June 2010

The Archives

Scones
06.29.10 | Permalink |Food| 1 Comment

I tasted the best scones in Cameron Highlands in T-Café, a small coffee shop opposite the Tanah Rata bus station. It was served with cream and homemade strawberry jam.

After that, I was looking for recipe to make some. Do you know that scones were the first thing I learned how to bake? I took home science in school and it was the first recipe in the book. It is really sad that home science is no longer a subject in school. I learned how to bake, cook and sew from it.

I found a couple of good recipe online. I haven’t been baking for a long while. The first batch of scones, I forgot to put sugar after I made the dough. The second batch was better but the third batch was perfect.

The second & third batch recipe was from the same recipe. They need buttermilk. If you cannot find buttermilk, all you have to do is to put 1 tablespoon into the milk and leave it for 5-10 mins. You will see curd forming in the milk. It makes the scones smell really good.

I believed the technique of doing scones must be correct to get delicious scones. I watched a couple of video from YouTube to learn the technique.

Here is the recipe that I used to make the second & third batch: http://www.joyofbaking.com/SconesCoffeehouse.html. On the fourth batch, I put egg as my friend suggested. It taste good too.

You try it!

Popularity: 2% [?]
Useless TAC
06.25.10 | Permalink |Service| Comments Off

When you build a security system such that no one can use it, it is useless. I was trying to book some movie tickets from GSC using M@ybank to pay for it. I tell you it is a real pain! The bank encourages us to do Internet banking but putting a bad security protection such as TAC (Transaction Authorization Code) just make their ease of doing transaction USELESS!!!!

Here is what I encountered. I reserved some seats for Toys Story 3 at the GSC website and I select to pay by M@ybank2u. It brought me to login to M@ybank2u, everything is fine and I click request for TAC. Wait…wait….wait…wait….never came. The screen logged me out, it is a security feature. Guess what? The TAC came BUT I CANNOT USE IT because YOU LOGGED ME OUT! The TAC is only valid during that login. *GERAM BETUL NI*

I tried 3 times and I gave up. I resort to use my Credit Card to pay instead.

Please M@YBANK, you should go and relook into your Internet Banking Tool. If not, it will sit there to collect dust.

Popularity: 2% [?]
Small Thrill
06.23.10 | Permalink |PP, Shopping| Comments Off

I get some kind of thrill when I am shopping stuff online. I feel better if I get great deal. The other day I was just got something that was 30% off from the retail price.

Here is a tip, in order to get great deals you must find online coupons. Online coupons help me to save and I use it all the time. With the extra, you can buy lots more. Doesn’t this make you happy?

On top of that, you get free shipping from some of the online stores. If only I am staying in US.

Popularity: 2% [?]
Addition To Penang Public Holidays
06.19.10 | Permalink |Penang| Comments Off

Today, in TheStar online papers, the state of Penang announced July 7 as a public holiday to to commemorate the anniversary of the inscription of George Town as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.

Penang state of Malaysia already has 17 days for public holiday, now it is 18 days. I believed it is the state with the most public holidays. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Ooh, added another Malaysia Day on Sept 16, now it is 19 days.

1. New Year – 1st Jan
2. Chinese Lunar New Year – 2 days, depend on the Chinese Lunar Calendar
3. Thaipusam
4. Prophet Muhammad Birthday
5. Labour Day – 1st May
6. Wesak Day
7. Malaysia King Birthday – 1st Sat of June
8. Penang Governor Birthday – 11th July
9. Malaysia National Day – 31st August
10. Nuzul Al-Quran Day
11. Hari Raya Puasa (*) – 2 days
12. Malaysia Day – 16th Sept
13. Deepavali (*)
14. Hari Raya Haji (*)
15. Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)
16. Christmas – 25th December

Of cause, some companies do not have all public holidays as off days, they limit it to a fixed number of off days. I wonder whether my company accept July 7 and Sept 16 as holidays. I hope there are good news for me

Popularity: 4% [?]
Pre Shopping In US
06.19.10 | Permalink |Book, PP| Comments Off

When I am visiting US, I love to shop at Amazon.com because of free tax and shipping. In fact I get most of my stuff there. I would send it to my friend’s place and picked it up on my way back. Thanks to them, I get some cost savings there.

I used to get books from Amazon books too but it is difficult to carry bulky books back. Well, unless it is a book that I cannot get here in Malaysia or they are having great deals.

I may be travelling again to US but going to east coast. Now I don’t have friends there and pre shopping will be difficult.

Popularity: 2% [?]
Plastic Bag-Less Day
06.16.10 | Permalink |Environment| Comments Off

The other day I was shopping at Jusco KL, I got a lot of stuff. Later at the checkout counter, the cashier told me that no plastic bags day on Saturday. Of all day, they picked Saturday where a lot of people is doing the shopping.

I just realized that KL picked Saturday. However Penang started with Monday to Wednesday. Now it is really inconsistent and it is not very good for tourist. How would they remember which day which state is not providing plastic bags? Something for the someone out there to get it right!

Popularity: 2% [?]
Vegetable & Fruit Week
06.11.10 | Permalink |Health, PP| Comments Off

I had so much vegetables this week that I am glad my bowels are all detox naturally. I had steam boat up in Cameron Highlands with fresh vegetables. After that, I had another round in KL at Shabu-Shabu. I believed I had more than 10 plates of vegetables. Next I went to Melaka and stayed at my friend’s place, I ate lots of rambutan, a hairy fruit. It was simply delicious.

Let’s hope with all the natural fiber, I will be able to shred some weight and clear the toxins from my system. I just love vegetables and fruits. I believed I can just live on these.

If you want other ways to shred your fat, maybe you can click here to find out more.

Popularity: 2% [?]
Wedding Invitation
06.10.10 | Permalink |Living, PP| Comments Off

I don’t get any more wedding invitations. One good thing is that I don’t need to buy expensive gifts. On the other hand, it is really sad to know I am going through another phase of life. All my friends are mostly married.

I believed I have to wait for another generation to get married. I missed the wedding celebration. For us Chinese, we eat and eat. We have 10 course dinner to celebrate the joyous occasion. The best is to meet up with old friends to catch up. We will go down to memory lane. I cannot wait to get another wedding invitation. Now who is getting married, remember to invite me.

Popularity: 2% [?]
Upgrade 2G iPhone To 3.1.3
06.01.10 | Permalink |iPhone| 1 Comment

I wanted to install the camera applications for a long time but it needs 3.1.3. I procrastinated until my iPhone performance deteriorated. Maybe I installed too many apps.

First step was to Google for instructions. I found a couple but I was looking for the easiest way. There are no posts that gave end to end instructions. I tell you, I made a couple of mistakes but finally got it working.

So here are the steps:
1. Install the latest iTunes. Click here.

2. Backup your current iPhone. *Important step if you don’t want to reinstall all your apps*

3. Download 3.1.3 firmware for iPhone 2G. Click here.

4. Set your phone to DFU mode and launch iTunes. iTunes will asked you to restore your firmware. Press Shift and click Restore button. Browse for iPhone1,1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw (downloaded in step #3). Wait for it to install 3.1.3 firmware.

5. Follow the rest of the step here. Take note, only select “Install Cydia” and “Unlock”. Do not select “Already Pwned”

6. After jailbreak, you can launch iTunes to restore your backup. Everything will be back to the original setting. You don’t even need to rearrange your icons. The only apps that are missing are those install through Cydia.

All the best!

Popularity: 2% [?]