all that: February 2009

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Muar and Melaka Trip during CNY- Pt1

On the second day of CNY, my husband and I drove down to Muar and Melaka to visit some friends there. My husband's friend Eugene who is staying in Parit Jawa, a small fishing village about 15 minutes drive from Muar took us to this place to eat the specialities here.

Entrance to the village:

This is the restaurant we went....an attap hut facing the better Warong Makan built by the local town council. It was crowded. Actually behind this place, there are two better looking seafood restaurants. But Eugene brought us here.

You can select type of seafood near the kitchen.

Local favourite drinks, mine too....pineapple juice ( but in can lah!)

According to Eugene, this is a rare fish.....just deep fried and eat with sambal chili provided.

This is stingray with preserved vegetable (Kiam Chai) and tamarind.

Sambal udang with petai.

This is the star of the restaurant...Assam Fish. According to Eugene, Assam Fish originated from this small little village. If you want extra gravy, you can ask at no extra charge. The fish is very fresh and full of tamarind pieces (assam keping) and shallots flavour. Unlike Penang or Melaka style of Assam Fish where chopped Bunga Kantan or Mint leaves are garnished, this Assam Fish lack of those but still taste good and it is not as sweet as the Penang or Melaka style, it is more sourish.

The fishing boat by the riverside.

All the dishes go so well with rice. It was so hot that day and we were eating spicy food...T-shirt, slippers, good food, good companions...it is kinda of good experience.

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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Tian Ya Ker Mushroom Noodles - 天涯客冬菇板面

I remember the first time I ate Pan Mee was made by my Mom who learnt from my Grandma (my father's side) some 30 years ago. That time Pan Mee was not available outside and usually is a home cook food by Hokkien people. Nowadays, Pan Mee stalls are everywhere and so many different varieties eg. Ma La Pan Mian, Dried Pan Mee, Spinach Pan Mee, Seafood Pan Mee, Tom Yam Pan Pee etc etc.

I decided to try this Tian Ya Ker Pan Mee behind Jalan Raja Laut even though there is one nice Pan Mee near my office and it is Sunday (i work on Sunday too!) why not, no jam and can find parking easily.

The Pan Mee signboard was attached here but this stall is selling Tauhu Bakar and Popiah. The Pan Mee Stall is inside.

Eating soup noodles be it Assam Laksa, Curry Laksa or Prawn Mee, must taste the soup base first. If the soup is not nice, you can forget about the whole bowl of mee. This pan mee soup is very tasty. I find the Noodle too soft, I prefer al dente. Lucky the fried shallot is not the mass produce type and lots of mushroom added.

Pan Mee (RM4.00)

I ordered a piece of Popiah (RM1.50) , not bad. I don't like those popiah with lots of crunchy stuff inside.

This Pan Mee only sell soup type no dried Pan Mee. The dipping chili sauce for pan mee was not good, there was a weird kind of smell in it. I still prefer the Kin Kin Pan Mee located further down the street epsecially the sambal chili there.

Nearby the Pan Mee stall is this Suanson Cake Shop famous for its Carrot Walnut Cake.

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Flowers In My Garden

I plant some flowers and leaf plants in my garden. Although it is not a very impressive garden but I try to keep it clean and tidy. Hubby had plan to build a garden with waterfall feature which I have objected strongly as I don't think we are both prepare to spend time and money to maintain it. I told him a simple garden will do as we are both busy and not the type to spend whole afternoon do gardening...........as our relaxing time is spent on net surfing, drinking coffee chit-chatting and watching TV (how unhealthy!!).

The flowers below are easy to maintain, just water, sunshine and weekly add in fertiliser and they will grow flowers easily.

This is Jasmine flowers, I could smell them even when I am in my sitting room.

This flower open up when its daytime and close when its night.

The lady sold me this flower called it Africa Rose, but I think it's called Daisy. She advised me not to water the plant too much.

This tiny yellow rose smells sweet and grow easily. I have about 10 roses at one time in this one single plant. Lots of sunshine and water.

The air in this area where I leave is very fresh and cooling. I don't even have to on air-conditioner at night, just open the window and a low speed fan will make the room comfy to sleep in. During rainy season, fog could be seen surround the whole housing area. It about 20 minutes drive to KL centre.

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Friday, February 13, 2009

St Valentine's Day

I knew my husband about 26 years ago on St Valentine's eve. The first few years we were just normal friends and spending a lot of time chit-chatting on the phone. We became serious three years later. Through out the years together, I didn't ask him to buy me flowers or gifts on Valentine's Day. I think Valentine's Day is being made too commercialised. Being a money, dollar and cent (sense) person, I would not want my loved one to spend hundred ringgit ($) to buy me a bouquet of flower.

But being a very sweet person, he bought me this:

Yes, three plastic rose. Some may say plastic flower is cheapskate, unromantic, it represents fake love blah blah.....but I really don't bother about all this bullshit. I still keep these flowers in my office drawer and it brings out the smile from my heart whenever I see them. After moving house for 5 times, I still keep them.

The first few years of courtship, we did go for candlelight dinner and one of them was at The Eden, which was a steak house and was an in thing then. It was located at the now Shahzan Tower, KL. There was also the Weld Swimming Pool (it was a public pool) next to it. Then we would adjourned to The Sapphire Disco at Yow Chuan Plaza and danced the night thru Donna Summer's Hot Stuff, Billy Joel's Uptown Girl and The Sting's Every Breath U take.

We still go for dinner together but not on the Valentine's Day, usually a day earlier and it is not a 'compulsory' thing. If we are busy we just forget about it. I think the meaning and spirit of Valentine's are more important......a caring gesture, a simple smile, kind words and loving touch are worth more than anything.

P/S Darling....ah, I went shopping the other day and saw this beautiful diamond bracelet......muahahaha!

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

圣严法师

我自认对佛学尚在学习中。圣严法师著的（正信的佛教）让我对佛教开悟不少。法师用简单的文字但清楚地讲解和分析我们对佛教疑惑。书里有一目录：佛陀是创世主吗？

里解：不。正信的佛教，没有创世主的观念。佛陀是人间的觉悟者，佛陀虽能觉悟世间的一却原理，但却无能改变世间已有的状态。佛陀虽能化度众生，众生能否得度，尚须由众生能否自我努力而决定。。。。因此，佛陀不以创世主自居，什至不希望徒众们只对佛陀作形式上的崇拜；能够实践佛的言教，就等于见佛敬佛。。。。。。所以，佛陀不是创世主，也不是主宰神，佛陀只能教导众生离苦得乐的方法，佛陀自己虽已离苦得乐，但却不能代替众生离苦得乐。佛陀是大教育家，人天导师，而不是幻术家及魔术师，他用不着骗人家说（代人赎罪），他是教我们一却要自己对自己负责。

所以个人认为必：自修，自律，自救。

另一本是圣严法师著的一部分静思语。。。是生活智慧的一本书。我时常把它带在身边。每当我遇到问题或不快乐时，都会拿来看看。以下是法师的大智慧语录的一部分：

转一个角度来看世界，世界无限宽大，换一种立场来待人事，人事无不轻安。

一个缺口的杯子，如果换一个角度看它，它仍然是圆的。

哭泣不能消灭昨日的哀伤，只会消灭明日的锐气。

甘愿做，欢喜受。

心不难，事就不难。

生气是把别人的过错拿来惩罚自己。

面对它，接受它，处理它，放下它。

凡事往好的方面想，心中常存善念，遇事逢凶化吉。

要镜中人笑，必须自己先笑，这是种什么因，得什么果。

书里还有很多法师的善言劝告，文字简单，容易明白。

以上两本书只是圣严法师的一小部分，佛教之深妙也不能只凭这两本书说完。法师也推广禅宗静坐“数息观“，也写很多关于这方面的书。法师也不主张厚葬并推行礼仪环保。法师在世时要求他的葬礼简单环保。只用薄薄的棺材，烧了不入塔，不设坟，不立碑，死了就在这个世界消失。

圣严法师已在二月三号圆寂。享年八十。

阿弥陀佛

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE

Hubby loves coffee so much that I think he has about ten different brand of coffee in the cupboard. But due to his laziness and inconvenience, he goes for three in one coffee.

Of all I like this one, but usually I use half packet of this to make one cup. This is not too sweet.

Sometimes I go for decafe with coffeemate minus sugar.

This coffee was bought from a friend who opens an organic shop in Temerloh. It has a salty taste. I don't know if it is available in KL. It stinks when you first pour water to dilute it but smells good later. According to this friend of mine, this coffee is popular in Temerloh.

I have many packs of this Vietnam Coffee that we bought from our trip to Hanoi last two years. It goes well with condensed milk.

Finally, my favourite cup of beverage is a cup of Japanese Green Tea or Chinese Tea. It does not leave your tongue sticky like coffee and I think tea has more goodness than coffee.

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Monday, February 9, 2009

Jun Kee Restaurant , Taman Midah Cheras, KL

My mother 'kena empat ekor' RM2 first prize and bought us a dinner at this restaurant nearby my mom's place. This restaurant has an old building (near Eon Bank in Taman Midah main entrance) and new one just behind the old restaurant. We went to the new one.

This is my first 'lou sang' before CNY. I think the 'yee sang' is good but ruined by overdose of crunchy biscuit Dad asks for.

This is Kampong Chicken with Chinese Herbs, usually I go for the soup as I find the chicken meat is tasteless and rough.

Stir-fry Choy Sum, I prefer the younger choy sum to this. Anyway we need to eat veggie right!!

Dad knows this is my favourite, Seng Kua Tau Fu.

Four Heavenly King, very crunchy and full of flavor.

Actually there was a big Steamed Wan Yee ala ginger but forgot to take picture as everyone was so hungry. The ginger sauce was so good to go with rice. Jun Kee is an average restaurant that we usually go whenever we are at my Mom's place if we don't want to stuck in a jam just to go else where to eat.

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