busy ...is it worth it?

It's that time again ...i just got 15 missed calls on my phone tonight ....from one person ...to enquire about my progress ..Yup, it is that time when I have to concentrate and do the write up for my team ...i was tasked to write up a report for this research ...it is a bit time consuming and i really had to crack my brain for it ...and i have to answer to 4 different bosses (having one is hard enough but 4???? you fill the blanks ....)   Now, i have to write an update on my previous report ...a bit easier than before, but the stress and the duration will be the same i guess ....but the good part, I am getting paid for it :-) will be hitting the malls after I get the job done ....am aiming for a new pair of shoes (even though I just got one yesterday!) ..am aiming for a white one next time ....

but will be worth it? the stress ...the lack of sleep .... the need to be on top of everything (coz I am competitive!) ...not having enough time for the boys and my family ...and definitely not enough time and motivation to update the blogs ...it's a 50-50 kind of situation ...but hey, who says life is fair ....you just got to do what you got to do ....

anytime, anywhere ...

While waiting for nenek, who went for hair wash, cut and colouring, Al and adik had to make do with this temporary arrangement ...hehehehe ...having the bottle feeds inside the comfort of my car ...

It was quite a long wait ...the problem with the boys were that they did not want to wait at the saloon where it is more comfortable ...just because they are "scared" of the noises ...from the hairdryers!!! Can you believe that???

so, we waited inside the car ...before that we went shopping and what nots ....but cannot stay out too long as both boys were cranky ...so the only solution was to get them inside the car and get the bottles and security blankets out ....thankfully mum finished her session not long after this ..which actually saved the boys from having their naps in the car as well :-)

lunch at Stove Kitchen

Found this place by coincident ..it is located on the ground floor of the building where I have my yoga classes ..and Bemen says the food are nice ...last saturday, we gave it a try ....i brought my parents with me ..initially the plan was to go to SCR but was unable to get a parking spot ..i hate that place! too crowded now esp with the new mall being opened and what nots ...so, Stove Kitchen was the next best thing ...

my lychee and lemon drinks - very refreshing!

We were famished by the time we reached there ..it was already 1pm ....the drinks came first (of course!) but it was a while before the food came ....and the were a lot of customers as well ...we ordered simple fare as dad said don't order too much ...he's the boss so he did all the ordering ...

fresh kailan - in garlic - yummy!

fried squid with thai sauce - nice tangy taste ...and not oily at all!

and last but not least - Nyonya steamed fish (siakap) - the angle of the photo does not show how delicious it was - i was starving and couldn't care less at the lime LOL

but we did justice to all three dishes as evidenced by the following photos ...it was a nice lunch ...dad said we should come again and bring the rest of the family :-)

what did i tell you??? hahaha ...

close-up of what's left of the fish :-) mum said it reminded her of our last holiday

So Stove Kitchen - see you soon!

Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum@ Melaka

During our last visit to Melaka, we went to visit the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum at Hareen Street or Jalan Tan Cheng Lock as it is known known ...the entrance fee was RM8 (i think) but it was worth it ...we had a guide who was very charming with humourous anecdotes....the Musuem is basically showcasing a typical baba nyonya house ..with its airy spaces and unique features ...we were not allowed to take picture inside the house (and we respected that) but here are some of the pictures that I got from the Baba & Nyonya website ...

a fabulous marble table and chairs in one of the front room 

from: http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/the%20baba%20nyonya%20heritage%20museum.html

the richly designed walls ...beautiful carvings

from: http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/the%20baba%20nyonya%20heritage%20museum.html

We were brought to different sections of the house ..seeing items used in everyday life in a nyonya households ...my parents really enjoyed the tour ...

after the tour we went next door - which is a cafe owned by the same owner of the Baba & Nyonya Museum - for a bite to eat ...in here we can take photos :-) i found this really charming but tiny pond in the middle section of the house ....very tranquil and peaceful hehehehe ....

and saw several tortises as well residing in the pond ...

 

and i also took the opportunity to snap a few photos ...since it is also a typical baba nyonya designed house ...

and the staircase ....a bit steep and narrow ...not something I like to use in a the dark or when I am in a hurry

the food in the cafe was nice as well ...we were a bit peckish ..so, just ordered light snacks ..took a while for the order to arrive but the taste was great!

pie tie

and laksa nyonya - nice but i still prefer laksa Sarawak and Laksa Penang :-)

overall verdict: if you love museum ...this is no not to be missed ...it is a tale of how the rich peranakan live ..personally, I love it .....and was happy that we managed to squeeze this in on our last day in Melaka ...

so sweet!

It has been raining non-stop for the last few days ...but it doesn't stop Al from our routine ..he would usually go out to help my dad open the gate for me every time I go to work ...he would watch me driving off ...and send me with his flying kisses and words like Love you Mama ...Drive slowly Mama (his grandmother taught him this one!) ...and then they will close the gate ...

 

He was forbidden to go out as it was raining ..but he is such a clever boy (i know i am biased!) and took out his nenek's farm hat and put that on ...the grandfather couldn't stop him LOL ...

* waiting till his grandfather was not looking before following him out in the rain

I love this boy! By the time I come back home, he will be the one waiting for me ...and asking if i bought him any treats :-)

Apple crumble @ Delizze

YESSSSSS ....I had some apple crumble today!!! It's yummy, it was sweet and it sort of fulfilled my cravings for dessert ...

after my meeting in the morning, i went to Delizze to get my sweet fix ..and top on the list was apple crumble ...heavenly treat! I remembered, during my uni days - I used to make these crumbles myself ...nowadays, I can't even remembered how to make that toppings! Angela's mum used to make this up as dessert everytime I stay at their place, and she would just whipped up custard sauce to go with this ...seriously delicious, and very much better than the one I had just now! But, for the time being, since I am lacking of choices and facing this kitchen-shy syndrome - Delizze is my saviour ...will definitely be back for more sweet treats in the next few days!

new wellies

My brother bought a pair of wellies for Al ...his plan was to encourage Al to explore etc etc during our Xmas trip to the cottage in Dec ...

but, adik was the one who was keenly interested in the blue wellies ...hehehe and it matched his PJs ...isn't he just adorable!!! I remembered, when we were little, we also had similar pairs like this ....and we used to run around happily around my grandfather's pepper plantation ...

he just love to do the peace sign whenever he is in front of a camera!

Al did use his wellies after all ...he spent a morning fishing with his dad ....my dad said kids should be encouraged to explore ...otherwise they will not want to do these stuff when they are older (and I sort of heard the unspoken part - like his mama Gina - at the end of that sentence!) ...hahahaha