A COOL CLEAR CHRISTMAS FOR THE GRANDS

The top floor balcony of our 2 1/2 storey house has not been much utilized except for occasional viewing of Kledang Hill and fireworks in Ipoh. We thought of converting it into a play-room for the grands. For a start, we bought a SNAPSET swimming pool of diameter 6 feet and depth 1 foot. For this Christmas the grands had a good time playing water toys and enjoyed splashing cool water in the pool under the clear blue sky.

Only Gabriel and Julian were enjoying themselves.

(Justin was sleeping, Rosalie was too small to go in the pool)

Connie's collection - 'no secret recipes'

NASI LEMAK - OR

Sambal for nasi lemak – for 15 servings

Ingredients

Oil 250 cc ( 1 cup)
A. Small onions – 4 (sliced)
B. Dried chilly paste – 100 gm
C. Big onions – 3 ( cut coarsely)
D. Ikan bilis – ½ bowl ( chopped and blend)
E. Assam keping (gelugor) - 5 pieces ( soak in 150 cc water and blend)
F. Water -3/4 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 3 tblsp
Ajinomoto – ½ tsp
Belachan - to taste

Method

Heat the oil in pan.
Fry A till fragrant. Put in B and fry till oil comes up, then pour in C and stir for a while.
Put in D, stir and let mixture simmers for a while. Then add in E and F.
Add salt and sugar to suit taste. Lastly, add Ajinomoto and belachan .

Serve sambal with nasi lemak.

Nasi lemak – for 4 persons

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
(use same cup for measuring rice and water)
Coconut milk - 100 gm
Small onions - 2
Ginger - 3 slices
Pandan leaves - 2 blades
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Ajinomoto - a pinch

Method

When rice is bubbling in rice cooker, stir and mix well.

Serve when rice is still warm with sambal, cucumber, hard boiled egg or fried egg,
fried ikan bilis, fried peanuts and fried salted fish (optional).

Ingredients

Sambal

Enjoy !

LITTLE SISTERS WITH BIG HEARTS FOR THE POORS

10th Dec 2010
A visit to the Holy Family Home for the Elderly, better known as Little Sisters of the Poors, at Lorong Batu Lanchang, Penang. We visited the Home with the sole intention of meeting Fr. Decroix, the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church Batu Gajah from 1992 – 2002. SJC was his last parish before retiring at 80. He stayed in Stella Maris till August 2010.
Fr. Decroix still looks fit except that he carries a walking stick to stabilize his steps at difficult situations. His ability to express his plan for the coming years showed that he is mentally alert. We thought he should be comfortable here but from our conversation we understood that this was not his wish. He would prefer to remain at Stella Maris to enjoy his writing and solitude. Unfortunately, he was perceived as old and be treated as old. Jokingly, he told Connie ‘ don’t get old’ and Connie replied to him ‘don’t get older’.

The new home, rebuilt and reopened in October 2009, looks like a resort hotel. Besides food and lodging, the residents are provided full health care and recreation facilities, enabling them to enjoy life until the moment God calls them home. Even though they are near death every minute of their lives is worth living because the Little Sisters are caring for them with big hearts.

Seated: Fr. Decroix, Standing: Connie and Christopher. Taken at the Dining Hall

The main entrance to the reception and dining hall.

Panorama of the Home

A Weekend with the Grands

We spent the week-end (10-12 Dec 2010) visiting our 2 sons’ families. Yu – N and Angie have 2 boys, Julian and Justin, while Yu Niq and Chui Ying have 1 boy, Gabriel and 1 girl, Rosalie. It was really enjoyable playing with the 4 grands, and pleasing to see them grow and develop each one’s unique character and ability. Indeed we are glad !

Grandma with the 4 grands

Grandma with Justin

Grandpa and grandma with Rosalie

Connie's collection - 'no secret recipes'

Yummy Yam cake (taro cake) a.k.a “Wu tao goh” [ for 4 persons ]

Ingredients:

(A)
Yam - 200 gm, cut into 1 cm. cubes (dice shape)

(B)
Flour mixture - 1 cup, ( 2/3 cup rice flour + 1/3 cup wheat flour ) use 200 cc. cup
Salt - ¾ tsp
Sugar - ½ tsp
Ajinomoto - ¼ tsp (optional)
5 spice powder- 1 tsp
Water - 2 1/3 cups

Topping
Shallots (small onions) - ½ bowl )
Dried prawns - ¼ bowl ) fry together till golden brown
Choy po ( preserved radish) - ¼ bowl )
Peanuts - ¼ bowl, fried and pound coarsely
Spring onion - chopped for garnishing (optional)

Sauce
For easy preparation, use Thai chilly sauce – sweet and sour

Method
Fry (A) in a pan with a tblsp of garlic oil.
Sprinkle a bit of water, cover pan and cook it till slightly soft.
Sprinkle ¼ tsp 5 spice powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp sugar, and a pinch of Ajinomoto.
Mix well and dish out.

Mix (B) well in a pot and cook it over slow fire, stirring all the time till thickens.
Pour (A) into (B) and mix well.
Then pour mixture into a tray ( 18 cm. diameter x 4 cm. depth )and steam for 20 minutes till cooked.
Let it cool down and serve with topping.
Enjoy with Thai chilly sauce.

Happy Birthday Gabriel

We celebrated our first grandson’s 5th birthday (22 Nov 2010) on 20th Nov. 2010 in KFC restaurant at First Curve, Menglembu Baru. It was also the first home-coming to Menglembu for YiQing a.k.a Rosalie Cheah, since born on 9 Sept. 2010 We were doubly glad.
Gabriel was very anxious to open the presents, especially the one from Grandma. He could not wait to open it. Before popo brought the birthday cake he asked mummy for permission to open it.

Mummy,may I open the present ?

Let me take a peek

What is this ?

Wow ! it is a space fighter. A robot ! This is what I want.

Cutting birthday cake

grandpa, grandma, Rosalie, papa, Gabriel, and mummy

popo, goong-goong, QQ, Gabriel, Yiyi and Hanson

suk goong, suk po, Gabriel

Papa, Rosalie, Gabriel and Mummy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABRIEL

Bali tour 24-27Nov2010

Bali 4D3N (24-27 November 2010)

Tour group consisted of Ayatollah and Siew Wan, Kai Foo and Rose, Christopher and Connie.

Day 1 (24.11.10)
9.30 am Took AirAsia at LCCT of KLIA and arrived Bali Denpasar International Airport at 12.30pm. Nyoman picked us and sent us for lunch at Maliboro Restaurant before checking–in Losari Hotel and Villas at Legian. We enjoyed some of the local favourites - Bebek Presto Bakar, Ayam Presto Telor, Tahu telur, Plecing Kangkung with Nasi putih. It was a delicious lunch. The fried duck and chicken were so crispy that even the bones could be chewed like ‘keropok’

4.00pm Visited Bali bombing memorial at Legian-Kuta.
( with name list of 200+ victims killed on 12th October 2002)

Bali Bombing memorial

5.00pm Visited Uluwatu temple ruin on top of a sea-coast cliff. Beside tourists many long tailed macaque monkeys were seen searching for food. These monkeys were well-known for snatching spectacles. Nyoman warned us not to wear our spectacles / sunglasses. What an unusual animal behaviour ? Siew Wan did not heed Nyoman’s advice because last year she came and was also given similar warning by the tour guide but nothing happened. While busy snapping pictures an alpha male snatched her spectacles from behind. Siew Wan shouted for help and was relieved when a temple worker returned her spectacles. But not for free ! He showed a ‘thumb rubbing fingers’ sign expecting a reward. Nyoman gave him IDR10,000 on behalf of Siew Wan. That snatch-thief monkey was seen eating a packet of wafer given by the temple worker. Oh ! this must be a man-monkey-connection to ‘extort’ tourists. This phenomena could be an interesting subject for research by animal behaviourist. The upset caused by the naughty monkeys was compensated by the spectacular view of the sea-coast, especially the high cliff and the surf.

6.30pm Had grilled seafood dinner at Jimbaran bay “Baliku Cafe” We took a package with a price tag of IDR 750,000 + 21% service tax ! The package included 1 kg lobster, prawns, snapper, crabs, squids, mussels, rice, vegetables and 2 bottles of beer. We enjoyed the dinner like ‘millionaires’. The beautiful sunset improved our appetite too.

Our tour group of 3 couples - had dinner at ‘Baliku’ cafe located at Jimbaran Bay
(Sitting from left: Kai Foo, Rose, Connie. Standing from left: Ayatollah, Siew Wan, Christopher)

8.00pm. Back to hotel for a short rest and came out for night shopping before retiring at 10.00pm.


Day 2 (25.11.10)
Ubud and volcano tour

9.00am After breakfast we set out to Mt. Batur, a dormant volcano mountain at Kintamani. On the way we visited a batik workshop and Ubud Art Village. We entered a painter’s house compound to admire his gallery of paintings.

A painter's gallery home

Our journey to the mountain passed by beautiful rice terraces at Tegalalang. From Lake View Hotel and Restaurant we got a panoramic view of Mt. Batur and Lake Batur. We had buffet lunch at the restaurant.
On our downhill journey we stopped over at Temen coffee and spice garden for tea.
In the afternoon we visited Ubud Palace temple and Ubud market.
For dinner we tried Babi Guling at a road side warung in Sanur. We were not impressed by the babi guling, probably because we have a much better version of suckling pig at home.
8.00pm Back to hotel for a short rest and spent the rest of the night shopping and shopping till we were tired out to rest at 10.00pm.

Mt. Batur

Lake Batur

Day 3 (26.11.10)
Lake Beratan and Tanah lot tour

9.00am We set out to Bedugul, a hill resort somewhat like Cameron Highlands but much smaller.
On the way we visited Mengwi temple, a royal family temple at Taman Ayun. At the highest point, we stopped over to visit Candikuning fruit market. Beside fruit stores there were many other stores selling vegetables, spices, plants, souvenirs, paintings, crafts, clothings, etc.
12.30pm we had lunch at Ananda restaurant selling Chinese food.
After lunch we went to Lake Beratan resort and had a view of Ulundanu temple near the lake.

3.30pm Arrived at Tanah lot (tanah laut) to visit the sea temple built on an off-shore island.
On the way to the temple we could find many stores selling souvenirs, clothing, art and craft, etc
Things could be dirt-cheap provided you know the art of bargaining. If you managed to slash 50% off the opening price it would be a good buy.

Sea Temple at Tanah Lot

7.00pm Arrived at hotel. After keeping our purchases at Tanah Lot in our room, we walked out to the beach behind Losari Hotel for a stroll. We had Nasi Padang for dinner, then back to hotel to sleep.

Day 4 (27.11.10) Last day

9.00am We spent the morning walking along the beach and had last minute shopping at Legian before checking-out at 12.00 noon.
12.30pm. Nyoman picked us up and proceeded to Denpasar city to visit Museum, temple, People’s Struggle Monument, Holy Spirit Cathedral, Nyoman’s home and Sanur Beach.

People’s Struggle Memorial Monument at Denpasar

4.30 pm Arrived at Denpasar International Airport waiting for check-in to fly home. We had early dinner of Nasi Padang again at the Airport. The price of nasi padang was surprisingly cheap.
7.45pm Took off and arrived at LCCT, KLIA at 10.30pm.
Arrived Menglembu at 3.30am by van with beautiful memories of Bali.

Holy Spirit Cathedral at Denpasar

Inside Holy Spirit Cathedral


The hotel we stayed - Losari Hotel at Legian

Our tour guide cum driver – Mr. Nyoman and yours truly, Christopher