Birthday surprise

I was invited to attend a birthday surprise organised by WL's "cousins" for their father's 70th birthday. It was held at Marco Polo, a Chinese restaurant at Wisma Lim Foo Yong. Upon arrival, I was equally surprised myself cuz the decor & set-up at a medium size private room gave the impression that it's a mini wedding reception rather than a birthday celebration. I found it amusing =P

The party turned out to be a pretty big affair with families, close relatives & friends being invited; amounting to about 120 people in total. When the birthday "boy" arrived, everyone stood up & applauded loudly. A few of us were busy snapping away with our cameras.

The choice of dishes were the usual 8 course dinner & it tasted pretty okay.

The children of the birthday "boy" prepared a short slideshow to reminisce the good old times. It was short & cheesy but still sweet anyhow. =) I quite a number of pics throughout the night but I'm not gonna upload all here as it's all on Facebook. Nevertheless, I just had to post this pic of WL cuz he looks so adorable. =D *melts*

Cargill-Nestle Sports Carnival 2011

When WL told me that he'll be representing his company together with his teammates to participate in a sports tournament, I was more than eager to provide the ever-needed moral support. He was casually practising for several months with some of his teammates during our weekly badminton sessions.

Tournament day has finally come & I was all ready with my new camera to snap WL & his team in action. We gathered at WL's office at 7am before heading to FRIM, Kepong where the tournament will be held. While waiting for the rest of the members to arrive, I couldn't help but started warming up with my D5100. Indeed shooting at different hours of the day does give the photo a different feeling. See how the early morning blue sky cast a deep blue hue as the sun slowly rise from the east.

When we arrived at FRIM, I was surprised to see so many visitors were there for their morning walks or jogs. While WL & his colleagues went to warm up & prepare for the tournaments, I walked about nearby but not too far from the sports hall in case I got lost. With my camera in hand, I took some random pics of the surroundings.

And then it was WL & his teammates warming up before their badminton game while I busily snapped away.

A group photoshoot before the tournament officially begun.

Sadly, WL & team was shortlived due to lack of practice & this allowed the opponenents to win easily. Without further adue, WL continued with the next sport - table tennis. He & his teammates fully utilised whatever time left to practise as much as possible.

Before the game commenced, all participants were given a short briefing about the rules & who they'll be playing against.

And the the games begun...

Luck was not at WL & his teammates side; or should I say the lack of practice had rendered the team less competent compared to Nestle's stronger team. Anyhow, the 3rd & 4th doubles in WL's team managed to win their opponent...in the end, Cargill was deemed the winner for table tennis category.

The Cargill volleyball team was a strong contender to Nestle's who was lucky to have a group of co-workers showing their never-ending support for each other. Yet again, lucky wasn't on our side as the weather condition was less conducive causing Cargill's team to lose focus. Not ot mentioned, many of them were already exhausted from the earlier games in which they also participated in. Nevertheless, I personally thought it was a good game to watch. =)

As all-round winner for table tennis, team Cargill received a medal! Yay~

Just look at WL's silly grin after receiving the medal. How adorable~ XD

Phew! What a long day it had been...WL kept telling me that if only they came more prepared - both physically & mentally - the outcome would've been more satisfying. They'll have to wait for next year then.

I Am Nikon Fangirl

After months of consideration & pondering, I've finally made a stand to fulfil my wish. Here I am...announcing that I'm a proud owner of a Nikon DSLR! And officially declare myself as a Nikon fangirl from now on.

WL, the sweetest baby accompanied me to buy the camera of my choice at Amcorp Mall. I was so esctatic & couldn't believe myself carrying this woven bag home. Uber cool! XD

Hold your breath! Here's the moment you've been waiting for...my new baby toy, Nikon D5100 with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens~

Before unboxing

After unboxing

The standard purchase came with a free 8GB SD card & a humongous Nikon DSLR bag. Not too fancy, eh? -.-"

I negotiated with the boss to get a Hoya HMC UV filter & he agreed to package it together & offered a great deal. The price was at RM2,370 but due to credit card payment, customers will be imposed a 2% charges. In total, I paid RM2,417 which I felt is pretty affordable.

So it's time to snap all the way~ Can't wait to attend one of their workshops. =D

Nyonya food from Taiping

Being with WL is one of the most fortunate things cuz he's an avid foodie. His hobby is trying out new dishes - in other words, eating is his favourite pastime. He's been buying quite a number of food vouchers online & this time, it's nyonya food set at Taiping Ho Chiak.

The voucher is a set meal for two which includes 2 bowls of rice, kapitan chicken, kangkung belacan, egg omelette with Chinese pork sausage & 2 bowls of ABC soup. The portion turned out to be pretty small but nevertheless, the dishes tasted pretty nice with a homely feel.

We added another dish, considering the dishes turned out to be too small for our appetite. There you have it, fried calamari with curry powder. Too much spices to my liking but still alright.

Overall, food quality is decent but with the such small portion at a slightly higher price, I doubt the restaurant can survive any longer. Even with the voucher promo, I didn't see a huge crowd turnout. Maybe that day was rather quiet compared to other days. Looks like a 2nd visit to this restaurant is very unlikely for me.

Address:
Restoran Taiping Ho Chiak
28, Jalan SS 2/10
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

What's your number?

So the movie What's Your Number? starring Anna Faris & Chris Evans is finally here, how did it fare? As expected, it's a typical rom-com with a predictable plot. The only factor that had attracted me to watch this movie was the fact that the male lead is sexy hearthrob Chris Evans. I'd must say Anna Faris do have some potential in this rom-com category but it's a pity that the dialogues were bland. Most jokes were forceful but thankfully there were a few slapstick humours to break off the dry spell.

The chemistry? There certainly is but just not enough even with Chris Evans. It takes two to tango, same goes for chemistry. Sadly, it's not the kind of movie that gives u the warm, fuzzy feeling inside. In my opinion, the poor screenwriting didn't do justice to the two talented leads. Else, it would've been an entertaining piece that leaves a smile on my face.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Plan b, Bangsar Village I

This is one of those rare days where my colleagues & I get to travel a little further for a slightly longer lunch. I supposed driving out for a good lunch is a much needed stress reliever for our rather stressful week. We drove all the way to Bangsar Village to lunch at Plan b.

Plan b is a contemporary Aussie-meets-New York deli which serves breakfast sets, salads & a myriad of Western dishes with rustic cakes & desserts. It belongs to The BIG Group of Restaurants which also owned Canoodling, Ricetaurant, Ben's General Food Store just to name a few.

Price is averages at around RM20+ - not too expensive in return for a huge portion. Each of us ordered different dishes to try & I stuck by ordering my favourite food, pasta. Totally love how the marinara sauce envelopes the spaghetti perfectly & not to forget the freshness & abundance amount of seafood included.

Marinara

If you're wondering how huge their breakfast sets look like, here it is. Just look at the beautifully poached eggs & golden hash brown makes drool with hunger.

Plan B Platter

My colleague called for a beef burger & I'd must say it looks equally awesome too. Who can resist the heavily laden sesame bun with beef patty & the sinful fries to complete the dish?

Double Cheeseburger

The meal was indeed a satisfying one & it's a cool place to hang out with such comfy ambience. The restaurant ain't big & it can be quite crowded during lunch hour & probably dinner time too. I would advise you to arrive early or on a safer side, do make reservations prior to your arrival. I have no qualms about returning to Plan b for a 2nd round. =)

Address:
G5, Ground Floor
Bangsar Village I
No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2287 2630

Opening Hours:
8:00am - 1:00am daily

RIP Steve Jobs

The world was shaken by the news that Apple's co-founder & chairman, Steve Jobs passed away from a long struggling battle of pancreatic cancer. He died on the same day after the iPhone 4S was announced by current CEO, Tim Cook. Steve leaves behind a legacy - a man dubbed as a visionary, pioneer & genius who changed computing, entertainment & telecommunication industries with products that emphasize on sleek design & ease of use with cutting-edge technology.

Well-wishers & condolences flooded social network sites such as Facebook & Twitter, all expressing grief over the loss of a true visionary. Indeed a global phenomena, what better way to tribute Steve than having the world discovering news of his death & sending wishes via his popular invention - the iPhone.

I owned the iPhone 4 & each time I whipped out my phone to start tapping on the screen, it reminded me how grateful I am to be able to enjoy Steve's genius work. I am saddened that he left the world too soon but God always have His way to make things work the way it is. We will deeply miss you...RIP.

Images taken from www.apple.com

"Ponteng kerja"

Today reminded me one of the good 'ol days during my sophomore year in college. I still remember joining some of my friends once in a blue moon to skip classes cuz the tutoring sessions were sometimes pointless & boring. We would catch a short movie in the cinema or just plain hanging out at nearby cafes with hopes that the tutor wouldn't see us loitering around.

How does my good memories relate to today, you wonder? Well, I sprained my right wrist without realising when & how it happened. For all I know, there was a slight pain yesterday morning but I ignored it & carried on with my weekly household chores. Early this morning, a sharp pain hit me hard & woke me up abruptly from my slumber. I felt numbness all over my wrist & could barely bend it nor open any door. Indeed I was struggling to endure the pain at work.

I took half day off & waited for WL to fetch me to the doctor's. It was a very sweet gesture from him making an effort to take emergency leave just to accompany me to the clinic. =) Visit at the doctor's only lasted slightly more than 30 minutes & we were left with nothing to do. Here's the fun part...instead of resting at home, we headed straight to Tropicana City Mall for a movie! Both of us could've return to the office but our procrastination got the better of us. =P This was one of those mischievious things that I've done with WL & it sure is great fun. XD

Malay chick-lits

I was never a fan of Malay books all these years. The last book I read was Bukit Kepong & Konserto Terakhir in preparation for SPM exam. Even then, I didn't finish the book & ended up reading the summarised version with ready-made exam questions. It takes a lot of effort to appreciate Malay literature, what more with an uninviting & poorly designed book cover.

Until recently while shopping with WL for his niece's birthday gift, I chanced upon a corner at MPH displaying chick-lit books written by local authors. Little did I expect that their cover designs have improved tremendously over the years. It's not like that the designers have any sense of originality to their designs as most of the designs are copied in a similar fashion from English chick-lit books. Well, at least they have a sense of creativity to actually copy someone better... =P

Tempted, I bought one of the book titled Renda Labuci Biru. If you observe carefully, the cover has been treated with matt finishing & the book title is embossed with spot UV. Now that is quite pretty for a Malay book cover.

On the inside front & back cover, there're images that can be cut out to be used as bookmark.

The book even has border designs in every page! Now that's tacky. -.-"

Nevertheless, the book seemed interesting cuz it has diagrams & images which are relevant to the storyline. I haven't had the time to read yet but I'm guessing the storyline will be a typical one. Will update this space soonest & I shall have my verdict.

Restoran Fu Gua Thong, Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park

Lately, Me & WL have been running out of ideas on where to have our dinners each Saturday. For a change, WL took me & his parents a little further from his home to try out this restaurant reknown for its bitter gourd soup. It's called Restoran Fu Gua Thong situated at Kuchai Lama.

Customers usually order the popular bitter gourd soup with pork or intestines. Considering WL's mum is a vegetarian, we opted for pork-free version of the soup.

The abscence of pork made the soup filled with strong bitterness from the bitter gourds. The bitter after taste lingered longer than how I expected it but the soup still tasted alright. Next, we ordered a pork dish cooked in kung po style & stir-fry mushrooms for the benefit of WL's mum. Both dishes tasted equally good, I must admit.

The last dish was my favourite cuz the sauce blended so well with the fish. I'm not exactly sure how to describe this dish in English but I can tell that it's another type of steamed fish. Really yummy~ =D

Frankly speaking, the price was a little expensive than what we've anticipated. This could be mainly due to the fish but we thought the price wouldn't differ much if we forgo the fish at the beginning. The restaurant is definitely worth the try but I doubt it would warrant a 2nd visit.

Address:
Restoran Fu Gua Thong
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park
58200 Kuala Lumpur

Johnny English Reborn

One glance at this poster, one would immediately relate Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean to a slapstick humourist or someone who happens to have a hilarious face performing ridiculously stupid actions, stunts, facial expressions etc...you name it.

If it wasn't for WL, there's no way I would watch Johnny English Reborn in the cinema. Most of the comedies or parodies, in my opinion, is a waste of my time & money. I decided to give this movie a chance since I was immensely stressed the whole week & didn't even find time to release it. After all, it was a public holiday & I should let loose a little bit.

I'd have to thank my baby for proposing this movie. Not that he knew it would be so entertaining, but I was glad the movie came at the right time for him to suggest watching it when I needed something less serious. Love you babe! =)

For those of you who with opinions that Rowan Atkinson's jokes & antics are getting a little dated, not really in this movie. The jokes in the movie is witty but just bear in mind that they're for good laughs only. We need to be less serious once in a while. XD

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Plate to pixel

When MPH sent its usual weekly newsletters on online promotions, I caught sight of their 25% discounts on all photography related books. Curious, I clicked the link which led to several photography books for sale. Upon seeing a book on food photograhy, I was interested to purchase immediately. The book retails at RM95.80 but customers enjoy 25% off for online purchase. I decided to try my luck searching for it at BookXcess, hoping that I would get even cheaper price than RM71.85 but to no avail cuz it's a newly published book (May 2011). One glance at Kinokuniya's site shows the same retail price too.

With that in mind, I didn't think twice about placing order right away. Surprisingly, the book was delivered the next day which I thought would take up 3-5 days as stated in their site due to stock availability.

The exhilaration of touching a brand new book delivered to your doorstep is indescribable. =D

What the book thrives & lacks at the same time is the simplistic style of writing by the author who is both photographer & food stylist. I like how the book was written with a personal touch...not too formal & with minimal complicated jargons. Due to some absence of jargons & less straightforward phrases, the book tend to be a little lengthy & long-winded.

I'd have to admit the food pictures are gorgeous.

Draggy & long-winded the paragraphs may be, it still has pretty good explanations on camera gears & tips on how to DIY your soft box.

Sad to say, I haven't own a DSLR yet to experiment any of the tips in the book. I'm hoping to get it soon in October (*fingers crossed*). Will keep this page updated once I get started with my photography journey. Yippee! =)

Goku Raku Ramen, Mid Valley

I was intrigued about a new ramen shop at Mid Valley that WL was raving about for a couple of days. According to him, the secret behind such savoury broth in every bowl of their is the use of good quality pork as the main ingredient. I had a feeling that a dose of "ajinomoto" aka MSG adds a magic touch to the broth as well.

Anyhow, I was eager to try & got excited when WL had to drop by Mid Valley to buy a new pair of trainers. After all, he promised to bring me there knowing that I fancy good food as much as he does. We met up with my sister who so happened was busy scouting for mooncake for Mum & asked her to join us for dinner. The menu design with creative use of different materials exudes a sense of authenticity but not trying hard to be posh nor lavish. This is a one-of-a-kind that definitely caught my eye.

Inside the menu, there's a page that teaches you how to eat ramen the right way. How interesting can things get? =)

We made our orders & waited patiently for them to arrive, bowl after bowl. Being a photography lover in me, I just couldn't help toying with my iPhone camera while getting my sis to be my model. The glass drinks caught my attention too.

My bowl of ramen arrived first & it's called Char Siew Kuro Tonkotsu Ramen. Phew...a mouthful of words eh?

The taste is so rich in aroma & texture. Amazing~ Definitely a savoury bowl for the soul. Yum! Next came WL's choice called Ultimate Tonkotsu Ramen. Another delicious one, I'd say.

Lastly, my sis' order was served & this is how her ramen looks like. We had the option to add leek oil but only my sis requested for it. Unfortunately, it turned out too oily.

No doubt WL's order tasted fantastic but my sis had a little hard time consuming her noodles. It was oily but still good nonetheless. We have learnt our lesson not to add leek oil as the broth is slightly oily in nature.

Price is generally steep for a bowl of ramen & one might consider it not worth a 2nd visit. I'd beg to differ - althought pricey it may be, what you get is a humongous bowl of noodles with lots of fresh ingredients. Not to forget the fabulous broth boiled from fresh pork (plus a little MSG). I'm in for a 2nd visit for sure but not that frequent, of course. I'd give thumbs up for such gastronomic feat.

Address:
Lot S25 & S26
Level 2, North Court
Mid Valley Megamall
Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2282 3924

Opening Hours:
10:00am - 10:00pm