boon's log 0810.07:Happy Chinese New Year 2010

YeeSang at The Syuen, Ipoh

Well, it's already the 8th day of the 2010 Chinese New Year and I hope it is not too late to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year of the Tiger... Roar! We hope that you've been having a roaring time celebrating the festivities with your families and friends. It's always a good time to reunite and reflect on the previous year(s) and make resolutions for the coming year - i.e. resolutions that only lasts for probably the next 24-hours... ;)

Anyways, many happy returns for the rest of the year. Eat, drink and be merry!

Huat-ah!

boon out...

boon's log 0110.07: Happy New Year 2010

A very happy and prosperous 2010 to all. I hope that you had a blast celebrating the new years with your friends and families. IL, Ab and I were at our Aunt's for the count down, with the rest of our rellies. It was fun - especially for the younger cousins - who, basically had a whale of a time! ;)

We spent the rest of the holiday weekend at my parents'. Ab had a wonderful time swimming with grandpa at the newly renovated (and impressive) RPGC. They really did a good job with the reno. They even allowed us to bring "Ooo-gway" into the pool with us - that was nice.

It was also Popo's 49th-day Prayers at the temple. Most of the rellies were back for the prayers. Thanks to Ab, she managed to lighten-up the entire atmosphere during the prayer sessions with her "charm" ;) We really Thank God for her. Everyone enjoyed her a lot... and i bet she also enjoyed herself too ;)

It was also a nice and refreshing, albeit short, reunion for the most of us before we meet again in a few week's time during CNY'10 - which I'm definitely sure will never be the same again.

Here are some pics...


Buddha tiles...


Curly joss sticks...


"Cymbals"(?)


The "hymnal"?


The "priests"... or what Ab calls them - Master Sifu


"Altar ceremonial lights"

boon out...

boon's log 5109: Remembering Popo

Popo [1919-2009]

It took me a while before I could bring myself to blog about this.

On the dawn of Wednesday, November 11th 2009, Popo, passed on peacefully. Her leaving, though not something entirely unexpected, but it still came as an unwelcomed surprise and it created an empty vacuum within all of us - the lives who have been so deeply touched by her love.

Perhaps it's the thought that she will always be with us, or at least for a longer period of time - perhaps another Chinese New Year, perhaps another birthday, perhaps another family gathering, perhaps another celebration of the welcoming of another great-grandchild... perhaps... another hour.

She had led a truly fruitful and blessed life. As far as I know Popo, she has always been a giver. Her abundance in love and compassion seemed unending and overflowing - the epitome of selflessness.

I still remember the times when she would take bus trips up to Kangar and down to KL and Ipoh, in between - either because someone was through exams (i.e. her grandchildren) or someone was down with chicken pox - with 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, I'm sure she's seen a lot of poxes... S

he would stay up in the middle of the night, making sure that we are feeling alright - soothing our pains and aches and also making sure that we are well nourished with her ever-ready and ever-handy herbal conconctions. All she needed was a trip down to your local Chinese medical hall.

Many who stayed through out the wake, were with her a few days before, attested that she looked fine and that there was no signs of anything all.

"We must have chatted for over an hour"

"She even asked me help bring some groceries over to her on Monday"

"I just talked to her over the phone just the night before she was admitted"

"She was in Penang just a few weeks ago".

But she was admitted into ISC on Monday due to difficulty of breathing...

She has also been truly blessed with caring and loving children and grandchildren. But we are just a mere faint reflection of what she had been to all of us. Things will definitely not be the same again.

...

Most of us made it back to see her one last time, at the hospital. It is not easy letting her go (it never is), and I guess we are not created or made to handle departures. We will miss her, love her and remember her always...

boon out...

boon's log 2509.07: Happy Father's Day!

We were back in Ipoh for Father's Day. Dinner was at Tai Thong, while Father's Day lunch was at Indulgence, Ipoh. This is the second time we were there for Father's Day and I have to admit that I am impressed with them yet again - in fact, I think they've improved from the last time we were there. Dad ordered the Father's Day Special while the rest of us just went for Ala Carte. Ab ordered the do-it-yourself topping pizza - where most of it went into Mom and Dad's tummy.
The grandparents once again never failed to surprise their grand daughter with gifts - from pop-pops to cooking-toys bubble-blowing-gun. Gosh, it's like her birthday, rather than Father's day! ;)

Anyways, we demanded that the toys remained in Ipoh, lest it will clog up her room with more toys (!!!).

Oh and it finally rained - perhaps a "present" for all the Fathers who WASHED and WAXED their cars (!!!). Yeah, I had to re-wash the car after arriving back in Penang to remove all the corpse I collected along the way home. But the rained did not help much in cooling down the weather, though. I still feel the heat... And what better way to cool down at the end of a long day (and weekend) with nice chilled-glass of beer... AAAaahhh......

Well, Happy Father's Day to all and to the rest hope you had an enjoyable and restful weekend. Pumped up to face the week ahead?! If you have not noticed, it is the mid of the year next week...


Indulgence, Ipoh


Father's Day Special


Father's Day Special appetizer


Father's Day Special entrée


Lambshank... yummy....


Daily Special Brew


Waiting to serve


Indulgence Exterior


Chocolate Mud Pie


Sunday Special


Winding down...


boon out...

boon's log 1609.01: Home Sweet Home

Final Destination

Home, finally. There's truly no place like home. There at the airport was IL and Ab - the 2 faces that I would never trade anything for. Pure gold. The last leg of the trip was, to be honest, MUCH better than the earlier one, with reclinable seats! Happyluyah! But it was only just a 3+hr flight. Just enough to catch an episode of No Reservations and then a short nap.


Hong Kong International Airport

The most typical question that people ask me whenever i come back to Penang is, "What is the first thing you would want to attack first - foodwise?" I normally would list the following - boonspot's Top Ten Penang Hawker hangouts:
1. Sar Teow Lor's Wan Ton Mee
2. Innira's Banana Leaf (Now known as Passion of Kerala)
3. New Lane's Char Koay Teow
4. Hai Ann's Hokkien Mee (Burmah Road)
5. Carnarvon St's Loh Mee and Loh Bak
6. Jelutong Market's Mee Goreng/Rebus
7. Kimberly Street's Kueh Chiap
8. Pulau Tikus Market's Lok Lok
9. Pulau Tikus Roast Pork/Chicken/CharSiu Rice Shop (Burma+Cantonment junc.)
10. Penang Girls School's Laksa

I have yet to complete the list since i touched down. Perhaps just 50% of that list. what a shame, ain't it?! :)

Ab started her day school 3 weeks ago. but the school had to shut down for 1.5weeks (10 days) because one of kids contracted Kowsacki and a lot of the parents requested for the school to close and be sanitized - which is a good thing, but that means ~7 over days without school. Some of our rellies asked us to ask for a refund for that 7 days. haha! Anyway, it is a good precautionary measure. Better be safe, than sorry.


Ab's School

She seems to like her new school, pretty okay. I guess it's because the system they adopt is quite similar to that in Goddard, when were in Hillsboro before. A lot of teachings of being independent and sharing among friends and also developing motor skills. Making friends and remembering their names and her teacher's names since the second day at school.


Ab washing her hands with her Korean friend

I had the chance to bring her to school during her 2 week orientation. She cried a little when i left her alone with her friends and teachers, but she calmed and settled down quickly and started eating and playing with the rest of her friends.

We'll see how things go for a few more weeks before we decide whether to keep her there. As what they say at work - we'll have a checkpoint in a few week's time. :)


I leave you with Anthony Bourdain's Quote in No Reservation:Hawaii...

"I happen to believe, if you look deeply into the heart of every great cook, there's a Chinese guy."

boon out...