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Holiday & snappity-snaps July 17, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Relax & Celebrate , 21comments

I have been a bad blogger. 

Good bloggers would religiously download their photos and blog about a trip they just came back from almost immediately after coming home.  Also, good bloggers would be snapping pictures here and there and everywhere.  Pictures of just about every interesting and not-so-interesting thing that they see.  Well, maybe I’ve just lost it.  But I like to think that I was having way too much fun to remember snapping pics.  Excuses? :P

I’ve been dead tired since we got back from our Damansara getaway over the weekend, so much so that my hubby even pestered me as to why I have not blogged about the trip.  Well, anyway, here are some bits and pieces of it.

We made a routine stop in Bidor for the famous and overpriced duck drumstick mee.  This time, I ordered the dry version, which actually tasted better because the duck drumstick soup remained concentrated and in addition, I could still savor the taste of the wan ton mee, sans wan ton.  Here’s another view of the duck drumstick showcasing the skin and how big the piece was.  Yummy!  For the record, I drank up every bit of the soup :)

We stayed at Royale Bintang Damansara yet again.  Well actually it’s a funny thing I mentioned Damansara specifically… I made an appointment with someone on Monday and she was waiting for me in Royale Bintang KL!  Anyways, dinner on the first night was at Italiannies, The Curve with my brother, my SIL and my little nephew Collin.

This here was the strawberry colada I ordered.  Initially I wanted to order the strawberry shake and I inquired why it was more expensive than the rest of the shakes.  The server disappeared for a mo, and came back to tell me it was because the strawberries used were imported ones.  Well anyhoo, I decided on the colada instead.  Another funny thing happened.  I asked the server what was in the strawberry colada and he told me to wait just a moment while he referred to his notes!  And it was done all right in front of me!  It was a good drink, by the way.

It certainly seems to me that every time I make a trip to KL, I’d be stuffing myself silly with food.  We had Japanese buffet lunch the next day at Shogun 1-Utama.  It must be affiliated with Saisaki because the plates had the Saisaki logo on it too.  The spread was huge, although funnily enough it wasn’t the sashimi that got top marks, but the soups they had.  Sharks’ fin, black chicken with chinese wine, clam soup…well, let’s just say it was truly filling.

 

This is the jazz quartet that serenaded the passers-by who visited the flea market at The Curve.  Not sure who hired them, but man, they were good.  I had a good mind to start dancing then and there.  And I really loved the way they blended into the environment too.  Al fresco dining with jazz in the background…who could ask for more?  Of course, when I had that mini blogger meeting with Rinnah, Paris, Pinkelle and Beetrice in Marché, we couldn’t hear the music la. :razz:

Anyway, this is the last of my pictures, but it’s really one of the best tomyam soups I have ever tasted.  We decided to have Thai food for dinner at Absolute Thai in Ikano Power Center and I have no regrets whatsoever.  Succulent prawns and seafood, with just the right hint of spiciness, I totally dug that!

So that’s the lowdown on my holiday last weekend…and I am already looking forward to what this coming weekend holds!

The raindrops on my head July 11, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 10comments


Photo credits

It was raining cats and dogs and elephants and hippos yesterday, around lunch time.  I stopped by my favorite dim sum restaurant to buy some century egg porridge and other tidbits for lunch.  Unfortunately they had already ran out of the porridge, so I ended up with just one char siew pau and one egg tart. And since I had gotten drenched with my jeans wet through to my shin level, I might as well make the trip worth it by buying some organic tau foo fa (soya bean curd) from the shop next door too.

As I was approaching my car after making my purchase, I noticed the parking ticket man standing nearby, with an umbrella in his hand.  So I motioned for him that I was headed for my car and asked him how much.  On hindsight, I could have just walked to my car and drove off, because I was only parked for not more than 10 minutes, but my conscience would have pricked me so hard it would have bled.

Anyway, he told me “Empat puluh sen”. (40 cents was the rate charged every half hour)

I paid him and waited for my receipt.

But that fella walked away!

I called after him, and asked, “Mana resit?” (“Where is my receipt?”)

He said, “Oh, tak payah resit laaa..” (“Oh, no need to issue a receipt…”)

Eh???

Immediately, I retorted, “Tak payah resit, tah payah bayar la!” (“If you don’t give me a receipt, I don’t need to pay!”), and extended my hand to him, as if asking for my precious 40 sen back.

Hey, I was all alone, cold and wet, incredibly hungry, holding my lunch in packets AND I was rushing for a meeting.  I probably sounded a LEETLE bit angry, but I had every reason to feel that way.  Yes, it was only 40 sen, but it’s still money, right?  It would have been conveniently squandered by him, had I not put my foot down at that very instant and demanded for my receipt.

Of course he issued me one after that, but I wonder how many incidents of “40 sen tak payah bayar” he had actually escaped with.  I wonder how many people would actually insist on a ticket.  Times are certainly bad, and every single bit counts.

I’m sure that parking ticket man is well aware of that. But nobody should ever use dishonest means to make that quick buck.  Or that quick 40 sen.

Fishy spooky conundrums July 8, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 14comments


Photo credits

Something spooky is happening to my blog.  I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like it at all.  Last night, I noticed that at least three comments had mysteriously vanished from my previous post.  I am always very careful when moderating my comments, so there is no reason how they could have been accidentally deleted.

I am 100% sure they were there before because I saw those comments during lunchtime yesterday and I even responded to them.  There was a comment from Michelle saying that my shopping behaviour was clearly shown in the meaning of my name in that post.  And then I remember also reading a comment from Andie who said she might want to give this quiz a try herself, and I think there was also a comment from cc that it was quite an interesting quiz (I think) - did I miss out anyone?

Oh yeah, and I definitely know there was a trackback from Paris too, cuz I commented on her post when I saw it.

So, see? I ain’t imagining things!

I blame the bizarre behaviour on the latest Wordpress 2.5.1.  Don’t like it all that much yet.  It has a rather cluttered interface, and the color scheme has also changed to something less cooler than before, if you ask me.

Well, I hope this is the first and last of mysterious happenings on my blog, but just to be on the safe side, I’m gonna run another backup right now.

Behind the “Je m’appelle” July 4, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Memes & Tags , 4comments

When I saw an incoming link from Angeleyes last night, I clicked on it almost immediately…more so out of curiosity, really. Lo and behold she had bestowed upon me a meme which required me to display the meaning of my name. And here goes nothing… the words in red are what I think reflects me rather accurately:


What Giddy Tigress Means


You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.
You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.
Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don’t appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It’s easy to get you excited… which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don’t stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you’re too busy having fun to care.You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You’re most comfortable when you’re far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You’re always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can’t handle you. You’re very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you’re likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don’t always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don’t have as much going for them as you do.  
What’s Your Name’s Hidden Meaning?

What?  How come so many of you are rolling your eyes skyward?  Hehe…did you think I was gonna reveal my real identity here?

But then no point beating around the bush also la, if you already know my REAL Name, just use the link above and find out the meaning for yourself.

And, as is customary with a tag, this tag goes out to anyone who would like to do it.  Such an easy-peasy one!

Have a great spankin’ weekend, y’all!

I gave the gift of life today July 2, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 20comments

I donated blood for the 8th time in my entire life today.  The last time was sometime in the year 2004, a few months before my wedding.  I normally make an annual blood donation whenever my workplace organizes a blood donation drive.  After that 2004 donation, I missed the following 3 years because I was pregnant in 2005, and was breastfeeding in 2006 and 2007.  In fact, I tried to donate in 2007  but when they found out I was still breastfeeding, I was unceremoniously shooed away.  Ah well.

So today, after I passed the “drop-a-droplet-of-blood-into-the-blue-liquid-and-wait-for-it-to-sink” test, and had taken my weight, the doctor took my blood pressure and inquired why there was a 3 year lapse from the last time I donated, at which I gave her the reasons as stated above.

Well, basically nothing much has changed since the last time I donated, except for the fact that the medical officers do not need to write the blood tag series and the name of the hospital in my blood donation booklet anymore.  It’s all sticker-based, which I totally dig.

Anyway, after that, I lied down on one of the beds and requested that they take the blood from my right arm.  I know the vein in the crook of my right elbow is more visible, and I didn’t fancy the idea of them poking around looking for it if I had offered my left arm.  Just in case.

About five minutes after the blood transfer began, I was done.  Just enough time for me to take a quick shot of my arm with my N73 too.  Clip here, clip there, and I saw a full pouch of my precious O +ve blood being carted away for good use.  I like to make the blood transfer faster by squeezing that sponge-like thingy they provide for us to hold real fast, just to let the blood flow faster.  Just cuz I am rather paranoid about having a metal object in me for a long time.  There was this guy who was lying there like forever, and complaining he was too tired to squeeze the sponge-like thing, so I think he was there for more than 20 minutes and the bag was still not full yet.  I couldn’t help laughing a bit when his colleagues teased him that his blood was so thick it was only good to make curry me. :P

So after the process was completed, I was given a cotton gauze to put over the punctured skin and asked to bend my elbow and close the area up.  Knowing me, after about 5 minutes lying there and not doing anything, I was ready to get up.  I gingerly opened up my elbow but just before I touched the cotton gauze, the medical officer said, “Jangan buka!”

Aiya…so lie down sammo lor….

Maybe they were concerned that someone who was able to produce a pint of blood in such a short time probably needed more time for the wound to close properly.  I’m sure it wasn’t because of “high blood pressure” as my friend jokingly commented.  I’d much rather like to refer to it as “high-pressured blood”. Hah.  Not the same thing, okay?

Had some very diluted chocolate drink after the blood donation and a curry puff.  I remember the food used to taste much better, but anyway, that’s not the reason WHY we donate blood, yes?

So if you are being wishy-washy about donating blood, ask yourself why not?  Some pointers for first timers though:

…and no, if you’re wondering, donating blood does not make someone put on weight.  Not if you eat normally after that.

Giddily pondering about.. July 1, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 10comments

Growing up means…

Filling my working tummy June 30, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking , 11comments

More 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? :razz:

Driving Miss Competence June 27, 2008

Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , 18comments


Photo credits

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 , 14comments

My 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? :razz:

frugal is … as frugal gets June 23, 2008

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

I 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 :lol:

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! :razz: