Laos ...finale

So, here we are again...nak abiskan citer2 pasal my trip ni..so sabor eh...

 So, for the first few morning we were here, I do my work. Yes, although viva dah settle and I passed, I still ader minor correction nak buat. I don't like to delay doing it so I brought with me my thesis and laptop. Literally, the trip is work cum pleasure. Actually, it's nice to work at a different environment because it gives you new idea. So, every morning I will terpacak sine with my breakfast...courtesy of the chalet & do my work. Within 3 days, dah settle dah my correction. For those yang nak tau how I can finished my phd within 3years..this is the answer. Regardless, where I go, my laptop & hard drive always go with me. I do work and travel at the same time. No rest for 3years OKK....tu jer rahsia ku.Huhuh..

 Again petang2 we go here. Best tau ambik angin here & watching the sunset.

Anddd...yes, nak bagitau. Orang sine suka exercise!! Very nice to know unlike kita kat Msia kan..suka makan. U hardly find org yg overweight sine. Smua nyer slim melim tau! Tiap petang there will be two different aerobic group here, the young one & the old one. Anyone can join...no bayar2. Heheh...besides this, byk org yg jogging kat sine. Amazing ..

 Ha..this is what we both love seeing every evening in Vientiane.

 See..smp malam tu exercise...hahaha

 This is the sotong kering seller. Dari jauh I can smell the sotong. Nak beli x brani pulak. Tapi bau sodappp...

 Captured a picture of this Laotian girl. Just loving it how the people here take life very easy. It's very relaxing to sit here and enjoy the panoramic view. For those yang ingat negara ni miskin sgt...THINK AGAIN DUDE! You can still see BMW, Mercedes or even Cayenne around town ok. So, jangan pandang rendah before you actually see it for yourself!

 Ni..I donno apa entah mamat ni buat kat sine. I assume nak try his luck tangkap ikan kot.

 Kan I cakap tadi, they love to exercise..ader yg jogging, brisk walking, skate boarding..cycling..

 Yes..ni la the night market that I been talking about. Actually nothing much you can get because for a person that been travelling to almost all SEA countries, I found the souvenirs are similar to one another. I am just searching for some particular painting and carving during this trip.

 So, the next day me & Rita determine we need to go to the top of the Patuxia. When we were there on our first day in Vientiane, we were late. The gate closed at 5pm. So, this time, we go in the morning. Off we go and man...that is a long walk from our chalet and all the way up to the top but we get to see this view! Nice kannn...

 And that's the road we use to come here. Where we stay is wayyyy in front..x leh tengok dah..

Yeahh...awal pagi dah exercise. Peluh2 sakan tapi harus take picture gituew. After buying some 'compulsory' souvenir (it's compulsory because my FIL is an avid coin/notes collector. So everywhere I travel, I make it a point to find some old coin/note from that country), we went down and off to the most famous monument in Vientiane.

 Tadaaa..here it is. The Great Sacred Stupa or known as Pa That Luang. Again, me & my buddy walk all the way here. The area is quiet remote. We were worry that we might end up out of nowhere but we just follow the sign. It was a long walk. It is no wonder that most tourist we passed by, either used tuktuk or bicycle. Tapi it's a great way to see things along the way. 

 Just like this fruits stall here. Hahaha..

 I have no idea what this is but I guess it's some sort of museum. We didn't go in because we so kedekut nak bayar fee. Haaha...dah la masuk stupa nak bayar. So, x payah la masuk.

 And yes...as like most temple, kenak cover from waist to knee. Tapi atas sexy xper. I still not quite understand that tapi just follow la kan. Lagipun I kindda know the drill because dah banyak sgt go temple. 

 I just love this angle..

Cam build from gold. Heheh...kalau ada religious ceremony, congregation will flock this stupa and see those grass, you wont see it coz penuh with them. It be nice to witness though...

So, there goes my trip. It has been a great trip for both of us despite all the 'incident' that we need to go through in order to get our feet in Laos. Never regret it because Laos is indeed a beauty. It does not only open our eyes to understand the country and the people but it also answer some of the question I have in my head before I came here. I plan to come here again but not to Vientiane ..this time, I want to go to Luang Prabang. That will be nice.

Finally I am here...in Laos.

I terforgot nak update about my last trip with my buddy, Rita. We bought the ticket a year ago when AirAsia had their free seating promotion. As usual my buddy, Rita is the ticket buyer. She spotted the sales & quickly give me a call. You want Laos or Myanmar or both??? Hmm...both also I want to go as these two countries really trigger my curiousity. Well, as you all know both countries are close to the outside world for so many years due to civil war. So, as soon as it is open for outsider, it become my target destinations.

But knowing that anything can happen between the time we bought the ticket to the time we landed at our destination we decided to just bought one ticket. And Laos it is. I have read books about Laos & watch documentary about it on tv, and the more I know, the more I want to go there & witness it myself. But u know, both me & Rita go through lots of obstacle before we actually landed in Laos. Now let see...first she got a new job in Kuching...now that give a possibility of not getting any leave because she just started her new job. Then it was my viva. You see...I am at that time is waiting for the university to call me & let me know the exact date of my viva. It's like time bomb as I don't know when is the exact date. 

After that, Rita flight was cancel..both way pulak tuuu!! She have to but new ticket as that time her leave was approve so tak kan nak tukar leave lagi kan. Nanti tak bagi leave mampos! Lepas tu, UM called..you're viva tentatively is next Tues on 2/7 so sedia yer. Bloody hell, they call less than a week b4 the date. What happen to 1 month notice yg konon2 tu...gosh. Nasib baik I am always Be Prepare mode..kalau tidak, mmg kelam kabut jadi nyer. I actually dah ready my slide 2 months before knowing UM ni suka bagi notice last minute. Tapi tu baru 'tentatively' coz external examiner belum confirm kehadiran..
So, I told Rita..be prepare if it get cancel. But we both agree on the possible risk when we both the ticket a year ago so we're cool. Thank God, my viva when very well on 2/7 and I passed!!! So...Laos here we gooo!!!

Our flight to Laos is very early on 4/7 so the day after my viva, mlm tu we stay overnight kat KLIA. Malas nak ambik taxi pagi buta. So dgn mua basi..we safetly arrived in Laos and as usual, the pick up & lodging mmg I am the mastermind. So,basically Rita beli ticket, I pulak do the ground arrangement. Hehehe...

 Tada...here is our first lodging. This place is super quiet despite being at the centre of the city. But it's a bit tricky to find. Luckily I arrange a pick up so x payah fikir cam maner nak pergi. Tp the first night we were there, we were LOST!!! Hahaha...jalan2 punyer pasal, x tenguk kiri kanan...tenguk2 barang kat night market, dah x tau lorong maner nak masuk. Hahaha...I know we both a bit panic but maintain machoooo....hahaha...nasib baik jumpa at least. Laa...x jauh actually. We guna jalan belakang, patut sesat! hahaha...

 Here is our simple bed. I normally prefer a separate twin bed tp at that time, dah fully book so we share la one big bed. Never actually used the mosquito net pasal xder plak nyamuk.

 Simple jer bathroom dia org. Cukup la utk 'tut' and mandi kan..hahaha

 Yes, all the room have no tv. Well not that you understand what in the world they say kan..so xper. Janji ader INTERNET! Furthermore, both of us come here to relax. Did I mention that we were here for 5 nights???!!! Yes, blame it on Airasia. Ader ker cancel our return ticket and change it to another date??? Bengang betul. Tapi since we both do not wish to give free money to Mr Tony Fernandez, so we just extend our stay. Nasib baik Rita boleh angkut leave banyak tu if not, solo molo la aku kat Laos.

Yup..our room is just opposite the reception, which is good coz we got the best internet coverage. Huhuh..

 First thing we do bila dah smp bilik is SLEEP! We both can't really sleep at the airport so balas dendam. Around 2pm, perut dah lapar so we go merayau. As you can see, it's very quiet. Best tau..x byk kereta and amazingly, unlike any other Asian city we go, Vientiane is very calm, peaceful & there is this safe feeling to it. Maybe because they don't haggle with you although knowing you are tourist, they don't stare knowing you do look different from them, they don't call you and ask you to go to their shop etc..It's nice. Kita dua pun jalan lenggang kangkung. Huhuhu...

 Petang2 this is where the Laotian in Vientiane always do. Lepak at the river front. Lebih kurang cam water front kat Kuching la tapi less vibrant. Yang buat it happening is the people itself. Yang kat atas tu is Thailand. Yes..you literally can swim to Thailand from there.

 Penjual dah siap sedia dah. Every night near the waterfront, memang ada night market, which we both frequent every night! Hahha..

 Jap let me think..sapa mamat ni...hmm...haaa... nama dia King Anouvong. Memerintah Laos from 1767-1829. He is the last King of the former Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang. Laos history is very long so kalau nak tau or interested nak tau macam saya..siler2 rajin2 baca buku about it. Nak citer sine, pjg giler tuuuu...

As you can see, Laos ni bersih OKKK....the park is spotless. I really like it. Orang sine reti nak buang sampah dalam tong sampah, unlike some places I been to. Hhuhu...

 This is the grand palace. Can see from the waterfront but what we both don't realised is that, this is the back view!!! hahaha...Nanti I show you the front view.

Tadaa....this is the front view. We were on our way back to our hotel when we saw this. Betul2 self discovery ni. Hahah...

 On our first day sine we walk and walk and walk...and you know what, dah more than half the town we discover. Vientiane ni x besar so s1-2days dah cukup untuk discover smua benda2 yg patut di lihat. We both are interested in the history & culture so syiok la sine. Pasal orang yang suka shopping, sorry people, this is not the place for you. Memang xder benda nak shopping pun. Souvenier sama jer dgn negara jiran..Thailand. Anyway, gambar atas tu called That Dam (Black Stupa). One of the major attraction wlp I wonder apa yg 'mengattract' tu...hahaha...

 Then adventure punya pasal, we continue on walking sampai la ke sine. This is the MUST see monument in Vientiane. Build masa French colonization of Laos ( Laos ni kan antara negara Indo-China yg dijajah oleh French). It is call Patuxai in Laotian or the Victory Gate. Benda ni exactly the same dengan yg ada kat France...well what do you expect kan...orang dia yg bina. HUhuhu...

Ha...yours truly snap2 picture of herself. Rupa mmg sekian pasal peluh siottt! Jauh kita jalan tuuu..entah brp km entah. Patut tourist smua pakai tuktuk..only we yg jalan kaki. Penat seh tp good exercise tu...program diet yg bagus. Hahaha...

 Ni is the Ministry of Defence kalau x silap. Area2 dekat Patuxai ni memang banyak office either government or private company. I think smua ministry office dia orang kat area ni juga.

 I just love what they do here. Ni ceiling one of the gate tower. Emas ke?? Itu I xtau.Huhuh..

Again, bersih kan their park. I very like!! And as I mentioned no one bother about us!! I super like again! Ok...I will continue on pasal our trip in my next entry. Nanti over panjang plak ni..tungguuu...

Baking my signature walnut carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

So today I decided that I want to bake walnut carrot cake. I have been baking this signature cake of mine so many time previously but none of it is for myself. Bukan nak perasan kan but this cake is very popular that I can literally bake it with my eyes close. Wahahah...friends been asking me for the recipe. I hate giving people my recipe because IT'S MINE! But I decided today that I will share it with those who interested to try it. Here goes...

Let see, what do you need...basically a cake will need flour, egg, sugar (brown/white) & butter. That is the basic ingredients whenever you want to bake any kind of cake. Then there are some extra ingredient namely baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla essence. 

For this cake, you also need carrot (obviously right..), walnut or pecan or almond but since I call it walnut carrot cake then walnut it is. Then you need desiccated coconut (of course this is optional), raisin (can do without but if you want a traditional carrot cake, this is a must) and buttermilk or milk because I know for some places, buttermilk is not easy to find. But you can make your own buttermilk (it's literally 1cup of milk plus 1tsp of lemon juice). For a change, in this recipe I will use yogurt. A plain yogurt..not strawberry...not banana..OK. And of course I have one secret ingredient that is a must in my cake, which explain why my cake taste different from the rest. What is it?? I will have to kill you to tell you the secret. Whahaha.... 

 So, mix the vegetable oil ( I prefer to use oil than butter because it make the cake more moist and you dont have to wait for it to melt..), brown sugar (again I prefer to use brown sugar as compare to white because it's less sweet and because brown sugar is less acidic it retain water more. Resulted in your cake more moist and soft) and yogurt.

Then add egg one at a time but since I need to take photo at the same time, so I just mix in both egg at a time. Hehehhe...

 I already grated the carrot. I normally put a lot of carrot. So dont' be stingy with the carrot. It give more moist to the cake as it cook.

 Here my chopped walnut...as fine as you can do it because you don't want a coarse walnut in your cake.

Oh ya..I used vanilla sugar because it's a bit hard to find vanilla essence. It's either you used vanilla sugar or vanilla pod.

So, mix the dry ingredients with the wet. No hand mixer ya...you need to do it manually with a spatula to avoid trap air. So that your cake xder lubang2. Tapi padat! hehehhe..

 Mix in the grated carrot...

 Then the chopped walnut...

 A dash or 1tbsp of desiccated coconut but this is optional as some people might not like it. Or as an alternative, you can used raisin.

Now, everything is in so you can prepare the cake tray. For this mixture I am using a 16cm baking tray. A small one...

 Ready to go inside the oven..

Before that, you heat up the oven until 200C for 1-2 minutes. When you place the cake inside the oven, reduce the heat to 175C and bake the cake for 45min. Cam biasa, tau kan cam maner nak make sure cake dah masak? Cucuk dgn chopstick or pengcungkil gigi. Hehheh...but becareful if you used toothpick because sometimes, the lower end of the toothpick a bit fragile. Takut nanti tertinggal dlm kek...haaa..mampus! While waiting for the cake, let's do the frosting. I am using cream cheese frosting...the ingredients are...

 Cream cheese ( I always used philadelphia brand)...again..jgn kedekut to spend especially if you do it for yourself, butter (real butter ya..bkn magerin), vanilla sugar/essence and icing sugar. I always got credit for my cream cheese frosting. The secret is use more cream cheese not butter & sugar.

 Place butter, cream cheese, vanilla sugar & icing sugar in a bowl and mix it all together. I did it so many time that I don't even need measurement in order to get the perfect frosting. Basically, 1 full cream cheese to 1/2 full butter, 2-3 tbsp icing sugar & 1tsp vanilla sugar. Meaning, if you use the 250gm cream cheese, you just add 125gm of butter ( 1stick butter). If you used 200gm cream cheese, you just add 100gm butter. Technically, the amount of butter is always half of the amount of cream cheese that you use.

And 45 min later, you got your carrot cake!! For those who have not practice the art of cutting a cake into half, please bake the cake in two baking tray. Tapi memandangkan I dah expert kan, so I just slice it to two layer cake....gituew...Then spread the frosting in between the layer & all over the cake. Finally...

Decorate as you wish...and jangan lupa cover..nanti lalat datang..huhuh

As a finale, I listed the ingredients and measurement (ni untuk size kecik ok. Kalau nak buat besar, double or triple the measurement mentioned here:

- 1 cup of flour ( do invest in a good flour because it does make a different for your cake)

- 1/2 tsp of baking powder

- 1/4 tsp of baking soda

- 1/4 salt

- 1 tsp of vanilla sugar

- 1/2 cup of brown sugar

- 1/4 yogurt

- 100ml canola oil

- 2 eggs

- 1tsp ground cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1 cup grated carrot (approximately 2 carrot)

- 1/2-1 cup of chopped walnut/pecan

- 1 tbsp of desiccated coconut (optional)

- 1/2 cup of raisin 

- 1/2 cup of crush pineapple (this really make the cake MARVELLOUS! Give it a try although this is also optional in case you don't like pineapple in your cake)

So there you go. But of course it might not taste the same as mine because it's all goes down to your baking technique & skill. Anyway..practice make perfect!