Long-lost love

Hugs to all! It's been a tough week recovering from all the holidays blues I know! Hahhaha. I, for one, find it difficult to return to my active (workaholic) self! *drops head* *facepalm* But as Terminator says, I will be back!!!

I have wanted to write about this for long time now, I had a painting session with Stacey! Stacey likes to paint and she wanted to try oil painting. She bought all these paints from an overseas trip and never used them before! Then I told her I used to do some oil painting during my school days and both of us thought that we should arrange a painting session together one day. Heheh. I am glad we made it!

See all the paints? NEW and niceeee... 

The sight of these paints makes me happy! And brings back memories too!

Stacey got a book on oil painting from me, for her birthday and we decided to use one of the tutorials in that book as a guide for our first painting session of more to come. Hahah. And, we found out that the colours described in the book are exactly the colours we have. Are all oil paint colour names universal?? I mean, the names are not just as simple as white, yellow, blue. Instead, they are very specific; titanium white, yellow ochre, cerulean blue, etc. So can someone answer me? Hehhee.

Then when I wanted to dry my first layer of paint, I came across this beautiful sight.

The flowers cast such a pretty shadow on my painting.

Then, from an artist, I became a photographer for a while. Hahhahaha.

The unfinished business. Hahhaa.

Stacey finished hers! I am a slow coach... :(

Only after this painting session did I realise how much I miss painting! Or rather, how much I miss doing artsy stuffs like this. And the joy of just having some quiet time to myself, immersed in a long-forgotten hobby - BLISS.

In the spirit of painting, here's a picture of a man doing refurbishment work to a temple in Penang. The hot afternoon sun did not stop him from his work. This is commitment - finish what you started! No sun can make you stop LOL.

I am in the mood for crafts now! Need to finish my painting and will show you all the final result ok! Hahhaa. I just need to find time - excuses. hahaha. 

Next, scrapbooking maybe? *wink wink*

Raya week - work and food

Hey peeps what did you do during the recent Raya holiday? I hope you had enough rendang!! LOL.
Been quite occupied for the entire week hence a late post this week. :(

Well, a shopping trip at Ikea and a night out with friends at La Risata kick started my Raya holidays!

Saturday night out!

Actually it wasn't a week of real holidays for me as I had work to do in Penang. We were giving training to our new associates, something like a crash course, and I am happy that they took the lessons very well! Phew! I am learning to be a trainer as well. :)

New discovery - Dua Bui laksa at Jelutong.

Laksa for tea after two days of training!

Besides working, I of course had some family time. Pictured here is Mum and latest addition to the family, baby Mag!

Three-month-old cuteness!

Then, managed to spend time with some friends too! But did not get to meet everyone I wanted because I did not have enough time! I definitely need to arrange a trip back to Penang again, some time soon. :)

Chee Wai + iPad = iWai

iWai is now Wayne's assistant, hence another nickname - Huasisstant.

And also, spokesperson for Mun Mun. Please contact him if you want to know how Mun Mun is doing. Haha.

Jessica and her new specs! Looks like a lady boss! But she is indeed a lady boss!

While waiting for Jessica, nah, my bored face. Hahahha.

Oh, if you see the plaster on my left arm, that is from the third HPV vaccination injection.

Remember to take the jab to prevent cervical cancer ok!

The one I took was Gardasil, cost me RM540, because injection service is given free! Muahaha.

Tip: get a friend who works as a doctor in GH, and ask him/her to arrange free injection for you ok!

Dinner at Maa Roy!

Sigh, my friends were being anti-social to me, social to their Whats App friend who were being anti-social to whoever they were with because they were being social to their Whats App friend who were being anti-social to me! (What a mouthful, but you get it right right right? :P)

Tomyam was super good, appetizer (cucumber + sambal) was super duper good that we ordered second helping. Two cucumbers were sacrificed just for us. Hahahhaha.

Just a short three days at home / Penang, then it's time to head back to KL. Time flies when you are having fun!! On the way to KL, we had some fun in Ipoh too.

Had famous white coffee at the original OLDTOWN White Coffee, aka Nam Heong.

This coffee shop is opposite Sun Yin Loong.

*thumbs up*

Came across this shop selling all things shark - baby shark, big shark, shark tail, shark bone and lastly, shark king's crown wtf. Hahaha.

Hmm, not a common sight. Lol.

Then, introducing Funny Mountain soya bean.

It is a drive-thru yo!

See the person taking orders?

So very convenient, just sit in your car and wait to be served!

Finally, our order!

My favourite here - soya bean + leong fun.

Craving for some swiss rolls? Head to JJ Cakes & Swissrolls in Ipoh now!

Presenting, hundreds of a huge variety of flavours!

Ok these swiss rolls are trying to tell you that they are made very fresh. Haha.

Can you believe Nam Heong + Funny Mountain + JJ Swiss Rolls happen in less than two hours? No wonder I feel myself gaining weight!

Apparently, the eating spree continued till KL.

Strawberry and peach pavlova, The Apartment.

This is my first time trying pavlova and I liked it!

Now, BACK to WORK!!!!!

p/s: Planning a trip to Taiwan/Taipei therefore I really need suggestions - places to go, sights to see, food to eat (of course!). Hehhehee. Hope to hear from you peeps ok! And if anyone who is in Taiwan wants to host us, I will be very very glad...! :P

Food post to make you hungry

Magic Porridge Pot is not a food blog, but it doesn't mean that I can't do food posts right?

Ok I admit, I do not really have inspiration to write these few days. I have been feeling under the weather and the hazy weather makes it even worse! Hahaha. I know the phrase "feeling under the weather" has nothing to do with the weather but it's the weather that makes me feel under the weather. Got it? Hahhahaha.

Therefore, I am only inspired by the food pictures that I have in my iPhoto. LOL.

Be warned! This post may make you hungry!! This is my recollection of food memories for the past few months. Enjoy!

Concorde hotel breakfast. The pastries were oh-so-delicious! Perfect for sweet tooth like me!

And, ahh, this brings back memories of Michelle and Pei Chie and I, crashing in one hotel room. :D

Chocolates Vishnu bought for me from his trip to Labuan.

(Where can you get such a sweet friend??)

Forgot the name of this dish but it's chicken with mashed potato, you can see the mashed potato hiding underneath the chicken. Haha. The restaurant is a secret, literally!!!

It's Secret Garden, Ipoh. Lol.

Ginger bread man Milo jelly, with broken arm.

There's just something cute about his broken arm. Haha.

Roti Nutella, from Fierce Curry House, Bangsar.

It's only in Malaysia that you can find such fusion of food - flour, chocolate syrup and a variety of curry mixes.

Lavendar and blueberry ice cream from Hokkaido. Thumbs up!

Itta Choco Manako, Sushi Zanmai. Thumbs up too!

Wondermilk sandwich and cupcakes, with Debbie, who is now in SG.

I don't think Debbie knows I took this picture; her eyes were closed! Hahhaa.

Anyway, the cupcakes were not as smooth as expected.

Laksa from my hometown. 

Sungai Petani has the best laksa in the world, do you guys know that?

And you thought it was Penang! Hahhaa.

Hokkien prawn mee with added char siew. (non-halal)

Presgrave Lane, Penang.

Best maggi goreng award goes to Yunus Khan, Argyll Road, Penang.

I'm telling you, it's the BEST maggi goreng!!

Talking about Penang, I am reminded of this news.

The Star newspaper.

You probably have seen this news in the newspaper. I just want to say that I am very happy that Mun Mun is awake now, and let us continue praying for her, for speedy recovery!!! :))

Have a great weekend ahead everyone! Oh, and Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslim friends! :)

The hair cut that did not make any difference

I am so sorry Kimarie, but my friends seem to think you did not cut my hair although you did. ;(((
LOL.

But, let us give Kimarie some credits because I still look like me even after a hair cut. wtf hahahahaha.

Kareen recommended this place to me. She is like my encyclopedia in KL right now. It is so nice to have her around, showing me the places to eat, to cut hair, to have good bubble teas, to whatever... Hhahaha.

And so we went for a haircut together.

We went to Kimarie at IOI Boulevard.

This is before they gave my hair a trim.

This is when they were done!

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

1) I purposely used Photo Wonder App to make the "before" photo look darker, like, in the past. Haha.

2) The expressions are different - sad because my hair is very unruly, then happy because my hair is more manageable now.

3) And yes, my hair is definitely a lil' shorter and contrary to popular belief, there is a difference. Hahhaha.

When I posted the picture above in Facebook (btw I put some effort into making this collage ok, apart from colour setting with the "before" picture being darker, I also aligned my arms so that they are at the same level, via Photo Wonder app, LOL), I got responses that made me laugh so hard. Mainly, it was to do with my hair being no different, before and after the hair cut, hence the title of this post. Haha.

My hair cut picture was so controversial I couldn't believe it! LOL.

Maybe the title should be, "the hair cut that was controversial", or "the hair that didn't make the cut", or "the hair cut conspiracy theory". *crap*

And this, ladies and gentlemen, was the best comment of all. 

Hahahahhaa.

I just couldn't stop laughing.

Ok boys and gurls, Kareen's hair got difference or not??

Failed XOXO pose.

Recently, I started watching Gossip Girl again, and I'm addicted.

By the way, every 20 ringgit you spend at Kimarie, they will give you 1 point and 1 point = RM1. So if you have accumulated enough, your next hair service might be free!!

XOXO ;))))

Kechara Soup Kitchen - first visit

The reason why I named this post "first visit" is because I intend to visit again, hopefully soon. Is it a restaurant you may wonder? Yes, it serves food, and there are waiters/waitresses and customers, but the differences here are that, volunteers are the waiters/waitresses and food are served to homeless customers living on the streets of KL.

Kechara Soup Kitchen is a programme to provide the homeless with basic food and medical care while they try to re-integrate themselves back into the society. In the briefing, we were told that the main aim is to bring the homeless back to society therefore, the food and the medical supplies act as ice-breaker to get to know them more and to help them in other ways like, getting a job, getting a place in a shelter, getting a ticket back to their home, etc.

I first read about this programme while I was in Penang and did not have the chance to participate till now. But hey, folks in Penang, Kechara Soup Kitchen Penang started not long ago. Go help out if you can ok! This is a really meaningful way to spend your Saturday.

Yes you will see how meaningful your Saturday will be if you help out here!

First, when we arrived, Wan Ching helped to pack High 5 bread, while I helped to... take pic! :P

I blog ma, she doesn't. Haha. (Lame excuse, :P)

As a first-timer, we were required to attend a briefing and fill up our personal details. The briefing explains all about Kechara Soup Kitchen, from now on referred to as KSK, their missions, their programmes, do's and don't's when carrying out the activities, and how we can all help.

That night, there were a huge group of Mara students from a college in Banting.

They call themselves the Association of Caring Engineers. Hehe.

Ok, you may say that I'm not paying full attention and got fascinated by colourful pens and books instead. :P

In Victor's words, "Do Not Act Like a Hero!!"

Always refer to your team leaders if you are unsure of anything. 

For example, 

If someone asks you for money, Do Not Act Like a Hero and give money. 

You may not know what they will use your money for. If they need something, KSK will find a way to help them.

If you need to walk down a dark alley to deliver food, Do Not Act Like a Hero and walk yourself.

You may not know what danger lurks behind you, you may get kidnapped by aliens in the dark alley. wtf.

If you feel the need to comfort someone, Do Not Act Like a Hero and hug and kiss the person. Lol.

You do not know whether they are completely clean and free of diseases.

Ok, for more "Do Not Act Like a Hero", please contact Victor or attend the briefing. Hahah.

After the briefing, we all assembled again downstairs for grouping session. Every Saturday, KSK will visit different routes and different locations and if we were to visit all routes and locations together we will probably only finish the next afternoon. Lol. So we have to be separated into groups and each group will visit their designated locations.

Wan Ching, with new haircut, and Paul, a new friend.

Grouping session conducted by Kwok Wai, the boss. Hehe.

And now we're all set!!!

We are incidentally in charge of Chipster. See how much Chipster we had to give away?

Surrounded by Chipster packs to the neck!! Haha.

First stop and first time unloading food stuffs from Tanee's car; this calls for a picture! :P

Sorry for messy hair. =.=

From left: rice, bread, Chipster, mineral water.

See? One set of food, from basic carbohydrate to snacks.

The food may vary from week to week, depending on sponsorship, so our clients will not get bored of the same food every week. Hihi.

And did you see the way they line up for food?? They patiently waited for boss Kwok Wai to say "ready, on the mark, get set, GO! *pistol goes off*" "Jalan!" to start picking up their food. I really admire them in this aspect. They may be starving (by the time we reached this first destination, it was already midnight, and who eats dinner at midnight?) but still, they understand the importance of being in line and taking turns. So the next time I feel like cutting queue, I will say to myself, even hungry and homeless people can queue patiently, why not me?! Lesson number one for tonight!

Can you see the Iranian tourist?

Boss Kwok Wai said we did not have enough spatial awareness; we did not see that his wife was happily snapping a picture of him getting the food. He said, if we come across this situation next time, we must explain that this is not free food for just everyone, not even hungry tourists. wtf.

Lesson number two: When enthusiastically giving out food, be aware of your surroundings!

Thank you aunty!

A kind "thank you" will make them feel like they are not begging food and increase their self-esteem. :)

Me posing with Chipster chips. Mari-mari, ada Chipster, ada High 5, ada nasi. Siapa lapar??

These stops are easy, because our homeless clients know that KSK gives out food at those locations every Saturday, and they queue for it. After that, we went on our journey to less popular places, where we had to stop and check whether there are any homeless clients and repeat. Some sights do make me tear. Like, a mother and her baby daughter, a few friends sleeping on the five-foot-way of a famous building, and a guy, with all his belongings on a trolley he calls home.

I don't know if you can see the guy, pushing a trolley, trying to cross the street.

The trolley was all he had. *tears*

Volunteering at KSK for a night made me see life in a different way. It got me thinking, how did they end up in such destitute situations? Some of them are really just unfortunate to end up in the streets; they lost their jobs and could not find one, they got abandoned by their family, they lost their identifications and thus lost their identity and no employer would take them, they got discharged by hospitals and had nowhere to go to after that, etc. There are many many reasons how they are left homeless.

Driving home that night, whenever I see people on the streets, looking lost or upset, I wonder, are they homeless too? Do they need help or food, at least? I will never look at the streets in the same light again; as much as they are just pathways for us to get to our destinations, they are probably home and shelter to the unfortunate.

Though I learned that KSK is featured in the media a lot, I think there still needs to be more exposure to this cause. So, start by liking them on their Facebook page: KSKPage. I have done so! :P This is so that we are kept updated on their activities. Hehhe. Next, experience for yourself by joining KSK on Saturdays.

Who wants to go with me next? *hands up*!