Manado - The Exotics

N finally posted up his photos on FB, so I went to steal them. I have accepted that there is a different culture beyond our lands and the definition of cruelty is also different.

So presenting a grotesque sight we saw in the butchery scene of Tamahon Market in Manado. We actually went there for the very same reason.  

dog meat

dog awaiting slaughter

bat meat

Curiousity didnt pull back those tears.

I swear I will never eat a dog this lifetime because Murphy will stop befriending me...

He will look sad like that the whole day...

And worse, I cannot go and kiss kiss hug hug him when he look uberly cute like that.

:(

But most importantly, I think it is plain cruel because dogs have feelings. They understand human and bond with human.

When I left Murphy with The Pet Nanny for 3 days last year, he refused food for that 3 days because he was sad. Sad that I had left him alone in a foreign place; sad because he thought I don't want him anymore. For the 3 days, he just grabbed on to my worn T-shirt that I left for him (so he could still smell me) and looked sad every day.

When I left him with N downstairs last week and went back home to grab something I forgot to take for our little family outing, his stare followed me while I walked away. N could neither get him to budge, nor succeed in feeding his favorite cheese stick snack. He was sad because I walked away without him.

Those dogs in the cage were expressing helplessness to and whining at us when we were near. On a more thankful note, they were totally unlike the nonchalent pecking chickens!  So, *Whew!* lucky I dont have to go vegetarian yet!

It's TGIF!

And I got tickets to the 933 awards later! :D

Kuching - Me Myself and I

The only time I find time to pick up a thriller and a cuppa, and just sit around the whole day with no urgent plans in mind :)

There are no errands to run, no responsibilities (bathe, feed, walk, play with Murphy) to fulfil, no people to meet, no need to shuttle between places.

It was just a weekend for me, myself and I!

*****

This weekend's back with the usual multiple to dos list.

Saturday

11am: Send the boy for grooming in the east

12pm: Visit very pregnant cuz

1-5pm: Shopping with the preggy in the east 

5pm: Pick up the boy

630pm: Spend time with the boy (feed and play) before I head for MJ sleepover

8pm: Mahjong in the west

Sunday

YAY!! Time for each other! We did some paktor stuff..You know how tough it is to differentiate between spending time with each other and paktor nowadays?! the longer you are in a relationship, the lesser of the latter! :):):)

1-630pm: THREE movies! THREE!!!!! :p:p

630-7pm: Pick up a one-year old birthday gift (Murphy likes it too... oh dear..)

7pm - 10pm: Pick wedding photos for S & Y. Picking 75 out of 367 is freaking difficult can?! But we are objective people. So we did help quite a lot! :)

10pm: Dinner??!!

******

Social Pressure

A MAXI finally!
I caved in to the temptations...
One of the BEST things I love about Kuching is the shopping.
:):):)

Kuching - Midrin

This is Midrin. The locals here pronounce as Billing, but this is the only spelling that came up in my google search for wild vegetable in Sarawak. It is like the younger sister of Paku - It is smaller and more tender. Most people I met here prefer Midrin.

I love BOTH!! :)

Uncle Jas wasnt open today. So I went to a chinese restaurant to ask for it (it is not on the menu). This plate of Midrin cost me RM10! Going to uncle Jas would cost me RM3.30 only! And he would chit chat with me while I take my lunch.. His wife and him dive. So we have ALOT to talk about :) But beggars cannot choose, and I had to have it.. ;p

This is ALL for lunch. Just a plate of Midrin and plain white rice.

:):):)

Kuching - Paku

This is the Paku vegetable.

It is a wild fern that is found in Sarawak areas. It doesnt require a plantation. Neither does it require farmers. The poorer people in the rural areas just go to the wilderness to harvest them, for personal consumption and for selling. I am intrigued by its existence. This is God's way of taking care of the beings he created.

I can eat this EVERYDAY when I am in Kuching. When I dont get it, I buy it from the supermarket and bring it to Uncle Jas Cafe right next door for them to cook. ;p This plate cost me RM 1.30 (for the veg from the supermarket) and RM 2 (for the ikan bilis, spice and everything nice that Uncle Jas's wife put in to cook for me).

:):):)

Kuching Cat Museum

Decided to venture out of the The Spring, the familiar shopping mall that I always spend my weekends in during biz trips here. Kuching is a Cat City - you will see many cats' monuments along the road to the waterfront. I havent found out what is The Cats' significance to the Kuching history like what The Merlion is to Singapore history.

Anyway, there are no cats on the streets of Kuching. 

Paid RM25 for a one-way trip to The Cat Museum. It's located somewhere on a hill and it's tough to get taxis back from there. The kind driver offered to wait for me for an hour. I just had to pay him RM50, two-way. The metre starts at RM10, noone ons the metre anyway, except for a Singapore driver I met on Sunday (that's a true Singaporean alright! we are always so law-abiding!) An hour's enough to tour the exhibits in the museum :) Admission is free but charges apply if you are bringing in camera. I paid RM4 to use my digicam.

It's just a small museum with alot of cats' figurines, pictures, jigsaw puzzles and toys.

Some of my favorites:

Teacup kitty

THIS. will save alot of marriage quarrels. I think so ;p

So sweet!

The kind driver helped me take photos :) And later talked politics with me :)

And here lies the pussy named dick..

R.I.P

I hope he rests in peace

**THE END**

I was really bored and I didnt do enough planning for the trip. Plus I am all alone and friendless here :( That leaves me with nothing much to do for leisure. And yet I am skeptical when someone wanted to bring me out on a Saturday. It really isnt that safe for a girl to roam around by herself. And not that safe either to go out with a guy you barely know. So HAPPY HOUR, kayak-to-see-dolphins and orangutans in nature reserve, I ll get to you when I feel safe and settled enough next time!!

Kuching Musings

**Food musings**

Kolo Mee!

There's one right beside my hotel!! RM3 only!!

Fried Rice Special

This usually comes with 2 pieces of fried chicken!

**Shopping musings**

Monotone!!!

Modelling the clothes I got for mummy..

The laobanniang of the boutique still remembers me! :)

**Taxi Musings**

Tiger prints interior!!!! OMG!! freaking awesome!

Instantly forgot to continue to harp on the RM10 starting metre fare. I decided to make friends with the cool uncle. But W.T.F!! That's like S$4.30!

**Mush Musings**

N was bored and alone on a Saturday night... We have been watsapping the whole day whenever I get free wifi..

N: I super bored!!!!!!!!

Me: Normally Sat what we do ar??

N: I dunno what we do but at least we are together.

But he found some entertainment now.. o_O

:):):)

Wardrobe Issue

Back to Shum's 101010 - The beautiful setup and my wardrobe issue

The beloved boy always become the victim of my random musings. I was trying verrrry hard to wrap the kinky La Senza gift box with tiffany blue crepe paper the night before...It was sooo tough! And it was already very late at night... So the crepes ended up on Murphy's head instead. See his DUH face.

The theme of the wedding was only made known to us the week before. I thought I was going to run into some wardrobe issue because it's so hard to get tiffany blue dresses!!!

But you know what?!

All that girly shopping which often ended up with many unnecessary stuffs, for all you may know, might come handy one day! 

Both men and women see practicality in what they buy. Only the perception is different. To a man, multiple usage equates practicality. If they dont get to use it often, they dont buy. A woman, on the other hand, deems practicality as usage for at least one event, or if it matches that bag/shoe we already have. Hence, we always end up buying many things in assortment of cuts and colours.    

So there! I have one such dress which was bought for a clubbing night out about 8 years ago! I only wore it twice! :p And it is the closest I could think of for the tiffany blue wedding... I dug it out... 

But I was still worried I wouldnt fit the theme... cos it's not exactly... 

this shade of blue...

BUT...

LO AND BEHOLD!!!

 I matched the decorations PERFECTLY!!!!

Food makes glee!

FOOD HAPPY!!!

See the glee in his eyes?! I wonder if the automatic blinking of one's eyes at the third count constitutes psychomotor problem. *rolls my eyes* That's karma for laughing at me do combat! hrmphf!

Here's what I fed him:

The si ji dou at Lu Gang Xiao Zhen. After forever. Because he always have new places to suggest after asking me what I would like for dinner. O_o I like it coated with salted eggs! Yums!!

 And the fatty pork that's disguised as COLLAGEN! ;p

Found the Pontian Wanton Mee in JB one fine Saturday, and we decided to give it a try. Pontian's one of the better wanton mee in Singapore, second only to the Kovan hawker's in my opinion. Shit.. I am hungrrrrrrry. The fish and chips have already been digested and there's no source of supper anywhere near my hotel....and hotel foods are never supper material. Maybe I should go to bed soon!

The noodle's not as Q as Singapore's. But it's really cheap there! So score points already!! I will be back! 

We shared a bowl of laksa RM 4.50!!

 And a bowl of wanton mee each - RM 4 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Singapore sells at about S$3.50 per bowl lor!

 And.....*SLURPZ*DROOLZ*RUMBLESZ*

Deep fried dumpling!!! RM 5!!!!!!!!

 Our bill for the happy meal... :):):)

:)

Cheap and good.

Kuching for the 3rd night and I am missing my furball :( Miss his soft fur and warm body in my arms. Miss his scratching on my thighs to welcome me home. But knowing he is in good hands make me feel at ease. I guess it'd be the same with kids next time. 

It's not that I dont miss everyone else. But I ve just called my mother, texted my sister, watsapped/msned N and commented on fren's FB - the things I can never do with my furball.

It's TGIF tomorrow! And I heard it's a PH on Sat! Maybe I should hit town and do some happy stuffs! :)

TGIF!!! Gonna check out how my Ipad's charging now and watch my HK drama! :)

Yes, I Do!

101010

The perfect date to get married - Attended The Blue and Tiffany Blue Wedding
Mannnny beautiful moments witnessed and snapped, but blogger s not allowing me to upload all *_*

Marriage is sacred. It symbolises a never-ending love and eternal promises. Sealed with a simple vow that speaks depth;

To have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death do us part,
and hereto, I pledge you my faithfulness

And a ring that connects to the heart...

Mr and Mrs Foo KY

Z babe & I hyped over our reflections on the yatch opposite :) bimbo much!

My favorite with the ex-honeybunch jiemeis

Brothers and Sisters shot

The instants we kept receiving and receiving!

It's a yatch wedding!! Must do (very scary) titanic pose!

Frolicking in the net and coercing brothers and sisters to join in (the fun)

"I am a fish in the water!"

Groom all undressed....

To jump into the (dirty) waters! Wheeeeee!

And his super onz brothers did likewise

Wheeeeeeeee!

Another did a flip stunt, but I was in the net already.. ;p

Here is the full force of jiemeis, hiding from the super hot glaring sun outside.

Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life,

love gives us a fairytale