#11 Snorkel: Coral View Island Resort...

Lift that up will you... thank you :D

Our very last snorkeling trip, all on our own. The resort was just by the beach and our guide told us that we could go on our own since we had our snorkeling gears with us. Judz and Gracie decided to retire back to the comfort of the room, having a good shower and some rest while Juju and I headed straight back into the water.

Eeewweeee.... I'm not gonna touch that... snap faster~!!

What was that? An asshole, mouth hole or breathing hole??? Water spurting out~!

There were dead corals at the beach which made walking into the water kinda painful. And there were lots and lots of sea cucumbers. Black and silky all over and lifted one up for sheer pleasure of looking at the hole opening and closing. Was that the asshole or the mouth hole? Or was that a hold meant for respiration? Eh, even the doctor didn't know so don't bother la... just snap a pic or two, put that black slimy thing back into the sea and off we went. We kept ourselves floating on shallow water. You touch a living and swimming fish before? They're not soft... they have hard bodies, because of the scales. And don't do anything funny they might peck you and before you know it you will panic because you might remember about watching the movie Piranha. I have a brilliant mind that can imagine any scene out of the blue.

Was that a plankton?

Then we went wandering on our own. The corals were really beautiful and there were more sea anemones with clown fish. The formation of rocks were amazing or were they not rocks? I remembered scoring a 100% for Geography but looking at all those beautiful coloured rocks and corals, I don't seem to have any knowledge about such thing. They were just wonderfully created and it blew your mind away thinking about how awesome the Creator has created all those.

Resting on the back...

We had a mission in mind actually. We were looking for the one metre long shark. But as we swam towards the huge rocks, we were suddenly hit by strong current. We were kinda shocked and the sea bed was kinda deep from where we were and I was thinking I wouldn't want to drown right there on our last snorkel site without nobody knowing where we were. It was kinda secluded. We don't like to be in a crowded area. So we decided to swim to the other side. No shark in sight, the shark must have gone out for a picnic as it was lunch time actually. We had an early lunch but the shark might have to hunt for its lunch. Poor sharkie~!

Nice... it's blue in colour...

We swam from one end of the resort right next to the neighbouring resort. I was kinda surprised with myself. I think I'm the type where if I'm determined to do something, I'll get it done by hook or by crook. The distance between these two places were really far. If by walking, we would be complaining high and low but we took an evening walk just on the first day itself. We went back to the boring place with only the old turtle. The turtle was still there. It must be his home but the stingray was nowhere to be seen. There's no fish there at all maybe because the place was just like Tanjung Bungah with so much water sports activities going on. Suddenly, I miss riding on a jet-ski... bouncing on the waves and slicing through the water... oh, totally miss that...

The old turtle and the fish friend...

We were monkeying around trying to take a ride on each other's back, doing silly stunts and taking photos until my camera decided to take a nap. Then we played until we had nothing else to do as there was nothing to see there at all except for people canoeing and kayaking. Hey~! We did kayaking together once also. Looks like I have done a lot of things but I still have a lot in my list. It's endless. We were worried that the paddle might hit us if the blind people didn't happen to see us when I have my shocking pink swim cap on my head. After draining all our energy, we were left with a little bit more energy to swim back to where we came from. No way were we gonna walk that far. It was easier to swim than to walk.

Totally wrinkled

Before long we had completely used up our afternoon to do our own things. We did our own things alright. Didn't even waste a minute of our free time. Oh, it's our last day there... we'll have to go back to reality the next day... aww....thank God we didn't take a shorter vacation. It would be more suffocating than relaxing if the holiday was just for 3 days and 2 nights. And how did people survive a 2 days and 1 night holiday? It wouldn't be a holiday at all unless the place was lousy and there wasn't any activities at all.  

Wrinkled and tired...

I miss this so much... I don't mind doing it again... in another place though... not the same place...

Oh My Ass~!

Let me share with you a story that allows you to peep a little into my childhood. I have had a bicycle when I was around 9 years old. I couldn't ride a bike and I never have a four-wheeler. Don't remember having one. All of a sudden mi mama bought me a bike just like the one in the cartoon illustration. So, how can a person learn how to ride a bike without starting from basic? I don't know... I don't seem to have a basic in anything I just jumped into it. I wanted a bicycle badly and I got it. For some time, the cement floor outside my house was my best friend. My knees loved them, even my elbows wanted a piece of the concrete ground. But at the end of the day, I was cycling happily around the neighbourhood and I love the wind blowing in my face.

That's how I learn ice-skating and in-line skating and my skateboard is still around until today. You have to take a fall once in awhile in your life and then spring back up. Life, if treated too carefully, there wouldn't be any fun in it and we only live once. I'm not asking you to jump in front of a moving train, come on... don't misquote me. 

The best time when I was cycling wasn't with the other kids from different blocks of flats. It was with my mix-breed dog, a mix between Spitz and Pomeranian, with lion-like head. I love that doggie to bits so I took him for a ride around the badminton court outside my house and we were having a great time until I went off balance and all three went flying - me, my poor doggie and the bicycle. Someone was screaming, not me, not the dog and definitely not the bicycle... DU--UH~! It was the Malay auntie upstairs who always kept an eye on us. I have lovely neighbours and they're still around right until now. So, after that mighty fall and the flying off, poor me picked up the doggie and then we went back up again and I started cycling again, chasing after the wind and the doggie has its tongue hanging out.

Oh... there's something funny that happened as well during one of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is funny now but at that point of time, it ain't funny at all. Me and the doggie were afraid of firecrackers and there was once when it sounded like the whole neighbourhood was burning down the entire city, me and doggie literally jumped off the bicycle, left it there in the open and went running and screaming like mad back into the house. I couldn't remember who went to rescue the bicycle. Hahahaha.... dang~! Such awesome memory I have kept in my memory bank... but I surely missed my doggie, we named him Bobby. I slept with the dog and shared food with the dog and licked an ice-cream together so nothing surprising if you see me smothering my rabbits now with kisses. I kiss animals... 

I've been thinking about getting a bicycle to cycle around in front of the house. It was just a passing statement that I made randomly once in awhile. Then I just forget about what I said but I do want a bicycle coz the first one that I had, the last I cycled was when I was 11 years old and I gave the bicycle away because it has been sitting in the house, collecting dust and making friends with the cobwebs. I was totally thrilled to see the bicycle but it couldn't beat the thrill I had when my kitchen angel bought me a big flan tin. It's just two totally different kinda stuff. I love kitchen stuff and this is a bicycle. 

I was thinking of weird stuff like what if I fall off the ground and this time round it wouldn't be cemented floor... it would be the rough tar road outside. I have to prepare myself mentally coz' the older you get, you can't stand to fall down, it would be a very bad one and I have slipped disc, so once in awhile the back would hurt  until I can't stand, can't sit and can't sleep. I always need to prepare myself mentally before doing anything so the next morning, I got up and I went off cycling. That was the best feeling ever... my hubby said cycling is a skill... once you have it, you will never lose it, just need some brushing up. 

My ass really felt like it's gonna crack and split into I don't know how many sections and I told my hubby no bed activities until the pain go off. There's a bicycle shop for professionals just a road away from my house, we went there and the lady said since I have not been cycling for donkey years, the pain would be there for at least a month until the ass has adjusted itself comfortably to the uncomfortable seat. Can't the bicycle manufacturers come out with nicer, more comfortable saddles? It's harder than the horse saddle. So looks like cycling as a hobby needs a lot of gadgets as well... diving needs its own gadgets and I'm not one who will stick to one hobby. I change all the time... let's not think about anything for now coz the ass really hurt like crazy~!

#10 Snorkel: Pulau Serenggeh... A MUST GO SITE~!

A cave... dare you go in there... watch Sanctum... hehehhe....

When I say it's a place that you must go... then you must make it a point to go. If you don't you're gonna miss out on a lot of fun. We sent the three Singaporean boys down to check out the place first. But cut the crap... since it's our last destination, we should check out the place whether it's nice or not. 

We swam towards the other side since that's what the guide told us. Our guide was one brilliant guy, worthy to be trusted... so we went to towards the direction that he pointed us to. We saw a cave... was that a cave? It was a hole between the rocks. 

The rocks with the many colourful oysters were simply beautiful. There were lots and lots of clown fish dashing about in and out of the anemone. It's just too bad that I never know how to dive down to get nearer to those beautiful creatures down under. We spent a long time around that area until we were totally drained. I have been sleeping very early but my own battery lever was as much as what my camera's battery could hold. 

I love the sea, but not the saltiness and I dislike sandy beach. Don't like sand at all... whatever is it... my Lord, the creator of the universe has all sorts of beautiful creatures that I think to learn about them, it will take me another century. 

That's Nemo alright... we put the fella back into it's sanctuary after snapping photos of it... 

Escaping with the Hubby...

We didn't go to the Escape Park to do monkey business la... so late already... We went to watch Escape Plan. Thank God we didn't live a mile away from the mall. It was just a few minutes' drive without heavy traffic and we managed to get two good seats for the 7:30pm show. I think I can't stand watching midnite movie now... I fall asleep no matter how loud the movie was. 

Escape Plan was really good with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Why didn't put Bruce Willis together... all in... oh... maybe won't have enough important roles then. Brilliant story line, not as mainstreamed and predictable. The setting of the whole event was fabulous... prison right in the belly of a ship and the traitor was the partner himself. I like this kinda movie with unpredictable plot except that obviously Stallone would escape from the prison as written in the title. Too bad Javed didn't make it. 

So that's it. We're one boring couple. No candlelight dinner because we have no interest in fine dining. Nothing much to do except to enjoy a movie together.Walked around the mall aimlessly. I don't fancy hitting the malls anymore... kinda boring to me. It's the time spent together that counts.. Love spending time just the two of us with no one else tagging along. Or else you can see me going out with a truckload of humans following... but sometimes I do like going out with my truckload humans... there's a time for everything.

Out of The Cage...

That's how I feel when I'm working especially when it's on a Friday, like I'm trapped in a cage and I felt like I'm in a prison cell when I work on a Saturday and on a Sunday I felt like I'm drowning but thank God for extremely wonderful teenagers. I forget about my sorrows having to work on a weekend. They've been my real good friends... so I survived but there were days that I couldn't survive so yeah... I cancelled my classes and shifted the classes to some other day... it's like having fun now and suffer later. So, last Friday I did just that... 

I heart you all... *muacks*

We went out for lunch. Mi mama's suggestion to have lunch at an organic food shop. I'm not into organic stuff and I couldn't understand why must organic vegetables such as the organic pumpkin be more expensive than a whole frozen turkey. Being a carnivore, I would rather chew on a tasteless roasted turkey than eating the golden pumpkin which might turn into a horse carriage.

The food... there's just too many scoops of salads. I love croutons but they did it all wrong. I love food in general... really good food. I have very high expectation on food especially if they are over-priced food. Everything seems to be overpriced now including food sold in hawker centres. You know that croissant with mixed seafood... yeah, that's what I was talking about earlier. There wasn't any seafood inside the mixed seafood croissant except for a miserable stick of fake crab meat. Was it even a whole stick? I use a whole big pack of crab meat sticks whenever I cook so I doubtfully think so that it's one whole stick but at least the croissant was good so it somehow or other managed to control my urge to complain.

From one place to another we went. Judz treated us to Starbucks coffee... that's so sweet. I was really touched and I was weeping tears of joy smiling from ear-to-ear... not because I love Starbucks. I have no love for coffee at all. Weird? Nah... I'm just not a coffee lover. I'm just different. See... even Starbucks understand that there is a fraction of the community who doesn't like coffee at all that's why Starbucks have their Signature Hot Chocolate. To that I give Starbucks a smacking kiss and two thumbs up... for the chocolate but please, dear Starbucks, can I have COLD Signature Chocolate instead of a hot one? I will need more than 2 hours to finish up a cup of hot chocolate because it was burning hot. So, instead of spending our precious time hanging around at Starbucks, we carried the cardboard carton all the way to Dome... Starbucks' loss for forgetting to make my friends' coffee order... so we left...

I'm sorry Dome for bringing Starbucks into the premise... actually I don't feel sorry at all... you should be happy I'm there We were having dessert after lunch. Judz and Gracie had a huge cup of coffee each that made them feel sleepy. The chocolate cake was awesome... I'm a chocolate-lover... as long as you do it right then you're under my radar but I don't promise that I'll go there again for cake coz' I'm just too busy working most of the time. By the time my work ended, you have the shutters pulled down indicating even to the blind that you're CLOSE for the day.

Kurtos Spiroll next~! Love them to bits. I grew up eating bread so I probably can survive on bread alone even though God says that men do not survive on bread alone but the Word of God. Anyway, I love chicken floss... pork floss would be better though...

Before that we went playing around with Samsung Note 3. I like the phone... shouldn't have bought until two Note II... and knowing me very well... I wouldn't change a new phone until the one that I'm presently using died completely, beyond redemption.Note 3 has lots of great features... but I'm not going to say much about it... it's not like Samsung will give me a free Note 3 by promoting it for them. My eldest is looking at Sony Xperia Z1 with the underwater function. I'm kinda attracted to it but I have almost everything Samsung in the house..

In conclusion, I have a really wonderful time and it made working for another 3 hours later on more bearable.

The Awesome Foursome at Kayu...

Ladies' nite out... we hung out at the mamak place a road away from my house. I live in a really strategic place. Can be a central hub for everyone to meet up. When was the last time we went out together? But I was kinda sleepy but enjoyed the company nevertheless. Who's food foot on the table? Going to a mamak stall doesn't mean you have to swallow a big plate of nasi kandar but I do love Kayu's nasi kandar with lots and lots of gravy until everything spills on the table. 

That's the tallest roti tisu compared to other mamak place. And this one tasted the best with the condensed milk and sugar... so whoever's on a diet... gone is your diet plan. I cannot go on diet. Nobody from my house can go on a diet. It just can't happen. It will be an uphill struggle just to do it. 

Hey... it was a great time spent together no doubt it was just for an hour of talking about... about... weird... I don't seem to be able to remember any of the conversations nowadays.I just know that it was one of the happy moments spent together in the midst of busy-ness. Love you people... suddenly I feel like going back to the gym...

Yen's Kitchen: It's Not Just Another Quiche...

How did I start making a quiche that nothing beats it? I have no idea. You know, I've never even tasted a quiche before right until now, I still don't know how does a quiche taste like except for my own. I was just flipping through my small little cook book of French cuisine. Then while I was leafing through the colourful pages of pictures on the right and instructions on the left, I was kinda attracted to the picture of a very simple Quiche Lorraine. The ingredients were simple as well... so why not try it out? The illustration of food is rather important.

I ping my mental kitchen helper... more like an angel sent to me to help me out when I'm facing kitchen problems... and he has been a really great helper who knows a lot about food theoretically since he always sings to the tune that he only knows how to eat. Oh, well... better than getting no help at all. So, the first one was already a success but prior to that I was like a duck swimming around.

You've probably seen a duck swimming. The duckie looks so calm and happy, pretty relaxed but if you have seen the feet paddling like mad down there, you would have known that it wasn't easy to stay afloat. So, it's the same with me. I look pretty calm but inside me I almost fainted, I have no idea how should the texture of a quiche be like. Was it suppose to be wobbly like you have your spare tires around your waist or just bouncy enough like a baby's soft cheeks? I was snapping photos and consulting my kitchen angel and it was a great relieve to get it right at the first try. I may have worked my ass off in the kitchen for 10 years but I still find it a great struggle when I couldn't get it right. Cooking is fun but when you fail to produce the best, your heart sank all the way down to your feet and got stuck in between your toes for a few days until you manage to get them improved and perfected. If I can't get it right then I'll just try to forget about everything and mourn for my failure for a few days and get on with life.

The simple quiche Lorraine with only bacon and the few ingredients that you really needed to make a quiche like eggs and creme, upgraded itself into a spinach and bacon quiche. That was my kitchen angel's suggestion and I just tried that out. There's no recipe to it... just follow your instinct. Now, it becomes everyone else's favourite but not mine. The quiche went up a notch higher and transformed into a mixed seafood quiche. When I said mixed seafood I'm not referring to just a stick of fake crab meat. Today I felt that I've been tricked by a cafe when I ordered a mixed seafood sandwich which has lots of onions and ONE miserable completely chopped up fake crab meat stick with lots of mayonnaise. It was delicious... who can deny that anything with mayonnaise isn't delicious? So, when I talk about mixed seafood I'm talking about REAL giant king crab meat, REAL fresh scallops, large juicy prawns and a block of salmon. That's what I have in my mixed seafood quiche. That is my favourite.

This is just not any ordinary quiche. I trust my kitchen angel's taste and if he says nothing beats this... then that should be it. Someone requested this for her birthday so I happily baked one just for her. You don't need to have a birthday cake all the time to celebrate a birthday. Do something differently once in awhile... I still remember my hubby gave me a whole box of 'bak kwa' for my birthday... love that the most... but I got a shaggy dog cake last year also from the hubby. I've wanted the shaggy dog cake for many years and only last year he bought me a shaggy dog cake. I wouldn't mind having 'bak kwa'... I don't remember what is 'bak kwa' in English. 

In conclusion.. there will be lots more quiche coming. Quiche is easy to make... and since everyone enjoys it I don't mind doing it... and I only have a slice of the quiche above and the whole quiche disappears after a few minutes. Earlier with the mixed seafood quiche the whole quiche disappeared in less than 2 minutes. Yeah... one of the kitchen crew actually timed how fast food disappears from the table.

Oh... Great...

Now that I wanted to blog... I realize that I have no photos to post up at all. I've been searching for the photos in my numerous Facebook albums which I'm very sure I did not upload them... yet... so I was just witch-hunting for the photos. 

I remember that those pictures were in the phone and then I remembered asking the hubby to delete off everything as there are just too many photos in too many albums. Smart right... now I don't even know where to find the photos.... so no need to blog about anything already.. *frustrated* 

I do want to write... but there seems to be not much time in hand... currently busy with... cleaning the house(s).... dang~!

The Art of Giving...

Giving. It's a big word to most people. And it's a word that makes people cringe and find ways to say NO. Most people will say that they can't give because they themselves don't have enough, so how to give?? Giving is NOT always about money, get this straight first. And you don't have to give money all the time. So what to give then you may ask. Your time. That's the most precious in your life. Not money... understand now the simplicity of giving? Giving away a wad of cash that you have too much doesn't mean that you care. Giving your time away shows that you really care. Giving a pair of listening ears... that you will need to master the art of listening and removing the selective listening part.

I give what I know best. Cooking~~!!!!!! Well... sometimes there's bound to be some kitchen malfunction due to human error. You see it's not that easy to come out with the best cooking. You and I may be holding the same recipe, prepare the same ingredients yet it will turn out differently. The core ingredient in cooking is... 

.... and I have to admit that this time round I have many pairs of hands helping me... thank you kitchen crew... and I have an amazing mentor helping out through Viber... thank you Uncle Joe~! Without all the help, I will end up sitting by the dustbin, throwing the spoiled dishes or I might be scaling the kitchen wall... which seems easier to do at some point of time. If you love cooking, you'll understand when you see me bawling and crying my eyes out when the food comes out not like what and how you wanted them to be. Then, when you fail the first time, you try again until you succeeded and then you'll have that smirk plastered on your face, people who see that smirk will feel like smacking you right in the face. The best part of giving good food to others is when you see their faces... the satisfaction of having their mouth full with such wonderful taste of good food... it gives you the ultimate satisfaction... that you can't deny at all. 

There are a few rules of giving though... the major rule to follow is this...

• Understand that? It's from Colossians 3:23-24... if you feel like you want to give your best friends something better compared to another person... then don't give. Let me give you an example: I can cook something that's not that delicious, reducing the ingredients and give it to someone I don't really like... then prepare the best of the best to another person... how will you feel if others do that to you? Not happy right.... so don't do that to others... I know you have a choice whether to give or not to give, so make the right decision... it is better not to give at all than to offend another soul... you might scar a person for life.
• 2# If you give because you are hoping that the person whom you give to, will give you something in return... go hang yourself with a vermicelli.... don't give at all... it will cause you less heartache by not giving...
• 3# If you give in return to buy a friendship or love... don't give... 
• 4# If you give and you feel that whenever you need help, you go find the person who has been on your receiving end.... DON'T GIVE~! Most of the time God sends a total stranger whom you do not even know to come help you when you're in trouble. And the person whom you wanted help from the most will be missing in action... just the devil's way to destroy a great friendship... Satan got no friends ma... so have to destroy others to make himself justified...
• 5# If you give because you see some other people doing that... please sit down in front of the mirror and have a good heart-to-heart talk with yourself...
• 6# If you give because someone force you to... haih... I would rather wrap up a present and give it to myself....
• 7# Never give with a motive in mind... it will backfire so badly you will need a fire extinguisher for yourself...

It's really not that hard to give la... give with all your heart... not give your heart away... I'm a professional giver... I'll feed you until your tummy comes popping out... 

It Feels Really Good...

Yeah... it feels really really good to sit in front of the computer screen and have my fingers tap-dancing on my keyboard with a hole in the alphabet A. And it feels really wonderful to listen to the arrangement of songs I have down below. I've been busy in the kitchen, trying out different kinds of recipes. But I'm not saying that I've switched from kitchen back to the room. I'm just taking things slow... at least I'm not abandoning this whole site.

I have a lot of things to write just so I don't forget about all the good things that happen in this simple life of mine. But then, I don't even know where to begin with... :D

I'll try to keep this site alive like how it used to be... but there's no guarantee... I don't seem to have that much free time in hand anymore... I wonder where has all my free time gone to... misuse of time? Poor time management? Nah... I don't think so... I don't even have time to sit down and do nothing...

#9 Snorkel: Pulau Rawa... Of Nothingness but Togetherness...

If not mistaken, it was our third day in Perhentian. There were only two places left to snorkel in our list. Pulau Rawa was kinda far but not as far as Pulau Redang. The blue of the sea appeared in two different tones. There were lots of fishes of the same kind like every other place that we've snorkeled in. There wasn't that many corals to see but we were swimming from one end to another. We went into the two coloured zone and realized that the darker colour was because of the different depth and also because of the dead corals. The corals looked dead to me. And they were. I think.

The four of us tried to do something fun together. We got kinda bored looking at the same thing. I guess that would happen to anyone since it was our 9th snorkel destination.

We found a rock that's suitable for posing. That became our ideal posing prop for the day.... until my camera battery conked off. By now I realize that I'm a heavy camera user.