Mad Days at work

Lots to update but not enough time to update them (and when I do find the time, the internet connection at home decides to die on me).

So a quick one in the middle of my lunch break.

Knitting-wise:
In the midst of intense pressure at work, I've been destressing as much as possible with my knitting. (my fingers get all jittery when I'm stressed so knitting helps to calm me down)

-I've completed my Sunflower top and wore it out on Sunday. Must remember to take a picture of it soon.

- Also completed the Kitteh curtain for my bathroom. It's hung up now and looks super-cute. Pictures in the SLR so will need to upload them soon.

- During the Pangkor Laut trip, I also managed to make a cute little bag. I've called it Apricot bag I think. It's peach coloured yarn but I've already named another bag Peaches.

- The Apricot bag is now home to my latest bring to cinema project - the Bubblegum top. Simple stockingnette in a round using the baby pink cotton yarn I bought for RM2 from Sally who bought it in Ho Chi Minh City. This top will most likely go to my sister, although since she's back in KL for good, we can share...

- On the Drawstring raglan, I've made pretty good progress. I've completed the Feather and Fan bottom half and have done the arms holes. Also wound up 3 more skeins of the Pakucho yarn last night as I hope to make more progress with this in the coming days. I've been checking out other knitters' FOs from this pattern on Ravelry and am getting excited. I'm so happy with the simplicity of the pattern that I'm already planning to knit a second one!

Food-wise:
There are a few reviews pending I think (I've been stressed so comfort food has been necessary. Goodbye diet!). Last week was an eat-out week since the family was away (Dad in Jakarta and the rest in Singapore).

Dinners included Sage on Monday, Ri Yakitori on Wednesday, House & Co at BSC on Thursday, Flying Chillies at Gardens on Friday, Soo Kee Noodles at Imbi on Saturday, Yuzu at Gardens on Sunday.

Scandalous.... Luckily during the day I have my Herbalife shakes!!

On Pangkor Laut - I've linked my previous post to my sister's blog since she's had the time to write 4 parts for the trip!

Ta! Back to work!

Pangkor Laut - the links

Sorry I haven't had time to blog about Pangkor Laut and since my sister has been more efficient (and also hogging up bandwidth at home!), here's her take on our weekend getaway - Part One, Two, Three and Four.

I've also managed to upload some photos on Facebook last night so here they are!

In a nutshell, it was an amazing holiday, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, stuffed ourselves silly and got the best service from the staff at Pangkor Laut. We also got to swim in the private pool of one of the Estates, partied the night away in the Estates and chill out on Emerald Bay.

Pictures to come soon.... Back to work!

Knit update

A quick knit update since I'm feeling really restless (had katsu curry rice at Yashi no mi for lunch today with the siblings and I think having so much carbs at lunch is something alien to my body now).

The new yarns I ordered online arrived last week... So did the sushi stitch markers and knitting needles. I took a longer lunch break, went home to pick up my sister, headed over to the post office to collect the parcels, then went home again to rip open the packaging and celebrate the arrival of new things (feels almost like opening presents at Christmas).

I have also cast on for another project. I'm finally making use of Francie Stevens lace weight from the Plucky Knitter after much deliberation on what to do with my 2 skeins. I'm using the free shawl pattern that Kristine of St Seraphina sent as a thank you for purchasing her yarns. Let's hope I make some progress with this in Pangkor Laut this weekend.

Okay back to work!

Knit FO: Sunaina's baby blanket

Secret project revealed!

I made this baby blanket earlier this year when I found out my colleague and friend Sunaina was going to have a baby. I've been keeping it as a secret for the past few months and can finally blog about it after giving it to her this weekend at her baby shower.

When I was deciding on the pattern, we had not yet ascertained the sex of the baby and so I wanted to keep it unisex. I also prefer simple and unfussy patterns for baby blankets so that it doesn't, in any way, irritate the baby.

I ended up deciding to do a simple reversible checkerboard pattern. Really simple and a pleasure to knit.



Yarny details:
Pattern - simple reversible checkerboard.
Yarn - Peru Naturtex Partners Pakucho Organic Cotton in cream, bought from JBW. 5 skeins used.
Ravelry post: here

Here's a pic of the two baby blankies I've made this year..

Totally disrespectful

Just wanted to note some rather upsetting things in the press:

A Muslim journalist from Al-Islam and a friend attended Mass at one of the Catholic churches in KL under the pretense of "investigating if allegations that young Muslims were being converted into Christianity". At Mass, they accepted Holy Communion, spat the host out and took pictures of it.

Now, we are always fine with non-Catholics/Christians coming to our churches. In fact, we more than welcome people into our church. But, they should not take Holy Communion as this is meant for Catholics only. On top of that, their treatment of the communion host is most unacceptable. Someone I know related it to the equivalence of bringing pork into a mosque. That is the gravity of disrespect that has been shown.

Source: Cathnews.com, The Nutgraph, Malaysia Today, The Sun

I usually refrain from such outbursts but it is most appalling that these 2 people could have been so ignorant and disrespectful of other people's religion. We shall pray that they see error in what they have done and apologise for their ignorance and thoughtlessness.

Sun, sea and surf in Bali

What do you think about when you think of Bali?

Is it the sun?
(Amazing sunset at Pura Tanah Lot)


Or is it sand?
(Tanjung Benoa beach)


Perhaps its the surf?
(Surfing at Kuta beach)


What do you do in Bali?

Laze around by the beach while trying to get a decent tan? (I tried to get a tan and failed miserably again)


Relax with a massage?
(SAng Spa, Ubud)


Have meals with amazing views?
(Lunch at Grand Puncak Sari restaurant, Kintamani)


Balinese food is definitely pork-laden....

We had sate babi everyday..
(The best was at Grand Puncak Sari)


We also tried the famous babi guling (suckling pig). To ensure authenticity, we got our driver to recommend a roadside stall in Kuta where the locals eat.


And for spiritual healing, we visited temples, the largest and most important being Pura Besakih with its extensive grounds. Amazing...From Bali with love...

More pictures on FB.

Piggin' Out: Restoran Homey, Kuchai

Restaurant: Homey Seafood Shop
Address: No. 8, Jalan Kuchai Maju 8, Kuchai Dynasty 3, Off Kuchai Lama, 58200 KL.
Tel: +6012 311 5112 / +6016 626 1614
Business hours: 11am-3pm, 6pm-11pm. (Closed on alternate Wednesdays)

I have been keeping a secret for a long time and have been selfishly reluctant to share it. But, for the sake of good crabs, I reveal it to you today.

This is my family's favourite place to eat crabs, the first place chosen by my siblings for their homecoming feast (i.e. their first meal once they arrive home from the UK). We'd actually gone there last Wednesday the moment they arrived home, only to find it closed. We had dinner at another pretty good restaurant in Happy Garden (which I shall take pictures of and blog about another time).

So anyway, the "crab" dinner was postponed to last night.

First we gobbled up the kacang because we were starving...


And had fresh coconuts to quench our thirst....


First to arrive were the veggies - stir fried yau mak (romaine lettuce) with fu yue (fermented bean curd). One of my favourite veggies and a staple in my London diet since I could easily get romaine lettuce from Tesco.


Next was the Hokkien fried meehoon. My mom's favourite. Laden with pork lard. Yummm..


A new dish here at Homey is the Japanese snails. We had it stir fried kung po style last night. The shop has a box outfront where they rear the snails. Last night's batch were big and juicy.. The sauce was a bit sweet so I told the owner about it.


My sister's request was for the "lala soup" - clams in rice wine broth.


My dad defrosted the last fish head we have at home and brought it here for them to cook it. And cook it well they did. This is a parrot fish or sau nga yue in Cantonese. My favourite fish! Again, the sauce was a bit on the sweet side, to which the owner said that it could be due to the premium soya sauce that they've used. They've taken note of our comment though so hopefully it wont be so sweet the next time.


By the time the crabs arrived, I was already too full. But, of course we still continued chomping away since it was so good.


The best combination: Chilli crabs and deep fried mantou.

There... my secret's out. My favourite place for crabs for the past 11 years. They were our tenants at our Kuchai shoplot down the road and went under the name Restoran Tian Tian Hot Wok Food for just under 10 years.

Last year, the partners parted ways (which I had blogged about here) and so the chef and his bunch set up shop here. We were so happy to find that they reopened and have loyally followed them here.

Here's to more crabby feasts!