All It Took Was Gustav: To The Village And Beyond

My eyes were blood shot when I exited the Boeing 767. I could tell that my parents and J were also in desperate need of rest and sleep. It was 7.45 pm in Oahu well past my bedtime in Connecticut. There was a six hours time difference. I anticipated we would get over the time difference in a day. However, it would ultimately be a challenge when we return from our vacation and need to turn our clocks back to Eastern Standard Time. Reason being the adrenaline and excitement will be over when we depart Oahu.

We made our way to the baggage claim area and waited in anticipation for our bags. After a lengthy wait, I was elated when I caught a glimpse of all our bags when they made their way on the conveyor belt in succession. I heaved a sigh of relief. I would really hate it if our bags did not make it with us. Thoughts of me making my way to the beach without a piece of cloth on me and showing off my imperfect bits make me shudder……

After some wait, the Hertz shuttle came to pick us up and was ‘greeted’ by a Hertz shuttle operator who apparently did not like her job. What happened to ‘Aloha! Welcome to Hertz Rental Cars!’ at the beginning and ‘We hope that you will enjoy your stay in Oahu. Thank you for choosing Hertz’ when we finally reached the Hertz Rental Center? Instead, she reluctantly gave answers as generic as they could to passengers who asked her who they should go to when they reach the rental center. I rolled my eyes, looked at J and my parents and commented in Cantonese,

‘She should just go home if she does not like her job. There are others who need work. Come on, it is not even late. What a sour puss! It is a good thing we do not need her to talk to us except to drive us to the center.’

My parents smiled and said nothing. J said,

‘She reminds me of the people in the service industries in my ‘hood’. They think they are doing you a great favor.’

I creased my forehead and commented,

‘Your ‘hood’ is different. People are trying to stay alive by not getting mugged or shot at. This is Hawaii, is it not? People are nice, yes? Unless this is a misconception and only nice people exist in tourist areas.’

We ceased conversation when the shuttle finally stopped in front of the rental center and J proceeded to collect our rental car. I must say that having the President Circle status with Hertz is a great thing. Although booked on a mid-size car, we were upgraded to a nice full size car. We had the Infiniti EX35 (sweetttt…..). The car came with a GPS system called the NeverLost. I knew better to use my very own GPS than to use the NeverLost. Like J always say, ‘The NeverLost will get you TRULY lost’. Nonetheless, if you do not have a GPS or a decent map, the NeverLost is a fair substitute.

As we drove along the Kamehameha Highway, I realized that the environment, apartments and city reminds me of home i.e Malaysia. The difference? Oahu was very much cleaner, cooler and breezier. Driving for about 8 miles, we finally reached the hotel. For five nights, we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa. My parents had a nice suite in the Diamond Head Tower while J and I had a room with two double beds in the Tapa Tower. On the first night, I slept like a dead log. Not even an earthquake would have woken me up.

Waiting at the lobby to check in

The Resort Map

Amazingly I woke up at 9.00 am the next morning fresh, energetic and famished. After freshening up, we made our way to the Rainbow Lanai for breakfast. The continental breakfast was on the house and with an additional $10/person we were upgraded to a full American breakfast. I had a full breakfast so much so I did not have lunch that day. My parents like me were gastronomically satisfied until towards the end of the day. I could not say the same for J as J is a sluggish mindless eating machine very much like a crossbreed between a tiger shark and a cow.

Dad in front of mini waterfall

Mom and me in front of the hotel beach while waiting to have breakfast

Hotel property (view from the suite)

After a good meal, we made our way to the Concierge and Activities desk to gather a map of Oahu and a list of tours/activities respectively. Despite tours arranged by the tour operators, we opted to explore the beauty of Oahu on our own. We had a car and did not want our freedom to be inhibited by typical tour operated activities. Instead, we wanted our trip pleasant and easy. With the breeze cooling the tropical temperature, we sat comfortably on lounge sofas at Tapa bar to plan our self operated tours in Oahu.

Me, J and parents (not in the picture) at Tapa Bar

Map of Oahu and our planned attractions (circled in blue)

Our first stop was the Wal-Mart store on Keeaumoku Street. We wanted water, a basic necessity for any human being. Surprisingly, I also found my favorite green tea on the shelf i.e. ITOEN for a mere $1.10/bottle. I bought six bottles and four gallons of water. Exiting Wal-Mart parking lot, I knew there was much to see and we were on our way to our first planned attraction, the Diamond Head.

Driving in the city

A yellow 'duck' in front - vehicle that can travel on land and water

Pawn shop

To be continued......

All It Took Was Gustav: The Beginning

A fishing related conversation with a client 2 ½ months and a vacation idea two weeks ago, my trip was at last finalized the week before Labor’s Day weekend. The plan was to spend some time in New Orleans, LA followed by deep sea fishing at the Gulf of Mexico leaving from Pensacola, FL. Flights and hotels as well as fishing reservations were booked.

The week before the actual vacation date, news of Gustav ravaging Haiti, Jamaica and Western Cuba made headlines. Gustav was predicted to ravage New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. To not take chances, on 28th August 2008 three days before the evacuation process in New Orleans I had my flight, hotel and fishing trip cancelled.

Storm Path of Gustav 2008

Engulfed in disappointment and the flu virus for the entire week, I was determined to head somewhere and have a blast. After all, the new work environment albeit only a few months brought on stressful days. After pondering many hours in the midst of a bad headache, I narrowed my choices to three destinations listed below in no particular order.

Destination A

Destination B

Destination C

You and I know which one was the CLEAR winner. It was Destination C i.e. Honolulu, Hawaii also known as Oahu.

After pitching this idea to J and my parents, J and I frantically searched for last minute available vacation packages to Oahu, HI. Lady luck was shining upon us and we found ourselves a great vacation package. Add a car rental to the mix, limo reservations to and from Westchester County Airport, we were good to go. As last minute as it was, all preparations were made. What was left to do was to pack plenty of sunblock, my ohh lala bikinis, infamous yellow crocs and a few decent clothes ;)

On 31st August 2008, a day that coincides with Malaysia’s Independence Day, we woke up at 4.30 am to make our 5.30 am limo pickup. At 7.20 am, we boarded our flight and was en route to Oahu, HI......with a few transits along the way of course. The same day 14 hours later, the plane finally touched down Oahu and we were finally there!

To be continued....

Hot, Sexy, Cool...Who?

This is a short one and probably meaningless to some. Nonetheless, this is my thought.

Nelly is yummy. Mmmm……. ;)

The first single I heard from him was ‘Ride Wit Me’ in 2000. Back then I thought he looked good. Then he came out with ‘Hot in Herre’. Watching the music video got me hot all right. Many singles later, I saw him in the movie 'The Longest Yard' alongside Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Not too shabby for his first acting role I must say.

Lately, I was watching Ashanti’s latest collaboration with him in ‘Body On Me’ MTV. Some years were added on his physical appearance. Even so, he remained hot, sexy and cool. What? With those sun glasses and a V neck T that accentuates his biceps as well as tight body shape, I can only croon.

As for Ashanti, damn she is just as HOTTT. :D

Music Video below for your viewing pleasure....

Land of Bourbon, Whiskey, Gambling and Horse Racing

This write up is rather anti climatic from my last one as it is no longer about having fun or meeting odd individuals. It is vis-à-vis my work. I can almost feel my readers’ enthusiasm for this write up declining akin to the performance of the Dow Jones for the past week.

Nonetheless, three weeks ago I decided to pause for a moment from my day to day responsibilities and chart out the journey I took since joining a consulting firm since 2001. My career started in Malaysia and within two months after joining the firm, I traveled to St. Charles, IL for company training purposes. From thereon, I was working on projects local to Malaysia and I could vividly remember the experience I gathered from my first assignment.

Being a newbie in the workforce at 23, I not only began to understand the work culture in my firm but my ex-coworkers around me. Taking my work seriously, staying focused and delivering the best I could was my priority. It was however misconstrued as anti-social and presenting a hard time to my supervisor then. Asking questions to further my understanding was also an issue and I was reprimanded for doing so. For my first assignment, I was in fact working with a highly sensitive supervisor and teammates with the clique mentally to boot. Hence, I kept a low profile, followed orders without reasons or questions while delivering my work the best I could. Conformity ensured a smooth sailing environment in that particular project thereafter.

An eye opener and a lesson well learnt albeit the hard way. As my first assignment came to an end, I was more than happy to move on and hoped that I will not have to work with them again. My prayers were answered as my subsequent ex-coworkers were normal. Needless to say, I had an enjoyable time collaborating with them.

Believing that I will develop my career solely in Malaysia, I received an unexpected phone call two years later about an opportunity to be staffed in Hartford, CT. Long story short, I seized the opportunity and the four months in CT stretched to eight months and eventually became five years. As today stands, I am still with the same firm, relocated to New York City and currently residing in CT.

Why the relocation?

For my line of work where a system that encourages fair selection of vendors and a work culture that encourages ideas, team effort as well as positive improvements, it was only logical. The plus point would be the ability to ask questions that did not result in getting a smack on the hand ;).

During these five years I was mostly in Hartford, CT for work related purposes. There were occasions where I flew to Chicago, North Carolina and San Mateo. My latest stint is The Commonwealth of Kentucky :).

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. It is one of the four US states to be officially known as commonwealth. Kentucky is also known as the ‘Bluegrass State’ as it has many lawns and pastures throughout. I have read that Kentucky is a land with diverse environments, abundant resources, the world’s longest cave system, greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the lower 48 states and the two largest man-make lakes east of the Mississippi River (phew…that was a mouthful). Another glaring attribute is that Kentucky has the most productive coalfield ($$$$).

Reading up on a destination is not the same as going there. Weeks ago I took my first flight out from White Plains, NY to Frankfort, KY.

Having slept at ungodly hours for months and countless hand action on the snooze button, I finally manage to peel myself from my airbed (long story) at 4.30 am to get ready for my 5.30 am pickup. Zombie like I showered, dressed for work, packed my luggage and made my way out of the apartment. Approximately 45 minutes later I was at the airport where I checked in, did a mini striptease at the security and finally lounged at the boarding area.

As I kept my eyes close to nap which proved to be an unsuccessful attempt before boarding the plane, I was silently hoping that my flights will be on time. Flight cancellations and delays are so common these days that it is unbecoming of the FAA and US airline industry. While the travelers are complaining, I do not believe that they are genuinely concerned. When an announcement was made that my flight was going to be delayed for approximately 20 minutes, I was not surprise at all.

Miraculously the plane reached Cincinnati, OH 10 minutes early thereby giving me slightly more time for connection which was a little less than 30 minutes. Little did I know, the connection required a terminal change i.e. from Terminal A to Terminal C. Upon deplaning, I rushed to the shuttle bus to make it to the designated terminal. I made my connection and was on my way to Lexington, KY in a tiny regional jet. Despite numerous occasions flying, I do not enjoy it. My body is not accustomed to flying and the effects are uncomfortable. With this little regional jet, I was immediately sickened. Thankfully it was a mere 25 minutes flight. After arriving at the Blue Grass Airport, I collected my travel bag, headed towards the rental car and drove to work.

Gate B7/B9 at Blue Grass Airport (LEX)

Traveling on a Monday taught me well. First of all, heels are painful and time consuming when one had to rush to make a connection especially when the initial flight is delayed. Dragging two travel bags towards the rental car in heels is also another reason not to dress up for work until one gets to the workplace. This is only applicable to ladies who travel for work and has the love for heels. I have ever since dressed in casual clothes and sneakers on a Monday morning. Of course there was an episode where my travel bag with all my clothes did not reach the destination with me….sigh. You can well imagine what that was like and definitely deserves a write up by itself.

Nonetheless, my first drive in Kentucky was nothing but pleasant. The speed limit was 55 mph and 70 mph on state and interstate roads respectively. Everybody was driving without a care in the world. The view was exceptionally gorgeous along highway 60 when I drove past Ashford Stud. I see some horses, ‘moo moos’, rolls of hay and flat green pastures along the way.

In fact, I look forward to driving highway 60 every week and I am sure there is more to discover in the land of bourbon, whiskey, tobacco, gambling and horse racing. At the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

Highway 60

Another shot of Highway 60

A Glimpse of Ashford Stud

Driving into the capital

Scenic stop just before entering the capital

Kentucky State Capitol

Kentucky Department of Revenue

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 4)

After spending two and the half weeks in Malaysia for the Chinese New Year celebration, I finally made my way back to United States (US). I was welcomed by none other than the cold and snow the day after I returned.

Believing that I will start a new arc on my write ups, I was welcomed by news that I needed to return to Malaysia again for business related matters. For this reason, the write up and continuation of the Malaysian Arc.

The time spent on my second trip to Malaysia took on a different flavor. I simply had more time to see to more fun activities with Melissa. I have introduced Melissa as my zany cousin from my previous write up. More than being zany, bright and a tad sluggish on her part, we in fact grew up together despite being 11 years apart.

Although we had plenty of opportunities spending time together when she was younger, those times diminished as we grew older as we had responsibilities as students who aspired to do exceptionally well in school. Furthermore, we each had our circle of friends whom we spend our time with respectively. The only available times that we can get together were Chinese New Year and weekends.

As we grew older, we somehow spend less time with friends and focus on spending time with our families, thus finding ourselves spending more time with our cousins. Now that she has her driving license and independence, I no longer had to drive all the time! I love being driven around when I am home in Malaysia. Really, Malaysian drivers are indifferent and reckless. I however have been tamed for driving in the US for quite a while now. Believe me that it strains me to drive at home.

Nonetheless, Melissa and I do things most teenagers would do. We find new places to eat. We hang out at side stalls, shopping malls, bowling alley and arcade as well as drive around the city in the middle of the night.

Photo shots of KL city in the middle of the night while driving in the car

Fun times with family at shopping mall, bowling alley and arcade

Doing all the above, I must say that one of our highlights was in fact a day spent at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park. The theme park was established in 1992. Surrounding the theme park is Sunway Pyramid Shopping mall, Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel and Spa, Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway College. All of the establishments above including the theme park are owned by the giant conglomerate Sunway Group in Malaysia.

The last time I set foot in this 80 acres theme park was many eons ago where I was invited as a guest to enjoy the facilities in the park. The theme park was quite impressive back then. Walking eagerly into the park again, I realized that there were many more things to see and do. They are currently featuring a Scream Park and have incorporated the Extreme Park as well as the Wildlife Interactive Zoo. Seeing that we would not be able to go to all parks, we decided to amuse ourselves at the water park and if stamina permits we would go to the amusement/dry park.

Our first stop was the Mali Cove also known as the wave pool. Sitting by the edge of the pool and waiting for the huge tub of water to overturn was worth it. Splashed by the gush of water was refreshing.

Mali Cove

Our second stop was the African Pythons and Cameroon Climb. Basically, it consists of enclosed and fully open slide as well as an inverted double tube respectively. In short, it was a scream fest session sliding down the tubes in the pitch black darkness.

African Pythons & Cameroon Climb

After which we headed for the Congo Challenge consists of six lanes where one goes head down first. It was another scream fest and adrenaline rush session which left us craving for more exhilarating rides.

Congo Challenge

Despite being young and energetic, those rides wore us out as we had to climb up the hill to experience them. Taking a break, we took a walk against the current on the Voodoo Adventure River and chance upon the man-made ‘Victoria Falls’.

Victoria Falls (man-made)

Halfway into the day, I unfortunately had a probing headache due to the heat. To ease the pain, we headed for the Surf Beach after having some food. Stretching over 13000 square meters, the beach is capable of churning out perfectly shaped surf waves up to the maximum height of 8 feet. I have none but one word to describe the surf beach and its facilities; blissful. Lying down on the deck chair under the hut at the edge of the tropical beach oasis made us forget that a city lies simply beyond the theme park walls.

The Surf Beach

Relaxing within one of the huts at the Surf Beach

Waking up from our approximate 30 minutes peaceful slumber under the hut, we were interrupted by a queer character in leopard print ‘speedo’ swimwear. He asked for our help taking his photos while he posed at the Surf Beach. Melissa being a better photographer than me helped him. It was not until 20 minutes later, he asked Melissa for help again. Only this time, he was lying on one of the deck chairs about 30 feet away. I reclined to take a nap and from the corner from my eye as he unveiled his towel covering his modesty I realized that he had changed into a pair of transparent lacy thongs. Trying to keep a straight face and pretending nothing obscene was going on, I deliberately laid down on the deck chair.

Returning and walking towards the hut was Melissa’s stunned facial expression. I could almost swear she was marked with a paler complexion. Keeping mum, we concurrently decided to walk away from the hut. After a safe distance, I heaved a sign of relief and finally blurted out,

‘What the heck was that?’
‘Is he even normal? What a weirdo!’
‘It’s a public area, a family fun place, not some pornographic film set.’
‘Lace???!!!! A thong???!!!!! Transparent???!!!! For a HE??? You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me!’
‘AND he has a pot belly! Eeewwww!’

Melissa looked at me, rolled her eyes and in exasperation exclaimed,

‘What are you complaining about huh? It’s worst for me. I had full frontal vision! I had to look away while taking that photo and pretended to be unaffected.’
‘I won’t be able to gamble or buy any lottery ticket for the entire year! I’ll surely lose money!’
‘It’s disgusting. Spoiled my day!’
‘It’s all your fault. You attract the weirdest people.’

I do not attract weird individuals. Even so, he is an exhibitionist with skin as thick as rhinoceros hide bar none.

For the next 20 minutes while walking around the park looking for more adventure we cursed repeatedly. We did not find new rides but we successfully walked off the frustration and disbelief. Regaining composure after all the walking and cursing, we ended our day cheerfully at the park by walking the 428 meters long pedestrian suspension bridge. The view? Awesome......

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Exhilarating_Moments_at_Sunway_Lagoon_Theme_Park

Launching of GastroHaven!

Finally! After several weeks, Melissa and I are launching our new site......(drumroll)

Gastronomic Heaven!

Here we document our adventures with food and rate these establishments in the process. Seeing that this is our launching there is only one review so far. Rest assured there will be more to come.

Enjoy our new site and feel free to refer us to some eateries or restaurants that you have been. Better yet, subscribe to our site and receive notification whenever we update our eating site!

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 3)

It is uncanny how two months have past since February and not yet close to completing year 2008 that my cousin i.e. Melissa and I started planning for Chinese New Year (CNY) 2009. Admittedly, I am addicted to the exciting moments I had with my cousins when I was home; so readily addicted that I have been having withdrawal symptoms ever since returning to the United States (US). Some of my counterparts believed me to be playing a prank when I expressed how I almost needed a therapist because of my addiction. The factors alleviating my problem are constant gym workouts, tube entertainment and work related ‘pressures’.

Melissa like me must be pining too much for these fun occasions that I received an instant message from her written all in capitals as I logged into MSN Messenger one morning. She wrote, ‘SKFY, WE ARE SO GOING TO LANGKAWI FOR CNY NEXT YEAR!’

Really, I maybe having withdrawal symptoms but this girl was desperate and plagued by boredom. At two in the afternoon Eastern Time and hers in the wee hours of the morning, we started planning for the trip. The excitement was fueling her like caffeine for I would have been dead tired at that time.

Relating this incident to J, he foresee that she and I are going to have a tough 2008 until we see light at the end of the tunnel which literally translates to the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 (by the way, CNY 2009 falls on January 26th 2009). While J could relate to our excitement, bouts of desperation and withdrawal symptoms, many in my family were wondering which wires in our heads were gravely messed up.

To begin with, it was the fun we had at the waterfall (write up previously posted in OA & OA Part 1). Next, were the fire crackers that we fired off ‘burning’ our hard earned money in the process. Although not fully described in any of my write ups, it happened at night on the eve of CNY 2008. Also, I would like to reiterate that it was exhilarating.

Last but not least, our short escapade to Penang. Penang is located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca. The state is geographically divided into two sections i.e. Penang Island (Pulau Pinang) and Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai).

Map of Penang

Instead of using the infamous Penang Bridge to traverse to Penang Island, we decided to take the ferry for old time’s sake. Cross-channel ferry services that connect Penang Island and Province Wellesley were the only link between the island and mainland until the bridge was completed in 1985.

A family in two cars headed towards Butterworth, Province Wellesley and waited for our turn to board the ferry. As there were so many traveling during the festive season, it was a lengthy wait at the jetty. Bored as can be, those in the first car alighted to investigate the surroundings. It was after all a while since anyone of us used a ferry as a means of transportation. The slightly older folks in the second car were not as keen to disembark and remained in the vehicle.

Vehicle 1: Me, Kelvin, Michelle, J and Melissa at the jetty

Vehicle 2: Third aunt, Rachael, Cousin Mei Ling, Aunt Anne, Maternal grandma

Kelvin, Me and Melissa

The mind is a peculiar entity. It reacts in countless ways when one is bored. Mine gravitates towards being inquisitive and mischievous. I beckoned my cousins to hush and had Melissa take photos as evidence while I execute the following ever so carefully.

I was however unsuccessful on my second attempt to complete my quest on the other nostril. J woke up (I am not going to divulge what happened thereafter).

We finally made it to the island. Unfortunately, family members in car number two did not make it as the car acted up. It would not start up due to over heating. By the time the car started to act right, my aunt decided not to complete the trip and headed home (Taiping) with the rest of the family.

Disappointed they could not join those who successfully endured, we continued our escapade by driving around the overcrowded island and stopped at Gurney Drive for a bite. Gurney Drive used to be known for its scrumptious hawker food. Though selection was plentiful, it is no longer as flavorful. Better eating places can be found at McAlister road, Penang Road or Air Itam. Nonetheless, the food though not the best definitely outdoes Malaysian food served at chain restaurants in the US (The flavor is nowhere near authentic and I mean you ‘Penang Restaurant' located in most metropolitan areas in the US).

After filling up on food under the scorching heat, we headed to Batu Ferringhi located adjacent to Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah. Batu Ferringhi consists of strip of beaches on the northern coast of Penang. Days when I was younger, the beaches were almost untouched. Presently, there are numerous large hotels, restaurants and souvenir stores. Not helpful to the environment I must add.

Walking towards a favorable spot on the beach

At the beach, all but J touched the water. Let us just say J was being a wimp. Apparently, his feet coming in contact with the sea water could exacerbate his oncoming flu (roll eyes). We were there for approximately three hours. Imagine what we can do in three hours especially when we have one of our youngest cousins with us. To put it mildly, playing tricks on Michelle is an activity Melissa, Kelvin and I love doing.

Kelvin, Melissa and Me in borrowed swimming trunks

Piling sand on Michelle

Buried Michelle (we told her it was a photo shoot before leaving her there)

Group photo.....J asleep somewhere

Summing it all up, I had a fantastic time so did everyone on the trip. As Melissa and I plan for CNY 2009 which the entire family will celebrate with a bang, our industrious minds will definitely be pondering on CNY 2010.


Pssstt…..in case you did not know, CNY 2010 falls on February 14th 2010 ;)

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/13/Penang_2008_A_Day_Trip

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 2)

Like most women, I have weight issues. Working out regularly with weights and cardio machines as well as watching what I eat is something I incorporate into my lifestyle. In Malaysia however, I always throw caution to wind. As a matter of fact, this Chinese New Year I could not care less. I even had a theme song (see below) wherever I went.

It did not help when I have a family who loves to cook and eat. Moreover, I have not had Malaysian and home cooked food for quite a while. So many are starving out there but in Malaysia, people hunt on a full stomach. Endless restaurants, kopitiams (Chinese coffee shops), mamak (Indian-Muslim) and street stalls decorating both developed and developing parts of this country. One who loves food has to have the will power to say ‘No’ and it is absolutely complex.

Hence, what is Malaysian food? Malaysian cuisine is not one particular distinction of food. Instead its influence is derived from the multi-ethnic population of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya and the Indigenous peoples of Borneo. Malaysians have also over the years adapted dishes from other ethnic group to create new ones. Thus, the list of food is endless and requires substantial write up. However, food facts DO NOT and CANNOT portray the feelings it invokes when the food touches the palate. I can only describe the emotions by the theme song and photos below.

Theme Song

Food Glorious food
We're anxious to have it
Six banquets a day
Our favorite diet
Just picture a huge pork steak
Fried, roasted or stewed
Oh food!
Malaysian food!
Marvelous food!
Glorious food!

Food Glorious food
Poached chicken served as is
Broth made from an ox
Or plump red bean soufflé

Why should we be created to
Stop eating when full
Oh food!
Magical food!
Wonderful food!
Malaysian food!

Food Glorious food
Skin munched off the fat duck
Crisped, roasted or grilled
Now we'll be the stuffed ones
Just thinking of laksa soup
Tempts us to have more of
Food, Glorious food!
Marvelous food!
Fabulous food!
Beautiful food!
Magical food!
Malaysian food!

(Lyrics have been modified to reflect personal theme
Original lyrics from Ice Age 2: The Meltdown – Food Glorious Food)

Home Cooked Food compliments of my aunt

Food on the other table, compliments of my aunt

Home Cooked Food compliments of my mom

Laksa Noodle

Fried squid

Assorted fried finger food

Star mussels

Michelle and food.... so much affection

Melissa and Laksa.....such a happy expression

Ampang Yong Tau Foo

Salmon Yee Sang

Seafood flare

For more information on Malaysian cuisine, please refer to the following URLs.
http://www.malaysianfood.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Malaysia