Ladies & Gentlemen, Children of the Revolution, Doggies, & Sotongs..
We are gone SIMPLE. Minimalist. Essentials. Pure. Back to the Heart.

Ze Hug Hug Club of April Chuppie Chuppie Chup Chups:

Congrats, girls! Well done.. Big BIG Hugs, all.

Thanks for all the chups. Thanks for all the laughs.
Thanks for being so great. Thanks for all the hugs.
Thanks for all the shoulders. Thanks for all the hair.
Thanks for all your loving. Thanks for all the fish..

Now, it is with great pleasure, an honor..
..heavy pregnant pause..

to announce that due to fasting, i s a n y o n e O u t t h e r e ? will be not be updated
for this entire month. Isn’t that great? No under pressure, right?

Hey, I am just following a trend:
Time to sell off some underwear.
Shake a little leg, make a little love..
Throw some peanuts. Lie back and think of foot reflexology.

And give chupping in here a break, so you can all relax a little bit as well.
Yes? Chup-free for the month of May. Holiday. Vacation. Elope. Save the Earth.

So long. Farewell.
Auf wiedersehen. Arrivederci.
Au revoir. Adiós. Selamat jalan. 再见..
Wait, see you back here in June.. Looking forward to that already.

ps: A spot of spring-cleaning, notably on A Premier Hug Hug Club.
It’s my party, and I can cry if I want to..
Let’s see how long I can hold out, eh? LOL..

Today’s Tungku Siew Kai Fan

Celebrating Trinity’s Blogaversary today!
Come join her for extraordinary FUN and SUN!

All you have to do is follow the Chup Instructions there,
meaning watch out for this:

In a few hours’ time from now, at 8:00pm Indonesia time, meaning 9:00pm Malaysia time, the Final Round! So bring your buckets and spades and shovels, and let’s all go Treasure Hunting at Trinity’s Room of My Heart Blog! Admission is Free, dress code is Casual, and please bring along a bottle of rum, just in case you encounter some feisty buayas (crocodiles).. No BBQs though.

Loitering with or without intent is permitted, so you can just say HELLO TRINITY, Congrats!.. if you’re not that chup inclined! Yes? Ready? Go?

ps: Watch out for the Lormaikai Heaven!

~ a community service brought to you by T H H C™..

No more Lalang!
No more Lalang!
Instead, here’s a very pretty little girl.. growing up fast.

photo session one fine blissful hungga shagga hungga hungga hungga shagga Sunday in September 2007 at Kota Kemuning.. Cute? Better say cute, ok?

Soon, kindergarten! Soon, school uniforms! Soon, Manchester United! Soon, bicycle! Soon, exams! Soon, iPhone! Soon, mascara! Soon, painted nails! Soon, beauty spas! Soon, love letters! Soon, dating! Soon, MacBook Water! Soon, own boyfriend! Soon, own Mini Cooper! Soon, wedding! Soon, pitter patter of little Nellies..

How fast they grow up these days. Slow down.. Happy Two Years Old!

On a sunny Saturday morning (after an exchange of smses with Chevchen regarding her excited No See Ghost discovery of Blood Oranges in Penang), I scooted off into the sunshine and wilderness..

15 minutes ride away, up a hill, this is the coast of Cattolica (the neighboring town to San Giovanni in Marignano) and the Adriatic Sea. Far off into the horizon is the city of Rimini. And a lot more further away is Venice. Can you spot St Mark’s Square? And the pigeons?

Hoards of mainly German tourists descend upon here in the months of late May, June, July, August, & early September. The beach would be literally covered by umbrellas and beach beds.. and bikinis. Meat and sunblock lotions sizzling under the hot sun. The rocky barriers on the water are to prevent waves, apparently. So no surf boards here.

Obviously I was not in my swimwear, thus the bulk. I was also carrying my helmet.. honest.

And finally, a quick pit-stop at this place. Really Long Time No See place! The last time I was here must have been about a year ago. If it was only Kentucky Fried Chicken. I would be here much more often. Every day.

But before I could take a picture of my McBacon lunch, it was already deep within my stomach! Shame on me.

30 minutes at the Supermarket:

iPhone pics!

Giant pineapples! Really big! Massive! Bigger than misti’s.
The well stocked Delicatessen Counter; Roast Chicken, various qualities of Prosciutto, Salami, Cheeses, Lasagna, etc.
More Blood Oranges by the bag, which look quite ordinary from the outside. Hardly any purple ones. €2.50 a bag.
Household & Cleaning department stocks the very excellent Mop Bucket, which has a useful sieve to wring the water from the mop.

Today, the Blood Orange aka Tarocco takes center stage! See how bloody! See how juicy! See how wet! See how luscious! Ok, there are bloodier ones. These aren’t the bloodiest I have had. Some are just totally dark red, almost black. Apparently the red pigment, anthocyanin, is an antioxidant that reduces the risks associated with many ailments, including cholesterol build-up, and age-related illnesses. So, maybe I will live for a long long long long long time? Lots of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron, and calcium.

Actually, until you so loudly protested in the last post about Blood Oranges, I didn’t realize that they are kinda spectacular!.. Maybe because I’ve always had them for such a long time over here. Another instance of taking something for granted, yes? Wikipedia; worth a read, if you’re truly bored.

I am so weak and knackered this week. No, not from too much sex. Far from it. (Close your eyes, Mish Mish.. Too late!) No chance of that over here. Too much work at work. Speeding like a runaway train on sixteen cylinders and a pot of hashish. I also had to prepare an entire portfolio of work for the Boss to take to Hong Kong and Shanghai.. He even had the cheek to ask if I wanted to come along, knowing full well my So Unreasonable workload during this period. Really YourStar™.. I could be in China tomorrow! Oh Lormaikai! Oh Piao Mei!..

Back to earth, what do you think of this for the front porch pavement at the new home? I was standing outside our building the other day, and lightbulb went, why not? Do you like? Are you scrunching your nose at it? Does it not do anything for you? Are you turned on? Off? What are the probabilities of making out on that? Do you think I should go for something much more elaborate? More wax?!

Taken with the iPhone ~ see how crisp, see how many ants you can count.

Ok, it appeals to me. The rough and rustic would camouflage tyre and BBQ oil marks. Simple, plain, unremarkable, perfect.. Doesn’t look too expensive. Nor too cheap. Works well with the nearby trees in the garden. I am also thinking about a variation of this in the bathrooms, with dark slate. Maybe it’s just too early to decide. Mull, mull, mull.. Send me your suggestions. Body parts accepted.

Finally I got to steamin’ something! My First Ever Steam Ching Pai Kuat! Howzat? I really wanted to steam some Pak Chong, but I couldn’t find any Pak Chong fish over here. What a huge shame.. Must try harder. The fish eating up Angel’s legs looked too frightened to be steamed.

Of course, what I really, really wanted to make was Lormaikai (as everyone should know by heart by now). I even received an authentic recipe, courtesy of CheePeeOne’s sister-in-law. Excerpt:

Rice
Glutinous Rice (measurement up to you pending on how much to make lor)
Wash and soak over night (easier to cook)
Drain rice 10mins before cooking. You dont want the rice to be too wet

Ingredients for Rice
Chop shallots
1 pinch 5 spice powder
Chicken stock (powder)
Sugar n salt to taste.
Fry shallot with enough oil (enough oil so that your rice will be smooth) till light brown
Put in the rice. Fry till fragant
Add Ingredients above. You may wanna put a little more of the chicken stock as it helps to give the bland rice some taste. When you add more stock bear in mind to lessen the salt. Chicken stock vely salty one leh….

Chicken (chop to small pieces)

Seasoning for Chicken (better to season overnight also)
1 teaspoon Sesame oil (not too much as it can be overpowering)
Soya Sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (again not too much as it can be overpowering)
Pepper

..etc. etc.. It is a very long winded recipe. One look at it, I knew I was doomed. No glutinous rice. No five spice powder. Powdered Chicken stock? How? Haha, can I invent my own five spice powder? Pepper + Basil + Ginger Root Powder + Dill + Fennel Seeds? No? I thought not.

Thanks for the recipe, Ai Ai Darling.. I think I will wait till I am back at your new place in Kota Kemuning for you to make us more of your special mouth-watering Lormaikai. As the photo below depicts:

Meanwhile, blood oranges are so much more easier to prepare.. No need any powder.

It was an impromptu invitation for lunch at a colleague’s house yesterday ~ never been there before. Just the two of us, it turned out. Which is great, of course. I do so prefer one on one parties these days.. (er, appearlisamist situations excepted.)

Suzi dished up spaghetti, with tuna and cherry tomatoes, with lots of garlic, some ’secret’ mixture of herbs, and a generous ‘dash’ of white wine. While she was busy preparing, I whipped out my iPhone, and toured the house. Daisy-covered garden (with weeds), warm rustic kitchen, queen-sized bed in bedroom, airy and well-lit bathroom, cozy living room, and her first ever brand new black MacBook (which was the main reason for the invite - Suzi needed help setting up her Airport Express WiFi)..

These are the first pictures from the camera off the iPhone ever posted on this blog, I believe. Pretty neat, huh? Not too bad a camera, despite the perceived limitations of boasting just 2 mega-pixels, no built-in flash, and no zoom, especially when you’re caught out without the normal camera. Still, I managed to forget to take a picture of the gorgeous plates of spaghetti, such was the rumbling of hungry tummies, along with the glass of red wine.

A very pleasant lunch break indeed. And luckily for me, the WiFi set-up worked first time. Reputation still intact!

Ok, it’s been awhile since we did a Meme here, so what better way to jump-start, than by responding to FIVE identical tags at once?.. Very Green, right? Save the trees!

A: List out the Top Five Presents you wish for:
1: IKEA Bjursta Dining Table RM1,195.00
2: IKEA Karlanda 3 seater Sofa RM1,945.00
3: IKEA Malm Queen size Bed RM695.00
4: Nice, large Flatscreen TV by SONY
5: A Tree, or two,.. or three..

B: The Person who tagged you is:
1: 2007 11 22 by Giddy Tigress
2: 2008 03 14 by Everyday Healy
3: 2008 03 15 by JO-N
4: 2008 03 17 by Trinity
5: 2008 04 05 by Ehon

C: List out 5 impressions of him/her:
1: Giddy Tigress looks so demure in a long dress.
2: Everyday Healy is too cute.
3: JO-N is very resourceful & kind.
4: Trinity is extremely cheerful.
5: Ehon is such a blast.

D: The Most Memorable thing s/he has done/given you:
1: Giddy Tigress promised me Lormaikai.
2: Everyday Healy tagged me.
3: JO-N has astounded me with her creative ideas.
4: Trinity offered me a job as her Personal Organizer.
5: Ehon waited for me at KLIA to hug me Goodbye.

E: If s/he becomes your lover, you two will:
1: Giddy Tiger will have me for breakfast.
2: Everyday Healy will have lots of gelato, and some Gucci.
3: JO-N will teach me how to win at games.
4: Trinity will save so much on servant wages.
5: Ehon will run a mile.

F: If s/he becomes your enemy, the reason will be because:
1: Giddy Tigress; because of Liverpool.
2: Everyday Healy; because she got sick of gelato.
3: JO-N; because she is getting less points than me at Trinity’s.
4: Trinity; because I ran off with her maids.
5: Ehon; because he can’t run a mile fast enough.

G: The 5 people you tag:
1: Paris Hilton
2: George Clooney
3: Olivia Newton-John
4: The Bee Gees or the Supreme Beings of Leisure
5: Your Name Here!

Ok, so I kinda changed the rules a little, but isn’t that what I was supposed to do? Twist and turn and squirm a little? Seriously, 5 impressions of the person who tagged you? I could hardly come out with one each! LOL, sorry.. yup.. I know, I know.
*Blames the Purple House and all the Hoppy Bunnies there*..

Oh, & the 5 presents? Here. Choose/Chup carefully, ok?

Randomizing on a frisky Saturday morning.

1: The Bathroom
The bamboo is still alive. Doing well, under the circumstances. I will miss these central wall heating units one day when I am back in Malaysia. They are so neat. And bidets.

2: The Scooter
The aging Aprilla Scarabeo scooter ~ just back from a tune-up and check-up at the mechanics yesterday, ready to roar, rumble & rock n roll.

3: White Flowers & Blue Skies
I have been meaning to photograph the flowers on a tree nearby all week. Finally! No idea what kind of tree it is, but the blooms bears a slight resemblance to the Cherry Blossoms..

4: The Bee Gees
How Deep Is Your Love - the Supreme Beings of Leisure Remix just blew my mind away. Oh my! What a gorgeous and awesome remix. Sorry I can’t share this song with you because it’s in the Apple iTunes Store AAC protected format, but if you ever get a chance to, go listen to it. It’s just too fabulous.

5: The Desktop
Listening to How Deep Is Your Love - the Supreme Beings of Leisure Remix, over and over again, and getting my socks blown off. How to turn a great song into an even greater one. The iPhone shimmers accordingly.

6: The Porchetta & Ham
And freshly baked yard long baguette. For lunch, mouth-watering, and does not require chili padi. Just a dollop or two of Lingham’s Chili Sauce. Liverpool wants to kick Arsenal’s ass today.

Under the bed
No monsters. No demons. No expired condoms. Just a few empty boxes.

Everything else is a figment of my imagination. Those sleepless nights, stirring restlessly in bed, sweating, wondering if that weird noise came from under the bed, or from the ceiling.. Imagination running riot.

Well, there is no point in poking too deep anyway. Let sleeping dust bunnies lie thing. But soon, it will be Spring Cleaning session again. This time, nothing shall be spared! Be ruthless. Take no prisoners. Spare no bunny. Heed no criticism.

The Hug Hug Club™ of March
When last we chupped..
The Eternal Struggle continues, for this month’s crop of THHC™ Superheroes (with a Supervillain tucked in somewhere.. Any guesses as to who the villain is?). The battle is never done.

1 Jemima 23 points ~ Wonderwoman
2 Lisa 11 points ~ Invisible Woman, from Fantastic Four (New elite PHHC™)
3 Happysurfer 6 points ~ The Bride, from Kill Bill
3 Misha 6 points ~ Elektra
3 Princess Appearl 6 points ~ The Catwoman

6 Ehon 5 points ~ The Batman
7 JO-N 4 points ~ Dr Jean Gray, from the X-Men
8 Misti 3 points ~ Mystique, from the X-Men
8 Trinity 3 points ~ Trinity
10 EliteVillain 2 points ~ IronMan
10 Wennnn 2 points ~ Ms Marvel
12 Angeline 1 point ~ Batgirl

© Marvel Comics, DC Comics, & assorted copyright holders.

Go, go, go, Superheroes of March! THHC™ requires that justice to be done! Doom to the ….. quote undying relentless pitching and bitching to kill each other unquote, courtesy of Misti.. Happy Chupping for April!

For more about The Hug Hug Club™, read T H H C.
Hot Press: Brand new Submarine THHC™ bloop bloop fun at Trinity’s!

Got another new toy
For a mere €22.90, a proper non-stick Steamer!! I knew there was a reason why I skimped on the kettle the other weekend. Ha! Yeah!

Lormaikai, O Lormaikai! I am so prepared for you now. Ready, steady, go? Wait, wait.. Not so fast. Need a good recipe, or two. Now, who’s got some handy true and tried Lormaikai recipes? Har Kau? Siew Mai? Pai Kuat? Steamed Pak Chong with ginger? I am positively drooling at the culinary adventures to come. Who else can I steam? Come on!! Don’t all rush now.

PS: Go do a search on Google for Lormaikai Recipe and see what turns up! You’d be astounded, as I was!! All 5 pages of it..