3 Durian Ice Cream (The Shortcut)

A couple of months ago, we bought a tub of Durian ice cream to try. 'Made with Real Durian' was printed on the label. We enjoyed it thoroughly and bought another tub soon after.

Then I thought to myself, "Why not buy durian and make our own.."

So I suggested to Hubs that we get some durian and mix that into a tub of vanilla ice cream. That way, we can flavour it with as much durian as we like. It turned out to be the perfect combination. 

Ice Cream with Real Durian

We popped by Hartamas to visit our favourite durian seller, deciding that Musang King was really an unnecessary choice as we enjoy most durians regardless of variety. Now, just to clear something - I can't say that I'm a big fan of durians since I only ever eat at most two seeds of the flesh. I find it more enjoyable in ice creams or as a keropok flavour.

Anyway, this ice cream project was set in motion as soon as we got home. My husband was that excited!

First, we removed the seeds. Then, we mixed the durian flesh with the vanilla ice cream. I smoothed the top, cleaned the sides of the container and placed it into the freezer. 

Vanilla Ice Cream with Real Durian

A couple of hours later -Voila! The best tasting durian ice cream you can imagine. Easy, right?

6 A Shopping We Will Go With Wheeled Grocery Bags

I started carrying cloth recycle bags with me the year the No Plastic Bag campaign began in our state. I was not immediately prepared for it but enough 20sen encounters on Saturdays made me decide that enough was enough. Now, there are always at least three to four  in my handbag because you never know when the shopping bug hits, or if  an accompanying relative needs one.

For marketing, we have accumulated five large hand carry recycle bags over the years. I dread the weeks we had to stock up on on shower gels, laundry detergent, bottled sauces, cooking oil and the sort - heavy stuff to carry! Hence, the decision to get a shopping bag with wheels. On the online shopping platform I searched, it was called either a shopping cart or trolley.

This mini one was going for RM8 on Lazada. It was hard to tell which were good buys since most of the reviews were more of an acknowledgement of items being received. I decided to give this a try because it seemed light and convenient. The bags arrived last week.

Light Foldable Shopping Trolley

I got two as you can see. There's a zipper in the middle of these shoulder bags. When unzipped, the length of the bag is extended so that more groceries can be added in and it can then effectively be rolled.

The inside of the bag is lined with a light cardboard bottom.

Foldable Shopping Trolley

I was pretty excited! We put it to use last Sunday - today, it is being donated away, lol! Allow me to elaborate. This bag is not meant for heavy stuff. It was working fine with a 5kg pack of rice.

That day, however, I let over-enthusiasm rule and my thoughts went with  'pretty-sure-it-can-handle-more'. So I filled the bag  perhaps 10kg full (I can't tell), dragged it along confidently. Less than a minute in, it felt like I was dragging the bag on the floor with much more resistance. Instead of glop-glop-glop, it went kraaaaaakk. 

Oh, there goes the wheels! Both squashed apart from the weight. It wasn't broken but it would not stay upright. I told my husband there and then that I was donating these away, lol.

Foldable Shopping Trolley

There you go but that's not the end of my trolley adventure. I had ordered two more foldable ones. Pricier and of better quality! It feels solid and is just as convenient. We're trying those out tomorrow.

Meantime, I leave you with a picture of how my Lazada package arrived. It was packed with two free knives - what a nice seller.

Foldable Shopping Trolley

8 Pudding In A Jiff

Pour hot water, stir .. eh, all done? That's how easy it is to make this pudding.

Quicku Pudding Honeydew Flavour

I was skeptical about liking it at first. If it's too easy, it makes me suspicious, lol. Like facing off a get-rich-quick scheme. Aah, how the mind wanders. This is nothing like that, of course. We're talking about an instant dessert sold in supermarkets at a cheap price.

I grabbed a box to try after a friend recommended it on our cooking group. Served with a mix of fruits, this pudding was quite a hit with my husband. "Mmm ..nice! "

Quicku Pudding

Anything convenient is always welcome into my kitchen. I have a list of food recipes that I save for parties. This is going into that for obvious reasons - quick to make and quite tasty.

I will not be a slave to the kitchen on the day I should be mingling with my loved ones.

👆 Just how I like my get-togethers. For me, this precious time should be saved for catching up with with friends and family. Hiding behind the wok is not how I want my night to go. Though food connects people, it is still doing things together that creates a deeper bond. My humble opinion.

9 An UnpIanned Hair Cut

News of several established companies either closing down or having to lay off employees has pushed many of us to help one another where we can. This is the Malaysia I love ❤ , quick to lend a hand and understanding.

Friends are forwarding messages of this home business and that private seafood seller. I try my best to spread the word and occasionally, I make a purchase too.

Two Sundays ago, I had my hair trimmed at EQ Hair Cut although I had vowed not to go to a hairdresser until we had hit zero Covid-19 cases for a week or so at least, lol.

EQ Hair Cut is run by an affable chap I had met a sometime ago at a quick cut salon in another mall. He made an impression on me when he got my hair done in under 5 minutes. It was the quickest haircut I'd ever experienced!

I am one of those people who start sighing in despair ten minutes into any hair treatment. It's just not my idea of fun. "Hurry, hurry up!" my mind goes. So this was really an exciting find for me.

From that day onwards, whenever I needed my hair fixed, I would look out to see if he was around and aim it so that my turn would end up with this chap. I know I sound like a crazy stalking aunty, lol. You see, they have a queue system in place. I could ask but I didn't want to hurt the other hairdresser's feelings.

All good things must come to an end and I didn't see the chap for a long time. It seemed that he had moved on to greener pastures.

However, fate brought us together again when hubs, desperate for a hair cut one day and for convenience sake, tried out a new salon in a mall where we had just done our grocery shopping. An awfully familiar face was attending to another customer as we sat in queue. Bubbles of excitement burst through as it dawned on me who it was! It seemed that my long lost hairdresser had decided to branch out on his own.

Fast forward today and a couple of weeks into the phase where many businesses have been allowed to resume operations after being closed for months due to covid-19, hubs and I noticed that our regular hair salon was open with nary a customer in sight. Tugged our heartstrings, it did. Before we knew it, we were walking in and getting our temperature scanned. We registered our details, kept our masks on. He had on the same along with a face shield  and protective apron.

Gone the earlier decision to stay away. We both got our hair trimmed that day. It was a relief too. I was starting to look like an unkempt aunty who didn't give two hoots about aging gracefully, lol.

We calculated that the young man would need at least 10 customers per day to cover his expenses and cost of living. The landlord has generously given a 20% discount on rental but almost three months of being closed during the partial lockdown has got to hurt and with business not as robust as before, I can only imagine.

He never mentioned that he was struggling to make ends meet but I know that sometimes, the best people are those who never say anything at all. Well, whether he needed it or not, hubs and I left a decent tip.

EQ Hair Cut
Lot G-41 Tesco Mutiara Damansara
No.8 Jalan PJU7/4
47800 Damansara
Malaysia.

Opens from 10am.

10 Stay At Home, Go Out Responsibly

Thank you, Malaysian Frontliners and #stayathome  ~ This was the message that was lit on a couple of buildings along Jalan Kuching some weeks ago. What a lovely sight to drink teh tarik to in the quiet of night.

Stay At Home, Kuala Lumpur

As I scrolled through photos which I had snapped on my phone before the Movement Control Order (MCO), my thoughts centered around covid-19, the virus that has caused many to lose their loved ones and quarantined the rest of us at home. There was the denial stage, then a little bit of paranoia and now a sense of 'hey, we've got this'.

Our numbers are decent thanks to many responsible Malaysians who practiced social distancing, wore masks and diligently washed their hands.

High five to those who did their marketing quickly and resisted the lure of panic buying. Kudos to those who choose not to crowd apartment lifts.

Give yourself a pat on the back if you have offered masks to those who were not wearing any instead of shaming them. God bless you if you are feeding the strays in your neighbourhood, leaving water for the animals or sharing food with those who have little.

These are some of the wonderful ways concerned Malaysians are making the best out of tough situation.

Whilst our frontliners are busy risking their lives to save ours, let us at least lighten their load by being exemplary in our behaviour.

If our Frontliners are heroes, keep in mind that we are the sidekicks. Our job is to stop the spread of the virus and make our country safe again. The quicker it is contained, the faster we will have our lives back.

A close-up :)

Covid-19 | Day 44 Movement Control Order. I noticed that at least three apartments near our area had recorded covid positive cases. The good news? It was limited to one person each. The whole area has been sanitised and no other resident was affected. How and where they got it remains a mystery but this tells me that these Malaysians had done the necessary to protect themselves and were careful not to spread anything to others.❤

14 Ah Peck Is Going To Be Alright

December 2019 | When I first saw Pecky, he was splayed on the floor in the midst of being stomped to death by the larger birds. In concern, I rushed to shoo them away!

Ah Peck looked so miserable, as though he had lost his spirit to live. I lifted the little guy up carefully and placed him into our pigeon house where he would be safe. I wasn't sure if he would survive the day. It was heartbreaking to see such a sweet little thing suffer so much.

I spent the next hour coaxing Peck to have a sip of water. He refused my countless attempts but soon gave in. After that, it was easy getting him to drink - a light stroke on the head and he would take a few gulps. Is Peck male or female? I couldn't tell. I had decided based on its squeaking and spunk which appeared later on.

Ah Peck Getting Some Fresh Morning Air

When I saw Ah Peck nibbling on a few seeds which I had left in the corner earlier, I knew he was going to be ok. He stayed the night. Every couple of hours, I would open up the side door to check in on him to make sure he had his drink. I don't know if I was doing the right thing but I knew it was important that he get his strength back.

By morning, Ah Peck was up and about and in better spirits. He seemed to say "Hello, Giant. Cool place you got here." And that was the start of a short but funny, heartwarming relationship.

Imagine humans and animals living together in harmony. Cities lined with trees, flowers and many parks. Cheerful furry friends and happy chirping birds colouring our mornings as we get to work. Every home having a small garden with food and water for the little creatures.


Covid-19 | Day 28 Movement Control Order. We finally got down to watching an hour of TV drama per day. True Blood, a good old vampire series that has both scary and humorous elements. I've also got Goblin lined up to fill my afternoons.

8 The Popcorn Adventure!

"There's nothing to do."

When we were young, we used to play lots of indoor games with our parents, friends and relatives. From monopoly, scrabble, carrom, cards, snooker to musical chairs. It was fun and full of memorable moments.

Today, locked away in our home due to a restriction movement order, our attitude has not changed much when it comes to doing things together with our loved one/s. We always have something to do, and  here we are, hubs and I making popcorn for the first time.

BBQ Flavoured Popcorn

This RM2.50 container of popcorn has been sitting in my food cabinet for sometime. We were nervous the first few minutes it went into the wok because it seemed nothing was popping. "Why so long ah?" And then it happened..

Popcorn

Pop! Pop-pop! Except a for a few which didn't puff up at all. We separated the popped corn from the 'faulty' ones which numbered less than ten and tried again. Hangus! Sad to say, those were burnt black, haha.

The good ones had been placed into a large bowl for tossing. It was flavoured simply with Tesco BBQ seasoning powder and salt. Disappointingly flat, that's how it tasted. We were going "ugh" and laughed at our failure - nothing close to Eureka's amazing popcorn flavours.  I've stored it in an airtight container until we figure out a way to fix the taste to our liking.

Covid-19 | Day 15 Movement Control Order,  I had imagined myself catching up on all the good romantic dramas I missed. Funnily, I have yet to watch a single episode of anything because my time is occupied with house chores. It actually feels great to be this active.

10 Om Mani Padme Hum

A rhythmic chant that places my being into a state of calm - Om Mani Padme Hum.

I had first heard it playing over the radio in a souvenir store at Penang's famed Kek Lok Si temple many years ago. By the time I walked out of the shop, I was feeling a peace I hadn't known was missing.

And because I didn't manage to catch the exact words, I found myself chanting "Om mali beh teh soh" in my mind all over town. Beh teh soh  - a biscuit I love with such fervour that it's unwise to leave packets of it around the home lest I eat it all. Although I am not a religious person, I was already asking for forgiveness for singing the 'song' the way I did, even if it was only in my thoughts.

So, as soon as I got back to KL I tasked myself with finding this chant. An hour of googling ensued, and then another hour flew by. Finally, I gave up. It was impossible to search out without knowing the lyrics. I thought I found it and then it seemed I didn't. I left it at that, satisfied with just humming the tune for the past few years.

Until today. Thanks to my dad who is always forwarding me stuff via whatsapp. Countless fake news, miracle cures, politics and once in awhile a gem such as this. Lol. I was ecstatic to receive the video of a young woman saying this chant fast-paced. From there, it was easy finding the version I liked on youtube and now I am sharing it with you.

........Have you fallen asleep? *wink*

Covid-19 | Day 8 of staying indoors for this Malaysian. It was announced earlier that the Movement Control Order would be extended until 14th April, an additional two weeks. I pray that the situation improves soon. How exhausted our medical team must be by now.

8 Saloma Link

The pedestrian bridge itself is 69 metres long, named after our First National Songbird.

Saloma Link

It was an impromptu thing. Jen and I finally met up to pass on Christmas and Birthday presents to each other. Her special day is in July but we're two people who aren't particular about celebrating on exact dates and we're ok with just about any day in the year. Less headache, kan?

Anyway, it was a case of 'where shall we go, ah?' one Saturday morning. We were in Midvalley for breakfast before we decided to check out the very lifeless KL Eco City. From there, we took the LRT to Kampung Baru after finally deciding  on a bit of local touristing. Saloma Link came to mind. It was a short walking distance away from this LRT stop.

"There!" I shouted to Jen, excited to see it.

Saloma Link - View from Kg Baru

A security guard ushered us into the lift. The place was pretty quiet and for obvious reasons. The beautiful light display is only turned on at night and two, it was really humid in afternoons! My hair started getting frizzy and we felt like we were in an open-air sauna.

Saloma Link

However, that didn't stop us from oohing and aahing over the pedestrian walkway. The architecture is stunning, the design inspired by the betel nut leaf arrangement (Sirih Junjung) that is an important part of Malay wedding ceremonies.

When we reached the end of the bridge, we were surprised to see a cemetery. Why of all places, we wondered. Some would say it is bad feng shui.  I later found out that this was the place where Saloma was buried. The location was well thought out after all. I was impressed.

My pictures don't do justice to this beautiful bridge but trust me, it is worth a visit if you're in the area in the evening.

On another note, it's Day 3 of staying home for Malaysians under the Movement Control Order due to rising cases of Covid-19. To pass time, I decided to look through my phone for old photos that I can blog about. This is one of it, taken last month when we had heard of no new cases in the two weeks before. It seemed we were in the clear but aah, the joy was short-lived.

Stay safe, everyone and be good to each other ❤

10 Eats : Nasi Ahmad, It's All About The Gravy

Wednesday, 11th March. Hubs and I had just left Big Bad Wolf Books HQ in Shah Alam, after a tour of the place and to collect one of the best things in life, something that I'd been waiting for since my Birthday in Jan. Aah, but let's not stray. This is supposed to be about my fantastic lunch!

It cost us RM33 or was it RM38, a portion that is meant for four, for two greedy people who overate. We were, however, wise enough to ask for half the portion of rice. That night, we stuck to eating a pitiful small sandwich for dinner.

Nasi Ahmad sells nasi kandar, Kedah style. Fluffy yellow rice topped with splashes of gravy from various pots of curry.  A choice of meat, seafood and vegetables. Normal people pick one meat and one vegetable - hubs and I had two squids, a huge piece of mutton, a thick omelette, chicken drumstick, lots of okra, brinjal and bitter gourd. All I can say is - Hey, it's hard to choose when everything made our mouth water. Standing in line and thinking too long about it wasn't a polite option so we went with 'ok-this-this-this-this-THIS'.

Nasi Ahmad, Nasi Kandar Kedah Style

I was impressed. This was definitely something we would look back upon and laugh about how crazy it was that we wiped the plates clean. It was the most satisfying meal. A very delicious spread. The gravy was really good, nothing that screamed over the top flavourwise. I have only a feeling of I-need-to-come-here-again.  And I will ;)

Nasi Ahmad, The Core Kota Damansara
Rice topped with Gravy, Meat and Vegetables

Nasi Ahmad (The Core)
39, Jalan Teknologi 3/6B
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
9am - 11pm (Friday closed)

Touristing tip : The chocolate museum is nearby.

14 It's A Long Story

It's a long story ..or not. I can write about my adventures in several posts to show you why I  had disappeared from blogosphere for more than a year, but the short of it is simply that I have been occupied with life offline and didn't feel a need to hurry back.

There were a few months spent on home renovation. I had Airbnb-ed in 7 or 8 different apartments during that time. It was a year without a pc with an internet connection and the this and that.

A simple reach out by an old blogger friend, however, made me realise how much I miss my online journal. To read back on my adventures, to reconnect with old blog friends ..oh, the many interesting stories of theirs I have missed!

After Renovation

I have to find my password, I told Cindyrina as much. She had contacted me out of the blue and was the one who got me excited to revive my blog again (Thank you!). Not in these words at all but to make it interesting,

"Eh, you want to try something new or not?"
"Wantttt .. but my blog is deadleh. So shylah"

It seemed I didn't really need the blog but tadaaa, here we are! I decided that it was a good excuse to get going again.

Before Renovation