Lab to Melaka to Kajang

Most of you know me as the spoiled, complaining master student who drives his mothers left hand Mercedes. Little do you know, I am a recovering rempit. I used to rempit 120 km/h between Arau and Kangar when I did my diploma in Perlis. I used ride my motorbike to school before I even had a license. I would travel back to Kajang each weekend from Shah Alam when I did my degree. Although I love riding the motorbike, accidents, flat tires and inability to carry much luggage has mellowed my rempit side of me. I still keep the motorbike and let my lil bro use it. I mean if everyone of my siblings is at home, the Mercedes needs to stay at home. So my motorbike is my only method of transportation since, there is practically no bus service around my neighborhood.
After riding through a scorching hot sun, I decided to treat myself to this cool treat, A Cremera Chocolate pecan ice cream with chocolate covered nuts.

My dad has a craving for seafood in Melaka, so off we go the whole entire family (7 of us) in our Naza Ria heading to Melaka. It was raining very heavily at first.

Soon the weather clear up and the trip became clearer :0

We stopped by this stall because my mother wanted some cencalok and belachan.

My youngest sister spotted this keropok just hanging around and asked me to buy it. Every since I could remember, this keropok is always red, a bit greasy and to me had a bit of polystyrene texture to it. Its just keropok made from shrimps really with food colouring.

We had dinner at the Parameswara Ikan Bakar.

Nothing like a cowboy to come to the rescue when we needed an extra table, since the rest of the staff is clueless when we asked for extra tables.

The usual cat asking for morsels of our food to survive. My older sister called this one, Tiramisu.

Food was abundant and we had a good time together as a family, a full family that is

From UPM to KL to Kajang

It was bloody hot that Friday, I got out of the lab quite late. So I had to get something quick and light for lunch because I will be joining a dinner with a few blogging friends.

The sky was extra blue today, and with this hot weather. Its bound to rain later in the evening.

It was so hot, I had to switch on the AC while eating lunch in the car. Better watch for the temperature and fuel, so that I won't be left walking all the way back to the lab in the hot weather.

The haunted Akai radio was my company. Haunted as in, it could switch on or switch off itself, the volume could also change on its own.

I had a errand to be done in KL, so I drove to KL in rushhour traffic. I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up being stuck in a traffic jam. Tonight also was my dinner with fellow bloggers, I preserveir through the jam. I had great company beside me so the 2 hour drive did not feel so long or so bad at all.

Ok after this I forgotten to take any pictures because I was so busy. On Friday night I had a satay dinner with fellow bloggers and non bloggers alike. Hairie, Arel, Zizan, Josh, Azwan , Rizal and few of their friends (dudes I am sorry I lupa your names, telinga I pekak sikit...). It was fun meeting Josh for the first time, because he is a scientist/researcher and there is stuff that only he can understand that I can talk to. A charming guy, who looks and personality that defies his age. Zizan was Arel's friend that he brought along that was also pleasant to be with, with a good head on his shoulders. Rizal brought along his Malaysian friends and a Brunei friend. The Brunei guy was a bit bashful but the rest were nice to be with. Sorry for the pictures because Hairie and I challenged each other who can eat the most satay. I lost count but I think I had 40+ satay sticks, I think Hairie did too. Please visit Josh or Rizal's blog for pictures

So kenyang..

I thought of just having curry puff, and apples with 2 glasses of water for breakfast. Who knew mum bought a really good nasi lemak as well. I felt full, tapi rugi lah kalau tak makan.. So right now I feel bloated, because 2 tall glasses of water in me. Rasa mcm tak nak lunch sangat... or lunch very very light.. I looked at the scale this morning.. oh my.. not good... kena jogging balik...

Tonite will be a special night, I will be having dinner with a few bloggers.... can't wait to see them :)

My prince's

Bz day today, so many things done today :)

I can't find my specs, where is it? Find the spec for me I can't find it

Can you find the spec???? I can't see it clearly, everything is so blurry.

Think Budlee, think, where did you put it.. Oh wait.. silly me.. I took it with me to the bathroom. So I can see where I am shaving my face.

Aha after shaving, I wanted to try out this Aftershave my dad got from Emirates Airline. Smells very nice.

I went to Jaya Jusco today at lunch, because I needed a new pillow and a second blanket. Look its a Honda Civic Type R... Naaaaak naaaak I don't mind its a stick shift, I am willing to use a manual if I have this car...

I like claypot chicken with egg.. and cili potong on the side :)

After work, I decided to meet with a prince from Brunei at Pavillion

Where on earth is that prince?

Still waiting with laptop in tow. Never leave it in your car, or risk having your windows smashed and the laptop stolen

Finally met the prince, why its prince rizal a fellow blogger in Brunei. A science teacher and a lucky bastard ( hehehe just kidding ah ) with a new Mistubishi Lancer (envy, jealous, geram, grrrrr.. :p)

What the hell, mlm2 buta pun, Jln Tun Razak still jammed...

See its almost midnight. As I crawled along, I found what went wrong, a car was involved in an accident and block two out of three lanes..

Thankful

Lately there has been so much post that is about complaining, but today I think, its better to post about the things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful, I could still dressed down to class since the dress code in my faculty is not really stressed. I still can go to class in jeans and crumpled t-shirt with out any strange stares from people. I am also thankful my waist size, although dangerous, is still small enough that I could go to most clothes outlet and find something in my size :).

Thank god for this laptop, because studying would really suck because I could not do my work and carry it wherever I want. Also its a great boredom buster

Thankfull for still having a full set of hair, and not having anyone in my family that is bald. Also thankful that I am still sane, even though sometimes I know another push could send me over the edge of sanity

Thankful for credit card because the car guzzles so much petrol, but my parents told me they would cover the petrol expenses... for now... :D

Thankful for this company that my dad and sister works for. If not, there is no way I could get whatever I that was given to me in this life. No travelling to North America, no free medical for my childhood asthma, and no Masters if my dad was never employed here.

Thankful for my own room and how everything could just blocked away by shutting the door. No need to share with siblings, no need for mum to yell to clean up my room, since my room is separated from others. 5 siblings with their own space to do what they want, something most people don't have. As over protective my parents are, they always and ALWAYS knock on my door before entering, unlike pesky siblings who just barged in even though I am half naked. (I do forget to lock the door okay....)

Thankful because there is an extra car for me to use everyday and to travel to and from KL. Without it, I will have a butt sore from merempit to my destination.

Yes I am thankful for what I have even though I sound like spoiled rich brat. Which is not true we are not rich, we are upper middle class in an upper middle class neighborhood :p

Jual and mkn..

There was a demo on a new analyser for UPM, so the supplier to conduct a demo to show how the analyser works and how it could aid the students, lecturers and other users. Oh yeah there was also food, so basically many people did show up :p

I was trying to understand what they were explaining because this was crucial for my research. However my Kak Hanim, the lab technologist said, that we have a similar machine already, we are here for the food okay :p

I was trying to pay attention, but my fingers got itchy for a snapshot :p

This the spectrophotometer, by a company called Shimadzu. It sounded like a good deal, it comes with a Hp printer, 2 quartz sample holder, and software. It also has a 2 year warranty. Total cost, just around RM 30,000. :p

Oh yes the food, the demo comes with some refreshment made by our favourite caterer in UPM. There were so much leftovers too :). Just some friend mee hoon, popiah, and this purple kuih made from yam. Nescafe and tea was served too.

Speaking of makan, I had another free meal for today :). Kak Hanim decided to bring something to the lab, so she steamed rice (she brought her rice cooker) and some lauk that she cooked the night before. I had this meat called seladang, I had no idea what it was, it tasted a lot like buffalo but a lot more chunky and tough. I really like it.

For those city slickers like myself who have no idea what Seladang is, well guys this is Seladang, in English it is called Wild Cattle. Its bigger and stronger than the buffalo. Kak Hanim said she got it from a zoo. The seladang was getting old, so the decided to just sacrifice it and give/sell the meat away. Yummy.. I want seladang some more :). My friend said, he would not eat it, chicken and cow is ok, but seladang, he said its so big, and muscular, he just cannot eat it. Heh heh, I just chew on it and loved every bite of it :p...

Homogenizer

See this, this pot looking thing is actually a chinese tea cup. I was served tea (not sure whether chinese or green tea) at Shah and Beruang's house when I went there to give them a homogenizer (a scientific name for a lesung really :p) made from wood that was given by Awie to me to be given to them. Not meant to be used but as a source of decoration, Anyways other than the unique shape, the design is pretty unique too. The cup may look full but the base is hollow, meaning when you have hot tea in it, the based feels cool but the rims feel hot. Great way to enjoy tea if you asked me :)

I had a great chat with my prof about doing my future in PhD in Malaysia. He said from his personal point of view of his experienced of doing it for 8 years in the US, he hated going to class and rather just basked in the summer sunshine, sit on the bench at the park during spring, or just ice skate in the frozen lake during winter. Sure the experienced is enriching to live in another country, but you are there to study and not to enjoy. Sure you may have you breaks to travel and such but in the back of your head, that assignment, that deadline and that quiz will always be there. Its not a honeymoon or a vacation, but hard work. I rather vacation there than study and go crazy for another 5 years.

But then those are views of those that have experienced living there. I would not stop those who chose to study overseas, but right now, going overseas is not my cup of tea for the moment. Definitely a new outlook in life for me. Thanks to those who commented on my previous post about my complains of the future. 6 more years at least to study. I will get a job as a tutor when I do my PhD, so at least if I made enough I could choose to have the Independence I crave, or to satisfy my current materialistic needs. Future here I come :)

Sunday

Another Sunday just passed me by and another day just gone by. At least I got a lot done today so it was a day that is well used :).

My DNA extraction kit had just arrived, so now I have to really understand the operating procedure so I don't screw up all the time :p

Needle of doom or needle of life, you decide. Killing mouse so that other mammals could stay alive.

I seem to be on the bad luck side of obtaining a clear peritoneal fluid, I always seem to puncture a blood vessel so ended up the peritoneal fluid is contaminated with blood.

I took my youngest sister out to lunch today, since my eldest sister wants to sleep in and my younger brother has a gig that he is playing. Our favourite restaurant, Nandos.

My sister had her usual 1/4 chicken, Mild peri peri with 2 servings of peri chips

I loved their Chicken Caesar Salad, with 5 strips of Extra Hot Peri Peri chicken.

The soft grilled toasted port rolls is something that we always ordered. My youngest sister is so crazy about their bread.

Oh yes a serving of Peri Chips for me. Do you believe I would only have salads for lunch. You got to be kidding me.. :p

Then off to the arcade, to play table hockey. I forgot my younger sister is no longer the short girl who does not know how to play. Darn it, she has great reflexes and she beat me to a pulp :(

I been wanting to get a new sandals since last year, but only today I decided to get one. Somehow my comfort store will always be Bata. Any type of shoes I would get at Bata, from leather, sports, and sandals. Its just so much easier and I know I would like it. Probably some of you would fall off your chair hearing the thought of buying Bata shoes, but currently it fits my budget quite nicely :p