2012 Roundup

It didn't seem too long ago that I had welcomed 2012 with a brighter outlook after having a not so good 2011.  Going into 2012 with a positive outlook and sending out positive vibes made 2012 a very blessed year for me indeed.  Thank God for all his blessings.  As 2013 makes its way in, I look back at 2012 with great memories.  Here's a roundup of my 2012.

I would like to wish all a great 2013 ahead.  May we always cherish our love ones.  Life itself is a cause for celebration.  As I always say... LIVE.LAUGH.LOVE. God Bless Us All.

I traveled quite a fair bit in 2012 ...

Montreux, Switzerland

My first Chinese New Year Winter Holiday!

Pisa, Italy ... 

Florence, Italy

Pics around Bentong

We walked around a bit in Bentong farm and ended up at an organic orchard.  Here are the sights of this lovely quiet and rustic place.

Lip Smacking Goodness from Mokie Home-Baked Pastry, Bentong, Pahang

Once in awhile, we all experience something that stays etched in our mind and hearts.  Though not thought of at times in our ever busy daily lives ... it is, however, never forgotten. It's not so much about what we had seen, touched, smelt, heard or tasted but how we felt that make us remember what we remember; having been enriched by some experiences (sadly, this also applies when it comes to painful encounters).  However for today, I shall focus on all that's good...What I saw, touched, smelt, heard, tasted AND felt.

Continuing from my earlier blog post about my memorable lunch during my trip to Bentong, we made a pit stop in Kampong Kemansur.  Now, Mokie Home-Baked Pastry snacks are a must to pick up when one makes a trip to Bentong. Thanks to our distinguished guide (he never fails to drop by Mr Mok's place and pick up a whole lot of puff pastries!) who brought us into the home of The Moks; a family who exudes such warmth and extended such hospitality by welcoming us into their home and allowing us a peek into their lives.

When we arrived, we were introduced to The Moks and ushered straight into the kitchen area where we plonked ourselves, smacked in the middle of all the baking action.  The aroma of fresh baked pastries filled the air and set off another set of senses, I was absolutely thrilled.  While Mrs Mok and their son spoke to us now and then as they went about their work, Mr Mok made sure we were tended to.  He poured us tea, chatted with us and asked us to help ourselves to the pastries that were on the table.  Fresh from the oven and still on the baking tray...resistance was futile!

As we helped ourselves to the goodies...we were filled in with a brief history as to how Mokie Home-Baked Pastry came about...more than 2 decades ago, Mr Mok and his family moved back to their hometown Bentong to care for his mom.  During her free time in the little village, Mrs Mok started making the puff pastries laden with her home made kaya too (oooo...I'm missing the puff pastries so much as I write this post) and orders kept pouring in till a point where she couldn't cope.  Mr Mok who had been unemployed due to the recession in the mid 80s then decided to join forces with his wife; working together to increase production of these marvelous puff pastries.  Twenty plus years down the line...Mokie Home-Baked Pastry is still standing strong.  Everything about the puff pastries is kept simple; there are two varieties...pineapple jam and kaya filling.  Still baked and packed by hand into a simple bag. That's what make The Moks and their puff pastries special and I hope they keep it that way.

While I have always been a fan of pineapple tarts/puffs generally, it was the kaya variety that totally awed and won me over, the pineapple puffs were good but I LOVED the kaya puffs!  The kaya was rich and with a sweetness that is just spot on.  The thin crisp flakey pastry and the kaya filling enveloped my palate with such flavours and texture that it was just unforgettable on first bite! And bite after bite after that... the puff pastries are such a delight to sink your teeth into.

The puffs are sold at shops and markets around Bentong and to directly get some pastry love from Mokie Home-Baked Pastry, seek The Moks at

No. 5, Lorong Aman 1,
Kampong Kemansur
28700 Bentong,
Pahang

Tel : +609 222 4825

Such an enriching experience, I need to go back to Bentong...not just for the food but for the way I felt when I was there.

Ahhh ... Desserts @ 32°f, Waterpark

Walking around Waterpark at Desa ParkCity is usually a fun filled outing for me as that would usually mean that I'm not just going for a walk but walking with my friends who has brought along their dogs too.  The park is pet friendly and there are lots of furry friends running around.  I always look forward to making a trip here as not only I get some exercise and get to watch dogs on "parade" but what comes after the exercise :o).  I would usually head over to 32°f for some desserts to cool down. They have an assorted range of flavoured shaved ice and drinks that would surely appeal to one who loves desserts (as much as the dogs in the park!).

Here's Milk with Fresh Strawberries! They have other flavours like Passion Fruit (this one I like too!), Chocolate, Strawberry, Green Tea and more to choose from.

Since I love milk, I also love ordering their Malt drink ... a milky based drink with scoops of  cereals that reminds me of Nestum, something that I use to love eating with condensed milk when I was a kid.

Kek Seng, Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part Eight (Final)

Remembering Penang - Photo Series comes to an end with this final Part 8.  This time round, these set of photos of food and the coffee shop were taken at the well known Kek Seng Kopitiam at Penang Road.  I still remember this place with fond memories; whilst the food is still pretty good but not as good as before, this coffee shop itself hasn't changed much through the years. Time has pretty much stood still in Kek Seng; the wooden benches and tables have withstood the test of time (though one will spot some new chairs in place).  Nostalgia aplenty ...

ASSAM LAKSA

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part Seven

Continuing with the Penang series ... here are some shots during my trip to Penang.  The first two being things/places that caught my eye while the rest are the usual suspects...FOOD! hahaha....

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Homemade Siew Mai, Roadside Dim Sum Stall! Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part Six

(NON-HALAL)


Continuing Penang Photo Series...we now head off to Macalister Road.  I know what you're thinking, going there for the Char Kway Teow right?

Well, let's just say, we did eat Macalister Road's Char Kway Teow but it was not the main reason why we headed there.  The Char Kway Teow is not as good as before but still above average, hence not really the reason why we went there.  For what then? For this...

The roadside dim sum stall just outside the char kway teow place ... serving up simple HOME MADE assorted dim sum.  A big thanks to JC for bringing me to one of her fave stalls since childhood days.

Oh, how I miss these ... especially the lovely siew mai!

Bulgogi Brothers, Oppa Korean Style @ Paradigm Mall

Chaswood Resources Holdings Limited recently added Bulgogi Brothers to its list of brands with its launch in Paradigm Mall.

Established since 2006, Bulgogi Brothers is a popular casual dining restaurant in Korea and is one of Korea's renowned restaurant chain.  Bulgogi Brothers first outlet in Korea is located in Gangnam; the same place in the title name of the most recent viral video, "Oppa Gangnam Style" as performed by PSY.  Bulgogi Brothers features the representative Korean food - the fire meat - BULGOGI, hence its name.  While I was not involved in any parody video of Gangnam Style (unfortunately), I was invited for a food tasting session of selected dishes just before its opening.  Lots of delicious photos ahead!

Starters - Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas

Banchan - I especially enjoyed the sweet pumpkin paste (middle left) and the radish (top right)

Yukhoe (RM45.90) - julienned raw beef marinated in a mixture of chillies, pears and cucumber.  I absolutely love this dish, though raw, the beef had a rather firm texture to it and tasted sweet with the mixture of the sweet diced pears. Best eaten immediately when served (it's a cold dish, not as good if it drops to room temperature).

Haemul Pajeon (RM27.90)- Korean style pancake with seafood and green onions

I found Bulgogi Brothers' pancake a tad thick and therefore lack the crisp.  Average fare to me ...

Friday Quick Bites - Mille Danish from Free Mori

Free Mori, the latest name to hit the local bakery scene originated from Taiwan and has actually been around for 3 decades.  I patronise the outlet in SS2; the others are in Publika, Damansara Uptown, Shah Alam (google and check whether there's one near you as they are opening new outlets around the Klang Valley).  It's one of my latest hang out as they also serve coffee, tea and a special blend of fruit juices.  I enjoy sitting in the store, surrounded by all the lovely pastries, cookies and cakes.  Free Mori also market their cookies in lovely tin boxes which are great as gifts or even for your very own tin collection.  They also have a range of other things like coasters, cups etc. etc. for sale.

Travel News : Renew Malaysian Passport Online

Being a partial travel blog, I felt that I should blog on my most recent experience when I renewed my Malaysian Passport online.  Some bloggers have already written on this as this isn't something new.  It's just that it's still quite unknown and an online feature that is rarely utilized.  I am so impressed with the whole process till I wanna write about it myself and would like to encourage more people to renew their passports online.  This is based on my experience with the online system and the steps I went through. The steps might be different according to each applicant (especially if certain terms and conditions are not met).

1) Get a passport photo taken at the studio or by a friend, you would need a softcopy of your photo.  If you have a hardcopy, then you will have to scan it to convert it to a .jpeg file for uploading.  Click HERE to make sure you meet the photo requirements and the terms & conditions from Immigration Department Of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia).  Here's a screenshot of it...

Please read the Terms & Conditions thoroughly as they also state that not only will your application be rejected but payment made might not be returned if not adhered to! If all is okay, scroll to the end of it, and click on "Agree".   It will take you to the next step

2) Choose your Application Category and then enter your existing (expiring or expired) passport number and Identity Card number and then click "Search" on the right.

Note : If your passport expiry date is not due for one year and more, you will not be able to proceed further.

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part Five (Gurney Drive)

Continuing on with Part Five in this photo series... photos of Gurney Drive and the food of course!

Off The Beaten Track, Gerai Makan & Minum Kampung - Bukit Tinggi, Bentong

The month of June was a time of mini trips for me; I had the opportunity to go on a day trip to Bentong.  I tagged along with some friends (thanks to RB! xxx) and had a wonderful time albeit it was a short trip.

Packed into a van, we started our journey towards a place that I have long not visited.  Having absolutely no sense of direction, I asked no questions as to where our first stop would be but to let our distinguish host take us to where ever he wanted as he has been travelling through this route countless times.... I was relieved to know that we would be stopping for lunch first as I was famished at that time as we had started our journey pass noon and only arrived for late lunch.

Let me digress a bit here ... Take a walk around the vicinity and you'll find a fenced up area with a guard dog on duty.  Guarding what? Organic avocados! I've not seen one as green and big as the ones here.  Okay...back to the food...

I had done a quick search on the internet and the other flogger who has been to this place is PerutBesi.  Click HERE to read her post which also has directions to this simple and delightful Gerai Makan & Minum Kampung in Bukit Tinggi, Bentong.  As it was already quite late, we practically had the whole place to ourselves ... I just loved the place, it's full of character; the small town simplicity, the aged decoration/memorabilia adorning the walls and the feel of warm hospitality from the family who runs the restaurant.

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part Four

For Part Four of Remembering Penang Series, I manage to take some photos of my friends' primary school, Island Girls' Primary School (just a couple from the outside as the gates were locked) and secondary school, St George's Girls School.  I was fortunate to have been able to take a quick walk around the school, hence more photos of it.  I only wished that I have had the same opportunity to take photos of my old school, Bukit Bintang Girls School before it was demolished to make way for Pavilion.  I had some really great memories of my old school.  Well, at least my friends will have these photos of their old school to look at ....

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part 3

Dad, How Are You?

For the first time in 14 years, I didn't manage to put up a post on July 5 as I normally do every year since you first left us 14 years ago. I kept myself busy during this period.  I only know that each time July approaches, I begin to get melancholy as usual.  It's almost as if I didn't want July to come as each time it does, I always get hit with an ebb and flow of emotions.  I can't imagine that I can still sit here in front of the computer, 14 years later and still get all teary eye thinking of you, Dad.  I may be laughing around my friends, but when I get home, I think about you.

I know you are out there looking down on me; shocked at some of the things your "once" a little girl is doing now or have done (LOL!), smile approvingly when I do good, frown when I'm bad, hahaha... and happy with what I have done so far with my life.  Dad, how are you? I often think about you.  You know that I found your cassette tape a while back, the one of you singing "Love Me Tender".  I manage to get it recorded into my mobile and when I really miss you, I listen to you sing.  It's almost like you were still here, I feel the warmth surrounding me and my eyes starts welling up each and every time without fail.  I'm such a big softy ... life is such, which is why I cherish and am thankful for each and every day the good Lord has given to me.  I can still remember watching you singing/recording the song into the JVC cassette recorder like it was just yesterday ... but now, now you are gone.  I hope you are still singing up there in heaven and sometimes I close my eyes  and try to listen out for you, silly me.  A case of watching "August Rush" too many times and believing that there's music all around us, that includes your singing.

I hope you haven't been playing pranks on the other folks up there and been behaving yourself :o), you were such a joker during the time you were on earth and use to either crack me up or scare the living daylights out of me.  Hahaha..., you have brought us so much laughter while you were here...till you were unwell.  You gave up on life and I watch you slowly fade away in time.  Letting you go was so painful, but it was also what was best for you.  Yes, Dad, I guess you are indeed singing (and whistling away, yup, I still sing and whistle now and then - thanks for the lessons) up there and entertaining your friends.  I'll see you one day soon and I'll be sure that we will have our duet numbers just like old times when we are together once again.  The way we were, the way the family were ... back when we were young.

Love You So Much Dad ...on this 14th year.  Miss You Much ....
Far more abundantly beyond all,
BB

Worthwhile Worthy Book 2012-2013 F&B Special Edition

Known for being a food lover, a friend gave me a book as she was sure that I'll be thrilled to bits by it. Worthy Book F&B Special Edition 2012-2013 is a book full of deal vouchers.  You can find it at major bookstores like MPH, Kinokuniya, Popular,  Borders, Times  and even at selected myNEWS.com outlets.  Retailed at RM29.90, this book sure gives back much more than its worth.

There are more than 270 Food and Beverage vouchers in this book! I carry the book around with me and utilise the vouchers where ever and whenever I can as the book has an easy merchant index.  I usually flip to the first two pages which has a list of the merchants located in the respective malls (it was upon seeing this that I found out that there are actually 30 over malls in Klang Valley! Now that's a challenge for me on Foursquare...checking into all these malls! Hahaha...).  I was glad to see some voucher deals for a few of my fave food haunts. Let me list down just 3 here (there's too many to choose from!) that caught my eye the first time I looked through the Worthy Book (there're 5 deal vouchers given for each F&B outlet!)


There's Ko Hyang ... I usually go to the one in One Mont Kiara.  There's a voucher for a free Pa Jeon (worth RM11.90) when we order two main meals on Thursdays or Fridays.  Yay!  The other 4 vouchers are  - free Kimchi Jeon with two main meals order, free Red Bean Ice drink with one main meal order, free Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab and free Bi Bim Bab with any 3 main meal orders. My food post on Ko Hyang HERE, take a look.

Ko Hyang's Pa Jeon

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part 2

Continuing from Part 1 last week ....

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part 1

I had taken this Penang trip  a while back and was fortunate enough to be part of a journey that was full of nostalgia; sharing the memories of my dear friends from Penang as I followed them around the island to revisit their past.  A past that they left behind but by no means, memories that they still hold dear to their hearts.  I tried to capture the memories in pictures; the places, the people and of course the Penang food (a food pic from Ipoh too as we made our way up).

Remembering Penang - Photo Series Part 1 begins ...

Friday Quick Bite Series : Kafe Mee Jawa @ Solaris Dutamas

It's Friday! Another round of Friday Quick Bite ...  Been hanging around near my office of late and with the ever increasing number of eateries that have been cropping up (and some gone... R.I.P.), we are totally spoilt for choice.  As they say, it is not that we have no choice in life, it's whether we make the right or the wrong choice in life.  Such as it was that we made the right choice, when we walked around Solaris Dutamas/Publika area searching for a quick meal.  Following SYee and Cadence around, we ended up in Kafe Mee Jawa.  And when you're at Kafe Mee Jawa, what do you order? Mee Jawa of course!

Media Preview : Cyril's Family Vacation on AXN

When I received an invitation to a media preview of Cyril's Family Vacation series, I was delighted. Firstly, Cyril is one of my favourite illusionist.  I remember watching the YouTube video of Cyril's illusion with the Lacoste crocodile logo.

Take a look at the video that first made me a fan of Cyril.

So it was a rather sweet moment for me to be able to meet him in person.  Well, sort of in person :o).  Cyril is back in a new 6 half hour episode edition of Cyril's Family Vacation with has a magical storytelling approach showcasing not only Cyril's magic but also his "family members"; Grandma Magi, Uncle Richard and Cousin Tiny.  These characters are in fact Cyril himself (he has donned disguises before in his previous acts).  The show will be using hidden cameras to catch the unsuspecting "magic" assistants' reactions.  Candid reactions are always best and are sure to make us laugh like I did when I saw the sneak preview.

Serena C, looking as Hawaiian as she can be. Cute!

Serena C was the emcee for that day and after a short intro, she introduced Gregory Ho (Vice President, Marketing & Head of Communications Network, Asia) from Sony Pictures Television.  We then anticipated the arrival of Cyril when Gregory's mobile rang.  It was Cyril saying that he was extremely sorry that he couldn't be there in person as he had to fly back to Japan immediately to tend to an urgent matter.

Mr Gregory Ho putting Cyril on speaker as he apologised to us for not turning up (or so it seems...)

However, Grandma Magi will be there instead to tend to the media.  Shortly after, Cyril, disguised as Grandma Magi appeared and amused us as she made her way into the room and flirted with a few young men sitting in the crowd.