Of Ekoy

Of Taipei

2011-08-22T20:02:00.003+08:00

I survived 6 days in Taipei!!! Yay~~ Well, I had literally ate through my way throughout my whole trip in Taipei. I know, I know, two pictures do not do any justice to what I've experienced and seen there. But I'll write up a full length story asap! That's a promise!

I've been busy with grad school and it's finally the holidays now. Finally, relaxation time~~~~~~~~~~~ Oh ya, I'll be going to AYABIE's live tomorrow. Can't wait! <3

Of Yashica Electro GSN Rangefinder

2011-07-07T21:31:00.002+08:00

My heart made two back flips when the package arrived at noon today! =) It is in mint condition on the outside, but I wonder if it works? I'll head over to Umeda after lectures tomorrow to get a roll of film and 6V battery! *fingers & toes crossed*

Come Makan With Me!

2011-05-28T17:58:00.003+08:00

Like the title says, come dine with me! I had too much food in the fridge, and today was just a nice day (read: it is raining and cold outside!) to spend some time in the kitchen. Here are the results.... *drum rolls*

Of Just a Little Bit of Spring

2011-05-20T22:43:00.006+08:00

Hehe... My bad, I was away from my blog for a rather long time. At least I continued tweeting right? =p Here are bits and pieces of spring (it barely felt like spring!) this year....

My wall is decorated with these!!!

Miso ramen, after 3 hours of ice-skating at Namba.

I've forgotten the name of this, but it was kinda good! (Umeda, Hep 5)

To Kyoto we go!!! This bus pass costs 500yen, for a day of unlimited rides.

Regina and I, tired but satisfied after the Kyoto trip.

Kyoto JR Station! The building is just spectacular!

To Kobe we go!!!

Crabs! Had these at the Fisherman's Market.

I was explaining to Martha on how I caught the crab that I ate.

Kobe Port.

My rosemary bush/plant!

Handmade okonomiyaki! *flip! flip!*

Spring!

2011-05-17T23:35:00.001+08:00

Snapshots of Japan I

2011-03-16T20:15:00.002+08:00

Koyasan (高野山), September 2010

Of Cheesecake

2011-03-04T13:29:00.002+08:00

Does it look good?

Made this with my mom on Sunday. Cleaning up was tough, taking a decent picture of the cake is even tougher! *phewww*

Of Thinking Positive pt.2!

2011-02-28T10:18:00.002+08:00

In case you've been wondering...

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I have passed my entrance exam!!! ^^v

Of Thinking Positive!

2011-02-06T18:00:00.003+08:00

I believe that no matter what happens, as long as I think positive, things will turn out ok. So pray for my passing the exams.

Of Strawberries

2011-01-27T11:07:00.003+08:00

My first strawberries bought in Japan!

Of SID Dead Stock Tour

2011-01-24T12:29:00.002+08:00

Happiness! But the sitting position is not that good tho, at the long side of the circle. XD

Of Popcorn

2011-01-23T19:56:00.002+08:00

Went out for a movie yesterday to relax... Popcorn is a must, agree? ψ(｀∇´)ψ. Also I received a delightful news yesterday, can you guess what it is? -- I'm going to SID's (シド) concert in April!!! Yay!

Of Friday Cheesecakes

2011-01-21T22:45:00.002+08:00

Friday is Cheesecake Indulgence day!!! Well, only if I remember to get them on the way home from class. A little expensive but they are worth every sinful bite! It's winter anyways, gotta eat more for warmth. XD

Hello!!

2011-01-17T20:11:00.002+08:00

Finally, I've found this app to enable me to blog via my phone! I am basically lazy to update my blog on the computer as I've updated almost everything on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. So I might turn this blog into a on-the-go photoblog. ^^

2010-12-19T19:15:00.002+08:00

It may be winter now but most of the trees here are either still green or bare. I could hardly see them turning red during autumn! T_T Autumn went by too quickly! I really miss the warm weathers back in Malaysia where I don't need to put on layers of clothes just to go out to get my groceries. It feels like humpty dumpty rolling down the hilly areas of my housing estate.... Hehe...

Of Skies

2010-12-08T22:17:00.003+08:00

That's the beauty of God's creation, ne? I love looking up at evening skies. It somehow shows that the day ended well and we're rewarded with a burst of orange/purple skies that tells us, "Good job, now relax and enjoy." =)

Of Nabe

2010-12-05T13:08:00.004+08:00

As the weather gets colder, I thought that it would be nice to chomp and slurp on nabe! I used tomyam cubes as the soup base - spiced it up with dried chillies, lime, dried shrimps, garlic and onions! It is simply heavenly, I tell you... a taste of home after being away for so long. =p

Of Updates

2010-11-27T09:49:00.000+08:00

Dear readers, updates are coming up really soon! ^^ Be patient for now.

Of Kuih Batik

2010-10-17T16:11:00.002+08:00

My upteenth attempt in making Kuih Batik. *A* I can never attain that dry, cake-like texture that I've tried from the kuih that the mak cik sold in my previous uni. Instead, mine is a sticky mess. Sigh... Tips, anyone?

What did you eat yesterday?

2010-10-10T11:10:00.006+08:00

I spent most of my afternoon experimenting in the kitchen yesterday. It was a nice, cool rainy day to stay in the dorm and laze around. Laze around... That was exactly what I did yesterday. Hahaha... Anyways, my "experiments" turned out well. What can I say? They were the best comfort food on a cold day!

Tofu "burger" patties. ^^

Baked pasta medley.

The pasta sauce is made from scratch. =)

Kiwi & gobo (burdock) salad.

After eating like a king for a day, I think I'll let my stomach rest for a day. Beggar's food today! Eh, no... I'm not making beggar's chicken. I meant - bread.

Of A New Chapter

2010-10-03T16:55:00.000+08:00

Rainbow: A view from the kitchen

As I was cooking in the kitchen just a few moments ago, a floor mate came in and told me to look up into the sky. I saw a rainbow - amongst the dark grey skies. It gave me a sense of hope that if we step back and slow down the pace of our daily life, we are bound to discover wonderful things. Today marks the last day of my summer break for tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter of life in Japan. The beginning of a new season is always welcomed by never ending showers, I call it a buffer season where is yet the beginning of autumn, neither it is the end of summer. Cheers to better tomorrows!

Of Koyasan

2010-09-24T17:27:00.003+08:00

Here are some pics from my Koyasan （高野山） trip from last Friday! ^^ Koyasan is in the Wakayama prefecture, around 2.5 hours away from Osaka. It's a rather nice place to visit to escape from the scorching summer's heat.

Kongobuji

One of the gates in Kongobuji

I find this rather interesting...

Daimon

Tokugawa's Mausoleum

This looks familiar eh? ^^ (Penangites will understand what I mean)

Of Gion, Kyoto

2010-09-14T21:02:00.007+08:00

To tell you the truth, I was never an organised person, as you can see from my haphazard blog posts. Hah. I tend to spend more time updating my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I would actually love to share more pics of Japan through my blog, but I am just pure - lazy. Forgive me... Anyways, here are some pictures from Gion, Kyoto. (I have tons more but I've to dig them up!)

Of Ramen

2010-09-11T14:21:00.002+08:00

Lunch! Lunch! Lunch! My favourite instant ramen so far! ^^The wonton is made by the genius-me... Lip-smackingly delish!

Of Rainy Days...

2010-09-08T08:29:00.003+08:00

It's all cloudy and gloomy outside... change in weather. Is autumn nearing? Summer holidays are also ending in a flash. Then comes October - a new start of my life after that little "obstacle" that held me back here in Osaka. I just have to aim for the light and do well in studying Japanese. Well, I still feel the pain but when I think of the great friends that I have here, somehow the pain lessens.

Of Clouds

2010-09-03T14:10:00.003+08:00

Link in the clouds... Took this picture today from my room window. ^^ Will my pictures link you and me together one day? Haha...

夏は。。。

2010-08-23T13:15:00.006+08:00

夏はとても暑いだ！毎晩眠ることができない。。。　T.T　

だから、いつも寝坊する。たいへんですね。。。

日本語の漢字がまだ勉強しません。難しいな。

旅行へ行きたいけど、どこかいい？

Of Mobile Series

2010-08-20T10:55:00.002+08:00

Are you a fan of Matsushita Yuya? Have you watched his latest mobile phone drama series: - Hikari, sono saki e? It's a 5 minutes (or was it 6 minutes?) drama series that is aired every Wednesday on http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/drama/matsushitayuya/. It is kind of fun watching it on my keitai denwa but the screen is so small! =p Well, there are ways to catch this series on your PC as well... go look for it!

I can't wait to watch him live this November! Woot!! ^^

Of Bugs

2010-08-16T20:46:00.003+08:00

Interesting bugs... One is a die-hard Brazil supporter and the other has a wagging tail!

Of Farewells and Summer break

2010-08-03T21:16:00.003+08:00

It's our "graduation" ceremony today! We've officially finished one semester (4 months) of intensive Japanese Language training! Hehehehe... I was really happy to read the kind comments that each of our sensei wrote. Well, when I looked back at my Form 6 days, I was really fooling around alot. Thank goodness that I came to my senses when I entered university, I tried my best to change all the wrongs that I did during those Form 6 days. One chapter of life has closed and I'm looking forward to continuing my Masters this October!

Class B : Keep in touch buddies!

４ヶ月の日本語の勉強

2010-08-01T22:39:00.003+08:00

あああああ。。。もう４ヶ月,　日本語を勉強した。日本語授業の先生もとてもやさしくてしんせつだ。いろいろな日本の生活や文化が経験した。毎日とてもおもしろいと思います。先月は雨期から、毎日傘を持って行かなければいけない。たいへんです。

今夏休みだ！旅行予定があるのにお金がない。T.T　古部と奈良へ行くつもり。韓国とホンコも。。。
たぶん来年ね。あああ。。。先月韓国のバンド、FT　Islandと言うバンドは見に行った。私にとって、FT Islandのメンバーの日本語が上手になったでしょう？

うううああああ。。。日本語が下手です。。。

^^ｖ

Untitled

2010-08-01T21:30:00.003+08:00

Oh well, ekoy has turned into a permanent resident of Facebook and Twitter. Sorry for the lack of updates on this blog. Gomen..... It's the summer holidays now! I think I will be posting more pictures of all those summer festivals that I went to, soon. I guess... =p

I've tried one of these cucumbers (kyuuri) and they were rather salty. Reminded me of ikan masin... hehe...

Of 2 Birthdays

2010-07-13T22:12:00.009+08:00

It was my birthday on July 11!!! The weekends spent with my friends were fun. I felt like a kid once again (at least in my head). Hehe...

Saturday...

Baskin Robbins ice-cream!

Dotombori looks nice with all those neon lights at night.

This really made my day! Matsushita Yuya!

Fugu udon. @_@

Fugu gratin that my friends ordered.

Sunday... (the actual day!)

Ramen! Yum!

Guess what? Baskin Robbins ice-cream again!

Of Prawns

2010-07-03T13:31:00.005+08:00

I've never actually liked prawns! Haha... But Ta-da!!!!!!

I baked these prawns for lunch today. Seasoned it with salt, pepper and chili pepper. The result was just awesome! Now I know what to do with my prawns. Kekekeke....

Of Bug Bite

2010-07-03T09:37:00.003+08:00

I was bitten by an unknown bug yesterday. It was neither painful nor itchy, but the spot that was bitten swelled for about 30 minutes and became bruised. T.T

Of Weekends

2010-06-27T10:25:00.002+08:00

Namba... Shinsaibashi... These two places haunt me almost every week. They lure me to their wonderful world of interesting food, shopping, movies... and perhaps pretty boys? Haha. This is the place where money flows out of my pocket continuously like a broken tap. A dangerous place it is.

Well, anyways, yesterday was the best day in June by far. We ate, laughed and spent alot (for a student). My friends and I spent 2 hours eating an Italian buffet. Well, it was more of a pasta and pizza buffet. Hah! I even saw a goukon party in action! The funny thing is, at the beginning the goukon group kept turning back to look at us. I wonder why?

Nodame Cantabile movie 2! I only understood about 50% of the movie. Keke...
If only there were subtitles!

This is the muar chee that I attempted to make on Friday.
I pounded the peanuts by hand! XD

I'm going to miss my life in Osaka. T^T

No Title

2010-06-20T12:06:00.004+08:00

I eat to live... that does not mean that I have to eat plain, tasteless food everyday. Ahaha... I took this with my new DSLR. I know I'm still lacking in the skills department but I'm learning! I wonder what I should cook for my bento lunch tomorrow?

Of DSLR

2010-06-06T00:43:00.002+08:00

Alright... I've finally bought my DLSR. Canon EOS Kiss X3/500D. This is the most that I can afford! XD I had to carry it from Umeda to Namba for more than 8 hours! @_@ This is the biggest purchase that I've made in my life so far... after the iPhone I guess. Also, this is the first time that I've lost my train ticket. BUT I was lucky enough, that the nice people at the train station let me pass without buying a new ticket! They just told me to be careful next time. XD

Of Mont Blanc

2010-05-27T19:52:00.002+08:00

It looks good doesn't it? Hahaha... Taste wise it's quite good but it was a little too sweet for me. This Mont Blanc is about ￥450 - a little reward for myself after a long day in class.

More pictures from Japan!

2010-05-18T15:34:00.002+08:00

Osaka Castle

Traditional marriage ceremony

Takoyaki at Ishibashi! ^^

Giant Ferris Wheel at Tempozan

Kaiyukan / Osaka Aquarium

Hello world...

2010-05-12T18:52:00.002+08:00

It has been a month and a half since I've arrived here in Japan... AND it has been a month and a half since my laptop has last tasted the bits and bytes of the internet! I'll update my blog during the weekends. ^^

~Toodles

Of Sakura

2010-04-25T21:09:00.002+08:00

Hello from Japan!!!

2010-04-13T16:36:00.001+08:00

It has been almost two weeks since I've arrived here in Japan. Spring is kind of cold here. Hehehe.

Of Pictures

2010-03-25T21:14:00.003+08:00

I had a great time catching up with a friend of mine at Station 1 last night. Great atmosphere, great performances and well, there was a great breeze last night. hehe...

^ Station 1 Cafe

^The ups & downs of life is like a game of snakes and ladders...

^ 1/4 The date where I'll leave for Japan.

Look what I got from MTV Asia today! ^^ To be honest, I did not expect to receive a goodie bag this big, by post. Thank you MTV Asia!

Of Air ticket

2010-03-20T17:42:00.003+08:00

Japan awaits! My dream of furthering my studies has been fulfilled. Arigatou gozaimasu MEXT!

Of Island

2010-03-13T02:22:00.004+08:00

I'm an island,
I've always been an island,
Friends are superficial,
They are barely real.

Strangers are hard to predict. Friends are even harder to predict. You'd think that you know them well enough after a few years - but that's when they start showing off their stripes.

Of MEXT official letter & JLPT

2010-03-04T20:45:00.004+08:00

I've finally received my confirmation letter from the Embassy yesterday! ^^ I will be in Handai for research + Japanese language course.

Ah, I've even passed my JLPT 4. Kekekeke... Trying cram in Minna no nihongo 1-2 into my head within a month is a huge feat for me! Kanji is easy but I find grammar a little tough... just a little.

Ps: Pictures are up! Sorry for the crappy quality. I was taking it under bad lighting conditions. XD

Of Earphones

2010-02-17T21:20:00.003+08:00

I got new earphones from Material! Don't you think that they look like m&m's? Hehe... Music is chocolate to my ears... XD

ps: Ack... I forgot to take a pic of the bag. It's really nice.

Happy Chinese New Year!!!!

2010-02-14T20:03:00.007+08:00

*burp!* I mean... *roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* ^_^ My belly is going to explode - I'm being fed like a baby elephant. Happy Valentine's day as well! How many 'ang pau' have you collected? Care to share some with me? Hehe...

Wow, it is almost mid-Feb. I have only about 1.5 months left in M'sia. Time flies... time flies... You know, I've just realised that I've been blogging for almost 7 years! Whoa~ I feel so old now.

I'm looking for a place to upload my pictures in a some sort of online photo album. I keep loosing photos from my memory card because of my clumsiness. Ahaha... Any suggestions? Flikr?

Ps: I want to watch C.N. Blue perform live when I'm in Japan! Aaaaaaahhhhhh.....
Pps: I received my "love letter" from Osaka U on Friday (12 Feb)! I'll be studying there! =)

Of Fixing the Kitchen Sink

2010-02-07T22:48:00.003+08:00

I had silicone sealant on my shirt and fingers! Ahahaha... It was kind of fun doing this and I learned something new from this - to give the sealant a smooth finish, wet your finger with a little water + soap and swipe it across the sealant! Voila! Nice and smooth...

Waiting for the sealant to dry. Look, there is a "wet" sign there! ^_^

Of C.N. Blue

2010-02-06T15:14:00.006+08:00

Raise your hand if you have heard of this new Korean band! *raise hand* I have to admit that I was never a big fan of the Korean music scene but this particular band has caught my attention with it's infectious debut song, "I'm a Loner/외톨이야". If you like indie rock, give this band a try. =) C.N. Blue's members are: Jung Yong Hwa (정용화), Lee Jong Hyun (이종현), Kang Min Hyuk (강민혁) and Lee Jung Shin (이정신).

Watch them perform live!

Power Outage!

2010-02-02T18:39:00.002+08:00

Hoho... that was half a day without my lappy... XD

Vote for me in the Canon FACEbulous Contest!

2010-01-27T09:52:00.003+08:00

Please vote for me at the Canon EOS Contest! My photo can be found @theme: Colours. My Theme Leader is Alicia. =)

1) Click here to become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/canoncameramsia?ref=mf
2) Then click here to vote: http://apps.facebook.com/canon_eos_contest/
3) Click on "Enter Contest or Vote Photo Here"
4) Click on Alicia (Theme: Colours)
5) Then look... for my lantern pic (it should be on the 2nd page) =)
6) Vote for 5 stars please!!!

Of Regrets

2010-01-19T23:26:00.009+08:00

Sometimes I do wonder how someone could change so drastically that they have turned into what they hated the most. Hypocrisy? Probably. I regret what is happening at the moment. Well, as the saying goes, the longer you know someone, the more ugly sides of the person that you would see. I've been diligently trying to be a good friend, giving advises and such but I get repaid in the worst manner. You know, this is why I have people phobia. That is just the common behaviour of human beings. They ignore you and even hurt you after they've found something new. Everytime I say that I cannot and will never open my heart to anyone again, I find myself being lured into empty promises of friendships. I'm giving up - I've had it. C'est la vie again... Life is difficult eh?

A moment of silence

2010-01-18T20:20:00.004+08:00

Condolences to the families of the dragon boat tragedy. I could see the rescue team base from my apartment windows. I never knew it was such a serious accident until I searched for news from online newspapers. The ambulance and firetrucks went over to the base frequently, there was even a helicopter hovering above our apartments. It was really sad to see bodies being brought back by boats and hearing the cries of the victim's family members. Heart-breaking indeed. May their souls rest in peace.

Picture taken from my apartment window.

Of Result of Nomination (MEXT)

2010-01-14T13:33:00.006+08:00

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I passed! I've been tentatively selected (oh yes, it was written in bold in the letter) to study under the MEXT Scholarship. Those two letters in bold are indeed a bit worrying BUT I have a good feeling that we will get our university placement by the mid of next month. A Chinese New Year present perhaps? MEXT is always giving us vague responses eh? *grins* My efforts in the past few months has proven to be fruitful. Gee... I can't wait to take pictures of Japan! I'll harass my friends on Facebook with my pictures again. Ohohoho...

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T16:07:00.001+08:00

It's the second day of the new year everyone! So what are your resolutions this year?

Happy Winter Solstice!

2009-12-22T13:40:00.002+08:00

Winter solstice festival or dōngzhì (in chinese) is celebrated around December 21/22 every year. It signifies the start of a new year. This festival is celebrated with the making and eating of 'thong yuen' which is also known as glutinous rice balls. Traditionally, my family would make them plain but this year I've decided to make them with fillings - red bean and peanut paste. But I would say that I prefer eating them plain with pandan syrup! Ahaha...

Vote for Earth!

2009-12-16T18:19:00.000+08:00

Of Perpetual Exams

2009-12-09T10:30:00.002+08:00

Oh yes, I'm constantly taking and studying for exams. Please, spare me the 'ces't la vie!' Yes, I do know a little bit of French. Receiving good results for exams is a wonderful experience, but the process of preparing for an exam is rather tedious. Armed with this new found 'kiasu-ness' of mine, I tend to try to read and learn anything that I could get my hands on. It is all for your own good... they say. I am a slave to my books! Yikes!

Ah yes, the JLPT exam is finally over! Cramming in 14 chapters in a month + 130 kanji is crazy, I tell you. Crazy. But I managed to finish everything - almost. :) Next up is IELTS! I'd better continue with my revision now, tata!

Quote for today:

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” ~Sun Tzu

~ekoy

Of Bandung

2009-11-23T20:11:00.000+08:00

I had a wonderful time in Bandung, Indonesia in Jan 2008. I totally forgot that I took pictures of this trip! Ehehehe...

Of Dying

2009-11-15T13:18:00.002+08:00

I should just DIE and not take any exams anymore! DIE! You shattered my will! I hate you! You selfish person!!!! Karma will get back at you one day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of Being Away

2009-11-07T19:23:00.005+08:00

You know, I've been really working hard on perfecting my disappearing act. *pats self on the shoulder* And yeah, that trick is getting a little stale. I think I might need a new blog layout. Something simple, something clean and something that loads faster!

It's November now and 2010 is around the corner. Before I can happily sing to the tunes of 'Auld Lang Syne', I have to face one of the biggest battle of my life. A battle so huge and terrifying called - JLPT. Being a 'banana' all my life, I can't read much kanji except for numbers 1-3. Yes, that is pathetic. Shame on me. Well, we'll see what happens on Dec 6!

*poof!*

i SEACHANGE

2009-10-07T15:04:00.006+08:00

Come join my bid in participating in Southeast Asia's Largest Youth Movement of Personal Change!


Click here to join seaChange now!

Of 2cents

2009-09-28T22:46:00.015+08:00

I find it rather disappointing that bloggers now do not have much freedom to blog. It is a little (perhaps very) unfair. What is the meaning of freedom when you are not even allowed to voice out your views? Are we supposed to stay mum and to agree to everything that Big Brother says? Is this the way to be accepted by society? Or is this the way that we assume that society will accept us if we act that way. We do have the freedom to agree to disagree. We are not a society of head-nodders! Well, we might as well start writing our journals the traditional way again - in a diary! And perhaps start hoping that our diaries would be dug up and published 50 years later? I’d better start writing in my diary then... and I could be the next Anne Frank?

Later days people!

Notes: Big Brother = Character in George Orwell's fictional world in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Of Convo

2009-09-28T12:29:00.024+08:00

A/N: Ok, I've probably forgotten about this entry. It was lying around in blooger as a draft!

Convocation = A ceremony of money-making XD

Does anyone agree with this? I mean, look, we have to pay for our robes rental to get robes that are not even in good condition! Even the flowers are pricey! Hehe...

Anyways, this convocation was quite a memorable one for me. For starters, my family left out a luggage with all our clean clothes at home! Lucky for us, we remembered to bring along the formal clothes that we had to wear into the ceremonial hall. My family and I were practically running around taking pictures once we reached the university. It was worth it! The huge fountain at Dataran Perdana is something that students in my uni is proud of. Hehe...

Ah, the convocation ceremony was short and nice. Why you may ask? Well, this is quite a small convocation compared to the one in May (most students graduate at this time of the year). A small group of coursemates and I graduated 6 months earlier because we had chosen to write an acedemic writing instead of going through 4 months of practical training. Our hard work did pay off, eh? However, it was kind of boring/sad though... I couldn't celebrate it with my mates! To make matters worse, it rained after the ceremony. But I managed to get a couple of nice pics with my juniors and friends.

My family (minus my bro who is in Singapore!)

Look ma, no legs!

Of Flans

2009-09-18T14:44:00.001+08:00

As promised here is a picture of the flan that I made. Look! It's swimming in caramel...

Of Wheee-ness

2009-09-17T20:23:00.003+08:00

I've finally settled all my stuff, all three LoAs are on its way to the Japan Embassy now! Next: Raya! And the week after Raya, my parents and I will be heading up to my uni to get my graduation robes. Squeee~ I can't wait graduate.

On another note... I've attempted to make flans (aka caramel pudding) today and I kind of burnt my caramel because I was dreaming! Ughh... It turned out nice, but a little bitter. Ehehe... Will post the pictures of the flans tomorrow!

Tata~

I'm alive!

2009-09-09T15:05:00.003+08:00

Dear readers,

I know I haven't been blogging lately as I am a little busy preparing for my graduation (this October, yay!) and am busy attending Japanese Language classes. :) I realised that quite a number of you out there are looking for information on the MEXT scholarship and I have to disappoint you that I will not be revealing anything on the interviews, etc. There will be a second selection soon, and good luck to everyone! Meanwhile, I will try to keep everyone updated via Twitter: @ekoy711

Bye!

Of Being Sick

2009-08-19T13:47:00.002+08:00

Wuhuhuhuhuhuhu... I've been sick for about 3 days already and taking meds is really making me feel drowsy. Meh... Runny nose is the worst. My waste basket is full of tissues now and they look like white wontons. Ahaha...

Of Shiu Mai

2009-08-12T23:55:00.003+08:00

Oh how I love shiu mai! My brother loves them to bits as well and this is a must-eat dish when we go out for dim sum. They are quite easy to make, but I've heard my aunt's friend complaining that the bottom part of the shiu mai collapses after it is cooked. Anyone having the same problem?

Of Food Photography Contest

2009-08-08T21:47:00.002+08:00

Ahahahaha... I've never expected to come this far when I joined a food photography contest. Do vote for me folks! I was chosen as the top 8 finalist. Muahahahhahaha....

http://www.allstaff.com.my/funnstuff/?q=node/348

You will have to first register, only then can you vote. Thank you!

Of Some Nonrelevant Thoughts

2009-08-05T11:11:00.002+08:00

Well, I think that to be human is to have feelings. I am on an emotional roller-coaster now. Ever since I applied for this scholarship, I have encountered feelings of anger, sadness, tiredness, happiness, relief, confusion and what more - the feeling of giving up. I don't know how the others would feel, but there are really times when I feel like giving up. Life is definitely not compassionate.

I do not understand why nuclear energy (not weapon) is so politicised. Something like this should never be tossed around by politicians like a toy. I believe that one day, science could solve problems of waste management, and policy makers should try to learn more on nuclear energy rather than shunning it away. Everything has its own dangers, we might as well say that cars should be banned forever, as it emits carbon dioxide (and carbon monoxide). So think well before you make a decision and never listen to hear-say. Dig in and read for yourself on things that you are unsure of.

Upset? I certainly am.

Of Being Thankful

2009-07-31T16:37:00.002+08:00

I find myself praying alot to God to give me strength during this scholarship application process. I have to admit that it is quite a tough and complicated process that has kept me on my toes most of the time. And now I am thankful that I am halfway there already. Documents to Japan were just sent this afternoon. It costs alot but it is all worth it. Funny thing was, when I complained that it is expensive, the kind lady at the post office counter and my lecturer told me the same thing, "It is nothing compared to your future. It may be painful now, but this will ensure you a bright future."

So lesson learned. Count your blessings.

Of Yippie-ness!

2009-07-24T13:03:00.002+08:00

Yosh! I found a potential supervisor!! Finally... This week was really nerve-wrecking, nail-biting and... uhm... whatelse? Lost my appetite to eat or even do anything. I think that watching Harry Potter yesterday proved to be of a good luck charm, eh? Ahahahaha... I'm glad that I can finally have a slightly more relaxed weekend. Next up, I will be going back to my current uni to get my certificates certified! Gah... Malaysian uni makes my blood boil sometimes. Can't you upgrade your services a little? I hate the management. However, the lecturers and professors in my uni are kind and helpful. Ah, I'm dreading that I have to take a 2 hour bus ride to uni to get my documents certified. *cries*

Of MEXT 2010 Preliminary Selection

2009-07-21T13:51:00.002+08:00

I passed the interviews! Got an email from the Embassy yesterday and I was so happy that I couldn't do anything. Haha... So now its time to fight for uni admission! We are only given 1 month to attain the letter of acceptance. Hrmm... I don't know what else to say. Kind of thrown off balance with this news. Tata for now!

‘Angela’s Ashes’ author McCourt dies at 78

2009-07-20T10:38:00.002+08:00

Frank McCourt, died of Cancer on Sunday, 19 July 2009. He is the author of Angela's Ashes, 'Tis and Teacher Man. Angela's Ashes won him a Pulitzer and was made into an epic movie of the same name. I personally liked reading his books as it was funny and yet heartwarming. I always shed a tear or two when I read about how his siblings died at a very young age because of diseases. May his soul be blessed.

To read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31997951/ns/today-today_books/

Of Bon Odori 2009

2009-07-19T13:13:00.003+08:00

Heck... I went there late - at about 9pm just for the fireworks. Hehe... Don't get me wrong, I love Bon Odori but now is not the time to go when H1N1 is on the prowl. XD I'm not in the position to say anything about the event but being able to watch the fireworks display was definitely worth it. I was in a hurry there and I forgot to insert the memory card into my camera. Tough luck eh? But luckily for me, my camera has a built-in memory and I had to switch the picture taking mode to a lower quality - hence smaller pictures. :p

Summer 2009 Animes!

2009-07-16T21:32:00.002+08:00

Winter Sonata? O.o I wonder which of these anime is good...

Of ekoy's brother's birthday!

2009-07-15T14:40:00.002+08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAI CHII!!!

YOU ARE 21 NOW! BE GOOD, KAY?

Of Gold Ingot Wontons

2009-07-12T14:48:00.009+08:00

It rained throughout the whole day on my birthday! Why? I spent most of the day lazing around on my bed because the whether is so nice and comfy. :) Anyways, part of my morning was spent on making these gold ingot shaped wontons... Aren't they cute?

Another unique way of wrapping wontons. Do try them!

I'm still learning really hard on my photography skills.
Lol... I only have a compact digital camera!

Below: This is a bowl of 'birthday noodles'.

There's a really funny story behind this bowl of birthday noodles. Hehe... I found out that my bowl of noodles was a little tasteless. So, I added more salt, soy sauce, pepper and a tad more sambal (chilli paste) to 'enhance' the flavour. It only tasted a little better but still, there isn't a hint of sweetness in the soup. Well, I said to myself, "Nevermind, I'll just eat up the noodles and not drink the soup." After eating, my mum went over to the kitchen stove to check on the remaining soup that was in the pot. Lo and behold! She realised that the so called "soup" that she had scooped into our bowls is the water that is used to blanch the vegetables and noodles! I could only stare at my bowl of noodles in despair as she was laughing non-stop on her mistake. Hehe... so much for 'soup'.

Ah... here's a simple recipe of my wonton filling. I'm an ametuer in cooking, so don't scold me if I did something wrong. Hmm... I don't usually measure the amount of seasoning used... I do it by instict. :)

Ekoy's wonton filling:

Main ingredients:
... ground pork/chicken
... prawns
... waterchestnut
... spring onions/scallions
... shiitake mushrooms; diced
... black fungus
... finely chopped garlic

Seasonings:
... oyster sauce
... soy sauce
... salt & pepper to taste
... sesame oil (2-3 drops)
... corn flour (to make the fillings stick together)
... 1 egg (optional)

Ja! Hope you enjoy the recipe! Do tell me if its good. :)

Of Birthdays!

2009-07-11T11:15:00.002+08:00

Yup readers,

I'm turning 22 today! Uhm... I'm old. Yikes! I made some gold ingots wonton... will post some pictures later tonight. But seriously, to me birthdays are just something to remind you that you are getting older and you are expected to be more responsible from now on.

Should thank my mum for carrying me for the whole 9 months! Thank you mum!

Ja, will try to wrap up everything tonight!

Of MEXT 2010 Interviews

2009-07-10T11:14:00.005+08:00

Had my interview yesterday. This is my first time going into an embassy. The security was tight, we were not allowed to bring out handphones in and our bags were checked.

Let's see... the interviewers were friendly and they had asked alot on my research proposal. Well, I don't know if that is a good sign at all but I stood firm on my proposal, refusing to let myself waver and propose something else.

Here are a few things that you should do prior to the interview:
1) Make sure that your documents are arranged in order.
2) Be there early so that you can ask questions regarding your forms.
3) Relax, the interviewers are not going to bite you but do not let your guard down even if you think that they are friendly.
4) Dress appropriately. I was made to understand that, we are to wear covered shoes (for the ladies) for interviews. No open toes shoes and stilettos are definitely a no-no.

Hence, smile and go nail that interview!

Of Last Minute Plans

2009-07-07T12:33:00.004+08:00

Hah! The hotel that I was planning to stay at in KL is fully booked. Tough luck, eh? But I will be going down to KL tomorrow! What should I do? Sigh...

Well, another last minute thing that I am doing now (while typing this) is my study plan for the interview. Wait... before you start scolding me, listen to what I've got to say. I am doing a last minute revision of the study plan and a great idea struck me like a lightning! So, I ended up writing an extra attachment for the study plan. I do great things with coffee!

Should I be afraid of the interview? Non. I am confident that I can nail this. No, I'm not bragging. This is the power of the mind. Look, I've presented in front of a class of 140 people and I did manage to finish my presentation without much problem. The key here is... be prepared. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody is expected to be perfect in an interview. Even politicians are imperfect. Ahaha....

So, MEXT here I come with a fresh perspective and determination!

~Wish me luck!

Of Luck

2009-07-06T15:11:00.002+08:00

Dear readers,

Ekoy is collecting luck for her study interview this Thursday! Ekoy needs lots of words of encouragement before going on war in the interview. Hehe...

Ps: Do comment to leave your well wishes. Small or big, I'll accept them all!

Dinner with grandpa and cousins

2009-07-04T22:31:00.003+08:00

Had a really scrumptious dinner today at Midland Court with my grandpa and my cousins' family. The serving was generous and quite affordable. It was a seven course meal (including the deserts). Here are the dishes that we had ordered:

Address of the restaurant:

Midland Court Restaurant Sdn. Bhd.
Midlands Park Centre,
488-D, 3-15 Burmah Road,
10350 Penang
Tel: 04-2267788/2267789

Of Quiet Saturdays

2009-07-04T16:48:00.002+08:00

Saturday afternoons can be boring sometimes. Did a little spring cleaning because my room is starting to look like a junk yard! Help! I rarely clean my room and yes, I am lazy. I've got so many books that I don't know where to put them. My bookshelves are full and there are piles of books scattered on my reading table. Hmm... I need a new bookshelf fast!

My mini pot stickers project was a failure... the pot stickers were not oily enough and they looked kind of unappealing. Sigh... I wish I could make them better! Rawr!!

~Toodles

Of Starting Uni

2009-07-03T13:34:00.008+08:00

I know that uni is starting soon for the newbies (was the orientation week fun?) and also for the old timers. Nobody likes the first week of uni and I know that alot of you out there are certainly finding ways to skip that week. Instead of skipping the first week, here's what you can do:

1) Organize a mini steamboat gathering in your dorm.
2) Pot luck!
3) Walk around uni or take a uni bus to look for interesting places in your uni. You won't be having much time to do so after the first week.
4) Get to know your lecturers better. Usually, lecturers are kind of free at this time. Get to know them, and who knows, it might help you in your assignments.
5) Go to the library! This is a good strategy to borrow the books that are being used for your lectures. Sometimes, I can even manage to borrow a particular book for the whole semester.
6) Familiarize yourself with your new timetable. I do this most of the time to plan out my time.

Anymore tips from the seniors?

Of Friday Mornings

2009-07-03T11:07:00.002+08:00

What can you do on a Friday morning? I watched some kids cartoon on tv, had my usual cup of bitter coffee (they are really good as an energy booster in the mornings) and I continued to dread on my research proposal. What else? Ah... friends have been constantly asking me what am I doing these days. Well, I tell them the same thing everytime - cultivating grapes (in Malay, menganggur). It sounds much better than growing grapes! *snickers*

That aside, I am still figuring out how to use this blog. Should I change its name to : of-ekoy.blogspot.com/ofekoy.blogspot.com OR should I just keep it as it is. My previous blog was called 'getbusted' - no, I don't get into trouble with the authorities. It just sounds appealing especially when I rant about the evils of the world.

Plans for the weekends:
1) Try my hands of making gyozas again!
2) Wonder what else to put into this blog....

Ja, thats all for this morning!

Of Roosevelt

2009-07-02T21:54:00.000+08:00

When I posted this on FB today:

"A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people." ~Franklin Roosevelt.

This was what a cousin of mine said:

Cousin: well, this generation of so called "world" do not care the environment anymore.
They only care about how to become rich ;) WW3 is coming soon ^^ financial crisis, food crisis, water crisis, and trying to reduce population in this world? lol

Me: I care! That's why i wrote my graduation thesis. ooo.. instead of using crisis, shld use security, then it sounds more critical.

Cousin: really?haha I didn't knew it ;P well I do care about the environment too, but right now we are using the comp to use fb and that is environmental unfriendly ;P well, now come to the point ;P "how many of the population in this world who 100% really care for the environment?"
Older people do not care that much because they know their time is coming. (u know what i mean)... younger people just thinking how to become cool and pretty so they keep spending their money on unnecessary things. So more garbages will be produced (yup, stupid media!)

babies, well they can't do anything YET ;D

how about the middle ages? well, they "the source" of pumping our economy and I don't think all of them are really cautious with what happen to their surrounding area. They won't feel much of changes since all of them or us are living in the cities. unless you let them live in the jungle for few years, then they might see or feel what has been changed there ;D

haha, maybe school should open a new subject to teach those youngster how to become an environmental friendly user ;D Be green and be organic lol, that won't happen ;P cuz human do not learn their lesson? ;P

Me: haha... i agree on the FB thing. Politicians should not assume that they know everything about the environment, technocrats do. Children should be educated correctly on conserving the environment and this must not be done on the media only. Politicians themselves must show a good example of caring for the environment and not spend their nights socializing at fancy balls. :) I did take a subject on environmental law! hehe...

Cousin: well, politic sucks :P before elections they always start their campaign of so called "helping the citizens" or "debate with citizens" and "being nice" to them =/ After they get into parliament, they act totally like an arsehole ;PSo i think the younger generation like us who really care about the environment, should start their own party and get a seat in Dewan Rakyat ;D All money should pump in environment! no rasuah! create more jobs and respect MPPP, lol ;D

================

Well, having read that, this reminds me of another quote from F.Roosevelt:

"I am neither bitter nor cynical but I do wish there was less immaturity in political thinking."

What say you?

Of food

2009-07-02T18:03:00.000+08:00

Ok, I've always been telling myself that I have to blog again but I can never get myself to do it. Why? I was in total shock when blog-city decided to delete our blogs to make way for their new paid blogging services. Of course, I couldn't afford it so here I am on livejournal. Why the 3 years gap? It was because of the mundane life that I experienced as a freshie in uni. But boy was I wrong about that! Uni life has been exciting and I always had alot to complain about the management and facilities in uni. I can continue yapping away on my dissatisfaction on my uni, but hey, aren't all our unis like that? Tell me, who in this world is perfect? Having said that, by claiming that humans are not perfect, it does not mean that we are allowed to make mistakes all the time. We all learn from mistakes and not make mistakes from past mistakes.

Of food...
By the way, I have been experimenting on food photography... The pictures are on facebook. All I can say is that my skills aren't that good. Haha.. I still have a long way to go. What else am I doing now? Hmmm... basically, I am dreading to finish up my research proposal which is a really tough thing to do especially when you have so many ideas in your head.

Well, folks, that's all for today!

It's a M thing to do

2006-10-27T16:50:00.000+08:00

Alright, I am suffering here. I need to listen to decent music, not some mushy Chinese pop songs. Blegh… How come nobody listens to Snow Patrol and the likes here? Where have all the cool people gone? I can’t stand the people in my uni. The girls here are over dressed and the guys here are sloppy. They can’t even keep the toilets clean for one day! Everytime I try cleaning the toilet’s floor (my college’s mind you) a little, people would give me a “Wow, this girl is nuts”, look. The people here are of 20 years and above and they are still acting like kids. Maybe it was a bad idea coming here.

Getting a band 5 in MUET is nothing, seriously. It doesn’t mean that you’re a “speaking” (Malaysian word for English) master. Oh no, I am not bragging about it. It’s a fact that I would like to highlight. I make mistakes as well. So don’t look high upon me. God deserves it more than I do.