Saturday chat..

I have been silent for a while from here because it has been some sort of busy weeks for me. I have been busy reading my own thesis & correcting what needed to be corrected. Have to make sure every single details are look at because my 'bos' has the tendency to spot the minor mistake & after few spotted mistake, she will dismiss it as not good at all, without even reading the rest. That is why I end up amending things a few times and I realised that sometimes, the changes goes in a circle mode.

Anyway, I have submitted my 3rd draft & hopefully, that will be my last draft. At least in term of major changes because literally, I do not have so much of time left. At the same time, I also submitted one paper, which I hope will get publish in one of the reputable bioethics journal. Keep my finger cross for that. Now, it is not in my hand. I have done my part & I hope it be good news. As I always told myself, I will give my Best, the Rest I leave it to God.

This is my last weekend in Denmark. My three months stay has come to an end. I will have to endure the long hours journey on Monday. I hate long haul flight because it's very tiring. Luckily now they have a direct flight from here to Amsterdam without going through Denmark main airport in Copenhagen. At least I will only have one change of flight & I do not have to carry my luggage because it will be check in all the way to KL. Each time I have to fly off, the only thing that I really look forward to is the moment when I am landed at the destination & a nice comfortable sleep on my own bed! As usual, I will travel alone. My other half will not be with me because he has no holiday left except for Christmas. I don't really feel so sad because I'll be back here again in Dec. So, it will only be for 2 months. Furthermore, I am looking forward to settle the MAJOR part of my PhD; the starting of my thesis submission.

Well, FYI PhD thesis submission took a very long time. According to the email I received last week, the formality of thesis submission for PhD will take at least 5-7months. That provided everything goes well & only require minor changes. So, I am praying so hard that my process will be as smooth as possible. There are too many protocol & approval to go through not only for me but for my supervisor. So, hopefully, it be smooth for both of us. And in the time being, I pray that I can find a suitable job too. I think after 5 years of 'vacation', I just can't wait to go back to the workforce. Furthermore, I have two major party to do after I finish my viva & convocation next year.Hheeh..it be nice if I am able to pay for it instead of having my hubby to sponsor it.

We will be staying in this weekend, just spend time with each other. I literally have pack my stuff. Won't bring so much this time because I'll be back.Just brought my shorts, jeans & a couple of baby tee because according to my friends back in Malaysia, it is HOT back home. So, I better enjoy this cold weather before I am heading to the OVEN!

Ayam masakmerah pedas

Hubby went to Las Pal mas de Gran Canary for ship inspection. It was so last minute that we can't manage to get a reasonable ticket for me. It is a long journey to go there because there is no direct flight to go there & that explain why the ticket is damn expensive (equivalent to a return tix to KL). So, with a heavy heart I agreed to stay at home.:(

On the first day alone, I thought I want to cook something that I have wanted try for so long. Furthermore, I really wanted to eat the dish. So, I get on my gear in the kitchen & start cooking. I defrost the chicken part & marinate with salt, pepper, chilies flakes, paprika. Yeah.. I know but I want the chicken to be spicy when I deep fry it. Suddenly, I remember that I brought chili powder so I took that out & mix with the chicken's part too! hehheh..

 Yeah..my chicken is red & spicy & ready to be fry! Fry the chicken in hot oil & put aside.OK..I am not those people who can literally take picture of each & every step they do when cooking so I will have to skip some here. Hehhehe

 This is my chili paste. Very spicy & not for the faint hearted ok.Hheheh...I made my own chili paste mix which consists of shallots, garlics, dried chilies, cili padi & ginger. I suppose to add lemongrass too but lemongrass is not so easy to find here. You will get to see it at the supermarket if you're luck. But, the ingredients that I have is sufficient enough. So, I fried this paste (not all of it) with hot oil until fragrant. Then you add tomato puree & tomato & honey. Fried for a while before you add the fried chicken. When the whole mixture is boiling, put some green peas & salt. And the end result...

 Tadaa...very spicy ayam masak merah. At least it is not sweet like at the mamak shop as I don't put too much honey. Just to get the honey taste. By the way, for the chili paste, it should have lengkuas too which is even rarer sight in Danish supermarket. Hehheh..I guess I have to get that greenhouse ready ASAP so I can plant my own 'exotic' ingredient and then I can have an authentic M'sia cooking. For now, I just have to improvise. I eat the ayam masak merah with nasi briyani! Yup..I finally made it myself, courtesy from my sister. She is an expert in making nasi briyani.:)

 I wrongly estimate the water level so it a bit wet but who cares.Hahah...next time I do it, I better measure the water instead of just 'kamikaze' style. But the taste is there & I only lack of two ingredient: daun ketumbar & serbuk kunyit.

Ahh..my lunch & dinner for yesterday and I guess it will be the same dinner for today as I cook quite enough for 2 days meals. Hahah...And that small black looking thing at the side is my own version of sambal belacan tumis! Loving it...

This is so spicy that I won't offer it to anyone.Hahhah...I blend lots of dry chillies, lots of chili padi and shallots. Then I fried the blend ingredients in a hot oil & then put in the belacan. My goodness...after that my kitchen was literally smell like crap! Hahha...I have to spray lots of air freshener before my hubby come back.Hahha

So, there's my own version of M'sian dish. Man..I wish I am in KL. No need for me to do, just go to one of the mamak stall.hahahha...

Malacca trip

Every year, I invite my parents to come to KL to stay with me. It is much easier since I moved into my own place. At least they can sleep in a proper guest room rather than sleeping in the hall like they used to when they visited me when I was still renting with my brother & another friend.

So, one day I decided they should come & I bought them their ticket & off they go for a 2 weeks vacation in KL. Well, not that they never come down to KL, in fact, they been to KL or other part of the peninsular so many times. Just that now my dad has retired and my mom busy taking care of my old grandma, I think they do need some time off & leave Kuching. This time, we do not plan to go for getaway because two of my nephews will be having their national exam (UPSR & PMR) so my sister banned any vacation until October.Hehheh..

But we decided to go to Malacca & just walk around. Since, it's the nearest to KL and my sister has a place in PD, where we plan to stay the night. We reach Malacca quite late because we need to wait for my nephew to finish his extra class & we need to drop by at my sister's place in PD to leave all the stuff in the car, and we decided to use the old road instead of the highway...brilliant! We thought that we can cut short the journey but instead, I think it's longer!!!

Finally, after driving so long and hearing my niece..are we there yet? Is this Malacca? (she never been to Malacca)..Where is the place? etc...etc..we finally reach Malacca. Got our parking & we're off to the Taming Sari Tower. Great! My mom is not so keen on going for a ride/tour to a high tower but we manage to convince here that the ride will be only for 10min (and yet we paid Rm20 for it..per person okkk).. All because the kids want to go for it.

Eagerly waiting for our turn to jump into the tower although my mom was not so eager to do so.Hhehhe..

 Ok...all smile. Look at my mom..forcing herself to smile.Hahha..

We're going up...

 Of course, I took a picture of myself..smiling..because the inside the tower, it has air condition! It was hot in Malacca that day. In fact, I feel that Malacca is always hot!

 This is the shop lots just opposite the Pahlawan Square.

 I believe this is the up coming new township in Malacca town.

 Pahlawan Square from above. When I first came here 20 years ago, this is just an open field where you can enjoy a bull's ride.

New hotel in front of the Maritime Museum.

 There are always a lot of visitor coming down to Malacca during the weekend. I guess because it's the nearest to KL besides N.9. And there are more things to see and do in Malacca compare to N.9 anyway.

 Just below the ship (Maritime Museum) there are abundance of eating place. This is the river bank project that the state was working on when I was here last time with my in law. During that time, the whole river bank was still on construction.

 Up we go to the museum. Luckily it was cheap, Rm3 per person and RM1 for kid. Again, thank God for air conditioning.Hehhe...I just don't feel like going our from the ship.Hheheh

 This is the new hotel near the river bank, Casa del Rosa (if I am not mistaken, that is the name). Look very nice though. I am thinking of spending the night here one of these days.:)

 Now, the river front is very pretty.

 You can get on the river tour if you like.

This is the main reason we come here, to go to Jongker Street! It was just after CNY so that why the dragon is still there.hahahah...

 Lok-Lok...ahh.. I miss this.

 Jongker Street is always busy! So crowded that you literally brushed your body among each other. Actually, I was searching for one part of Jongker St. that sell lots of this old chinese's biscuit that we used to eat when we were little kid. But I can't seem to find it. I bumped into it when I was here with my in law. One day I shall return & investigate. Then I will bring my sister again.Hehhhe

 After such a long journey (not due to the distant but the travelling) & not forgetting the hot & humid weather, I still manage to smile for the camera. At least I look decent still..heheh

 Found this place and we just sit & order. The food was not great & the service was slow but the kids were hungry so what the heck!

Look at her face..with her hair all over her face..hehe..she's very tired & hungry..So, after dinner, we went back home to PD. Manage to grab some night market's foods and did bought some nyonya biscuits. We reach my sister's place at 11pm. Tired & hungry, we took shower, took our dinner & sleep!

Pimples

I hate PIMPLES! Damn! Lately, I realised that my pimples are sprouting like mushroom! I really have no idea why. I thought cold weather do not enhance the growth of pimples unlike the humid & hot weather in Malaysia. One or two I can close one eye (tutup sebelah mata)...heheh...but 5 all together???? Noooo....I need to act fast before it multiply.

I have a bad pimples day when I was 19 years old & gosh, that was the lowest point in my life. I just can't lifted my head up when I walk around the campus because I am so ashamed of how I look. My face was just literally red because of the pimples. As soon as the semester break begin, I rushed back to Kuching & met up with one of the skin specialist, who are also my sister's friend. And that is the start of a long & painful journey for me; also known as the road to recovery. I spend a lot of money to cure the acne on my face and it took me more than a year to completely free from it. After that, it is the start of eradicating the acne scar on my face. For more than 10 years I am pimples free & I finally found the product that really help me.

And now, at 34 years old, it make a come back.Damn! So, today I headed to the nearest pharmacy & get myself Clearasil. That is the oldest pimples products that were ever produce before the rest of the latest product emerged. It is not so expensive & easy to find here so I choose to use it as a temporary solution to my pimples problem. I hope it work it MIRACLE!

As soon as I touch down in KL next month, I am headed to the dermatologist. I need to know why it come back after so long. Probably due to the hormone change or environmental change or the product that I use just don't work anymore. Whatever it is, I will find the roots problem!

Weekend blues

Here's the thing, I told my friend that I am planing to do a checkerboard cake to bring to my in law for coffee. WELL...that does not turn into reality.Hahhaha...

The thing about me is that, when I am not in the mood, I refuse to bake. Why? Because if I bake anything when my mood is bad or just not into it, the cake will turn into a disaster. Something somehow will go wrong. So, there goes my cake.Heehehe..

Why am I not in the mood? Well, simply not I guess. I never look forward for weekend for as long as I can remember. When I was small, weekend mean we need to go to the cocoa plantation and work our ass off for the whole weekend. And not that we get paid doing so because we need to chip in so that out family have extra money. So, don't even think about getting any monetary reward at the end of the day. When I am a teenager, I do like weekend when I was still in the boarding school because me & my friends have so many activities. But when I left boarding school, I don't look forward for it because I can't meet up with my close friends who are all still staying in the dorm.

When I came out from the university & work, I don't really like weekend because I don't go to work. Yup, I am one of those who rather spend time at work than home. I visited the factory almost every weekend when they need to run production not because I have to but because I want to. Now, I am back to be a student again, I also don't like weekend because I spend most of my time in KL alone & my hubby in Denmark. Yes, we live apart for the past 5 years where we will meet up every 3-4mths. So, weekend have to be spend alone for me. Occasionally I do meet up with my gfs but I don't bother them so much on weekend because they most probably have their own plan.

Now, here on weekend in Denmark, I hate it too because my hubby will spend all days, all weekend in his 'office'. Gods knows what he do there. He always have some project to do. And here I am typing this while taking a break from watching documentary on youtube. BORING! So, who said when you are married you will be free from boredom? THINK AGAIN!

So, that is the story of my life for today, And Dy..no cake for now. We try again next weekend if my mood is up to it.Hahhaha...because all I want to do now is to accumulate some fat & lay in bed, watching documentary online with some chips on my hands. Adiosss...