Weekly Wishes // 05

June 30, 2014

LAST WEEK’S WISHES:

~~1. Settle underlying issues. Not be angry anymore.~~
It takes courage to tell someone you love them, and it takes even more courage to tell someone you love that they’ve hurt you. I’m glad I’ve found enough courage to take this anger I’ve been feeling for the past few weeks, brought it up to the person who’d caused it and brought the whole matter to a conclusion without much bloodshed at the end of the night. I’ve hurt him as much as he did throughout of years of friendship, and somehow we’ve managed to overcome every single freaking hurdle. He says I’m his special friend. I just think he’s annoying. (Just kidding, I love you too.)

~~2. Get a nice, long full body massage~~
AND I DID! Unfortunately, the place where we were supposed to go initially got booked out, hence I had to give the yummylicious sounding chocolate spa a miss. Sigh. Next time. The two-hour long massage I had was pretty superb. I told my friendly masseuse that my lower back was aching and she paid special attention to that particular aching spot, giving me quite the relief. And then when she cracked my back… I swear, that was the best feeling in the world.

3. Apply for a separate savings account
Been away for 3/4 of the week, hence not able to pay a bank branch a visit. I’ll get down to it soon. Enough.

THIS WEEK’S WISHES

1. Restock travel staples supplies
Toiletries especially, and hairspray. The amount of hairspray I used for work daily is probably deadly. Most products are definitely cheaper to get at home, but when Chemist Warehouse has a sale….

2. Meet up with Claudia
Arafath’s sweetheart Claudia is FINALLY in Singapore. She’s gonna be here for the entire month and I am super stoked! It has been a while since I hung out with her since she lives so far away in Switzerland. The time she was here last year, we went out on a sushi date and had tons of fun and laughter window shopping at F21 and H&M trying on ridiculous looking things we didn’t need. I hope to score a dinner session with her and her friend who tagged along with her this week.

3. Do some revision
Anyone who says I have an easy job deserves their head cut off and mounted on a stick to be roasted over a campfire. In addition to have survived an intense initial training program, we’re subjected to being assessed every six months to see if we’re competent enough for our jobs. Next Monday would be my first recurrent since Ground School last year (holy shit, has it been a year already) and even though some information are still fresh in my head… I still need to study. I’m still jealous that Mazlan and Seri both have only two aircraft knowledge to prepare for while I have three. I haven’t even flown on the newest aircraft!

Still enjoying my long off. It’ll make going back to work on Friday night a big chore. Glad to have an unexpected quick getaway with the girls during the weekend. Look out for that post during the week!

To all those observing the holy month of Ramadhan, happy fasting!

1 Ramadhan

June 29, 2014

Yay! Today is the first day of the Muslim’s holy month of Ramadhan. It’s a full month of abstinence, prayers, doing (even more) good and forgiveness. Ramadhan had been special because I’ve seen it bring families, friends and communities together. What’s not to love about the Holy month?

This is going to be my first Ramadhan being away from home most of the time. I’ll not be able to go home every day to warm, home-cooked food and sit at the dinner table with my family breaking our fast. I’ll need to figure out my super early morning breakfast and dinner so I wouldn’t starve.

Challenges are greater during the fasting month. I pray that God will give me the strength and willpower to overcome them this month, and in months to come. To all fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, I hope that you have a blessed Ramadhan ahead!

Bear hugs!

June 26, 2014

After a hell of a month, I’m FINALLY able to take a proper rest at home. For a full week, I need not live off my luggage, hole myself up in a hotel room in a foreign land… I get to be home with family and friends, eat local food I’ve missed so much while I’d been away. Plus, I get to focus on improving my blog too! Quite exciting stuff.

I’m looking to learn the complicated ways of WordPress, because right now I am absolutely clueless and kinda regretting the switch from Blogger. I have to admit, Blogger provided a hassle-free customisation experience for noobcakes like me. But I prefer WordPress’s interface.. hence, I am going to suck it up and learn something.

Fun things are in store and I really can’t wait to share them with you! I’m loving all the comments and loves my blog’s been getting the past week and all the friends I am making. I thank you! Working to have an ad-friendly sidebar soon, so I do hope I’ll get to ask some of my awesome readers to grace their buttons on it. Hehe.

For now, I am super excited to be in hot and humid Singapore, a great escape from Australia’s winter. The weather sucks, but it’s home.

Till then!

What I Ate Wednesday / 04

June 25, 2014

Fun fact # 259435203486: I took up Korean when I was a freshman in Poly.

That didn’t last very long because I underestimated the workload of my course, leaving no time for extra stuff outside class (if I wanted to get at least a whiff of social life). But I was in the class long enough to recognise a few hangul characters. Hee.

This is my favourite Korean dish in Perth, Australia. It’s perfect when it’s cold out and you sit in the small, toasty restaurant, slurping from the hot pot and enjoying the rice and side dishes. They call this the ‘spicy fish egg soup’. BEST DISH EVER. But that’s because I LOVE fish eggs and it’s the first time I’ve tried a soup variety. Yum.

The soup is flavourful and SPICY, authentically Korean and has a variety of vegetables to keep you satiated and the fish egg portion was equally generous. The meal comes with free flow side dishes too. There’re bean sprouts, pickled burdock root, kimchi… it varies every time I visit. I am particularly fond of the kimchi. Fresh, packs a crunch and just the right combination of sour, salty and spicy.

Took Bae Kee 1
Shop 6/544 Hay Street Perth, WA 6000
Open 7 days, 1130 – 2030 (Fridays till 2100)

P.S. Try their savoury pancakes too.

Weekly Wishes // 04

June 24, 2014

LAST WEEK’S WISHES:
~~1. Have as many Asian meals as possible~~
Hoho, I most definitely did! From bone steak and chilli crab to char kuay teow and carrot cake.. I had them all. One night in Perth, my colleagues decided to cook up a feast for dinner. Featuring cereal prawns, black pepper fish and fried macaroni… with iced lychee juice on the side. Yum.

2. Find a hotel for a random getaway
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I am most probably not going to Bangkok later this week. Never mind, there’re still tons planned, plus I get to save up for bigger trips during the later part of the year!

3. Not be angry anymore
It’s a work in progress. I’ll address the issue by week end hopefully.

~~4. GERMANY VS. PORTUGAL~~
YES! Germany WON! Hehehe. Thomas Müller scored 3 out of the 4 goals Germany earned that night. Woohoo! To more great matches won! And I didn’t have to deal with Ummar’s teasing if Germany had lost. Double woohoo!

The past week had been trying. My three off days seemed too little, and I dreaded going to work. Sucked it up and survived an unexpected 18-hour duty.. came back home for 24 hours before having to pack up and leave again. But there’s always a silver lining behind every cloud. I have two awesome colleagues/sole-mates who, on their off days, came to the airport to send me off to work. And during the 24-hour I was back home, I spent 1/4 of it with my family, then a good part of the evening at the movies catching How to Train a Dragon 2, and paying up for a bet that I lost with Ummar (he didn’t entirely deserve that treat, but what the hell).. overall having a great time, making it count while it lasts.

THIS WEEK’S WISHES:

1. Settle underlying issues. Not be angry anymore.
Top priority this week. I don’t know if the matter is worth forgiving, but I’m trying to save a friendship here. Everybody wonders why I still bother being nice to someone who’d time and again hurt me more than anyone else had… I really don’t know. I might be a huge idiot, but one thing’s for sure, I want him in my life. So, in order for that to happen, I must forgive. No one said anything about forgetting though.

2. Get a nice, long full body massage
After the hellish past month… I think I deserve it. My legs are protesting so much, I fear that they might detach themselves from my body and call it quits.

3. Apply for a separate savings account
I learnt the hard way I need a separate bank account to place all my savings or I won’t have any. I have so much to save for. So many plans, so little time….. too little money to save. But I have to. My piggy bank would have to take a back seat for now, I need a big-girl bank account to place all my big-girl hard earned cash.

My girlfriends and I are planning a nice full day spa session this coming weekend. Have you heard of Chocolate spa? I might sign up for that because it sounds so yummy. What do you do when you’re in need of a break?

What I Ate Wednesday / 03

June 18, 2014

Throughout my last work trip, I’d been documenting at least one meal I had every single day on my Instagram. It was a 13-day work trip, but usually my first day begins once I am at my next destination away from home. In this case, that makes 12 different meals for 12 different days. I never realised how diverse my daily meals were till I started stringing them up in one big collage. Loved it.

Most of the meals I had outside, while some are lovingly cooked by my Aunt who lives in Melbourne and others are stuff I had to make do with when I only have a microwave to cook with. My focus for the week is a dish that I made on the second last day of my trip.

This recipe is seriously idiot-proof. All you need is a piece of salmon, a bunch of spinach, some minced garlic (I used the ready made bottled ones), lemon juice, salt and pepper. TADA.

The salmon I bought had scales and skin-on so I had to be extra careful to not eat the skin later. I washed the fillet, and patted it dry before combining some garlic paste, salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Lemon juice is optional though, but to give the dish a little zesty flavour, I totally recommend it. Because I didn’t have proper cutting tools (i.e. a sharp knife) I substituted a whole lemon with ready-to-drink lemon juice instead. Worked like a charm. I placed it in the oven and microwaved it on HIGH for 3.5 minutes.

Next comes the veggies. I popped two tablespoons of butter and garlic into the microwave and let it melt for 25 seconds before adding the spinach, salt and pepper. Then I placed the microwave-safe container back into the oven and cook the spinach for about 2 minutes, or till the leaves wilt.

That’s it! Simple, tasty and… erm, somewhat nutritious? I am not really a healthy eater, but this satisfied me for all I cared. Plus, it’s easy to prepare and make under 15 minutes! Yummy.

Weekly Wishes // 03

June 16, 2014

LAST WEEK’S WISHES:
~~1. Survive the rest of the week.~~
And I actually did. Started off the week pretty shitty but ended the week with a huge bang! Training was awesome, not as mind wrecking as I had expected it to be and at the end of it, I am certified to fly on the brand new Dreamliner aircraft! (hate the destinations, but love the interior of the aircraft) Came home just in time for Father’s Day and had dinner with the family before heading home after being away for 13 days.

This is my daddy! He’s the most patient, kind, hardworking, loving and the funniest man I know. I remember when I was a kid, I made him stay in my room till I fall asleep… and I’d know if he got up and leave and protest angrily, resetting my fall asleep timer and his time to leave. He hardly ever raises his voice at me, and when he did, I had probably done something incredibly stupid, or terrible or both.

I love how hardworking he is, making sure that our family has everything we need first.. then wants (like three ceiling fans in one room. really.) I love how he is still crazily in love with mum even after -insert number here- years of marriage. I am a terrible daughter, I stopped counting after the 26th. Ha.

He’s been incredibly supportive my whole life, giving me second, third, fourth, 4326972468103th chances when I least deserved it. He may not be happy with things I’ve decided to do with my life, but he’s always there, encouraging me and supporting me.. and picking me up when I fall (like when I tumbled down a flight of stairs with my new two-wheeler bike. that wasn’t pretty)

He’s the best Abah I’ve ever had and I am incredibly lucky to have been granted a man like him. The qualities he have are those I look for in potential partners.. which are pretty much scarce these days.. And though I may be a little awkward in saying or showing that I love him, my Abah is the man I love most, and I’m eternally grateful that he chose to love me too. Always and forever indebted to him. Always a daddy’s girl.

THIS WEEK’S WISHES:

1. Have as many Asian meals as possible
I spend way too much time in Australia, seriously. Having fish and chips or steak or kebabs every single day is just.. meh. Singapore food is the best. I missed my Hokkien mee, nasi lemak and prata with fish head curry while I was away.. and sambal. Good, quality, spicy sambal. Mmm~ I will be spending the later part of my week in Perth, we’ll see how far I can stretch this Asian meal challenge.

2. Find a hotel for a random getaway
This is for a whirlwind escape to Bangkok with my two awesome crazies. My forever roommate Seri and I have decided to head to Bangkok and somehow meet up with Mazlan over there. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER, we’d be meeting somewhere away from home.. and not work-related. Bangkok’s like a second home to me, but I’ve been roughing it out most of the times I am there, this time we’d wanna go for a little upgrade.

3. Not be angry anymore
I’ve been angry.. not annoyed, not pissed just downright simply angry at someone the past week. I don’t usually get angry unless it’s something major and this time, it couldn’t get any major than the problem that had transpired between us. I’ve been thinking about the issue a lot this past week and how to forgive myself and forgive him.. eventually. He, on the other hand, is CLUELESS. He is blissfully unaware about how much damage he’d caused by just ‘being honest’. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time….. and I’m not the only person he’s scarred with his words. I hope we’ll get to address this issue face-to-face. Because I don’t want us to fall apart again. I will never settle for less.

4. GERMANY VS. PORTUGAL
Exciting game tonight. Both are great teams, with strong, capable players. I really hope Germany wins, or I’ll never hear the end of it.

Have you ever been to Bangkok? Any nice hotels to recommend? And, WHO DO YOU SUPPORT THIS WORLD CUP SEASON?

Weekly Wishes // 02

June 12, 2014

LAST WEEK’S WISHES:
~~1. Meet the cousin in Melbourne for dinner~~
2. Explore a different part of Tokyo
~~3. Breakfast buffet at the hotel~~
4. Visit more blogs, make more friends! [Work-In-Progress]

I did meet the cousin TWICE when I was in Melbourne for dinner. Had the yummiest lamb steak of my life at Hume Islamic Youth Centre restaurant. It was pretty cheap too, at AUD 18.90 for the mountain of fries and salad and the large serving of ribs on my plate. The second time was over at his place where my aunt grilled steak. Was feeling under the weather the past weekend, hence home cooked food was definitely a great pick-me-up.

Didn’t manage to explore a new part of Tokyo this time. Will try again next month. But I did have the breakfast buffet at Holiday Inn, FINALLY. Asked Arfah, who’d just got into Melbourne from Tokyo (her trip’s already ending, lucky girl) and together we had a breakfast date! It was lovely, for AUD 14. There was a wide variety of food and even a create your own fruit juice bar!

Visiting more blogs the past week have been a great joy. Discovered really awesome blogs, both locally and internationally. Can’t wait to make more awesome friends.

THIS WEEK’S WISHES:

1. Survive the rest of the week.
It’s quite a mundane week for me. Just holing myself up in the Melbourne hotel because it’s quite cold right now, and I can’t be spending $30 every day just to get to the city. Work starts on Friday, where I’d be shipped off to school for training. It’s going to be just two days of training on something completely new, I am prepared to get my mind blown.

That’s it! Not going to be too ambitious this week. More than half of the week’s already gone. Gonna try making the rest of it count.

What I Ate Wednesday / 02

June 11, 2014

Nothing’s better than a good meal after a bad night’s sleep. Despite the initial annoyance of not being to wake up early enough to join the others at Disney, I decided to not hole myself up in the hotel room and went out, taking a nice walk down Narita town. I had one agenda in mind, which was to enjoy the unagi rice Narita was so famous for, but it was already half past 4 when I got there, hence I wasn’t too optimistic. Imagine my good luck to discover the shop still receiving customers.

If you were to visit earlier in the day, you might get to witness a gruesome sight of chefs slicing freshly caught unagi right in front of your eyes. It may or may not be wholly appetising, but once you’ve settled down and paid the bill (it’s pricey, mind you) you won’t regret it.

My set came with hot Japanese tea, pickled vegetables, clear soup and a bento box of rice with a generous cut of unagi. Total damage : 3000 JPY (~ SGD 37). It’s THE priciest meal I’ve ever had in Japan, but so, so worth the hole in my pocket. The highlight is obviously the unagi, tastefully marinated and perfectly charred and the texture was just…….. well, I put a piece on my tongue and it literally melted in my mouth. Mmmm~ The side dish of pickled vegetables was simple and fresh, a great accompaniment to the unagi and rice. It gives me the warm, cosy and homey feeling, enjoying the unagi till the last fine bone.

What I Ate Wednesday / 01

June 4, 2014

I am going to kick-start my new weekly feature by sharing with you a simple dish a good friend made for dinner today. Someday I hope that I can look back to this post and go, “this was where it all began” – something yummy cooked by someone you love.

Today’s menu was Sambal Marinara with steamed white rice. It’s a lazy person’s meal, honestly. All you need is a packet of hot and spicy sambal from your local supermarket (or you know, Asian supermarket) and seafood mix. It’s THAT simple.

I love how seafood mix is so readily available in Australian supermarkets. It’s near impossible to find in Singapore because the authorities had deemed it ‘unhygenic’. What a load of.

The gravy is creamy and a tad spicy plus a little bit too sweet for me. But that’s pretty much expected from instant sambal. The combination of fish, mussels, calamari and prawns were FRESH, and when served with a bowl of steaming hot white rice… it cures a teeny weeny bit of my homesickness. The problem is, it’s been LESS than 24 hours since I left home, with just 11 more days to go till the end of my trip.

Great.

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