It really takes two to tango August 26, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking , 15commentsPregnancy does weird things to people. While I had quite an uneventful pregnancy the first time round, almost devoid of nausea attacks, my second pregnancy has so far proven to be a force to be reckoned with. I now not only have morning sickness, I actually have all-day sickness. My nose has transformed into the bionic nose, with the ability to smell the faintest of smells, and what’s worse, almost all smells are revolting to me now.
I also discovered that I cannot stand the smell of garlic, although I loved it pre-preggers. So I can’t cook with garlic now, because the smell of garlic on my fingers after cooking will make me pukey.
Strangely enough though, while I shun the very sight and thought of garlic, ginger has the opposite effect on me. And it wasn’t too long before I realized that one of the foods I craved for now is ginger and spring onion chicken rice, more widely known as “kngeow charng kei pui” in Hokkien or “keong choong kai fun” in Cantonese. Truth be known, I can eat this every day and not be tired of it.
So when I discovered this Hochiak recipe in Pablo’s Delicious Asian Food, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Everyone knows that homecooked food tastes so much better than food bought outside. Okay la, plus the fact that there was a USD100 up for grabs that spurred my enthusiasm even further. Heh.
So last Friday, I tried the recipe out. It’s called Ginger Sauced Chicken in Delicious Asian Food, and it calls for ginger juice, but unfortunately I did not have the tools to juice my ginger. I do so need to get a mortar and pestle soon. Anyway, I followed the recipe almost to the tee but to my horror, the finished product turned out horrendously, and certainly did NOT look like the picture in the Delicious Asian Food blog. See? Mine looked more like Tau Ewe Chicken:
Being the stubborn and determined person I am, I certainly wanted to try perfecting it. So two days later, while my two princes were off to dreamland, I attempted to dish out a respectable looking plate of Ginger Sauce Chicken. Figuring the blackness could be due to the fact that I had reused some of the oil used to fry the chicken to make the sauce, I decided to use fresh oil for the sauce this time round. Instead of using ginger juice to marinade the chicken, I sliced up a LOT of ginger real fine, and mixed it with the chicken fillet, together with a dash of soya sauce and pepper. And oh, I omitted the garlic in the recipe because of very obvious reasons 
.
And here are the results of my labor:
I had it for my tea-time and supper that day. And hubby said it was definitely better than the first attempt. Hee.
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By the way, wanna put yourself in the running to win USD100? Go check out Delicious Asian Food now, and cook yourself up a storm!
Splishin’ & splashin’ swim August 22, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 20commentsI try my best (honest I do!) to incorporate an element of exercise into my life. Nowadays, my best bet is to do a few laps in the swimming pool of my apartment every Friday evening. It helps that I work from home on Fridays, because I can then head straight for the pool immediately after work, eliminating the commute time from office to home.
My only foe now is my own laziness.
Just a few days ago, I was again battling this old foe of mine. I was about to finish up my work, and was having a brief chat with Audrey at the same time. She too was about to call it a day and head for her staircase workout, but I, on the other hand, was being wishy-washy about my swimming plans. I contemplated postponing my swimming till next week, reasoning that the haze was still around, but in all honesty, I was just plain lazy. Audrey, a fantastic mother of two adorable kids, in her usual got-to-love-her friendly style, suggested ever-so-kindly that I could perhaps go for a swim, but cut down on the swimming time. I fiddled with this prospect and decided to just do it. After all, who was I to argue with a terrific runner who is training for an upcoming 10K run soon?
I had no regrets after that. The water temperature was just right, and completing my laps was not a problem at all, fuelled by the image of Olympic swimmers like Michael Phelps breaking world records left and right. In the spirit of fitness, I even threw in two additional laps just because I felt like it.
So exercise does wonders for laziness. And it didn’t even make me more tired after that. The crux is getting yourself out of that couch and into the swimsuit. Plus, I really do need it, especially in the first trimester, because if it’s good for me, it must be good for baby too.
The hope, glory and honor August 20, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 6comments
The Olympic games have proven to be an event full of highs and lows, ups and downs. So the badminton team is back from Beijing, with a silver medal to be proud of…although there was a flicker of hope that the medal could have been a gold one, and that on that fateful night, we would see Lee Chong Wei standing proud and tall on the highest step of the podium, with the strains of the Negaraku playing loudly.
Still, I am mighty proud that we walked away with a silver medal, and at least now we see Malaysia on the medal tally board.
Of course, there are plenty of comments and remarks about the straight-set match.
“He was nervous.”
“He lost confidence after losing those first few points to Lin Dan.”
“Lin Dan had home ground advantage.”
“Chong Wei felt the pressure.”
After the match, some people even say,”Aiyo, what a waste…he missed his chance of getting that RM1 million.”
But seriously, is that what’s important in winning a gold medal for your country? Is the RM1 million proverbial dangling carrot the impetus that drives our sportsmen (and sportswomen) to aim for excellence? Shouldn’t our sportsmen show their true patriotic attitudes with pride and genuinely say and believe that they are doing it for their country? For the honor, for the glory, and for the pride and love that they have in their hearts for their homeland, which we sing (all together now) - “tanah tumpahnya darahku”.
Because the truth is, sports people in some other countries are mostly just volunteers. Well, those who do well certainly gain from sponsorships and endorsements, but those who don’t, they just do it for their country, believe it or not. That is why tears are shed when the national anthem is played. These athletes are touched that their efforts have paid off.
So really, do you think the attitudes and mindsets of Malaysians should change? Or the problem could lie in the way we are governed today. What say you?
Fine & dandy wine & dine August 12, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Drooling & Cooking, Relax & Celebrate , 21commentsIt had been ages since my hubby and I have been on a romantic dinner date, just the two of us. Why, I think it should be over two and a half years now, i.e. since Ethan came into our lives. It’s not that we don’t want to, but it’s not very romantic to run around after an overactive toddler during dinner, now is it?
So anyway, that was why I jumped at the chance when my hubby’s department had a celebration dinner last Wednesday. It wasn’t simply just ANY celebration, it was held at 1885 in the E&O hotel. A fine dining experience it was, but of course it came with a price … we had to leave Ethan with the baby sitter for a few hours.
But still, this gave my hubby and I the opportunity to dress up and enjoy the evening together. Well, it wasn’t just the two of us ONLY though, because there were OTHER people around too, but still, it was a nice perfect evening of pampering.
It started with a cocktail session on the conservatory by the sea, which evoked memories of a similar cocktail session we had preceding our wedding reception at the E&O about 4 years back. Of course, it was less hazy then. Anyways, this time round, we had fruit punch and some kacang puteh appetizer, although I would have thought caviar would be more suitable for a fine dining kind of treat
We were placed in a table of ten, complete with elegant cutlery and table decorations, and our table was right beside the wine cabinet (although this does not mean we can help ourselves to the bottles there). Here’s the menu we had. Our entrées had already been pre-ordered, in order to save time. The lighting in the fine dining restaurant was a romantic amber hue, and it had chandeliers on the ceiling. There was even a pianist playing soothing jazzy tunes throughout that evening.
I hope they fed the pianist before he started playing!
First up was the Roma Tomato and Basil Essence soup, which had one piece of sui-kao (chicken dumpling) in it. Frankly speaking, the soup didn’t look too appetizing and I was right. It tasted like very diluted ABC soup, minus the homemade factor. And honestly, I would have expected much more from the 1885.
We waited for close to an HOUR before our entrées arrived, and yes, by that time, we were all starving (and praying that the entrées had better be good)
Here’s the filet mignon I ordered. Medium. I normally prefer the rib-eye steaks, but since that wasn’t on the menu, and I was craving for steak, this would have to do. And I was NOT disappointed at all. I am very particular about my steak being EXACTLY medium, and NOT well done, so the first slice I made through it, I knew I was in for a treat. The steak was perfectly done, tender and had so much flavour, I was actually sorry when I finished it 
My hubby ordered the cod fillet with oriental noodles. Our intention was to share a bit of each of our food, so we could have some variety. The cilantro berry sauce that the cod came with was excellent and went really well with the noodles. The cod was all right, I suppose, although my hubby loved it to bits. I, on the other hand, preferred my steak. YUM. Maybe it was the taste of the steak that drowned out the taste of the cod. For me, at least.
Dessert was a mini piece of crème brûlée with a slice of banana tart. Very good stuff. I was glad that our table had an absentee, so I hijacked the absentee’s crème brûlée too. I couldn’t taste the glazed sugar coating of the crème brûlée though, but I didn’t really mind.
The evening would have been made lovelier if we had won one of the prizes (like the MacBook or the Nintendo Wii) in the lucky draw, but still, this would be one of the many many dates I would cherish for a long long time 
Ready…set…OLYMPICS!!! August 8, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 11comments
I recently paid a visit to my hairdresser for a hairwash and blowdry. There was a young guy (who could not have been more than 23 or 24 years old) who was given the task to shampoo my hair. And as all shampoo people would usually do, he struck a conversation with me.
About sports.
He said he was really looking forward to the Olympics and from the way he spoke about the event, it was apparent that he wished he could have been in Beijing. Well, don’t we all? He told me he would be rushing back home after work on Friday night to catch the live opening ceremony of the Olympics, and in his opinion, it was really fate that China is the host of the Olympic Games this year, on the very auspicious date of 08.08.08. No, according to shampoo guy, this date comes so very rarely, even if it happened in the yeaer 2088, it doesn’t count, because then it would NOT be 08 all the way.
Shampoo guy was also filled with pride when he said it was the first time the Olympics was held in Asia.
And I, of course, immediately replied, “No, it was held in Seoul, Korea in 1988 what…”
He looked incredulous, and it certainly appeared as though what I had just told him was really news to him. In fact, if I am not mistaken the modern Olympic Games had also been held in Tokyo before, although at that time, I wasn’t even born yet.
“Yes,” I replied. “I remember the theme song was some ‘Arirang’ song or something.”
…which left him looking even more confused.
And now that I think of it, that poor guy may not even have been born in 1988. For all we know, he could have very well still be in his diapers, or toddling around, oblivious to the records that were being broken in that year.
Of course, my recollection of the existence of the 1988 Seoul Olympics does not, in any reason, depict how old I am. It merely goes to show that I had the opportunity to witness one more Asian Olympic Games event than that guy.
I’m looking forward to what China will showcase in the Olympics this year. 12 years of preparation will be unveiled tonight as the opening ceremony kicks off. I hope to be able to catch it live on TV tonight. And if not, there’s always the replay.
Worming through books!! July 31, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags, Thoughts & Scribblings , 13comments 
I personally do not think of myself as a bookworm. For one, I have a bookworm tagged to an image of someone with thick horn-rimmed glasses buried behind a stack of thick books, slouched behind an even thicker one with the title “How to read more books in 24 hours”. Okay, well I exaggerated a bit there.
But anyway, I was kinda surprised that KittyCat tagged me with a very interesting meme, one that had me thinking, “How much of a bookworm do I think I am?”
Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
I don’t deny that I love reading books, but my problem now is finding time to indulge in this hobby. True, reading books denies the reader from visual gratification to a certain extent, but it allows the imagination to stretch to endless horizons.
I guess I developed a love for reading way back in my school days. Maybe it was peer pressure, maybe it was the sheer fun of completing a book, or maybe it was one of those “Kempen Membaca” that did the trick. … Nah.
What are some books you read as a child?
Like many other little children, I loved Enid Blyton books. I was a huge fan of The Faraway Tree series, and I remember my parents took my brother and me to the library every Sunday after church. That’s where I would scour the library for “treasures”. I endeavored to complete reading the entire Faraway Tree series, and would willingly immerse myself in these books every minute I found. For some reason though, I never did like the Secret Seven or the Famous Five, preferring instead to read Nancy Drew and Dana Girls mysteries, and eventually the more intriguing Alfred Hitchcock ones.
Mills & Boon novels were never up my alley as well, I preferred Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steele. Read one of Jackie Collins’ , but I didn’t like it.
What is your favourite genre?
Fiction, probably. With a hint of mystery or twist to the tale. John Grisham novels do this job really well, I’d say.
Do you have a favourite novel?
Not really. Most of the novels I have read, I just chuck them aside. I’m currently into light-hearted reads like Sophie Kinsella’s books, which I totally can relate to.
Where do you usually read?
When I was a little girl, I read almost anywhere. In the car, while in the restaurant, during ad breaks on TV…but now, even if I read, it’s mostly on the bed, right before I call it a night.
When do you usually read?
When I find the time to.
Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?
I try not to, because I tend not to finish one before moving on to another, but I can’t help it sometimes. Like now, I have about four books I am reading and referring to, some fiction and some non-fiction, and one in the pipeline ready for me to dive into when I find the time.
Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
Yup. For nonfiction, especially books for reference, I will flip to the parts that interest me first and read it through. Then I may or may not come back to it in future. For fiction, I just read through from start to end. The place I read fiction and non-fiction is irrelevant.
Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?
Now I buy most of my books. Used to borrow books as a kid though.
I hardly think twice when I am buying books and magazines nowadays, because I know I have a certain amount that is available to be used for income tax relief.
Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?
Yes. And I desperately need a nice classy-looking bookshelf like the Billy to keep them all in.
If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?
My son is currently into books with the theme of alphabets and numbers, but when he gets a little bit older, I would love to share the Enid Blyton series with him. They are so fascinating….. although I suspect his Daddy cannot wait to share with him the wonders of the world of comic books
What are you reading now?
Fiction:
Evening is The Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan (simply absorbing and oh-so-excellent!) and Mercy by Jodi Picoult.
Non-Fiction:
Feeding your Baby & Toddler and Lunch Boxes & Snacks, both by Annabel Karmel
Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?
I used to, for the Nancy Drew series. I don’t have any such list anymore.
What’s next?
Errrr….finish reading my current books first? And oh, I am curious to find out if audio books deliver the same effect as reading them do.
What books would you like to reread?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Who are your favourite authors?
Enid Blyton, Sophie Kinsella and now of course, Preeta Samarasan
Now, would you guys be willing to share your reading habits with me (and the rest of the world)?
Downs & ups of a Monday July 28, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , 21commentsIt was one of those rare Mondays that I felt slightly more upbeat, slightly more excited. Very unusual of me, since I detest Mondays immensely. Well, I detest workdays in general, but Mondays are the worst.
So why the difference today?
Well today, I had planned on FINALLY going to the post office to claim my RM625 fuel subsidy rebate. I had met all the prerequisites (car insurance renewed, road tax renewed and wallet low in cash), so I was all geared up to get what I had been waiting for. I also referred to a good step-by-step guide on a hassle-free claims process
So this morning, I downloaded the claim form and filled it out, to save me some time when I reach the post office. Then at about 11:30a.m., I left the office, slightly earlier than normal, in the hope of beating the lunch crowd.
Hubby and I headed towards Queensbay Mall, and we walked towards the post office situated on the ground floor of the mall. I prayed that there would not be a long queue and that the entire process would take only a short while. As we stepped closer and closer to where the post office was, it looked like there really wasn’t a queue, but alas, we were faced with the one thing we had not prepared ourselves for. Here’s what greeted us at the door of the post office:
Shucks.
What a letdown.
So anyway, I tried calling the post office at 2:30p.m. to find out if the computer system is working, but I could not get through with the number provided on the Pos Malaysia site. Tried again and again and again and FINALLY I got through at about 2:45p.m. and the lady told me the system will be back up and running at 3p.m.
Of course, for someone who has been waiting so long for this, I wasn’t about to let this chance pass me by. So later that evening, hubbs and I swung by Queensbay Mall again, and since I figured the wait won’t be that long, I hopped down while my hubby waited in the car. There were about 10 people in queue in front of me and bummer of bummers…..NO NUMBERING SYSTEM. So I had to stand in line and wait.
Thankfully the queue was moving quite fast, and after standing in line for about 15 minutes, it was finally my turn. The checking, signing and taking my thumbprint took approximately ONE MINUTE, and then off I left with a receipt and RM625 in hand.
It’s a hard-rockin’… cap! July 25, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 7commentsSometimes we don’t need an expensive toy to make a toddler happy.
Sometimes we don’t need a full-fledged activity list to satisfy a toddler.
Sometimes we don’t even need to leave the house.
Sometimes, all it takes is love, patience and loads of undivided attention…
… and the novelty of a brand-new cap!
… oh, and sometimes all we need is to ace the guessing game!
Thank you so much Sue, for the mystery prize of a very pretty white and pink Hard Rock Cafe cap (I received it about a week ago, but I have been totally SWAMPED!). I was wondering what the mystery prize could be, ya know. I absolutely love the three metal buttons on the side, that say “Live”, “Love”, “Rock” … So very rocker chick, I’d say!
Ethan goes “hat” (in that lovely adorable ascending intonation of his) before he puts it on his head … and on our heads too!
More guessing games to come? *rubs hands with glee*
When space is all we need July 25, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers , 3commentsWhen my hubby and I first moved into our condo, everyone remarked that it was very spacious. Well, that was way before we started populating the rooms with stuff. Hubbs likes to call my stuff “clutter”, but whatever
See, in our condo, we have three rooms. One obviously is the master bedroom, which has an attached bathroom. And because my hubby and I take pride in entertaining our visitors, we have a guest room completely furnished with a queen-sized bed, an air-conditioner and built-in wardrobes. Not that we have guests all the time, but we like to know that our guests are comfortable while they stay with us. Most folks don’t have a guest room, I know, but we just don’t like the idea of guests having to “rough out”, unless they absolutely have to.
Of course, this now leaves us with one more room, which we initially planned to be our study. But when baby arrived, we decided to convert half of that study into a playpen and baby-changing area. But now I look into my virtual crystal ball, and realize that very soon we may need to make some changes again. Ultimately, Ethan will want his own room, complete with all his favorite cartoon characters decorating it. We’ll probably need durable Kids Bedroom furniture, strong enough to endure the daily wear and tear.
As it is, I am rather attracted to Wooden Childrens Furniture. For one thing, they are sturdy, they look good, and they transcend time. Undoubtedly, if you are talking about getting a Kids Desk, a wooden one is your best bet. I know I had one when I was a little girl.
So the problem now is, how do we find that extra space?
The inevitable call or not? July 22, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 17comments
I recently made a call to the bank affiliated with my credit card, to request for a waiver in annual fee. I am not specifically mentioning the name of the bank here, because I have had similar experiences with Citibank, HSBC and also Alliance Bank, so this really applies to all banks who charge an annual fee.
Anyway, formalities aside, after I was asked to verify my identity with the typical passcode and obligatory questions, I asked if they could waive my annual fee. My backup plan, of course, was that if they said no, I would then threaten to cancel my card.
Turns out I didn’t need to do that, because the customer officer told me, after checking my account, that she would waive the annual fee for me since I had already made a minimum of 12 transactions in a year.
So then I asked her, “If I had not called up, would the annual fee be automatically waived?”
She said yes, but EVEN if it wasn’t, I could still call in and request for an annual fee reversal. She didn’t sound exactly confident it would be waived, by the way. (Actually in my past experience, the annual fee has NEVER been automatically waived before).
But anyway, I’ve been thinking… why do these “supposedly” consumer-friendly banks need to WAIT for customers to call in to trigger the waiver of annual fee? Since it is already their practice to waive the fee when a customer has made a minimum of 12 transactions, why can’t they program this rule into the program’s algorithm? I definitely know that is possible. Is it because they want to earn some annual moolah from those customers who fail or forget to call up, either out of ignorance or just because they simply don’t care?
If the banks automatically waive the annual fee for customers that deserve it, they would certainly spare the customers the hassle of having to remember to call up to waive the annual fee, and at the same time, the bank would earn brownie points for this proactive service. After all, it’s the relationship between the bank and the customer that counts.
For someone like me who uses the credit card as an instrument to facilitate payment of purchases, and not as a tool to overspend, all I need is a card, without the need to pay the annual fee. Of course, for those of you who don’t mind paying the fee every year, you can just disregard my rant above. Or perhaps I’d be better off just using the free-for-life credit cards, like the one I have from CIMB bank…
Ethan Boy
Our Journey of Love
