:: Our first road trip to Melaka ::

Updated with images.

Back from a short getaway to Melaka. We decided to drive in on our own to this Heritage city of Malaysia. This is our first self-drive trip up north to Malaysia (well, we've heard enough stories but we managed to come back in one piece together with the car)

We were supposed to drive a Honda Stream, but somehow, we drove a Chrysler Grand Voyager in. Driving a Chrysler somehow add pressure to us cos this is too expensive a car and it just shout "Look at Me!!" and knowing the security in Malaysia isn't too fantastic we just have to be careful with where we park our car.

We set off at 4am on Saturday morning *yawnz* and cleared the custom slightly after 5and here we are hitting the north-south highway. It rained along the way and luckily I wasn't the driver thus I get to sleep at the back of the car. We arrived in Machap for a toilet break (Machap is 10 minutes before Yong Peng) nothing fantastic over there but it's just a short break for all of us. It rained along the way therefore we can't realli drive too fast (I think we hit 110-120km/hr). It was onli 9.30am when we arrive in Ayer Keroh (just outside Meleka City). We went for our breakfast, Chicken Rice Ball at Chung Hwa Coffee Shop. There are few others shops that sells chicken rice ball like Hoe Kee, A-One etc. Chung Hwa is a small and old coffee shop and it was pretty crowded when we reached there but we managed to find a seat pretty fast too. There are 5 rice balls, each the size of a golf ball. The chicken is succulent and I have to say it's one of the most delicious hainanese chicken I've had so far. (FYI, I'm not a lover of broiled chicken cos there's always a smell in it and I only like roasted chicken).

Being a fan of the Mediacorp drama series "The Little Nyonya", we decided to visit The Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum. This is also the place where most of the scenes were shot. The tour took around half an hour with a tour guide walking you through the various rooms in the Peranakan house. Entrance fee is RM8. We have made reservation at Mahkota Hotel Melaka (one of the oldest hotel in Malacca. The hotel seriously need some overhaul as the interior is quite worn out. We initially made reservation for a 2 bedroom apartment but when we checked in, we were given a 1 bedroom apartment. The 1 bedroom apartment looks like our HDB flat and I don't think I would like to stay in it. We went to the frontdesk to request for an upgrade of room. So in the end, with a top up of RM50, we upgraded to their junior suite which is not that fantastic either but it definitely felt like we were upgraded from a HDB unit to a condo unit. After checking in and some rest, we played tourist for the rest of the day visiting A'Famosa, St Paul's Chapel, Christ Church, The Stadhuys and Menara Taming Sari.

When night falls, there was a slight drizzle and we hurried in to a restaurant that serves authentic Peranakan food - Nancy's Kitchen. We ordered Nanas Lemak Udang, Babi Ponteh, Nyonya Chap Chai, Chinchalok Omelette, Otah and Curry Chicken. I especially like the Babi Ponteh as it was abit sour due to the assam and the pork was just crispy on the outside and tender inside. It continues to rain even after our dinner so the guys decided to go for a drink at Geographer Pub just opposite Nancy's Kitchen while Pearl and I went to buy poncho and shop around Jonker Street. On a non rainy days, Jonker Street at night will be bustling with activities. There were stalls selling noodles, kueh kueh, handicraft etc etc. Becuase it was raining, the hawkers there have to wait for the rain to stop before they start business. Pearl and I went to hunt for the famous Chendol in Malacca. It has to be the most yummy chendol I've ever had. The gula melaka was so tasty and fragrant even the coconut cream was so fresh. Definitely not something you get in Singapore. And it cost us only RM1.70. There were other yummilicious food like Nyonya Assam Laksa, Baba Laksa, Goreng Goreng (like gado gado) but because we were too full from our dinner, we decided to come again for lunch the next day.

We checked out around noon and head sraight to Tan Kim Hock for some local products. Then it's lunch at the forever crowded shop that sells yummilicious chendol. This time round I managed to have their Nyonya Assam Laksa. TASTY! the thick beehoon tasted like udon and mee tai mak cos it was very Q, and again I had the chendol.

It won't be long before I hit another road trip. Tada!


Yummilicious Chicken Rice Ball


This is where they serves the yummilicious chicken rice ball


Waterwheel


San Shu Gong - Local products

:: On a Holiday Spree ::

Have been going on short trips recently.. Haha, I just went to Genting and KL end of February and oh my, that trip somehow make me aged faster.. All the late nights and drinking, gosh!

Nothing to blog about that trip since I just been there a month ago so that's it.

Look out for my next posting on my road trip to Malacca. Woohoo!!

:: All Good Things Come To An End ::

Weeks back, I posted a song lyrics "All Good Things Come To An End" by Nelly Furtado. At that point of time, the song is plainly just soothing to the ear though it has got sad lyrics.

I'm currently looking for a job due to the fact that my ex-company is undergoing some restructuring and sadly, they decided to close down my department. I am leaving my 2 pretty ladies and Mr Handsome therefore this song further deepen my feelings.

All I have to say is what goes around comes around. And all that I am going to do now is brace myself and brave through this tough period.

:: Get to/ Got to ::

Every morning for several years, promptly at 10am, a prominent businesswoman visited her mother in a nursing home. She was close to her mother and loved her very much. Often she had requests for appointments at the time of day. Her response was always the same: “No, I’ve got to visit with my mother.” Eventually, her mother passed away. Shortly thereafter someone asked the woman for an appointment at 10am. It suddenly hit her that she could no longer visit her mother. Her next thought was, ‘Oh, I wished I could visit my mother just one more time.’ From that moment on, she changed her “got to’s” to “get to’s.”

Her story makes us realize that pleasurable things are “get to’s.” I get to play pool today, or I get to go on vacation this week. Burdensome things are “got to’s.” I have got to go to work at 7am tomorrow, or I have got to clean the house. Since the perceptions influence thinking and performance, try this. Instead of saying, “I’ve got to go to work,” think about the people who have no job. Then you can enthusiastically change it to, “I get to go to work tomorrow.” If somebody invites you to go fishing, instead of saying, “No, I’ve got to go to my child’s game on Saturday,” think about the fact that someday your child will grow up and you won’t be able to go to his or her games. Then it’s easy to change it to “get to.”

It is amazing what that change in words will eventually do for your attitude. You will find yourself looking forward to doing those things instead of feeling as if you have to do them. With a difference in attitude, there will be a difference in performance. With a difference in performance, there will be a difference in rewards. So think about these things, and change your “got to’s” to “get to’s.”

~Credit to Junie~