Tasting Malaysia

L left his job last week after he completed his 3 months' probation because the final offer was too low for the kind of shit and hours he puts in. He's not the kind to slack - in fact putting in 120% - and has done a great job so far, judging by his regular customers. Plus his colleagues like working with him and he has formed an unlikely 'brotherhood' with the Chinese and Indian cooks who are the unsung heroes of many ristoranti. I told L better things await as it's a blessing in disguise. Things always happen for a reason, and I believe for a good one.

We took the chance to get away for the weekend and planned an impromptu culinary escapade to Malacca and KL - L's virgin trip to Malaysia. The VIP coach of Luxury Tours was fabulous; imagine reclinable roomy leather seats, personal TV screens and plenty of leg space ($34 to Malacca & $48 from KL). I've always enjoyed Malacca for its food and have a list of must-trys for L's tastebuds awakening. Also recently Malacca is officially recognised as a heritage site by UNESCO and the local tourism authority is now busy building an airport to cash in on this new-found status.

Anyway once there, we wasted no time and walked from Hotel Equatorial past the A Famosa fortress to the stunning red-facade Christ Church while fighting off the garish trishaws touts who were trying to get us to take a ride in their loud vehicles. L was irritated becos he being the angmoh always kana harassed. We found Jonker Street easily and somehow my antenna led us to our first makan pitstop - my favourite Teochew restaurant in the world - Restaurant Teo Soon Loong Chan.

Being a kitschy little hole in the wall, it can be quite hard to find in a small lane off Jonker Street. Everything about it is so authentically old skool; the garish 50s decor, the outdoor kitchen at the entrance, the non-fuss service and best of all, there's no menu. The jolly Uncle Tan would recommend dishes to customers by pointing out the ingredients on the side counter.

I remembered the feast of 10 dishes on my last trip with my W&D foodie kakis and wanted to order so many more this time but Ah Pek stopped me at the 4th dish ('enough enough for you 2!' he quipped in mandarin). Dammit! Already famished from the 4-hour ride, we slurped on the signature velvety oyster mee in a thick savoury black gravy while chomping on crispy bits of deepfried softshell crabs (heaven!), fried seafood roll, vegs with sambal and or-nee (yam paste) with pumpkin for dessert. The smiling Ah Pek was a very good PR manager (like L) as he went about chatting with customers. I doubt they get many angmoh guests so he seemed extremely curious about L.

Be warned: there are only 9 tables so advance reservations are a must for big groups (we called and pre-ordered the 10 dishes from S'pore the last time!). Other signature dishes to try are the roasted duck, suckling pig, steamed pomfret fish, bitter gourd w braised meat, and prawns balls.
Address: 55 Jalan Hang Kasturi (second cross street) 75200 Melaka.
Tel 06-282-2353. Closed Mondays.
Visit their charming old skool website at www.tslcmalaysia.com to see the VVIP guests from S'pore.

Restaurant Keng-Dom Sdn. Bhd.
In the evening, we trotted down to another fav ristorante at Malacca - Keng-Dom which was an old skool eatery that has recently been renovated by the looks of its mint-condition floral wallpaper. It is on the ground floor of a shophouse within walking distance (3mins) from Hotel Equatorial. I love the auntie waitresses (their warm and efficient service beats the shit out of any 5-star fine-dining crew). The food's also outstanding; just ask the motherly lady manager for recommendations. Try the beef and pork rib curry pies, homemade tofu in crabmeat sauce, 'tong poh lok' (roasted pork loin in a gorgeous sauce served with steamed buns - bestest!) We went back twice and the aunties served L their secret spicy chilli sauce which they don't usually serve to guests. Thumbs up!

Address: 147/8/9 Jalan Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka
Tel: 06-282-6409. Open daily 11am to 2.30 pm, 5.30 pm to 11 pm.

Chop Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls
Proudly serving the signature chicken rice balls since 1973, this got to be the best chicken and rice balls eatery in Malacca. There's always a long queue even in the early morning or during late lunch hours. I say, go early in case they run out of chicken! The smallish kampung chickens are succulent and juicy, all quickly and expertly chopped up and drizzled with some fats, sesame/soy sauce. We had a half chicken and 3 plates of balls. The coffeeshop is non-descript compared to the colourful facades and screaming adverts of other similar eateries. They don't need any printed accolades from celebs and ambassadors - clearly word of mouth works very well for this humble joint. (It is immediately on the right of the roundabout after you cross the river from Christ Church)

Address: Lorong Hang Jebat. Open daily 7am to 3pm.

Jonker Dessert (Sin Sing Cendol)
Forget about the other cendol stalls in Malacca. This is da bomb and mother of cendols! The gula malaka is pure liquid gold which they drizzled liberally over the pile of shaved ice. Again, you can find it easily from the perpetual long queue on Jonker Street. They also got other good desserts like the ABC ice-kachang (which i thought was ABC stout!). Can also takeaway and eat at your own leisure.

Address: 88 Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street), 75200 Melaka
Tel: 016-631-4288. Open Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 10pm, Friday-Saturday till 11pm, Sunday till 9pm. Closed Monday unless PH.

Mr Choo's popiah cart
Best popiah - fresh or fried. L and I were determined to find his holy grail after a failed attempt on day 1 and finally tracked Mr Choo's cart down outside Geographic Cafe at Jonker Street. Apparently he's there from 4pm every day. he's lost a lot of weight and is more wrinkly than before but you can see the man takes great pride in his rolls. L asked for extra spicy and the old chap happily painted his popiah skin in red!

Besides a great place for pigging out, Malacca has also many interesting sights such as the Maritime Museum (in the form of a Portugese ship), viewing tower, oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, its charming Chinatown zone, quaint local shops and guesthouses. So if you have time for a makan weekend, this is it. Now move your arse!

Bebe time

Auguri to Q and C who welcomed the arrival of their bellissima bebe girl Noemi! She's simply an angel. I bet she'll be a stunner with her Cinese-Italiano roots. Amazingly during the last few months, some of my friends have been popping out babies and many of them are girls. Woo-pee! It's no secret that L and I love kids (esp girls!), and we're looking forward to our own bundle of joy when the time is right. Hopefully by then, my eggs are still ok! I did ask my gynae if I can freeze them but she said it's not allowed in S'pore!? Ma perchè?

Living la vita loca

On Sunday, I was mistaken as a Burmese for the 2nd time in a month! Are there that many Burmese (or Myanmarians?) in S'pore? It turned out there are at least 100,000 of them in Singapore and most usually congregate at Peninsula Plaza where I accompanied L to buy his football boots. It felt like Golden Mile part 2. It seems there is a lot of political-military unrest in the country which drove many desperate folks to flee to neighbouring borders like Thailand and China.

Anyway I was in hibernation during the past 2 weeks; taking a breather from everything, spending time with family, getting back to nature and hitting the books to gain a fresh perspective on life. Basically trying to delve into the ultimate question: why am I here? Life's gotta more than material pursuits and beyond the cookie-cutter of find-partner -get married- home- children- retire- and- addios: death. Do our souls return in new bodies and start all over again to learn new lessons? If so, it seems so tiring to be trapped in this endless vicious cycle of mortality.

Which is why I've been reading up on spirituality-related topics from angels to karma, and I find myself feeling a bit more enlightened and lighter. If you're seeking some guidance that make sense in your life, try Diana Cooper's 'A Little Light on Spiritual Laws' which is a clear and effective guide to help tune into your higher consciousness. There are many Laws which I've subscribed to including Law Of Resistance and Law Of Attraction - essentially you must think positive to receive positive. For e.g you must say 'I am healthy and happy' and you will be so. You can't wish 'I don't want to be sick and unhappy' because you are resisting these negative attributes which will come. And if you keep fretting and say things like 'I know I won't get that job and I'll be so disappointed' - it'll be just like that because the power of your unconsciousness attracts what you expects.

I even applied the Law Of Attraction and Law Of Decree to simple everyday things like getting a taxi. For e.g one night, my friends were waiting quite long for a cab and they decided to call and make a booking. I pronounced happily that I don't need to call because a cab will come soon. And true enough, one arrived within the next minute! Then last week, I asked L what he wants and he said he wants to strike 4D. The next day, his number came out in the consolation section but that fellow didn't buy it even though he's been buying it for weeks! I consoled him. Lesson learnt: don't be afraid to ask for what you want but your intention must be for your higher self and good. In this case, the Law Of Clarity and Attention also apply - L was clear on what he wants but he didn't follow up and pay attention to make it happen. Too cheem? Don't worry, it's an easy book to digest (you can find it at Kinokuniya).

I also finished Diana's 'A New Light On Angels' on working with angels and the elementals, and now polishing a book on 'Karma & Reincarnation'. Funnily what started me off in the first place was 'The Findhorn Garden' - a magical and wondrous book on having faith, working with nature and cooperating with the devas and elementals. All these were passed to me from my sis when I confessed my secret wishes to her (hush; cannot reveal yet). She also gave me readings sessions with her Angels, Fairies and Ascended Masters Cards - and the messages are astonishing! It's also wonderful that our dear amica J is ready to embrace our higher consciousness and we had a fab time at Keane's concerto (I love their new album!).

It's hard to explain all these in a single blog entry but if you want to know more or have a 'reading', let me know. I've listed web links for these books in the side box which you might find useful :) As an experiment to test my cooperation and trust in nature and the devas, I've planted tomato seeds in a box of compost soil on Sunday and constantly send them and my mint, basil and rosemary plants full beams of golden light and love. And guess what? The seedlings started pushing their way out of the soil - only after a mere 4 days, wow! Stay tuned for my gorgeous pomodorini... with blessings and love to all.

Key to hippiness

The past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of 1) closing the cat photo exhibition 2) launch activities at Ion Orchard where we have 5 clients and 3) playing tour guida again - this time to L's cugino G and his amico P. This was their first time in Spore and Asia, so it's a real eye-opener for them. I just loved the look of shock and enlightenment whenever I showed them another dimension, another view, another different face and taste of S'pore. I say 'enlightenment', because one of their silly friends was wondering why they want to come to Spore, after all there is to it are 'cabanas'. Yes, balmy little coco huts in a fishing village. *groan*

I did showed them the very tall 'cabanas' of Clarke Quay and their eyes opened wide and they laughed and proclaimed 'And my friends ask us why we come to Spore???' Right on, dudes. I also showed them the 'cabanas' of Chinatown, Little India, Bedok, Siglap, Pasir Ris, East Coast Parkway, Sentosa, Orchard Road, St James, etc and they loved it all. Their week here also coincided with National Day and it just adds to their and my enlightenment that we've achieved a hell of a lot for a young nation. Yes, we might not have the Colosseo or Leaning Tower, or a Great wall to boot but we've got our own unique identity, languages (Singlish included), cheap shiok local food and a healthy economy to be damn proud of. Challenges ahead are to develop a greater civic mind and higher consciousness in a green, sustainable and open society.

Anyway I still have my reservations about the Merlion but hey I always tell visitors to have a look and keep an open mind. We painted the town red during the long National Day weekend and boogied to Mambo Jambo at Zouk (the coolest cabana) on sabato, followed by a sumptuous Sunday Brunch at Paulaner B where the tipsy ragazzi went around toasting 'salute' to every table of bemused guests. We then napped a drowsy afternoon away before trotting over to the Night Safari to appreciate the beautiful animals, especially the cool cats (they are too majestic to be caged up like that)! Needless to say, the boys had a smashing time and I'm pretty sure they will be back very soon.

Its only numbers

Usually I get quite emotional on my birthday and would rather lock myself in and have a bloody good cry. Strangely this time, I felt quite unaffected. Maybe L's presence comforts and cheers me. I got tons of well wishes from family and friends on FB and via sms, including a text from mom which read 'Yen, happy birthday to you'. It was a simple and sweet message, and it made me sobbed like a baby on the MRT, with no tissue to blow my nose! Mmph.

We took the day off to relax in town, met mom for dim sum, and also tried to change the size of the diamond ring which L surprised me with the night before. It's not an engagement ring, darlings (not yet lah). We call it a 'birthday ring' - which will complement the diamond earrings he got me last year (which he reminded me I've not worn them since). He's such a sweetheart and I'm thankful that he has great taste too! In the evening, we whipped up a mean dinner of white wine and tom yum mussels & clams, followed by 'Benjamin Button' on dvd.

I didn't expect much from the film but it turned out to be very touching and sad, esecially how apt that it's about the ageing process and one's life journey towards the end. The main character (played by a very understated Brad pitt) was born old and as he aged, he became younger and younger. The message revolved around age, that we should not judge a person based on his/her age and it's also never too old to do what you want and live life to the fullest. As Queenie in the movie always said: 'You never know what's coming for you...' The film made me cried like mad (I was inconsolable, just like that time I watched 'Madison County') and the next day, I woke up with damn swollen eyes lor.

Making it happen

The last 2 weeks just zoomed by! The whirlwind of joyful activities started with V and P's beach wedding at Bintan on the 4 July weekend. It was a simple but sweet ceremony attended by family and close friends, where her parents performed a song for their march in on the sand. Awwww. V waited 47 years for her true love and she didn't give up. Well done, mia amica! L and I also enjoyed the short getaway together and came back with quite a nice tan (me, not him lol).

After that, I busied myself with putting the final touches to COTW exhibition which opened on Thursday to many positive comments! The framed cat photos looked great and it was worth the time and effort organising it. The stress melted away with every encouraging word from friends and strangers. A lady came up to me at the opening and said: 'Are you the organiser? I must congrat you on such a great exhibition. We enjoyed it a lot.' A few other folks also thanked me for making it happen - which made me feel so proud of myself. *pat pat*

Michele 'il sindaco' (my classmate from Seychelles) was also in town since martedi and we have been painting the town red and pigging out everyday. We sweated over cheap $3 lunches at Maxwell hawker centre, licked our fingers clean at Little India, chomped down on sushi at Sushi Tei, chicken rice at Yet Con and slurped up spicy chilli crabs at No Signboard Seafood in Geylang. M also splurged generously on $380++ cena at The White Rabbit and a $500++ decadent pranzo at Iggy's! It's great that we didn't spend much time at the shopping malls (only 1!), instead I showed him the enclaves of bustling Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street and Boat Quay.

As nature lovers, we also enjoyed an evening stroll in the lush Botanic Gardens where he pointed out the huge Coco de Mer palms, native to Seychelles. He had hand-carried a female coco fruit as a gift - and to illustrate its distinctive shape which resembles a woman's hip. Do you know Coco de Mer palm trees are either male or female in nature and one can't tell untill 20 years later when they mature and bear fruits? The male tree sprouts penis-like long fruits which flower and wither away quickly while the female fruits bear the seeds and can live on forever.

I must say nature is truly amazing. Which is why I have this nagging urge to get back to nature and start volunteering on local farms; to feel the dirt in my hands and sun on my back. How wonderful it'd be to run away and farm for a whole year (I'm convincing L)! Sometimes I feel a tad sick of the rat race and city life. I crave the fresh air, greenery and the sense of freedom. And I keep my secret dream close to my heart. Maybe it's my birthday that's stirring me and setting the stage for another transformation.

Mite happen to any cat

Luckily work eased up a tad for me so I can focus on getting everything ready for "Cats Of The World" exhibition that's opening next week! *Gulp* This year, we have some great shots from the past year contributors as well as many new cat lovers that I've tracked down from Flickr. You'd be amazed at the quality out there! And I'm proud that more sponsors such as Canon and Fancy Feast have come onboard to make it a better show. I'm already thinking of doing a cat flea market (cat & flea, so funny!) in conjunction with the exhibition next year! Hmmmm... Plus the media coverage has been very encouraging and Elle even included me in a story in July issue about 'Inspiring Women Who Make A Difference'.

Talking about cats, Jarvis has been bugged down by a suspected bout of mites - little brown flecks that dot his fur from head to paws, so we finally brought him to the Animal Clinic and the vet confirmed it. Luckily all he needs is a dash of 'Revolution' applied once for the next three months (same goes for the 2 girls since they are probably carriers too). For the past couple of months, he looked listless and had been over-grooming himself. After the visit, he actually looked kinda relieved and went to lao sai in his litter pan after farting in F's car. He's such a puttycat; we love him to bits!

The vet said we should be happy that Jarvis and Ripley are still doing well at their age (around 15 & 17) as most cats are lucky if they make it past their 10th birthday. In terms of human age, they have both surpassed the 100th mark so they are centurion cats! To put his age in perspective, if Jarvis is a human, he's 15 and should be at secondary 3 now!

Father figure

I'm not sure if it's fair but the excitement surrounding Father's Day always pales in comparison to Mom's. Even at home, we don't really celebrate it because dad is not that sentimental and practical him thinks it's another commercial gimmick. So we've learned to accept his school of thought and save on a fancy dinner. He's a traditionalist at heart and is not the expressive sort but that's probably from his upbringing. From what I heard, Grandpa was not the best father figure to his kids so who's to blame? But I know he cares and wants the best for us all. When dad was sick a few days ago, I realised how old and fragile he could be. And that day I happened to bump into him on the MRT on the way home, he was so tired and sleepy after work (helping a friend on a housing project at Boon Lay) but he still offered me his seat.

Anyway Saturday was a sad day as uncle A. Yeo has passed away barely 1 month after finding out he's got leukemia. He was Luc's dad - a respected counsellor, author, pastor and also a father figure to my sis when she had problems. Even when I had anxiety attacks from my last relationship with the pyscho ex, he also took time to counsel me and him separately. My sis was informed that the chemo wasn't working and his body couldn't fight the infections, so uncle A made the decision to pull the plug on the respirator on Father's Day (so poetic and brave; this is coming from a man of faith who has counselled many distressed people and written many books/thesis on death and coping with loss).

We were going to pay our last respects to him in the ICU on Saturday but when we arrived, we were told his blood pressure was dropping drastically and only family was allowed. I couldn't imagine how brave his family must be during his dying moments. We left the hospital and got the call shortly that he has passed away. Peace be with him.

I remember reading that life is full of uncertainties but the only thing certain in life is death. As much as we all fear it, we have to face the inevitable end. It is a sad but also inspiring thought - that we must live each day to the fullest, to be happy, to go after our own goals, and to say 'i love you' to the important people in our lives. Happy Father's Day to all dads.

P.S: Auguri to L who celebrates his onomastico aka saint namesake's day - aka Saint Luigi's day. There must be thousands of Luigi in Napoli who's eating cake and drinking vino today! What did we do? I shaved his head and he went happily to work! :)

Bali's hot maams

Bali has become more developed in the last 7 years since I was there in 2002 after the bombing incident. But I can still remembered it fondly from 1993; the first time I went abroad with my sis, Luc and Jamie (Hard Rock Cafe was all the rage then). Now Kuta and Legian are crazy crowded with shops after shops (all selling the same surf brands and local cheap wares) and ever more polluted with traffic. But the weather's great here - my heat rash's gone and my cough's soothed by the daily cold birra although I should lay off the sweet clove cigarettes.

The narrow roads were jammed bumper to bumper on Friday when we got off the taxi and gobbled down the crab n peas nasi goreng, squid chap chai, mee goreng and fried chicken wings in a sweet butter sauce at a local warung. Then we made a beeline for the extremely crowded beach and caught a magnificent sunset as the red glowing ball dipped below the horizon. I don't remember it so dirty and packed. The bali surf boys are still there trying to pick up lady tourists; some giving us the ernest glance. I kept a nonchalant mask on, to shopkeepers' greetings of 'hello darling'.

Naturally some spoke to me in bahasa Indonesia. I'm used to being mistaken as a local everywhere in Asia (but just recently I was mistaken for a Myanmar native by a cab driver in S'pore; that's a first!) We had soaked in our own private pool all Friday morning since the in-villa brekkie at 10am (for the record, I prefer my eggs overeasy). The damn cocks and hens on the property next door had woken us up early in the wee morning with their relentless cuckookooooo every freakin!%@ 2 minutes. Cannot tahan.

The night before, we flew in late and had supper at Made Warung in Seminyak (great gado gado and tongue-numbing chilli dip in nasi goreng). Anyway it has been bottle after bottle of chilled Bintang beer ever since we arrived. Bintang is great on its own or with food - in or out of the pool (M swore it has 0% alcohol content as she never got high.) We usually grabbed half a dozen bottles and plenty of chips from the minimart. I wish they'd carry Bintang in S'pore soon!

Just to give a quick lowdown on the company - F, M, S and I were college mates 17 years ago when we were 17 (yes, do the maths). The driver asked if we are students - terimah kasih uncle for the compliment - but the operative word is we WERE students before. Still, it's good to know we haven't aged much and can still pass off as youngsters. Heehee. This was out first holiday abroad and we were naturally excited.

On Sat, we booked a driver and car for US$50 and our first destination was Ubud - the cultural heart - an hour's drive away. Bali is a huge island but most people contained themselves in the southern zone spanning Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Sanur, then making a side trip up north to Ubud in the hills. We had 2 lunch stops - the first was Dirty Duck, a local institution for its bebe bengil; spice-marinated duck steamed and then deepfried to a perfect lightp-as-air crisp. We could eat a few ducks - and more Bintang beer please.

We also shared an octopus salad (passable) and Indonesian platter of stuffed tofu, spring rolls and sate' (not bad). The prices are more affordable than I imagined, the garden setting is lush and green against a backdrop of padi fields and the pavilion dining experience is unique (except after 20mins, my folded legs were numb). We were careful to save some room for the 2nd lunch stop, but first some shopping at the Ubud market to work up an appetito.

The mercato was as I remembered it. Inside we sieved through a mind-boggling labryinth of stalls selling local crafts, silver jewellery, pretty batik dresses, silk scarves, woven bags, intricately mosaiced mirrors etc. We all got souvenirs, losing no time at bargaining. The rule is mark down by at least 60%; if they don't give in, honey just move on (unless you really, really like it)! Anyway most of them sell the same things, so you're bound to find a willing seller. It sounds cruel but they really mark up by a lot lor.

Happy and thirsty, we proceeded to nearby Naughty Nuri's for their acclaimed spare ribs and cocktails. It was indeed a roadside shack as described in the reviews and the menu's scribbled on the wall for all to see. We ordered chips and ribs, with 3 whisky sour and 1 margarita. The waitress promptly grilled the ribs by our table after slathering them with a thick bbq sauce. I wasn't sure if the smoky flavour came from the cars or the grill, but hell they were superb! Very meaty and finger-lickin' good! Also damn cheap at 65,000rp so we decided to ta-bao another serving. The only gripe we had was the overpriced cocktails at 100,000rp (S$15) EACH! I double-checked with the waitress if there had been a mistake with the zero's, but nope the bill states 400,000rp for the 4 drinks! We felt ripped off - should have stuck to Bintang beer!

Permesso please

L got his work permit today and immediately passed all the numbers he can find on it to my mamma (for 4D what else?) whom he has affectionately nicknamed 'Matta' (italian for 'mad') for her boundless energia and chatter. I guess I've inherited some of that unstoppable madness.

Yesterday L said he saw the Singapore President whom came to the barbar shop next door to the italian ristorante. It was no mistake as there was polizia outside. Being the 'relationship manager' written on his namecard, he wanted to personally deliver an espresso and tiramisu to thank him for his work permit but was worried he'd be shot down. Imagine the headlines: "Espresso Attempt Thwarted - A Close Shave For President at Barber". Hahahaha.

L's current obsession is Phua Chu Kang after I've pointed Singapore's favourite ah beng on the MRT's courtesy campaign poster. We watched re-runs of PCK on You Tube and I must admit it - it was rather funny. L's Singlish has improved tremendously - now his fav phrase is 'Pui Chao Nwua' (meaning 'spit smelly saliva'). I try to explain the context of it being used but it's not an easy one. My granny said it's like to curse your bad luck when something bad happened. She'd know since she's the eloquent queen of hokkien swear words and sayings.