To give a Toast!

It was one random Saturday morning but a friend and i were talking over breakfast about finding a hobby or joining a society or organization like Toastmasters, Lions, Rotary, Nature etc.. and just few days later another friend's friend (who added me by mistake on Facebook, fancy that!) invited me to a Toastmasters meeting on Sunday night out of the blue and just in time as its a couple of days before this interested friend of mine leaves Kuching.. if you don't call that a sign, then i don't know what is.

For anyone who hasn't heard of Toastmasters, its a club that helps you improve in your leadership, communication and speaking through fortnightly meetings. In Kuching, its on every 1st and 3rd Sunday night at 7.15pm held at Harbour view Hotel.

i expected a stage with many chairs for a big audience but the setting was more of a board meeting for a small group where everyone has a chance to speak. was definitely an eye opener to this club, am amazed at how they prioritize time-keeping and punctuality (there's a time keeper for every part of the agenda). and this newcomer friend of mine had a chance to speak for 2 minutes during a Table Topics session (ok, so i pushed him..) where 10 members get to speak for each minute, and guess what, he Won!

Some people are just born to speak (or crap..) lol!

Kenny Sia's Fun in Kuching

all i can say when i watched this was "Hey that's Kuching! my hometown!" (like any sa-kua would say when watching TV for the first time)

as much as what everyone says about how small/not-as-happening-as-KL/lifeless/friendless/quiet/no-weekend-entertainment-provided etc.. Kuching is, its still the hometown where i was once brought up in and will always have a special place in my heart :)

its still a developing city, though not as rapid as others, and i secretly hope it doesn't turn into another big hectic metropolitan city with lots of cars, pollutions and high crime rates, but remain as a clean, green, spacious little place where oddly enough, everyone seems to know everyone, perhaps its not 6 but 3 degrees of separation here, that's just how 'cozy' we are...

Community Service 4 with Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation at Kpg Dunuk, Padawan Kuching

Last Sunday i joined the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation for a day trip community service to Dunuk in Padawan, more than 2 hours drive from Kuching. had to meet up at 5.30am on a SUNDAY.. *yawnnnn*

our vest.. there were 6 buses x 40 volunteers = 240 volunteers!!! the BIGGEST volunteer group ever so far! they even lined up and sung songs all the way as we entered the school to welcome us. am very amazed at such a huge and united team.

time to get to work! started around 9 after setting up and worked all the way (in shifts, there were 6 dentists + 4 assistants, the most so far too!) with tea time and lunch provided of course, till 2+pm followed by an hour long singing and closing ceremony with speeches from several surgeons and members of the foundation.

it was touching indeed that people from every walk of life, of every race and religion, came this far to help out in the name of love :)

i actually wonder, i have so far participated in non-religious NGO (MERCY), Sai Baba (from India) and Buddhist Tzu Chi (from Taiwan) community services.. do we Christians have such health care and humanitarian programs as well (besides mission trips of course)? maybe it hasn't reached my ear yet, or they have enough volunteers.

the dental volunteer team! cheerios!

Trio Food-Hunting for Dim Sum and 555

felt like having dim sum one morning so gathered an extra duo for dim sum breakfast hunt

at Imperial duck, Jalan Chan Bee Kiew which is near Lok Thian Restaurant

if you have been following my blog, these don't need introduction.. if not, its egg tart, char siew puff, siu mai, carrot cake, shanghai dumplings / wuo teah and siu long bao. i think its average, don't mind revisiting if i can't find a better place. at least it opens by 7+am, the Shanghai Joyous Restaurant nearby has dim sum at 11am onwards which is too late for me!

Dim sum round 2 at Xin tsui siang Restaurant at Jalan Petanak, says open at 9am but really started moving at 9.30am. only tried a few dishes cause we are full, but there's only 12 types of dim sum dishes here.

Hmm.. where else can i get decent Dim sums in kuching? so far i've eaten at 2 shops in Padungan (one sells the famous Big Foochow Pau, the other, HK Pao Cafe is so-so but has pastries), Yeow Kee Cafe (1, 2, 3), Hong Kong Causeway Bay and these two today. Yet to try Joyous Shanghai and perhaps the tea houses like Mitsu and Yamitsu. We'll see.

dinner was at Yun Cai, Central Park. half of it is in a shoplot, another half opposite is in a semi-open air. supposely the dad runs the famous Ming Cai Seafood in Miri

unfortunately one of the crazy duo was caught by surprise cause its a different concept all together, not a branch of miri's. we settled with bidin, egg yolk prawns and bak kut teh. not sure if they were impressed.

change of environment at the Living Room, situated next to Havana! very nice setting indeed!

ended the night at The Junk with a non-alcoholic big glass of 555, a sourrr drink made of 5 sour stuff. taught to stir the drink well 1st and you could top up with more water later. not bad actually, most interesting non-alcoholic and non-typical-mocktail drink so far. and the bar with the deco and snooker table at The Junk was pretty as well.

time for us 3 to hit the gym! they actually do go actively..
i really just give support ;P

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Chap Goh Mei (Part 9)

my family celebrated the 15th day of CNY with a Bang! to the stomach (and pocket) that night having Japanese Buffet at Cafe Majestic at Riverside Majestic or Crown Plaza Hotel (i interchange the names somehow)

wide array of fresh seafood and sushi!

we not only took from the buffet table but could order sashimi of salmon tuna swordfish octopus unagi etc.. and hand rolls of any combination! reminded me of my Japanese buffet in London, but this is definitely way better! (for equal prices after conversion)

the desserts are so pretty!

there's a chocolate fountain and ice cream as well.. and as you can see the plate has 1 of every type of dessert.. (yes, greedy greedy)

and the happy faces around the table! i had a too-generous portion of all my favourite Japanese food that would last a while before i bite into the next sushi, whenever that is..

thus ends my CNY series, but obviously doesn't end my food hunting...

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Of Roses and Valentine's (Part 8)

Over the years, many people have grown a love-hate relationship with Valentine's: you either plan for it months ahead like its your wedding, or you wish the day flies by without any of the awkward "You are spending Valentine's ALONE???"

At first the atmosphere appears all red and 'prosperous' with all the Chinese New Year decorations everywhere, and half way through, the bold red colour is accompanied by various shades of pink, red lanterns become heart balloons, tit bits and oranges turn to boxes of fancy chocolates and any CNY decorations turn into bouquet of flowers or plush toys.

Realistic/single/broke/sore-losers/V' day-haters etc.. would argue Valentine's Day of Love is over-commercialized and just a gimmick to boost sales, and i absolutely agree, insisting that Feb 14 is suppose to be Just Like Any Other Day To Love, and Everyday is Valentine's.

But call me a hypocrite, I (like any other XX-chromosomes out there) am a sucker to sweet surprises of roses, chocolates and a nice meal with someone who appreciates your company.

thanks for all the lovely roses which i received on any Other day except The V day itself

thanks for the 5 lovely boxes of chocolates :)

Isn't it bad enough when you don't know which box to choose as you don't know how it would be like once its opened and tasted?

Forrest Gump said life is like a box of chocolates, right? You never know what you're gonna get till its opened.

What if i know? Does it necessarily mean i would appreciate it?

Go on, take a bite.. i know you want to..

It's wasted to see good quality chocolate going into an undeserving mouth or left aside melted, unappreciated like how it was created for.

thanks for all the kind thoughts, gestures, meal treats and gifts

So do i hate Valentine's?

How can i when i am constantly reminded that there are people who cares?

Happy Valentine's Day, and no its not February 14th, but everyday is Valentine's, isn't it? :)

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Multi-cuisine Restaurant Crawl Gluttony (Part 7)

Ok, i'm done with appetizers aka. cafe crawling, now lets get down to the real stuff, Restaurant Crawling!

Western lunch at Carvery, near Pending with Fresh Oysters.. well its not really That fresh as u can taste some frozen-ness but its not too bad

lamb shank and chicken cordon bleu

Italian dinner at Bella Italia, RHB/ BDC area opposite 4 points (oddly enough i've never been to Bella Italia in London)

smoked salmon linguine padrino and quatro pizza (basically there's 4 different types of pizzas in One! if you are sharing with a friend, then all 4 slices are different which i think are funghi, salami, hawaiian and tuna) exactly what greedy-me wanted, and the crust is thin & crispy.

Chinese dinner at Country Court with steam Cod (yummies but expensive!) tauhu, egg and vegetables (cause my dentist recommended a soft diet, don't ask why)

Thai dinner at Mango Tree, Bampfylde Road, which i passed by a million times but never went in until today (although i've been to the London branch) went indoors although they have outdoor tables as well

had pamelo salad, pad thai noodles, shrimp fried rice, red curry duck and sweet and sour fish. i think the food was good! certainly missed Thai food!

Japanese lunch at Rakutei, Crown Towers (where there's the Hong Kong Causeway Bay and Mr Ho Fine Food). Set lunch was rm20-50, not cheap, but if you want cheaper Japanese food there's another japanese shop opposite Rakutei. been a while since i ate nice Japanese food (besides everyone's favourite : Sushi King!)

before i pen off, special Thanks for all the classy grand treats :)

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Cafe Crawl Gluttony (Part 6)

i think its been a while since i visited several cafes within a short span of time, but one random morning we really did that (for solid food and drinks this time) and only cause they are all within the same block at Jalan Ang Cheng Ho...

breakfast was Madam Tang's RM11 Laksa.. its a huge bowl with 5 big prawns..

next down we had tea at Cheese & Tea

skipping the Chicken Rice Shop (which i visited few days ago) and went on to Kaya & Toast

and its about lunch time when we reached the last shop at the corner, Zest. nice setting, and the path to the toilet is well decorated indeed!

it has international cuisine.. i had the ebiko fried rice which was not bad. the prices were reasonable as well. time to put a full stop, can't fit a 5th cafe anymore!

cafe crawling done, next stop: restaurant crawling...

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Triple Reunion Gluttony (Part 5)

1st reunion: with Kak Naz who flew in from KL to visit us for a few hours! wow!

taking the sampan across the Sarawak river

arrived the other side during the hot midday sun in search for..

Dayang Salhah Kek Lapis! famous for Kek Lapis Sarawak apparently, not bad, its all rm10 and there's lots of samples to try! i like the one minimally layered with Cadbury choc, yums! come so far, sure have to buy right?

a meal at Madam Tang's before we parted ways

2nd reunion: with my twin Stef from KK, before flying back early next morn

dinner at Kim Bay, the Spring

ordered beef mushroom rice, eggplant and salted fish claypot (which is a bit too oily for me) sweet steamed yam cake and peanut butter + ice cream toast (which came together with the mains and was half melted by the time we dig in! too bad)

then supper with Hot & Roll peanut butter crepe opposite Ta Kiong Supermarket.. yes, we inDulge crazily when together..

time to wash it down with tea at Secret Recipe! CB joined us before her movie.

3rd Reunion: with some SMKBL ex-schmates at Happy Valley (behind)

mixture of western and asian cuisine, nice ambiance
(warning: the Happy Valley Special drink tastes like Chinese medicine!)

random shots by our photographer and organizer that night

then we moved on to Basaga, meeting more friends before call it a night

more non-stop eating next... (oh no!)

Rabbitty CNY 2011 - Multi-cuisine Gluttony (Part 4)

just some multi-cuisine food i had before the CNY

dim sum (Yeow Kee) and penang laksa (along central road)

Xian Ding Wei, Taiwanese tea room, at the Spring

its not too bad (KL portion and prices) but will check out other taiwanese place next time to compare

Chicking Eating House at Ang Cheng Ho which has branches in Singapore.. it's not bad either

Koreana, a Korean Restaurant at 101

enjoyed the beef and steamboat, and the endless servings of starters like kim chi and clams..

meeting up at Starbucks post CNY open house to chill out with tea and i saw something familliar.. ;P We watched Green Hornet 3D that night and i think i would recommend it for Jay Chow fans only.