I’m right after all

I’m glad I made the right decision to be with the right person. At least he doesn’t lie to me…… Or keep me from the truth.

Don’t take me for stupid. I’m not the dumb bimbos you used to date.

That’s it.

NatC.

2 more years….

…till the world ends. According to the Mayan calendar.

Oh I’m sucha joy to have around for the New Year.

Btw, I promise I’ll update this dead thing soon. But first I gotta solve another dead (and deeply fried) thing at home……. The modem.

Right now, I’m using my work place’s wi fi to online. And I can easily use my office desktop for blogging but because I just got my iPhone last mth… I’m gonna break this spanking dude’s (yes my iPhone’s a dude) blogging virginity.

Anyway, some pictures to keep y’all satisfied till I fix the modem problem… Enjoy 😉

Toodloos to all 🙂

Love,

NatC.

Need a break. PRONTO.

OMG. Been so caught up with work. Hardly have time to pee.

Amidst the busy-ness, the stress and the hectic-ness that is W-O-R-K, I’m glad I’m blessed with wonderful ppl around me that played small little parts in making my day a good one to wake up to :).

Two December babies in the office. So my boss decided to spring us a surprise birthday ‘do at Souled Out, Desa Sri Hartamas. I’m still wondering if I should upload the video of me wearing a stupid clown hat and some weird specs, no thanks to Souled Out crew 🙂

Oh and I’m not going to Portugal & Barcelona anymore in Feb.

Instead, I’m heading to EDINBURGH to see men in skirts…. and to DUBLIN for a few nights of solid GUINNESS STOUT. Hohohohoho~~

And the best part, I’ll be staying in a spanking awesome penthouse in Dublin and Edinburgh. Tell me I’m lucky and I’ll disagree with you.

I like to think I’m blessed.

Anyhow………………………….. it’s that time of the year. DECEMBER!!!! My favorite month 😀

Few reasons: MY BIRTHDAY (ahemahemahem), CHRISTmas & NEW YEAR’S EVE!!!

A month for partying, drinking and merry-making indeed.

Can’t wait for Friday night. Dan will be back. I wonder what he’s got up  his sleeves. He’s been real secretive lately. My mum too. She’s hiding something from me. Truth be told, I can’t wait for the surprises to be revealed. I’ve been bugging the shit out of them.

Good on them. Their lips are sealed tight -___-

Btw, my mum is heading to Turkey for Christmas (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, omg omg I ish punny!).

She’ll be gone for 10 daysssss. WHAT mischief shall I get into, I wonder 😉

Aight, I gotta go for now. I’m looking forward to the weekend.

Love,

NatC.

ps: Ku ku (you know who you are)… I drank water today. Lots of em 🙂

Europe, we’ll meet again…

MAS Airlines.KLIA.Heathrow.Kuala Lumpur.London.4thFeb.19thFeb.Barcelona.Portugal.Shopping.Photos.Lonely Planets.Hotels.Late Winter.Early Spring.Hot Ang Moh.Food.Awesome Beer.

Travel bug’s back!

Just got my tickets booked. Looks like I won’t be collecting much angpow this coming CNY.

Much love,

NatC.

My mind has gone all soft

Zao an~~~~~

Yayy, look… mandarin! 😀

Believe it or not, I believe I have to start learning how to speak some decent Chinese.

Colleagues at my work place are all mandarin-speaking… when they are on a hot topic about some special kid with some special condition, I’d be dying to hear what they have to say, but all I’ll hear is “kili-kulu-kili-kulu” -___-

Work is coming along fine. Lemme chui sui (blow water–> boast) a bit…

When I got confirmed, my boss initially promised me RMxxxx, BUT… she mentioned this…

“In view of your good performance, your salary will be increased and revised to RMXXXX”

😀

I’m damn happy and its really a boost for my self-esteem. After all, this is LITERALLY my first job. My first PAID job. Yes, before this I was a work-virgin. True I’ve volunteered at some places, interned at some centres……. but its not the same cuz I’m not getting paid… so there were no expectations and pressure there!

I’m doing pretty well for a first-timer. Please gimme due credit, terima kasih *peace*

Working is all good.

You get financial independence. Do anything you want with the money you earn with your own two hands.

You get pretty much the freedom to do most of the things you couldn’t do when you were a student.

When you get home from work, you can literally bum on the sofa and stare into space (not like I do that, I’m just saying……….. *shifty eyes*).

You get name cards that you can give ppl and act all business-like while doing it.

Literally,  its a whole new phase of life… its an adventure for some and a hurdle for others.

Still, I can’t help but miss the times when I was merely a happy-go-lucky student without a care in the world. All that was important back then was mindless gossips about our classmates, whether I wanna have maggie goreng for lunch or roti planta, should I or should I not skip class…

OK la, thesis period was pretty sucky, but still I knew in the back of my head that it was just a HUGE ASS assignment and that once its handed over, I’m DONE!

As a student, I don’t gotta wake up at CB hours in the morningz when its nice and raining outdoors. Even if I’ve got a morning class, I’ll just SKIP it. Yes, even if its Miss Winnie’s class. I’m lanci like that.

Now that I’m working….. I gotta pay bills, pay car, pay for my own food, pay for my own household stuff, pay parents (ok , this one I’m not complaining), pay petrol… -___-…. As you can see, ENDLESS paying.

But its something we gotta do, so no point complaining 🙂 It’s a blessing I get to have the ability to work and to be able to earn more than enough to support myself.

By the way, my iPhone 3GS is arriving in approximately a month’s time!!!!!!!!! *Excited* And it’s gonna be WHITE COLOR, WARNA PUTIH, PAK SIK, BAI SE!!!

And and and, I’m saving up for another Europe trip next year February. Yeah, now that I’m working, I have to make use of public holidays, which means I’m leaving for Europe during the Chinese New Year holidays -___-. Good thing my company gives us a long break… I think we’ll only start work on the 9th day of CNY *yay* I love my boss.

So anyway, dropping by London again as usual. Thinking of heading up north to Scotland thereafter and then back down to Ireland. But my second option would be to head down south (HAHAHAHAHAHA… I’m laughing for some very dirty reasons) to Spain and Portugal… where its warmer.. I hate to be cold 😀

Any suggestions anyone??? Lemme know! For now, I gotta run. Gotta get ready for my appointment soon (oh yes, I’m blogging from work).

In the Ris Low’s language… “I love my job because it is SOOOO me! It’s so BOOMZ!”

Tata,

NatC.

Lett mE tries tO blog’s liKe u?

O my Goss? Todays is Thursdasy alraeady. Time’s fly’s so quick?…  Soon will be FrIday… and Den the weeksends too. Aiyoyo hahahahaha?? I haves no plANnings for de Satorsdays and SundayS yet?!??!!

But for FraiDAY@tMRw, I will go works (oh goss so tiringz haiz?), then nightz time go dancing like a proofeesional dancerz? muahahahaha… I wil seeing all my goods and bets freinds in de club… Shu Wen, Jennifer, RYu, hANi and etc many many more. I miz all themm so much? So longz nevere che chatting wid dem?! Hahahahaha???

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Shit la, ok I give up.

Trust me, it is NOT easy to blog like HER. It requires a LOT of mental effort.

I conclude that instead of stupid, she’s as smart as my empty water bottle.

<3,

NatC.

ps: To the ppl who knows HER, yes I’m mean, but admit it… you enjoyed reading this post, and can’t wait to talk about it at the club 😀

Mooncake Festival=Family=LOVE

First weekend of October was Mooncake Festival. I had no idea, till my colleagues at work told me…….

Even with mooncake booths mushrooming around shopping complexes, I had no idea. Yes, I’m that blur.

And I’m not paiseh about it, I think its a gift. wtf. It’s not easy to be as blur as that. double wtf.

This time around, celebration was at Casa d’ Natalia!!!! 🙂

Time for some GAMBARs!

I love my home. It’s re-built and designed by a Kurokawa architect, in fact, the director of the Malaysia branch himself.

Uiseh.

To be fair, its not like we’re damn rich n all that jazz… he just happens to be a real good friend of my mum’s bwahaha.

And btw, when I was in Japan 2 years back, we stayed at him penthouse in Tokyo… It was fantastic.

I wanna marry a Japanese. No wait, a RICH Japanese.

😀

 

I can’t remember when was the last time I held a lantern, and enjoyed playing with it. I never liked holding a candle, because I am totally freaked out by candle wax (AHEM TO SOMEONE, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.).

But I’ll tell you what I used to love to do: Blow other ppl’s candles out 😛

Here’s a picture of my grandparents who keep each other alive and healthy by arguing everyday…

If you look carefully, you’ll notice that my grandpa only has one eye. Yes ONE EYE. The other eye rosak ady damn long ago.

Stepdad and I used to make this joke about him…

“Hey, behave yourself, granpa’s keeping an eye out for you”

Hahahahahahaha, geddit geddit???

One eye… an eye….. GEDDIT???

OMG I’m so hilarious.

Here’re 3 of my younger cousins… they’re more of them, but they weren’t present. I’m second eldest  for my generation btw. Hohoho…

Nama mereka dari kiri ke kanan: Ho Kean Weng, Ho Jia Xin, Ho Kean Seng.

When asked what would they like to be in future…

Kean Weng: I wanna be a writer (and omg, yes that boy CAN write!).

Jia Xin: I dunno lah.

Kean Seng: King.

-____-

Anyway, the 3 of them with their parents… paint a picture of an ideal family… I’m serious…

 

Told you 🙂

Anyway, because the weather was damn good, we decided to take the dinner outdoors, and man was it GOOD!!! The breeze was lovely, it wasn’t humid… it was perfect sitting under the sky eating mooncake after dinner with a good pot of Chinese tea…

And while the adults talked, the younger ones played…

…and no, they were not playing with lanterns. They were not playing with candles. They were playing with FIRE.

I’m serious…

Kids’ nowadays… –____- "

OMG wait.

My face has been missing all these while. Kenot.

 

Yes I was the only one happily walking around with the lantern while drinking Chinese tea… Sad or not?

How I wish I have more cousins my age from my mum’s side. I have cousins my age from dad’s side, but I seldom meet them 😦

So with my mum’s family, I’m always the “in-between”.

Sometimes when we go out for dinner/lunch, there will be the adult’s table, and the children’s table. Somehow, I’ll be the one being tossed around like a ball because apparently I’m neither adult nor am I a child, so they dunno where to place me.

wtf. I feel rejected.

*slit wrist*

 

Lol. Ok, to be fair, for the past year and a half, I’m more of an adult to them ady :). Mwahahaha.

So its not THAT sad anymore 😀

Cannot resist a picture with Cody…

 

Then a picture with the maid, which I think she wants to send home to Cambodia to show her family what lovely beautiful ppl she’s now working for 😀

 

This maid is awesome. Not only can she cook all my favourite food, she can clean my house damn niiiice, she refills my toilet rolls, folds the end of the roll into a point (like in the hotel o.O") and she knows how to groom my dogs!!!!! Where to find???

Anyway, yeah, that’s bout it for the Mooncake Festival this year. Nice little family affair 🙂

Next update will probably be on my cousin’s wedding where I was the bridesmaid!! So I have two more times left in my life to be a bridesmaid.

They say that if you were a bridesmaid for more than 3 times, you’ll never be able to get married for the rest of your life! *horror*

I still want my grand church ceremony with posh dinner reception by the golf course at sunset and Harley Davidson escorts behind my Bentley wedding car~~

Right, I may have scared of any potential suitors. Hahaha. Ahh, whadda heck. No rush, right? 🙂

Anyway, stay tuneddddd.

<3,

NatC.

Operasi “Choc Chip Biscuit”: PASS!

Yes, you saw it right. I baked!!!!!!

I was inspired by my friends in mYoga. They were in a baking frenzy past few weeks… comparing recipes and baking tips wtf.

Of course I got damn kiasu because I felt damn left out in the midst of their baking-powder-oven-temperature-flour-milk-and-sugar talk.

Seriously, they were as good as speaking GREEK to me.

So as soon as Mr. Ho came back for the Raya weekend last month, I managed to convince him to help me bake!

And baked we did……. “CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES”

Yep, I chose to bake the ONE THING that won’t go wrong. If anything went wrong with it, consperm I should just marry a chef for a husband –__-"

Anyway, back to the baking process!!!!

Before you start anything, be sure to preheat your oven to 375F (190C).

Then, prepare ingredients and lay them nice and ready on your kitchen counter within easy reach…

….. just so you won’t gelabah

….. and get all panicky when you need an ingredient and its not there

….. I mean, that’s just silly and you’ll end up looking real clumsy and like a total noob

…… it SO did NOT happen to me

*shifty eyes*

Next, WASH YOUR HANDS. Veli the importance wtf.

(Now you know what a hygienic cook I am, please eat my food…)

After washing your hands, get your co-chef to prepare everything on the table, while you set up the mood for some successful baking… in this case, I made a playlist of chillaxing music and played it on my lappie.

Uiseh.

Next, comes the butter.

226grams of unsalted butter is all that you need.

That’s bout almost 1 standard block of butter… But for pictures’ sake, here’s me, measuring the butter 😀

Pro boh?

This is how much 226grams of butter look like…

After measuring, cream the  butter…… and by creaming the butter……….. I have no idea what this means actually, but I assumed we just gotta “beat” the butter with the electric mixer till its creamy? Logic and common sense rite?

Next, get your 150grams of fine granulated white sugar and 160grams of light brown sugar and throw ‘em into your creamed butter…

OK, at this point, I forgot to take picture of me adding in the sugar into the butter… so time to use your imagination, lazy people.

Beat the butter and sugar mixture till its “fluffy”… again, I have no idea how is a fluffy mixture supposed to look like… I was half expecting feathers to fly out the bowl.

Anyhow, I just trusted my gut feelings and Dan’s (apparently) expert opinions on baking on when the mixture was finally lookin’ nice and fluffed.

Then came the eggs (2 eggs to be exact), beaten one at a time…

When beating them, be sure to beat well, before adding the next.

Thereafter, add in 1 and a half teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into the egg mixture…

Blend well…

… and it should look like this…

At this point, you can dip your finger into the mixture and lick it off afterwards (if you’re not too fussed about the fact that there’re raw eggs in there)…

Daniel FORCED me to have some.

But it was nice I have to say 😀

Anyways, put the butter+sugar+egg+vanilla mixture aside.

Grab another mixing bowl, and its time for some FLOUR ACTION.

Off topic, do you pronounce FLOUR as “flar” or “flower”? I pronounced it “flower” and I always get corrected!!!

Why la??

Its correct wat! Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to. Same same! wtf –___-

While I’m at it, the CORRECT way to pronounce “HERB” is with a silent “H”. So technically, its “ERB”. I’m serious!!!

And the right way to pronounce “SALMON” is with a silent “L”.

*smart alec face*

nataliechow.com should start charging some English tuition fees wtf.

BACK TO BAKING!!!

Combine 295grams of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a separate bowl.

Here’s Dan doing the honour…

After that, pour all the dry ingredients into the first butter mixture and beat till its well mixed.

About halfway through the beating process, we added in the chocolate ships!!!!

My favourite part is here!!!

The mixer mixture looked damn awesome right??

By right, was just supposed to put in like 270grams of semisweet choc chips, but we ended up pouring in the whole packet of Nestle Toll House, which was just about a bit over 270grams, but it definitely made the cookies better in the end (in our opinion… we gotta be biased of course) 😛

If at any case you feel that your dough is too soft, cover it and put it into the fridge till its firm (approx. 30 min).

We had no idea if our dough was soft or firm, plus we were impatient (ok, it was me… I was impatient)… so we put it on the baking tray immediately.

Before that, while you’re doing all the nice exciting baking action, get your co-chef to do the boring crap… like laying the baking sheets on the tray 😀

 

When you’re finally ready to put the dough onto the tray…

…Be careful to use a teaspoon and scoop out little balls of no more than 20 cents (otherwise your cookies may come out too big and un-cute).

…Be sure to also not put the little balls of dough too close to each other, because when it expands in the oven, they will end up sticking together. Then your cookies will come out looking super noob (like Dan’s first batch). Hohohohoho.

When you’re done, put the the tray into the oven and leave it in there for about 12-14 min. But in our opinion, scrap the timing… just bake till you see the the cookies are golden brown around the edges.

This is because, our first tray batch turned out pretty soft when we followed the timing… Literally we were chewing on uncooked cookies.

But we were still looking at each other and saying “WAHHH DAMN KAO NICE” because we refused to admit there was anything wrong with soft, uncooked cookies _|_

So what do you when your cookies are nicely baking in the oven?

You do this…

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…and wait.

I concluded this while waiting for the cookies to be done…

Baking=testing my patience=dealing with autistic+ADHD children=my work.

So technically… Baking=work.

-__-

Gotta say the cookies looked really nice while baking though 😀

And when they’re out… they looked even BETTER!!!!!!!!!!

Picture above was our first batch. They looked a lil too bit because our dough scoops were too big.

And yes, those were the soft uncooked ones.

But hey, looks pretty good no???? 😀

Trust me, the following batches were THE bomb. Like many things in life, baking is all about learning from mistakes.

… and when there’re two chefs baking at the same time, it takes a LOT of compromise. And believe me, I have a problem with compromising….

…Because I’m spoilt like that. I’m not proud of it, and I’m trying to change. So maybe I should bake more.

If only more ppl will trust that my baking won’t kill them 😦

If there’s another thing I’ve learn about baking, is that for some things in life… you just HAVE to trust your gut instincts.

Sometimes you do things, and you have no idea why you do them. When confronted, all you can muster up is…. “I just have this feeling”.

Sometimes you JUST gotta trust that feeling of yours.

And I have a feeling right now…

… That some things are meant to be (I love you, B)

This concludes my baking adventure!

Till next time…

TATA!!!!

NatC.