Goodbye Rooster, Hello Dog :)

Just came back home from reunion dinner with my in-laws. Few more hours to go before rooster bid farewell..

Virtual angpows for everyone :) Have a Blessed Doggy Year. Going to pack my luggage in a short while. I won't be online for the next couple of days :) Stay tune and I will post pictures with updates when I come back in few days time.

CNY Mandarin Oranges

Mandarin Oranges... One of the "must have" items during CNY. The golden hue of the fruit is believed to bring good luck. Moreover the Cantonese name for the orange (柑) sounds like gold (金).

I have bought few boxes of lokam (芦柑) and several packets of honey tangerines. We consume them pretty fast. I didn't buy any 朝洲柑 (teochew mandarin oranges) this time, those which comes in wooden crates... The teochew mandarin oranges are rounder with thicker skin texture compared with the lokam.

Ah Boy enjoying his honey tangerine.

My dog loves to eat lokam & honey tangerine. It is easy to feed him tangerine since most tangerines are seedless. And furthermore the honey tangerine is small (the skin is easy to peel as well), so suits him :) Can even give him one whole tangerine, and he will eat in within seconds.

My dog is curious, thinking "What is this? Orange coloured snowman?" Sniff, sniff....

Since the coming CNY is dog year, so my cute doggy is being forced asked to pose together with the "snowman" mandarin oranges (honey tangerine and lokam). Photo shooting session is then followed by "orange eating session" for both the dog and me :)

My dog take this opportunity to wish everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai. Anyone wants to give him angpow ? :D

Happy Chinese New Year (新年快乐)

Two more days.... Listening to the classic CNY songs at home. (I'm on leave today). Today, I will write some CNY greetings in Chinese since it is Chinese New Year :)

雄鸡一鸣辞旧岁，金狗一叫新春到.
祥瑞金狗迎新春....

金狗到来的这一年，
愿我每一个亲爱的朋友们能度过一个幸福，开心，如意，祥和 及甜蜜的新年.

祝新年快乐，万事如意，身体健康，恭喜发财.
Wishing everyone a Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year.
Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Going Nuts on Nutty Year :)

Going nuts on Nutty Year?? Oops.. I hope these won't attract monkeys... By the way, No open house for monkeys :)

Cashew Nuts..

Pistachio...

Wasabi Green Peas... These is really hot stuff !! The wasabi gives the greenish colour to the white coat :)

Groundnuts/Peanuts...

Green coloured pumpkin seeds..

Which one is your favourite ?

CNY : Some of the Do & Don't

I guess many of us do not believe in or do not follow (strictly) the so-called Chinese New Year (CNY) taboos or superstitions.. I'm one of them :) However, some of these traditions and customs are still practised.

*Sweeping the floor should not be done on first day of CNY for fear that one might sweep away the good fortune. Err... I don't believe in this or follow this.. I will sweep the floor if necessary.

*We are not supposed to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year. Unless I stay indoor the whole day.. If I go out visiting relatives/friends, sure I will sweat (hot climate all year round).. Washing hair is somehow unavoidable..

*The entire house should be cleaned before CNY (hence spring cleaning), to get rid of the old and welcome the new. Mmmm... Lazy to do spring cleaning

*Settle all the debts before CNY to avoid a bad financial year. Any debt from the old year carried into the new year bodes back luck. It is believed that if one start the new year with debt, it will set the precedence for the rest of the year, that is.. spending the entire year owing people $$$. .. Attention, attention !! Anyone owe me anything? Please settle fast :) Oops, I haven't pay my credit card yet :P

*Wearing new clothes on CNY, and red-coloured clothing is preferred. Red is considered to be very auspicious. Wearing new things are believed to bring good luck. It is believed the appearance and attitude during CNY sets the tone for the rest of the year. I don't follow this :D Sometimes, I even wear black-coloured clothes during CNY ;)

*One should celebrate the New Year with happy mood and not sad mood nor crying. There is the old belief that if one cries on CNY, he/she will cry throughout the year. Therefore, elders and parents will try to tolerate the children even though they are naughty.

*Avoid negativity. This includes bad thoughts, language (bad or negative words, foul language or unlucky words) and actions. Be positive and friendly to all. This one is easy, cos I hardly say bad words or foul language.. Hahaha.. I'm a very polite person ;)

*Shooting off firecrackers on CNY Eve to send out the old year and welcome in the New Year. Also, there's the belief that this will frighten the evil spirit away. However, firecrackers are banned in Malaysia several years back. However, firecrackers are still available in the blackmarket. Not many oblige to this rule.. .. I guess I'm one of the "good" ones and I haven't touch fire crackers for ages... Hahhaa.. The last time I played firecrackers is during my primary school days.

*Reunion Dinner. On CNY Eye, everyone in the family will try to gather for a reunion dinner,which serves to bring families together. Reunion dinner which usually consists of various delicacies. Those working outstation or studying abroad normally will take the effort to come back home for the reunion dinner.

*On CNY Eve the light should be kept on the whole night (to attract the God of Fortune?). I don't believe in this cos I'm a Christian :)

Err.. If I continue on babbling, this will be a non ending list.. So, I guess I better stop here :)

**How many of you still follow these Do & Don't?

CNY cookies

I guess many are busy baking cakes, tarts or cookies lately since Chinese New Year is just around the corner. I am too lazy to made the cookies myself. Baking cakes and cookies are something very tedious.. Some people might enjoy doing it, but not me. So I take the easy way out --> buy from Supermarket :) Simple and easy :P

Kuih Bangkit - Ingredients : tapioca flour, sugar, coconut milk (santan) and egg. The ingredients sound simple but it's not easy to bake. The cookies are crispy but melt in the mouth once eaten :)

Peanut/Groundnut crunch.

More peanut/groundnut cookies.. Now I realise I bought too many peanut related products. (Not mentioning packets and packets of Ngan Yin Groundnuts (cap tangan or thumb up groundnuts) and garlic flavoured Supernut Groundnuts (my favourite). If not mistaken I bought more than 10 packets. :P Luckily there are no monkeys nearby my house, hahahha....

Shots from Gurney Plaza

Today is our salary day.. We get our $$$ earlier this month so that poor people like me will have extra $$$ to buy things for CNY celebration. I really spent a lot this few days :( I can see a long queue in front of the ATM machine this morning at my workplace.. The desperate ones .. ;)

I went shopping in Sunshine Farlim this evening after work and bought some cookies, more lokam (CNY oranges), drinks, top up more Bak Kua/肉干(yeah, I just realised few days ago that I can get 10% discount of Bee Cheng Hiang Bak Kua since I'm Sunshine Card members.. ).Rugi cos I didn't realise about that the last time when I bought the bak kuas from Bee Cheng Hiang (美珍香).. Bought so many things today.. Money flying away again...

These are some of the shots I took from Gurney Plaza last weekend. Gurney Plaza is packed with people on weekends... So, normally I either go there on weekdays or if I need to go on weekends, I will go early, before noon.

Plum Flowers or Plum Blossoms (梅花) is always associated with Chinese New Year. The blossoms will burst forth at the end of winter on a seemingly lifeless thin branch. It symbolises courage, hope and perseverance. Since we don't have the real natural plants over here in Malaysia, the 'fake' flower plays an important role :)

The Chinese Pavillion surrounded by Plum Blossoms and Red Lanterns.

Plum Blossoms with Red Lantern

More Red lanterns.

Waxed Duck (腊鸭)

Waxed duck or 腊鸭 or lup ngap (cantonese) is the oily, salty, preserved duck meat from China. (Warning :Extremely unhealthy food!!!) Previously it was sold at the price of RM 4.50 per piece (drumstick plus part of thigh meat) in Penang but this year the price dropped to RM 4.20 per piece. Is it due to the recent bird flu in China?

Actually, I don't fancy this waxed duck cos it is too oily and salty.. I'm phobia of super oily food :) Not my cup of tea. But since my hubby wants to eat it (waxed duck rice), so we buy some.. This is only available once a year, near the Chinese New Year period. Normally we washed the waxed duck to remove the excessive oil before cooking/steaming. Normally we will place the waxed duck on top of the rice in the rice cooker; When the rice is cooked, it will have nice aroma and yummy to many ~ the oily and salty taste...

Nian Gao/年糕 (Kuih Bakul)

年 糕 (Nian Gao or Kuih Bakul) is one of the must have food or auspicious food for Chinese during Chinese New Year. This sweet, sticky glutinous rice cake is made from steamed glutinous rice flour mixed together with water and brown sugar.

Eating 年糕 (Nian Gao) symbolises a sweet life ahead and family togetherness. There is a Chinese saying regarding " 吃年糕，步步高(升)", which means "advance step by step toward higher positions and prosperity."

There are several ways to eat Nian Gao:
- Steaming the Nian Gao until the cake becomes soft and eat it on its own;
- Coating the steamed Nian Gao with grated coconut and salt/sugar;
- Coating slices of semi hard Nian Gao in beaten egg + salt and fry it in pan.
- Sandwich a slice of kuih bakul between a slice of sweet potato and a slice of yam. Dip the "sandwich" in the coating mixture (Mix flour, beaten egg, salt and water together to a suitable consistency) and deep fry it.

*Which one is your favourite?

The Meme of "Four" ?

Aiks... Selba tagged me :( There is a famous old Chinese sayings ~ settle all your debts before Chinese New Year (CNY); so I better do this fast before CNY. Hahahha...I don't want to owe anyone and bring over things till after CNY :D )

Wah.. why so many 4 related questions? Number 4 is not a good figure to write in CNY. (Hahhaha... Just kidding, I'm not superstitious and I don't mind...)

*4 Jobs I’ve Had In My Life:
- Tuition teacher?
- Part time Photographer (self proclaimed, hahaha)
- Doctor.. (And once I get myself involved in this career, I get stucked till today.. No return point? So sad... )
- .....Trying to think what will be my next job :)

*4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Frankly speaking, I'm not really a movie fan.. *thinking hard*
- Wu Yen (钟无艳)
- A Better Tomorrow III (英雄本色 3)
- Stephen Chow's movie (周星驰"无厘头"喜剧性电影)
- Spirited Away (Japanese Anime)

*4 TV Shows I Love(d) To Watch:
- Amazing Race
- TVB crazy game show 奖门人
- House MD
- Err? No more ??? I can't think of any now.. (cos I seldom watch tv)

*4 Places I’ve Lived :
All the while I stay in Malaysia ...
- Sarikei, Sarawak
- Kuching, Sarawak
- Kuala Lumpur
- Penang

*4 Places I’ve Been On Vacation To:
- China
- Thailand
- Europe
- England

*4 Places I Would Rather Be In:
- My home ~ I'm happy with the place I'm staying now :)
- A nice and cosy bungalow in Kuching, Sarawak
- Switzerland.
- Time will tell...

*4 Of My Favourite Food:
- Bilin Jungle Fern
- Penang Assam Laksa
(I guess I'm one of the Sarawakians who differ from most other Sarawakians; cos from what I know, most Sarawakians prefer Sarawak Laksa over other Laksa.. But I prefer Penang Assam Laksa, and I love Penang Assam Laksa ..)
- Fruits
- Seafood

*4 Websites I Visit Daily:
- Where else? This site :)
- Friends' Blogs
- Yahoo Mail and Gmail
- Medical Websites, including MMR

*4 Unfortunate Souls Tagged:
- Cynthia
- Winn
- Carcar
- Alicia

**By the way, my Rule of Thumb still applies.. u don't have to oblige to do the meme if u don't feel like doing it. I'm very flexible, u can just ignore it :)

Prosperity Meal

McDonald Prosperity Meal is back (since end of December 2005). I had Prosperity Meal for dinner yesterday night. The Prosperity Meal (Prosperity Burger, Twister Fries and Orange McFiss) at the price of RM 9.38. This is only available once a year, to commemorate Chinese New Year.

I guess this meal brings prosperity to McDonald instead of those who eat the meal. Cos.. McDonald is making big bucks from Prosperity Meal. (RM 5.99 for the Prosperity Burger, RM 3.70 for the large Twister Fries and RM 2.50 for the large Orange McFiss). The Peach Orange McFlurry and the Peach Orange Sundae are two of the Prosperity Desserts. Err... Come to think about it, those who eat the Prosperity Meal will become prosperous as well ~ in term of size !!! (*All fast food are high calories food ).

My Prosperity Beef Burger ~ the elongated burger with beef patty, thick hot black pepper gravy and raw onions. I love the hot black pepper sauce :) McD has Chicken Prosperity Burger but I prefer the Beef version ~ tastes much better and more satisfying :)

The Curly Twister Fries with crispy outer layer. Nicely done. I like the fries but.. too bad, it is only available once a year.

Orange McFizz ~ mixture of Sprite and Minute Maid Orange Juice. Nothing special.

In conclusion, just as the McD slogan ~ I'm lovin' it ;) Prosperity Meal is one of the MUST EAT item in my list every year during Chinese New Year period.

Reports

I don't like hate to write reports.. I guess I'm not the only one, cos I'm pretty sure most people dislikes writing reports (unless if I can get some $$$ in return, then that is different story :P). And I hate to write POMR (Peri Operative Mortality Review) reports.. The content of this report is confidential, so I won't reveal what I have written inside there.

The worst thing is..... I have to flip and go through this thick piles of case notes from the patient's file to write this POMR report. The case notes are just too thick !!! Much thicker than any thick textbook or storybook. The case notes are thick because the patient stayed in the hospital for few months before she succumbed. Out of curiosity, I took a ruler and measure the thickness of the case notes.. Guess what is the thickness? 9 cm or more than 3 inches..

I have just flipped through few pages...
I guess I'm going to be a depressed person tonight, cos I have to submit the report tomorrow.. (I won't get a single cent in return for doing all these) And... I have to carry this thick piles of case notes back to hospital tomorrow morning (really double sigh !!)

Lanterns !!

This picture was taken few nights ago when I went out for dinner together with my hubby. Passed by Kimberley Street (one of the so called "Chinatown area" in Penang) and we stopped for a while to take this shot. The street was beautifully lightened up with red lanterns. The picture appeared a bit blur cos I took it with my compact digicam; No image stabilizer :)

Groundnuts (花生)

Groundnut is also known as peanut or earthnut; I remember reading somewhere that it is known as monkey nuts as well. My first response when I read that was ~ "Huh? Monkey Nut? ". What a cute name.

Groundnut is one of the popular or hot items during Chinese New Year. It symbolises longevity. The word 生 in 花生 (groundnuts in Chinese language) means life.

The normal sized groundnuts vs the big Shandong groundnuts

Groundnuts are popular snacks among Malaysians. One can get all kind of groundnuts ~ different brands and different preparations including the big groundnuts (Shandong varieties) from supermarkets or sundry shops. This time, I bought few packets of Ngan Yin Groundnuts (I guess this is one of the most popular brand over here), garlic flavoured Supernut Groundnuts, Kalimantan Red Groundnuts (Kacang Merah) and the big Shandong groundnuts.

The prosperous Kacang Merah groundnuts

The Kalimantan Kacang Merah groundnuts are really prosperous and 好生养 (hou san yong). So many kids seeds or nuts per shell :P More than 80% of the groundnuts have at least 3 or 4 nuts/seeds. I love the supernut groundnuts with garlic flavour :)

Nice snacks. But we have to keep in mind that peanut has high protein as well as high fat content, hence high calories. Despite the high fat content, peanut butter is still one of my favourites :) Moderation is always the keyword.

*Facts to remember : Peanuts which are infested with fungal aflatoxin and eaten in large quantities can cause liver cancer.

Sushi King

I was on leave yesterday and went out for CNY shopping. Stopped by Sushi King for lunch since I feel like eating sushi. Well, sushi is healthy stuff. On arrival, I noticed they have the Juicy Hotate & Yee Sang promotion (from 15 January till 15 February 2006). So, I got myself some of the promotional items.

Since CNY is just around the corner, and the Mini Yee Sang (鱼生) looked cute, I got myself a plate :) (RM 8.88) ~ mixture of salmon, ? shark fin, scallop, crab stick, shredded cucumber, carrot, turnip, ginger, sesame seed, peanut bla bla.. (I can't remember exactly what is inside there..) came together with lime and the special sauce. I eat it just for fun.

Followed by Hotate Yadokari Sushi, which is scallop sushi with shredded omelette, pickled ginger and sesame seed. The sushi was placed inside the clam shell. (RM 3 for 2 scallop sushi)

Next, I had Hotate Teriyaki ~ Fried Scallops with teriyaki sauce. Came in a set of 3. The scallops were served inside a huge shellfish shell. (RM 6).

And... one plate of Unagi Sushi. (RM 6). Unagi (eel) is one of my favourite. This is one of the items which I always have when I visit Sushi King. All price quoted exclude the 5% Government tax and 10% service charge. The total price (including government tax and service charge) is RM 27.46. Well, Japanese food is a bit pricey (I'm not complaining :P)

Bak Kua (肉干)

*Non Halal*

Finally I go and get myself some Bak Kua (肉干) after someone consistently talking about Bak Kua in his blog. Bak Kua or Barbequed Meat is available all year round and it is one of the auspicious Chinese New Year Snacks. Most people buy this as gifts for relatives or friends. Although it is available all year round, I seldom buy it except during Chinese New Year. Well, it is unhealthy food, .. most unhealthy snacks are very yummy and delicious.

I went to Bee Cheng Hiang (美珍香) in Pulau Tikus to get my share of Bak Kua. There are several outlets in Penang eg. Pulau Tikus, Farlim next to Sunshine Supermarket, Gurney Plaza etc. Bee Cheng Hiang is one of the market leader in the barbecued meat industry; with several outlets in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and Philippines. Too many different varieties to choose.. I bought the Chicken Coin (金钱鸡肉干) and Chilli Pork (辣椒猪肉干) Bak Kua. Will get the other varieties next time.

Since I like hot and spicy food, so I choose the Chilli Pork Bak Kua (辣椒猪肉干). This one is more expensive, sold at the price of RM 33.60 per kati. This unhealthy food is even more yummy and tastier after heating it in the microwave oven before consumption ~ the BBQ meat become more tasty and crispy. Really finger licking good (but of course I don't actually lick my fingers after eating it.. :P )

The other bak kua I bought is the Chicken Coin Bak Kua (金钱鸡肉干) . These bak kua is very juicy and the meat is very tender. Sold at the price of RM 31.20 per kati/600g (but it is still much cheaper compared to Singapore). It is prepared in small round piece, hence the name "coin". I see the online prices for the same Bak Kua (since Bee Cheng Hiang has a website) is quoted SGD 22.80 per kati (if converted to ringgit Malaysia, it is something like RM 53).

Dog and Keropok Lekor

This is my dear miniature pinscher.. He always get to eat some of the food I bought, including the delicious keropok lekor I wrote in my previous post. He will always bring his food to one corner before he starts eating his food (more secure, I presume...). Regarding this picture, I presume he was posing for photo shooting session. Hahaha.. he gets so used to photo shooting already :)

The cute dog lowering down his head, preparing to eat the keropok lekor. He was looking at me while I took this photo cos I was leaning or lying down on the floor in front of him while taking this photo :)

Mmmm.. he held the keropok lekor with both his hands front paws.. to support his food while eating. Chewing bits and bits of the keropok slowly...


Err... now he started holding the keropok lekor like how we hold our food... Holding the keropok high up while eating.

Ah Boy secured the keropok by holding it with both his front paws while chewing the keropok lekor. He is indeed a clever dog :D

Keropok Lekor

Keropok Lekor (Lekor Fish Cracker) is one of the popular traditional Malay snack from Trengganu. The keropok is made of fish meat paste mixed with sago flour and salt. Come in two different form ~ the longer chewy form and the thinner crispy form. Best to eat when still hot, and nicer even when dipped in the chillie sauce. This is widely available in the Malay foodstall including night market. Normally sold at RM 1 for 6 pieces. Something unhealthy but nice to eat :D Somehow, unhealthy food are always nice... :(

I feed my dog some as well, and he likes it. I have taken few photo shoots of him eating the keropok. I like seeing how he holds and eats the keropok. I will upload the photos later on tonight and will post the picture later on :)

Friday the 13th

Just realised today is Friday the 13th. Anyway, who cares?? I don't believe in all these stuffs :) It is just another day to me.. So fast time flies. Chinese New Year is just around the corner, in 2 weeks time.

Time to go and top up some food stuffs, including Bak Gua... Since our Sir fH2O (or should I call him Sir Fair (H2O is water; water = air in Malay Language) ?? Cannot lah, sounds like the Fair Lady pulak ) always talk about the delicious and mouth watering Singapore Bak Gua specially brought to him by his beloved good old friend Robin.. Tomorrow noon, I will go to Gurney Plaza to meet up with one of my colleagues. Will shoot some photos as well since I heard they have nice CNY decorations in Gurney Plaza.

Doggy outdoor adventure

My hubby and I haven't bring my little doggy out for a walk for quite some time already. My hubby always bring the cute dog along whenever he goes hiking. However, because of the recent dengue outbreak that hits Malaysia (including Penang) not long ago, we deferred the hiking activities for quite some time. Lately we resume the hiking activity again. Pity to see the poor dog has to stay indoor during those days.. Yeah, My doggy enjoys and loves the hiking session, and he gets very excited each time we bring him out.

I bring my little miniature pinscher together with me for another hiking session last Tuesday evening. This jungle trail is nice to walk previously but now it is modified for the benefit of moutain bikers. I took these photos ~ holding the camera with one hand and holding the dog leash with the other hand :) So I just simply took few shots :)

I know it rained quite frequently throughout Malaysia but lately it didn't rain much over here in Penang. So, we still manage to get a dry trail. And I definitely won't go hiking in rainy days or if the route is wet. It is dangerous to walk through the muddy and slippery wet pathway.


As usual, my doggy is busy doing his customs work while hiking. Err....I mean him smelling and sniffing around. I have no idea what is there on the ground, besides.... hahahha. *wink* Besides that, he is busy marking his territory. Urinate (or put it in a nicer way ~ fertilize the plants or grass kekkeke) every here and there to the extend that his bladder is empty and yet he still tries.. Never Give Up is his motto :)