came across this... which is kinda interesting... (well, i never tot of it dat way hahaa)
as the world population starts aging at an increasing pace (human geograghy), the pharmaceutical contaminants in sewage and effluents will start rising at a pace which technology in sewage treatment will need to keep up
which is really true isn't it... as we age and become increasing exposed to pollutants (as my mummy will say - fReE RaDiCalsSS), we start consuming more and more medications...
Just compare the panadol usage of our generation with that of our parents'!!!
where previously we have tolerated certain amount of organic contaminant
(because it is of insignificant amounts) in water... we might not be able to do that in the near future...
... we can never finis upgrading a sewage treatment plant...
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Back to Melb!
Woohoo~~~
Back to Melbourne!!! And even though it's just barely ONE free day re-visiting sweet uni memories, it was kewl~~~ especially with someone who's always there to carry me bag! hehee
Lygon Street was bustling as it has always been since the few years back. Pizza and Pasta is a must along that street. And if you ever walk along that street, take a while to brethe in the fresh aroma of coffee every few steps, and remember to stop every once in a while to give a pat to the patient dogs waiting outside the cafes.
Back to Melbourne!!! And even though it's just barely ONE free day re-visiting sweet uni memories, it was kewl~~~ especially with someone who's always there to carry me bag! hehee
Lygon Street was bustling as it has always been since the few years back. Pizza and Pasta is a must along that street. And if you ever walk along that street, take a while to brethe in the fresh aroma of coffee every few steps, and remember to stop every once in a while to give a pat to the patient dogs waiting outside the cafes.
Durian gelato will come as a surprise to many who has not ventured into this Italian street. When cabbage boy took his first lick of the durian gelato, I should have captured it. Hahaa... Yummy!!!
Bless the sunny weather, which is so unlike of Melbourne. Even the old and dull gothic buildings are looking ever so friendly... and 'arty farty' that day!!!
Meeting up with a couple of old frens from uni times somehow shows us that we have grown and .. have not grown much in fact.
It was a beautiful day! Short and sweet, just like the pancakes we have at Pancake Parlour the very next morning!
Woohoo~~~~
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Hill has *stars*
The lights change very few seconds and we decided that the yellow stars were the most flattering. I thought it would have been better without that Isetan paper bag over there, and so we tried to capture another with the yellow stars, but one of them ended up smack on an eye. Seeing that we are in the middle of a rather ‘busy’ walkway, and being shy…we scuttled away.
It’s great to walkabout Starhill once in a while. Beautiful settings with artistic water features.
We went exploring every level. Each level is basically a small circle; hence we reached the top in a fairly short time. Now, we never realized that the top level is filled with arty bits and pieces!
Minus the ‘model’, this is a compilation of art pieces by a local artist Fauzul Yusri, titled “From Minor to Major”. His quote: My work is a reflection of my mind.
Another one that caught our eyes was this red piece (or rather three pieces combined). “Dream of a Dragon” by a Malay artist Mohd Raduan Man.
“The dragons drift in and out of the artwork to suggest the past, present and future of my dream in achieving my goals.”
We stand aloft yet en masse in a single canvas, thinking of our dreams and goals.
We set a goal just a while back.
In the present, as we look at the ‘big picture’, we have reached it.
Quoting God (Morgan Freeman) in Evan Almighty, “When you wish for something, God does not give it to you. Instead, he gives you opportunities to reach for what you wish for.”
Future? We'll see~~~
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Round-a-bout Malacca
Weekend getaway at Malacca, a heritage state filled with one-way streets and roads. We went round and round, with a not-so-trustworthy map in hand. Well, one hand on the wheel, and the other holding the map. I was a useless navigator, not so much of a companion in the car as well, as I was practically sleeping most of the time in Mowhak. You have gotta pardon me on that. What could you expect when it’s a round-and-round drive, and most importantly, I was well fed. Very well fed indeed!!!
First stop: Baba House
Now, come to think of it, where are those pictures now?
Poonie was eager to visit the Marine Museum, where I think the last time (and only time) I saw the ship was when my mummy could carry me. Pity though. Tutup!
Thank god we have a Coretto drumstick to lick for the walk to A’Famosa. Wow! What a crowd greeted us!
A Holland experience in Malacca! (Pity the Holland donuts and coffee were consumed too quickly for pictures to be taken)
Great vibrant colours. For a bubbly band!
Just look at their ‘shoes’. Cant imagine how painful if you are stepped on!
A couple of Dutch ladies were telling us how their uniforms came about. The wind is really strong in Holland, hence the copper wire stringed around their white lacy ‘hat’, reinforced with pins. Makes me wonder. If it is such a trouble pinning those hats down, why do they need to wear them in the first place? Dutch lady also mentioned that, to go out even across the street without those white lacy hats is considered rude. What’s more, you can tell how rich the family is from the accessories that the lady has on the copper wire, round her white lacy hat!
And guys! Hands off if the Dutch lady has an orange strip skirt. That means the lady aint single and available.
There was a ‘Knowledge Sharing’ session on Sungai Melaka recently and so we had to visit it!
Hungry again. All those walking. I need fuel…
However, since it was still rather early for dinner, we went to Jonker Walk where people are setting up their stalls. And, what’s a walk without nibbling on roadside tidbits? Hence, appetizers consisted of Chinese pig intestine satays and lobak (the sticky kind).
Round-and-round, and more round-and-round… we finally found a ‘lok lok’ restaurant. There are two next to each other, and naturally we cramped ourselves into the crowd.
50c per stick. Yum~~~
Next stop: Portuguese settlement.
Needless to say, round-and-round, and more round-and-round. Even though we stopped by a fish ball restaurant to ask for directions, and bless that guy! He went to get a paper and drew the directions for us!
Finally, we reached! Knowing that there are not going to be any ‘decent’ toilets at the Portuguese hawker stalls, we went to the nearby hotel. Bah!
“Sorry for the inconvenience. These toilets are meant for our hotel guests. Please use the public toilets at the Portuguese Square.”
Oh well. No toilet.
It’s amazing how they try and lure and snatch customers, or rather anyone within sight.
Being foreign over there, we just let ourselves be led by Stall 88, and ordered the signature ikan bakar. There was this other stall that grilled all sorts of shell creatures that I have never seen before, but since I wasn’t going to order anything there, I wasn’t going to risk the wrath of the three burly curly and hairy guys behind the stall, who light up their cigarettes with the red hot charcoal!
Back to Jonker Walk, where it is bustling with lights, people and live music.
Well, what’s a walk without nibbling on tidbits?
Malacca coffee, and a yummy iced chocolate (Jaffa-style), and more lobak! We needed the fuel for the next day.
Yes! The zoo! Where we were pleasantly surprised by the wide range of animals (especially lemurs) that they have, as well as the chance to get ‘close-and-personal’ with some of the smaller animals. Although we did not really entertain the thought of having birds (many birds) flying across our heads.
And I was holding onto my camera and sunnies pretty tightly near monkeys! Just in case.
One of the highlights: we saw a giraffe shitting! Can you see? Can you see?
Yes, he was facing us; hence we were able to see the entire process. No squatting, just standing as per normal, and the shit totally resemble ‘po chi yan’ (the Chinese medication for stomach discomfort). Totally!
I like giraffes. Such nice creatures!
And isn’t this cute? So inviting for a hug!
Considering how close Taman Buaya is to the Malacca Zoo, they definitely have some crocodiles and alligators. I am rather puzzled as to the name of this species though. ‘False Gharial’. I wonder how they feel about it. Being called ‘False’. Hmm…
A Hornbill is pretty big. Its size really doesn’t justify the space that it has. For a few moments, it (can’t tell if it’s male or female) was flying back and forth in its cell. Awaiting feeding time I suppose.
And yes, I was holding onto my camera and sunnies tightly when we were looking at each other.
Ahh~~~And wouldn't anyone love a bear hug from this fluff ball...minus those claws though!
First stop: Baba House
Beautiful place. I love the smell of ‘oldness’, provided I do not detect the ‘cockroach’ smell. Just makes you dreamyyy~~~ 
Blessed with great and sunny weather, we started our own little exploration. Of course, I donned myself with SPF 35 sunblock!
Lunch time!!!
Passed by a chendol stall with a small crowd, and stopped for an appetizer.
Got ourselves some Nyonya snacks along the way such as onde onde, crispy curry puff etc. Yum~~~
Main course: the infamous chicken rice ball.
I suppose we burnt off all those carbs by climbing up the fort.
It’s amazing how so many people climb all the way up those steep stairs (definitely not constructed under any standards!) under the blazing sun just to take pictures of some walls.
I suppose it’s the same during my Macau trip, where me and the girls practically took pictures on every other stairs to get different views and shots of the remaining lonesome wall of Macau.
Blessed with great and sunny weather, we started our own little exploration. Of course, I donned myself with SPF 35 sunblock!Lunch time!!!
Passed by a chendol stall with a small crowd, and stopped for an appetizer.
Got ourselves some Nyonya snacks along the way such as onde onde, crispy curry puff etc. Yum~~~Main course: the infamous chicken rice ball.
I suppose we burnt off all those carbs by climbing up the fort.It’s amazing how so many people climb all the way up those steep stairs (definitely not constructed under any standards!) under the blazing sun just to take pictures of some walls.
I suppose it’s the same during my Macau trip, where me and the girls practically took pictures on every other stairs to get different views and shots of the remaining lonesome wall of Macau.
Now, come to think of it, where are those pictures now?Poonie was eager to visit the Marine Museum, where I think the last time (and only time) I saw the ship was when my mummy could carry me. Pity though. Tutup!
Thank god we have a Coretto drumstick to lick for the walk to A’Famosa. Wow! What a crowd greeted us!A Holland experience in Malacca! (Pity the Holland donuts and coffee were consumed too quickly for pictures to be taken)
Great vibrant colours. For a bubbly band!
Just look at their ‘shoes’. Cant imagine how painful if you are stepped on!
A couple of Dutch ladies were telling us how their uniforms came about. The wind is really strong in Holland, hence the copper wire stringed around their white lacy ‘hat’, reinforced with pins. Makes me wonder. If it is such a trouble pinning those hats down, why do they need to wear them in the first place? Dutch lady also mentioned that, to go out even across the street without those white lacy hats is considered rude. What’s more, you can tell how rich the family is from the accessories that the lady has on the copper wire, round her white lacy hat! And guys! Hands off if the Dutch lady has an orange strip skirt. That means the lady aint single and available.There was a ‘Knowledge Sharing’ session on Sungai Melaka recently and so we had to visit it!
Hungry again. All those walking. I need fuel…
However, since it was still rather early for dinner, we went to Jonker Walk where people are setting up their stalls. And, what’s a walk without nibbling on roadside tidbits? Hence, appetizers consisted of Chinese pig intestine satays and lobak (the sticky kind).
Round-and-round, and more round-and-round… we finally found a ‘lok lok’ restaurant. There are two next to each other, and naturally we cramped ourselves into the crowd.
50c per stick. Yum~~~Next stop: Portuguese settlement.
Needless to say, round-and-round, and more round-and-round. Even though we stopped by a fish ball restaurant to ask for directions, and bless that guy! He went to get a paper and drew the directions for us!
Finally, we reached! Knowing that there are not going to be any ‘decent’ toilets at the Portuguese hawker stalls, we went to the nearby hotel. Bah!
“Sorry for the inconvenience. These toilets are meant for our hotel guests. Please use the public toilets at the Portuguese Square.”
Oh well. No toilet.
It’s amazing how they try and lure and snatch customers, or rather anyone within sight.
Being foreign over there, we just let ourselves be led by Stall 88, and ordered the signature ikan bakar. There was this other stall that grilled all sorts of shell creatures that I have never seen before, but since I wasn’t going to order anything there, I wasn’t going to risk the wrath of the three burly curly and hairy guys behind the stall, who light up their cigarettes with the red hot charcoal!Back to Jonker Walk, where it is bustling with lights, people and live music.
Well, what’s a walk without nibbling on tidbits?
Malacca coffee, and a yummy iced chocolate (Jaffa-style), and more lobak! We needed the fuel for the next day.Yes! The zoo! Where we were pleasantly surprised by the wide range of animals (especially lemurs) that they have, as well as the chance to get ‘close-and-personal’ with some of the smaller animals. Although we did not really entertain the thought of having birds (many birds) flying across our heads.And I was holding onto my camera and sunnies pretty tightly near monkeys! Just in case.
One of the highlights: we saw a giraffe shitting! Can you see? Can you see?
Yes, he was facing us; hence we were able to see the entire process. No squatting, just standing as per normal, and the shit totally resemble ‘po chi yan’ (the Chinese medication for stomach discomfort). Totally!I like giraffes. Such nice creatures!
And isn’t this cute? So inviting for a hug!Considering how close Taman Buaya is to the Malacca Zoo, they definitely have some crocodiles and alligators. I am rather puzzled as to the name of this species though. ‘False Gharial’. I wonder how they feel about it. Being called ‘False’. Hmm…A Kancil is really small. Just look at its size as compared to the banana skin! Totally cant imagine how it manage to kick off those dogs in the legend.
A Hornbill is pretty big. Its size really doesn’t justify the space that it has. For a few moments, it (can’t tell if it’s male or female) was flying back and forth in its cell. Awaiting feeding time I suppose.
And yes, I was holding onto my camera and sunnies tightly when we were looking at each other.
Ahh~~~And wouldn't anyone love a bear hug from this fluff ball...minus those claws though!
Well, after looking at all their feeding times, it was definitely past ours. What’s a trip to Malacca without Nyonya Baba Peranakan cuisine?
Yes. More round-and-round. Until we found Manis Sayang!
And I absolutely love the sambal eggplant. Totally out-of-this-world! I am definitely going to try adding LOTS of lemongrass while stir frying vegetables in future… when I have a kitchen, when I have a kitchen with the necessary ingredients.
It’s teatime. I need my caffeine fix! Can’t resist it. We have to go back to the café we went to last night.
Sigh of contentment. La la la la la la… la la la la laa~~~ (humming to Smurf song)
Teow Chew Meng
It’s Fridayyy~~~
Beautiful Fridayyy~~~
No more work except for the ‘!’ anticipation of a string of emails from boss greeting me ‘Good Morning’ on the coming Monday.
But for now…
Dinner with the somewhat usual gang.
At Teow Chew Meng (after a couple of days of deciding where to dine, and a couple of miscommunication).
Conditions:
Close enough to Puchong
Not required to cross the dreaded jammed up Puchong LDP toll.
Economical. Some of us are feeling ‘pk’ (pok kai) ie broke.
Hence, Teow Chew Meng! A Chinese restaurant situated in Subang!
We had all the signature dishes, not that they have many to select from. Being hungry, the ‘mee sua’, mango salad, three-taste oysters, octopus (I had a pretty raw one) and fried prawns (Kah Woon did not see the picture of ‘sweet-n-sour prawns’, hence the order of fried prawns) were licked off the plates and big bowl (for the ‘mee sua’).
I was told by the petite lady of the restaurant that pictures of food are not allowed to be taken, hence no pictures less for this special one.
Sean! Sean! Where are you? Look at the ‘special’ meal we painstakingly (the other guys had to keep convincing one another not to touch those portions) left for you.
We gotta have another dinner real soon, as Sean has missed out on this one. He’s the cool one. No matter which restaurant we are, regardless lunch or dinner, when the bill is called, the ladies carrying the little mental tray with the bill swarm to him. ^_^
I like dinner with the ‘somewhat usual gang’. Always a joyous chirpy occasion.
Beautiful Fridayyy~~~
No more work except for the ‘!’ anticipation of a string of emails from boss greeting me ‘Good Morning’ on the coming Monday.
But for now…
Dinner with the somewhat usual gang.
At Teow Chew Meng (after a couple of days of deciding where to dine, and a couple of miscommunication).
Conditions:
Close enough to Puchong
Not required to cross the dreaded jammed up Puchong LDP toll.
Economical. Some of us are feeling ‘pk’ (pok kai) ie broke.
Hence, Teow Chew Meng! A Chinese restaurant situated in Subang!
We had all the signature dishes, not that they have many to select from. Being hungry, the ‘mee sua’, mango salad, three-taste oysters, octopus (I had a pretty raw one) and fried prawns (Kah Woon did not see the picture of ‘sweet-n-sour prawns’, hence the order of fried prawns) were licked off the plates and big bowl (for the ‘mee sua’).
I was told by the petite lady of the restaurant that pictures of food are not allowed to be taken, hence no pictures less for this special one.
Sean! Sean! Where are you? Look at the ‘special’ meal we painstakingly (the other guys had to keep convincing one another not to touch those portions) left for you.We gotta have another dinner real soon, as Sean has missed out on this one. He’s the cool one. No matter which restaurant we are, regardless lunch or dinner, when the bill is called, the ladies carrying the little mental tray with the bill swarm to him. ^_^
I like dinner with the ‘somewhat usual gang’. Always a joyous chirpy occasion.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Bibiwok with Popz
Pa, Ma and Sanyi went for their once-per-annum routine. It has been a routine ever since I can remember. It used to include three cars! One for the Neo family, one for the Liew family and one for the Tay family. It was like the 'get-together' of our three families! I remember one particular year (must have been more than 10 years ago), we (Lynn, Phine and me) went with Ma to Pelangi Pasar Malam (Night Market) and Ma bought three 'Tweety Bird' pyjamas for us to wear and 'show off' during our trip there.
No joke. We still wear them occasionally
And then slowly, but surely... the bunch shrank. From three cars, what's left is now three person.
This trip is special to me! They will be stopping by for dinner before shooting back South (Pa did not really entertain the idea of me climbing up the hill to meet them). It's always a treat to have your parents visit you from outstation, as how often will they be doing that? There are so many yummy delicious places I wanna bring them! Here we are leading their car to our destination! Hehee~~~
Well... my first choice was the 'Soya Pan Mee' at Bandar Baru Puchong. Sadly, they were not opened at 5:30pm. Hence, we ended up at Bibiwork - Thai and Nyonya food, where we spent 'some' time in the ladies (converted to temporary fitting room) there. Sanyi and Ma have sacrificed some time off pressing the buttons to go shopping for me. Yes, I am a lucky and lazy bummer, especially when it comes to buying bottoms. Simply too lazy to take off and put on repeatedly! Thanks Mummy! And HAH! The pants fit purrfectly!!!
Dinner was great. Spending time with family is ever greaterrr~~~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
