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The Land Down Under June 22, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers , 2comments

Okay, ..so *you* tell me if I am over-planning… we are currently in the midst of planning our vacation soon and here I am dreaming about our (hopefully) next one.  Where, you may ask?  Heh heh… where else but to the Land Down Under!  I’d only been to Australia once before when I was about twelve.  My family and I spent Christmas in Perth with my aunt and her family.  It is a beautiful place and I have so many pictures to prove it.  So it only makes sense that if I were to get the chance to go to OZ-land again, I would certainly choose to go to the east coast this time round, with Sydney being my first choice, of course!  I know I will definitely not run out of places to visit in Sydney, what with the Opera House, Darling Harbor, The Rocks and of course the scenic city all presenting very inviting options.  There is also an endless array of Sydney Accomodation to select from, so I know very well that after all the *hard work* of sight-seeing we will definitely come back to a comfy, cosy bed!  *escapes into dreamland*

~This is a sponsored post that will contribute towards my future Sydney vacation~

Halt! Who goes there? June 21, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking , 18comments

Fine!  Laugh at my lame joke, but I get the last laugh now because I had mangoes for dessert 2 nights in a row on Monday and Tuesday.  We bought these mangoes from Jusco last Sunday - according to my hubby, there was a large crowd gathering round the new stock of mangoes that had just arrived.  Curiosity got the better of him and he chose two.  Each was approximately RM3++.  But boy, were they worth every single sen.

Choosing a mango that is sweet is really a gamble in itself.  Some mangoes look so ripe and almost reek of sweetness, you just have to buy it.  But once you slice it, the aroma will tell you it’s far from being sweet at all.  On the other hand there are some mangoes which look green on the outside with dark spots all over them, but taste so good.  Makes me wonder sometimes how mangoes are so like people eh?  The idiom “Never judge a book by its cover” springs to mind. 

But I digress… The mango we had the opportunity to savor had every element of being tastylicious.  Looking like a million bucks from the outside, what with a sticker that boasted “Best Quality”, I just knew we had a winner when I gingerly sliced off its skin, piece by piece.  Little by little, the orangey smooth mango flesh was revealed.  I sliced it up into bite-size chunks and sank my teeth into them. 

Sensational.  It has been a long while since I had tasted mango this good.  Just the right texture and color.  Succulent.  Juicy.  Every bite was like manna from heaven.  Had me wishing there was more.  Even Ethan enjoyed it.  And of course, hubby enjoyed it even more.  It is, after all, his favorite fruit.

…and we’re going back for more this weekend!  Woohoo!

True Anot? June 21, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers , 3comments

Let’s admit it.  We’re all suckers for gossip.  No matter how *good* we claim to be, we still perk up our eyes and ears when we spot a hint of gossip anywhere within a radius of a mile.  The truth is I don’t like to indulge in gossip about the people I personally know, because I wouldn’t want them to do the same to me.  But a scoop of celebrity dirt doesn’t hurt now, does it?  Heh heh… After all, the news is all out there for everyone to know.  And hey, celebrity gossip is definitely interesting fodder to read on dreary work days such as these.  Yeah, tell me about it!  For one, they make for interesting conversation topics and icebreakers, especially when you have the latest gossip at your fingertips.  And now, I can find out in a flash what Jennifer Aniston has been up to…. or rumored to be up to.

Lingerie Show in Malaysia June 20, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 11comments

Chicwear.com.my

I wanted to be there but I could not.

I should have been there but I was not.

What am I talking about?

The Ultimate Slumber Party where ChicWear held its inaugural lingerie fashion show!  Too bad it was not held in Penang, otherwise I could have probably gotten myself some free lingerie!  I still can’t believe a lingerie fashion show actually took place in Malaysia!  Were you there?  If you were not there, these pictures show you what you’ve missed…

Storm in Penang June 20, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 8comments

As I was heading for home yesterday evening after work, I noticed that there were many trees which had been uprooted. I saw one that fell short of a row of parked cars too. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if a car had been parked there when the tree fell! There were branches strewn everywhere. This was the aftermath of a freak storm which lashed out at Penang yesterday afternoon. When the storm happened, I was having my lunch of pathetic economy rice in my company cafeteria and was oblivious to the havoc that was being wreaked outside. However, I could see the wind blowing rather strongly and the trees were swaying too violently for my liking. I didn’t think much of it till this morning, when I heard over the radio what a catastrophe the storm had caused. And I think that’s the reason why the doormat outside my apartment was overturned too.

Y A T T A A A!!! When will I see you again? June 19, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 6comments

Somethin’ in the Dumplings June 19, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking , 10comments

The Hokkiens call it Bak Chang.  The Cantonese call it Ham Yuk Choong.  And the rest of the food establishments serve it as part of their Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign and call it Famous Meat Dumplings.  Whatever they are called, one thing remains: They taste absolutely delicious. 

Ethan’s baby sitter gave us 4 bak changs yesterday evening, and hubby and I had a feast of a time!  What’s there not to love?  Glutinous rice: yum.  Mushrooms: yum.  Tua-pooi-bak (fatty pork): yum.  Salted egg yolk: yum.  We already finished 2 bak changs and the remaining 2 I’ve put in the fridge for consumption later today(maybe)… after all, today *is* the actual day of the Dumpling Festival.  Eating a bak chang is a novelty in itself.  Peeling away the lotus leaf and revealing a glossy-looking interior of glutinous rice is enough to make one drool.  Using a fork or spoon to pry open the chang showcasing its scrumptious contents, wafting in the aroma of the freshly steamed dumplings.  Mmmmm…. mmmm….. lip-smacking good!  And all worth the few hundred calories it adds too!

Random thought: Why is it called “ham yuk choong” (salted meat dumpling in Cantonese) but not “kiam bak chang” (salted meat dumpling in Hokkien)?

Burn Notice June 19, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers , 4comments

The alarm clock rings and Michael Weston jolts from his sleep.  He took a look at the time. 5:30a.m.  Cursing under his breath, he crawls out of bed and proceeds to get ready for work.  Being a CIA agent wasn’t easy.  He checks his phone for messages (normally there will be at least a dozen) but strangely enough today there were none.  He suddenly remembered that he was to meet with his boss that morning.  When he walked out of his apartment, he was greeted with a breeze of air that was hauntingly cold.  Colder than normal, he thought.  And as he walked into his office building he sensed a forbidding presence, an unfriendly feeling that told him he was not welcomed.  He greeted the receptionist as he usually did, but when previously he was met with a cheerful smile, today she did not even bother to look up.  His pace quickened and he walked straight towards the boardroom, where his meeting with his boss was to be held. 

“What are you doing here still?” his boss snarled angrily at him.

“We have a meeting now, don’t we?” Michael responded.

His boss gave him a menacing look, almost in contempt.  “I told you to get out yesterday.  Or wasn’t I clear enough?”  His boss paged security.

Michael’s head was spinning out of control.  What was going on?  What was his boss talking about?  Was his shot of whiskey the night before the cause of this dismissal?  Could it be that conversation he had with that mysterious lady at the bar last night?  He suddenly remembered that he scribbled something on a piece of paper.  Where was it?  Michael rushed to his desk but it was gone.  What was happening?  His co-workers stared at him coldly, in a accusatory manner.  This was happening too fast.  And he needed to know why and what happened.

Tune in to USA Network’s Burn Notice this coming June 28th to find out!

By the way, the above sneak preview is purely my own imagination on what Burn Notice will be about.  You’ll find out the true story in 2 weeks’ time.

I Spy With My Little Eye June 18, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 12comments

While out shopping last weekend (yes yes, I go shopping almost every weekend), I was amazed that there were no freebies for the daddies celebrating Father’s Day.  Okay, I admit I was actually hoping there would be some free claimable stuff… they gave flowers and chocolate brownies for the moms last month, right?  So anyways, there was nothing for the fathers.  It really looked like Father’s Day had to make way for the Mega Carnival Sale, which started on June 16 2007.  Note to self: need to go to Kay-el one of these weeks for shopping… heh heh… Hubby gently *reminded* me that “Penang also can shop what…” :P

So back to the matter of spying.  Instead of doing a full-fledged shopping last weekend, I spotted some interesting details in the malls and areas around the malls:

There…that’s a shot of the swimming pool in the newest hotel in Penang, the g Hotel….It’s located on Gurney Drive, hence the name “g”.  Yeah, they could not think of a more creative name than that.  The swimming pool area looks picturesque, no?  This picture is akin to pictures taken by the papparazi because we spotted the pool from where our car was parked in the Gurney Plaza parking lot.  I could not help myself, because the dreadful blogivitis made me take that picture….. SIGH.  I should be able to get clearer and more descriptive pictures of the hotel this weekend, because I have a lunch invite there…. woo hoo!  Can hardly wait….I’m still deciding what to wear though… but more on that later, yeah? *wink*

The next day, I spotted this in Queensbay Mall… can you guess what it is?

Entrance to a disco? ….. W R O N G!!!!

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The latest fitness center? …. Nah…Guess again!

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Give up?

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It’s the entrance to a ……

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Spankin’ new LOO! 

Yup….located on (I think) the topmost floor of Queensbay Mall, my hubby and I were surprised to discover this hip-hop designed toilet.  Entrance is free, by the way.  And yes, it is clean.  At least for now.

On another note, I went to Friday’s yesterday…yes again! for Father’s Day.  Still cannot understand why most of my friends don’t dig this place, but man, it was jam-packed!  We had that entree on the house to redeem for Daddy too … and guess what, I got another FREE sizzling fajita meal for my next visit!  Check out the pictures from the our Father’s Day celebration here.

Reflections on Father’s Day June 17, 2007

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home , 7comments

A Father…

~ beams with pride when his baby grabs hold of his finger ever so tightly.  A grasp that seems to say “Daddy, don’t ever leave me!”

~ goes out of his way to get his child that box of color pencils she asked for for her birthday.  A daughter’s smile will make Daddy’s day, anytime.

~ gives his child a hug and soothes away the pain of a tummy ache.  Nothing beats the comfort of Dad’s embrace.

~ prays with the family and guides us to follow God’s Word.

~ shows his child how to solve a complicated Mathematics question in the simplest manner possible. 

~ offers his arm when his daughter takes that walk down the aisle.  An loving nudge in the right direction for the beautiful journey she was about to embark on.

~ is always there to listen to his children, no matter how busy he is.

~ is the calm in the midst of a storm.

~ is why Father’s Day is celebrated.

…and deep deep down, every woman is still Daddy’s little girl…..