World First Glass Temple

Attended one of my ex form 6 classmate's wedding yesterday. I was really excited because it was the first Indian wedding i attended. On top of that, her wedding ceremony was held at the famous Glass temple in Johor Bahru (Arulmigu Srirajakaliamman Glass Temple). I mean i had seen many normal temples but never one that's made out of thousand of pieces of glasses. I had been wanting to visit the temple, after all it's the world first of it's kind, so yesterday was a perfect opportunity.

As it's name suggest, the unique thing about this temple is that the whole temple is made up of glass! Yes, from the walls to the ceilings to the beams, everything is glass work. It's an absolute gorgeous piece of artwork. The minute i stepped into it's interior, i was in awe. Those glistening and shimmering colorful glasses that greeted me totally intrigued me. There's yellow, blue, red, green, white, purple; glasses of all colors, size and shapes completes every corner. Everywhere i turned, i can see reflections. Which also means i can check my hair, my teeth, my Punjabi suit all the time because it's so convenient to do so with all the glasses that doubles up as mirrors. Awesome yeah. :)

Enjoy the pics. :)



1st in the world! Right here in Johor Bahru. Awesome :)



















During the wedding - prayers for the groom



The very happy newly wed.

Bumped into my ex Mod Maths teacher at the wedding! What a small world.

Lastly, with the pretty bride and her husband.

Of course, after looking at the pics, it's definitely better to be there to experience the beauty and calmness of the whole temple with your very own eyes. :)

The Hindu Glass Temple,
22, Lorong Satu,
Jln Tebrau,
80100 Johor Bahru

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Save Our Seahorses

Now that im feeling better, hello actively again blogsphere! Today let's take a step back to nature and see how we can help conserve something that belongs to part of our Mother Nature.

Geylang Patah is a small town located some 45 minutes away from Johor Bahru. Some may have heard of it because of it's famous otak-otak, some may be due to the seafood while i think in recent years, more popularly known because of it's location next to the Malaysia-Singapore Secondlink.

But what most people might not know is that within this small predictable town lies a big mission. It might be a big mission, but we can all easily play a part and our little effort all helps in a big way.

The mission im talking about is a mission to save our seahorses and the Pulai River Estuary in Malaysia. And the particular seahorse species im highlighting here is the Hippocampus kuda (spotted seahorse) which is a threatened species that is found primarily in estuaries, especially the Pulai River Estuary. (you can read more about the spotted seahorses and Pulai River Estuary and the dangers they are facing here and here)

So enough of the introduction, i dont wna bored you all further with facts (just click the links or google to find out more. It's all over the internet). Last Wed, me and bro decided to volunteer ourselves for this mission which is actually called 'Save Our Seahorses'. I still need to work, but the beauty of working in the Emergency Dept was that, i could chose to either worked the am or pm shift so i can use the morning and worked pm later.

#1 - Pendas Jetty where we set off

We were required to meet at the SOS research centre (about 5 mins away from Pendas Jetty) at 6.20am and it takes about an hour 15 minutes from my house to the centre, so you can imagined what time i was awake in order to reach punctually.

Drivers tip : Actually the centre does provide overnight accommodation but if you are driving from Johor Bahru, you can follow the Secondlink highway and the signboard that exit at Geylang Patah. On the website, you'll be able to see that they say just follow the Pendas signboard thereafter for another 23 km until one passes through a tunnel right? But in pitch dark and especially if one is not familiar with the place, locating the tunnel is not easy at all. Trust me, there are many fake tunnels along the way before you actually pass the real one. Hence, i say -

Keep driving along the mainroad like the website said and you'll pass by village after village with fake tunnels after fake tunnels and only after you see the sign that tells you you are passing through 'KG LADANG', the tunnel after that is the REAL tunnel. And only after you pass the real tunnel, go slow until you can see the street lamp and probably you'll see some small seahorses signboard on your right indicating the research centre.

Anyway, after a short briefing, we were off. The boat ride was about 15 minutes and soon we were out in the open sea, in the middle of nowhere between Malaysia and Singapore. The seagrasses where these seahorses are commonly found are in the middle of the sea! Actually, where places that have seagrasses, it is supposedly shallow. During low tide, the water is perhaps only ankle deep but it can go as high as 3m too. So it's quite cool to know that you be in fact able to stand in the middle of the sea looking for the seahorses etc.

#2 - This is perhaps the size of a SD card. It can be tied to the poles etc and leave overnight. It is very useful to detect the changes in the seawater temperature and light. So canggih right. The coordinator, Mr. Choo just bought this in from the USA.

#3- The seagrasses floating while the tide is still high

#4 - A closer look at the seagrasses. The seagrasses is also what the dugongs feed on so yes, if you are lucky, you might spot dugongs too.

#5- The seagrass fruit. It looks like rambutan from the exterior but it tasted kinda dry (in Hokkien we say 'siap siap'.. maybe someone can translate this? :) ) Another coordinator, Mr. Ng said the fruits are usually sweet, this is prolly an unripe one.

#6 - This is one of the species of the sea cucumber. Dont think this is the edible type though. Very elastic and soft and commonly found in here.

We got off the boat and the water was at our mid calf level that morning. Excited, we started searching for the seahorses cz our main purpose is to look for as many as we can and to tag them. However, one thing about this whole programme is that, it is very subjective to weather and also the seawater condition one. It's like last Wed just wasn't our day. The clouds started rolling in thicker and thicker over us and the wind got stronger and stronger. The seawater was really murky too so it was really hard for us to visualize the root of the seagrasses where our dear seahorses usually curls themselves comfortably.

#7 - And we barely cut through half the area when our coordinators decided we had to call it off a day!! Cuz saw those dark clouds? It means that an impending heavy downpour was coming our way and the last thing one want is to be caught under the rain cz it'll be really really cold and more dangerous still if there is accompanying lighting.

All of us volunteers were really disappointed. Unfortunately, the weather and circumstances were really unfavorable. We tried waiting but it was just not our lucky day. And the day b4, Mr Choo said they even saw sea hare (sea rabbit, so cute right) and starfish. None the less safety first! So sad we all did not get to see the seahorses this time. :(

#8- We managed to beat the rain by one step ahead and arrived back at the jetty b4 it really started pouring mercilessly on us. Some fishermen catch. So huge the fishes. So tempting.

We then went back to the research centre to dry up and to hide from the ferocious rain.

#9 - Since we cannot see the real thing, we substitute with the specimens ok? These specimens are exhibited at the research centre.

#10 - The Hippocampus kuda, spotted seahorse species

#11 - These are the remains of Pak Pok, the dugong found dead at the Sg Pok Besar jetty here in Geylang Patah last year. (news here) Half of Pak Pok's head and body was severed off prolly by the blades of the ship which was the caused of it's death. So pitiful, no?

#12 - Finally a group pic with the other volunteers and our 2 friendly coordinators.

#13 - The humble SOS research centre

I think i'll try to go back to volunteer again because i want to see the seahorses with my own eyes! hmph! Nah, they seriously do need as much help as they can around so anyone interested to know more, participate or contribute, do check out Save Our Seahorses (SOS) here k. Thx :)

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The Thing Call Fever

Hello world! I wonder if any of u had missed my presence here. To start off, i didn't mean to go MIA just like that. In fact, as usual, im bursting with things to share with the world granted you guys are as excited to hear it too. :p

But i came down with fever on Saturday and since then had spent every precious minute sleeping away cz whenever i tried to walk around, my head throbbed so badly, whats more sitting in front of my lappie and blogged. It kinda sucks cz it means i was sleeping the whole of Father's Day and missed out on the good food and good fun. It's been a long time since i developed a fever but that's one of the worse thing that can happen to me. Fever makes me weak and functionless. Actually, fever is a good sign cz it means our body defense mechanism is fighting against the invaders but having persistent fever was terrible. Like it's so weird that the paracetamols are not functioning. Maybe the virus that attacked me this time is a mutated supermassive species or maybe my interleukins-1 are just being hyperactive. At the same time, i was having arthralgia and myalgia and all the other flu like symptoms. And i was feeling nauseous and vomited which non of the docs seemed interested in when i told them that hence no one bothers giving me any anti emetics much to my agony. In short, it was terrible.

At one point, i tink i just spent 24 hours sleeping but whatever it is i felt like i had lie in bed for a long long long time feeding on medicine and porridge daily. And i was so afraid i had developed dengue and was having my blood tested every day. Thank God, my body 'police' are now picking up to shoo away those virus and i felt much much better.

I'm not exactly one to fall sick easily. Like seriously, i used to only fell sick once a year maybe. I tink that these days i'm more exposed to various bacterias and viruses daily so my risk of nosocomial infection (infections associated with health care services/hosp) is therefore higher. It also proves that i had been doing my ward rounds in the hosp. *wink*

Hopefully, all these drugs that i had been taking will overpower the virus in me and i will feel good enough to regained full function soon. :)

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My First Bak Chang

I don mean eating bak zhang. I mean making one. :p

This year must be one of the most abnormal bak chang (glutinous rice dumpling) day. Simply because every year, the bak chang period is notoriously associated with the word hot, that every single day is so freaking hot during the whole month of bak chang. I wonder if it's JB or it's because the A and E is like a freezer, every single day is so cold here. Including today. Raining like cats and dogs on bak chang day itself.

The Bak Chang festival is one of our many Chinese festival. One sad thing is, as the younger generation emerges, we are also slowly losing a lot of our Chinese tradition and culture. Like how many young people these days actually knows or maybe bother learning how to make bak changs when there are so many ready made ones conveniently sold outside right?

Plus there is so much effort and time needed. But luckily i have a super geng mum who enjoys making bak changs. Cz outside ones can never beat the homemade ones which are healthier and u can put whatever ingredient that suits ur taste bud. So this year, i decided to steal some of her skills and learn from her. And because I'm a Chinese so i tink it's very important to keep such cultures and traditions alive.

But still bluff one. :p Cz i only managed to learn how to fill and wrap the bak changs into their signature triangular shape. My super geng sifu had cooked the ingredients all in secret b4 i came home from work so that i cannot spy on her secret recipe. Jz kidding. *wink*. Nvm learn step by step as there are so many more years to learn. haha.

Honestly, there's a lot of work involved. I dno how my mum so geng can make like 50-60 each year herself. There's the raw ingredient part where you had to prepare the glutinous rice, shrimps, mushrooms, chickens, beans and whatever u like ur chang to be filled with. We added chilli into our bak changs and took out some common ingredient like salted egg and pork (mum don like pork). I'm not surprised if there is cheese bak chang one day. Maybe i'll be the 1st to do it. hehe. There's the leaves to wash. There's all the cooking- frying, steaming, boiling. Then the wrapping, tying and cutting. It took us both an entire afternoon to made like 80 smt bak changs.

Unwrapping our bak chang, this is how it looks like. :)

Of course, after an entire afternoon, the thing i looked forward most is the end product. When the 1st batch of bak changs finally was ready, i eagerly unwrapped a few and the satisfaction was incomparable as i sink my teeth into the hot, piping bak chang.

My mum homemade bak chang is so so so yummy (all four limbs up) i think she should consider selling them. Like serious. You can come try for urself. But you have to make ur way to my hse fast b4 it is all gone cz we are all so in love with them that we are having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And for brunch, tea and supper. *ahem*

Glutinous rice is not exactly the healthiest food to consume in bulk around, but heck it's only once a year right? (and i will do a lot of exercise!) Well, i hope u all also enjoyed eating ur bak changs like me (i feel like a big lazy cat now) and dont forget to drink plenty of water. Eat happy and stay healthy. :)

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SIDS

I got no mood to post any food pics or Singapore pics today. Cause today is quite a sad day at work.

All i can tink of is this one particular case i saw this morning. Some of you might still not know this but im currently doing my elective posting in the Accident and Emergency (A n E) department in the hosp back home. Which means i have been really hardworking to wake up at 7 am every day to reach the hosp by 8.

Death is a very common occurrence in any hosp. More so in the A and E department. It's something distressing but yet unavoidable. When death occurs as part of human life cycle, u noe to be born, grow up, fall sick and eventually death, we all kinda anticipate that already isnt that. Personally, i had seen quite a number of death in the hosp already but they are all adults. Older people. People who had lived decades of their life.

But today this particular case that is still gripping me is the death of a 5 months old infant. The infant was brought in by his babysitter. When i first saw the baby, he was already cyanosed, pale and cold. His pupils were nonreactive and his body was already stiffen. Not a good sign. But still, the docs tried to intubate him, they oxygenated him, did CPR and we tried all we can hoping a miracle might happen to this young life. But no. No miracle happened. It was difficult. I was appalled to see someone so young saying goodbye to our world.

I don't really know the exact cause of his death but it is highly suspected that it is a case of 'Sudden Infant Death Syndrome' (SIDS). As far as i understand, SIDS can occur in any infant with no particular reason at all. A healthy infant can go to bed and end up sleeping forever. Just like dat. With no particular reason. Well, some may argue that the sleeping position of the infant may influenced the risk of developing SIDS, which is not totally untrue as research had shown that the only good position for any infant to sleep in is the supine position (lying with back against the bed), hence the 'Back to Sleep' campaign.

And as it also coincides in this case cz the babysitter claims that the infant was sleeping in the prone (lying with head or tummy against the bed) position the whole night b4 she realized he wasnt 'normal'.

Thus, mothers/ mothers-to-be/ caretakers/ babysitters that are reading my blog, remember, if ur baby likes to sleep in the prone position, try to put him/her into the supine position. If not, please do monitor ur infant closely from time to time. Remember, SIDS is the leading cause of infant death and prevention is better than cure.

Disclaimer : What i had talk about above is purely based on only my understanding on SIDS. For further clarity and information on SIDS, please refer and consult your doctors.

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PC Fair Singapore

was a crazy affair.

Seriously jam packed with probably all the geeks and techie whiz kids from all over Singapore. And people like yours truly who belongs to neither of the group above but was there just to join in the fun. Or some people who loves visiting PC fairs just to feed their eyes. (common at KL PC fair, buayas go look at all the pretty PC fair girls only). I think the number of people at the PC fair the other day easily doubles or triples the KL one.

So unless you had something to check out/buy, then stay away from the PC fair. Especially if u r anthropophobia or is hypotensive and tend to get dizzy or faint in places where there are too many people sharing the same air as u r.

Honestly, i rather be shopping at Orchard or Bugis or wherever than being squash among thousands of tech prodigy but i was super enthusiastic this time round to go to the PC fair. Not because i wna check any girls out (duh) but because i had several techie stuff in my mind that i wanted to check out.

First of all, being my fon. Yeah, it's time for a new fon. I think i deserved to pampered myself with a splurge. My old fon was 5 years b4 it died and because fon evolution took place too quickly over the years, i m glad i had waited for 5 years and now with the emergence of smart phones, i think it's a good time to move on to a new love. (and i found one! :) ). No, it's not the iphone but that's another story altogether. Of course with the fon, then there have to be the accessories such as the memory card and whats not. Then there's stuff mum, dad and DD wanted me to check out. And of course because a lot of techie stuff are already sold at a relatively cheaper price in Singapore compared to Malaysia, maybe because Singapore have lower tax? so at the fair, some stuff are really a steal. Definitely like cheaper by RM 100 to 200 when compared to Malaysia. (was there 2 years ago so realized that their PC fair is really much worth a visit when u need to buy techie stuff)

Hence, i spent an entire Sat noon at Suntec Convention hall and returned a very happy girl. Cz i managed to steal some very good bargains which unfortunately burned two gigantic hole in my pocket now. That's why im opting to eat at home everyday cz can save loads of money. :p

Anyway, not every single item at the PC fair was a steal. Some stuff are still cheaper back home. Like the cooler pad, memory cards and pendrives were not good steals at the fair. The camera was quite a good bargain tho. Checked out a few underwater camera; models like Olympus m-3000 is RM 90 cheaper with 4 more freebies thrown in, the Sony TX-5, Canon D10 and Casio G1 were all relatively cheaper than back home with more freebies thrown in. Apple ipod was def cheaper too.

While i was busy moving among the mountains of people, my bro did most of the pics snapping.




Where most of the flyers ended up. What a waste of paper. Tsk tsk.




This felt so much like a paparazzi shot.. No offense to the both of them, i dont even noe who they are but they bought like freaking lots of Lenovo laptops and i assume comparing more prices online on the spot.


This is so non-related to the PC fair but i realized another thing bout Singapore that day. Prices of drinking/mineral water is much more expensive than juices so to quench our thirst, the cheapest drink available are the bottle juices.

Only had some time to hang around Suntec after that, so basically the only shop i managed to go shop at was Cotton On cz they were having 50% discount storewide and it's Cotton On! I mean there's this period when i super love MNG, then there was this time i love Zara, and now im pretty much a Cotton On person. I still love the 2 former but well, there can never be one too many love. But dno why, there were so many people dat day and i had to wait like half an hour just for an empty cubicle.

Faded denim vest

Boyfriend denim shirt

Light grey cardi with puffed sleeves (cannot see the puffed sleeves here but when wear then can see)

Black beach shorts

Of course, i did not leave the fair empty handed. Got this Wii mote and Nun chuck for RM 160. RM 40 cheaper than M'sia current price.

4 port USB hub. Only RM 12.

The bomb! This, this is the highlight that burn the holes in my pocket now. BUT, im totally loving it. It's so fun to have a smartphone to play with. :p

Yes, im a happy happy girl right now. Let's just not think of the financial damages. Everyone deserve a reward some time or another. :)

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