Here at Last

Yes, we are finally here in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Getting use to the hot and humid weather again but this time I find the weather is tolerable. My girls are doing good as well, at least they didn't complain they are hot. Going to Singapore this weekend, at least my girls will have some fun visiting Sentosa Island and Vivo City and their relatives. Here in J.B. is pretty boring, nothing much to do and nothing special to eat. Thus far, my hubby got his new passport done. It was done in few hours, surprisingly fast, went there in the morning and collected the passport in the afternoon and I waited 3 months to get my passport from U.S. Will update more after the trip to Singapore.

Vacation Finally!!

In few hours, I will be on the plane heading back to Malaysia. I will be back for a month. First stop would be Johor Bahru where my in-laws are. This is my long awaited vacation to Malaysia. I also get to attend my brother's wedding banquet in P.J. at the end of the month. We will visit Singapore, Melaka and Genting & Cameron Highlands in this trip and I can't wait to visit Sentosa Island after 20+ years. I also can't wait to eat my way through Melaka and visit the Jonker Street. Stop at the Ostrich Farm at P.D on the way to P.J. And visit my high school friends whom I haven't seen for 14 years!! Cool down at Genting Highlands and Cameron Highland (will be needed for sure) and let the kids have some fun at the theme park, shopping at KLCC and visit more friends from college days. Can't wait!!!

I will keep updating in Malaysia whenever I have access to the Internet. I also have some drafts that I will be posting in Malaysia so stay tuned! Oh by the way, I might be late in responding to your comments, but rest assure that I will, just a bit late! :o) Also, I might not be able to visit your blog often or in the month of May at all, sorry in advance ya!

Just For Fun 2

Saw this at Daily Affair and decided to play along. What Your Pizza Reveals

People may tell you that you have a small appetite... but you aren't under eating. You just aren't a pig. You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US. Your taste in food tends to favor what's rich and comforting. You prefer food that will definitely satisfy you. You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna. The stereotype that best fits you is upper class preppy. You don't anything too ordinary or vulgar.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Just for Fun!

Saw this at Rainbows's blog and decided to play along! Hehehe.... Just trying to kill my curiosity. Here's the direct link if you want to play too. :D

Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful

You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog. Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights. A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time. You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Winter Wonderland

It has been snowing again. It snowed the past Saturday and today and it is freezing cold. Currently at -8'C (but feel like -12'C) and tonight low is -13'C and tomorrow high is only going to reach 1'C. V, if you are reading this, the weather in Singapore is so much nicer compared to this cold. Enjoy the hot weather there as you would probably home to snow and COLD! I am not sure who wants to go out in this kind of weather unless has to.



Look at the accumulation on my deck! But this is nothing compared to foots of snow we got last year. I took these pictures on my sliding door as I would not want to step outside in this cold. Just want to share with those in Asia what it is like here where I live. It spelled C.O.L.D! *shivering*

Btw, winter solstice festival or tang yuen festival falls on Dec. 22nd. Let's make some tang yuen on this day, it's a fun time letting your little one plays with the dough too. Evy has been asking me to make tang yuen, but this lazy mommy told her, wait until winter solstice day first since mommy is lazy. :P

First Snow of the Season

We received our first snow of the season yesterday. We had an accumulation of about 5-6 inches in our yards. Evy enjoyed playing in the snow, even in the freezing weather of 30s'F. She played until her cheeks and nose were red and finally I had to call her in when I spotted she had the running nose. She was so happy when she woke up this morning and the snow was still here. She was shouting, "The snow is still here, the snow has not melt yet, can I go out and play?" Of course I let her played til her heart content this afternoon. She came in and said, "Look mommy, I built a mountain!" Luckily today was not as cold and the sun was shining, that's why I let her play on our deck so that I could see her. I took the picture above when the snow has melted about 50% away! Didn't think of taking a picture before but I want to show V how much snow we got.

Goodies from Ipoh, Malaysia

My friend, M just got back from Malaysia and look what she brought me! The famous Ipoh biscuits, chicken biscuits and more. Needless to say I am in biscuit heaven right now, enjoying these delicious biscuits with my morning cup of coffee and later afternoon tea. Ahhh...bliss!

M, if you read this, thank you very much! It's really appreciated.

P/s: These are all so yummy! I'm such a glutton that I might finish all in a few days! *gulp*

My 1st Pair of Crocs!

Crocs was marketed by three men from Boulder, Colorado. So you can imagine crocs selling every where here. Not only that, people of all ages are wearing it every where. My first thought of this shining, bright color funny looking shoe was, "oh, are they ugly!" Then, we started to hear people bragging about how light and comfortable this shoe is and once they have this on, they don't want any other shoes. The list goes on.

Well, while shopping at REI few days ago, I saw this crocs again. Then I spotted this Mary Janes crocs and thought to myself, "This is actually not bad looking, very lady like, perhaps I should try it on." Once I tried it on, I was sold and I got to have it. I guess it's the same with every crocs owners. I picked this color because I don't want people to know I'm wearing crocs. Just want a shoe that is comfortable enough that I can bring my girls scrolling in the neighborhood and won't hurt my feet. My old slipper did that, ouch!

Go to crocs.com to see more designs and flip-flops.

Pig Year - Oink! Oink!

Dear readers,

Hereby wishing you and family a Happy and Prosperous New Year and may this pig year brings you health, money and lots of happiness! :o)

Xin Nian Kuai Le &

Gong Xi Fa Cai &

Nian Nian Yo Ye!!

In addition to that, from my house to yours ~ my CNY cookies and goodies. Do help yourself ya!

Gift From Home

My mom is here! Yup, she came all the way from Malaysia to help me look after Evy and my confinement month. She arrived yesterday evening and now is still asleep in bed. Below are the goodies she got me!


Mooncake of course, what else? :oP


The design of this mooncake box is just too unique that I had to show it.


Haha...even the mould is unique! All the money sign should tell you it's from Genting Casino. Hehee...


What the inside looks like! Single yolk pandan lotus paste with melon seeds, Yummy!


My brother in-law went back to Muar, Johor to get me this Wife Cake!


Read so much about it and finally got to sample it!


Got this.


And this.


Not bad at all! Thanks BIL!! :o)

Calling all mommies!!

I need your help. Can any mommies suggested what chicken soup to cook? There are books on confinement food and soup but they aren't any on food for pregnancy out there.

What I saw on T.V. whenever someone is pregnant, for the poor people in China, they would say eat boiled chicken eggs. As for the rich, go boil some chicken soup. But they only mention chicken soup, but what kind of chicken soup?

Well, at least I know no dong kui now. I actually cooked that soup when I was in my 2nd trimester with Evy a couple of times. Never experience any contraction though and only stopped when I asked my OB whether it's safe or not. And since she is a caucasion, she won't know a thing but since she said since this herb was associated with women reproductive system (I told her that), she said better not to take it. Ha, if I knew that it will cause contraction, I might cook it to drink at my last 2 weeks of pregnancy just to bring on the contraction. Hehehe... Do you think it's advisable? Hey, at my last 2 weeks of pregnancy, I become very desperate and willing to try anything.

Okay, what chicken soup do you recommend?

Will be MIA yet Again!

Finally the long awaited 7 months is coming to an end tomorrow (Monday), where we will close on our new house. Hooray! We will move on Wednesday and sleep in our new house from then on. We are not allowed to enter our new house until the closing day which is also the walk through day. So, I am really excited to see what's the finished product will be. Believe it or not, the walk-through is scheduled at 8am and the closing is at 12pm on the SAME DAY! We were like, they are sure felt very confident about their products (in this case, a house!). One thing though, our next door neighbor just moved in last weekend, at least we know we are not the only house that is occupied in that row.

I am packing getting ready for the moving day. So, no more baking of CNY cookies for me, at least not until I moved and unpacked my stuff first. It's great that we get to move in before the Chinese New Year as one great plus is that my Spring cleaning will be short and sweet because the house will be cleaned and presented to us. And luckily CNY lasted for 15 days!! So, after I moved, I still get to make pineapple tarts (if I'm not too bum out). :P

Therefore, I will be away for a week or so or until I have my Internet connection back again. Will definitely miss checking and reading on my fellow bloggers' blogs. Miss ya!

Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Chai to you!!!

Look who came to visit!

This adorable baby boy is Lily's grandson. He is getting bigger from the last time I saw him. Not sure what was up with my daughter. She just sat on the sofa the whole time the visitors were here, no smile and speechless the whole time. Not sure whether she knows how to play with a baby or not! One thing though, she didn't get jealous when I was carrying him.








Isn't he just adorable?

Moved In

After 3 days of moving, glad to say that we finally settled down in the rented house. We closed our house on Friday morning and passed over the keys to the new owners. It was our first time meeting the new owners as well and they sure seem excited. We were tired out from all the moving and cleaning, furthermore had to wake up early in the morning to go to the title company. All in all, we were glad to sell our house because that's mean we will get to move into our new house when it's done. :D

The rented place is actually pretty nice eventhough it's a 30 years old house. It has new carpet, countertop and new paint so it's pretty decent looking. I like the backyard because it's open space so no one can look inside the house and I could open my blinds 24 hours a day. Love to sit on my patio while watching Evy plays in the backyard, privacy is bliss. Better enjoy it while the weather permit. :)

Well, I'm not going to unpack most of the stuff because we will be moving again in 4 months. Thus my living room and front entry are packed with boxes, sure serves as a storage area for now. But if I feel like baking, I sure know where to dig those boxes.

Will be MIA

Good news! We bought a new house which is currently being build and won't be ready until Jan next year. We just sold our current house and have to move out by end of this month. So, at the meantime, we will be staying in a rented old house until our house is ready. I'm very excited about my new house and can't wait to move in. :)

I have been spending the past few days packing my stuff. Oh lord...the stuff I have in the kitchen...one can faint. So not looking forward to packing but have to do it! Have to set aside certain items for Goodwill and giveaway too. I will move out of this house on the 28th so I probably won't have any Internet connection for these few days. And of course no cooking or baking or posting food pictures for some time until I'm settle down.

Lily's Grandson One Month Old Party

I got invited to Lily's grandson one month old celebration on Aug 27th. Her grandson is so cute and such a good baby. He won't mind being pass around and could even slept through all the noises. Yeah it was pretty loud on that day as Lily and Sandra invited a lot of friends and neighbors.

Look at what Lily cooked!! She cooked a lot and we all had a full tummy. I just love being around this family, makes me feel at home. And I just love homecook meal, so satisfying!

Potluck Picnic

A friend and I organized a potluck picnic with the theme Nasi Lemak last weekend. We found a really nice shaded park with a duck pond near downtown where we host the picnic. The turn out was great and everyone was enjoying themselves and the food. We had nasi lemak, sambal ikan bilis , nasi lemak ganishes, curry veggies, curry chicken, curry lamb, beef rendang, otak-otak, sambal prawns, fried chicken, mee goreng, spring rolls, pickled veggies, agar-agar, cakes, cookies, fruit salad and drinks.

Slow Slow Slow...

I'm still waiting for Chong to send the food pictures and he is taking his own sweet time. *Just want to get a cane and whip his ass* No idea what has gone into his head. I told him I want to take my own food pictures and put it in my computer myself but no he said. He said I don't know how to adjust the light setting, blah blah blah...and my pictures will turn out bad. Geez...doesn't he know there is a setting called automatic?? Also, this is MY BLOG, I can do whatever I like with it, eventhough my pictures might not turned out as good, still I can do whatever I want with it. Now, I have to wait for his lazy ass to edit those pictures he took and send it to me before I can post it. And what does he do? Playing his computer games instead of sending me those pictures!! So you know what happen whenever I'm late to post, is his fault!! What is his problem anyway?

We got our Green Card!

After preparing our GC for 4 years, we finally received it. The recent trip back to M'sia was to go for the final phase of the process ~ to get interview at the U.S. Embassy. One week before the interview, we had to go for a medical check up and X-ray in a clinic in KL chosen by the U.S. Embassy. The day before the interview, we went to pick up our result and x-ray which were sealed in an envelop only to be opened by the official.

We were assigned 9am to be there. They took the result and some documents and asked us to come back in the afternoon. The American official would then interview Chong with some questions (I never get interview since I was H4 visa) and then we were finger printed and got a cancelled stamp on our old visa and were asked to be back tomorrow to collect our passport with the new visa stamped. Just an informal interview outside the window like everyone else, no special room whatsoever.

Once we entered the U.S., we had to go to the new immigrant counter and got finger printed again. He told us we will receive our GC in 3-6 months, but in reality we were PR on that day on. We received the congratulation status changed letter in 3 weeks and received our GC in less than a week. So, instead of 3-6 months wait, it's more like less than a month.

What do you know

My computer is fixed!! Chong came home with a new webcam and windows xp software yesterday and fixed it. And the culprit was one of my memory cards died on me. It had been having problem recently like jamming, restarting itself, shutting off when I turned on the webcam and one day just totally dead. What do you know it's the memory card and he told me it was infected by virus....geez....

Anyway, just glad that it's fixed and my parents get to see Evy through webcam every weekend again.