Jessie Jots

Your Thoughts are More Powerful than You Think

2011-07-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

For a long time, I hate to admit that I was quite bitter with many people in my life so much so that I gave up on friendship and networking because I didn't want to get hurt. I would assume the worst in people when they actually meant well. Even when they reveal their care and love for me, I wasn't willing to let go of that impression I already made up for them. I would think "why are you treating me nice now?" Up to a point I was even revengeful but mostly, I just want them to feel the depth of my sorrow and blame them for my fallings. Soon, I realized the people I surrounded myself with were people of my own thoughts - anger, resent, unforgiving, judgmental and self-critical. And because they mirror what my thoughts were, when I left them, I feel even worse - I feel stupid, disgusted and hatred. Scary!

All that came to an end when I went through some intense self reflection in the mirror. I even went to the length of taking time off from school to recuperate and introspect behaviors and thoughts of self. It wasn't an easy feat to see the person staring back at you in the mirror. All those ugly scars and muddy feelings resurface. However, they are all so necessary to be worked out; I untangled it and found much smoother resolution.

I'm already at a better, brighter place, as you can tell. I'm smiling and feeling optimistic everyday. The idea about what I am, who I am and what I love about myself? That's starting to sound pretty good to me. It began by me shedding all the negative energy I carried. Letting go was not easy, but once I forgive myself, they just come off naturally. Then, I asked for love, by talking to the people I love or doing things I love. I accept all the goodness that comes my way, instead of rejecting. Soon enough, I began to see I was quickly surrounded by like-minded people - subtle, patient, calm, welcoming and loving. When I leave them, I feel peaceful, supported and most importantly, loved.

Even the bossiest or vainest pot that is out there just seem so petty to me. If it bothers me, I asked "what is the point?" It is not my energy and I shall not carry it.

How I did that? This is my method:

Switch resentment to forgiveness.

Switch anger to peace.

Switch hatred to love.

Instead of a stream of hot lava burning in your head, turn that thought to a beautiful stream of clear water with rainbow colors of bubbles and butterflies flying with you above it.

So instead of, "I hate my boss's inferiority. He is so judgmental and stubborn! Doesn't he understand I've already done my best?"

... say to yourself, with intent! "My boss has my forgiveness. At soul level, he is still learning what life has for him. A job is only a job, it doesn't define me. I trust that I do the best for myself and my life. I am protected from any influence that doesn't serve my highest good."

Most importantly, forgive yourself. Then forgive the other person or the situation. Focus on the better side of other people. They will soon learn that the negativity they carry will only feed their ego, and ego for we all know, does not bring you anywhere. Then, move on.

But if you are still with chronically negative beings, it is best that you remove yourself from them.

Your thought is more powerful than you think, dear readers. It shows even when you don't speak. Whether you like it or not, your thoughts can send a vibe to people and it can manifest in many different ways. One of the way it manifest is through how people treat you.

I know it's beginning to sound quite metaphysical here but isn't it true? Not all things can be explained with science but isn't this logical?

I didn't know what I discover for myself was actually an old-discovery of a metaphysical subject.

Have you heard about the Law of Attraction? "It is the belief of that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results." - Wikipedia.com

And the reason I wanted to write this today is because I care for all of you. When friends ask for my advice, I wanted to pour everything I know but my brain is so scattered that I probably didn't give out the clearest, understandable words intended. My apology if it was confusing. Here's a chance for me to make it up, in writing and put it in a clearer way for you to understand.

So, what motivated me is that I'd heard too many stories of friends caught up in the cycle of negativity in life - the rat race, the whose got a better car, the who badmouth so and so... It leaves me helpless when people refuse to learn that the more you dwell in negativity, the more the situation will get worse. I can't help you if you don't help yourself. You'll only spiral down into the hole of darkness if you let it. So choose NOT to let it.

Every time you catch yourself thinking negatively like "ah I'm so forgetful, I forgot to buy the onions. I should have brought the list with me. Why didn't I think of looking at the grocery list before I go? sheesh"

Turn it to "I forgot the onions, I'll get it tonight." More productive, ain't it?

It can be solved just by practicing the Law of Attraction. Be nice and nice people will be loving you. Be horrible and horrible people will be attacking you.

Begin by counting your blessings. Focus on what you have than what you don't have. You'll notice you actually have lots of great things already happening in your life. Cherish the things that are working and soon you will find yourself be more at peace with unconditional love. Also, you'll be attracting many positive people who will make you happier. In turn, more fun and wonderful events will take place!

I understand it is not easy to get out of that cycle but you have no idea how easy you can turn your life around once your thoughts are positive. You just need to untangle it with intent!

I'm living proof that it works. Let me know when it works for you!

Happy 4th Anniversary!

2011-07-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

Seems like yesterday we celebrated our anniversary in Disneyland. This time, we went to a restaurant in the charming, historic San Juan Capistrano called The Vintage Steakhouse. Never been there before, was doubtful from the outside until my instinct told me to go. We walked into the what is supposedly an old train, and gosh, what a beautiful, elegant setting there! The dining place is inside of an old train cabin adjacent to the bar that is an actual building, connected to it. It is like walking back in time. There's the live jazz band by the bar and the cocktail list is ever so inviting. Service was great, we didn't have to ask for water and food is superb! We had the whole full course there with the waitress informed it was our anniversary. When main course was done, they asked if we had room for dessert. Love to! But we were so stuffed by the big, fat slab of steak and mussels for appetizers. In addition to that, I chowed down almost all of the fresh out of the oven dinner rolls, dipped in goodness of white wine mussel sauce. Gahh!

We were pleasantly surprised when the waitress came by with a big piece of square white plate, with happy anniversary written on it. How sweet! It was complimentary. That makes it sweeter! :) And yes, I clean the plate. Even the words were gone.

The most meaningful anniversary, yet. We did not have any expectation going to the restaurant. We were busy during the day, had a quick shower and headed out. I have no make up on except for mascara and a little bit of foundation. Yew Wai look fine as he is. But I wore a slightly torn knitted blouse I bought 12 years ago. Something I wasn't able to wear for a long, long time and finally was able to! Which I paired it with a pair of shorts and sandals, hair still wet and clip up while eating. We were both clearly underdress. I underestimated the formality of its settings. But that's what makes it more memorable, isn't it? The little details and quirks we make.

Our 4th year now... yep... am feeling it. haha Don't ask infant question.

Hint: The time will come and it is not now! haha

The dessert is the signature little train on the railway track. The blueberries are the wheels. They are crunchy baked phyllo doughs with the cinnamon cream sandwich between, drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce all over it. Yum!

Garden One Year Later

2011-07-11T17:38:00.007-07:00

It's been a while! I took a couple of pictures last weekend and just comparing them to what it is now four days later, the garden is already looking so different! Gotta love the summer sun. :)

Ok, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

It still amazes me to see how much food Mother Earth can provide us through such a small piece of land. I harvest this much of strawberries everyday. At first, I eat all of them but now I'm getting kind of tired of it. Haha But I do keep them in the fridge, store them in a container and hopefully enough for me to start another batch of strawberries sorbet or strawberries jam for that matter.

Here's the list of vegetables and fruits I have growing in the garden now:

Lemon

Orange

Strawberries

Pumpkin

Long Beans

Mint

Kale

Zucchini

Big and small chillies

Bell pepper

Spring onions

Tomato

Herbs

And other ornamental flowers and grass.

What difference it makes to add some color. Relaxing and calming each time we look at it. :)

Back Better, Bigger and Bolder

2011-07-08T13:30:00.007-07:00

Hi all,

To anyone still reading my blog, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've been blessed with so many people, some close and some not so - who loves me, my ideas, thoughts and my writings. It's funny that the moment I felt compelled to revive this blog of mine, I kid you not, there was about 15-20 people asking why I stop blogging. And then some asked "do you have a blog?" Most people say they miss it and some people say, "I just want to know what you do and how you live your life?" I took it as a strong sign convincing me to restart.

I've been compelled to write several months back but the coward me was in constant fear of not wanting to appear 'show off'. I wanted to stay in the mainstream, low-key and be acceptable. I didn't want people to be angry with me because I have it all - the house, the sunny state, the husband, the luxury in life - or so they think. It is the anger, blame and jealousy is what I can't handle. I couldn't face it, I cowardly quit.

Oh... The vanity you might think, but believe me, it did happen. I've gone through issues with people just because I am 'luckier' than everyone else. And because of that reason, I am NOT allowed to be depress or anything lack of. I'm suppose to be responsible to help others out of my own expense.

But what about me? Am I suppose to work and please others until I get sick? Some forget I am only human. Moreover, the life I live and the materials I own deserves to be mine. As selfish as it sounds, I did work for it. Don't I deserve my triumph? It is a decade of hard work. The pictures you see in Facebook? It's only a tiny fraction of my life being portrayed to the public. Ninety percent of it is behind the curtain - working, struggling, pinching pennies, sweating, hurting and just living.

Admittedly, I didn't think I was going to come back writing but because I've learned that was really stupid of me, I said "why should I be less of myself when I can be greater?" I said NO to being a coward. God said I have a gift and it was meant to be shared. My instinct said "just start writing!"

For the past few months, I went through the path of an intense spiritual awakening. I've also been through my lowest low and my highest high - all in the same year. I itch to share with you my experience but I'm told, the time is not ready. Not just yet. But you will soon know.

So because of the intense learning experience, I am now back much stronger, confident and wiser. I'd convinced myself that I rather be loathed for who I really am, than to be loved for who I am not. I am not me if I don't follow my passion, my instinct or my desires. It will make me sick. So I urge that you be you too. And not let your job, your status, your family or even your spouse DEFINE you. No one defines you, other than yourself.

From now on, you will notice that I am back with a better, bigger and bolder version of myself. I have so much to share, dear readers. I am healthier and so much wiser. I feel like an 80 year old woman stuck in a 29 year old body.

And as cheesy as it sounds, I have a big, important mission to fulfill. I'm now writing from a comfortable spot of Seventy-seven telling you this and as I'm still on this learning path, I have no clue to what it is. Sounds epic but no idea. I've only be told it is going to help many and it is going to be huge. It is happening already, in a small scale - I'm seeing the changes. I am preparing myself for it. Lets stroll with me if you like, and experience this together. Lets find out together, what it really is.

I'm happy to be back. Thank you again. You have all been my teachers and I've learned a lot from you. Truthfully. Love and light to all.

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T09:21:00.004-08:00

My last few moments of 2010 has gone well as it is ending with lots of joy and love. I wish 2011 would be the same except that I must be reminded to be less hard on myself, work accordingly, rest well and play more.

Happy New Year everyone! :)

2 down, 1 more to go

2010-12-10T11:23:00.003-08:00

Can you believe it? I'm still writing November.

Anyway! My family is arriving this Sunday evening and I'm already feeling the jitters!

The jitters began with all the Christmas lights we see outside. Hushby being the competitive person that he is, felt inferior that we didn't have lights on. So we went to get some and added it to our small collections of outdoor lights. We prepped the house for Christmas as much as we could afford to do. The fireplace, the outside and all has been decked with beautiful sparkling lights now and it's looking extra festive! The Christmas tree, which is puny has tons of presents underneath it this year... so much so that it is overwhelming the little tree!

Oh can you imagine the excitement when they see their socks already hung at the fireplace? I'm beyond excited!

Aside from that, last weekend, another dear friend of mine and Jane's arrived from Australia. Though only a short stop before they head elsewhere, we had tons of fun which really made up for the lost time we had not seen each other. Los Angeles was just a detour from their trip and as usual, I couldn't be happier to show them around. Keat Joo and her Hub, Steve has always been such a delight to be with. Both bubbly, playful and easy going, there's nothing much to worry about them. No need to wonder if they would be comfortable in my home. Just like Jane, they both made themselves at home immediately.

The evening we met up, we chat til 5:30am. At 3am, Keat Joo looked into my pantry and found Har Mee (Prawn Mee), a Penang's favorite and she squealed in excitement as if she found gold! Soon after, Steve took a shot of us in our PJs, trying to cook the instant noodles. My oversized PJ is looking so loose here but it makes me feel sleepy just by looking at it. haha!

Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera around and didn't have many pictures of us while we were out. But Keat Joo has more and I'm pretty sure I'll have it when she gets back to Down Under. I had so much fun the 2 days we spent together, I almost forget about finals in school and that I have tons to do.

So, 2 down, 1 more to go. Hope there's more to come next year ;)

Meantime, back to finishing up my work!

Guests

2010-12-01T10:40:00.004-08:00

Wow can't believe how fast time flies. Looked like my last post was ages ago. My apology, yet again, for being the most inactive blogger ever. The holiday season is here and I am expecting 3 different parties of guests arriving in one week interval. It's going to be hectic but fun! There were a lot of things needed for the house that is still bare from necessities, so we took a lot of weekends off just for shopping. With groceries and christmas shopping combined, it was a bit hectic! Good thing though, that's all covered before Thanksgiving was here!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, you guys know who came for the break! It was Jane!

Here's proof of what we did:

At the Malaysian restaurant called Belacan Grill. We ordered Belacan Kangkung, Tumis Shrimp and Curry Fish Head. We ate like there's no tomorrow and started speaking Malay with the waitress who was quite impressed that she was able to converse with us, true Malaysians. We walked out from that restaurant 5 pounds heavier and Cooper had a little hard time driving us home.

We gave Jane the honor of harvesting our beautiful winter lettuce. Salad was much needed for the Thanksgiving meal and what better way than to enjoy our crops than this occasion? :)

Lettuce salad tossed with candied walnut and dried cranberries in white balsamic honey vinaigrette. The perfect light salad that we all needed before attacking the heavier dishes.

Hushby and Jane did 90% of the preparation this time. This year was much more relaxing for me, we even have time to play Wii and had lunch. I guess, preparing chicken instead of a big turkey helps a lot too. The cooking time was slash in half.

So, Thanksgiving break is over and done with. Jane's much anticipated arrival has gone too soon. Before we know it, she was out of the house and flew back to New York again. We did a lot in Seventy-Seven itself, I was glad to hear she felt comfortable in this home. Jane slept like a log each night and morning. I laughed sheepishly when she said she enjoyed sleeping on the $10 IKEA bed sheet. lol Jane is so funny.

We cooked together, had fun chatting til' late night like ol' times and ate like we hit puberty again. It was fun, so much fun I lost track of time. But all that catching up was needed for the soul. It warms my heart like a nice bowl of warm chicken soup. I hope she doesn't mind that I slept more often than usual too. All those Thanksgiving food is making my body a little heavier. :)

Next Monday, another dear friend from Australia is coming but they are only staying for 2 days. Then, the Chiang clan is arriving all the way from Penang, Malaysia - something I waited 8 years to happen. Now I only need to wait less than 10 days before I see them, in my own eyes, in my own home. I still can't believe it until I see them physically. It's going to be exciting from today onwards. But before that, I need to finish all my homework!

Toodles for now.

The Halloween Scare

2010-11-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Last Halloween, October 31st, Yew Wai and I was out the whole day. We went to an art gallery, had lunch at In-N-Out and wandered around town, enjoying the wonderful weather. The Halloween spirit was up and around. Usually, I have lots of candies and chocolates for Halloween every year but I never get any trick or treaters before, which was why I did zero prep for this year. Also, my other reasons are...

Number 1: I have no money allocated for super nice Halloween decoration

Number 2: I'm pretty sure no trick or treaters will come and get candy because I don't have Jack-O-Lanterns and we don't have any lights outside anyway.

AND!

Number 3: I'll be forced to eat them all if no one shows up!

So we came home that night at about 5pm with a set of 6 solar lights on hand.... Oh and some Ghirardelli Raspberry Chocolate to tame my cravings. Yew Wai was so excited that evening, that right after getting out of the car, he went to the garden and set the solar lights up. He wanted to do it before sun set, so that we'll get to see them how they look at night. At dusk, we were really delighted to see this!

For the first time after 4 months in this house, we've never seen our garden lit up at night and you may think we are a little crazy being this excited with a few LED lights, but we've always wanted to sit outside and we can't because it was always too dark. This thing is wonderful. So easy to install and no mess with wiring. All they need is sun light and a solid ground.

Satisfied with our solar purchase, we went in and get cooking for dinner. Before I could cut anything up, a faint sound of knocking came from the door. I opened up and there were two little kids with their Dad carrying a little Buzz Lightyear and his sister, a pink Sleeping Beauty princess. They were both so adorable! I was overwhelm with cuteness!

"Trick or Treatttt!" they delightedly chant.

OMG, my first trick or treater... what do I say? OMG I have no candy!! Wait... I may have some...

Immediately after that thought, Hushby came up behind me with that box of Ghirardelli. He read my mind so well but I guess the pressure was beginning to kick in that we both automatically thought "That box of chocolate has got to go!"

It is expensive chocolate by the way and by the time I gave two for each of them, I only have four left in the box.

We shut the door after they left and both Yew Wai and I looked at each other with our eyes wide open, panting - asking each other, why did they come in?? We don't have lights out. Wait, we have solar lights now! It's signaling "We're home!" We looked at each other again, thinking this is no joke, we gotta get candies. The night has set in, our solar lights turned on by itself - unstoppable! Nice timing! LOL

Pictures of other people's houses

Hushby quickly drove off to get a few packs of candies. I stayed at home coz' the soup was already boiling and I can't leave the uncut meat behind.

Then the door knock came again, and I opened. This time there was a party of 8 kids.... yes, 8 kids not including the Dad. All under 4 ft tall, chanting "TRICK OR TREEEEEEATTTTT!"

Ya know, I've spoken in front of 500 people hosting an event, I've done countless presentations and never had the slightest anxiety over it. But with these little ones, my palms were sweating, my heart was palpitating and I had no choice but to say "sorry, I ran out of candy!"

The Dad said it's OK, I already felt so bad at that point. All the kids were giving me that puppy look!

"But I do have four left?"

And they squeal with excitement, all pushing their baskets to me fighting for that 4 expensive Raspberry Chocolate that I will never have! Sigh!!

Hushby came home after what seem like eternity for me, protecting the fort by myself. As soon as he poured out the bags of candies, the knocking on the door got even more frequent. So frequent that the gate did not even have a chance to shut itself! And I'm not kidding!

What a crazy night! The Halloween scare! That solar lights giving out wrong signals! Ah what a timing!

On a brighter note though, it sure was a very exciting occasion for us especially having seen the little ones which I learned later, every household look forward to for Halloween. It was cuteness overload for me and I treasure the chance being "scared" for once :)

With that said, I shall be more prepared next year. Possibly even considering dressing up to scare the little kids back :)

Veggies

2010-11-04T08:53:00.004-07:00

When's the last time you've seen my vegetables?

Very long time huh! Probably a month ago... I guess I was away long enough that none of you have seen the progress. Here's the lettuce:

TO-MA-TOES!

I harvested 2 good size tomatoes last week and I didn't know what to do with it until I watch Jamie Oliver on TV. Because I'm a big fan and his idea of veggie kebab sounds too good, we did our version with summer squashes. And yes we still have summer squashes coz' its still so warm out here. It's going to be a hot winter!

I'm not gonna bore everyone again admitting that I've been extremely occupied with school, especially that midterm has just passed and especially wanting to eat well, cook at home and stay out of sickly people and avoid being sick... it's just all too much to take but I shall persist!

Happy Deepavali to all my Indian friends :)

Study Room Update

2010-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Remember back in July, we tire our muscles and rush to get the floor of the rooms done? It seemed so long ago. We used to sleep in this room with our bed there, a chest of drawers and 2 luggage because it was the only room that was strategically available due to the construction work. The master bedroom at that time was under renovation and the other room, Grey room had all our furniture and boxes in it, that filled up all the space except for a little pathway. Study room was our only real estate sanctuary but even that, it was icky. The carpet and the smell of it was... ok let's not go there.

So that's how it looked like when we had all essentials out of it. The bed and a chest of drawers, at this point, had been move to the master bedroom.

After the carpet was torn, the wood floor was put in.

Then we had the baseboard in. The baseboard is not that noticeable here because of the obvious mess I made but there is difference in real life. We sealed the gap between the board and the wall with a latex solution and then painted it with glossy white. So in actuality, the baseboard is glossy and the pattern really comes through with the paint. And because it's so white now, it also shows off the grey tint on the wall which I kinda like. But sooner or later, I'd want to paint the whole room white to benefit a work room.

The IKEA white table is now longer than it used to be. That's because we bought an extension and connect it to the original piece. We refused to get another computer table for the desktop as it may take up more unnecessary space. Since the two computers share a printer and other miscellaneous office supplies, it only make sense to sit both on one desk.

We have two more shelves to mount on the wall which I'm sure will clear up my table space. At the mean time and as you can see hiding in the closet *shy*, there's more stuff, still in boxes, mostly books actually.

Just a fun info. We unscrew a wall socket because of an internet wire but to cut the long story short, when the socket was taken out, we found out that the actual color on this wall was a bright pink! Looks like it might have been a little girl's room prior to the last owner. After seeing that, I'm thankful for the light khaki grey. No designer would want a pink room! It would have damage all the colors I see.

Distorted Portraiture

2010-10-07T12:49:00.001-07:00

Would you like to guess who are these people?

I chose number 7 to render in graphite, for a class assignment of course, called the distorted portraiture. Hope it will turn out well. Oh here's a hint: number 1 and 7 is the same person.

Answers will be on next post! 10 points each, the person with the highest points will get free curry puffs from me. lol

Lettuce Growing

2010-10-06T08:31:00.007-07:00

Man I can sooooo relate to Jane and the amount of work she has to do. I am quite behind on homework honestly and I'm sorry to all of you that homework has been mention again and again but it is what occupies my mind at this point. It keeps me stressful, at a good level, and make me push forward and learn new things. I'm at a deep learning curve coz' graphic design and illustration is ain't easy! Who said it was?

Nonetheless, I still make time for my little garden which is growing like crazy. It has been 3 weeks since I sow the seeds and I'm surprise that they are doing well. Can't believe I have a green thumb like mom, guess taking cue from the master can make you inherit one. haha! Mom used to grow all sorts of vegetable at our backyard back home. From Kangkung to Kailan, and Eggplants to Bitter gourd. It was so much fun tending the garden every morning and evening. We even have our own chickens and we used their poop for fertilizer. Almost everyday, we would have veggies to eat. So much so, we even distribute it to our neighbors, friends and other friends. We were already living the Jamie Oliver's life even before he make it a trend. haha! I wanna do that again! *dreaming*

However, as with all gardening, there were pests. Mom's problem was with ants. They climb from trees to the ground, destroying the vegetables from root. Then there was the brown sticky slugs and snails. But at least they were easy to find. These pests can eat up the whole bunch of leaves as fast as one afternoon. One day, my mint leaves suddenly had holes in them, which I quickly concluded to some disease. So I sprayed the disease solution but later in the day, almost 50% of the mint leaves were destroyed. Curious and frustrated, I looked around and I found this green caterpillars, they called it green cloverworm. Fat as hell at this point, I quickly went over to a nursery nearby and get a big bottle of pest spray, safe for organic gardening.

They are gone for now which is worth the $10 but I'm pretty sure they will return someday. I managed to save some of the remaining 50% of my mint leaves and hope it grows before winter. Have to be vigilant with these guys coz otherwise, I will have nothing to harvest.

I Am Gonna Have Time For Myself Tonight

2010-09-28T22:46:00.007-07:00

What a rare occasion is it for me to sit down with my laptop and not be doing work. Yes, today I decided that right after class, I am going to do whatever I feel like and not fret about getting homework done. Right now, I'm sitting on top of my bed, without Hushby but Pipe is beside me and we're having a good time relaxing, listening to love songs like Backstreet Boy's As Long As You Love Me... whose songs have always make every hair on my body stand but today and maybe just this not so cheesy one, I am surprisingly relishing it for the soothing melody and memories it brings.

As you all might have guess, I don't have a lot going these days now that school is officially taking over my life. Hence, nothing is really post-worthy. But I do want to say, I am beaming every time I drive Cooper to school everyday. And with Cooper around, I found so much spare time on hand now and can focus on homework better, rather than adjusting my timetable to fit with Hushby's. Suuuweett

I've not post any of my artwork here for a long time. The number 1 reason is that nothing of what I've done so far was portfolio ready. They were more of exercise work.

Today, however, I feel a sense of accomplishment when a design project completed. I finished my restaurant branding project for my Typography II class and when compliments flowed in from all sides, it suddenly dawned on me that I am really close to be a designer one day.

The whole process started with me coming up with a restaurant name, the type of cuisine and the restaurant's target diners. Rempah is my chosen restaurant name (it was hard to decide by the way) that serves Nyonya food but because Nyonya is hard to pronounce, I translated it to Malaya Straits cuisine, taking in the colonial era feel and heritage of Nyonya cooking to it. Rempah is spices in Malay language, and spices is crucial in all Nyonya cooking. Imagine its interior full of dark carved wood on the wall, the colonial dining set and batik for cushion covers and back rest. The food is of authentic Nyonya cuisine, something your mother would cook in the kitchen all day, with a group of other ladies and your grandmother overseeing and approving the preparation of the delicate dishes. The elaborated style of dining is something the very sophisticated and adventurous diners would find pleasure in. Somewhat high end but it is still affordable to the masses.

So I imagined that, and I took these ideas to depict them in the logo, menu, business card and website. The end result of the physical print out is still far from what I have envision but with time and money constrain to consider, I should not complain. After all, my high profile designer instructor really love it.

Black and White logo

4-color Logo

Business card front and back

Printed version of business card

Menu

I print, cut and bind the menu myself. And of course the business card literally took me half an hour to cut one. Yeah, it's no one to be blame but me. For the life of me, I just can't come up with a simple design and always complicate things.

So, would you order from this menu? Would you cherish the business card if one of these is handed to you? Would you take a second look at this restaurant with its logo out on the door?

It's 11.40pm. Sounds like time for zzzzz for me. Good night world and thanks for reading.

In Class Fun

2010-09-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

haha Look at what we're doing in class.

Cooper

2010-09-19T16:43:00.004-07:00

Not like anyone of you haven't seen a Mini Cooper. But this car has marked my freedom and honestly, I would be just as happy if its other make of car or model. I've driven it for about four days and am loving it to death!

Ambi & Boo Yew, here it is for you! :) Hope you enjoy.

Sun roof

Off to finish up my homework that is staggering over 2 weeks. Have a good week ahead!

Garden is Growing

2010-09-17T15:18:00.006-07:00

So this is what happened after the last post.

We've added enough soil and we've transfered all the vegetable that needed the raised bed.

2 rows, far right, are for the lettuce that we sowed seeds on it.

While we waited for the seeds to germinate, the TO-MAH-TOES are turning red!

And more surprising thing grew up from the ground. I just discovered that this is the vegetable plant of the Water Vegetable (kangkung) that I threw in a dug hole of compost. Everything else rot except this. I actually had to dig the soil up to find out what this plant really is. :X

5 days later, little sprouts begin to make itself out onto the center stage!

These are the lettuce seed!

Hello Hello Baby Lettuces!!

More sprouts! I'm so happy to be this successful thus far. I will make sure they will live up to expectation. *fingers crossed*

Awwwww isn't he the cutest baby lettuce?! He is so cute, I wanna munch him up right now! Ok maybe not now. Patience is key to a successful garden and I shall wait until he's a big boy so that he will be in my bowl of salad. :D

Garden Then and Now

2010-09-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

*** Note: Pre-moved in. Look at the jungle!

You can't even see the existing bright pink mini roses on the right! We've clear out so much crap, including a rodent carcass. It took us over several weeks!

*** After moved in. Now the roses are blooming. Still blooming.

Anyway, one might think it's probably a little too late now to start a farm. The cold breeze is starting to sweep in from the sea, there's fog now in the morning - reminds me that Fall is here!

Nevertheless, the cold will never stop me from my dream of having my vegetable farm. I've learned that Fall season is the best time for lettuce! I got 'em seeds and will try to germinate that soon. I have some herbs and a tomato plant growing too. There's also some unidentified sprouts here and there. To cut the long story short, I did try to germinate some seeds once upon a time, several of which are Ladyfingers/Okra, Red Chillies and Parsley. I threw the soil and seeds into other pots after like months without any sprouts. Now they are growing and I don't know what they are!

So, I think out of desperation to keep the growing sprouts, I made Hushby to make me a structure for my raised garden bed.

*** Note: Notice the cut up carpet at the top of the picture? That's what's left after months of disposing them batches by batches into the garbage bin which they collect once a week!

Hushby bought three pieces of outdoor wood planks, a dollar each (!!!) and then start sawing and nailing all by himself. From doing that, we actually saved $60 dollars from buying the Raised Garden Kit at Home Depot!

Here's quiet entrance to a noisy home. Note that the mini roses are now visible? :D We brought it back to life after excavating all the other plants and gave it some TLC.

Growing herbs - Mint, Rosemary, Theme, Oregano, Basil, Parsley and unidentified sprouts.

TO-MAH-TOES!

I apologize for how disgusting I look on a Sunday afternoon.

Back to the garden bed, it is now mixed with one bag of compost and several bags of garden soil. Obviously it is not full yet, we underestimated the size of my garden bed. We've also mixed in some vegetable food into the soil, hopefully the veggies and herbs will have better time growing here!

My dream of a vegetable garden has come true!

Bad Week

2010-09-10T08:59:00.003-07:00

We're at the final stage of our green card process now and that includes resubmitting everything there is that identifies you as a Malaysian and how long you've stayed in America ie. birth certificate, past employments, past residency etc. On top of that, we need to take two different vaccines, MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) and Tetanus, and one TB test. For some reason, we threw away the records of these vaccines being taken and because we have none for proof, we have to be injected with it.

I, however, had to take an additional shot which is the Chickenpox vaccine. Because I never had chickenpox, they are afraid I will catch it now and it can be deadlier when you're an adult. I knew I had the shot as an infant (according to Mom) but of course, the nurse refused to believe me. The worse thing is, the record on my photocopy birth certificate is not printed clear enough. Plus, who understands the writing of a doctor?

Just bite the bullet, I told myself. Why go through the trouble, right?

All in all, I had 5 different needles poking me that Wednesday morning, including a blood test to make sure I am not HIV positive. I became a little light-headed by the end of the fifth shot, which is unusual for me. Two of which are painful. The nurse told me to put my head down between my knees and it worked.

Ugh, the troubles we have to go through to live in a foreign country!

The day after, I caught a fever. Slept the whole evening and night, waking up feeling like that's what I really need to feel better.

It's now the second day after the shots, my left arm is swelling and it feels like a swarm of bees stung it. And then I received a bad news that my Cooper is still on hold due to a backorder of the window part. Apparently, the window regulator had to be replaced and it is costing them $300 to get it. The car dealer had promised that they'll fix any problems there is to the car before I drive it home, so I had no choice but to wait until all is clear, which could mean from 3 to 7 days more.

Nothing is good this week. The odd-hour carpooling is killing me and Hushby. He had to rush in and out to drive me to classes while I am adjusting to the new campus they just built for the Graphic Design students. The new campus is still in chaos, none of the scanners and big printers are working yet. The tech center people work like snails. There's still saw dust everywhere and the stench of fresh paint is quite bothersome when I have class from 10am til 10pm straight - in the same room! Some of my homework has been delayed due to that and now with the fever on? Nothing is done.

So, lesson learned! Keep all your documents especially all health records and vaccine shots in a safe box. You'll never know when you will need it.

Good things come to those who waits

2010-09-05T17:26:00.004-07:00

*Hand raised*

That's me. I waited two years... and that's exactly 24 months.

Without a car.

A person without a car is like a person without a pair of legs, no?

For the longest time, I suffered from embarrassment that I had to share a vehicle with my significant other. I miss the freedom I used to have but it was me who chose to do it for the frugality sake and keeping Hushby pressure-free. However, before I know it, two years had passed and my determination began to change.

With a mortgage just incurred into expenses, I was quite reluctant to the idea of a second car due to adding an auto-loan to our monthly payment. Last semester, my classes hours were from 9am to 4pm. So it was easy to fit with Hushby's 8 to 5 work schedule. But my classes this semester, three of those in a week, end at 10 at night. And they all start at weird hours like 10am or 4pm. Obviously, carpool is no longer an option. Bus route here can take hours. A second car is in dire need. After much calculation, consideration and more consideration, we decided one more used vehicle would be it.

After the reliable, rusty 1991 Honda Accord which I used in Minnesota, refuse to drive another Asian-made car. Nothing wrong with it, I just wanted something different this time. When that was crossed out, there's only one European car with good gas mileage ------- that is

the Mini Cooper.

And so we look around, only for a week. We found many of them online and fell in love every color there is available. However, many of those dealership are located at least an hour drive away from us and it wasn't until the very night before we prepare ourselves to spend hours on the road, we found a new listing from a auto dealership just 10 minutes drive from home!

Conveniently, we went to inquire, check it out and test drive. Except for the squeaky power window and the burned front bulb, which they can fix prior to purchase, everything else is perfect. What impressed me most is the auto-variable function. The gear can be switched to manual when auto is not in use. Amazing!

We got an Excel sheet with us of the list of cars of the same year and mileage, which we discreetly check when we have time alone. Price comparison is important, plus we were ready to haggle if there is a cheaper one. However, this one is already at its lowest for a 2004 year Mini. Then, we went out again and took a second test drive... and then third... and we couldn't deny the love we have for its steadiness and stability. We were already leaning towards a yes, but the salesman did not know. He was really nice though, gave us plenty of time to check and even gave us a big discount as we were lucky to do car shopping when times are bad.

Once he was set with the lowered price, my only thought is I'd love to get it.

The color is silver, the roof is black. It has a sunroof and the size is just perfect! I named it Cooper and before I know it, we signed! *screams*

Here Cooper!

Pooper Piper would love it too! :D

Unforgivable Unions

2010-09-02T11:32:00.006-07:00

Yesterday I learned...

A couple who had wanted to divorce each other, is now trying to work on their marriage and reconnect.

On the basis that the husband had been philandering and been known to leach out her savings.

A couple we knew since our college days is getting married.

Knowing full well, and having had witnessed him with our eyes that he had always been cheating for the last 10 years. And he also has another foreign wife.

I mean, come on, do these ladies seriously think they will ever change the spots of their leopard?

My first reaction?

Disgusted. It upsets me.

There's not an ounce of happiness I have for these people even though it's suppose to be a happy occasion as with all unions. I don't know what I should say to them. I feel uncomfortable as they put themselves into deeper sh*t. To me, it's like looking at another person, willingly getting sucked into the quick sand and I want to help them but I had to stay away to not obstruct the process.

I mean, what would you do?

Do you congratulate the couples and then feel horrible after? That you faked it, allowing them to think you "approved" of their marriage?

Or do you NOT congratulate them, ignore and go on with your own life, letting them think you're an idiot for passing judgment they don't deserve?

Food in August

2010-09-01T10:26:00.006-07:00

Ok brace yourself. Scroll down and be prepared to feel a little nauseous from these pictures. When we have guests around, that's what we tend to do. The loaded fridge almost burst through the seam a few times.

I actually have more foodie pictures than this but I'm just going to show the ones that stood out throughout August. Have I said my Mom-in-law is a great cook?

And don't ask me why everything in the US is so big!

Coz they just are. lol Lobster and crab and everything that swims in between prepared by Hushby. They are cooked in a seafood boil with Cajun seasoning. We dumped in the potatoes, clams and sweet corn. We all ate with our hands like gladiators fighting the lions. One of the most expensive dinners I ever had at home! Haha It was good and I have enough! I think I won't be having lobsters or crabs for the next two years.

Moving on to something smaller and dainty...

Here's my first ever Keh Nui Ko (Steamed Egg Cake). Not very successful as the middle part is still of the wet batter. The top and sides are however, all very successfully steamed and fluffy. The taste reminds me of Grandma stirring me a hot cup of Milo and having a piece of Keh Nui Ko for breakfast. I will make that again when I miss her.

Another personal favorite of mine for Chinese New Year, other than the Ti Kueh (Glutinous Rice Cake), is the Peanut Cookies. They are quite easy to make but just a bit more laborious when toasting the peanuts. Recipes can be found at Auntie Lily's website. Keep in a tight container and I have snacks all month long!

Food we ordered at the Belacan Grill, a Malaysian operated restaurant in Tustin. From left, Stir-Fried Belacan Kangkung, Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken with Red Gravy) and Ampang Yong Tau Fu (Ampang Stuffed Tofu with Fish Paste). Satisfaction!!!

After feeling inspired by the Malaysian restaurant, we tried our hands on Acar Awak, without cabbage. The taste is heavenly, subtle yet complex. Sweet and sour, crunchy and spicy. Goes with rice and fried noodles anytime! The dish can keep for a week, which is a good thing but it is also another laborious dish. To make this much of Acar, be prepared with at least 2 pair of hands and to stand in the kitchen all afternoon. Make sure to also soak the boiled vegetable with the sambal overnight before serving. Don't forget to sprinkle sesame seeds and crushed peanuts too! :) Yummmmm

Wat Tan Hor or the Hokkiens called it Char Tua Pan. My mother-in-law was very kind to make this another Malaysian favorite of mine for me! with regular koay teow (flat rice noodle). It tasted almost the same except that it does not have the burnt smell that you would get from at the hawker stall, which is fine too. Still super yummy!

She also made her own version of Yong Tau Fu and homemade fish paste at home for US! MIL stuffed the Tofu, Eggplant and Chillies with the fish paste she prepared earlier. Leftovers are made into fish balls. She then made a brown sauce that consists of the leftover oil which fried the veggies, oyster sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch to thicken before pouring over the dish to serve. HUAH Unbelievable!!

Because we just bought a new patio set for 200 dollars! Whoopee! another Score! It was only natural that it has to be celebrated with a grill session. I bought a few scallops, a piece of big steak and two pieces of really fresh Salmon steak to grill. They are beautifully paired with lots of grilled mushroom, corn, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplants, sweet potatoes AND a bottle of Shiraz.

For dessert, I made easy 3-ingredient Plum Tart. The baked goo-ey plums on the crunchy puff pastry? Taste like buying a gorgeous designer dress at a 80% discount sale! SWEET!

To sum it all up, I had a greaaat time indulging but I am also in dire need of a 14-day detox program! I weighed in to discover an extra 3 pounds over a month of gluttony. Serve me right!

Yosemite and San Francisco (Again)

2010-08-16T14:51:00.008-07:00

We made it!

Unfortunately, NOT our Panasonic Lumix camera that Hushby accidentally dropped in the clear water of Merced River which we quickly replaced with a Canon 1400 at a Best Buy in downtown San Francisco. Ah! The drama of our lives.

4 days / 3 nights, and we're back in one piece. So nice to be home now after 2 nights in the hustle and bustle of the windy city. Good thing we return to a calm, quiet neighborhood.

Here's us - we started off with a 6 hours drive up north to Yosemite National Park from OC.

No doubt, the Half Dome and El Capitan of Yosemite National Park takes my breath away each time I laid eyes on it. The views from every angle is just spectacular.

Spent a night at Oakhurst, about 10 miles outside of Yosemite, we then drove 4 hours from Yosemite to the coldest winter in the summer months of San Francisco Bay Area. It was windy, gloomy and cold during dawn and dusk. Good thing that it was sunny during the day, made strenuous hiking on the steep streets of San Frans a little more bearable than usual.

Hushby and I took turns but still, the last stretch of driving was the hardest - 7 hours on the road back to Orange County PLUS an hour traffic jam by Los Angeles - tensed our already overworked feet to the stricken spine from spending nights on squeaky hotel beds.

Maybe yoga will help with the aging body but all in all, I had a wonderful trip exploring, eating and revisiting old favorites. The trip kept it all interesting for my otherwise, mundane summer break.

Floor Project Completed: Staircase & Baseboard

2010-08-11T16:59:00.003-07:00

For 2 months, we climbed the two flight of stairs with designated slippers. The dust trapped in the old stair base was difficult to be swept up with the broom. Everywhere was dusty, including the Piper.

The credit goes to my Father-in-law (FIL) who worked on it for a week, laboriously after breakfast. He measured, sawed and nailed these wood after Yew Wai glued them when he return from work. FIL has given me a whole load of time to relax, and kept my nails clean. So I had to repay. We treated him with a good dinner, a good lunch and a drive through a scenic route that had him talking for days. :)

Shot 1: Down Stairs

Before

After

Shot 2: Up Stairs

Before

After

And this is the very last piece that is installed, that linked the downstairs to upstairs, that closed the chapter on hardwood floor. So I had to document it for the memorabilia.

The baseboard project was not an easy feat either but at least it wasn't as messy as the hardwood floor installation. The result of baseboard up in the wall really clean up the look and makes the whole house look complete. Once installed, it felt like we moved into a brand new house.

Baseboards

Floor Project DONE & HAPPY.

Grey Room Completed

2010-08-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, pictures of the Grey Room are here.

Shot 1: Entrance of Grey Room

Before

After

Shot 2: Interior of Grey Room (with baseboard installed)

Before

Before Baseboard

After (Baseboard Installed)

Shot 3: Closet of Grey Room

Before

After

Shot 4: Main Space of Grey Room

Before

After

Shot 5: Grey Room's Bathroom

Before

After

Pat self at the back.

Dutiful

2010-08-09T15:25:00.007-07:00

You guys know when I'm busy right? When I don't posting anything! Haha!

Please allow me to be a dutiful daughter-in-law? Sometimes I also feel like I'm curse to be the best hostess that is out there; making sure my guests feel most comfortable in my home is an obligation. Thus the lack of time to blog.

But being away from the blogosphere for a bit is a good thing in a way, not too often however - we've got more things done than we've had in the past month. Every part of Seventy-Seven's floor is now covered with wood! The stairs is done and the slippers are now officially off from the house, hence dust free. I can't take credit for it though. Father-in-law did all of it with Hushby. I was more involve with the kitchen with Mom-in-law. The baseboard is all up as well. I can't believe the power of what an extra manpower can do to speed up the work. The baseboard only needs probably another day of touch ups and we can close the chapter on floors very soon! Pictures will be up next.

Meanwhile, we're getting ready to head up north to Yosemite this week, then to San Francisco. The idea of going there again after 2 years is very exciting. I can't wait to see and do what I'd missed the first time.

And here's some pictures to feast your eyes. That's us in Temecula, lunching at Ponte vineyard yesterday. The summer breeze and its fantastic food was my kind of Sunday.

Don't I just look so pregnant in this dress? GRRRr

Piper's Day Out

2010-07-26T14:15:00.002-07:00

In The Sun

We got her a leash and thought she might enjoy going out since she always like being on the car and such. But whadaya know! When expose to the real world, she became jittery. tsk tsk tsk

Brave it up Piper! You can do it!

Does Opposite Attracts?

2010-07-25T11:41:00.005-07:00

When we dated, I thought we fell for each other because we are so alike. At surface value, yes we had the same type of childhood, the same type of exposure to life and such. I believe or chose to believe only like attracts like and never understood how the opposite can attract. Thus, our differences and opposite traits were never taken note.

Sure we bicker like any other couples do. We have our arguments and disagreements, mostly evolving our decision-making methods and the way we do things. It is on these occasions, I always question - why he never think like I do? He does things that puzzle me. Some of the cases are...

WHY is he so quiet during dinners? He doesn't want to talk to me?

WHY can't he just plug the television in before reading the manual? It's pretty self-explanatory!

WHY can't he hold the drumstick with his fingers? He is going to wash the plates anyway.

Puzzling, I try making sense out of it but I never really dig deeper. It didn't struck me until the recent years, when we were planning for our wedding. I realized how his family and my family ways of organizing were so, so different. Even the ideas of the concept of a wedding were conflicting. When I was set with the theme color of orange and red for the wedding, his family wanted fairy tale white and pink and violinist in the background.

There were a lot of disagreements, and that slowed down a lot of my planning. I cannot deny there were times I was frustrated but I am not the bridezilla you think. Out of respect for both family, we compromise, always do. But after being together for this long, their family history began to unfold. I began asking questions not out of frustration but out of intention to learn. Yew Wai started explaning and fill me in the gaps. It didn't take long until I understand why they are the way they are.

This was the time that I learned the reason why I am really attracted and intrigued by Yew Wai.

It is simple. It is just how opposite he is of me!

In a nutshell, he is quiet and mysterious, analytical and neat. He is really good with street names but bad with directions. I am a loud chatterbox, messy, spontaneous girl. I am completely horrible with street names but really good with directions.

His parents are from a long-line of formal China-Cantonese ancestry. Yew Wai's grandfather spoke fluent English and has his own English dictionary. He watched ATP Tours and knew who is Federer. His grandfather being the only son, grew up in a wealthy family of real-estate businesses which sadly, were confiscated by the Japanese during the world war II. Yew Wai's mother, on the other hand, was brought up to obey tradition. She is a super woman. She runs with Hash House Harriers in jungle trails with her husband. She can cook up a storm every night and never complains of being tired. Her home is neatly systematic yet has a touch of feminine, color-coordinating rose prints draperies. My stern father-in-law who is also very analytical, is often cautionary to anything new especially food. He never fails to share moral stories to the young ones and only speaks of formal matters like work and studies. Hence their kids grew up with really good table manners, obedient and unlike me, never mischievous. The family dinners consist of very few exchange of words. Traditional celebration and performing of rites are a must on big occasions. The family keep in touch very often and has a wide network of relatives, tracking all the way back to Guangzhou, China.

My parents are like a granola-crunch, carefree couple. My sisters and I all grew up in multiple locations throughout our childhood, thus crave for eye-opening traveling experience and never cautionary of new things. We can yak and nibble on the dining table for hours. My freethinker family's conversation about something serious can always lead to something very funny. Dad has a stern look too but he is actually more of a teddy bear at heart. Dad's always full of surprises and always make sure the kids have memorable fun like an unplanned two hours trip to get dim sum for breakfast. Mom, the disciplinarian, makes sure her daughters grow up with pride and dignity, and be as independent as possible. Mom and Dad favorite past time is teasing each other while the kids follow suit. The episodes never end, more laughing ensues. My grandparents were poor peasants who lived in a rubber estate. Mom and her family used to mine tins and plucked peanuts until their skin tore to pay for education. My Grandma escaped world war II and found refuge in an underground soil tunnels where she only ate bugs and sweet potatoes to survive. At 15, she was married to Grandpa through a picture relatives introduced. Grandma who doesn't even have a true name to her birth certificate, let alone be literate, taught us to appreciate simple things in life and find pleasures in everything we do.

So! Imagine my first visit at Yew Wai's house? Sure, I was stunned by a culture so different than mine. Imagine me having to be quiet and proper! It was very hard for me to stay serious but I also didn't want their first impression of me as the coo-coo girl. But I think, if not already, they must have an inkling; though that's fine - we are already married! LOL =D

What I didn't realize was Yew Wai, (neither does he I think) in so many parts of him, consists of everyone in the family. They raised him! He is the family. That's why he will always be quiet at dinners, he will always read the manual and will always have excellent table manners. I guess it is true that when you marry, you don't just marry the one you love. You also married the sister, the disgusting uncle, the annoying cousin.... and all of the above.

No matter what, at the end of the day, I love him. That's what we share that is most alike. Love is the core to all relationship, in my opinion, not in the mushiest way. I think it is only through marriage and opening up to someone else's perspective that one can only learn about the other person and yourself, thoroughly.

Therefore, I can honestly say, now I fully understand the true meaning of opposite attracts. It is what I am not, that he is that I will always be attracted with.

Never Say Never

2010-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

I surprised myself yesterday, that I was able to do yoga when my body was aching. It turns out, I really, really needed the stretch for my body to release the strain.

In the past, and like I said, I did yoga but they were quite half-ass. I never do them well but of course, what can one expect? I only learned from the DVD.

I understood there were many reasons behind it - my lack of willpower, practice, experience and not-so-lean body were odds against me. Despite that, I practiced with the DVD for years and I told myself "I will never become these yogis".

Well, guess what? It's true when they say you should never say never.

I just saw myself in these poses yesterday.

Pictures courtesy of Yoga Journal

And these are the poses that I always start spazzing out and fall down. For the bend over poses, I had never been able to go all the way down and put my face to my knees. Usually, I get like a vomiting sensation during these poses but I didn't get that yesterday. Yesterday was different; I tried, it stay and I even took in 5 breaths before slowly releasing the pose. I don't know what happened but wow!

I'm feeling all zen now.

Have you tried yoga before? Was it hard for you?

Upstairs Hallway & Study Room

2010-07-20T12:45:00.008-07:00

Ta-da!

Here's the before and after.

Study Room

Shot 1: BEFORE

Shot 1: AFTER

Shot 2: BEFORE

Shot 2: AFTER

Shot 3: BEFORE

Shot 3: AFTER

Hallway

BEFORE

AFTER

Looking at these pictures make me cringe. Reminded me of us exerting our energy during the hours and hours of laborious work. The hallway took us several days to complete whereas the room only took one day! Why? The transition from the laundry room's (left door) tile to wood floor consumed a lot of brainstorming energy as the wood has to be measured precisely for it to slot underneath the door moulding.

We installed the T-moulding, a cap-like piece of wood to cover and hide the edge of the tiles and wood. It is done so for aesthetic reason, to create that seamless transition and also, so that you don't cut your feet when walking on it. The walls are a bit crooked too, as a result of god knows how many earthquake Seventy-Seven has been through. So, we had to take several measurements throughout the one plank of wood to make sure they fit without having to do corrections. When we had to do any wood cutting, the wood are taken downstairs, sawed and then taken upstairs again. That was my job because Yew Wai's primary responsibility is spreading the glue on the foundation. Can you imagine doing that for almost every plank? Me neither but I did it and I can't believe I did all of it.

Everything is painfully aching now, especially my fingers and arms. But I have to admit, it is so worth it. I can walk with my bare feet again. After wearing slippers upstairs for a month now, it is the best feeling ever.

Two more sections before we can go slipper-free though. Such as the Stairs and the Guest Room aka the Grey Room is yet to be completed. And we're rushing to finish the Grey Room this weekend. Just when I thought I was going to be on my own for the rest of summer, a news sent through a phone call decided that my lonesome spell is soon to be broken. Next Tuesday, my in-laws are arriving from Kuala Lumpur! Awesomeness.

And my father-in-law has already told us to get the tools ready for him. When I heard that, I sighed a huge relief! I really do not look forward to doing the stairs. It is really complicated even though I have tried not to complicate things. I'm just glad someone else is going to help because it is the last section and this is the "do or die" part.

Another non-related, syok sendiri update. My former real-estate agent, Tracey dropped by last Sunday. She is the first person to see the renovation in Seventy-Seven. She went "Ooo" and "Aaaah" at the floor and wall paint, and we got the biggest compliment ever. She said the house is looking very Anthropologie-like. And I thought I was at lost with what the interior of house is suppose to be!

That's enough to make my day. =D

Hopefully I can do yoga later.

Picked Up Old Hobbies

2010-07-15T11:46:00.007-07:00

So, sitting around at home and working on DIY projects is getting a little uninspiring and sometimes, a little bland. The unpacking job is almost done now, the flooring needs intermittent rest for the glue to set before proceeding due to some reasons and funds have officially depleted, thus all DIY projects is stopping... for now.

Due to that, I have start being selfish and focus on myself as of recent. And I gave some thoughts about the things I have always wanted to do and I haven't. So here are the few things I am picking up now. It is keeping me going and it has keep my juice flowing.

Photoshop and Illustration

Summer break is about to be over. Having abandon all my school work for a while now, I have completely and successfully blank myself out. Recently, I volunteered to edit a few of Suying's beautiful photos and while doing so, I found myself rusty. I forgot where the short-keys are! Crap. This is not good. With one month left, I am getting the anxiety to go back to school. I am digging all my notes out and I've brought out all my old files for reference. I've seen all my other classmates starting their own portfolio and updating their resumes and I haven't touch a thing yet. Well, one more month to go! Right now, am going to work on small projects on my own.

Gardening

I have not touch any green growing plants since Fall 09. That said, it has been more than 8 months. With the help of Hushby, the one side of our garden is now free from ugly, rotting plants and gecko! Yes you read me right, gecko. EW! They are everywhere. I always had to make sure Hushby goes in and cut the bushes for a while before I touch anything. Just to make sure all geckos run away at the sight and sound of him.

He actually caught one while cutting and he hold the gecko on its tail. I ran into the house frantically and I heard him scream after I shut the door. I wasn't sure whether to open the door for him because I knew the gecko fell. Soon after, he told me he couldn't bring the gecko out of the compound because that lizard broke his own tail and fell off! NICE. So he's still around here somewhere.

So far the gecko has yet to be seen. But now that the garden is cleared, he is easier to spot. I have planted some grown herbs namely Oregano, Basil, Thyme and Rosemary. On top of that, I have seeds indoor of Ladyfingers or they call it Okra here, Red Chillies, Mint and Parsley. The mint looks like its dying now due to the dry heat but the Okra look promising with a tiny bit of roots coming out. Well if anything grows, I will make sure to post a pic of them.

Swimming!

I love swimming. Anyone who knows me well knows I am water baby. I grew up with water and I can float really easily. Haha! I love the weightless feeling. I've been swimming at least 2 times a week now when we found out our new residency has multiple pools around the area. Some made for leisure and some made for swimming laps, like the one below. It's a 20 minutes walk or 3 minutes drive to that pool. The best part is the water is heated all year round! As soon as I found out about this, I went to get myself a new Speedo. Bikinis is just for show and I haven't own a Speedo for years and years, can you believe it?! That's how long I've swam laps! And my goggles still work which I'm so happy not to spend another dime for another accessory and I have been swimming happily ever since!

Yoga

I haven't done yoga in 3 years. Well I can't really count that was true yoga, practicing with a DVD. I joined a couple of classes here and there before but they were all a flop. I didn't learn anything from the classes. So I stopped at one point - traveling and moving around also to note.

However, time after time, I still find myself missing yoga for its wonderful effect after every session, secretly wishing I will continue yoga someday. For that matter, I kept reading the prolific Ninie Ahmad, a famous Yoga Instructor and Malaysian blogger who has recently been banned under the Fatwa law for being a Malay practicing yoga. It is really sad that Malaysia, in spite of its modern developments, is still largely ruled by a religious state and Ninie Ahmad's yoga practicing is judge against for the exercise's association with Hinduism. Even after years of persistence, spreading the knowledge of yoga, Ninie acts of positivity are continuously suppress by a small group of Muslim activist, such as the recent case where Astro refuse to air Ninie Ahmad's appearance on a talk show. Her stories, kind teachings and positive words rings true to my heart. Her disappointment with the ban got me to understand that we have all taken yoga for granted. One hurdle after another, Ninie's spirit to stay strong is unquestionable, she inspires me immensely. That's when I realized... I need to start doing yoga now. And it is about damn time I stop wishing!

There's a class held here every Tuesday at the clubhouse at $10 a visit. I signed up six immediately after the first class because the teacher kicked my ass! Denise, my teacher exceeded my expectations. Her calm and demanding nature is great for a perfectionist like me. I always wonder how I do in certain poses and if my breathing was right. Now I know and I even start sweating, which I have never. My yoga teacher would come over from time to time and she help push me further. When I thought I was pretty good with downward dog, she pushed my back, forcing my stomach to go forward and at that instant, I felt that was a different stretch altogether! It is amazing to feel the real stretch of what downward dog could bring.

Last class, we spoke a bit. She asked me if I was a gymnast when I was little. Me? I wish! Haha Complimenting on how flexible I am with minimal exposure to yoga in the past, I have gain a bit of confidence. I only need to work on my strength.

I'm thinking of investing on a really good mat because my current mat is 5 years old and it has seen snow and desert. It is causing a lot of angst when I slip with my own sweat and fell on a half moon pose (above). Any recommendations on mat other than Lululemon's?

The Mat from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.

Anniversary Celebrated!

2010-07-09T10:24:00.010-07:00

And very happy now! Ah... it's like killing a craving with a big piece of chocolate cake!

Having arrived at 9am, we covered so many of the major rides, so much so that we have so much time on hand to explore the smaller rides that we've never seen or took before. Thanks to my two Californian fanatic Disney friends who brought me there before. They taught me how to tackle the park in the most efficient way by taking the big rides first and which ride first. So I show Yew Wai what I have learned. lol

We chose the Space Mountain as our first ride. Even being there early in the morning, we were in line for 20 minutes... well, it is consider a short time in Disneyland. I think it is officially one of my most favorite ride but Hushby, being his first time wasn't too keen on it. He got a lil seasick but after some fresh air, he was fine. LOL I agree, the ride can be a lil' disorientating.

I got us the front row because Hushby deserves the best! Look at his face, so funny... or rather mine actually.

After I took a picture of our ride's snapshot, we exited the ride's station and realized the station is number 77 too! Crazeeee

To cut the long story short and as you have expected, we checked in at the New Orleans style restaurant, Blue Bayou later in the evening. There was a long line waiting but we were seated immediately, thanks to reservation! And these are our views... too cool to be true!

Taken from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride earlier in the day.

Once seated, we got the menu and I really couldn't decide what to have for dinner. Hushby knew instantly, Seafood Jambalaya it is! My waiter suggest I try the Salmon... and I gotta say, he did not make the wrong choice for me! I've never tasted cooked Salmon sooo moist!

For him, Gumbo as starter and Seafood Jambalaya with an assortment of Gulf Shrimp, Mahi-Mahi and Andouille Sausage as the main course.

For her, fresh sherry vinaigrette Salad with Walnut and Dried Cranberries as the starter and Blackened Salmon with Baked Cheese Potato and Veggies as the main course.

For dessert, the couple shared a scrumptious Creme Brulee!

After dinner, we knew Fantasmic show was going to start. OMG, people actually waited for the show two hours prior and don't get me started with the sea of people. So there wasn't really a good spot. Right after Fantasmic, the Magical Firework show was next. We stood throughout the wonderful Fantasmic show, which was awesome but I think the Firework show top it all off for me. It was so magical, I had goosebumps all over. As cheesy as it sounds, this is the best firework show I have ever seen. The fireworks is simply so unique, carry traits of magical moments like something you'd watch on a typical Disney movie with sprinkles of sparkles accompanied by meaningful, positive and encouraging quotes from Disney characters through music that the Fireworks is synchronize with. It is just simply amazing!

We were there for more than 12 hours and our feet were practically on its way to break down with acid and melt. It was fun nevertheless, so much fun that I think I have enough and I am ready to work again... on the house that is. LOL

And as promised from the previous post, I'm going to show you what I got for Yew Wai for the anniversary. Honestly, I did not expect him to get emotional but when he opened the box, he got all misty eye. I guess I made the right choice :~)

Continue to scroll down to see what it is.....

A Seiko Kinetic Watch!

Happy 3rd Anniversary

2010-07-07T15:57:00.005-07:00

Weeks ahead, Hushby had actually planned a relaxing getaway for our third year anniversary in South Coast Winery, Temecula for the special occasion - how thoughtful of him but I had him cancel it in attempt to save more money. Because he wanted a getaway so much, I suggested Disneyland. Not too far and not too pricey. Luckily he did not take that in offense and he love that idea :) Instead of a relaxing getaway that could easily cost $500 or more, the Disneyland trip will slash our expense in half. I think it's nice that we're breaking away from the just-the-dinner-for-celebration routine. I am soooo excited and sooooo looking forward to all the rides and having good dinner at Blue Bayou restaurant that is located on the river of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which I've always dreamt of going!!!

Although in actuality, I would really like to dine in Club 33, a secretive, only for members restaurant. But its membership application takes 14 years to process and it also cost a gazillion dollars, I heard from real fanatic Disney-goers - Crazy huh? Anyhoo, Blue Bayou will do job for me too! I am happy enough considering we got our reservation spot at a last minute destination change when people reserve theirs 60 days ahead!

I am always so inspired with dark and blue places with mysterious orangey soft glowing light in the sky. So happy!!! Here are some pictures of the venue that I found from the world wide web.

Hushby is not expecting that he'll get anything, so I can't imagine his expression when he gets this!

SHHHHhhhhhhh!!!!

What's up with the Christmas wrappers? You might ask. It's not that chrismassy is it? *DENIAL* LOL All of my budget goes into the content of the box already. No money allocated for fancy wrapping (sorry Hushby!) Therefore, the handmade pop up card too. I know, I know... I'm such an unromantic cow.

I'll let you guys know if he likes it. If yes, then the picture of the present will be posted. If no, then the thing will be returned. :P

*pray pray*

Master Bedroom Floor Done

2010-07-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

You know the drill - carpet tearing, wall painting and hardwood installation. We're replacing the old closet door and will put that in this weekend, and then the baseboard which we talk forever about but have yet to get our hands to order it. Slowly but surely we will do it.

I'll let the pictures do the talking. Suddenly I'm not sure of the color I chose - one too blue and the other too yellow... it's looking a bit like a kindergarden :X

SHOT 1

SHOT 2

SHOT 3

SHOT 4

SHOT 5

Apparently, as you can see, I'm not good with taking before and after shots. Maybe coz' Pooper was in the way! Shoo shoo... haha blaming the innocent cat. Have a good July 4th weekend folks.

Late Night Self-Reflection

2010-07-01T11:07:00.006-07:00

Last night, I laughed with Jay Leno's late night show and I hit the sack soon after. I look up to the lit sky of Orange County through my living room windows while laying down on my white lounge sofa, trying to fall asleep. The Hub has been away for four days now and sleeping on the bed by myself, makes me feel empty. So I switched. Downstairs, I try to sleep and I realized once looking up the orangey starry sky, I felt even lonelier. With reportedly 3 million in population compare to 1.5 million people in Penang, I know no one here. Scary thoughts.

It has been two years and my life is still at its resetting mode. Although I now know my way around town, I still do not know a lot of people. I've been approached by direct selling folks often time than not, assuming I have the freedom to be self-employed. One after another, I reject stating my reasons. I can't blame them not understanding my situation but after what seem like four hundred and thirty two times, I am frustratingly annoyed and then slowly, I became embarrassed and then I stop explaining altogether giving lame, vague reasons like "I can't, I am super busy". They must have think of me as a la-diva housewife of OC but ah, whatever!

The regulation of our green card application has put my life on a halt. Thankfully though, the application has been approved and what we are waiting for now is for the government to change our immigration status. That process can take from months up to several years depending on the country's population. Good for us, Malaysia is not an over-populated nation so, it will take a shorter time but we are never inform how soon it will be. It's still ridiculous, don't you think? Just a flip of one visa to another and it takes months to do it?? Sigh!

I know, I chose this path and I have to walk it now. If not for Hushby, I would have made a U-turn and go home. He and I knew, neither one of us could walk this path alone. It is painful and meaningless.

Hence, the wait, then the slowdown and the loneliness. For him, it's a little easier as he goes to work, he meets people around his age and have things in common. I go to school and I meet fresh out of high school kids. Either that or I meet people my age and they are either working or a stay-at-home mom. And because of that, I don't have a lot of things in common with people. I didn't know being 28 can be so diverse! Plus I'm shy, so that makes matter worse.

So here I am, in the dark, under the clear orangey sky with Piper by my side; instead of trying to sleep, I reflected on life in Orange County, which is partly positive but I can't help feeling a little upset about how stuck I feel. I knew wallowing in self-pity is never going to get me anywhere. Then, Hushby's message before he left to Boston, rang in my ear, "... dear, things can only get better". I quickly concentrate on my breath and adjust my deepen, darker thoughts to shallower, brighter ones. Something I learn from meditating in a recent yoga class. My perspective became clearer and brighter. I became more hopeful and at that instant, I fell asleep.

Peeper Piper Pooper

2010-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Try to say that fast!

I've caught myself calling Pipi, Piper lately. I've been calling her that name for a while now and she response. Weird! I don't even know how I started changing her name. Guess the fact that she rids of pest, I am reminded of the story I used to read as kid called the Red Pied Piper. haha! Sometimes I also call her Pipe, Pooper, Peeper... anything that starts with a P... but Piper is most prevalent.

As of late, my Persian feline has look like she lost tons of weight. I don't think it's the move that might have cause it. It is most probably the season. I have never own a cat in a four season location, so I never knew. Obviously, I had no idea they shed like crazy in the summer and then gain its fur back in the winter. I only learn it now because this is my first summer here with Piper.

Taken back in February and March, here are the before pictures:

"I am Zee Poopertraitor"

And here's now:

"Piper likez sidding on laddarz"

Drastic huh? HAHA! She sheds even more now. We've groom her at least twice a week and got off like a sweater's worth of wool from her. Her tail is not as fluffy anymore :( sad! But I know we'll get it back in winter. No wonder she loves hanging out in the cold so much. hehe!

Small Kitchen Upgrades & a Couple Others

2010-06-24T10:33:00.006-07:00

Jessie jots...

We welcomed in a few newwwww items for our kitchen this week. You'll see the progress of us slowly upgrading it as we go. Crate & Barrel announced their sale for the weekend and I couldn't resist checking it out.

We wrote down a list of things that is needed vs wanted for the kitchen in order to stay on track with budget and of course, facilitate the cook! One of the things I've alwaaaaysss dreamt about is having a nice, big, sturdy chopping board to protect my knives from getting blunt.

And we found this: big and sturdy End Grain Chopping Board. The color is rustically gorgeous and it is non-slippery with rubbery legs underneath. I've chopped on it a few times now and I don't know how I survived this long without it. Makes everything I chopped and sliced look so pretty!

Here's a tip, to protect your wooden chopping board from getting dried out and keep deep scratches at bay, rub some olive oil on the surface with a dish cloth from time to time.

It was a little cold last night, hence the cloudiness.

Am I the only one that get thirsty before bedtime? I usually have a bottle of water next to me before I sleep and it's getting a little embarrassing that I was just using my bottle containers for it. The next thing we need are two water jugs. One for upstairs now that the kitchen is downstairs. And we found this to do the job for us - the 2 in 1 Bedside Carafe - a glass in disguise as the cover to block all dirty, flurry furs and a water jug under it. It's sleek and sensible, and it serves what I need. Check!

And another water pitcher for downstairs! Must have lid on, fur is everywhere... this cat is shedding like it's Fall. So this Acrylic Pitcher is perfect! This may not look like it's anything special to any of you but everytime I look at it, I just want to drink more water. It gives off the fresh water feeling of being at the Spring where we spent our vacation once.

I've also always wanted a Microplane/Grate Zester. I see them on Food Network all the time and I thought, do I need that? I shrugged, I can do with the knife. Haha Apparently, I can't... after finding myself in need to zest lemon peels, parmesan cheese, ginger and garlic for certain dishes. I desperately needed it, especially when I make salad and wanted grated parmesan cheese and zested lemon peels. Now I can save more not buying the grated ones. Getting the whole block of cheese and grate them with the microplane saves me a few bucks everytime. Anything that is prepared already charged you in the price tag. I was glad I got it. My lovely neighbor just gave me a baseball size lemon yesterday and I quickly zest the peel with my newwwww microplane. This thing work like a dream!

I also got the Knife Sharpener due to my knives getting blunt. I save at least a few hundred dollars from not tossing the old knives away. Two strokes of magic with the sharpener and the knives work like super professional chef! I can't believe it. I know, I'm so annoying. I get happy with stuff like that. LOL One good thing though, yesterday none of my basil leaves came out bruised anymore and all the chopped scallions are chopped - they are not connected! Yeowza!

But guess what? The things we bought here?

None of them were on sales. Pfft....

Moving on...

We resisted buying these Glass Jars with Lids from Crate and Barrel. Not because they weren't on sales but because they were $3 more expensive than the one in Target. They look similar anyway and we went back to Target to get it for my rice. Yes. How did I survive without it??? Again, I've always only leave them in their plastic bag and snug it between other canned food like it doesn't matter until I need too cook rice. Then the pain begins. Unwrap it and wrapping it back, looking messier and messier each time when the bag doesn't take a form. Now, with this sleek Glass Jars, my brown and white rice has a place to go. They are beautifully display on the countertop and they can be accessed easily when scooped. So happy! :)

LASTLY

Am not done yet. I did go get something else that is not quite needed. I fail to stay on track but I have an excuse. The cook need to stay pretty right? I have not have the perfect pink lip gloss and my last blusher was bought when I celebrated New Year's Eve in 2007. Yeah, the shade has now caked up, harden and god knows the amount of bacteria grew in it. So I chose Origins this time because they were non-comodoge, the packaging is made with recycled products and the shades look natural. Only with these two products and a good foundation on - I have transformed to look very refresh.

Have you gone shopping lately? If yes, what did you get? :)

New Template

2010-06-22T14:11:00.004-07:00

Jessie jots...

I'm doing it... again! Was already itching to change my blog's template for a while now since everything is new, like the house, the paint and the cotton panties. Woops!

I do want to say though I now strive to keep things simple and easy on the eye for the long haul. The last orangey template was nice too but I figure I've grown out of it and it was getting difficult to maneuver for the most part. There were a lot of error html messages every time I put up a new post. Thus, the new neutral palette change! This will keep things simple, giving the blog more space and easier on your eye to read and see.

Hope you guys will like it!

Chuckle wif me

2010-06-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

How can you not love this? LOL Too funny

see more Celeb Look-A-Likes

LiveOnTheGo.com

2010-06-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

Jessie jots...

Jey once said to me that she admire that I can juggle hardship very well. She thinks of herself as a lazy person who most of the time likes her husband to do the cooking. I told her the fact that she thinks I'm a superwoman is a myth! I have my lazy days too. I let my husband cook too. AND even do my laundry. Sometimes he even makes the bed!

I don't cook everyday. Let's face it, it is quite impossible to think of what to cook for dinner every single day in this on-the-go modern lifestyle and DIY projects. There are days when I couldn't even get a chance step into the kitchen let alone whip up something to eat. Some days, I look like crap, I don't have time to spruce myself up for dinner. And on some days, I don't even want to be waited! I don't want to talk to anybody! I just want food now!

I'd usually have a bowl of instant noodle when my attitude of "want food now!" kicks in. Until I learn about...

LiveOnTheGo.com. I got spoilt! I learned about it from a sticker on our favorite Hawaiian restaurant door that says this restaurant's menu and order can also be made online. Instantly, I went home and check it out. True enough, LiveOnTheGo.com is made for people who literally Live On The Go. The site makes it so easy to order and best of all, without the wait time! Even if it's only 10am right now, just select the next time available for pick up such as 11.30am. Be there at 11.30am, and your lunch is ready! How cool is that?

Of course Aloha BBQ is not the only restaurant that is in town available in LiveOnTheGo.com. There's a whole list of restaurants to cater to your endless hunger! Even Salvatore Cucina is in there, remember Jane? On the page, you get the whole menu with its price.

Once selected, you also get to personalize your food. For instance, if you're watching your cholesterol level, you can make a request not to have egg in your sushi! And that shall be done.

As long as you have not proceed to checkout, you can continue to order whatever you want. Such that I click on Bi Bim Bap and then personalize the choice of meat and add sides. You can opt out on that too if you want but I usually like my Hawaiian sides - they are so delicious! teehehehe

When you are done with your selections, the page allows you to see the orders you make so far. If you think you're good, then proceed with Checkout and be ready with your credit card.

Whoever thought of creating this website is a genius! LiveOnTheGo.com make things so quick and easy that you don't even need to talk to the cashier. You already pay your bills online. So all you need to do next is be there on the time, pick up your lunch/dinner and leave! Great when you have bad hair days too!

If you think I'm hardworking, think again. I have my lazy days too, always. LiveOnTheGo.com allows my lazy days but on the bright side, it allows me to be efficient too! The website has make our busy days more bearable to live now. Don't we all need that? So thank you LiveOnTheGo for the convenience!

Not slacking, still working

2010-06-15T11:14:00.009-07:00

Jessie jots...

I am feeling most unproductive today. Woke up at 10am, I am now not only hating myself for sleeping this much but I am also feeling sluggish. Doesn't too much sleep do that to you? I have a reason. The summer month is hot here. And I haven't got enough sleep since moving in here and in attempt to save electricity bill, we try not to turn the A/C on. But last night was way too hot, so we gave in.

Being that tired, I haven't been busy. Our home reno projects have to pause a few weeks - The construction workers need to regain their energy AND the funds has depleted too. Partly also because the arranging, unpacking also took a lot of our time and that is not a glamorous job either. We also had to go back to the old apartment and clean it up before handing the keys back. That took the whole day coz' Pip's fur is difficult to gather! Don't judge me.

Eventhough the living room is not done yet, I'm going to show it anyway and let you see where we are right now.

BEFORE

AFTER

Temporarily, it's going to be this way. The couch cover is going to be swapped soon and we're still in the hunt for some window treatment. Maybe next year we'll get the TV attached to the wall above the fireplace but we need to save money first :(

2 weeks later and more things to get done. Don't even go upstairs, there's no place to walk! Again, don't judge me. All of our boxed up stuff is in one room, filled with clothes and miscellaneous items because the master bedroom is still under construction. We sleep in another semi-prep room.

2 weeks ago, our long awaited, first ever! refrigerator arrived and looks beautifullllll in the kitchen. The kitchen quickly look updated with the energy-saving big ice box. Yew Wai said "we have to accessorize it with stuff!" Of course, now the fridge is fully equipped... so much so that we are capable of grilling some lamb tonight. Teehehe

Last update is - now, we're still working on the master bedroom. Here's a sneak peak of where it is at right.

ORIGINAL

NOW

Work in progress

That's the walk-in closet that everyone go WOW. I am going to paint it a buttery yellow today to make the interior of the closet pop like sunrise. We're replacing the sliding door with a different type of door... wait for the surprise! The room on the other hand and like I told Jane, is similar to a cave in a paradise, hence the grayish blue color named Naturalist Grey from Freshaire Choice paint with No VOC which is the chemical harmful to our breathing. The bathroom will be a shade lighter than that grey, but that is going to be much later. At the mean time, we've torn the carpet out and the floor is ready for wood. Yes more gluing and knocking this weekend! I hope our neighbors won't mind.

Hand me the wrist brace now. :S

Who is happening?

2010-06-09T15:52:00.003-07:00

Jessie jots...

A very close friend recently said to me "Jessie, you look so happening!"

I am very flattered, thank you but I laughed so hard. LOL Unlike so many of our friends, we don't go party or travel the world. Instead, Yew Wai and I like to stay at home, do groceries and recycle. Just last weekend, we are so happy to stumble across a Japanese market and find that we were blissful to walk among the aisle of Japanese noodle section! Later, we squeeze into the line of a chaotic fight for Bento boxes and enjoyed a $10 dinner for two in the food court.

Aren't we completely, the contrary of "happening"? And I think she knows that, deep inside... somewhere...

Who's that?

2010-06-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Look who we found at our front porch?

A lil' baby wabbit!

Awww :~

Downstair Floor Complete & Moved In

2010-06-01T15:49:00.009-07:00

Jessie jots...

Exhausted! Dehydrated! and Overwhelmed! But phewww, it is all over now!

This was taken a day before we had to move in. So, that was the only space we had for doing anything on because the prohibitive grey area was sticky to touch.

However, despite the slacking progress, I am happy to announce, Yew Wai and I are now officially moved in! Stuff and cat is now successfully transferred and gotten acclimated into Seventy-Seven. Pip is adjusting well now after sleeping in with us, under our blanket. None of our furniture were scratched and the movers were extremely understanding and professional to our belongings. Packing our stuff took us more than 2 weeks but the actual moving process only took us 3.5 hours. After that though, we laid flat on the dirty bed without a bed sheet, without a shower and with Pipi the Poopertrator between my feet, we slept like a log. FYI, I never go to sleep without a shower but on that day, I fell asleep. I couldn't believe that was how tired I was!

We wanted the whole of first floor to be ready before the weekend ends for us to get some space to walk and work. Without doing so, we couldn't access the boxes that were snugged between other boxes and furniture that were sitting in the dining room.

Two days after we moved in, we met our goal. The irony is, after moving in, we felt more relax than we ever did in the past few months. It was more relaxing for us to stay and work in the house without having to rush back and forth to the old apartment. The almost-squarish living room was the last area we worked on and thankfully, it was the easiest and least time-consuming part of the entire floor. The kitchen was, hands down, the hardest one, especially having had to flush the wood up to the wall and arranging 6 feet long, 7 inch wide wood planks in small tight spaces is no easy feat. So, accuracy in measurement was crucial.

Anywayyy..... here's

BEFORE (day 1)

AFTER (day 18)

OK, the bulky fan is still there but what we did so far was, obviously, installed the wood floor, painted the wall, and changed the fireplace fixture from gold to silver... with a marker pen! LOL

When the wood floor was all complete, I mopped it with an oil-based wood cleaner that smells of lemongrass. It instantly brought me back to the day I was vacationing in Terengganu with my family, having my Balinese-type spa treatment and lying down on the kampung house wooden floor, smelling lemongrass oil all over my body. It is so wonderful to have that memory because it is an instant-relaxer! Then, I took a picture of the living room... only to realize, the sun beams radiating across the floor was such a beautiful sight! It is as if the sun rays brought in a choir of angels singing through the window "Done, done, done!"

Now we only need floor molding to line along the edges of the floor. Then, the outline would be seamless.

Yet to order it but we will be doing so. More work coming up!

Planning Future Steamboat Session

2010-05-31T12:02:00.003-07:00

Jessie jots...

Two of my favorite people in the world drove up north to visit us one weekend. When told about the new house, Steve and Tim were so excited, they wanted to take a look of the house for themselves. Steve looked around the dining area and pre-determine for me how I should lay my dining table, and then said...

"Jessie, when you're all done with the floor, we are going to come back and do steamboat!"

I laughed and instantly agreed, it's a fabulous idea! Tim quickly added in, saying that he would buy the ingredients for me. I said OK, no problem. Look like they had it all planned out before they even got out of the car. haha!

After hours of chatting and a wonderful organic lunch later, we hugged and said our goodbyes. Tim looked at me...

"Jessie, I know what to get, don't worry. Fish balls, shrimp balls, squid balls..."

"... and your balls..." I chipped in.

The usually straight face, naive-looking Steve quickly told me...

"That we can't help. It comes with."

LOL

Ok, looking forward to steamboat.

Sneak Peak of Provenza

2010-05-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Wood floor sneak peak y'all! haha Here, Yew Wai is dry fitting the plank of wood measuring 6 ft long and 7 inch wide. Pretty big compare to the regular engineered wood floor. We chose this on purpose... for the rustic look, for the easier installation, and for expanding the space to give it an illusion of being larger. People asked why we didn't hire a contractor? In the States, contracting work is very, very expensive. By doing the wood floor ourselves, we save at least tens of thousands dollars. Plus, what's encouraging for us DIY-ers, all tools and construction materials is easily accessible and affordable. Home Depots and Lowes are a few of the bigger chain stores that carry all construction tools and materials you can ask for.

How did we know how to do this all by ourselves? Yew Wai and I had the experience of building a chair once upon a time. You may laugh at me but that whole chair experience really taught us a lot. Prior to that, I have never in my life touch a table saw, a mullet, nail gun and the likes. Ok maybe just a screwdriver, a hammer and some nails. But no manly-complicated tools. Because I wanted to succeed in class and complete my life-size chair assignment, I forced myself to learn everything - in a flash. At that time, Yew Wai's brute strength was much needed to complete my work. So he was there all the way and from there, we both learned how to shop for tools and what we could use them for. For this home reno projects though, Yew Wai learned all he could with books, youtube videos, pictures, the manufacturer's website, blogs and his colleagues. Because things are so different here compare to what we know in Malaysia, we even carved some time out and attended free classes on how to install tiles and how to paint walls provided by Home Depot. We've gathered enough resources now, so we're ready to dive in with our two feet.

The grey layer you see here is a moisture barrier layer that needs 16 hour to cure, which is the most tiring job. Hushby has now slabbed the whole of downstairs with this thick gooey grey layer. Once dried, it is still sticky to the touch... like duct tapes except that is stronger. This is done to prevent water vapor from the concrete floor which can be damaging to the wood. Thank God we don't have to do it for wooden floor upstairs!

Then we take the wood planks out to dry fit on the floor. Prior to gluing, which needs scraping and leveling out with a trowel before the wood is lock in like Lego toys, dry fitting allows us to see the mixture of wood color and grain that you are about to commit to. We try to randomize the arrangement of the wood planks by opening 3 boxes of wood and mismatch from there. From this process too, we are able to find out how much to cut when it hits the wall.

By the way, the fresh paint is not that noticeable here at night. But you can instantly tell, it is already so much fresher looking compare to the old one.

Butts! Inspired by Butts

48 hours later

We've screwed up a few pieces already, nothing major though because we were still able to salvage it. Third day into doing it, we are now able to install the wood twice the speed. It's actually more time consuming to measure the corners than to install the planks. In my humble opinion, the wood floor turn out to be amazing. Possibly the best investment we've ever made. What a nice contrast with the green tinted wall color, making it look fresh and modern, don't you think? Whenever I go to Seventy-Seven, I now look forward to get barefooted. I simply love the feel of the natural oil-finish wood under my feet and it is so fulfilling!

On Friday, we are aiming to finish the entire kitchen before the fridge is deliver on Saturday. Fingers, toes and tush crossed that we'll get it done.

More to come! Moving out to the new house today, this apartment will be dearly missed for the memories it has created.

Back to Nature

2010-05-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Wild hares found in the new neighborhood having a field day, if not for crops scavenging for food... I guess.

Kaiseki-Style Dinner for Two

2010-05-25T09:33:00.009-07:00

Jessie jots...

Apparently, we had two birthday celebrations, just because! LOL We work hard, and I guess we have to party hard too. And this is our version of 'party'... lame yeah? Well, age is catching up.

We frequent the Japanese restaurant, Kappo Hana at least once a month. We've even brought Joey and Jane there, and positive feedbacks were received. A family style restaurant, they are not a sushi restaurant and their specialty is Kamameshi, a hot pot rice cooked with assorted fish, chicken or mix seafood. But in my opinion, they have the best Bento Box and from a person who doesn't fancy fried food as much, the Tempuras are the best! Light and non-greasy yet crunchy to every bite!

This time, we didn't go there for the regular menu. Hushby made a reservation days ahead for the two of us. Arriving at the restaurant, we had no clue what is going to be served that night. All food is based on market availability and it is served course by course. Until we sat down at the table, we didn't know that there was 7 course altogether! The number seven again. Anyhoo, here's the menu and a sample of what bad typography is.

Translation:

Appetizer

- Sesame Tofu

- Beef Spinach Roll

- Salmon

- Berry Sashimi Squid

- Sasage Bush Beans

Sashimi

- Tai Snapper, Tuna and Hiramasa

Broiled Dish

- Black Cod

- Chicken Roll

- Pickled Cauliflower

- Konyaku (Yam starch pudding with chilli powder)

Fried Dish

- Tai Head Fried

Stove Dish

- Black Pork Stewed with Daikon, Yam, Pumpkin and Carrot

Rice

- Eel Kamameshi Rice

- Miso Soup

Dessert

- Soy Milk Pudding

Unlike the other times we dine there, this time the table arrangement is set beautifully with a red tray, blue sake glass and a special menu list that is only made for us, making me feel my birthday week is an extra special one.

When it first came out, only the Sesame Tofu was served and as you can see I already jump into it. I was already as happy as a clam. I didn't realized that the waitress was not done with serving the appetizer - a whole tray of stuff came out later. *shy* Clockwise from top, Beef Rolled Spinach, Sasage Bush Beans, Salmon and Berry Sashimi Squid. So fresh!

The snapper sashimi (white meat on left) was divine!! It was sooo sweet that the tuna taste like nothing afterward.

Clockwise from top, Broiled Black Cod, Picked Cauliflower, Konyaku and Chicken Roll. You gotta give credit to the Japanese for making art while they cook. It is their attention to detail and meticulous way of serving the dishes that is just so heavenly and graceful. Hence making every dishes as appetizing as they are.

This course is not for the faint of heart. I can hear my friend Steve yelling in my head "It's staring at me!" But nevermind him... for those of you who loves fish head like I do, it is my favorite part of the fish. You know what I'm talking about - soft, smooth and taste wonderful. Each of us get half of the fried snapper fish head and shoyu sauce on the side. After this course, I was 95% full.

And then when the stewed pot came, I was at 100%.

But being the hungry camper that he is, everytime... the pot is slurped clean.

And for the finale and it's like the chef is telling you "if you're not full yet....", the waitress came with the big, regular size of starchy Eel Kamameshi! I took a bite, and I know it taste really, really good. Words cannot describe it, people. We boxed it up for lunch and skip for dessert.

Now he's full. Must be all that slurping, sucking in too much air.

Isn't it awfully cute?! The Soy Milk Pudding is topped with a hint of strawberry sauce, a fresh cherry and some slices of kiwi. It's a nice finishing touch and nice tasteful way to close and sum up the six courses of flavorful dishes.

Even at 110% full, that I can finish. Oh, BTW, my hair all trimmed. No more shagged looking cow licks. Yey...

The waitress took a picture of us for the memorable dinner. The Kaiseki style dinner has won my heart and is officially in my top 5 list. Heck, its my number 1! For only 35 dollars per person, who can't afford to feel a little special from time to time? :) I HEART KAPPO HANA!!!

Thanks Hushby.

Thanks for reading folks.

No more Butts!

2010-05-21T13:07:00.002-07:00

Jessie jots...

Thankfully, we are done, done, done with painting the downstairs walls! Yey.... Unfortunately, no more drawing butts. :( Sien

Hawker food for a birthday girl

2010-05-20T12:45:00.009-07:00

Jessie jots...

Ok somebody just turned 28 yesterday and.... it was moi! And I even had Char Koay Teow for breakfast! Delisioso! Brings back memories of me in Taiping :)

Had fun last night with none other than Hushby, of course... my only victim to anything I do. We went to Belacan Grill, a Malaysian restaurant, for some dearly missed hawker food! No one really dress up for hawker food except us. Hawker food back home is like street food, poor man's food... but to me, it is priceless, plus they make it so exotic and upscale here. We ordered 5 sticks of chicken satay, 5 sticks of lamb satay (with peanut sauce and all), Pasembur (salad with bean sprouts, jicama, boiled eggs and sweet potato gravy), one plate of Char Koay Teow (fried flat noodles), one plate of Hokkien Char Mee (Hokkien fried noodles), one glass of hot barley for her, one glass of soy milk with grass jelly for him and for dessert, pandan infused creme brulee (that time I didn't know the cake was coming after dinner). And we forgot the camera. Ugh! The bill came up to about 50 something dollars... not too bad for the US dining out standard but with that money back home, you can make a week's worth of trips to the hawker food center.

Why am I so excited you may ask? Coz I haven't had a birthday cake in 3 years. Have always celebrated it low key and it will get even more low key as the age adds up... I guess. Well just one of those thing Yew Wai and I had gotten use to living abroad. :)

Now that the street food fair celebration is over, I am reminded that the wood floor has finally arrived and we have to go back to being construction workers again! So exciting!!

Day 3 & 4

2010-05-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Here are some pictures we took back in early May, before I was even done with finals. It was taken when we had to perform the official chinese move-in ritual as instructed by Mom-In-Law. What I thought was going to be old-fashioned and down-right boring, turn out to be something really fun and fulfilling. I shall not oppose to advices from the elderlys from now on :X

Before the rituals can be performed on our official move-in date May 2nd (Sunday), a date the Chinese God picked out from our date of births and the location of the house, Hushby and I rushed to knock out all the tiles of downstairs for a clean place on Saturday. Official move-in date doesn't mean we have to move our stuff in. It was just a day we claim the Seventy-Seven home.

Before

After: Tiles all gone!

I got the last tile off!

Before

After: All clean up and stove back in place.

Sunday morning: As instructed by the Chinese master, we stood outside at house entrance at 10am sharp. There we were, clueless, with a piece of white paper on hand, that has cantonese words translated to english (Oh the *banana in us!), we read word by word, informing the surrounding of the house (at the same time trying to avoid looking coo coo to the neighbors) that "Hushby and I, by the name of so and so, is moving in today". I was told that this has to be done in order to let the nature and the other world be informed that the living is now claiming this space. So we asked that they do not disturb and kindly request for kindness and auspicious energy from "them". It felt so weird to talk like this. Don't ask me why.

After the front entrance introduction, we went into the house and continue to perform blessing prayers to each corners of the house saying things like "I now claim this space..." and a lot of other Cantonese words that I really do not know how to translate. I got thirsty after what seem like 50 corners. Then it was time to heat the stove. The Chinese believe that fire is a sign of growth and luck, so heating up some sweet dessert entails the home owners will experience a sweet life as they continue to grow and welcome luck. I also cooked up some noodles and that also signify longevity and prosperity as noodles come in abundance and it is lengthy.

Dried longan dessert with extra sugar to make it really sweet. The red floating thing is dried red dates. It was so nice to cook in that kitchen. No more narrow alley and avoiding each other in the kitchen. Sweet!

We also brought in some fruits and flowers to freshen up the muted new pad.

Brown Buzz came much later, so it was not on here for public scrutiny. Here are the few paint samples we tried on and we ended up with nothing from this wall. It was a good test out though.

More to come after this weekend, which will be the last weekend we will be in this apartment. Sigh, am I going to miss this place? I'll definitely miss it for the memories it created for us as it has been two years and it was a place we first started, where we explored and where we settle into California.

*Banana = yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Yellow means Asian, White means Caucasian. I'm Asian on the outside but I'm completely white-washed.

My first screw up

2010-05-17T12:02:00.005-07:00

Jessie jots...

It's been a week since I've been done from finals. I've got my results back and it gave me a heart attack, in a good way. But, as soon as that was celebrated, labor mode was on. Every morning since finals, I get up early and work on the house. Right now, our goal is to put a fresh coat of paint before the wood floor is installed and get it done by this week.

When they say you're going to DIY all the way, you'll screw it up somewhere somehow and learn from that mistake. I thought to myself, what could be worse... maybe screw up on a plank of wood that was mis-cut or get glue on my hair. Little did I know, it was a screw up on the most labor intensive job! And it was done by MOI.

I taped every corners of the wall and it took me about 4-5 hours doing so. It was harder than I thought. Of course, nobody tells you that until you do it yourself. The day after, I started painting the corners with a green, slight bluish-greyish color that I thought was going to be pretty and calm, called Brown Buzz from Valspar. It was daytime when I did it and I thought it didn't look bad. Not bad for the first choice... and this was a color we picked after like a dozen time getting color swatches and visiting various stores. So I continued on.

On the third day, the living area walls were all fully covered with 2 coats. I was pretty proud of myself for being able to pull it off single-handedly. But when I took a second glance at the wall, the color started to make my heart sink to the bottom of the stomach. It suddenly looked awful and it gets worse at dusk! Yuck! What was I thinking?? It was starting to look like Oscar!

I SOS Hushby and told him I'm gonna hold off the second lighter color of Brown Buzz on the dining room. If Brown Buzz is too green for our taste, then painting that lighter version in the dining area would make the whole house look like a rainforest! I almost want to shoot myself - I was so disappointed! By Saturday, I was quickly convinced by Hushby that there is no way we are going to live with that color and he helped me got over the emotional hump of having to do it the second time! I reluctantly agreed. We quickly decided by Saturday morning to buy a new shade and painted the whole living room called Summer Jasmine. Two coats there and we went on to the dining hall and kitchen with Apple Core. With Hushby strong arms and abs, it only took us 48 hours to complete three areas compare to three days of doing it solo on one area. So much for my hardwork!

Now I can safely say, I can attest to all the DIY-ers out there. You will get to lows of the very lows when doing things on your own. Home renovation is indeed a journey of self-exploration. I did learn something valuable from this experience and it is: nothing is undoable and all you have to do is change it until you see fit. Plus, I also read from a book somewhere and I shall quote this lady DIY-er "I refuse to fail!". I like that, it keeps me motivated because of how determine she is and not wanting to settle for something less.

We're back on track right now with all the first floor painted. Hushby is going to put the floors this week. Can't wait to see it all come together!

Sorry no pictures yet cos my limbs have turn into seaweeds.

Done! Done! Done!

2010-05-06T22:06:00.004-07:00

Jessie jots...

OMG Haven't felt soooooo lifted in the a longest time. There's nothing due next week and I cannot believe it. Seems unreal that I am officially done with Spring semester! I had the hardest time with this semester. It didn't start out in the right way because I didn't have much rest over Christmas break having had the house hunting. Then, just as soon as it started, workload feels like it doubled compare to the first semester. There's a lot more brainstorming more than straightforward, instructed assignments. I know, I asked to be busy but I have enough for now. I have something very important to focus on and I am so glad that now my brain can go into a peaceful state of mind for me to only, solely focus on Seventy-Seven.

Sorry Jane, don't mean to make you jealous. haha You will be done in a few days time and you will make it! :D

Now, am looking forward to wall painting. Will update that soon. Right now, allow me to let down my hair and enjoy some peace. :)

My reminders

2010-05-03T10:14:00.003-07:00

Jessie jots...

It's the month of May! And what does it remind me of?

First, baby Amber is all grown up! Way too fast, I feel like I couldn't catch up. Everytime I call Mom, there's always new update with the baby and I feel like I miss out so much. How I wish I can see her now before she is all grown up but having bought the new nest, our pocket is now officially very, very tight on budget. However, I would greatly appreciate if donations would like to be made for Jessie's Malaysia Airlines ticket. :D Pweeeasee! Ok ok, I'll dream on.

Here's a pic of my mom and baby Amber when she is 1 month old.

Two days ago, baby Amber turn 5 months old. She has not only grow in length and width but she has already learn how to laugh out loud, turn over on her tummy and shout at things that she does not like. Getting spoilt huh? What can we do? She's too darn cute!

I especially love this picture of Amber and my Dad together. They both seem to have a bond going on. Amber will the golden grandchild for many years to come. :)

"This is my grandpa!"

So what is the second reminder? Since looking at Amber growing up, I feel like time slip by so fast, it freaks me out. Not only was I unable to catch up with Amber's growing up progress, I was also unable to catch up with myself! This month is my birthday month (gah!) and my parent's 29 years anniversary. Before you know it, everyone is growing older and Amber will be in kindergarden soon. That totally freak me out. Time to take note how precious time is, right? And make use of it before we age too much and unable to do or eat many things in life that we alway wish. Time to take matters in our own hand and control our life with full force! Ganbate!

Now, pass me the anti-wrinkle cream will ya?

The Saa-saa Story

2010-04-24T13:03:00.003-07:00

Jessie jots...

I was on the phone with my little sister one day having our regular chats about everything and nothing harmless.... when suddenly out of nowhere, she asked me if I know.... WHAT IS THE RECIPE FOR SALSA?

Well.... erm, I know what goes into making salsa. I watch em' celebrity chefs on Food Network done it a thousand times. Now that I'm in SoCal, I ate it like a million times too. So I said "Yup, it's really easy to make salsa. A couple of tomatoes diced, cilantro, a bit of vinegar, sugar, red onion bla bla bla. You can even blend them together if you like it mushy..."

A second after, we continue our chat about mindless stuff again... like the cat's silly acts and Mom snoring like a snake. Nothing seems important, not even salsa.

A day later, I called home again in hope to talk to MamaChiang about something important. After that important chat, I asked what she was doing... and I found out she was helping my little sister clean up the blender after a series of pureeing some tomatoes which overpoured on the kitchen counter. Then Mom asked me "You teach her how to make this... what is it call? Saa-saa?"

Oh that! Was it successful? How did it go?

Mom said "Ermmm, OK lah. Not bad... Taste like cilantro". "What?" I was a little apprehensive, "It's not suppose to taste like that. Should taste like tomato... sweet and sour. Did you not have enough tomatoes?" I wasn't convinced and not quite believing Mom; sometimes she exaggerate a little too much.

Mom went on and say "No, really, really... taste like cilantro. Siew put 2 bunches of them".

2 bunches???!!!! OMG, the cilantro is only for garnishing... not as an ingredient. I said "only a little bit!"

No wonder it taste like cilantro... why didn't Siew ask me the quantity before she make salsa? Mom replied "I thought she knew. She woke up early this morning, ask me to drive her to the market today and she bought the ingredients like she know what is going on." I told Mom I didn't think little sis was THAT serious about making salsa, especially when I only casually told her the ingredients in two seconds?

Ugh... Then I heard Siew in the background blaming me for giving her the most traumatizing experience at salsa tasting, adding that she'd rather spend the money at TGIF now. Then Mom asked me, what is missing in the recipe. She recalled all the things they put into the blender... and so badly wanted me to point out the reason for the mishap. "What else lah... Mom, it is the cilantro!"

Then Mom still in distress and she said "What are we going to do now? So much of saa-saa... can you cook it?"

"I don't know... you only eat them raw... I think?" Finally, I decided to confess, "Mom, actuallyyyyy.... *long pause* ..... I never make Salsa before".

"HAH???" Mom got a shock... and then she scream across the room, "Siew!! Your big sis has never make Salsa before!" Then I heard another "HAHH??" echoing...

In my defense: "You guys didn't ask if I have make Salsa before, you only ask me if I know the recipe... and I do!" but to no avail. They were already hating me. hahaha

As a revenge, Mom said she's gonna preserve the Salsa they made and stuff it down my throat the next time I come back. One can only hope... that the can of saa-saa will grow mold and the Chiangs will toss it before I return.

But it is sooo not my fault... right? Haha! I'm certainly not looking forward to go home next time.

Really Random Stuff

2010-04-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Two tone roses growing in the garden of Seventy-Seven. I'm keeping it!

Pipi afraid of the new environment, new house. Look at her face when she's scared. So funny! We try to calm her down but she still look like that. haha!

"I don't like this place Mommy"

I love it when she clings on me. As an independent cat, she doesn't do that often.

And maybe another haircut and hair color soon? It's REALLLYY getting out of control. What say you?

Day 2

2010-04-19T11:26:00.004-07:00

Jessie jots...

Day 2 demolition was a lot more productive than Day 1. So here's Day 1 pic, in case you forgot how it looks like.

Here is prove that the Jessie Chiang works her butt off too!

My glasses really help to protect my eyeball from getting hurt. haha!

Yew Wai and I took turn to take over the chisel and hit the tiles off one by one. In between, I plied the base board off from the walls. The baseboards are the one that sits on the wall, on top of tiles. It might not be that noticeable as it is short and thin but if you look on the pic above, you see it on the right of me. We are planning to put a better base board that has more modern pattern on it.

Two hours forward, my Hushby got hungry. We reheat lunch that I packed in the morning in the newwwww kitchen. Knowing that I had leftover chicken curry from Friday night, I fried some rice noodle (Char bi hun) in the morning to accompany all that delicious goodness from the curry. Boy oh boy, it was heaven. The best thing Malaysian ever invented! Bihun and curry together... can't get enough of it! :P~~~

By the way, isn't it typical that most Malaysian construction workers have this kind of food for lunch? Curry with bihun or curry with rice? hehe

When the food is all warm up, we took the wood floor samples and use it as a place to sit on, away all the dust. Luckily we have three of them. Can you tell which floor color we chose?

The one we put our food on! Yup this one. Can't wait til' it all fill up our floor.

After four hours, we ended up with more linoleum floor showing up. Good for us that we are halfway there to getting rid all the tiles but bad for us that we still need to tear the plasticky linoleum floor and scrape the concrete floor.

We filled up our garbage bin and was unable to put more tiles in it. So we left the mess like that and left. Haha Lazy maggots you might call us but our legs were already trembling from all that squatting and my wrist were starting to hurt from all the pounding. Yet, we both felt that it is all so worth it! So look forward to Day 3.

Gifts

2010-04-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

Ma, look at what I've got! Our friend Soon Aun brought this all the way from Penang for us. I'm so honored!

I'm a Malaysian in Heaven!

First pic is of a box of pastry from Tambun. The next picture is what you really need to make really, really good curry and have a really, really good meal in a fraction of time you would spend on making the real stuff. Can't wait to scoop the rice that will be soaked with the curry with my bare hands and taste them all with a push of thumb into the mouth.... MmmmMmmmMmMMmmm

Okan Restaurant, Japanese Tapas

2010-04-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

What do you when after 3-months long, you finally get the keys to your new home and a friend from Penang came to town?

CELEBRATE!!!

We drove down to San Diego on a Saturday evening to see our very jet-lagged friend Soon Aun and decided we'd bring him out for dinner. Hushby found this Japanese restaurant called Okan meaning "Mom, I'm home" (correct me if I'm wrong), and of course, they serve home-cooked food the Japanese style. So no sushi, sashimi crap this time, pure Japanese food from the the everyday Japanese themselves. Needless to say, I was delighted! Food is my gateway to heaven!

We actually ordered 12 types of different small dishes that is enough for two or three person to share. They are not pricey at all, averaging about 3-4 dollars per dishes. But here are some of the special ones that shouts for attention.

Goba Salad with fried strips of yam I believe. It has a sweet taste in the end and its so yummy when paired with the Japanese vegetables and its soy sauce dressing. This one dish could turn me into a vegetarian.

Fried chicken gizzard - taste nothing like gizzard at all. When chewed, it taste like chicken breast. The way they fried it is to perfection, soft, tender and juicy that is unbelievably tasty when dip with a little bit of fragrant salt on the side.

Lightly grilled scallop is another thumbs up and one of our favorites. The outer part of the scallop is obviously, a little bit cook but it is so sweet and soft, and rare on the inside, you can't have enough!

Marinated tuna with sesame oil and soy sauce and I believe they have a secret ingredient that is not written on the menu - SAKE. I usually love to order tuna salad in every Japanese restaurant I go, especially the one next to our apartment building which are known for their Poke Bowl (another name for marinated tuna) and this one did not fail me. It is comparable and it's much simpler than the one next door. Still, it is packed with goodness.

Lastly, the 11th and 12th course - Tofu pudding, which is so much like our chinese version of "Tau Fu Fa", drizzled with black honey and in the glass is Strawberry Panna Cotta drizzled with condensed milk. Man, if you have chocolate cravings and can't find one, these do the trick too. Such a sweet ending!

The diners had a good time too and here's proof:

We talked all night long, reminiscing good old times when we were younger adults, studying in Penang and what they boys did when they were bachelors. The boys were friends that long and of course, because Yew Wai and I were childhood friends, I knew who and what they were talking about. So it was fun to catch up. Nevertheless, the night ended with lots of fond memories to keep and I wish I could do it again some time soon as Soon Aun is leaving in a few weeks. But if I slack every Saturday just going out, my homework will pile up and I might drop out from school. haha Don't worry though, I will not let that happen.

It's Official!

2010-04-12T09:45:00.005-07:00

Jessie jots...

Seventy-seven is now officially our home!! The property is now under our names and we finally got the keys to our new home! YEY tehehehe When we got the keys, the first thing we did was we brought Pip to Seventy-Seven. She wasn't as excited as us. She walked with her body low to the ground and her tail tucked in between her butt and walked around cautiously after I 'poured' her out from the carrier. It was very funny but I think she was still brave enough to walk in the new house with us despite being exposed to a new environment. Funny that sometimes Pip can act like a dog.

Immediately after the news, Hushby made an order on a distressed hardwood floor that we are going to install ourselves. The wood, however, will only be available on May 15, which is not so great for us but if we have this much time on hand, we might as well use the time to prep all we want like ripping the carpet off, break the tiles and possibly paint the walls.

And we do just that on Sunday. Home Depot was our first go-to place for real manly hardware tools, and below is some our purchase. There's more to that actually, and the sum is not exactly cheap but believe it or not, we save more than 50% from hiring independent contractors.

Oh! Thanks so much to Tracey, our agent! For our first housewarming gift, she gave us a $100 gift card to the best restaurant in town. Amazing, amazing gift. I'm so flattered. Thanks!

As one can tell, no good can come from these tools! haha.

I don't know how Hushby and I had the understanding that the carpet has to go. We both just knew, even if the carpet was to steam and wash, and steam and wash, none of us is going to like it. Our immediate thought was always, hardwood floor first. So instantly, with just a few guidelines in our mind, the carpet is cut and ripped apart. During the process, we can hear Moms' voices in distress "Aiyah, what are you doing to the new house??". It's OK Moms, we will find solutions to the problems we encounter. :)

Don't you think the living room is screaming for some warm-tone floors? Here's the before:

We cut the carpet in pieces and roll them up. After that is done, we found a sponge-like layer underneath the carpet. So we ripped that too. That was fun and easy. Then the more challenging part came - chiseling the thin strips wood that was nailed on the concrete floor and which were there to hold the carpet in place. There were tiny nails on the strips, but thanks to thick masculine latex glove (not even a Small size can fit me), my delicate hands is protected. haha

Here's the sponge layer:

Hushby unhooked the nails from the concrete after I peeled the strips with a screwdriver and a mallet:

Concrete floor exposed! State of mind: Confident and accomplish. And here's the after:

Concrete floor says "FAN".

Then we move to the other side of the first floor that is all tiled where the kitchen, the bathroom and the dining area is. To our surprise, it looked like the previous owner had the tiles cemented on plasticky linoleum floor... which is weird, I don't know why he/she would do that. Usually people lay tiles on a concrete floor which is sturdier and stronger. However, good for us, taking the linoleum off can be easier than having to scrape uneven surfaces resulted from the grouts/cement.

So the knocking began on a Sunday afternoon. We certainly hope none of our new neighbors were annoyed by the sharp noise knocking on a chisel tool. We took turns to go down on our hands and knees, and knock those ceramic tiles.

Three hours later, this is what we have done. We only knocked off about 8 pieces of tiles and our knees are hurting already. 60 more to go!

And the distress voices are still ringing in my ears.

Day 1 complete. Does anyone think we are crazy to do this ourselves? I admit I do think Yew Wai and I are taking such a big risk solving major house renovations on our own. But we're going to look back and feel so accomplish when it is done, right? Or regret it? haha I don't know. Right now though, I look forward to Day 2. Ganbate!

Loving Jane in OC

2010-03-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Jessie jots...

(UGH, blogger.com is doing it again! It's allowing only two pictures this time)

Jane's visit was short, well actually not that short considering it was four days of fun but when two girls meet up, time flies. The energy just keeps running and it is hard to keep the switch off. We talked, shopped, eat and drink non-stop. Poor Jane had to witness another laughing Jessie because of some cheapo wine. Hushby and Jane think I was drunk, but my argument is, I wasn't... at least I know where my bed is and walked to it, in the dark :P

I digress. But at the bottom of my heart, I really hope miss Jane had some fun. Many of our mutual friends didn't know this and I, myself had vague memories about what we, Jane and I used to do while in college until she reminded me. Jane used to see me a lot while I was in KDU. She would come over during her school holidays because where she studied was a hellhole. Because Penang is so happening, I was often the tour guide to bring her out for food and recreation. So when Jane visited the OC, doesn't it sound like we just had to relive those old times?

Relive the old times we did. It was like food for the soul. I have not felt so supported and so cared to have a girlfriend by my side. Imagine not having a girlfriend who can help you decide which dress to get? What color looks good on you? And how to do your make up that can bring out the best feature in you? I miss all of that! When Hushby tells you that everything you wear from the changing room looks great, you sooo miss your girlfriend. Sorry, no offense Hushby... sometimes girls just got to have their girls' day out and I can't fake you into a girl. You're awesome at what you do... so let me find another victim.

Although Jane and I procrastinate to do our homeworks, I still had the greatest time over Spring Break. To me that was so worth it. There's so much to do here and we both simply enjoy discovering new places and new type of foods. Good thing is, being tour guide was easy breezy especially when this special guest is no picky eater.

I went a little bonkers with Jane's Canon EO5. The camera clicking is so addictive! It is now officially in my wish list.

After some homework during the day, the girls got a little hungry and Hushby suggested we go to Salvatore Cucina for some authentic Italian food before Jane's departure. Jane did my make up for me and it was the most relaxing thing we did all week. The smooth, soft touches of her hand can put me to sleep but I had to stay up for the colors to stay put at places you want it to stay put. Thanks for the make up babe! I love it!

It was tough to say goodbye however, I know it won't be the last I will have her over. There will be more girly times to come... right Jane? :)

See Jane's post for more pictures.

BNP Paribas Open at the Spring

2010-03-13T08:34:00.002-08:00

Jessie jots....

Sorry for neglecting, yet again! Totally bump with stuff to do and a vacation we slot into March back in November. If we know what we would be doing now like the house purchase et cetera et cetera, we wouldn't have act like a crazy person and plan for a vacation. However, since tickets for the Paribas Open were bought way back... we had to go to.....

Palm Springs. What a beautiful place. I've disliked the desert scene since going to Vegas two years ago because of its heat. But in March, the desert sight is a lot prettier and the weather is beautiful. The snow capped mountain still exist and the flowers just started blooming. We stayed at the Springs in Desert Hot Spring where it is 30 minutes drive from Indio Wells, and where the B&B is well-known for its mineral spring water that actually comes from the earth. I am sucker for natural spa stuff like that. In between tennis games, I thought the Inn can be really nice retreat... and it was.

Right after we checked into the poolside room with a furnished kitchen, we headed out to Indio Wells where the real thing is happening. When we bought the ticket for the BNP Paribas Open, we had no clue who was going to play on the days we bought ticket for. So it was a real treat for both of us when coincidently, the tickets we bought for Friday night was when they host the Hit for Haiti event and all the tennis stars came in for the show.

As much as I would love to see Andre Agassi play and chat for the next few hours, the highlight that night to me however was being surprised with an appearance from Tony Bennett, singing one of my favorite songs, Smile from Charlie Chaplin. He was DA BOMB. I remember watching him on Oprah Winfrey just a few months ago and told myself, I will never get to see him live knowing his age and rare appearances. But what do ya know? :)

On Saturday morning, we head out early again to see more tennis games and spent the whole day at the Baripas Open. I was toasted, and so was Hushby. The afternoon sun was too hot but once after 3pm, we reach out for our winter coat. The drastic change in temperature is quite hard to get use to. We saw a lot of great games that day, great shots after great shots and we were satisfied! By the way, James Blake is wayyyy hotter than Andy Roddick. LOL So then, we went back to the hotel after a night game, cook ourselves some pasta with a store-bought pasta sauce, and soaked into that hot mineral water wonder.

Somehow, blogspot is not allowing me to upload more pictures... so unfortunately this is only what you get to see. I will try again later if any luck.

That's that for a weekend trip to Palm Springs. It was a refreshing way to get out of the routine. :)

Super Delighted

2010-03-08T10:43:00.002-08:00

Jessie jots...

Guess what? I've been excited since.... let's see, since February!? I've been so excited I am feeling guilty. And there's more things to be excited about too but I'm going to zip my lips until it really happen. But for now, I am so, so so sososososoooo happy that an old friend since skinny days, since obsess with pretty boys days, since acne days, is going to visit me one week from now!

Why am I this excited? Aside from visitors like my sister and university friends whom I'm also just as excited, I don't really have an old, ancient friend from my high school days visited me before. Ya know, like someone who had know you this long and have only heard how you live your life so far away, is going to find out FOR REAL how it is really, really like to be you in your elements. It's going to be a weird feeling to see her here but I can't be happier right now for she will be arriving soon on Monday, at 10pm! haha

That was taken exactly 8 years ago. Here, I was still studying in Penang having the greatest time of my life, getting tipsy from A GLASS OF WINE. It was embarrassing but isn't it funny to see it now? If you recognize my friend with me here, who took the responsibility, drove the drunkard home that night, yup, she's the famous janediva. However, deep inside, she is not at all a diva.... she's a humble, whatever person despite her impressive upscale background. She doesn't bother with telling you if she needed a silver spoon for dinner and she's willing to sweat it out with you if you needed a friend to hike. Maybe she's only doing that for me? LOL I am lucky.

Alsoooo... I'm leaving for a weekend getaway with Hushby this Friday to Palm Springs for a tennis tournament and I'm really hoping to see Nadal and/or Federer in action. We bought the tickets last year and at that time, we didn't know buying a house was going to be one of the agenda for this year. It turn out, just right after our Palm Springs vacay, we are going to get the SEVENTY-SEVEN keys on Monday. What are the odds???

Tell me people, how do I sleep at night. I feel like partying all day long.

Let Me In

2010-03-05T10:36:00.006-08:00

Jessie jots....

One day I was doing my work and I heard a very quiet Knock, knock

"Who is it?"

"me"

"Where are you?"

Silent

"Aww... Did I lock you out?"

"Pfffffttt"

LET ME IN

Update: Garth and Kat

2010-03-01T10:56:00.001-08:00

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Back to school

2010-02-23T09:19:00.004-08:00

Jessie jots...

The fever is gone, the sore throat has de-flamed and the runny nose has finally stop. It was one of the worst cold I've ever caught! Please do not be an idiot like me - I took Nyquil Plus Vitamin C without reading the side effects only to see the back of it after I swallowed two tablets. Then I had the worst diarrhea ever and made me sick-er than I already did. I just read that Nyquil Plus Vitamin C is actually not tested effective for cold and it is not proven to work or FDA-tested. It's said to have adverse effect on users and I can sure agree to that. Excuse me but I was shooting water!

I'm back to school today after five freaking days, and it is now taking me a while to jump start the engine and get my fuel running again. I hope nobody will avoid me because I look a little like the corpse bride.

FOCUS Jessie, Focus!

2010-02-15T12:07:00.005-08:00

Jessie jots...

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all of you and Happy Valentine's Day to you too.

To you all Hokkien Lang, Kiong Hee Huat Chai.

We didn't celebrate Chinese New Year this time round. Both of us fell sick, Hushby first and then me. However, we did something really special... which is, by going to our NEEEWWW house and spend an hour there, measuring. Haha! We're so dorky, that's all we enjoy doing.

We haven't get the keys, which explains why we don't have any access into the house yet. Every time we needed to visit, we had to make an appointment with our real estate agent. And with the three times we are there, we're like kids in a candy store. There's so much procedures to bank and name transferring but hopefully, it will all go well and we should be able to move in by March or latest April.

We are still so aesthetic about the new property. It is what we've always hope for and dream for and I have so many ideas to turn this whole house around and make it my own, my taste. It has been two weeks already and I am still in daze and still happy about how we got the house. It really is a miracle! Look at this, number 77 was only on the market for 3 days and this is how many people had visited.

Move aside people! It's ALL MINE! ALL MINE NOW! BUAAAAHAAHAHAHA

There were roughly about 15 cards in total. Every real estate agent who came for showing is oblige to leave their name card to acknowledge the seller of their interest.

We were the first visitor, believe it or not and we got the house in 3 days!

I cannot concentrate in class. I told Jane, I'm still in a celebratory mood. I want to spend my days working on projects like choosing tiles, hardwood floors, curtains, paint colors, putting up light fixtures and sprucing up the garden. I am in absolute pain having to wait for the right time and switching my focus to graphic design instead.

That's why I have to let it out. I simply cannot forget. Day after day, I dream and look at the pictures, especially this one in particular and you must be thinking I'm nuts for dreaming about a toilet. A TOILET... what so significant about it? When this was taken, it was raining... so you can't really tell how much sunlight actually go through this window. When we went there yesterday, it was sunny and windy and peaceful... it's located in the master bedroom bath, in a small room on its own, located upstairs overlooking other houses that are on the slope. And if you look a bit further than that, there's the valley with trees and bushes. It was like the most beautiful spot to take a dump, ethereally. At this spot, you will not constipate.

This toilet is my A-ha moment - it was a sign that said "GET ME NOW". Now that I already did, I'm seeing something else - wallpaper in green and white tone, small pot of a hardy plant, folding curtains, marble or natural stone tiles... ah! It will be ethereal.

Cold and Tired

2010-02-10T09:10:00.001-08:00

Jessie jots...

People back home is melting from the intense heat while I am freezing my butt off at 40 F. It's the coldest it has been. OK, don't laugh you Minnesotans. My body has gotten acclimated. Seeing my own breath in this warm place is not suppose to be normal. LOL Thank god there's no snow or it could have been worse. :P Sorry Jane.

Long day ahead of me today... Wish Mom and Dad could be here to help us cook a warm meal, do laundry and clean up Pip's poop. I need another long break. Maybe we could get a tip or two from Pip?

Be an optimist

2010-02-04T11:19:00.001-08:00

Jessie jots...

Chinese New Year mood is in the air. For the 7th year now, I have not celebrate the new year with my family. I hope this year will be the last that this will happen. Traditionally, when Chinese New Year is around the corner, predictions of the new year from Feng Shui Master or Fortune Tellers pops up from forwarded emails and in newspaper.

One I read in particular caught my interest. The feng shui master said that if good things happen to you today, you can rest assure that your life is good and easy for the rest of 2010. If you're sick or something bad happen to you, then be prepare for more hardship.

If you want a good day to happen to you, just force yourself to go to work or do something if you stay home. That way, you have a lot of things to do in 2010.

They also advise to wear red for good luck and wear a real gold pendant on your neck to ensure smooth sailing year ahead.

Interesting right? I don't know if I believe it but I'm going to be an optimistic person and say, I like positive things to happen to me every single day, not just on the 4th. haha!

Hope all will go smooth for every one of you.

Although the lunar calendar indicate Chinese New Year falls on Valentine's Day, I'm going to take this opportunity ahead of time to wish everyone...

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you happy many returns in all your undertakings in 2010! Take more chinese cookies and eat them behalf of me! :)

SEVENTY-SEVEN

2010-02-02T09:31:00.006-08:00

Jessie jots...

OK ignore my outgrown mane and take note of how beautiful this neighborhood is. These pictures were taken last Saturday when we thought, we wanted to take a break from house searching and we didn't.

On Friday night, we received two new listings through email and one of them is located at a neighborhood we like. At that time, we were already prepare to settle for something less than what we wanted because the supply of houses is really low and demand is so high, that every nice houses that pop up on the list get sold within a week or less. But because Yew Wai hesitated, we decided to look around for the two new listings that came in our email.

We didn't care much about the other two properties. We grew tired and thought our future seems bleak by the amount of people who are investors and only put in cash offers. Also, the website gave very few information about the houses and there's only one picture and it is a picture of the door.

Long story short, we take a look at the 3 bedroom, 2 baths house anyway...

At this point, I was already in love with the house although it has been vacant for several months due to its foreclosure status. I couldn't wait to get in while Tracey, our real estate agent was getting the code to get through the door. My hands were already getting clammy and my stomach was in knots. I can't wait to check out the interior! And kept wishing that everything inside is going to be perfect.

Once inside, we found that the layout and everything in the house is what we've always imagine... in fact more! I can't help to notice that Hushby was smiling from ear to ear too and before we know it, we both said it together: "Let's put in an offer". It was quick and mutual.

That evening itself, we sat down together with Tracey and discuss how we were going to approach this. The seller of this house required that we only submit our offer online. The online auction is an unusual way for the real estate agents. So she did her research that whole night and hope it is not a shady company. It's not even 24 hours yet but there were already 4 offers on that house. We were getting impatient, disappointed and just preparing ourselves to hear bad news from Tracey. Waiting for Tracey's call seem like 24 years. When Tracey confirmed every is positive, we were delighted and almost immediately, we put in our best offer by Monday afternoon - online. It felt like eBay.

By Tuesday morning at 8am, my real estate agent called. I said "CRAP!" Oh no, we lost. She said "I hope you're not standing on a bridge because you're going to jump! haha They have accepted your offer!!!"

I asked again and again "Are you sure? Are you serious? No!!! You're kidding me!" We screamed and jumped. We hugged and laughed. We cannot believe how it happen, knowing that we had all odds against us! Namely those wealthy investors, cash offers and the lack of funds on our side but we beat them all! OMG!

I'm still in daze. I don't want to go to school. I don't want to be creative. I can't focus in class, I just want to celebrate all week long, and run around amok telling people we got the house!!!

And the funny thing to all of this is: Every of our life changing event has something to do with this number. We got married on July 7th, Yew Wai's California job starts on July 7th, and our first house number is seven seven. What are the odds?

Love at first sight

2010-02-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

Jessie jots...

The other day, my youngest sister went home for a visit and we had the opportunity to meet on Skype. My mom carried miss little tiny baby Amber in front of the camera and let me see her for the first time! Moving and making noises! She's real! LOL She is so awesome, and so cute, it is really a love at first sight. :) I can't imagine being a mom yet but I really, really like being an aunt so far, though I haven't do much. She looked into the camera and looked at me when I called her. She's the cutest thing ever, and I may be biased but who can resist??? You've got to have the coldest heart to really, really hate a baby. I'm in love!

This picture reminds me of my little sister when look like a baby hamster at 2 days old. I wish I have that picture with me for a scan to let you guys see how similar Amber looks like mommy at this angle.

This cracks me up how she's looking at Daddy and wonder who he is. LOL And don't you just love that outfit? I'm lost for words.

Peek-Ka-Boo! Too cute... too cute!!! Feel like I want to gut myself.

At 2 months old, Joey said she's starting to look like TC Boy. For those of you who doesn't know, TC Boy is a local Malaysian can food brand.

New branch

2010-01-31T10:05:00.001-08:00

Jessie jots...

When people found out I am a graphic design student, they'd usually request to see my work. A few people actually asked if I have a blog. Because honesty is my second name, I said yes. However, little did I know, I was really quite embarrass to let them read Jessie Jots! I know some of you don't know me well either but you don't see me everyday... so I'm not that shy about it. lol But I certainly can't let my class's instructor reads it! Like you wouldn't with your boss or your hair stylist. I'd feel naked. So that's when it hit me... I've got to branch out and keep what's personal, personal.

I admit for the longest time, I wanted to start an art/design blog. Previously, I didn't have enough pieces to post, hence the long wait on branching out. I'm now more obligated than ever to start one and I have no excuse to procrastinate now since when my new and current Computer Imaging class requires all artwork to be uploaded online. I'm not all that excited about it yet coz' it's still work in progress. I will keep working on the site/page layout slowly but surely. We'll see where it flows.

The new branch has been launch with no cost and the name is Jessie Chiang Designs

That said, all design work will no longer be uploaded at Jessie Jots. This will purely be a place I want to keep my thoughts, keep my journal and keep in touch. Thanks for all your support :)

Snow capped mountain

2010-01-30T12:56:00.001-08:00

Jessie jots...

No it doesn't snow in OC but Mom wouldn't believe me when I said it snows just an hour's drive from here. Here's proof, picture courtesy of Daniel Wong.

How's the Economy?

2010-01-29T10:17:00.003-08:00

Jessie jots...

One day, we decided we wanted to have our usual italian food dine out. So we drove there and notice that the usually busy restaurant looked empty. We figured, it might just be closed for the day. We got off from the car to inspect, and as we walked closer, we saw chairs and boxes were strewn across the floor. We walked to the front door, and there hung a sign says "For Lease". Close for good.

On another occasion, we wanted to get some of our favorite red velvet ice cream from Maggie Moo, and the store interior, too, was blank. We thought they were under renovation, until a couple of visits later did we realize, Maggie Moo has also succumb to the economy downturn. And so we try to frequent our favorite yogurt ice cream TCBY store just next door, but recently, just as my favorite peanut butter chocolate ice cream reach its bottom, we drove by it to get more. Once there, we notice the lights were off and the Asian guy who usually scoops the pint load of ice cream for us was not there either! I didn't want to believe they are also shutting down for good - they were in such good business! So I waited for a few days to confirm it. True enough, day after day, the lights are still off.

On a recent trip to a nearby mall, we were shock to see a lot has change. The usually congested and busy mall turned into a hollow empty space. Barely any souls were window shopping, most of them were sales people. One after another, retail businesses hang signs that says "Closing Store" - I think it will be the last we'll see them in business. Some establish businesses like Crate and Barrel has also make a move to shut down, declaring they will only open at one location in Orange County instead of two. On the other hand though, the Mac store expanded its retail space, while Microsoft at the same floor, follow suit.

Note though, this is happening at one of the richest city in the United States - us excluded. We just happen to live in the crack of these wealthy people. Can you imagine what happen nationwide? It's like dejavu to me - I've seen it happened when I was 15. Stores closed at every single lot in Komtar. And Komtar used to be this really busy hub slash mall where everyone stops by for shopping and grocery as it was strategically located above a bus station. I didn't understand what recession was all about at that time but I knew it was a shaky moment that everyone was losing their job, businesses and houses.

It's happening yet again. We are lucky Yew Wai still has job. In fact, he just got promoted recently. And I just need to spend his money wisely. The economy is that bad.

Cheesecake Project

2010-01-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

Jessie jots...

Oh by the way, did I say the cheesecake was a success?? Ahem, yours truly had succeed on a low fat cheesecake without a single crack on the top... Yey!

The trick? I beat the eggs more, hence making a little bit fluffier and well-mixed with the cheese.

Also, when the wet batter is poured onto the baking pan, bring the pan an inch up and slightly drop the pan onto your kitchen counter. You'll see the air bubbles coming to the surface from underneath. My guess is that by doing that, it would prevent air from cracking your cheese cake.

Click here for the Classic Cheese Cake recipe.

How I personalize a low fat cheese cake is instead of using 5 packs of cream cheese, I used 2 packs, 2 eggs and half the sugar. Serve it with chocolate sauce and few slices of strawberries. Yum!

Initially, I wanted to give two third of the cake to Hushby's colleague but he said he wanted it. So he ate, and he ate.... finish the whole cake in 3 days. Can you believe it?

Pipi's Birdie

2010-01-19T10:10:00.006-08:00

Jessie jots...

Does your pet do anything that is kind of strange, yet funny and it is also habitual? Pipi as you all know it, is a cat. The Persian cat that she is, is suppose to be a self-grooming, naturally clean, elegant cat... right? She is the total opposite of that and yet, that is just a few traits of who and what she is.

"I warn you.... Don't write about me or I'll bite!"

"You've been warned... grrrr"

One of the most mind-boggling thing she does every now and then is this. Ever since we bought this little birdie thingy toy for her last, last Christmas, we have noticed she became more and more possessive of it. The thing resembles of a badminton shuttlecock and flies like one when you throw it. I guess it resembles a bird if anything, feathers at the end with a cotton-filled body that has one fluffy side and rough, gunny-sack texture on the other.

When she was introduced to that toy, she was barely a year old and she didn't play with it until about a month later... then only did I saw her flipping the birdie on her own, grabbing it with her mouth and licking its feather while her paws hold the birdie. Then, the first birdie 'died' within a few weeks. The gunny sack side was literally torn apart until the cotton was bitten off from its body and the feather came off in chunks. I rescued it by stitching the torn part with some leftover cloth but as it wears and tears, more and more feathers came off and the thing couldn't fly anymore. Yet she still plays with it.

We have gone through approximately five of the birdies now. PetSmart, the pet store that used to carry the toy has already discontinue the merchandise last year and we are devastated. No one carries it anymore. I've bought her a toy that look quite similar to this birdie but she didn't like it. She only goes back to the old-torn disgusting cotton-less birdie. The last one was also torn apart like the others but now I've stitch it and replace with more cottons and more feathers to keep the life longer. It works for now but I don't know what I'll do next when we lose this.

Here's the weird thing: during this time too, she has never fail to place the birdie right in front of our bedroom door every morning. Unless if the birdie disappears, or stuck somewhere unseen to her, that toy is always in front of our master bedroom door. At first we thought it was a sign that she wanted to play. So we flew the thing across the room only to see she look at it but went on to follow us with our morning routine.

On many occasions too, she would hold the birdie in her mouth, meow at the same time and place it right in front of me or Yew Wai. Although she seldom do that now but it still baffles me how some times Pip remind me of a dog!

Recently, instead of morning time, she has learned to put the birdie in our room at any time. It's always near the door for some reason and it will only be there when she knows OR thinks we are not around. Sometimes when I take a nap in the afternoon or read quietly in the other room, she thought I was not around. I secretly peeped, saw her looked for the birdie which she then carried it with her mouth and headed to our master bedroom. Once there, she placed the birdie carefully right in front of our bedroom door and just walked away.

Hmm... why?

On another occasion, I gave her a bunch of wrinkly wrapping papers from a shopping bag. It was left on the floor for her to play when we went out for dinner. When I came back, I saw this...

Why Pip?

A few days later, as per evidence below, with our doors open, she knew that we were awake and nobody is at home to play with her... yet she still place Ms. birdie in front of our door...

WHY??

For many times now , I've tried to answer the question myself but the more I see her habit with Ms. Birdie, the more I question myself. I've said to Yew Wai, maybe she just wants to play? Or she just want to show you what she can catch for you? Or just to show you she thinks of you? Or to remind you that she is really, really bored to the skull?

What is it? Yew Wai only shook his head and thought it was funny.

If only Pipi can talk to me! Why do you do that???

Rare moments of Pipi letting me take a pic with her!

Pipi's Matted Fur

2010-01-13T16:33:00.003-08:00

Jessie jots...

Don't be alarm, she's not dead. Just playing dead haha! Pipi was getting uncomfortable for the longest time and we finally had our hands to shave the knots one by one. She didn't like it for sure. Just watch.

Cat getting shaved from Jessie Chiang on Vimeo.

Down Time On My Own

2010-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Jessie jots...

How's 2010 feeling so far? I'm kinda loving it - no more gloomy, wet days for us... we're finally seeing some sun peeking out from the cloud and I get to play tennis more often now and shed off that layers of fat collected from chomping down on Christmas.

Are you curious what I'm doing now? If you are... read on.

I'm using this down time right now to do a lot of research on owning our first home. The first home buyers get a $8000 credit that expires by the end of April, so we are working really hard with a real estate agent right now to look around as much as we can before committing to one. At the mean time too, I'm looking and getting inspiration on what I can do to my future home from a fixer upper. For instance, below is really, one hell of a dream kitchen I'd go bananas for! So now, at least when I hunt for the dream house, I shall know the specific kitchen and plan layouts that has the best potential to be turned into something like this!

Other than that, I'm also using the down time to set up my portfolio. It's quite a chore to gather all that non-electronic projects into the computer. Some of the pieces really need a good scan for the details to show up. I hope I can get it done before returning to school next week.

And on other down times, I am playing the new fabulous Super Mario on Wii. As much as I want to complete the game, I'm often discourage from playing because it can be so, so difficult and so, so frustrating! I take my times off from it when I get frustrated and turn the Wii back on when all is forgotten until I remember how frustrating it is, again, to see the 1-ups green mushroom just glides to the drain and you can't do anything about it except to save your present life! Sooooo.... bloody....... hard......... but ya know, even after so many attempts, I am now in the 8th world, trying to finish the LAST enemy and hopefully be content with my accomplishment by the end of it!

Meanwhile, I may look into baking a cheese cake which I have yet to get my hands on since a tween. Will see how it turn out. Cheerios!

Small Getaway at Temecula

2010-01-06T15:18:00.008-08:00

Jessie jots...

Temecula, just an hour west from where we are, is a place with quite a few surprises. Initially, Hushby and I went there because we only wanted to see the much hyped about casino in town called Pala. A friend went there and recommended we should go. It was fun learning about Pala but we didn't realize, we were going to discover more on the way there.

Having too much time on hand and being the analytical person he is, Hushby usually like to go online and do some research of that place a day before. According to his sources, he said Temecula has a charming one street Old Downtown in the heart of the city. I had no idea what Old Downtown was, never thought the word OLD literally meant ancient. The moment we drove into the street, the buildings, the architecture and the people were objects not easy to pass by unnoticed. The downtown's late 1800s architecture was just as charming as the history of cowboys who used to live in this area. Imagine all those old movies of cowboys riding horses and drink their way through the day. When I walked down the street, it felt like I was transported back in time. Now though, the buildings are occupied by specialty stores selling specialty salts, wine, olive oil, all that California produce and touristy restaurants like Western style eateries selling steaks and hamburgers took over the once used to be, I'm pretty sure, cowboy bars, pawn shops and even brothels. Needless to say, I was still aesthetic to find this place. It was a good, less than an hour's drive getaway.

The pictures we took though, does not show much of the buildings. It wasn't a good day to take pictures for it was gloomy and way too cold for our tolerance. Here are just a few shots that could make it.

A Theatre

At an intersection

Old Downtown nestled in a canyon has a spectacular view of many snow-capped mountains - unfortunately, not in this peekaboo mountain view.

That's not beer, it's Root Beer.

Don't worry, nobody is tripped in this process. It's amazing how the city sustain original woodwork on the pedestrian walk.

A few hours browsing later, we took a drive to the wine country area. Again, once I learn about the Temecula's wine country, my impression was one vineyard, one field of grape plants and one tasting area. Nothing more.

Just 10 minutes away, we drove into the wine country and found there's a whole load of vineyard sprawl across the valleys and hills, seen never ending from our point of view. Vineyards after vineyards, hotels, spas, tasting shops and even tour bus were available for rent for groups who like wine country hopping. I was, yet again, delighted to find something like this on our way to the casino.

We chose to go to Ponte for the reason that Hushby read it online and it was a highly recommended place to visit. After passing by a few vineyards, I was bummed that I couldn't visit other wine places but once at Ponte, I was like a dog seeing a squirrel.

Once arrived, the parking lot impressed us with rows and rows of olive trees and of course, grape plants. The view was stunning even at 4pm. It was almost sunset for December and it didn't take us long before we walked into the building, the retail shop to get some samples of wine before it close at 5pm. The process was simple, 6 glasses of wine of YOUR choice for only $12. The list of wine is endless, starting from white to red to desserts wine for a sweet ending. I started of fine, one zinfandel, one chardonnay. A quarter of glass of serving each and I was still going strong. After that, I ordered another choice of merlot and I could feel the heat from my neck rising and my knees getting a little weaker. Usually, the most I can take were only two glasses of wine and I'd just hit the sack!

On that day though, I don't know if it was the energy or the environment that kept me standing, I was doing great. I had no problem other than the heat and being a little tipsy, I was able to go through 5 glasses in one hour. A break of my own record. But sorry, that's not what I needed to gloat about. It is the taste of the various colors of wine, the aroma of toasty oak, strawberries, pine, apples, pears and lastly my favorite, a $45 dollar dessert wine made of dark chocolate! Mmm Have I got you drooling yet?

The last glass was definitely a hard one with 20% of alcohol in it, I was quite drunk by the last sip. We went out to take some fresh air, while still sipping on the dark chocolate and guess what? Another pleasant surprise!

Ponte has it own restaurant built just behind the retail store. It an open air concept restaurant, situated between the farm filled with dried grapes at this point of the season. Nevertheless, it has a breathtaking view of the horizon and its fresh air is just as crisp as the first pop of a white chardonnay. Here I was standing at a wedding garden reserved for a group which I managed to get a glimpse before being shooed away for privacy.

Unlike me, Hushby is not a light drinker and he survived the six glasses. Just a bit tipsy and lucky for me, he was still able to decide that he wanted to have a table reserve at 6pm for two. So we went back in to get my sixth glass of wine, only to have Hushby hold it and sitting on the dining table for the rest of the night. I can't take it anymore.

What a way to spend our Christmas - good quality time making discovery yet not hurtful to the pocket. The restaurant, although look high end, prices are still affordable for the standard of the food they served.

Prior tasting

After tasting, reading the dinner menu to myself. All red and fiery, proved that I am 100% Asian. Sunset from the vineyard is such a romantic scene which somehow look fake from my view. But it definitely gives us what to expect if we chose Napa Valley as the next destination.

Appetizer - mussel in white wine tomato sauce. The mussels were probably blanched, half raw and the taste is divine. Sweet from seawater and aromatic from the wine. Just perfect.

For her: Grilled lamb steak with red wine and balsamic vinegar sauce cooked with green apples was served with southern style, grits on the side. The sauce was cooked with their own lines of wine, and the depth of the taste was just mouthwatering. I'm usually not a sauce person but this sauce got me licking to its last drop!

For him, grilled steak with caramelized whole onion and mash potatoes. I don't have much recollection of his dinner plate, not because I was drunk but I had so much to focus on my own dining set, I totally did not pay attention to his.

It was getting colder and colder as the big, bright moon turn up. The heater above us wasn't really that helpful with the wind blowing on one direction. So hoodie up!

For dessert, a chocolate cheese cake with a generous serving of sweet raspberry sauce, also cooked with wine. When combine the two, the taste.... is heavenly. No words can describe it.

Lastly, some decaf coffee for me and fully caffeinated coffee for him to neutralize all that alcohol we consumed!

Spontaneous outing is really fun at times like this when there's nothing to worry about. No homework, no due dates, no deadlines for him, no meetings, no work.... all we had to do is kick our shoes back and enjoy. We work hard but we play hard too. I'm sure we all deserve a break like this once in a while, or so I say to myself for comfort LOL. I am so lucky to have this experience thanks to Hushby. Just a stone throw away, you can bet I'll make my way there again.