Cell BBQ

We had our CG BBQ at Suzanne and Chao Hern's place at Bayswater last night.
It was drizzling but it didn't dampen our spirits. In fact, we were all hungrily saving our stomachs for Shawn's EzzyBBQ (https://www.facebook.com/EzyBBQ)

Ming Meng, Joni, me, Elsie and Cheng Yen

The gang

My recommendation: Try the bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms, lemon and herbs chicken wings and black pepper sirloin beef.

Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera and these are among the few photo's I got from FB which Joni uploaded.

Goodbye YehYeh...

My grandpa passed away last Monday, at the age of 82. For the last 2 weeks, we have been in and out of the hospital at least 3-4 times a day. Mom was tough.  She was stationed there from 6.20am until night, to monitor the condition of grandpa. Dad on the other hand, rush down to Penang on Tuesday's after school, and drove back to AS again around 10pm, and rush to Penang on Friday's and back to AS on Saturday evening.

We were all very worried about grandpa's condition, as he got weaker and weaker after each dialysis. God knew the suffering grandpa had to endure, and finally took him home on Monday, 26th March 2012.

This morning, we escorted the casket to the crematorium and bade our goodbyes. Not exactly goodbye, but 'see you again', when we meet in heaven.

I can't express my emotion in this blog. It's not something you can describe anyway.

The good news is after 29 years of waiting, my grandpa is finally united with my grandma. Grandpa had waited this long, pining over my grandma and remained faithful to her right up to his death.

I'm glad that the Lord took grandpa home peacefully. Rest in peace dear yeh yeh.

I love you, and I'm sorry I never had the chance to say it out loud.

The Ch'ng family

It got published!

I nonchalantly replied to the call by the Star newspaper to share with them on 'What Women Want'.
Super excited today when I saw my name being published in the newspaper for the 1st time:)

Copied this from the Star today:

Emily Ch’ng Kopial, 29, engineer, Penang

1. What makes you happy?

Being able to meet up with my husband and parents every weekend. (I currently work in Penang, and they live in Alor Star, Kedah).

2. What is most important to you now?

Building a solid, long-lasting and Godly marriage, and the health of my family members.

3. What was most important to you 10 years ago?

Achieving excellent results in my studies.

4. What is on top of your bucket (wish) list?

At this moment, my hope is that my husband and I will be able to live and work in the same city, so that I would not only see him during the weekends.

5. I want...

A baby! *grins*

Here’s a getaway for you and hubby: a complimentary weekend stay at Hilton KL.

What I want to try...

Cheese cake checked!

I've put together a list of food which I intend (plan) to try making this year 2012.

1. Tomyam (from scratch not out of the bottle)

2. Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

3. Peking pork ribs

4. Eggs benedict

5. Pizza

6. Misua Kou

Will add more along the way

Peach cheese cake

If you know me, you would know that I'm pretty ambitious when it comes to certain things such as cooking.
This time round, I decided to make chilled peach cheese cake. Thankfully, I have an adventurous hubby who also enjoys 'getting his hands dirty'. You see, both of us do not have a cake mixer, and we wanted to save money, so we manually mix the cream cheese and yoghurt together.
Anyway, here's the outcome of the cake. Tasted not bad (5/10), but the base crumbled....Should have use digestive biscuits instead of Marie biscuits. If you really want to use Marie biscuits, then you need to add more butter to hold the base together. See how miserable my peaches are, should have bought 2 cans of peach instead of 1.

Chilled peach cheese cake

So yes, I managed to make my very own chilled cheese cake for the first time in my life. The next thing I would like to try this year is....drum roll please......EGGS BENEDICT!

Better learn how to poach eggs....

Xoxo,
E

4 months to our trip

I must say after a year (~8 months) of planning, we are now left with 4 (long) months to our vacation.
This is going to be a big trip for us since both of us since the only country we went 'overseas' is Singapore.
I've learned and read a lot from the planning of this trip, looking up websites every opportunity I can for  accommodation, transportation, food, etc.

Can't wait for our trip...

See you soon Santorini....

8 months and counting...

Today marks the 8th month of my employment with AT. Nothing to boast about, just thinking of fast time flies. Every Monday, I count silently to Friday where I will take the 6.30pm bus from Sg Nibong back to Alor Setar. And on every Sunday, I will feel as tho' there is a heavy stone resting on top of my shoulder. Dread going back.
In the last 8 months, I've learnt quite a bit, made few more friends, but nothing beats the time when hubby and I were back studying in Skudai, JB. The wonderful memories we had there, the awesome friends, the lepaking and 'jalan-jalan cari makan' trips we went. It has been a year since I left Skudai, and a year since I've completed my masters.Time flies...

I can't wait for Christmas, need to take a short break from work. We will be in Kuching celebrating Christmas with dad and mom-in-law. Oh..am now thinking of Sarawak Laksa:).

A lot of things on my mind, anticipating year 2012, but afraid at the same time. It will be an exciting year for both of us as we wait eagerly for our belated honeymoon trip, but also a year that we will have to decide where to move (after seeking the Lord), getting a house (maybe?) and think of kids (hopefully..)

Hubby and I keep encouraging each other that God will show us His plans, and to wait for His perfect timing. At times when I am emotionally sane, this seems to be really motivating. But at those times where I feel depressed, I start to complain and grumble.

I do not want to be like the Israelites who kept complaining and grumbling after the Lord brought them out of Egypt. They have tasted the Lord's goodness and faithfulness again and again, but yet when calamity come, they forget and start complaining. Before this, I couldn't understand why they would grumble after what the Lord has done. But when I start to complain and grumble even after experiencing countless of God's blessings and faithfulness, I began to understand how easy it is for us to be ungrateful. So, my motto for 2012 will be to count my blessings, stop complaining, stop comparing and move forward as the Lord leads. I will keep to His promises in Jeremiah 29:11:

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.