Monday, 30 May 2011

Malay pancake - Roti canai

My hubby craves for a proper "roti canai" after having a not-so-yummy "roti canai" with his friends. Haha. I went out with him too but I don't bother to try it at all cos it doesn't look tempting to me. The "teh tarik" is not sweet but my "mee bandung" is nice. Our lamb soup is just so-so. Hubby's "rain+shine chicken rice" is tasteless despite the wonderful name. FYI the prices for the Malaysian "mamak" food: roti canai = £1.80, teh tarik = £1.50, mee bandung = £5.35, sup kambing = £3.50, rain+shine chicken rice = £4.75. For these prices, we can eat 5 times back in Msia lol.

The Malay shop owner said he has opened the shop for 6 months already. If you saw a Malay here, mostly the scenario would be like this: The wife furthers her studies here and the husband (as usual, sponsored by the government) manages to open a business here. We are updated with the news that my government is giving out 500 pounds to each of the family members that accompany the "student" to UK (mostly wife is studying and she will bring along her husband and 2 kids at least). Imagine the government gives you RM2500 for every family members each month for nothing. Wow, no wonder my lecturer's husband in UK can enjoy his life buying the best DSLR camera and goes photo shooting anywhere in HIS own car. "Banyak kaya" my government. But in the end the country is making losses cos they purposely normally choose to sponsor their own race and ignore the smart race. Haiz, no wonder many brilliant and talented ones run overseas already. *shake head* Brain drain!

Ok, back to the recipe. I google "roti canai" and found this recipe. It is quite nice. Hubby and I make it together. He said the taste and texture is 70% alike to the real "roti canai" sold in our own country. Not bad cos this is the first time we make it. 


 Our roti canai - forgot to put a bowl of curry beside it


Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 cup water
2 tbs condensed milk - we subs it with milk and sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbs margarine


Method

1. Mix water, milk, salt and egg.
2. Pour mixture into flour and knead for about 25 minutes or till smooth dough is formed.
3. Mould into small round balls and coat with margarine.
4. Keep in a container in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
5. Spread each ball on a smooth surface to form a very thin layer (I use my fingers to spread it as big as I can and pass it to hubby to fry it).
6. Put a bit of oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, spread the thin layer from step 5 and put the filling that you like (we like egg and fried onion) and fold it. Fry it until it turns yellow brown.

P/S: I cook the curry first and it really goes well with this "roti canai". Yummy!

Friday, 27 May 2011

A letter to 16 year old me

*saw this topic in several blogger sites and decided to blog too*

Dear 16 year old me,

I know you are studying in the best science stream class, thanks to your excellent results in PMR examination. Somehow, you won't feel happy and you will feel stressed during these two years. You will miss your friends in other classes and you will find yourself stopping by their classes more during recess time. Not to worry though because you will be reunited with them again in the same class when you enter sixth form. Yes, you will continue to study in the same school until Form 6. You make the wise decision to stay back for Form 6 as you want to stay closer to your family and you do not want to burden them with the private college high fees.

Despite the rumours that studying Form 6 is tough, you will manage to go through it with your close friends. You will be selected as a prefect and you will have more fun in the school. You will feel very happy as you have been class monitor and assistant monitor since Form 1, 3 and Form 4. You will also chosen as the prom queen (maybe you are lucky as your prom king is your partner for the night). Your school life will be very interesting at this stage so enjoy it.

Oh ya, you already met your first boyfriend when you were 15. Still remember the first CNY card that he sent to your class to get to know you? That time, you were quite surprised that a Form 5 boy sent you the festive card. But as time goes by, your relationship will turn bad when you were 17. You choose to stop the relationship as you are tired of the long distance relationship and you want to focus more on the coming SPM exam. He will be heartbroken as he thought you have met someone else. Although you will have several admirers but you only treat them as your friends.

As if everything is fated, you and your first love will meet again unexpectedly in St Mary's church one evening when you are 18 and you realize that you still have feelings for him. You will text him using your cousin's identity (too shy to admit that you still miss him). He decides to meet you and talk about it. On the 18th January 2003, you patch up with him (yes, that is the exact date). Please be good with this guy as he is really a great guy and he is the best that you can get. He puts you first in everything that he did. Try your best to love him and understand him more. Tell you one important thing, this great guy will be your future husband.


Academically wise, you will be accepted to study Cognitive Science degree in Unimas. You will have a great bunch of coursemates and you will know each of them well. You will have a good roommate named Ping Ping and the two of you will be bonded like sisters. You will also learn cooking skills from your great course partner named Kok Chen. Both of you will cook meals together, gossip together and endure the stress of studying the hardcore course together. You and Kok Chen will be the best pair in your course. You will love the lecturers in Unimas a lot as they treat you all like their own children. You will enjoy every moment studying there.





 



Upon finishing your degree, you will tag along with your childhood bestie to teach temporarily in a secondary school in your hometown. When the school principal asks you to choose between teaching History or P. Moral, you will reluctantly choose History as your bestie already told you beforehand that she doesn't want to teach History. You know you hate dislike History but you choose to give the best to her.

You will face many naughty kids during the 4 months of teaching there. You will try to create a fierce look by wearing your spectacles and smile less. You will be in charge of teaching History subject to all the Form 1 classes (Form 1A-1F), Form 2B, and Form 4A1. You will be asked to prepare exam question for those classes too. You will also become the class teacher to Form 4A1, meaning that you will have to prepare their report cards and meet their parents to discuss their results. Don't be scared because you can handle the task quite well.  




When you are 23, your high school sweetheart will pop the big question and both of you will get engaged on 010608. He will start working as a pharmacist while you are still doing your practical training in Sarawak Health Department. You will stay together with him in his rented house in Kuching and you will experience ups and downs in your relationship.




When you are 24, you will get registered with him on 070809 (yes, on your birthday). In September, your fiance will further his PhD studies in Glasgow and he will ask you to go with him. Both of you will compromise and you will promise to go there to accompany him once you finish your Master studies. You will experience the long distance relationship once again. This time, both of you will have mutual trust and communication.



Regarding the Master studies, your Mother advises you to go for it. She asks you to choose the same university with your younger brother and you agree. You will opt to choose between Educational Psychology and Counselling. After much consideration and seeking senior's advices, you will choose the former one. In the university, you will meet Jenau, Hawa, Fara and the four of you will be very close and always form a group together (only when the 4 of you register for the same subjects as all of you are doing different Masters). You will also have a good partner named Eyu Li and the two of you will have a great time studying together as full time students. You will find yourself enjoy studying with the teachers and listening to teachers' complaints about students and school.



You will enjoy staying in a hostel environment surrounded by international students (Indonesian, Iranian, China Chinese). You will meet wonderful roommates (Yi Hui, Yin Hsia) and you will have different rooms for every semesters, lucky you. You will have the urge of staying back for PhD but you remember that you have promised your hubby. Maybe, someday, somewhere you will get the opportunity to further it.



As soon as you finish your Master studies, you will prepare for your big day. You will be 25 that time. You will get married on the 9th June 2010. You will fly to Glasgow with your hubby and you will realize that you are the luckiest girl in the world. You will experience the four seasons there, walking among the 'angmohs', wearing scarfs, boots, trench coats, and experience the first drop of snow and walking in the muddy pool of melting snow. You will also learn to cook more and start to learn baking. You will also join the online UK survey which is quite rewarding. The most important, you will find yourself walking to the church for 15 minutes to foster a close relationship with God as you know He is with you wherever you go.



In short, your life will go on smoothly. You must always remember to count your blessings and stop comparing. I know you will feel dissatisfied at times but your life is very good already and many girls would love to have your life. You are one blessed girl.



Love,
25 going on 26 year old me

 

Sunday, 22 May 2011

Sushi in Glasgow

We bought Sushi made by 'angmoh' at reduced price last few nights. It is a bargain as they normally reduced the price to half of the original price if the food is due on that day or the next day. If in Msia, they rather throw it away.



Includes wasabi, pickled ginger, chopsticks and soy sauce


The soy sauce comes in a mini fish size bottle



The fish bottle is so cute

BUT the sushi is just so-so only. The rice is too hard, not like the soft sushi in Msia. I miss the sushi in Jusco (my student life in JB). Miss roti canai, satay, ikan bakar, fried sotong, beef noodles ... *slurp*

Monday, 16 May 2011

Queens Park, Glasgow

*Sorry for the long absence. I'm lazy to blog these days as I'm too preoccupied doing UK online surveys. 
(Rewards = vouchers = shopping spree)*

Went to Queens Park with hubby on the 24th April (last month, obviously). Cost us £1.70 for the return tickets per person. I purposely chose that day to go to see Easter pets. Wondering how special Easter pets could be. This park also has horses, reptiles, flowers, ducks, pigeons and noisy seagulls. 



*excited me*


Nice effect by the tree


A large group (from Children's home, I guess) having a picnic.
 
We overheard a cute conversation between two children.
Boy1 asked, "How come only the adults in our groups are wearing blue scarfs?"
Boy2 replied, "Because they are the oldest among us all". Haha


Went inside this glasshouse to see the reptiles and Easter pets


Want to scare the children?


Fishy fishy come come


Family day out with baby











"Mek mek" haha. Baby talk lol


Chickens and bunnies


The popular Easter bunny of the day


Trying to capture the dandelion picture using camera phone


After that, blow it as hard as I could until it is 'naked' ^^"




Sakura feel


The ducks, pigeons and seagulls in the large pond
(If they are in Msia, I guess they will be gone within seconds or minutes)


Follow the route to see the horses

So many people waiting for the free ride. 
Hubby pitied the horses cos they have to pull a heavy carriage (many overweight people).



Our front seat view (the big butts). Haha

Happy faces



-Back to Glasgow station after a day out-


=ciao until next update ^^ =