Heavenly Paradise

Breaking News...

2009-01-13T23:51:00.002-04:00

23 years, 3 months and 3 days, since my very first breath in this world. It was three days ago that I've given myself one of the most precious gifts that I'd have ever received--my very own website adelineang.com

I've been blogging with the Blogger for almost a year now and have truly enjoyed it. Thoughts are put into words, and pictures are saved as sweet memories. More importantly, I stay connected with family and friends who are far in distance but close at heart, in this little corner of the virtual world.

Thank you very much for your continual support and encouragement.

A new beginning as the new year approaches,
bringing new visions and new hopes.
Your support and encouragement means a lot to me,
keeps the fire going till eternity.

You're cordially invited to my new site, adelineang.com (Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com)!

十五的月亮

2009-01-11T21:34:00.002-04:00

十五的圆月，默默地等待着即将来临的春节：

皎洁明亮的圆月，
照耀白色的积雪，
闪烁眨眼的星星，
细腻静心地聆听。

世界各地的人们，
举头望月的眼神，
难以掩藏的感触，
回忆家人乐相聚。

圆月背后的意义，
有多少人去分析？
就连赏月的时间，
也挪不出一丁点。

圆月提醒了我春节即将来临
圆月奉劝我缓下脚步欣赏沿途风景
圆月撩起我对家乡的思念
圆月对我说世界充满希望

我
躺在温暖被窝里
感受月光的温度
隔天白昼的来临
我知道你仍默默地守候

Calgary - Part II

2009-01-11T19:12:00.006-04:00

Besides those top tourist attractions, I enjoy visiting university campuses when I'm in a foreign city! I visited the University of Alberta in Edmonton; and I should not miss the chance to take a tour around the University of Calgary campus, in Calgary (of course).

From top left (clockwise): A residence building, the Alberta Children's Hospital, Nickle Arts Museum, and McMahon Stadium.

After the quick campus tour, we went to Kensington Road for breakfast. We had cupcakes and some Southeast Asian food. Yumm...

There are some unique stores along Kensington Road that worth a visit. Some of them were closed since it was New Year's Eve.

Subsequently, we went shopping at the Costco Wholesale and IKEA, before heading to Stephen Avenue Walk (famous shopping district on 8th Avenue S.W.) and the City Hall.

Left: The "Women are Persons!" Monument near the Municipal Building (can also be found at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa). Other pictures taken at Stephen Avenue and surroundings.

After that? We had a quick visit to the Pacific Place, a Chinese shopping mall. Later, in the evening, we met up with few other friends for steamboat buffet as supper, before I bade Calgary goodbye at midnight. Yes, on New Year's Eve. A different way to celebrate the New Year ;)

Overall, my trip to Calgary (and Edmonton, Drumheller, Lake Louise, Canmore, Banff) was a fantastic one! This was one of the very few trips where I didn't have to do a trip planning and look at maps while walking on the streets (as if I didn't already look like a tourist). Everything was very well planned and taken care of. I even received my trip itinerary more than a month before my arrival in Calgary, from my lovely big bro, Julian.

Special thanks to Annie and Julian, for their kind hospitality and wonderful friendships over the past number of years. This was one of the best trips I had ever been on! I greatly appreciate your time and effort in making my trip a memorable one!!!

Calgary - Part I

2009-01-10T17:11:00.004-04:00

Did I not mention that I visited Calgary? So, where are the pictures of Calgary? Amazingly, I spent most of my time (if not all) during the first five days of my one-week visit to Calgary outside Calgary ;) The last two days were days which I traveled around the city itself.

The expensive housing in Calgary is a known fact. One-bedroom apartment of less than 1,000 sq. ft. will cost around CAD 350,000 for starting price.

Why Calgary?

"Calgary is a dynamic and progressive city of just over 1 million people, close to the Rocky Mountains and famous for both the Calgary Stampede ('The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth') and the 1988 winter Olympics with Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards and the Jamaican bob-sled team. Well known for its friendly people Calgary's motto is 'Welcome to Calgary, Heart of the New West'."

~ Information from Canilink Relocation

All these while, I had the impression that Alberta is one of the provinces in Canada that offers the highest minimum wage. Shockingly, the minimum wage in provinces such as Manitoba ($8.50), Newfoundland ($8.50), Quebec ($8.50), Yukon ($8.58), Saskatchewan ($8.60), Ontario ($8.75), and Nunavut ($10.00) surpass that of Alberta ($8.40). Nonetheless, Calgary is a booming city that provides great job opportunities, owing to its fast developing gas and oil industry, particularly.

"Although British Columbia and Alberta account for only 20 per cent of the Canadian population, they produced nearly half the new jobs in the country last year."

~ Maclean's Magazine

Desperate looking for a job? There might one waiting for you in Calgary!

Residential area in downtown Calgary.

Public transit in Calgary. From top left (clockwise): bus in downtown, CTrain, interior of CTrain, and one of the many Light Railway Transit station.

CTrain which travels along 7 Avenue is known as the free fare zone. There is no cost for riding either CTrain route between 3 Street East and 11 Street West. Wonderful!

From bottom left (clockwise): Mewata Armoury, TELUS World of Science, Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, Chinatown, and the Chinese street signs.

The Mewata ("O Be Joyful" in Cree word) Armoury is a Canadian Forces reserve armoury in Calgary, located on 11th Street S.W.

Eau Claire Market (bottom left) and the winter scenes of Prince's Island Park in downtown.

The awesome experience using the +15 walkway to avoid walking in the cold.

The +15 walkway is known to be the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of 16 kilometers and 59 bridges. Plus 15 refers to the skywalk that's 15 ft from the ground level. It connects dozens of building in the downtown area, with enclosed shopping centres at the centre core. The rest of them are mainly office buildings.

Devonian Gardens, the large indoor urban park, are accessible from the skywalk. Unfortunately, the gardens were under renovations and I missed my chance to visit...

From left (clockwise): The entrance of Calgary Tower, Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Fairmont Palliser Hotel.

Bird's eye views from the Calgary Tower. From bottom left (clockwise): City Hall and Municipal Building (top right corner), Delta Hotel, Pengrowth Saddledome within the Stampede Park, and buildings seen through the glass floor.

Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in downtown Calgary. It's the city's most identifiable physical landmark.

It was an amazing visit to Calgary downtown. Despite the chilly weather, we managed to visit numerous places in the city. As a reward, we had our delicious meal at Bolero, the Brazilian restaurant :P

Ski Trip in Banff

2009-01-09T23:54:00.005-04:00

It was a ski day! Julian and I took off from Calgary, on an early Monday morning and headed to Banff. It was about an hour drive from Calgary. The view along the highway was breathtaking! The magnificent alpine looked unreal.....

The overpass ahead of us helps to keep animals off the highway during their migration. What a neat idea!

The Rundle Mountain.

The ski mountain we intended to go, Sunshine Village, was overcrowded by the time we got there (around 9:30 a.m.). It was unexpected, especially on a Monday morning. We spent an hour waiting in line before we finally got a chance to turn around. Another 30 minutes wasted just to get out of the ski mountain...

Our second choice, Mt. Norquay was not too far from where we were. Its smaller ski area allowed us to hop on and off the chairlifts without much waiting time; which in turn, maximized our ski time. It turned out great after all! We purchased half-day ski lift tickets to ski from noon till 4 p.m.

It has been my dream to ski at the Rockies. Why do I enjoy skiing? I shared my downhill skiing experience previously. As compared to the Crabbe Mountain in Fredericton, Mt. Norquay offers more and longer ski trails at higher elevations. In other words, it was more thrilling and challenging to ski at the big mountains!

The mesmerizing beauty of Canadian Rockies, snow-covered evergreen trees, as well as the long and steep skiing terrain were astonishing! Mt. Norquay has a variety of ski terrain for all abilities, ranging from beginner, intermediate (blue run), advanced (black diamond), and expert (double black diamond). The advanced trails I've explored at Crabbe, turned out to be much similar to the intermediate trails here at the Rockies!! Thus, I didn't go further than that. Furthermore, I haven't had a chance to hit the ski terrain for nearly a year... I'd need to sharpen my skills before trying anything more adventurous...

Our first chairlift ride of the day!

I was pumped to ski at the Rockies for the very first time!

All geared up and posed for a nice shot ;)

The marvelous view of the Rockies!

Julian, my ski buddy cum personal ski instructor :)

Trip to Banff

2009-01-09T12:21:00.004-04:00

After a long day of traveling and dog sled tour, we were exhausted. Solution? The Banff Upper Hot Springs we went, looking forward to luxuriate in the comfort of soothing hot springs! The hot springs were steaming hot, measured at 39 degrees Celsius. Immersing ourselves in the HOT springs in the COLD weather (-10 degrees Celsius) was quite an experience!

The lengthy time frame (i.e. one whole minute), between taking a shower after donning ourselves in bathing suits and making our way to the hot springs, almost drove me nuts. It was freezing cold.....

We were there for about 30 minutes before calling it a quit. It was fine walking out from the hot springs as our bodies already warmed up a fair bit.

Busy crowd in the hot springs.

After our big meal at the Keg Steakhouse, we were ready to hit the sack. The next morning, we got up and saw the pretty snowfall in Banff. We decided to walk around the town after breakfast, since the fog wouldn't offer much to see from the top of mountain. There are stores selling souvenirs, clothing, crafts, sport equipments and more, along the streets.

Snowy morning in Banff.

An amusing site where park benches covered in snow.

Around 2 p.m., we made our way to the top of Sulphur Mountain by taking the gondola ride. It was rather windy at the top of mountain, -15 degrees Celsius without the windchill. Some of the sites were closed due to the snowfall. They haven't gotten a chance to clear off the path for tourists to walk around.

A gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain.

The spectacular alpine scenery from the top of Sulphur Mountain.

"Where's home from here?" I wondered.

Dog Sled Tour in Canmore

2009-01-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

Participating in the dog sled tour was an excellent experience! After out trip to Lake Louise, we had a stopover in Canmore before heading to Banff. The Snowy Owl Adventures offered an unforgettable dog sled tour, as it turned out. It was a two-hour tour, including a van ride to Spray Lake, where we began our exciting adventures!

We were given a short briefing about the huskies and some useful commands before driving the dog sled on our own! Here are a few commands we learned:

Hike: Get moving

Easy: Slow down

Whoa: Stop

On by: Pass another team from the opposite direction

Whenever the puppies did a good job in obeying the commands, we said "good puppies!" These puppies are very tame and smart. We had six huskies for our dog sled, the two puppies in front were the leading dogs; whereas the puppies closest to the harness were among the strongest.

Some other useful commands I found:

Gee: Turn to the right

Haw: Turn to the left

The sled dog breeds at the Snowy Owl:

Canadian Inuit Husky: "Original" sled dog, the closest living relative to the wolf
Alaskan Malamute: Very similar to the Canadian Inuit Husky, also a close relative to the wolf
Canadian Indian Husky: Indigenous to North America, the closest living relative to the coyote
Siberian Husky: The most well known sled dog breed, typical "Hollywood" Husky with blue eyes

(From left) Julian, myself, and Annie posing with the puppies during a short break.

Good puppy!

Trip to Lake Louise

2009-01-08T23:58:00.003-04:00

A visit to Lake Louise is a must when visiting the Banff National Park. If only I had sufficient time to travel all the way to the Jasper National Park, that would be nice... Nonetheless, I was really glad to be at Lake Louise, one of the most scenic sites in Canada! It was simply spectacular! I wouldn't mind skating there either, if I had my skates with me :P

People were adventurous enough to walk on the icy Lake Louise, despite the noticeable thin ice caution signage.

The prominent Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, one of the Canada's grand railway hotels. It's a luxury resort hotel built in the early 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The Chateau Lake Louise Ice Castle, built on the frozen lake. Simply gorgeous!

Drumheller & Airdrie

2009-01-08T21:41:00.001-04:00

The town of Drumheller is the dinosaur capital of Canada, with its richest fossils and dinosaur bones in North America. The world-famous Royal Tyrell Museum is one of the many tourist attractions. It's 90-minute drive from Calgary, and about 3.5 hours drive from Edmonton (West Edmonton Mall to be exact).

The World's Largest Dinosaur is actually four times the size of a real Tyrannosaurus rex. She weighs 145,000 lbs and is constructed mainly from steel. She is 86 ft tall and 151 ft in length.

From left (clockwise): Scenic drive to Drumheller, the entrance of Royal Tyrell Museum, dinosaur display at the museum, and the world's largest dinosaur.

On our way back to Calgary, we attended the Festival of Lights in Airdrie, a city situated just north of Calgary. During the festive season (month of December), Christmas lighting runs from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m. This is an annual event open to the public. Different activities were held each evening, such as local band performances. The beautiful and exquisite lighting was particularly charming! I haven't seen such attractive lighting before...

It was a cold evening. The temperature was well below -20 degrees Celsius. We stood around the bonfire with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. I was glad to be there despite the cold :)

Trip to Edmonton

2009-01-07T23:00:00.010-04:00

I had the opportunity to visit Edmonton, during my trip to Calgary. Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta. With its population of more than 750,000, it boasts to be the second largest city in Alberta. Edmontonian is the term used for a resident of Edmonton.

Edmonton is well-known as the home to North America's largest shopping mall, West Edmonton Mall (6.1 million square feet, which was the world's largest mall from 1981 till 2004). It reminded me of the largest shopping mall in Malaysia, Mid Valley Megamall, which has become of the main attractions in the Klang Valley. The 4.5 million square feet complex with its 430 shops certainly has lots to offer.

The University of Alberta is founded in 1908. The university's current enrolment is over 36,000, placing itself among the five largest universities in Canada. The main campus consists of more than 90 buildings, located across the North Saskatchewan River from downtown Edmonton.

From top left (clockwise): The Butterdome (Universiade Pavilion), TELUS Centre for Professional Development, Stollery Children's Hospital, HUB Mall, parking parkade, overhead walkway, residence building, and Arts building.

After the campus visit, we explored around the city for a bit.

From bottom left (clockwise): The Old Strathcona Arch, Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, Public Library, Chinatown, City Hall, Muttart Conservatory, and LRT station (centre).

Next, we visited the West Edmonton Mall. We reckoned it'd be quiet on Christmas Day. It worked out great for photo shooting :)

From top left (clockwise): Christmas lighting and Venice architectures, Galaxyland Amusement Park, T&T Chinese Supermarket, a replica of Santa Maria, Bourbon Street (a taste of New Orleans), indoor mini golf course, and World Waterpark (centre).

The following day was Boxing Day. We seized the opportunity to shop at the West Edmonton Mall, before heading to Drumheller. We were there before 10 a.m., when the crowd was less busy. The best deal I've got? A pair of jeans from Urban Behaviour for $5 (original price was $40)!!!

Top: Long lineup outside a sportswear store observed on the street, before 9a.m. Bottom left: One of the many entrances at the West Edmonton Mall. Bottom right: Busy crowd at the mall around noon. Long lineup outside Abercrombie & Fitch.

The Past, Present, and Future

2009-01-05T22:45:00.004-04:00

The moment I decided to leave home to study abroad, I knew that I had to be on my own from then on. It was a tough decision to make as there was no turning back. The detailed story was posted previously. I'm grateful for the way I was brought up and all the love & care I've been receiving from Mom & Dad, who have been faithful supporting me through the ups and downs in life.

It was one of the my best moments in life, when both parents attended my graduation in May 2008. Graduation is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey of life. After all, there is a long haul ahead.

There are always challenges to encounter, people to meet, places to visit, dreams to fulfill, prayers to say... Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone and take the step of faith to explore what lies before us? Do we listen closely to the soft whispers of our inner voice?

There is a new hope, new vision, and new direction for the new year. Wishing everyone Happy 2009!

Under the hot sun, in the cold breeze,
I wander aimlessly with a bit of unease.
What has in store for me may not come by easy,
continuously searching though it sounds crazy.
The day is young and sun is bright,
fulfill your dreams before the time is tight.

New Year's Countdown

2009-01-02T21:39:00.001-04:00

What's the best way to celebrate New Year? In a party? With loved ones? Or simply in your dreams? I've done all of the above in the past. Looking back the recent years, I'm rather proud that I've been celebrating the New Years quite uniquely.

2007: I was in St. Louise, Missouri for the Urbana student missions convention. In a crowd of 22,500, we worshipped, prayed, had communion, and celebrated New Year in the Edward Jones Dome at American Center.

2008: I visited the Big Apple, New York City. Not only that, I attended the New Year's countdown at the well-known Times Square. I've seen it so much on the TV in previous years that I thought to myself that I wanted to be part of the crowd, to join in the excitement of celebrating New Year in the big crowd, at least once. My dream came true, after standing in the cold windy winter night for more than three hours... It sounded crazy, but I had no regrets ;)

2009: My flight departing from Calgary was scheduled for 12:10 a.m. In the plane, we did the countdown. Subsequently, I was so exhausted that I slept through most of my journey. I took the connecting flight from Toronto back to Freddy. I finally arrived at 11:30 a.m. Thank God for the smooth landing, despite the windy condition.

Meals in One Day

2009-01-01T23:49:00.002-04:00

I've been having good food and great time in Calgary thus far. Wondering what I had on my last day in Calgary? Julian & Annie almost ran out of idea where to bring me. Finally, we visited the Crave bakery shop in Kensington Road. The moist and delicious cupcakes are offered in large or mini size, in either vanilla or chocolate, and topped with a variety of butter cream icing as toppings (e.g. blue vanilla, green lime, chocolate etc.). These cupcakes were heavenly!!

Having said that, the cupcakes were too sweet for me. Perhaps one third of the amount of icing would suffice. I've to admit that the cupcakes are moist and tasty nonetheless. Apparently, the bakery employees work from 5 a.m. till 12 p.m. There's no guarantee that there's any cupcake left after noon time. Please be sure to be there early to avoid disappointment!

A dozen of assorted mini cupcakes nicely packed in a plastic container with a brown ribbon.

Next, we had some Southeast Asian food at the Sungate Cafe nearby. They offered some Thai and Malaysian/Singaporean dishes. The food wasn't the best but it was good enough to satisfy my cravings for Malaysian food.

From left: Spicy Chicken Sub, Hot & Sour Seafood Tom Yum Soup, and Chicken Rendang Rice.

Hmm....what was next? For my farewell supper, we had steamboat (or less commonly Chinese fondue) buffet in a group of seven at a Chinese restaurant. For $22.95 per adult, we ordered food ranging from sliced lamb, beef, chicken, fish, pork, shrimps, squids, tofu, vegetables, etc. We then cooked the food in the hot pot on the gas stoves available right in front of our eyes. It was a big meal and everyone was stuffed at the end... I can easily skip my breakfast & lunch the next day...

Cooking the food in the hot pot containing boiling water. Spices were added for a flavourful soup base.

The largest "fresh" oyster I've ever had! Nonetheless, it tasted quite bad compared to those delicious fresh oysters I prepared with the shells still on!

Brazilian Cuisine

2009-01-01T23:46:00.001-04:00

My very first experience dining in a fine Brazilian restaurant. The experience was splendid, the food was delightful, and the service was excellent. The key to it though, is to make an early reservation for the best selection. We were there at Bolero Restaurant for a 5:30 p.m. reservation.

Free flow of appetizers.

Appetizers from the fresco bar and hot bar.

Bolero is a Brazilian style steak house, where Gaucho chefs circle the dining room with a variety of meats to serve to customers, known as rodizio style dining. One pays a fixed price ($37.50) and the chefs bring an offering of food to each customer at several times throughout the meal, until the customers signify that they have had enough. There was a block on the table which had red on one end and green on the other. The chefs will only bring more meat if the card is flipped to the green side.

Picanha, garlic parmesan striploin, filet mignon, ribeye steak, rack of lamb, garlic parmesan porkloin, pork tenderloin, Alcatra (special beef pot roast), pork ribs, garlic parmesan picanha, pineapple, linguica (Portuguese cured pork sausage), bacon filet mignon, bacon wrapped chicken, chicken legs, vegetable skewers, and leg of lamb, are among the choice to choose from.

A chef cut the meat skillfully and served us.

The BBQ pineapple was a hit!

A bountiful selection of food was served and cut fresh in front of our eyes. I took pleasure in savouring the good food. It was indeed a great eye-opener to a non-ordinary dining experience! Love it :)

Dim Sum

2009-01-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

Dim Sum is known as the southern Chinese delicacies. The closest restaurant from Fredericton that offers Dim Sum would probably be in Saint John. Yes, you got it. There's no Dim Sum in Fredericton...

Hence, I seized the opportunity to enjoy Dim Sum during my trip to Calgary. Well, I had it twice actually ;D My first Dim Sum meal at the T&T Supermarket (a Chinese supermarket), West Edmonton Mall.

Congee, shrimp dumplings, beef tripes, and phoenix claws (a.k.a. chicken feet), hot soya milk, and cold tea. Delicious!

We went to the Regency Palace in Chinatown, Calgary for brunch six days later.

From left: glutinous chicken rice, beef tripes, phoenix claws, pork steamed buns, pork dumplings, and pork spare ribs.

Eggs tarts (my favourite) and fried shrimp on sugar cane sticks, a Vietnamese delicacy.

Congee with century eggs and pork. Yummy!

Each dish priced around $4. It's best to savour Dim Sum with family or a group of friends. You get to enjoy a wide array of dishes in small amount, because they do fill up your stomach rather quick!

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar

2009-01-01T22:55:00.001-04:00

It was my first visit to the Keg Steakhouse & Bar. After a long day of traveling from Calgary to Banff, joining the dog sled tour in Canmore, soaking in the hot spring in Banff, we were exhausted and hungry... We've decided to go to the Keg for a big meal.

Appetizers: dinner roll with butter, scallops & bacon (bacon-wrapped scallops with a zesty martini cocktail sauce) for $9.95, as well as ahi tuna (a.k.a. yellowfin tuna, grilled rare, served with a mushroom reduction drizzled with cucumber-wasabi sauce and crostini) for $10.95.

From left: Honey BBQ Chicken & Ribs (grilled and basted with house honey BBQ sauce) for Annie, 8oz Prime Rib Classic (hand-carved with horseradish and au jus) for Julian, and 7oz Fillet Mignon (tenderloin wrapped in applewood smoked bacon) for me!

What's so special about the steaks here?

A Cut Above: Always well trimmed and cut to avoid excess fat and gristle.
Better with Age: New York striploins and sirloins are specially aged a minimum of 28 days for extra tenderness.
Well Marbled: Resulting in a juicy, more flavourful steak.
Added Spice: Sprinkled with our unique blend of spices and seared over high heat to lock in the natural juices.

I also learned about the ways of cooking steaks besides the ordinary rare, medium rare, medium, and well done.

Blue Rare: Cool, blue, all the way through.
Rare: Cool centre, bright red throughout.
Medium Rare: Warm centre, red throughout.
Medium: Warm, pink centre.
Medium Well: Hot, small trace of pink in the centre.
Well Done: Hot, fully cooked throughout.
Chicago: Charred outside, cooked to order inside.

The entrees priced between $20 and $30. It was my first time trying Fillet Mignon and had enjoyed it a lot. "The ultimate in tenderness," they called it, which was very true ;)

Japanese/Korean Cuisine

2009-01-01T21:40:00.000-04:00

Julian, Annie and I had supper at the Shikiji Japanese Restaurant in Calgary. This restaurant offers specialty sushi dishes that are both presentable and delicious. Besides, their Japanese green tea, genmaicha (brown-rice tea) is the best I've ever had thus far!

The Spider Roll ($13.80). Crispy crab legs are used to make into the form of a spider.

The Una Una Roll (Eel Roll) for $16.90. Yumm...

The Salmon Mango Roll ($11.80), topped with colourful tobiko (flying fish caviar). Very appetizing!

This dish reminded me of something similar I had in Toronto a few months ago.

Very neat presentation of sushi at the Dazzling Restaurant in downtown Toronto.

Back to Shikiji Restaurant. Besides sushi, we also ordered a bowl of Japanese noodles.

The Chili Goma Ramen (hot & spicy Japanese noodles with sesame) for $13.50. Grind the sesame seeds yourself!

The day after we visited Shikiji Restaurant, we had Japanese/Korean buffet at the Sushi BBQ Inn. Two dishes of sashimi (fresh raw seafood) per person. We were given the choice of salmon, tuna, and spicy seafood. They tasted great, except for the tuna which turned out to be partially frozen. Hmm...previously frozen? Isn't it supposed to be fresh??

Sashimi, maki (roll), and temaki (cone/hand roll).

Our second order.

From left: Rainbow Roll, California Roll, and BC Roll (grilled salmon skin with sweet sauce and cucumber, named after British Columbia for its famous wild Pacific salmon).

Tempura, a classic Japanese dish of deepfried battered vegetables or seafood.

Raw meat for BBQ: chicken, beef, spicy pork, lamb chop, salmon, short ribs etc.

Meat slices on the BBQ stove, right in front of us on the dining table.

Overall, the amount of food was plenty. We certainly had a lot since we skipped our lunch due to busy schedule. I was in Banff all day skiing with Julian, while Annie was working all day without her lunch box.

Having said that, I wished the sashimi was fresher and the order was unlimited. It turned out to be slightly under $30 per person on the final bill. Good food, great time!

Chinese Cuisine

2008-12-30T22:38:00.004-04:00

I certainly have lots to say about the fabulous one week trip to Calgary, Alberta. Great friendships, spectacular views, wonderful places, and delicious cuisines!

On my first night in Calgary, Julian & Annie brought me to a Chinese Restaurant for late supper. Yes, late supper at 12:30 a.m.! They waited for me at the airport and didn't have supper earlier.

Top left: beef with snow peas and water chestnuts. Bottom left: flat nice noodles with beef. Right: kailan veggie with salted fish.

My friendship story continues... I met up with my ex-classmate from UNB who is now studying at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. We went to a Chinese Restaurant in Edmonton in a group of five. Here are some of the dishes we had:

Loh Hon Zai, the mixed vegetable dish.

The so-called Sze Chuan beef, with onions, green and red peppers. It has the texture of the typical Gu Lou meat (fried pork) dish.

旅行

2008-12-28T23:23:00.003-04:00

喜欢飞行
感受空中遨游的心情
喜欢步行
享受景色人物的感应
喜欢冒险
聆听内心砰跳的音弦
喜欢飘随
探寻美妙人生的精髓

一趟又一趟的精彩旅行
一次又一次地丰盛心灵
一遍又一遍地默念心愿
一回又一回地祈望梦圆

人生道路很漫长
甜酸苦辣都品尝
岁月渐逝不留人
积极生活不沦沉

跌倒瘀伤泥娃娃
摔了一跤自己爬
崎岖不平人生路
还得亲自去细诉

旅游让人敞开心怀
大开眼界万物不怪
漫漫路途精彩绝伦
生动感人永远记存

仰望夜空的流星雨
默默祈祷安静不语
经历过旅行的洗礼
人生变得富足美丽
跨过山水天涯留足迹

White Christmas

2008-12-25T23:11:00.004-04:00

I enjoy spending Christmas in Canada, especially a white Christmas. I'm attracted to Christmas trees with elaborate decorations, snowy wreaths, snow covered ground, lovely Christmas carols etc.

Gingerbread house is fun to play with during Christmas. I considered myself a kid at heart;) Gingerbread cookie pieces are stacked together to build a solid ground. Snow patches are drizzled all around the house, and it was then further decorated with colourful candies.

I imagined myself as a gingerbread man living in this pretty home, staying cozy sitting beside the fireplace, taking sips of hot apple cider and listening to the Christmas carols, while watching the peaceful snowfall outside the windows.....

A very Merry Christmas to all!!

圣诞夜

2008-12-24T17:34:00.001-04:00

圣诞夜的星空
一点也不空洞
灯饰璀璨照通
飘来美丽感动

微微吐气烟囱
炊烟气息颇重
街上一片闹哄
填补内心虚空

圣诞曲调歌颂
寒风吹袭不冻
高挂夜空楼钟
分秒缓步从容

圣诞夜的星空
看来很似长冗
世间关爱相送
不再饥饿病痛

人群一阵轰隆
欢呼季节相拥
雪片飘落寒冬
气氛平和轻松

圣诞夜的星空
细诉心情无终
人们尽兴放纵
陶醉仙境与共

Insanely Suicidal Wings!!!

2008-12-22T23:28:00.003-04:00

What's the craziest meal idea you've ever had? Knowing that Jungle Jim's Pub offers the hot & spicy chicken wings, my roommates and I decided to try some on a cold winter day... Indeed, we were dazzled by the hot burning sensation at the tip of our tongues and the volcanic eruption in our stomachs. I'll have to forewarn you: this is not an ordinary hot & spicy dish that everyone could try. The hot & spicy aroma from the wings is sufficient to set the eyes stinging!!

The Insanity Wings (1lb for $9.99) overloaded with jalapeno juice and jalapeno chunks! Served with lemon slices and sour cream, and a slice of bread. Why bread? It was advisable that you take a bite of bread before drinking any liquid so that the spiciness doesn't stay in your throat. I didn't find it very helpful though...

The waiver we signed before indulging into the world of insanity :P Everyone should take a close look at it.

I've never tried something hot & spicy of this extreme before. The wings were stopping you from going close to them! Unlike the typical Malaysian hot & spicy curry, which appears to be appetizing and appealing, these wings are turning their backs on you! The first bite of it was fine, and the spicy shock kicked in after a few seconds. It took me a while to eat the first two pieces, the subsequent three pieces were fine, after my senses became numb... Yeah, five spices of these Insanity Wings! They kept my stomach burning for the next 24 hours....

It was worth a try but just wasn't the kind of hot & spiciness I'd enjoy. Furthermore, it wasn't fun at all to suffer from the stomach pain.

French onion soup with garlic baguette for $4.99.

The Crocodile Skins for $8.99. Seasoned potato skins topped with melted mixed cheese, bacon, and green onions. Served with sour cream.

Chicken Taquitos for $6.99. BBQ-style tortillas rolled around Mes-seasoned chicken and mixed cheese. Served with sour cream.

Snowstorm

2008-12-22T23:06:00.003-04:00

Why do Canadians talk about the weather so much? Not only that it's a common interest, but it can also be a wonderful ice breaker, even with strangers on the street! Especially in the winter, the weather fluctuates so much that you really have to pay close attention to the weather forecast (even though it's not always accurate). It can be snowing at -10 degrees Celsius one day and raining at 8 degrees Celsius the following day, with the occurrence of freezing rain, or mix of snow and rain, when the temperature lingers around the freezing point.

Fredericton is one of the many Canadian cities where snow and ice prevail during the winter season. It started off with flurries and light snow yesterday evening, around 7 p.m. Looking out the window in my bedroom, the agitated trees were swaying, strong wind was blowing, and furious snow was pouring down. The street looked like a deserted place. It was quiet and everyone stayed cozy at homes. We were expecting 30 centimetres of snow overnight...

Today at 7 a.m., I looked the window and everything was covered in white. 30 minutes later, I turned on the radio and listened to the news: government offices will be closed till noon, bus service is terminated till further notice, University campuses will be closed for the day......

Since I commute to work by the public transit, and government offices won't open till later, I went back to bed and enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in (the opportunity doesn't come very often), zzzzz.....

Finally, bus service resumed after 1 p.m. I was told not to bother going in to work. It worked out great! I spent some time packing for my trip to Calgary and got a chance to snap some pretty pictures in downtown. It was about two hours walk around town by the time I got home at 10:30 p.m. It was later in the evening that the temperature dropped to -18 degrees Celsius, and wind was blowing at the speed of 26 km/hr.

Everything was covered in the fluffy white snow.

The snowbank on the sidewalk and a pile of snow on the bus rooftop.

The City Hall of Fredericton with its Christmas theme. The wreaths sprinkled with snow looked gorgeous!

A Winding Road

2008-12-20T22:38:00.008-04:00

We may take the same route to work, eating the same food, and doing the same thing from day to day, unconsciously. Can't we do something different to make life more exciting? Here is a route that I take almost every day, to work, to catch a bus, to the campus, and the list goes on. Even though it's the same old route, the scenery changes with the seasons. The most amusing sight is spotted during the winter, of course!

This is the so-called shortcut, which located behind my apartment. It connects the parking lot at my apartment to the backyard of a house, situated on the adjacent street. Strictly speaking, it's considered trespassing to walk on someone else's backyard. Nevertheless, it has become a norm for people to walk across this narrow creek on a wooden bridge, on a daily basis.

To make things more interesting, this is how it looks after a major snowfall. Surprisingly, there's always someone who clear the path to ease the walk. I don't suppose it's the homeowner of our neighbour. He must be annoyed that the neighbours are walking on his property. Whoever that person is, I really appreciate his time and effort put into clearing the path. Maybe one day, I'll get up early enough to check out who's doing such a great job.

A familiar route covered in snow,
try to recall the path I know.
Winding road that knows no end,
here I come with a wild attempt.

Life is like a box of chocolates,
full of unexpected surprises.
You never know what you're gonna get,
just pray and hope for the best.

Christmas is Near...

2008-12-17T22:46:00.009-04:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas Eve is a week from today, bizarre... Soon enough we're going to bid 2008 goodbye... Oh, let's not go that far, back to Christmas. What do you think about Christmas? Exciting? Joyful? Stressful?

I remembered being a little kid going to bed on Christmas Eve with great anticipation, dozing off when I finally couldn't keep my eyes straight from staring at the Christmas stocking hanging by the bed... Waking up early on Christmas morning with great excitement and contentment, holding my stuffed Christmas stocking, even though I realized that Santa doesn't exist...

Should you tell your kids that Santa is unreal? This remains as a controversial topic. "If you believe there is, then there is," is a nice way to avoid shattering the Santa dreams in the little souls. Truthfully, there's no need to hide the truth from kids. The sooner they find out, the less disappointment for them later on. I remembered little sis came home one day, when she was four, asking "is Santa real? My classmate's parents told her that Santa doesn't exist. Is that true?" Stunned by her unexpected question, I was speechless for a minute. Mom & Dad then explained to her that Santa is indeed, unreal. The older we grow, the more we know; or rather, the older we grow, the more we SHOULD know. That's always the way it is!

I was carried away by the whole idea of Christmas celebration. Mom would prepare a fancy Western meal, with Dad serving us sparkling juice. The best meal of the year, besides the big meal during Chinese New Year. We never had a turkey for Christmas dinner. Why? It's simply because turkey is not commonly found in Malaysia, and it could cost a fortune (exaggerating) to get one!

Thus, I was delighted to have a turkey dinner on my first Christmas in Canada! Since then, I've always been looking forward to a turkey dinner on Christmas. On top of that, white Christmas has always been wonderful in North America. It gets more meaningful when I learned how to cook the bird myself. Secret recipe, shh..... Despite the time and effort putting into preparing a cooked turkey, I enjoyed having fun in the kitchen and everyone's great big smiles when savouring the delicious turkey ;)

Now that I don't get surprise gifts in my Christmas stocking, I'm nice to myself occasionally by getting myself some Christmas gifts.

Wow... mountain high chocolates?? My favourite Ferrero Rocher (esp. the dark chocolates), Nestle Turtles, Lindt dessert chocolates, and Dove milk chocolates. Keeping a box of Ferrero for myself for sure ;)

The Christmas Advent Calendar, supposed to provide you with ideas of daily activities from Dec. 1st to Christmas Eve. It's something that I always wanted to check out. A piece of chocolate a day!

The first Christmas card (in blue) I received this year and a self-made 3D-Christmas card. Isn't that cute? Of course, chocolates are always the highlight. Lindor chocolates in orange (orange flavour), red (milk), black (dark), yellow (white), and brown (hazelnut).

Believe it or not, here's what I got for myself this Christmas. A powerful hand mixer and a set of silicone bakeware. Excellent tools for baking!

Swiss Chalet

2008-12-16T23:30:00.003-04:00

"The Festive Special. Savour the season. Your holiday favourite is back! Enjoy our tender Rotisserie Quarter Chicken with tangy cranberry sauce, our famous stuffing, and your choice of side. For dessert, you'll enjoy a Festive Chalet filled with 5 Lindor chocolate truffles." I was abosultely carried away by the Festive Special offered by Swiss Chalet Restaurant. This was my second time savouring the Festive Special that offered annually around Christmas time.

It has become a practice at work that we go out for lunch together on someone's birthday. Swiss Chalet is one of my co-workers' favourite restaurant and without exception, she has chosen this restaurant for her birthday lunch.

A full course meal for $9.99. Tasty and succulent rotissserie chicken white meat ($1.20 extra for white meat), served with my favourite stuffing, cranberry sauce, a crusty roll, and mashed potatoes. Yumm....

The Swiss Chalet special chicken noodle soup, served with salted top crackers. A special offer by using the SPC card ;)

Make room for desserts! Lindor chocolate truffles, they're to die for :D

My last visit was in the spring with Mom & Dad, on my graduation day. More food pictures:

Rotisserie chicken strips with green onions, carrot slivers, and peppers, nicely wrapped in crispy spring roll skins. These chicken spring rolls were served with plum sauce on the side.

A quarter chicken meal with a crusty roll, and french fries on the side.

无理的乐章

2008-12-16T22:08:00.002-04:00

习惯行走熟悉的道路，习惯品尝公式化的菜色，习惯被一贯性的模式套牢。人生，真的是“习惯了就好吗？”难道人生仅此而已？天马行空的想象力，为贫乏的日子增添色彩；擅于改善的态度，为未来的日子铺好道路。改变，是为了更臻完善；蜕变，是为了超越自我。且让内心的热忱，擦出生命灿烂的火花！

黑白键的分明
音符得以显灵
黑白重叠即是灰
音乐字典无绝对

聆听音符的跳跃
化开内心的坚决
陶醉于音乐世界
美妙乐章往心里写

享受在乐章遨游的韵律
演奏出喜悦动感的旋律
不按常理亦不需要规律
随心所欲但却不失自律

无理的乐章
作为很夸张
任性放纵很自然
黑暗长夜里亮闪

无理的乐章
丝毫无悲伤
没有忧郁的牵挂
只有喜悦的泪花

无理的乐章
惊喜连连的喜怒无常
愿意往你的怀抱里藏
弹奏唯美音调像天堂

The Wondrous Ice

2008-12-15T21:52:00.003-04:00

Here are some of my thoughts from today's experience walking on the ice. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend driving on unfavourable road conditions. Your own safety is more important than being at work on time!

The brook is narrow, the road is wide,
under the dim moonlight, catch a bus ride.
Sliding is easy when road is slippery,
taking baby steps while gliding slowly.

Winter weather may bring dismay,
such as icy morning on this day.
Take a leap or stay stagnant,
it's up to you which is more important.

Sometimes it's just too much to bear,
wanting to find some luck to spare.
Ceased to move when someone glared,
keep walking and never be scared.

Oceans are deep and mountains are high,
keep trying and not to sigh.
You may stumble, you may fall,
but press on and never stall.

Ice + Ice = STUCK

2008-12-15T19:29:00.012-04:00

What a bleak winter morning today! The icy surface from yesterday turned icier with the formation of an additional layer of ice overnight, resulted from the minor precipitation as the cold temperature took effect.

It's about 150 metres from my apartment to the bottom of the hill of Graham Avenue (the street where I live). On regular days, I can easily walk down the hill in less than a minute. This morning, however, it took me about 5 minutes to walk and slide down the street!!! I had my sneakers on, initially. After noticing the icy condition on the road and sidewalk (I can't move, or I'll slide, literally), I decided to head back to my apartment and change into my winter boots. I had to give up my sneakers and crossed the street with just my socks on for better friction. Seriously, no kidding...

It was very helpful to have my boots on, but still, I had to take one step at a time. I couldn't help but to slide along when I had to. I just had to stay balanced at all times... Finally, when I got to the bottom of the street, I saw a car sliding down the street... Lo and behold, the car hit the curb and did a donut. Luckily, the driver was able to position his car back on track. There wasn't any noticeably damage on the car. The driver must be in shock, I supposed.

I missed the bus and had to wait for 30 minutes, for the next bus to arrive. Hmm... 8:10 a.m., the bus was already 15 minutes late. I called up the Fredericton Transit trying to find out what was going on, but no one was there to answer my call... Anyway, I called in the lab and mentioned to my co-worker that I was going to be late for work. Apparently, the bus service was delayed due to the slippery road conditions and won't resume till 9 a.m., schools with classes were delayed by 2 hours etc. The local residents were urged to stay off the road by the Police Force. I ended up showing up at work around 9:30 a.m.

The 150 metres route to the bottom of the hill took me 5 minutes to walk & slide!

A close look at the icy road surface. Trust me, it was completely covered with ice! By the curb, the sidewalk, and even in middle of the road!! Everywhere...

I was shocked to learn that my co-worker who travels to work from Miramichi every Monday morning, met a car accident this morning... Her car was flipped over. Fortunately, she wasn't injured. She's under medication and currently resting at home. I pray that she will soon recover from the shock and any pain that she's suffering from the accident.

Slush + Cold = ICE

2008-12-14T23:03:00.008-04:00

The winter story continues... Please tell me, what do you suppose this is, if you don't think it's a skating rink?!

The uneven surface doesn't make a good skating rink. Obviously, this resulted from the slush two days ago, when the temperature dropped below the freezing point yesterday.

It was a daunting route walking to the church this morning. Furthermore, it was -15 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor. It could have been worse. As a matter of fact, all these add to the "excitements" of the day when you're used to the winter in Canada. There's nothing much you can do, but to enjoy the wonders of nature while watching your steps closely ;) Keeping in mind that your winter boots are not mighty boots, you may still slip and fall if you're not paying attention :D

Lobster & Oyster

2008-12-14T21:55:00.003-04:00

My seafood craving is back again! I noticed a good deal for live lobster ($5.99/lb) and decided to get one yesterday. It even beats the lowest price I've ever observed over the summer months.

"Small, medium, large? Male or female?" Choosing a live lobster requires some knowledge, depending on what you're looking for.

Lobstermen agree that the female is a better choice. Female lobsters may have roes, or unfertilized eggs which are tasty and considered as delicacy. Also, female lobsters have more tail breadth which means more meat. They need the extra size for carrying the eggs. How to tell a male from female lobster? Aside from the added breadth, females' swimmerets (the appendages under the tale) are light and feathery unlike the males' which are bony and hard. Another issue still in debate is the choice between getting soft shelled or hard shelled crustacean kings. This is usually settled by preference. Lobsters with soft-shells have just undergone moulting, which means that their shells are easily breakable. This translates to easier cooking and eating. Their flesh are also deemed to be sweeter-tasting. However, these soft and sweet lobsters are not without disadvantage. They are not good for traveling because of the delicate condition of their shells. Hard shells are then preferred when a lobster is expected to travel long distances especially in delivery. Hard shell lobsters are also bigger and meatier.

~ Lobster Tales in Choosing the Best

I chose a medium-sized female lobster with soft shells. Apparently, a female lobster can mate only just after she sheds her shell. In other words, chances of savouring the lobster coral are higher ;) Lobster coral, also known as lobster roe, turns into a lovely coral colour when cooked. These are unfertilized eggs which have not been extruded.

The tail should be straight and curl under once it is picked up. If you uncurl the tail, it should spring back to a curled position if it is healthy.

~ Guide to Lobster

How to cook a lobster? I opted for the boiling method, just because it's easier. Here are some lobster cooking recipes.

This female lobster weighs 1.63 lbs (740 g). "Don't kill me!"

Cooked lobster to be served with melted butter & minced garlic. Poor lobster...

Besides lobster, I got some fresh oysters ($6.95/dozen). My first fresh oyster cooking experience!

Steamed fresh oysters tasted very different from the dried oysters I've had. They're tastier, of course!

Seafood Dishes

2008-12-14T09:52:00.008-04:00

Seafood... seafood... seafood, any takers? Being brought up in a family where both parents take delight in savouring seafood, especially fishes for Mom and crabs for Dad, I followed suit and developed strong appreciation for shrimps.

Fishing season during the summer months in Canada has given me the opportunity to prepare some seafood dishes from freshly caught/bought seafood!

I went to Miramichi, NB for pond fishing and caught this trout during the summer of 2007. My first fish cooking experience :) Mind you, it was a live fish!

2 lbs fresh mussels (~ $1/lb) from summer 2008!

Why do mussels always have to be cooked the same way? Presenting to you the mussel curry!!

1 lb fresh sea scallops (~ $9/lb), with broccoli, mini corns, green beans, and shrimps. Yummy scallops... tender & juicy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-12-13T22:58:00.000-04:00

Chocolate chip cookies recipe is one of the common recipes you ought to try out. This is my second time using the Kraft Baker's recipe. Cookies turned out excellent! Having said that, I wished to have used more chocolate chips, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 cup more.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 375 F.

2. Beat butter, sugars, vanilla essence, and egg until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in flour and baking soda until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart.

5. Bake in preheated oven at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Transfer to rack to cool.

Snow + Rain = MESS

2008-12-12T23:58:00.016-04:00

A snowy day is gorgeous, a rainy day is scenic. However, when the two come together, it can be rather disastrous. Here's the evidence:

Pretty winter scenes on a snowy day:

When the temperature fluctuates and works its way up, beyond the freezing point in the early morning, we get rain instead of snow. The volume of rain, in addition of the amount of melted snow results in puddles everywhere. Slush and rain, oh... how messier can it get?

I wasn't aware of the awful road condition when leaving for work this morning and had my sneakers on, instead of my waterproof winter boots. How smart... what happened in the end? My feet were soaked, from walking to catch the bus, around downtown to drop off books at the library, and towards the lab building.

The rain has finally ceased, when I walked out from the building after work. Winter is not always pretty as it's shown on the TV screen. It creates slush and mess from time to time. Please keep in mind that this is not the worst you can expect. When temperature drops below the freezing point overnight, it's going to be icy the next morning. No sneakers nor winter boots this time, put on a pair of skates instead, haha...

Conclusively, traveling in the winter can be quite troublesome. Winter survival tips? Be sure to check the weather before leaving home. Snowing? Wear a winter hat. Raining? Wear a rain jacket and bring an umbrella. Windy? Put on a winter hat and a pair of winter gloves, and do whatever you can to stay warm!

Dress accordingly to get the most out of the splendid winter season :D

Secret Santa III

2008-12-12T23:14:00.005-04:00

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!!! Another surprise from my Secret Santa ;)

Day 8 (Dec. 12th): A note was found beside the entrance door on second floor around 9:15 a.m. I found it so funny that I almost laughed my head off. It reads:

Day 8th (Dec. 12th): A gift was nicely wrapped and placed under a chair in the hallway! A Christmas wreath and fresh pine scented candle!!

I'm truly spoiled by my Secret Santa. He/she took me by surprise with all these unexpected gifts. Thanks, Santa!

Char Kway Teow

2008-12-11T21:00:00.003-04:00

Char Kway Teow (a.k.a. fried flat noodles) is one of my favourite Malaysian dishes. I was being adventurous to come up with this dish based on my own secret recipe ;) As I've a kind spirit of sharing (as always), I'm revealing to you the magic tricks behind it :D

Ingredients:

220g dried flat noodles

2 eggs, beaten
4 frozen shrimps

1 cup bean sprouts

1 stalk green onion, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp fish sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tsp dark soya sauce

2 tsp light soya sauce

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp red chili powder

Directions:

1. To cook the noodles and shrimps, prepare a pot of boiling water. Boil the dried noodles on high heat for 10-15 minutes until tender. Add 1 tbsp cooking oil to prevent noodles from sticking together. Add frozen shrimps into the pot of hot water to cook.
2. Drain water off the pot. Place noodles and shrimps separately.
3. Heat up the wok. Add the rest of the cooking oil into the wok. When heated, sautee onions and then garlic on medium heat.
4. Place noodles into the wok. Add oyster sauce, dark and light soya sauces, sesame oil, and fish sauce, while frying the noodles.
5. Add beaten eggs, ground peppers, and red chilli powder. Fry the noodles till soft and tender.
6. When eggs are cooked, add the cooked shrimps.
7. Lastly, incorporate bean sprouts and green onions into the noodles.
8. Ready to serve!

I'd have used some Chinese chives instead of green onions, if I could get hold of them. Besides that, I'm pretty happy with the taste and presentation of the dish! Hope you enjoy it ;)

Secret Santa II

2008-12-10T23:48:00.003-04:00

My Secret Santa showed no sign for the past two days. Guess what?? Here is what I got this morning at work - a note (again). I was puzzled for a second, before I was reminded by a co-worker about the weights for balance that we use at various labs. Ha...gotcha! I made a dash to where the weights were placed. Sure enough, my surprise gift was sitting on the counter!

Day 6 (Dec. 10th): A note found at the micro. lab entrance around 9:15 a.m.

Day 6 (Dec. 10th): Christmas cactus from my Secret Santa. How sweet.... Thanks Santa, for you've brighten my day ;)

神秘礼物

2008-12-10T22:09:00.002-04:00

神秘圣诞老人的心思，让我很期待圣诞节的到来。充满惊喜与欢笑的日子，只因有你的努力。谢谢你，圣诞老人！

一个提示
一句暗示
懵懂无知
迷茫错失

你的温柔提点
藏着秘密玄机
要我翻天覆地
伤动脑筋解密

你的心思我都看见
心中感动乐而不语

你的字迹我能看透
乱中有序几可乱真

你的手艺还真贴心
给我造个闪亮雪花

你的厨艺还真不赖
甜巧克力令人难忘

你的爱心展露无遗
绿仙人掌暖在心上

神秘礼物好神奇
无意之中都到齐
低落时刻的惊喜
好比滑稽儿时戏

神秘礼物很感人
咧嘴而笑无法忍
搞笑点子还真多
喜极不想再多说

神秘礼物花心思
悄悄送递无人知
真心诚意尽表露
感恩之情向谁诉

C'est la Vie

2008-12-09T21:55:00.006-04:00

We often get so busy in life that we don't bother thinking about what we want to achieve in life. Busy studying, working, socializing, traveling... Can we not pause for a minute and enjoy the scenic dawn, gorgeous dusk, colourful fallen leaves, and dazzling snowflakes?

There're times where we really need to sit down and think. Reflect on the past, focus on the present, and look forward to the future. Things we find so hard to forget and forgo could just be specks of dusts to us, a few years down the road. Conversely, we want to grasp, value, and cherish for what we acknowledge as treasures in our lives, till the end of the day. Family and friends, visions of the future, faith, and passions.

Louis Braille developed an ingenious system of reading and writing by means of raised dots for the blinds at the age of 15. Alexander Graham Bell developed the basic ideas for the telephone at the age of 18. George Westinghouse, at the age of 19, obtained his first patent for a rotary steam engine. Why do people succeed in life at a young age? Have you ever wonder? Yes, it's true that most of them are talented, or even being classified as geniuses. However, more importantly, they're able to envision their future and go all the way out to materialize their dreams!

The choice is in our hands, no matter we're happy or sad, life goes on. So, why not be happy and lead an enjoyable life? Life is just too short to dwell on pain and sorrow. Get up when we fall, and carry on with life. The best is yet to come, and we shall take courage to discover the goodness of life.

"Life is too short not to make the best and the most of everything that comes your way everyday"

~ Sasha Azevedo

Christmas Arts & Craft Show

2008-12-08T21:38:00.005-04:00

We're in the last month of year 2008 and Christmas is just around the corner! Busy looking for gift ideas? Busy getting some shopping done? Busy wrapping gifts? Most people are doing these for their families. However, I'm doing these for co-workers and friends. Buying gifts for being a Secret Santa, for Yankee Swap and other gift exchange. Sadly speaking, I don't have anything for my family this Christmas. Why? You know it, the shipping cost is more than the cost of gifts! Oh well, Mom, Dad, Bro, & Sis, I'll have something for each of you when we get a chance to meet up again. Sorry about that :(

Alright, back to the annual Christmas Arts & Craft Show that was held at the Fredericton Capital Exhibition Centre on Smythe St. from Dec. 5th (Friday) till Dec. 7th (Sunday). I was there with five other friends to check things out last Saturday. I vaguely remember attending this event once, perhaps three or four years ago.

There are lots of different items on sale, ranging from gourmet sauces, maple syrup and candies, fudges, hand knit clothing, fashion accessories, pottery, Christmas ornaments, and much more! It was a pleasant visit, not only to purchase gifts, but also to appreciate and support the local crafts and goods.

These are what I've got, under $15: two cute Christmas ornaments and a kiln-fired stained glass pendant. Gifts to be given away! I'm gonna miss them...

雪人的微笑

2008-12-07T23:28:00.006-04:00

雪人像白雪一般纯真，他的微笑犹如烈日般灿烂。堆雪人的大孩子有着一颗未泯的童心，在冰冷的雪天打造可爱雪人。再大的风雪也阻止不了一颗热忱的心灵，堆着雪人编织梦想。望着嘴角上扬的雪人，一切努力都值得。谢谢堆雪人的大孩们！

期待着有朝一日，我也能造一个跟我长得一样高的可爱雪人。看着你的微笑，我不禁抿嘴而笑。你啊，为这世界带来无限欢乐！

安静的雪花
唯美的童话
悄悄地对话
构成一幅画

白皑皑的雪景
光秃秃的院庭
静悄悄的梦境
冷飕飕的寒冰
抓住心中把柄
试图给予肯定

冰冷背后温暖
要用真心去换
堆个雪人取暖
呼吸再也不喘

雪人说
我赤身裸臂不觉寒
你却望着我直打颤

雪人的微笑
衬托雪白的街角
雪人的微笑
静止赛跑的分秒
雪人的微笑
安抚寒冷的心跳
雪人的微笑
让人忍不住甜笑

Marble Cake

2008-12-07T09:31:00.004-04:00

Marble cake has always been my favourite cake. I tried baking marble cupcakes this time, instead of a whole marble cake from two years ago. Yummy marble cupcakes! Better still, if they're more moist. Something to improve on for next time :)

Ingredients:

2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk into a mixing bowl. Beat slowly to mix well.

3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.

3. Slowly pour in the flour mixture into the butter mixture while stirring. Reserve 1/3 of batter.

4. Stir cocoa powder into the reserved batter.

5. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter, in muffin cups or cake pan. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Ultimate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

2008-12-06T08:23:00.007-04:00

Peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies are rather common. You can easily get them from the bakeries. If you love them both, have you ever wonder what would the cookie taste like, when you put them together and generate the ultimate peanut butter oatmeal cookies?

Here I am to try it out! I've made some changes with the original recipe. Presenting to you the peanut butter oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies!! What a mouthful :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, margarine, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats, raisins, and chocolate chips until just combined.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the dough lightly with a spoon.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just light brown. Don't over-bake.
5. Yield ~ 36 cookies. Cool and store in an airtight container.

These cookies are very flavourful. If you're the kind of person who likes a bit of everything and always wanted to try something new. This is the recipe for you! Happy trying :)

Broccoli Quiche

2008-12-06T07:55:00.005-04:00

I was first introduced to quiche at the residence meal hall, in my first year of university. Thereafter, I tasted different homemade quiches and found them delightful. Below is a broccoli quiche recipe that I've tried:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion (minced)
1 tsp garlic (minced)
2 cup fresh broccoli (chopped)
1/2 cup white mushrooms (sliced)
2 Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 eggs (well beaten)
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbp butter (melted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Roll out the crescent roll to make pie crust.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 40 minutes, or until centre has set.

Overall, this is a great recipe! I'll probably make a thinner pie crust next time, or prepare it from scratch rather than using the crescent rolls.

Secret Santa I

2008-12-06T07:03:00.000-04:00

Here is the definition of Secret Santa from the Wikipedia: a Western holiday tradition in which members of a group are randomly assigned other members to whom they anonymously give a gift.

This year is my second time participating in the Secret Santa game at workplace. There're ten of us in this game. The game started this week and these are what I've received thus far from Santa:

Day 1 (Dec. 3rd): A clue found at the micro. lab entrance around 3:20 p.m. Hmm... anyone in this building could have done that. Anyway, the first answer that came into mind was snowflakes! Since it has to be breakfast cereals, I'd guess frosted flakes! Ermm... am I getting frosted flakes for breakfast tomorrow then?

Day 2 (Dec. 4th): Snowflake! It was found on the computer desk in the morning around 8:15 a.m.

Day 2 (Dec. 4th): Looks like my Santa is working hard. I got this clue in the fridge at the sample receiving around 3:10 p.m. Hah... chocolate it is! I'm getting some chocolates next!

Day 3 (Dec. 5th): A Christmas tin loaded with chocolate fudge found at the water fountain outside lunch room shortly after morning break, around 10:30 a.m. Thanks for the fudge, Santa! However, I'd appreciate it more if it's less sweet.... not a big fudge fan though. Ferrero Rocher'd be way better ;P

Pad Thai Noodles

2008-12-05T19:35:00.013-04:00

Pad Thai (Thai-style frying) noodles is a famous Thai dish. It's even offered at the Farmer's Market in Fredericton by a Thai food stall, at a cost of $4.50.

I felt like preparing a Thai meal for supper yesterday, and best of all, I brought some for lunch at work and shared it with my fellow co-workers. They absolutely loved it!

Ingredients:
250 g dried flat noodles (rice vermicelli)
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion (diced)
1 medium carrot (finely sliced)
5 medium white whole mushrooms (sliced)
6 medium shrimps
2 cup bean sprouts
2 eggs (beated and seasoned with white pepper and light soya sauce)
110 g Pad Thai sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)

Directions:
1. Soak dried flat noodles in a pot of boiling water for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain off the water.
2. Heat up the wok and add cooking oil. When slightly heated, sautee onions over medium heat.
3. Add carrots and mushrooms and stir-fry them with oyster sauce.
4. Add beaten eggs. Continue frying.
5. Add flat noodles into the wok and fry with Pad Thai sauce, fish sauce, and light soya sauce.
6. Fry with the rest of ingredients: shrimps, bean sprouts, and ground white pepper.
7. Ready to serve by topping it with crushed peanuts and green onions!

错过

2008-12-05T18:34:00.005-04:00

上班途中的所闻所见。周五的清晨，有点忧郁；然而，却也难隐迎接周末来临的雀跃。

拥挤人群中
错过美丽的邂逅
忙碌生活里
错过日出的瑰丽
辛勤地工作
错过生活的乐趣
疾步而行
还是错过最后班车

再多的叹息也是徒然
错过的
就像蒸散无踪的水气

唯有最珍贵的
才能经得起时间考验
提炼出结晶
该珍惜的
其实就在眼前不远处

宁可挺胸仰望
也不愿回头一瞥
孰知苦候老树开花的煎熬
倒不如用心播种施肥期盼幼芽的成长

低头顾影自怜
不如阔步向前迈进

与其缅怀过去
不如展望未来

Mandarin Palace

2008-12-05T12:29:00.004-04:00

After living in Fredericton for more than five years now, there's a Chinese restaurant in town that I've yet to visit. The Mandarin Palace Restaurant on Lincoln Road! It's accessible via the bus route, which is rather convenient for those who don't own a car (a.k.a. myself).

Four of us went there for supper and ordered four different dishes to share.

The Cantonese stir-fry noodles.

Steamed sea bass fillet with ginger and green onions.

The famous spicy Szechuan dish, Ma Po Tofu.

Stir-fry Yu Choy (green choy sum) with beef.

We enjoyed our meal, but found it a bit pricey (ranging from $12 to $17 per dish). The final bill turned out to be $20 each person. I started missing those dishes that I could get from home, again. A seafood meal will be awesome! Lobsters, crabs, giant shrimps, and my ultimate favourite, taro pot with sauteed mixed vegetables. Yummm....

Having said that, these Chinese dishes are well prepared and I'd certainly recommend Mandarin Palace to those who appreciate authentic Chinese cuisine!

Quick & Easy Pizza II

2008-12-04T23:14:00.006-04:00

This is my second time preparing homemade pizza, using the same recipe as before. This time, I baked the pizza for 20 minutes at 400 F instead (rather than at 450 F) in the preheated oven . It turned out great, no burning at all :) It was more cheesy too!

Topping ingredients:

1 cup pasta sauce

2 round slices of bologne

1/2 lb ground beef (seasoned with ground pepper and light soya sauce)

1 medium onion (diced)

5 pieces medium whole mushrooms (sliced)

1 1/2 cup mozarella & marble cheese (in cubes or shredded)

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp oregano leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 400F.

2. Place the ingredients in order, from the list above, on the pizza crust.

3. Bake pizza for 20 minutes.

4. Serve while hot!

NEW Appearance

2008-12-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

Presenting my blog with a brand new appearance! I've been working for the past few days on combining three blogs into one; this site, certainly has much to offer. Ranging from adventures, festivities, food, lifestyle, recipes, traveling, and Chinese writing (文艺部落).

This is a site about my life experiences that are worth remembered and cherished. I'm looking forward to sharing them with you.

By the way, comments are always welcome ^v*

冬雨

2008-12-01T22:44:00.009-04:00

十二月一日的天空，无情地下起雨来了。雨，洒在雪堆上。冬季里的雨天，让我不禁怀念雪花纷飞的日子。我心想：到底雨点在哭泣，抑或微笑？

没有默契的水滴
无缘凝聚在一起
是老天爷不作美
还是雨点在伤悲

零上天气很沮丧
失去雪花的芳香
水珠终究得舍弃
相聚一起的缘机

是自由
抑或颓废
雨滴始终保持缄默
不停地奔驰
企图忘掉悲伤
灌溉着大地
想要磨灭雪的痕迹

雪花
是曾在一起的印证
绮丽且珍贵
冰霜为盟
寒风为誓

如今
没了冰天雪地的感动
雪人
溶化不再给温暖

稀薄的空气
让人想放弃
呼吸的权利
是雪的美丽让生活有意义

潮湿的雨天
让人很惦念
阳光的妖艳
是雨的思念带来一丝爱恋

难道落泪就是悲哀？
难道欢笑就是喜悦？
洒落的雨滴
或许在释怀
而不是叹息

哀伤
还是快乐
唯有天晓得

美丽的诗句

2008-11-30T23:09:00.003-04:00

我一直都很欣赏能够写得一首好诗的文笔。以姓名作开端来吟诗又如何？至今诗中的字句乃历历在目，很感谢曾给我写过这么一首诗的人：

洪慧文章诗词卷，
美誉佳年在华年，
仪姿倩影如意至，
心想事成金名添。

虽然他只是个街边的卖艺人，但诗句的意义深远，曾给了我莫大的鼓励。每逢人生低潮，都想凭着诗句来自我鼓舞。

Christmas in the Village

2008-11-29T22:39:00.010-04:00

We're almost in our last month of the year 2008! In other words, Christmas is just around the corner :) Christmas shopping will keep everyone busy for sure. This weekend, Gagetown is hosting its 13th annual "Christmas in the Village." The radio commercial has been playing over and over again since the beginning of the week. I was excited about this trip and couldn't wait to check out what they've to offer there!

The Village of Gagetown is about 40 minutes drive away from Fredericton. Founded in 1783 and incorporated in 1966, it's strategically located on the banks of Saint John River, midway between Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. We went in a group of eight and took the free cable ferry ride across the majestic Saint John River. The ferry runs all year around between Lower Jemseg off Route 715 and Gagetown on Route 102.

Gagetown is a quaint little village with gracious homes. It's the birthplace of Samuel Leonard Tilley, one of the Fathers of Confederation.

The local post office in Gagetown.

Very neat christmas decoration outside a pub.

One of the many stores that opened to the public.

Items that were on sale includes pottery items, christmas crafts, homemade jams, drawings, and baked goods. These stores located all around the village. We walked from store to store for about one and a half hours before making a quick stop for lunch at a church. Baked beans, bread, donut, and tea for $5, quite a good deal. Just before that, we were offered hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies (in the shape of christmas tree & gingerbread man) at the museum. Yummy cookies and the soothing hot cider made a perfect combination in the cool winter day!

The hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies.

After lunch, we walked around the rest of the stores for another hour or so.

Very pretty christmas ornaments, nicely laid on the stairs.

I was looking for some local goods as christmas gifts. Guess what I found? Apple ice wine ($17) and sparkling apple cranberry cider ($5.75)!

We left the village of Gagetown around 3 p.m. On our way back to Fredericton, we had a stop over at the Gagetown military base (20 km from Fredericton) in Oromocto. The Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown is officially founded in 1958. It's operated by the Department of National Defense and owned by the Government of Canada. With a surface area of 1,100 square kilometres, it boasts to be one of the largest military bases in this country.

All kinds of service are offered at the base. Medical, dental, emergency... you name it. Bank, post office, movie theatre, and chapels can also be found here. Hence, what's your excuse to leave to base then? :P

A tank with the name "Addy" (in the black box) on it. See that? I'm honoured to have a tank named after me :)

Let It Snow...Let It Snow...Let It Snow...

2008-11-24T20:57:00.008-04:00

I'll never forget the excitement I had when I experienced snow for the first time! Of course, the natural snowing is different from the artificial snow house I visited when I was little.

The snowfall in October, 2003.

The first day of snow in Fredericton this year happened last Wednesday (November 19th). More snow last Saturday (November 22nd)!

The winter view from my apartment.

I always look forward to the snow in winter. My mindset will probably change when I own a car and have to drive around in the harsh winter days :P I enjoy skating, even though I'm not a great skater. And of course, skiing! Downhill skiing particularly. The scenic view from the mountain top, the thrill of maneuvering the skis, and the cold rush of wind as I make my way down the mountain (smoothly, hopefully). If I don't? Oh well, it's just another learning opportunity. Get up when you fall. Otherwise? You're stuck in the middle of nowhere, miss out the chance to explore new terrain, and fail to enjoy loads of fun and excitement that await you!

Similarly, we fall and stumble in life. We might get bruises when we fall from skiing, but they come and go; just like mistakes we made that are forgivable. Avoid falling on hard surfaces and sharp edges to keep away from serious injuries. It's comparable to some major faults we commit in life that can be no turning back. We want to refrain from doing that by all means. Nonetheless, no matter how hard we fall, just bear in mind that it's not the end of the world. Move on and thrive through the challenges. Soar like an eagle!

Racine's

2008-11-21T12:42:00.003-04:00

Racine's is one of the best restaurants that I ever been to in Fredericton. Located in the heart of downtown Fredericton on Queet St., it has a lot to offer on its lunch menu. Price ranges between $10 and $14 for a main course, which is pretty decent, given that fresh ingredients are used and presentation is simply marvelous.

Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, flatbread pizzas, Asian bowls etc. have their ways to fit your taste. I've been here for lunch a few times and tried the chicken burger, sandwich, and flatbread pizza. Just like always, I tried something different this time - the Asian bowl. With a choice of mild/medium/hot, egg noodles/rice pilaf, chicken/beef/shrimps, I ordered hot egg noodles with chicken.

The Asian bowl for $11.

Fiona ordered the Chicken Burger.

Stephanie had the Philly Steak Sandwich.

Renée had the Beef Wrap.

Tracy had the Cordon Bleu Sandwich that was new on the menu. "Cordon Bleu" is a French term, literally translated as "blue ribbon," that originally referred to an award for culinary excellence given to women cooks! The term can now apply to any superior cook (yes, men too), and also to this dish (chicken, ham and Swiss cheese slices, breaded and sauteed).

The Cordon Bleu Sandwich.

Self Investment - Find the Greatest Treasure in YOU

2008-11-20T23:49:00.012-04:00

I had a brief discussion with Eric about self investment a few days ago.

Eric: I'm going to do a presentation about self investment. A working person invest in self development through attending part-time courses, which can be for work or personal interests.

Me: I see. Instead of the commonly known financial investment, we invest in ourselves for a better future.

Eric: (busy applying face cream) Yeah.

Me: That's exactly what you're doing. Invest in face cream for a nice complexion!

Eric: (making a face) That's not exactly what I mean!

Me: It's a good example though. Haha...

Anyway, I spent some time putting my thoughts together. Enjoy reading!

Why do we invest? What's the purpose of making an investment? For most of us, financial investment is the first thing that comes into mind when someone mentions about the term "investment." Here is the definition of "invest" from the online FreeDictionary that fits into this context: to commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return. More often than not, investments are made to ensure a secured life and a brighter future. We invest in the stock markets, mutual funds, bonds, properties etc. The ultimate goal is simply a rewarding return (the higher the merrier) in the future. We reap the benefits of investments and hopefully, have a comfortable life when we retire.

Despite the advantages of financial investment, how many of us actually thought of self investment? Well, we did it for education since young. We spent time, energy, and money in getting a good education. Then what? We should look at self investment as an act of investing in oneself for a life-long personal development. Here is another definition of the word "invest": to spend or devote for future benefits.

Self investment is a long term investment. We understand that a long-term investment in the share market takes advantage of market rebounds and generally results in superior returns. Likewise, education is not the end of the story for self investment; instead, we should develop special interests in various fields for our physical, mental, and spiritual growths, as well as to discover our inner talents.

Why do you think parents want their children to get involved in different activities, such as skating, drawing, playing piano, and swimming? It gives children the opportunities to master special skills, be it technical, social, or even management. We realized the significance of being an all-rounder and it'll only make sense that we make it happen.

What are the ways to do it? Below are a few examples:

(1) Attend part-time courses to allow personal growth. Qualification is the fundamental of a job requirement. Personal development and experience are perhaps something that would distinct between you and your co-workers. Attend various courses, seminars, and workshops. Be initiative, innovative, and creative, in order to stand out from the crowd.

(2) Reading. Invest some money and time in good reading materials, whether they're for general interests, study, or work-related. Reading is a great way for self-enhancement. It stimulates new ideas and build new perspectives that we can put into practice in life.

(3) Sports. Staying active is an excellent way to promote physical health and wellness. Brisk walking, biking, skiing, hiking etc. You name it! Get involved in your favourite sports.

(4) Traveling. It helps to broaden our horizons and allows relaxation.

(5) Build a social network. Spend quality time with family and friends. Strong relationships offer strong support in our endeavours. Share experiences in life and learn from others' mistakes. A mistake made is a lesson learned.

Basically, it can be anything beneficial that we enjoy doing. Learning a new language, knitting, cross-stitching, designing and much more. Getting ourselves involved in activities other than studies and work. We need a variety of learning experience to stay upbeat and keep up with the changes in everyday life.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

~ Romans 12:2 a & b (NIV)

Decision is in our hands. Be motivated to invest in ourselves as the harvest is bountiful. It's never too late to start investing now. Invest in yourself, and find the greatest treasure in you that brings forth a fulfilling future. Below is a famous quote about investment in knowledge:

"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."

~ Benjamin Franklin

When Troubles Come

2008-11-18T22:43:00.008-04:00

Isn't it frustrating when you can't find something that you're searching so hard for, especially when you knew that you had it put away?! At that instant, I wished all my belongings were tagged and can be located by a personal GPS device. Wouldn't that be a perfect world to live in?

Even before GPS becomes popular, I had this little dream of creating an inventory list which includes all the information I need for my belongings: date of purchase, value, place of storage etc. In case I can't find anything that I'm looking for, I can just go through the list and find it right away (provided that I don't lose my inventory list)! How wonderful would that be?

With the technology advancement of GPS, perhaps we can come up with something more sophisticated. Put a little tag on all my belongings and store their personal information in my GPS device. When this machinery for information technology becomes available, I'll never ever have to suffer from the annoyance of losing my things!!

The reality is that, when I fail to locate my belongings after a painful search (usually 30 minutes to an hour), I stop searching. It's not that I'm giving up, but to give myself a break from the frustration. Believe it or not, the "lost" item will usually appear after a couple of days. So, the trick is to be patient and allow some time for memory recovery.

Believe it or not, this is the time when I need Doraemon (the amazing Japanese cartoon character) the most!

Blood Donation - It's in You to GIVE

2008-11-05T23:25:00.004-04:00

What's your reaction to a needle-pricking pain? How about leaving a needle in your arm for 10 minutes? Shocking? Scary? Ridiculous? Impossible??

I'm grateful that my healthy body is fit for blood donation. If the needle-pricking pain is your problem, think about this: would you ever give up a chance to live on, if one day you happen to experience blood lost and blood transfusion is the only way to save your day? Would you then refuse to accept blood, just because you're afraid of needles? Not a CHANCE!!! By the same token, why not be a generous donor and share with others the goodness of life? It's in you to give! What do you have to lose?

At a young age, I envied those who're over 18 of age and are able to donate blood. Why would someone who used to afraid of swallowing pills and needle-pricking like me be brave enough to go for blood donation? I believe in overcoming fears in life, especially if it's unnecessary fears. If you want to stay healthy, simply swallow the prescribed pills; if there's something else you develop a greater fear of (which surely you do), just go for blood donation!

I was really excited for my first blood donation in 2005, at the blood donor clinic on the university campus. I've to admit that one of the motivations was the bonus point from my Biochem. lab professor who encouraged students in her class to participate in blood donation ;) I had bad experience donating blood the first couple of times. I've slow blood flow due to my tiny veins, and nurses had to give up after a while before they could gather the desired amount of blood from me! I pray hard every time I go for blood donation that my blood would flow freely and let it fill up the bag. My prayer was answered at last, when I started using my right arm (even though I used it before and it didn't work)! Apparently, I've larger veins on my right arm and twice so far, that it worked perfectly! Nevertheless, I spent 14 minutes instead of an average of 10 minutes for most people. The nurse was worried at some point that I might not be able to make it through and had to adjust the needle's position... Ha... I proved him wrong :P

I'm surprised to find out my blood type (B+) is rather rare in Canada, about 7.6% of all blood types. O+ is the most common (39%), followed by A+ (36%), O- (7%), A- (6%), AB+ (2.5%), B- (1.5%), and O- (0.5%).

Do you know?
1. Each blood donation can save up to three individuals. One unit of whole blood can be separated into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
2. On average, a hip replacement requires one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass needs 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
3. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only be given as a gift from people.
4. Blood donors can donate as frequent as every 56 days.
5. One unit of blood is ~450 mls for each donation.
6. The process of blood donation, from start to finish, takes only one hour! Hemoglobin (iron) testing, answering donor questionnaire, blood pressure & body temperature reading, blood donation, and 5 minutes of rest.
7. A blood sample from the donation is taken for testing transmissible diseases, prior to usage.
8. You burn about 650 calories for each pint (~ 473 mls) of blood donated.

What are you waiting for? Call the Canadian Blood Services today to make an appointment (1 888 2 DONATE)! Remember, it's in you to give! Be the ONE who makes a difference in someone else's life *v*

Egg Tart

2008-11-03T21:19:00.002-04:00

My love for egg tarts is on a par with Mom's love for taro cake, Dad's love for almond cookies, Bro's love for BBQ pork, and Sis' love for stuffed glutinous rice balls. Egg tart is certainly one of the food items that I missed most from home. I tried making egg tarts with a friend two years ago from an online recipe and they turned out great! I've been making egg tarts occasionally since then. Thanks to Pierre for his effort finding the recipe :)

Ingredients:

(A) Pastry

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup margarine/butter

1/3 cup icing sugar (sifted)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(B) Filling

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

160 mls water

26 mls evaporated milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix the margarine, icing sugar, egg, and vanilla extract from (A) together. Slowly add all-purpose flour while stirring the mixture.

2. Chill the pastry dough for ~ 2 hours in the refrigerator, or at least 30 minutes in the freezer.

3. While waiting, mix the ingredients from (B) together.

4. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.

5. Once the pastry dough is ready, take ~ 2 tbsp of dough and spread it evenly on a tart mould. Do the same using the rest of the dough. It yields ~ 10 standard-sized tarts.

6. Prick holes with a fork on the bottom of the unbaked tarts.

7. Slowly pour the tart filling into each mould about 3/4 full.

8. Bake tarts for 25-30 minutes until the tart shells turn light brown and the fillings fully solidify.

9. Cool the tarts and dig in!

My Favourite Watch - The END

2008-11-03T18:21:00.019-04:00

What's your personal favourite? I love my watch, a watch that I've been wearing for the past eleven years... since the I was twelve. It was a reward from Dad for my academic achievement in UPSR exam. Since I got straight A's, I was even allowed to request for two watches: a waterproof sport watch and a lady watch! The former was given to my brother as a regift five years ago since he needed one.

Years after years, I've been wearing my favourite watch at major exams such as PMR, SPM, IELTS, finals during university years etc. It was a loyal companion through my ups and downs in life. Even though I received two other watches (Adidas and Guess) in the past few years, this was still the one I wore most often. It has such a great sentimental value to me, and I treasured it a lot.

It wasn't one of the fancy watches that cost you a fortune. Conversely, the cost was around RM30. Its look was simple yet elegant. I simply love it, especially the Roman letters on it (from one to twelve). I was confused with the letters at one point and hoping wishfully that, by looking at my watch everyday I'll soon learn them. So I did ;)

The belt watch has been changed numerous times, once every two to three years. I insisted in having the blue belt with silver metal, because it matched well with the watch design.

The happiness with my favourite watch lasted till yesterday. Something disasterous happened... it was left in my jeans' pocket when I soaked, hand-washed, and dried the pants in the dryer!! I didn't realize it until I was putting away my clothes into the closet.... and I saw this....

My heart was broken, just as the watch did! I can't believe that I was so cruel to it and has ended its life through the process of drowning it in suffocating laundry detergent with lemon scent and exposing it to the ultimate heat tanning in the dryer...

I've no one to blame but myself. I was quite upset about it since last night. The moral of the lesson, check your pockets before dumping clothes into the laundry basket! When I mentioned this to Paul that my favourite watch I've been wearing for major occasions went kaput, he replied "there's something I bring with me everywhere I go, UPSR, PMR, SPM, midterms, final exams..." As I was still wondering what could that be, a burst of laughter came from Paul and he said "my ASS!!" Hahaha... I can't help but to join him in laughter. That was a good one!

To me, what's important in life is the personal attitudes and perspectives that can really make a great impact to the world. Material things come and go, but the spirit within us is eternal. It's too bad that I can't keep something of a great sentimental value any longer, but I'd cherish the memory and keep in mind that most things in life don't last forever. Deal with it, get over it, and continue on with life!

p/s: R.I.P., my favourite silver sky blue watch, for you've brighten my days in times of trial. God bless you! xoxo

Daylight Saving Time

2008-11-02T09:34:00.006-04:00

One of the few things that I've to get used to living in Canada is to remember about the time switching in the spring and fall. "Spring forward, fall backward" implies the change of time in the spring (an hour ahead), and in the fall (an hour behind). In other words, you lose an hour in the spring but gain an hour in the fall. What does that mean? It means I've just got an extra hour of sleep! The change of time takes place on the first Sunday in November and second Sunday in March, both at 2:00 a.m. It used to be on the last Sunday in October and first Sunday in April at one point. It amuses me how the clock system works on electronic gadgets, e.g. computers and cell phones. According to the time zone it's set for, the clock will automatically turn back time, it strikes 1:00 a.m. from 1:59 a.m. when it really supposed to be 2:00 a.m. I'm really impressed...

What's the point of Daylight Saving Time? This idea was first introduced in the early 20th century and has been adopted by most of the western countries. It's meant to provide more daylight hours in the afternoon for various activities. Furthermore, it contributes towards energy savings, i.e. more daylight hours during working hours leads to energy efficiency. It's even shown a drop in accident rate, i.e. driving to work at 7 a.m. in the dark is more prone to accident than in the light.

I thought it was bazaar when I first realized that I've to switch my clock back and forward! If you're not paying attention, you may show up an hour early for an appointment in the fall and an hour late for your test in the spring! Therefore, it's important to take note of your calender, or simply still, make sure you've the right time zone selected on your computer and it does the miracle :)

Something to keep in mind though, majority of Saskatchewan and parts of northeastern British Columbia, as well as some places in the USA (Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico etc.) obey the standard time all year long.

The importance of time standardization reminds me of the synchronization of time zone between the East and West Malaysia in 1981. Under the premiership of Dr. Mahathir, West Malaysians moved their clocks ahead by 30 minutes to match the time zone used in East Malaysia (8 hours ahead of GMT). Singapore followed suit the following year, to ease the trades across the causeway. This explains why the dawn is observed sooner (6 a.m.) in East Malaysia than the West (6:30 a.m.)! It simply because the West Malaysians have moved their clocks forward.

Time, time, time... how fascinating it is!

Halloween

2008-10-31T23:14:00.008-03:00

What does Halloween mean to you? I was never introduced to Halloween celebration until my first year of university in Canada. Halloween is part of the western culture and a good excuse to PARTY!! Not just that, dress-up party is the fun part. And, and, and... Halloween treats! Trick-or-treating is certainly something that kids look forward to. Children will dress up in their Halloween costumes and go door to door in the neighbourhood with siblings or friends asking for Halloween treats.

The brain cup cakes, yumm...

Halloween decorations.

The Pumpkin Sacrifice is an annual event hosted by the Harrison residence at the University of New Brunswick. I was living in Harrison during my first year of university and have always wanting to attend the event again. What is it all about? It's a 500 lbs pumpkin plummeting from the roof of the residence!

It's believed that pumpkin is sacrificed in order to harvest a fruitful academic year. This is the oldest residence tradition in Canada. The tradition started when some Harrison residents decided that it'd be a good idea to throw pumpkin off the roof of the building in 1973.

The ceremony started at 9 p.m. The gigantic pumpkin was carved with the faces of Janus, the two-visaged Roman God of beginnings and endings. It was borne across the quad (in front of the Student Union Building) by ten first-year Harrison students dressed in black, followed by the rest of the first-year residents and ten Harrison alumni in black, with candles held in hands.

Upon reaching the Joy Kidd residence, it was lit with three flares before retracing its steps back to Harrison and hoisted two and a half storey onto the roof of the residence's lounge.

The gigantic, carved 500 lbs pumpkin.

The pumpkin was borne by ten Harrison students.

On their way to the Joy Kidd residence.

Candles in the pumpkin almost caught a fire?!

The 36th annual Pumpkin Sacrifice at its climax. Three wise people said an invocation before the crashing of pumpkin.

The pumpkin was set on fire before meeting its doom.

This event brought back my memory of residence life. It was an unforgettable experience to be part of the Pumpkin Sacrifice. This year, however, I was one of the crazy bunch of spectators ;)

Indian Buffet

2008-10-30T23:42:00.001-03:00

This is the best Indian buffet restaurant I've ever been! Buffet Maharaja is acknowledged as the largest Indian cuisine buffet in North America. With over a hundred food items on its buffet menu, it attracts many Indian cuisine lovers, from within and outside the Montreal city. The buffet section is divided into a few divisions and just to mention some of my favourite dishes:

(A) Appetizers: vegetable samosa, yellow lentil soup, pakora etc.
(B) Meats: Butter chicken, Tandoori chicken, beef curry, chicken curry, chicken korma, lamb sag (spinach), egg kofta etc.
(C) Vegetarian dishes: Chick peas, aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), begun bhortha (spiced roasted eggplants), lentil curry, sag panir (spinach and cheese) etc.
(D) Rice dishes: Briyani etc.
(E) Breads: Nan bread, papor etc.
(F) Desserts: Golab jamun, carrot halwa, jelabi etc.

Isn't that overwhelming?! At least I was overwhelmed! If they're offering such a great variety of food, how much do they charge?? Well, you'll be really surprised...

Monday - Wednesday: $10.99 for lunch and $14.99 for supper.
Friday - Sunday: $11.99 for lunch and $16.99 for supper.

Where else can you find authentic Indian cuisine that beats the price?? Not even close! It's a must go in Montreal for sure!!

Address: 1481, René-Lévesque Bld. West, Montréal, Québec H3G 1T8
Tel: (514) 934-0655

Here are pictures taken from this past June during my second visit to Buffet Maharaja. Mom and Dad enjoyed the food a lot too!

My first plate.

Mom's first plate.

My second plate, with more butter chicken ;)

More?? Yes, my third plate!

My dessert/fruits plate.

Dad's plate, with his favourite Tandoori chicken.

致爷爷

2008-10-30T22:03:00.002-03:00

每次看回这首诗，都有很深的感触。对爷爷，我一直都是又敬又畏的。在异乡的日子，突然很想写点字句送给爷爷。依稀记得当时的确写了一封信寄回家乡，希望他老人家看了觉得安慰。说着说着，好像很久没跟爷爷联络了。是不是时候写封信给他呢？

写于2003年十月的一首诗：

致爷爷

远赴加国求学去
一年半载不相逢
心头满是思念情
不知爷爷可心疼？

秋意正值浓厚时
黄彤一片好景光
眼前尽是绿草地
宛如身置仙境般

忙碌日子不尽数
勤奋求学不言弃
玩乐时刻尽放纵
生活愉快忧尽消

埋头案上执笔书
绘尽心声于纸墨
但愿爷爷永安好
随风飘去诗一首

Bluetooth Headset

2008-10-28T12:25:00.006-03:00

Arghh... I've been having issues with my hands-free. It tangles up every single time I try to put it on. Worse still, I've to keep the excessive length of wire aside, possibly hide it under my fall jacket. What's the matter with it?! It's driving me nuts....

These issues prompt me to get a bluetooth device, and save the hassles of dealing with the wires! I came to know about the existence of bluetooth technology when I was in middle school, but didn't pay much attention to it. Nowadays, you can get cellphones, computers, laptops, GPS receivers, game consoles such as Wii and Play Station 3, and much more with bluetooth technology. How cool is that?

At first, I just wanted a regular "businessman" bluetooth headset that hangs on to one ear. I found out later that it's only used for talking on the phone but can't play music (otherwise, you're gonna listen to music on one ear, and noises on the other, huh?).

That was a big let down. Now what? I was looking online for a stereo bluetooth headset but found it pricey (ranges from $50 to $100+), and never got around thinking much about it until I visited the Wal-Mart on the weekend....

Motorola HT820 stereo bluetooth headset.

Hmm...buy or not to buy ($50 after taxes)? After contemplating for 30 minutes, I decided to give it a try. Furthermore, it's under warranty, in case anything goes wrong...

Gadgets that come with it.

I wondered what's the use of the headphone jack on the headset at first. Well, maybe you can amplify the music by plugging it to stereo speakers? I didn't realize until I came across with a review that it can be used to plug to an iPod while connected to a cellphone. Basically, you can be running on the treadmill while listening to songs, and not missing a call!

Wirelessly listen to music and never miss a call on this stylish headset!

It's absolutely amazing! Great stereo effect, easy control of buttons (on/off, volumes, track change, make/receive calls). It has 12 hours of music time, or 17 hours of talk time, and weighs only 100g. Very cool! Honestly, I appreciate the technology nowadays that makes life so much easier, and of course, more enjoyable ;) Simply loving it!

The Latte Factor

2008-10-26T23:07:00.014-03:00

"A latte spurned is a fortune earned"

~ People Magazine

What's a latte factor?! I first came across with this term while reading "The Automatic Millionaire" by David Bach. Every one's latte factor varies, it can be lotto ticket, Starbucks coffee, cigarettes etc. It's something than we invest in, on a regular basis; and yet, we don't realize the large amount we end up putting into it. Why?? It simply because we feel like it's costing nearly nothing when we spend on the purchase!

Lotto tickets? $8 a week. A cup of Starbucks latte? Oh well, it's only $5 a day. But do the math:

Lotto ticket
One week: $8
One month: $32
One year: $416
Ten years: $4,160!

Coffee

One week: $35

One month: $140

One year: $1,820

Ten years: $18,200!

It turns out to be a staggering number! Let's save up this amount and see what happens...

Assuming 3% interest per annum, compounded monthly over 10 years. Using the monthly compound interest formula, you'll end up with a value of more than $700 (lotto ticket) and $3,000 (coffee) from the interest alone! Well, perhaps you're not convinced... you question about inflation: what's the point of saving up? At the end of the day, it may not mean much after all.... And I don't mean to boycott the Lotto 6/49 or Starbucks, the message I'm trying to get across is to identify your latte factor and realize how much you can do by avoiding it!

Think about this: the above example is merely a 3% interest p.a., if you invest that amount in something that has a higher return rate, i.e. mutual funds, stock market etc., you're looking at a return of double or even triple of the above figures. Please bear in mind that lotto ticket or coffee is just an insignificant expenditure in our daily life. Imagine how big an impact would be when you sum up all your latte factors over the years... It's a stunning figure, I can assure you!

Then you may ask: why are we making life so difficult by saving up? Shouldn't we enjoy life while we can? Well, it's important to enjoy life, but do it in a responsible way and sensible manner. Do you know that 18,000 children die everyday because of hunger and malnutrition and 850 million of people go to bed every night with empty stomachs (Statistics from the United Nations, 2007)? We could have used that money to benefit others and spread the love of God!

To be rich, it's not about how much you earn; but how much you save and how much you're willing to give. I always admire those who live a joyful and contented live. They may not have the best thing in the world and a lavish lifestyle, but they're able to savour the goodness of life by avoiding the spendthrift attitude. It's never too early to start saving for old age, or any financial crisis down the road. Better still, if we can share it with people who are in need.

Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is.

"For the love of money is root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

~ 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)

It's never easy to cultivate a desciplined life, especially when it involves finance. It's just like teaching a newborn child, it requires lots of efforts and patience. Once the child is disciplined, the temperament is going to stay for good for the rest of his/her days. Likewise, we shall make an impact on our future and change the world, as the calling is within us, if you ever pay attention to the small voice deep down the soul...

Frank's Finer Diner

2008-10-26T23:06:00.002-03:00

What kind of restaurant catches your attention? Restaurant shopping is a term I'd use for myself. I enjoy visiting different restaurants and even if I'm back to the same restaurant, I'd prefer trying a different dish! Why? It simply because I love varieties! You never know what you really like until you've tried enough to figure that out. What if you made a bad choice? Well, learn from the lesson never to do it again, just like what we ought to do in life, isn't it?

Frank's Finer Diner is one of the best restaurants I've ever been in Fredericton. It's unique with its 50's dining settings and even some waitresses on their roller skates. A homey ambiance, friendly staff, reasonable pricing, and comfortable settings have made this restaurant a success! We had to line up for seats on a Sunday afternoon.

The 50's restaurant settings.

A nicely setup miniature electrical train and tracks.

The Hot Turkey Sandwich that I ordered.

Dave had this Ham Dinner which offered as the daily special.

Paul had wings, veggie sticks, and a generous serving of onion rings and poutine!

Betty had Chicken Sandwich with salad. A big serving!

Dorrie ordered a Crispy Chicken Wrap with mashed potatoes.

We had a great meal together after the church service. Frank's Finer Diner is located at the Two Nation's Crossing, north of Fredericton. It's opposite of the new Wal-Mart. This is my second visit in one and a half years. The reason for having a Hot Turkey Sandwich? I missed my turkey for Thanksgiving! The house fries were very crispy and delicious. The gravy on sandwich was great too, although I should have asked for whole wheat bread instead of the white bread served by default. The turkey though, could have been better, since it's mainly dark meat. With an extra cost of $1, you could get all white meat. Nevertheless, nothing could beat the real, whole home-baked stuffed turkey!

Jubilee Chinese Buffet

2008-10-25T23:59:00.001-03:00

The Jubilee restaurant that offers Chinese buffet! They claimed to offer over 100 Chinese/ Canadian buffet food items.

Paul, Eric and myself decided to visit the Jubilee restaurant for their super Chinese buffet! The supper buffet was $14.99. The price has gone up quite a bit over the years. It was around 5:45 p.m. when we arrived. The restaurant was crowded. Oh well, it's buffet, so we helped ourselves with these:

My first plate.

My second plate.

My third plate.

My fourth plate shared with Eric.

Last but not least, desserts!

Food I enjoyed at this restaurant? I voted for the seafood! Fresh mussels, steamed haddock fillets, stir-fry shrimps, yumm.... and of course, I liked the Singapore-style noodles too! We were stuffed at the end of the meal. It was great, but it won't be a place where I'd visit often, because I lose control of what I eat for buffet, and that's bad! It'd be a nice treat though, once in a blue moon ;)

Be a Smarty Pants!

2008-10-24T12:53:00.005-03:00

Wanna outsmart others and be a Smarty Pants? Well, dogs do too! Here is an interesting video...

Hehe...be a Smart Pants? Think twice! *v* It takes more effort than you think ;D

One-day meal journey in Saint John

2008-10-20T23:18:00.001-03:00

Breakfast

Venue: McDonald's (near Lancaster Mall)
Menu: Blueberry pies

The blueberry pie from McDonald's which I have been wanting to try. Two for $1.39. It was tasty and value for money.

Lunch

Venue: Sampan Restaurant at Lancaster Plaza (640 Manawagonish Rd.)

Menu: Dim Sum +_*

Rice porridge with century egg and pork, yau char kuey, and egg plants with stuffed meat. Yummy!

Steamed buns, pork belly, fried tofu, pot stickers etc.

My favourite egg tarts with flaky shells! Meat rolls in bean curd skins, squid curry, and more!

Pork dumplings, pork ribs, shrimp dumplings, and char kuey teow (fried rice noodles).

The food was tasty, even though it was rather greasy and fatty. Oh well, "dim sum" is the way it is! It was a Chinese food indulgence that happened once in a blue moon. There were nine of us at the table and everyone was stuffed by the end of the meal. Good food and great time chatting. Nevertheless, "yum cha" (a.k.a. morning tea) should only be taken as a treat once awhile!

Coffee Break

Venue: Starbucks

Menu: Pumpkin spice Frappuccino (*limited time only*)

Green tea Frappuccino and my pumpkin spice Frappuccino (right). They were tasty and refreshing!

A drive-thru Starbucks?! Nice!

Starbucks, a place which I don't visit very often. Why? Well, I don't usually drink coffee (since caffeine doesn't work on me) and drinks here are super expensive! I'd rather buy a meal than getting a cup of coffee. Having said that, it was a treat to myself today!

Supper

Venue: Lemongrass Thai Restaurant (42 Princess St.)

Menu: Tom Yum soup, vegetarian Pad Thai noodles, tamarind, shrimp, Malaysian chicken curry, and chicken green curry.

Very unique ceiling lamp. A stalk of flower hanging upside down! Very artistic indeed.

Tom Yum soup ($16) with shrimps, baby corns, and mushrooms. Lemongrass, lime leaves, and fresh cilantro added flavours to it! I'd prefer the soup to be thicker and spicier though.

Pad Thai noodles ($13) are rice noodles cooked with Pad Thai sauce, peanuts, red peppers, tofu, bean sprouts, green onions etc.

Tamarind shrimp ($17) cooked with mushrooms in the sweet and sour tamarind sauce. I enjoyed the large shrimps a lot!

The green curry chicken ($15) cooked with cubes of eggplants. The curry was light in colour instead of green that I expected. Perhaps the word "green" came from the green chili padi they used.

The daily special dish, Malaysian chicken curry ($17) which tasted a lot like curry laksa! Yumm...yumm...yummy!!

Six of us sharing all these dishes. That's the awesomeness of dining in a group. You get a variety of food!

Our first choice was Suwana Restaurant for Thai supper. It was fully booked when we got there. Apparently, someone would have to make a supper reservation three months in advance!! Oh well, hope I get to try their Thai dishes on my next trip to Saint John.

The food at Lemongrass Restaurant was great, although I was a bit let down by the Tom Yum soup. My favourite dish of all, was certainly the Malaysian chicken curry!

Saint John

2008-10-20T20:35:00.011-03:00

Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick (N.B.), with a population of about 70,000, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. Fredericton, the capital city of this province, has a population of 50,000. On the other hand, Moncton is the most populous census metropolitan area in N.B., boasting a population of 126,000.

Please keep in mind that the largest or the most populated city may not be the capital city of a province or country. For example, Ottawa (population of 1.2 million) is the capital of Canada, and Toronto (population of 5.6 million) is the capital of Ontario.

Anyway, back to my Sunday trip to Saint John! Together with three other friends, we attended the Sunday service at the Main Street Baptist Church. It was a very powerful sermon delivered by the church pastor about the building of a strong community, and how we are dependent on one another to succeed in life.

We met some Chinese friends and the Chinese pastor at the church. We then went to the Sampan Restaurant for "dim sum." Yumm...I haven't had it for a long time (well, since my trip home in May).... The food was great, although I found it too greasy. I shouldn't have complained about it, because "dim sum" is just the way it is! I was disappointed that they didn't serve phoenix claws (a.k.a. chicken feet) at the restaurant....

Here is the link to my one-day meal journey in Saint John.

After the meal, we visited a few landmarks in Saint John.

The Reversing Falls at low tide.

Posing at the UNBSJ campus. From left, Mick, myself, Xin, and Quan.

Poster for a thought. It was found on a bulletin board in the Irving building.

A university building located in downtown, opposite of the City Market.

The famous City Market of Saint John.

A neat stall. These products are made from red clay collected from the Bay of Fundy. Each of us was given a piece of the Cape Spencer lighthouse. The stall owner wanted us to own a piece of Canada ;) Very sweet of him!

The downtown of Saint John. There was a big cruise ship, Sea Princess.

Thick smokes emitting from the chimneys of factories can be seen everywhere in the city centre of Saint John. Hmm..not very environment friendly at all.

Besides, we also visited the drive-thru Starbucks and Lemongrass Restaurant for Thai supper. Despite the chilly weather (a few degrees above freezing point), it was an enjoyable and fruitful trip! We had lots of fun traveling in a group.

Poutine...

2008-10-19T00:24:00.001-03:00

I've heard so much about this George's stall with its famous poutine. Where can you find them? Well, they're located right across from the bars on King Street, in front of the Victory meat market. A strategic location! The busiest time would be after the bar-hour. Standing in the cold while waiting for a cab at 2 a.m. after a couple of drinks, most people will be craving for some warm and savoury food (of course, cheesy & fatty too). Poutine it is!!

By the way, I "happened" to be there after having a drink at Dolan's pub, celebrating a friend's birthday. Someone who's new to Freddy and had not experienced the wild nightlife in the city of Freddy!

Poutine with gravy ($4.50) from the George's.

The George's stall.

The menu. Take your pick!

It was good that I was given a few napkins to put the bag on poutine on. As you may guess, the bag and napkins were covered with grease when we were done eating. The fries had a strange texture, as you might have noticed from the picture above. Was it from the frying process, or the texture of potato itself? I can't tell... One thing next though, the poutine was served with shredded cheese instead of cheese curds. It tasted different, in a good way. The fries were crispy despite their strange appearance. Overall, I enjoyed it, especially with ketchup added into it. Nonetheless, I'd still prefer the typical Montreal poutine with cheese curds! It's more chewy and you get stringy cheese!

Poutine from Chez Ashton in Quebec. Voila!

What else would you do in Quebec city, besides spending a day visiting the old Quebec city? Go look for some great poutine! Where to? Chez Ashton! It's a fast growing fast food restaurant in Quebec. The poutine was highly recommended by a local friend when I first visited the Quebec city in September 2006.

Chez Ashton is famous for its winter promotion scheme. The price of poutine drops according to the temperature. When the temperature is -30 degrees Celsius, the customers get a 30% discount on a poutine! How neat is that ;) Hence, winter storms may deter people from driving on the street, but they can't stopped the long line ups for the poutine served with piping hot gravy at the Chez Ashton!!

On top of that, I've tried new varieties of poutine served in Montreal. To be more specific, at the la Banquise restaurant located at 994 Rachel Est., which known to have the best poutine in Quebec! What excuse can you come up with for not visiting la Banquise when it's open 24 hours? I was there with Mom and Dad this past June and ordered the "Elvis Poutine." Creative, eh?

There're 25 different dishes of poutine offered, including Matty Poutine, Kamikaze Poutine, Poutine B.O.M., and 3 amigos. They can be eaten as main course as the serving size is large and other ingredients (meat and veggies) added to them besides fries. The restaurant was so busy when we left around 11 p.m. There was a line up for take-out. Amazing! I'd highly recommend this restaurant to those who're visiting Montreal! Don't miss it ;)

The Elvis Poutine, served with ground beef, peppers, and sauteed mushrooms.

Resto la Banquise in Montreal. A must go!

Tom Yum

2008-10-19T00:08:00.001-03:00

What's the first thing come into mind when someone mentions about Thai food? Tom yum it is!! Eric who craved for tom yum so badly, has decided to have a Thai fix! Presented to you, the hot & spicy tom yum soup and tom yum rice vermicelli!

The delicious Tom Yum soup.

Ingredients:

~ 1 kg chicken thighs (chopped into pieces)

30 frozen cooked shrimps

2 medium carrots (1.5-inch pieces)

1 large onion

1/4 lb long beans (one-inch pieces)

5 medium white mushrooms (sliced)

2 medium tomatoes (in cubes)

6 dried red chillies

2 stalk lemongrass

3 piece lime leaves

1/2 can instant tom yum paste

2.5 tom yum cubes

Directions:

1. Chop the chicken thighs into small pieces. Cut the onion into pieces.

2. Cut the carrots, long beans, white mushrooms, and tomatoes. Soak the frozen shrimps in a bowl of water to thaw.

3. Prepare a large pot of boiling water. Add the tom yum cubes into the boiling water.

4. Add the chicken pieces into the pot. While they're almost cooked, add the rest of the ingredients (except shrimps). Snap the dried red chillies into two pieces before adding into the soup.

5. Add tom yum paste and salt according to taste.

6. Once cooked, cover the pot with lid and let simmer for 30 minutes until the soup thickens. Add the cooked shrimps for the last two minutes.

7. Serve it with white rice. Bon appetit!

The tom yum soup tasted more delightful the next day! And the best of all, it reminded me of asam laksa ;D

The spicy fried tom yum rice vermicelli.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken breast (small stripes)

5 medium white mushrooms (sliced)

1/4 lb long beans (one-inch pieces)

1 small carrot (thin stripes)

1/2 medium red pepper (thin stripes)

1 inch ginger root (finely chopped)

1/2 large red onion

Bean sprouts

1 packet rice vermicelli

Instant tom yum paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the rice vermicelli in a bowl of hot water to soften.

2. Cut chicken into stripes and prepare the vegetables.

3. Heat the pan and add cooking oil. Saute the onion and ginger. Pan-fry the chicken stripes.

4. Add tom yum paste to taste. Add the rest of the vegetables into the pan and stir-fry them.

5. Add the rice vermicelli and more tom yum paste according to taste. Add salt and pepper.

6. Add bean sprouts and stir-fry for one minute.

7. Ready to serve!

Very colourful rice vermicelli indeed! Red (red pepper), green (long beans), orange (carrots), light brown (mushrooms), white (bean sprouts) etc. The presentation was appetizing, and the aroma of tom yum was simply irresistible! I certainly went for seconds, so did others!

My Sentiment for Flowers

2008-10-14T23:19:00.013-03:00

Have you ever wonder what a magnificent piece of garden landscape could possibly look like? I was never a big fan of flowers, until my first visit to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. four years ago. The fragrant flowers, flourishing grasses, chirping birds, and clean air are simply enchanting.

The Butchart Gardens, a must visit in British Columbia!

The gorgeous landscape was showered with delicate flowers and other captivating plants. It required lots of efforts and talents to put these together. The building of landscape was started by Jennie Butchart in 1908. The fifty-five acres of stunning floral exhibition can keep you busy wandering around for the entire day! It was around $26 for admission during my second visit in the spring this year. Not bad eh? You're welcome to take as many pictures as you wish! Make sure you have sufficient memory on your camera ;)

Colourful flower bed! Red, pink, white, blue, purple... you name it!

Pink tulips looked awesome!

Gorgeous dark pink flowers!

I wished this is my garden at my backyard! Oh well, honestly, Butchart Gardens would be on the top of my list for shooting bridal pictures ;) It was such a peaceful and captivating place. I felt like I could stay there for the rest of my life.....

Flowers have become a symbol of T.L.C. (tender, love, and care). They are given as a message of love to your loved one, sympathy to the person you cared about, or simply to a friend who meant so much to you.

Flowers I received from my parents, Godmom, and Pat on my graduation day :D

The flowers had brighten my day! How can you not smile looking at the blossoming flowers? Hehe...I couldn't help but smile and being grateful for the best wishes and love showered upon me. Thank you so much!

How about receiving a flower from a stranger?! Hmm...quite unlikely, eh? Surprisingly, this happened to me while walking home from downtown today. A good-looking guy in his early 20's approached me with a rose.

Guy: (presenting me with a rose) This is for you.

Me: (puzzled for a sec., speechless)

Guy: (with a forced smile) My girlfriend doesn't want it. She said it's over. I may as well give it away (still with his arm stretched with the rose in front of me).

Me: (feeling sorry) You can always give it to someone else (what did I just said, huh?)

Guy: (looking at me with a disappointed smile)

Ohh... this guy just broke up with his girlfriend, and now he's here giving me a rose. An unwanted rose..what?! Well, he looks really sad now, and I can't break his heart further by rejecting a gift from him. I should consider this a blessing and hopefully, he can get over with the pain soon by getting rid of the gift.

Me: (receiving the rose) Thank you!

I wanted to say more but this awkward scene kept me speechless. I wished to say "take it easy. Your rose brightens my day. God bless you!"

I wasn't sure what was going on, in his relationship with his girlfriend. One thing for sure though, no matter how pretty a rose, or a bouquet of flowers appear to be, a broken heart can no longer accept the love message from the giver. In other words, flowers are meaningful only when you receive them with an open heart and be grateful for the thoughtfulness of your presenter. Never wait till the last minute to present flowers, hoping to save a dying relationship. By the same token, be a generous giver to cheer up your loved one and build a strong and long-lasting relationship.

The pinky rose I received from a stranger :)

Kayak Trip

2008-10-13T22:00:00.004-03:00

Is there anything exciting you can do over the Thanksgiving weekend? Of course! If I was sailing in the summer, I wanna try kayaking in the fall! Something different (my favourite saying) ;) We left at 8 a.m. in the morning (another working day?) for kayaking at the Spednic Lake. It's about an hour's drive from Freddy, located west of McAdam.

Here we were, getting ready for the big day! Dave took the kayak on the right, and I had the other one. The vivid fall foliage was simply gorgeous! I felt as if I was in a dreamland... The green foliage in the summer has transformed into the autumn palette of glowing topaz, vibrant orange, and blazing crimson! Some turned into dark purple instead. Looking out to the mainland U.S.A. across the lake, I couldn't believe how close I was from the border! I can literally swim over! Haha..if I try hard enough :P In this case, I'll paddle the kayak instead ;D

The Spednic Lake encompasses part of the St. Croix Heritage River. Apparently, this lake is also open for recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing (some do ice fishing in the winter, wish I can try out one day), camping, snowmobiling, ATV use, and hiking.

After our first 1.5 hours of paddling, we stopped for an early lunch at the shore. Then, off we went again for another 1.5 hours or so, and landed on the Big Island for a break. There are some cottages that are build individually on an island. How neat is that! Having the whole island to yourself and partying all night! *Sweet*

At last, we spent another hour paddling back to where we first launched the kayaks. It was an awesome day (slightly below 15 degrees Celsius) to stay out, perfect for a fall outing! I wondered how many warm days (-40 degrees in the winter, what do you expect?) left, before I've to put on my winter coat...

On our way back to Freddy, we paid a visit to the old railway station in McAdam. The railway station was opened in 1900. As a National Historic Site since early 80's, it attracts approximately 25,000 tourists each year! The building is 285 ft long and 45 ft wide (with the east and west ends built in 1910 and 1911, respectively). With its unique combination of Gothic, Baroque, and Victorian architectural styles, it's known to be an important reminder of McAdam's past.

The railway tracks behind the station. This place is open for tours to the public with a small fee of $3. I could only look inside of the building through the windows since it's closed for the season. I couldn't help but to imagine the busy crowd and loud steam trains back in the old days. The benches behind the platform brought back my memories of the fighting scenes in "Wong Fei Hung" movie by Jet Li.

This is one of the places I'd like to visit next summer!

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-10-13T21:04:00.001-03:00

Thanksgiving celebration without a turkey? Yeah! This was an Asian-style thanksgiving with yummy sushi! Oh well, sushi was one of the many dishes we prepared for the big feast! There were mostly finger food:

Pork ribs with barbecue sauce.

Pork ribs were marinated overnight with barbecue sauce and kept in the refrigerator. Bake them the next day in the preheated oven at 400 F till cooked (about 40-45 minutes). It's as easy as ABC!

Chicken wings and home-baked fries.

Half of the chicken wings were marinated with ginger sesame sauce and the rest with teriyaki sauce. Together with the pork ribs, they were kept in the refrigerator overnight. Bake them in preheated oven at 400F.

Home-baked fries

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes

1 tsp red chili powder

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into long stripes.

2. Place potato stripes in a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix well.

3. Spread the potato stripes on a greased cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

4. Cook them in a preheated oven at 400 F until cooked (about 45 minutes).

5. Serve while hot!

*Hint: Fries are best served with mayonnaise + ketchup as dipping sauce.

Sushi with avocado, simulated crab sticks, picked radish, canned salmon and tuna ;)

This special dish was prepared by Paul and Eric. Yummy sushi, best served with wasabi + sashimi soya sauce ;)

The cream cheese blueberry pie from the Happy Baker!

The bountiful food left my stomach with no room to contain this yummy blueberry pie bought by Teck from the famous bakery store, Happy Baker. Located in the heart of downtown Fredericton, it sells fresh and delicious pastries, cakes, breads (you name it) and I just love to be there!

I had to take a two-hour break before indulging into the yummy pie. Smart choice, Teck! Fresh blueberries on soft custard and tasty pie shell, yumm....

Gingerbread loaf from my Lab Manager, Tracy.

I shared this gingerbread loaf on Thanksgiving day with two of my roommates. Apparently, gingerbread is best served with whipping cream. We had it plain and it was tasteful with a strong aroma of spices just the way it was!

Kings Landing

2008-10-11T23:15:00.009-03:00

The grist mill in Kings Landing.

The Kings Landing Historical Settlement, nestled in the Saint John River valley. It's about 20 minutes drive from the city of Fredericton. It's a must visit in New Brunswick. Kings Landing opens for the Sugar Bush weekend (end of March/early April), and from the summer till Thanksgiving weekend.

"Kings Landing is a place where over 100 years of New Brunswick’s history and culture comes to life. This is the 19th century. It is a place where you can touch, taste, hear, see and truly experience the 1800s. It is more than just history, it’s history well told."

Here, you'll get to experience the bustle of farm life and witness the settlement in the 19th century. There're over 70 historic buildings, including homes, tradesmen's shops, churches, a parish school, and an inn. There were a few wealthy families, many craftmen and farmers, as well as some slaves.

Each staff member in various buildings adopted the story of an individual. They were friendly and did a good job in playing their roles throughout the day.

The "treadmill" for a horse to perform log sawing while running on it. Amazing!

Fresh apples on the tree.

Trying to imagine myself living in the settlement...

The making of apple cider, using freshly picked apples.

The weather was pleasant when we were there. The fall breeze, warm sunshine, a myriad of fall colours, peaceful settlement, and running stream have made this a fascinating place!

How does it look like in the winter? Here are some pictures taken during my visit during the Sugar Bush weekend:

The snowbank and frozen falls.

Tapping the maple trees.

Boiling the sap iron cauldrons over an open fire.

Demonstrating the art of syrup and sugar making as it was performed 150 years ago.

The maple candy. Yumm...super sweet though :)

My Birthday

2008-10-07T23:44:00.009-03:00

The cookie dough ice-cream cake from DQ (Dairy Queen). What a surprise!

KFC with a candle on blueberry muffin in the middle :) Whose idea was that?

Homemade whoopie pie with Quiddler cards on the side.

What does birthday mean to you? Someone thinks birthday is not a big deal, some tries to avoid it because it makes them feel "old." To me, birthday is a day of celebration with loved one. When I was little, I had birthday cakes on birthdays without fail. The whipped cream and icing used to be my favourite! Not so much now...

Birthday is a moment of joy to be embraced by warm wishes and showered with love. My 23rd birthday was full of surprises. First of all, my Lab Manager had the radio DJ sang me a birthday song which I missed (radio wasn't turned on, argghh...), a yummy whoopie pie to go with the Quiddler game that we play during break time at work, as well as a birthday card. I was touched by her sincerity and efforts in giving me surprises. Thanks, Tracy!

A birthday card from home finally arrived on my birthday! I got it from the mailbox when I reached home in the evening. The moment I entered the apartment, Paul got some candid shots of me using multiple shoots on his camera that accompanied with glaring flashes. Eric, on the other hand, surprised me from behind the door with the wonderful dish of KFC and muffin ;)(haha...didn't I baked that muffin yesterday? Why did I get my own creation as a birthday gift?)

Of course, the best is yet to come. The ice-cream cake was a hit! It was simply flattering! Even though I didn't get the full surprise because I found the cake by accident :P I'm totally spoiled by the surprises I got. It's gonna be hard to beat this. Nevertheless, I'm really grateful for all the birthday wishes and surprises. It's very much appreciated, guys! Lastly, I want to thank Mom for the gorgeous birthday gift. It's one of the most precious gifts I've ever received.

The smart phone!

秋语

2008-10-05T23:36:00.003-03:00

这首诗写于2003年十月的秋天。当时背井离乡初到加拿大深造，字句间难隐思乡之情。在埋头苦读之际，不忘作诗自娱：

秋语

秋雨连连细延绵
寒意轻拂枫纷飞
黄绿橘彤成幕帘
愿摘一片暖心扉

滴答雨声敲窗户
儿时嬉戏心头甜
纸船漂浮中央湖
背载种子垦梦田

光阴荏苒无声息
十载撒手不复返
远眺前方无边际
勇闯荆棘独扬帆

十月天空秋意浓
景物增添几分愁
绘尽心声倍思念
乘风送去诗一首

Chinese Restaurant in Sydney, NS

2008-09-30T23:22:00.001-03:00

Four of us in the group wanted to get some reasonable priced seafood in the city of Sydney, Nova Scotia. However, we found out that the bargain for seafood is not necessarily better on the coastal area, sadly... and we decided to go for some Chinese food!

There were quite a few restaurants listed under the YellowPages, and we finally picked the Hong Fa Restaurant. It seems to be one of the more established ones. It was about 15 minutes walk from the motel. Nice evening breeze, I didn't mind it at all, except that everyone's stomach was growling at that time, around 7:30 p.m.

Just as other typical "Chinese" restaurants, they serve combo meals and ala carte which you can order for the table (which usually is more authentic). I opted for something simple from the combo menu.

Presenting to you my dish of combo ($8.99): chicken fried rice, egg roll, chop suey, and fried scallop balls with sweet sauce. It was a decent meal, scallop balls were a great change from the regular chicken balls. Haha... at least I got some seafood ;) Taste wise, however, could have been better. One good thing though, dishes were prepared with MSG!

Seafood Meal

2008-09-29T18:02:00.001-03:00

A cozy and friendly place in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, the Fortress View Restaurant & Suites. I was there for supper, longing for my seafood fix (which turned out to be my early birthday supper, what a surprise :)). Freshly baked rolls and oat cakes (or more like oat snaps) are served. Yumm... it can't get any better! Supposedly, we were able to overlook the fortress of Louisbourg from our table, but it was getting dark at that time and we didn't a chance to see much.

The restaurant, however, already had some neat Halloween decorations put up.

I ordered fish cakes and beans for my main course. It's known as the famous Luoisbourg dish! It was served with warm sliced bread and sweet relish on the side. It was a wonderful meal ^v*

Quizno's

2008-09-20T23:20:00.001-03:00

Flatbread pizza for a snack? Sounds good to me ;) The spicy buffalo chicken pizza at the Quizno's! I perfer the flatbread pizza over the thick crust pizza, even though pizza crust was my favourite when I was little. Mom & Dad will save up pizza crust just for me :P

It was after a picture shooting trip in downtown Fredericton that we (roommates and I ) decided to have a quick bite before going home for supper. It was cheesy and spicy (pretty sure Tabasco sauce was on it). Their subs are great too, but had the pizza for a change. A good change, I believed.

Birthday

2008-09-20T23:04:00.002-03:00

Chocolate cake + chocolate icing with creative decorations ;)

Fried rice with fried egg and sliced cucumber. A splash of tomato ketchup completed the meal ;)

Fried rice, baked potato fries, mashed potato, and Rootbeer float for our "candlelight"dinner.

I don't use a cake mix very often. I decided to give it a try for a surprise birthday cake. A chocolate cake with chololate icing and chocolate wafer sticks. It shall be called the "ultimate triple chocolate" cake. Thanks to Betty Crocker, the cake turned out to be rich and moist. Yumm...

It took me some time to come out with the decorative idea though. It looked plain with just the icing. Hence, I had chocolates (with nuts) around the cake and wafer sticks sheltering the birthday candle, made it look like a camp fire when the candle is lit. Sweet...

It certainly saved some time using the cake mix and the instructions were easy to follow. Besides the cake mix, only milk, eggs, and oil are required. The batter was separated into half for baking. The two cakes were then stacked together and coated with Betty Crocker "instant" frosting.

The fried rice was prepared by Eric with Maggi fried rice seasoning. It came in handy. Together with chicken, chinese sausage, carrots and peas, the fried rice turned out great and colourful! The birthday supper for Paul was so special that we even had Rootbeer float. Of course, he wasn't greeted with birthday wishes until we brought out the birthday cake with lit 24 candles (oops...did I just say that?).

Paul, hope you had an enjoyable birthday celebration. Presented to you by Adeline & Eric :)

Radio DJ

2008-09-20T23:02:00.005-03:00

Hey CHSR (College Hill Campus Radio), I'm back! This year, I'm privileged to be part of the DJ crew for a Chinese radio show hosted by the CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association). Every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. (Atlantic time), stay tuned at FM 97.9 or listen online www.unb.ca/chsr, for those who live without a radio, or anyone who lives outside Freddy ;)

What do we talk about? Anything & everything! Entertainment news, new music album introduction, hot topics, life experience, literature etc., and best of all, the last 30 minutes is reserved for song dedication! Visit http://www.chineseunb.com/bbs/showthread.php?p=399496 to leave a message or give the radio station a call when a cue is given. It's a great way to dedicate a song to your loved one!

My first experience being a radio host was during my first year in university. That was a radio show presented by the Malaysian Students' Society, on Sundays from 9:30 till 10:30 a.m. I used mostly Cantonese for that radio show, occasionally Mandarin too. Guess what was marvelous about the show? My family in Malaysia can actually listen online to my show ;) How neat is that! I felt the pressure when came to think of it, hehe... It was a tremendous support nonetheless *v*

East Side Mario's

2008-09-17T23:16:00.001-03:00

The Knowledge Park (accross from Regent Mall) in Fredericton is a booming area. By the end of this past summer, there are numerous newly established businesses, such as Home Depot, Michaels's (craft store), Dollarama, Winners, Montana's Restaurant etc., and not to forget, the East Side Mario's!

What brought me here? Well, I heard the commercial on radio over and over again, and people who have been there really liked it. Hmm... with an adventurous attitude as usual, I'm gonna have to try out this restaurant that people have been talking about!

It was about 15 minutes wait on a Wednesday evening. We were there at 5:30 p.m. Apparently, it was really crowded it was first opened, about two weeks ago.

Fresh and tasty garlic bread loaf served with butter. I wished it'd be more crunchy though, and taste best with cream of mushroom soup, yumm...

This is my garden salad that comes with my main course. It's quite a generous serving. With some parmesan cheese and ground black pepper sprinkled on top, it's delicious!

Here comes my main dish, the linguine chicken tettrazini ($14.99). It's served with seasoned chicken breast, roasted mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, and creamy Alfredo sauce (claimed to be deliciously trans fat-free on menu). It's very tasty and filling for me. However, for guys, maybe they'd appreciate a bigger portion.

The Tuscan Chicken Salad ($11.99), an entree salad that my friend ordered. It includes grilled seasoned chicken breast, navel orange slices, julienned figs, red onions, mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and topped with toasted walnuts and goat cheese. It looks appetizing!

Overall, it was an enjoyable meal and I wouldn't mind a second visit :) Nevertheless, I find it a bit pricy, and I'd prefer what the Old Spaghetti Factory has to offer, in terms of servings and ambience.

The Dawn is Breaking...

2008-08-31T15:55:00.006-03:00

"The dawn is breaking, a light shining through...

Even the best fall down sometimes, even the stars refuse to shine,

Out of the back you fall in time, I somehow find you and I collide..."

The gorgeous and peaceful picture of dawn reminds me of this song, "Collide" by Howie Day. It's one of my favourite songs. It blends in to the ambience perfectly...

I was staying up "early" the entire night, finishing up a drama series that I've been watching the past week or two. By the time I was ready for bed, I realized that the dawn was breaking. Hmm... it has been awhile since I last enjoyed the sunrise. The experience I had at the top of Mount. Kinabalu was an awesome one. Watching the sunset is great too. I'd still prefer the beach though, where you can observe the position of the sun so clearly and closely on the horizon. This time, however, I'm doing it by the river. The famous Saint John river in Fredericton.

In the dark, I was biking along the walking trail which led me to the walking bridge. Then, I realized that I could actually stay on the south side to watch the sunrise. Below is the view of university campus from the walking bridge.

The serenity of that moment was beyond descriptions. The hustle and bustle of a big city living sets the busy pace, which brings me come alive. The calm and gentle rhythm of this wonderful piece of "art", however, allows the moment of silence to search deeper in heart and give thanks to everything, including every single breathe I take. I surely enjoy a fine balance of both :)

Bulgogi

2008-08-23T21:50:00.001-03:00

The newly opened Korean/Japanese restaurant in town, the Bulgogi on King St.! Hooray!! A Japanese restaurant in town. Are they offering sashimi? Hmm... Korean food, how about Korean BBQ? I later found out that this restaurant is more like a take-out counter, and they offer sushi for Japanese food, and some Korean dishes. They open for lunch and early supper (or rather, till they run out of food). I've heard some good comments about their food and apparently, the staffs are friendly too.

I probably don't have much luck visiting them on a weekday for supper. I decided to pay a visit for my lunch on Saturday instead. I had the lunch combo ($7.99). Barbeque pork as my main dish and two other side dishes, rice sticks in sweet sauce and stir-fry peppers.

A very generous serving, as shown in the pictures, nicely placed in a styrofoam lunch box. Tastewise, it's great too. It's savoury with yummy spices. However, I'd have enjoyed a Korean BBQ more, and definitely, sashimi for my Japanese fix!!

Sailing

2008-08-20T19:16:00.005-03:00

I always wonder what's sailing all about. I've heard wonderful stories about it, and often amazed how sailing can be a passion of someone's life. Here is my chance, when I found out that the Small Craft Aquatic Centre in Fredericton offers an eight-week sailing lessons in the summer. "Never try, never know" is my philosophy. Who knows, maybe sailing can be my passion too :) These are pictures taken during my last lesson:

With a personal floating device (PFD) with an attached whistle, and a pair of aqua socks, off I went sailing! First and foremost, we had to set up the main sail and jib sail (which can be a challenge) before hitting the Saint John River!

Off I went sailing with my fellow classmates and two instructors (one of them on a motor boat in case of emergency).

That's me as a skipper ;) Steering the boat with the tiller on my left, and ensuring a smooth sailing by grabbing on the mainsheet on my right.

The river view from the front of our sailboat. The water was calm at this moment.

Who would have imagined our boat to be a few inches away from being capsized a few minutes later?! I was controlling the boat direction by holding on the tiller and mainsheet with all my might, while Alison was pulling hard on the jib sheet. We were in a similar situation at least three or four times in one windy evening! A good practice though. I wouldn't mind getting into the water, except that the water was really chilly and I had my camera with me!!

Alison, my sailing buddy has been a wonderful companion. We've been helping each other out a lot.

What a gorgeous dusk! Overlooking the Westmorland Bridge from the south side of the city.

Sailing, is definitely more than sailing itself. It does not only requires experience of controlling a sailboat, but also knowledge of the wind and wave conditions. Depending on the points of sail, we'll have to steer the boat appropriately by either pulling in or letting out the main sail, as well as bearing off (pulling on the tiller) or heading up (pushing away the tiller). If we want to change the course of the boat, we'll have to either tack (heading into wind) or gybe (away from wind). Under most circumstances, we want to avoid the sheets from luffing.

There are lots of terminology involved. Sailing on a river was a challenge for us who were in White Sail I, I could barely imagine myself out in the unpredictable ocean. Sailing safely is one thing, sailing with speed is another level of the sport. I'm sure one will have to be determined and passionate, to be an awesome sailer. Maybe I'll be one, one day. You never know...

Skydiving

2008-08-17T17:58:00.041-03:00

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

~ by Gil Bailie

No source of information is 100% trustworthy. It was already 8:40 a.m., and I was still searching for Skydive Moncton, in a residential area! Apparently, MapQuest has given me the wrong direction. I still can't figure out why.

Now listen, drive along Elmwood Drive, go pass the Trans Canada Highway overpass, Irving gas station, Tim Horton's, till you see a big sign on your right that says "Skydive Moncton." I was lucky to be given directions from a guy in the neighbourhood, who was scraping off paints from his fence at that moment.

"Skydive Moncton, here I come!"

I felt a sense of relief to find out that the class has not started when I arrived. A piece of advice: "always check for method of payment, don't just assume that they accept credit card." I had to drive into town during lunch hour to get cash, certainly not a good idea if I'd have known better.

I attended a 5-hour course before my IAD (Instructor Assisted Deployment) jump. The first half of the course, we learned about the different steps, from when we were getting dressed up in a diving suit, boarding the plane, getting off the plane and hanging onto the wing, leaving the plane, making sure that the canopy is deployed properly, and finally, how to do the landing at a designated spot. Everything sounded great up to this point.

The second half of the course, we learned about "what if something goes wrong?" That sounds horrible, doesn't it? As a matter of fact, we had to face the reality that things might not turn out as well as what we expected them to be.

"The few seconds after leaving the plane, the canopy should deploy itself, with the assistance of the instructor. If this doesn't happen after six seconds, we should cut away the main canopy and pull out the reserve canopy instead. Assuming everything goes well, we want to check if we could stall, since we'll need it for landing. We grab on the toggles with both hands and pull them all the way down. We should experience a moment of free fall if it works right. Next, we want to steer to make sure that we're in control of the direction we're moving into. We hold on to the toggles; pulling the right toggle allows us to turn right, and vice versa. Subsequently, we want to recognize the landing spot and the wind direction. Landing into the wind is what we aim for. Last but not least, when we're about 12 to 15 ft above the ground, we want to pull the toggles from the top to bottom to completely stall the canopy, with our knees bend and put together, and get ready to roll if we need to."

At the end of the course, we had to write a test to make sure that we understood what we learned in class, and hopefully, we'd apply them during the jump. It was raining cats and dogs around 3 p.m. No jump was allowed, especially if it was overcast, because we couldn't tell where we were supposed to land! Oh no... please stop the rain, I'm gonna have to come back another day, which means renting a car and driving for 2 hours to get here...It was 4 p.m. There was nothing much we could do, but to wait for the sky to clear up. I took the opportunity to wander around town, went to the Champlain Place and had a meal at the Arby's (knew it from the TV commercial but never get around to trying it). Here comes my meal...

Meanwhile, I was praying hard for nice weather before dark. Finally, the sun was out around 7 p.m. I waited for another 20 minutes before checking with Skydive Moncton if they're planning on jumps. Whoo...whoo...they were sending experienced skydivers to check it out! It was 8 p.m. when I got there. Since we had limited daylight hours, I was in a hurry to get dressed up and be ready for the jump. My heart was pumping hard. Johnny, the instructor who went with us, was taking video of me on the ground. That helped to ease my tension a bit.

The final practice on the ground before the actual jump.

At 8:30 p.m., six of us (an instructor, a pilot, and four students) were on our way to 3,000 ft above sea level. I was the first one to jump. The moment the door popped open, I felt the rush of wind through the plane. I first extended my right foot onto the step, but could hardly positioned it due to the strong wind. You'll be amazed how strong the wind could be at a high elevation even though it was calm on the ground. Next, my right arm reached out for the wing, followed by my left arm. Subsequently, I had both feet on the step, and slowly moved my way out, towards the tip of the wing. Soon enough, I was hanging onto the wing with just both arms. Once I received the signal from Johnny to let go, I experienced a few seconds of free fall before the canopy was fully deployed. My mind went blank at the very instant. However, keeping in mind that I had to practice what I've learned from class, I did the procedure checking my canopy at the sixth second. I saw a gorgeous canopy above me, wow... I was actually floating... in the sky!

I was pumped and nervous at the same time, as the plane took off.

Here we were, 3,000 ft above sea level for NO REASON!! The rush of wind and the bird's-eye view of the city left me speechless...

Urgghh... I couldn't position my foot well because of the strong wind.

"Leave the plane when it's time to leave, to ensure a safe landing," said Jim, our classroom instructor. Here I was, waiting for the signal to let go both arms, with my feet dangling in the air. I was literally living on the edge!

I was pretty certain that I screamed for one to two seconds, before performing the procedures checking my canopy. "Arch one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, five thousand, check canopy (while turning right and looking to the top)."

The serenity in the sky was beyond descriptions. It reminded me of the tranquility I experienced in the underwater world when I scuba dived. I was overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the Mother Nature. God's creations are simply fantastic!

One of the best part of skydiving was to flare in the sky, just to make sure that stalling would work during landing. The few seconds of free fall was marvelous... The 5-minute landing seemed to pass very quickly. I was kind of worried that I would end up landing on top of the roof! Hehe... thanks to the instructions I received from the ground, I was able to land smoothly on the field beside the runway, while looking out at the horizon! I didn't even have to roll over :P Well done!

I was surprised how quick the dark kicked in. When I was ready to leave, it was about 9:30 p.m. I felt a bit sketchy having to drive in the dark alone. Oh well, what can I do? It was a safe journey home that took me only one and a half hours. I was exhausted at the end of the day, with a joyful heart!

When you're in a state of helplessness, you'll learn to appreciate what's the most important thing in life. Even at the very last breath of your life, you just wouldn't let it go, because of the faith you live by. It was a thrilling and unforgettable event in my life. I was overjoyed and self-contented that my dream came true.

Moncton

2008-08-16T23:53:00.003-03:00

This is my first time going on a road trip alone. I finally decided that "today is the DAY!" I left Fredericton around 6 a.m., hoping wishfully that I could stop by the market before my IAD (Instructor Assisted Deployment jump) course at 8:30 a.m. About half-way down the journey, I saw a creature standing in the middle of the road. Having heard of stories about mooses jumping onto the highway, first thing that came into mind: "Stop the car! That could be a moose!" It turned out to be a deer instead. I've seen them on the walking trail twice this summer, but not on the highway. What a shock!

Finally, I made it to the market at 8 a.m.

Guess what he's selling at the market? Foie gras!! Both fresh and preserved. I thought I'll have to visit a French restaurant in Quebec city to try it. I bought a can of preserved foie gras ($29.50) to bring home. Yumm... it's ever so good!

For breakfast, I bought a piece of blueberry tart and a Middle Eastern square. Hmm... sweets for breakfast. You got it! You know what I'm after ;)

Arby's

2008-08-16T23:47:00.003-03:00

Two sandwiches, curly fries, a turnover, a drink, with three different sauces to choose from: tomato ketchup, BBQ sauce, and horseradish sauce.

Crispy curly fries. The texture & taste is just right!

The signature Arby's Melt. Thin sliced roast beef with tangy cheddar cheese sauce. Yumm...

The Ham Melt. Roasted ham, top with melted Swiss cheese. A simple yet delicious sandwich!

The blueberry turnover with crispy and flaky pastry and sweet icing (find it too sweet though).

Take your pick, for a limited time offer. Hmm... wouldn't it be nice to try them all? Oh well, only if I've a second stomach!

SWeetS

2008-08-16T23:47:00.002-03:00

My "hearty" breakfast from the market in Moncton:

The bluerry tart ($2.50) is loaded with fresh blueberries! Crispy tart shell and sweet custard. It's simply irresistable!

The Middle Eastern square ($1.50). The flaky pastry is delicious!

Wild at Heart

2008-08-16T23:40:00.008-03:00

Before this summer, I've been involved in different sports, such as mountain climbing, scuba diving, whitewater rafting etc. Nevertheless, it simply takes my breath away when I imagine myself floating in the sky. I always enjoy the bird's-eye view of a city whenever I'm on a flight. The idea of reaching the sky and embracing it, is bizarre!

I've to admit that this has been an awesome summer, not only did I try bungee jumping (160ft) in Whistler, BC, but I also went for skydiving (3,000ft) in Moncton, NB! Skydiving has been in my mind for two and a half years. I was not able to do it sooner, due to unforeseen circumstances (transportation, skydive buddy etc.).

Have you ever experienced a strong urge to do or achieve something that you always wanted? You yearn for the day to come, day and night. There's something missing in life if you don't go for it. That was exactly how I felt, after putting the plan aside for two years, I started pondering: "it's now or NEVER!" Live life to the fullest while you can. If you know you're going to regret for not doing or achieving something in life, then by all means, run after your goals and be responsible for yourself! How many days do you have left on earth? Only God knows. Hence, lead your everyday life as if it's the very last day on earth, prioritize things that have to be done... One fine day, you'll tell yourself: "I've fully utilized my days on earth and fulfilled my dreams, for the glory of God who has given me this precious life."

Chee Cheong Fun

2008-07-16T23:58:00.001-03:00

I was absolutely inspired by the Chee Cheong Fun (a.k.a. rice noodle roll) prepared by Lily that she had it on her blog (http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2008/07/chee-cheong-fun-iii.html). The preparation process was fascinating and I was so eager to try it out myself!

Ingredients:
(A)
60g rice flour
20g tapioca flour
2 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil

(B)
1 1/2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tsp water
1 tbsp sesame seed

Directions:
1. Mix ingredients from (A) and leave it aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Pour a thin layer of batter into the pan and heat until a thin layer of the the batter solidifies at the bottom. Pour back any excess batter.
3. Place a lid on the pan and cook on low heat.
4. The noodle is cooked when it turns translucent. Remove pan from the heat source.
5. Roll the sheet of noodle carefully (not to break it) with a wooden spatula on the pan. Place the rice noodle roll on a greased plate.
6. Continue cooking with the remaining batter.
7. Dilute the Hoisin sauce with water. Pour the sauce on the noodles and garnish noodles with sesame seed. Savour the chee cheong fun while hot!

p/s: It takes some practice to yield smooth texture cheong fun. I appreciate those hawkers who cook fine and tasty chee cheong fun!

Strawberry Blossom Doughnut

2008-07-15T22:34:00.001-03:00

If Dunkin' Donut is part of the American culture, then the Tim Hortons (a.k.a. Tim's) is a must in the Canadian culture, especially for the Maritimers.

I'm fascinated with this brand new creation--Strawberry Blossom Doughnut! It's shaped into a flower with six petals, topped with pink and white sprinkles, and strawberry jam in the middle. As you might have expected, it's rather sweet. Well, you don't get such a treat all the time. Enjoy while you can! It's for limited time only.