Monday, June 23, 2014

A short getaway to Genting Highlands and a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not

We planned a short getaway to Genting Highlands on 1.5.2014-2.5.2014. Its cool climate weather makes it a perfect getaway from the hot and humid weather in Penang. It is worthwhile to bring children up the mountains for a short getaway.
It was our fourth visit. It has been ages since we came up here. The last time we had been there must be eight years ago. After check-in, we had a walk around Genting Highland. Genting Highlands was not changed much over the years except the interior design. Outdoor theme park at Genting highlands was closed for a complete revamp to morph into a 20th Century Fox theme park. It will be transform to a fresh look in the future.
Do you see the monumental replica of the Statue of Liberty behind us? A cool and modern version of Statue of Liberty.
Statue of Liberty on motorcycle. The lit up decorations were definitely different such as a mini
tower which was covered in LED lights.

Keep an eye out for various entertainments at Times Square. There are dances, songs and magic show. Best of all, it is free.
A magician bent a fork right in front of the audiences.He took out a fork and placed it on his palm. Stared at it for 10-15 seconds. Slowly, the fork began to bend until the end of the fork is at a 90 degree angle. It is very entertaining.
There is a maze of restaurants, fast food and cafes in Genting. Food overall was over priced. Nothing to shout about the taste. Finally, we decided to have a buffet dinner at First World Cafe. It is located on 3rd Floor of First World Plaza.
The interior is brightly lit. Very spacious. It can accommodate a total of 2400 persons.
We left with full stomach after enjoying buffet dinner. Food from Western, Chinese, Nyonya, Japanese and Malay are served.
Boneless and skinless chicken breasts on the grill. 
You will never be short of dining selections at this hugely spacious buffet eatery. Only RM30 per person. You need to make payment for buffet dinner at a special counter.
At night, dad and mom went to have a look inside the Casino. Girls, gamble is all about losing or winning. Gambling was not our purpose here. There were a lot of Chinese around the table. Some won and some took their loss without loosing their face. A heap of money was changed again. Smoking was allowed in most of the venues. Air was not pleasant at all.
Girls, say no to gambling. Obviously people gamble to try to win money. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. The bible clearly teaches that wealth should be gained from honest labor.
After dinner and venturing around, we decided to have coffee at Starbucks. We ordered Latte Halzenut Ice and Chocolate Cream Chips. It is good to sit down in the cool air and enjoy a cup of drink.
A Hazelnut Latte which make you smile. Very unique atmosphere but packed with people.
We visited Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum on the second day. Ripley's is an interesting place to introduce us to a world less known. Ripley's is founded by Robert Ripley. There are many incredible collections of art works in this museum. The entire collection of the things that Ripley collected during his travels around the world is just breathtaking.
If you have never been or seen this exhibition. It is a must. Pay a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Admission is reasonable- RM22 for adults and RM18 for children. If bundled with haunted adventure, ticket costs RM35 for adults and RM30 for children. It operates daily from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The worlds tallest man standing at about nine feet.
A wolf girl who brought up by wild animals.
A car which was covered with 20,000 24K gold plated Canadian pennies.
The Jivaro Indians of Ecuador claim their enemies’ heads as symbols of bravery.
The largest shoes in the world. A big difference between two shoes. This is what the Chinese describe as 小巫见大巫.
Antique child’s dentist chair which was built in 1904.
A torture chair. The Chair of torture was a terrible device of the middle ages.The time of death greatly varied ranging from a few hours to a day or more.
Please look at the huge pile of books about to topple down on dad's head. This is unbelievable.
An art drawing on a grain of rice. The content of the drawing is all related to the bible scenes of Adam and Eve. Although it is impossible to read this rice grain letter with the naked eye, it is quite legible when magnified. Really unbelievable.
It is worth to pay a visit to Ripley in Genting. We had a great time here. Lydia and Priscilla, one of the greatest blessings of a fulfilled life is to have a loving family. An amazingly loving marriage and a happy family are gifts from God. Mom has been blessed with a very supportive husband and two great chidren.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Celebrating grandmom's birthday at All About Sugar 团圆汤圆甜品店

We celebrated grandmo's 77th birthday at All About Sugar & Gift 团圆汤圆甜品店 on 4.4.2014. It was a memorable dinner. Girls, we thank God for every blessing He has given us.
This restaurant is located at Lorong Susu. Behind Town Steamboat Restaurant at Macalister Road. Their business hour is from 11:30am to 10pm. Closed on every Wednesday. Tang Yuan is the centerpiece of the restaurant's signature dish.
Chen Hong 陈鸿 is a well known Taiwanese celebrity. Chen Hong headed to Penang with the mission to savour all best food in Penang years ago. He visted some of the recommended food spots in Penang. All About Sugar & Gift 团圆汤圆甜品店 was one of the spots.
Oil-paper umbrella 油纸伞 is a type of paper umbrella that originated from China. Each of these oil paper umbrellas is truly a labor of love. This oiled paper umbrella is an elegant choice for interior decorating.They are widely used for the decoration nowadays. The ambience here is good.
A good dining experience with a warm hospitality from the owner and waiters. The owner is helpful and friendly.
Curry Kapitan Chicken with rice. The curry sauce is slightly sweeter than how dad and mom make it at home. The set dinner packages cost around RM13.90-RM19.90 per person. It is reasonable.
It comes with steamed sausage with sliced cucumbers, drink and dessert.
Herbal salty chicken rice set. The salt bakes the chicken in a steamy heat resulting to a very tender, succulent and extra tasty chicken.
Stir Fried Prawn Noodles. A tasty Indonesian stir fry recipe. Flavorful and a bit spicy.
Herbs Chicken Noodle Soup. Chicken noodle soup is a comfort food. Use a combination of herbs can add a depth of flavor.
Steamed Pork Ribs with rice.
This restaurant serves a wide variety of glutinous rice balls. Fillings such as lotus seed, red bean, goji berry, corn, durian, cheese and chocolate. They have different kinds of Tang Yuan included both sweet and salty flavors.
Another signature dish is the Peanut Tang Yuan (花生汤圆). The Tang Yuan in this dessert has sweet peanut paste filling, with sweet peanut soup to complement it.
Old school Sweet Tang Yuan(子孙满堂 RM4.20) . The sugar syrup has a ginger taste as well. Tang Yuan 汤圆 is a very traditional Chinese dessert. You can order a vast varieties of Tang Yuan in this restaurant. There are several types of fillings for tang yuan, such as red bean paste, ,cheese, chopped peanuts, lotus seed and black sesame paste. The owner creates new flavors of tangyuan by substituting the traditional filling with chocolate. You may also try tang yuan wrapped with shredded coconut 椰丝 or an authentic Longan Glutinous Rice 龙眼黑糯米.
Brown sugar based soup Tang Yuan. You may replace the brown sugar with cold vanila ice-cream.
We bought a chocolate cake with whipped cream. Everyone loved it. It is moist and the icing is not too sweet.
Happy Birthday, grandmom. Today is a day of His grace and we pray that you will be forever blessed. He will continue to encompass you under His wings and keep you in His everlasting love.
Choosing a birthday cake is probably one of the most enjoyable things in life. This was an unique cake for our wonderful grandmom. Lydia and Priscilla, our daily walk with Jesus is the reason that we live. If we are earnestly seeking to follow Jesus, we too need to walk closely with him. Girls, we give thanks to our Lord as grandmother has`committed her life to Christ. May God bless our dearest grandmom on her days.