STADTHUYS

Merdeka!        Merdeka!    Merdeka!

 
Tanggal 31
Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Merdeka ! Merdeka !
Tetaplah merdeka
Ia pasti menjadi sejarah

Tanggal 31
Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari yang mulia
Hari bahagia
Sambut dengan jiwa yang merdeka

Mari kita seluruh warga negara
Ramai-ramai menyambut hari merdeka
Merdeka !
Tiga satu bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Hari mulia negaraku merdeka
 

No marching, No Parade for us...off to The Historical State, Malacca...yahooooo;-) I think among the 14 states in Malaysia, I really adore Malacca, besides its historical background and the heritage trail, Malacca always has a special spot in my heart ever since my CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) days at the "Yellow" HQ.  The Portuguese language preservation under our D'Amazing Malaysian project was a memorable experience of all.  So many sweet memories back then *sob..sob*.  

Reached Masjid Tanah around noon went straight to Nicko's rented house at Taman Cherry Indah just for a quick visit. We've already booked a room at Everly Resort Hotel, Pantai Klebang for a day use.  No plans to stay overnight in Malacca, a bit tedious with Gramps around.  So, just a comfy place for us to freshen-up and relax before and after breaking of fast. 

Everly Resort Hotel (formerly known as Riviera Bay Resort Malacca)..MAS used to have several units here for the staff facilities. We were among the lucky ones who had the opportunity to stay at Riviera (many years ago) at a very minimal rate per night in a two bedroom apartment and also a few other family hols at Tanjung Tuan Beach Resort, Port Dickson & The Pines Resort, Fraser's Hill with late Mom (Mama). That was then, now no more apartment units owned by the national carrier:-(   

The view from our room....
a special thanks to my bff & hubby for the lovely arrangement!
must always have good connection..*wink*

spacious living room...

 kitchenette...

The bedroom..

"Jom Ronda" Malacca Town...

 Eye on Malaysia - temporarily closed for maintenance

Grandpa & Grandson..nice hats dude;-)

Candid..!

Next stop, the famous Malacca icon Dutch Square - Christ Church, STADTHUYS, the clock tower...

with the grandchildren...

looking good..huh;-)

choosing the right hat..Boboy's influence

"A climb" for Gramps to reach the Stadthuys sign..Yezz, you can do it!!!!

Asam Pedas Kota Laksamana...

Honestly, no doubt the place is famous, also crowded, yet overrated. I don't think there will be a second time for us, nothing special about the Asam Pedas.  I think Brahim's Asam Pedas & Mak Nyonya Asam Pedas sauce taste better no need to drive all the way to Kota Laksamana.  There are so many stalls and Asam Pedas restaurant in Malacca Town.  The choice is YOURS!

Back to the hotel for snack & coffee time. We left Everly around 10pm. Reached home safe and sound 2hrs later. zzzzzz......


Luv:  P

ButterCake...

Cake!!! My favourite topic of all. Chocolate Cake, Fruit Cake, Orange Cake, Cheese Cake, Butter Cake so many choices @ Secret Recipe, Zen, Just Heavenly a lot more but when it comes to baking, its a bit of a 'challenge for me..haha.  Always simplify things according to your capabilities;-) Here's my super fast homemade baking moment with White Wings Cake Mix, an Australian Brand since 1898 fuhh! can be considered as heritage...

 it only took me 8 minutes for the prep (just add eggs, butter & milk)

& 30 minutes later...

Ta Da!....ready to serve

The Merdeka Eve cake... "Happy 53rd Independence Day Malaysia" 31st August 1957.  
I'm proud to be Malaysian!!!

Luv: P

IKEA "BLUES"...

The never ending story of the cutlery set Gramps wanted.  The Daily IKEA offer price @ RM39 (only valid on Aug 5) while the  Normal Price  is RM59.   He keeps asking the same question over and over again..."When can we go to IKEA again?", "Is it far from our house?", " Where exactly..Subang or Damansara?".  Alright, IKEA it is...Its  Saturday! Its gonna be crowded and PARKING NIGHTMARE...arrggghh!!


Situation :  @ IKEA Housewares section  
The Conversation Goes Like This....


Me               :  Is it this one? 
Gramps       :    How much?

Me               :   RM59 no more discount or special price 
Gramps       :  Hmm..its OK.


Me              :  Green, Black or White?
Gramps      :  Which one do you like?
 Lolls          :  I like black


Gramps     :  The shape just normal nothing special but the green nicer. 
Me             :  Yeah...

Gramps    :  Do you really like the green?!
Me           :  Hmm...I'm okay, I think its nice.

Gramps   :  Its for YOU...a gift for your new house
Me          :  Oh okay...(with confused look) 

Lolls      :  Then, better take the Black one coz it blends with our plate and dining table. 
 Me       :  Let him choose its his gift to us. 
Lolls     :  ooh...
Gramps:  *Smiley* face

Green - Perfect colour for "Hari Raya"..

6 pax - just enough for us..

Such a sweet thought.  Thanks Gramps!  Now, I feel so guilty for losing my temper over this thing and his 'fussiness'.  My Bad!

Have you taste this? PEAR drink.. Cheers! How do I describe the taste....short & simple "Pear+weird" its RM6 per can (cheaper to think in Euro)....hahaha

Toodlez...

Luv: P

Wong Solo-Pavillion-Starbucks

We've planned to celebrate Dad's 60th Birthday cum break the fast session, not on the actual date 26th August but a day after his birthday since today is a public holiday (Nuzul Quran) and everyone of us available and around in KL especially Papa!


Venue selection, reservation & menu arrangement at Wong Solo all done by my bro, Nicko.   Indonesian Cuisine, excellent choice firstly because we missed Mama's cooking, secondly Dad & Gramps, all of us to be precise have been craving for the original taste of  Gado-Gado just like in Jakarta, Medan & Mama's recipe.

Halalan Thayyiban means ...

allowed and permissible for consumption with relation to Syariah law as long as they are safe and not harmful. 

The opposite of halal is haram/ non-halal which means forbidden and prohibited 

 we prefer indoor...

The FOOD....

gorgeous "Gado-Gado" tho a bit spicy...

Ayam Penyet with Sambal..

different from Restoran Ayam Penyet @ The Curve...

"Pecel Lele (Catfish) + tauhu + tempe"

 

 "Empal Sapi" - Beef 

 "Sambal lado terung" - Brinjal/eggplant

Sari Ratu's Avocado Juice still No.1;-) 

much cheaper  @ Wong Solo

Burrppp...Awesome food! Authentic Indonesian Cuisine at a very reasonable price indeed.  I would definitely suggest this place to family and friends (advance reservation are strongly recommended) or else you'll end up eating @ the food court next to it (Dagang Avenue Food Court).

Nothing fancy on the celebration, just a cheesecake to mark the occasion. Most importantly, Dad's Happy!!!

Next in the agenda:  "Baju Raya Hunt" for the guys...

Venue:  Pavilion, KL

Getting into the Raya Mood...

'back to our main focus' - Emmer Zecna "Baju Melayu" collection....

hmmm...can't find the right pattern with the right size for Boboy

"tomorrow is another day"..KLCC might have the stocks

While waiting...

2nd choice, John Master - the pattern & colours, the material..hmm a bit disappointing as compared to the previous years. About the same price with EMZN.  A big NO to John Master.


"Baju Raya" hunt continues but this is not part of the Agenda coz mission to find for the guys.  Anyway can't take my eyes off the gorgeous Secrets/SnD collection (by Indonesian Designer, also limited designs by Nurita Harith)

 Sold out...! just a pix on the pamplet *sob..sob*

 love the beads..

I think the caftan is a bit too long,

ehemm...rather than saying I'm too short for it;-)

Starbucks Coffee just perfect to end the evening...

just opened about a month or so @ our Township, next to it kfc & pizza hut

Burger King opening Soon...Fantastic! All @ one place!

Gramps w his bff *the newspaper*...

having his favourite Mocha...

Its almost 12 midnight...not Cinderella time but Gramps bedtime.  

Goin' Home - sweet- Home!!! 

Luv: P  

p.s: As I mentioned in my earlier post, dinner & movie but had to scrap that idea...Vampire Sucks is really SUCKS according to a 'trustful source'.

Pressie...

Mission:  to buy birthday gifts for two special persons:  DAD (Papa- 26.8.1950) & MIL (Mama - 20.8.1948).  Two Birthdays during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Must find a simple card with the right wording for both...

 Which one???...pink with flowers or white with a cute bear..hmmm

BINGO!

Flowery card For MIL

Lolls found this card with a matching wrapping paper  & I chose a grey 'Jubah' (robe) for DAD.
after it was nicely wrapped in a box, then only we remember ONE important thing of all........!!!??

we didn't take the pix of the "Jubah"...wuaaghhhh:-(
Anyhow, Papa will like the colour  and I think this would be his first "Jubah"..

As for MIL, I've decided to buy a nice and style "ABAYA" ....the  searching continues
oh yeah..What is ABAYA?

"The abaya "cloak" (Arabic: عباية‎ ʿabāyah or عباءة ʿabā'ah, plural عبايات ʿabāyāt) is long overgarmentrobe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world.
 
It is considered an Arabic cultural dress integrated into the hijab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula such as Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates, where it is the national dress.

Traditional abaya are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqāb, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well".

The pix above reminds me of our Doha trip last year, admiring all the Qatari women in their most gorgeous Abaya with stylo hijab..they just love "Blink..Blink".  However, it was a bit pricey especially the custom made Abaya.  Available mostly at the famous 'Souk' (market).

We also have lots of boutiques selling nice Abaya collection here in Malaysia with reasonable price.  A three piece Abaya with embroidery & beads includes a matching hijab (headscarf) that has the same embroidery design and a niqab (a face veil) would be just perfect for MIL. As for the niqab I think Mama can keep that aside as part of the collection hehehe.

not too fancy and so glamorous for MIL..hope she'll like it! Coz I do & I Want One!! hahaha

So, mission accomplished and we headed home rushing for another agenda for the day.

Toodlez....

Luv: P View Blog

Pizza - "Fuss"

* Pick of the Day - Fast Food *
 

1st choice KFC  - guess what the outlet at our neighbourhood was under renovation, apparently it's closed w.e.f today (25.8.10).  No notice, no signage, NOTHING not even "Work In Progress" sign or whatsoever!

2nd choice McD but then we just had it for "sahur" few days back.  Hmm, next in line....

Pizza Hut...

Made a reservation @7pm & selected the Set Meal for 4 pax   
(Only four of us, MHubs had a break fast session @ Seri Melayu, KL) 
so its a 'no-rice' day...Yeay;-)

 

Then comes Gramps  "making fuss as his trademark"...here it goes:-

1.  The soup is not HOT enough...in other words its COLD! 

Tend to agree with him at this point, coz they served the soup 20mins before the time to break  fast.....that explain WHY!

2.  A small packet of Dates, compliment from Pizza Hut

even before he complain,  I've already changed it with Yusuf Taiyoob's honey dates (softer and tastier) Yez, brought some from home, always come prepared..

3.  He prefers Super Supreme than Pepperoni & Cheese.
     Reason: Not much taste on the pepperoni, plainly cheese...
but we luv it!

4.  The Set Menu (which i chose) should come with a dessert, at least one scope of ice cream.  

 My reason for not choosing the "Citarasa Ramadhan" menu, though it has DESSERT simply because there's rice included and knowing Gramps he will definitely make an issue out of it.  He would say, "Pizza Hut should be serving their signature dish which is Pizza - with side orders i.e.  salad, soup, garlic bread and pasta but NOT rice or satay!"

5.  He's all geared up with his "uniform" for the prayer (Terawikh) just incase we'd be draggie with the 'eating & chatting'...hmmm

 Nah, we were very alert and perfectly in time for it..no rush at all. Trust us Gramps!

Overall, had a good meal and 'fine' dine out with dearest Gramps.  Honestly, i always think it would be great to record all the interesting stories of Gramps while he is still here with us. Though sometimes his fussiness and grumpiness can be universally annoying but at least I/We *would like to stress this to my sibblings* can read back and remember every bit of him during his healthy life and feeling fortunate to have a 91yr old Gramps who can still share the wonderful journey of  his life including my childhood years as if I was only born yesterday.  At his age, he definitely has a strong mind and a good memory indeed. Two thumbs up!!!

"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home"....

Luv: P 

Giant "MICHELIN" Baby....

I saw on the news last night about this 'HUGE'...'GIGANTIC'  baby boy in China.  I know he's not the 1st but he's one of the world's biggest infants..just to share it here for those who missed it or yet to know about it.

Oh man ... He is absolutely big for a 10month old BABY and so cute!!! so adorable!!! and cuddly (I think the word 'cuddly' might not fit perfectly here..I'm pretty sure its really nice to hug him but a bit of a challenge to carry him at the same time).  Check out his video with his 'Slim' Mom...*(in chinese)  just watch it and read the news report below*

A 10-month-old boy has been named the "Michelin baby" after ballooning to the weight of a six-year-old, Chinese state media has reported.

When he was born in China's southern Hunan province, Xiao Lei weighed in at around 3.5kg (7.7lbs), only just above the average weight of a newborn baby, according to Hunan television.

But a fierce appetite has seen him expand to 20kg (44lbs) - double the size of most babies of his age.

His mother, Cheng Qingyu, has said he is fed only with her breast milk.

"I've never had him take any milk powder or anything that contains hormones. Why would I need to worry?"

However, doctors at Hunan Children's Hospital have said unless Xiao Lei loses weight, it will cause future problems for his heart and blood pressure.

************************************************************************************

Hope he'll be fine and grow in a healthy way....he's just an innocent fat baby boy:-(

Luv: P

"Baju Kurung" Cotton....

I LUV the beautiful selection of English or British cotton and even Japanese cotton for a simple "baju kurung" with soothing floral print, soft colour combination, cool & comfy. The price also varies the higher the price, the better quality the fabric.  Those days, cotton more popular for kiddo & granny but nowadays, it has become a trend and ready made "baju kurung cotton" are easy to find with very reasonable price.

Oh yeah..what's with the subject of  this "baju kurung" cotton out of the blue, I accidentally found this cloth in my closet drawer with many others I bought maybe last year or two years ago...sorry, can't recall when exactly, some from Bandung and Nagoya..(not Nagoya, Japan, not yet) but Nagoya Textile at Carefour Subang Jaya..hehe;-)

No choice but to send this one to the tailor...*sigh*

Thinking of adding a few more to my own collection. This time will opt for ready made rather than spending unnecessary amount on tailoring which is prohibitively expensive! Except if you know any Home-based Tailor back in Kajang, Rawang or Sekinchan (I simply name  these places coz located far from town, there's a possibility to get cheaper  tailoring rate compared to Bangsar, TTDI & Subang Jaya )...Ahh! So much hassle.  

"Try, Buy & Terus Pakai (Ready to Wear)" that's  hassle-free!!  Don't you agree?? Oh..measurement, fitting?!  Of coz...the ready made "baju kurung" comes in all sizes "XS,S M,L,XL".  I have yet to buy any ready made "baju kurung" Cotton but others such as Chiffon, Satin,  yes! So far, very satisfied with the workmanship and most importantly worth the price.  Okay, Cotton ...Soonnnnnnnnnnn!

Also, I noticed that I wear this collection the most during the holy month of Ramadhan otherwise just on alternate Fridays or Sundays to Bukit Kiara visiting mama's grave. 

Fashion Quote:  "Fashion is never in crisis because clothes are always necessary"....

 Luv: P

"bel far niente"..

the Italian phrase which means...The Beauty of Doing Nothing...

This is how it looks like when you're spending your quiet weekend at home in bed & feeling sick, really ill :-(  When I'm bored with reading, I'll turn to the lappy but no mood at all to comment on FB or update status in Twitter even more to blog, just a quickie updates for this, then when I'm hungry just grab the Big Apple donuts.  I look as pathetic as the white Kitty! "Strictly no pix of me at this moment...only my bed & props" *smiley*

No appetite..no 'desire' to eat heavy food especially rice.  Can only take sweet stuff, donuts for sure all year round.  Hope tomorrow will be a brighter day for me.  *pretty..please, need fresh air*

Nite peeps...stay healthy!

Luv: P

p.s:  Reading Eat Pray Love makes me wanna fly to Rome/Italy right now...how I wish!

EatPrayLove...

I'm feeling a bit under the weather since this morning. Sore throat and fever, please.. please go away!! I hate being sick..who does?!


Luckily, I have a good 'companion' to read on while resting and lying in bed...

Hope to get the sweetest dream tonite, EAT breakfast in Rome, Italy hmm..but I prefer shopping more;-) PRAY in India NO definitely not and LOVE in Bali, very romantic indeed. Gotta finish the whole book then only a full review here.  Usually in a week or maybe more, depends on how many chapters I can finish in a day.

The movie  Eat Pray Love staring Julia Roberts will be released in Malaysia in late September. Can't wait! In the mean time just READ it first. 

Till then..Tata!

Luv:P

LBD - Little Blue Dress

Finally, it arrived this afternoon...after about 3 months from the date of order. This is my 4th online shopping experience.  The 1st and 2nd one from Elle Dressing Room took 2 weeks for delivery. While the third was the most efficient, delivered only in 2 days!  I don't blame entirely on the online store, it depends on either "Pre-Order Item" or "Ready Stock".  But 3 months to wait for a Little Blue Dress like this, I think its a bit too long and the most annoying part was the 'waiting'..

Simple & Nice..most importantly it looks the same as in the photos here... click

Whateva it is, I'm still a fan of online shopping...just a click away! choose, confirm, e-payment - shopping done in less than 10 minutes just using a Lappy.  Great time saving for an alternative shopping method;-)

Give it a try...!


Luv: P

Raya Prep...

Now: Ramadhan & Next: Syawal. Yezz, we'll be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri approximately 3 weeks from today!

I've ordered some 'Raya Cookies' for us including Gramps and also MIL.  Chocolate Chips & 'Que Makmur' from CuteBites Shop @ TTDI.  As for the Jam Tart or  "Que Tart", ordered from a new source (click)..... Actually still looking for a few more types.

Btw, I used to order cupcakes from CuteBites Shop, oh yeah one of  it was in the month of Ramadhan last year.  I gave 'em the design I wanted & the result was satisfactory. See it for yourself...

Cute isn't it! Only RM40 for 16pcs...nice fondant -chocolaty cuppies!

That's on the selected choice of " Raya Cookies", how about "Raya Couture"...wah wah!!! Theme colour?? Type of material?? Hmm..."Indo Kebaya", lace with corset style for the past 2 years, not again...BORING!!

 Why not chiffon for this year, maybe..perhaps..let it be a surprise okay! Wait for my 'Raya' post & (pose)..hehe

For the guys,  Emmer Zegna or John Master would be the options. 

Gosh..I'm so in love with the Kaftan or Caftan which is the In- Thing right now...

Gonna check it out at the nearest boutiques very soon (D'Monalisa, Shah Alam- saw some of their collections on WHI-TV3). This is definitely a must buy item.  I know its a bit pricey but Too Gorgeous Too Resist!

What say you?

Luv: P