Filling my working tummy June 30, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking , comments closedMore and more people are opting to work from home now. Well, that is….if they had a choice to. It certainly is the more economical choice now, because you’ll get work done and also not have to use up petrol driving to work, circling the company car park looking for a decent car park, and then walking all the way to the office building, wasting precious time doing so. Okay, maybe that’s just me talking about me…but working from home really needs a whole lot of discipline too, if you ask me, otherwise instead of working from home, you’ll end up sleeping from home, if you know what I mean.
I’ve read articles suggesting that people who work from home dress in their normal work clothes, just to get themselves into the “mood”. But I don’t. It’s just t-shirts and shorts for me, and it works just fine. Last Friday, I worked from home and as always, I accomplished far more than I would have had I been cooped up in the office.
An additional impetus to why I prefer to work from home is that it allows me to experiment in the kitchen. I am often alone when I work from home, so this allows my kitchen boo-boos, if any, to be forgivable. And last Friday, I decided NOT to cook my usual instant Korean ramen, but instead, try a simple one-dish meal. And of course, inspired by PB’s gastronomical fare while she worked from home, I too could not resist taking pictures.
I had seen this dish served as a dim sum dish a few weekends ago, so I figured it ought to be easy to emulate. Just put several pieces of chicken (I’m not ashamed to say that I use deboned drumstick meat, instead of the healthier breast meat) on top of a bed of watercress. Sprinkle with kei chi (isn’t it obvious how much I love to use this?) and marinade with a dash of sesame oil, pepper, soy sauce and (optional) mushroom soup powder.
I steamed it on high for 15 minutes, and had it with rice. Protein, carbs, vege and fiber, all in one meal. Watercress makes lovely soup, so by steaming it, all the rich flavors of this vege will be married with the natural sauces of the steamed chicken, creating a yummy gravy I poured all over my rice.
Now who says eating lunch alone is boring? 
Driving Miss Competence June 27, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed
Last weekend, as we were driving back from the mall, we had an encounter of the fourth kind. Not an alien, but this one is a menace on the road and is a danger to everyone.
Yes, the nincompoop of a driver.
There the car was, right in front of us, hogging the fast lane, as if the driver and its passengers were having a field trip, admiring the surrounding view. My hubby, who was driving then, flashed the headlights once at the driver as a warning.
Nothing happened.
Flash again. Twice. Added a honk for effect.
I noticed the driver looking into the rear view mirror, but he did not indicate that he was about to switch lanes.
Then slowly, the car moved to the left lane and slowed down as we were approaching the traffic lights.
As we passed the car, I could not resist catching a glimpse of the driver.
And as soon as I did, I turned and smugly announced to my husband, “Hah! It’s a guy!”
We have this understanding, my hubby and I. He seems to think that most women don’t drive as well as men. Of course I think otherwise, and never fail to pounce at every opportunity I have to make that fact known. But had it been a lady driver, I would have kept quiet la…unless of course if the car was a kancil, then I’d shake my head and go, “Haiya…kancil ma..” (sorry, Kancil drivers, it’s a case of one bad apple spoils the barrel here.)
Anyway, my hubby stands firm in his belief that men in general are better drivers than women. He goes, “Otherwise, how come we don’t see any women Formula One drivers?”
And I’d go, “But being a Formula One driver only means you can drive fast, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can drive WELL. Besides we women have far better things to do…” (like ogle at *certain* Formula One drivers, for instance)
So what say you? Do men or women make better drivers?
giddy giddy chef at home June 25, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Drooling & Cooking , comments closedMy good gal pal Audrey recommends the show Chef at Home on the Asian Food Channel. She mentioned that the show features a guy with a five o’clock shadow who is also a father. I found out his name is Michael Smith and he cooks really spectacular meals with just basic ingredients in his kitchen. I watched the show last night and boy, was my tummy rumbling and screaming for the Cornmeal Crusted Salmon With Basil Mussel Broth he dished up. Of course, it helped that he had a larder full of spices and a fridge full of fresh ingredients, but I tell you, I got myself addicted to this show now. Yeah, and ain’t it great that the recipe is available online? No need to frantically jot down the ingredients and method while watching the show.
In fact, last night I was my very own version of Chef at Home when I decided to throw together a quickie dinner of fried rice. It had been ages since I made fried rice, but I was eager because one can hardly go wrong with fried rice, and since I had some leftover rice from the weekend, it is definitely a frugal step to not waste it. I added whatever I could find from the fridge into the fried rice: chopped pumpkin, baby corn, some spinach and I flicked some of the frozen carrot strips in the freezer and chopped them up too. Eggs are a must, and for the protein element, I found some lapcheong, and sliced them up real nice too. Good thing there were a couple of cili padi left in the fridge which my hubby chopped up and drizzled with some soy sauce and voila…a simple dinner for two in the comfort of our humble abode:
It’s actually quite a healthy meal because most of my ingredients are organic ones. Not bad, considering it’s a leftover meal, eh?
frugal is … as frugal gets June 23, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedI think frugality is an overrated word. What someone deems as frugal might not be the same in another’s dictionary. But in view of the increase in fuel prices, I definitely need to make concerted efforts to save save save, in addition to the steps my family and I are already taking. Just steering off course for a moment, the first time I filled up my petrol tank with Shell V-Power after the price hike, it cost a whopping RM112.99! Shell V-Power now costs RM3.15 per liter, by the way. And yes, hubbs and I still go for it despite it being more expensive because it is more efficient: a full tank can last us 1.5 weeks, give or take.
Anyway, I was reading Hijack Queen’s frugal tips, and thought I’d put my thoughts on frugality to blog too.
Toned-down shopaholic
Being a shopaholic by nature, it is difficult for me to curb the habit of doing a double take whenever I see something I like, like shoes, clothes, accessories, etc. But I am trying my best to only buy whatever is NEEDED, and not WANTED. It’s a fine line, if you ask me, but I try to use the SALE factor as a benchmark. If something is not on sale, don’t get it YET. When the sale comes along, if it is still available and it is still appealing, then get it. Often times, I have found that my interest in that particular product wanes after some time.
Bargains & discounts
Grocery shopping, on the other hand, is something that cannot be avoided. I do mine every week, and since I am endeavoring to cook more (stay at home to eat = no need to go out to eat = saving on petrol), I pounce on every bargain possible, even in the supermarkets. Just like last week, when I spotted fresh tenggiri fish on sale at 50% off in Jusco. Made a nice assam pedas fish curry too, which hubby gave two thumbs up for. I must add, however, that I will never ever sacrifice the taste of food for the price.
At every store that I shop, I never fail to ask them if there is a discount available for any credit cards or store cards. You never know where you might save. Some people don’t ask for fear of the hassle involved, but my skin is very thick when it comes to this, and at cosmetic counters, I will always ask for samples.
Killing 2 birds with one stone
I like to pride myself in being as environmentally-friendly as possible, and it is even better because by being that, I get to save a bit too. Since my boy is 100% on modern cloth diapers, I don’t need to stock up on disposable diapers now. I don’t even look at the price of Mamy Poko now whenever there is a sale. Also in the same vein as being environmentally friendly, I am also using cloth menstrual pads myself, so I don’t buy disposable ones anymore. A little bit of savings here and there goes a long way, you know. Besides saving moolah, it is also a healthier option.
Keep a tab on finances
I’ve also resurrected my expenditure spreadsheet. This way, I will be aware of how much I spend each month for each category of expenditure. In my bid to spend less, I have started using more cash instead of credit cards, especially for purchases less than RM20. Essentially the same amount of money is spent, but the theory is that if I keep seeing cash disappear from my wallet, I will be inspired to spend less.
Transportation
One of the tips to curb spending is to car pool. And hubbs and I are already doing that. We only have one car (so far), and since our workplaces are just across the street from each other, it makes sense to car pool.
Saving electricity
I’ve also consciously started saving electricity at home. Light not needed in the kitchen, switch it off. Can shower without the light, leave the lights off. My hubby even realized this as he asked me if I was saving electricity. Heh… Sikit sikit la…. In any case, all our bulbs are energy-saving ones, except for the fluorescent light in the kitchen. In the evenings, we don’t use the water heater, which is another means of saving electricity too!
Renovate my wardrobe
I have also recently embarked on a cost-saving fashion tip, by raiding my wardrobe for old clothes I can reuse and wear. By just adding a belt to an old outfit, it jazzes it up and creates a new look altogether. Buys me some time before I get a new one, and also saves money la. Some of my ensembles have received rave comments, actually 
Contests
I enter contests almost every month, in the hope of winning something useful. I remember a few years ago I won 2nd prize in an Estee Lauder contest, which ensured I didn’t need to buy makeup and skincare for almost a year! Now that’s a whole lot of savings indeed!
Pampering treats
In my bid to become more thrifty, I am contemplating going for less facials, maybe once every 3-4 months or so, or maybe none at all. I intend to give myself mini facials at home, and well, of course the feeling is not quite the same, but there has got to be some sacrifice, no? Of course, I don’t even go for pedicures or manicures (the last manicure I had was a French the day before my wedding).
So well…if there are other ways or suggestions as to how much more frugal I can become, without losing my giddy self, please do not hesitate to let me know! And of course, I am tagging anyone and everyone who wants to share a tip or two!
My feet are happy today June 17, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , comments closedI paid RM18 to feed myself to the fish today!
Well….not my whole self…just my feet…. Yup that’s right, baby! … I visited the newly opened Happy Feet Fish Spa at New World Park today, and indulged in an errrmmm…relaxing session of foot therapy. When I heard that the fish spa was opening in Penang, I got all excited because ever since I read about Paris’s experience with the fish at Kenko Fish Spa, I had been yearning to experience it for myself. And now that a similar spa is available in Penang, I don’t need to wait till my next KL trip. I was curious to find out if the famous Garra Rufa fish or Doctor Fish would be able to give me smooth and glowing skin on my feet, and get rid of my calluses, dry skin and cracked heels. Quite a lot to ask of some tiny fish, eh?
But when I asked my hubby if he was interested, he proudly proclaimed that he did not have any dead skin on his feet… bah. So then I asked Susan if she wanted to take the opportunity of the special opening rate at the spa, and she was more than happy to . Happy Feet Fish Spa was offering the 30 minutes session at a special rate of RM18 till June 18th (normal price is RM28 per half hour). The spa is located right next to Nyonya Cafe and looks just like a regular shop lot from the outside, but the interior was decorated with little rectangular ponds and square orange cushions were placed in rows beside the pond for customers to sit on.
After paying the RM18, we were ushered to the back of the shop, given a pair of straw slippers, and told to wash our feet with jet sprays of water. We were also given a mini towel (not even the size of a hand towel) to dry our feet before and after the session.
Then we started the *therapy*. The first few seconds were rather ticklish, I would say, but not as ticklish as a foot reflexology session which I don’t think I can endure. The Garra Rufa fish were rather shy at first, and only a few came to my feet. But then after a while, a host of them were going at it, nibbling and biting away the dead skin like nobody’s business. Shows how much dead skin I have on my feet eh?
I realized that if I kept my feet very still, more fish would come, and of course, I welcomed them all, because it made my money’s worth.
There were a few curious people who walked into the store and asked us what the experience was like, and one woman was squealing as she placed her feet into the water. Her daughter daren’t even put her feet in!
And even though we paid for 30 minutes’ worth, the lady manning the store was kind enough to give us an extra 5 minutes. Well, two pretty girls sitting near the door is definitely good publicity, is it not? In the end, she actually forgot about us, and we were still sitting there, enjoying the fish’s nibblings when it was already 45 minutes past, so we took the initiative and got out ourselves.
Truth be told, my feet did feel softer and suppler, though the cracked heels did not miraculously disappear. Dang! I suppose I should not have expected one session to do wonders huh? Surprisingly though, the skin on my feet did not shrivel up, despite the long period in the water.
Did I enjoy the therapy? Most definitely YES. Would I visit the spa again? Maybe… well for one thing, they should fix the air conditioning in the store, because it was out just now. And I might even consider revisiting if they do introduce a full body treatment next. And guys, I think Happy Feet Fish Spa is a really innovative idea for a date
And whoa…how hungry do you think these fish are anyways? Or rather…what a load of dead skin I have on my feet….look at those Garra Rufa fish, still nibbling away after 45 minutes!
Fun with fans and rhymes June 13, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags , comments closedMy dear ParisB and Andie,
I’ve dillied and dallied
With nary a worry
I almost forgot about my tagging duty
It’s been awhile,
and I think it’s time
I cook up a pretty decent fancy rhyme
The weather’s hot
Rained, it has not
So this is about the fans that call the shots
Five fans in my home
Two manuals and three remotes
Each and every one in a room of its very own
My bedroom, the living
And also the dining
All have a 5-blade silver Cyclone fan on the ceiling
High, Medium and Low
Are settings on the go
But Low is all we ever use, if you really wanna know
The two manual Panasonics
In our guest room and study
Are just your usual run-of-the-mill fans, with no unusual antics
A tag on my fans
That’s going to end
But not before I tag ehon, sasha and wen!
***
Pssst…not as canggih as Adino’s poem, but boleh tahan, yes or not?
A is for Apple iPhone 3G June 11, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedHave you heard? Have you heard?
Come July 11, Apple will release its latest baby, the Apple iPhone 3G. What’s even more unbelievable is that it will be twice as fast, and at a remarkable starting price of USD199 for the 8GB version (and USD299 for the 16GB), it’s gonna cost like half the price of what it used to cost. With the petrol price hike and whatnot, this is very welcome news indeed.
Here’s what it says on the Apple website:
Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again
When my hubby was in Oregon on a business trip last month, I said no thank you to the iPhone, because I figured I would be better off with a Coach bag (or two) in the long run. But now, with such a cool Apple iPhone being made available at an even cooler price, haha….I might just change my mind, especially after reading the 5 reasons to get an iPhone.
Anyone else wanna add on to those reasons to truly convince me?
Buckle up… or else what? June 10, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedMany years ago, a teenaged girl sauntered gingerly into the Road Transport Department in Ipoh early one morning to take her driving test. Feeling confident but a little bit nervous, she patiently waited for her turn. Name after name was called but still it was not hers. And then finally at about noon, she was called to take the wheel and perform the slope test. This required good leg control and balance of the clutch and gas pedal, driving the car up an incline, stopping at the marked position, applying the hand brake and then putting out a hand to signal that you’re done.
Nerves got the better of her and on her first attempt, the car slid backwards down the slope. Never mind, she thought. Everybody was given two chances to get it right. And whaddya know, she aced it the second time round!
Next she drove the car to the area where the parking tests were taking place. She had three tests to complete: The three-point turn, the L parking and the side parking. All of which she completed on the first attempt in no time at all. She could feel her confidence rising at that point. The end was in sight now.
She went over for the final task of the day: the road test. She got into the car, adjusted her seat, the mirrors, gave the test card to the examiner and they were off. She was a tad nervous too because unlike most of the other people taking the road test, this girl did not opt to bribe the examiner for an easy pass in the test. Most people feel the bribe is necessary, because according to them it is impossible to pass without bribing.
Nonsense, the girl thought, and she went about the works in a very clockwork manner. The gear shifting was smooth, and the halts were executed perfectly, without any jerks or “mati engine” incidents. Then finally the 15-minute-or-so ride ended. The girl pulled the car to a stop, and pulled the handbrake, feeling the excitement rising in her, expecting to get her driving license the very day itself.
Then the examiner looked at her, smiled and said she did wonderfully that day. The test card showed that she had passed all the relevant items. However, she forgot to do one important thing, which was to strap on the seat belt, and for that one single thing, unfortunately, the examiner had to fail her and she would have to retake the test all over again.
If you haven’t yet figured out, that girl was me, and I have never forgotten that lesson. Of course, I passed the test the second time round, and it goes without saying that the first thing I did when I got into the car was to strap on the seat belt! See? One can STILL pass without bribery!
Anyway, I am very happy that the recent law states that everyone in the car needs to be seatbelt-strapped now. Driver, co-driver, rear passengers as well as babies, toddlers and kids. Before the imposition of this rule, some people even think of the act of wearing the seat belt as a move to appease the authorities. So you’ll hear people saying things like,
“Aiya, short distance only, no need to wear one la. Besides, there are no policemen around.”
Such is the sorry and erroneous thinking some people have.
And what about folks who claim that their kids and babies refuse to be in car seats? Well, it’s all the fault of the parents to begin with. Kids were trained and conditioned to think that they can get away with NOT being in car seats, so that’s how they behave now. Some parents, for their own personal reasons, opt to get cheaper car seats because they are unsure if their kids would want to sit in them. Getting a branded, more expensive version would then be construed as a waste of money.
But then would you compromise the life of your kid with a cheaper model of a car seat which is not tested to withstand impact and collision? That’s just like buying something for showing off that does not even serve its function. Would you skimp on money just so your child’s ride in the car is unsafe? Why would anyone in their right mind buy all the lovely clothes and hi-tech toys for their child, but fail to provide for them in the one important aspect, that is safety in the car? Why??? And I tell you, these parents are the very same ones who would not think twice about spending an arm and a leg on designer clothes and perfumes. Priorities, indeed!
On the other hand, there are also parents who have no choice but to put the car seat in the co-driver’s seat in front, because they claim that baby will cry if left alone in the back seat. However, they forget that this too poses a danger to the child if the front seat has airbags installed. What if there is an accident that triggers the expansion of the airbag? Will the excuse of the baby crying for fear of being left alone seem logical then? I read somewhere that the co-driver has the highest risk of all in the event of an accident. Are these parents willing to face this responsibility?
Oh, and as for folks who *complain* that car seats for infants and toddlers are too expensive, then I’m afraid the wisest thing to do is of course to NOT take your kids out for a ride in the car. Either walk or just don’t go out. I’m sorry, but the reason given that
“Last time when I was small, my father also never put me in car seat what…”
doesn’t hold this time round. There are certainly MORE cars on the road now, all moving at a much higher speed and when now there is a car seat invented to provide safety and protection to our kids, why are we choosing to shun that?
Of course I could rant on and on about the importance of being strapped in whilst in the car, but I won’t. I just hope that the authorities would do a good job of enforcing this rule. Rather than putting up road blocks to check the tint levels on vehicles, I’m sure *business* would thrive even more if they started checking on the seat belt issue.
And while we are on this topic, why aren’t bus passengers provided seat belts (like those on the plane, at least)? I’m sure you’ll all agree that most buses move even more dangerously than cars?
Food scare and frugality June 7, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedI woke up this morning, totally exhausted by the happenings of the previous night, and yet truly thankful it was all behind me and that today was the first day of a 3-day weekend.
Yesterday evening, we had Japanese food for dinner, and as I normally would, I ordered the Tenzaru Soba: Cold soba served with cold tempura sauce which was mixed with wasabi, spring onions and one raw quail’s egg. It was delicious of course, and I downed it all with gusto. We then headed for Queensbay Mall for some looksee and shopping, and after an hour, we headed for home.
As soon as I got into the car, I started feeling queasy. It felt like heartburn, so I thought maybe I had eaten too fast. Then when we reached our condo, I started hyperventillating, and was very nearly out of breath. It felt like I was having an asthma attack, what with the wheezing and all. I know these attacks too well, having suffered from childhood asthma when I was young, but I had since recovered from it ever since I took up swimming. Anyway, it was all coming back to me all over again, and I could not even talk properly, but had to just sit still and take deep breaths slowly.
When I eventually started regaining my breath, I went to take a shower. And that’s when I discovered that my face and hands were all covered in itchy raised red patches, something like hives. The worse part was I couldn’t stop scratching, and soon the rashes spread to my whole body! I tell you, my face swelled up like some beast woman, and my eyelids were swollen till my eyes looked so tiny!
My husband already suspected food poisoning, and it was further confirmed when I had mild diarrhoea later on. And then subsequently, I threw up all of the nicely undigested soba meal…which made me feel really much better afterward. Immediately after vomiting, the rashes started subsiding, and I went to bed shortly after that.
Today, my face has *relatively* returned to normal, but some of the rashes are still present. They are subsiding though. I don’t think I will ever look at a serving of Tenzaru Soba the same way again. In fact, it might take me a long long while to get over the paranoia of it all. Urrrgggghhh. I blame it on the raw quail’s egg, which was the only thing I took that hubbs and Ethan did not.
So of course today, I had to take food which were *kinder* to the tummy. Homecooked food was the answer. And although I originally intended to cook claypot chicken rice, I changed plans and cooked steamed rice with dishes instead. For lunch, we had steamed chicken with black fungus and wolfberries…
…and for dinner, steamed ginger chicken. Both meals of course had the obligatory vegetables in the form of freshly sliced cucumber and the feelgood factor of my favorite watercress soup. Apparently the steamed ginger chicken went down better with both boys…
And with that, we succeeded in saving one day’s worth of petrol, because we didn’t even use our car today!
Three-week zombie = me June 6, 2008
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedAs if I didn’t have enough bags and dark circles under my eyes already, the next three weeks are threatening to make me even more of a zombie than I am now. Be prepared to see me dragging my even more weary self to work every morning.
Just when we thought we were gonna start suffering withdrawal symptoms from the lack of footie action, with no more BPL action till months later, and all we get to watch are tennis matches and F1 races, tomorrow …. everything is gonna changed.
Bring out your kopi KHAU, your football jerseys and your lucky charms, because tomorrow….. Euro 2008, the football tournament that is second only to the World Cup, will be brought LIVE to your very own living room on THREE dedicated channels on Astro! I don’t foresee that I will be able to watch all the matches though. One: they are broadcasted at unearthly hours, and two: my son might require my attention just as that crucial goal is being scored. I just hope I will be able to watch those kan cheong nail-biting penalty shootouts uninterrupted. But the fever, the passion and the excitement will definitely be channeled all the way from Austria and Switzerland to our very own shores.
I wonder if I will hear the screams of “Goaaaalllllllll!!!!!!” in the wee hours of the morning, followed by thuds and stomps, evidently from the jumping around that ensues after goals are being scored. It is inevitable, I suppose, since I live in a condo. Hey, those *sounds* might even be coming from my own home… wuahahaha….!!!
I wonder what team England fans are supporting. As for me, no doubt about it. It’s gonna be France all the way!
Allez allez Les Bleus!!
Allez Henry! Allez Ribéry! Allez Allez Allez!!!
Little Miracles
Our Journey of Love
