Tang Yuan

In case you are wondering what Tang Yuan is? Tang Yuan is basically glutinous rice flour ball which served in ginger soup. The direct translation of Tang Yuan means ‘round dumpling in a soup’. Tang Yuan can be small, big, colored, uncolored, filled or unfilled but that’s doesn’t really matter; what matter is the story and meaning behind it. Just by the name, we know that it’s a Chinese food, in fact it’s true to say as a Chinese’s custom or heritage. As far as I recalled, the Chinese used to celebrate Midwinter by serving Tang Yuan to their family and friends. It’s to provide warmth to their beloved during the winter. Just imagine yourself drinking the spicy ginger soup with hot glutinous rice flour ball, sweating already don’t you?

Yes, I know there’s no winter here and there’s no way it going to snow in M’sia; in fact it’s hellaluyah hot here but who’s care? The main purpose of Tang Yuan is not just to warm our body during the winter, if that so, why not Whisky or Brandi instead? Tang Yuan bring a larger meaning than this; the elders believe that Tang Yuan is a blessing for the children to undergo the winter unharmed by sickness or accident. Conversely, my grandma used to believe that Tang Yuan will bring family together like reunion dinner. We used to gather around our dining table to have a bowl of it; I guess my grandma is right.

I’m not a Tang Yuan lover, I mean it’s just flour balls with ginger soup; what’s so big deal about it? In term of taste, it’s just plain. In term of look, it’s just ordinary. Nevertheless, in term of Chinese tradition, it’s a MUST for me to have Tang Yuan; even just a bite of it.

This time, I wasn’t around Ipoh so I couldn’t eat any of it. Despite that, one of my Penang friends, Mr. J brings me a pot of Tang Yuan (Thank you by the way). Lucky me! It’s nice, in fact it’s scrumptious but somehow it taste a bit weird. Not weird as in weird in taste but weird as in something is missing. The Tang Yuan my mum made is forever rough, inhomogeneous in size, the filling leaked out and the ginger soup is more or less: tasteless. Yet somehow that’s the Tang Yuan I had been eating for the past 22 years, maybe that’s what missing.

Rough, inhomogeneous and tasteless…*giggle*

As I said earlier, what matter the most is neither the taste nor the look; is the meaning behind it. Happy Tang Yuan Festival everyone!

Rough, inhomogeneous and tasteless...but I'm missing it? *laughing* What am I thinking?

You Run Bastard

“What a fine morning!” as the sun is shining bright, the air is breezy cool and the best of all; today is Saturday. The day where I can wake up at ten, take my honeymoon time, go for a walk or maybe update some of my blog; how wonderful. Waking up at six, going work at eight, taking lunch at twelve, back to work at one, heading home at six and finally doze off at ten had already been my daily routine, so Saturday can be consider every working man’s paradise for the reason that we can step out of that routine circle even just for once.

My mood is extremely good today, so I plan to give my car a 'bath' and a 'bikini wax' later on. I was still in a very good mood for the following few seconds until I discovered somebody bang my car (as soon as I discovered it, I dropped my pail, my car shampoo and immediately ran toward my car; kneeing in front of my car and I couldn't help but to scream "NOOO!!! You don't die on me!!! No, not so fast..NOOO!!!~~").

ARGHHH!!!KNNCCB!!!

Someone apparently someone, for sure it’s not some stray dogs or cats act (unless there's a cow nearby). Someone freaking-ly bang my car (hit and run case) and the best part is my car parked in a super duper safe place; a place where the probability of accident can happen is lower than the probability of ‘kena’ lottery. That is a place where accident merely can happen if only you intentionally drive your car directly to my car and I guess that bastard nailed it.

Of all the cars parked there, you choose my car. You blind? If you planning to ‘hit and run’ some car, go for BMW, Mercedes or some really expensive car; NOT MY CAR! Thanks to you, my first month salary all go into my car repairing. SIBEH DULAN right now!

Storm Rider 2

If you are seeking for summary or preview of this movie, you’re at the wrong page. The title might sound alike yet this is a blog barely related to storm rider. No offense, but I just can’t get it why do we need preview; I mean if you’re planning to go for a movie then just go, why preview? If you were to miss out all the anticipations based on an anonymous’ movie preview, does it worth? If you were to bore to tears your partner on your first date based on some people-you-hardly-know preview, does it worth?

I’m nobody to judge whether shall we opt for a movie preview, not. But one thing for sure, I never did any movie preview before, I just randomly pick my movie every time (as random as it sound, I won’t pick movie that I don’t understand). I know, I know, you don’t want to waste your precious nine bucks for some crappy movie, that’s why you movie preview. You surf every site you know, you read every movie preview you can, you flip every newspaper comment you have and there you go; you lose all the fun. Isn’t watching a movie is all about delight? Where is all the pleasure if you already know what going to happen next?

So while movie previewing is good, random movie selection is simply better. Better in sense of surprises, try bringing your friend or your partner on a random movie and surprise them. And some really good movies are not even on preview; if you ‘round round’ follow the movie preview; you’ll miss all the fun again. More often than not the majority of the boring movies are not on preview, but then again, it might be crappy for them but a whole new different story for you. Who knows? You’re not letting some anonymous’ comment to control the movie you watch, don’t you?


That day I went for Storm Rider 2 with my friend, a nicely-planned-should-be-nothing-going-wrong-movie because of the movie preview my friend read. Even so it bothers me that they combat (or swing their sword) more than they talk, which turn out to be quite a mind-numbing movie. The movie preview is good, the gimmick is fabulous and the publicity is awesome; even Ekin come M’sia to promote. But it’s just an ‘okay la’ movie for me. My friend was quite disappointed because the movie preview looks more attention-grabbing than the actual movie. That’s when he feel like his nine bucks is in the gutter.

Movie preview said “five thumbs up”. I really can’t help but to wonder “If including the thumbs on both hands and feet, where’s the other one? Could it be right in the middle of these four thumbs?” It suddenly makes sense and answered all my queries since nursery school.

Apart from throwing our precious nine bucks to the gutter, watching Storm Rider 2 really bring back a lot of old memories. Ten years ago (can you believe it! it's already ten years), when I’m still in primary school, I watched Storm Rider 1 and me still yearning for more. Ten years later, I’m outside the cinema complaining about it; somehow it just feel like yesterday or should I put it in this way, time passed too sudden for anyone to even realize it. The memory is still clear where I’m shouting, yelling and jumping around whenever I see blood splash from Storm Rider 1. Nevertheless, today I complain that it bother me that they fight more than talk. Feel like down in the dumps indeed!

Ten years is just a blink of eye or rather a screening of Storm Rider series. Maybe the next time I watch storm rider, I’m with my own family already. So, take this chance to cherish what in front of you, don’t waste them like I wasted mine.

Live On

Many things had changed ever since I come to Penang; might be the lifestyle, the people, the society, the world or anything, but surely something changed. Maybe no one ever noticed or maybe no one even care to bother; maybe it’s just me, but being away from home into a total-stranger-environment, you too will feel that time passed extraordinary slow. Days feel like weeks, months feel like years and years feel like eternally. Maybe because of that, I have more time to reflect, more time to observe from a whole different standpoint of life. Everything is changing, the progress might be slow but it’s progressing in no doubt.

Being in a different environment absolutely change a person whether is their outlook, lifestyle, or perception. For the very first few days in Penang, I actually feel like going back home. Life’s a fragile thing, when we are unable to adapt to the surroundings; we tend to feel shattered and almost true to say horrified. I’m indeed horrified because there are just too many new things to face each day. Frankly speaking, I’m still exploring new thing every day whether is the task, the road, the people, the mother tongue or the way of life.

Being a foreigner, there’s no way not feeling lonely. Every day, ‘walls’ imprison me; some that I build and some build by others. These ‘walls’ separate me or rather I separate myself from the society. Being away from my hometown, it actually builds more ‘walls’ between me and them. Not that I haven’t been away from them; the longest record was one whole semester of being away from home due to my studies. Nevertheless the ‘walls’ built this time is so much different than previous one for the reason that I choose to be in Penang myself. Face it! I had the choice of doing my internship in my hometown but…but…but that doesn’t matter anymore, the fact is I’m already here and I have to live through what I had chosen.

Also because of this, I let many people down including myself. Life’s fun in Penang but life is only great when you have friends, family and person you loved being with you. I can’t help to be in awe “What happen if I choose to be in my hometown? Will everything be the other way round?” and every time when I felt lost, I asked myself constantly: “Did I make the wrong choice?”.

All along, I made uncountable mistake, some that I regret and some come in a great prize. You’re right, I decide too fast without even understanding the consequences. Usually, I just hide it with a smile but recently this smile ice up; it’s hard for me even just to stretch my face and smile. You’re right again, in the end I’m the only one who ended up crying for mummy. Risky decision, big sacrifice and low gain; who will play a game like this? I will.

“Did I make the wrong choice?”

It may be too early for me to judge. Yet, based on the ‘walls’ and what I had lose; it pretty much looks like a huge mistake to me. Even though it’s a mistake, there nothing I can do but to live on. Yet…

“Did I really making one?”

That; I leave for you to answer.

Day 1: Internship

This is something that I must blog, my first day being a trainee in Texchem Polymers. For those of you who is not familiar with Texchem Group, think of Sushi Kin, think of Fumakilla, think of Seamaster and a few other small company; and all together *voila* that’s our Texchem Group; quite a ‘rojak’ company if you ask me. Texchem Group is divided into a few…mistake: not few, HELL LOTS of divisions such as Family Care Division, Food Division, Packing Division and a few others which I can’t remember (can’t help, too many). Anyhow I don’t think you guys will be interested in my company background. Well then let’s talk about my first day of work in Texchem Polymer.

My first day of internship, should be quite relaxing; that’s what I thought and just to confirm: I did text a few friends of mine. Most of them are still in orientation session, some sitting there waiting for lunch but for me; that’s a whole different story. For starter, fifteen minutes after my first day of work, I received a 900 pages book and a pile of journal about biopolymer: starch-based-polymer from my supervisor. Yes! Those starch that we consume every day.

There’s a reason why I choose physic class rather than biology class, yes partly because I suck at it and yes partly because I can’t bear myself slaughtering some small helpless animal but that’s not the point; above all and all, I hate memorizing. My mum want me to be a doctor, but I told my mum if I be one, the only way I’m going to make my living is by selling MC (medical certificate) because there's no way I can pass any test that required memorizing skill. Frankly speaking, I can't even memorize my own car plate number. Yes! That's how bad my memory is. Physic on the other hand is totally a different story; it’s more to application rather than just memorizing. Nonetheless we do need to memorize sometimes but like what my professor said: “the easiest way to memorize in physic is by derivation”. From one statement, we can derive it to another; that’s the power of physic.

Back to my first day as trainee, I thought internship is all about practical: handling machine, checking stockpile, dealing with client and so and so; and during internship reading is history; especially journal reading which I hate the most but I was wrong BIG TIME. I got an assignment on my first day of work; my supervisor asked me to do a small research (more like literature review) on starch polymer. Those thing I thought that I may escape once I jump out of university all came back to haunt me; journal reading, report writing, research and examination. Yes! Freaking examination, no kidding; they’ll conduct a short theory test to test my knowledge on the machine used (DSC, TGA, DMA, Tensile, Extruder). I guess my internship life is no different than my university life, except for the fact that I must wake up earlier and there’s no way I can skip my working day.

Today is a hellish day, as I only able to sleep for three hours; thanks to my nocturnal lifestyle, I slept at 3am; wake up at 6am. That’s only three hours of nap and the rest I have no choice but to cover back at work which is totally not-etiquette. I had been falling asleep for so many times in my company, that surely leave a bad impression on my first day I guess.

But that is only the first day of work, many things can happen in 6 months time. One thing for sure, the people there are extremely welcoming and friendly; God Bless.

Well then I guess it’s time to doze now, take care guys!