Category: Malaysia

Bak Kut Teh

On By mouseytongIn Food, Malaysia, Misc...Leave a comment

Did I tell you I made some bak kut teh the other day, and it was awesome!! Missing the real deal but this is as close to it as I can get for now. It was really good too. Managed to get all the ingredients too. All hail the Asian supermarket.
I took me close to 3 days to get all the ingredients. Apart from the laziness, it is the fact that parking would be a nightmare where I first intended to go and with a baby in tow it would have been most inconvenient having to park by the roadside bundle baby up and rush in and out and put groceries in the car as quick as possible and try not to get run over whule trying as fast as possible to un-bundle baby back into her car seat. So I tried to out it off as long as possible but the craving was strong. 

In the end, my babysitter saved the day. She told me of another new shop which I also thought would be impossible to get to, but she told me a day later when I lamented on the lack of parking that this place has its own carpark area right behind. Now I only have to look for that entryway. Which I did easily thanks to her great and way to follow instructions. 

Thanks to her my craving was satisfied. Albeit after 3 days. I don’t cook often. Just wanted to share it. 😀

Night! 

My first ever…

On By mouseytongIn Malaysia, Misc...Leave a comment

It is my first time being home for the Malaysian General Elections 2013 after leaving the country 16 years ago. Also the first time for me where the elections actually have any meaning to me.

Previously when I left, I was too young to vote. I was also not bothered with politics and I didn’t understand it. As I get older, I can understand better what politics is all about.

With all the recent posts on different online social platforms, it all looks so interesting and it is very nail bitingly exciting waiting for the results.
Continue reading “My first ever…” →

Happy 55th Birthday Malaysia!!

On By mouseytongIn Celebrations, Malaysia, Mousey's TravelLeave a comment
Malaysian Flag
Proud to be Malaysian!! (pic taken from the web)

Today is the last day of August. It is also the day that Malaysia proclaimed its independence 55 years ago. It is also the day that I celebrate on my own regardless of where I am. Which is usually outside of Malaysia. 😛

The past few years I have taken to flying the Malaysian flag in the office (though we are usually closed this time of the year for the great Italian summer holidays). Today, I am still on the island of Sardinia celebrating by myself, as I doubt that there are any Malaysians here at Porto Cervo. Wait! I met another Malaysian from N. Sembilan at our shop. Though he might not be here anymore as he follows his boss around for business. 🙂

Every year, I tell everyone who would listen that today is the day Malaysia gained its independence. It is our National Day! Although I have not lived in Malaysia anymore since 1998, I still celebrate in my own way, Merdeka Day. Though I live far away, Malaysia will always be a part of me and I am glad that I do not have a reason to give up my citizenship unlike others who are from war torn countries. The ease of travel is also another bonus point.

What I miss from Malaysia is the food! Not so much the weather. Of course, my family too but they are not the issue here. I get to talk to them almost everyday but Malaysian food is another thing altogether! Which is probably why I stuff myself to the hilt whenever I am back. hmm…..

Anyhow, I shouldn’t ramble on when all I want to do with this entry is to wish Malaysia a very Happy Birthday! Independence Day! Merdeka Day!! May we reach our goals as a nation and toward a safer Malaysia!

Lots of love from Malaysian living abroad!!

The Olympics have come and gone…

On By mouseytongIn Celebrations, Malaysia, Misc..., MusingsLeave a comment

I am presently trying not to doze off. Been telling myself the last 2 days that I should blog. Between the shop and family (M’s family is here with us) and friends AND gym (yes, I got myself access to a gym here. 🙂 ) I hardly have time to pen any of my thoughts down. The shop is open from 10am – 1pm and 6pm – 1am. Understandably I crash every night almost immediately. Come home to help with lunch and the clean up then laundry. Then some time to myself. About an hour or so before I haul my ass off to the gym.

During these “myself” moments, I watch the Olympics. I watch it so much that my MIL wonders if there is anything else on tv and how long more is the Olympics going to last. She is getting tired of the same channel! hehehehe..

At the same time, I catch up on emails, Twitter, messages, Milo, etc…

What did you think of the Olympics? I wasn’t too impressed with the Opening Ceremony. Except for the dancing number it felt more like just a lot of big names and that was it. All the special effects and props were wonderfully done but if there wasn’t a commentator telling the story, I would have been absolutely lost and wondering what the h*ll was happening the whole time. I am sure many felt that it was really good. To me it was just so-so.

I love the Olympic Stadium torch though! I think it the best thing! I was wondering what the children were holding when each country was coming into the stadium. Also when each child was walking up the flag hill and presenting them to the spectators before fixing it on the torch. So much guessing. I probably won’t be able to watch the closing ceremony. I hope I will be able to catch the replay some other time. Or maybe some highlights of the night, tomorrow.

Now, to the games. Malaysia did really well!! We are not really known for our athletes except in Badminton. A sport I have to explain to everyone in Italy. No one knows what it is! They have never really seen the racquet not the shuttlecock either! So, not so easy for me to boast about our amazing Dato’ Lee Chong Wei’s silver medal which put us on the medal table!!! I search for the medal table and proudly showed M.

Me: “See! See!! We are on the medal table!! Silver!!” *huge dumb-ass grin plastered on face*

M: “uh-huh.”

Me: “See!! Look!! Look!” *finger pointing furiously at Malaysia*

M: *blank stare*

Me: “Yay!!! hehehehe” *oblivious to blank stare*

Then a few days later, we got a bronze!!! Whoot!!! I was watching Pandelela in the finals in the gym. Luckily I was alone in the gym, if not people would have thought me crazy. I clapped and cheered when they introduced her and after each of her dive. I must have been such a sight! LOL!!

I couldn’t finish watching here as I had to go to the shop so I was really surprised and absolutely beaming the next day when I read my Twitter and Facebook updates. Ahhhh….it was a good day. 😀

I did the whole exchange above again with M. hehehehe!!!

Throughout the Olympics, I was very surprised at the amount of athletes we had who were diving. I was also so surprised we had a female 10km marathon swimmer who came in 16 out of 24! Very good effort! I would have died 3km into it, I think. I am really glad too that no Malaysians were involved in the female badminton scandal. All in all, Malaysia, you did well!!

Where there were no Malaysians, I give you one guess who I cheered for?

Forza Italia!! 🙂

Now to wait for the next Olympics in 4 years time. Rio 2016!!

Who in the world is Sandokan?

On By mouseytongIn Malaysia, Misc..., Musings, wonderings...4 Comments
Sandokan – Pic taken from the net

As the title says, who in the world is Sandokan? I know Sandakan the city/town but Sandokan? It seems  that he is a famous pirate known as the “Tiger of Malaysia”. Excerpt from Wikipedia says “Sandokan is a fictional pirate of the late 19th century, who first appeared in publication in 1883, created by Italian author Emilio Salgari. He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea as “The Tiger of Malaysia“.

What is interesting is that this author has never stepped foot in Malaysia nor ventured further than the Adriatic sea! Yet he managed to make Malaysia popular way back in the early 20th century. How cool is that?! Click on his name to know about him.

My point is, whenever someone asks me where I am from and I reply Malaysia, the immediate and standard response is “Sandokan! You know Sandokan? The Tiger of Malaysia?”. Always. Without fail.

The blank and puzzled look I gave them said it all. I didn’t know who he was when I first came here. If you check out the Wikipedia pages, you will notice that the TV series and films were made in the 60s! Wayyyyy…before my time. And the series was remade in the 90s and broadcasted in Europe. I don’t think they showed it in Malaysia. I could be wrong here, but I don’t remember watching ANY cartoons on Sandokan. Did you?

I have yet to read any of Salgari’s works on Sandokan or watch any of the series or films or even the cartoons. So I can’t really tell you much about this man but this much I can say. This fictional character is so popular, it does an even better job than our Malaysian government in introducing  and promoting Malaysia to the world. Nothing jumps to mind of any Italian when you say Malaysia more than Sandokan. And all this is thanks to an Italian who has never stepped foot in Malaysia, who wrote about a country he has never seen in an era that Malaysia has yet to exist.

I shall leave you with a tribute to Sandokan which M stumbled upon. To all Malaysians, something to ponder on?