Tea-Break-Snack : Minced Meat Patties

Result of my tea-time-snack : Baked Minced Meat Patties. It was a mixture of a few readings on other recipes but with a few added ingredients here and there, it turned out tasting fantastic!

Ingredients include: potatoes, carrots, chiilies, spices

Healthier tea time snack option than the usual famous goreng stuff ;)

A well said article - For the women of ages 30 and above..

CBS - 60 Minutes lemondrop:
Here is a piece written by Andy Rooney - CBS 60 Minutes.

As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:A woman over 30 will not lay next to you in bed and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom.Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women.

Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.

A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal.

For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.

Tony in action

Ann looks out for lil bro as much as she can. Childlike behaviour - is what we all need sometimes..

caught off guard

Mud-Fun @ Sepang Gold Coast

Too much mud to handle in a few hours! Ann completely drenched in mud being washed by mummy.

ATP World Tour 250 Series

This is probably the worst way to start this blog - I'm NOT an ardent fan of tennis but I went for the recent ATP World Tour tournament. With very little or no time for research into what I was going for, I relied fully on my pal, Sumi to be my narrator.
Our tickets placed us on the front row. Which was too close for comfort even coz the balls hit the spectators a few times. But I'm not complaining... It was good exposure - physically during the game and for my 1st time in a real-life-international-tournament.

With a basic understanding on scoring system used in badminton games, I could grasp the game enough to enjoy the show. With wanting to really know more about this game which has driven my pal crazy, I decided to google it up. Some of the basics I feel I should know be4 watching the game itself are the info as below.

To begin with, the ATP is the Association of Tennis Professionals (1972). Since 1990, the association has organized the principal worldwide tennis tour for men, the ATP Tour, which was renamed in January 2009 and is now known as the ATP World Tour. (source - Wikipedia)

The ATP Tour comprises Grand Slams, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, ATP World Tour 500 series, ATP World Tour 250 series, ATP Challenger Series, and Futures tournaments. The ATP tour also oversees the World Team Cup, played in Düsseldorf in May, and the ATP Champions Tour for seniors.

Now, the one held in KL this year was one of the 250 series. Being the first time Malaysia hosted this event, the reviews were good as in no player drop out, organized well enough to keep out trouble. HOWEVER, there's much much more to be improved for future events, from the court management, to ticketing, marketing and the event itself. But kudos to the organizers for a good start!

Here's the player ranking since September 28, 2009

1) Roger Federer
2) Rafael Nadal
3) Andy Murray
4) Novak Djokovic
5) Juan Martín del Potro
6) Andy Roddick
7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
8) Nikolay Davydenko
9) Fernando Verdasco
10) Gilles Simon
11) Robin Söderling
12) Fernando González

More about the game will come up in the next few entries. Below are some pictures for the memory..



For some1 whose not seen or known or heard about F Gonzalez, it will come as a shock wen he smashes his racket or sits down in the court, waiting for his opponent. Yet, he was adorable..

Truly an unforgettable memory!

a mini reunion @ the Gardens

A yummy-licious food fiesta at the Gardens.. No price for guessing but this is a very famous Taiwanese food restaurant @ The Gardens.

We had to queue up for our turns and even whilst eating, the queue was getting longer. Take note it's only cash term accepted here...

Below: The girls dig in (PW & KW --> clockwise)

a day out at the mall - ANN

~i'm Ann Rhittika... Here are my pics on a day out at a mall. Not many kids my age can get to drive one of these vehicles. I could. YAY :)

kept looking around to check if i've missed out any passengers who are waiting to get onboard :)

based on rock solid Foundation, here's my finding...

A phone booth is uprooted from the ground! This scene is near the boulevard office area in Sentul...

Now, imagine yourself as the telephone booth. Built on an iffy foundation.. Anything or anyone leaning on you will surely fall together with you.

Gunung Datuk Climb

21st of March - Gunung Datuk Climb with Roc & her Kinabalu climbers troop. It was a steep climb and for me - it was an impromptu trip. I have already quit gym during this time and the only physical activity I was involved in actively was yoga.



But the climb was worth it. Here's some pictures to show for it.


(1) wrappin' tape around one of the boys shoe sole. (2) 200m above sea level

(1) & (3) at the peak (2) a small stream at the foot of the hill.

After tat, we drove back to Roc place in Malacca. After a hot shower, i took a bus back to KL while the sisters stayed back to rest at home. As how we used to write in our karangan during school days... walaupun letih, saya berasa sangat gembira...

Phone overload!

It's about time!

Finally transferred all images from my trustable Sony to the pc after what seems like months!
Why after so long?
Misplaced the transfer cable AND the card reader. But haven't quite got to looking for it till today :)
However, I still need to locate the transfer cable to take the pics from the phone memory since I've only managed to clear the memory stick. Well, another spring cleaning is underway i suppose. Now i need to start documenting each images be4 my memory fails me. adios!

On drivers in Malaysia

I was forced to buy my first own vehicle when we moved office this year. As a "new" driver on the road, I came across many F1 drivers wanna-be. They all are merely living their dreams of what COULD-HAVE-BEEN and cheating themselves by practising their old "road bully" tricks on regular roads, populated by the vast majority civillians - women and men alike and occasionally children.

Some of the irky moments i have encountered on the road so far are as follows (take note this is an inexhautible list):

- tail gaters, flashing their lights on any lane you're on, cutting into many lanes with no indicator light
- perhaps most cars here don't have a functioning indicator?
- driving up so near to my bumper so close you can kiss the bumper - which I have no issues of because I can always make a police report and make the driver face the music
- bullies who threat to see your IC or driving license as if they're working with the police force! (Although they are at fault in the case)

Then there is the long-end debate on women and men drivers - who is better? I don't think this debate will have an end to it. But most of the times, the ones who tail gate or flash at my car are the men. & there has been an equal number of women and men who has given way to me when i'm at a junction or so. Which gets me to think - at this age and time, when humans are generally more civilised, a single act of driving on the road, using the vehicle man-built, with good road manners shouldn't be that difficult can it? Why should we allocate gender discrimination to the tab of "bad drivers" when the traditional men and women roles are interchanging these days?

this remains a puzzle...

Saturday morning

It's a wet Saturday morning. Rushed out to run some errands n now checking my mails at the famous old town kopitiam. It's been a fruitful day so far, with some flips but it's all turned out to be fine. It's pouring out there, rain is getting heavier. So cosy and nice to cuddle now... And be under blankets. How i wish, i could. Hey wait a minute, i actually can... It's the weekend :)

Choices we make...

Our daily lives are results of choices we make.

I choose to sleep in early to get enough 8-hour sleep. Wen I open my eyes in the morning, I can choose to continue sleeping or jump out of bed. I can choose to sulk and stay home or I can go to work. I can choose to take the NPE and pay RM1.60 or I can take the Sungai Besi road. I can choose to be negative and talk nonsense all day or I can start off my day with a list of things to do and do it all with a positive mind. Even in writing this post, I can choose to sit or I can stand.

For all the above, I choose the latter... & that makes all the difference.

I was inspired this morning wen I made a choice, turned out to be a "bad" choice. It was a simple choice of taking a route to go home. Had to drop by the office in Kuchai for a bit to collect some documents and head to KL. Took the NPE instead of the other 2 roads - Jalan Istana & Mid Valley. Paid the RM1.60. Not very far from the toll, all cars were stalled.. How could I have forgotten?? It's heading towards KL. Of course Bangsar will be jammed. Unfortunately, whether I like it or not, I am already there. I need to get thru the jam somehow.

Switched on to Serena C & Piedro. Sat back on my seat and didn't think about the jam at all & I was in Jalan Bangsar in no time! How relieved I was. Eventually reached home in time to run my errands and start off my day. What a wonderful experience on choices...

Random entry

Men love to play with kitchen utensils

On dis-illusionment

When a man is overcome by emotion and clouded by huge ass "ego", he'll only "listen" to things he wants to hear....

This leads onto losing focus on the goal at hand, in the best interest of all parties involved. Why do human beings become selfish and self centered, refusing to think of the others in the battle field - the innocent ones?

These are classic psychology profiles of power crazy humans who refuse to give in until they win - explains why war never ends and never will. As long as humans as such exist.!

---- disillusionment.

Business Ethics

Practise what you preach! Do not tell others to do something which you will not do yourself.

It's been an amazing 9 month long journey since I left the arms of an employer and became one myself. It was not easy and it still isn't easy yet. It has been a long struggling period for everyone and we still are.

However, in the midst of it all, I have learnt that there are many lessons to be taken away from this situation. Changes in people, attitude, behaviour and character which all sums to relationships with fellow humans. Surprisingly, so-called ethical and decent people I have come to know has turned around to a 180degrees and become somewhat Godzillas - people I wouldn't want to have known in the first place. But, I guess this is part of the lesson too. We all need to thrive through the pace and win the race.

One main thing to remember is - the sea water only looks calm on the surface. But underneath it there is a whole world of chaos going on. And getting to the centre of the ocean cannot be done without proper equipment and clothing. Armed with the right tools, one can surely conquer the ocean too. The same applies...

Preparation is the key to any battle. Without it, a soldier can be wounded and dead within seconds if not minutes in enemy' hands.

On caning and pointing fingers

I was shocked to learn about this girl Kartina who has been sentenced to caning because she was caught drinking in a club! I guess the religious authorities managed to find a scape goat to point their finger at.

My only thoughts on this matter was a chapter from the bible about the crowd which wanted to stone a prostitute woman to her death because of her "sins". And at this point, Jesus asked the one who has never sinned amongst them to be the first to throw a stone. And the crowd dispersed.

This story was a lesson - which makes sense even at this age. I find it very much related to what is happening these days - finger pointing and blaming game. A classic application is the above mentioned story of Kartina. Any club in any part of the world surely has patrons of all race and religion. WHat is to stop them from drinking? Religious authorities don't sit around the clubs screening the patrons to put a stop. Clearly they are trying to set an example and show the world what happens if you are a muslim and caught drinking at such public places.

One question I have to everyone out there - can you all testify that you are all clean from the so-called sin of "drinking" or "smoking" or "adultery"?

Everything done in moderation should be good for the soul. Eccessiveness is what causes the pain. A very simple teaching I follow which is only for the short time we spend on earth. Why point fingers and blame the other when we don't even check ourselves first?

Another sentence comes to mind - why do we humans constantly try to remove the speck from our neighbours eyes when we can't even see the log in our own eye? Think about it...

A true merdeka celebration

I recall writing about the merdeka celebration I had for the past few years (ref to my previous posts). This year, one of my 1st cousin (dads' youngest sis son) tied the knot during the Merdeka weekend. This led us to travel up north - the whole bunch of us, including sis n her babies - all of us jumped in to my baby car and went on our long road trip.

It was a great trip. The function went well despite the low number of guests. Dinner was at Cinta Sayang Golf Resort. Theme was traditional. The best part of the entire function was we could spend some good quality time with our long lost cousins, aunts, snapped loads of pictures, and ate a lot.

Booze came as an after party exclusive invitation only... I went home and slept with 2 cranky babies :)

End of Day1

the next day started with mass at the Christ the King Church nearby their home. Following that, an excellent breakfast for a king served at home - food from the function last nite and some of us went to the hotel for breakfast.

Packed and ready to leave, we left their home at around 12. Headed towards Tambun Ipoh to visit mums side relatives. Her eldest sister lived ter with her son and daughter in law who happens to be my cousin and her 3 children my nieces. Haven't seen them since she got married - which is more than 18 years ago. Now, the eldest is around 18 and the youngest 10.

A good quality bonding time with them took us to 5pm which is when we left for KL. Since it was tea time, we decided to go to the original old town coffee shop in Ipoh town. Unfortunately, the shop was closed. Of course! How could I have forgotten? It was a Sunday evening!

Anyhow, we walked up to another shop which was a few steps away and had white coffee nevertheless.. Not what we wanted exactly but a substitute for that moment.

Left shortly after and reached KL at 8pm. Excellent and fulfilling trip. Can't wait for the next one.

On the realities of life

It's a rude awakening to the truth of the moment... the world in all its cruelty. How can i survive this jungle of wild life?

On a rough sea at the moment

The waves and tides are pushing me into the deeper end of the sea... It's so overwhelming, i'm struggling to keep my head up high. But my will is too strong, I will not give up too soon. As long as my eyes are on my Saviour, he will bring me out of this storm. Of course, I have to keep paddling and swimming for effort on my side.. I'm not expecting a rope to drop down from heaven, but a boat will do...