Back to the 90's

After watching Mama Mia, I suddenly wanted to listen to Oldies. I started with the 6o's Oldies channel, listening to songs from the 60's, a lot which I've never heard before. I switched to the Super 70's channel and started grooving to the BeeGees, ABBA and other artist from that era. After a while I got bored, and I switched to the Awesome 80's channel. The songs from this era started sounding a bit more familiar to me but still didn't really suit my taste, so I switched channels again.

This time I tried the 90's Pop channel. And I have to tell you, a sudden tidal wave of memories came rushing in. I grew up in the 90's and listening to music from that era brought me back to my teenybopper days. I was smiling like an idiot everytime a song which I used to love during those days was playing.

I still can remember when I was 13 or 14, I bought Jasmine a BackStreet Boys video cassette tape (those big bulky ones) for her birthday. We had a sleepover at her place and we played the tape in her living room. I remember us 3 of us young teenage girls screaming our heads off in her living room whenever Nick Carter appeared in the video. The BackStreet Boys during those days were every teenyboppers dream. Looking back, it seems sooooooo hillarious.

Other songs which brought a rush of memories were Britney Spear's songs from the days when she was still innocent. Can you even recognize her in the album cover below?

Another song which made me smile like an idiot, was Ricky Martin's, "Shake Your Bon-Bon". I remember that song was played in the farewell party we had after SPM, the one in Crown Prince hotel (I think) and we went crazy on the dance floor when that song was played.


Another one I remember is Aqua, "I'm a Barbie Girl". I found that song so hillarious.

"I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world.
Life in plastic, it's fantastic!
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere,
Imagination, life is your creation!
Come on Barbie, let's go party! "


And do you remember The Moffats? Don't remeber? Watch the vidoe below to refresh your memory. I remember that Mei Ying and Bee Shin would keep singing this song whenever there was a free period in class. I guess The Moffats were the "Jonas Brothers" of our time. LOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1pABjF7WfE

I remember other songs from Roxette, Nsync, 98 Degrees, Hanson, TLC, Five, Spice Girls (Oooo, i used to love them)... boy and girl bands used to be so popular back then. And there were the great singers like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carrey, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi.


Looking back, I really had a great time during schooldays. So many good memories that I shall write of my teenybopper days in another post. Until then.... enjoy this!~~

Ayam Percik recipe

I was going to blog about something else but something else just happened and I just have to write about this.

This is the continuation of the Chicken Varuval post I wrote. Yin How keeps asking me to cook for his parents to let them try my cooking. And each time I refuse because like I said before, my parents-in-law earn a living by cooking so they know what's good and what's not. Also, I don't think my mother-in-law initially thought that I was housewife material. I didn't know how to cook, and I actually had a pampered childhood compared to Yin How so I'm not street-wise like him and I come from a very untraditional family.

A few years ago, Yin How fell very sick until he had to be admitted to the hospital. After he was discharged, his mum insisted that Yin How go home with her instead of following me home, saying that I could not cook for him (in other words, I could not look after him). I was offended, but what she said was true, I could not cook. Because of this, I was determine to be a great homemaker and at the same time try my best in my career as well. I basically just wanted to prove to myself that I can do both.

Anyway, back to the story, my parents-in-law unexpectedly dropped by for a visit. They are currently still here waiting for my brother-in-law to fetch them back to Butterworth. I had already prepared dinner the night before, marinating the chicken overnight to roast for dinner today.

Yin How's mum was curious about my roast chicken and said she wanted to try it. I was sitting there nervously thinking, "oh crap, oh crap, what is she going to say?" She took a bite while I anxiously waited to hear what she would say.

And she said....

"Ho chiak ah" and not once, a few times.... then she turned to Yin How and said in Hokkien, "Good loh, you get to eat food like this".

Fuiyoh!!! I could almost hear angels behind me singing "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I was trying very hard not to grin crazily from ear to ear. I have finally passed the mother-in-law taste buds test.... I'll shall declare this as another "today in history" day. Lalalala...

Anyway, the dish I cooked which earned a "Ho Chiak" rating from my mother-in-law is the following recipe. This round, I used evaporated milk instead of coconut milk because it's healthier. However, using coconut milk makes the chicken tastier.

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1649

Ayam Percik

Ingredients
1.5kg chicken, cut into 6 pieces
50g tamarind paste mixed with 100ml water (squeezed for tamarind juice)
300ml thick coconut milk Spices (ground and combined):
5–6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2cm piece ginger
1 stalk lemon grass
4 tbsp chilli paste
1 tsp cinnamon powder Seasoning:
1–2 tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper

Method
Combine ground spices with tamarind juice and coconut milk. Put chicken pieces in large mixing bowl. Pour in combined spices, coconut milk mixture and add seasoning. Mix well until chicken is coated with marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for several hours or preferably overnight. Remove and grill the marinated chicken pieces over a charcoal pit or bake in the oven until meat is cooked and slightly charred.

A dance aerobics achievement

I'm sitting in my cubicle soak in sweat, my face as red as a tomato, muscles barely able to support my hands onto my keyboard. Need to cool down after dance aerobics so taking some time to key down a few words.

For the first time ever, I lasted in dance aerobics longer than Looi and Ian (both of them were giving up towards the end). Small victory for me... Woohoo!!

Usually I'm the one who gives up first, so I'm proud of myself for lasting longer then the big strong Looi and the tall butt-shaking Ian this time (you should see him shake his butt, the instructor will usually praise him, "YES... very GOOD Ian!" causing me to burst into laughter, losing all concentration on shaking my own butt).

I'm jotting this down as a "today in history" event... and because I've got nothing else to do while waiting for my muscles to regain functionality again. :)

Live without TV? No can do...

Today I was discussing with WY and QF which is more important, TV or the internet. I can’t live without both, but if I had to choose between one of them, it would be the TV. I cannot live without a TV. I need to the turn on the TV after work to just watch whatever is playing without having to think much about it.

After working the whole day, coming home to cook dinner, then cleaning the place after the dogs, I just want to slug in front of the TV with the only effort of having to press the button on the remote control to switch between channels. I don’t even like to watch DVDs because that involves having to choose what to watch, then putting it into the DVD player.

When I first moved to KL to study, I bought my own TV on the first day. TV had a higher priority than having a fridge and a washing machine (though I bought a washing machine a few days later after having to hand wash all my clothes for the first time). And there was once when I was already working, my TV broke down on a Sunday night, and I was so devastated I burst into tears. Mun Yi laughed her head off when she heard this because it just sounds so ridiculous (I laughed over it too, because it made a funny story at that time :P).

Actually, after thinking about this for a while, I’ve come to realize why the TV is so important to me. When I was still staying with my parents, during the last few years my home then used to be a very cold and quiet place. The whole place was literally empty except for the bedrooms. My parents and I would hide in our own bedrooms behind closed doors avoiding each other. Sometimes I wouldn't see my parents for days even though we were staying in the same place.

I would go home late after work, entering a dark empty living room before going into my room. The feeling was worst than actually living alone in the apartment. It's one thing to live like that with housemates, but it's another thing if they are your own parents. I had a TV in my room so when I came home from work, I used to leave it on the whole time until I go to sleep so that at least there was still the sound of voices so that I would feel normal in an abnormal home…

Anyway, enough of my sad miserable stories of the past…. Sometimes I just like to analyze how some part of my character today was actually shaped by something that happened in the past (I know I have been shaped a lot by the past). I still sometimes like to leave the TV on, even though I have 2 noisy mad dogs running around and a hubby who likes to pick up a fight with my little sister just to annoy her.

I no longer think my home is quiet anymore but I still can't live without a TV. :)

Tagged by CY. :)

Name a line from the song you're listening to?
I'm listening to a song which I don't know from the Anime channel on AOL radio station

Who do you wish you were with right now?
Yin How, oh Yin How

Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them?
I have a pair of jeans with a hole at the back. So I make sure I only wear white underwear when I wear those jeans so that it won't look too obvious. :)

What book are you reading right now?
The Labyrinth, not very interesting... I'm still stuck at the first few chapters.

What are you seriously wearing?
Jeans

When is the last time you saw the person you like/liked?
Half an hour ago

Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night?
I sleep at least 9 hours on weekdays and 10 hours during weekends :)

Do you own a pair of Converses?
No

Where are you right now?
Work, it's lunch break now (just in case Ian is reading this :p)

Do you eat raw cookie dough?
Yup

Have you ever kicked a vending machine?
No

Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
Nope

Could you live without a computer?
No

Is anyone beside you now?
No

What jewelry are you wearing?
Ring, bracelet

Do you watch Grey's Anatomy?
Yea... McDreamy and McSteamy :)

How do some people spell your name?
Loo Min Ming

Would you wear your boyfriends/girlfriends clothes?
Yup, I used to like to wear Yin How's boxer shorts which irritates him because he has no shorts to wear, so he bought me my own girly boxes shorts :)

What are you doing tomorrow?
Work.. sigh.. why can't it be Friday today... :(

Will you keep your last name when you get married?
Yup

When is the last time you left your house?
This morning

What color are your bed sheet?
Pink with the wordings "I love my bed" :)

Would you survive in prison?
Never

If all of your friends were going on a road trip, would you?
Yup, but who is going to look after my dogs and my hubby?

Do you know anyone with the same name as you?
Nope

How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Dunno.. should be less than 10 pairs... i think...

Whats the last thing you ate?
Economy rice

What service is your mobile* phone?
Maxis

What's your middle name?
Don't have one

Where is your mobile* phone?
My bag... battery is dead as usual

What brand are your pants right now?
Seed

Ever been to Georgia?
No

What irritates you most on the internet?
"Congratulations, you are the 99, 999th lucky person! Click here to view what you won"

Favorite song?
A lot

What song best describes you and someone's condition now?
When I think of Yin How... i think of the song "Macho macho man.. I just wanna be a macho man..."

Where do you work?
A place where everything is in a shade of grey, there's dark grey... light grey... bluest grey

Do you like sushi?
Yes

Do you get your hair cut every month?
No, I hate going to the saloon

Do you go online every day?
Almost everyday

Do you know anyone that has changed your life?
Yup

What annoys you?
Yin How snoring on my left, Sparkle (my dog) snoring on my right... both trying to outdo each other.. and me losing sleep because of that...

MBTI

I had to write my focal evaluation last week. I hate writing an evaluation for myself because it's almost like I have to self praise myself and boast of all my accomplishments. My MBTI profile is ISFJ, and ISFJs don't like to boast about their accomplishments. Below is a description of my personality which I find quite true for myself (not 100%, but a lot of it) except for the first line because I have a good boss :).

http://www.typelogic.com/isfj.html

ISFJs are often unappreciated, at work, home, and play. Ironically, because they prove over and over that they can be relied on for their loyalty and unstinting, high-quality work, those around them often take them for granted--even take advantage of them. Admittedly, the problem is sometimes aggravated by the ISFJs themselves; for instance, they are notoriously bad at delegating ("If you want it done right, do it yourself"). And although they're hurt by being treated like doormats, they are often unwilling to toot their own horns about their accomplishments because they feel that although they deserve more credit than they're getting, it's somehow wrong to want any sort of reward for doing work (which is supposed to be a virtue in itself). (And as low-profile Is, their actions don't call attention to themselves as with charismatic Es.) Because of all of this, ISFJs are often overworked, and as a result may suffer from psychosomatic illnesses.

In the workplace, ISFJs are methodical and accurate workers, often with very good memories and unexpected analytic abilities; they are also good with people in small-group or one-on-one situations because of their patient and genuinely sympathetic approach to dealing with others. ISFJs make pleasant and reliable co-workers and exemplary employees, but tend to be harried and uncomfortable in supervisory roles. They are capable of forming strong loyalties, but these are personal rather than institutional loyalties; if someone they've bonded with in this way leaves the company, the ISFJ will leave with them, if given the option.

Like most Is, ISFJs have a few, close friends. They are extremely loyal to these, and are ready to provide emotional and practical support at a moment's notice. (However, like most Fs they hate confrontation; if you get into a fight, don't expect them to jump in after you. You can count on them, however, run and get the nearest authority figure.) Unlike with EPs, the older the friendship is, the more an ISFJ will value it. One ISFJ trait that is easily misunderstood by those who haven't known them long is that they are often unable to either hide or articulate any distress they may be feeling. For instance, an ISFJ child may be reproved for "sulking," the actual cause of which is a combination of physical illness plus misguided "good manners." An adult ISFJ may drive a (later ashamed) friend or SO into a fit of temper over the ISFJ's unexplained moodiness, only afterwards to explain about a death in the family they "didn't want to burden anyone with." Those close to ISFJs should learn to watch for the warning signs in these situations and take the initiative themselves to uncover the problem.


My company requires everybody to take a MBTI test to determine our personality. So far I found it quite accurate for other colleagues as well (well almost...) and it helped me understand their personalities.

Since I was such a MBTI believer because it was quite accurate for me and for some people I know, I asked Yin How to take the test. You can try taking the test too from the link below. It's the Harry Potter version, but it still works.

http://piratemonkeysinc.com/quiz.php

His personality type is INTP (almost the exact opposite as me). When I read his personality description, I just couldn't believe it. I even went through all 4 letters individually again and again to make sure that they really correspond to his personality type and I concluded that yes, he should be an INTP.

However when putting all 4 types together, the description says that he a person who "may venture so deeply into thought as to seem detached, and often actually are oblivious to the world around them" and he should be a ROCKET SCIENTIST. He's in the same category as Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.... Those who really know Yin How will find this so funny.

I no longer believe in MBTI that much anymore.

Ayam Masak Merah

I cooked Ayam Masak Merah last week. Try this only if you have a food processor because there are a lot of ingredients to chop. I chopped everything myself and it's a lot of work! I think I spent an hour just preparing all the ingredients. Then imagine having to clean up all the mess after that.

Overall, a yummy recipe. Yin How gave it a Ho Chiak rating. :)

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1833

Ingredients
1 kg chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, quartered
3 potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 small can tomato paste
150ml water
4cm piece cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 star anise
3–4 tbsp oil

Ground spices (A):
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
12 red chillies, seeded
3cm ginger
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder

Seasoning (B):
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp sugar or to taste

Method
Heat oil until hot, sauté ground spices (A) until fragrant. Add in cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. Fry for 1–2 minutes. Add onions, tomato paste and potatoes. Stir-fry well. Mix in water and tomatoes. Cook until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender and gravy turns thick. Add seasoning to taste and serve this mildly spiced curry dish with bread slices or with plain rice.

1:23am, still so awake :(

Just came back from a nice evening out with the girls. It's always great to meet up with old friends and yack non-stop for hours to catch up the latest gossip and being the noisiest group in the whole restaurant. We yack until the waiter come over to give us the bill to kick us out because they were closing. Drank lots of coffee and tea. Too much caffeine in my system. Starting to feel like a tummyache is coming. Still so wide awake...

Kinda regret agreeing to exchange Christmas presents with them. Now have to think what to buy and it's always hard to get something that the person will like. Since Shu-Yin loves lotion, I shall buy lotion for her to add to her big collection of expiring unused lotions. And since Mun Yi likes to buy belts, I shall buy a belt for her so that she has one less thing to buy online. Hey, it's the thought that counts right? :P

p/s - Mun Yi, remember to write a comment. Or not I'll nag again.

ok, tummy starting to hurt. Don't know why i always get a tummyache whenever I go out with Mun Yi. I think I'm allergic to her.

Moquitoes love Mindy

Yay, I managed to keep this blog alive for exactly one month now. Not bad.. not bad...

I'm so sleepy today because I got attacked by mosquitoes last night. There's just something about me that mosquitoes love and they especially enjoy buzzing in my ear. I woke up in the middle of the night with lots of bites on my arms so I got up to put mosquito repellent on (I must be the only weirdo who has to wear mosquito repellent to sleep).

I looked over at my husband who was sleeping beside me. I pulled the blanket away from him leaving him exposed so that mosquitoes would attack him instead of me (evil me huh). I wrapped myself with the blanket like a cocoon feeling a little hot and sweaty, leaving only my fingers and my head exposed. Stupid mosquitoes attacked 3 of my fingers and left my husband alone to sleep in comfort. It's just not fair! :(

Love should not be based on criteria

If you ask me what is the best feeling in the world, I would have to say waking up on a lazy Saturday morning to find the love of my life sleeping next to me with one arm around my waist. Even after 8 years together, I still get a warm feeling when I snuggle close to him feeling so safe and comfortable with worries suddenly feeling like a thousand miles away.

I know of friends who are single and who are looking for a partner. Some of them have a long list of criteria, like he/she must be good-looking, must have a good job, must have a good background, etc. Some are just for fun but some believe that they must stick to these criteria in order to find the person right for them. I too used to have a list of criteria which my future boyfriend had to meet. I then of course I met Yin How who didn't meet a single criteria I had. And I know I don't meet any of his criteria (if he had any :p).

If I had stubbornly stuck to my criteria, I wouldn't be happily married right now. I wouldn't be waking up on Saturday mornings finding him next to me. I wouldn't have somebody waiting for me at home. I wouldn't have anyone to call to tell him all the useless information about how my day went. I wouldn't have someone to plan the rest of my life with. I wouldn't have somebody whom I can just connect to.

I'm just saying that is having all this criteria worth missing the chance of finding the person who would make you happy for the rest of your life? What if you just give somebody a try even though he/she doesn't fit your criteria? What would you have to lose? If it doesn't work out, oh well, at least you gave it a chance. But what if it does?

If your one of your criteria is that the person must be pretty, I can tell you that outer beauty will not last. All the romance and "electric" feelings you may get at the start of a relationship is only temporary. It's all superficial and it should not be the main criteria you should be looking for in a relationship. Having a relationship is not always easy and it takes a lot of effort to make it work and being beautiful will not help here. It could be that person who you don't think is pretty, ends up being the love of your life. And believe me when I say that when you love a person, that person will become the most beautiful person in your eyes.

Anyway, this is just my ramblings for people who are looking for a partner. To my girl friends who independent and who are happily single, I'll say "You go girl!". To my guy friends, I'll say, "Good for you, enjoy your life without complications". :) As for my friends who are looking for someone, if you do find a person whom you can connect to, just go for it!