What I've been up to .... nothing much really. Except that I've been eating lots. I'm so gonna get fat, I tell you. Probably already am. Anyways. This pic was taken at the Italian restaurant, Cipolla located at Bangsar Telawi. My cuz, Su Lin just moved down to KL in early April and we made a 'date' to meet up over dinner. That's the change from the bill which I'm holding. My cuz was super fast with her hands ... I didn't even had the chance to put it away yet. Haha! She'll make a good photographer.

I always take my friends to Cipolla. Their pasta and wines are excellent commingled with the arcadian Venetian deco and an ambience that a 'boudoir' has, it's always an ideal place to dine and relax. So far, they all loved it. My favourite is the Pasta Linguine and sauvignan blanc. I've been meaning to take Sheryl there numerous times, but so far our schedule hasn't synchronise ... yet. Sheryl, one day k ...

Next rest. to sample: Nero Fico.

OH MY GAWD

!!!

I AM DYING FOR THIS HEELS!

FAINT.

Errrmmmmm....

But so dear. S0.

Better refrain.

BUTTTTT ..... I LURVEEEE IT!

Isn't it just GORGEOUS ?

Gotta lurveee the colour comb.

*ouch ouch ouch*

I've been intending to make chicken curry for quite some time now. But somehow, something always intervened. However, it was finally meant to be. Just yesterday, I decided to see if I can still make chicken curry for I haven't made curry in the longest time. Well, at least it is for chicken curry. The last curry I made was yonks ago ... say about 4 yrs ? Perhaps even longer. And I am happy to say that it was a success! I'm so glad! However, this time I decided to add something different i.e. star anise and a teensy bit of plain yoghurt. Really a small amount, only as much as 1.5 tablespoon. Just to make it a tad creamy.

Though, I have to admit that it can get a little too overfull if the chicken curry is consumed with rice. I had it with bread earlier today and it sits better on my stomach. If only I know how to make 'roti jala'. Now, that would have been a parfait combination. Elle! Need your help here. Note to oneself: not advisable to consume curry too much due to its high content of coconut milk. Best to keep it moderate.

. . . . Reminiscing the good 'ol summer spirit. Times are tough, try to keep your spirits high. Those lost can be earned back. Of course, except love. Ergo, appreciate those you love, who love you in return, for they are the ones who comfort you when you are down.

As the day lengthens and the sun fattens in the sky, a strange phenomenon comes over people ... we all seem to go a little crazy as the summer approaches. As we emerge, mole like, from our winter coats and jumpers, we blink into the sunlight and some strange kind of solstice-type alchemy shifts our habitual dour expressions into one mischief and madness. Our eyes start to twinkle that little more brightly, our hearts dance a little more freely and a subtle, full moon character shift lures us in its gentle grip. Hem lines and blood pressure rise with the thermometer's mercury and the cocktail hour gets by the day. The boring guy on the bus suddenly looks like Brad Pitt, queuing up at the post office is not a problem and working over the weekend is not such an ordeal after all. Well ok, this actually depends on the nature of your job. That time, I was working as an ice-cream vendor ... so it was nice to see lots of people craving for ice cream.

For me, the summer is about being alive, it's about being ready for anything, it's about laughing and drinking wine on the beach or in the park with friends for the rays of sunlight activates the brain. We spend our winters head down, ploughing our fields so to speak, so I love it when the summer comes along and gives all of us worker bees a chance to dance and be merry. I love that as the days gets longer, there is a certain rebirth in the air and all the things that all grieves between November and February seems to magically slip away, or rather gets put to the back-burner until the following winter. People are nicer and more understanding, children are more cheerful and by God, tout va bien in the world; with the spirit of summer tangible in the air, everything is just, well, easier and happier. But the best thing about summer for me is not the je ne sais quoi that takes us over ... because of course, it is easier to love when we love and appreciate ourselves.

Love in the summertime is the best tonic around to chase away the winter blues. From the teenage girl who sits waiting by her window, hoping against hope that her boyfriend will pass to a long term couple who sit in companionable silence and watch the world go by, there is no better season to celebrate love. Romeo and Juliet had it in the 16th century; Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal had it in the 1970s. Hopefully, you have it now, or at least have already encountered that magical feeling at least once. There is no fashion dictatorship to it, no magazine editor to tell you if it’s hot or not. You do not have to be tall and beautiful to fall in love, or rich or a perfect size 6. In fact, falling in love is probably the most politically correct thing to do on the planet! Unbiased, the simplicity of loving is just that ... simple. In a world where we are continually weighing up the pros and cons of our actions, it is refreshing to see time after time couples plunge headlong into the crazy whirlwind that may or may not lead them to the altar. The rollercoaster of do they, will they, won't they is the best ride ever for the time it lasts, before it settles into something more palpable. Everywhere we go and everything we do is tainted by the incredibility that “Yes! You too have been targeted by the mischievous little Cupid and his bow”. The Swedish say "A life without love is like a year without summer". I say that a summer without love is like a summer in black and white - you can still function but goodness me, it is certainly dreary.

(on listening to "All You Need is Love" by Beatles)

Pictures courtesy from PY.

(click to get larger picture)

Teddy-Bear got hitched!

        Alan, Serene, moi, Tai Yong & Yee Shyun, Poh Yew & his lovebird, Irwin & Charmaine

                      The same crew with Chloe & Chuan, who left a wee bit earlier.

 

                   The bridegroom delivering his heartfelt 28 mins long speech!

Mr & Mrs Loh. They met at Bristol. Irwin was my groupmate for my Bar course back in Bristol. He’s a good chap with a kind soul. Also, he claimed he made a witness cry during our criminal cross-examination .. Errr OK Irwin!

 

Mr & Mrs Sin. She just gave birth to a baby girl! Andy was also my groupmate for the Bar course. He’s a good chap too and loves to enjoy life! We went travelling together for a bit in Europe after the completion of our Bar course.

*Maddy smacks her forehead* I thought I uploaded some pictures of the hotel in Vientiane but for some reason, I must have took them off when I was editting the entry. It has been re-posted, which now includes pics of the hotel. Please click on the thumbnail if you wish to view a larger size for each pics.

Vientiane, Episode II

                    Glass noodle soup. *slurpppp*

       YL and I, enjoying our … err …. 3rd glass of margarita.

     Apsara dance during dinner at Kualao rest. Laotian food.

Patuxai. It was made from the mortar which was originally meant to built the airport runway. It was built on the capital's main north-south avenue in the 1960s to celebrate the independence struggle.

 

Relaxing by the benches just outside The Spirit House.

                  Surrounding area of Pha Tat Luang.

Pha Tat Luang, the golden stupa which is the national symbol of Laos.

                    Me, the ‘tuk tuk’ driver. I like this pic!

 

                One of the many, many French restaurants.

                           Old French windows.

The ‘That Dam’ is a large stupa. Many Laotians believe it is inhabited by a seven headed dragon who tried to protect them from the armies of Siam, who invaded in 1827. It is also known as the Black Stupa, the English translation of the Lao name, That Dam.

                          YL & I.

VIENTIANE, LAOS

I presume everyone is aware where that is right … So I’m not gonna start with it’s location except that it is the capital of Laos. Am lazy that much. Upon our arrival, we discovered that it is the dry season resulting the Mekong being half dried up! I mean it literally. HALF OF ITS SIZE WERE DRY LIKE THE DESERT! No kidding. Also, we learnt that the Mekong River is border to Thailand. So yeap, immediately after the Mekong River stands Thailand. Although there’s a sandbag in the middle of the Mekong River but that doesn’t really count. I was kinda excited the night before (as usual) and only got about 3.5 hours of sleep. I thought I would be dead tired when I woke up but when YL came to pick us up with the cab (a very comfortable one) I was delighted to see them and I was my usual chatty self. *beam* That’s the thing with AirAsia flights, it’s freaking early rendering passengers waking up as early as 4 or 5 am! But I guess that’s travelling!

The Laotian people are really, really nice. When I was walking in the city centre, having food, sipping cocktail & purchasing items, I didn’t get the in-your-face-tourism thingy at all. Even when it comes to shopping, they aren’t crude like the Vietnamese nor pushy like the Thai. They seem really down to earth and have a gentle disposition. Oddly, I felt safe walking in Vientiane and there’s no such thing as bag snatchers, like here in KL. And the cocktails concoctions and FOOD are to die for. And cheap too! We were really lucky as there’s this place called The Spirit House, located just next to our hotel. It has about er … I would say about 40 odd of its own cocktail concoctions and they were SUPER DARN good! I haven’t had anything so good as compared in KL before. As for food consumption, the Laotian consumes an abundance of vegetables. And I do mean a lot. Most dishes, whether you are having just a simple soupy noodle, steamboat, rice etc … it is always accompanied by a plate of fresh, raw vegetables and this includes minty leaves and coriander which is my favourite. Their local food rarely contain anything rich in carbohydrate, except rice which it is not their preferred diet and so are pretty healthy. Even their noodles are vermicelli and not the yellow noodles. It’s no wonder the Laotian people are so slim. And I do mean slim. I didn’t even see a single plump person. All in all, I enjoyed everything from the food, to the drinks, to the spa, to the walking & shopping tremendously! I recommend you lot to go as it is always interesting to see the lives of the third world country. Laos is still pretty much undeveloped and is still in its origin. Many people have asked me before as to the reason why Laos was the chosen destination. I don’t quite know myself but I think it’s best to vary your travel destination within a bit of glamour to a bit of rough edge. If all were the same, it would indeed be boring innit! Also, at this crucial credit crunch in time, places like Laos doesn't make a big hole in your bank account.

Beau Rivage Mekong

I wasn’t so sure about the hotel that we were booked in, predominantly because of it’s pink painted walls. But after we checked in and when we were showed our rooms, I like it immediately. You see, there were 2 theme colours for each of the rooms, i.e. either all in baby blue or pink. From the online pictures, the pink room looked a bit bright. So I had a mental note to request for a blue coloured room should it indeed look funny. But the pink were a light shade and it has a soothing effect. Whereas the baby blue room looked a bit gloomy to me. The layout of the room was done very aptly because every corner of the room were well used. The service was good and as it is located in a discreet area (albeit not a long walk into the city centre) we didn’t have much noise which meant we slept well every night. The Beau Rivage Hotel was rated amongst the top 3 hotels to stay in Vientiane by tripadvisor.com. Indeed, disappointed we were not. It is opened and managed by an Australian ex-civil servant. He came to Laos about 5 years ago and hasn’t left since.

      I really like the idea of those reading lights. Handy!

                       Frontage of Beau Rivage Mekong.

Mekong River

 Walkable dried Mekong river. The dry season will last till November.

 

                                    Sunset by Mekong.

  

  So dry that they even made a plantation out of the riverbed.

 

 

Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           (Clockwise) Steamed cutlet fish, raw vege & kaolaap.

 

 Vermicelli noodle soup with pork + raw vegetables. This is my fav!

      Unnamed corner kopitiam, where we had the above noodles.

 

Vietnamese steamboat with scrumptious sausages! I was too busy eating.

Rice paper for wrapping, lots of mint, coriander and the sauces are delicious!

Vieng Savanh (wherein we had the steamboat) at the Chinatown area.

Got these at the Pimphone store for RM10 each. Have yet to try.

 

BBQ pork ribs for RM12 at The Spirit House. It’s so YUMMMY!

        Castro mojito, wherein Beerlao is added. A good drink!

The boombastic Margerita at The Spirit House. Honestly, is it the best Margerita I’ve ever had. We started drinking from 5pm onwards on an everyday basis. Looks like I gotta do a big detox now.

So, a lot has happened in the past 2 weeks. I was supposed to attend my cousin's wedding on 7th March, 2008 at the Crown Plaza Mutiara Hotel, including the tea ceremony during the daytime but it was not to be. Something unexpected took place in Penang and I flee back in a haste. Although my mom did say that there was not a need for me to do so. But how could I not. Couldn't just sit twiddling my thumb and wait, could I! Initially, I thought I had to do without my trip to Laos but as luck would have it, things got much better in a matter of days and I flew back to KL just one night before leaving for Vientiane. I'm glad everything worked out fine. *me thank my lucky star* Coming up next: Vientiane, Laos.