Home Sweet Home

I'm hoooooome!! Been here almost 3 weeks now, and there were so many things have happened, so much to tell but so very little time. And all the running around + the weather is making me feeling sickly with the usual coughing fits and runny nose. Haiyo, manyak susah lor...

It was only tonight that I could actually sit at home and surf the net leisurely. Seriously, I don't know how the time just flew past by; from the exam session to the packing & room cleaning to the 2-days journey back home to the 3-days leadership training to the wedding preparations plus family time, I haven't had a full day rest as yet. Not that I'm complaining because all of those moments are precious and memorable (except for the packing part) but even though I don't feel my age my body seems to be constantly reminding me that I am getting older.

I had to pack all of my stuff before leaving coz I might have to move to another place when I get back to Romania. Thanks to some misunderstandings and kecoh-ness I could only start packing a day before leaving. 1 DAY. Apa lagi, memang speed packing la jawab nya.

I wish Iasi is nearer to Malaysia, because traveling for 2 days is just too much. Although there are other airlines that offer a much direct and simpler route, but the fare is higher of course. So to be economical I took the one with 3 transits (the last one in Dubai was 10 hours), left Iasi Thursday afternoon & reached KLIA Friday night. Memang pancit by the time sampai rumah.

And then out of the blue mom told me that she had already signed me up for a 3-days leadership training by ESQ 165 in KL. At first I was like "What??!!" and was really annoyed (to say the least), but after it was over I didn't regret it one bit. I am now proud to say that I am an ESQ 165 Alumni Angkatan KL-36. It was really a soul-cleansing and mind-stimulating training that I feel everyone should attend for a better understanding of what our purpose is on this earth. And the best part is, once you have attended the basic training and become an alumni you can come again for recharging sessions for free! You can visit their website for further info, and they have trainings all over the country plus they even do in-house trainings. I have went and recharged once at PICC last weekend, and planning to recharge again for the coming training insyaallah. Maju satria ESQ 165!

And after that there was the wedding of my beloved cousin. Hah ni satu lagi. I was really surprised and touched that she would asked me to be her bridesmaid for both the wedding receptions, but seriously woman, why lah so late. I was worried that I couldn't find anything suitable to wear for the occasion but luckily I have managed to find the perfect baju kurung (a traditional malay costume) for both our side and the groom's side reception. It wasn't that easy to find a nice silver and rosewood pink dresses with matching scarves but somehow or rather I've managed to find really pretty ones at reasonable prices. And what's funny is that I found it all under one roof. Convenient eh?
The wedding itself deserves its own post so I guess I better save the juicy details for another time.

And fyi, that was the first time I was a bridesmaid, first time that I had (allegedly) caught the bouquet, and first time that I wasn't really bothered by the most dreaded question that I seem to get every time there's a family gathering. I guess I've gotten used to it kot. Abis nak wat camno, senyum je la...

Sigh, the downside is, whenever I come back home I always get sick. I guess the humid dusty weather is just too much for my body after so long in a dry cold climate. Fever I can handle, but the chesty dry cough is the one that I most dreaded because it usually takes me several weeks for the cough to disappear. As I'm typing now I am barking like nobody's business that I think it can even be heard next door at my aunt's house. Yup, that loud I am and it has been so bad that I have lost my voice since yesterday. Oh and I don't think it's H1N1 because it's been 2++weeks since I've been home so there's no possibility of imported transmission. But then again local transmission oso got right? Hmmmm......

All in all, it's really good to be back home again. I've realized I miss having the family and friends around, the family outings and makan-makan get-together, and of course, the fooood! Here I am spoilt for choices, but nowadays I can't really eat that much anymore. And since I've been sick some more lah got no appettite. Tapi tak jugak turun-turun, rasa badan macam kena pam-pam je ni ada la. Isy, bahaya bahaya ;p

NB: Tak tahan tgk deghoyan, pulasan, rambutan, ciku, manggis, jambu batu, mangga...& sushiiiii.....cedapnyaaa.....

Kempunan Mode

Selamat datang ke rancangan 'Mengidam' yang dibawakan khas dari Iasi dan diiringi oleh orkestra USPER:

Dengan ini adalah dukacita dimaklumkan bahawasanya saya telah pun mencapai tahap mengidam yang kronik sehinggakan terbawa-bawa ke dalam mimpi di malam (dan juga siang) hari.

Sekian. Terima Kasih.


Nb: Gambar-gambar di atas adalah untuk hiasan semata-mata. Sila klik pada gambar untuk ke laman web asal. Harap maklum.

"What do you mean you cannot drink milk??"

"It's because I have Lactose Intolerance (LI), ok? "

I got asked this a lot. And when I told them why, they automatically assume that I don't drink milk. Actually, it doesn't mean that I cannot take milk at all, in fact I love dairies, but consuming milk or any type of dairy products will eventually cause bloating, flatulence, abdominal cramps, and last but not least, acute diarrhea that could lead to dehydration if proper countermeasures are not taken.

Why me??
Well, thanks to the 1/8 chinese, and the remaining jawa part of me = Genetic predisposition, of course. And plus milk-drinking is never really a Malay culture, isn't it?

When will I have the symptoms??
Whenever I have appeased my cravings for something dairy i.e. milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream.....YUMMM!!

How come??
Basically, we lack the enzyme lactase that breaks down lactose, a form of sugar found in milk & other dairy products. Lactose is a big-moleculed sugar and cannot be absorbed by the small intestinal (ileum) walls.
Therefore;
No lactase --> Lactose passes intact from ileum to colon --> Fermentation of lactose by the normal intestinal bacteria --> Production of a lot of gasses --------> Bloating, Flatulence, Cramps + Diarrhea (by lactose that attracts water into colon)

What to do??
Avoid dairy products (unless they are lactose-free), oral rehydration salt, water, water, water, water, water... + Oral enzyme substitution (never tried this before coz can't seem to get my hands on it yet)

Where??
Check out the prevalence of LI in the world population:

If you are still clueless and don't know what I'm talking about, go watch White Chicks the movie. Pay attention to what happens to one of the agents when he ate cheese. Oh yeah, I soooo know the feeling. Been there done that, sigh....

IMHO, being lactose intolerant ain't fun I tell ya. Especially for a person who loooooves dairy and can't live without them, like moi. And yes, different individuals have different levels and degrees of intolerance. But 'lucky' me, I got stuck with the one-glass-of-milk-will-make-you-have-diarrhea-the-whole-night type of LI. And imagine what would happen if I'd have 1 glass milk+1 slice cheese+1 stick ice-cream, in 1 day. Berkampung kat dalam bilik air ler jawabnya...

A lactose intolerant gal who loves lactose-full dairies. What a bummer, ain't it?

The Beriyani Experiment

Out of the blue today I got a hankering for some nasi beriyani. And since I have (almost) all of the ingredients in the kitchen, I attempted to cook it myself. Mind you, I've never tried making it ever, but there's always a first time, isn't it?

So I Google-d some recipes online and finally decided to try out the Beriyani Kurma recipe found on mesra.net resepi webpage with some modifications of my own. Instead of using beef I used chicken breast meat since that's all that is available for me here, and I substituted evaporated milk with yoghurt and I also added a handful of raisins.

The verdict:
It turned out well enough, albeit a l'il bit soggy. My bad in over-estimating the water for the rice (as I usually do, lol!). What's more, I didn't use Basmathi rice (mahal lah) and used another type of long grain rice instead. All in all it was edible (and I think it was kinda tasty too, hehe) although it wasn't visually appealing. But hey, everything's gonna go into my tummy in the end right, so what's the biggie? As a side dish I made some spicy tomato-based acar timun (I used pickled cucumber), and VOILA! Dinner is served. Yummmmm

It's usual for me to cook in abundance and finish it in 2-3 days. Why do I do this? It's because food keeps well here due to the weather but actually the main reasons are pure laziness and no time. This way at least I could have something that is cooked and meaty instead of bread and eggs all the time, oh man...

So, what else to cook next week? I'm craving for fish but the fish here is so not very the fresh. Tuna/sardin dalam tin pulak dah naik harga skang ni. Telur lagi lah nampaknya, hmmmmm

When I'm Home Alone...

..... I bake. A lot. It's Easter break and I'm stuck at home here, so what else to do but cook and bake, heheh...

What I had: Baked chicken (with 3 types of seasonings/marinades = sour cream+mushrooms, lemon+herbs, tandoori style), baked pasta (creamy baked pasta, mac&cheese, tuna casserole with tonnnes of cheese on top), pastries (butter, cheese and also chocolate filling), chicken curry with lots and lots of potatoes, ayam masak lemak cili padi (which was waaaaay too hot for me! Nasib baik tak kena diarrhea, lol...) and maybe tomorrow I might bake a banana cake if I could find a couple of ripe bananas today. Yummmm....

And suddenly yesterday I was hankering for some roti canai banjir! Sabar jelah... Since I've no patience (and skills) to make it from scratch, I decided to improvise and make them using some ready-made pastry dough that I've found in my fridge. Had to use lots and lots of oil (got no ghee), some sprinkled sugar, pan frying, and voila! And guess what, they turned out good! I was surprised myself, but when I had them with some fish-less fish curry with potatoes and carrots, oh my oh my oh my..... I even made some mamak tea (used fresh milk instead of condensed milk) to accompany my meal..... Ahhhh.... a little piece of heaven from home.....

Oh dear, all this free time and good food is so not good for me, I know. So don't be surprised to see me bloated up and round when school starts next week mi amigos!

Apart from cooking up a storm, I do go out and stretch my legs. The weather currently is so fine, and last sunday was Easter for the Orthodox. Went gallivanting around town and sat in the park for hours enjoying the sunshine. It was kinda peaceful this week, thanks to the fact that the city is almost empty because most of the students had gone back to their hometowns for the holidays. You see, Iasi is a kinda like a college/university town; it's quite small but has quite a number of colleges around here. So, the usual crowds during normal semester would consist of mainly students, while during the holidays (eg. Easter, Christmas, summer) it's practically quiet around here.

Hmmm...maybe I should go and settle my internet bill today coz it's so nice and breezy outside. Could just pay in the bank downstairs, but why not take a tram and a stroll to their office, eh? And since I have the student's transportation pass that enables me to hop on and off any busses, trams or maxi-taxis (like a van), I could go wherever I want (within the city's limits of course)!

Hope you guys are enjoying your holidays!

My Mosaic, My Life

1. My first name
2. My favorite food
3. My high school
4. My favorite color
5. My celebrity crush
6. My favorite drink
7. My dream vacation
8. My favorite dessert
9. What I want to be when I grow up
10. What I love most in life
11. One word to describe me
12. My flickr name

Sinful Berries

Here it is, the most highly anticipated season of the year....

Yessss!! The STRAWBERRY season is here at last!!

I just loooooove strawberries, I think they are the most heavenly fruit ever existed. But mind you I'm talking only about the sweet succulent juicy ones that practically melts in your mouth as you take the first bite...yummmmmmm.....

Ways to enjoy this yummilicious fruit:

Uh oh, that's it! I am so running to the market to grab meself some fresh ones for dessert tonight...

p/s: Just out of curiosity, is it normal for a person to consume 1kg of strawberries in one sitting without developing any gastro-intestinal symptoms after that? If it's not, then thank goodness I'm abnormal!! *winks*