Pan Malaysia's Telelink on iPhone & iPad Apps

I may be perceived as a crazy and heavy bet addicted person lately, which I am NOT! Was thinking twice if I should blog this, due to this matter, at this 'season'. Oh well, who cares, while I discovered this cool apps over my ride as boring passanger on the road from Penang back to KL.

Telelink is PMP's online, prepaid credit betting system, in which I have been holding their card for close to 8 years. It was indeed cool ever since then, where one can call up for a bet each time when one feel like it. However, the value of my card will never exceed RM50, except for a time where I won some cash.

In just yesterday, I could not call any of their agent numbers I used to call, not too sure why and I was thought could they 'wrapped up' their online system? To my surprises, they instead had build their iPhone apps! I installed and tested it while on the road. Indeed I found it was real cool and safe up my time calling them up.

Here's some of their a screen shots.

Main page

Login

Selection after login

Start your bet

Look carefully on the last screen, in case you would not know what to buy.. you could shake your iPhone and it will show some handpicked numbers. I wasn't able to try it, as the service was down now... probably it is an off day, which I think I read some instructions somewhere. 

In case you are a Telelink customer, you may try this App too.

Happy Ba-Chang (肉粽) a.k.a. Dragon Boat Festival 2012

I knew I would not be able to write this on the actual day of festival (oh well, I can always scheduled it). Anyway, since I have some personal time this evening, might as well complete the post before going for a short local trip this weekend.

Weeks before I get myself into this serious trial cook, I have been googl'ing around for tips with cooking and wrapping methods for this ever mystery dumpling. Well enough, I managed to trace some information based on the type of dumpling from my hometown, or rather I tasted since I was young. Since young, my homecooked dumpling was always done by my grandmom. Ever since my mom has retired several years ago, she finally has spare time to experiment with the cooking. Never too late to learn ya.. :) Back to the taste and texture we grown up with,  it is somewhat the type of dumpling similar to southern Taiwan's dumpling. At least was what I learned from YouTube :)

I did some youtub'ing for the wrapping methods too, unfortunately I still couldn't get it perfect.

A day before the experiment, I called up my mom for some last minute instructions, and she rather much enthusiastic enough to take several pictures during her preparation, and have them posted to FaceBook! Proud of you, such FB-savy mom!

Mom's step by step wrapping method, from FB

My Ingredients

Oh no! This was ugly looking and I happened to know I tied them wrongly :P

Some still edible, but the rice was rather tasteless :)

Ingredients:-

Glutinous rice about 500g

Pork Belly (Marinated with dark and light soy sauce, Oyster sauce, lots of pepper, rice wine)

Mushroom slice in dice

Garlic & onion in small dice

Chestnut (栗子) soak overnight

Dumpling leave soak overnight

Steps:-

1. Most of the ingredient needs to be soaked overnight, except for the mushroom (depending)
2. Marinate pork belly which cut into dices according to own liking
3. Fry garlic and onion till golden, set aside
4. Fry marinated pork belly in the wok, add part of the fried garlic and onion when pork are almost cook, add mushroom last
5. Set out the pork belly dish from the wok, use the same wok to stir on remaining garlic and onion. Add lard if prefers.
6. Sift soaked glutinous rice, add them to fry with the lard and garlic/onion
7. Add enough salt and pepper to taste (I love more pepper, especially Sarawak pepper)
8. Once ready, start to wrap and tie.. (I have yet to learn the propoer tying method)
9. Place the tied dumpling into pressure cooker, cook for 1+ hour

Though this may not be my perfect dumpling, its at least edible! Kinda proud of myself ya.. 

My next attempt will have some special combination, won't be traditional. I am trying to test out some healthy dumpling (養身棕), probably vegetarian or semi vegetarian.

Happy Dumpling Festival ~!

Dive trip to Redang Island, June 2-4 2012

A newbie in scuba diving? Oh yes, I will always classified myself as one, and of course an inexperienced one too. Had my Open Water certification in 2009, only dive once a year, and here I came to the 3rd year which had yet hit 50 dives. I am just too lazy!! Staying at the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, does not have many worth exploring dive sites, while journey to the east coast will cause pain in the ass (long hour drive) and journey to my home island will cost a bomb!

Honestly, this wasn't a dive trip intentionally. It was a bus / road trip to Redang island with some 20 odd neighbourhood friends. Kinda a mid year trip, since we will usually hit to cold cold place every year end. So, mid year means Summer vacation! I had a my 2 diving buddies joined the crowd, and we 3 hit to the island during a super peak school holiday season. We charter a 30seater coach with the travel agent. Seat in the coach was superb, but it just does not goes will with our traffic jammed street and uneven east coast highway. I felt choppy during those moment. I couldn't really enjoy the journey, especially when it take close to 9 hours to its destination.

The bus we took - SP Bumi, stopped at Esso Station K. Terrenganu

Redang Pelangi Resort wasn't the earlier intended place for us to hit too. We knew Laguna was a nice resort, but we couldn't get the place for 20pax. Nevertheless, Pelangi Resort was not too bad afterall, except for the room and bathroom which I will leave a bad remark on them. Overall, the resort's environment and management was not too bad.

On the boad.. reaching Redang Pelangi

Redang Pelangi Resort Jetty

We would thought the island will be super pack with scuba divers... surprising it was not! We 3 enjoyed the super 'luxury' boat dives,  with only 5 of us in a boat most of the time (plus the dive master and the boat man).

Our dive was good, with overall visibility of 10M most of the dives. As mentioned earlier, we had a luxury attended 5 dives with the resort's dive shop, 1 shore / checkout dive plus 4 boat dives. I was a bit  nervous during my initial dives, in which I wasn't sure on my weight and the descending 'postures' I had, it turned out I couldn't really concentrate throughout my dives. Nevertheless, I do like the 'quiet' feeling underwater, just enjoyed the emptiness in mind, except for the moment for own self and dive buddies. The experienced worsen here, when we were told it's JELLY FISH season. I would say the experience of jelly fish is much worse as compared to the current we mild experienced there, which I just hate to fight against current under sea.

One of our dive mates suffered the bite from one of the jelly fish hidden at the descending rope we had to used, poor him. It was lucky that the scares didn't get worse, as our dive master prepared vinegar in the dive boat.

Closer view of jelly fish

The 'sting' jelly fish

Me again - Thanks to the photographer!

me and the nemo!

One of the dive site

Terengganu Marine Parks

I enjoyed those easy dives in Redang island. Knowing me, I am rather a lazy person. Rather feel the inner feel than the actual feel. Won't really eager for more dives or even some rather challenging type, i.e. current...

This ain't sunset, but was sunrise on the day we depart

crystal clear water, from the departing boat

I didn't have many photos to share. Thanks to my buddies whom has good UW cameras, which had taken on some real nice pictures UW for sharing. Like it, and thank you !

Next dive trip, in a month time!! Till then. 

DIY - Wholemeal Tortilla Sandwich

I wouldn't classify this as an successful attempt, the tortilla was rather dry and possibly I am not very familiar in self kneading dough, been too relying on the bread maker machine.

References this recipe - http://gracekitchencorner.blogspot.com/2010/04/wholemeal-tortilla.html, with its simple ingredients.

150g bread flour, 50gn whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp yeast, 1/8 tsp baking powder, 110g water and 10g olive oil.

1. Knead all ingredient except olive oil, it was rather tiring and I was then about to dump the ingredient into the bread maker. But I did not.
2. Add olive oil when flour gets consistent, and continue to knead till it smooth.
3. Proof for 60min at cool dry place
4. Divide the dough into 5 portion and roll them into round balls, rest for 10min
5. Preheat frying pan, and place the round disc dough into pan, make sure its not overcooked as it will harden the tortilla.

Here are those I made. Went quite well with rendang beef and lettuce. Simply love the simplicity of an afternoon meal.

Cut dough into smaller portion

After rolling into disc

Get ready with fresh lettuce and  tomato

Wrap with beef rendang and mayonnaise

Will surely improve on this next time round.

DIY - Pumpkin Kaya (Eggless)

Mid year review - I personally thought I had experimented more cooking recipe this year! Been developing new hobby lately, spent quite a while on browsing for recipe, especially those healthy living  dishes. I enjoyed reading most nutrition book, hunting for new ideas in preparing dietary dishes. It's kinda interesting.

I got this idea of Pumpkin Kaya from a neighborhood cafe lately. Interesting enough, I browsed for some other recipe published online. Read them through, compare the best described, imagine the taste, and finally tested them with half of a pumpkin.

Steps :-

1. Cut pumpkin into cubes, bring them to steam for about 20min
2. Leave them off to room temperature
3. Blend them with a blender or food processor
4. Bring the blended pumpkin to a bowl, keep them double boiled (in heated pan with water)
5. Stir in brown sugar to taste base on own liking; pumpkin itself is sweet
6. Add 4-5 leaves of pandan for fragrance
7. Add coconut milk to own liking; 100ml for 300g pumpkin as example
8. Keep stirring in the bowl for about 15-20min

Cubed pumpkin to steam

After blend, added sugar and pandan leaves

Chill

Store and serve

I personally like this so much, as it's eggless! Plus, it does not need to keep stirring in the pot for hours. This is such easy to make, and most importantly healthy too. Next in my experiment list will be sweet potato kaya! :)

Till then. Try this if you feel like it. Many of my hometown and neighborhood were excited with this recipe when I published the picture in my FB! Hope they would have tried making them, as well as to like it too.