Cooking and Me.

Life as an unmarried man away from the comfort of home sure needs a lot of guts. And to use our guts well, we must know how to fill it first. Well, for that to be done there's an easy way and a hard way. The easy way is just lepaking and spending your every penny on food courts or fast food diners, which proves to be costly and not appropriate when you have a monthly financial burden (house rent, bills etc.)

So that leaves me with only the other option, cooking!

Cooking for me is anything but fun. I've never have the experience of cooking at home (as far as I can get is cooking instant noodles) as most of the cooking is done by either my mum or my brother. Yes I'm a lazy bummer, so what?

It's not like I never had the intention to cook, but sadly most of my cooking ends disasterously. I've remembered once during my primary school where I tried to cook for myself for the first time. During that time my parents are working, so my late grandma is looking after me. But she only knows how to cook traditional Malay delicacies such as chicken curry, masak lemak, and other gulai stuff, which is not really my type of meal. I prefer in more non-gulai type of food such anything + masak kicap, sambal, paprik, fried foods - not just fried chicken but also rice, noodles, vege (such as sambal jawa) and others that looks simple but tasty.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me gave you some glimpse on them, shall we?

 Stuffs that granny loves to cook: 

Gulai Ikan Keli Masak Lemak. (Gulai-style Catfish)
This is the nearest- most similar pic that I can get. But my grandma's sauce as I remembered looks more thicker and the oil does not mix up with the gulai (even my mum doesn't know how to do that), and her most favorite is Gulai Ketam and siput sedut. I like it when eating with jemput-jemput @ cekodok or just bread. Reminiscing on it right now just make my mouth waters. But having it almost everyday makes me feel noxious.

Kari Ayam (Chicken Curry).
Do I even have to introduce this? But what can I remembered from my grandma's cooking is that when she boils the curry and wait for the meat to tender, she usually put one ceramic soup spoon inside. She says that it could help the meat to tenderize better. I don't know about that. How about you give it a try?

Sambal Belacan (Condiment using belacan).
Had never seen these for quite a while. But I don't care cause I hate its smell. Yuckk~!!

So my grandma really loves to cook something that either curry-based or gulai-based, since all of my family members (except me) loves them! Yet stuffs that I like are mostly like those as follows:

 Stuff that I like to eat! 

Sambal Jawa (Javanese-style mixed fried vege).
This is totally one of my favorites. Veges such as yardlong beans, tempeh, chopped potatoes, fried tofu, tofu skin, and rice noodles are all being mixed and cooked together with soy sauce etc. Tastes so divinely irresistible!

Ayam Masak Kicap (Soy sauce fried with chicken).
Absolutely fantastic. The taste tells everything. *LOL*

Okay, back to the story, that day I feel like want to eat Telur Masak Kicap (just like above but instead of using chicken I want to use fried egg instead) but my grandma doesn't know how to make it. So confidently, after I fry some eggs, without adding sauteed onions, or even chili paste, I just poured the soy sauce as many as possible, until I imagined that it look like above pic.

So how do you think as the result? The so called Telur Masak Kicap is no more than an egg being soaked into soy sauce and then heated. The soy sauce, which is salty in nature, had made the egg becomes salty too. It taste just like hell. So I couldn't even bare to finish it, but afraid that granny might scold me if I doesn't finish it off. So I just wait until she eventually left the kitchen for a while before I take the fried soy-egg and toss it off at the back of the house.

This is what I had in mind while making it:

But instead, it turns out to be like this, with the egg becoming much more darker (almost black!):

On the ground, the egg is left untouched, even for the chicken too - maybe they know that it is one of their own - just to make myself feels good despite the fact is that they also feels the same way as I do: disgusting!

Yet, that is my first encounter with cooking, and after that I only go to the kitchen after my mum finished cooking. But now, as I have been afar from mum (and damn! how I miss a lot her cooking), the time is come to me to go to the kitchen once again (with some requests of course, even though my housemate knows my cooking sucks) to cook something that I do actually like: Bihun Goreng Singapura (Singapore's Fried Vermicelli).

And it turns out to be almost like this, minus the veges and other stuff (I just make it plain white):

For decoration purposes only, since I forgot to take the pic of the original one. *LOL*

And after quite a few practices with online revisions, I've finally managed to make a tasty Fried Vermicelli so far. Even my friend Khalid think so too. Ouuuu that's so sweet of him to think like that.

So, after getting a good review today, maybe I'll cook some more tomorrow. That's if I feel like doing it. *chuckles* So just wait, and let you gut be the judge!

I am a firework!!!

Hearing at this lively video from Katy Perry really brighten up my day. Don't you just love how vibrant she looks? Just like my blog (perasan!) haha. Either way, I really inspired by the positive message that this songs brought upon me - I do believe that I, as well as everybody else too - have their own fireworks inside them. This is our true purpose in life.

Despite many hardships that I've endured through all these years, I still holds under the positivity that my life would change. Well, who doesn't have problem rite?? If I faced some unexpected challenges or misfortunes in life, I would think that there's others who are more unfortunate than me. The concept is quite simple - God has plans for all of us. Therefore why we want to live in someone else shoes when God had already gave us the life of our own to work for?

Therefore for me, its pointless to feel envious when someone has the lives that we've dream for. Every successful people faced hardships before they triumph - look at Ugly Betty for God's sake! Look at every episode where she is continuously being subjected to emotional torture, entangled with unexpected problems and such, but what impresses me is that how she handle her problems and get the unexpected, yet rewarding results when solving them in the end.

This is what she's used to be, initially.
(Who knows, maybe I'll get myself a pair of braces one day. *LOL*)

It's a long way for her from being a chaotic (and ugly) Betty that everybody makes fun at (but I love her!) into becoming THE BETTY, a new chief editor at London. This is the life that I'm talking about!

Just imagine how a once so-called ugly duckling could transform into something like... THAT!
And it totally doesn't costs her a boob-job. *LOL*

Okay maybe she's not a good example since she's a fictional character, but you get the idea. What I really want to stress out is that Great people always face great problem in their lives, and from that they make great decisions. And for those who don't know who Betty is, she's my mentor! And I want to have a chaotic but exciting life like her one day. *chuckles*

You know, if you took a moment to sit down and take a deep breath, you'll realize that despite so much hardships and everyday problemas that gripping your life, you'll find that there's more than meets the eye. Like in my case, when I lost my wallet 2 week ago, I would be lying if I say that I don't feel my life is turning upside down by the calamity. But after having a moment of peace, I've just realized that I'm not the first whom experienced this, and not the one who lost the most, and definitely this would not be the last.

Well at that moment I just said theoretically just to placate myself, but to my surprise after that one of my friends told me how hers as well as her hubby's Samsung Galaxy SII are being stolen inside her hubby's car, along with her iPad. And what's more ironic is that they've just bought the phone together 5 days before. Ouch! Talk about total disaster!

My conscience ask me: Who are more unfortunate now, huh?? T.T

This kind of things would just happen unexpectedly, but naturally. So just suck it up and move on with your life. We can cry a lot and share our problems with others, but in the end we must realized that - this is totally not the end! We must move on at some point sooner or later - and that's just what I've been trying my best to do - learning more about my life.

Now to my realization, is had been a month since I've started to work here, but frankly this one month seems longer, more like a season. Because I felt like each day is like an episode in a soap opera, where every moment my life is full of unexpected twists - like an enigma. At one side it feels like I've had enough, but the truth is that I can't be less thankful for having such a life that I'm living through until this very point!

It isn't hard to become closer to God. And the best thing is its worth it.

In the end, life is all about learning about our true Creator through His creations. Thus, if having challenges in life makes me feel more thankful towards what I've already been bestowed in life, as well as making me continuously asking for forgiveness and seeking His blessings for everything that I've done, hence I think that my life has a point there.

What we choose in our own life is what we would be in the end. Be it in God's favor or vice versa, He's the All-Knowing and Most Just. Thus sometimes He gave whatever we wished for and sometimes He don't. Nevertheless, both can be either a blessing or a trial upon us, depending on how we implement it.

But still, just be positive with your life and your future, will ya?! Believe in yourself and with God's provision you'll be just fine.

Time to move on... Is it time already??

The moment had come for me to move on into a new chapitre in my life. At least this is what I think right now. These last few weeks had been an exciting and full of sweet and sour memories, and to be frank I already felt good at my current job and started to feel my working environment is like my third home (since my rented house is the second *chuckles*).

Working at DD really let me learn a lot about the working environment that dwells upon me, as well as giving me the opportunity to experience from the glimpse of lives of the people around me. For instant I thought that my working days there would be a hell full of hecticism and I wondered everyday how it would turns out as times moves on. Nevertheless, I tried my best to adapt with the new working environment, learning about new stuffs, learning about commitment as well as daily routines that I need to memorized and comprehend with - all of which are painstakingly harsh, but its only in the beginning.

But as time follows, plus the motivation and training from my employer, I've manage to cope with my working expectation and at the same time improve myself. In the end, fortunately I survived, and by accomplishing that I've changing my working environment into something positive, and something that I can cherish for. To my surprise the so-called working nightmare I've experienced turns to be something memorable.

But the cruel fact is that all good things would come to an end eventually. Like all good journeys, my life now had come to a crossroads - either continuing my present work which is good in term of working time and environment but kinda sucks in payment or starting for a new work which has good salary.

Which one??

So now I realized that I have to make an important decision. A decision for me to move on either in the same way or in a completely new path. And today I must really think a lot and very carefully about it - very² carefully.

Yet I can't help to wonder, if maybe there's a third route waiting to be discovered somewhere out there. Who knows right?

If there's one, I hope I do found it today. InshaAllah and please pray for the best to me.

Back and fabulous!

Coffee gossip everyone?

It's been a while since the last time I've wrote something in here. And that so-called "a while" to me is full of bitter-sweet memories - with a realization that I've already working at DD for quite almost a month. Yeayy!! that means next week we could have a anniversary celebration then. We could lepak2 at bistro (not mamak one because its disgusting) and of course, gossiping. FABULOUS!

So let me check the list. Who wants to join in?? I'm definitely out of the list, because I've already broke and doesn't get my paycheck yet at the moment. *LOL* But for those who already get their salary and felt that they are extremely generous to treat me, then you're most welcome to join.

So what did I get from these past few weeks? I think quite a lot. One of the most obvious thing that I've learn about this working life that I've just experienced during this holiday months is to learn how to be patient all the time.

• Always think positive for all the obstacles and challenges that I might faced ahead. 
• Always patience when dealing with hectic and complex working environment, not to mention some annoying figures wandering around in the stores and outside the stores that makes you feel like wanna to nail him on the ground or stab him on the back (or even from front i don't mind hehe) - any which that gives more pleasures in revenging him. Even to think about it is quite an indulgence, but in the end, perseverance is what matters.

Well, i think that's all for this post, just a minor workout before I'm starting to salaciousize new stories, gossips, peoples... you name it! So for now, adios senor y senora!

I'm still a daydreamer!

Jogging and Life.

Going for a jogging for newbie is quite tough. I mean the idea itself - going for a run for quite a time in some scenic places or just around your home is so exhausting and not the preferable activities enjoyed by most Malaysian. I've already got the idea when seeing most Malaysians whom spent their time at recreational spots only concentrating in "recreate" their mouth on eating, gossiping etc and ignoring the true notion of recreational itself.

But spare me the health lectures. Jogging itself for me is a way of which we realize that every step we've taken in life are much more connected with the act of jog itself. We didn't realize that every harsh steps that we take in the such trivialities actually means something in our life. How it reflects with our own life.

I've realized that like life itself, people jog under their own paces, in which some people whom are more determinant than others tend to move faster so that they've finished their track quickly as they're strive their best to reach their goals or destination; while others preferring fast-walking or just plain walk - slow but constant, in which as time goes by they eventually achieve their own self-goals.

Every steps matters.

But in the end, it's not the destination that quite matters - but rather its how you get there. The journey itself measures your fitness level, or in term of life perspective - your experience level. By moving towards your destination points, you learn quite a lot about yourself, your competency and your own strength. And this are the true knowledge that one should have in order to harness their true potentials for them to move forward and making their own path - self-realization.

Therefore, it doesn't matters whether you run, jog or just walking around, but the most important thing that one's should bear in mind is that they're actually in the process of moving forward. Yes its tiring, and it can never be easy but in the end you'll realized that its worth it. Have faith in yourself and continue to do so with your own pace until you've achieved your own goal - your own destination in life.

The bonus for keeping fit. Who doesn't want them? I sure do. *chuckles*

P.S.: Going for a jog at the lake tomorrow, anyone?

Part Timers.

I've always dream myself like this when working at DD. *LOL*

In this fascinating but truly more hectic world, everybody's life is revolving around money. Money implications in one's life is so significant that one even need money to go to the toilets, whereas the charge could be as low as 20cents to as much as RM2 (I wonder maybe they use silk as toilet paper there). Therefore, living in a new life away from family means that one's need a large sum of cash to do everything choirs and getting stuffs around. And that's just what I am doing here right now - surviving.

To survive in a big city, unless you have a very wealthy background that ensures a steady flow of money into your account even though you are unemployed, ones need a continuous financial source and that could only be achieved in term of salary. Frankly speaking, ones getting a job to get a money.

Therefore, getting a job is one issue, but maintaining the job that we have is another. One should realize that even though job-hunting is not as easy as one thinks, but sadly it was just an easy part in this quest. What is more complicated is how you perform the job, depending on what type of job you're doing as well as the atmosphere that covers it.

One must realize that unless you have a father that owns the company that you're working in, your working life and prospect can never be what you've dreaming for. It is because that there's so much challenge when dealing with working life, as well as to cope with the new environment, get to know all the things related to your work etc etc - it is a neverending list of choirs.

He looks as if Dunkin' Donuts were some kind of drugs. Obviously he's cracked!

Like me, working in DD for example proves to be a greater challenge for me, in which I need to remember a hell of variety of donuts, how to make different types of sandwiches and drinks as well as decorating the munchkins and others. For me whom are quite a slacker, sometimes it can be a hell of a job. But as this is just my first week of all, meaning that this is a week where all the things that we've are still considered "forgivable" at all levels, I must say that I can never survive without the help of my seniors, which always be on my side when I'm dealing something disastrous, just as I covered them as they commit one themselves.

But in the end, I've just surviving, and I've realized that I've many things to learn in my life. And therefore I keep myself tough when dealing obstacles in life, and try to be a better man from I've known to be.

Most importantly, I pray to God that today would be better than yesterday, and so on.