Discovery Of Mural Paintings on KL Streets
KL tower is one of the prominent buildings you'll get to see when you walk or tour around KL. I stood under a tree to capture this photo as the sun shone brightly in the sky. As I continued to walk, I noticed many mural paintings in the streets!
Nice combination of colours! Love the blue and green colour in the background that makes this painting looks so soothing to the eye.😄
Looks like a barter system is going on in the painting. A sack of onions to a basket of potatoes maybe?
The brown in this painting symbolises the earthly origin of everything. The brown dusty ground, brown kampung houses, brown cows, brown carts, brown gunny sacks. I believe it shows how ancient toiling looks like decades ago.
Love the fresh and lively green! It means a bountiful harvest! 🥦
Oh, poor guy, he must be feeling really tired. Caught a food delivery guy resting in the back alley. He blended so well with the background. Almost look like a 3D mural! 😂
Me and @iamjadeline in our shutterbug mode. So amazed that they relive this boring back alley into a street full of colourful murals.
Passed by the Ali, Muthu, Ah Hock restaurant too. It is a contemporary Kopitiam that focuses on the multi-racial food traditions of Malaysian cultures. Ali (represents a Malay name), Muthu (an Indian name), and Ah Hock (a Chinese name).
'Warung' means a kiosk/small eatery shop in Malay. 'Pak Ali' means an uncle named Ali. Warung is usually located near the roadside and sells Malay cuisine such as Nasi Lemak, Mee Goreng, Teh Tarik etc.
'Kedai Gunting Rambut' means a hair salon. If there's a barber's pole outside of the shop, then this is a barbershop that cut, groom, and shave hair or beards for men.
If you grew up in Malaysia, you might have seen this Roti Man roaming in your neighbourhood before. Roti Man usually hangs all sorts of bread and tidbits on his bike's storage box. And to "announce" his arrival, he will honk on every street he goes. Haha, how I miss the honking sound. I've not seen a Roti Man for a long time!
'Ah Hock Food Trading' basically means a fruit stall owned by a Chinese guy named Ah Hock. I still see fruit stalls like in the market nowadays. I love fruits!
Last mural of the day - a HUGE SLICE OF PIZZA! Super love this vibrant and colourful art piece! Makes me feel so hungry after looking at it. Look at that pulling cheese... 🧀🤤 Maybe I should get a good pizza one of these days!
As I travelled to KL more often in recent months, I noticed lots of random mural paintings in the streets! These paintings are new, judging by the paint colours. I didn't hunt for these murals but accidentally discovered them as I walked past the streets. Glad that I manage to capture a few on my camera!
It was a scorching hot day! But a sunny day like this also means sufficient natural sunlight, which makes these paintings a little more outstanding in the photo.😄
Most murals display how people worked hard in various jobs to meet their needs back in the day. At a similar location, I caught some modern-day workers resting in the back alley after a long working day. What a coincidence to have this visual contrast between the olden and modern-day hardworking workers. :)
Then, we passed by the Ali, Muthu, Ah Hock restaurant, a homegrown eatery that offers nostalgic Malaysian food. Apparently, this is the original branch among the mushroomed branches in Klang Valley. I like that they have their logo, murals and props outside their restaurant to represent the 3 major races in Malaysia. It also gives people an idea of the kind of food and drinks they sell in their restaurants
Hope to discover more mural paintings on KL streets! 📷
Comforting Fish Head Noodles For Birthday Lunch! 🐟🍜
I've seen many have patronised this famous shop - Woo Pin Fish Head Noodles on social media over the years but didn't have the chance to try it yet. Finally got to step into this place 2 months ago!
It was a long queue due to lunch peak hours.
Here's me and@iamjadelinepatiently waiting in line. But thank God, we only waited for 15 minutes. Not too bad. :)
45 Kamunting, is part of the restaurant's name as they have multiple outlets in Klang valley. This also indicated their address - No 45, Jalan Kamunting.
The vibe of the place is more of an old-school kampung style. It looks a little like my grandfather's house, which gives me a sense of familiarity. 😄
And.... that's me busy being a shutterbug. 🐞😛
Quite affordable for a meal in KL I think. Average RM13.50 (USD 2.8+) per bowl of fish head noodles.
Meanwhile, drinks are around RM4-6 (USD 1-1.50).
My friends ordered fried fish skin as one of the side dishes. So huge and crisply-ly good! What a yummy starter!
*We ordered Teh Tarik, Honey Lemon and Kopi as our drinks.*
A picture with @iamjadeline before the main meal arrives. :)
The main meal of the day - Fried Fish Head Noodles! This is a hearty combination of slurpy milky broth derived from evaporated milk, sliced tomatoes, preserved vegetables, spring onions, and fried fish head chunks.
We had fried fish cake as another side dish to accompany the noodles too! Nom nom
There was this lady who was busy baking beside us while we were eating our noodles. IT SMELLS SO HEAVENLY GOOD!
Turns out, it was a tray of egg tarts! Can't resist but to take away a few boxes of egg tarts for our family. Apparently, this place is also famous for egg tarts!
Look at the shiny burnt-surface egg tarts! 😋
A needed wefie with @iamjadeline and her husband to keep as a memory, cause meet-up like this is rare! :)
**Fish head noodles are one of my favourite noodle soup dishes.**
The noodles here were good, but if they added more Shao Xing wine, it will be superbbb! Hahaha, just personal preference. The chilli was surprisingly good too. It is spicy, sweet and sour with the addition of a great ingredient - the belacan (shrimp paste), which makes it soooooo addictive!
Might revisit this place in the future again!@iamjadeline
**It was a pleasure to meet** @iamjadeline **and her husband for my belated birthday lunch 2 months ago.**
Both of them are my mentor-like close friends/big sister & brother in the church who have kept me in mind and prayers all these years.
It was a very rare opportunity to meet both of them at the same time, due to their childcare responsibilities. It must have been not easy for the couple to coordinate the timing too. So I appreciate the meet-up a lot!
Thank you for making the time to meet me. Grateful for the short and casual catch-up. Thank you for the belated birthday treat too! ❤
@iamjadelineCheers to our long-awaited first meal together! More to come! 😊🥂
**If you're in KL and wish to try the noodles, here you go:**
**Woo Pin 45 Kamunting**
45, Jalan Kamunting, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
7.30am - 4pm.
Closed on Sunday.
We Were Once Strangers, Not Anymore!
We were supposed to be here for a brunch, but there was a long queue! So, we went shopping and came back here for dinner to try our luck. Thank God, there were much lesser crowds and we found a seat! Wohoo!
We were here for a dear friend's birthday @happycrazycon! 🎉 These are my few close friends in church. :)
They have nice quotes and drawings on the wall.
Didn't know fox and bear friendship is a thing until I googled. Now I understand the inspiration behind this mural and quote.
*"No strangers, only friends we haven't met.", says the bear and the fox.*
Our food was served by this robot server. This machine has become popular ever since the pandemic due to the lack of manpower in the F&B business. Have you seen this from where you are too?
I had a Quarter Chicken Thigh + 2 sides. RM27 (USD 5+)
Love the tenderness of the chicken! The pumpkin potato mash is a special combination. Both are my comfort food. Curly fries are perfectly fried and seasoned too!
My friend ordered a Big Breakfast Crepe. RM30 (USD 6+)
It is made up of wholemeal crepe, sausage, ham, butter-sauteed mushrooms and spinach, golden hash brown, bakes beans, and scrambled eggs.
The taste was good, but the portion was a little big for my friend! 😂
Another friend ordered a Pesto Chicken Sandwich. RM24 (USD 5+)
It is made up of sourdough, grilled chicken, pesto sauce, cheddar, spinach, and cherry tomatoes.
I LOVE THE SOURDOUGH BREAD! The cheese makes it even tastier! I'm craving this now T.T
Dark Side Choc Crepe. RM14.50 (USD 3+)
A choc crepe with dark choc spread, white choc curls, and vanilla ice cream. With a cutely written "happy birthday" wording on it too!
Love thissss as it's not sweet! Oh my, I'm craving this now as well T.T
Happy belated birthday once again Connie @happycrazycon! You're a sunshine laughter bomb wherever you go! Do you know you have a very contagious laugh? I can even imagine your laughter in my ears as I write now. HAHAHAHAHA!
*"Whether a savoury meal or sweet dessert, food tastes better when you're relaxed, happy and surrounded by good vibes!"*
Couldn't agree more! There were definitely great waves of laughter (and tears) as the girls chatted through the night. ❤️
**Food is such a powerful connector between humans. Don't you think so?**
Aside from our daily meals. food appears at almost every important celebratory milestone in our life. It has the ability to gather humans in one place. Be it birthdays, anniversaries, farewells, or even funerals. 😅
I'm thinking how do humans celebrate each other if there's no food? Hmmm. 🤔 But if there's no food, we will firstly die of hunger. Hahahahaha
Let me rephrase. How do humans celebrate each other without the presence of food? Hmmm. 🤔 Maybe we can gather people around, but without food, something just feels missing eh?
Hahaha ok, excuse my daydream thoughts. :p
**Back to the topic, this is my second time at Strangers at 47. It never disappoints!**
I have bookmarked this place as one of the best cafes in Klang valley in terms of affordability, decent ambience and most importantly, good food! They have good customer service as well. The waiters came by every now and then to ask about the food, chat and laugh with you, voluntarily take group pictures etc. They try their best to make their customers happy in every way they can.
I guess that is what makes this place special and still patronized by many after many years (they even survived the pandemic!). Do give them a try if you haven't! (Thanks for the awesome recommendation @Trieors!💯)
***Strangers at 47***
*45, 47 49, Jalan 17/45, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor*
*10.30am-9pm*
*Closed on Tues*
The '47' in the restaurant's name is derived from the original lot number of the shop. It was initially located on the 47th lot of that row.
Judging from the mural quotes, I guess this cafe is named Strangers at 47 in order to symbolise that people may once be a stranger at 47, but after stepping into this place, they will soon find a new friend. :)
*"Meet a friend or befriend a stranger at 47."*
*"No strangers, only friends we haven't met.", says the bear and the fox.*
A Simple Yet Memorable Walk Down The Memory Lane With My Dad 😊
This was a rare date where my dad and I had a short trip to Muar town some time ago. (Muar is a town and the capital of Muar District in Johor state, Malaysia.)
We usually have a place to stay over whenever we're in Johor as it is my parent's hometown. But due to some circumstances, we had to book accommodation near the town to layover a night.
Found a hotel boutique called Muo Resort, which cost around MYR 84+ (USD 17+) per night for two pax. Quite affordable.
Coconut trees and tv antennas high up in the skies are one common sight whenever I'm back here.
Here's my dad explaining his experience about this town, on top of the displayed history information*.*
While walking around the town, we came across this restaurant called "Lu San" Restaurant. It was the restaurant where my parents held their wedding 35-36 years ago. So glad that it still exists, and I can capture it as a memory!
We have the same Chinese surname as the shop's name, which is pronounced as Lu in Mandarin! Now I'm wondering is this why my dad chose this restaurant? So it's easier to remember? 😂
It has now become a Kopitiam/coffee shop that serves coffee and sells all sorts of biscuits and dry goods.
In the evening, we went to a place called Tanjung Emas Park. It is located at the mouth of the Muar river that meets the South China Sea. This place is quite a well-maintained park. People come here to jog, while some chill with friends overlooking the sunset.
Here's my dad talking to the phone in "style"... or maybe he's stretching his legs... 😅
Here's what I see on my right while strolling the park. Such a beautiful scene!
Love the calm sea here. Love the gradient colours in the sky too. What a peaceful view. :)
A wefie to commemorate this special day. :)
It was a memorable walk in the town, discovering the place my parents held their wedding, walking around the park in the evening, and overlooking the calming river and sea. A simple yet precious moment with my dad. :)
Not sure if it's the prolonged effect of staying in the city, but it makes my heart (and eyes) leapt whenever I see greens/nature in the city. I think every town or city should have places like this for the sake of people's well-being and to encourage everyone to appreciate nature more.
Whether to have a stroll in the evening, gather with friends to do morning exercise, or calm the mind amid busyness, I believe spending time in nature and doing exercises does help to improve our physical and mental health in some ways. :)
Simple DIY Breakfast Experiment - Homemade Sausage Rolls Puff Pastry!
It all started with me being bored with my usual breakfast food @ grab-and-go kinda food e.g. biscuits, flavoured bread, bread with filling etc. Hence, it sparked my brain to try to make something different for my breakfast. Maybe something "fancier", yet simple and not time-consuming. 😂
It's actually not hard to make, just needed a little more time and intention.😊
Puff pastry sheets, sausages, and egg. I just took whatever was available in the fridge/freezer. 😂 I roughly glanced at some youtube videos and went ahead to make it. To be honest, I'm not sure if it works since it's my first time making it. 😄
Place the sausage in the middle and cut a short line on both left and right of the pastry sheet.
Cross-wrap the sausage by folding the left strip over to the right, and then the right strip over to the left.
It may get a little tricky and time-consuming here, as the pastry sheet starts to get stickier the longer it stays at room temperature.
Repeat the cross-wrap technique from top to bottom of the sausage.
Separate the egg white and egg yolk, and then beat the egg yolk.
Apply a layer of egg wash over the pastry.
Put into the air fryer and set 180 degrees for 15 mins.
Voila! Sausage Rolls Puff Pastry done!
It was better than I expected. It's nice and crispy when it's eaten hot. Yumsss! Awesome food for breakfast and teatime snack! 😋
Imagine having it with this cuppa of coffee or any hot beverage you like. Perfect combo! ☕
======================================================
**Homemade Sausage Rolls Puff Pastry**
**Ingredients:**
Ready-made puff pastry sheets (I got them from the frozen section in the supermarket)
Sausages
1 egg
======================================================
**Steps:**
Place the sausage in the middle of the pastry sheet.
Cut a short line on both left and right of the pastry sheet.
Cross-wrap the sausage by folding the left strip over to the right. Vice versa.
Repeat the cross-wrap technique from top to bottom of the sausage.
Separate the egg white and egg yolk. Beat the egg yolk.
Apply a layer of egg wash over the pastry.
Put into the air fryer and set 180 degrees for 15 mins.
Tada! (Pair with your favourite hot beverage for a perfect combo!)
======================================================
Aisehhh~ like a chef's recipe. 😂
After my sausage roll experiment was successful, I made another one for my brother to try. He loved it too! Yay! 🎉
I felt an unexplainable joy when I see people enjoy the food I cooked. ❤️
Haha, till next time! :D
TY's Birthday Celebration with 10 Homecooked Dishes! What a Blessed Feast! ❤️
It's a birthday celebration! I was invited to a friend's son's birthday on a few days ago. Since it was a public holiday in Malaysia on Monday, we get to gather on a weekday night!
The kids are showing me some "Korean love" ❤️😂. The boy in blue is the birthday boy, TY a.k.a the main character of that night! But I feel the birthday boy's mum is also the main character of the night. You will know why next.
Oh my, look at this amount of food! 😱
What a FEAST! The birthday boy's mum cooked these yummylicious dishes for all of us! So amazing! It's been a while since I last saw these many dishes. 😋 I tried to help wash the plates while the host was readying her last few dishes.
A short prayer before the meal by @Trieors :)
Makan, makan! (meaning "let's eat!" in Malay). This really looked like a CNY reunion dinner! :D
Minced Pork Tofu with Scallions! This is the most popular dish of the night! The first dish to be finished by the guests. Hahaha. I generally love tofu, so this dish definitely suits my palette! 😁
2nd popular dish of the night - Salted Egg Fried Brinjal! It is a little oily (cause well, it's deep-fried 😂), but it is so gooood! Totally a perfect combo! So flavourful! It'll make you wanna eat more rice. 😁 https://emojipedia.org/face-with-tears-of-joy/
There should be a vege dish in every meal to achieve a balanced diet! 😄 This is a dish of stir-frying multiple vegetables such as broccoli, mushrooms, carrot, cauliflower, sweet bean pea, and bell pepper. Healthy and crunchy!
Shredded pork with black and soy sauce. It's like pulled pork in the west. :D
Fried vermicelli with luncheon meat cubes, prepared by one of the guests.
Fried sardine fish with Teriyaki sauce, prepared by one of the guests too. Interesting as it is my first time tasting this combination.
Kids meal! Fried nuggets and fried eggs. Haha!
This is my favouriteeeeeee! Lotus peanut soup. ❤️ I'm totally a soup lover, I remember shamelessly taking 3-4 smaller bowls of soup (not this bowl in the pic), with the host's permission. Hahaha 😂
After we finished dinner and rested for 30mins, here comes the birthday cake! We heard that TY loves chocolate, so me and @Trieors got him a flourless chocolate cake! The cake topper is the boy's current favourite cartoon - Roblox!
Birthday boy and his friends. I guess the birthday boy's brother got annoyed with us taking too many photos, hence the face-palm moment. 🤣
Me and @Trieorsbought some presents for the birthday boy!
A group photo with the spiderman pose! Haha.
Happy birthday, TY boy! You are so loved by all of us!❤️
Homecooked dishes are always full of love to me, due to the heart, time and effort poured in. In fact, the host already started preparing and cooking these dishes since 3pm, and finished cooking around 6.30 pm or so. That's her cooking for 3.5 hours alone in the kitchen!
So amazed and grateful for her. To reduce her load, some of us offered to wash the plates and utensils after meals. 😄
**These are my church friends whom I've known for the last 10+ years. So blessed to be able to gather and have a good meal with them on special occasions like this.** ❤️
A 10km "Replacement" Walk at BMW Joy Run Event! 🚶♂️🚶♂️🚶♂️
Last Saturday, my friend invited me to a 10km run event which was organised by BMW. It was a replacement spot for her aunties who couldn't make it last minute. Since everything was paid, so I just took it as an opportunity to do morning exercise with my friends. 😄
All participants were supposed to reach by 6.30 am. Since we were not there to compete (more like we didn't want to wake up early 😂), we reached slightly before the flag-off time.
Participants with blue shirts are the 5km runners.
(Almost thought I attended a BN event 🤣)
Participants with grey shirts like us are the 10km runners. Here are our fresh faces before the run. 😄
This event was held in Cyberjaya, a less congested developing city that is around 33km away from Kuala Lumpur.
I mostly walked throughout the race as I didn't want to overexert myself since I'll have a badminton session 2 days after this event.
They were also policemen and event volunteers to help guard our safety and guide us the way throughout the race.
Came across these fast food outlets while jogging... Interesting distractions for those who felt hungry or want to give up halfway through the race. 😆
Passed by the fire brigade and hospital building too.
This is the HQ building of the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia. Or Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) in Malay.
With the coconut tree and blue window glasses, it looks like this building appeared out of nowhere on a desert island eh? 🏝️😎
Such a beautiful residential area with all the purple flowers and surrounding greeneries. :)
D'Pulze Shopping Centre is one of the popular shopping malls in Cyberjaya.
I remember vividly that here's the 7km mark - the moment when I felt like my legs were not mine anymore. 😂 And the volunteers shouted "Come on come on!! Last 3km!!!!" Haha, what an encouragement! 💪
Finally, we completed the race after 1h50 mins. Phewww~ Good job girls! 🙌😄
Love the medal design! The back of the medal is a tire rim design of a BMW car. Cool!
Here are people queuing up to take photos of their finisher medals with the backdrop.
A sure-have BMW display car at a BMW-organised event. 😁
Thank God the weather was good! No sun, no rain. It was a rather cloudy morning.
The last I did a public run like this was 9 years ago! The rest of the running events were all from the secondary school's sports day back then. Hahaha. I think this is the furthest run I've joined so far. Glad that I managed to complete this challenge, despite the undescribable-loosen-screw feelings on my legs at the 7km mark 😂.
In fact, both of my legs' muscles are still sore now. Haha but all good, it'll be recovered in no time. It was a great exercise outing last weekend! 🙌😄
Yummylicious Malaysian Food @ Nyonya Colors
Had a catch-up lunch with a friend of mine at Nyonya Colors a few days ago. Nyonya Colors is known for its wide range of quality Malaysian food, Nyonya kueh, and desserts.
I ordered a plate of Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang. Nasi lemak is considered one of Malaysia's most popular dishes.
Everything on the plate was well seasoned! The rice has a nice fragrance from the coconut milk & pandan leaf. The chicken rendang and sambal were also very flavorful and not too spicy. Yummy to the tummy!
I don't usually eat a lot of rice, but that particular day, I actually ate the whole bowl of rice cause it was so yummy and of course, also because I was super hungry 😂.
My friend ordered the Nasi dagang. It is a well-known Malaysian breakfast dish on East Coast of Malaysia. It usually consists of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish/chicken curry and side vege such as pickled cucumber and carrots.
The one I ordered was a bit special. It is my first time seeing Nasi Dagang rice wrapped in a leaf. 😄
It comes with a flavorful, aromatic, thick curry chicken gravy which elevated the whole dish.
My newly discovered favourite is the keropok (chips/crackers) in this dish, called Emping. Upon googling it, I found out that it is a type of Indonesian snack that is made of melinjo or belinjo nuts. It has a minimal saltiness and uniquely comes with a slightly bitter taste too.
I like the Emping because it is not too overwhelming with seasonings. It is quite "plain" yet it is addictive. Both saltiness and bitterness have a good balance and I can snack on many pieces without feeling "jelak". (In English, jelak meaning you're sick/had enough of a particular taste, especially that is too rich in flavour 😂).
Ordered otak-otak as my side dish too. Otak-otak is one of my favourite Malaysian food. It is a fish paste-like dish where the main ingredients are fish pieces mixed with some spices and wrapped in a leaf. Nice to have it as a snack or with a bowl of warm rice.
There are usually 2 common types: the steamed version in a leaf pocket style from Northern Malaysia, and the grilled version in stick from Southern Malaysia. Both have distinctive tastes, and I love them both.
The Peranakan style otak-otak I had the other day has a soft and wet texture since it was steamed. So comforting to the tummy. It comes with some eggs, extra herbs, and tanginess from the lemongrass. The fish paste was firstly wrapped with a betel leaf inside and then finally wrapped with a banana leaf on the outer layer and pinned in a little pocket style. Looks cute eh? 😋
They also displayed a variety of colourful Nyonya kuihs at the counter, but sadly I did not have much tummy space left to try... 😂
Such a cute-looking dessert. Looks like rabbit ears!
If you're looking for decent Malaysian food/Nyonya dessert, this is a good place to go! Here are some outlets in Klang Valley's shopping malls for your reference. (You're welcome!)
📍 Nyonya Colors @ The Gardens Mall
📍 Nyonya Colors @ Empire Shopping Gallery
📍 Nyonya Colors @ 1 Utama
📍 Nyonya Colors @ NU Sentral
📍 Nyonya Colors @ Berjaya Times Square
📍 Nyonya Colors @ MyTown Shopping Centre
📍 Nyonya Colors @ Suria KLCC
📍 Nyonya Colors @ Pavillion
I would love to drop by to try their other food and dessert again someday! 😄
Evening Jog and Stroll @ Kepong Metropolitan Park (with Forest-Like Trails and Mirrored Lake!)
Went a little further from the city with my friend @Trieors last Sunday to have a jog at this park named Kepong Metropolitan Park. It is said to be one of the largest recreational parks in Malaysia.
Due to the unique location of this park (right at the side of the highway), not much parking space is available. I've heard that people used to triple park, which caused massive congestion in this area.
For the government to use the funds to build this multistorey car park building to cater for the visitors of this park, I guess the amount of crowd must be quite massive.
Turns out, quite true. There is already a large crowd at the park entrance.
There are many canvas stores selling kites, balloons, bike rentals etc. If it was not because of the park, I would have thought this is a night market. So happening! 😂
They even have a costumed character in the park. Many kids lined up to take pictures with this huge Mr Panda! 😄
Here's Mr Bear pumping balloons for his customers. 🐻
**The Rainbow Arches 🌈**
We were greeted by this colourful arch view near the park entrance.
It's a large open space where people can ride their bikes, scooters and rollerblades.
It certainly felt cool to ride your bike under these rainbow arches. Like you're going through a tunnel.
Reminds me of a game I played when I was young. "London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down..." 🎵
**Forest-Like Trails**
This is a bigger park compared to the one I went to 2 weekends ago. They have walking and jogging paths everywhere, surrounded by the nature like big and tall trees. I love sceneries like this. 🌳
It's an encouraging sight to see young and old come to the park during the weekend to exercise and enjoy nature.
With the tall trees around, it does look like we're in the middle of a forest, isn't it? 😄
Caught this shot when I looked up to the sky. This condominium is just located right opposite the forest view you saw earlier. Interesting contrast eh? Like a forest in the city. 😄
As we walked further, we saw this valley-like mountain view, with a little river stream. Lovely view! 🌳
Usually, there is a cycling path (in blue) alongside the walking path.
Sadly, most joggers don't usually jog according to the lane cause they prefer spaced-out jogging I guess. I would be quite upset if I were a cyclist, cause I need to honk them out of the way. 😂
My friend and I had a tough jog cause there were just too many people. We need to constantly "signal" our way out (like a car) to skip the person in front of us. It was an intermittent jog cause we joked and laughed too much along the way. Definitely running out of oxygen that day! 😂
Saw the water on the left and right of this walking path? Aside from the forest-like trails, there are also beautiful lakes in this park! Interested to see more? Follow me! 😄
**Scenic and Mirrored-like Lakes**
Love the big tree and the mirrored mountain on the lake. So so beautiful. 💙
A calm-looking lake under a blue sky. :)
Another side of the lake overlooks the condominiums.
There is also a viewing tower near the lake to overlook the surrounding environment, which I now quite regret that I didn't go up. I shall remind myself to go if I ever visit this park again! 😄
I'm always fascinated to see big long pretty bubbles like this. Cause I've only played with bubbles when I was young (using shampoo/shower gel/soap) in the shower, where bubbles are always small and burst easily hahaha 😂
Took a wefie with my friend near the lake. 😄
Photo credit to @Trieors
This is me teaching my friend how to use the 🖐️ selfie mode setting on a Samsung phone. She didn't know her phone can take a selfie shot automatically when we show the 🖐️ sign. Look how shocked she was in the first photo! Hahahaha. 😂
Also, I'm not sure why my face became dark in the 2nd and 3rd photos. 😂Seems like a dark cloud appeared on top of me. So I drew a thunder cloud on top of me in the collage photo hahahaha ⛈️.
Another mirrored lake view. Like a painting eh? Such nice weather!
Now here... is probably the part I dislike the most throughout the whole jog. Saw that greenish stale water near the rocks at the right bottom? The stench was so bad in this area that we couldn't breathe for 10 seconds. 🤢🤮
Thankfully, we saw the news the next day that people complained about the unpleasant smell and the authority in charge will take action soon. Hopefully, the problem is fixed the next time we come. *Fingers crossed* 🤞
**Playgrounds**
No park is complete without a playground. 😁
**Food Stalls**
There are a number of food stalls selling local delicacies such as rojak and local drinks in the park. A good place to quench your thirst and for tea time snack! 😋
**The Green Pastures Like Fields**
Yes, this park is big enough to accommodate a football field.
Some brought badminton racquets to play badminton on the field too.🏸
One of the famous activities in this park is kite-flying.
There are many unique and colourful kite designs available for purchase.
Too bad there wasn't any strong wind last Sunday, hence not many kites are seen in the skies.
Even the windmill spinner wasn't moving much.
Saw a meaningful sign board in the park that speaks a great encouragement and reminder to all.
*Hirup ketenangan, lepaskan tekanan.* (Malay language)
*Breathe in peace, and breathe out stress.* (direct translation to English)
Going to the outdoors does give us a breather and improves our overall well-being, especially when we're leading a hustle and bustle life in the city.
So, go to a nearby park whenever you can.
Nature has the ability to soothe our souls. Somehow. :)
A lovely sunset to end our 4km+ walk.
More parks to come! 🙌
Evening Stroll & Jog at Titiwangsa Lake Park
Last weekend, I went for a jog at an urban park named Titiwangsa Lake Park in Kuala Lumpur with two of my friends. It's my first time here and I can't wait to explore the place.
Looks like a huge park!
My friends warming up to prepare for the jog.
We were first greeted by this lake view with famous buildings in KL such as KLCC and National Art Gallery in the background. Love the greeneries around the lake too. Such a beautiful sight!
There were also people playing paddleboard on the lake. Looks fun!
One thing I like about this park is that they have a well-paved pathway, which I think it's a huge delight to people who wants to stroll, jog or cycle in the park.
I'm not sure how is the usual crowd of this place, but it was filled with human beings last weekend. 😂 Many people rented individual or tandem bikes (bicycles with 2 seats) to ride around the park, which makes our jog a little difficult. We need to constantly stop to avoid getting hit by people.
With the smooth pathway, this is also a nice place to ride the scooter. I remember I used to play that when I was young. 🛴
There were families who brought food and had a mini picnic at the table.
Some had it under the big tree too, overlooking the beautiful lake. :)
I like that they did some painting on the toilet building to match the surrounding greeneries. 😄
They even painted on the TNB electricity meter box! Hahaha. A colourful catfish!
This... I contemplated for quite a while. Is this a turtle or a fish? It looks like a turtle head to me... yet it has scales and a fin... 🤔 What do you think this is? Hahaha
There's also a beautiful cafe in the park. Nice to have a tea break here with the greeneries around. Comforting to the eyes and soul. ☕
Then I walked past this beautiful little pond with pink and white lotus flowers. There are mini waterfalls too (if you can see them). 😁
As I walked across a bridge overlooking the pond below, I saw fishes and tortoises. I was reminded that my friend brought his sons to release their 2 tortoises pet in this park a few months ago. I wonder if the 2 big tortoises in the photo are theirs. Can you spot it? Haha
Then we came to the playground, which is packed with parents and children.
One of the hotspots of this park.
Such a huge playground equipment! It almost looks like a circus round cage! 🎪😜
A good place for the kids to burn their energy. Run children, run! 😄
Next to the playground is an area called Water Play.
It's actually like a mini water theme park!
This is considered a fairly huge area for the children to play.
This is my first time seeing a "water theme park" in a park. Haha, and it's a free entrance!
The children were having so much fun!
This marks an end to my 3.8km walk. Nice to stroll along this beautiful park. Hope to come again when there are lesser people! 😄
Late Morning Stroll @ Royal Floria Putrajaya (Flower & Garden Exhibition)
Had a date with a friend of mine at a local flower exhibition last Friday. It was an impromptu one as my friend randomly asked me on a Thursday evening if I was interested to go. She got carried away halfway through the message and only manage to reply to my message at 2 am. 😂 Friday was the only available day left for us and we decided to go on Friday morning itself.
According to my friend, Royal Floria Putrajaya is a yearly flower and garden exhibition (this is their 13th year!), but it was put on hold for the past 2 years due to the pandemic. This event was initially held from 29 August - 4 September with RM15 (USD 3+) per entry for adults. I wasn't aware of this event in the past years, so I'm glad I managed to visit for the first time this year!
*I later found that the event got extended to 11 September due to the school holidays and it became a free entry now.* 🤦♀️
This is the location map of the event. Quite a huge area to cover actually!
The first picture in the morning! Before all the sweat begins... 😂
Was greeted by this beautiful sight at the Royal Pavilion section. They have a beautiful fountain surrounded by a bed of flowers. I guess this is a glimpse of what a garden looks like in a royal palace.
Laman Astaka Diraja means Royal Pavilion Garden in Malay.
They even have a flower-flourishing gazebo! A high gazebo like this is very rare in Malaysia.
Pink flowers as the decoration for the gazebo.
We continued walking to another section, which I believe is the PPJ Garden according to the map (PPJ stands for Perbadanan Putrajaya, which means Putrajaya Corporation in English).
We walked towards the arch and bridge to see where it leads us to.
As you can see from the photo, the place was filled with human beings (as expected). Everyone was busy taking photos of the scenery. Some helped their family and friends to take photos, some did selfie shots. It is quite difficult to get a clean portrait shot with a nice background without humans in it. 😂
This is what it looks like from the top of the bridge.
There's a mini garden and pond with koi fishes below the bridge.
Another angle of the gazebo from the bridge.
I told my friend that she can forget to bring everything, but she MUST remember to bring an umbrella and water because I know it will be a scorching hot day and I don't want her to fall sick. And truly it was! We were already sweating like mad in the first half hour. Thank God for umbrella and water! 😆
We then walked through a lane with many beautiful flower arches and flower trails on both sides. I waited quite a while for the people to get dismissed in order to get this slightly cleaner shot. 😜
Some yellow flowers as I looked up to the arch. :)
As we walked further, we saw this cute building on our left named Lake Cabin. It looks like a little cafe that appeared out of nowhere in the forest.
They even got a kombi van as their props. So cute!
We came to another section called Taman Keluarga Malaysia, which means Family Garden Malaysia in English.
Orchids are one of the main flowers used in this exhibition.
A GIANT red ant! So creative that they used metal steel as their legs!
There are giant bee figurines in the middle of the garden as well!
Aside from displaying the flowers on the ground, they also have this octagon igloo-like structure where they hung various plants and flowers on the wall as decorations. Very creative!
Inside the igloo-like structure, there's a man-made waterfall.
Here's my friend sheltering herself with her umbrella on a garden egg chair. 😂
As we continue to walk, we came across these colourful lantern-like hanging bulbs.
Took a closer look and realised it was actually plants wrapped by colourful jute twine cords (something like burlap strings). Another creative way to display the plants!
**China-Malaysia Friendship Garden**
We then proceed to another area, which is called the China-Malaysia Friendship Garden. This is quite a unique place as it has a different design theme from the previous areas.
A thoughtfully built garden I would say. It captured a few important elements of what an oriental garden in China would usually have.
This Lingnan-styled Friendship Garden was built in 2014 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia.
With the oriental architecture, red lanterns, bonsai and bamboo trees, it really makes you feel like you're in China. 😄
Here's the view from the garden with the Putrajaya Seri Saujana bridge in the background.
**Fantasy Garden**
The other corner of the area is a place called Fantasy Garden. It looks like an imaginative garden, where they have big figurines like mushrooms, flowers, ladybirds and Christmas candy sticks.
Looks a little like Alice in the Wonderland scene to me. 🍄
**Floral Pavillion**
We then walked past the Floral Pavillion area, which is an air-conditioned indoor space for floral displays by international and local exhibitors and sponsored by several foreign embassies showcasing the flowers of their respective countries. We quickly ran in as we desperately needed the aircon!!!! 😂
Ahhhh~ our bodies immediately cool down the moment we stepped into this place. 😄
There are orchids everywhere! Pink, red, purple, white.....
I guess they're displaying the orchids this way so that you can imagine how orchids will look like in your home garden, and then proceed to buy the orchids from them after this. 😂
**Floral Displays by International, Local Exhibitors and Foreign Embassies**
**Terrarium Display**
There is also a Terrarium display from the local Terratrium competition. I shall let Mr Wikipedia explain what a Terrarium is since they can do a better job than me. 😄
*A terrarium is usually a sealable glass container containing soil and plants and can be opened for maintenance to access the plants inside. Closed terraria create a unique environment for plant growth, as the transparent walls allow for both heat and light to enter the terrarium. (Wikipedia)*
*The sealed container combined with the heat entering the terrarium allows for the creation of a small-scale water cycle. This happens because the moisture from both the soil and plants evaporates in the elevated temperatures inside the terrarium. This water vapour then condenses on the walls of the container and eventually falls back to the plants and soil below. (Wikipedia)*
Terraria are often kept as decorative or ornamental items.
Mr.David Latimer has built a sealed terrarium in 1960 and the plant has managed to sustain itself for almost 50 years without him opening the bottle to water it. It has since become the world's oldest sealed terrarium. Interesting!
**Time For Some Flower Bed Shots!** 🌺
This was taken right outside of the indoor exhibition area.
Hey, there you are! ❤️ Hello sunshine! 🌻
**Finally It's Lunch Time!**
After a 2-hour walk, we finally felt hungry and headed towards the food stalls and food trucks area.
Chicken Pepperoni and Aloha Chicken.😋
We sat under a tree and have a mini picnic. Had a quick catch-up about our lives there and then too. :)
After our lunch, we walked to the nearby lake.
As the administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya is home to all government departments. See the buildings behind the bridge? Those are mostly government buildings.
Me and my friend were figuring out how to take a selfie with a full bridge behind while holding the umbrella cause the sunlight was just too glaring!
In the end, we just threw the umbrella away and took one quick shot with our small eyes hahaha 😂
Lastly, we came to this covered area where the Malaysian-flag-coloured cloths were hung up in the air.
Red, white, blue and yellow are the colours of the Malaysia flag. 🇲🇾 We just had our national day recently on 31 August!
While we are under these colourful cloths, my friend suggested using the panoramic camera effect to take a selfie. Here are some failed yet funny candid shots while we were testing out. I laughed so much when I looked back at these photos. 😂
Yes, we threw our umbrellas on the floor like it's not ours and take as many pics as we want here. I guess we were just too tired to keep our umbrellas every time we take a photo. 😂
After a few tries, we gave up and decided to just take a normal one. Haha! 😆
Aside from the colourful cloths above us, there are also plenty of floral-themed murals on both sides of this area.
There are also some meaningful human theme murals.
The multi-race and ethnics in Malaysia, are made up of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and the minority ethnic groups from east Malaysia such as the Dayak, Kadazan, and Iban.
Our main frontliners during the pandemic - the doctors and nurses from the medical line. So grateful for each one of them! 🙏
Other front liners who also helped maintain the order in the city and took care of our safety and needs - the polices, armies, postmen and food delivery drivers. Thank you so much! 🙌
Daily view of the Putrajaya garden, where people breeze walking and spending time together with family and friends.
So yes, that calls an end to our trip to Royal Floria Putrajaya. We were so exhausted yet happy to meet each other after a long time. Treasure the time spent with this friend of mine. :)
***If you manage to read thus far, thank you for patiently reading this image-heavy post. I took many photos and would love to share what I saw and experienced. Hence I spent hours organising and editing the images cause it's either over or under-exposure to the sunlight. May you enjoy the scenery as much as I do! 😊***
Simple home-cooked meals at my friend's place over the weekend :)
Every few weekends, I will have a short staycation at my friend's place as it is easier to commute to my church in KL.
This is my friend's handwritten welcome message, snack and drinks on the bed! I laughed my head off when I saw this Hahahaha. How entertaining and welcoming! 😂
Usually comes to mealtime, I will be my friend's sous chef whenever she cooks. 2 weekends ago, my friend wanted a western dish for lunch. Let's get it started!
We marinated the potatoes with paprika, pepper and salt.
Cut the bell pepper and lettuce into smaller pieces.
Marinated the chicken thigh. (Forgot what were the seasoning 😂).
Here's what the potatoes look like after coming out of the air fryer 😋. Yummylicious! Stole a few pieces and keep in my stomach before it is presented on the table 🤭..
Cut some avocados and air-fried the chicken thigh as well, which I forgot to take a picture cause my hands were busy cutting and washing in the kitchen. 😂
Tada! Chicken thigh with grilled-looking potatoes done! Added some Kewpie sauce as a dressing for the salad, and a special homemade sauce (mayonnaise + siracha sauce) for the potatoes.
We have carbs, protein, fibre, and healthy fats checked! ✅ Quite a balanced nutritious meal I think! 🙌🏼
Another special dish that my friend made another day... was a Frittata! Something I've never eaten or heard before. 😂
According to Wikipedia, *a frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables.*
So basically, just add any ingredients you like into a fried omelette. 😂
Beat 4 eggs.
Marinate the beef cubes. (I forgot the seasoning again 😂)
Cut the onions, garlic, and mushroom into smaller pieces.
The same goes for broccoli too. Cut into bite-able size.
Let the frying begin! Start with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
After it all turned brownish, stir fry the beef cubes.
After the beef cubes are cooked, pour the eggs into the pan.
Then flip the piece of the omelette to the other side to make sure both sides are cooked.
This is how my friend made it with her awesome flipping skill. 😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kiLgPV3-bU
Tada! Frittata is done! Added with some mayonnaise as a finishing touch 😋.
These are some home-cooked meals I had at my friend's place. I'm always thankful for this friend of mine for her great hospitality for letting me bunking in her home every time, to ease my commuting and as well to ease my mind and soul on many other things.
Tada! Frittata is done! Added with some mayonnaise as a finishing touch 😋.
These are some home-cooked meals I had at my friend's place. I'm always thankful for this friend of mine for her great hospitality for letting me bunking in her home every time, to ease my commuting and as well to ease my mind and soul on many other things.
Here's our latest photo taken in church. Thank you Jo! 😊🙌🏼
Tufted my first tote bag on my birthday! 🌻
Did some fun activity called tufting on my birthday last week! I've been eyeing this activity for months and finally convinced myself to do it.
Tufting is a type of technique used for manufacturing textiles such as rugs and carpets. According to Wikipedia, *tufting has seen a rise in popularity since 2018 when Tim Eads started an online community for tufting and made electric tufting guns easily accessible.*
Since then, many people have created more practical and decorative tuft pieces such as mirror frames, coasters, bags and more. And recently, the Malaysians have also caught this tufting wave and I noticed more and more tufting shops mushroom-ed in the Klang Valley. 😄
Took this shot at the tufting workshop I was at. I believe these are some sample tuft pieces done by the instructor herself.
Below are some basic steps of the tufting activity.
Step 1: Prepare the tuft image
I wanted to tuft a sunflower image. 🌻 So I searched for a nice sunflower image online, saved it on my phone, and showed it to the instructor during the workshop. (I'll show you the actual image later).
Step 2: Choose what you want to tuft
In Malaysia, different tufting workshops provide different tufting options. One of the few popular ones are rugs, mirror frames, coasters and tote bags.
I didn't want to tuft a rug because I don't want to spend hours (and money) tufting it and end up stepping on my own craft every day. 😂 So I chose to tuft a tote bag for myself. I think it is more practical for my daily usage.
On top of that, the class fee for rug tufting is also more expensive. The price starts from RM190 (USD 42).
Step 3: Choose the yarn colours
These are the 42 available yarn colours at the workshop.
These are the selected colours after the discussion with the instructor.
Step 4: Trace the image
The instructor helped me to reflect the sunflower image on the white fabric using a mini projector.
Then I used a marker pen to draw the outline of the sunflower. Different markers represent different yarn colours.
Step 4: Let the tufting begins!
Similar concept to sewing, 2 yarn strings needed to be fed through the holes (red circled) on the plywood attached to the backing white fabric and the other end of the yarn is then fed through another hole (red circled) on the tufting gun.
Then, the trigger on the tufting gun is pressed to punch the yarn in rapid succession to the white backing fabric.
Tufting is an art and craft activity that needs interest, concentration, meticulousness, physical strength, and most importantly, patience!
Image: KnowledgeBySean, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International via Wikimedia Commons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tufting_gun_(TD-01).jpg
Why did I say so? Cause the tufting gun weighs around 1.5kg! So imagine holding the gun in the air for hours. I actually had a mild muscle sore on my right chest and arms the next day. 😂
Tada! After 2 hours 20 mins, my sunflower tuft piece is finally done. Does it look like a sunflower? 😂
After cutting out the tufted sunflower from the white fabric, the instructor helped to stick the remaining fabric pieces back to the centre.
And lastly, the tufted sunflower piece is glued to the tote bag.
Done! 😊 I like touching the sunflower, due to its "fluffy" texture. Haha
===========================================================
I've been thinking if I should share this next part of the story, cause it felt like it might "ruin" the flow of the "beautiful" story above.
Think think think... Ok, let's go... (Long story ahead)
So I'm gonna show you something that you may not be able to unsee after this. Hahahaha 😄
Ready?
...
...
...
Image screenshot by my phone.
This was the initial sunflower design that I wanted on my tote bag. 🤣
*Photoshopped image*
For **weeks**, I imagined my tote bag to turn out like this.
But it ended up looking like this.
Like a piece of pizza on the bag! hahaha 🤣
Disappointed much? Definitely. In fact, the more I tuft, the more I realise my sunflower is not going to turn out as how I wanted it to be. I was sulking and complaining at myself... *You're just bad at what you do la. This is like some cheapo sunflower.*
This activity costs me RM 99 (appx USD 25. The cheapest package I can find in town), and I need to drive almost an hour to this place (I don't like driving by the way 🤣). On top of that, I also spent 2h20m to complete this piece. Not to mention, I also spent months wrestling in my head about whether I should sign up for this activity. It just felt like everything was wasted, cause the final outcome doesn't reciprocate with my money and effort spent. 😂
While I was talking to God throughout this whole process, I realise one thing.
`How fast comparison can be a thief of joy.`
Well, is there a place for comparison to happen to improve ourselves? Yes, I believe so. But if the comparison affects our well-being in a negative way, then perhaps we are focused on the wrong thing.
**Lesson from this activity**
To look at things objectively, I think my tufted piece didn't turn out the way it looked because:
Complicated design
I thought the sunflower rug image looks simple and nice (yes it is an actual tufted rug sold on Amazon). But if you observe clearly, it is not that simple. 😂 It has many curving lines and colours within each petal. It is actually difficult to manoeuvre the tufting gun to such preciseness, especially for a beginner.
Conclusion: *Choose a simpler design with lesser lines and colours next time.*
Limited choices of yarn colours
The colours available at the workshop are very basic and limited, so it will not be able to reflect the exact colours I wanted.
Conclusion: *Check with the owner of the tufting workshop on the number of available yarn colours and seek advice if it is possible to tuft the exact colour and design next time.*
**Lesson for my heart**
I tend to criticise myself a lot, especially when it comes to my own creations, performance, thoughts etc. It used to be way worse, now slightly better. 😄
I was reminded that the reason I signed up for this activity was not to make the best tote bag in the world. It was to have fun and to enjoy the process. The satisfaction of completing something is very rewarding actually.
Although the final outcome didn't turn out as I expected it to, I learn to be content with what I created with my own hands. I love the sunflower tote bag more now as I am able to appreciate the heart and story behind it. It is my first tuft tote bag after all! 🌻
I'm proud that I pushed myself to say "yes" (and spend) on my wants, as I tend to hold back a lot, especially when it's not a necessity.
It's okay to have fun sometimes! 😊
Doesn't look that bad, isn't it?
It is still a very vibrant-looking tote bag actually! 💛
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt6SEENE8bE
Here's a short video I made for myself to remember this special experience. :)
Birthday Weekend Celebration With My Lovely Friends :)
I have so much to share and journal what happened last weekend when this weekend is already coming to an end! Oh boy! 😂
So, it was my birthday last week and I was blessed to be celebrated by a group of dear friends. ❤️ It may be long-winded writing ahead, but it's my way of capturing the special moments, expressing my excitement and counting my blessings. :)
**Blessing #1: Movie Treat 📽️**
I have a free movie treat from a friend of mine! Woohoo! This is the first movie I watched ever since the pandemic hit! 🎉
*Poster screenshot using my phone* https://www.gscmovies.com.my/emergency-declaration/
This is a thriller disaster blockbuster movie, talking about an aircraft that is forced to declare an emergency landing when bioterrorism occurs in flight.
I was surprised that my friend selected this movie, cause I know she rarely watches Korean movies. 🤣 But she knows I like watching Korean stuff + it's a thriller genre (which I think she likes), so I guess that's why she chose this. I went into the cinema with zero expectation, but came out with 💯 amazement!
*Poster screenshot using my phone* https://www.soompi.com/article/1538937wpp/lee-byung-hun-im-siwan-song-kang-ho-jeon-do-yeon-kim-nam-gil-and-more-collide-in-new-disaster-film-emergency-declaration
This movie consists of A-list Korean actors such as Song Kang Ho (from Parasite), Lee Byung Hun, Kim Nam Gil, Siwan etc. The acting was superb! Even those with little air time. All the actors and actresses (from protagonist to antagonist) conveyed their emotions very well in those desperate life-threatening situations.
On top of that, the CGI effect on the plane interior during the plane turbulence is incredible! So real that I almost swear not to sit Korean airlines anymore! 🤣
*BTS screenshot using my phone* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGt5QZWcf6I
Look at the passenger's hair. It's in the air! Imagine needing to act while sitting on a roller coaster! 🎢 The "plane" was actually rotated 360 degrees during the filming process!
Love the effect and technology used to film this movie! Glad that my friend enjoyed the movie, as much as I do! 😄
**Blessing #2: Haidilao Dinner 🍽️**
Had an early birthday celebration with a group of church friends last Saturday.
We were supposed to have dinner at KLCC, but my friends decided to surprise me and bring me to another place instead. A place that I've always wanted to go to yet didn't have the chance to visit due to its premium price.
Haidilao is a popular hotpot (like steamboat) restaurant that originated in China, where they serve various flavours of simmering soup and raw ingredients, cooked by diners by dipping them into boiling broth at their table.
This place is also known for its premium service. They even have a kid's play area and manicure service for the waiting guests.
Photo credit to @happycrazycon. https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
*Beautiful group photo.*❤️
This was indeed a scrumptious meal. I am still a bit shocked by the surprise treat, yet very grateful. Thank you @happycrazycon and the rest of the ladies ❤. https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
Photo credit to @happycrazycon https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
We ended our dinner early, hence we went for another 2nd round of drinks at a coffee place called The Loaf. We had a great time catching up with each other's life and some laughed till burst out in tears.😂
Photo credit to @happycrazycon. https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
*Cheers to the better second half of 2022! 🥂*
**Blessing #3: Homemade Brownie Birthday Cake 🍰**
Photo credit to @happycrazycon https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
My friend and his boys baked a brownie cake for my birthday! 🥳 I was so touched cause she remembered things I told her a long time ago, that I myself have forgotten about it! 😭
What a lovely ribbon bow 🎀.
Handmade/homemade gift always wins my heart. The handwritten note is ❤. Thank you @happycrazycon! 🥰 https://ecency.com/@happycrazycon
My friends managed to sing a birthday song for me at the car park with the brownie cake before we head home! 😄
Get to share this yummy fudgy brownie cake with some friends and the children at church the next morning too. 😋
**Blessing #4: The Story of Honey Lemon 🍯🍋**
Once upon a time, there is this little boy in my church who gave me a nickname, called "Honey Lemon Yiyi". (Yiyi means aunty in Chinese)
He saw a female character in a Marvel movie - Big Hero 6, who wore yellow attire in spectacles and told his mum that she looked like aunty Michelle in church. Hahaha 😂
Do you think I look like Honey Lemon in the Big Hero 6 movie too? 😆
To match the character name, this little boy (and his mum) actually gave me real honey + lemon as a birthday gift this year! 😂 Which is awesome, cause I like honey lemon drinks too!
I jokingly asked the little boy, why 3 lemons. He said, 3 lemons means 3 syllabus - "I love you". Hahahaha this sweet funny boy! 😂
And he drew me a nice birthday card too! So amazed by his drawing skills. He's only 7! Such a talented boy! 🎨
What a wonderful celebration! So much laughter and I'm so very blessed and grateful for each one of them. Thankful for their precious time, and thoughts to plan the outing and gifts, despite their busy schedule. These ladies are big sisters that I am closely knitted with for the past 10 years. They are truly people with hearts of gold.💛
Travel Diary to Eastern Europe - Munich, Germany
After our Prague and Cesky Krumlov trip, me and my friends took a 5 hours train to our next stop - Munich, Germany. From the Munich Central Train Station, we walked for around 10 mins to check into our accommodation. https://read.cash/@michelleloh168/travel-diary-to-eastern-europe-prague-czech-republic-98853f62 https://read.cash/@michelleloh168/travel-diary-to-eastern-europe-cesky-krumlov-czech-republic-7cb4ea67
**Marienplatz**
We head to Marienplatz (or "Mary's Square" in English), which is a central square in the city centre of Munich, Germany. It has been the city's main square since 1158. It's a 12 mins walk from our accommodation.
We climbed 300 steps to get a sunset shot of Marienplatz's town square. Pheww~ everyone had jelly legs when we were finally up there! Haha, totally a leg day! 😂
A panoramic view of Munich city.
Some scribbles on the grill. "Good for you buddy!" :)
**Rathaus-Glockenspiel**
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is a tourist attraction clock in Marienplatz. It is a well-known spectacle that gathers big crowds at Marienplatz every day at 11 am and 12 pm (as well as 5 pm in the summer - March to October).
Image: Christoph Braun, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019-11-16,_Glockenspiel,_Neues_M%C3%BCnchner_Rathaus,_IMG_7463_edit_Christoph_Braun.jpg
According to Wikipedia, this glockenspiel consists of 43 bells (powered by solar energy, and weighing about 7 tons!) and has 32 life-sized figures.
Gosh, I didn't realise these figures are the same size as a real person! I remember they looked quite tiny from where we watched. So amazed by their craftwork!
This 12-15 minute long glockenspiel chimes and re-enacts 2 important scenes from Munich's history from the 16th century.
**Upper floor**
The wedding of Duke Wilhelm V (a German prince) to the Renate of Lorraine in 1568.
**Bottom floor**
The famous Schäfflertanz dance. Celebrated by the barrel makers in order to lift the spirits of the people of Munich after a severe plague.
My phone couldn't zoom as far nor get a good angle of the show from where we stood. Hence, I shall attach someone's youtube video here if you're interested to watch. You may watch from 1:12 onwards for the Duke's wedding show, and 3:44 onwards for the Schäfflertanz Dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_6CngfFFY
Source video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_6CngfFFY
Took a group shot with my friends with the Glockenspiel behind us. :)
**Exploring the Town Square**
I often see the word "town square" while travelling to European countries.
A town square is like a large open area in the centre of a town. Town squares were usually places where people came together to meet, sell, buy things, or be entertained. So you'll see markets, shops, cafés or even concerts here sometimes.
Looks like the public water tap in Europe is clean enough to be consumed. In Malaysia, drinking from public water tap might get you stomach ache. 😅
**Street buildings along the way**
Looks like a Jenga block!
Must be quite a high maintenance to maintain these climbing plants. But it's nice to look at though. :)
We got ourselves an unlimited day ticket to access the city area. It was €12.80 for a maximum of 5 people. Quite a good deal I think!
From here, we were split into 2 teams. One team visited the Dachau Concentration Camp, which is Nazi Germany's first concentration camp where political prisoners and members of national or minority groups who are confined for reasons of state security, exploitation, or punishment. So it is like a memorial site to see the former camp, crematorium, prisoner barracks, prisoner cell, bunker, mass grave etc... which I'm not quite interested in. Haha
Hence, I went with another team where they were heading to a place called Nymphenburg Palace. A baroque-style royal palace with a park.
**Nymphenburg Palace**
We needed to walk for a bit before reaching the palace. This is the street we were at after taking a 40mins train and bus from the city centre.
Strolling and enjoying the scenic river view. :)
Here we are, the Nymphenburg Palace.
The Fountain area.
Unfortunately, the fountain was undergoing some maintenance. There should also be some flower trails surrounding the garden too. But seems like they're doing some overhaul gardening. Or perhaps its autumn, hence not many colourful flowers around.. :(
But we can see some happy animals roaming around the garden though. 😄
These geese are REALLY HUGE! So much so that if it came near me, I might run away 😂. They are so much bigger than the duck I had back home. Haha pardon my "jakun-ness" / "unsophisticated-ness". It's my first time seeing a goose this big! 😂 They were so calm even though there were so many tourists walking around them.
There were white swans and ducks swimming around the river too.
That's a huge chandelier on a walkway!
This is King Ludwig I's Gallery of Beauties. According to what I read from the information board, these are portraits of 36 beautiful women from different social classes, ranging from the daughter of a shoemaker to the daughter of a king. (Didn't manage to capture all the portraits)
I've always been fascinated by the baroque era dresses with big puff sleeves and big gowns. It somewhat looks like some princess-style wedding dress today.
I think this lady here is the prettiest of all. Hehe. Her facial features and smile looked so elegant, together with the white puffy ribbon dress and hairstyle.💗
Then I entered a stunning Great Hall with much amazement.
Image: Fvz, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nymphenburg_Munich_Steinerne_Saal.jpg
Then I entered this stunning Great Hall with much amazement. This is what it looks like from far.
Look at how magnificent the frescoes paintings on the ceiling, wall and door arch. The chandeliers are crazily huge too! I've always seen scenes like this in movies, but seeing it with my own eyes really took my breath away! I actually stepped on an actual palace living by the European kings and queens of those days? 🤯
If I remember correctly, we are not allowed to take pictures in this hall. But I couldn't resist it, plus I saw others also secretly doing it haha. So I quickly took the photos below when the guard is away or busy talking with people. 😜
So much details in the artwork and craftwork! ⭐
When I thought it was done and I looked up at the ceiling.....
Just... so amazed by the painting. Salute to the painter! How did they draw and paint this?? My neck felt sore even after looking at the ceiling for a few mins.. 😅
Signing off with a sunset view in Munich city. :)
So yup, that's about it for the sightseeing part in the city area. I shall cover another popular tourist attraction in another post. Otherwise, this post will be too long. 😄
Nevertheless, thank you for reading thus far. May you enjoy the scenery as much as I do! :)
*This is a throwback trip to Eastern Europe back in 2018. I've been wanting to document what I saw or experienced on this trip as a remembrance, but I didn't have the time and space to do so back then. I decided to start this travel diary series after days of gathering and organizing the photos. I'm also using the travel itinerary as a guide for my writing, in case I forget the place's name.* 😂
Travel Diary to Eastern Europe - Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
21 Oct 2018
It was an Autumn Sunday when me and my friends travelled to a beautiful town in the Czech Republic called Cesky Krumlov. It is said to be one of the most picturesque towns in Europe.
I remember we woke up super early in the morning to take the 7 am bus to Cesky Krumlov. It was a 3-hour journey from where we were, Prague.
We are greeted by this beautiful view when we arrived. Looks like some faraway wonderland eh? 😄
I spotted this while walking and exploring the place. I wondered what tree can bear such an overflowing amount of red flowers/fruits.
To my surprise, this was actually an apple treeeeeee! 🍎 I was so excited! Cause I've never seen an apple tree in person before! But sad that this tree is planted in someone's house, otherwise I might have picked one apple from the floor and consumed it on the spot 😂.
Took a sneak peek of the town from this angle. Such a photogenic sight!
Here's the panoramic view from the Cesky Krumlov Castle.
This truly lives up to its name. Cesky Krumlov is a Unesco World Heritage site with a stunning castle above the Vltava River. My heart leapt when I saw this view 💗. How can such a place exist?! So beautiful it makes me wanna cry 😭. My heart is so full!
Look at that mirrored lake! 💗 Such a postcard-worthy view. So amazed by its beauty.
Another panoramic view of the old town and the river from the round bell tower.
Took a selfie of myself. 🤭
My secondary schoolmates, whom I travelled with 💗.
Such a huge chimney-looking building.
Passed by a house and saw this beautiful autumn-themed floral door wreath 🍁🍂.
Look at the exterior design of the house! So beautiful that it looks like wallpaper.
I thought houses like this only appear in some classic English movies or maybe Disney's Beauty and the Beast's house. It certainly looks like some princess should be looking out and singing from the open window above! Hahaha!
We passed by a huge maze in Castle Gardens too.
Ended our day trip with this! :)
This town is such a delight to walk through. It is small and compact and very, very photogenic. Indeed an unforgettable weekend spent with a wonderful group of friends! 💗
Thank you for reading thus far. May you enjoy the scenery as much as I do. :)
*This is a throwback trip to Eastern Europe back in 2018. I've been wanting to document what I saw or experienced on this trip as a memory as I didn't have the time and space to do so back then. I decided to start this travel diary series after days of gathering and organizing the photos. I'm also using the travel itinerary as a guide for my writing, in case I forget the place's name.* 😄
Trdelnik (Chimney Strudel), a Cinnamon Sugar Pastry in Prague
Trdelnik is easily a must-try dessert in Prague. Me and my friends managed to try this when we travelled to Prague a few years ago. It is sold by numerous street vendors throughout the city and you can also find it in a number of bars and cafes.
**What is Trdelnik?**
Trdelnik is a sweet pastry made of yeast dough. It is pronounced as "*Tra-del-nik*". It is also called Chimney strudel or Chimney cake.
The strips of the dough are rolled onto a cylinder (called trdlo) and grilled over hot coals.
We ordered a sweet Trdelnik with Vanilla Choc ice cream with banana and biscuit stick called Ice Ice Baby. It looks like waffle-coned ice cream! 🍦. Haha, I think those who love sweet desserts would really love this! 😄
We also tried their Pulled Pork Savoury Trdelnik, which it contains smoked pulled pork with pickles and spicy barbeque sauce. Super packed with flavours! 😋
This is their Savoury Egg Waffles. It contains scrambled eggs with bits of bacon and grated cheddar cheese! Very rich with flavours and super yummyyyy too!
Good thing is, all these are shared among a few of my friends, or else I won't be able to finish it. 😂 One of the advantages of travelling in a group is that I get to taste a bit of everything.
Before we leave, I packed an original Trdelnik for myself and eat it as I walk down the street. Haha. I prefer this simpler version as it has mild sweetness from the sugar, nuts and cinnamon. With the simpler ingredients, I can taste the texture of the Trdelnik better too.
Those who don't like overpowering dessert that bombards your taste buds, you might like this! :)
If you happened to be in Prague during the weekend, you may drop by this place to have your sweet/savoury cravings fixed! :)
***Waffle Point Café U Kajetána***
*17, Nerudova 248, Malá Strana, 118 00 Praha, Czechia.*
*Operating hours: Friday-Sunday 11am-6pm*
Travel Diary to Eastern Europe - Prague, Czech Republic
I remember me and my friend waited till 2.15 am to board our flight. Meanwhile, other friends are flying to Prague from different parts of the world.
Love my passport cover. I laugh whenever I see this cheeky expression! 😂
Always mesmerized to see the sun rise over the horizon on the plane.
**Vltava River Cruise**
This is our first spot after everyone arrived in Prague town in the evening.
White swans over the river are a common sight here. They are very elegant-looking with their white feathers. I don't think I've ever seen a swan in Malaysia haha.
My pretty friend 💓
Till today, I still like this photo that I've taken for her. The scenery, the soft colour of her coat, the face angle and her smile. So beautiful. :)
My friends happily joked around and took photos after reuniting at our first spot.
**St. Vitus Cathedral**
This cathedral is the largest church in the country and coronations of Czech kings and queens took place here. It has a Gothic architecture style - pointed arches, external buttressing, and asymmetry.
This cathedral is so huge that I need to squat down and floored the phone to get this shot. 😂
**Prague Castle**
Prague Castle is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. With an area of almost 70,000 m², Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. This castle complex contains several buildings such as churches, palaces, halls, towers and gardens.
Today, it is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. It is also a UNESCO monument with a tradition of more than 1000 years.
The courtyard is where the changing guard ceremony is held.
The main entrance gate behind us.
**Inside Prague Castle: Sightseeing terrace in Southern Gardens**
Love this sightseeing terrace as I can take a panoramic look at this town.
Sometimes, photos can't fully express what our eyes see and feel. I remember I was way amazed when I saw this view back then, than looking at these 2 landscape photos now. Haha, I guess best is still to see the real view yourself. :)
Beautiful flowers and leaves along the trail. :)
**Old Town Square**
Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague. There are restaurants and outdoor markets selling food, mulled wine, handicrafts, souvenirs etc. We went up to a clock tower to capture this aerial view.
Look at the colour-coordinated rooftops. Such a postcard-worthy view. :)
Walking humans look like a group of ants from the view up here. 😄
Took a photo here before heading down the long stairs.
There are also musicians and magicians performing on the street.
Till today, I still wonder, how did he manage to stand in this slanting position? 🤔
This Hogwarts-looking building caught my attention as I walked through the town. I later found that it is a luxurious apartment on Parizska Street.
It is said to be the most luxurious street in Prague because it contains boutiques with the most expensive fashion brands (clothing, jewellery, handbags, shoes, etc.)
**Charles Bridge**
Built-in 1357, Charles Bridge is the oldest bridge still standing over the Vltava river in Prague and the second oldest bridge in the Czech Republic. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841, Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and nearby areas.
A group photo on the Charles Bridge to end our Prague leg of the trip.
The view over the Vltava river during the sunset. Always love pastel colour skies like this. :)
*This is a throwback trip to Eastern Europe back in 2018. Been wanting to document what I saw or experienced on this trip as a memory as I didn't have the time and space to do so back then. Decided to start this series after days of gathering and organizing the photos. I'm also using the travel itinerary as a guide for my writing, in case I forget the place's name.*😂
***Thank you for reading thus far. May you enjoy the scenery as much as I do. :)***
Original Song: "You don't have to hold it all together. You can land on Me".
This is a song that I wrote back in Mar 2021. It is a song about me figuring out how to unload years of unprocessed emotions and experiences that I have suppressed or invalidated unknowingly.
Writing this song reminded me of moments when I trembled and went into freeze mode when I meet fear, pain and trauma at the same time. I wished there was a safe place for me to collapse.
But many times, survival mode kicked in stronger. To discount the degree of impact it has on me feels like an 'easier' way out. That was my internal system trying to cope with the shock. That was the best I could do with what I know at that moment.
I was brought up in an environment where my thoughts and feelings are usually not heard, accepted or mattered. So when BIG emotions like hurt, pain, disappointment, and anger come, I didn't know how to accept or process them. I skipped the grieving process and went straight into my default mode of being an empathetic and understanding person. I thought that was how things should be, or how people expect me to be. And Worst, I unknowingly reflect that into my relationship with God - I thought that was how God wants me to be too.
Years passed and I realise, that coping/surviving isn't sustainable nor it is a healthy way to grow into a wholesome being. To be honest with myself and acknowledge that "*it was painful and I was really disappointed*", was actually my first big step toward the healing process.
If there's one thing I've learned about God over the years, it's that when we have done all that we can do, God sits with us through the experience too.
He is, too, hurting together with you.
He is, too, angry together with you.
He is, too, disappointed together with you.
He doesn't punish/dislike/disregard you for experiencing BIG emotions.
***He said, "You don't have to hold it all together. You can land on Me".***
He can handle your brutal honesty.
He can hold your "ugly" emotions.
He is patient enough to handle the messy you.
He is a safe place for you to land and 'be'.
May you find comfort & encouragement in this song.
Knowing that God is your safest place and person to go to. There is no pain that is too deep that He couldn't meet you there.
***He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.***
***(Psalm 34:18)***
When you thought you fell off the cliff and were beyond rescue, turn around and see that you fell into His hands after all and He has been watching over you since the beginning.
***Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down;***
***For the Lord upholds him with His hand. (Psalm 37:24)***
Thank you for reading and listening to my humbling journey of emotional processing, singing and songwriting thus far.
I'm no expert and I'm still learning every day. But if this sharing resonates with you, I hope you know that you are not alone. :) 🌻
====================================
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2uO40Jn0H0
**You Can Land On Me (Lyrics)**
[Verse]
When it came to me
I am breathing, yet not breathing
My heart feels empty
I'm walking aimlessly
Releasing
Expressing
Not what I should
But what I feel
Is there such a place
For me
[Pre-chorus]
The unspoken words
The unfathomed pain
The unpretty moments
Then I heard You say
[Chorus]
You can land on Me (x2)
I will never judge
I will never run
I will hear you through
You are safe right here
You can land on Me
[Bridge]
When no one else could understand
You still have permission to feel
No matter how long it has been
You are safe right here
(All your tears and all your fears)
You are safe right here
(Lay it all down at My feet)
You are safe right here
[Chorus 2]
You can land on Me
All your weary heart and soul
You can land on Me
Just the way you are now
I'll hold you in My arms
I'll catch you when you fall
I will never leave
You are safe right here
You can land on Me
Yummylicious Muah Chee & Shin Kee Beef Noodles @ KL Downtown! 😋
Continuing from my unexpected sightseeing trip at Kuala Lumpur downtown last weekend, I managed to drop by a few foodie spots. Here's me jotting down a few simple-affordable-down-to-earth-food gems 💎 in town! https://read.cash/@michelleloh168/unexpected-sightseeing-trip-at-kuala-lumpur-downtown-6052576e
**ChinaTown Machi POPO Stall / Madam Tang Muah Chee Queen Stall**
While walking and exploring the stalls in Petaling Street, I saw this!
Yes! I was craving for muah-chee! 💗 It's been a while since I last had it.
Muah-Chee is the Chinese version of 'mochi'. It is a glutinous rice snack is coated with peanuts and sugar.
Last time, they used to only have the original flavour, which is the plain glutinous flavour. Then slowly, more muah-chee stores added different flavours like black sesame, mango, lychee, pandan, Ribena to cater for different consumer palates. I've seen other stores selling orange flavour muah chee too.
Me and my friend ordered a mixed flavour of original + black sesame, which costs RM6. 😄
This soft, chewy and gooey rice dough is cut into small pieces and coated with finely chopped peanuts and sugar. Such simple ingredients yet a delicious snack!
So chewy and yummy to my tummy! Definitely a sweet snack to have at any time of the day. Love it! 😋
If you're craving muah-chee, you can visit Madam Tang Muah Chee Queen's stall @ Petaling Street:
📍 *42, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.*
**2. Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles 新九如新记牛肉粉**
After walking for about 50m from Petaling Street, we reached this place called Shin Kee Beef Noodles. I've heard many good reviews about this place. It's finally my turn to be there! 🎉
This shop has limited seating space. If you're coming in small groups, you're likely to share tables with strangers. We were there as early as 10.40am (business opened at 10.30am), and it already has a queue! But thank God, we didn't wait for long. We're in after 10 mins wait.
Apparently, the shop has been around since the 1930s and the owner's original Hakka beef noodle recipe is still being preserved by the current third-generation owners.
The menu.
i) Beef noodles "format":
- Soup Noodles / Dry Noodles (noodles and soup served separately)
ii) Ingredients to have in your beef soup:
- Fresh Beef Slices / Beef Balls / Fresh Beef Slices + Beef Balls / Beef Mix (a mix of beef innards, fresh beef slices and beef balls)
iii) Type of noodles:
- Meehoon (rice vermicelli) / Hakka Mee (looks like yellow noodles) / Horfun (flat rice noodles)
iv) Price:
- Size - Small (RM10) / Big (RM12)
I ordered a set of dry Hakka noodles, with Beef slices + Beef balls in soup, which costs RM10.
This shop's Hakka noodles are slightly different from the usual Hakka noodles stall in a regular chinese food court. This Hakka noodles looked exactly like yellow noodles but doesn't have that annoying alkaline taste, which I super dislike!
The noodles were topped with a generous amount of minced beef and dark soy sauce mixture. Very savoury and packed with flavours! Lightly toss the noodles and minced beef together, and put one mouthful in, you'll definitely want more. Om nom nom! 😋
Meanwhile, the accompanying clear beef soup has a sweet and light beefy flavour, which I like! I finished the whole bowl of soup till the last drop! 😂.
The beef balls are bouncy, nice to bite (not as hard as the usual pork balls) and have a decent beefy taste in them.
I also particularly love the tender raw beef slices. So soft. I love everything in the soup! The ingredients are not overpowering each other, but together, they make a really good, down-to-earth and yummylicious meal.
O to the M to the G. How can I miss this after they've opened for almost a century here?! 😱 I will definitely come again! This has officially been added to my favourite food list. 😁
If you're craving for a good bowl of beef noodles, you **NEED** to try this!
📍 *7a, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.*
Unexpected Sightseeing Trip @ Kuala Lumpur Downtown
Was supposed to visit KL Forest Eco Park last Saturday, but it was closed as it was a public holiday eve in Malaysia. :/
Me and my friend's sad face 😂.
Totally didn't expect a public park to be closed. There's no indication anywhere saying it'll be closed on the public holiday eve. Not even on Google business hours. Haha oh well! 🤷♀️
It's okay! We decided to tour KL downtown instead since we're in the area.
**1. Kuala Lumpur Tower**
Our 1st stop, which is right beside the park earlier - The KL Tower!
It is a 15-story, 421-meter-tall telecommunication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It provides fine city views from its observation deck and it has a fancy rotating restaurant up there called Atmosphere 360.
It is said to be the world's 7th tallest tower.
A picture to show we stepped foot here at KL Tower.
If you're interested to visit KL Tower, here's the address:
📍 *2 Jalan Punchak, Off, Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur.*
**2. Concubine Lane 鬼仔巷**
We then swing by a nearby mural street called Concubine Lane @ Kwai Chai Hong 鬼仔巷 .
Look at those beautiful lanterns.💗
In ancient China, Chinese lanterns were used to provide light and rituals of worship. Today, they are used for decoration and as modern forms of celebration.
Nice pose over there, beautiful lady! 😉
This area has beautiful murals on the age-worn wall, coupled with some original wooden/metal structures and furniture to amplify the story with the murals on the wall.
These small little details/elements elevate the retro, rustic, vintage feel of the whole place. It's like an urban reinterpretation of the KL Chinatown back in the day.
What a vibrant and realistic painting of a tiger! 💯
If you're interested to visit Concubine Lane, here's the address:
*📍 Lot 2, Jalan Panggong, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.*
**3. Petaling Street**
We then proceed to the next place called Petaling Street, which is a 240m walk from Concubine Lane.
Petaling street is like a flea market with many vendors selling various goods and foods. This is also a street famous for counterfeit branded goods at a very cheap rate. From watches, bags, clothes, shoes, electronic items and more.
Thank God it has a transparent roof built above us, which helps to protect us from the sun a little. 😎
Seeing these red lanterns there does make me feel like Chinese New Year is coming soon! 🏮
In China, red represents wealth, fame, and prosperity, which is why festivals, weddings, and other celebrations often have a lot of red decorations and outfits. Most Chinese lanterns are red, and lanterns of this colour symbolize a prosperous business and a thriving life. Many Chinese-owned shops and restaurants keep them hanging all year long. I even have a neighbour who hung 2 big red lanterns on her car porch for decades! 😄
Besides that, they are also food stalls selling some local delicacies such as muah chee, roast duck, noodles, porridge and more.
The yummylicious duck caught many's attention, including me! 😋 They are selling 1 whole duck for RM72 (USD 16+) now 😱. I remembered it used to be around RM60+/duck nearby my area 😰.
If you're interested to visit Petaling Street, here's the address:
📍 *Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.*
**4. Merdeka 118 Tower**
As we continue walking, we get to pass by this megatall skyscraper named The Merdeka 118. It is 678.9m tall, has 118 stories, and is currently the world's second-tallest building.
This tower consists of residential, hotel and commercial spaces. It is expected to be completed in 2024 or 2025.
Interesting fact: The tower design was made to resemble and inspired by Malaysia's 1st prime minister - Tunku Abdul Rahman's outstretched hand gesture while chanting "Merdeka! (Independence!)", when he proclaimed the independence of Malaysia on 31 August 1957.
If you're interested to visit Merdeka 118, here's the address:
*📍 Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur.*
Other photos that I took as I walked around this city.
It was a great weekend touring my home country and discovering new sightseeing places in town! The above locations are just a small part of KL downtown actually, there are more places to visit. That's for another time! 😄
Hope you're enjoying what you're reading so far. :)
In Remembrance of Teresa Teng's Song - I Only Care About You | 回忆邓丽君的《我只在乎你》[EN-CH]
Today, I would like to share one of my favourite Mandarin classic songs with you.
It's a song that I've heard since I was a kid.
It's an oldie that my parents love to listen to.
Pretty sure it's a well-known classic song among Mandarin song listeners too.
Teresa Teng has known to be an "Asia Queen of Pop" back in the '70s and '80s. She has recorded more than 1,500 songs in a variety of languages and dialects such as Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian, English, and Italian (so talented!). She then semi-retired towards the '90s due to health issues and finally passed on in 1995. She was only 42 then.
The song that I wanted to share was originally a Japanese song named "Let The Time Pass By", which was released in 1986. Later, it was then translated into Mandarin in 1987, which eventually became the well-known song - "I Only Care About You".
I've always admired Teresa Teng's voice 💗.
Gentle, yet has that confidence and strength from within. Great voice control too.
I believe she is still a superstar to many today.
She is truly a classic beauty and voice that never fades.
Let's reminiscence her through this song, which I've covered a while ago. Enjoy :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0E3UxByolI
**Lyrics Translation (English): I Only Care About You - Teresa Teng**
*[Verse 1]*
If I didn't meet you
Where would I be?
How would the days go by?
Would I treasure life?
Would I know someone?
Would my days be ordinary?
I don't know if there would also be
a love sweet like honey
*[Chorus]*
Even when time has passed
I only care about you
I'm willing to be influenced by the way you are
What are the odds that we can find a close friend?
I don't mind losing the will and strength of my life
So I beg you Don't let me leave you
I love no one else but only you
*[Verse 2]*
If one day you said that you were leaving
I would be lost while walking in the crowd
I don't want any promises
I just want to be together every day
I can't just live depending on the pieces of memories
==========================================================
今天，想分享我喜欢的其中一首经典名曲。
它是一首我从小听到大的歌，它是一首父母爱听的老歌，相信也是大家耳熟能详的歌曲。
邓丽君可称为70，80 年代的“亚洲流行天后”。
她成功录制了超过 1,500 首歌曲，包括普通话、闽南语、粤语、日语、印度尼西亚语、英语和意大利语 （好有才华呀！）。
但近90 年代， 由于健康出了些问题， 后来她也就半退休了。
最终于 1995 年去世，享年只有 42 岁。😥
我想分享的歌曲，是一首邓丽君比较后期的歌曲。
这首歌原版是一首发行于1986年的日语歌《任时光从身边流逝》。
后来, 在1987年被翻译成了中文版，传遍了大街小巷，成为了家喻户晓的那首 -**《我只在乎你》**。
一直都很欣赏邓丽君的歌声 💗。
温柔且有力量，声音控制得恰到好处，肺活量非常好。
穿越了漫长的岁月，我相信她仍然是众人心目中的那位闪亮巨星。
那永远不褪变的美貌与歌声。
这是我早前cover的一首歌, 让大家回忆一下。 :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0E3UxByolI
**《我只在乎你》歌词**
作词：慎芝
作曲：三木刚
编曲：川口真
如果没有遇见你 我将会是在哪里
日子过得怎么样 人生是否要珍惜
也许认识某一人 过著平凡的日子
不知道会不会 也有爱情甜如蜜
任时光匆匆流去 我只在乎你
心甘情愿感染你的气息
人生几何 能够得到知己
失去生命的力量也不可惜
所以我 求求你 别让我离开你
除了你 我不能感到 一丝丝情意
如果有那么一天 你说即将要离去
我会迷失我自己 走入无边人海里
不要什么诺言 只要天天在一起
我不能只依靠 片片回忆活下去
Original Song - Showing up not only for others, but also for yourself.
I derive this song from a piece of my journal that I wrote back in May 2021.
It is a song about showing up.
***Showing up not only for others,***
***but also for yourself.***
There was a period in my life when I was overwhelmed by all the "should dos". Whether spoken or unspoken ones.
Without questioning myself, if those were God's desires or God-led or even weighing if those were worth the trade-off of my time, I took everything that was assigned to me or came on my plate, and nobly labelled it as "being helpful and responsible" or "for the sake of character growth".
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As a result, I burnout. To a point, I felt anxious when I saw human beings around me. I had a phobia of seeing humans' messages on my phone or hearing people calling my name.
Slowly and subtly, I lose the motivation to do things. Not even on things I used to like to do. I was very exhausted at the end of the day, and all I want to do is just sleep. I'm basically in survival mode and I don't even know how to connect with my inner being anymore. I lose the desire to express myself. Be it written words, speech, or songs. I was unusually quiet for a while. I knew something was off, yet I couldn't pinpoint where was wrong. It felt like I was living, yet not alive.
I bet God probably saw the vital parts that made up my creative being were slowly shutting down, like the night city lights dimming off one by one.
When I first heard the word "show up", I thought I missed out on showing up for someone/something. I even asked God who or which tasks I specifically missed out.
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It was a perplexing moment when I realised He meant for me to 'show up for myself'. This thought didn't go well with my brain as I felt borderline selfish to not show up for others. That was when I noticed I had a skewed understanding of the "dying to self" or "greatest ability is your availability" concept. I unknowingly went to the other extreme ends. :/
"If you continue to not to have the time, energy, and space to show up for the more important things I have for you, the original version of Michelle Loh that I have created you to be, will disappear."
For whatever the reason it is, this statement scared the core out of me. I don't want to lose myself. I want to see the original version that God has created me to be. What does she look like? What does she do that shines brightly in His eyes? Will He say *"Well done, my good and faithful servant"* when I meet Him one day?
I know I have a lot to unlearn. Probably one of them is to break free from the sense of acceptance, approval, recognition and belonging from this world.
Unsplash image https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520364537418-3cadce1cd0da?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=crop&fm=jpg&h=190&ixid=MnwxfDB8MXxyYW5kb218MHx8bWlkZGxlIG9mIHRoZSB2YWxsZXkgdmVyeXJhbmRvbXRoaW5nbnVtYmVyMi44NDU1Mjk3MDM5Mzk3ODczfHx8fHx8MTY1NzEyODQwMA&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&utm_campaign=api-credit&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash_source&w=250
As I'm processing and journeying my way there, this is my in-the-middle-of-the-valley song.
This song is about how God showed up for me when I couldn't do it for myself. It is His gentle whispers telling me not to give up connecting, discovering, and expressing my inner being.
It's a song that pens down His gentle nudging that sustained me through those exhaustive days, His simple back-to-basics rules to be a human **"be"**ing again, His ever faithful encouragement and words of affirmation that as much as loving others mattered to Him, I mattered to Him too.
These unpolished lyrics & melody are my humble attempt to share my vulnerable story. My attempt to reconnect with my inner being and express myself again. My way of articulating whatever I have left in me and giving back my worship to Him.
***May we never lose the wonder of knowing who we are in this lifetime, despite the busyness in life. Take the time to quiet down, and be curious about your feelings and thoughts. You are worthy of the time and effort to be known by yourself too. :)***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVMoCdq5JP0
****Show Up (Lyrics) - Michelle Loh****
**[Verse 1]**
Have you had your meal today
Have you had your shower today
Have you leaned your back today
Have you breathed in deep today
**[Pre chorus]**
When the world is caving in
When you feel the heaviness
When you feel suffocated
You're allowed to take a break
**[Chorus]**
Show up
Step outside
Feel the breeze and quietness again
Show up
Pen your thoughts into notes
And notes to melody
Show up
Close the doors
Close your eyes and say your simple prayer
Oh He can heal and restore
When you show up
**[Verse 2]**
Choose what's good for u today
Choose what's kind for u today
What brings joy for you today
What brings peace for you today
**[Bridge]**
Don't feel guilty
You're not a burden
You are not selfish to have your needs and wants to be fulfilled
Show up for someone
Show up for yourself too
You don't have to prove a thing
Cause I will still love you the same
**[Chorus 2]**
Show up
You are strong
You are worthy
Don't give up right now
Show up
You are loved
You are cherished
Don't give up right now
Show up
You're enough
You can do it
Don't give up right now
He can heal and restore
He can show up
When you show up
Korean Bingsu (Korean Shaved Ice Dessert) on a Hot Sunny Day! 🍨
It was a hot sunny day and we decided to go for a cold dessert!
Bingsu is a traditional cold dessert in Korea and is very popular, especially during summer. It is made from fine shaved iced, covered with sweeteners such as milk, condensed milk, chocolate etc. Topping ingredients may vary from red bean, injeolmi, fresh fruits, ice cream etc.
In Malaysia, we have a similar dessert called Ice Kacang, but Bingsu has a much finer shaved ice texture, which I really like. It's light and fluffy like snow. ❄️☃️
Well, not like I've seen real snow before 😂. But yeah, you get what I'm trying to articulate. Haha.
This is the most traditional and popular flavour in Korea - Injeomi Bingsu (according to my cousin).
Injeolmi is a famous Korean rice cake that's soft, chewy, nutty and mildly sweet. (Yup, that two little pieces on top that you saw in the picture). The taste and texture are similar to Japanese Mochi or Chinese muah chee.
This is actually my first time trying and hearing about this flavour. One mouthful in, I instantly LOVE IT! Cause it LESS LESS LESS SWEET! ❤️
The brown powder you saw on the outer layer is the roasted soybean powder. It has a mild fragrance and mild bean/earthly taste. They also added pieces of almond flakes to add the crunch.
Meanwhile, the shaved ice is perfectly fine and has a super mild sweetness from either the milk/condensed milk, which is a perfect combo with the soybean powder. Both flavours complement each other very well.
2nd bingsu we ordered was a **Blueberry Cheesecake Bingsu**.
This is obviously very eye-catching and appealing to sweet others like my brother! Haha.
It has the same shaved ice as the base, then is covered with blueberry syrup as the sweetener and toppings such as bite sizes of cheesecake and blueberry.
This is a sweeter version of Bingsu. The cheesecake taste was quite decent too. Those who love cheesecake and blueberry should give this a try!
It was a wonderful dessert I had with my cousins on a hot sunny day!
If you're in Malaysia and craving for Bingsu, you may visit this place!
**Hanbing Korean Dessert Cafe**
*G-09, SS15 Courtyard, Jalan SS15/4G, Ss 15, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor*
*Other outlets: Nu Sentral Mall, KL | IOI City Mall, Putrajaya | KL East Mall*
*Operating hours: Mon-Sun 11am-12am*
"Back When We Were Young" Party with Le Cousins @ Party Room Malaysia
I've not seen my cousins for 2 years+ since Covid hit. They flew from Singapore to visit us a few weekends ago when the international border is open. Hence, I want to document this special moment for remembrance. :)
I remember cracking my head about where to bring them, aside from the foodie places. Then I happened to see this place online while researching, which I myself have never heard of or gone to before - Party Room Malaysia.😄
Party Room is the first interactive party space in Malaysia for people of all ages to enjoy various in-house entertainment facilities. They have four themes including the Kids zone, Sports zone, Puzzle zone and Leisure zone which are all well equipped with various facilities, games and accessories.
We decided to spend 1 hour here to explore what is this place about. Here are some photos and footages we got from the games we played.
*============== 1st game: Floor Curling =============*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhTwr1bQ_yk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj4cioPtffQ
*============= 2nd game: Super Run =============*
**How to play:** Basically just run as many steps as you can in 1 minute. The highest number of accumulated steps will be the winner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUFIOXEom-g
All of us were out of breath after that 1 minute. So exhausted! 😂 It's difficult to run in the boxes as we are all wearing socks (mandatory rules to enter this space). It gets more slippery as we increase our speed.
We have to run fast, yet we also have to be careful not to fall. Hahaha, what a joke! I couldn't help to laugh when I see others run.
This very game caused my muscle to sore the next day! hahahaha 🤣
*============= 3rd game: Whack-A-Mole =============*
**How to play:** Points are scored when the person in the middle hits the moles that appear to grab the yellow chicken toy. 😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrYyre1sCqM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iQWC6PmSR4
No one is counting the points (poor guy in the middle). So all the mules went all out to grab as much chicken as we can. 🤣
I could only remember laughing non-stop and getting light bruises on my arms resulting from the vigorous banging on the wooden cabinet as we squatted up and down. Thank God my cousin had this brilliant idea to video this, else I wouldn't know how funny we would look throughout the game! 🤣
Here's my cousin under the wooden cabinet with her fresh catch chicken 🐔
*============= 4th game: Ball Pit =============*
Technically, this is not a game to score any points. So a bunch of us just jump into the pool to play with the balls. Like a kid. hahahaha.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpYnJ3Z6kwI
Behind the scene. So much energy is needed to get a nice slow-mo shot. Repeated so many rounds. Energy almost depleted. 😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y_b06hAQHk
Here's the final slow-mo shot 😂
===== ***Other games that we spent minimal time on*** =====
**Darts**
**Air Hockey**
**Game Console**
**Rainy Bike**
====== **Games that we didn't get to play** ======
**3D Twister**
**Giant Jenga**
**Blow Soccer**
**Pool**
**Karaoke Room**
1 hour flew by real fast! We had a super awesome time here! It's been a while since I laughed that much! 😄
It reminds me that we used to play together when we were young at our grandparents' place. We've grown so much over the years and it's really a great time to see them again after so long!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG_nIPzxDyk
Post credit scene: Silly stuff we do when we let the camera roll... 🤣
Back when we were young, just like the good old days :)
*If you're interested, here are the details:*
***Party Room Malaysia***
*T22, T23 & T23A, 3rd Floor, Atria Shopping Gallery Jalan SS 22/23, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia*
*Busines hours: Mon- Sun 10am-8pm*
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Yay! Published my first read cash article. 🎉 Hope you enjoy what you read so far! :) https://emojipedia.org/party-popper/
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@michelleloh168
