Cara Cara Sunkist Oranges

Looks like I dont have any other things to blog about that I end up talking about oranges ! Actually, that is partly true...hehehe. Being a full time housemum, there's nothing much going on around me except for my kitchen activities which I enjoyed very, very much.

Anyway, what's the story-mory with these oranges then? It's just something knowledgeable I would like to share with you readers. I am not really sure how many of you knew how many types of Sunkist oranges are there in the Malaysian market?

For those who didnt know, based on my observation there are two types of them : Navel & Valencia, the latter being the common ones. Pardon me if there are more since I've only came across these 2 types only.

Few months ago however, I discovered another types of Sunkist oranges - it is called Cara Cara. As nice as it sounded, this particular type is superbly good. Cara Cara oranges are nothing like Navel or Valencia. It is three times sweeter & juicier.The first time me & Marsya tried it, we just cant stop. We end up finishing all 6 pcs at one shot. It tasted too nice that we just couldt stop ourselves from enjoying the fruit.

Not only the taste is different, the colour of the pulps are also different. While the other two are orange in colour, Cara Cara is more like reddish-orange. When I first cut the fruit, I was quite surprised looking at the colour - not the normal colour I would see for an orange.

The only setback for this wonderful orange is the availability. I've been to most hyper & supermarkets & none of them has this Cara Cara oranges except for these two places - The Store in Pandan Indah & Mercato, Pavilion. Even at these 2 places, it's not that they are available all the time ~ sigh ~

So, the next time you wanna buy some oranges, look for Cara Cara. You wont be disappointed !

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Etude House Moistfull Mask

I was in Etude House few weeks ago looking for their infamous Magic BB Cream. But it's not their BB Cream that I'm gonna talk about this time. This post is gonna talk about their face mask instead.

I have been looking for the right face mask & "right" here means cheap & good....hahaha....looks like I am looking for the impossible, right? I've tried a few sheet mask before like Garnier, Olay including the famous Taiwan's mask - Beauty Diary but the thing is, all these sheet masks kinda took a toll on my wallet after some time (so cheapskate meh ???? ). Like I said earlier : cheap but good...hehehe.



So, while wandering in Etude House that day, I was introduced to their massage mask by the salesgirl. While the sales girl was busy explaining to me the goodness of the mask, I on the other hand was busy checking the price out. For a 180 ml content at RM 30+, it is certainly value for money. Without waiting for the salesgirl to finish, I immediately grab the huge tub & straight away walked to the counter.

So, here's how it went...........




As stated on the label, this jelly mask contains Baobab Tree extract to supply skin refining moisture. And it is a 3-way mask : You either use it as a massage cream, as a rinse-off mask or as a sleeping mask ( leave it on for the whole night and wash it off in the next morning ).

I used it as a sleeping mask & the result is really satisfying. I would normally wakes up to a dull (almost dead, to be honest) skin but upon applying this sleeping mask, my face feels exceptionally smooth & hydrated. Simply awesome !

What I love most about this mask is actually the smell. It has a very sweet rosy smell which gives me such a pleasant feeling when I'm on bed, waiting to fall asleep.

So, if you have a second thought in buying this mask before, dont hesitate. Grab it & enjoy !

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Akob Patin House

I had the opportunity to visit this infamous restaurant while in Kuantan on my last day of the recent school hols. Heard of this place from my sis a couple of times already but didnt really get the chance to make a visit. 

It was last Wednesday that I finally gotta step foot to this much talked about restaurant in Kuantan. We were on our way back to KL & since it's nearly lunch time, my mum suggested to stop by at Akob Patin House for lunch.

The moment I saw the restaurant, I immediately understands why it has becoming the most famous makan place in Kuantan. It's the location - being located by the Kuantan River definitely gives them the advantage. They've got the best location for a restaurant. Not only you can enjoy the food, patrons could also enjoy the view & the soft breeze while having their lunch.On top of that, parking is not an issue at all as there are ample parking space provided.

Akob Patin House is located in Tapak PCCL, Jalan Besar i.e. by the Kuantan riverside, behind the old KWSP office and the old Samudera Hotel building. The only setback to this place is that, they are only open during lunch hours. If you planning to come by, do get there around 12pm or it'll be tough to get seats as it'll be swarmed by huge crowds by then.

Akob Patin House is a self service restaurant where they have an array of of Malay dishes which you'd take with white rice. Most of their dishes are those local malay dishes like tempoyak pucuk ubi, sayur batang keladi, kerabu, etc. It was already 1 pm when we got there, hence not much are left.

Their specialty is of course patin masak tempoyak. I've been told that there are usually 2 different types of patin available which is Patin Sangkar and Patin Buah, the latter being more expensive. The gravy is thick and the aroma and taste of tempoyak is very prominent, which left you drooling without even realizing it.

None of us actually took the Patin Tempoyak as we just had it at home a few days earlier. Our total bill (for 4 person) was RM 23 which is ok considering that we took mostly vegetables only.

Just look at her empty plate - another satisfied customer !

If you happened to be in Kuantan, do find some time to drop by at this place - especially if you are a malay food lover like me. One thing I can promise is that, you'll be surprise of the resemblance to your mum's cooking ( or even better ).

 

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KL Gangster - The Review

My first 2 attempts to watch this movie were a failure as the tickets are all sold out. It was originally Marsya's request to watch this movie as she's a big fan of Syamsul Yusof who is the director cum actor for the said movie. The ticket sales (RM 1.5 mil on it's first day of showing & RM 6 mil, four days later) & recommendation from friends makes me more determined to watch it.

Our third attempt finally clinched the deal & Marsya was the happiest soul for the day. She almost cried when we couldnt get the tickets earlier. She was so into Syamsul that I could almost see the sparkles in her eyes when we walked into the theater that day.

So, what's the verdict ?

My Likes :

1.   My number one will of course goes to Malek (Aaron Aziz), the big taiko. Not only he's super gorgeous, he's also like the super gangster among others - the strongest of them all ...hero mah ! But honestly, I really think he's not fit for that Malek character. Aaron doesnt have the features & aura to be such an influenced gangster like Malek. He's just too cute to be a gangster - unlike Adi Putra & Syamsul. 

"cuti gua sudah lama abis.."

2.  Abang Long Dil (Zizan) - he's one funny character who managed to burst out laughs among the audiences. His character reminded me of Chris Tucker in the Rush Hour movie. His jokes are non-slapstick & genuinely funny. People could straight away laughed the moment his face appears on the screen without him having to say a single word yet.

" ko tau kan...lawan aku bukan 2 org tapi 2 lori... " 

3.  Ajib (Sofy Jikan) - he's the best gangster, I would say. His acting as Dragon's right hand man was superbly awesome. The way he uttered his dialog with the Chinese accent was really amusing ( "lu kalau gua potong lu 18 baru lu tau erti penyesalan"). Thumbs up to Sofy Jikan - great acting skills ! Wa manyak suker sama lu bro !

"gua bleh simpan gua punye senggggaaatttt... gua pon sudah pennnattt.... "

4.  The shirtless Jai (Adi Putra)....do I need to say more?

" lain kali jangan buat lagi tau...nanti mak marah "

5.  The fighting scene featured in this movie is somewhat realistic as compared to other local action movies I've watched before. Their moves were swift enough that they looked quite real. When a punch landed on a face, you could actually feel the pain from your end.

My Dislikes 

1.  Shark ( Syamsul Yusof ) - though his acting this time was better (meaning that not too much of "control macho-ness" ), I still couldnt grasp the idea of his Chinese accent. Him speaking with a Chinese slang makes me wonder of Shark's actual race. Other character like Ajib for instant, does speak in a Chinese accent too but the way Syamsul did it is so un-natural.  It either he's trying too hard or he's simply over-doing it.

" sekarang gua tak kira...lu abg long ka..lu ayahanda ka...ini KL gua pegang ! "

2.  I dont like the idea of Jai putting an unlit cigarette between his lips while talking. It's ok if he appears that way in one scene but I find it a bit annoying when the same act was shown everytime he appeared on the screen. I'm quite sure he would still looked vulgar & dangerous without the cigarette. My two cents !

3.  They makes it so easy for Shark to kill King. C'mon, this is THE King mah - the Godfather of the gangsterism community. It doesnt really makes sense such a powerful man like King could be so easily pinned down by a young inexperienced chap like Shark. But then, he's the director....I shall rest my case !

All & all, I really enjoyed this movie. Though I am not a fan of an action genre movies, but KL Gangster managed to entertain me &, got my butt glued to the seat the whole duration of 80 minutes - unlike certain movies which makes me wanna leave the cinema even before it ended ( Lagenda Budak Setan is the best example for this - sucks big time ! ).

Kudos to the young director, Syamsul Yusof for making such a great movie (in accordance to the Malaysian standard, ok). To those who havent watch this movie, hurry up & grab yourself a seat at the nearest theater. Those who are never interested in watching Malay movies in cinemas, try out KL Gangster - you wont regret it.....it's worth every cents !

One thing both me & Marsya noticed while walking out from the cinema was how strong the movie influenced the audience that the guys started walking like gangsters LOL !


p/s   Am considering to re-watch the movie.....didnt get enuff of those hot hunks !!

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Drama Queen

It has been the 4th week since I had the surgery on my knee. As advised by my doctor, I could apply 100% pressure on my operated leg already since last week, which means I wont be needing the crutches to move around anymore :-)

Nevertheless, looking at mt swelling knee still worries me. My disability to completely bend my knee kept on fretting me. If the current situation persist, I wont be able to do all those outdoor activities I used to enjoy and worse still, I cant put on my heels anymore....huhuhu. Anyways, better chuck aside those worryings & frettings as they wont take me anywhere. Positiveness helps healing & being positive is what I should be focusing on doing.

I saw my orthopedist earlier for my bi-monthly follow-ups. Honestly, I was quite worried about this appointment.

When there's a will, there's always a way !

Yesterday was my appointment with my orthopedic at Ampang Puteri Hospital. This particular appointment was a bit special as compared to the others I had before. I've been worrying sick a few days prior to the appointment day. For the previous follow-ups, I went to with my leg see him with my leg braced up & crutches underneath my arms. This time around however, both are no longer presence which means that I'm getting better.

It's not the "getting better" part that worries me off. You see, this kind of thing is like a chain reaction - getting better -> satisfied doctor -> MC discontinued -> GET BACK TO WORK !!! And THAT my fellow readers, is my greatest fear !

With 2 hectic weeks behind me (due to the wedding & all), I am totally, ultimately not ready to be back into the ruthless corporate world - not just yet. I've been doing a lot of thinking as to how to get myself out from this predicament which has been cracking my head for the past few days.

What if the doctor doesnt wanna extend my MC? What if he thinks that I'm fit enough to work (though I feel otherwise still)? Should I just as him to grant the MC? Even if I were to do it, is my skin thick enough for that matter? Question after question kept on pounding my head, one after another leaving me gasping for more & more air to breathe.

After some wise thinking ( ??? ), I've come up with 2 options : Plan A which is the master plan & the back-up plan as Plan B. Plan A would requires me to be a bit dramatic at the hospital. As mentioned earlier, since last week I've been moving around without the crutches & leg-brace. But to execute Plan A, these 2 things are my main props. I'll put on the leg-brace & use one crutch to walk which should be enough to convince my doc. that I'm not that fit yet to work. With a bit of luck & some acting here & there ( like frowning & cringing maybe ), I should be on the right track.

So, with one crutch under my arm I marched to the hospital with confidence. It was only when the nurse called out my name that I realized I've forgotten to put on my leg-brace. Damn! Damn! Damn! I started cursing myself. But God is great. The moment the nurse opened the door to the doctor's room, instead of an old looking guy sitting inside, it was a gorgeous looking man smiling at me. Such a magical moment !

Apparently my doctor was on an EL & was temporarily replaced by this young & handsome doctor instead. So, it was a double joy for me. Not only I could pleased my eyes drooling at him, I've gotten the extension to my MC as well. It's like having your favourite ice-cream topped with chocolate & all sort of stuffs on the top.

Thank you Allah for your continuous blessings.


p/s : Plan B, by the way is to just thicken the skin on my face & ask for the MC !

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The Wedding Story - The Big Day

Finally, the moment arrives. It's the moment where all plannings & dreams are turned into reality. A moment to be remembered by all especially both the bride & groom. It's a special day for them where every seconds shall be glued in their memory for as long as they lived.

The wedding's theme colour is red which happens to be my favourite colour. Red is goods it always brings out the mood of any occasion, thus creating a livelier ambiance. As far as red is concerned, you can never go wrong with this shade as it is totally happening.

When the theme colour has been set as red, everything should adhere to it, where possible. The decoration for the pelamin & bedroom are mainly based on the said colour. I dont have the picture of the pelamin & the bedroom as I dont really like the way the Pak Andam did it.

The red scallops used to decorate the pelamin & bedroom sort of reminded me of the red cloth the Chinese used to hang at the entrance door especially during the opening of their new shop. I know I'm mean but looking at it automatically shift my mind towards that.....huhuhu.

To those who didnt know, my sister was married to an army officer, Kapt. Azrul. I've never seen or attend any army wedding in my entire life before. Well, all I can say is that the whole event was such a glorious & splendid affair, unlike the common wedding you would normally see. Of course, it was an army’s wedding, thus full of formalities. If you don’t know or have never seen an army weds before, you should seek an opportunity at your very best to do so.


First, instead of the kompang, the couple will be assisted by the bag pipers (which would definitely brought your mind to the movie “Braveheart”), together with six handsome looking sword-bearers. In my sister's case, there's no bag pipers available - so they will have to make do with the bag pipe music coming from a CD instead.

The groom i.e. my BIL and the sword-bearers were immaculately clad in a well-fitted official army’s suit. To me, once a guy is in his uniform, he'll automatically transformed into a gorgeous looking man, regardless of how he actually looks like. The uniform is like magic that could easily overrule his looks without any doubt. Though I’ve seen my BIL countless times, I must say he looked much, much better in his white army suit. My sister, on the other hand was beautifully dressed in white lace bridal gown.


The groom was escorted by an officer (the best man) together with the sword-bearers troop where they marched till they reached the wedding arch. The best man would then fetch the bride & took her to the groom who was waiting at the other end. Then, both the bride and groom walked underneath the shining swords. Happening, I tell you......I couldn’t keep my jaw from dropping the whole time. It was totally awesome !



Followed thereafter was the bersanding ceremony, still in accordance to the army's wedding protocol. The sword-bearers lined up on both sides of the pelamin, making way for the selected individuals to menepung-tawar. Later, each of the sword-bearers would come out from the lines & salute the groom. And yes......my jaw was still dropping...


Next the couple headed to the main table for the makan beradap ceremony. Nothing unusual here & I took the opportunity to finally shut my mouth. The makan beradap was then followed by the cake cutting session. Again, the sword bearers played their roles during this ceremony. I was too amazed that I failed to capture those moments via my IXUS. The sword bearers will first touch the tips of their swords together-gether while shaking it slowly for a few seconds till the groom gave a signal to stop. Only then the couple cut the cake underneath a pile of shining swords.



That was it - the highlight of my sister's wedding. The rest are pretty much the same as any other weddings. I was lucky enuff that I no longer need to use the crutches to move around. Though I was still limping but at least those crutches were not presence to spoil my glamorous looks & outfit.

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The Wedding Story - Khatam Quran

The Khatam Quran is another ceremony some brides chose to include as part of their wedding events. Khatam Quran is originally not meant for the brides-to-be. It is a ceremony to honor those who have completed the recital of the whole Quran regardless of being a bride or not.



Nowadays many brides opt to perform the Khatam Quran prior to their big day. Note that only the bride would normally carried out this tradition & not the groom. But it doesnt mean that the groom have yet to complete the whole Quran. It's just that the ladies are more into these kind of things while the guys always prefer to stick to the basic stuffs only as Khatam Quran is absolutely not the requirement for a wedding according to Islamic law.

My sister's Khatam Quran takes place in the morning - right before the main event itself. Since she didnt hire any make-up artist for that event, I was given the honour to complete that particular task. Though applying make-up is not something new to me but that only revolves around my own face. I've never actually done it to somebody else except for Marsya during her school concert.



So, the pressure still builds up in me - fearing that the outcome doesnt meet to the expectation. Luckily things turned out well. I may not be a professional but good enough to make my pretty sister prettier.

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The Wedding Story - Akad Nikah

The akad nikah is the first ceremony in any Malay weddings. It is a ceremony whereby the father of the bride will pass his responsibility of taking care of his daughter to the groom. It is also the time where the groom shall promised the bride to take care of her for the rest of his & her life. I wont say it's a changing of vows since the bride doesnt need to say a word during this ceremony.



The tense is more to the groom especially during the part where he has to say those few magical words in accepting the bride to be his lawful wife. It's not just two words of "I do" - it's much, much more than that & it has to be uttered in one breath.



Some did it once.....some twice......& those with nervous breakdown could end up saying it couple of time before all the witnesses could approve it. In my sister's case, her groom did well. Once & for all, she has become his. Well, as a Captain in the army, nervous shouldnt be in his dictionary, isnt it?



As of today, Aida has moved into a new dimension of her life. Marriage is a beautiful thing but dont expect it to be a bed of roses all the time. Marriage is not easy, by all accounts - as marriage is all about compromise, trust, respect & sacrifices.



I do hope Aida dont go into thinking that things are going to be the same as when they dated. Marriage may just be the next step to those who think they are in love. They have had a great time dating, and have no idea how much things will change when they marry. Marriage requires hard work and commitment for it to grow and mature. It is nothing like dating.



And to Aida & Azrul.......I wish them the very best of luck & may they live happily for the rest of their life !

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The Wedding Story - The Hantarans

Whenever there's a wedding in the family, I would be the one responsible for the weddings. Ironically, that's not the case for my own wedding.....hehehe. I guess if it's a wedding I'm looking forward to, then it's definitely a whole different story already. Not everybody's lucky enough to turn their dream wedding into a reality & unfortunately I am one of them .....huhuhu.

Okay, enough with the tears & regrets. Past is past & it's the future that we should only be interested in. So, back to the hantaran's story. For Malay wedding, though it's not compulsory by the religion's law, it is considered as important as the bride/groom themselves.



Hantaran is the gifts prepared by both the bride & groom's family & will be exchanged among each other on the wedding day. The quantity of hantaran shall be decided by the bride & groom themselves. Take note that the quantity should be only be in odd numbers - either 5 or 7 or 9... so on & so forth.



As far as the hantaran is concern, there are no standards or rules for the things chosen to be the hantaran. It can be anything from shoes, jeweleries, clothes, perfumes, cosmetics or whatever favoured by both parties as long they are in line with their budget.




However, betel leaves are compulsory to be included as one of the hantaran. Dont ask me for I didnt know why & what's the reason behind this requirement. Honestly, I dont see a point why we should add the betel leaves as nobody eats them anymore these days. Just becoz the older generation did it, nobody dares to break the rules.




During my time, hantaran are more complicated in terms of its preparation. Those days, people likes to be more crafty where the hantaran wouldnt look like their original shape / state. The towels will be made into grapes, the sarong will be folded into a fan, the sejadah will turn into a mosque etc. Thank God things are much simpler now, otherwise I'm sure you'll find a set of Transformers Robot on one of the hantaran's tray !



As I mentioned earlier in my previous post, nowadays are all about money. The more money you have, the lesser the work will be. If last time you'll need at least a week to prepare the hantaran, now in less than an hour I've completed all the 7 trays ! Wooo hooooo !!!

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The Wedding Story - Henna Day

The bride to be, Aida is scheduled to get her hands & feet drawn with the henna today. And I was assigned to send her to the henna saloon since I thought of doing the same to my hands - not those complicated design but just the simple ones. Some people doesnt find it nice to have these henna designs drawn on their hands but for me it's something very artistic & nice - depending on the artist who did. I've done it twice before of which both are quite a disappointment.

That's Ana henna-ing my nails

Anyway, we have actually coloured our nails with henna the night before. My mum, Aida, Marsya, Ana & myself (Aida's BFF) helped each other to make sure the henna were perfectly placed on the nails. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ana for her great help. Thanks a million !



The henna artist whom Aida engaged is Suraya from Damia Henna Arts. According to her portfolio, she worked with various celebrities before like Nana AF for instance. Suraya took about 1 1/2 hours to complete the task - both hands (front & back) and both feet. This service cost Aida RM150 which would mainly meant for the workmanship since the henna wouldnt cost that much, I believe.




But then, overall it was okay. The end result, though it was not 100% perfect but can be considered as satisfactory with no smears & such. The only thing that I would be complaining about would be the colour of the henna after it has dried up. Rather that radiant red (as advertised in her website), it looks purplish instead. To me, henna means red - no other colour but red.




I thought of getting my hands henna-ed too but after hearing the price, I immediately changed my mind. It's RM20/hand which I think was a bit too much especially when the design is nothing that fancy. So, in the end only Marsya got he hands henna-ed for RM10/hand.

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