Makan Mandi

You may or may not have heard of Makan Mandi, but I certainly have not, until I was in Dubai recently and my colleagues brought me to try out Makan Mandi.


There are two area for dining; the common living room style, and in room dining. Apparently, if you are female and especially if you are not dining with males or with family members, you are not allowed to sit at the common living room area. Females are to dine in the rooms. As there were 8 of us, out of which 6 were females, we took the in room dining option.



It is an interesting concept where everyone sits on the floor (ok, with cushioned pads), and your food will be placed on the floor. You have the option of either eating with your hands (the traditional way), or asking for the plate and cutleries. Since we were sharing the food, we thought we should stick with the plate and cutleries.



I have to say that the fish was excellently fresh and tender, and the rice fragrant and nice. We definitely had an enjoyable time, and we ordered mint tea after the meal. The mint tea was delicious, and it helped digest the food.



Only thing was, we had a bit of trouble getting up after the meal, as our legs were numb from sitting down too long! Word of caution: Change your sitting positions often to avoid pins and needles afterwards.. :-)


Mood: As usual, Monday blues... :-(

Writer's Block

I am having writer's block..! Sigh...

I guess without the camera I have less inspiration to write, and certainly less stories to tell..

Different Airline Seats and Inflight Meals

During my recent trip to Istanbul and Dubai, I had the opportunity to travel on 03 different airlines, and hence try out 03 different types of aircraft seats and inflight meals.

I am going to show you the photos, but I will not reveal which airline it belongs to. Guess-lah..

Oh, by the way, one of them features seats on Business Class and Business Class meal, can you guess which one?

Mood: Irritated by someone's attitude. Totally..

Management cartoons for fun

Mood: Busy week, very tired..

Long wait at medical centre

My knee has 2 itchy red spots, which popped up 2 days ago. I gather this must be signs of allergy and so I went to see medical centre to see doctor and get medication.

The medical centre is closed for lunch and only reopens at 1400. I was there at 1350 and registered myself. I requested for a female doctor, and I was the third in line to see her.

I waited and waited, and almost dozed off, looked at my watch, and to my astonishment it was 1500 and still my turn has not arrived yet. I almost wanted to walk off when I saw the 2nd patient walking out from the female doctor's room. Thinking that I am next in line I should wait. Then I realised that this Malay lady seated across me cut my queue and was asked to go into the doctor's room by the nurse. I was so close to confronting both the Malay lady and the nurse because I have already waited 1 hour to see the doctor. If she needs to see the doctor, queue and wait for her turn! Anyway I controlled myself and didn't confront either of them. Still wondering why didn't I.. must have been tired..

Anyway I finally got to see the doctor after the Malay lady left. It was 1515, after waiting 1 hour and 15 minutes I got to see the doctor. Doctor diagnosed it as allergy, prescribed the medicine and sent me on my way. Then another wait at the dispensary for the medicine. That didn't take long though, about 10 minutes.

In summary,

Time taken waiting to see doctor: 1 hour 15 minutes
Time taken waiting to get medicine: 10 minutes
Consultation with the doctor: 5 minutes

Where is the logic?? It is such an irony, isn't it?

Mood: Sleepy from the wait, moody from recent events and itchy from the allergy.

Bored..

Ever felt like you are bored at work, and not knowing why you are at the office?

Yes, that's my state of mind right now, and I just read this quote:

The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind
(Wayne Dyer)

Well said.

Wedding Favours - Great Idea

Attended a friend's wedding over the weekend at Bukit Mertajam, and I have to say that the bride is creative.

I have not been to a wedding where the wedding favour is the highlight of the night, everyone was basically eyeing the "unclaimed" wedding favours and waiting to get their hands on it. Why? Because the wedding favours (jar with sweets inside, and beautifully wrapped with ribbons) look so nice, and comes in pink and red colour. I couldn't decide which colour I like best, can you?

Oh, only the privvy few got to wear this beautiful hand corsage. Isn't it prety?

p/s: Having quarter life crisis..

Fruit Labels - Read the Numbers on Your Fuits

I received this informstion from a friend, and thought I should share the information.

The email says that sticker labels on the fruits actually tell you how the fruits have been grown, whether they were organically grown or conventionally grown with pesticides and herbicides; oh, and let's not forget about the genetically engineered fruits.

Conventional Fruit Labels Four digits and does not start with 9 ** mostly starting with the digit 4
Organic Fruit Labels Five digits and starts with number 9
Genetically Modified Fruits Start with the digit 8 So next time you go shopping, remember these critical numbers and know how to avoid purchasing inorganic and GMO fruits. Shop Safe :)

This is good to know because stores aren't obligated to tell you if a fruit has been genetically modified (grrr¡Â­..)

Okay, so if you come across an apple in the store and it's label is 4922, it's an conventional apple grown with herbicides and harmful fertilizers. If it has a sticker 99222, it's organic and safe to eat. If it says 89222, then RUN!!!! I t has been genetically modified (GMO).

Ahhh... so that's what the numbers are for.

Oh, also don't forget to wash your fruits with salt water, it helps to get rid of residual pesticides and invisible insects (if any..)

Bloated

All this travelling and meeting made me put on weight!

My stomach is so bloated and I can barely fit into my working pants. Sigh.. time to hit the gym or jog in the park once I get back to Malaysia.

Oh I feel so bloated! And my face looks like a round ball now. :-(

Brand New Words

Read this today and thought it is really interesting.

NOTES FROM THE LANGUAGE UNDERGROUND
By GRANT BARRETT

THIS is a glossary of words that have recently been used in English and do not yet appear in traditional dictionaries.

1-800 car n. A car outfitted with superficial and expensive modifications that make it look like a fast car but which do not improve its performance. Instead of doing the work from scratch, which is more respected among car fans, the car owner has simply bought all the add-ons from a mail order company. 1-800 is a prefix for toll-free phone numbers typically used by the mail order company.

circus gold n. Elephant dung. For a lucky gardener, it is indeed gold. Use humorously.

citjo n. A blend of the words “citizen” and “journalist”, and indicating a non-journalist who contributes amateur video or other reportage to the established news media.

faux-po n. A security guard, also known in slang as turkey bacon, which in return references pig, the derogatory slang name for police. It comes from the French word faux meaning “fake”, and “po-po”, which is English slang for “police”.

floppy n. A comic book, so-named to distinguish it from a thicker graphic novel which is stiff.
happy sack n. An air-sickness bag, the kind typically used on airplanes. Use humorously.
infant-mortality failure n. In engineering circles, this is the breakdown of a piece of machinery that is new or has recently been rebuilt.

instant ancestor n. An old photograph of strangers used as decoration, the sort of thing you might buy at a flea market, a place where old household items are sold.

oopsie baby n. A baby resulting from an unplanned conception. Oops is an interjection used when one makes a small mistake.

quizzam n. A test that is more difficult than a quiz but easier than an exam. The word is made from a blend of “quiz” and “exam.”

rain garden n. A piece of low, damp ground planted with vegetation suited to handle the rainwater that collects there. It’s usually preferable to plant one of these than it is to simply leave a mud hole.

read-alike n. A (fiction) book whose contents are similar to another book’s. Looking for a read-alike helps library patrons find new authors who are similar to authors they already know.
singlism n. Bias against people who are not married or part of a couple.

snarge n. The carcass or remains of a bird that hits an airplane or passes through its jet engine. It is said to be a blend of the words “snot” and “garbage.”

trashout n. When a tenant who is forced out of a home due to foreclosure or eviction leaves it in a squalid – filthy, disgusting – state, it’s called a trashout. The new owner of the house, or the bank that holds the mortgage, has to send in a cleaning crew to clear out all the debris.

trunk monkey n. A rear gunner in an armed vehicle, caravan, or convoy. This word is used among American military personnel and contractors in Iraq. It’s possible that the term derives from an advertisement from Suburban Auto Group, and others in the same series which first aired in Portland, Oregon, in January 2003. One of the ads features a monkey jumping out of a trunk.

vein brother n. A man with whom you get high on injected drugs, especially if you share a needle.

violin hickey n. A mark left on the neck from playing the violin. These can be bruises, calluses, or sores. While a hickey is known by grade-schoolers across the country as the purple mark left by sucking on someone’s neck, it has historically been used to refer to any mark on the skin.

wannarexia: The desire to have an eating disorder so as to be thin and popular is called wannarexia, according to Dr Richard Kreipe of the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders in Rochester.

wasta n. The Arabic word for influence, personal connections; “pull” or “juice”. While not yet fully adopted as an English word, wasta is increasingly familiar to American soldiers serving in the Middle East. A previous surge in use of the term among Anglophones happened during the first Gulf War.

Bet you weren't aware of these words, did you?

Meeting in Dubai

That's right, from Istanbul, I am now in Dubai for a 3 days meeting.

My first impression of Dubai is that it is plain chaotic. From the moment I arrived at Dubai airport (0115 am local time mind you), the walk itself to the immigration did not make sense. We had to walk a long way, down the escalator, walk somemore then up the escalator.. etc.. only to come to a looonnggg queue at the passport control. And apparently the queue was considered mild that night.

Once we cleared immigration, it was then queue for taxi. Athough at 0215 am, there was a very long queue for taxis. The weather was 32c degrees in the wee hours of the morning, can you imagine how hot and weird that felt? I felt funny breathing in the air, like there are more than just air being sucked into my body. I later realised that it could be tiny particles of sand.. eecckkk! Imagine that. So it is really no surprise that I am having sorethroat now, on my 2nd day here. Sigh... I miss home..

Went to one of the shopping malls last night, and everything was out of my reach. You name the brands, and they've got it. Porblem is they are all too expensive for me. I suppose if you are living in Dubai and earning Dirhams you will find the prices normal. But for me I find it exhorbitant to pay Dirham 129 for a simple ladies tee.

If there is any consolation, my colleague makes VERY GOOD coffee. And I am happily enjoying my coffee every morning, think I will have another cup after lunch.. hmm..

Makan makan in Istanbul

I had so many ideas on blogging my Istanbul trip. In the end I decided to do separate the food section from the tourist attractions. I am starting with the food because I have the most photos on food! You will have to bear with me because I do not know all the food items, I will name those which I know, and update those which I do not later ok?

Ok here it goes, meat is a staple diet in Istanbul meals, so if you are not a meat lover, you will have some problem with food. But fear not, the trusted McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks and Gloria Jeans are almost everywhere for an escape. But like what they say, when you are in Rome, do what the Romans do. So I tried the kebab, the lamb, the beef, the simit, kunefe etc.. Truth be told, the food in Istanbul are actually quite nice, but because I am not a meat lover, I may not appreciate the full extent of the flavour, texture and the sort. I was already looking for vege on my 3rd day here. We went to the groery and bought vege to cook that night. Ahh.. vege never tasted that good.. :-) Oh, just to prove that there are McDonald burgers and Gloria Jeans coffee available, I have attached photos. By the way, do you know what Filet-O-Fish is not on the McDonalds menu here in Istanbul?

Salad

Turkish "Pizza"

Liken this to garlic naan

Chicken breast with wheat price, tomatoes and green chilli (very hot chilli)

Turkish chai (tea)

Turkish coffee

Turkish home cooked food, like economy rice or "zhap fun"

Beyshol Iskender's Beyshol Special

McDonalds: I had McChicken since they don't serve Filet-O-Fish

Delicious Caramel Cappucino Nut Chiller and NY cheesecake at Gloria Jeans Coffee

For breakfast, instant cup noodles provided solace and familiarity. It was either the Simit, a doughnut like bread, (which was cold and hard) or the instand noodles, no price for guessing which one I chose.

Simit, doughnut like bread

Desserts, huge variety available but most of them are very sweet. If you do not have a sweet tooth, I would recommend that you try kunefe, made by drizzling a row of thin streams of flour-and-water batter onto a turning hot plate, so they dry into long threads resembling shredded wheat. The pastry is heated with some butter, margarine or palm oil for a while and then spread with soft cheese and more pastry. A thick syrup, is poured on the pastry during the final minutes of cooking. The taste? Heavenly, not too sweet, not too cheesy, perfect type of dessert for me!

Kunefe

Are you salivating yet? This is not everything, but I figured you would either be bored of food photos or hungry after looking through the many food related photos, either which you will not continue reading, so I will save the photos for another blog..

Till then, Bon Apetite!

p/s: Kunefe is very nice.. Turkish food is very fattening... sigh.. I've not done justice to my waistline eversince coming to Istanbul..

Funny signs

Saw this in Istanbul, and thought that it's amusing.. I mean, a telephone (or telefon in Bahasa Malaysia) is not supposed to be on the floor?

Wireless Internet Connection!

Am in Istanbul right now holidaying.. hence the delay in updates to my blog.

Well, I wanted to update my blog on my first day here but I couldn't get connected. I hassled my friend again tonight for his help in helping me connect to the net, and surprise surprise he found out that he gave me the wrong password to connect to the wireless internet. What.....*?! And I was trying so hard over the last few days to connect to the internet.. sigh... wasted effort..

I will be updating my blog with photos of my Istanbul trip thus far, so come back in a few hours time k?

Vietnamese Pouch

Rummaging through my chestbox the other day, I found these Vietnamese pouches. Think it's made of cotton.

They are very nice, and new as I have not used it before. I bought it during my trips to Hanoi 2 years back. Mum has been nagging me to get rid of stuff in my room, and I only managed to part with this, out of the many other souvenirs still in the chestbox. (well, it takes time to part with one's treasure you know...?)

If you are interested to acquire the item let me know, I will let it go at cost price..

p/s: can anyone please teach me how to rotate the photos? It is rotated in my files, but after uploading, it was "un-rotated" (pardon my English...) again.

Mood: Tired, but excited about travelling tonight!

Nasi Lemak & Assam Laksa

If you have not tried the nasi lemak and penang assam laksa at Jaya Jusco, Mid Valley, perhaps you should.

It's not the nicest I have tasted, but I keep coming back for the assam laksa, for some reason. My other half will always think of this nasi lemak stall whenever we are in Mid Valley and will go for a meal.

Ok, photo time..!

Nasi Lemak Chicken Rendang

Penang Assam Laksa

Mood: Oh.. it's Monday tomorrow again..

Cute souvenir

We met up with some friends for dinner tonight, and one of them brought a souvenir from Hong Kong to pass to another friend.



It is in the shape of a pig, but it is so cute! Especially when you throw it on a hard surface, it gets flattened and will slowly return back to its original form. I couldn't get enough of it and kept throwing it around to experiment and watch it bounce back to shape.



Haven't seen anything like it in KL yet, but am sure this item will find its way into KL soon. Will definitely get myself one of these. It's a good way to reduce stress..



Hope you can see the photos and how cute the item is, you may need to use your imagination a bit as some of the photos are not as clear. It wasn't easy to capture the flattened shots as the flattened item bounces back almost immediately.



If you find the item in KL, let me know yeah?

NiuZeXui

If this title makes no sense to you, fear not.. This is actually name of the place I went lunch with my cousin today. It's actually pronounced as "Niu-Che-Shui" in Mandarin, which means 'Cow-Car-Water', translating literally. Of course it doesn't make much sense to most of us why the name, but nevertheless there is another place in Singapore, near the Chinatown area that bears the same name.


Anyway, back to lunch. It's the first time going to this place for me, so it took awhile to find this place. The place is still new, and many of the stores are not operational yet, but if this place takes off, then this would be THE place to be.

Some of the bigger names there are Starbucks and Big Apple Donut. Almost wanted to have doughnut for lunch.. We ended up at this small cafe called Ka Fei Tiam, which means Coffee Shop. Verdict of food and drinks: so-so.. value for $? Ok-lah..



Will go there again next time to explore other makan places. Watch this space..

Entrance

A shop selling wedding items

Starbucks on the left..

Mood: Excited, and totally motivated!

Collector's Item

We were talking about liquor collection, and mum mentioned she has a bottle of hennesy 30 years old! 30 years?! No joke.. Apparently this is now a collector's item, as this was one of the earlier batches of hennesy produced (according to mum).


The bottle of Hennesy looks nice, and mum was jokingly saying that she wants to auction it off at Christie's. Don't you think it looks a bit like a bottle of soya sauce iso of Hennesy?

Wonder what might be the market value of this bottle of Hennesy? Can you "guesstimate"?

Mood: Silence is not always welcomed..

Me trying out photography shots

Haha. Inspriration struck last night so I experimented with the camera, and the results... ta da!



I know, I know.. don't quit my day job.. but I kinda like the photos..

Mood: Ulcers are killing me, and I am demotivated.. and stressed..

Latest Bridge Score

Hi all,

If you have been following my posts you would know that me and 3 of my close friends meet regularly to play the game of bridge. We are very professional players (by our standard, of course.. haha..), to what extent you may ask. Well, we respect the game and the playing cards so much that we automatically will wipe and clean the table before we place our sacred playing cards on the table. And we try very hard not to stain the cards, we always joke that it's lucky to be our playing cards as we take good care of the cards.

Anyway, as the title suggest, I am here to update the latest bridge score as we near the end of our 2nd "buku 555". Without further ado.. let me present to you the scorecard:

ST - 461

CM - 426

KB - 412

WY - 425

And in case you still have doubts or think that I was joking about the "buku 555", here is a photo of it.. hehe.. :-)

Mood: Headache because of the intense heat outside the office and the freezing temperature inside the office.