I learnt 3 new words today:
Perspicacious = quick minded
Obdurate = obstinate
Garrulous = talkative
Although it would be real rare occasions where I can actually use these words and have people understand but it's just so cool. I like it! I even called Elaine to announce that I learnt 3 new words. Haha! She knew 2/3 of the words. Elaine is smarter than this budak obviously. ;)
I know it's a tad late but I would still like to wish everyone happy new year!
Hopefully 2011 will be a more eventful year then I can have more things to blog about! :)
First bit of news for the year, I started my taekwondo training back again!! :D let's see how long I can keep it up!! If I am consistent enough, who knows I might be able to get my 4th Dan. Now that would be nice. ;)
Cross fingers then...
Tucked in the corner of Jalan (more like a lorong) Hang Kasturi along Jonker street in Malacca lies an unassuming little teow chew restaurant called Teo Soon Long Chan.... From the outside, you would think it no different from a normal hawker coffee shop... but step inside and you are welcomed into this cosy little air conditioned restaurants lines with liquor bottles all around... There was only 7 tables in the room, which is why reservation is highly recommended...
To one side is a display of the fresh ingredients/seafood for the day... This uncle here takes your orders and when we asked what is their Signature Dish? His answer was simple "No signature dish, all is good. No need to ask where the source of the ingredients are from, as long as it taste good, that should be good enough!!" ..... and he was right.
On the other side was a counter and the liquor cabinet lining the walls.... That guy on the phone, is no ordinary guy. He got skills... you will know what I mean further down this post.... :)
To start of the dinner... let me introduce you to the sauces... haha!! This is a traditional teowchew tauchu with chilli sauce which is best eaten with the steam fish...
Next up is the sambal..and this is no ordinary sambal which you get at other regular restaurants... This has ikan bilis in them... plenty... It was Yum....!!!
Okay... to start the night off we had the Oyster Noodles which was highly recommended and every table seems to have ordered one... it was just yellow noodles fried hokkien style but with Oysters in them... Unless you are an oyster fan, this is nothing to shout about... Too oyster-ish for my taste....
Next we had the steam fish teowchew style... what other style can you order in a teowchew restaurant right? haha!! This was definitely the highlight for me... It was steamed just right... not over nor under done and the fish was fresh... the broth has just the right level of saltiness that made the whole dish work... It was so good I ordered another one at the end of our meal...
Oh ya... remember the guy at the counter... well he is highly skilled at cutting the fish up... he cuts and debones the entire fish in 22 precise cuts... Cool huh?
Another dish which was recommended by fellow bloggers was the fried soft shell crab... Although not a traditional teowchew dish but this was really well done... the batter was crunchy and the sweet sauce which accompanied the dish just complimented the taste of the crabs...
We were recommended the Bitter Gourd and Pork Ribs stew by the uncle and we gladly agreed... This was an extremely small dish but it tasted really good..the bitter gourd has just a slight twang of bitterness to it and it was soft to the bite... The pork ribs were small little succulent pieces of meat and the sauce was heavenly... Best eaten mixed with rice (which my eldest sis refused to the dismay of the owner)... It was thickened with yam instead of starch so it has a slight hint of yam in the aftertaste...
Next up was the fried mince pork balls.. This was pretty good... It was not spectacular but it was pretty good for pork balls... :)
Now, the final and apparently most popular dish which the uncle insisted we should end our meal with... Ohnee! Or better known as yam paste served with ginko and pumpkin... I need to say upfront that I am not a chinese dessert kinda person (especially when they are pasty) but I gave it a try since it was highly recommended...
Look at the consistency of the yam... beautiful....
This is definitely one restaurant I would highly recommend if you are heading to Malacca... I am a malaccan and I only knew of this place recently.. How embarassing... :( Forget about the satay celup or the chicken rice balls... those are just hyped up food.. This is the real deal... just simple delicious teowchew dishes done very well...Just went for a 7km run yesterday... The irony of it was that from the day I registered for the run two months ago (after an invite from a fren) til yesterday, I did not go for a single jog... haha!! Lazy me...
The route, was treacherous.... There was too many hills to count but there were 2 which were distinctively steep and long... gosh! I wonder who picked this route... It was really killing me.. yeah there were downhill moments as well but the uphills were really bad... some I even needed to lean forward to balance myself...
Safe to say I walked up all the hills.. not run. haha!! :D
But hey, I still managed it in 56 mins considering my super unfit condition... I just told myself that I needed to get it done in less than an hour!!! Dont embarass yourself Aichin. ;)
Do you remember during the good old days where many little Chinese kopitiam still existed? Then you would see many old uncles and grandpas just sit along the outside of the kopitiam with their backs facing the kopitiam?
They would stare out to the streets and chat amongst themselves.. I always wondered what were they looking at??!! Cars passing by? Or ppl walking by?
Well today I witnessed it again but under a very different circumstance. I am now sitting in Starbucks. An indoor Starbucks I must add and right in front of me sitting outside of the shop is 2 uncles sitting on either sides of the table with their backs against Starbucks looking outwards and having a chat. How times have changed from a mere streetside kopitiam to a shopping mall Starbucks but what hasn't change is the good old tradition of meeting up with your friends over a cuppa.
Think it didn't matter to them what the view was.. What's important is the companionship of a few good friends.
Looking at them gives a warm fuzzy feeling and it puts a smile of my face. I hope when I grow old I would be able to have such a ritual. Then I must have lived a blessed life filled with wonderful friends.
Was invited to a big family pot luck get together and since mum was not around, sis and I had to conjure up something to bring... so we decided to be vague about it (in case what I have planned didnt turn out right) and tell them we will be bringing dessers... better to keep it open ended.. :D haha!
Have always wanted to try my hand at making tiramisu so this was perfect timing! I have a large enough group to consume whatever I made (provided it was successful).. So after looking through the internet for a decent recipe and some added modifications to the recipe after the trial batch I did last week, we were good to go... the results?
Looks right....
With the cocoa dusted, it looks perfect! hehehe! If I may say so myself...After a botched up ATV plans I decided to go for a Skytrex instead... Managed to get one friend to go with me since everyone else were not too keen... So off we went...
In the feeder bus to the Skytrex base... I am excited.. Can you tell?
All geared up!!!
After the first flying fox landing... I am still pumped.. The first jump was pretty scary considering it was really high up (approx 60ft up in the sky...)
Up another stair ladder.. those were the worst in my view.. way more tiring than the rest of the challenges... and there was 3!!!! :(
Wheeee!!!! I am flying!!! :D
Walking across a series of upright pipes strung across 2 trees... 
Ackson obviously made it across as well... Unlike the guy behind him who gave up after the first rung and just pulley-ed himself across.. so embarassing...
More stairs... :( dont be fooled by the smile.. I hated them...
Look ma!! No hands, no hands!!! :D haha!! Walking on a tightrope...
A transversed stair ladder... pretty easy stuff.. :D
We are almost done... climbing down now...
After I got the hang of it, it was fun but I did fail during my first attempt.. lucky me I had the harness... *phew*
Final obstacle before we were done...
Okay... end of route... back to the base...
At the end of our little adventure... It was ALL Good..!!! :D Nope, I dont celebrate it... just felt like wishing...
Wouldnt mind having a chance to experience a real thanksgiving though... Anyone wants to invite me? :D hehe!
Wow! I was just delivered a shocker and am left pondering the question of "to what extent does one go to move on..?"
Is there truly a need to delete the past to move forward with someone new? I have always believed not but evidently not everyone concurs.. So how do you make out having a friendship with your ex being okay but when u get married then the ex must be axed our of your life as well? Delete fb fren, delete phone number, block all contact possible??!!!
Hmm.. As much as I would like to believe that I would know the person I used to date pretty well but I am beginning to think maybe not coz the person I knew treasured all forms of friendship.. But this person is now throwing away an 11 year friendship..
Of course I could look at it from a real negative point and say the wife did all that without his knowledge but is that really possible? Would someone be so oblivious to all the deletion and extermination of contact? I don't know.
All I can say is that I am feeling disturbed. Disturbed and disgusted actually. Where is the person I once knew? Or did that person ever exist in the first place..??
Chilling out at the rooftop of the verve suites.. Great view, cushy seats, pool by the edge and me... This is the life..
Wish it was really mine.. :(
