Rest Well 2011

2011 has been a great year for me and I'm really looking forward for 2012.

Been through a bit the last few years but I'm happy to say things are turning out the way I want it now. :D

Just gonna update you guys a bit. ;)

1. Switched my major from Electrical to Civil Eng. Results came out not long ago for my 2nd year performance and it was better than I expected. Was selected to attend the National Environmental Conference with a few mates at Sydney but had a clash with my flight schedule back to Malaysia so I had to skip that! D:

2. Made tons of new friends here and there, from the place I work (Panned Pizza) to the lovely people in Bridge Church. Really appreciate the circle of friends I have, I am so blessed. One thing I've learned is that friends come and go, even close ones but even so... the ones you have now, hold unto them tight.

3. Been working my butt off the last few months and with satisfactory results, I'd say it's time for me to reward myself. I'll be travelling to Penang and KL from the 16th till the 22nd of January for some food/shopping/party trip with a few friends. Another thing I'm looking forward to around this time would be meeting up with my primary school, secondary school and of course IS mates. A couple of old mates gathered together in an old kopi shop chatting away, the bliss. :D

So this would be the last post for 2011...
I reckon I'll be too busy and lazy to do a post or two.

So till then,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year my dear stalkers!

Sincerely,
Ming

Snaps!: Incoming!

Storm over Melbourne Nov 2011

It's Fusion Time! Rice paper squares anyone?

Just recently I've immersed myself in the art of gastronomy and visual creativity of culinary presentation. I know taste and texture are important but the visual aspect of it plays a major role too. Like mum said and which I totally agree, 'cooking is like chemistry'.

There's a range of things from meat to spices that are at the cook's disposal, which he can then experiment and come up with something that totally gives the 'Wow!' and 'Yum!' factor. I've been keeping a visual diary where I draw and jot down details of a dish I just had, so that I could remember, learn and maybe modify it to my own liking.

Here's just one of many pages of my food diary.

Anyways, back to topic.
I was on food duty for my cell group this week so I decided to make some simple finger food.

You know how cell is, usually people like to stand and talk so I thought serving up something small but still leaving enough room in the mouth for a person to chat away would be ideal. We Asians love to talk, you know it.

So I Googled around and came across the idea of rice paper squares from http://rumahmakanmurni.blogspot.com/2010/09/salmon-di-jendela-ready-set-blog.html

And with some changes to it I've came up with 4 different rice paper squares! The size of the square is roughly larger than a 50 cents Australian coin. I only managed to snap a few pics cause I was running late for cell!

*(Sorry for the low quality pics, the only camera I have with me is the iPhone's in-built cam)

 Dill and pine nuts!

 Then add the grilled salmon (I cured it with salt and green tea) + dill dressing

And voila! 4 different types of finger food to nom on. :D

And if you are interested in what each square is made of:

The 4 Squares (L-R):
1. Parsley: Grilled marinated prawns + Tom Yum Dressing
2. Chili: 3 Layered Omelette + Chili Pistachio Mayo Dressing
3. Dill: Grilled Cured Salmon + Dill Dressing
4. Lemon Zest: Grilled Marinated + Lemon Berry Dressing

I'll be posting more of these culinary delights after my final semester exam ends. I have a whole list of 'experiments' to cook. :P

God bless,
Ming (:

The Christian in you

What kind of Christian are you?
Are you a Sunday Christian, a person who goes all Godly in Church on Sundays?
Or a person who only seeks God when problems arise and then disappears when they're all gone.

Nocturnal woot?

Sorry guys for not updating this blog!

I've been so caught up with uni and all, I just don't have the time! :(

It has been a really busy month for me and I'm pretty sure this trend will continue till the end of semester. There's just too many assignments for me to do and I want to get as much marks as possible cause this is an easy way to get distinctions for my finals. :D

Just a few updates for those who care.

1. I'm a nocturnal son of an owl. Assignments, research, reports and all keeps me awake till the early hours. Can't sleep if I don't get things going the way I want it.

2. I've lost weight! Yay! Been doing gym at Fitness First every 3 or 4 times a week. I'm down to 76kg and currently maintaining that weight cause I've been bulking up as well.

3. Got a short hair cut to show my slimness, which I got comments for... and some others saying I look more Korean.

4. A new housemate in the apartment which is awesome. Been chilling out a lot with him during my short study breaks, also sharing the dishes we've cooked with the other 2 mates. Blessing in deed.

Guess that's it for now. It's 4am now, just completed this post and the report for road and transport policies.

Shweeeeeep time! Will keep you guys posted when I find the time!

Love you all and God bless!

Ming

Snaps!: Events in July

Where the Wild Things Are

I remember reading this book when I was young. It was short, not more than 50 pages and certainly a good read especially during the time when I was young where my imagination soared through the roof and into the stars.

Just a few weeks ago I found out that they made a movie from the book and of course, I watched it straight away. It was awesome and made me reminiscent the fun care free days of a naughty boy.

If you're a fan of the book, you'll adore it! And for those who didn't, just give it a chance and watch it. Prepare for some tissues tho. :)

What faith can do.

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains 
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Preview: Free climbing at the Grampians

Hey guys! Just got back from the Grampians!
We decided to rough it up this break so the gang decided to head to the Gramps for a 2 day 1 night camping trip.

Went to Mount Zero and instead of following the trails marked, we decided to make our own and free climb. The trail we made was steep, dangerous and took about 4 hours to reach the summit but we were rewarded with magnificent views. :)

Here's a few preview pics, will be uploading more the next few days. :)

*ATTENTION*
Click on the images to see it in full size!


:D

Top of Mt. Zero

Half way through Mt. Zero

MacKenzie Falls

MacKenzie Falls

Good Samaritan?

Hey guys! How's it going?

So just last night while I was walking home with a friend about 3 o'clock along Lygon St, we bumped into this guy who I presumed is from Hong Kong due to his accent and language.

Anyways, he was speaking to us in a dry cracking voice like the ones you hear when someone is about to cry. He told us that he's a student studying in Shepparton (at least 2 hours away from Melbourne via the V/Line) and today he came to the city to attend a group reunion.

Between the time of the reunion and departing Southern Cross to head home, he lost his wallet. He made a police report at SC and asked if he was able to get a ride back in which the officers denied due to the distance and activities they had.

So here he is now asking me if I could buy a V/Line ticket for him and he did a little bow saying 'so sorry to bother you'. My mate gave him 2 dollars and told me to walk away but I knew that wasn't enough.

Ticket to Shepparton to cost at least 9 dollars and they only operate in the morning and evening. His next train would only depart around 6.25 am. The 'unlucky' guy was just wearing a fleece jacket and winter solstice just started yesterday... fyi it was about 4-6 degrees and it was really wet due to the rain.

I wish I could find him a warm place to stay for the night but I was afraid this guy might be a thug or a druggie.  

But part of me roughly knows what he's going through cause once I ran away from home (fyi about 14 years old) due to a huge argument with my mum. I only had RM1 at that time and I used it to take a bus to the city center.

And about 11pm, I was really hungry, cold and super broke. I felt miserable. I didn't have any guts to ask the people that walked by for spare change to give my parents a ring in the middle of the night. But lucky for me I did manage to pick up about 2, 20 cent coins on the floor from a mamak store nearby and used it to call my parents... which ended up with them giving me a all out lecturer about life, obedience etc... in the car and when I was in bed.

So, back to my story. I felt bad for this guy. So I wooped out a 10 dollar note for him. He took the money and started to thank me over and over again while his eyes watered up like a fountain. I told him in Canton, 'find some place warm and rest' to which he replied repeatedly, 'thank you, thank you'.

After we walked away, my mate told me I shouldn't do that. He could be a 'fake'. I knew what he meant but in that situation something in me told me this guy was most likely not. I just hoped that he did use the money to get back home.

So here's my question for you all, ' What I did... was it good or plain stupid?' and I'd like to know what YOU would have done if you were in a situation such as this. Do leave your thoughts, views and answers at the comment sections below.

Have a great week and God bless.

Ciao!

:D

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day Mr. Round!

Will definitely call you tonight after my shift. :)

The awesome 5. You're a great father to all three of us and a super husband to lovely mum.

Thanks for all the support and care that you and mum provided for us.

Love ya!

FYI, this ain't bromance. >:)

MPFH: 思念是一種病

MPFH: Ming's Personal Favourite Hits

Masquerade

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.

Latte Art: Before and after Barista Course

Latte Art Attempt 2009

Rosetta 

Love 

Rose/Orchid

Latte Art Attempt 2011

For you Mum. :D

Rosetta

 Swirls

Zig-zag/zebra cross 

Love

Angus and Julia Stone: Big Jet Plane

Lovely song from the indie brother and sister duo.
Here's the link to their official MV! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTvbcNhEgc

Snaps!: Urban Melbourne 2011

Snaps!: Hillsong ONE DAY -Melbourne

Hillsong ONE DAY

ONE DAY to experience it ALL.

The day is today.

DiGi WWWOW Awards

There's another food blog award going on and I would love to have you readers vote for A Daily Obsession!

Do spread the love and call your friends, family and alien friends to vote! ;D

Regards,
Ming

Road Trip: Geelong and Beyond!

Happy Mother's Day 2011

Here's a shout out to Mrs. Terri Hong.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love you loads and thank you for all you've done.

You are a blessing not only to me but to all who have known you.

Here's a song just for you. :D

Miss you loads mum.

Stay jolly, young and beautiful.

Lots of love from your dear son,

Ming

Who am I?

I am yours. :')

Snaps!: Deep Sea Critters

The ocean is a vast body containing all sorts of creatures and places yet to be explored.
To me the ocean is sorta like the universe, it's huge and eerie yet we are drawn by its beauty.

I'm not a fan of huge weird creatures from the sea, to be exact I hate them. Yet I have a huge interest in all things from the deep blue sea. Here's a few pics that I've taken from the Behance Network's (do check them out!) 'Another World' post.


Cyanea capillata. It's maximum size is 2m bell diameter with 35m tentacles.

Moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita

Hyperia galba inside Cyanea capillata

1cm hydromedusae Aglantha digitale

Pteropod mollusk Sea angel or Clione limacina hunting

Sea slug Coryphella polaris


Pure gold eh? I love the whole world and indeed it's such a brilliant place to live in. :)

Snaps!: Angela's 20th Bday @ Napier Hotel