Gendang gendut tali kecapi

Theatre of Dreams

2011-03-21T21:43:00.001+01:00

Last weekend was an amazing weekend.
Hoe and Penny are here for their honeymoon and I'm glad the bestman also had a role in the honeymoon.

We went to Old Trafford to watch the Bolton match. We were lucky enough to have full VIP treatment! It wasn't my first time at Old Trafford but definitely the most memorable one.

The same feeling I get every single time I stand in front of the stadium.....and I think Hoe felt the same as well!

As always, when I'm in charge of photos, there will always be a stupid pose hahahaha

We then moved into the suite where there was an open bar and a four course meal. Lovely!!

We were joined by an ex United legend. Norman Whiteside. To be honest, I had to Google him but Kelly knew who he was straight away.

Also, Owen Hargreaves did a little appearance...guess what? He's still fucking injured! Got his autograph though.

It soon got nearer to kick off time. We moved on to our seats. Makes a change to not be in the clouds. We had a perfect view of the pitch. Note the Newton Heath colours..Green and Gold is the new red.

Don't believe me? Check this out!!

A minute of silence to show respect for the victims of the Japan earthquake.

The match got on the way. United were poor in the first half. Mainly long distance attempts and Bolton were being Bolton and playing route one footie. Evans got sent off for a horrible challenge on Holden. We actually got better after that and broke them in the 80 odd minute when Berbatov nestled the ball into the back of the net after Jaaskelainen parried a Nani attempt! Glory Glory Man United!

After the match, there was still time to meet the stars. Smalling was United's man of the match. I actually bumped into Chris at the corridor and shook his hand and said well played mate like he was an old friend of mine. He probably thought I was Park Ji Sung's cousin. What a dude!

And then the official man of the match, Gary Cahill. Unlucky son :)

Of course I got his squiggle!

It was an amazing experience and all of us enjoyed ourselves. Still not sure what we did to deserve it tho. Thanks Penny and Hoe.

Wimbledon 2010

2010-06-26T00:03:00.000+02:00

They are saying that it's going to be the year a British person is going to win it. Mind you they are also saying that England will win the World Cup now that they've managed an ''amazing'' 1-0 win over Slovenia in the group stages....just to qualify as group runner ups!

Anyways, took the day off (well half the day) of the World Cup and went to Wimbledon.

First time we were in Court 2 which is the latest show court. I was quite excited as our seats were really close to the court..Row C! It was crazy hot as well - about 28 degrees and probably higher at lunchtime.

First up was the US Open winner, come back queen Kim Clijsters, against Maria Kirilenko, who was pretty hot.

Kim was too powerful for little Maria. She certainly didn't have to solve a problem like Maria today!

Didn't fancy watching horse faced woman (Jelena Jankovic) whinge and moan all match, so we went for walkies.

and look who we found!! Daniella Hantchukova :)

Playing in a doubles match with Cara Black.

After that it was back to Court 2 action. This time, Jurgen Melzer against Feliciano Lopez.

Kelly thought that Feliciano was hot!

I just couldn't believe how massive his legs were!!

Jurgen came up trumps in four sets.

That was it for this year. It was nice to be able to have a seat so close to the action. Shame it wasn't the latter rounds. Oh well, there is always next year.

Ali & Ben

2010-06-24T19:48:00.000+02:00

I know it's been almost a week, but I've finally gotten round to doing a blog about Ali and Ben's wedding at Priory Hall in Hadleigh. It was an amazing day and a really enjoyable wedding. Unfortunately, my lens wasn't fast enough to get all the shots I wanted, but hopefully these ones should give a taste of what a lovely day it was.

First things first, the bride and groom. Ali and Ben are a great couple who are certainly meant to be together, and they looked very happy to have taken the next step. The ceremony was meaningful and left everyone with a warm glow.

After the ceremony, and some photographs with the official photographer, we made our way to the courtyard for a spot of Pimms.

Then the girls got chilly in their revealing dresses, so we made our way inside with our drinks, and took the opportunity to pose in front of the fire place! Very English!

Me and Kelly also got a shot together!

Then it was time for the speeches and food, so we made our way over to the marquee. Everything was set up in a country picnic style, which looked good against the white backdrop of the marquee.

The speeches flowed well, and there was the added factor of the speech sweepstake, where people had put money on the different lengths of time that the speeches might go on for. Lucky Louise ended up winning that! Ali's dad's speech was so moving that Kelly cried, and this crying seemed to be a theme, as Ben was fighting back the emotion.....I know that feeling! There was obviously a lot of funny moments too, especially during the best man's speech.

After the speeches we ate some yummy food, including fresh bread, cheese, fish and salad. It went down a treat and gave us plenty of energy for the evening entertainment.....Ben and his band. They were on form and got the crowd going straight away, so there was plenty of dancing. I even got in on the act after the interval, and after a few more beers!

The crowd gathering in anticipation of the band

All in all it was a fantastic day. I wish Ben and Ali all the happiness in the world.

Burger and Salad

2010-05-16T21:09:00.003+02:00

This is awesome and i'm not just talking bout the meal. Having this new phone now means that i can blog more often. Photos might be a bit naff but at least it's something.   Tonights lazy sunday dinner, quarter pounder with fresh leaf salad.

Walkies

2010-05-05T15:59:00.002+02:00

Last weekend, we decided to meet up with our friends Giles and Steph. Instead of the usual dinner and drinks, one of them (Kelly or Giles) decided that it was a good idea to go for a walk. I was fine until I realised it was 10 miles long! Those of you who know me know that I hate walking or running or anything to do with endurance. Then again this was a different kinda walk (not that different but different enough).

We started off at Henley and we walked and walked and walked and walked and walked....

Introducing....The Walkers!

Part of the route was to walk through some woods. As you would imagine, there were lots of trees.

Tall ones.

Straight ones.

Dead ones.

ASBO attacked ones!

not really...she's harmless!

It was nice to know that I have done one of Britain's favourite past times....WALKING!

Lasagne

2010-03-30T00:12:00.002+02:00

Looking at my recent food posts, I've neglected my passion for Italian food. I know I keep saying this, but one of my favourite dishes is Beef Lasagne. I'm sure you can use chicken to substitute the beef. Something for the future perhaps.

So here we go. Bolognaise sauce. In case you forgot how to make it, fry onions, garlic and then add beef. Once slightly browned, add mushrooms, carrots and celery if you fancy it. Mix it all in and then add your tomatoes. I like to add a dash of Worcester sauce and tomato ketchup in mine.

Next bit is making the white sauce. Butter, flour, milk and then cheese..in that order on medium heat stirring constantly...no one likes lumpy sauce. Didn't take any pictures as everything had to be done quickly.

Layer the pasta and Bolognaise sauce and white sauce goes on top at the end.

Sprinkle more cheese, a bit of pepper and ground nutmeg for that little extra!

In to 180 degrees oven for 20-30 mins...and voila!

Plate up and serve while hot.

Restaurant Amboi

2010-03-28T16:16:00.000+02:00

After more than 10 years of running Restaurant Bibik Neo, my parents and brother have decided to open a new restaurant in the heart of Malacca's city centre.

Restaurant Amboi opened their doors today to the general public. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to take photos of the actual shop but I did get the opportunity to design and create the menu.

Restaurant Amboi
51 Jalan Merdeka
Taman Melaka Raya
75000, Melaka
Malaysia

Here is my attempt at being creative.

Chicken Rendang Nyonya Style

2010-03-07T19:35:00.000+01:00

I have been so busy blogging about snow shots and holidays, I've totally forgotten about the FOOD part of my blog.

Went to the gym this morning had a little chat with Mel. Not sure how it all came about but I said I would drop her a couple of Peranakan recipes hence this post.

Also realised that I haven't blogged about one of my favourites, Chicken Rendang Nyonya Style.

I took this shot when we were in Malaysia for the new restaurant menu.

Really easy to make. Ready? Here we go..

All of this chopped plus a teaspoon of Turmeric. Mainly for colouring. Use 5 shallots instead of red onion for better results.

Blend it all together. Add water so it blends nicely.

Heat oil in pot, add in rendang paste, stir for few mins.

Add chicken and potatoes.

Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer on medium heat for 30 mins.

Add coconut milk in the end and Bob's your uncle!

Serve with fluffly white rice.

Simples :)

Little Lims

2010-03-01T14:43:00.001+01:00

Been thinking if I should get myself a nifty fifty but just can't bring myself to buy anything before my Ultra Wide!

Tried some portrait shots of my little cousins when we were back in Malaysia. Found it quite difficult with f2.8, maybe I do need that 50mm f1.8 after all. Hmmmm.......

Malacca by Night

2010-02-28T21:20:00.000+01:00

Nearly forgot the most important leg of the holiday. My hometown Malacca. Here are some of my favourite night shots of Malacca.

A Famosa

Approaching the Stadthuys

Stadthuys, Clock Tower and Victoria Fountain

Alternative angle.

Hokkien Temple on Jonker Street

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

House Warming

2010-02-28T21:02:00.000+01:00

We spent our last night in Malaysia at my cousin's house warming party. It was a nice way to end our holiday with friends and family.

People....

people.....

and more people!

The guests were treated with a lion dance performance.

Everyone was doing something. Some were eating,

Some were gambling,

and some were,.... I guess you could call it singing.

Everyone had fun, including the kids.

So that was pretty much our Feb covered in 8 posts! Back in England now but already counting the days to our next trip back home!

Ti Kong (Jade Emperor)

2010-02-23T03:17:00.001+01:00

Yesterday we (Hokkien clan) carried out prayers to the Jade Emperor. Google Tian Gong or Jade Emperor Taoist to know more about this. The internet conection is pretty bad here so I can't risk typing it all and losing.

It's something that we do every year on the eighth day of Chinese New Year.

Started out by setting out offerings to the Gods and the usual gambling and we saved some fire crackers for the night.

Skillful hands folding heaven papers which represent gold nuggets!

Learning

Offerings...including this..

It's in the blood.

Then at midnight, we set the fire crackers off. 16 feet of it!

And the folded papers too.

Krabi 2010

2010-02-20T16:10:00.000+01:00

Everyone is going crazy over Thailand and the islands around it. We decided to organise a group trip to Krabi and visit a few islands around it. Here are some of the more interesting shots of the trip.

Starting off with a perfect sunrise.

The couples...

...and the newly weds.

The beach.

As the day draws to an end...

The party begins!

My first attempt of a jump shot...not bad I thought :)

bet no one else thought of this shot :))

Awesome.

Could not resist some long exposure shots at night.

Year of The Lion (Dance)

2010-02-16T16:25:00.002+01:00

Chinese New Year isn't complete without a traditional Lion Dance.

I just love the beat and the loudness and craziness of it all!

This was held at our local car dealer. I don't think I need to mention which dealer this is :)

Gong Xi Fa Chai

2010-02-16T09:34:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year.

This is going to be a short post on Chinese New Year at home. More photos of Chinese new Year scenes to come.

Siem Reap - Part 1 of 2

2010-02-13T15:15:00.001+01:00

We've been waiting for this trip for ages. I've always been fascinated by the architectural marvel of the temples in Siem Reap especially Angkor Wat.

We warmed the trip up by visiting a few other temples around Siem Reap.

This is one of my favourite shots.

Spectacular!

Love the isolated orange on the Buddha amongst the grey.

Classic.

Parts of Tomb Raider were shot in this temple.

Infinite doorways.

Sunset.

End of day one.

Siem Reap - Part 2 of 2

2010-02-13T15:14:00.001+01:00

I've decided to dedicate this post to Angkor Wat which we visited on our second day. I don't need to explain much about this place. Just take a look at the snaps.

Usual day in the office.

Spiritual.

Awesome!

Hoe and Penny 120210

2010-02-13T02:02:00.000+01:00

I was asked (I might have asked) to be Hoe's witness in his and Penny's R.O.M.

For those of you who didn't know, Hoe was my best man and witness at our wedding so I was super stoked when he said I could be his witness :)

Took some shots during the R.O.M. and here they are.

Congratulations Hoe and Penny.

Me trying to copy a typical wedding photographer's shot.

Hoe trying to act cute.....didn't work.

Welcome to the family card from the Hoes.

Bahawasanya....

Momentus

Newly weds!!!!

Daddy's little girl.

Who's next?

The Family

Another one bites the dust.

Lunch was awesome at Tai Thong in Putrajaya.

Wear it with pride.

Again, Congratulations to the both of you.

Snow Storm!

2010-01-06T16:55:00.001+01:00

Snowy weather hits High Wycombe again, and this time, it's worst than last year's.

Didn't drive this time tho :)

Got out to take some snaps....enjoy!

Started my little walk by the tennis club.

It was boring so I moved on to the park and partly frozen river.

That's it for now...I'm staying in the warm!

Lake District - Part 1 of 3

2009-12-30T10:50:00.000+01:00

We've spent the last couple of days in the Lake District in Cumbria. The Lake District, for those of you who don't already know, is an area in the north of England known for its lakes, quaint little towns and beautiful countryside scenery.

After ditching my car in a snow bank last week, I was fortunate enough to get a replacement for the trip.

Not as pretty as the old one but it'll do...the car of course!

We arrived early so our first stop was a town called Bowness on Windermere. Windermere is the name of the lake.

It was bloody freezing! Sub zero temperatures the whole time we were there.

View of Windermere from a higher location.

We then carried on to Ambleside where our hotel was and as we were walking around, we saw this!

I'm a massive fan of waterfalls so as soon as Kelly told me there was a waterfall nearby, we headed straight to it! This particular one was called Stockghyll Force. They use the word ''force'' for waterfalls around here.

It was a bit of a trek which was made trickier with the snow and ice on the ground!

Some spectacular scenes on our way there.

As you can see, we were losing light very quickly (it was only about 1530 hours) so we had to rush ourselves.

We got there in the end and it was brilliant. I love waterfalls!

Next post....Windermere from our hotel and more waterfalls...stay tuned.

Lake District - Part 2 of 3

2009-12-30T10:47:00.001+01:00

Day two and we started our journey heading towards Aira Force..yup another waterfall. The route there was pretty spectacular with snow capped mountains and white hills.

The roads were pretty clear as well. Not all of the roads were as clear as the two photos above though as we had to take some not so major roads like below. Still an awesome drive!

On our way to Aira Force, we came across this...Ullswater (another lake). So we stopped to take some photos.

Partly frozen lake...magnificent!

After that, it was the main event. Aira Force. We had to park the car and make our way to the waterfall by foot as usual. It was worse than yesterday's trek as the route was icier and slippery!

Snow we can handle, but compacted slush and ice was pretty dangerous as in some places, you could easily slip and fall down the ravine.

But we didn't. We made it to Aira Force!

Frozen bits even on the waterfall.

As usual, around the high ground, the scenes were awesome...couldn't resist but to take more snaps.

We then drove towards Cockermouth to meet up with Mark and Miho. We then continued to a little town called Keswick.

Guess what? There is another lake there..Derwentwater. This was particularly different as most of the lake was frozen!

After a bit of walking and losing light...again, we had to do the usual. CUP OF TEA!

Coming up in part 3, Windermere by our hotel with night shots.

Lake District - Part 3 of 3

2009-12-30T10:46:00.003+01:00

It feels wrong to not mention anything about the hotel we stayed in. We stayed in The Waterhead which is located at the tip of Lake Windermere in Ambleside. Again, only the best for my queen. Breakfast with a view of the lake.

A few shots of Windermere during sunset.

Can you spot the layer of fog just above the water?

You all know how much I like my night shots so here it comes...get ready for it!

Check out the ducks by the edge of the lake.

This is probably the last post for 2009...see you in 2010...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And So This is Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:20:00.002+01:00

If yesterday was the night before Christmas, there is no second guess to what today is!!
It's Chrisssssstmasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Merry Christmas readers!

Started the morning by opening pressies. As usual, we all had what we asked for :)

Kelly's Christmas money was not so easily accessible this year!

It was then time to prepare lunch. All guns blazing here!

See what I mean?

It was all worth it tho. The usual suspects.

Stuffing Balls.

Pigs in Blankets

Mashed Potatoes

Carrots and Leeks

Brussels Sprouts

Chicken

Roasted Parsnips, Potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings!

Enough of photo taking..time to tuck in!

It was an amazing meal..jubbers!

Now to lose all those calories.

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2009-12-24T19:08:00.002+01:00

The Christmas weekend started out like this. It caused a few chaotic moments..me crashing my car in the snow but I've decided to leave all of that behind me and continue with the festive spirit!

The tree this year is probably the best we've had in terms of shape. Didn't take Kelly long to put up the decorations.

Little Robin Redbreast...the newest member of the all star Christmas tree decor.

Can't wait to see what's in them!...gonna call it a night now so Santa could fill the stockings up!

Good Night and Merry Christmas.

Savill Garden

2009-12-12T20:56:00.000+01:00

We woke up this morning and the sun was shining. Making sure we took advantage of the rare winter sun, we decided to head out to Savill Garden in Surrey. It was also a good excuse to get the camera out and take some shots. I didn't realise how much I missed taking photos until i started snapping away.
Here are some shots of the day.

Sun breaking through the clouds

Processed!

Nice and peaceful

As we were walking, we stumbled upon these weird looking things. They look like alien nests!

Quite freaky as it's in the middle of the woods.

They need water to survive

We couldn't pass the opportunity to play photographer-model!

After that, it was time to go home.....

p/s: If we get attacked by aliens, you heard it here first!

Legends!

2009-12-06T01:45:00.004+01:00

After winning the mixed doubles tournament held by our club, my partner and I won a couple of tickets to go see the AEGON Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall. Not just any ordinary tickets but V.I.P. ones.

We were treated to some champers, lunch and then wine...during the meal and while enjoying the tennis!

Thought the table decor was pretty cool.

We've finished our lunch by now but Mel wanted dessert.

Peter McNamara was the victim..but still let us have our pictures taken with him :)

Pete wasn't the only one mingling with the diners. Younes El Aynaoui joined in as well. Nice fella.

And then it was time for tennis. I've never been in the Royal Albert Hall but have heard good things about it so I was pretty stoked about entering it for the first time.

The first thing you would probably notice are these.

Acoustic diffusers!

So amazed by the set up, I couldn't stop taking pictures of the hall.

Then...some tennis :)

First up, Pat Rafter Vs Goran Ivanisevic

Goran pulled a muscle halfway..

so Pat was declared the winner.

Next up my all time favourite tennis entertainer....Mansor Bahrami

It was so entertaining, I forgot who won the match!

So after a few glasses of wine, a couple of good tennis matches and fantastic company, it was time to head home. We'll have to defend our title next year!

There is Hope

2009-11-26T19:33:00.001+01:00

I haven't been anywhere exciting to take photos recently. Woke up this morning to a gloomy sky but just before I left for work, I noticed the rainbow which made me a little bit happier.

Fireworks

2009-11-06T23:43:00.004+01:00

There were quite a few firework displays in the skies tonight (to celebrate Guy Fawkes or Bonfire Night). We were supposed to go attend some of them but Kelly had to work and I decided to play football.

Managed to get a couple of shots from our flat!

It Makes The World Go Round

2009-10-15T23:41:00.000+02:00

After collecting our coppers and silvers for years, we finally counted them up. My guess was £80 and Kelly's was £50. What do you think?

The Collection

The Stash

Piles!

The Loot

And the final amount is....ready for it?

£31 plus some shrapnel.....how disappointing!

London by Night 1

2009-10-11T11:57:00.000+02:00

Didn't have much planned this weekend so decided to drive into London to attempt some night shots. Was a very disappointing outing for me as nearly 80% of my shots were not usable especially portrait shots. Probably need a flash gun and a 1.8 lens.

Anyways, here are some that did turn out ok.

View from Waterloo Bridge

The Eye

A bus in the correct lane!!

Urban

Was getting really frustrated at this point as I couldn't take the shots that I had initially planned for.

Westminster Abbey

Last stop, Trafalgar Square for some fountain shots. These I'm relatively happy with :)

Glad I ended the night on a high.

So Far So Good

2009-10-04T12:07:00.001+02:00

Haven't been out shooting for a while now as I've been pretty swamped with work and other stuff.

Planning on doing a London by Night shoot sometime soon so stay tuned.
Also realised that I have been shooting with my DSLR for about half a year now and here are some of my favourites.

Selamat Hari Raya

2009-09-20T15:33:00.004+02:00

By Guest Blogger Kelly.
Today, my husband has allowed me to be a guest blogger so that he can get on with the important job of watching the Manchester derby on TV!

As it is Hari Raya, we decided to have a little tribute to Malaysian cuisine. My little chef decided to try something different to the usual Baba Nyonya style that he normally cooks up, and plumped with Nasi Biryani served with Daal (a.k.a. Dahl, Dal and Dhal). It may sound like a very Indian menu, but there was definitely a Malaysian twist: it tasted nothing like the Indian dishes of the same name. Also, the Biryani had beef in it, so was certainly not in keeping with the Indian culture.

Nasi Biryani

A. Onion, Ginger, 5 Cloves, 3 Cardamom, 1 Cinnamon fried with Butter or Ghee (add rice when fragrant)

B. Chicken stock, Saffron, Rose Water and Mushrooms (add A into B and cook*)

Garnish with Sultanas/Raisins, Almond, Chooped Corriander

*Fry marinated meat (lamb, beef or chicken) and add into B to cook.

Daal

Split Lentils, Chopped Onion and Chilli boiled in light stock (vege or chicken)

Garam Massala, Turmeric, Cumin to spice it up.

Cook until lentils are soft then remove from heat (add water if need to)

Add in Chopped Corriander and Tomatoes in the end.

I actually created something in the spirit of Hari Raya as well......cake!! Well, not exactly cake, but I did some baking and made some wonderfully sweet Flapjacks. These have to be one of my favourites, and they are also the best post workout snack to get sugars back into the system, with the feelgood factor of also consuming the wholesome oats. Yummy!! They certainly keep my sweet tooth satisfied!

Flapjacks

I would just like to take the opportunity to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lynette. I promise you a trip to Secret Recipe once I get over there in February so I can buy you a belated piece of birthday cake.

Nasi Lemak

2009-09-13T18:25:00.006+02:00

This is one of my favourite Malaysian dishes.
Nasi Lemak is basically rice cooked or rather flavoured with coconut milk.
Due to the versatality of this dish, it can be accompanied by various dishes. The most common combination is some sort of sambal (eggs, squid or fried anchovies), vege (cucumber or boiled water spinach) and probably another meat like fried chicken or beef rendang for example.
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Here is what I cooked up this afternoon.
Nasi Lemak - white rice flavoured with coconut milk and pandan (screwpine) leaves.
Sambal Eggs - shallow fried hard boilled eggs (for texture) with Sambal, which is a chilli paste made from fresh and dried chillies, shallots, tamarind, kaffir leaves and some sugar.
Fried Chicken - marinated with oyster sauce, pepper, curry powder, ginger and onions.
Fried Beans - Stir fried long beans with chillies and unions with turmeric.
Cucumber

(Please email me directly if you want the recipes or cooking methods for any of my dishes.)

TANnis

2009-09-07T00:18:00.008+02:00

This weekend was the Club Finals Day at my tennis club. I was asked if I could take some snaps as some of the guys down the club enjoyed the photos I took in Wimbledon earlier this year.

I took loads of photos but here are a few to sum it up.

If only I had a 300mm f2.8 ;)

These are some of the better players down at the club.

L to R: Anna, Tanya (Women's Singles Champion), Julia and Debbie (Women's Doubles Champion)

L to R: Nick and John (Men's Doubles Champion), Roger (Men's Singles Champion) and Kristian

Wasn't quite ATP or WTA but managed to get some action shots.
Adam (Boy's Under 18 Champion)

Tried to be a bit arty with some of my shots as usual :)

I like this but unfortunately, I messed up the manual focus.

All and all, it was an ok collection of shots but I know I can do better. Will try to improve next year.

More of my shots should be featured on the club's webby at www.hwltc.co.uk and go to gallery and view photos for Club Final's Day 2009.

The Hague-endaz, Part 1

2009-08-31T23:40:00.000+02:00

We spent the August Bank Holiday weekend visiting a good friend of ours (Shyamalan) in The Hague, Netherlands. Shyam had just moved into his new place so it was a house warming party at the same time.
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The first morning, we went sightseeing around some of the famous places in The Hague. Our first stop was the local weekend market which had loads of collectables for sale.
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Our next stop was the Parliament Building, also known as The Binenhof.

The standard proof shot.
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Funky fountain in the courtyard.

The Dutch love their bicycles, probably more than the Chinese!and their pigeons..

and talking about love.....

Shyam and Najet.
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We saw this building while walking around...not sure what it was but I couldn't resist the photo opportunity.

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Stuck in the middle.
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''Look! I can't go if you keep staring. I get performance anxiety."
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After walking around town, we went to the beach front for lunch. Should've taken more shots tehre..
You spin me right round.
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Managed to take some pretty cool night shots of the Binenhof. This was taken with 30 secs shutter speed, check out the movement in the clouds. Can't really see the stars on the scaled down photo.

The Hague-endaz, Part 2

2009-08-31T23:39:00.000+02:00

Day two started really gloomy as the skies were grey and there was even a few spits of rain! Ram (Shyam's cousin) was gutted as he was really looking forward to riding a bicycle.

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We took a short train ride to a nearby town called Delft.

On our way in, the weather turned. Grey clouds made way for the sun. So we decided "Go Dutch" and rented bicycles. Yeah we paid for our own bikes ;)
After a quick tutorial,

We we're on our way.

Shyam leading the peloton.

Ram was never far behind.

Sharm (Ram's wife) did pretty damn well considering she only used to cycle around her estate as a kid.

Kelly showing off......"Look mom! ONE HAND"...dangerous?
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We got so excited (me and Shyam had a sprint race at one point and were probably hitting 45mph on public road on shit bikes) we went off the map and ended outside Delft. We stumbled upon some pretty awesome country side.
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We went crazy there as we were the only ones on the track.
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The only time I have pictures of me on the bike was when we were stopped.
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The team.

While off the beaten track, we stumbled across this art museum/display. It was a nice break as most of us had sore bums from cycling.

Kelly showing off her new ballet moves.
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After that, we decided to head back into Delft for some grub. But we had stop when Kelly saw the Royal Delft factory and museum on our way.

We bought a little souvenir for Sandra (Kelly's mom) as she likes blue and white pottery.
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Finally, we got into Delft city centre. We were greeted by this magnificent building which I'm guessing is the Town Hall.

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and this church. I tried to go in but there was a service going on.

The Hague-endaz, Finale

2009-08-31T23:38:00.000+02:00

You didn't think we went to The Netherlands without seing a windmill did you?We stopped off at another nearby town called Lieden on our way to Amsterdam Schipol.

No Matter Where I Roam

2009-08-25T14:00:00.007+02:00

We wanted it, so we fought for it, then we got it.

Learn to live together, live and learn together.

It's not great but it's mine

Here's to you my beloved country.

MERDEKA!....MERDEKA!........MERDEKA!

Spitfires and Mustangs

2009-08-17T00:38:00.006+02:00

We were in Suffolk this weekend and decided to go to an air show. Made a nice change from our normal weekend activity.
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There were classic cars there..
Quite a few army vehicles too.
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And of course...

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Everyone was there, including pets! waiting for the main event..
Commentator was ready!.
To announce the arrival of the stars of the day!.
My zoom was pathetic so I had to stand and admire.

Siamese Dreams

2009-08-03T19:34:00.005+02:00

This is my first attempt in making mee Siam. Also had to put my own take on it as it was impossible to get hold of certain ingredients.

Mee Siam

Borough Market

2009-07-29T11:07:00.007+02:00

Thought I'd post something as the blog looks pretty pathetic at the moment.
Here are some snaps from Borough Market.

They had all sorts of wonderful food!
Thai Green Curry in a MASSIVE WOK!

Shrimp on a barbie?

Very European

Uncertain.

To sum it all up, it was very colourful!

Shrooms...

Vege

More vege...

Kelly thought this was too garlicy...what do you think?

Volcanic Paella!

Here's a thought.

2009-07-26T11:20:00.003+02:00

Ever thought of something new to try in the kitchen but not too sure?

Here is one of mine.

Minced lamb bolognese..Very surprised by the end result.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2009-07-16T21:22:00.000+02:00

Thirty One Years Young!

Happy Birthday Handsome ;)

Food, Food and Food

2009-07-12T15:44:00.005+02:00

Haven't had much to write about last week so I thought I'd post these photos of a typical weekend meal for me. .
French Toast, breakfast of champions
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Roast Chicken, with Honey Roasted Vege
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Fried Noodles with Green Vege

4th of July

2009-07-05T16:37:00.006+02:00

Yesterday marked my 5th year here in the UK (not including uni of course).

I cannot believe it's been five whole years and the initial plan was one maybe two.

Anyways, I dont want to bore everyone with how much things have changed since then blah blah blah. Here are a couple of photos of me in 2004.

On duty for DaimlerChrysler at Sepang F1
.Aberdeen, Scotland 2004
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Oh and also we spent a bit of money investing in a piece of artwork yesterday. We decided on a painting as it's our paper anniversary so we treated ourselves to this piece by Duncan Macgregor called Shadows of Hope II.

Kelly with the free bottle of bubbly

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Work of Art

Dubrovnik - Part 2

2009-07-02T15:53:00.011+02:00

We now come to the second part of the post.

We stayed at the Bellevue Hotel which was absolutely amazing. The beach, although pebbley, was a gem.

Kelly was the only one at the beach at this point :)

Our room was on the fourth floor and had a balcony overlooking the beach and sea....get ready for this...

I took this night-time shot to try to show the lighting in the background. Forecast for the weekend was heavy rain and thunder storms but I guess we were lucky as it never did reach us :)

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On our second afternoon, some guys brought the waterpolo nets out and practiced out in the sea.

So those were the shots which were taken from our balcony. As we got more comfortable with the surroundings, I brought Dupree down to take some shots from the beach..Kelly had a go as well.

.Us on the beach and then some of Kelly's arty shots.

This was me deciding if I should go swimming in the Adriatic..

It didn't take long for me to make my mind up!

Then as I got braver...
The kid in me :)

This next one is possibly my favourite shot of the holiday a.k.a Money Shot.

The hotel actually sent the head of security to escort me down to the beach just so I can take this night-time shot of the beach..if you need to know, the exposure time for this shot was 30 seconds...good job I had a tripod with me.

So there it is, our first anniversary. Looking back at the last 12 months, It's been wonderful and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Dubrovnik - Part 1

2009-07-02T12:28:00.021+02:00

Last weekend was our first anniversary. We tried to think about getting gifts for each other but it's a problem when you've been together for 11 years. So we agreed that we would buy each other a holiday...to Dubrovnik in Croatia. (this is also the same week that Lewis Hamilton bought Nicole Scherzingerlinger a Caymen with PCD plate)

Kelly has always dreamt of going to Croatia but I didn't know much about it so decided it was a good idea.
I'm making this into a two (possibly three) part post as it's a pain in the backside trying to upload and arrange so many photos in one post. Leaving the hotel and beach for later so will start with the Old Town.

Dubrovnik is in Croatia (former Yugoslavia) and sits on the Dalmatian Coast in the Adriatic Sea. (check me out!)

We had to walk about 1km from our hotel to the Old Town but I wasn't complaining as it was a coastal walk and we had this for a view.

The Old Town is located within the City Walls. This is the main entrance/gateway into town.

Main entrance during the day and night.

This was taken from the other gate. It has this dude (might be some sort of saint) holding Dubrovnik in his hand. Not like T'Pau with China in her hands.

I'm into architecture and all that jazz so you could imagine my excitement as we walked through the gate. At this point, I was going snap-happy but never once forgot that I was there with my lovely wife :)

Pictures above showing Dubrovnik's main street during midday and later at night.

As we walked further in, more details on pillars, tops of buildings and fountain...lovin it!

Rector's Palace which was very Gothic-Renaissance...COOL!

We ventured into a couple of monasteries. It was nice and cool (temperature) in there. Quiet and peaceful too...until you get a whole load of ppl from a tour group!Second time seing an orange tree. First was in Italy. Thought this shot beats any of the ones from my Branching Out post!

Next is the main feature. The Walls. It is about 2km long which wraps the city. It was probably meant to protect it in the good ol days.

and then the all famous view of rooftops!This might turn out a little bit darker on some monitors.

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but this shouldn't!

Although 2km might not seem far, I was struggling towards the end as I had a dodgy ankle and it was 2km up and down hill. I would do it all over again.

After the Wall Walk, we saw this. Onofrio's Fountain with spring water.

Onofrio's Fountain by night

This is nearly it from the Old Town selection, but there is just one more photo that I must upload.....

ICE CREAM! The smoothest, lightest, tastiest ever (must be the Italian influence) and at 70 Kuna each we we're nailing it like it was going out of fashion.

Will leave it for now, next post...Dubrovnik Part 2 ...Hotel and Beach!

Wimbledon

2009-06-28T17:32:00.011+02:00

I promised that the next post will be a big one so here it is. (me writing on our hotel balcony facing the sea in Dubrovnik ;))

SW19 or more commonly known as Wimbledon is always a massive two weeks for the Brits especially tennis fans. It is probably the only Grand Slam that tickets get sold out everyday for two weeks!

So here we go, my day started at 0430 as I woke up, got ready and drove to Putney to park my car at Steve's then tubed it to Southfields.

Joined the queue at 0630 and my queue card was something ridiculous like 2150 or something like that..yes that meant there were 2000 odd ppl there before me!

Got given this little sticker when I joined the queue...they ended up all over the ground!

I finally got in at 1015. First match up for me (as I only had a ground ticket) was Sam Stousur Vs Tatyana Malek...loads of Aussie fans as Lleyton Hewitt, Chris Guiccione and some other aussies were playing that day.

Ball Girl

Slammin Sam in action!

Sam clawed back after losing the first set

Pressure Seat

Then I wandered around and found this match on one of the courts. Carla Suarez Navarro Vs Ekatarina Makarova.

Makarova all over the show

Suarez Navarrro tumbled

but her good ground strokes

won her the match

Game, Set and Match

Then came the next match, Li Na Vs Olga Govortsova.

Li Na was strong

Govortsova was temperamental

Confident

Looking pretty but not enough to win the match, Li Na won comfortably in two sets.

It's always a surprise when you walk past the practice courts and when you see a player you actually know. Stood around for a bit to watch Jelena Jankovic bust a few balls.

Missing a forehand

Not a backhand

Elena Balta-who?

She has no chance

Always nice to see players smile, albeit during practice

Managed to sneak into Court 18 to watch David Ferrer sending Fabio Fognini packing..Ariva derci Fabio!

Ferrer serving well

Retrieving everything

Something for the Spanish fans to cheer as Nadal pulled out

Winner in straight sets!

And then it was 1630. The time everyone (nearly) was waiting for. Andy Murray Vs Ernest Gulbis. Obviously Centre Court wasn't big enough to hold all the British supporters. Could Andy be the first British male to win Wimbledon in something like 73 years.

Henman Hill or is it Murray Mount? was packed!

Reporters and cameramen having to face the fans. I didn't stay to watch but Andy was convincing in three sets.

While everyone was busy watching Andy Murray, I sneaked to watch the latest tennis pin up girl. Romania's Sorana Cirstea!

Sorana Cirstea

Caroline Wozniacki

Sorana Cirstea and Caroline Wozniacki beating the Chinese (Shuai Peng and her mate) in a tough three setter

Talking tactics

One for the boys

That's all from me from SW19 this year. Might be back next year!

Until then, let's see if Andy Murray can rise to his expectations.

Kerusi

2009-06-22T12:30:00.004+02:00

This weeks assignment is ''chair''. How difficult can it be right? That's what I thought until me and Kelly went out on a mad hunt for the 'perfect chair'.

Here are some which were worth looking at.

Kelly's shot

Oh dear! Just noticed the decline of number of visitors. Next post will be a belter I promise.

Branch-ing Out

2009-06-18T12:14:00.006+02:00

I was up early (again) this morning so decided to head out early for work and stop by the woods near the office to take some shots of trees. Might not sound interesting but I've seen some pretty awesome shots taken in the woods.
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Here are my not so brilliant pictures. I should have had breakafst first.
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Location

Setting

Subject

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Gifted Photographer or Computer Nerd?

2009-06-17T12:15:00.013+02:00

Lately, I've been reading up about the rules of photography and tips on taking better pictures.
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I find modern photography a funny thing as no matter how much you read and note about taking the best shot, be it landscape, portrait, black and white, nature, architecture, events, etc, it is NEVER as straight forward when hitting the road with your camera in your hand and placed on the spot. Abiding the ''Rule of Thirds'' sounds pretty straight forward but becomes difficult when your object is moving or when you have that split second before you lose the Kodak Moment!
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This is why my approach is always to SHOOT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER. Especially in the digital era when taking an over or under exposed shot doesn't cost you a cent. I take so many shots in one outing only to keep that one preferred shot. I call it the money shot. Mind you that doesn't even happen all the time.
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After shooting, there is the next step called post production. Again, as we evolve into the digital era, post production is no longer carried out in a dark room with red bulbs, photos hanging along a washing line and different types of liquid. This is now done in the comfort of your living room or wherever the computer or laptop is.
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Of course I believe that post production processing is an important tool in photograhpy but there is a thing called over processing. Some might choose to crop, unsaturate, blur and layer a mediocre shot to make it look presentable while some might only choose to ''clean'' the picture before presenting. There is a fine line between making a shot look presentable and presenting a made up shot.
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I guess all I'm trying to say is that, a technically and artistically gifted photographer MIGHT produce an eye catching, traffic stopping end product as well as a Photoshop nerd who doesn't know the difference between aperture and shutter speed. More often than not, it is up to the end viewer. Someone once said that a picture of a fat naked lady is considered art, but a picture of a naked lady is considered porn .
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Here are some of my shots before and after Photoshop.
. From this ... ...to this...
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From this......to this...
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From this......to this...
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From this......to this... (yup not much to PS here)
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Or if you want to, you can go from this (3 images)
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into this

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Or from this (again 3 images)

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into this

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Me? I'm just trying and learning to get the balance right. Rome wasn't built in a day :)

London: Trafalgar Square

2009-06-16T09:58:00.004+02:00

Just a few extra shots from our weekend in London. These were taken in Trafalgar Square. Enjoy!
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Then on our way home, we saw the Red Arrows shooting past the sky. Red Arrows are also known as the Royal Air Force Acrobatic Team. This is their trademark Diamond Nine Formation.
.This is probably where The Mighty Ducks (Movie) got their formation from ;)
..

Proof shot

Day At The Museum

2009-06-14T11:50:00.001+02:00

I've always been a fan of dinosaurs and prehistoric stuff so when I found out that the Natural History Museum in London houses a range of fossils and prehistoric skeletons, I knew we needed to make a visit.

The first thing item that caught my eye as we walked in was this....

It is massive!

After the initial shock of the full on skeleton structure, my attention was shifted towards the architecture of this magnificent building.

There was an entire section dedicated to dinosaurs but it was too hot so we did it Jody & Kelly style which is looking thru things at break neck speed.
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After the dinosaurs, we ventured into the earth section which was a lot better as it wasn't as busy as the previous section.

I think we spent most of time here as there were loads of cool rocks including diamonds!
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Giant emerald which to me looked like Kryptonite

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The Aurora Collection which is a collection of 296 naturally coloured diamonds!
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Then I got overloaded with information so decided to take random shots. :)

Something For The Weekend

2009-06-10T22:04:00.002+02:00

Here is a dish inspired by Simon from Something For The Weekend last week.

Lemon Chicken with Egg Fried Rice
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Pretty simple.

Chicken boiled in chicken stock, garlic, lemon (and zest) and then add sugar for sauce.

Egg fried rice with a bit of green to make it healthier :)

Hello Goodbye

2009-06-09T23:38:00.003+02:00

Say goodbye to my Canon 18 - 55 IS and a huge hello to my new Tamron 17-55 f2.8!
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Canon 18 - 55mm f3.5-5.6 IS...you've served me well

Tamron 17 - 55mm f2.8...you've got a lot to live up to

Aldeburgh

2009-06-08T10:55:00.000+02:00

Not to be confused with Chris De Burgh (Al De Burgh), Aldeburgh is a little seaside town famous for it's pebbled beach.
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One in a million

I was tempted by the fish and chips but we just had lunch and I didn't want to be a fat bastard. Thinking back, I should have had it anyway.

Loads of them flying around!

Learning to fly

Going nowhere fast

Abandoned

Time flies

Proof shot

North Suffolk

2009-06-07T16:13:00.006+02:00

As we had the Friday (after Lisa and Darren's wedding) off, we decided to drive around the area where we stayed in and make the most out of our little break.
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First, we drove to Orford Castle. Wasn't what I had in mind but still took a picture of it.
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Orford Castle (or keep?)

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Nothing really exciting there so we went to Snape Maltings for lunch. The Maltings is a set of buildings off the River Ore and was mainly used for malting barley, which was used to brew BEER.
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Arty farty thingy with part of the old maltings in the background

Most of the buildings have been converted into shops, galleries and residential units but one of the main buildings is a well known concert hall.

Before moving on, we took some stupid shots as we were the only ones there at that time.

Kelly pretending she's on a catwalk

I see people doing this all the time so I made her do it :)

Next stop....ALDEBURGH.

Lunch In 45

2009-06-06T22:55:00.005+02:00

That is how long it took me to get from fridge to plate. Forty five minutes is my golden rule for roasting chicken.

I don't normally roast chicken but I thought I might make something different for a change.

Honey Glazed Spiced Roast Chicken with Boiled Rice and Cherry Tomatoes

I Now Pronounce You...

2009-06-05T18:33:00.011+02:00

As the title of the post suggests, it's about a wedding.
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We took a couple of days off work to attend Lisa and Darren's wedding at Butley Priory in Suffolk (Yup we went back to Suffolk again).

Kelly packing our stuff into Kosong!
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We arrived at Butley Priory and were amazed by the location. Amazing country feel to the whole thing. I didn't bring Dupree (my camera) so all of the shots were taken using the IXUS 850 IS.

Butley Priory from the front

Kelly in front of Butley Priory

As we walked in, the hall had a magnificent ceiling and interior.

The service was beautiful with appropriate readings in between.

The newly weds!

And then it was Pimms O'Clock with Canapes!

.Kelly with Andrea and husband Jon

Photo opportunity with the bride. Andrea, Lisa and Kelly

So after about 5 Pimms, and a whole load of Canapes, it was time to move on. We were ushered into the marquee where the wedding breakfast (dinner) was served..

I actually forgot to thank Lisa for this. Lis if you're reading this...WELL DONE!

The caterers must have thought that Jody is supposed to be a girl as they left Lavender on my napkin :(

Didn't really matter as the food was yummy!

It was our first marquee wedding and I think it creates a nice ambiance. Good change.

We were lucky? to be sat right next to the dance floor where the band and DJ set themselves up.

When I say BRITAIN..you say TALENT..Britain's Got Talent It's The DJ Talent!

She was actually a good singer but I thought she needed to smile a bit more :)

and then, the first dance........

and a bit of CAKE!

before the DJ took over and it was party time!!! I think someone actually beat Kelly to the dance floor.

I decided to take some fresh air and wandered outside to attempt a couple of night shots. Some old geezer came up to me while I was taking this shot and told me that the priory is haunted..google Butley Priory, Suffolk if you want to know more...

It was an amazing wedding and thank you Lisa and Darren for inviting us.

Devilishly Hot!

2009-06-01T22:36:00.001+02:00

Alison & Ben came to visit us one Sunday afternoon. They drove all the way from Eastbourne so I decided to treat them with some of my favourite dishes.

The most time consuming part as usual is preparing the spices, ingredients and chopping up the meat.

Clockwise from top: chicken, tomatoes and chilli, blended spices, ladies fingers & mushrooms, union&garlic&chilli, mushrooms&garlic&ginger (in the bowl)

The actual cooking didn't take that long so we went from all of that...to

Chicken and Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce with Garlic and Ginger

Curry Devil (Nyonya Dish) which is basically chicken cooked in blended spices with tomoatoes and mustard seeds

* Correction: Curry Devil is apparently Portugese and not Nyonya according to my mom

Ladies Fingers and mushrooms fried with union, garlic and mustard seeds

and....

Toufoo in my own creation! (not sure what to cal it yet)

I think everyone enjoyed lunch...

Kelly & Ali on the Grand Dining Table

Ben on the not so grand sofa with arm rest as table?

Oh well, I once saw Anthony Bourdain eating the best tasting food in an alley with stray dogs and cats.

p/s: sorry about the quality of the images, I rushed to take the shots and then realised a most of them were over exposed as i forgot to change the settings back from the Village Fete.

Note to self: Start shooting in RAW...and learn to Photoshop better!

Fete or Fate

2009-05-31T11:39:00.014+02:00

Went to my first Village Fete. French for festival, this event is a once a year event where villagers can take part in dancing, games, raffles and buy local produce (usually cakes, icre cream, jam etc).

Kelly with Gooseberry Jam
Kelly at the cake stall...bit of cake!

We then marched on towards the birds of prey section where they had some cool looking owls. One of them looked like the one from Harry Potter.

We carried on and took part in some of the games. What happens is, you pay money to take part, and the person with the highest score at the end of the day wins a prize. So one prize for each game.

Carol trying her luck at bowling

Sandra on the Hoopla

and then my favourite...Welly Wanging!

Sandra...effortlessly!

Kelly...determined!

Spully...at 17m, held the record for about 10 minutes before some ''up her own ar5e townie'' broke it

(updated: Spully did win it! woop! woop!)

Dan ''The Man''... optimistic

and then it was my turn.

held the men's record at 25m..until some competitive dude came back to claim his record back at 29m...

Then it was time to chill and enjoy the entertainment. The ice cream van was the coolest I've seen.

So it was ice cream..

and Morris Dancers! a bit like Capoiera but different music and not as atheletic...or cool.

It was a nice afternoon. A change from the norm. Even the kids enjoyed themselves :)

Freya: ''I think I recognise him''

Freya, nearly a smile.

Chuck...Got Milk?

When in Rome...

2009-05-27T18:44:00.006+02:00

Champions League Final night. Not entirely sure if United will do the business.

Before the match, I had to satisfy my belly monster so there is one way to feel the atmosphere of being in Rome tonight....PASTA NIGHT!

Penne Bolognaise for me....

and for my little vegetarian,

Flavoured pasta with mushrooms and asparagus sauteed in garlic and butter.

and finally, some random shots. Thought I could get the moon better.

This little light of mine...I'm gonna let it shine.

Country Life

2009-05-24T13:39:00.007+02:00

This follows on from the earlier post. Had so many photos of Lavenham Church so I decided to split the posts. I could write this in more detail but I'll leave it to the historians and Wikipedia.

Lavenham High Street with the Swan Hotel on the right (where we got married). Lavenham is known for it's beamed buildings. A nice change of scenery for us towny folks!

Typical beamed buildings

We couldn't resist home made ice cream. Kelly holding my Pistachio ice cream..yummy.

The Crooked House (one on the right) is actually tilted. Like the leaning tower but it's a house? :)

The Guildhall. Standing handsomely since the 15th century.

The Market Square (where the Guildhall, Market Cross and Bakery sit) is the location for John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1970 film Apotheosis.

The Market Cross. It's not really a cross but they call it the market cross. I'm guessing it's from medieval times. This monument sits in the middle of the market place, which is now a massive car park!

Everyone's favourite bakers painted in Suffolk Pink!

Kelly showing me a what she used to do as a kid. You somehow twirl the stem around the flower and when you pull it back, the flower shoots off! Whatever....I wouldn't swap it with my M.A.S.K. and Transformers!

Kelly in a rape field (Rapeseed is also known as oilseed rape. Used to make oil)

Hope you enjoyed my little post on Lavenham!

I'm Lavenham it!

2009-05-23T22:13:00.013+02:00

Every time we drive home to Lavenham, I say to Kelly that we need to take some photos of the church.

It was an amazing Saturday morning. Sun was shinning, warm temperature with mild breeze, you cannot ask for more.

Just before you hit the church grounds, the famous ''Kissing Gate'' awaits. The person on the other side of the gate can refuse the other person entry until he or she kisses him or her.

Walkway leading to ''Kissing Gate''

Kissing Gate

As you enter the grounds, Lavenham Church in it's full glory!

Lavenham Parish Church (front view)

Lavenham Parish Church from the side (my preferred angle)

This was actually my first time in the church. We did ask permission if we could take photos inside. This I would advise anyone to do before taking pictures inside any church...just in case you get some kiasu church!

Wooden ceiling in a church. This was new to me. Pretty awesome.

Nice stained glass windows

Harry Potter?

Later that night, me and Dan ''The Man'' braved ourselves and went to take some night shots and experimented with long shutter speeds. Highly recommended!

Lavenham Church at night

We then took more pictures around the church ground..rustly noises, night time and grave yards can be pretty scary! Still we did it for the sake of photography :)

It's close to middddddddddnite and something evil's lurking in the dark.

Under the moo00ooooooonlite, you see a sight that almost stops your heart.

Filler

2009-05-21T14:02:00.002+02:00

Just to keep you readers (all 15-20 of you) occupied before the next post!

Bridge Over The River...Thames

2009-05-17T21:25:00.009+02:00

Checked out Henley the other day as we didn't have much to do. One of the nicer parts of the River Thames if you ask me. We'll be back later this year for the Henley Royal Regatta.

View of River Thames from Henley Bridge

Henley Bridge

Geesers!

Then later that same evening, from our apartment window.

Lights, Camera.....

2009-05-17T01:24:00.003+02:00

Me trying to be arty and my reluctant model!

Using our floor light as a prop.

Snug as a bug. Kelly in Abercrombie Wolf Jaw a.k.a Bear!

Happy Days

2009-05-15T01:35:00.004+02:00

Dreaming of sunshine, sea and sand..........

Does your husband play as well?

2009-05-12T18:05:00.027+02:00

My old Nike Air Max Breathe Cage II were knackered after two years of absolute bashing!

I had to do what was needed and replace them. Me being me, I didn't settle with the standard boring white tennis shoes so behold....my new Nike Air Max Courtballistec 1.3........in FLUORESCENT PINK!

New Vs Old

Should I sell this shot to Nike?

I can already see the jokes flying from all angles on men's match practice tonight, but I'll let my game do the talking.

Couldn't resist a photo opportunity ;)

Game, Set and Match.

I Feel Like Chicken (Pongteh) Tonight!

2009-05-11T21:02:00.009+02:00

It's the start of the week, which means only one thing.......... preparing dinner for the rest of the week!

I decided to cook my favourite Nyonya dish..Ayam Pongteh which is chicken stewed with fermented yellow bean (yummy) sauce along with potatoes, mushrooms and random bits of carrot just for colour.

Ayam Pongteh

Ayam pongteh goes really well with white rice or bread.
An alternative version is Babi Pongteh which is exactly the same but using pork belly instead of chicken.

Jubbers!