frutti.gummi

Most grocery stores here are small and don't carry international stuff. The few bigger ones do carry some. After shopping at a few bigger stores, I know which store to go to buy a certain product. For example, ketchup. The one from the local brand is sweet so I don't like it. I found a few stores selling the McD version which is ok. To get the Heinz version in a squeeze bottle, there is only one store that sells that. This is also the only store that sells salad dressing! Italian salad dressing is olive oil and vinegar so you can't find other types in most stores. I found a small gourmet grocery store in town where you can buy a small can of campbell soup for over 2€. I never went back again. There is also the German store Lidl where I buy 1.5L 100% fruit juices, yogurt drinks, gummi bears, american chocolate chip cookies, chicken nuggets, mars or snickers bars. And I'm so glad to have found Heinz baked beans in the Thai shop.

This is my first attempt at cooking a pork dish coz I generally don't like pork. I bought some ribs for cooking soup last week and there are quite a few pieces left. So I searched around for ribs recipes and decided to make spicy honey mustard sauce to go with the pork. I boiled the ribs in water for about an hour to soften it. Then I make the sauce and marinade the meat overnight. I don't have a grill in the kitchen so I pan-fried it. After about 5 minutes, I realised that the meat is not as soft I wanted them to be. So I debone the ribs and simmer the meat with the sauce for another 5 minutes. The meat turned out really tasty :D




Recipe for Spicy Honey Mustard Sauce
Ingredients

• For quarter pounds of ribs:
• 3/4 tbs oil
• 1/8 small onion finely minced
• 3 tbs honey
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 ts red pepper flakes
• a pinch of salt
• pepper to taste
  

Directions

I just found out about this guy recently. He makes jokes about Indians and other races. It's hilarious!
Russell Peters: Outsourced

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It's nice that the apartment comes with a washing machine and washing is free. There's no dryer though so we have to dry the clothes on the rack. It wasn't a problem before. During the winter when it was cold, the apartment is heated from midnight to early morning so the clothes get dry inside the apartment. When it was summer, the clothes get dry in the balcony even though there isnt much direct sunlight on the balcony. Now that the weather is cooler, my clothes just couldn't get dry after leaving them on the balcony for 2 days. It's still a little damp but no smell. Since there is no heat in the apartment yet, it couldn't be dried inside either. Sigh!

I just couldn't find seedless grapes here. It's almost like there is no such thing. So since I moved from Germany, I didn't eat any grapes at all until last week. I could no longer resist the delicious looking grapes every time I go to the supermarket. I bought a bunch and they were sweet and juicy. But it was a mess coz I had to dig the seeds out for each one. I have eaten half and I figured it's just too much of effort. I doubt I'll buy anymore grapes here after I finished the remaining ones. I wonder why they don't have seedless grapes...

The new season of those tv series I'm follwing have finally arrived. The premiere of Heroes was not as exciting as I had anticpated. House M.D was just ok. Desperate Housewives will air this weekend. Hopefully it'll be interesting. Thursdays are still my anime day. Thought of watching new series but kinda lazy to filter out those that I might like. Any recommendations?

First week of classes has been tough. Still having 8:30am classes everyday. I get headaches after attending classes on theoretical subjects. Need retraining to think like a scientist. Still quite lazy to study; prefer to watch videos whole day. Quite a bit of assignments and assessments throughout the semester so can't afford to start studying later in the semester when the final exams come. I find that most of the new students this semester are really enthusiastic about the courses and damn hardworking too! Makes me feel like I am extremely lazy, which I probably is. Oh, I miss the first year. It was pretty relaxed at the beginning of the semester so can slowly adopt to the change in workload. Well, I gotta start picking up more books to read before I drown in the courses. Hopefully I'll get more productive starting this week. No time to lose.

It's gonna be a tough semester to get through. Sigh!

Just cooked up something simple...

I'm certain the keys are in the basket on the table. I left the rest of my cards on the table and I see them on the table everytime I unload my stuff onto the basket. Even the small sim card is there. Since stuff, especially receipts, kept piling into the basket, I did not see the keys and I thought it was being just covered over. So when the time came to pack and leave, I was surprised the keys were no longer in the basket. I searched the table and the basket again and again but the keys could not be found. I asked mom if she saw my keys and she told me that I left it in the basket. I said "It's not there anymore". She was suprised too and we started searching for the keys together. I searched my entire closet, drawers, cabinets, basically almost the entire room many many times but still no keys. Instead of throwing a tantrum like I'm prone to do when I cannot find my stuff, this time I actually searched calmly in a organised way. After half a day of searching, I ran out of idea where my keys could be. Without keys means I can't go home. Both my housemates have left the apartment when I was away. I started thinking of what options I have. The journey home from Verona airport is quite smooth. I didn't have to wait for the bus or the train. I went straight home and pressed the bell hoping that my new housemate is home. Lucky me, she's at home.

The next morning, I went to the housing department to request for a new set of keys. I was told to go to the police to make a report. I was quite nervous coz I didn't think I could fill up forms and stuff in Italian. I asked the lady to write for me what I should tell the police. Armed with that paper, I went to the police department. They have a section called Ufficio Denunce. Denunce sounds like "di non che", literally translated to "of not there". Hehe..a section is just for reporting missing stuff. It was just one room with the officer sitting behind a relatively empty desk with a computer. When it was my turn, I told the officer that I lost my keys and passed the piece of paper to him. He started typing lots of stuff into the computer. He asked for a few things and finally the report was being printed from the printer. We signed the report and I went back to the housing depaprtment to get my keys. Phew! It wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be. No form filling on my side, just the officer typing in all the details as I just sat there. When I returned home with my new set of keys, I realised that I actually lost 4 keys, not 2. I forgot about the mailbox key and the key to enter the apartment building. Anyway, I was given the building key and apartment key so it is sufficient. So yeah, although I came back in time for the first day of class, I actually missed it coz I had to deal with my missing keys.

It's nice to be able to meet up with friends again. There are a few whom I haven't seen for 10 years! So so much has happened in our lives. After meeting several groups, I noticed that the popular topics with the girls are marriage and babies while with the guys is mostly about career and money. I had a good time meeting everyone and I got to know valuable info during our conversations. I got an insight into the >5 years 'project' plan towards marriage. Truly an eye opener for me. Hehe. I now understand why the guys are worried about money because they are expected to be the main contributor in a marriage. I also realised a few big benefits from entering into a long term committed relationship. Given that your partner is as least as capable as yourself, having each other makes it much easier for both to achieve personal and professional goals.

In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the
question......
"What kind of man are you looking for?"

She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asking.
"Do you really want to know?"
Reluctantly, he said, "Yes."

She began to expound... As a woman in this day and age, I am in a position to ask a man what he can do for me that I can't do for myself. I pay my own bills.
I take care of my household without the help of any man. I am in the
position to ask, "What can you bring to the table?"

The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money.

She quickly corrected his thought and stated, "I am not referring to money. I need something more. I need a man who is striving for perfection in every aspect of life."

He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and asked her to explain.

She said, "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection mentally
because I need conversation and mental stimulation. I don't need a
simple-minded man.
I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked... believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster.
I need a man who is striving for perfection financially because I don't need a financial burden.
I am looking for someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded.
I am looking for someone who I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy. God made woman to be a helpmate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself."
When she finished her spill, she looked at him.

He sat there with a puzzled look on his face.
He said, "You're asking a lot."

She replied, "I'm worth a lot."



Send this to every woman who's worth a lot and every man who needs to know that.

When I left last year, there is no doubt in my mind that I will return to continue what I was doing. Now, after half of the journey, I'm not so sure anymore. Most people whom I spoke to during my journey seemed to have found their calling during the second part of this journey. I have always known what I want and have a plan to get it. This time, all the thoughts and analysis yield no answer. I guess not knowing what I want really scares me. I don't know how to prepare for what might spring up upon me. Will I be able handle them? Some might tell me not to think too much and just let the course unfold. What if the course is not leading to where I want to be? Yah..I know I have no idea where I want to be now but that's why I'm thinking hard about it! And I'm afraid I don't get a second chance to set things right.

After being back for 2 weeks, I realised that I dont have a "default" gang of friends in KL. Something like Friends, a group that you meet at least once a week to hang out. I always just meet up either one or two friends at a time. I guess I never realised this before when I was too busy with work. I wonder if most of my friends are also too busy with work? Or perhaps it's too much of a hassle to go out and meet up because of the traffic conjestion and parking problem? Or could it be that face to face meeting is no longer ncessary when we're already chatting with each other online? Sadly, the only group that I associate with often is my co-workers. Has this become our culture because we spent much more time at work? Are Malaysians becoming more individualistic? Maybe it's just me. Maybe I should put on a friendly face and go out and meet more people.

Staying at home is just so nice. I get to sleep in a much bigger and comfortable bed. I also have a bunch of furry friends for company. I can listen to music with a decent pair of Altec Lansing speakers and watch movies on a bigger screen. I have the freedom to go anywhere anytime with my car. No need to check schedule for bus or train. Shopping can be done conveniently in one place like in one of those big malls. Ooh.. and food, there's plenty to choose from. Shops, restaurants, cafes, etc are open till late. Plus 24h McD! I'll definately miss all these when I return to Trento.

I'm a person who makes lists; groceries list, packing list, travel list, etc. So when a friend asked if I have a list of food that I wanna eat when I return to Malaysia, I was surprised I didn't make one. Instead, I have a list of errands to get done. Most people I know would have cravings for certain food and would go all out to satisfy their cravings. I have tried many local food during the 3+ years working in Malaysia and I know what I'd like to eat again but I don't crave them. Makes me realised that I didn't become more Malaysian as I thought I have. During the past week, Japanese cuisine and family style chinese cuisine dominated my plate. The only hawker food I had was fishball noodles near my house. Perhaps I should make some effort to 'cari makan'. Hehe. So what am I missing?

1. Nasi Lemak
2. Char keoy teow
3. Wantan mee
4. Kari mee
5. Laksa
6. Tomyum noodle
7. Maggi/Indomee goreng
8. Satay
9.
10.

I know I shouldn't try to list the local food. It's too difficult! And too embarassing to mention how long I took to come up with the 8 items.

Took one and a half day, including lost of 6 hours in time transition, for the total journey to come home. No jet lag but feels like the weather is draining my energy. By the evening, I would feel tired after being out since morning. Sis just left for London this morning so I'll finally have time to do my own stuff. Since she was leaving, everyone was more concerned about getting her needs fullfilled. The one major lifestyle change I noticed is people here function at a faster pace, particularly at the dining table. When eating at home or lunch with colleagues, I feel pressured to eat faster and then I realised that I didn't enjoy the meal. I guess I unconsciously picked up a new habit from the Italians. I need 3 hours lunch time. Hehe.

So far the place looks the same except for the SMART tunnel and a few new bridges and new road traffic direction in the Bukit Bintang area. Still congested as usual during peak hours. Trying to be extra careful when driving and in small roads with no cars, it takes me a while to determine which is the right way of drive (Europe being the opposite)

Well, really hope to meet everyone I know especially those who are getting married. I'm sorry for not being able to attend the weddings.

Back from vacation. Some things to note...

Check if travel dates fall on a holiday so that I can get home with public transport. There is no bus after 9pm on holidays. August 15th is a religious holiday for most countries in Europe.

Allocate at least one extra day when there are friends living in the area to spend some time with them according to their busy schedule.

Knowledge of another foreign language is useful when people do not speak English. Our German lessons came in handy for directions. And luckily Menar can speak some Turkish when we got Rambi to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. We were surprised the paramedics don't speak English.

Beach clubs have private beaches and rent umbrella and deck chairs. Very nice and comfortable outdoor setting. They sell some simple food and drinks. Not exactly the place to go if you're looking for a shady spot as the umbrellas don't provide that much cover. My friend with fair skin still got slightly burned after 4 hours staying inside the umbrella.

It's been a very long time since I feel so liberating. With no responsibilities and no financial worries, it's like being a kid again. Well, even better than kids coz I get to do whatever I want whenever I want. Hehe. Early in the week, I went shopping. Oh the joy of shopping! I bought some tops, a skirt, and 2 dresses coz I couldn't decide which to pick. They were 50% off so I got two for the price of one. I bought a pair of sandals too. It feels so good to finally be able to wear skirts and sandals again. I wanna paint my nails too but I think I'll just go for a manicure and pedicure when I go back to KL. I've also managed to watch quite a few movies, both new and old. I find Leon (1994) an interesting movie. And Harold & Kumar go to White Castle is just hilarious (2004). Also watched tv series Everybody Loves Raymond and Joey. It's just a coincidence that I picked both with Italian background. Watching them again, I enjoyed it even more, knowing now how Italians are.

Well, I guess I'm pretty much all set for Istanbul and Greece for the next 10 days.

After seven long years, the story of Harry Potter has finally come to end. It has been a wonderful journey thus far and I'll be looking forward to the last two movies. I feel like reading all the books again but it'll take too much time. I'll probably just watch the movies again even though they aren't that great. Came across some sorting hat quizes and took them. As expected, I'm a Rawenclaw. Hehe.

Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Based on Myers-Briggs Personality Typing

You are a RAVENCLAW!As a Ravenclaw and as an NTJ, you are intellectual, independent, and value excellence in yourself and others. You are naturally curious, and can usually see many sides to the same argument or issue. You are driven to acquire knowledge and set very high standards for yourself and others. You excel at and enjoy strategizing, planning, and focusing on the big picture. You enjoy being challenged, and can accept constructive criticism without taking it personally. You are excellent at organizing yourself and others. Take this quiz! Quizilla |Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Wonder what you'll look like as a 2D Simpsons character? This website lets you upload your own photo and voila you're in 2D! Hehe. Do you see any resemblance?