Tuesday, February 17, 2015

"Kambing Is Coming"

I saw this greeting at the shop last night - "Kambing Is Coming" and I often used this word "You Kambing?" and "I Kambing" in my text messages. Every Chinese New Year Festive was always very tension for me to prepare so many stuffs with so many last minute shopping.

This year, the routine has changed a bit with our reunion dinner being planned at my sister's new condo on the hills of Mont Kiara. We will lift our sickly mother from bed and wheel her to the dining table as she seems to have gained better appetite over the past month. The worst chores for me for the past 10 years was getting new bank notes but the last 2 years was a breeze after my sister joined a large listed company as the HR bitch! Their group has a large foreign banking chain here and new notes would even be delivered to her table! Wow! Meh! Meh!

My lovey wifey made some cookies this year and the most unique cookies is her Spicy Chocolate Cookies!! Yeah, my guests will be served some plain water in case their mouth catches fire and sparked. Oh well, the taste is good with just a slight tinge of chilly taste for a change.

Adding on, my wife made so many lanterns and CNY origami folded from my many red packets that I have collected over the years. I have photographed a few just to show off to you all and do tell me which one you love or hate, okay!



1. I will display all these 9 big Gold Fishes to swim on my dining and coffee table amongst the CNY snacks.
It will represent Enough Gold & Wealth!
I love these fishes as they look cute and alive.






2. This lantern with lots of blooming Mei Hua to bring Spring into our home. This is my Lovey Wifey's favourite.






3. Gold Nuggets Lantern for Abundance of Wealth! 
Ong Mali..!






4. This is a huge pineapple for more Prosperity and Wealth! 
This pineapple is 1 foot tall, very juicy and will be my "Ong Lai" for 15 days.




  

5. This is a big lantern to bring plenty of bright lights along the journey.
All will be Good, Safe and Harmony.
The height is 1.5 feet tall.




   6. The Ball Lantern with blooming Mei Hua for a Happier Spring festival.
The height is 1 feet tall.





I wish all my blogger friends and silent readers 
A Very Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year 2015.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! 



...

Monday, February 9, 2015

Chronicles Of Chinese Wedding Receptions

I attended a wedding dinner last night which was held at a so-so restaurant near the recent tragic sink-hole in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city. It was an eye-opener for me once again, to share the blues of attending a typical wedding reception in Malaysia.

The wedding invitation cards are often printed "7.00pm Sharp" and the Malaysian Chinese bridal couples would often walk in after 8.30pm!! Why don't the invitation cards print 8.30pm instead? When I was younger, I had become the best man for 13 closest friends' weddings and had seen all the squabbles & woes of wedding preparations up to gangsters with armed parangs storming into a 1000 guests wedding reception. It was a bloody wedding affair with the sirens of police cars wailing to the Penang Chinese Town Hall in 1990. It was a talk of the town the next day as all the goldsmith shop towkays in town were invited too.

Some 10 years ago, I attended a close friend's wedding at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya. The restaurant was upstairs a row of shop lots next to Atria. The groom received his guests at the entrance below and gave me a big bear hug & greetings. I gave him my red packet gift and promptly walked up the stairs. Half way up, I simply turned and looked behind. My jaws dropped and my eye brows reached higher than the restaurant's high ceilings. The very handsome groom in tuxedo suit was holding my opened red packet and counted the dollar bills inside! He was shocked to see my opened mouth and his face instantly turned very Tomato Red!! @#%$*!!



Chronicle Of Last Night's Wedding Dinner


Time 07:00 pm - Almost all the guest had arrived and seated. Everyone received this cute table gift of a chocolate inside to keep your hunger pangs away, in case the bridal couple is late.





Time 07:30pm - The tables were almost filled up. Almost all guests were playing games and fiddling their phones. This is a new habit now for young and old guests.





Time 08:00pm - The groom has been outside receiving guests and the bride was ready waiting inside the private room. Guests were hungry and almost everyone were busy playing games and watsaping!




Time 08:30pm - The bride came out of the room to receive the guests at the entrance. The groom entered the same private room with 3 usher ladies from the entrance with 3 recycle bags.

They locked the door of the room and started counting all the red packets! OH MY GOD!!!!!

Time 08.55pm - Green lights given by the groom! MC announced the arrival of the bridal couple. All the guests stood up, clapped and fireworks popped the streamers out.

Time 09:15pm - The very late dinner started and dishes were brought hurriedly. The restaurant was racing for time and all tables had 2-3-4 dishes served at once! Voila! Bingo! Gila!

Time 11:45pm - Groom watsaped Twilight Man. "Thank you for coming blah blah blah and I will bring the baby in 5 month's to visit you..."


Twilight Man - (.....speechless......)







Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Happy Birthday To Me @ Ossoto Spa

This is not a paid post and all are being written solely based on my own personal opinion. As photography is strictly prohibited at Ossoto Spa, I had to borrow the clips from their ossoto.com video and zh.buzzhand.com to better illustrate my good experience with the hope that public will give their support to this place.


I actually discovered the luxurious indulgence of spa relaxations during my holiday trips abroad. To be exact, it was in Xian when we saw the famous Huaqing Hot Springs where the many famous Emperors like Han Wu Di, Taizong and Xuanzong soaked themselves with their concubines from October until Spring!!! From there, I made a maiden visit to pamper myself at the best spa available in Xian which was a perfect timing during their cold winter. That spa was damn huge with several whirlpool jacuzzis with aqua jets of hot water sprays to melt away all the knots & clots all over your body! So far I have checked out several other top notch spa havens in Shanghai, Chengdu, Taichung, Osaka & Fukuoka. They all had different concept for me to make a statement that we have a very own good Spa, right here in Kuala Lumpur which was being rated 5-Stars by our Ministry of Tourism.

My thoughtful wife suggested that she should treat me to spend a memorable night sleeping in the spa like those seen in Korean TV Drama's Jimjibangs. It was a truly blissful moment for us to relax, rejuvenate and rekindle our happy days with unlimited feedings of delicious buffet spread, yummy cakes and special brewed coffees of your choice!




 1. My first trip there alone, to find the surprise discovery of a very good 
& inexpensive spa in our city.




 2. I had never seen a big spa in overseas where they have such professional and attentive service by all the staff like Ossoto Spa. Their good service greetings comes with a smile and hand on their chests!! That's unbelievable!




 3. They have separate sections for ladies and men. However, the men's section is very much bigger with extra facilities since this market targets the males and businessmen. This place is suitable for the whole family as I saw many kids and grand parents too! I even spotted familiar faces with their mistresses! Ssssh!





4. No one is naked here as everyone wears clean pants. They will supply you unlimited usage of pants, pyjamas, bath robes and towels!




 5. This is the men's section which is huge and bigger than ladies section. On the left side are the Fish Spa pool, 2 Big Saunas and Steam Rooms. On the right side, you will find a gym, basketball machines, relaxing cafe, dressing rooms and many shower cubicles!




 6. These marble slabs are lovely to sleep on and dream of childhood days when we played in the rain showers before our mothers came running with a cane!




 7. They have 2 big saunas and my jaws dropped each time the waiter served me a tray with iced water & neatly rolled cold towels inside! I had never been pampered like this in other saunas.




 8. I loved to play their basketball machines to test my old skills!




 9. They have 2 gyms and the above is located in the public area for everyone.





 10. There is a big open restaurant and private dining rooms besides 2 comfortable cafes that serves special brewed coffees and cakes. One cafe is designated only for ladies to have "safe and private" chats, away from the men.





 11. I enjoyed the fresh cappuccino with 2 soft cream puffs. Just pay one entrance fee and you could eat as often as you want in the cafe or dining area in 24 hours!





12. They have a mini cinema area and many big/small VIP rooms for you to relax. You can watch their movies or browse the individual internet tablets hoisted at your luxurious comfortable sofas! We slept on it overnight like everyone else!







13. This place is very suitable for people to stay overnight if they come to KL for short business 1-2 day trips! It is cheaper than staying in budget hotels where you have no free unlimited food, spa and entertainment at one price. For a small fee, you can engage their masseurs, hair stylists and beauty experts for facials & nails!


I left the place feeling refreshed and fully recharged!
I will be back again on Chinese New Year!





Ossoto Recreation Hub
Address: Wisma Mirama, 50460 Kuala Lumpur,
Hours: Open 24 hours

This is not a paid post and all are being written solely based on my own personal opinion. As photography is strictly prohibited at Ossoto Spa, I had to borrow the clips from their ossoto.com video and zh.buzzhand.com to better illustrate my good experience with the hope that public will give their support to this place.

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