Farewell 2012 . Welcome 2013

Greetings in the year of the snake. #hiss 

Looking back, I realised that since the starting of my final year, I had not posted up any entries except for a couple of highly emotionally unstable passages. I guess I can safely conclude that though it had been quite a distinct period of time, with my current state of mind as well as encounters, the time had not been sufficient and I just could not bring myself to write anything before.

Now let me do a quick recall on the happenings for the 'lost time'.

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Our second anniversary! So they say, happy moments flash by the fastest. We had been together for two years and 2 months now. Although there had been ups and downs in between, but thank God that we are still holding on to each other. And may we grow together in the Lord.

A romantic buffet dinner at Flamingo Hotel

The food was alright, nothing to shout about but who can turn down fresh mussels and prawns as well as arrays of mouth-watering desserts

Yours truly

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I had finally 'conquered' the Penang Bridge, in a slow and leisure way though. 

Completed my Penang Bridge marathon in less than 2 hours. 

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The 'queen' of the house, my mother, had aged another year even though she will remain young at heart, no doubt about that. Haha. We had a celebration at Gurney Plaza and the birthday lady chose Tian Ding Xiang for her birthday lunch. We opted for the set lunch which came with half a Chinese Peking duck, three dishes, soup-of-the-day and dessert-of-the-day.

Even though I cannot remember the price of that meal, but it was definitely worth it as all the dishes were absolutely delicious.

After the filling meal, we had a walk around the mall before heading to Tong Pak Fu for some dessert as my mum had been raving about this since their first branch was opened in Penang.

We had the award-winning green tea and durian shaved ice.

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The Christian Fellowship in campus held an early Christmas celebration before the study week to invite fellow campus-ians to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ together.

I just had to post this lovely 'snowflakey' picture. Aww.. I am so gonna miss my cute and lovely juniors and friends after i graduate.

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Had my first run around the campus. Heck it was tiring but FUN!~ And I am pretty sure I ran the year's quota that particular day. Hehe.

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One of my favourite festival of the year, winter solstice. I simply love love these chewy glutinous balls. Although I was away from home, thanks to the owner of a eatery that I still got a 'chew' of home.

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Christmas, isn't Christmas, till it happens in your heart. A meaningful Christmas with Ducky, Jia Jia and the ever-adorable Ah Bui joining the celebration. It had been so long since there were so many of us gathered together, having a great time in one another's company.

Kachak~! Ah Bui in the house

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Receiving the new year for the very last time in Parit Buntar Baptist Church. A wonderful and memorable one.

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A blessed study week and finals, even though my brain was at the verge of bursting and my nerves cracking, there were always love for me from a lot of different parties and I m really thankful for that.

Brunch on the first day of 2013

Biscuits all the way from Ipoh

Brunch before my design viva

Even a beautiful dragonfly stopped by when we were the only ones in the cafe rushing for our viva

Dinner at Fong Ting Siew, Serdang, Kedah after viva where we had a really good laugh and chatted about all sorts of nonsense we could came up with.

A lovely gift from my sweet juniors

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This year is going to be different than the previous as I am finally going to enter into a totally new stage of life. There are uncertainties and past burdens that had been haunting me ever since. For my new year resolution, I am going to make one and only one and making sure that I keep it, that is to put everything into God's hands and to always pray for the right decision to make.

That's all for this unorganised entry and wishing everyone a GREAT year ahead.

Coming up: Winter in Taiwan!~

Temperamental

Have you ever felt like you knew there are tonnes of work waiting to be done but,

1. the more it made you feel like sleeping and never ever have to get up

2. hardly get any peaceful sleep since you always sit up awake in the middle of the night haunted by what you have YET to do

3. spending a long time on your work desk with approximately 0% productivity

4. while you are working on A, B won't stop popping up in your mind and when you moved on to B, C and D keep mopping around 

Yah.. All the above are happening to me nowadays. 

I AM OFFICIALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL

Waddling in this bumpy road, fall,stumble and astray on the way. I don't know is this because I've set a target way to high for me to achieve or I have practically just lost myself. All I feel is unmotivated, senseless and I just can't be bothered but at the same time I know all these are just excuses I made up to cover up my own incapability.

"The Lord will fight for you; You need only to be still." - Exodus 14:14

I feel comforted to be reminded that God will always watch my back. I am meek but my God is strong! However, this intuitive feeling is somehow crushed by how I have constantly let Him down by taking things for granted, not living up to His way, and all that I have done which I myself cannot forgive. What I need is a lot more faith, will and determination which I do not know how much more excuses I will come up for myself till the day I attain it.

Meanwhile...

Still My Soul

Still, my soul be still

And do not fear

Though winds of change may rage tomorrow

God is at your side

No longer dread

The fires of unexpected sorrow

Still, my soul be still

Do not be moved 

By lesser lights and fleeting shadows

Hold onto His ways

With shield of faith

Against temptations flaming arrows

Still, my soul be still

Do not forsake

The truth you learned in the beginning

Wait upon the Lord

And hope will rise

As stars appear when day is dimming 

God, You are my God

And I will trust in You and not be shaken

Lord, of peace renew

A steadfast spirit within me

To rest in You alone

I rest in You alone

In You alone

End of Industrial Training

Without me realising, my two and a half months' industrial training has finally come to an end. Looking back at those 55 days, which I countdown-ed since Day 1, they had indeed written a significant chapter in my life.

I can still vividly remember the night before my first day of training. I was so nervous I tossed and turned for the whole night. The next morning, with so much excitement accompanied by anxiety, I was happy to find that I knew most of the other trainees and that I will not be alone. 

Thank God I had been placed in a office full of spirited colleagues whom each day brought much laughter to me through our simple conversation. Thanks for a caring and dedicated supervisor who provided me much guidance and plenty of exposures in the different departments as well as great opportunities to get in touch with the different people in the company.

Finally, I really appreciate all these people who have painted this period with so many different colours of guidance, laughter, care and kindness. I will always keep these memories deep down in my heart.   

Successfully gone through yet another stage of life. I pretty much (I wanted to!) believed that indeed my mind has grown much more mature and hopefully I am now ready to step into the final year of my university life. 

Since I should not leak any pictures without the company's permission, below are some sneak peaks which somehow, are company related. 

 My employee's batch

 Me at my workplace inside the cosy office

Ipoh Trip with Ducky

August is coming to an end! This means that my industrial training period is finally coming to an end too. As much as having to wake up super early in the morning and join in the traffice congestion on the way home every day. I can be sure that I will miss this period of time and the staff there.

Back to this entry. This is dated back to the second week Ducky is back in town. Or rather back in Malaysia. Since our (me and parents) last visit was two years ago, we decided to bring Ducky on a trip there. A big part of it was simply because we miss the food there. Hehe

Initially the plan was to wake up early and depart at 4am while the traffic is still smooth and the sun is not yet out. But alas, by the time the whole family got up, it was already 6. That explains the crowd at the dim sum house we went for breakfast.

Welcome to Ipoh! If you manage to spot the letters through the thick haze.

What's the point of going to Ipoh if not for their well famed dim sum, among the best I've tasted. Yum! Since most of the bloggers reviewed that Ming Court, located exactly opposite Foh San, serves the better dim sum, we decided to give it a try this time.

The super hazy sky

Upon entering, we were not surprised to find that the place was fully packed and customers without a seat were standing behind almost every table, waiting for the previous customers to finish their food. This is quite an awkward situation where people are pressing upon you and watching you closely while you are eating.

We were lucky enough when two elderly ladies agreed to share table with us. As one can imagine the situation, we wasted no time and quickly picked our dim sum when the trays pushed past us.  

Crispy 'pear-shaped' yam puffs and silky smooth egg tarts

The steamed items, 'siew mai' and 'har gao'

'Mua chee'. Rich peanut butter inside the glutinous dough and peanut powder on the outside. Love it!

Thick sesame paste. Parents claimed that this is nice but I guess it just doesn't go well with my tastebuds 

'Ham sui kok' with 'char siew' fillings

Hong Kong style 'cheong fun' (steamed rice roll) and braised stuffed tofu

Overall I would say that I prefer the portion size in Ming Court as it is smaller which allows us to try on more varieties. The price is also cheaper compared to Foh San. However, tastewise both fare equally and I think Foh San provides more selection for their dim sum.

Foh San right on the opposite

One last shot before proceeding to the next destination

Ming Court Hong Kong Dim Sum Sdn Bhd

Address: 32,34,36 Jalan Leong Sin Nam, 30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel No: 05-2557134
Closed on Thursday

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When we talked about Ipoh, most people could only think about the food. However, Ipoh has got more to offer. After filling our stomach, the next place we went to was the state museum, Muzium Darul Ridzuan.

Sisters

Its us again

Muzium Darul Ridzuan
Address: 2020, Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: 05-547 3885 / 3984
Opening Hours: 9.30am till 5.00pm (Closed on 12.15pm till 2.45pm for Friday prayers)
Entrance Fee: Free of charge

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The women of the house

Destination number three, Birch Memorial Clock Tower which was erected in 1909 in the memory of J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident of Perak who was assasinated in Pasir Salak.

'Leaving footprint' on Ipoh's Heritage Trail

A closer view

The state mosque which can be seen opposite the clock tower

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Since we were nearby, we stopped by the railway station, which appeared to be one of the tourist attraction as recommended by a local.

Love this photo as I looked so slim here. Hehehe

Some random shots to prove that we were really here. Haha

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Now this is what I am looking for all this while. One of the main reason I endure the two hours drive to Ipoh. *satisfaction look. Ching Han Guan is located adjacent to Yee Hup Biscuit Shop, a street away from the famous Lou Wong and Onn Kee Nga Choi Gai (bean sprout chicken). You simply can't missed it with their new striking red signboard!

Double affirmation from me!

Their old-fashioned looking shop packed with loads of baked goodies!

'Heong Peng', 'Sat Kek Ma', 'Hap Tou Soh' (walnut cookies), etc. You name them! How I wish I can bring them all home.

Their workshop just at the back part of the shop. You can smell the freshly baked goods.

This is what I had been craving for all this while. Their signature Meat Floss Lotus Paste Biscuit. We were lucky again as they were left with this one last pack which was not pre-booked. To avoid disappointment, always make bookings with them beforehand. One can do so through their e-mail or Facebook page.

The owh-so-shiny pastries which taste lingers in your tongue and stays in your mind

Ching Han Guan Biscuit Shop 钟汉元饼铺

Address: 145, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.

Contact No.: 05-2545126

Email: contact@chinghanguan.com
Business Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM ; Sunday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

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Soon it was lunch time. We revisited Sin Yoon Loong as my mum craved for the Hakka and beef noodles there.

You can have the noodles dry or wet (soup). There are a variety of 'yeong liew' (stuffed item) to choose from as well.

White coffee is a must! Nice but i still prefer the one from Nam Heong. Hehe

Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong
Address: Jalan Bandar Bijih Timah, Ipoh, Perak
Business Hours: 7am till 6pm (Closed on Sundays)
GPS Coordinate: N04 35.599 E101 04.617

Right after our meal at Sin Yoon Loong, we crossed the street to Nam Heong, which is located exactly opposite, for a cuppa nice coffee.

How do you like your cuppa coffee? Hot or cold?

My second cup of coffee within one hour! Talk about caffeine overdose.. I am now a converted coffee lover.

Having Penang 'char kuey teow' (fried flat noodles) at Ipoh. Haha. Tasted not bad.

I love the pastries here as well, especially the egg tarts and 'char siew sou'. However, since we were too full to stuff in anything else. We gave those a pass.

 

Kedai Makanan Nam Heong 南香茶餐室
Address: 2, Jalan Bandar Bijih Timah, Ipoh, Perak
Business Hours: 7.30am till 4pm

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The shopkeeper puts up a sign saying 'One will gain prosperity from snapping a picture of the shark head'

Dried starfishes. I wonder how do you eat these?

Premium shark's bone

A local shop that sells all kinda childhood toys during my time.

Piggy biscuits. The taste of childhood...

Cars everywhere we went

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After a whole morning of eating and drinking, its time for some exercise. We went to the natural caves of Ipoh for some fresh air. If the air can still be considered fresh.

One of the more popular cave, Kek Look Tong

We then went to the other three caves which were in an array, Ling Sen Tong, Nam Thean Tong and Sam Poh Tong. Sam Poh Tong has the best scenery, however due to the accident few years back, it is now overshadowed by trees and very few people visits the cave anymore.  

 

Sam Poh Tong

Serenity...

Before leaving, we stopped by the row of pamelo stores beside the highway to grab some local products and off we went on our way back.

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Our haul from Ipoh. Food, food and more food! It was indeed quite a satisfying trip (how could it not be with Ducky as a company, hehe...) despite the hot weather and my skin which got darker by a tone.

Muruku, 'tau sar peng' (mung bean pastries) and meat floss lotus paste pastries from Ching Han Guan

Pamelos

'Heong peng', 'kai zai peng' and noodles from Yee Hup