The Last Day of the Year 2011

Time certainly flies! Here I am now, at the last few minutes of 2011, reminising on the year that was, the year that has.. and the year that is to end.

I look back and feel so grateful for this year, as many things good and wonderful has happened to me. I also take-in the not so good as a learning curve and a step FORWARD :) with much positivity!

So Year 2011 in a summary has brought me many things to me thankful for:-
1. Getting masters
2. Getting to work back on the island
3. Getting me new friends in a new working environment
4. Having great bosses.. and running away from not so great ones
5. Got a new car
6. Got new phone/phones
7. Got new cupboards
8. Got new IKEA cupboards
9. Got to travel KL, Ipoh
10. Got to meet-up with old friends (wedding, ipoh)

I thank GOD for all the wonderful things that has happened to me this year.
I am grateful of all the things that has come my way.
Mostly, I am grateful to GOD for my family and friends

May 2012 be equally as wonderful and bring even more joy!

Here's to the new year 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone

Christmas Lunch @ Salsas, Hotel Continental

I have always liked the food served at Salsas Restaurant. It's affordable and yet elegantly prepared. Worth every dime!

We have been going to Salsas since early 2010, if i remember correctly. Or was it ...?
Anyway, my point being that the food is good!

I've been wanting to write about Salsas food and service, since i can remember... their dinner sets are heavier than their lunch sets... I'll write about their dinner sets in another post.

For Christmas this year, we had lunch there!

Here's their Christmas day lunch menu:-

For starters, their freshly baked bun rolls. It's really special because they have on them buns some Indian spices...( i think it's charoli) which gives it a special taste...

And their soups... simply delicious... not too thin nor too thick... just right... and served just the way it's suppose to be... hot ;)

Each Lunch set comes with a choice  of soup or salad, drinks and dessert

Garden salad comes dressed with French dressing and balsamic vinegar

Drink choices: Iced Lemon Tea, Iced Peach Tea, Mango Juice, Orange Juice, Coffee or Tea

For the Dinner Set, salad is served with soup and drinks... and the salad is so much better at Dinner :) Priced more too!

Back to the Christmas lunch... Main courses

We had:-

1) Grilled roll thigh of chicken - with fresh vegetables and potatoes RM18.50++

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2) Baked crusted snapper fish - with fresh vegetables and potatoes RM18.50++

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3) Grilled minute streak - with fresh vegetables and potatoes RM18.50++

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All thress dishes were delicious...  and well presented too! Don't you think so?



Finally, dessert.... cake and ice cream

here's the view of the Restaurant from inside...

Christmas decorations

So festive... it gave the restaurant a good Christmasy ambiance...loving it!

Lucky thing we made reservations for Christmas lunch! As you can see, the place was packed!

View of Upper Penang Rd from inside the restaurant



View from my table



Had a satisfying Christmas Lunch @ Salsas Restaurant...

Merry Christmas 2011

This year, we put up our Christmas tree quite late...only in December...
If I recall correctly, it's usually in November that it's already up? Anyhow, I love how the tree turned out...
Feels so Christmas-y... so festive :)

Put up the tree on the 4.12.2011
Here's how it looks like in it's complete-ness...

As usual, Christmas shopping was left to the last minute... so here's how the tree looks with the presents...
much much later...

Thank goodness for Wrapping Counters! hehe...
They did a good job wrapping all the pressies...

Oh, and i bought a few more decorations for the tree...



This is a festive lamp i got from IKEA Singapore last year (2010)

 Now everything feels soooo Christmas-y....!

Merry Christmas everybody!!!

Ho~Ho~HO!

Ipoh Trip (Day 2)

I met-up with an old friend i've known for 3 years now. She's working here so it was a good opportunity to meet-up and catch-up on old times. (said like i'm so old...aiseh)

Before we met up for drinks, I had dinner at Greenhill. It was at a restaurant/hawker center called Skyway. They offer a variety of food - from Ipoh chicken rice to Penang laksa, to Curry Fish Head.

They even have free wifi there. Although i couldn't quite access it.

Anyway, when in Ipoh, of course order Ipoh Chicken rice...

Next, we tried the Curry Fish head.
This was so good! Loved the tasty curry!! Yum!
It cost RM15 supposedly for one. But the portion could easily serve two.

Juicy piece of fish

Later, I met up with my old friend and she took me to deGarden. According to her, this new eating place just opened 1 year plus ago. It's situated next to Jusco Ipoh.

We had drinks at PapaMia @deGarden.
She tells me PapaMia is the original place that later franchised to PapaRich.

Meeting-up with old friends really lets you reminise on the good old times.. and yes, makes me feel that much older. But we're just the same people and the same kids we were back then. At least that's what I feel anyway :)

Impiana Hotel (Casuarina), Ipoh

This is suppose to be a 4-star hotel in Ipoh. Formerly known as Casuarina hotel, the newly renovated Impiana Hotel is where I am staying for the next 3 nights! Woo hooo!!! :)



View from under the 'Kampung -style Anjung'



Night view of the hotel

My Room Key

The Lobby... I got an 80's feel of the place looking at this lobby :)

Lovely decor as you enter the Hotel



View of Ipoh from my room on the 4th floor



The Bistro and Pub

Now, on to the room... I booked a Deluxe room with twin bedding... from Agoda

Lovely, don't you agree...
Still, the rooms and decor feels abit dated...
But they do have wide screen LCDs :))


On to the bathroom...

They still have the long baths

Complimentary soaps, shampoo, shower cap and tooth brush.. etc.

All in all, I think I had a great stay at this hotel. It is located quite close to town, but you still need a car of your own to get around. Still, i think it's a bit over-priced though.

Downside is there's not a proper parking lot... the hotel actually rents the parking space from the neighbouring building.. which means if you park there, i assume you've gotta walk...( i assume coz didn't park there) I parked at the outsides of the hotel ... no shelter, but nearer compared to the next building... :)

Ipoh Getaway

I'm in Ipoh! Woohoo!
I'll be here for the next 3 days... attending a course :)

Currently staying at Impiana Hotel, supposedly a 4-star hotel.

Already, I see a few Singaporean registered cars. Is this place really 4-stars?

Ipoh Trip 14.12.2011 (Day 1)

Immediately after work I rushed back home to pack and then I was on my way to Ipoh!

Yeah, I'll be in Ipoh for the next 2 days for a course and what better timing too!

I was caught in the usual jam along Penang Bridge but it soon cleared up as I entered Juru area.

So, from 7 plus, I managed to reach Ipoh at 9 pm.

Pretty different experience driving at night. Some parts of the NSE was pitch black safe for the on-coming cars and their headlights... and the cars infront of me.

Anyway, reached Ipoh and checked-in at Impiana Hotel, a supposedly 4-star hotel here in Ipoh.

(More on the hotel in another post, ya)

We were hungry so we headed to town to look for food... yeah, dinner at almost 10pm.

To my surprise, Ipoh did have eateries and restaurants still open for the night.. and they were just getting started~ how awesome is that!

So eventually, we went to Yeold English @ Greentown, Ipoh.

They serve western food and also offer a choice of local delicacies.

They even have cake too!