Food from Penang.

I like to share food we had during our recent trip to Penang. And at 1:50 a.m. my stomach growled.....

Bob's Char Koay Teow in Glugor came highly recommended. A plate of  Kerang Fried Koay Teow only cost RM3.50. Can you beat that?

Also from Bob's Char Koay Teow. RM5.50 for a plate of Char Koay Teow Special. We packed another Fried Char Koay Teow and Mee Goreng for supper in the hotel room, the just in case we get hungry situation.

Deen Maju Nasi Kandar on Gudhuwara Road. Like it. Lunch was RM29.70. The night before my other half wanted to eat Nasi Kandar Beratur and when we arrived , hello...the queue was way to longggg to be standing in a queue. He scraped the idea.

Then, there was 'Luk-Luk' at Padang Brown (or locals called Padang Brom), something like steamboat. It was nice and enjoyed the peanut sauce dip. We also tried mee goreng mamak and ice kacang (peanut shaved ice). Dinner came about RM60.00.

Mee Curry is my favorite. I can't missed this. Located  on Penang Street, right in front of the Police HQ main entrance and inside  a chinese coffee shop. Don't asked me the name because it never cross my mind to check it. Halal, don't worry. The aunty is a Chinese Muslim. This reminded me all the lunches I spent with Abah, mom and Sheri on every last Saturday of the month when we followed my parents to work. We get our bi-weekly allowance and used the last Saturday of the month walking to KOMTAR and spent our pocket money.

Laksa was so..so. I was a bit disappointed actually. My memory of  Penang Laksa has fish. But this Laksa was watery, sour and where are the shredded fish? It may be another version which I have yet to taste, anyhow.....people were enjoying themselves with their bowl of Laksa Sold in a shop called Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendol. My personal opinion ....it's not for me.

Chendol from Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendol.  It looks good and we tried  (since this Cendol stall received great reviews among tourists from the internet). Can't remember what it cost, I say between RM2.00-RM3.00 a bowl. 

Wanton Noodle in Soy sauce in a coffee shop on Bangkok lane.

Mee Goreng Mamak on Bangkok Lane.

So we did not manage to get to eat more....I have a few other dishes in mind. Perhaps next time, insya Allah. Pasumbor Penang is the best...I missed so much Pasumbor sold in our Free School canteen. I wish I could taste it again. The best Laksa was behind Penang Free School on Free School Road. My sister and I would walk 30 minutes (without my parents knowledge.....what they didn't know won't hurt anybody.....) in the hot sun just to ta-pau the Laksa. When we got home another 30 minutes, we will quickly put them in a bowl and we sat down and ate quietly.....hhhhmmm.......our hard work have been paid off. 30 years ago, we can sit along the wall on Gurney Drive and enjoy your favorite food. You see food carts along the Drive. Now you don't have that anymore...

The Meeting In SEARO.

Participants of The HR Network Regional Meeting, New Delhi 23-25 May 2015.

Finally the day of the meeting. The bus was already waiting for us in front of the hotel. I saw some familiar faces and we introduced ourselves...there was Jose Barreto from WCO Dili, Mano from WCO Bangkok and Hafy from WCO Male. Others I could not match their names to the faces but in time I will. Once all participant are in the bus we headed to WHO SEARO Regional Office. I am excited and nervous at the same time....M, my coordinator seated next to me....

At the entrance of Regional Office. Security was quite tight.

Every participant knew each other. For most of them their attendance is an annual retreat. In 2014 we were represented by my colleague, Salyna, and in 2015, M and myself. This year? Hmmm I have no idea. It'll be good to go again and meet all the HR focal person from all country offices.

Inside of the conference room.

After lunch break Emmanuel sang us a love song. I understand he likes to sing karaoke.

Arun Ratnam on the left and Deepika Nag in orange clothes.

Emmanuel sang again to honor colleagues from WCO Katmandu who made it despite the recent earthquake disaster. From left is M, Anita and Dora.

Asif (WCO PyonYang), Mano (WCO Bangkok), Nand Kishore and Pankaj Saxena from Regional Office.

Each Country Office did their own presentation and there was a Q&A session. We discussed on recruitment, policies and improvements. We finished our presentation and it went well. I was so relief. M said I did a good job. I hope she meant it. Knowing her, she has told me once,"Don't worry, you do your presentation and if necessary i back you up. I am good at bull-shitting." Ok that was scary.....We went for a short tour inside the Regional Office and for 3 days lunch was in the cafeteria....yes, they have a cafeteria!

Whenever there's a short break in between meetings, the HR Focal person will start hovering over me following up on contracts and work related matters. I felt important at the time...hahaha. Then I got the chance to sit with Mr Nand Kishore or NK in his office and discussed a few cases which were pending as well as a recent revised policy.

Finally after meetings resume on the 2nd and 3rd day we get to go around and do a bit of shopping. Yay! The last night in New Delhi, I found and stopped at MacDonald's for a take away dinner. M and myself took the auto rickshaw back to the hotel. Quite a number of pictures went missing when my memory card was damage.

A cart pulled by a horse...on the middle of the road 8:30 a.m.

Around Sarojini Market

Still in Sarojini Market vicinity.

Hand crafted copper long neck tea pot. RM30. I was torn between this and another item but decided on the teapot because of the  intricate art work. 

A few sarees for Hari Raya attire.

At the end of the 3 day meeting each and every participant were given memento and it was a marble carved Taj Mahal....huhuhu.....M laugh and said, I am so sorry we didn't get to go to Taj Mahal but at least we have this.....". We burst into laughter.

Miniture Taj Mahal carved from marble. Nice....

KL Tower

KL Tower

This pre-planned hi-tea in Atmosphere 360 restaurant on the KL Tower was organized by my sister-in-law to celebrate her birthday, her son and her father (my father-in-law). It has been a while since I was here. I think right before Shakira was born. Prior to that went there twice other times with Abah.

Restaurant Atmosphere 360

We were the first to arrive and waited for the others. When my sister-in-law (or Akak, what we called her) arrived we proceed to check out the mini aquarium and then straight to level two, the observation deck.

At almost 4pm we proceeded to the restaurant and found our table. The place was noisy.  Perhaps the hi-tea hours are designed for family gatherings. There were quite a number of people celebrating their birthdays. Kids running around. A group of tourist posing and taking pictures. So did we.....

Buffet was well spread and it was fun watching everybody enjoying themselves. Thank you Akak for the special treat, insya Allah bertambahlah rezeki hendaknya.

Celebrated 3 birthdays on one day.

Slice of birthday cake.

Part of the Mohd Kasim clan.

Let's dig in...

Shakira and Shakiel very well behave. I gave them pep-talk a few days before going to the high-tea.

My sister-in-law with Shakiel and Zubair.

3 generation of Mohd Kasim. My other half and Shakiel -  the second and only son. 

Hotel Lalit

Finally I arrived at the hotel. A petite young lady greeted me as I stepped out of the car. After welcoming me to the hotel she told me not to worry about my luggage, that it will be taken care off and sent to my room. I followed as she walked in into the hotel and straight to the elevator. She said,"I will take you directly to your room and I have a few papers for you to sign.."

Hotel Lalit

The hotel room was awesome. I wish I could have shared it with someone. It was big, spacious and really cool looking. I liked it a lot. This is going to become my house for the next few days. She explained to me about WiFi, terms of payment and daily free breakfast. I signed some paper and that was it...my check in was done....all in my room. She left and soon after my luggage arrived and I started to unpack.

1801 - corner and easy access to the elevator. 

Entrance on the right, closet and bathroom door opposite of each other. A see through bathroom. And the bed....all for myself...

View from inside of the bathroom.

The shower.

The tub (with shades closed).

After unpacking, WiFi access was available I sent messages back home. Everyone looks fine and my other half prepared lunch. Next, I decided to contact my Coordinator who flew in a day earlier. But first I need to feed my tummy and went to the coffee house to grab lunch. Saw the menu and obviously food are quite expensive. I flipped the menu and the cheapest and most decent meal I could eat was Indonesian Fried Rice and Mineral water. Had to be in India to order an Indonesian Fried Rice, hahh! After conversion from Rupees, my lunch cost me almost RM70.00..erk...gulp!!

Nasi Goreng Indonesia consist of fried rice, prawn crackers, 2 sticks of chicken satay, fried egg and pickle salad.

Next, 26th floor.....

Knocked on her door and she came out looking all  sick. She explained to me what happened and that she stayed in her room ever since she arrived the day before. She had the fever, flu and cough and really physically weak. I felt sorry for her and really pray that she will get better for the meeting on Monday. She asked about our trip to Taj Mahal.....with her condition she needed to know if I still want to go alone...I decided not to go because to pay USD275 for the trip was quite costly for me alone to bare. She said she will call a SEARO colleague and inform tomorrows trip to Taj Mahal is to be cancelled.....waaaaa....

There goes my Taj Mahal trip down the drain........perhaps next time.....if there will ever be.....

A little bit sad I decided to cheer myself and walked to the nearest Benggali market. I bought a few carton of juices, biscuits and snacks and walked back to the hotel....Stayed in the whole night and prepared myself instant noodle....hahaha....on and off I message the kids at home and see what they up too...and looked through some paperwork....

Maggie noodle in a cup! I brought from home....

Work station

Bed was comfy and I went to bed around 8:30 pm but would wake up around 1:00 am. And it took me a while to fall a sleep....

Hello New Delhi!

In May last year, I accepted an offer to accompany my HR Coordinator for a 3 day HR Regional Network Meeting in New Delhi. There was the passport renewal, the visa application and online ticket booking. There were issues during my visa application. But all worked out well.

Two days prior to my departure, my Coordinator made ground arrangements for us to visit India's Wonder of the World, Taj Mahal. I was so excited of the thought that I will soon visit Taj Mahal. Never imagine that one day I will set foot in the majestic palace of love.

The Majestic Taj Mahal - White marble mausoleum located in the southern bank of Yamuna River in the city of Agra. It is a 2 hours drive from New Delhi if you take the highway. A gift of love by Mughal leader Shah Jahan to his beloved wife, Mumtaz. Mumtaz died after giving birth to their 14th child. I already imagining myself sitting right in front of Taj Mahal and  have my photo taken, alone. Just like Lady Diana.....you know....a screenplay playing in my head....berangan la tu....so close yet still too far......

Little did I know.....................

Indira Ghandi International Airport.

My flight was smooth and food was alright...after 6 hours I finally arrived Indira Ghandi International Airport. Time difference is two and a half hours between New Delhi and KL. After customs and immigration clearance I browse around the duty free shop. I needed to get a bottle of perfume for my personal use and thrilled I found what I was looking for in a long time. Bought also a few chocolates as gifts to our SEARO colleagues. Happy with my purchases I walked out the arrival hall and saw a gentleman holding a rectangular sized card with my name on it. I approached him, smiled and introduced myself. He instantly welcome me and introduced me to another gentleman standing next to him who will take me straight to the hotel.

As I followed the gentleman (by now I know that he is the hotel driver)....the weather in New Delhi is hot and dry. I see, feel and taste heat. The temperature was 42 degrees that afternoon....We arrived at a car park building and he asked me to wait while he walked on and disappeared into the sea of cars.

Mr Singh dragging my luggage.

Hey, it's not thatttt bad...hmmm....wonder what the kids are doing back home? It's Saturday and Shakira must have finished with her piano lesson. All I wanna do is to lay down in my fluffy bed and sleep.

Suddenly a car popped up in front of me and there was Mr Singh (that was what I called him,...since he wore a turban). Culturally speaking....no stereotype what's so ever. He placed my luggage in the car boot. Then, he opened the door for me. I felt a little bit embarrassed. I sat down in the 5 year old white Toyota Vios and next to me was a tray. It contained a bottle of mineral water and 2 packets of cold wet wipes ......

................so I began my journey in New Delhi.

The driver was very courteous referring me as, Mam. The drive to the hotel felt like a long time and I started conversation with Mr Singh. Mr Singh drove me around Delhi....there was the President's residential place, the Prime Minister's Office, India Gate and a hotel where President Barack stayed the previous year during a meeting in Delhi.  The hotel was closed for public throughout the meeting and only placed the President's and his entourage.

Auto-Rickshaw.

If you see in the background, it is Gyarah Murti - a set of eleven statue to pay tribute to India's freedom fighter and social reformers. The sculpture depicts the famous Dandi March led by Mahatma Ghandi in 1931.

The Prime Minister's Office.

Another view of the Prime Minister's Office.

India Gate - looks like Arc de Triomph in Paris. It commemorates India soldiers who were killed during 1st World War.

Traffic was heavy. By now the driver already gets interrupted twice from his mobile. Don't quite understand but I have a feeling the hotel was asking what was his location. Mr Singh hang up his mobile and said the hotel was expecting my arrival. He said,"Mam, you must be a very important person. Hotel call me two time. I take you to hotel now."

Our tour was cut short and not long after I arrived Hotel Lalit. Elegant and classy. My house for the next 5 days.

Athlete Calves

Did not even bother to have a new year resolution. Never ever any of it materialized so why bother. Does it matter? That's what I thought.

I love sports since my primary school days. Not much of an athlete but I competed in sprint and relay events and long jump. I had hope to be like my dad. I love aerobics and dancing in my secondary and college years. I enrolled myself into aerobics classes with a college mate when I was at Sunway College. It was very energizing. When I was in WMU I would run around campus at night until there was a rape incident reported that I switched and run in the late afternoons.

When I returned to Malaysia I started to run again purely to loose weight. Who knows maybe I can fit gorgeously in my wedding attire, if I ever get married.....hehehehe....I started by brisk walking from my house in Sec. 14 and upon reaching Taman Jaya ran around the lake. 2 rounds. Then stopped for a bottle of water and headed home.

So I developed a big ugly calf something like in the picture (close enough).

Credit to thinkstock and Google image.

Late of 2014 I joined CHI in Cyberjaya and would do pillates/yoga and threadmill for 2 hours on either Saturday or Sunday mornings. However due to work commitment I am not able to meet with the 6 visits a month requirement in order to maintain the subsidized rate. I cancelled the subscription.

3 days ago my other half complained about having issues with his arms and a work mate recommended why not do a little bit of exercise. When he relate to me the story, I said yeah, why not. We could walk around our neighborhood since there are security guards patrolling at nights.

And that was how it started......so it has been 2 nights my other half and myself started speed walking. To start off, we walk 6 rounds of the soccer field. Target time is to complete in half an hour. Not bad so far......my aim is to get rid of my double chin....hihihi...if I can loose weight it's a bonus....kah kah kah! I guess after all that would be my new year resolution......We will start with this first before proceed to eat healthy....hmmm I wonder......

2016 here we come....

So school will resume tomorrow...maka bermulalah routine hantar and ambik anak, hantar and ambik dari tuition.

Big day today, seperti budak2 lain, I took Shakiel for his haircut....selepas dia bela rambut macam Jackson 5.

Rata-rata yang bawa anak ke barber ialah bapa-bapa....berderet nak tunggu our turn but Shakiel brought his mom instead. Kesian dia....I felt out of place pulak....Ialah emak dia saja yang ingat semua benda or preparation. This time round, the young barber did a good job. I like how Shakiel's hair turned out.

A word of advise to you Shakiel, this year you will be sitting for your UPSR...I know your capability. If you put your mind to something you will succeed....I always believe sky is the limit. I will still love you no matter how many A's you get...the important thing is you must try and try...do not ever give up...Tak dapat pergi boarding school tak pe....ramai orang kat luar sana tak pergi boarding school pun boleh berjaya dari orang yang pergi boarding school. Tapi tak boleh malas dan kena berusaha...

Finally, on that note, after contemplating for so many weeks whether I am worthy or not for the vacancy, I have decided to try and apply again for the 2nd time an NPO position.  Need to update my CV and submit on Jan 5th....