It's a sad day in the house as we mark the passing of our last fish in the family. While we were initially happy to discover that our fish had survived our two week absence, all was obviously not right in the household aquarium. The day after we got back saw us burying the first casualty as Cosmo left us for deeper waters. Not long after that we were digging a hole for Gus, our latest addition to the tank. Now we're distraught that Ingot has also left us which means that the only organisms left in the tank are Jeeves the demented sucker fish and Ed, our bristlenosed algae eater.
We might look into getting some new fish soon but for now I think it's probably best for us to just mourn and accept our loss. Missing the poor guys already. :'(
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The next generation is here
I toyed with the idea of picking up an Xbox 360 on our trip back to Malaysia but figured it would be far too much hassle to deal with potential issues with power adapters, AV standards (we use PAL down under) and "warranty claims". Particularly prudent I'd say given the common issues which the first batch were plagued with.
My patience finally gave way this weekend as I decided (after much pleading for Alison to approve the purchase) to join the ranks of the current generation of video consoles. We're now the proud owners of a new 360 and one game... that was second hand.
Yes, technically we've been enjoying the current breed of console goodness since we bought the Wii but the graphics whore in me just wasn't satiated without 1080 HD. Now I just need to get the little baby modded up and I'll be well on my way to getting some Gears of War action.
Even out of the box the machine is pretty impressive. After downloading a small update we can already play all our burned DivX DVDs on the thing, which was the only reason I had my old 360 still hooked up. Xbox Live Arcade games are pretty nifty too and will be a pleasant way to past the time until the real (ahem... copied) games start rolling in.
Now the only one missing from our little game family is the Playstation 3... *sigh*
My patience finally gave way this weekend as I decided (after much pleading for Alison to approve the purchase) to join the ranks of the current generation of video consoles. We're now the proud owners of a new 360 and one game... that was second hand.
Yes, technically we've been enjoying the current breed of console goodness since we bought the Wii but the graphics whore in me just wasn't satiated without 1080 HD. Now I just need to get the little baby modded up and I'll be well on my way to getting some Gears of War action.
Even out of the box the machine is pretty impressive. After downloading a small update we can already play all our burned DivX DVDs on the thing, which was the only reason I had my old 360 still hooked up. Xbox Live Arcade games are pretty nifty too and will be a pleasant way to past the time until the real (ahem... copied) games start rolling in.
Now the only one missing from our little game family is the Playstation 3... *sigh*
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Back again
And just like that our holiday's sadly over. We're now back in Brisbane safely and have confirmed that the fish have survived two and a half weeks of neglect. Great news as I really don't have the energy to clean and dispose of an aquarium right now.
There were a few bumps on the leg from Singapore to Brisbane and this time we didn't have the luxurious comfort of an exit row. We tried to book our seats early but it was a packed flight filled with Lufthansa passengers piggy backing on the SIA plane (I despise coach sharing). What really ground my gears though was the ridiculous escalation in airport security. Our carry on baggage was scanned before entering the terminal, again before entering the departure lounge, again when we disembarked from the plane in transit and of course for good measure one more time about 20 metres later as we boarded our last plane in Singapore. I mean everyone knows that a Singapore Airlines flight in midair is a raving hot spot for drug and firearm procurement.
I'm sure I'll be less grumpy after a snooze this afternoon.
There were a few bumps on the leg from Singapore to Brisbane and this time we didn't have the luxurious comfort of an exit row. We tried to book our seats early but it was a packed flight filled with Lufthansa passengers piggy backing on the SIA plane (I despise coach sharing). What really ground my gears though was the ridiculous escalation in airport security. Our carry on baggage was scanned before entering the terminal, again before entering the departure lounge, again when we disembarked from the plane in transit and of course for good measure one more time about 20 metres later as we boarded our last plane in Singapore. I mean everyone knows that a Singapore Airlines flight in midair is a raving hot spot for drug and firearm procurement.
I'm sure I'll be less grumpy after a snooze this afternoon.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Holiday car trouble
Seems like we can't head overseas without encountering a little trouble on the road. It's not quite as drastic as the last automotive malady we had but it certainly added a little bit of excitement to our drive out to dinner.
Alison and I thought we heard a little pop as we were speeding down the highway followed by a soft hiss. The car seemed ok so we didn't worry too much until the rear tire started flapping. Yvonne did well to flick on her hazard lights and pull over to the side of the road. Our problem wasn't too hard to spot the problem when we got out of the car.
Uncle Wing responded with pit crew celerity, keen to get to our next meal no doubt. I've never seen a tire change before so it was a pretty educational experience for me.
It's pretty late in the holiday but I guess that's our vacation hitch over and done with.
Oh, we also took a trip into KL to pick up a Mah Jong set of our own for the sweet price of 80 ringgit. :)
Alison and I thought we heard a little pop as we were speeding down the highway followed by a soft hiss. The car seemed ok so we didn't worry too much until the rear tire started flapping. Yvonne did well to flick on her hazard lights and pull over to the side of the road. Our problem wasn't too hard to spot the problem when we got out of the car.
Uncle Wing responded with pit crew celerity, keen to get to our next meal no doubt. I've never seen a tire change before so it was a pretty educational experience for me.
It's pretty late in the holiday but I guess that's our vacation hitch over and done with.
Oh, we also took a trip into KL to pick up a Mah Jong set of our own for the sweet price of 80 ringgit. :)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Yet more food, poker and phones
The Malaysian food odyssee continues with legendary satay from Kajang. Uncle Wing, being a Kajang local, was less than enthusiastic about being dragged to yet another satay meal but he sucked it up and managed to choke down a few sticks for our sake. Nothing quite like some well cooked 'perut' (tripe) satay with fresh satay sauce.
We then drove back to Subang to catch up with the old school gang. This would prove to be our second trial on Malaysian roads which we survived thanks to Alison's nervous navigation and my suicidal steering. I must say that the road signs have improved since our last visit, not that I often find myself in the driver's seat if I can help it.
Cel had just flown in from Boston with two of his mates from the "You Ess of Ey" and they certainly seemed weary from the trip. Nothing that couldn't be cured by a quick trip out for some Rojak and Cendol though.
Photos were taken on my camera by KeWynn, who obviously knows what he needs to do behind a lens. Sorry I didn't quite put as much care into post processing these pics as you normally would have mate.
After hanging around and playing some Wii at Cel's house, we drove about to Klang for some uber fresh seafood. The restaurant we ended up at was basically floating on the water by the sea so it would be hard to get a catch any fresher. As a testament to the authentic origin of our meal, we even found a bit fisherman's net in our plate of crabs.
Some of us were apparently hungrier than others...
Satiated for the time being, we then retired back to our house in Subang for a late night of poker. Ding's practically a professional card shark and he was more than happy to provide the chips and decks so he could part some of us from our hard earned cash. Frenzied betting and wild bluffs went on till about one in the morning and when the dust settled, Cel's brother Val turned out to be the clear winner. It might have been general concensus at the table to ensure that the body builder with arms the size of our thighs finished the game a happy man.
Cel on the other hand, inspite of a limitless reservoir of hope and enthusiasm, did not have as much success at the table. Als and I didn't fare too badly though our winnings were quickly flittered away on some late night A&W waffles.
We slept over in Subang that night and decided to spend the next day wandering around the newly renovated Sunway Pyramid. I was absolutely bowled over at the size of the new wing given that we were only back a little over a year ago. I guess that's progress for you.
While I hadn't initially planned on getting anything gadgety on this trip, Alison and I both felt it might be time to upgrade our mobiles for something with a little more chic. I managed to land myself a HTC Touch and Alison bagged a Sony Ericsson W910i. The prices seemed pretty impressive at the time but after we bought them we realised that we'd probably be able to get them in Australia for a smidgen more. Ah well, at least we both got a complementary blue tooth head set with them.
We then drove back to Subang to catch up with the old school gang. This would prove to be our second trial on Malaysian roads which we survived thanks to Alison's nervous navigation and my suicidal steering. I must say that the road signs have improved since our last visit, not that I often find myself in the driver's seat if I can help it.
Cel had just flown in from Boston with two of his mates from the "You Ess of Ey" and they certainly seemed weary from the trip. Nothing that couldn't be cured by a quick trip out for some Rojak and Cendol though.
Photos were taken on my camera by KeWynn, who obviously knows what he needs to do behind a lens. Sorry I didn't quite put as much care into post processing these pics as you normally would have mate.
After hanging around and playing some Wii at Cel's house, we drove about to Klang for some uber fresh seafood. The restaurant we ended up at was basically floating on the water by the sea so it would be hard to get a catch any fresher. As a testament to the authentic origin of our meal, we even found a bit fisherman's net in our plate of crabs.
Some of us were apparently hungrier than others...
Satiated for the time being, we then retired back to our house in Subang for a late night of poker. Ding's practically a professional card shark and he was more than happy to provide the chips and decks so he could part some of us from our hard earned cash. Frenzied betting and wild bluffs went on till about one in the morning and when the dust settled, Cel's brother Val turned out to be the clear winner. It might have been general concensus at the table to ensure that the body builder with arms the size of our thighs finished the game a happy man.
Cel on the other hand, inspite of a limitless reservoir of hope and enthusiasm, did not have as much success at the table. Als and I didn't fare too badly though our winnings were quickly flittered away on some late night A&W waffles.
We slept over in Subang that night and decided to spend the next day wandering around the newly renovated Sunway Pyramid. I was absolutely bowled over at the size of the new wing given that we were only back a little over a year ago. I guess that's progress for you.
While I hadn't initially planned on getting anything gadgety on this trip, Alison and I both felt it might be time to upgrade our mobiles for something with a little more chic. I managed to land myself a HTC Touch and Alison bagged a Sony Ericsson W910i. The prices seemed pretty impressive at the time but after we bought them we realised that we'd probably be able to get them in Australia for a smidgen more. Ah well, at least we both got a complementary blue tooth head set with them.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Kong Hei Fat Choi
A happy Chinese New Year to everyone and welcome to the year of the Rat. I don't think I've been back to Malaysia for CNY in over five years so coming home for all the food and festivities was a special treat. Everyone put in a huge effort towards preparing a feast for the eve so that we'd have enough to cook in our steamboat. Well... everyone else helped out with food... I cataloged their efforts and provided much appreciated criticism on the size of the meat balls and prawns.
Alison playing the part of the diligent daughter-in-law made an inspiring contribution in the kitchen. New cultural experiences included; chopping and smashing sugar cane for the stock, rolling meatballs to exact standards and cutting up pig's intestines. All done with minimal squirming at the thought of handling "gooey bits" which was very impressive.
I think we might have had a little too much to eat at dinner but I guess it only comes round once a year...
After stuffing ourselves silly, Uncle Wing and mum took us out on a little tour of Kajang by night. Most of the local Chinese were getting ready to head to the temples for midnight prayers. The temple behind Wing's electrical store started burning their oversized jos sticks a couple of hours before the new year officially began.
The next day was a pretty cruisy one as we past the time by receiving a few guests and playing uncountable games of mah jong. Now that Alison's picked the game up we might even see if we can find a set to bring back to Brisbane while we're here.
Alison playing the part of the diligent daughter-in-law made an inspiring contribution in the kitchen. New cultural experiences included; chopping and smashing sugar cane for the stock, rolling meatballs to exact standards and cutting up pig's intestines. All done with minimal squirming at the thought of handling "gooey bits" which was very impressive.
I think we might have had a little too much to eat at dinner but I guess it only comes round once a year...
After stuffing ourselves silly, Uncle Wing and mum took us out on a little tour of Kajang by night. Most of the local Chinese were getting ready to head to the temples for midnight prayers. The temple behind Wing's electrical store started burning their oversized jos sticks a couple of hours before the new year officially began.
The next day was a pretty cruisy one as we past the time by receiving a few guests and playing uncountable games of mah jong. Now that Alison's picked the game up we might even see if we can find a set to bring back to Brisbane while we're here.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Good food and happy occasions
Oh, what succulent culinary delights we've been spoiled with. Mum recently befriended a charming sushi chef at Midvalley Megamall and arranged for a mini degustation for us. Highlights included Uni-makesushi with quail's egg yolk, Unagi with wasabi infused shredded radish and freshly cooked tako (octopus). We all know how much I love uni so I was most definitely a happy chappy.
Scrumptious fish head was another dish on the menu. Not quite like the bowl of Chicken Feet that you'll be eating Brett but I figured you'd enjoy that photo.
Fish eyes are especially juicy. Yum.
The big event we've been looking forward to this trip (aside from Chinese New Year) was Tim and Christine's wedding. There were a few logistical hiccups along the way, including the best man sleeping in and the infuriatingly casual attitude that Malaysians have with punctuality. In the end however everything worked out swimmingly which was a relief for all involved.
It was great catching up with friends from Sayfol, many of whom I haven't seen in more than a decade. While the smart attire and accompanying significant others initially suggested a sense of maturity with each familiar face, it didn't take long before childhood mannerisms came to the fore as we reminisced. Now that Tim and I have both found matrimonial bliss (and Taufique not too far behind) I fully expect that we'll be hearing similar news from Eric. *glances over at his older brother*
Scrumptious fish head was another dish on the menu. Not quite like the bowl of Chicken Feet that you'll be eating Brett but I figured you'd enjoy that photo.
Fish eyes are especially juicy. Yum.
The big event we've been looking forward to this trip (aside from Chinese New Year) was Tim and Christine's wedding. There were a few logistical hiccups along the way, including the best man sleeping in and the infuriatingly casual attitude that Malaysians have with punctuality. In the end however everything worked out swimmingly which was a relief for all involved.
It was great catching up with friends from Sayfol, many of whom I haven't seen in more than a decade. While the smart attire and accompanying significant others initially suggested a sense of maturity with each familiar face, it didn't take long before childhood mannerisms came to the fore as we reminisced. Now that Tim and I have both found matrimonial bliss (and Taufique not too far behind) I fully expect that we'll be hearing similar news from Eric. *glances over at his older brother*
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