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The Chinatown festivities January 27, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed

On New Year’s Eve, my family and I decided to take a drive up to Chinatown in San Francisco to see the sights and decorations that were bound to be up for Chinese New Year.  We first had a Malaysian kinda lunch at a Malaysian restaurant called Layang-Layang.

 

Check out that satay – man, it was good!

Well, it was rather chilly in San Jose that afternoon, and it was drizzling too, and we did question ourselves if it would be a good idea to drive up north.  But we did it anyhow…

 

It took us forever to move around and find a parking spot.  In the end, we managed to locate the underground parking garage near a children’s play area and we parked there. 

 

The crowd was humungous!  It felt as though everyone had come to Chinatown that day.  There were people shopping for food and clothes, there were tourists busy snapping pictures, and there were even some people whiling their time away gambling in full view of everyone!

 

There were plenty of shops with Chinese New Year decorations, although we kinda expected Chinatown to be much, much redder than it was.

 

Many people were busy choosing flowers and plants to decorate their homes with.  We even spotted the prosperity plants on sale!

 

Of course, it being Chinese New Year and all, there are bound to be stalls selling new clothes, all in the theme of the au-OX-picious year ahead.

 

And there were a few stalls catering to those who wanted a new bag for the new year too!

 

I also caught sight of this mobile hairdresser…imagine having your hair done in full view of everyone!

 

And oh, here’s something that reminded me of our tanahair…

 

Traditional Chinese medical shops could be seen at almost every street too, and of course, I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this shop selling roasted chicken/duck.

 

I saw this huge line of people patiently queueing up at the roadside, and when I asked my hubby what they were doing, he pointed out that they were trying their luck at buying numbers, all in the spirit of Chinese New Year! LOL

 

Dinner feast far, far away January 25, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking, Relax & Celebrate , comments closed

I’m just gonna fill this post with pictures of food, because after all, that is what most people talk about during Chinese New Year, right?

We had a dinner gathering this evening at a nearby restaurant called Chili Palace with some of my hubby’s colleagues.  And if you think about it matter-of-factly, taking into account the time difference between Malaysia and the US, we actually had a reunion LUNCH, according to Malaysian time!

 

Not the typical Chinese New Year reunion dinner with dishes like jiu-hoo-char, too-thor-th’ng and the like though …  Oh, how I miss those!

The dishes we were served tonight were mostly chili-inspired, but what would you expect from a restaurant with the name “Chili” in it, eh? 

 

The primary objective was to get our tummies filled, and we definitely accomplished that!

 

Although…I’m still very much craving the pineapple tarts I always pig out on during Chinese New Year!  SIGH…

So there you go…I’ve posted my Chinese New Year feast pictures…now I can’t wait to drool over what everyone else had…. here’s wishing a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year to everyone, all the way from the US! :)

Aluminium foil & chicken January 15, 2009

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

I find myself running out of ideas to cook these days, and so I decided to try out some new and simple recipes a couple of days ago.

I remember it was late that evening when I got back from work and I had to whip up something nice and warm in a really short time.  I remembered I had bought a packet of Chinese Herbal Mix for stewing chicken recently, and decided to use it with the easy-to-make fail-proof recipe for Steamed Herbal Chicken I saw at HaveYouEaten.net

There were more herbs in my herbal packet than was required in the recipe, but I just tossed everything in.  It was also my first time using aluminium foil for steaming chicken, and the aroma that exuded during the steaming process was simply heavenly.

 

Needless to say, the piping hot aromatic dish was the perfect complement for our dinner that night.  In fact, I wished I had put in all 6 pieces of chicken drumsticks instead of just 4!

But I did use the 2 leftover drumsticks for lunch the next day.  Again, using the rarely touched supply of aluminium foil and wok steamer, I experimented with another simple recipe:  Steamed Chicken with Rice Wine Sauce.  I didn’t have ginger on hand, so that was omitted, and I had to substitute red chillies with jalapeno chillies, so the resulting dish did not look as aestehetically pleasing, but don’t judge a book by its cover cuz it still tasted really good.  Loved the sauce especially!

 

me at 31 weeks preggers! January 15, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Parenting & Motherhood , comments closed

Scrap Credits
Autumn Splendor QP from Kim B’s Designs using Autumn Splendor kit by Beth Long
Freebie Janvier  – Partie 1 elements from Scrapmalin
Viva motherhood word cloud from Viva Artistry

I’m too sexy for my teeth January 15, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers, The Fairer Sex , comments closed

I am thinking of making an appointment with the local dentist here for a checkup soon.  I have heard that the quality of service in the US is truly exceptional, and there is obviously no better way of finding that out by experiencing it first hand.  It is important to get regular checkups during one’s pregnancy to avoid gum disease and as a preventative measure to ensure the teeth stay healthy at all times.

Of course, I will be going for a regular checkup and cleaning, although as always, I pray that there will not be a need for any extractions or fillings.  *shudder*

That aside, there is an advertisement on the radio here that promotes sedation dentistry.  I guess there is hope yet for people who are truly afraid of dentists, after all.

Gee, I wonder if the dentists also provide teeth whitening services here?  I am sure they do, but it would most probably come with a hefty price tag.  I am really curious as to what a difference teeth whitening products like Celebrity Sexy White can make to my teeth.  I’ve always wondered if celebrities use teeth whiteners for that dazzling smile and I am always tempted to try it out for myself.

Well in any case, I will probably need to wait till after my pregnancy if I want to perform any teeth whitening procedure.

I know my Redeemer lives January 13, 2009

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

Every now and then, something touches our heart and soul so profoundly we just know we have to shout it out and tell someone, anyone about it.  That was how I felt when I viewed this amazing video clip this evening.  Thanks Angeline, for sharing it … I just had to do the same and share it here too, because it really is too good not to.  You’ll see what I mean…

Here’s the short story behind this inspiring video:

A son says to his father: “Dad, would you be willingly to run a marathon with me?”
The father, despite his age and a heart disease, said “YES”.
And so they ran that marathon, together.

The son asks: “Dad, can you run another marathon with me?”
Again father said “YES”.
So they ran another marathon, together.

One day the son asks his father: “Dad would please do the Iron Man with me?”
Now just in case you wouldn’t know, The Iron Man is the toughest triathlon
in existence;
4km swimming, then 180 km by bike, and finally another 42 km running, in
one stroke.

Again father said “YES”

Read more about the inspirational father and son who make up Team Hoyt.

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Chorus:
Well I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
All of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my Redeemer lives

The very same God
Who spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken
They conquered death to bring the victory

Now I know, my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
This life within me cries
I know
My Redeemer

He lives
To take away my shame
He lives
Forever I’ll proclaim
That the payment for my sins
Was the precious life He gave
But now He’s alive and
There’s an empty
Grave!

And I know
My Redeemer lives
He lives
I know
My Redeemer lives
Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer lives

Let all creation testify
Let this life within me cry
I know my Redeemer lives

I know
My Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives
I know my Redeemer lives

He lives!

Round, sugary and yummy January 13, 2009

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

I am not ashamed to admit that I have a major addiction problem.

To donuts.

Stan’s Donuts, to be precise.  I’ve always thought that I would be craving for Krispy Kreme donuts here in the US, but noooo…. gimme Stan’s Donuts any day now.  Apparently Stan’s Donuts is a local brand whereas Krispy Kreme is more commercialized, but in any case, Stan’s Donuts is closer to where I live, and yup, I am totally hooked now.

My hubby and I started by buying just two donuts each of the glazed and the sugar varieties, but now we have started buying more and more.  By the way, I only ever like the glazed and sugar kinds.  They do have the fancy-schmancy kinds with decorations and whatnot, but those don’t make me salivate.  Most of the time when we stop by the obscure little shop to get our cravings satisfied, we would be told they were out of glazed or sugar donuts.  Yup, they are THAT popular.

So anyway, here’s the thing.  One donut costs 70 cents.  But the other day, I bought 10 donuts to bring for my colleagues at work, and that cost me $7.25.  And that’s when I found out the strange pricing Stan’s uses:

10 donuts: $7.25

11 donuts: $7.25

12 donuts: $7.25

So who in their right mind would get 10 donuts, you tell me?  And just in case you were wondering, of course I went back to claim my 2 donuts that day!

And just last weekend, my hubby and I went to get a dozen donuts, but we asked to pack 8 donuts in the box and 4 in a paper bag (to give to someone).  The guy manning the counter wanted to charge us $8.40, just because all the donuts weren’t in the box.  Silly reasoning!  We still paid $7.25, but we were told that it was their policy to charge the non-discounted price if all donuts weren’t in the box.  Isn’t that ridiculous?

Well, that won’t stop me coming back for more.  I don’t see myself wanting Big Apple, J. Co or Krispy Kreme donuts anytime soon, not when I can get my donut fix at Stan’s. :)

Rock on with hip hop stuff January 13, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Rainmakers, The Fairer Sex , comments closed

My relocation to the US has opened up plenty of opportunities for me, not just for traveling and sight-seeing, but obviously in the arena of shopping.  Temptations are aplenty and I find myself drawn to online shopping like I have never been before.

In addition to the endless choices of items that strangely all just *happened* to be on my wish list, the prices are rather reasonable too.

One item that has eluded my shopping frenzy thus far though, is (surprise, surprise) a bag.  A handbag, or purse, rather.  I have been checking out some popular ones off and on, but none have caught my fancy as yet.  I am eyeing either a large roomy tote (just because it would make sense for a mommy with kids in tow) or a fashionable clutch, for dinner dates and well, just because I need one for my wardrobe.

I obviously have not made up my mind yet, but I am definitely keeping my options open.  Perhaps I might end up gifting myself a Roca Wear Purse, which looks so classy yet hip-hopping street savvy at the same time – what a perfect combination!  Or maybe I should just start saving money a little bit more first…

And so the anxiety kicks in January 9, 2009

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Parenting & Motherhood, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed

 

I’m 31 weeks pregnant today, and it just dawned on me that there so many things still left undone.
In less than 10 weeks, my husband and I will be welcoming our second little bundle of joy into our family, and while we are definitely excited about the whole thing, I can’t help feeling like this is all moving a little too fast for me.  Are we ready?

My prenatal visits are now scheduled every fortnightly, and this time round, I am feeling the baby’s movements a whole lot more than before.  Even the Braxton-Hicks contractions are more pronounced and as expected, I feel rounder and bigger.

And yet, I still have these items to tick off my to-do list:

Well, at least tomorrow we will be attending a short session called the Journey to Family orientation, which is supposed to get us more acclimatized with the hospital I will be delivering in.  And hopefully, we’ll get to hand in the forms for the maternity pre-admission too.  Yup, the pre-admission forms need to be submitted before the baby comes, not when you are in labor and everything is all over the place.

Breathe… breathe… breathe… :)

Movie treats to remember January 8, 2009

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

 

It had been ages since my husband and I went on a movie date, and since we were both on leave last week, AND Ethan was obviously having fun with his friends at daycare, we decided to check out a movie at the local cinema here.  We ended up watching TWO movies on two consecutive days, simply because we could! Hehe.

The two movies we watched were Valkyrie (starring Tom Cruise) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). 

Valkyrie was quite a disappointment to me, because although it had some exciting parts, there were some parts of the movie that were left unanswered.  Watch this only if you are an ardent Tom Cruise fan. 

Benjamin Button, on the other hand, was a humorous yet touching take on the life of a man who aged backwards.  Although it stretched on for close to three hours, we didn’t really feel the lengthiness of it, probably because we were caught up in the soul of the movie.  Watch this for a generally feelgood movie, for its special effects (which I am sure are Academy Award material) and of course, just to see how young and good-looking (or how old and haggard) Brad Pitt can be.

Apart from watching the movies proper, I had some observations at the cinema too.