6 The Big Bad Wolf Fireball Book Sale 2014

Hurry! The sale ends in another two days - 23rd February, to be exact.

The BBW Fireball Book Sale holds its own

I enjoyed myself tremendously. You could say that the bargains were to die for. It's a smaller version of the BBW year-end sale that many look forward to, but the discounts on top of the already cheap books made it an equally amazing event.

It's not too crowded in the morning!

The BBW team provided us with boxes as a convenient way to carry our books around. I left this at the storage counter when it became too heavy ...but proceeded to gleefully walk back to the counter several times to add more books into it.

I gave my friend the are-you-out-of-your-mind !  look when she asked if I was going to sort out what I wanted to bring home in the end. How ridiculous, I thought then. I was taking everything! So much for self-control. 

Then, I struggled. Lugging three bags of books, mostly hardcover, was an arm-straining affair that made me stop a couple of times to rest before I reached my car. It qualified for a pretty good gym workout for me. 

I am unremorseful about my stash ~ nine of it costing RM5 each and the rest at slightly more.

My BBW Fireball Book Sale stash

Don't ask me why it's all cookbooks because I cannot fathom it myself. I used to love science fiction and fantasy books. I used to grab all of Stephen King's masterpieces. I was also a Mills & Boon fan but these days, my interest in reading various genres has been sorely reduced to one - cookery.

It looks like my weekend will be spent on book wrapping and drooling over stunning food photos. Hungry days ahead.

6 Ipoh : Kek Look Tong Cave Temple

A family getaway ~ On the third day of Chinese New Year, we traveled to Ipoh for a bit of sightseeing. Ipoh is famous for its cave temples.

A pleasant drive out of town led us to Kek Look Tong, a temple renowned for its award winning landscaped gardens that is surrounded by limestone hills. I was drawn to the place by stories that speak of its lovely scenery. That was the reason we picked this cave temple out of the many to stop by..that, and also the comforting knowledge that there were no steep steps to climb up or tight crevices to shimmy through. I rate this place as grandma friendly.

Kek Look Tong Cave Temple

The stairway leading to the main entrance is lined with interesting sculptures and mini figurines.

The stairway up is not steeply challenging

Some of the sculptures in Kek Look Tong

The rock formation inside the cave was like a scene out of the "Lord of the Rings' movie - "You shall not pass!". This would never pass for an ideal place for batman. There were no bats to be seen.

Not a bat cave!

Large bronze Buddhist deities are placed around the cave. I almost forgot that this was a house of prayer. I was jolted to be more polite with my thoughts and photographing when I realised there were people kneeling solemnly in prayer with their heads bowed down.

Bronze deities at Kek Look Tong

The exit to the garden is at the other end of the cave. It isn't far. I would describe Kek Look Tong as a short tunnel with high ceilings.

The award-winning garden of Kek Look Tong

Feeding the monkeys is prohibited for safety reasons.  

Monkeys in Kek Look Tong

Our adventure ended just before nightfall. A picture of the carpark before I end this post.

Ample parking lots in Kek Look Tong

Opens at 7am, closes at 6pm...and they are sharp about it!

9 Through the blue skies I soar ...

...with the help of an aeroplane..zooOOmm!

Auto-Awesomed by Google+

It wasn't snowing, of course. I was still in sunny Malaysia. When I uploaded this photo onto my blog, it was auto-awesomed by Google+ (a feature that does cool things to your photos).

Home is a two-hour+ flight away. Lucky me was blessed with the window seat. The view is always amazing up here. Imagine seeing fluffy clouds this close!  I snapped some pics because I wanted to remember the feeling.

It looks like a blanket of snow

Above fluffy clouds

How nice if I could fly....winged like the bird. Nah..wingless like Superman.

10 Port Dickson : Grand Lexis Resort - A "stay-indoors" holiday!

Aaahhh..reflect and relax

2014's been fabulous so far. People are back in the office with a renewed spirit. School has started with a traffic vengeance. The weather is gloomy but I'm still in that season of festivity. That's because we have many Capricorns in the family. Mom, dad, aunt, cousin... me. Hah! See how many Birthdays we're celebrating. We also make a big-do about Chinese New Year.

So, for us, the party never really ends until February. After that, it's many months of serious business.

Anyway, all this frequent traveling and meeting up with friends and family has not allowed me to blog as often as I wished but hey, I found time today. And so the story begins..

For that occasional "love-myself" reason, I booked a night at Grand Lexis Port Dickson to usher in my 40th Birthday. The unique thing about this resort? Every room is equipped with a private pool.  Whoa.

I had such a great time that I cannot not share this amazing place with everyone.

From the moment we (hubs and I) stepped into the resort, we were mesmerised. The resort staff attended to our needs with such grace and welcomeness that it felt like we were being surrounded by warm hugs.

After the checking-in paperwork was done, we were taken to our rooms in a buggy. Photos tell a better tale, don't they?

The hotel, the reception area and onto the buggy!

Here I am (below) at the Executive Pool Villa above the sea. I've no regrets paying the extra charge for the sea view. Rooms with a good sea view is limited. I had to make arrangements directly with the hotel via a phone call since there was no option available for me to select what I wanted on the online hotel booking sites I visited.

The room is huge and comfortable. A typical classic design with dim lights. On the floor is a glass panel where I could see the gentle waves of the sea passing under the room .

My room!

This is my favourite spot - the indoor pool! The first thing I did after unpacking was jump ....no, ease into the pool ~ it was c-o-l-d. After the initial brrr, I frolicked for hours....hours!

The main attraction - the private pool!

You can walk out to the pool area from the bathroom and the kitchen windows too

I love the pool so much that I've taken more shots than I should have.

It's 4ft deep which is perfect for 5ft me.

Two pool floaters were provided. I had massive fun bobbing in these with my back on the water and the sun on my face.

We only popped out for food once and then, we were back in the pool again.

It was so beautiful to watch the sun set before us as we lay floating in the water.

This room is a corner lot located at the far end of the resort and away from prying eyes of neighbouring units. The extra privacy is a plus!   


Our pool looks out into the open sea. Funnily, there is no balcony designed into the unit. So, there was no place I could sit and chill to enjoy the scenery. I wish they would remove the open shower area at the end of the pool and convert that into a sunbathing area instead.

Sea view

There were a couple of small huts built along the edge of the resort for sunset viewing. It's a gorgeous spot to laze in the evening.

The path to our room

A nice stroll around

At the end is what I call the "sunset viewing hut"

I snooped around and am happy to report that Grand Lexis Resort has garden themed units too for those who don't fancy the sea. There are two types - one which is built in a single-storey row (I think the pools are open-air in these units) and then the other, which looks like double-storey terrace houses. The ground floor rooms of the double-storey units are perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy the pool in private and out of the sun. The upper floor units are open and accommodate sun loving folks.

The hotel tower houses sky pool villas with private indoor pools. If you like it high, then this is where you should aim for.

Top : Garden Villas, Bottom : Sea Villas

These are some of the things you can do besides swimming - archery, fishing, games, segway rides, karaoke with friends, eat!  

From top-left, clockwise - Segway rides, Restaurant,
Games room, Archery, Public pool

Well, that's the end of my Birthday bliss but not my traveling adventure. Two days later, I jetted off to my hometown, a small island off Borneo.

Note:

~ There are no sandy beaches for romantic walks or beach activities - this place is wharf-like.

~ Food is expensive and the variety is limited. Good thing - A microwave oven, electric kettle and fridge is provided. You know what to do *wink* OR you could take a short drive into town and try some local food.

11 Putrajaya : The Bridges I saw

Putrajaya ~ Malaysia's federal administrative centre is a beautiful place to visit. I often imagine picnicking on the grassy grounds beside the lake, munching on sandwiches, sipping tea from a thermos.... 

It would sadden me if Putrajaya fell into the standards of eyesore Kuala Lumpur. A lot of love has been put into the landscaping of this new city of ours, with trees and flowers lining many paths. I would move here if I weren't tied to the convenience of doing business in our old, established capital city.

Picnics aside, I also find Putrajaya magical because of its majestic bridges.

It is said that the Seri Wawasan  bridge (picture below) is a stunning design of a futuristic sailboat, a representation of us steering to meet Malaysia's Vision 2020 goal. Wawasan means vision in our local language.

On second glance, I think it looks like an angel in a flowing gown. This is the most elegant bridge I have ever seen.

Seri Wawasan Bridge ~ From the car

Seri Wawasan Bridge ~ From afar

The Seri Saujana bridge (below) is a stunning structure that looks like a bookend. It also reminds of a pair of slingshots pulled back. I take that it's telling me to "shoot for the stars". I couldn't find any information on the inspiration behind these bridges. I guess I'm not such a great googler after all. 

Seri Saujana Bridge

Seri Saujana Bridge up close

On the Seri Saujana Bridge

Then there's the more down-to-earth Seri Gemilang  bridge. It stands proud against the modernity of the above-mentioned two bridges. Gemilang  means excellence. There is an air of traditionalism in this design.

Seri Gemilang Bridge

Three bridges was all I had enough time for. Perhaps another trip is in order.

For a full list of bridges in Putrajaya, visit this link.

5 Happy 2014!

A great start to the year. I skipped the street countdown parties again. I passed over the clubs, the obnoxious spray can hooligans, the manic dinners. Instead I spent the night with people closest to me.

We watched the fireworks. At the stroke of midnight, flares of colourful lights danced in many corners. You see, I live way up.

Above, my neighbour lit his own firework - small rockets shooting out, challenging the sight before us. The little popping sounds struggling to make a Katy Perry mark. We felt for him.

We cheered with sparkling red wine, gourmet popcorn on top of vanilla ice-cream, mince pies and .....satay in the wee hours.

Cheers to a new beginning!

Spirits remained high the next morning but lethargy soon kicked in.... not before I finalised my Facebook page. Big grin.

Link : https://www.facebook.com/elephantsandmangoes

I thought ~ why not?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wish you Happy 2014!

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.
~ Brad Paisley

8 The Winter Solstice Glutinous Rice Balls : How I Cheated

Old year out, new year in! Get-togethers and marvelous meals ~ It has me wondering whether I should take it as all good or good-bad. Good because I'm bonding with family and friends. Bad, because I'm getting chubbier.

I guess I should look on the brighter side of things *wink*. I am getting "choo bee-er"! Choobee means cute in Hokkien, by the way.

December and January are my busiest months. Many festivities fall within this period. It begins with the Winter Solstice Festival, is followed by Christmas, then New Year and finally, Chinese New Year. This, not counting Birthdays and .....Valentine's Day, weeks after!

We celebrated the Winter Solstice Festival (DongZhi Festival) with the customary eating of tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). I've always wanted to make my own but never found the time. The festival falls on a date days before Christmas. Perhaps next year.

I celebrated the occasion with a small packet of ready-made ones. We usually pair the glutinous rice balls with sweet syrup boiled of honey rock sugar and ginger.This year, however, is a year of cheats.

Glutinous Rice Balls

"Holy macaroni! You're a genius!" exclaimed excited Hubby. It's weird and funny at the same time. I don't remember hearing the same vigour in his compliment when I whip up a really drool-worthy luxurious meal. Mmm...

Anyway, I cooked the frozen glutinous rice balls as instructed on the packet and ladled it out into a pretty pink bowl.

Usually, I would boil sweet ginger syrup to go along with it (a family tradition) but I was a little lazy this year. Before I knew it, I reached out to tear open a sachet of my favourite drink. And this is the secret ~ NONA Honey Ginger Drink.

Honey Ginger Drink

I emptied the contents into a cup and added hot water as instructed. It was ready in under a minute. Then, I poured this drink over the cooked glutinous rice balls. Voila! Serve and eat.

Cheating? Hah! Shortcut!

I wonder if anyone else does this...yum stuff, the quick way!

8 Flenco ~ My New Best Friend

This just in and I can't believe I'm already sharing the news here today. Do I hear sniggers? Yes, I can be really irregular with my posts...often distracted, often out somewhere.

But I rarely miss any of Shirley's posts. I like visiting Luxury Haven because I love variety ~ cooking, new products, home decor, contests, travel and hotels. It is the spice of life! This is like my daily newspaper.

I joined Luxury Haven's Flenco Christmas giveaway the other day and was lucky enough to be blessed with a win. Before this, I had never heard of the brand. 

Check out the packaging. I love it a lot. The product feels great too, a skin rejuvenating body scrub. I'm impressed.

Body Shaper - Olive Dead Sea Scrub

Hah! You could say I've bookmarked Flenco for gifts and personal pampering. Can't wait to try their other products.

In case you're keen to know where I got this, this is the link to the winners list on Luxury Haven: http://www.luxuryhaven.co/2013/12/winners-of-flenco-christmas-hampers-at-luxury-haven.html

5 Delicious Christmassy Cake

Someone pointed out that it was Christmassy. In my excitement, I hadn't noticed. All I saw was something scrumptious to e-a-t, to ....to share. Good things are meant to be shared. I will not be piling the kilos on alone.  

I collected this cake from PJ Hilton's Caffe Cino last week. It was worth the three times I had to circle the vicinity for a parking lot. Construction, congestion! The town is brimming with development.

You can never go wrong with fresh strawberries on cake!

...how light the frosting, how moist the cake, how cream cheesy the layers...bliss.

I was really thrilled to cut a piece out. It felt like opening a present. I couldn't wait to see what was inside. It was supposed to be a 'rainbow cake' with seven different colours of layering. Instead they gave me something that reflected the season. The smudgy frosting on the cake looks rainbow-coloured. I didn't mind though.  The magic of Christmas has already rubbed off on me. I feel 'joyous'.

Yummy!

A huge piece for me!

Up close and personal with cake.

Alright, that's enough showing off for one day!

PJ Hilton's a great place to hang out. I love the ambiance and am no stranger to the hotel's restaurant, having spent many hours at the buffet corner catching up with friends.

Santa's delivered me an early Christmas / Birthday present. I take this as a countdown to my 40th Birthday which is just around the corner.

2 The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale - It's the World's Biggest!

It was so BIG in discounts that I was caught in an intense struggle not to overspend. Only at the beginning, that is. Seven heavy books later .... and sore arms, my desire was quelled.

The sale runs on a 24-hour schedule. I admire people who work the graveyard shift. I find it mentally challenging. Mr. Sandman always comes a-calling. Sometimes, he isn't very nice. He makes me snort and snore with all that sand stuck in my nose.

This is the scene at Mines Exhibition Centre, 8am, Sunday. 

The early bird catches the worm

I woke up earlier than usual to beat the crowd and was blessed with a good two-hour of peaceful book hunting. Man was left to his devices. I didn't want to bore him too much by following me around. You see, there was no hint of enthusiasm for this Sunday outing since the night before, when it was made known to him.

I had to laugh when I saw him with a box full of books, twice my load! He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice that his mobile had rung five times!

Books and more books!

The other thing that amused me was when I saw a luggage seller setting up booth just outside the hall. I thought a travel fair was on too but I understood instantly when I walked in to see people pulling bags along the aisle. It's a convenient way for bookworms to carry it all.

I wasn't buying a lot so the light shoulder bag I had brought along suited me well - made it easier to navigate around busy areas.

There is no need to worry too much about it though. The Big Bad Wolf team has it sorted out for customers. They have boxes that you can use to carry your books around. There's also a storage station where you can leave your books.

The loud speaker came on and the voice of a very sleepy announcer blared through the hall.

"Don't leave your boxes on the floor. Keep the aisles clear!"

"Do not bring books you do not wish to purchase to the cashier counter!"

Getting crowded and it isn't even 10am yet!

I left before 11am. There were no long queues at the cashier yet. All in, I had a glorious time.

The entrance..how cool!

I walked away with the best bargains. Just to give you an idea how much I saved ~ I paid RM20 for Nigella Christmas . It costs RM109.90 at my regular book store.

In our car boot:

My stash and ..ahem, Man's stash *roll eyes*

Four for me, three are presents for the family

The sale ends this Sunday!

It's a 24-hour thing, but only for a week. Hurry now!

BBW website : www.bigbadwolfbooks.com

5 Christmas Tree .... s

I know it looks like I've really gotten carried away this year ...

My Collection of Christmas Trees

At the RM5 store.

Man : Gonna get this for the office. (Picks up small undecorated tree and walks off).

Wife picks out pretty purple tree for the guest room... thinks man should have purchased one with all the baubles on but did not interfere with man's tree quest. She thinks it would be hilarious to see him decorating the tree since he's always Mr. Reluctant at home.

We walked out of the store happily.

An hour later, Man came to his senses. Another small tree with gold baubles was purchased.

And that's how I landed myself with an extra Christmas tree! It would have been a waste to put it away so I dressed it simply with pine cones, a bit of gold and left it as a centerpiece on the dining table.

Before

Today!

This 6ft Christmas tree, on the other hand, has been with us for almost decade. I make little changes to how I decorate the tree year by year. I added two purple masks in 2012. That cost me about seven ringgit. This year, I forked out ten ringgit for two boxes of pink baubles.

I've been dreaming of a pink Christmas for ages but I didn't want to spend a whole lot of money just to change the entire theme of the tree. So I did it in stages...or you could say, in years.

The tree started out with blue and silver decorations. Over the period, purple was added and now pink. I finally have enough to do away with the blue baubles completely.

Dream realised. Mission accomplished. What's next? Gold, I guess *wink*