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August 31 A Farewell DinnerMy cousin, Angeline, will be leaving in a few weeks for the UK to further her studies, so we had a farewell dinner for her tonight at Formosa Restaurant in SS2. We actually eat here quite often, as it's a family favorite - so obviously we enjoy the food!!
We had the sesame fried chicken ...
A taufoo and vege dish ...
Fried bread ...
Which we eat with fish ...
We had pork ribs ...
Fried bitter gourd with salted egg ...
Prawns ...
And even though that seems like a lot to eat, within 20 mintues, this is all that was left!!
We still had room for dessert though, which is the best part of eating at Formosa ... they have this awesome yam-dipped-in-treacle dessert - it is basically yam coated in melted treacle and sesame seeds, then dipped in cold water to harden the treacle ...
And it looks like this ...
And when you cut it open, it looks like this ...
YUMMMMMMMMMM ... like a chunk of heaven ... !!
Angeline, we wish you all the best - have FUN in the UK - and stay warm (in the freezing weather, ughhh!)!
August 28 Ming CuisineWe are having some overseas guests with us at the moment - really old family friends of ours from Sydney. Let me just clarify that I mean 'old' as in 'long time friends' - not 'old' as in 'age' .. although with them pushing 70, maybe it's not completely wrong either ... !!
Actually, Uncle Lin Fatt and my dad were classmates, so when I say our families go all the way back, I really mean ALL the way back. Even before us kids came into the picture - and now there are even grandkids - so you can imagine how long the friendship has lasted. Which I think is really pretty cool.
So anyway, we went for dinner tonight at Ming Cuisine, which took over the old Cheow Yang Restaurant, near the Rothmans roundabout. It was our first time there, and I must say that the initial impression was a good one. In terms of interior design, they somehow managed to combine the modern and funky ...
... with the traditional ...
... and surprisingly, it worked! I thought it was rather eclectic and interesting deco for a chinese restaurant.
So the aesthetics passed my scrutiny. Now the food ...
We were waiting, all of us ... and we waited some more ...
Finally the food arrived!
All the dishes were served on individual plates - and actually, was pretty good! We started with some sea cucumber/mushroom concoction, served on some green vege with whole onions and garlic ..
... followed by their house specialty - taufoo with spinach, served with mushrooms ...
... and a vege dish that I've never had before, which tasted like a cross between leeks and chives - rather yummy, actually ...
... steamed fish, which was a tad overdone ...
... and just to add to the eclectic nature of the restaurant, hokkien noodles!! With LOADS of crispy, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth pig lard ... YUMMMMMMM!!
Of course no meal is complete without dessert ... we had 'suet yee tong sui', with dried longan and dates, which was served in a coconut, and tasted superb.
So here's some pictures of us enjoying dessert ...
But for all their fanciness, they apparently could not afford to print their own napkins, as our neatly folded napkins ...
... when opened revealed that they had just taken and used those left behind from the previous restaurant owners!!
Nonetheless, it was a fun night.
Good food + Good friends = Major Satisfaction.
And then Mel showed me a text on her phone ...
I shall say nothing else and leave the rest to your imagination!!
August 26 Back to SchoolThings at work over the months of May, June and July were pretty easy - I mean, I had students continuously, but at a nice, relaxed pace - as opposed to hurried and stressed. So then I started to get a little restless, as I usually do after doing the same thing day in and day out for more than five years. Don't get me wrong - I love diving and I love teaching diving - but it gets too ... familiar ... after a while, and I need new challenges to keep me motivated. I have an extremely low threshold for boredom - comes with being intelligent. Really.
So then I thought, since things were reasonably relaxed, that maybe I could take a course - learn something new - expand my horizons.
And now that I have started a part-time self-study, part-time once-a-week class for a Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language - things at work have picked up (as life would have it!) - and so I am pushing my time management skills to the limit!
BUT - I am also enjoying learning something from scratch that up until now, I have had limited knowledge on and zero experience in.
So if you'll excuse me, I have to do some research for my essay on Communicative Language Teaching ...
August 23 Position FilledIn response to my blog entry entitled Roommate Required, I am pleased to inform you that after a thorough screening process and a tough round of interviews for the shortlisted candidates, that the position has now been filled.
It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Bee Yong as my roommate from December 17th to 21st at Sipadan Water Village.
Welcoming her appointment, the Diving Diva says, "I am delighted to welcome Bee Yong as my roommate. This appointment reflects the Diva's commitment to further expanding her friendship base. Bee Yong brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise, both as a diver and as an underwater photographer, at a key point in the Diva's evolution right now."
Bee Yong earned her Open Water certification and began her dive tenure in 1998. During her 10 years of diving experience, she has researched many local, as well as international dive sites. Her interests center on marine behaviors and the use of underwater photography to enhance motivation. Bee Yong has the level of spirit, creativity, drive and energy that will be needed to make this an interesting dive expedition.
"Bee Yong is bright, amazingly committed to diving, self-confident, unstuffy and informal, pragmatic and totally down to earth. I look forward to a long term, mutually beneficial friendship and dive relationship with her," added ... well ... me.
 August 22 Entertaining eveningThis is what Mel and I did tonight while dad was watching the Olympics on tv ...
We played Monopoly and I kicked her butt BIG TIME!
After about an hour and a half, this is what I owned ...
And this is what Mel owned ...
After about four hours, I retained my title as property and developer tycoon - and Mel was bankrupt.
But she was still smiling, and we both had a blast ...
"We play again tomorrow, okay, mom??" was her parting good night shot ... !
August 21 Back from PD!Mel and I are back! Avillion was great fun! We go about once a year, as we love the resort ... it's extremely aesthetically pleasing, even if the sea leaves a lot to be desired. Mel was looking over the railing one afternoon, and she went "What's that mom?" - and without even looking, I automatically replied "It's a plastic bag" - in my defense, it IS Port Dickson mar ... but it turned out to be a pair of garfish - which was neat to see in PD, even though they are SO common in places like Tioman, etc.
In any case, welcome to our water chalet ...
The bed is amazingly comfortable, especially the pillows ...
Mel loves the day bed that they have - we sit there to play cards in the evenings ...
My fav is the open air bathroom - there is something very sensual about being able to see the sky and having natural sunlight come through when you are taking a shower.
Mel still likes the bathtub the best though ..
They also have some additional toiletries that you don't normally get ..
Did you catch the extras??!
So we had a good time - we went on the paddle boats (no pictures, sorry!) - and we did tons of swimming (also no pictures!) - and there's a pet farm where you can feed the animals ..
.. and where pigeons can s(h)it on you ...
... and there's a Kid's Cabin where Mel did some batik painting ...
See the end result?? She did a great job!
Of course we hung out at the beach, even though the sea really isn't up to my Diva standards ...
And we chilled on our balcony ...
All in all a pretty good break lar ... I think we both needed to get out of the city for a while ... Thanks to everyone who emailed and text-ed us to wish us a good holiday!! We had a great one!
August 17 Moving OnYesterday was SAD! Mel and I went to see Melissa in the morning, as her flight was in the afternoon - and it was waaaay too emotional for me, for so early in the morning. She made me cry, and then I had to go and teach two classes.
Later she sent me an sms from the airport, something about how hard it was to leave - and I replied with a desperate "Don't go! I need you here!" ... pathetic, kan?! She called shortly after, and had just spoken to her dad, and was sobbing over the phone, and it was hard to understand what she was saying - but I got how she was feeling anyway.
SO ... *a big sigh* ... and we all move on.
On a brighter note, I had promised Mel to take her somewhere for a short break from routine these school holidays - the poor kiddo has been working so hard and stressing out over her trials (THREE rounds of trials!) - and, as usual, I kept procrastinating and leaving things to the last minute. So when I finally got my act together last Friday and called around to the resorts, they were all - no surprise there - fully booked. I was even desperate enough to see if we could go as far as Phuket or Bali! But because it was so last minute, the flights were really expensive, even Air Asia. So going South East Asian wasn't even an option anymore.
I tried resorts in Port Dickson, I tried resorts in Cherating, I tried Penang ... either the rooms they still had available were suites and way out of my budget, or they didn't have rooms at all.
So Mel had resigned herself to the fact that we were probably gonna be stuck in KL - and I was feeling bad because I promised her I'd take her somewhere. As a last ditch frantic option, I called Avillion in Port Dickson, which we like to visit about once a year - even though the online booking form on their website said they were full - and lo and behold, they still had water chalets available!! Mel was over the moon, and I was relieved.
We'll be away from the 19th till the 21st.
August 14 SadMy BFF and bitch sister extraordinaire is leaving the country for good on Saturday - she is moving to New Caledonia (I know ... New where ?!) to start a new life with her boyfriend.
No one understands me and accepts me like she does, and I don't know what I'm going to do without her.
August 13 MaybeI was in the elevator going down from my apartment unit to the carpark to go pick Mel up from school. I was wearing a skirt and a sleeveless blouse. I put one hand inside my blouse, and my other hand on the outside, over my boob - to adjust my bra, incase you were wondering - when lo and behold, the lift doors open somewhere on the 3rd floor, and a gentleman looks in and - I presume - starts assessing the situation. I can only imagine what was going on in his head. I am now caught in a most compromising position - to hastily remove my hands would be too obvious, and to leave them where they were would be even worse. So I smile at him - and slowly but deliberately remove my hands and straighten my blouse. To give credit to the gentleman in question - and he WAS a gentleman - he never once broke eye contact with me, nor looked below my chin. Except for a slight rise of his eyebrows when the elevator doors first opened and he looked in - I could've sworn he didn't even notice. Who says chivalry is dead ... ?
Also - you know you've been spending too much dosh on coffee when you walk into Starbucks and the lady behind the counter goes, "The usual, ma'am?". Let me point out that "the usual" for Mel and me is ridiculously complex. Mel has a take-away tall decaf latte with low fat milk and extra foam. Mine is a take-away grande latte, extra shot, with low fat milk, and 'make it extra hot, please'. It's not simply just walking in and ordering two lattes! And just so you know - she got our orders right.
So we might take a break from Starbucks for a while ... and I might make sure my bra is properly adjusted before I leave home.
Maybe ...
August 11 Kissing A Friendship GoodbyeMet up for lunch with someone today and was disappointed. I'm not sure what I expected of the get-together - I know that sometimes we just click with people we meet, and sometimes we don't. But I think the disappointment stemmed from the fact that this person and I used to be quite tight - and now our lives have taken different turns and our situations are so different - and I hate when people take the high and mighty road and judge you because you are not like them. Or because you are not the person you used to be, without realizing that they too have changed - that's what people do - they evolve and adapt to the circumstances and experiences that we all go through.
To try and re-capture the friendship we once shared is near impossible. I have this to say though - if you want to judge me and my life, then do it outright - but don't pass snide comments and think that I will miss them. Because I got every one of your jellyfish barbs, and that is SO not cool.
By nature, I am a very loyal friend - but I think I've reached my limit on this one, and it's time to cut the strings.
August 09 Sweet Sound of SilenceMel was still, believe it or not, belting out My Heart Will Go On this morning - for the third consecutive day - driving me absolutely bananas - and suddenly she stopped mid-verse and said, "You're right mom, it's starting to get really annoying" ...
So hopefully that will be the end of my torture.
I just hope she doesn't start singing It's A Small World After All ...
August 07 Ironic Kinda DayYou know how it's been super hazy and hot, and we haven't seen a drop of rain for the last week and a half? Well, this afternoon, I thought I would take a nice leisurely stroll over to the Post Office and pay our water bill. The weather was still hazy - slightly cloudy - and I thought it would be a good way to get in some exercise. So I'm at the Post Office, awaiting my turn (I was number 1167, and they were serving number 1149) - people watching, as usual, and feeling quite contented - when all of a sudden, there was a loud rumble from outside.
It took me a while to realize what it was, and when it occured to me that it was thunder, my first thought was ... uh-oh, that doesn't sound good. Next thing you know, there's a flash of lightning, and the skies just open up, and it pours. I mean, it was really raining. I mean - STORMING - it was a huge, loud, furious thunderstorm.
So I'm stuck at the Post Office, even after my turn has come and gone. And I look at my watch, and I have an hour before I need to go pick Mel up from school. Obviously I couldn't now walk back. Nor did I have an umbrella with me. Nor my wallet, so I couldn't even go a couple of doors down to the mamak and have a coffee while sitting the rain out.
So I'm standing just outside the Post Office, just waiting. And I wait. And wait. Then I send out a couple of text messages. And I wait some more. Replies come in. I answer those. And I'm still waiting.
FORTY minutes pass, and it's still cats and dogs out there. And now it's almost time for me to go get Mel from school.
In total desperation by now, I stop the next lady carrying a large umbrella who seems like she's heading in my general direction, and ask her if I can share her umbrella. And the bitch says No. I'm thinking ... oh, wat-eva lady, I hope you don't need any help from anyone anytime soon, because you know what? I SO believe in the law of karma.
In any case, I told myself I'd wait another ten minutes, and then rain or no rain, I was gonna have to make a dash for it.
Well, guess what? It was still raining. Not storming anymore, but a decent, steady rain. So I run for it.
By the time I get back to the dive shop, I was pretty much rather wet. A drippy sorta wet. Ughh. Plus by now, I was a tad behind schedule for picking Mel up, but I figured she could wait for me for a bit.
So I closed up the shop and drove to Mel's school - traffic was kinda heavy and slow because the roads were wet. But I got to Mel's school, and I was waiting. And I wait. And wait. And I'm like ... ooooh, dejavu ... so I finally call her, and she's like, "Oh hi mom! I'm just watching some drama about a bunch of girls who went into the boys bathroom" - and I'm like, "Well, stop watching because I still need to get to the bank before it closes" - but noooooo, she had to watch the drama.
So I wait SOME MORE. And at some point, Her Royalness finally decides to leave school.
And THEN - as if things have not been irritating enough for me - Mel starts singing Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. Ceaselessly. Over and over and over again. First of all, the movie was dead boring and 2.5 hours longer than it should have been. Second of all, My Heart Will Go On is easily the most annoying song ever written or performed. I think it was in the running for that award, however the honor for the Most Annoying Song 2007 went to James Blunt's You're Beautiful. But Celine Dion's song was an extremely close second, not to mention totally overplayed on our radio stations.
So now to make me feel better, I have decided that we are all going to Kanna tonight for banana leaf. Hah.
August 06 Like-mindedI was pretty much caught up with a class and some paperwork today, so was chugging through my day, and before I realized it, it was time to pick Mel up from school.
On the drive over to her school, I suddenly felt ravenous, and craved a Subway turkey breast sandwich on honey oat bread, covered in vege, and smothered with mayo and mustard ... followed by a Starbucks latte. I tell ya, whoever decided to put a Subway outlet next to a Starbucks outlet was pure genius.
So I go and pick Mel up, and first thing she says to me when she gets into the car is, "Mom, I'm starving, can we go to Subway?" .. and I'm like, "Yeah, SURE" .. and then she adds, "Can we have a latte too after that?!"
You gotta love the way this kiddo thinks!!
August 04 Roommate RequiredI am looking for a roommate for my dive trip to Sipadan Water Village from the 17th to 21st of December.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
All applicants are encouraged to send their submissions directly to me. Deadline for applications is middle of August 2008. Only females and gays need apply.
Religion versus SpiritualityAnd to add to my thoughts yesterday, I think there is a tremendous and distinct difference between religion and spirituality - no matter what religious background you profess to be from.
Religion has to do with rituals and rites and teachings. A lot of it are outward manifestations. Which I suppose can be important, if people don't constantly misuse it. I have no patience for those who stand behind religion and use it as an excuse to either criticize others, to judge them, or for self-righteous, self-advancing purposes.
Spirituality, on the other hand, has to do with qualities of the human spirit - such as patience, forgiveness, harmony, contentment, love. Something everyone can embrace and try and develop, regardless of religious affinities.
So perhaps we could all do with being more spiritual and less religious, hey?
August 03 The AfterlifeI attended this funeral a few days ago of the father of one of our family friends. I didn't know the deceased personally, God rest his soul, but that's not why we go to funerals, is it? It's not for the dead, it's for the living. This particular family friend has been a part of our extended family for as long as I can remember. She was my aunt's school mate, and she participates in all our family get-togethers - birthdays, celebrations, special festivals, just-for-the-heck of it activities, holidays - just one of a whole host of people my late grandparents naturally accepted as part of our family. And believe me, we are a huge family.
I went with my aunt, and it was a Buddhist/Taoist funeral service. Having been brought up in a Christian home, I - of course - was totally ulu about the whole thing, and had a hundred and one questions on the funeral rites and rituals. From the way they were dressed (son-in-laws in white shrouds, married daughters wore an arm band with a red dot on it, grandchildren were in blue, great-grandchildren in green, etc) - to the passing around of the food on the altar (as a sort of offering to the deceased) - to the chanting of prayers (I never did work out in what language - my aunt thought it was Cantonese, but we couldn't recognize any words - I thought it was Sanskrit, not that I'd know what Sanskrit sounds like - I just like to think that ALL chanting should be in Sanskrit!). Fascinating stuff.
Then I had a bit of a shock to my romanticized notion of Buddhist funeral rites when right at the end, when they were putting the casket into the hearse to drive it to the burial plot, the nun conducting the prayers and the service got behind the wheel of a brand new Toyota Avanza - 2 liter at that! Even more of a shock was a sticker on the back windscreen which read "Children on Board". According to my aunt, a lot of Buddhist nuns are allowed to adopt children, and a lot of them do. AND a lot of them send their kids overseas for education. I never knew that!
Also, apparently there is a part of the service where the family members are supposed to throw coins into an urn - real coins, not the paper type that you burn - and the more coins you throw, the easier and the smoother the journey of the deceased, on his way to the afterlife or reincarnation, or whatever it is they believe in. Bribery and corruption even in death! But that aside, it all seems a bit suspect to me, as the urn gets taken back by the nuns after the ceremony ...
I was brought up to respect my Chinese cuture, heritage and tradition - but to ignore its superstitions, of which there are plenty ... no easy task for a traditionalist like my dad - so I'm glad for that, because I think superstition can be so damaging and can leave you so fearful about so many things.
In any case, I was talking to my aunt, and I found out something about my grandfather that I didn't know prior to this.
On the morning of his death, when my aunt was spending some time with him, he told her that Mother (meaning my grandmother) had come to see him last night, and that he was ready to go. Likewise with this family friend's father. He was a man, so I heard, who seldom smiled. But the morning before he passed away, he couldn't seem to stop grinning. While he wasn't as verbal as my grandfather was, his children like to believe that he was smiling because his wife had come to greet him and to take him home.
It makes the reality of death seem less daunting when you know that no matter what your religious background and your personal beliefs, that death simply means joining your loved ones who have gone before you.
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