www.meendee.com wishes all a joyous new year! One filled with all your wishes of success, health and happiness always!



Happy 2010!

Labels: celebration

We had Japanese dinner for Valentine's this year. I finally satisfied my craving for a dose of Kampachi >_<

If you're wondering where to get really tasty Japanese food, you've gotta try out Kampachi at Equatorial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

First off, we were served with some appetizer that somewhat tasted like fresh tuna to me. A nice one to start off with.

Appetizer

We decided to have rice. And fried shrimps, Ebi Tempura, to go with. One of my favourite dish to order >_<

Ebi Tempura

Then we also had the Agedashi Tofu, a fried beancurd dish.

Agedashi Tofu

The biggest bomb on the table that night was the Beef (Sirloin) Teppanyaki. Cooked to a perfection of medium to well done. Served with crispy fried beef lard and sliced garlic. 250g of this cost a freaking RM100, we were wondering what cow was this. And I jokingly thought "Hey, who knows. Maybe this cow was the beer-fed kind, except maybe this one with some cheap and expired beer" >_<

Beef Teppanyaki

One of the sauces to go with the teppanyaki

And there's also the miso soup. With clams :D

Miso soup

Though the meal was kinda a bomb in the wallet, it was also a bomb in the mouth. It's simply heavenly! A once-in-a-blue-moon indulgence -_-"

And yes, you must be wondering where's the sushi and sashimi. We were already so full to the brim when we finished these, we were grateful we didn't order any sushi nor sashimi. And anyhow, I don't do the raw stuffs ... can't quite get the hang of them :P

Go on, give Kampachi a try :D

Labels: celebration, food

Was supposed to post this on Chinese New Year's eve, but then the line was so sh*tty ... I couldn't upload the pics :(

Did some last minute spring cleaning on CNY eve, and for this year, I have satt-fatt (sure prosper) 18 fishes :D



Lovely, aren't they?! :)

Then, there's also the usual nian gao for CNY.



And this year, we've also got the pussy willow for the home. But these pussy willows are not the usual ones you get in stalks, but these are still growing from the pot >_<



I got them from the NiuZeXui (CowCarWater) place in Ara Damansara. They've even got the green leaves growing from the stalks -_-" Yes, I'm that jakun :P

And of course, not forgetting probably the happiest thing anyone would want to receive during this celebration ... ang pows :)



It's Chinese New Year already anyway. The first day has just gone by with visiting our parents and in-laws. Now we're already into the beginning of the second day.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year. For those who will be driving and travelling, have a safe and warm trip. And even if you're not celebrating, have a great holiday.

Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Labels: celebration

A very blessed *cough* *cough* and *cough* merry Christmas! *cough*

I've been down with a very bad cough the past few days. Itchy and irritable throat. Lotsa coughing.

And I lost my voice today!

Just came back from a family dinner. Simple home-cook dinner. But ever so yummy-licious :D

Christmas this year hasn't been really that smooth for me. Sick and drowsy from the cough syrup, I still had to go for last minute shopping yesterday to complete the list of gifts. It is so not me to be still shopping for Christmas gifts on the eve >_<

Ok, before I start to get high from the cough syrup and start blabbering here, here's wishing you a very blessed Christmas that's filled with lots of love and happiness, laughter and joy.

*toast*

Merry Christmas!

Labels: celebration, christmas

Drive safe and have a joyous holiday!

Labels: celebration, just-pix

Someone said it's called the mid-autumn festival. But I've always known it to be mooncake/lantern festival >_< Because mooncakes and lanterns are all I know about this festival :P

This year, we celebrated it on 25th Sept. Just last Tuesday. And as with every year, we light up the house with lanterns. This year, no candles though :(

So feast your eyes with a couple of pics from the night :)

The source of fire for the lanterns' candles

If you are wondering why this lantern in the above pic looks so special, that's because my nephew tore it apart into two >_<

A mosquito coil is an essential. To ward off the mozzies :P



And then we have the lanterns.

Dragon and his lanterns >_<

The moon was bright and full that night. Pity I didn't have my tele lens with me.

And yes, that white blob IS the moon ... OOF :P

The never-fail-to-happen accidents on lanterns -_-"

Burned and fell to ground!

And the best part of the night ... the food! We had a little feast out in the porch. This time we had durian pancakes from the Mandarin Oriental hotel. And sweet potatoes (yam) dipped in a mix of soya sauce and fragrant garlic oil. And of course ... the MOONCAKE!

Durian pancake

Durian pancake

Sweet potatoes (yam)

Check out that yolk! Eek-kekeke...

The night was so hot that almost at the end, we were all so sweaty and sticky.



They look like dancing, don't they? >_< But actually, she said she was so sticky, pretended to get stuck to the wall, and was asking the little fella to help pull her off *LOL*

And that pretty sums up the fun we had that night :)

Labels: celebration

The mooncake/lantern festival this year will be on this coming Tuesday (25th Sept). Have you already gotten your mooncakes? What about the lanterns?



I don't really dig lanterns. It's just that MuffySis and I indulge in it for the sake of keeping with the tradition, don't wanna see it die off as we grow up. But now that there's our nephew around, maybe it'll be merrier. Maybe. If he be good and don't go terrorising and burning up all the lanterns >_<





These pics were from last year.

We buy mostly the Japanese-kind ones coz they're much cheaper.





But they also get burnt easier >_<



And what's mooncake festival without mooncake :)



Haven't bought any lanterns yet this year. Maybe will do so tomorrow from the nearby pasar malam (night market). I think we also have some from last year, need to do some digging-up as well.

I wonder if they make lanterns in the shape of a camera? -_-"

Labels: celebration

Yes, I love celebrating Chinese New Year. The sheer excitement of preparing and waiting for it, and the simple joy and warmth of family gatherings, food, giving and receiving!

CNY would not really be CNY without the ang-pows (red packets). This is probably the most anticipated and excited thing for the children and the singles! These ang-pows are usually given to the young and singles by those older or married ones. Since this was my first year celebrating as a non-single anymore, this happened to be the first time I'm giving out ang-pows as well. Not all practice this, but being the first year, I had to give two packets! Wah, pockets very dry man! But the anticipation and smiles on those receiving are really precious :)



Then there's the card sessions. Well, I call it investment *LOL* Blackjack, ginrummy, in-between, poker, mahjong ... you choose! But careful, you don't want to end up being bald!





The firecrackers. But these are banned here. So we are left with probably only "pop-pop" for the children to play with - coarse gunpowder wrapped in little packets that produce a "pop" sound when popped by either throwing onto the floor of stepping hard on them.



I think the firecrackers actually play an important role in making CNY an exciting, loud and joyous celebration. Without it, something just seems to be lacking! I read in the news that they might be lifting the ban on them, hopefully it'll come true. At least allow us to light them up on this joyous occasion.

Lion dance. Tak-dong-chang, dong-dong-chang!! A lion costume usually handled by two dancers. Springs about, up, and down energetically while moving the head, eyes and mouth of the lion. Skillful ones hop up and down on poles of different heights. All these energetic movements are an awe to watch as the lion dances and moves along to the beats from traditional gongs, drums and cymbals. Usually the lion dance is also accompanied by loud burning firecrackers, but sadly firecrackers have been banned.

This is not an actual lion costume used in lion dance, just a mere prop for decoration in homes.

Zhai. Every year without fail, my mother would cook this vegetarian dish. Lovely dish that goes down very well with plain white rice because it has such a variety of vegetables - cabbage, button mushrooms, black mushrooms, baby corns, beancurd skin (fu-zhuk), dried beancurd (tau-fu-pok), peas, carrots, etc.



For the past few years, the Chinese Lunar New Year has very much been a very hot affair. Shining hot sun, warm air, no rain. But this year, it rained. On the first day summore!

It rained on the afternoon of the 1st day.

On our journey back to hometown.

Cities are usually quiet as folks return to their kampung/hometowns. Those not celebrating will also usually take the opportunity of the holidays to return to hometowns or to go on holidays.

Empty parking bays.

To me, these are the things which I relate to when it comes to celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year. And of course not forgetting the precious gatherings of family, relatives and friends as well :)

Labels: celebration

Yeah, yeah ... I know my post seems somewhat a tad late. The Chinese Lunar New Year is over by now. Yesterday was the last day of this grand celebration of the Chinese community. 15-days ... sigh, how fast time flies!

The Chinese New Year (CNY) and Christmas are probably the two festivals and celebrations that I most look forward to every year. Yes, these two celebrations are very stressful on the pockets and bank account, but then I really do enjoy these two festivals the most. Probably because I like shopping for the gifts and decorations, the simple joy of giving and receiving, and the gathering of family, relatives and friends :)

As families prepare for CNY, the list could go on really long with so many things to buy, so many things to prepare for. But for me, a few simple things don my home as the celebration draws near.

Cookies. I don't make them! I buy them in tins and containers, in a variety of them. The rather common ones are the kuih bangkit, kuih kapit, pineapple tarts, peanut cookies, dragon cookies, etc. But no, I had to include some uncommon ones. Almond chocolate cookies, butter cashew nut cookies.



Oh, we also have the fried nga-gu (chinese arrowhead) but I didn't get any pictures of them. This year, I fried them myself. Enough for self-consumption and for gifts as well! Oh, if you plan on frying them yourselves, try not to wait until the last minute to buy the arrowheads. Yes, they may be cheaper, but it can be quite difficult to get your hands on good and fresh ones!

Kuaci. Red melon seeds. Put them in a nice bowl, and top it with a lime and an ang-pow.



Nian-gao. Some sweet, goo-ey stuffs that you can later on fry and eat. It's really good if you like sweet stuffs. Usually, I get them in a pair. Wrap around with some red paper, and top them with some lime. Place with an ang-pow.



Mandarin oranges. They come in big and small. Supposingly the smaller ones are said to be sweeter! But big or small, I don't mind!



Decors and ornaments. Red and gold ornaments decorate the plants, doors, walls, etc. The rather common plants you'll find in lieu of CNY are bamboos, pussy willows, and plum blossoms.



There are many more things apart from those I mentioned. The list could go on really, really long. And the variety becomes more as the years go on!

This is what I call a fortune bean. When you purchase it off the shelf, it comes as a golden egg. Then you will need to crack open the top, and water the soil inside the egg little-by-little, day-by-day. And as the day passes, a bean/plant grows out of the soil. And the cheesy part of it, is that there's a 4-D number on the bean! Go figure ... *LOL*



So ... what do you decorate your homes with?

Labels: celebration

New Year's eve countdown calls for either parties, sleeping the year through or photography opportunities. Parties are already a no-no for a domesticated me *meow*, so that leaves me with either sleep or clickety-click! And so I chose the latter.

Earlier in the day, my hubby and I drove round the Curve area to scout for a nice place to make-out ... ahem, errr, I mean to photograph the fireworks display later in the night :P We found two places - an open, deserted area nearby The Curve/Ikano, and an open parking area in Damansara Perdana overlooking The Curve. We decided to go for the deserted area nearby the shopping mall, but instead ended up in Damansara Perdana!

Reaching there around 9.30pm, the parking area was deserted and we had second thoughts if the place was going to be safe. We actually went with my sister, her hubby and their super-cheeky son. Having some drinks at a nearby mamak while waiting for the time to pass, we made crazy stories of being hijacked, robbed, etc. But whaddaya know, by the time we went to that place again later at around 11, there were already a few families there. *phew* what-a-relief! Minutes later, I decided to "pre-book" a spot and proceeded to setup the tripod and camera. More people starting coming in, *phew* extra relieved!

I took a few test shots. I was hoping the fireworks would be launched in between the Curve building (left) and the Cineleisure (right). And I told myself I need to get the first few shots right before the smoke builds up.



Few more minutes, and it was 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 ... boom, bam, boom.



And I was like "sh*t, it's on the right!! Alamak!!! Fast, fast, re-compose, re-compose ... urgh!"

Re-composed, and proceeded to press the remote shutter happily!



And then, it was boom-bam-boom somewhere else ... there, right at the spot where I initially hoped it would be!!! Urggghhh ... re-compose, re-compose ... quick, quick!!! :)

They got bigger ...

... and higher!

And I decided to try another composition.



And went click-click-click all the way!

Trying out black-and-white.

One more ...

And finally, a sky blanketed with the smoke from the fireworks. The white streak of light you see on the top-left was from a helicopter that was hovering above the area right after the fireworks display.



We quickly packed our stuffs and headed off, hoping to beat any traffic congestions!

The display went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes, giving me enough time to recompose and such. Only disappointment I have is not being able to capture the first few moments without the heavy smokes, but overall I'm pretty happy with the outing this time as compared to the fail-fail-fail one I had last year in KLCC.

Labels: celebration, fireworks, new, year