26 August 2015

Spontaneous Sunday to Audi Dream Farm and Titi Kerawang Waterfall.

You know, every once in a while we like to do random spontaneous things and what better day to do it than on a Sunday right?



It was so random that I'm going to try make sense of how we even got to that idea.




So, we were all having lunch at KFC and making small conversations here and there and I seriously cannot remember why I suddenly said, "Ehh, let's all go Balik Pulau now lah! Go see goats!"




How random was that?




I think maybe we were talking about animals in general then someone must have said goat or something and I guess that triggered my mind. Hah.




So, we talked and discussed whether to seriously go or just go home sleep. In the end, half of the lunch-gang decided that it shall be a go! We all met at my place and carpooled. Total of 9 human beings in two cars.




Balik Pulau isn't very near so I would like to call it a roadtrip if I may. Heh. 




Who needs a Sunday nap when you've got a bunch of humans to interact with for the afternoon? 




The only plan was to go the goat farm and with Google, we were given two choices. Audi Dream Farm or Saanen Dairy Goat Farm. We chose the former because apparently Saanen has very few goats and nothing else to see. 




The original entrance fee was RM7 but we told the man that we're only students so in the end he gave us half price. Okay wait. Not half price. We only paid RM5 per person. so, that's like 30% discount. Win also lah! He also gave us a few packets of fish/duck food so we can feed them animals. So double win. Hah.







After touring around the area, it was still quite early and since we drove all the way there, we brainstormed for places nearby that we can go, as a tourist. Hah. The boy soon came up with this.


Yes, there is a waterfall place in Penang in case you didn't know about it and its situated at Balik Pulau. Many of us only found out about that place that day also. So no worries, you're not the only noob here. Heh. 

When people say Balik Pulau, few things sure come to mind. First would definitely be LAKSA, and then DURIAN, and then GOAT FARM. Now, let's add TITI KERAWANG WATERFALL into it! 

I bet you heard of Titi Kerawang Waterfall before but perhaps you have never been there. It's quite a nice place to go chill actually, provided you don't go during weekends or public holidays. The place is quite small so you can imagine how crowded it could be. 




It was indeed a Sunday well spent. It's this kind of Sunday that makes Monday so blue. Good times always pass quicker than normal times. Heh. 




I think every once in a while when a group decides to do random things/trips like this, the bonding becomes even stronger and you get to know each other a lil better. I love love love this kind of stuff. Even better when we can travel elsewhere together, Best okay.


Speaking of which, we have exactly three more weeks to our backpack-around-Asia-adventure! I am super looking forward to it. The tough part has got to be trying to squeeze everything that I want to bring into that backpack. Oh dear let's not think about that first. 

THREE WEEKS. TWENTY-ONE DAYS. 

:)

24 August 2015

Five Days in KL.

So, it's not even 24 hours leaving home and I'm looking forward to Friday already. Training has been very productive here so far and I am looking forward to all the other inputs I can get from the team in HQ.

Maybe its the tiredness that's complaining non-stop here. I did wake up really early to catch the flight. Heh.

I shall sign off now while waiting for the boys to take me out for dinner.

Come back and read me okay because I have so many things waiting to be posted. Hah.

18 August 2015

Koay's Chicken Spaghetti.

I remembered that I was in the office, drafting an email to a client when he called out of a sudden. It's quite unusual cos you see, when we are at work, we don't usually call each other that often cos well, we are working right. Ain't nobody got time to talk. Kidding. 

Anyways, he called and he asked if my Saturday noon that week was going to be free, if I already have plans and stuff. Well, no because my Saturdays are usually spent at home while he's away at training. So, that Saturday no exception also.

Then he said that there will be no training that Saturday and they have like a pot-bless gathering at night and he needs to bring a dish. Initially he wants to bring his mom's all-time-yummiest-charbeehoon but someone else taking already so no choice but to decide on another dish.

Since he wanted to cook the dish by himself, he opted for spaghetti. Hah. Really the first option for noobs right. Heh. 

We went Tesco in the afternoon and came back home with all the ingredients, according to his own recipe. Apparently, I'm not allowed to give ideas or comment. My role is just as an assistant chef. 

"I ask you do what, you just do only, cannot say no."

The man is on fire I tell you. 

But I just do whatever he asked me to do lah (in the beginning only tho). At the end, he asked me to wash all the dishes and I have already washed so many, so I decided that he shall do the rest since he didn't do anything other than putting the ingredient into the pan and cooking them. Haha. Rebellious assistant chef is rebellious. 

So, let's see how he did with his first attempt on cooking spaghetti.

Ingredients needed according to Masterchef Koay:
Ready-made Tesco's tomato paste
Sausages
Diced tomatoes/carrots
Chopped onions/garlic
Spaghetti
Minced chicken meat



Once carrots are quite soft already, gently add the minced chicken meat in. You can use beef or pork or rabbit or horse or goat or any meat you would like to serve your guest :)) 


Then, add the Tesco ready-made tomato puree and the raw tomatoes and let it cook okay. Just remember to stire once in a while. We added fried sausages as well because suka hati Masterchef Koay jugak.


In the meantime, this is cooking on the next stove. We forgot to put salt into the water, and forgot to coat the spaghetti with olive oil after. 




 At the end of the whole cooking drama, (yes I gave my opinions in the end because it seems like I'm a bit more experienced than him here heh) he decided to mix the spaghetti and sauce together and he did it like a lasagna layer form. 


I would say that IT WAS REALLY YUMMY! For a first timer in attempting to cook spaghetti, it's 100% pass okay. To be honest, I expected it to be just okay-okay but turns out, it was really delicious. Must be his random thrown ins of herbs here and there. 

I think this cooking session kinda sparked that cooking interest in him because now whenever we can have the chance to use the kitchen, he would jump at it. I think next one we want to try carbonara or something. 

Looks like I've got myself my very own Masterchef :)

I was told that his spaghetti was the first dish to finish that night. Hmm. Must be because he only cook a small portion lah. HAHA.


:)


13 August 2015

2D1N Hatyai, Thailand.

Oh my I have so many things that I want to talk about. I'm actually still trying to decide whether to put everything on a post or just break it up for the next few days. 

The remaining of August is so crazy. I have 3 major presentations (1 in KL and the other 2 at a global company in Penang), a week-long training in KL. Not to mention so many emails and conference calls in between. 

To be honest, I love being busy with work but this month is just definition of madness.

Anyways, we shall focus on the one thing now.

Few weeks back, I went to Hatyai over the weekends with the lover's colleagues and buddies. It was like a needed getaway since the madness at work was about to begin. Then again, everytime I go somewhere, it will always be labeled as 'needed'. Hah.

with Koay's colleagues and friends (11 of us in total)
on the 1-2 August 2015.

This part of Thailand is like our second home this year. We have been there so many times and if not mistaken, we have more plans to returning for short getaways. Although our value of money is decreasing, things are still cheaper there. No need to mention massages because it obviously is. 


Although it was not our first time there, it was our first time driving through the Malaysian Border. We parked our cars at the Duty-Free place before Thai Border.


We even know a couple who owns a song khiew and can take us around for quite a reasonable price. The man is from Penang but his mother was a Thai so he ended up staying in Hat Yai and married a Thai lady. We call him Ah Chai. He speaks Hokkien, actually both of them can speak in our comfort language. We got to know them many years ago when we first went to Hatyai together. We lost their contact number and what do we know, the next thing we know we met them at the exact same place as years ago. Heh.


And we have his number now so when we need song khiew, we just need to call him. If not, then just take another song khiew, its everywhere. Its usually known as tuk-tuk but no, really its correct term is song khiew. Hah. You're very welcome :)


This time, I didn't really take a lot of photos. Lazy lah seriously. Why can't I just have like a photographer follow me whenever I travel? That would be nice. 


All the moments captured and I have nice photos to post here but yeah. One day lah when I have like gazillions of money. Heh.


Anyways, our itinerary very simple. Shop, eat, massage, eat again, show again and massage again. 





 

Considering that I bought so many things and ate so many times, RM500 is quite okay I guess or so I keep telling myself. Hah.



The hotel we stayed at is called Red Planet Hat Yai (used to be Tune Hotel), so someone genius bought over and re-named it Red Planet to save cost in re-painting the entire hotel. 




Standard Twin Room


If you ask me whether I will stay in this hotel again the next time I go Hat Yai, the answer is definitely yes. I prefer this over Lee Garden. Although Lee Garden is situated right in the middle of everything and they provide daily breakfast for all rooms, their room is very dark and is not as new as Red Planet Hat Yai.

Red Planet Hat Yai do not have daily breakfast and is not in the middle of the happenings BUT it's really clean and their room is so huge you can add at least another two roll-out beds AND they are not very far from Lee Garden, about 5 minutes of walking. So yes, Red Planet is now our favorite hotel at Hat Yai :)


I really enjoyed this trip. What made all trips different is the people you go with. I can go to the same place over and over again and still enjoy my time there because of the people you travel with. These people are a bunch of jokers okay. I laughed so much I probably burn all the extra fats in the belly. Kid you not. It gave me an opportunity to know his colleagues in a very fun way.


I really believe that it's through travel that friendships are quickly formed and on my own experience, it's always faster to know them through a travel-together-experience. So, if any of you would like to know me better, TRAVEL WITH ME :)




We reached Penang at about evening time and as much as we love Thai Food, we went straight to tapau nasi kandar for late dinner. SO THE VERY YUMS. Okay, now I'm thinking that's probably what I want to have tonight looking at the photo. Ahhh.




TOTAL MONEY SPENT for one (1) person
For 2 days and 1 night at Hatyai, Thailand

1-night stay at Red Planet Hat Yai (standard room) = RM50
Food + Shopping = RM250
1 full body massage + 1 foot massage = RM60
Transport (car/van/song khiew) = RM140

[Note: RM1 = 9 THB (as of 1 August 2015)]

RM500