Here’s my attempt to do a HOW-TO post from our previous-weekend’s project. I’ve been whining non-stop to hubby about covering the kitchen’s small window, cause outsiders can see through inside the house. Finally he made the move to settle that problem.

We bought 2 meter plain fabric (skin color) from Kamdar store, which is only RM4.80/meter. The fabric is quite thin, so after cut into two equal piece, we folded each piece in half and hem the sides (we don’t have sewing machine, hence bring it to the nearest tailor service).

Next, fold the fabric again like the above picture cause we’re going to punch 5 holes for eyelets.

Next, setting the eyelets (bought from Daiso), see the above picture from top L to R cause I have no idea how to describe the process. Then put in the metal ring binders (8 pieces at RM8)

Next problem, how are we going to put up the curtain since there is no curtain rail there? Find out the end result after this jump. (more…)

Nope, not MSG, in fact we never use it ever since we both started to cook on our own. So, what’s the secret recipe?

*Drumroll* It is this ready-made crispy prawn chili, sold at RM6 or so. We found it while doing grocery shopping at local hypermarket. Was searching for a real spicy chili/sambal; something like belacan #ohnomnom ; to spice up the food as we’re too lazy to do the sambal ourselves.

Sometimes we eat the crispy prawn chili as-is, just like chili sauce. But most of the time, we use it for cooking – refer to the above picture. One tablespoon for a dish is good enough.

I used to dislike stir fried okra a.k.a ladyfinger (the vegetable on above picture). But not anymore, now it tastes a lot better with the prawn chili.

We can never get bored of this chili

Because I just got myself a home slipper with dotted pink pattern. Where else if not from the all-time-favorite-shop Daiso, where everything is RM5. Happy feet, happy me. While the man was about to get something like steiner binoculars but decided not to first.

Another thing that brings happiness, I’m planning for the long-awaited-family-trip on next month. Yeap, Dad agreed to join us, usually he’s the type who says,”you guys go enjoy, I can’t leave the business.” But not this time, guess he really misses us (the kids).

Happy weekend, peeps~! I have a small home improvement project to be done this weekend with hubby, excited.

It’s not seldom we have friends whom give us the pity look or ask whether we feel boring or not, since work takes so much part of our life (from day time to night time) it looks like we don’t have life and need to get a life. *complicated sentence*

I understand where they come from and appreciate their attention. Well, tell you what,
1) I’m gonna say aloud that IT (re: work) IS MY LIFE! and
2) I don’t feel like it’s work, as I love and enjoy doing it from research to design to replying emails to online marketing and many more.

Just like the following quotes:

I never worked a day in my life. It’s not work when you love what you’re doing. ~David Shakarian
My father always told me, ”Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. ~Jim Fox

There goes the time when I work like a robot or sit in the office waiting eagerly for 5pm to come so I can off from work and go back home, shut myself from work stuffs. Or even work just for the sake of having a job and get the salary every month.

I don’t mind spending more time with the so-called-work. Just like how I don’t mind spending more time with my love one. Or for example, enrolling in rv travel emergency program won’t feel like a burden if you really wanna do it.

And all those ain’t because I work from home. But because I’ve found something that I love and enjoy doing. Really, it is not just a work. Guess it is passion. Web + design, my geek side gets to meet my creative side.

Have you found yours? If you haven’t, don’t wait any longer! Life is too short to be doing things that you dislike.

According to lunar calendar, today is the Dragon Boat Festival (read the history on wiki), where we get to eat Zongzi / sticky rice dumpling / better known to me as Bakcang (from Hokkien dialect). It’s one of the Chinese tradition that I always look forward to.

All the while my Grandma is the one who makes the bakcang and I just eat, that’s all. Such an ignorant girl, I know. Cause everyone kept on saying that it was so hard to wrap the bakcang (into a pyramid shape), can’t be too tight or too loose otherwise it will be blablabla.

So I kept that mindset and never bothered to try. Besides, I pictured that bakcang is made by Grandma/auntie (elder people), not a youngster or kids stuffs. Heh.

Last week I realized that Dragon Boat Festival will fall on this week (today). Being away from both side of parents means we only have two options: to buy from outside stall or do it ourselves.

I didn’t know where the courage came from, I suggested to hubby to make the bakcang ourselves, with zero knowledge. Cause I still prefer homemade bakcang, it’s Zongzi day after all. On normal day, I’m fine with any bakcang that is purchased from outside stall.

In the end, we made the bakcang together with hubby’s friend – our master whom taught us how to wrap the bakcang. It was quite hard at the beginning but I was getting better in wrapping it. It’s not that hard like what I thought.

The preparation

We used total 6kg sticky rice. On 2nd round, we wrapped it mostly using the large lotus leaves, hence the jumbo family size.

After 4 hours of boiling, the hard work pays off! It tasted not bad, except not enough meat (too much rice) and the rice’s color isn’t dark enough. No worry, there is always next time for improvement.

On Sunday, we have our own bakcang making session at home. Just the two of us. This time, we used 1kg rice only. Enough for 20++ bakcang.

So proud of myself for finally taking a small step out of my comfort zone. I have a whole new mindset towards the making of bakcang now. I’m also glad that we’re keeping the tradition. I already pictured us making bakcang with the kids in the future, muahaha.

Today’s lesson: If you have a negative mindset towards a product/activity based on public opinion only, I encourage you to step out and experience it yourself. We need a break thru once in a while.