Travel, Food, Applique and Swap Partner

April began with Tomb Sweeping Day, a day family members gathers and go to the graves to cleanup and offering prayers. It's a yearly affair . A week after, hubby decided that we should make a trip back  to my birth place;  Penang Island , nicknamed Pearl of the Orient. It's located way up North from where I lived now. Penang Island is connected to the main land by it's most iconic transit, the Ferry crossing the Straits of Malacca that was operational since 1894. Today we have two bridges connecting to the mainland and the third bridge with an underground tunnel is on it's way.

I missed the sea ! Simply can't wait to get my feet in the sand ,

smell the salty breeze and

listening to the waves.

Sunrise by the beach

A relaxing morning by the sea before we start our day food hunting 

and doing what needs to be done

The Reclining Buddha Buddhist Temple

This Thai Buddhist temple has a history dated back to Queen Victoria

To me, it has been there like forever

 It was a short trip of one night and two days, yet we managed to squeeze some time for an Afternoon Tea at Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Sweet of hubby who is not a fan of Afternoon tea was very obliging and not complaining. LOL

Sinful indulgence by the sea at a place called Tanjung Tokong is this platter

This restaurant has been in business for as long as I can remember and was badly hit by the 2004 Tsunami . How lucky were we when we were told that this platter is the last lot for the night since we did not make any reservations   

Crafting venture - Sue Bonnet Applique pouch began sometime late March.

I received this as a gift from hubby's classmate who now resides in Hong Kong when we first met on a trip years ago.  I felt intimated with the applique and thus it's been sitting at the bottom of my stash cabinet for a very long time

Having this as a kit made it all the easier. Actually I was initially very blurry as to how to begin with. It took me a day, thinking hard before I finally realized that the fabrics from the kit are actually  replica of the pattern on the photo with the template provided. Gosh! sometimes the brain is just not in the head. Anyhow, imagined that I applique on the wrong side of the fabric , TWICE !!

Froggy must be in the house somewhere !

Still full of doubts !

At this point I am not too sure if I am doing right since the size is rather small and fit only one hand. The kit is from Hong Kong is somehow written in Mandarin, a language I can't read and not much of a diagram as to how it was done up , so I ended guessing a lot  and look it up in YouTube on how to sew a pouch and ended up hand sewn the entire pouch including the zipper.

The sewing mojo must have been aroused , I made a couple of  'No Binding Coaster', when I stumble on Monica's tutorial while searching for the Sue Bonnet finishing know-how . It's really easy , a great way to use your 5" charm packs and I am pretty sure this will  make an excellent gift.

Link to the Tut : http://itsjustsewing.com/binding-free-coasters-hotpads/

MUG RUG - another sewing venture for a sepecial lady and a no binding coaster

Can you imagine meeting your swap partner ?

Call it chance or coincidence ! but we made it happen

Wren was my 10th Mug Exchange swap partner hosted by Stephanie .

It was a delightful afternoon meeting Wren over lunch and coffee.here in my homeland.

Two strangers from a swap, meeting for the first time

and chatted like we known each other for ages.

If we told the people at the next table that we just met for the first time,

I think they would not believed us !

Thank you Wren for a lovely afternoon.

Thank you Stephanie for drawing our names together .

It's the holiday seasons

As the days moved closer to another year ends, it's hard to believed that another year has come and is almost gone. People around the work force are busy with travel plans as most took the opportunity to clear their remaining leaves from work. There is no official long break here except the weekend of Christmas and New Year. We do not have snow but rain; the sun will continue to shine as it always have.  Since my firm work on projects, we simply moved forward and the transition of a new year is  just flipping to a new calendar month like the years before,  if it weren't for the constance wishes of  "Happy New Year" from every staff and business associates that walks through the door, I can assured you that the day is just like any other day.

The next few weeks will be hectic and will become more and more chaotic at work as the Chinese New Year festivity in February draws closer .

Let's see how I wrap up the last few weeks of the year this December
Week ONE  - I volunteered at a Charity Event with the Penan Women Project at their KL Xmas Sales at Verdant Hill Hotel. ( I blog about the Penans here a while back )

 It was a great experience to be involved in the behind scene of the sales and great to work with the ladies whom I met for the first time. I do foresee myself doing the same again if time permits with their next charity sales

My choice for lunch was this Sarawak's (Borneo) Kolo Mee (Noodles)

from the hotel, the best Kolo Mee I have ever tasted,  served with a dessert, Sweet Bao (Dumpling)

Diane started her two months internship with Pantai Specialist Hospital's  Pathology Lab this December. That means ferrying her to work in the morning and fetching her home in the evening. We are not allowing her to drive until her ACL injury is totally healed. It's been just over two months after her surgery.

Week TWO - I went on a day trip to Ipoh with 5 other girls from college visiting some famous landmarks in the City, actually it was more of a food expedition and a get together. Ipoh is a city in our Silver State. It was known historically for tin-mining (hence the name Silver State) activities until the price of the metal dropped severely affecting the state's economy. The city of Ipoh, like Penang and Malacca are known for its British colonial landmarks. Below is the baroque style railway station of Ipoh

(Image : tripadvisor)

Perak Tong (Perak Cave) is a temple and one of the oldest limestone hill

Famous for it's mural paintings. The walls of the cave  are decorated with colourful murals depicting characters and events from Chinese mythology and Buddhist scriptures

The memory of a 120 years old Lane known as Concubine Lane. How did the name derived ?Pretty sure you can guess, well it was believe to have  established in 1908 . A residential of the rich Chinese magnate and British officers were believe to have kept their concubines and mistresses in the colonial structures townhouse here . During it's hay days, the area is considered "redlight", and thus the area is associated with gamblings, opium den and prostitutions backed then. The lane was given a make over not too long ago after most of the shops and it's street was left deserted. The shop lots are now preserved and restored and today's it's the most vibrant tourist street in Ipoh City 

Our Wefie here 

A zippered pouch - I needed a money bag for our trip treasurer, something I thought at the eleventh hour before our departure . I had to rummage my stash and sew a simple zippered pouch with a bright and cheerful fabric to match the only white zipper  I had in my stash that fit the pouch size, which means I need to stock up on some color zippers soon.

Week THREE -  Working hard on my Birthday exchange gift for my partner from the WSG group.

I have picked a handful of colors to work on, the design I am working on is giving me a feeling of uncertainty in every way.  Undeniably, I don't have much time left if the exchange meet is to be in January.

I have sit on it for like a year, well actually some six months since I have only then decided what my finished item would be. The gift exchange will be reveal in January when the group meet at a date still pending for a discussion. 

Winter Solstice, it's the time of the year again to celebrate Dong Zhi festival, eating tang yuan which are glutinous rice balls in a sweet syrup. Chinese fesitval dishes usually have auspicious and meaningful names and the tang yuan is no different. Tang Yuan sounds like "tuan yuan" which in Mandarin means reunion of the family. This festival denotes that the year is coming to an end and is the last festivity in the Chinese Calendar for the year .

Week FOUR - Christmas week - No Christmas stitching this year. Two cards is the only craft that I managed at the very last minute and hoping that it get delivered in time before Chirstmas to both recipients 

Two very simple cards

Tree is my theme for this year

Here's wishing everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS

wherever you are and hope it's a fantastic one

for you and your family

Big THANK YOU to all of you who came by without fail and for your kind words
Your words are my inspiration to keep on blogging
I hope you enjoyed my ramblings of  life and times
from a continent in Asia
Here's wishing everyone
HAPPY NEW YEAR
2018
May yours be a fantastic start into a NEW year !
 

March roundup

After a successful and pleasant trip to the North slightly over a year ago, WSG decided to galloped  down south this March for a four days trip. After much, much planning, we finally made it.

We covered everything we have set our eyes to feast on and to eat our hearts out.

We have listed a couple of things on our MUST EAT AND MUST SEE LIST in the Merlion City or better known as SINGAPORE.

We first explore the Arab Quarter, the vibrant colors of the shops, its murals, artistic stores, trendy boutiques with cafes lining it's streets and it's quaint refurbished shophouses from the colonial era has much to explore and kept us on our toes for hours especially when we ventured into a lil'antique store of peranakan treasures

Our next adventure  took us to the eastern neighbourhood, Katong, known of its colorful, picture-perfect shophouses, rich heritage  to the peranakan culture and the dizzying array of local food especially it's nyonya kueh (desserts)

 That red building simply stood out majestically

 Charming shop front of everything Peranakan inside

 A Peranakan heritage, the nyonya beaded shoe (Kasut Manek)

Kasut Manek close up top finished and bottom beading in progress

 The one of it's kind Peranakan porcelain wear 

The food

Famously known Katong Laksa.

 where Gordon Ramsay was here during the Singtel Hawker fair in 2013

Kg Glam Café Lontong

One spread of Nyonya kuih at Glory Catering, hope I got the name correct

A late afternoon brunch at a Dong Po Colonial Café

located in the Arab Quarter

A taste of French, a late breakfast brunch at Paul, in Takashimaya

Mouth watering spread of delicious sweet and savoury pasteries

Dinner was the Mala hot pot in People's Park that we were told a must try originated  from the Sichuan province is not your average kind of steam boat kind of dish which I thought it was. This is  Hot Pot literally refers to SPICY HOT POT but I had to confess that this can be quite additive for me

On our last day with a couple of hours to spare before our flight, we stumble upon the religious melting pot of Waterloo's charm.  We were  amazed at the sight of devotees paying respects at both the  Goddess of Mercy ( Kwan Im Thong -established in 1884) and Sri Krishnan (1870) temples.

A sight to behold, the beautiful goddess at the entrance of the Sri Krishnan Temple.

Thereafter, we went back to the hotel to checked out and  it was well, sort of a lil'rush to the airport

and with that, our trip comes to an end

The not to be missed is the much talked about Peranakan Museum

This deserved a separate mention

The Peranakan Museum houses the world's finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artefacts, representing a unique cultural, the Nyonya Needlework: Embroidery and Beadwork in the Peranakan World. Well I am only posting a tiny part of the exhibits. I couldn't have everything posted here. More so, the photos just don't do justice compared to the real thing.

You just gotta see it for yourself if you ever visit Singapore

A beaded purse

a silk robe

a beaded foot stool

Beaded shoe face and shoe

It was a warm and comforting get-together with good food, good company

and our passion between us.

It was our passion  that brought us together in the first place

A farewell for now until another time

least to say

We DID MISSED OUT one thing thou, SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE , LOL

Where Stitchers Gather

Singapore March 2 - 5 , 2017

STITCHING CHALLENGE

It's been months, felt very very long since I last stitch, pondered a while before  I took up the challenge at the All About Smalls FB Group. Afterall it's small and that shouldn't be hard to finish. I needed some inspiration and hopefully this is it.

Here's my first start and a tiny progress on my choice design from LHN, Quaker Birds

I have since stitched a little more

On another note, two swap packages flew off  on the 16  to Tiina and Montse while a little envie went to Diane. I hoped this round my swap contents will arrive safely and in ONE or rather it's ORIGINAL form. The case of once broken twice shy.

Both are for the 10th Teacup-Mug Exchange do read about it at

The Enchanting Rose blog

Two Weddings

Coincidentally I attended the wedding of two sisters' children, a son and a daughter within a week, Both are childhood friends of hubby. He had a blast catching up.

I can't believed how quickly we are moving into the 2nd Quarter of the year already.

Wishing all a wonderful April, Happy Spring time, what ever you do, remember to stop to smell the flowers and here's a little advance Easter wishes

Wishing all a bless and joyful Easter

Thank you all who came by and commented in my last post, I read every comments and appreciate all your wonderful comments, hope you enjoyed another round of update.