavier than those normal chopsticks. I like the feeling of holding it - i guessed it's the "firm grip" which interests me.

I ordered Sauced Noodle with Minced Pork (炸酱拌面条) @ RM9.90. The noodles were springy. The pungent sauce was mildly spicy but a tad too oily. Taste wise, it was just alright to me.

I also ordered Special Chicken Roll (五香鸡卷) @ RM7.90. This is said to be their house specialty. It was nice. I'm not sure what is in the chicken roll but it sure taste delicious!

The only drawback is that they used plastic cup to serve Chinese Tea. Not a good practice for an up-scale restaurant like Xian Ding Wei.

Add: OB3.LG1.7 & OB3.LG1.8, Oasis Boulevard, Lower Ground Floor, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Tel: 03-5631 3322

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Why We'll Never Understand Each Other...

2009-10-06T22:17:00.000+08:00

Dimple Dessert House @ Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

2009-10-06T20:56:00.004+08:00

I was looking for a soya shop beside Cheras Leisure Mall but unfortunately it has closed down. So here i am, looking at this Dimple Dessert House which is located just opposite the shop that i intend to visit initially.

The set-up of the shop is fairly simple. The shop occupies two lot, which makes it very spacious and comfortable. There were still a lot of Chinese New Year decor hanging around though...

My friend ordered Mung Bean Soup @ RM2.90. It tasted just alright to me. Pretty watery yet not too sweet.

As for me, i ordered "Five Colour Tong Sui" (五色糖水) @ RM3.90. It consists of Red Bean, Mung Bean, Black Glutinuous Rice and two other type of beans which i can't recall. I find it very nice, with a variety of beans to chew at.

Add: No. 30 & 32, Jalan Manis 3, Taman Segar, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-9131 9338

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Y E Traditional Dumpling Restaurant @ Pandan Jaya, Kuala Lumpur

2009-10-04T21:10:00.005+08:00

This is something niche. Armed with a map in my hand, off i went to see Ong Tee Keat... Ong Tee Keat's constituent, Pandan Jaya. After driving along a main road which is full of pot holes, we arrived at Y E Traditional Dumplings Restaurant.

The restaurant offers a variety of tea and glutinuous rice dumplings. It was said that their glutinuous rice dumplings, which were also known as Y.Y. Famous Dumplings, were very famous. Boxes of tea leaf were placed neatly behind the cash register. I find it an amazing feast to the eyes.

The interior of the restaurant is oriental and quaint, with Chinese caligraphy paintings and Chinese traditional musical instruments adorned each and every walls. It is truly a comfortable place to sample and savour the flavour of tea.

I ordered Jasmine Tea @ RM3.50. Instead of ordering a pot, i ordered a cup. That's why it comes in a tea bag. If you order a teapot, it would come in freshly brewed tea leaf.

My friend ordered Cantonese Glutinuous Rice Dumpling @ RM5.50. The glutinuous rice dumpling is triangular in shape. The outlook doesn't look appealing when it was served to us and it tasted just alright to me.

I ordered Hakka Glutinuous Rice Dumpling @ RM6.50. This type of glutinuous rice dumplings is called "pillow rice dumplings". The use of large amount of dark soy sauce came to me as a surprise. I find it rather salty and the original flavour of a glutinuous rice dumpling has lost.

The taste of a good glutinuous rice dumpling should come from the flavourful glutinuous rice itself, not from heavy usage of dark soy sauce.

Add: No. 8G, Jalan Pandan Jaya 3/9, Pandan Jaya, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-9284 5325
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am - 11pm; Sun & Public Holiday: 10am - 7pm.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

How To Survive A Day At The Office

2009-09-29T22:37:00.001+08:00

Snappy Snapshot : Rubber

2009-09-28T22:25:00.003+08:00

Rubber on the loose!

Ipoh Old Town Restaurant @ Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

2009-09-28T21:32:00.004+08:00

I seldom go to Bangsar. I was there the other day just to look for this Ipoh Old Town Restaurant. From the name itself, you would know what kind of food are they serving. Yes... Ipoh delicacies!

There are a few road signs sticked on every corner of the wall. I supposed they were some of the road in Ipoh town. Loved the antique lamp though.

The cash register counter looks like an old charm to me. I remember seeing those giant glass jar with iron lid and filled with biscuits when i was a kid. Those were the days.

Both my friend and i ordered Ipoh White Coffee @ RM2.20 per cup. Not as fragrant as i thought it would be.

My friend ordered Ipoh Curry Mee @ RM6.90. I was told that the curry was flavourful but extremely oily. The portion was a bit too little though.

I ordered Ipoh Hakka Mee @ RM5.80. You know i have a soft spot for Hakka Mee. It was just alright for me. The portion was SO small, with A BIT of minced meat, A LOT of bean sprout, 1 fish ball and 1 pork ball.

Add: No. 8, Lorong Ara Kiri 2, Lucky Garden, Bangsar 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2094 6818

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Melaka Street Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

2009-09-24T21:27:00.008+08:00

Just when you least expected it, you encounter something more than ordinary. Occasionally, we DO get what we paid. Melaka Street Restaurant truly came as a pleasant surprise.

The restaurant is located in SS2, Petaling Jaya, same row with Nam Heong Restaurant. It is a simple and homey restaurant which serves primarily Peranakan (or Nyonya) cuisine.

Fried Man Tau with Kapitan Curry @ RM5.00. The Fried Man Tau is tasty when consumed on its own but it tastes even better with the Kapitan Curry.

I was told that the Kapitan Curry tasted delicious and fragrant. It was full of santan flavour. My friend said that low-fat santan might have been used as the curry was not oily.

Fried Wantan Mee with Prawn @ RM7.50. Thin egg noodles were cooked in a thick egg gravy. It tasted not bad, heavily loaded with "wok hei". The prawns seems to be bigger in size as compared to the rest of the restaurant at a similar price range.

Fried Mee Suah (炒面线) @ RM7.80. Unlike the one i had at Yut Kee Restaurant, this Fried Mee Suah is full of "wok hei", with every strand of the thin rice vermicelli visibly parted and it's not stick together (at all). Well done for the Fried Mee Suah that i've longed awaiting for!

Add: No. 34, Jalan SS 2/66, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Tel: 03-7873 6232

Opening Hours: 10.30am - 3pm / 5.30pm - 10.30pm (Daily).

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

The Lost Prise

2009-09-23T22:02:00.003+08:00

The Lost Prise = Cheap Sale ??? (*fainted*)

恩人與仇人

2009-09-23T21:37:00.006+08:00

給辛苦的上班族分享!

大學剛畢業的時候，
某電視公司請我去主持個特別節目，
那節目的導播看我文章不錯，
又要我兼編劇。
可是當節目做完，
領酬勞的時候，
導播不但不給我編劇費，
還扣我一半的主持費。

他把收據交給我說：
『你簽收一千六，但我只能給你八百，因為節目透支了。』

我當時沒吭聲，照簽了，心想
【君子報仇，十年不晚。】
後來那導播又找我，
我還【照樣】幫他做了幾次。

最後一次，
他沒扣我錢，
變得對我很客氣，
因為那時我被電視公司的新聞部看上，
一下子成為了電視記者兼新聞主播。

我們後來常在公司遇到，
他每次笑得都有點尷尬。
我曾經想去告他一狀，
可是正如高中那位同學所說，
沒有他我能有今天嗎？

如果我當初不忍下一口氣，
又能繼續獲得主持的機會嗎？
機會是他給的，
他是我的貴人，
他已經知錯，
我何必去報復呢？

後來我到了美國留學。

有一天，一位已經就業的同學，
對我抱怨他的美國老闆【吃】他，
不但給他很少的薪水，
而且故意拖延他的綠卡（美國居留權）申請。

我當時對他說：
『這麼壞的老闆，不做也罷。但你豈能白幹了這麼久，
總要多學一點，再跳槽，所以你要偷偷學。』

他聽了我的話，
不但每天加班，
留下來背那些商業文書的寫法。
甚至連怎麼修理影印機，
都跟在工人旁邊記筆記，
以便有一天自己出去創業，
能夠省點修理費。

隔了半年，
我問他是不是打算跳槽了？
他居然一笑：
『不用！我的老闆現在對我刮目相看，又升官，
又加薪，而且綠卡也馬上下來了，老闆還問我為什麼態度一百八十度轉變，變得那麼積極呢？』

他作了『報復』，
只是換了一種方法，
而且他自我檢討，
當年其實是他自己不努力。

一點心得…
你要知道，
【敵人、仇人】都可以【激發】你的【潛能】，
成為你的【貴人】。

你也要知道，
許多怨仇、不平，
其實問題都出在你自己。

你更要知道，
這世間最好的『報復』，
就是運用那股不平之氣，
使自己邁向成功，
以那成功和【成功之後的胸懷】，
對待你當年的敵人，
且把敵人變成朋友。

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

2009-09-20T21:43:00.004+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Nippy Noodle Restaurant @ Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, Kuala Lumpur

2009-09-19T22:20:00.004+08:00

This is rather interesting. Nippy Noodle Restaurant, which is located in Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, is famed for it's super springy noodles (竹升面). It was said that the dough was flatten and beaten by bamboo pole which is imported from China.

I've seen this in a Taiwan TV programme years ago when they filmed it at an old restaurant in Macau. I never thought that i would see it in Malaysia, in Nippy Noodle Restaurant's open kitchen (it's the Chef's room actually).

The walls were adorned with Chinese painting and Chinese caligraphic art in addition to dim lighting. The ambience here is pretty comfortable.

My friend ordered Crispy Pork Noodle @ RM6.50. The noodles looks similar to wantan noodles. The noodles were indeed springy and the Crispy Pork was crunchy. It was delicious but the portion was small.

I ordered BBQ Sliced Pork Noodle @ RM6.20. You would also noticed that the portion was pitifully small. I loved the noodles. It was very, very springy. The BBQ Sliced Pork however were a bit too sweet to my liking.

We also ordered Pan-Fried Minced Pork and Shrimp Dumplings @ RM5.50. The dumplings tasted real good, with flavourful shrimp taste. The minced pork gave off a hint of Chinese wine which makes it taste even better.

Add: No. 25, Jalan Kuchai Maju 7, Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7982 1781
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am - 10pm; Sun & Public Holiday: 9am - 10pm.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Bao Bao Restaurant @ Puchong Jaya, Puchong

2009-09-18T22:52:00.007+08:00

I have longed want to try the Pan Mee (board noodles) at Bao Bao Restaurant after i heard about the good reviews it received. I was around Puchong last week and decided to pay a visit at it's Puchong Jaya Branch.

The restaurant is a corner shop located near Brothers Car Accessories Shop. The interior of the shop seems to be quite dark as dark brown is the theme colour for this shop.

My friend ordered Curry Chicken Soup @ RM5.80. I was told that it was spicy and flavourful but it was just alright. Nothing to shout about.

I ordered Q Bao Soup with Pork Chop @ RM5.50. The portion was quite small. The noodles were thick and the soup tasted quite salty for my liking. The pork chop was just alright to me. A bit hard on the teeth if you asked me.

We also ordered Shredded Meat Balls @ RM3.00. It was served with 3 slightly-bigger-than-usual meat balls. I kinda like this. The meat ball was filled with shredded meat. It was juicy on the inside but tender on the outside. Truly delicious!

Have you eaten "full full"?

Add: No. 23A, Jalan Kenari 9, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 019-350 9190 (Mr. Steven Kee)

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Balik Kampung, Rumah Selamat

2009-09-16T23:01:00.004+08:00

I was at IOI Mall, Puchong when Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat of Selangor was organising the "Balik Kampung, Rumah Selamat" campaign last Saturday.

Nowadays, being a Fire Fighter is never easy...

They have to sing and play musical instrument...

They have to dance along with the music as well...

A very senior-looking Camera Man from Berita RTM, Teman Setia Anda were also present at the campaign ceremony, recording the whole performance...

This is the Exhibition Booth of Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat, showing a lot of pictures depicting their scope of work.

Ying Ker Lou @ Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya

2009-09-15T22:43:00.004+08:00

Dined at Ying Ker Lou Restaurant at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, which claimed to serve authentic Hakka cuisine. It was located at the Marrakesh Floor.

Descent restaurant with nice ambience. The checker wall is the entrance for kitchen. What an entrance!

A pot of Jasmine Tea @ RM4.00. I've always like Jasmine Tea, with a hint of sweet fragrant.

Hakka Minced Pork Bantiao @ RM12.90. The noodles is similar to home-made Pan Mee (Board Noodles), but it's very springy. The minced pork was tasteful and goes very well with the noodles. The pork ball was flavourful and well-marinated.

Hakka Bamboo Shoot Dumplings @ RM7.00. This is similar to the one i had at Tien Kee Restaurant in Subang Jaya. Didn’t know about this dish despite me being a Hakka descendant. Not sure if it’s authentic Hakka food, but it tasted well and better than the one in Subang Jaya.

You can see that the Hakka Bamboo Shoot Dumplings was filled with bamboo shoot and minced pork. The outer layer was so soft yet it didn't break into two when i picked it up with my chopsticks. Truly amazing!

Loved the teapot.

In conclusion, food was good, service was proper (the waitress helped me to pour the tea twice, which was a good sign) and a selection of nice variety. However, the price is a bit expensive.

Add: Lot 122C, LG2, Sunway Pyramid, No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 03-5636 3322
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm daily.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Traditional Recipe Restaurant @ Kota Damansara

2009-09-14T21:38:00.008+08:00

This is my first time going to Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara. With a map in my hand, i venture to look for this Traditional Recipe Restaurant, which claimed to offer a variety of traditional dishes, glutinous rice dumplings and Pan Mee (board noodles).

The shop is kinda noisy, as the waitress are very rude in handling the cup and glass. The waitress will wash the cup and glass at a sink which is located beside the main dining area. By the sound of the glass knocking, you would have thought those glass have broken.

Longan Sea Coconut @ RM3.50. It tasted sweet, with lots of crunchy sea coconut slices.

Honey Lemon Juice @ RM4.00. It tasted mildly sweet, with strong hint of lemon.

My friend ordered Home-Made Pan Mee @ RM6.80. It was served with vegetables, fried bean curd (fu zuk), anchovies (ikan bilis) and mushroom slices. Nothing to shout about. The only plus point was they gave a lot of anchovies (ikan bilis).

Do you know why these vegetables were clipped one by one from the Pan Mee soup and put in the sauce plate? It was because some of the vegetables have started to rot! OMG! These were from a bowl of Pan Mee which costs you RM6.80! With this price, i never expect any restauranteur would use ingredients which has gone bad!

I ordered Guai Loh Pan Mee @ RM7.80. This is actually spiral pasta. It was served with vegetables, sliced fish balls, crab sticks and Shimeiji mushroom. Talked about fusion! I don't really like the idea. It's kinda weird, as i'm having spiral pasta in a Pan Mee soup. The taste did not blend well.

We also ordered Sui Kow Soup (dumpling packed with minced pork) @ RM6.00. The soup was full of other food stuff, which doesn't look appealing to me. The Sui Kow tasted average and kinda small.

In conclusion, average food with expensive price. Apart from making good food, a good restaurant must also know how to preserve food ingredients. Ingredients which has gone bad would affect the taste of the food in total! With this kind of bad experince, it would be very unlikely for me to return for the second time.

Add: No. 12-1, Jalan PJU 5/7, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-6141 8117

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

For Every Girl... For Every Boy...

2009-09-11T22:09:00.002+08:00

Your Unshakable Worth

2009-09-10T21:51:00.003+08:00

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a 20 dollar note.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this 20 dollar note?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this to one of you but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple up the 20 dollar note.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth 20 bucks.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value."

The Benefits of Milk

2009-09-08T22:20:00.002+08:00

A not necessarily well-prepared student sat in his science classroom, staring at a question on the final exam paper.

The question directed: "Give four advantages of breasttt milk."

What to write? He sighed, and began to scribble whatever came into his head, hoping for the best:

1. No need to boil.
2. Never goes sour.
3. Available whenever necessary.

So far so good - maybe. But the exam demanded a fourth answer. Again, what to write? Once more, he sighed, he frowned, he scowled, then sighed again.

Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed his pen, and triumphantly, he scribbled his definitive answer:

4. Available in attractive containers of varying sizes.

Cendol & Ice Kacang @ Giant Food Court, Subang Jaya

2009-09-04T23:57:00.005+08:00

I have been thinking of visiting this Cendol & Ice Kacang stall at the Giant Food Court in USJ 1, Subang Jaya since the day i returned from my Penang trip this April. I was told that this stall is a branch of the Penang Road Famous TeoChew Chendul which is located at Keng Kwee Street.

I ordered Ais Kacang @ RM2.20. It is a dessert concoction of shaved ice flavoured with red sugar syrup, palm sugar, crushed peanuts, sweet corns, red beans and kidney beans. The shaved ice is fine, but it is a tad on the sweet side.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Have A Rice Day!

2009-09-03T23:48:00.000+08:00

The Worst Air Disaster

2009-09-02T23:24:00.002+08:00

Poland's worst air disaster occurred today when a small two-seater Cessna 152 plane crashed into a cemetery early this afternoon in central Poland. Polish search and rescue workers have recovered 326 bodies so far and expect that number to climb as digging continues into the evening.

Canton Bay @ Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya

2009-08-31T22:32:00.007+08:00

Canton Bay is located at Lower Ground Floor of Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, next to Sunway Pyramid Ice.

Nice Chinese caligraphic art as decor.

Some items in the menu is written on the decor.

Classy and comfortable ambience.

Fried Man Tau @ RM3.50. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Char Siew Noodles @ RM9.50. Tasted average and the portion was pitifully small. Notice how BIG is the plate?

Char Siew Rice with complementary soup @ RM10.90. Nothing to shout about as well.

Conclusion: Average food with premium price. The service is bad. We waved our hand for almost 5 minutes but no one noticed us. Eventually i stood up and no one noticed me as well. Reason being all the servers only look at the floor but do not held their heads high up. With this kind of service, rest assure that this shall be my last visit.

Add: LG. 1 No. 43A, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 03-5635 2910

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Canton-i @ The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur

2009-08-31T21:40:00.009+08:00

Canton-i Restaurant with a view of all the activities in their open kitchen.

It is located at the Lower Ground Floor of The Gardens at Mid Valley City, a few doors away from Cold Storage.

Nice oriental decoration.

Spacious and comfortable.

There are a row of bird cage decor above me.

Soya Bean Milk -> watery and tasteless.

Hong Kong Signature Prawn Wonton Noodles (wet version) -> BIG wontons + springy noodles = Super duper delicious!

Char Siew (BBQ Pork) -> Sweet and juicy (2 out of 5 pieces eaten when photo taken).

Siew Yuk (Roast Pork Belly) -> Cruncy and fragrant (2 out of 5 pieces eaten when photo taken).

Conclusion: Delicious food but regretably over-priced. On a plus point, their service is good.

Add: Lg-202 & 203A, Lower Ground Floor, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2284 6888

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Warning

2009-08-30T23:54:00.000+08:00

Gonna Be A Bear

2009-08-30T23:53:00.000+08:00

Les Toasts Bakery @ Nineteen Digital Mall, Subang

2009-08-29T23:23:00.005+08:00

Bought some bread at Les Toasts Bakery which is located at Nineteen Digital Mall, Subang. They were having promotion of "Buy 4 Free 1" at that moment so i went in without hesitation.

I noticed that they are pretty creative in terms of bread offered. They are not selling those run-of-the-mill bread which can be easily found in other bakery shop, nor do they sell bread that were mainly topped by mayonnaise and sausage (which is not authentic "bakery" to me).

Japanese Potato Bun @ RM2.20.

Dark Brownies Bun @ RM2.20.

Tiger Skin Slice Cake @ RM1.90.

Butter Cake Banana @ RM1.80.

With just RM6.30, i get to eat bread made of healthy ingredients and premium quality bakery fat. The bread speak for themselves as they are still fragrant and soft even after kept in a refrigerator overnight.

Add: Lot G2A, Nineteen Digital Mall, USJ 19, Persiaran Kewajipan, 46720 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 012-305 1820

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Snappy Snapshot : Lake

2009-08-29T23:12:00.003+08:00

A mine lake that is somewhat left uncared-for located behind the new extension of IOI Mall, Puchong.

Tickle Me Elmo Factory

2009-08-29T22:38:00.003+08:00

There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes The Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms.

Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 AM.

The next day at 8:45 AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee.

He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.

The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor.

When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up.

At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles.

The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.

The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena...

"I'm sorry," he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday..."

''Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles."

Ah Ping Bah Kut Teh Restaurant @ SS14, Subang Jaya

2009-08-27T23:17:00.006+08:00

Was craving for Bak Kut Teh last week, so my friend and i went to Ah Ping Bah Kut Teh Restaurant, a famous Bak Kut Teh restaurant in Subang. The shop is located near Bulatan Kewajipan at SS14, Subang Jaya. It opens around lunch time and sold out around 8pm daily.

We were there around 7pm, thinking that it's still early but the restaurant was already packed with dinner crowd! So if you want to patronize them, make sure you be there early to avoid disappointment.

We ordered Clay Pot Bak Kut Teh for 2 pax and Yau Char Guai (fried dough stick), which is a must-have in Bak Kut Teh.

The soup of the Bak Kut Teh was not thickish, with mild herbal taste. There were only lettuce, fu zuk (dried bean curd skin) and lean meat in the pot of Bak Kut Teh.

The fu zuk (dried bean curd skin) permeated with the porky concoction, which makes the it tasted fragrant in every bite. The lean meat tasted alright to me, not as flavourful as i thought it would be.

There are a few Bak Kut Teh stalls on the same row with Ah Ping Bah Kut Teh Restaurant. However, Ah Ping Bah Kut Teh Restaurant is the busiest of all and is recommended. Food here is good enough, but Klang's Bak Kut Teh is still the best.

Add: No. 42, Jalan SS 14/2, Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Sand & Stone

2009-08-24T22:16:00.003+08:00

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

"Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

"Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After i hurt you, wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone. Why?"

The friend replied, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessings in stone.

Rajah Brooke Cafe @ Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, Kuala Lumpur

2009-08-23T17:28:00.005+08:00

One may come to realise that it can be very difficult to find authentic Sarawak food in Klang Valley. Hence, Rajah Brooke Cafe, which is located in Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, Kuala Lumpur, is such a rare breed.

This Sarawakian eatery is named after James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak who ruled from 1841 to 1868. A potrait of James Brooke formed the backdrop of the restaurant.

The Cafe is run by Sarawakian, including the waiters and waitresses. They pride themselves in bringing you a variety of food and drinks that are uniquely Sarawak.

My friend ordered Sarawak “3-Layers-Iced-Tea” @ RM3.80. Compared to the normal "3-Layers-Iced-Tea" found in Peninsular Malaysia, this Sarawak “3-Layers-Iced-Tea” is sweetened by palm sugar and wheat grass rather than white sugar.

It taste pretty smooth and nice. However, i feel that the milk was a little bit too much. Maybe it just doesn't really suit my taste buds.

I ordered Sugar Cane with Chestnut Drink @ RM3.50. It is a mixture of Sugar Cane and Chestnut. Nothing to shout about. It taste just alright to me and i find it pretty sweet.

Both of us ordered Sarawak Kolo Mee @ RM6.90. This is Kuching, Sarawak specialties. It was mixed with home-made Char Siew sauce and served with Char Siew, minced pork and vegetables. This dish comes with a complimentary soup as well.

We chose Sarawak noodles ("kiu mein") and it was pretty springy. The Char Siew sauce, which is the essence of Kolo Mee, taste deliciously flavourful. However, we find that the portion was a tad too small. This is their signature dish and is definitely worth trying.

Add: No.19, Jalan Kuchai Maju 8, Kuchai Entrepreneur’s Park, Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7983 3264
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm daily.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

10 Warning Signals of Cancer

2009-08-20T21:35:00.003+08:00

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

"Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well." ~ Marcus Valerius Martial

Hakka Lee Restaurant @ SS15, Subang Jaya

2009-08-18T23:11:00.009+08:00

Being a Hakka ngin, i am very much enthusiastic in terms of Hakka restaurant. Hakka Lee Restaurant is a newly-opened restaurant (merely 5 months old) in Subang Jaya, serving popular Hakka dishes to simple Hakka Noodles and Pan Mee (board noodles).

Access to the restaurant is conveniently linked to the NPE or the Federal Highway. It is located with the same row as Mc Donalds and just a few doors away from Face To Face Noodle House.

The Chinese Kopitiam-themed decor is chic and simple. Even their tableware, eg. cup, plate, bowl, spoon etc were those that we used to have at home. Such a homey feel. The restaurant carries a family concept, in hope to be a place for families to hold parties and gatherings.

Both my friend and i ordered Hakka Noodles @ RM4.80. It was so fragrant as we can smell it even though it was 1 metre away. It tasted subtle yet very delicious! The noodles were pretty springy as well.

Personally, i think it's the best Hakka Noodles in Klang Valley that i have ever had thus far.

The Hakka Noodles comes with a complimentary soup with a pork ball afloat. Delicious soup. But one pork ball is simply not enough...

We also ordered Sui Kow (dumpling packed with minced pork) @ RM6.50. The pork filling were fresh and meaty. Again, deelish!

The restaurant has indeed done a great job in offering quality food at an affordable price. A great value on food, with a home-made taste.

Add: No. 68, Jalan SS15/4D, Subang Jaya, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-5638 3875

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Monkey Business : The World's Economy

2009-08-17T22:15:00.004+08:00

Once upon a time in a village in India, a man announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10.

The villagers seeing there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at $10, but, as the supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their efforts.

The man further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms.

The offer rate increased to $25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50!

However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now act as buyer, on his behalf.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers: ‘Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when he returns from the city, you can sell them back to him for $50.'

The villagers squeezed together their savings and bought all the monkeys.

Then they never saw the man or his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

Fab Friday : Web Filtering

2009-08-14T23:37:00.005+08:00

The China government had announced it will (partially) back down over its controversial plans of internet monitoring filter software "Green Dam Youth Escort".

The software is supposed to protect Chinese web users from "harmful content", and was to be made mandatory with all PC shipments in the country from July 1 this year.

Kedai Makanan Yut Kee @ Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur (Revisited)

2009-08-13T22:44:00.018+08:00

Standing for 3 generations and yet Kedai Makanan Yut Kee is still going strong. The crowd was intimidating at first glance, rendering us shaking in our boots while walking by. Be prepared, we told ourselves, to share a table with wall-to-wall regulars. And indeed, we did.

When one steps into the corner shop, one is confronted with a slightly chaotic kopitiam, where everything happens at the same time, with noise probably the No. 1 complaint diners have about eating out in Yut Kee.

Apart from the digital TV commercial shown on a LCD plasma TV, there are a lot of framed newspaper write ups about them all over the wall as well.

Yut Kee is a traditional family-operated kopitiam that has been in business for three generations. I guess some of the switches on the electrical board here were from the first generation...

My friends and i ordered Iced Coffee @ RM1.70. The freshly brewed aromatic Hainanese Coffee was strong and smooth, which claimed by some, is Malaysia’s answer to espresso.

We ordered their Siew Yuk (Rolled Roast Pork) @ RM10.00. It is a special item, available only on Fridays and Sundays, from 11:30am till it runs out. They are carried out on a tray to the front of the kopitiam and placed on a folding table between cash register and kaki lima (sidewalk).

The Siew Yuk was moist and tender, with a dollop of house-made apple sauce on the side. The apple sauce goes perfectly well with the meat. The crackling was so crispy, even eating it on its own would render one feeling delightful.

One of my friend ordered Curry Mee @ RM5.50. Thick yellow noodles was served with fragrant and spicy chicken in red curry. The curry looked decent, but surprisingly the taste of spiciness was rather diluted.

This was the second time my friend had Curry Mee at Yut Kee, yet i was told that the dish was not as tasteful as the previous visit. Not to mentioned the excessive chilli seeds found afloat in the curry, which had very much spoiled the dining enjoyment.

Another friend of mine ordered Fried Mee Sua (炒面线) @ RM6.00. This dish sees thin rice vermicelli stir-fried with sliced cabbage and chunks of pork, fish cakes, chicken gizzard and squid(?).

I heard that a plate of fried mee sua can determine the skill of a Chef, in that the noodles cooked are not soggy and it's not stick together. If this is true, then i really doubt the skill of the Chef here as none the above is achieved. I was expecting something a bit more on the dry side and it was a tad salty for me.

As for me, i ordered Lum Mee (淋面) @ RM6.50. Lum Mee remains a notable nibbles at Yut Kee in which thick yellow noodles was served in a rather light and simple shrimp broth.

With prawns, crabmeats, pork and eggs thrown in, the price may be justified by the substantial portion. Tastewise, it was rather bland. I guess i'm not used to eating lettuce with noodles which is prepared in such a way. Not my cup of tea though.

Just drop by at Yut Kee if you happened to be around the area, just for the retro-style coffee shop or just for the childhood memories, perhaps. Never mind the price, which is a bit higher than your average generic kopitiam.

Add: No. 35, Jalan Dang Wangi, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2698 8108
Opening Hours: 8am - 5pm (Closed on Monday and last Sunday of the month).

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

In Memory of Bosses

2009-08-12T21:30:00.004+08:00

A guy phones up his Boss, but gets the Bosses' wife instead.

"I'm afraid he died last week," she explains.

The next day the man calls again and asks for the Boss.

"I told you" the wife replies, "he died last week."

The next day he calls again and once more asks to speak to his Boss.

By this time, the wife is getting upset and shouts:

"I've already told you twice, my husband, your Boss, died last week! Why do you keep calling?"

He replied laughing, "I just love hearing it..."

New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice @ Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya

2009-08-11T22:03:00.012+08:00

Went to New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya last weekend. It is located right off the Federal Highway at the University Hospital exit and near the Saint Francis Xavier Church.

The restaurant is famed for its Ipoh-style Hainanese Chicken Rice and has been operating since 1977. The restaurant occupies two shop lots, with tables on both levels, along a row of shop houses in Jalan Gasing.

Perpetually bustling with customers around lunch and dinner time, the service is rather fast, owing to the large number of waiters. I was a bit surprised to see the waiters using PDA to place the orders.

However, you will notice that the floor is quite oily. It is air-conditioned and brightly lit, with a view of all the activities in their open kitchen. They too, have jumped on the bandwagon of open kitchen trend.

Both my friend and i ordered individual sets of Original Steamed Chicken with Siew Yuk @ RM6.50. The food presentation didn’t look too good. We did not order any bean sprouts or pork balls. The chicken was great, and the Siew Yuk was nice.

The chicken are steamed and topped with light soy sauce, shreds of scallion, Chinese celery, and comes with fresh chili. The chicken were extremely smooth and tender, with a strong ginger taste. The light soy sauce tasted good as well. It's just utterly delicious.

The complimentary soup, however, tasted really "good", with loads of MSG.

Though the rice that are cooked with chicken fat was aromatically good, the fact that we were charged RM1.60 per small bowl of rice is just shockingly expensive!

Well... not the best i have eaten but certainly a very satisfying one. The price is a tad too high for chicken rice and the portion are too small.

Add: No. 105 & 107, Jalan Gasing 10/1, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7956 0958
Opening Hours: 9.30am - 11.30pm daily.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Yam Cake @ LYG Dessert Restaurant

2009-08-10T21:43:00.005+08:00

Bought a piece of Woo Tao Goh (Yam Cake) for RM1.50 at LYG Dessert Restaurant just now. This savory Chinese dish is made of yam and rice flour as the main ingredient, topped with chopped scallions.

I particularly liked their Woo Tao Goh (Yam Cake), which is ultra soft and super pasty, with a strong yam taste. Yammylicious!

Add: No. 41G, Jalan USJ 10/1A, Taipan Business Centre, 47620 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 012-310 3397, 016-652 1128 (Mr. Loh)
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 10am - 11pm; Sat-Sun: 9am - 11pm.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Meet By Chance

2009-08-08T22:33:00.007+08:00

It was indeed a pleasant surprise to see YB Teng Chang Khim, Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, at A Restaurant just now. He was having lunch with his 2 sons.

They were sitting just next to my table. I approached YB Teng and engaged in a nice conversation with him. A very down-to-earth man indeed.

Fire

2009-08-08T21:48:00.006+08:00

My friend and i went to M Hypermarket just now. It was around 1.30pm. We noticed that the indoor parking was a bit dark. In fact, the whole building was pretty dark because only part of the lights were on. We thought that they were trying to cut down on the electricity costs due to the harsh economy.

We proceeded to the hypermarket itself. It was even darker, with lots of smoke around and smell of plastic being burnt. Upon asking the security guard, we were informed that there was a fire inside the hypermarket about an hour ago! No wonder the crowd flow was not as heavy as those previous Saturdays.

We "rushed" to the scene and saw some toys being burnt. There were a few firemen examining the scene. The section had been closed subsequently. This is the first time i came across a fire aftermath, albeit a minor one, in a hypermarket, sort of excited. If only we were at the scene an hour ago...

Fab Friday : EC Report

2009-08-07T21:31:00.010+08:00

Close to half of Europeans use the internet every day but one third have never used the web, according to a new report published by the European Commission.

The study, which took a deep dive into the digital landscape in Europe over the last five years, demonstrated that new technologies are spreading fast across the continent but deep divisions remain and the elder and unemployed remain largely unaware of the existence of websites.

Breeks Cafe @ IOI Mall, Puchong

2009-08-06T21:23:00.015+08:00

Went shopping with my friend at IOI Mall, Puchong last Sunday. We settled our lunch at Breeks Cafe which is located next to Seoul Garden at the Ground Floor of IOI Mall New Wing.

Breeks Cafe is an American-styled cafe that offers a very appealing and affodable menu, with ambient light and exciting kerb appeal aiming at young diners.

Breeks Cafe features many American-styled appetisers and entrees and is famous for its Chef’s very own BBQ half Chicken in Smoked or Rosemary Sauce.

Breeks Cafe were having lunch promotion when we were there. You can get a main course, one drink and a soup of the day or a scoop of ice-cream for a value-priced of RM19.90 (excluding tax).

Since the lunch promotion only covers a limited selection of main course, both of us ordered the Hotplate Cajun Chicken Chop. I chose the soup of the day whilst my friend chose the ice-cream.

My friend ordered Iced Passion Fruit Tea. Sweet!

I ordered Iced Honey Lemon Tea. Sweet sweet!

The Soup of the Day. It was Cream Soup of Chicken. I think it is their own cream soup recipe taking into account its distinct taste and texture. I enjoyed the flavourful taste and creamy texture. A must try for soup lovers.

Our Hotplate Cajun Chicken Chop. It was said that Cajun-Inspired Cuisine has strong parallels with Southern United States Cuisine. I've never been to U.S. before, so not sure about that.

The sizeable piece of grilled boneless chicken cutlet is accompanied by carrots, green peppers, shiitake mushrooms and french fries.

The chicken was more tender than usual, with a flavourful taste. The shiitake mushrooms taste fresh but the large-size french fries were oily.

Ooops! The now-finished one scoop of corn-flavoured ice-cream. It was so yummy until i forgot to take a photo of it! The ice-cream has a strong corn taste with kernel corn clearly visible.

We were undoubtedly getting a good value for the meal we order: fresh produce, delectable tastes and sizeable portion. However, we believe this cafe is short-handed. Having said that, the servers were very pleasant and polite. It's definitely "The Place For A Good Meal"!

Add: Lot EG9 & EG10, Ground Floor, IOI Mall (New Extension), Batu 9, Jln Puchong, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8076 8726

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Tableware Talk

2009-08-05T21:57:00.010+08:00

The Bad...

This was my lunch for yesterday. For an upscale restaurant which charged RM14.50 for Fish N Chips and RM2.50 for mineral water, i was very disappointed at their tableware. For a minute, i thought i was having my meal at a food court. Do you think anyone would serve “real home-cooked deli food” on a melamine plate?

The Good...

Just take a look at another upscale restaurant which is of a similar price range. They used porcelain tableware with the name of the restaurant imprinted on it. It seems more proper to present the food in such a way, if you are charging inflated prices for average food. Proper tableware is equally important in fine dining.

Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee Restaurant @ USJ 9, Subang Jaya

2009-08-05T13:03:00.005+08:00

I am a Pan Mee (board noodles) lover and you can imagine my excitement when i come across Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee Restaurant which cite Pan Mee as their specialty. It is located next to Nam Heong Restaurant and Vietnam Kitchen Restaurant in USJ 9, Subang Jaya.

The restaurant is the 5th branch of the well-known Super Kitchen Chilly Pan Mee Restaurant at Batu Road, Chow Kit. It was said that this restaurant is copying the concept of Kin Kin Pan Mee in Kuala Lumpur, nevertheless it gained pretty good review among the food crowd.

The restaurant offers a limited menu of 3 different types of Pan Mee, namely Chilly Pan Mee, Curry Pan Mee and Pan Mee Soup. Chilly Pan Mee is their recommended item. Chilli + Pan Mee is an interesting concept, but does it work? It may work on other patrons but not us.

My friend ordered Curry Pan Mee @ RM6.00. The serving time is pretty fast. I was told that it was extremely salty and the curry didn't exhibit any fragrant aroma at all. It was so salty that my friend was not able to finish the Curry Pan Mee, leaving it 1/3 full.

I ordered Pan Mee Soup @ RM5.50. It just taste like ordinary clear soup Pan Mee to me. It is served with a poached egg, minced pork, sliced mushroom, fu zuk (dried bean curd skin), crunchy ikan bilis (anchovies) and fried shallots.

I was told that the noodles were home-made, that is why it looks a bit different in shape and a bit starchier than the ones i used to have.

Apart from Pan Mee dishes, they offers a limited selection of side dishes as well. We ordered Sui Kow Soup @ RM4.00. It comes with 4 BIG Sui Kow (dumpling packed with minced pork).

The Sui Kow was filled to the brim with mushrooms, black fungus, radish and minced pork. They are indeed generous with their ingredients. Tastewise, it was delicious, with strong meaty taste and moisture meat filling.

One would think that with the somewhat limited menu, they could do well. But not the case here. Honestly, we find the food below our expectation. Maybe because our expectations were running high.

Add: No. 46, Jalan USJ 9/5S, 47620 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm daily.

[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]