Am I weird??

I love salad.. call it rabbit food or what.. I just love it..
The main attraction of a hotel buffet to me is the salad spread (other than the desserts section of course..)
My colleague once said to me that I'm weird based on my favourite salad dressing which is the creamy french dressing claiming that you can actually predict a person character based on their favourite dressing.. I can accept it if people call me weird based on what I've done.. but based on my choice of dressing???
I'm not sure if he got it from any of the stupid quizzes in facebook (one of the reason I seldom log in to facebook anymore.. because everbody is so busy doing stupid quizzes.. hehe..)
Anyway.. curious about it.. I google it out and found all these interpretation..

Ranch dressing is a condiment made of buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, minced green onion, garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce.

You'd probably pick the country over the city.
You are a well rounded individual.
You're very creative and artistic.
You're great with your hands!!!
You love being with your friends...a social butterfly who's also a team player-people love you for that.




The Blue Cheese dressing.
You're laid back and care free.
You like taking it easy.
Even though you love to lounge, you are always up for an adventure.
Competitiveness is not in your nature.
You like to spend a lot of money on food: take out, cooking, or eating out.
Your friends love your free spirited attitute and appreciation for the good things in life.

I guess this is the most famous dressing in Malaysia.. The Thousand Island dressing!

You're a lover not a fighter.

A True romantic with strong values.

You love to think and figure people out, but sometimes you think TOO hard.

Your friends want you to chill out JUST a little bit.

The Vinaigrette dressing.

You're tasteful and eccentric.

You're style is unique.

Your best characteristic is that you're able to resist temptation, and you're all about quality rather than quantity.

Your friends aspire to be like you.

And finally the French dressing!

You're the risk taking dare devil.

You don't mind the spotlight, but would rather be alone than in a tight crowd (this is actually spot on).

In a game of truth or dare you'll always pick dare.

You're spontaneous and witty.

Your friends think you're a bit nuts though.

There you go.. hahaha.. (I can be spontaneous and witty but nuts??)

what's your favourite then? or maybe if you are not a fan of these rabbit food, what salad dressing are you??

Grilled Lamb

My hubby came back from work craving for grilled lamb today.. Here's my quick fix grilled lamb recipe..

Lamb

Marinate 4 piece of lamb with 2 tsp Mc Cormick Broiled Steak seasoning salt, 1 tbsp Kraft A1 Steak sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp honey and a dash of Lea & Perrins Worchester Sauce. Leave it for a few minutes.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan and seared/cook the lamb (I usually avoid using Olive Oil for frying, it tastes better but I've read somewhere that it could be carcinogenic).


Veggies

I happen to have only carrot and potatoes in the fridge.. you can use whatever you like; broccoli, cauliflower, peas or brussel sprouts.. and steamed those vegetables, it tastes much better compared to just blanching.. grilled/sauteed baby tomatoes goes great too with lamb..

Gravy

Just heat up the pan already used for cooking the lamb, melt 1 tbsp of butter.. sauteed one clove of garlic(thinly sliced).. add in 1 tbsp of flour.. cooked the flour for a while and later add in some water until the desired consistency ; season with 1/2 tulang rusuk/beef maggi cube and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper.. You can also add a bit of dark soya sauce if you want the gravy to have a slightly darker colour.

Extreme Makeover

I should have started packing by this weekend.. However there is something more important to do.. I shouldn't delay any longer mending Melati's best friend.. her rag doll.. she pronounced it as "Dau". She would bring that doll everywhere and she couldn't go to bed without it..

This is Melati at 6 months old.. already inseparable with the doll.. I bought this doll for Nilam but I put it in Melati's cot when she was born.. Among all of the toys that I've put there, that doll was the first and only thing that she reached for.. It is also sad to think that at this early age Melati already learned that her parents are not that reliable and could not always be by her side and she try to seek comfort in a more reliable thing such as the doll..

This is the condition of the doll now.. the face is so thin you can actually see the cotton that was stuffed inside.. The head is almost bald, the dress is torn and already lose it's colour..

This is the doll new look in which I've spent my weekend achieving it.. I sew on a new piece of white cloth on it's face, neck, front and back. I replaced the hair with a longer, pink coloured hair, made a new dress and add a hat.. Only the hands and feet remains untouched..

Melati screamed and threw the doll the first time I handed it to her.. Eventually she pick it up and started accepting it.. She must have realised that it still smells and feels the same as the old "dau"..

Weekend in Lotte Mart

We don't have that many choices of places to go on weekends.. There is a few shopping complex but we are really not into shopping here in Ho Chi Minh because there is no size for us here (only S & M for Vietnamese).. We keep on rotating a few play areas such as at Saigon Tax, Maxi Mart and craft centres at Fahasa Bookstore.. It is too hot to go to the theme Parks (which is nowhere near what we have in Malaysia).. Luckily there is a new addition now, the Lotte Mart.. Actually I would rather sleep or rest at home when both of us were not working on weekends but my youngest daughter always begs to go out.. I didn't send her to school yet so weekends are the only time for her to get out of the house..

Lotte Mart is located at Phu My Hung, District 7.. it took about 30 minutes to reach there from our apartment by car.. It is considered far by Ho Chi Minh standard (certainly not by KL standard)..

This is the first floor.. It looks okay.. except for the fishy smell from the Hypermarket..

Funny that the girls go gaga over this huge fridge replica.. they actually thinks that the fridge is real and was wondering how to open it..

This is the main reason why we love it here, the big play area.. Cost about RM10 per child for 2 hours.. It is very clean, partly because it is new. The crowd who goes there is quite okay too.. not the really "bukit" one.. (the bukit one will just let their children's pee's everywhere.. no need to go to the toilets.. especially if they were paying for 2 hours)

Melati really enjoys the ball pit..

Nilam is too old for ball pit.. she loves all the puzzles and educational toys but she can't leave Melati alone.. she plays with the foot piano near the ball pit instead..

The girls were waiting first in line for the train ride that comes every 30 minutes..

This train ride also was Melati's favourite..

While waiting, we went to see the movie at the VIP cinema which is situated just next to the play area.. I've watched X-Men, but it is better than just sitting outside the play area..

I really love the seat.. it is a recliner, you can actually lie down and sleep.. It may not be that important in Malaysia, but to us it is very important here. Vietnamese like to put their foot up (Don't laugh, this is true, they can even put their smelly, filthy foot, long nails etc in a magazine folder in airplanes, yuck!! the reason why I didn't even touch the magazines in domestic flight..) We often choose the last seat in a normal movie theatre to avoid smelling their feet from behind, side and above.. no worries here, slightly expensive but worth it.. It takes about 40 recliners to fill up one movie theather.. however, only 3 people including us were watching X-Men that afternoon.. almost empty.. Wonder if we have a cinema like this in Malaysia..

The rides is a bit expensive here according to Vietnam standard - RM1

Nilam was ecstatic to see all these cute things.. but she couldn't buy anything since she forgot her purse.. Me and her father end up buying two cute picture frames to put at our office.. hehehe..

I'm leaving for Hanoi now.. some urgent thing suddenly came up this morning.. My husband already left for Hanoi earlier.. Both of us can't cancel our plans.. We have no choice but to leave the girls in Ho Chi Minh with the maid and neighbours for tonight.. hopefully no harm will ever come to them..

Gulai Telur & Bilis Goreng Kicap

I'm going to start a new recipe thread called "Simple Recipe"... these are all simple, fast and easy to do recipes suitable for busy career women and not to forget busy medic students :P.. Today's simple recipe is Gulai Telur & Bilis Goreng Kicap.

Gulai Telur

Bahan-bahan:

5 biji telur itik (kalau takde telur ayam pun boleh cuma telur ayam senang hancur + kurang sedap)

semangkuk santan pekat (yg segera dalam tin pun boleh)

6 biji bawang merah (dikisar @ ditumbuk lumat)

2 ulas bawang putih (dikisar @ ditumbuk lumat)

1 inci kunyit hidup (dikisar @ tumbuk lumat - boleh pakai serbuk kalau tak ada)

1 inci halia - dihiris kasar

1 inci lengkuas - dihiris kasar

1 batang serai - dititik

1-2 asam keping

4-5 batang kacang panjang

3-4 biji cili padi

Garam dan Gula

Cara-cara:

-Pecahkan telur satu persatu didalam air yg mendidih dan rebus sampai masak.

-Angkat dan ketepikan telur

-Masakkan santan bersama2 bahan kisar, halia dan lenkuas yg dihiris, serai yg dititik.

-Kacau sentiasa

-Setelah mendidih masukkan asam keping, garam dan gula (Jangan sekali2 masukkan aji nomoto - tak sedap)

-Akhir sekali masukkan telur, cili padi (buang tangkai) & kacang panjang (sekiranya mahu gulai lebih pedas, cili padi boleh ditumbuk/dikisar bersama2 bawang)

-Hati2 mengacau supaya telur tidak hancur, boleh diangkat setelah kacang masak.

Bilis Goreng Kicap

-Gorengkan bilis sampai garing; ketepikan

-Dalam sedikit minyak tumis hirisan bawang besar dan cili padi/cili hidup sampai wangi

-Masukkan gula, garam dan kicap (agak manis, kalau pakai kicap manis pun boleh)

-Akhir sekali gaulkan bilis yang dah digoreng tadi

Sedangkan lidah lagi tergigit....

Yes.. the phrase above is from an old P.Ramlee songs that always reminds us about marriage..

Sedangkan lidah lagi tergigit
Apa pula suami isteri
Buang yang keruh ambil yang jernih
Baru teguh peribadi
Suami isteri mesti berpakat
Rumah tangga mendapat berkat

I can't help thinking about my two friends that were having a marital problems right now.. I'm glad that they confide their problems with me but at the same time I felt really hopeless.. I can just lend an ear and maybe gave a couple of advice but everything must actually comes from them to improve their marriage.. they are the one that have to try to work it out..

Sadly nowadays we see a lot of broken marriages, unlike when we were much younger, we seldom heard of people getting a divorce.. people nowadays are so easy to pick divorce as a solution.. and the victims are always their children's.. my children's suffered whenever my husband is working away from home for a long period of time.. I can't imagine the ordeal that these children's had to go through when their parents are divorced..

I've been married for more than 8 years.. It is not that long compared to others but I am truly grateful that we have been blissfully happy for the past 8 years together. Of course there are some down moments in our marriage like others but divorce has never been considered as an option.. We got married based on love and we hope that it stays that way forever for all eternity..



I'm not a marriage expert here.. just sharing some thought's on marriage which might be beneficial to others..(to remind me too at the same time :P)

1) Someone told me before that marriage is like buying a music CD, you get some songs that you really like but you also get the songs that you don't like as well.. You have to accept your partners weaknesses not only his/her strength.. of course you have to tell him/her whenever they make any mistakes but not up to a point that he/she thinks that you just try to find their faults.. We are all humans, everybody makes mistakes.. whenever we think that we are the victim for having to live with the other person, we should also put ourselves in their shoes and think also how difficult it must be for him/her to be living with somebody like us..

2) Marriage is like a business.. a partnership.. both side has to contribute... of course each of us has already got their own designation; husband - provide for the family, wife - take care of the household and children.. But we cannot expect only one partner did everything.. For example if the wife is working, the husband should help with the housework and childrens too.. same goes to the wife (if she's working).. once in a while she can help in settling some bills not just leave it to the husband alone.. We cannot expect only one partner to come up with initiatives.. If the wife is always more romantic that the husband, once in a while the husband should do a surprise too..

3) Avoid provocative statements or sensitive issues during arguments.. for example don't say things like "you act just like your stupid mother/father!! etc".. don't overly critisize your partners family member too.. maybe it is nothing to you but your partner might get hurt. Respect your in-laws just as you would respect your own family.

4) Whenever we had a big fight and things get ugly.. one of us would usually leave the house for a couple of hours (go to the movies, shopping, etc.. to cool down).. if we carry on we might say something too hurtful or do something which we might regret later.. But of course.. try to avoid any big fight/arguments (bad for the childrens).. try to talk/reason slowly in a civilised manner..

5) The little things counts.. Do something everyday for your partner no matter how little/insignificant but really shows that you care.. It doesn't have to be fancy.. a shoulder/foot massage, his/her favourite dish.. in this case action does speaks louder than words.. Always find some time to do things together.. for example at least eat or pray together once a day.. Always appreciate all the things that your partner do.. whether big or small..

7) Always keep a picture of you and your partner during the early days as a couple or newlyweds around the house.. Whenever things get rough you can always look back to those times when both of you were so much in love with each other..

8) This is important.. always take care not to have any bad mouth and body odour.. That is one big NO NO!!! (unless if your partner prefers the smelly you, hahaha :P)..

To both my friends, my prayers will always be with you.. hopefully you would be able to solve all your problems.. Please don't give up on your marriage just yet.. don't give up on your love just yet..

P.P.O.K.

This a term used by my friends and me for one type of species in a human race.. The type that has no shame, filthy and disgusting.. P.P.O.K. stands for Pengampu2 Orang Kaya.. Can't really remember how we first come up with these term though.. perhaps it was mentioned in some old P.Ramlee movies or something like that..

One good analogue for these P.P.O.K. species is the Remora fish. The Remora fish uses its suckers to connect itself to the shark and get a free ride on the shark's body. Remora eat the small bits of food left by the shark. The Remora's can swim just fine on their own, they just choose to become a shark sucker.. The shark on the other hand gain nothing from these relationship..

Another good analogue is from a film which I can't remember the name.. In this film the mother tries to explain to her daughter what is the child's father job which is obviously a P.P.O.K. She told her daughter that her father was doing something like transferring cakes from one person to another. Although the cakes initially doesn't come from him but he gets to keep the crumbs for doing that. The mother explains that in the end the father manage to keep a lot of crumbs and become rich because of that..

Nowadays, these P.P.O.K. are everywhere.. especially in politics.. they were swarming the big shots in politics like the flies swarming on the rotten meat.. If you are a somebody; businessman, Datuk or Tan Sri.. chances are you are going to have a few P.P.O.K. always around you and trying to get close to you.. These P.P.O.K. were willing to run errands for you.. like a dog doing things for their master.. but of course like any dog you need to give them treats like a doggie biscuits.. In P.P.O.K. case.. small amount of money or dinner will do.. But of course this is not their main income.. their main income is the money they get by introducing people.. by lobbying people everywhere they get to know a lot of influential people.. for example by introducing a contractor to somebody who will approve their project, the contractor will then pay the P.P.O.K. some significant amount of money..

I know that it is hard to believe that somebody is doing stuff like that for a living.. believe me, there are.. some have become very rich just by being a P.P.O.K... I don't know how this people goes to bed at night.. or willing to feed their children's from these kind of income.. To me, being a dishwasher at a mamak restaurant or a toilet cleaner is a much much more honourable job..

The same goes to the V.I.P... he'll never know those around him is a P.P.O.K. or true friends until something really bad happens.. When something bad happens all these P.P.O.K. will vanished into thin air.. those that remains by his side are his true friends.. My husband once asked me why did I choose to marry him, I have lost all the chances to become a Datin, Puan Sri or Toh Puan. I told him that being a V.I.P. was not and never in my dreams at all.. the reason is simple, by being a normal, ordinary person I get to have friends around me and not P.P.O.K's..

Mother's Day

I never knew what is the date for Mother's day or Father's day every year. I just don't care.. It doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate my parents but celebrating it seems too westernized (maklumlah.. aku orang kampung).. and not just mother's, father's day.. I never care about women's and children's day too.. and don't even mentioned valentine (I felt like vomitting thinking about all those people who celebrate valentine day).. and I kept thinking why do we need to celebrate our parents only once a year, we should cherished them and make them happy every day..

This year I was aware that today is a mother's day since nilam kept mentioning it a few times yesterday.. However, I never expect to received any special treatment or any gifts today.. Some mother's might feel sad if they didn't received anything from their family but not me.. It doesn't matter to me at all..

However, when I open my eyes this morning there stood nilam in her pyjamas grinning from ear to ear wishing me mother's day.. She hand me a drawing that she just finished as a gift.. she woke up early on Sunday morning to make sure she finished the drawing before I woke up.. I was speechless.. I was so moved by her small yet sweet gesture, I almost cried.. Deep down I felt really embarassed because in my 34 years as a daughter I never did anything like that for my mother..

My sister's used to sent my mother the mother's day card but not me.. perhaps that is how my mother must have felt when receiving those cards.. I'll make sure to send her one too next year.. insyaallah..

Drama Queen

Nilam is such a drama queen. She cried her eyes out for three days when I told her that the three of us, me, herself and her sister most probably will be going back to Malaysia in two months time. It gets worse especially in the morning before going to school. The main reason for her crying is due to the fact that she will have to leave her school and friends (and not because of leaving her father in Vietnam - kurang asam betul anak ini..)

I never expected that she would react this way considering on how she always complain about the current school; very strict teacher, naughty kids etc.. I genuinely thought that she would be happy with the news.. On the third day I started to lose my patience.. (I slightly raised my voice; regretted doing so but I had to get the point across to her).. I explained to her the reason for moving back; that Vietnam is not our country and sooner or later we have to go back to Malaysia.. I told her that it is not mine nor her father's choice and nothing we can do to change it.. I used the examples of her other friends that already left Vietnam to go back to their country.. she seems subdued but still crying when I drop her off at school..

Later that evening, she seems to be her cheerful old self again, she does her homework after mengaji (surprisingly without being told to this time); have no problem finishing her rice (another surprise); read a book and gave me and her father a kiss before bed.. I guess my explanation (or yelling) works..

The fact is.. moving has always been hard on childrens, it gets worse when they get older.. We move house almost every year (in Malaysia too).. The first few days in a new place is hard on the parents too for having to deal with the childrens tantrums..

Here are some tips on moving with childrens..

1. Keep them in the loop

As soon as you know there’s even a possibility of a relocation, include your children in the conversation. Don’t wait until it’s a sure thing and then spring it on them. Listen to their concerns and tell them to come to you with their fears, anxieties and questions.

2. Explain everything, assume nothing

Assume your children know nothing about what a move entails. Very young children will be confused about what they’re able to take and what they won’t. They don't always know what is part of the house and what doesn't convey. Assure them that all their toys, clothes, furniture and belongings will be put into boxes and taken to the new house.Walk around your house with your child. Have him point to things and tell him, “Yes, your bed is going to the new house.” “No, that wall is going to stay here.”

3. Be positive and upbeat about the move.

Your attitude about the move will influence your children attitude as well. If you dread moving, then the move will seem dreadful to them too. Be enthusiastic, upbeat, and positive about the new experiences and opportunities in store, and your children will be more likely to feel the same way.

4. Involve them in the home buying process

If possible, take your children along on your house hunt. Make clear at the onset that the final decision is up to the adults, but that their opinions will be considered.If you can’t take them along, keep them involved. Take pictures of the houses you're considering and bring them back to show the kids.

5. Let your children know they can help with the move.

This is a good time to emphasize that the move is a family event and that everyone will be part of the planning and packing. Start your kids on thinking of things they can do and how to get ready for the move. Assure your kids that their contributions, however small, will be valued and greatly appreciated.

6. Plan a nice goodbye

Before you move, throw a going-away party for your kids and invite their friends.

7. Make the transition fun

Plan to splurge a little bit on transitioning from one home to another. Spend a night in a hotel with an indoor pool. Go to fun, kid-friendly restaurants for meals. Set aside time to see a movie or theme parks.

8. Know your child’s new school

School is the center of your child’s universe. She’ll only be happy if she’s happy in school. As soon as you know where you’ll be living, contact the school and get information on how to register and what documents and paperwork are required. Specifically ask about transitioning between classes and what supplies your child will need. As soon as possible, meet personally with the guidance counselor, principal and your child’s teachers and take a tour of the building with your child, so she can familiarize herself with his new surroundings.

9. Keep similar routines

With toddlers, keep things and routines familiar to ease the transition. Set up a toddler's new room similar to the old one.

10. Reward them

Find something new, good and different about the new house or town and play it up. i.e Buy a trampoline for the new, bigger yard. Give this new place something new the old one didn’t have.

11. Make their rooms a priority

Before you start fixing up the new house, do your kids a favor and let them redecorate their rooms first. Let them pick out a paint color and a new bedspread. Having a place they feel comfortable and can call their own will work wonders for their settling in.

12. Explore

Once you arrive in the new place, start exploring. What does your new location have that you’ve never experienced? Start reaping the benefits of your new environment right away. Your kids will feel like they’re on a vacation.

I end my entry today with a video of nilam (taken by her class teacher) doing some activities in her class.. She'll definitely lose that British accent of hers once she starts schooling in Malaysia..

Gambit

A friend sent me a message through GTalk today.. err.. is this your blog or buku resipi?? hahaha.. Hello!! blog is about sharing, If I can share my favourite recipe with you guys, why not??

I guess it is time to put something light and fun and not so housewifey..

I got an sms from my younger brother today;
Kak Na, character favourite Kak Na dulu ada dalam movie XMen Origins.. huhu..

I almost forgot about that. Yes, when I'm much younger my favourite X-Men character is Gambit.. Despite what everybody is saying, I always love Gambit. To me the guy is mysterious, slick and has class.

Gambit's real name is Remy EtienneLeBeau. He possesses the ability to manipulate kinetic energy, as well as a hypnotic charm. He is also skilled in card throwing, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of a staff. Originally a professional thief and has an on and off love interest with Rogue. He is also known as a ladies man. Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine and to my opinion he portray the character quite well.

Dik Wan (my brother) likes Juggernaut..
(Yes, there are some people who prefers Juggernaut than Wolverine.. hehehe..)

He was initially a villain but later joined the X-Men. The Juggernaut possesses superhuman strength that approaches that of Hercules. In an incredibly weakened state, he has been strong enough to rip off and wield the entire corners of buildings as giant weapons. Juggernaut has completely inexhaustible stamina, and the ability to survive without food, water or oxygen. He possesses tremendous durability, and can further protect himself through a practically indestructible force-field. Even Wolverine's adamantium claws has no effect on Juggernaut.

Juggernaut has the mystical attribute of being physically unstoppable: Once in motion, virtually no obstacle or force is able to impede his movement. But then again, Juggernaut is Juggernaut.. nothing more to say about his character except his physical ability.

and if I'm not mistaken irah's favourite character is Professor X.. (betul ke irah?)

His name is Professor Charles Francis Xavier, usually referred to as Professor X. He is the leader and founder of the X-Men. Professor X is paraplegic but his body houses one of the world's most powerful mutant minds. As a high-level telepath, Xavier can read, control and influence human minds. A scientific genius, he is also a leading authority on genetics, mutation and psionic powers. In the films, he was brilliantly portrayed by actor Patrick Stewart.

Everybody seems to have their own favourite.. Guess it depends on what power they think is the best or if given a choice, which power they would like to have....

What's your favourite character then dear bloggers??

Sau Rieng Season

Sau Rieng meaning Durian in Vietnamese.. The King of all fruit.. It's Durian Season now.. although I always felt feverish after eating some, I still don't want to miss eating it at least once every season.. The good time to eat it of course during weekends..



There is one problem though.. The apartment imposed a strict "No Durian's" rule.. Our driver was caught once while smuggling it before and refused to do it again. This time our strategy is to put it in a tupperware, wrapped with newspaper and put it inside a bag to get pass through the security.

We went to the roadside stall last Friday night. As usual we have to argue first to buy the local durians.. I do not know why the vendor always insist for us to buy the durians from Thailand.. Maybe because he can charge a higher price.. we never like the one from Thailand, it is hard and not sweet at all.. it taste quite awful actually.. The local durian's however, taste heavenly.. a bit like our Durian Kampung..

When we got back and open the tupperware, all the durians turn mushy and out of shape.. We then decided to make it into "kuah durian" and eat it with soft, light pancakes.. of course we end up feeling feverish this weekend.. it was really worth it though..

The Value of Money

I gave my 7 year old daughter her first purse today, together with her first allowance. I wanted to start teaching her the value of money and how to manage it properly. She threw me a puzzled look and start asking questions i.e. what is an allowance? I explained to her that starting from today I would only give her 200,000 to 250,000 dong per week and she has to manage herself with the money (what to buy and how much to saved) and if she finished all the money she will have to wait for the next Saturday for another allowance. She seems to understand the concept and happily put the money in her bag for an outing with me.

She first asked to go to the toy shop to buy a present for her friend's birthday tomorrow. She bought a huge present which include the wrapping, cost more than 200,000 dong. She doesn't even seems to mind to spend almost all of her money for the present. Initially, I'm quite worried to see this.

At the SuperMarket, as I was about to pay for some groceries she told me that she previously saw a cute bowl and wanted to buy it. She then ran to get the bowl and pay for it. Again, I was worried. There were dozens of bowls at home, there is no need to buy one. She never asked to buy something like this before and now that she has the money she bought something that is quite unnecessary. Although it just cost about 9000 dong and I have to admit that it is cute but now I'm worried that instead of teaching her the value of money I'm turning her into a shopaholic (like one of her auntie ;P)..



Later we stumbled into this 50th Barbie Anniversary Promotion, for just 20,000 dong (RM4).. They'll groom the children into princesses and have their picture taken. Nilam told me that she wanted to do it and for the first time I saw the worried look on her face when she asked me whether she has to pay for it. That really leaves me in a dilemma; I do not know how much money that she have left and I'm afraid that later if she doesn't have enough money I might have to add some and I really don't want to do that. Eventually I told her that this one is on me and I'll pay for it this time. I also stressed that I'll pay for something like this (movies, circus etc..) but for stuff like storybooks etc she'll have to buy it herself. She then happily went for the photo session..


As soon as we reached home, she immediately start counting all her money and proclaimed that she still have 26,000 dong. She then placed her purse safely in her drawer before taking a nap.


And here I am, still thinking to myself whether what I did today is actually a good decision or not..

Nasi Dagang Terengganu

I celebrated Labour Day by cooking Nasi Dagang for my family.. I seldom had a chance to cook at home.. glad that I choose to cook these.. lama dah tak makan.. teringin..


Bahan2 Nasi
4 cawan beras Siam/Jasmine
1 cawan beras Pulut
3 cawan santan cair
2 cawan santan pekat
4 ulas bawang merah (dimayang halus)
1 inci halia (dimayang halus)
1/2 sudu teh halba (fenigreek seed)
Garam dan gula secukup rasa

Cara2 Memasak Nasi
- Rendam beras selama 6-8 jam.
- Toskan dan kukus selama 1/2 jam.
- Angkat dan gaul rata dengan santan cair.
- Kukus balik sampai masak.
- Campurkan santan pekat dengan gula, garam, hirisan bawang, halia dan halba.
- Angkat nasi dan gaul rata dengan santan pekat tadi.
- Sedia untuk dihidang
(Tip:Elakkan menutup nasi ketika masih panas dan jangan sekali2 memanaskannya balik dalam rice cooker)

Bahan2 Gulai
1 ekor ikan tongkol sederhana besar
5 cawan santan
2 sudu besar rempah Gulai Nasi Dagang
1 peket kecil rempah Gulai Cap Bunga Ros
10 ulas bawang merah (dikisar)
10-15 biji cili kering (dikisar)
1 inci halia
1 inci lengkuas
2 keping asam gelugor/keping
10 biji cili padi
Garam dan Gula Melaka

Cara2 Memasak Gulai
- Rebus ikan sehingga air kering dan ikan empuk; Tip:Rebus bersama2 garam (2-3 sudu teh) dan 5-6 asam keping. Boleh dibuat sehari sebelumnya.
- Masak santan (Tip:elakkan guna santan segera kerana santan segera susah naik minyak)
- Masukkan cili padi, bawang, rempah dan masak lagi sehingga naik minyak.
- Kalau kering masukkan sedikit air.
- Masukkan ikan, cili padi, asam keping, garam dan gula melaka.

Option:Disamping ikan, boleh juga masukkan telur rebus dan udang tapi udang harus direbus berasingan sebelum dimasukkan kedalam gulai bagi mengelakkan rasa air udang mencemari gulai (Actually only my family recipe that add prawns and eggs, other people in Terengganu only used fish)..

Selamat Mencuba!!! :P