Sweet Corn Konnyaku Jelly

I know it's been a long time since I updated my blog. Been so busy with writing assignments that my right hand is stiff from cradling the mouse, and I think I've gone blind in my right eye from staring at the computer screen too long. After a hard week of working through the nights, I am now a converted night-owl. Yesterday, I went to bed at 6am. Not because I was rushing for a deadline but because I haven't adjusted back to my usual sleeping hours. I woke up at 6pm today. My my... seems like Tuesday is nearly over already.

Here's something I made a few weeks back... Personally, I prefer clear lychee jelly, but this I made for the sake of variety.

Sweet Corn in Coconut Milk Jelly

Recipe:

- 10g Konnyaku jelly powder

- 750ml water

- 200ml coconut milk

- 150g castor sugar

-1 can creamy sweet corn

Mix sugar and jelly powder in a mixing bowl and stir evenly. Pour mixture into boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour in coconut milk and sweet corn. Stir 5-10 minutes. Pour into jelly molds and chill in refridgerator. Serve cold. Be careful when giving Konnyaku jelly to small children as there have been reported incidences of choking and death.

Avillion Admiral Cove @ Port Dickson

Went on an impromptu vacation with mah gurlfriend yesterday - an unexpected invitation to enjoy a beach stay at Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan which is about one and a half hour's drive from the KL. She booked a studio apartment right beside the marina! Woots!!!!

I've been trying out a few new hue functions which I've steered clear of in Paintshop Pro until now. I was feeling that my usual style was getting boring. I know some of the pics are overdone and look a bit fake but I am working on it!

Kutucat as A Kitten

Like an alien from outer space.

Sorry... Not Tonight Dear!

And she had to choose the time when I am busy with assignments to give me that look. Sigh.

Fatty Loh Chicken Rice, Penang

Food in Penang is easy to find. Hawker stalls at every turn of the street, you will not go hungry in this town. The matter of finding the best of the best however, I am no expert in so I can't recommend you the famous stalls for char koay teow, prawn mee, chee cheong fun etc. However, other bloggers would have already obliged so I suggest a quick google for "Penang's Best (enter food name)" if you're serious patronizing these places.

Part of a food adventure is walking into a restaurant you have not heard of, and have no idea what to expect. Sometimes, you get the most horrible food for the most expensive price, while other times the most run-down restaurant serves the most tasty dishes. Fortunately for me, I stumbled upon this place which impressed me so much I am still craving for another dish of chicken rice right now.



How is it different from any other chicken rice shop? Well, for one thing it did not make me burp garlic breath, and my palate did not detect the usual pungent aftertaste of MSG. The chicken stock was subtle yet sweet enough to make a distinction.

The portion served was generous for one person, the skin was silky smooth without subcutaneous fat and the breastmeat (normally my least fav part of the chicken) was surprisingly tender. RM4 per plate with a bowl of chicken rice and soup.

This is called Chai Boey stewed in sourish and spicy broth to whet the appetite. RM4 per helping.

I only wished I was not dining alone, could have called for the roasted version also, and a side dish of chicken gizzard and liver.

Fatty Loh Chicken Rice, formerly in Pulau Tikus is located along Nagore Road, which incidentally is also part of the heritage row.

This is shot from within the restaurant, while I was waiting for my order.

Old fashion tiles

Border patterns

Walk out and you will have a good sight of old colonial shophouses

Is charming, no?

They just don't make them like they use to anymore.

See the underside of the roof?

Along the walkways, tiled walls withstood the change of time

We don't see these type of designs around anymore


Unique architecture must be preserved!

Quaint shutters

All these great photo opportunities came with a good meal of chicken rice. Priceless!

The Blue Mansion, Penang

Once upon a time, a long long time ago... in the Middle Kingdom we now know as China, there lived a young man who dreamt big dreams. With nought but the clothes on his back, he left his homeland to seek his fortunes across the South China Sea, arriving first in Medan, Indonesia then Penang, a little British colonial island northeast of the Straights of Malacca. Cheong Fatt Tze was the name of this young man. From the age of 16 he started off as a humble water bearer to become a famous Mandarin with a vast empire under his command, the "Rockfeller of the East".

With the immense wealth he acquired from agriculture and shipping he built this mansion, blue because... well just because he liked the color blue. After all, there was only white, mustard or blue paint in those days. Grand and elaborate, this mansion had 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows designed with optimal fengshui in mind: a smattering of pineapples (wong lai) and bat (bian fu) motifs into the walls and windows to beckon Fortune into his home.

This is too big a place for one man! you may exclaim. Indeed, Cheong Fatt Tze had many wives - eight to be exact. As a wealthy and successful man, it was accepted and expected that he would acquire many brides (plus girlfriends). Is it any different today? Perhaps discretion has become the keyword in modern times. To keep so many females *peacefully* living under one roof must have been a great headache to Mr Cheong (or any man for that matter). The mansion housed three of his eight wives, six sons and many daughters. The latrine and kitchens were located away from the house and servants lived in a separate block of residence across the street.

When Cheong Fatt tze passed away, it was stated in his will that this house be never sold until the death of his youngest son. When the family fell into gentile destitution, instead of hastening the departure of the bequethed they sold off the furniture within the mansion piece by piece (see, contracts can have loopholes). When that was done, the many rooms were rented out. Or rather, a hat was passed around and whoever could contribute, stayed. Needless to say, with ages of neglected the once majestic mansion faded into debilitation.

This beautiful piece of 19th century architecture would have been demolished to make way for shinny new highrises if not for the efforts of a small but determined group of people who saw the true value of this heritage building. In 1990, the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion was acquired with private funds and restored to its glory as it stands today. Hats off to these visionaries who fought to preserve this extraordinary piece of heritage for generations to come. Like many, I was in awe of the architecture and stories woven into every intricate interior design (no photos allowed within, sorry!) and I am certain that many visitors feel the same.

Winner of the "Most Excellent Project" UNESCO Heritage Conservation Award 2000, National Architecture Award for Conservation 1995, ASEANTA 2004 Excellence Awards "Best ASEAN Cultural Preservation Effort, the Blue Mansion also serves as a heritage boutique hotel ("Excellence" Award in the "Best City Hotel" Category from the Expatriate's Lifestyle 2008 Polls). Guided tours are held twice daily at 11am and 3pm for a fee of RM12 per person.

Address: 14 Leith Street, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.

Website: http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com/

Removed My Own Stitches

without Lidocaine
and almost passed out in the process.

I had five effing knots to remove altogether, which was imo five too many. Looked for "how to remove surgical stitches" on Youtube but had no luck. Used google and came up with some instructions on WikiHow. A much better reference would have been this one, which I stumbled upon only after the whole bloody ordeal.

Using a pair of scissors and a tweezer cleaned with alcohol, I snipped off the head of the knots as close to the skin as possible. The first one was difficult, it being anchored at two places. Was horrified to find that the scissors were blunt, so had to sorta saw my way through along the blades. Fresh blood oozed from a little gape. Felt sick.

Second one was a piece of cake. The thread came off easily, but I was beginning to feel pain and faint-hearted. Went to take Ponstan and took a break by lying flat on the bed to wait for the lightheadedness to pass. The pain-killer was taking effect, which was good. Went to clean up the bloody smear from the first knot coz I think it was getting gruesome. Crawled back to bed.

A minute later I was back at it, this time I decided to start from the other end. That end was well crusted - scabs are a good sign of healing. Indeed, the third one came out beautifully at one gentle tug. Fourth one I almost lost the suture after cutting off its head. Had to dig around the flesh a bit, trying to catch the stray strand while muttering "shit oh shit how am I gonna explain this to my doctor". Of course I got it out in the end.

Okay last one... I just went for it. Snip snip... pull. DONE!!! I go to the bathroom, irrigate the site with lots of saline water and hope that it won't get infected. Dried it with cotton and sealed it with a surgical plaster. Heaved a great sigh of relief then proceeded to retch into the toilet bowl. Cat was concerned, stood on hindlegs and peered into the toilet bowl. The nausea passed after a few dry heaves. Felt like a complete wuss. It's confirmed then... I would have made a lousy clinician.

And then it occured to me that today was only Day 9 since the biopsy. Doc had said to wait for 10 days before removing the stitches coz the wound was deep and she wanted to make sure it had time to close. So. Hm. It seems that I jumped the gun a bit. This experience was interesting and loads of fun though (in retrospect). My only regret was that I did not have antibiotic cream to cover the suture holes. Will let you know if I turn septic in a few days.

p/s Am too physically and mentally drained to post pictures. Not that I have any to show anyway.... I had both hands full during the entire time.

p/p/s OF COURSE you should NOT try this at home. I am a deviant patient, please don't follow my example.