Entries for August, 2006
August 1, 2006
Lonnng day
Posted by eirene83 at 09:15 PM on August 1, 2006.
Today was fun. But tiring.
Got up early, did a bit more laundry and went for lunch. During lunch, my dad brought up the topic of work. And the clothes I will need.
I am currently still living in my college-day wardrobe of jeans, spaghetti straps and sleeveless tops, running around in sneakers, slippers or heels. Which is, obviously, a no-go unless I'm planning on starting my own business. Which I'm not.
So... yes. Shopping. For collared shirts. And proper trousers. And skirts that go past my knees. Ye gawds... I looked old... My mom thinks I looked corporate. Fine, I'll admit there was the slight pleasure in looking well-groomed in matching trousers and blazer with a shirt... but ye gawds!!!! Words fail me!
Shopping was tiring, so a nap was in order... Especially since a long night was planned... Of course, plans never materialise, as we all know.
Dinner with Gary, Shaun and Aileen... Getting about was this complicated plan of my driving to MV (and getting parking) on a Saturday. Evening. In the middle of the rain. 30 minutes later, I got a parking and ran over to the South Court and hopped into Shaun's car.
Much laughter, confusion, and Shaun going, "Michelle!!!", we finally got to Aileen's place and she then further directed us onwards to the place for dinner. Hehe, it was fun... it's amazing how when even not much is said, we can have so much fun...
Anyhow, after dinner, Aileen and I were supposed to go clubbing, but when her mom found out it was just going to be the 2 of us, she went up in arms... So yeah, plans go scrapped and new plans to go drool over Johnny Depp was made. So Shaun dropped us back at MV, but of course it being Saturday, seats were practically non-existant... I mean, I really have something against the first few rows in the cinema. So, instead we watched "Lady in the Water".
Pretty... interesting actually. Not as good as "Sixth Sense" but way better than "The Sign" or "The Village". You get misdirected a bit and the usual movie cliches get mocked at a bit... Not too bad, really...
Had a drink before dropping Aileen back home (Also bumped into Jon there and said hi) but due to my being really tired by that time (3am), Aileen made me promise to contact her when I get home. I mean, seriously... it wasn't even like I made any major blunders... just the slight, I'm tired and not quite doing the logical thing... but I was perfectly competent to drive, though...
Finally... am going to drop off to bed... Exhausted...
HP Fic
Posted by eirene83 at 10:21 PM on August 1, 2006 in HP.
I've decided, in light of my current HP-fic craze, to put up links to the stories I like.
One link, every week starting on Sunday which I will sticky to the top of the blog with the title, author and a short summary of the story.
If you want to read my updates,
SCROLL DOWN
Oh, and for the most part, the stories are going to be slash; mainly Harry-Draco, but some Harry-Lucius or Snarry fics.
Need. For. Sleep
Posted by eirene83 at 10:37 PM on August 1, 2006.
I'm so tired today...
I swear, morning shifts on Mondays at the clinic are the worst. There's tons of people, everyone wants a MC and the pile of patients just seem to get backlogged.
Damn, my back aches from standing at the counter dispensing medicine and the left side hurts more after all my leaning down to write.
Urgh.
And I had to drive in to MV after work to
a) get dinner
b) get ice-cream
Now, I'm totally smashed... I'm going to bed... If I can muster the energy to brush my teeth first. Otherwise, I'm just going to vegetate until
a) I get enough energy to walk; or
b) I fall asleep here.
PotC
Posted by eirene83 at 11:23 PM on August 1, 2006 in Library.
WHEE!!
Finally managed to watch PotC today... The queue at the cinema was almost unbelievably non-existant! Everyone's probably waiting for tomorrow... but then again, it's a difference of only RM1 between today's ticket prices and tomorrow's.
It was really good! Captain Jack Sparrow is very drool-worthy... and he still has the best lines.
Elizabeth Swann: There will come a time when you'll have the chance to do the right thing.
Jack Sparrow: I love those moments. I love to wave at them as they pass by.
The plot wasn't as great as The Curse of the Black Pearl, though.. Rather... disjointed and it felt rather like... it's just building up for the next movie... But PotC2 still has its funny moments... and now to wait for World's End...
August 3, 2006
Geek Appointment (1)
Posted by eirene83 at 12:38 AM on August 3, 2006.
Weell... I had my first taste of Dungeons & Dragons today... Or as Andrew refers to it, my geek appointment.
It was fun. Interesting. Tiring...
Meet Surreal, halfling rogue... I haven't had the chance to do much yet, since our first mission was to another Sanctuary... but maybe, next time I'll get to do some pilfering, gather information... cause trouble... all the stuff that my team members associate with me... (Well, mainly look for trouble... in real life...)
The first 2 or 3 hours was doing our character sheets, getting acquainted with what our characters are supposed to do, going through a simulation, things like that...
By the time we actually got around and finished our first mission, it was close to 9pm... We had McDs delivered, since Gary has somehow developed allergic reactions to pizza... Sat around, munched, talked crack and watched clips of Resident Evil... 4? or 3? I can't recall now.
Anyhow, it was a reallly long day. We were supposed to meet after lunch, about 1... but since I was picking up Aileen and then taking the LRT to KJ, I had to leave about 12... and I only managed to get home by about 1am... Jeez, I'm exhausted really... even though I've been sitting the whole day. But still, the last time I was awake this many hours was when I was working...
To bed.... as soon as I shower! Nites!!
Wednesday filler
Posted by eirene83 at 12:49 AM on August 3, 2006.
So much for well made plans.
Was supposed to go to Ikano with my mom today after lunch... And I had to go in to the clinic for the morning shift, since apparently no one else was working morning and there was a new girl, who is still not experienced enough and hasn't familiarise herself with the doctor's handwriting yet.
I don't really mind being called at last minute, so I didn't have plans for morning and I already mentioned I was leaving at lunch time. Which I did. Except it started raining at about 2 and my mom decided that she didn't want to go out after all in the rain.
So yeah... plans down the drain.
Oh well, doesn't really matter either way. At least I made a little pocket money for the day which will come in handy... Actually, scratch that... which I've already used during dinner to get some DVDs. It's expensive living in KL if you're the sort who has loads of movies to watch, books to buy... like me... Unless you make more than I do in a day.
August 5, 2006
Ikea
Posted by eirene83 at 01:56 AM on August 5, 2006.
Today was Ikea day!!
My mom's never been to Ikano and since my exams were over, I hadn't had the chance to keep to my word of taking her out. So, today... the first mother-daughter outing! We left at about 11 and it was breeze using the Sprint...
I so should have parked over at Ikea, instead of the Curve... because we ended up spending most of our time at the other side of the bridge. Little side trips to Macy's and Aussino... but we spent 4 hours at Ikea.
Now that I think about it, my mom's only ever been to Ikea when it was still at OU, so I guess today she really got the chance to explore. Especially since she was only ever there with my dad... and it's no fun going shopping/window shopping with him.
We examined all the displays, sat on all the chairs, discussed layouts... And well, if we ever move to the apartment, I know what sort of desk and chair I want for my room and there's a layout display that's painted in the exact shade of green that I want for my room.
I also found a sofa that I would love for the living room but doubt that my mom will ever approve. (It's perfect for lazy people like me!! It unfolds into a double bed and if you put loads of soft pillows on it, it makes the perfect spot for vegetating in the day and it's wide enough if you want to fall asleep there.) My mom found a really comfortable arm-chair that I think she'll want to put in the living room.
Plus, between us both, we found curtains, lamps and bedsheets that we will buy once we settle into the apartment. (There was this really cool lampshade that casts shapes like crescent moon, rockets, etc onto the wall whereas my mom loved this suncatcher she saw in the kids layout.)
And 4 hours later... we exited Ikea with... one squeegee. Lol, okay, we also stopped by the cafe and got some ginger thins and Daim cake... but yeah, that was about it.
And man, my feet are tired!! But it was really fun going out with my mom. I think next outing, we'll go looking for clothes! ^_^
Posted by eirene83 at 02:40 AM on August 5, 2006.
Yes! After so many months of my blog being up, I've gotten around to changing my title image!
And it's all thanks to Andrew, without whom I would never have been able to figure out what I needed to do.
And in other news
Posted by eirene83 at 03:30 AM on August 5, 2006.
Just really random stuff...
Like, the teruterubozu handphone charm has commited suicide last night... I dropped my handphone and head and body (of the teruterubozu, that is) separated. I've got a new handphone tag now though...
I'm suffering computer injury. I hunched over my laptop for so many hours that my shoulders are starting to burn. Dammit... Now I need to lie down for a few good hours. Happens all the time.
Hmmm... This is getting boring... I have nothing to write about in my blog... Aih... Oh well, let's see if anything happens in the day.
August 6, 2006
Posted by eirene83 at 10:44 PM on August 6, 2006.
I lead a boring life. How else to explain the fact that I have nothing to blog about today, other than I went shopping (in KL) and now have 2 more tops to add to my collection in the cupboard that's unsuitable for work.
Ah well... At any rate, one of them is a really cool top, which my mom picked out and insisted I try. It's a plain black front and a really, really sheer back with a spiderweb motif done in silver. I love it, it looks absolutely fab... I think it's going to fall under my category of clothes for night. My dad saw it... he didn't outright disapprove... but he did ask where I was going to wear it to. Who cares, it looks good. 
HP Fic of the week
Posted by eirene83 at 11:02 PM on August 6, 2006 in HP.
Gold Tinted Spectacles
By: Beren Summary:
Harry is about to enter his seventh year, and things are not quite what he expected. He is no longer the angry boy who watched his world fall apart at the end of his fifth year, but neither has he completely found his place yet. He is looking for someting, and to his confusion it seems to have something to do with Draco Malfoy.
***
This was among the first few HP fics I came across when I started getting back into reading stories. Personally, I like it and I think it was done really well.
The story is completed and set after Order of the Phoenix, (so watch out for spoilers) and before The Half Blood Prince (so don't get puzzled if the story doesn't seem to follow the original HP plot).
To read my blog, scroll down.
August 8, 2006
Prince?
Posted by eirene83 at 02:24 AM on August 8, 2006 in Food, snacks & restaurants.
Hong Kong fusion cafes seem to be the trend now, don't they? Sprouting all around like mushrooms after rain, I think the saying goes. I was supposed to meet Aileen and Shaun at one such cafe in SS2 for lunch today... and was amazed at just how many char chan teng there seem be in just SS2 itself. You blink and suddenly they just sprouted everywhere.
Anyhow, the one I was looking was supposedly a corner shop, same row at KFC and was black, white with lots of glass... When I found it, it was a cafe next to KFC; white, green with lots of glass... and called 'Prince'... Eh, what the...??
Still, the food was pretty decent. The same fusion fare, I guess... cheesy baked rice, fried spaghetti, Nissin noodles and all that... But it was the drinks I like the best. Actually, I like most of the drinks at all these char chan teng.. Some of them come with the weirdest names with no indication of what goes into the concoctions, colours previously unseen before and they usually taste great. If I could, I would just sample the drinks without eating anything... Aileen and I went for fruit ice-blendeds, but Shaun wanted a blue drink... and blue it was. Too blue. Like the blue you see in the pool... Like the blue of the ocean in those impossibly perfect beach ads. But still, it was so cool.
Otherwise... pretty dull day. Oh and I nearly ran (literally) into someone who has polluted the gene pool by procreating and adding to the number of people who are downright stupid. Stupid b*tch... My car was practically 2 inches from ramming into her passenger door... Too bad she couldn't knock herself and her stupid daughter off. They so qualify for the Darwin award. Baka.
Kopitiam
Posted by eirene83 at 02:29 AM on August 8, 2006 in Food, snacks & restaurants.
Haha, no char chan teng for us today!!
Zhuo-Wei and Wee Jun came back yesterday and Andrew and I met up with them for lunch. Hometown Kopitiam... another one of those high-class kopitiam that sprouted suddenly... (Actually, I must have blinked and missed it... How did kopi-O, roti bakar and half-boiled egg suddenly become so popular??)
It had a grand total of 4 main dishes... the rest was just... snacks? LOL... The nasi lemak was average... I mean, how different can it get? And I've had better roti bakar than that... But still, the food was okay... Average, like most other kopitiams' offerings. So nothing to complain (other than the fact you can get a whole loaf of bread at the prices they're charging for their roti bakar.)
Oh, yeah... it was fun having lunch with Zhuo-Wei and Wee Jun again... Things are still the same. 
August 10, 2006
FURUBA
Posted by eirene83 at 02:00 AM on August 10, 2006.
It's here! It's here!!
My Furuba has finally arrived!!
*Joy joy dance dance*
13 volumes of pure entertainment!
August 12, 2006
Posted by eirene83 at 02:52 AM on August 12, 2006.
Yeaaa, Fruits Basket is great!!
Volume 14 is already out, so now to look for a copy that's half-priced to go along with my collection. I think there's supposed to be 22 volumes, but I'm not quite sure.
I've got the scanlations up to volume 17, but I think the raw is up to volume 19... Anyway, I am one volume short of being up to date, and two-thirds on my way to having the whole thing.
Go Furuba!!! ^_^
Things done today
Posted by eirene83 at 02:53 AM on August 12, 2006.
3 hours wait just to see a doctor... Bleh!!
RM30 for a 20 minutes consultation... Double bleh...
The high price is probably to make up for the decrease in the patients he can see, due to the length of time he spends with each patient...
Oh, oh and my mom and I decided to stroll across a 6-lane road to get over to Parkson, instead of driving...
On the plus side, should I pass my CLP, I have found the perfect pair of court shoes I can buy: Low heels, so I don't slip and break my neck; doesn't look shit ugly; doesn't pinch my toes...
Only downside is the price... But I'm willing to pay it for a pair of shoes that won't give me blisters. And it looks good!! It's hard for me to find a pair of court shoes I like. The practical, blunt-ended ones look like crap... The pointed-end types look really good but are murder to the toes... Others are ugly; heavy; uncomfortable; too high a heel or something or that sort. I think it's just me... Others don't seem to face the same problem getting court shoes... Or maybe they don't find it uncomfortable. Either way, I know where to get my shoes from, should I need to attend Court.
Teapot Cafe
Posted by eirene83 at 02:55 AM on August 12, 2006.
But no scones... What a disappointment... My mom and I were looking forward to the scones there (It's realllly good, especially with the clotted cream...) but by the time we got there at 4.30, they were already all reserved. Which was surprising. They used to do 2 batches of baking, but apparently it's just one session now...
Anyhow, I've got their calling card, so next time I go, I can call ahead to reserve my scones. LOL, it's funny really... it's the only place where you actually see food being reserved. It reminds me of Penang and the fragrant biscuits there. You have to call ahead and reserve your lot, otherwise you're not going to get any.
Oh, and in other news... my vision has apparently deteriorated again. Which was not surprising considering how many times I sat in the dark on the computer... But then again, the last time I got my eyes checked, my power had already increased, except I didn't get new lenses since it made me dizzy; probably because I was still more comfortable with my old lenses. Now though, the 'increased' power feels more comfortable instead of making me dizzy. So, technically, it hasn't actually really deteriorated from the last time I checked... I just prolonged changing my specs till now.
Maybe I really should get back to wearing my contacts regularly... During the 2 years I wore them often, my power actually stabilised... So yea, bring out the contact lenses and solution!! (Actually, it also explains why my eyes have been feeling so tired lately... And I thought it was just a lack of sleep...)
Sea water?
Posted by eirene83 at 04:13 AM on August 12, 2006 in Thoughts as a favorite post.
Have you ever been in the situation where you're with someone, and being with them makes you want more? But no matter how much 'more' you get, it doesn't seem to be enough? It gets to the point you wonder what sort of "more" do you want?
There was this part in a series I watched, where one character said falling in love is a bit like drinking sea water. You take a sip of sea water, and it's good, at first... it quenches your thirst and all...
But after a while, you realise that you're thirsty again. And so you drink the sea water... But the more you drink, the thirstier you become.
I dunnoo... Is being in love really like that? At first, just being with the person is enough... you feel content; happy...
But gradually, you start wanting more... but no matter how much you get, it just makes you want to be closer, be with the person more... get to know them as much as you can...
Yeaa... It does sound like what happens when you drink sea water, doesn't it...
To Ipoh, and back
Posted by eirene83 at 05:24 PM on August 12, 2006.
2 hours to Ipoh.
2 hours there
And 2 hours driving back.
I really don't like half-day trips like that. It's tiring... I always get the sort of feeling like, if we're going to drive 2 hours all the way there, we should make the most of it, spend more time there, do more stuff...
But we just ended up doing what we went there to do... and came back. My back aches... Kelvin may have a really nice car with leather seats and all... but it sure ain't ergonomic. I need to lie down.
August 14, 2006
HP Fic of the week
Posted by eirene83 at 12:14 AM on August 14, 2006 in HP.
And Then They Kiss
By: Eponis "Do you ever feel like you want to do something really, really dumb, just so you'll know exactly how dumb it would be?"
Based on a really gorgeous pencil sketch done by Joosetta here.
***
Hehe, due to the fact I know too many people have skipped reading my blog because of the stuff I posted, I shall refrain from posting up the sketch. Just go to the link given. ^_^
Short and sweet... I think most of us have gone through situations like this before... Knowing something is really dumb, but still wanting to go ahead and do it anyway and be damn with the consequences. I know I do...
To read my blog, scroll down.
Ouran 18
Posted by eirene83 at 04:19 AM on August 14, 2006.
OMG... Ouran 18 was just... weiiirrdd...
Hunny-senpai is so freakish in that episode!!
And you've never heard Mori-senpai talked as much as in that episode...
Freaakkyyy...
August 16, 2006
So bored...
Posted by eirene83 at 12:21 AM on August 16, 2006.
I'm bored... Really.
And all my bookmarks on my browser have suddenly decided to pull a disappearing act. Dammit! Now I have to transfer them again from my IE folder... and even then, I know I'm still missing a few links here and there, but can't remember what they are... I don't think it's anything important though, and if they are, well... I'll remember what they are then, when I need to use it again.
Bored... but full. Aunty Janice invited me to stay for dinner with them, so yay... homecooked food.
I think I shall do a bit of baking later this week... shall hunt for something different... Not too interested in baking something chocolate-based... again... for the nth time... Ta!! ^^
Edit:
Ooohh... so many recipes... Should I do a cake? Cookies? Bars? Oh, oh... a recipe for beaver's tail!! I wonder if any remembers... A long time ago, maybe 5 years back and Shakey's Pizza was still at MV, Shakey's had this product... it's basically a oval-shaped pizza dough that was baked and had various toppings. It was really really good. Kinda like a sweet pizza for one.
Maybe I could do lamingtons first then some lemon squares... Hmm, a recipe for pound cake but with santan... I think I'll try that too. ^^ Prepare for several long posts regarding my culinary attempts in the near future!
August 17, 2006
The Break-Up
Posted by eirene83 at 01:30 AM on August 17, 2006 in Thoughts as a favorite post.
Note: In interest of being politically-correct, I decided to edit this post to be more gender-neutral. As someone has already pointed out, the roles that I've painted can be reversed after all... Not that I disagree, I just prefer not to get flamed just because of my habit of writing from a female's POV.
***
I doubt I'm going to be the first female who can understand and relate to Brooke in 'The Break-Up' the part where she's going, "I want you to want to do the dishes!". And she's right; it's not about the dishes, or about the lemons, or whatever it is that seems to be the issue of the argument...
It's just more of... wanting the person to willingly offer to help do something no matter what you say, whether or not you want to admit that is the issue. It's just like all those times a girl will say, "Nothing!" in that sort of tone that can freeze a guy's b*lls off, when there clearly there is something wrong, but she won't talk about it but expects the guy to know. (As far as I'm aware, it seems only females are the ones who'd say that there's nothing wrong when they're actually angry about something. If I'm wrong in the presumption, I apologise. Again.)
Okay, I admit... it's really unfair to expect a guy to read minds or something and to know what's wrong... But when I'm pissed off, the last thing I want is to explain precisely to you what you did or didn't do to piss me off... and needing to explain is akin to pouring, I dunno... absinthe on an open flame or something...
I think it's more because... in a way, it means more if you actually realise what's going on without any prompting or hints or requests. I mean, it's really like when someone asks you what you want for your birthday. Sure, it'll definitely mean there'll be little chance of you getting that stab of disappointment when you open the present and you realise it's not really what you wanted... but... it would have been so so much better if the person had known you well enough to know what you want for your birthday without your having to drop hints or ask you outright.
So yeah, it just would be so great if you could work it out on your own... Volunteer to do something/go somewhere/any number of things you would normally fight about, because you know it'll make the other person happy... Even if you would rather have a root canal before doing that. (I think it's called sacrifice... And before anyone reading this wants to exclaim about why you should be the only one sacrificing when the other party doesn't do anything... think about... maybe the time they went to cheer all your football/basketball/netball/volleyball games even though they rather be somewhere else... Or met up with you despite being really tired and wanting to cancel the outing... Or said they didn't mind what movie to watch and left the decision up to you, even though they had mentioned another movie they'd rather watch which you had both earlier planned to watch... all because you said it wasn't quite your cup of tea... Or any little thing like that...)
Just a little effort... try and guess what's wrong even though you're close to losing to temper... because it means a lot to them... Because they really do want to talk about it despite saying no... Because it's not really nothing, it's something but they just can't bring themselves to say it, just yet. If nothing else, because you love them and just want them to be happy?
Fespic Games
Posted by eirene83 at 01:32 AM on August 17, 2006.
OMG, my feet hurts!! Today was worse than even my first day in sales, years ago...
I'll have to explain how I came about to being in the condition of being utterly wrecked... and why I was doing what I did to bring about that condition.
Today I was walking around BB Plaza/Lot 10. For 4 hours. Under the hot sun and hazy air. In jeans. Because I had volunteered to help out with the sales of mascot for the Fespic games.
Jeez... doing that whole table-to-table thingy bit sales is more tiring than anything I can compare it to... Though, Aileen and I didn't really do that table-to-table thing. After all, when we're on the receiving end of it, we know it can get really annoying... so what we actually did was... walk up and down the footwalk and anyone who looked remotely interested in what we were carrying, we would extend basket/box a little in the direction, watch them look extremely flustered and shake their heads and walk off. So yeah, we didn't really pester anyone... (we're not allowed to anyway.) Well, we talked to maybe 3 or 4 people, but that's about it...
So yea.... my body aches all over, my skin is slightly wind-burned and scorched... and we sold a grand total of 2 bookmarks. I'm going to lie down.
August 19, 2006
Lamingtons
Posted by eirene83 at 06:36 PM on August 19, 2006 in Recipes.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup corn flour
- Beat eggs for 10 minutes or until creamy and full.
- Add in sugar gradually, beating to dissolve sugar.
- Fold in triple-sifted flours.
- Pour into a greased 23cm square slab pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 180oC or until firm to touch.
- Cool on wire rack and cut into 2" squares (or well, whatever size you like, actually.)
Icing:
4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
15g butter
2/3 cup milk
2 cups desiccated coconut
- Chuck everything into a pot or saucepan and stir over simmering water until smooth.
(Sifting or not sifting the icing sugar and cocoa powder is entirely optional.)
(Don't worry, it may not seem like it but 2/3 cup of milk is more than enough. Add it in gradually, not dump in the entire thing so the sugar and cocoa powder doesn't just clump together and not mix.)
- Dip lamington squares into chocolate icing, shake off excess and roll in coconut. Set on wire rack to set.
Well, the lamington come out a bit... too firm, actually. It resembles nothing like a fluffy cake and more like a dry mouthful of chewy cake. I would recommend reducing the number of eggs used, since I think that contributed to the spongy cakey-ness of it. Oh and if possible, get your own grated coconut and bake it instead of using packet desiccated coconut, which in my opinion, is usually a little stale-tasting.
But otherwise... it's actually really good. It tastes almost as good as the lamingtons I used to get from Coles in Melbourne. I tried double-dipping the lamington in icing and coconut, but the first layer of coconut just melted right off with the second coating of chocolate. I suppose you could wait for the first coating to set before dipping it again, but I really was too tired to continue standing there for much longer.
Anyway, enjoy! This was really good! ^^
August 20, 2006
One One Cafe
Posted by eirene83 at 03:49 AM on August 20, 2006 in Food, snacks & restaurants.
It's not that there's no good places to eat at in my area... It's just I've been there so often that I've gotten a little tired of the food. Or the place just isn't that great anymore. Well, somehow we managed to miss this little dim sum place that I know has been open for nearly 2 years... but which we've never ventured to.
Anyway, it was 2pm, we were hungry and the place was pretty full... which could only mean that the food was actually pretty good. So dim sum for lunch it was.
The ordering concept is the same as Kim Gary's... you tick what you want, flag down a waiter and hand him the paper. Of course, ordering food on an empty stomach is always a bad idea since you usually tend to over-order... As was proven right 30 minutes later.
But still, the food was pretty good. The har kow and siu mai were not that bad, though I think there was excessive use of boric acid for the prawns. The char siew sou was nice, meat not fatty and the pastry deliciously flaky... I particularly loved the bean-curd skin prawn rolls which was served with mayo with specks on ebikko in them... Yummm ^^ Of course, there was a lot of other types of dim sum, but by the time I went through all that and a plate of lotus-leaf glutinous rice... I was so stuffed I felt like throwing up...
Overall... the place was pretty good. Open from 8.30am to 4pm... I think I'll go there again, with more people this time... and try out the other stuff. I'll definitely not miss the egg tarts this time!
August 22, 2006
HP Fic of the week
Posted by eirene83 at 12:27 AM on August 22, 2006 in HP.
Depths of Winter
By: bananacosmicgirl
Summary:
Four years after getting out of Hogwarts, Harry lives alone in the Muggle world. He has turned his back on the magical world - until one day, when Draco Malfoy gets into a car crash before Harry's eyes and ends up paralysed in a wheelchair.
***
I really really liked this piece. The writer words everything beautifully, and it forms the images perfectly. For myself, I could literally see the setting it was done in, and it really resemble the UK you see in British soaps...
It was so easy to see Harry and Draco post-Hogwarts, moving on with their lives and the interaction between them. Highly recommended (like duh... otherwise, it wouldn't be the fic of the week. )
To read my blog, scroll down.
Gloomy Sunday
Posted by eirene83 at 12:27 AM on August 22, 2006 in Library, Music - Songs & Lyrics.
Gah, the lyrics to this Gloomy Sunday is really depressing... the lines are just filled with despair. The writer to this song, Rezsô Seress, jumped to his death, some 30 years after he penned this song (He wrote the song after the break-up of his romance). I can see why it gained the reputation as the 'Hungarian Suicide Song'... It's been said that the song was banned from being aired after suicide rates supposedly soared when the song went on air waves.
There's 2 different versions of the songs. The one below is by the original writer: Rezsô
***
It is autumn and the leaves are falling
All love has died on earth
The wind is weeping with sorrowful tears
My heart will never hope for a new spring again
My tears and my sorrows are all in vain
People are heartless, greedy and wicked...
Love has died!
The world has come to its end, hope has ceased to have a meaning
Cities are being wiped out, shrapnel is making music
Meadows are coloured red with human blood
There are dead people on the streets everywhere
I will say another quiet prayer:
People are sinners, Lord, they make mistakes...
The world has ended!
Ôsz van és peregnek a sárgult levelek
Meghalt a földön az emberi szeretet
Bánatos könnyekkel zokog az öszi szél
Szívem már új tavaszt nem vár és nem remél
Hiába sírok és hiába szenvedek
Szívtelen rosszak és kapzsik az emberek...
Meghalt a szeretet!
Vége a világnak, vége a reménynek
Városok pusztulnak, srapnelek zenélnek
Emberek vérétôl piros a tarka rét
Halottak fekszenek az úton szerteszét
Még egyszer elmondom csendben az imámat:
Uram, az emberek gyarlók és hibáznak...
Vége a világnak!
Hair...
Posted by eirene83 at 12:28 AM on August 22, 2006.
SO needs to be trimmed. I haven't had anything done to my hair since I had it cut sometime in April... Well, anything other than my wash and conditioning, and the occasional hair-mask, that is... I mean, it's gone beyond being just split ends... My split ends have split ends!!
And I'm still contemplating the idea of getting my hair coloured. It's been a while since my hair was this great auburn-shade and I kinda miss it. And after watching 'Click' today, I realise that aquamarine highlights are actually really cool and funky looking, but I think only if your natural hair colour is blonde or light brown.
Oh... And I need new mp3s... getting quite bored to listening to my current list of songs...
August 23, 2006
Meeting Mae
Posted by eirene83 at 09:16 PM on August 23, 2006.
It really does seem like I only meet up with my pet sisters on a yearly basis... But then, we're all busy and have our own schedules to keep, so really, it's not that surprising. And that way, it's so much better when we do finally arrange to meet up and catch up on everything that's been happening... There's always ground to cover and gossip to share.
*Grin* So it's a good thing that Chili's provide a free flow of beverages, otherwise Mae and I would have run dry a long time before we actually stopped.
T'was good seeing her! Last time I actually saw her was last September? And June 2005 in London before that.... so yeah, it really does seem like a yearly thing seeing her... Lol, it was interesting as always talking to her... Plus all the analogies that seem to come out of my mouth everytime I'm around her... ^_^
Anyway, hopefully will get to see her another time soon before she leaves... If she's leaving... Will you be leaving, dear?? It'll be fun to go shopping with her again... I mean, I found this gorgeous red corset from DP today, which I honestly have to say I wouldn't have found if I hadn't been with Mae... since I rarely, if ever, enter DP... So, yay for me!
Lemon Squares
Posted by eirene83 at 09:56 PM on August 23, 2006 in Recipes.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup flour, sifter
1/8 tsp salt
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and salt, and beat until dough just comes together.
- Press into the bottom of a greased 8" pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 170oC or until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
Filling:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice (2 large lemons, or 3 small ones)
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp flour
Icing sugar
- Beat eggs and sugar until nice and smooth.
- Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.
- Fold in the flour.
- Pour the filling over the crust.
- Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until filling is set.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
- Dust with icing sugar.
This is really nice and lemony. You can reduce/increase the amount of sugar and lemon juice, depending on how sweet/sour you prefer it to be. I'm not sure if it's meant to be chewy or crisp, but my version of it came out rather chewy and just slightly on the tart side.
Oh and also, preferably, get the lemons on the day you plan to bake this because otherwise, the rinds on the lemon become soft and impossible to grate, hence why there wasn't any lemon zest in the pictures.
Splinter
Posted by eirene83 at 10:55 PM on August 23, 2006.
I hate getting jabbed by splinters... I can never tell if there's actually a splinter in me, or if it's just blood from getting jabbed but no splinter stuck in me. Today, I felt a pain in my foot that meant I had accidentally brushed against little toothpicks but couldn't tell if there was a splinter. Poked the area, scratched it, ran my nail against it... Hmm, no pain and not moving. Probaby just blood then.
After my shower, decided to clip off the skin that scraped off... Oh hey, look... it just shifted position... Oh, so it's a splinter after all. Man, it's been years since I actually got a splinter. My first memory of getting it was at a playground and my mom attacking my palm with a needle after that. I stayed far away from all things that could remotely shed little toothpicks like that for years after that.
August 25, 2006
Images...
Posted by eirene83 at 01:32 AM on August 25, 2006.
Yes, I've finally finished getting all my images from my previous image host and transferring them over to Photo Bucket and updated all the posts with the new code!
Urgh... long tiring process... I'm just glad it's all done now... All the images are neatly sorted out into individual folders and labelled... Thank goodness there weren't that many photos...
August 26, 2006
OU
Posted by eirene83 at 05:32 PM on August 26, 2006.
Whew, I just got home from One Utama! My brother went out to Sunway, and my parents had a dinner in Rawang, so either I could just stay at home and get something to eat... or I could dress up, go out and enjoy myself. So I decided to do the latter.
Thank goodness the roads weren't jammed. After the heavy downpour, I thought it would take me forever to get to OU, Sprint or no Sprint... but surprisingly, it took me only 10 minutes. Looking for parking was another question altogether though. Still, all it takes is a little patience and to head to the next level, instead of continuously circling the same area. I mean, sure, if you keep circling, you'll eventually find a spot. But seriously, it's not worth my time or petrol when I can just go another level... I can never understand why people like to circle so much... It's rather irritating.
I finally got the corset top I was talking about!! Last one in my size too! Happy happy, joy joy! Actually that was my main reason to go OU anyway . I also got a book that was out of stock in MPH, Mid Valley and I window-shopped and tried clothes on to my heart's content. It's a different sort of fun compared to going with someone and getting their opinion; I could wander around the same shop for ages and not worry I was boring them... ^_^
And I even got to have dinner at 9.30pm!! I was wondering what time the restaurants close, since I remember most of them closed at 10.. but lucky me! Closing time was 10.30! Yummy dinner... too bad I was on my own though, since I couldn't try as many dishes as I liked... But, I can always drag my parents back! :D
Tired, though... I got a little lost looking for my car. I mean, I knew where it was... I just couldn't find the landmark *embarassed* Not much point remembering the landmark when you can't even find it to begin off! Hehehe, go me!
Italiannies, OU, New Wing
Posted by eirene83 at 05:32 PM on August 26, 2006 in Food, snacks & restaurants.
This is one restaurant I've passed by countless times but have never been in, yet have heard about it from many different friends about how good it is. And well, apparently, so have my parents. So it was finally time for us to go try it... albeit with just the 3 of us, since my brother had to go for a party.
I like the ambience in the restaurant. It's a kind of casual cosiness. Open space so it's not too intimate, but with warm lighting so it feels really friendly. It's a good place to hang out with friends and sit for hours on end. Drinks are a bit pricy, but it's bottomless for soft drinks and they have an average variety of alcoholic drinks.
We were served with some warm bread and olive oil while browsing through the menu. I loved the bread!! It's been so long since I had really good bread like that... White and herbed bread and both went really well with the olive oil. I really like the taste of things with olive oil... and it's even better complemented with good bread.
Fried Calamari
Yummm, I really liked this... It's nice and crispy and didn't get soggy even after sitting on the plate for sometime... A bit too salty though. Comes with a small dish of salsa, which was surprisingly hot... I think it would have gone together much better if the salsa was cold. But as it was, the saltiness just seemed to get stronger. But still, overall really nice. Can be a light meal all by itself.
Shrimp Fra Diablo
My mom's order: Fettucine with shrimp and asparagus with feta cheese with a creamy tomato sauce. The shrimp was fresh and sweet and went well with the sauce. Tangy but not too rich... it's good for someone who likes prawns (like me ) since it comes loaded with it.
Angel Hair Pomodoro
My dad ordered this and frankly, it really just resembles a sort of Western wan tan mee on a base of tomato. Not really that good, since the the taste of tomatoes came across really strongly, a sort of green-ish taste... But once I mixed it together with the sauce from the Fra Diablo, it was pretty okay. Still, not something I would order again.
The servings are really huge here, unless you order the lunch size. Otherwise, expect to share, or pack some to bring home. So, I couldn't order the spaghetti and meatballs, which looked quite good from where I was sitting. The meatballs looked huge sitting in the bed of tomatoes and spaghetti, and frankly, my parents and I wouldn't have been able to finish it by ourselves after the pasta and calamari we've already eaten.
Tiramisu
Dessert! Actually... a little disappointing and not what I expected. It was soft and oozing a little, and on the warm side, so I'd imagine that it was either sitting on the counter for a while or someone didn't shut the fridge properly... I'm inclined to go with the latter, since the mascarpone left a faintly sourish taste on the tongue, though it was masked by the liquer in the sponge. Frankly, what with the sourish taste and how it was all sort of melting, none of us really felt like finishing it... so yeah, dessert was a little of a disappointment. I'm not sure if it was just their off night or if it's usually like that, so will probably have to give it another try to be sure.
The bill came to about RM110 with tax and service charge. I guess it's okay on the slightly pricy side... but still, the food was good; service was fast so can't complain about anything other than the dessert. Next time, I plan to try their meatballs and hopefully the arrabiatta sauce too. Maybe Wednesday... Wednesday is their all-you-can-eat pasta day, so for RM19.90, I can try their different pasta and sauces in small portions without killing myself by overeating!
August 27, 2006
-_-
Posted by eirene83 at 03:52 AM on August 27, 2006.
Fuck... I just realised that somehow, between last night and a few minutes ago, I've managed to lose one half of a pair of contact lens. It's so freaking weird; I clearly remember removing it, cleaning and storing it... but it would seem that I didn't, apparently... store it, that is. That's the only explanation I can come up with for the fact that my right lens is clearly missing from the case...
Looks like I'll need to get another half year supply of contact lenses sooner than I thought... Drat, and I was hoping I could wear this pair till the end of the month! And looks like I'll be wearing my glasses to dinner, after all... Going to Italiannies... Will post about it when I get back!
Should I get a pair of sunglasses?
Posted by eirene83 at 07:31 PM on August 27, 2006.
Or not?
I dunno... I used to have a pair which I got from Melbourne the last time I was there on holiday... From Mount Buller, I think... but unfortunately, they met their demise while I was on my Eurotrip last year and I've never gotten another pair to replace them.
It's not really like that I wear them all that often, only when I wear my contacts and well, it's a bit conflicting since
- As mentioned, I have currently no contact lenses available, but
- As mentioned also, I'm thinking of wearing them more often since I find my power seems to stablise when I wear them, and I really rather keep my prescription down.
I've found a few pairs that I've liked... except, despite being UV400, they won't protect my eyes overmuch. Since they're lightly tinted instead of being the usual dark tint... Augh... I dunno... I
do want a pair of sunnies, but no point getting them unless they protect my eyes and I have contacts to wear them with! *pouts*
HP Fic of the week
Posted by eirene83 at 07:35 PM on August 27, 2006 in HP.
Draco in Darkness
By: Plumeria
Summary: Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. At first he completely withdraws, avoiding any hint of pity, as well as any assistance; he is determined to succeed on his own. But after Harry elbows his way into Draco's dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other ... and themselves.
***
This is just a really sweet piece. No angsty feelings, no wanting to hit Harry over his head for being in constant denial, just... sweet. Focuses on how Draco and Harry slowly (and believeably) become friends... Plus, I really like the first kiss in Ch 8!
***
Sources of Light
Summary: Draco misses seeing the sun, then remembers he has something much better.
***
An outtake, set several years into the future from DID... Just a little insight into how Draco is dealing with blindness and how it affects him.
To read my blog, scroll down.
August 29, 2006
Hooi Ying's farewell
Posted by eirene83 at 02:23 AM on August 29, 2006.
Hooi Ying got posted to somewhere in JB, so we threw a farewell party for her today at the clinic. Most of the nurses turned up, I'm not that familiar with all of them so I'm not sure who else didn't turn up besides Salina, Siti, and Mel... I know I met another new girl last week, but I don't remember her name, but she wasn't there tonight.
Dr Wong commented and we all agreed: We never actually realised just how many nurses he actually had until we all gathered into the little registration/dispensing area...!! The current number was 10 nurses, not including those who didn't turn up (Probably 14 or 15, if they're included) and we're all the current ones work at the clinic now!! LOL, it's all because most of the nurses study so they all have their own period in which they can turn up, and thus the need for so many nurses... And despite all that, Dr Wong still has trouble trying to get people to work!
We ordered 2 large and 2 medium pizzas, and between the 11 of us, we still didn't manage to finish them all. LOL, I think most of the patients who came in between 6 to 7.30pm were surprised at the number of nurses there was. Dispensing was a breeze though with so many hands to help. Hehe, we also had to abandon a few patients to run off and take a group picture since the other nurses had to leave.
All in all, it was a rather fun night. Of course, I doubt I'll see half the other nurses I met tonight... unless I'm sick on a day they're working or I'm assigned together with them... But still, it was fun... and we took loads of photos too! ^^ Just have to get them from Hooi Ying first, though.
HP NDS
Posted by eirene83 at 03:07 AM on August 29, 2006 in HP.
Whee, new game for my NDS...
There really wasn't much for me to choose from, since I intend to stay far away from any more sims... Sims are fun at first, but after a while, it gets rather dreary... So instead, I bought:
Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire!
From the levels that I've already gone through, it's much, much better than the GBA version of it... I think I'm going to enjoy this one... Though, would be great if I had other games to choose from? Any suggestions, people?
August 31, 2006
Wednesday filler
Posted by eirene83 at 05:08 PM on August 31, 2006.
It just suddenly crossed my mind today that the Mega Sale's going to end in a couple more days... This Sunday, to be precise. And I just starting thinking like, 'Jeez, that soon? I thought it was going to go on for a while more...'
And I got the urge to visit a couple of malls, stroll around aimlessly and see if anything catches my eye. Not that I need to buy anything... Not that there's anything that I want... But just to see if maybe I might be missing out on some great bargain by sitting at home...
Lol... Seriously, isn't that really just being kiasu? I don't need or want anything... but I feel an urge to just go out and browse to see if there's some bargain I can pick up... As my mom pointed out, I've got loads of gorgeous dresses (just added to the collection again, today, with another purchase) which she never seems to see me wear (No place to wear them to! They're all just on the other side of smart casual and is going to look so out of place at a mall...!!! ), and I've got shoes which I never seem to rotate to wearing... so yeah, I really shouldn't give in to the temptation of getting more stuff that I'll probably not wear or use until next year or something...
But still... it's the Mega Sale!!! It's practically like a Siren call to me!!
September 1, 2006
Happy Merdeka
Posted by eirene83 at 04:17 AM on September 1, 2006 in HP.
I just finished playing HP:GoF... It's quite fun really... There's the 3 tasks to complete and about 5 training levels, like the Forbidden Forest and the Prefect's Bathroom... There's also a few mini-games you can unlock as you proceed. So far there's only 2 left that I didn't manage to unlock...
And now, since that I've completed the tasks, I'm going to go back and start from level 1 and try and unlock all the cards I couldn't find the first time round and collect the Triwizard shields... There's about 10 more I didn't find.
Oh, and Happy Merdeka, everyone!! I couldn't think of any inspiring/thought-provoking posts to write, so I'm not going to bother.
Ouch, oweee
Posted by eirene83 at 04:18 AM on September 1, 2006.
Ow, today's really not my lucky day... I was out with my mom this afternoon when I somehow missed a step, slipped and fell... And hobbling away, 30 seconds later, I tripped again and nearly fell flat on my face...
And so, for the first time in my life... I've sprained my ankle... T_T
Ouch, oweee...
Let's hope it gets better soon. Luckily I can still walk around and drive but not for long periods though.
KK Day 1
Posted by eirene83 at 05:35 AM on September 1, 2006 in Travel Log.
Whee, first time to LCCT and on Air Asia (AA)! We took a bus from KL Sentral; so cheap! RM9 on the AA'S bus but RM12 return on Aerobus (a different company) and you can even take the bus to KLIA for RM10! I think it was about an hour to LCCT and I kept drooping off on the bus, thanks to the fact I only got like 3 hours sleep that night... Hehe, there's something about being on a bus that makes me feel like snuggling up and going to sleep.
The plane ride to KK took 2 and a half hours, and I got to try AA's "famous" nasi lemak, which my brother said was really good. For RM8, you get rice, half a hard-boiled egg, peanuts and ikan bilis, and 2 pieces of chicken with sambal.
Frankly, I've had better and for half that price too!! The nasi lemak I used to get from near BAC was only RM4, and that was for one big piece of chicken and a lot of rice and condiments compared to what we got... And man, KK's Terminal 2 is small!!! As in, bus-stop kinda small... We got off the plane, walked straight into immigration (there were 4 counters, I think) and from there, we walked out and practically missed the luggage conveyers!
From the airport, it's about 15 minutes to Sutera Harbour Resort but unfortunately, we couldn't check in, so we decided to check out KK town. We were recommended this Hainanese chicken rice place for a late lunch and the rice was served in such a cool way! They had this little pyramid mould to pack the rice in.
Frankly, that was the only interesting bit about it. I've had better Hainanese chicken rice in KL...
Went back to the hotel, showered and snuck in a couple of sunset shots before going off for dinner at Port View
Sapi Island, KK
Posted by eirene83 at 05:36 AM on September 1, 2006 in Travel Log as a favorite post.
I'm too lazy to do anything more than post up photos with little snippets of everything that happened... Besides, there's not really much to say about snorkelling, anyway.
On the way to Sapi Island... I think it's about, what, a 10-15 minutes ride from Sutera Harbour. Hehe, it makes me think of it's kinda like having a personal island in the backyard... so to speak, anyway.
WELCOME TO SAPI ISLAND!!
Giving the mask a rinse in the sea before putting in on... Who knows how clean it really is, and I really don't fancy using that mouthpiece as is. Besides, even if it was clean, it was already on the table when we got there, so no harm washing it first. *grin*
Lol, nothing better to do than to pose in the middle of the sea :D
Preparing to go under... That mask was really painful to wear, plus in my case, not effective in keeping out the sea-water. I drank so much, my mouth was bitter... And for all that effort, there wasn't that much to see. Probably because we were still in relatively shallow waters. But still, it was fun! And we got to see all the colourful fishes when we went sea-walking.
OOoo, look at the those fishes!! It was such a great experience... Rather expensive, but totally worth it to see all those fish close-up. We even got to see Nemo! But, I'd always picture Nemo being rather bigger than... well, the whole fish, from head to tail... measured about 3cm... And well, Nemo was sacrificed for our sakes. The diver lost hold of it and the last we saw was it slowly floating down and then a swarm of fish in the general vicinity, and then... nothing. Poor Nemo.
Lookit the sea! It's so blueee!!! Hehe, Tracy and I were more just playing and floating around (with the help of our live-jackets, of course) than anything after lunch. *grin* There wasn't really all that much to see after our sea-walking experience, so we just laid back, floated and gazed up into the sky. There were fishes swimming around us, but we were more swimming away from those fishes rather than towards them. Those fishes bite! With vicious jaws filled with sharp pointy teeth!
This species of fish...
bit me! *mutters* Stupid fish... *mumble grumble* I later found out that this particular species is called, of all things, Sergeant Major. No surprise then, why I'm currently decorated with little round bites on my legs... Still, it's not fair that we were allowed to go snorkelling without so much of a warning, among all these fishes that are territorial! *pouts*
Padas River, KK
Posted by eirene83 at 05:37 AM on September 1, 2006 in Travel Log as a favorite post.
Beufort, a little town that felt like it was in the middle of nowhere...
Very bored people, most of whom looked like they had woken up at some ungodly hour, had very little by way of breakfast (and yes, that includes me, too) all waiting for a train...
And what a train it was...
The scene actually reminded me a lot of some old China/Shanghai movie. Look, there's people trying to grab seats by chucking their stuff in through the (non-existent) windows! I'm surprised no one tried to climb in/out through said windows! Never again will I complain about KTM after this!
I mean, really... check out the interior of the train! In fact, if anyone watched the Korean drama, "All In", you'd be interested to know that there was a guy going up and down with baskets of snacks... including... hard-boiled eggs.
After 90 minutes in that train, we finally reached Rayoh, and from there on to Padas river, the base for our water rafting. Helmets, life-jackets (and rubber bands for spectacles) and... the raft we'd be going in.
Frankly, I thought it was quite fun. Okay, so I panicked when our captain told us to jump into the river. Still, it was necessary practice if the raft should capsize. Quite glad that I was wearing my swim-suit underneath! I was in the water a grand total of 4 times. Twice, we had to get in the water and do body-rafting. Once, I pulled in from behind by the captain. (*glares* That was nasty... I didn't even have time to think between being in the boat and suddenly finding myself in the water..) And last... well, I kinda got pushed in when we were going through the Curve rapids.(Also known as the Washing Machine...)
In terms of river-rafting, Padas river is ranked Class III-IV, 13th in the world and the first in Malaysia. According to Yus, our captain, if we wanted bigger rapids, we would have to head to Zimbabwe or such...
Still, it was fun... In the crazy roller-coaster sort of sense... So I drank a lot of river-water. And the chances of drowning is rather high, regardless of life-jackets... But it's still so fun, I wouldn't mind going for another rafting expedition again. I liked it! It was a great experience!
It looks so peaceful... (and hot!! I came away rather badly sunburned... and thus, quite tanned, compared to previously...)
And look! For a place that seems like it's in the middle of nowhere,
They have Astro!!
Posted by eirene83 at 05:38 AM on September 1, 2006.
Hullo!! I'm off to KK for the next couple of days,so don't be surprised when there's a flood of entries when I get back!
^_^
Have to fly now! Let's hope that I didn't forget to pack anything important! *keeping fingers crossed*
