8 Mind Matter : The Thing About Happiness

Is anyone here a fan of the TV show 'Hart Of Dixie'? The story's a little over-the-top, but I love its many hilarious moments and the good feeling it brings about.

I'm not going to elaborate on the show. I'm here to share some of Wade's wisdom which I think makes a lot of sense. Wade is a fictional character, of course.  I wrote this down as I watched the show. I've a habit of doing that - collecting inspiring words from TV shows. 

This one's from Season 2 - If It Makes You Happy.

Wade Kinsella says to Zoe Hart ...

"Sometimes I think you're just the saddest person in the world. Always looking over your shoulder what life should be instead of taking it for what it is.

You're not honest about what makes you happy. 

You know what I'm gonna do tonight? I'm gonna go home, I'm gonna play video games for 2-3 hours. What I'm not gonna do is beat myself up for playing video games instead of saving the world. If I wanna save the world, hell, I'll do it tomorrow.

Cos it's my choice.

Just like it was your choice to stay in Bluebell, it's your choice to be a GP instead of a super sonic space surgeon or whatever, and it was your choice to go to bed with me. And clearly, something about every one of those choices made you happy. The problem is they don't match up with the picture in your head about what your life should be. 

You wanna be happy, Doc? Change your picture, change your life."

Makes sense?

18 Finespun Ice Cream

This isn't the kind of ice cream that is largely available in supermarkets, with a long expiry date. It's an artisanal brand that can only be found in a few food and drink outlets located around PJ and KL. Where exactly? The details can be found on their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/finespun.kl .

I have in hand three flavours to try.  From left (pictured below) : Earl Grey, Salted Butter Caramel with Kuih Karas topping, French Vanilla Deluxe.

Homemade ice creams are truly the best because of the amount of love put into creating a flavour. You won't find anything regular about it. It's rich and each one is distinct from another - that's Finespun for you.

To tell you the truth, I have been watching my favourite shows with a tub in hand for the past week. I have more than once, fleetingly, thought about my protruding tummy. But, never enough to feel remorse. The satisfaction outweighs any guilty feeling.

Earl Grey has a light pleasant taste to it that screams tea all over. I like this one a lot. The Salted Butter Caramel is I would say, an acquired taste, with a mild liquor-like flavour which I can't accurately describe. 

Finespun Ice Cream

This (pictured below), would be my favourite out of the three - French Vanilla. I rate it level seventh heaven. It tastes nothing like the cheap sugary vanilla ice cream that I'm used to. My husband found this one exceptionally delicious. I have yet to let him know that I've licked the tub clean. Sorry, Hubs!

It looks like Finespun has brought out the dark no-sharing side in me!

Finespun French Vanilla Deluxe

This experience was made possible when I was blessed with a voucher for three 10oz tubs of ice cream sometime ago, from an instagram contest I'd joined. I never went to claim it. It was the busiest time of my life, weeks flew and before I knew it, the deadline was around the corner.

Just as I was going to contact Finespun to see if I could pop over, they offered to deliver the ice cream to voucher holders living in the Klang Valley. I was thrilled by the news and promptly arranged for mine to be sent to my home. I add, they were the loveliest people to deal with!

How my ice cream arrived:

The Packaging

Give this a try if you see it!

18 Of Pets And Pest

It has been my morning ritual to walk outside, admire the plants and breathe in fresh sun-blessed air.

Imagine my surprise at seeing several pak choy leaves with chomp marks one day - in both planter box!

"It couldn't be the snails. They're too little. Plus, buddies don't do this to each other!" I was miffed.

I squinted my eyes to look for my friends to see if any one of them had magically grown in size like Alice In Wonderland.

Then, I saw it. Camouflaged in plain sight. I left Mr. Grasshopper where it was. Perhaps it needed some food before it continued on its way. A high-rise apartment isn't exactly 'home' for a hopping free-spirited pest . A couple of days later, it disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived.

Vegetable Grasshopper on my White-Stemmed Pak Choy

I'm glad it wasn't my friends who did this. We have an understanding. I leave them some food and they party all night in this one corner. My pak choy vegetable is left to flourish in peace.

Meet Anna, Beth and Charlie. Dave is somewhere. It seemed fitting to name them since we've become close chatting buddies, even if the conversation is wholly one-sided. I can't tell them apart. I just know that these are my people and we love chilling in each other's company.

My Buddies Having A Feast

24 Magnum Ice Cream For Pleasure Seekers

Magnum puts me in a special place of wonderful. I think, "How luxurious the taste!" ♥

These are my three most pleasurable moments with Magnum.

When I brought my aunt to the Magnum Cafe at Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur, it was an experience I couldn't forget. We got to choose our own topping. Pistachios, golden crunch pearls and rose petals were our pick. We sat down and savoured every bite of this gorgeous stick of ice cream. Oh, I cannot get it out of my mind how yummy this was.

My Magnum Creation- RM9.90

Magnum Cafe, Mid Valley Megamall

On one of the days my cousin (who flew in for a vacation) was here, I took her and my aunt shopping at 1Utama. We chanced upon a Magnum road show whilst walking about. It was an interesting event with many activities. Guess what we did? ...We headed for the photo booth because we're camera-loving people! 

From left : Me, Cousin, Aunt Having a Bit Of Fun

Finally, and this happened last week. I received a package by courier which contained a limited edition sweatshirt.  It was part of Magnum's Celebrate Chocolate Pleasure promotional campaign.

My blogger friend, Emily, had written about this on her blog. It was there that I read about an online 'Pleasure Hunt' to win exclusive pieces of wear by fashion designer, Dato' Farah Khan. The digital hunt was run using Google street view. It felt like I was actually walking the streets myself as I searched for the prize based on clues Magnum had posted Facebook and Instagram.

Lucky me spotted the Magnum logo, clicked on it and won this piece.

Magnum Pleasure Seekers

I don't eat ice cream all the time. It's something I savour when I need a pick-me-up or when I feel like celebrating something special. So far, Magnum's my favourite.

Do you have a favourite ice cream?

12 Rain, rain, come again!

How nice to play in the rain when it is without lightning and thunder. I used to do that!

I'll never forget the time when, in my early twenties, a senior citizen, with a twinkle in her eye said to me, "Let's do it." Next thing I knew, we had our yellow raincoats on and we pranced, and laughed under the pour of heavy rain. 

Two days ago, Kuala Lumpur was hit by a thunderstorm. My balcony was flooded with about an inch of rainwater. It brought back memories to when I was a kid. After heavy rain, the grassy field outside would be filled with huge puddles of water. I would make paper boats to play with.

I decided to see if I could remember how to make paper sampans. Except for the last couple of folds, I had almost gotten it all right. I had to turn to Youtube for help!

I think I folded it pretty well.

Paper Sampan

This is my favourite part - to see it float.

Floating Paper Sampan

What's your favourite memory of rain?

12 A Sunday At The KL City Grand Prix

VrooOoooom! That's how my weekend went. I spent it at a car racing event. Roaring engines give me an adrenaline rush. I fall into this dream state where I imagine I'm Speedy Gonzales. That's about it. Don't mistake me for a car enthusiast. I'm not ..not the kind who memorises car make and the deets on the drivers.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Series

The KL City Grand Prix had many Kuala Lumpurians who worked in the golden triangle grousing about the road blocks and traffic congestion. I guess the mood would have been better if we had efficient public transportation services. Whilst I sympathised with those who were affected, I was also secretly pleased that the race was this close to home. Haha.

We braved the LRT (Light Rain Transit) to get into the city. Sunday afternoon proved no different than other days. I had expected it to be less crowded. Packed in like sardines, I had one hand on the rail handle and the other on my bag - my eyes keeping a sharp lookout for pickpockets.

We got off at KLCC and walked out to find a good spot to watch the race. After half an hour of surveying, we settled under a bridge outside Wisma Cosway where it was shady. We, as in hubs and I.

Here is a short video of the race where the cars slowed to turn the corner.

Grandstand tickets are priced at RM350 for three days - steep!

Grandstand

The scene.

Hospitality Club

And how was your weekend?

18 Royal Floria Putrajaya Festival 2015

Every middle of the year, a little corner of Putrajaya is transformed into a garden paradise. Beautiful landscaping, creative planting, competitions, handicrafts, garden supplies, souvenirs, food and live performances bring the place alive with feelings of wonderment and excitement. One word describes Floria Putrajaya - 'happening!'

Visitors come from afar and the place is packed on weekends. The best time for a quiet walkabout would be to come on a week day.

Floria Putrajaya 2015

I paid a nominal price to enter the site. The stroll along the walkway took more time than I intended because it was hard not to stop and admire the flowers.

Flowers Along The Walkway

It was very thoughtful of festival organisers to leave name tags identifying the plants and flowers around.

Painted Nettle Name Tag

Interesting landscaping ideas fill every corner of the festival. Taman Kufi Perbadanan Putrajaya won the Outstanding Garden Award in the Special Garden category. This was one of my favourites.

Taman Kufi Perbadanan Putrajaya

I thought that Taman DiRaja Negeri Sembilan was quite beautiful too. It's neat and very local. My family has a similar gazebo built in our garden back in my hometown.

Taman DiRaja Negeri Sembilan

Other competitions such as the Dining Room Design, Innovative Wall Art and more were held indoors.

Venise Bee from Singapore won the Gold award for the Princess' Headwear category. This is her entry - Enigmatic Empress of the Gold Sands. A beautiful piece.

Venise Bee - Gold Award Princess' Headwear

With flowers come many shutterbugs. There was just so much to snap. This shutterbug was no different. Below are some pictures to give you an idea what this festival is all about.

1) Flowers to feast your eyes on.

Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015

2) Landscaping ideas.

A Landscape Design By Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah

3) Creative gardening.

A Design By MBPJ

4) A glimpse into the art of floral designing.

Designed By Rudy T. Mintarto (Indonesia)

5) Supplies that will excite any avid gardener.

Gardening Supplies At Royal Floria Putrajaya Festival 2015

That's that on my walkabout at our annual flower festival which ran from May 30 to June 7 this year. Are you marking your calendar to attend next year's? I am!

22 Bookfest Malaysia 2015

Me At The Entrance Holding My Pass

The internet age has often left me wondering if books, I mean the printed ones, will go the way of radio cassettes or VHS tapes.

But every time I go to a book fair, I am consoled by the crowded scene that shows 'maybe not in my lifetime'. It's amazing to see people dragging huge travel bags into the hall intending to bring home a good haul of books.

BookFest Malaysia by Popular Book Store is on from July 11 to 19 at KLCC. There's an entry fee of RM2.50. We paid for a pair of tickets and were given additional ones which can be used from the 14th onwards. This means that we can go again coming weekend, for free!

However, I think I've gotten enough books to last me until the next book fair. All of it, unashamedly, cookbooks. There's something about propping myself up on a bed of pillows and pouring through a ton of food pictures - akin to a day at a book spa. If there is such a spa.

Upon paying the tickets, we (I was here with the family) received a catalogue along with a discount voucher.

Receipt For Our Purchases and BookFest Catalogue

This is the scene at the English books corner (picture below). What attracted me was the offer to Buy 2 books for RM10 and the Buy 3 books at RM10 each! It's a great bargain even if there weren't many titles to choose from.

The great thing about this fest is really the huge collection of Chinese books that are on sale. I was impressed. If you love Chinese books, then this is one exhibition you wouldn't want to miss! 

BookFest Malaysia 2015

These are books my aunt and I got for ourselves. The hardcover copies of Rachel's Everyday only cost me RM5 each. I'm saving these for a giveaway.

The Books We Got!

I find Herbs and Pork Appetit to be a rather engaging read, having flipped through the books more than a couple of times now.

If you're into books, then make your way to this exhibition which is happening right now. There's a chance you may even meet your favourite author. Yup, there are workshops and forums. Plus a little something for stationery lovers.

20 Please Make Up My Room ... and nothing else!

My jaw dropped, and then I laughed! This Make-Up-My-Room hanging sign had me in stitches.

"Gosh, what was she doing down there?" It looked like a person on the bed was cringing in fear.

Please make up my room and nothing else!

I count this as one of the little things that made my stay at Prescott Hotel Kajang interesting and memorable.

Have you seen any cringe-worthy hanging door signs like these?

18 KL Big Kitchen Festival 2015 - Loved it, but GrRrr!

The KL Big Kitchen Festival, an initiative under the Kuala Lumpur tourism master plan, was launched in May at Dataran Merdeka. The event lasted three days. I was thrilled to know that it will be an annual affair, and am so excited that I cannot wait to see what they have in store next year!

The sun was bright and punishing on the Sunday morning I was there.

"Phew! Boy, I wished there were drink stalls scattered across the field," as I imagined sipping on a a cold Teh O drink. 

I loved the whole festival set-up. It was neat, dreamy with large white tents, and a lot of details going into the design of the area, both indoors and outdoors. There is an air of good clean fun.

Entrance to KL Big Kitchen and Entry Tickets

The activities they have planned will excite anyone who loves food. Cooking demos by celebrity chefs and workshops for those preferring a hands-on experience. Check out the programme below.

Cooking Demo

My favourite corner is the heritage corner. I marveled at the many traditional dishes that are losing presence to the convenience of modern cooking. It made me admire our ancestors - how they toiled to cook a delicious meal for the family. Here I am, armed with electrical appliances that does the work with one press of a button and yet you will still hear me grumble about how much work cooking involves!

I headed to the tent where there seemed to be more life. Yes, it was a surprisingly quiet food festival. Was I 10am too early?  It's quite unlike food-loving Malaysians not to flock here at all hours considering the full crowd we had at Floria Putrajaya. Maybe we are more the avid gardener than we thought.

KL Big Kitchen Festival - Tents and Outdoor Seating Areas

KL Big Kitchen Festival - From another angle

When I realised that the big open tent housed stalls that feature food from each state in Malaysia, I strode to the Sabah stall with pride. Pride which soon deflated at seeing two bleary eyed food assistants slouched on chairs.

My eyes skipped over the plate of 'Hinava', I raised my eyebrows and cursed inwardly at the organisers for appointing people who had no idea how spirited Sabahans were, to man the stall.

A "Bah, try this lah! YeeeEEee..eh!" would have been a great reflection. I'm just being funny!

State Specialties

Whilst I enjoyed my walkabout tremendously, I felt there was room for improvement in the following areas as well - from promoting the event, staffing and food variety.

Promotional efforts. With so many celebrity chefs on board, it seemed ridiculous (to me at least) that the crowd was not on record breaking levels. It was too low key. I cannot help but feel that more should have been done to advertise the festival.

Festival guides. There is a need for festival guides to make the place inviting. They could provide visitors with information on what's happening there and then. I had no idea what was going on in the heritage corner. It was quiet except for a few people. The food trucks were tucked away in mystery land. I felt like I was a spy stepping into a hush secret meeting every time I opened the door to the covered tent.

Food Variety. I shed tears at seeing the fruit stall. Really. I say bring the pasar malam fruit vendors in! And local delicacies? Nothing compared to our vibrant Ramadhan Bazaars.

The Manisan tent had so much possibilities.
Other than the putu bambu stall, I wish I had seen local treats like puteri mandi, badak berendam, kuih dangai, kuih akok and kuih jelurut, just to name a few. Perhaps I was early and the stalls have yet to roar. That said, should they not be ready by opening time? We have so much to offer when it comes to sweet snacks. 

KL Big Kitchen Festival - Inside the Tents

KL Big Kitchen Festival - Inside Another Tent

For me, the best part of the food festival was the cooking demos and workshops. It was well organised and most vibrant. Although I wasn't one of the participants, I felt the energy from their laughter and the chefs' genuine desire to share their knowledge with us. I may have missed the boat this year, but I'll be sure to sign up for the next one!

20 An Evening At Merdekarya

My cousin, Genie Wong (whom I call Gen), was here for an open mic session at Merdekarya. I whooped in joy when she asked to stay over at my place for several nights. With my aunt now staying with me, you can imagine how lively it was in my home! 

Here's a little about what an open mic session is. 

Wikipedia:
An open mic or open mike (derived from open microphone) is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies.These events are typically focused on performance arts like poetry and the spoken word, music, and comedy.

Merdekarya , I gather, is a place that promotes independent Malaysian music and books.

It was our first time here. A dim lit hangout with artsy decor which I will describe as grunge. We arrived at 7.30pm.

As we enter (ground floor)

Up the staircase

The ambiance

The wall decor

Tipping is 'encouraged'

This place is a beacon of creativity. I adore the light covers at the balcony (pictured below) and I bet you can guess why! The crescent and the star makes it significantly Malaysian. Those are the symbols on our flag.   

Lights

The show started an hour-plus late. This didn't sit well with me, but I relaxed as soon as the first performer, Kee Vern Lai, went on stage. Then, Genie was up. She wooed us with her sultry voice and a few of her original songs. We clapped very loudly of course, with wide smiles on our faces. Family, you know.

The crowd started coming in at 10pm-ish. It's a great place but idle chatter and drinking just wasn't our thing so we left after the second act. Our late-night days are over. Between me and my bed, there is beauty sleep and that's hard to beat!

I'm leaving you with this video of my cousin's performance that night. Enjoy!