2016 Recap

2016, a fruitful year I had. 

Experienced lots, accomplished lots and enjoyed lots.

So many ups and downs. A lot of things happened this year I guess. From being a student to unemploy, travel a few months (exchange included) and lastly getting myself a job before the year ends.

January, it's so much of still studying and revising on examination as a final year student in university. And then I had my one month break back home celebrating Chinese New Year. This is one of my favourite photos took in Dong Zen, our kinda annual temple visiting to pray. I feel peace in this particular photo. Oh ya, not to forget the trip to Sekinchan for seafood purchase, just check out my Sekinchan tagged, plenty I wrote about this place.

And after the break guess is around February. Been spending most of the time in the lab and in front of the computer trying to work out the final year project. A picture on egg yolk powder I freeze dried from different kinds of chickens breed and it turns out interesting. I literally smell like an egg in my last semester of studies.

Apart from final year project lab, lab processing had been very rousing. We actually cooked in the lab, that day menu was pretty luxurious, we had this main spaghetti, side dish egg pancake, pudding for dessert and honeydew sago for drinks. And more coursemates gathering meal happen in this last semester cause we know that we going apart and different ways soon as we finish our study and graduate as we all comes from different states and different dreams.

Went to Melaka for a one-day road trip in March, trying out literally every food that is famous in Melaka. My sister is a food-lover and she had a whole list planned out, she visited here quite frequent. You can read it here and here, a whole list of 7 different types of food we tried that day.

Another short escape in Penang to the beach during April, staying in Park Royal Hotel having fun with the babies and relax, chilling a bit from the stress of final year projects. I started to exercise as I found myself growing horizontal a little, I even brought over my yoga mat from home. Anyway, I kinda stop after I came back home after studies. #failgaogao. Gotta start working out again, I see my tummy growing

Lots of cafe hopping later with the gang, sort of like countdown-ing the days we left in Penang. Went to a few beautiful cafe for good food, good environment and a good chat, trying out different sort of cuisine.

Time pass pretty fast, not long after it's the end of May already and we had our graduation night. It was a beautiful night where everyone dresses up and put on makeup. My first time putting on contact lenses too! Get to perform AIESEC square dance on the stage for the talent show where we practice it for like a week? It was all fun that night.

Visiting the school museum during study week before I actually bid goodbye to USM. It was an eye-opening. Do visit every corner of your school before you graduate, it gonna surprise you in some way. *wink*

And after my last paper, it marks the end of my school life. Handling in this thesis is like officially changing the status of being a student into unemployed. This thesis bothers me a lot too, it's so much of burden relieve of mates borrowing to copy, refer and etc my work. *I complained and cried too :( * It was end of June by then.

July was about graduation trip, 12 of us went for a trip to Taiwan! It was a place I wanted to visit for quite some time (it was my resolution in the year of 2013 and I finally get to go with my beloved coursemates). It was a fun trip with the tourist guide who joke a lot and bring us to try lots of local Taiwan food. Staying in Airbnb, village wooden house to hostel bunk bed, different experiences all in one. Was still writing and editing posts, have a look here. 

Then August continue with an exchange project by AIESEC to Indonesia. I had a full post on my experience here, do have a look, I spent a week or more to write this down. Apart from te full experience, I do write down a lot more regarding this city Pontianak which not much people recognise as a part of Indonesia where it's located below Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia. Through this exchange journey, I grow up a lot. So much of first experienced too such as 5 hours journey motorcycle ride, visiting street at night riding a bike with stranger to give out food to the poor (it sorts of an organisation of theirs), drinking a 50% above alcohol (it's only a bottle cap volume though but super strong), etc. Wanted to take part in this exchange since I first joined AIESEC in my first year and finally did it after my final year, I live with no regrets :)

Continue my travelling journey to Bangkok, Thailand in October with my sister and her boyfriend. We went before their king died so it's still a merry Thailand which is all about shopping. Bought most of my Chinese New Year clothes there. And not to forget their snacks. Their food is good! We went to a few famous ones where my sister research it from the web, will write a post regarding this soon about their pork rice, lobster, boat noodles, etc. 

In October itself, I visited Korea too with my aunt and cousin. We travelled around Seoul, Jeju and Busan in 11 days. Hmphh.. not much comment regarding this. My aunts actually got injured during this trip and they couldn't walk much. It was a place about beauty, cosmetic and skincare products. Bought a few of it and finally had a full set of cosmetic stuff, will learn how to apply all those on to my face and we will see how it works in the year of 2017. Food is expensive there, they don't really apply a share food concept, it was all per person headcount base.

And after all my trip I finally official graduate. I missed my graduation ceremony though, was still on Korea trip when it happens. Thanks to my friend for the robe collection and delivery. The photo below taken was in my sister matriks college. I did go back to Penang to meet up with my lecturer, supervisor (Dr Nurul Huda) who now had been transferred to UMT (if not mistaken) last month. And also meeting up with my junior, thanks for that bear, I'm hugging it every night now. Ex roommate, Yongle too, all the best on your undertaking.

After being unemployed and slack at home for half a month on November, I finally got myself a job too in the food industry. I consider myself very lucky to hit into this chance given. It's a small company near my house, everything is new to me, so much to learn and explore. Hopefully by a few months I get to familiarise with all the process and being more absorb to the company.

December is a month with lots of public holiday. Visited Sekinchan again for seafood and finally throw that red robe onto the tree. I pray for another fruitful and awesome year ahead.

Ending this post with cuties I get to know in my company. Our first lunch meal outside and our last. This intern girl finishing her intern and going to continue her study in school. Gonna miss her annoyance :P Will see how day goes wihout her tomorrow.

All in all, 2016 had been fun to me, a challenging ones too where I actually failed a few times to be the person I wanted to, all the lessons makes me a stronger ones today. Continue smilling while turning into another page in life. I'm totally flipping every page a little too extreme in the year of 2016, thanks mum and dad for all the supports and crazy decision I made. For 2017, I had no more any crazy adventurous idea on plan, just wishing for a work life balance and peace life. As people grow old, I think they got to be more responsible on decisions they made. *peace*

Long Cheng, Sekinchan

Yes. you definitely see this place so much appearing on my blog. I love this place for their seafood and relaxing environment with paddy field. Came here for like a one day trip during the holiday, you can actually come here during weekend for a quick escape from the city buzz.

There's a lot of seafood restaurant here everywhere. This is the one I ate this time. Not very tourist kind of restaurant located near the paddy field. Those near the beach have a slightly higher price, I think is a tourist thing, tried a few there and it's good too, so much on own perspective.

Sour soup steam fish (RM38.16)

This is good, recommend by the restaurant owner. It's like a sour soup with slight spiciness because of the chilli in it, the lemongrass definitely the hits. They even stuff ginger in the fish, its good! Though my family can't really take spicy food but we managed to finish this whole pot of soup.

Sizzling tofu (12.72)

Well, normal sizzling tofu with really cheap price.

Salted squid (RM13.78)

Because the salted egg stuff is really the hits these days including bread, brinjal and etc. so I opt for this fried squid with salted egg. Taste good but still slight disappointment because I actually want to try out their famous da mu / hua zhi (sotong katak) which I only found there but they served the normal squid, hence :( But taste really good, not that the taste is bad just the type of cuttlefish is different. I tried their gong bao cuttlefish last time and it's good too, you should try that because don't think here we had this kind of dish.

Black pepper butter meat (15.90)

This is special too! Black pepper with butter smell, a great combination. A sudden level up for a meat :P Serving also with the curry leaf that brings out the smell.

We ordered also Si Da Tian Wang price at only RM8.48. So so cheap!

The bill comes with a total of RM100.40 only with six bowls of rice and six pax hot tea (which doesn't taste good) but it's okay, it's so cheap for 5 great dishes and it's seafood okay! Don't complain. Oh ya, wanted to order the famous sha li (ambra) drinks here but they only served chinese tea hence the order :(

End this trip with buying fresh seafood is what we always do because the seafood here is really cheap and fresh! Okay, I know I had been mentioning this for like N times but is really cheap and fresh! I think that bought like 1 extra big fishes which can be cut into 10+ pieces where people normally fried it, 6 normal fishes 4 the one we ordered above and 2 red fishes, 1 kg prawn, 1 pack frozen mantis shrimp (xia gu), 2 large squid (sotong katak) and 1 pack of sea cucumber. All these cost like RM400+ only which is pretty reasonable.

Klang Executive Club Restaurant

Went to have a luxurious lunch with the family today. The dishes including the tea is good with their 5 stars service. We ordered a pot of hot chrysanthemum tea (RM14 for 7 pax) and below are the 5 different types of dishes we ordered together with white rice.

 Asparagus (medium RM25)

It's served with spicy prawn chilli flakes that give the good aroma. The combination is good, just that the asparagus serve is a little too old.

Chinese broccoli (medium RM25)

It's served with deep fried chinese broccoli too with anchovies. We called it the concept of chinese broccoli on chinese broccoli. Our kind of favourite vegetable dish.

Deer meat (small RM20)

This tastes good, not much of the gamy taste most of those rabbit, deer, cow, sheep had. The only thing is why did they cook it with bamboo shoots :( I don't really like te smell of bamboo shoots moreover their taste, it smells a lot like toilet, yucks, but certainly dependent on individual taste bud.

Signature tofu (big RM30)

This tofu is homemade ones if not mistaken, kinds different from the usual tofu we get in the market, certainly not local tofu or japanese tofu we could get from the market. This dish is serves with mushroom and spinach, both my favourites :9

Mango chicken (half chicken RM25)

Certainly super mango, the fried chicken it's all top and cover by the mango. Dad commented that the mango is over ripe (soft), he favours half ripe mango which gives a little bit of crunchiness and sour taste, but we love this sweet over ripe mango instead so it's another up to individual taste stuff.

The bill comes with a total amount of RM156. This meal certainly a good one. With the environment and service provided, it's another bonus. We had our long family chat there with tea and food.