Our house has turned into a Bed and Breakfast. All the sheets, pillowcases, and towels have been put into good use. This explains why I haven't posted since... the last time I posted. We've been laundering, doing groceries, doing floor scrubbing, doing... doing a lot of housekeeping.
Now the guests have all gone home. But the rooms will once again be occupied by June.
Oh well. It's always a pleasure to host people. :)
I've been rolling that word round my tongue for the past few days. Plethora.
It sounds like a very pretty word. It popped into my mind while I was inside a coffee shop, surrounded by a plethora of nations. What sounded like a trio of Iranian BFFs were seated on my right. A group of Chinese Malaysians were a couple of tables away. The woman who served me looked Indian and a Malay couple moments ago had come in, ordering coffee topped with enough whipped cream to send anyone into a diabetic shock. The previous week that I was in there, some students from Africa occupied most of the space. Plethora.
Back home, people's eyes pop out when they see a white person and Koreans are some of the few non-Filipinos scattered about. Here, foreigners are a usual sight. Plethora.
I'd probably use the word more often if the stress was on the "thor". It sounds much dreamier, doesn't it? PleTHORa. But oh well. PLEthora.
Saw this last night on "big screen" at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra with ate Di Ponce. The animation was projected on screen while the orchestra perform the music live. It was so, so nice to have the music be performed live. It was awesome being able to watch everything from a box seat, too. (Hurray for winning two free tickets from a feedback raffle draw!) It was our second time at the Dewan Philharmonics. I wish I could post photos but doing any sort of recording there isn't allowed. I think we all should, if we can, watch an orchestra live at least once in our lives. It's an entirely different experience seeing how people passionate, dedicated, and disciplined in music play together to create one big, beautiful sound. After playing "The Snowman", the orchestra played a sample from "The Nutcracker" and some good ol' Christmas tunes (with a children's choir singing along). I'm starting to feel the Christmas cheer, over here.
A sweet friend has recently offered to teach us how to bake. She took up baking lessons last year and wanted to continue practicing the saccharine-filled craft. For some reason, she thought of us and felt it would be nice to ask if we'd like to learn how to make yum treats with her as well.
Hmmm. Baking. Cookies. Cakes. Cupcakes. I'm in! I am definitely in!
We've had two sessions so far. First we learned how to make Green Tea Financiers.
Aren't they yum?
Then, some weeks afterwards, we learned how to make Moist Devil's Chocolate Cupcakes.
Even yummier!
Before this, most of my baking consisted of adding eggs, water, and milk to ready-made cake and cookie mixes. But now I learned to make everything from scratch.
Our sensei taught us how to weigh individual ingredients. She taught us how to sift, to fold, to put dollops of whipped cream on top of cupcakes - I'd say that the past two sessions were chock full of fun learning experiences.
We're going to make Halloween treats this October (Or November, depending on how our schedule goes). I'm excited for that!
So now my list of dream house necessities is getting longer. In addition to having a music studio, library, and balcony, I'm going to make sure we get an oven as well. Here's to baking!
Before we went coffee-hunting last week, we actually went library-hunting first. I had decided to go on a literary world tour and my book-loving aunt suggested I go find a library in my area. I thought that was a very good idea. So, since we had actually passed by the Perpustakaan Negara (National Library) when we got lost after our Philharmonic adventure, we decided to go check the book house out last Saturday.
The Perpustakaan Negara is found along Jalan Tun Razak (the same road I use going to KLCC from my place). But, if you are coming from the south of KL like us, you have to make a U-turn after the Kuala Lumpur Heart Institute because the library is found on the "wrong side" of the road.
The library looks like a museum from the outside - it's so pointy! They have three main buildings/towers: 1) Anjung Bestari (Google translates this as "smart porch"! haha!) where the information counter is found; 2) Menara Pusat Maklumat Malaysiana (Malaysian collections?); and 3) Wisma Sejarah where the information lady told us the borrowing process is done.
Yeah, the perpustakaan is so tourist-friendly, I know. Everything's in Bahasa Melayu and I don't think there were any English translations around.
Well, we only got as far as Level 4 in the Anjung Bestari. We didn't go any further because, there, I found my version of heaven: literature from different countries! Oh yeah!
Philippine Lit
Chick Lit
Short Stories Galore
We failed to ask if there was a membership fee. I've still got a lot of things lined up for this last quarter so I couldn't afford too many distractions (nooooooo - I mean I'd probably spend all my weekends there in the library and wouldn't get anything done, so there). Next year, next year.
Stuff I remembered about the library: flip flops, shorts, short skirts, singlets, and spaghetti straps aren't allowed inside (dress decently yo). Parking is free if you park in the uncovered areas and the tandas might be cleaner inside.
Coffee + Art + Music = Bliss. Throw in some ice cream and you'll leave me at a loss for words.
So my officemate told me about the Coffee and Art Fringe Festival Asia 2013 some weeks ago and I promptly marked it down in my calendar. It had the words "coffee" and "art" thrown together in the same sentence so why not?
I imagined going to a cozy coffee shop with funky art displayed on the walls. On easels across the hall. On the tables. On top of the coffee. With jazzy music playing in the background. I should have paid more attention to the even details though, because there wasn't really any of that. But it was still full of awesomeness.
The event ran from September 28-29, 2013 at Publika, a trendy shopping mall in Hartamas. For the love of coffee, Partner-in-Crime and I found ourselves almost hopelessly lost in Jalan Duta because we were driving to the mall with only intuition and Google Maps on our side. We made it there safely, thank God, just in time for the Saturday evening event.
It turns out that the festival involved a lot different coffee companies giving out free coffee. Other companies (soy companies and this one ice cream company) were giving out free samples, too! We tried a few stuff and bought a few too.
Exhibit A: Milano Cappuccino Trial.
Free taste!
Exhibit B: Fatbaby Salted Ice Cream.
We bought this!
Exhibit C: Vintage Coasters - Freebies when you buy RM 10 worth of Nescafe products.
I <3 Vintage.
There were four bands playing some music at The Square that night. We were only able to watch Juxtaposed's full set. The music was pretty cool. Most of the songs were in Bahasa Melayu. I liked the second to the last song when one of the guys played a bamboo flute and the music sounded all traditional and melancholy.
The band before Juxtaposed. Dead Mushrooms?
The night was worth getting honked at a few times at the roundabouts leading to Publika. Let's do this again!
Patawad, dear readers, for not being able to write here last week. I was in Singapore during the long weekend (Happy Malaysia Day!) and I spent much of the first few days of last week resting.
Strange, right? I was in Singapore for Malaysia Day. If I were Malaysian, that would be very unpatriotic of me, but then again I'm just a foreigner in this foreign land.
Hello, SG.
So anyway, I grabbed the opportunity to travel and visit friends since, by the last quarter of this year, my passport and visa will keep me from getting out of Malaysia again. And I work during Saturday mornings so... Thank God for long weekends.
There comes a stage in your travelling life when people become more important than places. You won't care if you spend the day bumming around at home or if you meet up wherever just as long as you get to spend time with, you know, people close to your heart.
That's exactly what I did.
I can't say that didn't come with a price though. Here I go again with my travelling misadventures. But don't worry, nothing big this time.
I learned that it's very hard to find good parking spots when you're in transit during long weekends. I usually leave my car at Terminal Bersepandu Selatan (at Bandar Tasik Selatan) when I travel. I do this because: (1) I can ride a train to LCCT and KLIA there; and (2) I can ride buses to and from Singapore/Johor Bahru there, too. Parking costs RM 3 per day, it's covered, and security is quite good.
But then again, when everyone in KL is travelling and making balik kampung - be warned. I had to fit Caleb into this non-parking spot next to a Kancil that Saturday. After 30 minutes of circling the two levels. Yeah, there are just two park-able levels (hey wait, can we park at level 4?) so that explains the lack of good parking spots.
Mehehehehe.
Anyway, I got to Singapore in one piece. I was able to leave in one piece, too. It was my first time to ride the bus from Larkin again and not directly from SG like what we did last time. It's cheaper but a bit less convenient when it comes to time because you have to allot some hours into crossing the border. Well, I just slept. Whenever I opened my eyes to take a peep of what was happening outside, all I could see was heavy traffic. The bus left JB at 7:00PM and got to TBS at 1:00AM. So there you go - that's the long weekend traffic for you.
I enjoyed the ride though. It made me feel nostalgic of the long bus rides from Manila to Baguio City, my home town.
Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next year, Singapore.
There's something inspiring about watching people execute their crafts with utmost passion and excellence. It makes you want to break out from a life brimming with apathy and mediocrity. It makes you want to break into a life exuding so much more.
The show was entitled "The Art of the Countertenor" and featured British countertenor Robin Blaze. Boy, did he surprise us with his voice. Countertenors are those male singers having the vocal range of female contraltos. I associate myself to being a contralto (it's supposed to be the lowest female voice type) but his range is even higher than mine! His falsetto is so clean, his breathing control is so astounding, and if you had your eyes closed the whole time, you would have thought it was a woman singing.
Here's a YT vid I found of him. You know, so you wouldn't have to keep imagining.
My mouth must have been half-open throughout his entire performance. He was amazing. And he had this cheerful countenance. I like how he felt every emotion of the music, how he kept in tune with the conductor and the rest of the orchestra.
THE CONDUCTOR AND THE ORCHESTRA. How can I even begin to explain all the emotions I felt while watching them do their thing onstage? One moment I was smiling. Another moment I was gaping. The next moment I was smiling again.
It was fun watching the individual players put all their passion into playing their songs. Some played with brows furrowed in deep concentration. Others played smiling, their eyes twinkling like the lights that shone on us from the ceiling (sorry, photography wasn't allowed inside the hall). Others played expressively with an eyebrow arching from time to time, with a lip twitching in amusement every now and then. They made me want to try my hand at the violin again. But on second thought - nah. How could my skills even begin to compare with theirs?
Did I say we were seated in the second front row seats? With nobody sitting in the row before us? We were so close to the stage we could see the drops of perspiration forming on the conductor's face.
Oh the conductor! He was, of course, wonderful. So. Expressive. I'm sure most conductors are. But it was my first time to see a real conductor onstage and this man, Bernard Labadie, was amazing. He was very energetic and appreciative. I liked the way he embraced and shook hands with Robin Blaze at the end.
Watching a conductor conduct was something. Somehow, I could imagine how creation must have played out, seeing the maestro bring each instrument to life with a gesture from his hand and with a stroke from his baton.
Our ticket envelope said, "We wish you a memorable concert experience." Indeed, ours was a very noteworthy one. Who wants to come here with us next time?
So we almost found ourselves riding off to Ipoh last Sunday night. That would have been all well and good if Ipoh wasn't approximately three to four hours north of Kuala Lumpur. It would have all been fine and dandy if I didn't have work to attend to the following Monday. Well, how did we find ourselves almost heading off to Ipoh, you ask?
Easy. We simply hopped on the wrong bus.
Partner-in-Crime was already waiting by the bus when we got to Kitchener Road. Ate Di and I had taken the wrong MRT exit and had to go through India just to get there. I had the printed itineraries. But we all needed to make a quick detour to the bathroom so we asked the driver to wait for us. He said, "Okay." We made a mad dash to the ladies toilet. Then we ran as fast as we could back to the bus and seated ourselves in our assigned seats.
"Where are you going?"
"KL."
"KL? No, this bus is going to Ipoh. Go and check at the office."
Office??? Ate Di and I knew it. Buses going to KL usually had ticketing offices nearby. We found it strange that we could immediately get inside the bus with just our printed itineraries.
We scrambled out of the vehicle, scanning the perimeter for the said office. Where was it? We saw another bus and I asked the driver if it was going to KL. He said it was but I had better check with the office first. I told him, "Please wait for us." He said, "Okay."
When we go to the ticketing office, it was already 10:10 PM (our bus was supposed to leave at 10). The ticketing lady exclaimed, "Why so late ah!" and gave us our tickets and complimentary mineral water bottles.
We double-checked the tickets and it turned out that our real bus was thankfully the one with the driver who graciously waited for us after I asked him to.
Lesson learned: when booking buses online, look for their ticketing office first before making yourself comfy in what could be the wrong bus.
Would you believe that, after all these years of living in Malaysia, it was only last Saturday that I was able to step into a Malaysian KTV bar? I kid you not. It was definitely a first.
I think what scared me off before was the thought that the song selections might not include English songs (just Malay and Chinese ones). But lo and behold! Neway Karaoke Box Malaysia had not only a collection of English songs, but Tagalog songs as well!
Partner-in-Crime and I sang our hearts out with some friends we made from singing last December in the Philippine Embassy Choir. We took advantage of the Normal Hour package, the one that included a dinner buffet. Yeah, it was a bit pricey. But there was so much food! And we partied from 7pm to midnight, so it was all worth the Ringgits spent.
Pick a song.
So happy that my face looks like a very round smiley.
So... Turns out that I have no photos with the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, yet, in this blog. I have tonnes of them, you know. Or maybe I've just taken tonnes of pictures of other people with them. But here are a few decent ones I've found from my collection:
One of the more recent ones. Taken by my friend, Getabel.
So. This is the place that I call home, for now. Don't ask too much about the Sabah-Sulu issue. The whole thing's giving me a headache now. Let's all live peaceably with one another. :)
Happy Heart's Day, everyone! I'm holed up inside the office today (what's new?) with nothing really lined up for today. I'm looking forward to eating gallons of ice cream tonight, though.
I'm all in good cheer, however, having come from a pre-valentine's celebration: Partner-in-Crime Xious and I decided to go on a road trip to Port Dickson last Tuesday since it was the last day of the long weekend for me and because we wanted a change of scenery. It was either the beach or the laundry room.
The beach won, obviously.
A good thing, too. So we drove 1.5 hours to our melancholy destination with songs by Brooke Fraser and Colbie Caillat playing in the background. Good vibes, good vibes, good vibes.
We loved Port Dickson. I don't think PD beaches are really that "swimmable". But the salty breeze, the waterfront view, and the sunshine was enough to put me and Xious in a happy mood.
With that, I shall let these pictures paint six thousand more words about our getaway:
Mari's driving shades finally meets the beach.
I <3 U? Who?
Flip-flops day!
Peek-a-boo.
Waiting for lunch.
Chillin'
We went back home at around 6pm in the evening. Too bad we didn't catch the sunset. But we had fun listening to Gabe Bondoc and James Morrison on our way back.
Sigh. Love, love, love, love - precious love.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! So, how are you all celebrating this mushy day?
We went out to have a picnic at Taman Warisan, Putrajaya this Sunday. We didn't know that there was a food court so we brought along lots and lots of food and had a potluck.
Taman Warisan is a pretty place. I read that they host activities and hold events (see Putrajaya Website) but it was event-less the day we went there. So we just ate, hang out, took pictures and walked up to the lookout. And then we took some more pictures.
Here are some of them for your viewing pleasure.
Up we go.
Mini Roundabout.
Filters.
View from the deck.
When exiting from the food court.
Putrajaya has a lot more Tamans (gardens). I guess we'll be exploring more of them soon.
Singgalang's gone. Half of what used to be our favourite lunch house has now been occupied by Rico Rinaldi (the guy who sewed my bridesmaid's dress for the TM wedding) and an unknown eatery.
It's a bit sad because I've had some pretty good memories there in that Indonesian resto. They had this pretty good beef - grilled and topped with vinegar-like sauce, onions, and chilli. They also had this petai which my friends fooled me into eating by itself. It's better eaten with sambal or some other spicy dish, but... well, let's just say it was like an initiation to the Malaysian experience. But more than that, Singgalang was a place where new friendships were established, where dreams were dreamed, and where visions were casted.
The beef.
Sigh. Goodbyes. We all have to deal with them.
We said farewell to Kajang. Bye to our old house. Bye to the now bigger but slightly crampy-er grocery shop. Bye to the Internet shop we used to frequent.
We went to Kajang this Saturday. It was both fun and nostalgic.
Fun because we got to eat Pecel Lele once again. Yes, Pecel Lele - deep fried catfish in its crunchy, salty goodness.
Nostalgic because -
Mygash. That was my territory for what? Two and a half years? I was with Kuya Tram and take note that Kajang was his territory for an even longer span of time. Like, six or seven years, I guess. So you can just imagine just how melancholy we both were.
We spent two hours at the Pecel Lele eatery. Yes, TWO hours. We ordered the famous catfish. And we also ordered tempe (fermented soybean) and gado-gado. Gado-gado is a mix of vegetables with this savoury peanut sauce. It was goooood.
Pecel lele
Gado-gado
Tempe
As we ate, Bas Minis zoomed by. Okay, they didn't zoom by. They rattled by. Rapid KL U40 buses - those zoomed by. They brought memories of my first few months of work with them. I used to wake up at 5:30 am just so that I could chase those buses. So that I could get the 6:40 train at the Kajang KTM station. So that I could catch the 7:10 KLIA transit at Bandar Tasik Selatan.
Aiyoh. It's strange how a place like that could bring back so many memories.
So we decided to walk around the area afterwards to burn catfish calories and to see if our favourite spots were still there. Some were, some weren't.
A good friend and I prepared a simple Noche Buena for the 24th. Then we watched Brave and Love Actually. Brave because I hadn't seen it; Love Actually because we wanted something with a Christmas theme and she hadn't seen it -- and because we weren't able to find a copy of Home Alone 1, 2, & 3.
I got to Skype with my family 30 minutes before midnight. Thank God for technology. They tried to feed me a stick of barbeque but the food couldn't get through.
My friend and I had a joyful midnight feast afterwards. Then we went to sleep. And prepared for another feast when we woke up the following day.
Note to self: Salt and pepper is enough for a salty Pinoy Chicken Adobo. Adding an extra chicken cube will make it extra salty. Tsk. Malaysian soy sauce is a bit sweet, so I felt I had to add more salt. But again. Salt and pepper is enough. I know that now.
So we ate and watched TV movies at Ate Di's house. A true blue hibernation day.
It's back to work again tomorrow. But I am truly thankful for today - and for yesterday. I got some well deserved rest. I got to hang out with friends. I got to see a webcam video of my family. And I got to eat lots and lots of chocolate and lots and lots of marshmallows, too.
I'm thankful for Christmas. It's the day we remember that God became man (God Incarnate for a time), showing His great love for humanity. It's the day we spend time with friends and family. It's the day we celebrate His great love.
No matter how we celebrate it, as long as we celebrate His amazing love, we will truly be merry.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Lots and lots of chocolate. Lots and lots of marshmallows, too.
Life of Pi was AWESOME. I'm planning to write a review (well, more like thoughts and insights) about the book-turned-film but perhaps I shall pen it down tomorrow. Or tonight, before 3 AM. But I'll probably publish it in www.mariscribbles.com. So stay tuned. In the meantime, here is the trailer:
Again, I tell you, it was AWESOME.
After we watched the movie, we went shoe shopping. And laksa hunting. And garter + candle scouring. Don't ask. We wanted to find some garter for Ate Di's skirt project but the salesladies kept pointing us to the section where they held, uhh, rubber bands. And then later we wanted to find candles for a candlelit Noche Buena but they pointed us to the birthday candle section. Oh. Kay.
Anybody know where to find skirt garters and long candles in Malaysia?
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