HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

This Sunday we are celebrating an important event. Actually we are not celebrating an event, we are celebrating a person. Why celebrate? Because to many of us, this person is precious and irreplaceable. Call her Mummy, Ma, Amma, Ummi or Ibu- she just means mother to all of us.

  

Mothers love us. They take care of us – even when we don’t want them to. They advise us – (even when we don’t want them to?) They are always there for us.

So how do we celebrate our mums? Glamorize them, of course. Take her for a beauty treatment, a massage and pamper her to the max. Let her enjoy being waited on, catered to and taken care of.

But you know what would really make a Mother’s Day memorable? If YOU gave her a facial, a massage, a hair wash, a mani-pedi, bake a cake or cook her favorite meal. Believe me; she will glow – not because of the beauty products used – but because of the love YOU show her.

If you are already a mum, get your little ones to help out. You know kids, they learn by watching.

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Guilty, or Not Guilty?

Read on and find out if you are guilty of these hair- raising crimes…

  •  Cutting your own hair. Let’s just admit it. Almost every one of us is guilty of this one. And have lived to regret it. Go to a professional who can transform your blah-blah tresses to glamorous locks.

  • Using too much styling product. Hair that is over styled is always easy to spot. It’s the one that is crying for attention and gets it – usually the wrong kind.

  •  Forgetting to style the back of your hair. This is a very common mistake that we do so often. Remember the hair at the back of your head!

  •  Picking the wrong hair color for your skin tone. If you must color hair (you don’t have to) find a color that suits your skin tone. Leave beach blonde to Kimora Lee…

Above are only some of the common mistakes we make. If you are guilty, please DO NOT repeat the offense ;)

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The Meat Experts – EXPOSED!

TME – The Meat Experts is in Bukit Damansara, lodged in a corner.

You have a nice little parking space with lots of shady trees right beside it.
This outlet caters to those who are buying cuts of meat and selected cheese from around the world. Restaurants and eateries also get their supply from TME. And why do they call themselves the Experts? Because through years of experience, they know exactly what gourmet meat lovers appreciate and want. In other words, they know which meat makes the cut!


This is the general layout of the outlet. It struck me as a clean, no fuss place.

Psst… The TME Privilege Card gets you all these …

The meat is well laid out and this gives the chance to take a good look at what you are buying. There is meat from around the world and TME stocks one of the most expensive meats in the world! There is Streaky Bacon, Mortadella Pistachio, Proscuitto di Parma, and various types of salami.

Proscuitto di Parma (R) – This is cured ham made from the hind legs of pigs. By law, only meat that is cured in the hills around the city of Parma can bear the name Parma. This meat is best savoured thinly sliced, eaten with melon.
Prosciutto Stagionato (L) – This is a large pork leg. And fully cured, weighs a whopping 10 kg!

Jamon Serrano – This is ham made from a breed of white pigs.

Jamon Iberico Bellota – TME actually stocks this! It is world renowned for being rare and super expensive. It is considered as the finest of all hams. You get this meat from free range Iberian pigs which feed mainly on acorns. (I didn’t get to take a picture of this :( )

Bresaola I.G.P – This can also be called beef prosciutto. It is a raw and air-cured beef product made from lean beef.

Salame Nostrano – Salami that comes seasoned with salt and cracked pepper.

TME also stocks of cheese from all over the world!

Queso Tetilla (front) This is also known as Nipple Cheese. (if you have to ask why, you are too young to be reading this ;) ) It is made from goat cheese, rennet and cheese culture, ripened for a minimum of seven days. The unique shape helps in the maturing process.
Murcia al Vino (R) – The rind gets its colour from the red wine. This is a semi- soft goat cheese.
Manchego Cheese (L) – Is a delicious Spanish hard cheese made from sheep’s milk.

TME also boasts of Award winning sausages ( Johansville, Edwards) which is a definite for sausage lovers! :) I spotted some pork sausages which come in different flavours. Leek pork sausages, honey flavoured, jalapeno cheddar, chilli cheese, chilli sizzler, country herbs and lots more.

You can also pick up some bottled items like olive oil, pickled gherkins, onions and jalapeno.
And before you leave, grab a gelato!

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HOLIDA – AY! ~ It would be so nice!

 

Yup, I’ve decided! Am off to Cameron Highlands – soon! But what to do there?? ( other than snuggle up…) Well, turns out there are lots of things to do. I am gonna

• Walk up Gunung Brinchang and enjoy the breathtaking view.

• Head over to the Tea Plantation at Sungai Palas

• Visit the vegetable farms

• Eat STRAWBERRIES ~ KHM Strawberry farm is popular
• Eat SCONES ~ Bala’s Chalet is good

• Eat STEAMBOAT ~ (am gonna look around for this)
• Go jungle trekking ~ (am getting a guide this time!)
• Visit Cactus Valley ~ (never been there)

Am staying at Rosa Pasadena Hotel in the heart of Brinchang town.

Why? Because I got a fantastic deal! Check it out …http://www.alligatorcards.com/travel/cameron-itinerary.pdf

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At D’ Rich…

I luv coffee! And D’ Rich’s coffee is good! It is thick, rich and smooth. And the best part is it’s not too sweet. I really enjoyed my cuppa!

The Honey Iced Lemon drink is the perfect thirst- quencher on a hot day.

Longan Milk Honey is thick, creamy and delicious…

The Strawberry Yoghurt was a little too thick and too pink for me. And too sweet. My two other friends loved it though! They slurped it up..

Next up was the Nasi Goreng Petai. Wow! It is a generous potion. Came with lots of petai, prawns and fish cake. And it is SUPER SPICY!! Quite tasty. If you like petai, you must get it!!

The fried chicken wings is mmm…crispy, juicy and soft…Just the way we like it. Made with the owner’s wife’s secret recipe, the wings are served without a dip, so you taste the actual thing. This was a welcome change from other eateries that serve dips that overpower the actual taste of the food.

Wild Mushroom Soup I just loved the presentation!The sour dough bread is crispy outside and soft inside. The sour dough is good for your stomach. and the soup is delicious..

D’ Rich grilled chicken burger – This is REALLY good! With succulent, tender white meat, grilled to perfection and lots of veg, Thai mayo sauce served on healthy wholemeal bread! Truly mouth-watering…

Nasi Lemak!!! (My fav dish) Looked really yummy, with chicken curry. The rice is well cooked and has a lovely fragrance. The chicken curry has no santan but still manages to taste scrumptious. D’ Rich serves some organic food so they don’t use much santan and oil. The sambal is not too spicy.

The American chocolate cake was thick, dark and rich. Note the gold flakes!

Olive oil cake… The first layer is made with olive oil. Is soft…quite nice..

Had lots of fun @ D’ Rich… (^^)… Will definitely go there again!!

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STOP…NOW!!

And take BREAK…relax, enjoy the beautiful sunsets…feel the wind…stroll along the sandy beaches… unwind…

 

  

Where? Tanah Lot, Bali….Go check this out http://www.alligatorcards.com/hotdeals

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5 Tips for a Great Holiday

1. Decide what you want
Be very clear about what you want to get from it. Do you want a busy break or do you just want to recharge? Do you want to party or just relax? Do you want some quality time with your family or time for each one to their own things?

2. Choose a holiday to fit 1

 

3. Google before you go
Google to read up all you can about the place, the people, the culture and places of interest. The more you know, the more you will understand and appreciate all your experiences.

4. Pack light and pack right
Pack only what you need. Rule of thumb – put out everything that you think you need – and take only half of it. (No, you don’t need matching shoes and accessories for every outfit)

 

5. Plan, plan and plan
Don’t do too much. Or your holiday will be a blur of activities. (Don’t do too little either!) Relax, have a flexible schedule and get the most treasured memories.

  

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FATHERS’ DAY

My father was my first teacher. Some things, he taught me and some things I caught. And today I’m grateful for everything I’ve learnt from him.

Appa taught me to hold chopsticks, enjoy Hokkein mee – (to which I’m forever grateful) and sip hot Chinese tea.  He taught me to climb the rambutan tree in my garden. Every time he saw a rainbow he’d point it out to me. I still love looking out for rainbows after a drizzle.

     

He’d take us out to Central Market (when it was still a market) to do the weekly grocery shopping. Why did we tag along? For the goodies, of course! We got to eat popiah, pancakes, apam balik and drink cold Milo from a cart. And we’d buy seeds to grow in our garden.

At every trip we saw an old beggar sitting on the pavement. I watched Appa buy him food. I saw Appa get him a pair of slippers. I looked as dad sat beside this beggar to chat with him. The fact that Appa spoke fluent Cantonese made it easier.

Nope, we weren’t rich but Appa didn’t have to be rich to have a generous spirit. And he was ‘colour-blind’- he made friends with every one regardless of their ethnic background. Today, I too have friends from all races and walks of life. Why? Because my father taught me well – even without teaching.

To those who still have your Dad, catch the silent lessons that only they can teach and pass it on…

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FOREVER FRIENDS

You choose your friends? Or you just ‘friend everybody’? If you’re old enough to read this, you’re old enough to choose your friends.

I make friends with everyone but choose the friends I keep. To me it’s not how many friends I have but who my friends are. 

Friends are those I stand by. No matter what others say about them, (and are saying) I stand by my friends. And they have stood by me.

Friends are those I care about. And my they care about me too. Sometimes we do misunderstand each other but we care enough to sort it out, (i.e. heated discussions, arguments) – we don’t let it fester.

Friends are those I cry for (and cry with)

Friends are those I love – regardless of ‘monsters’ some have become! Why? Because I refuse to give up on them! And in their own special way, they love me too!

And yet, when the time comes to move on, we must…

To all my friends, love you forever!

 

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WHAT? ALLIGATOR??

Oh, yes that’s one of the reactions we always get. Lots of people have lots of things to say about us. Some people see our logo and think it’s a dinosaur (that’s still ok). Someone called us a ‘katak’ (you gotta be kidding) And others call us kangaroo!

But what really hurt was when our printer guy called us a monster. OUCH! So, do we need to change our name? Nope, we need to change the printer guy!

We are Alligator because alligators are strong, tough animals that can survive in the worst conditions. We are resilient and we are here to STAY! And guess what? We are snapping up the BEST!

Want to know more about us? Click http://www.alligatorcards.com/alligator-info-get-to-know-us

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