Lotte Koala's March - stainless steel fork and spoon set

I guess the good people at Lotte have finally discovered that if you wanna move your products in Malaysia, you gotta give something nice away for free ! Win win situation.

So far, I've resisted the yellow koala bear soft stuffed toy, the small tupperware and the cup but my goodness, this one I couldn't let pass.

Coca - Cola Malaysia - Strike & Score mini cinema ground event

" 2 kicks " she said .." just make sure you purchase Combo 3"

a popcorn and 2 drink combo. Basically, what one had to do was to kick the ball into a hole on the board with predetermined points on it.

Cadbury - mini shoebag

See the brands on the bottom part of the bag ? Well, you just have to purchase above RM 15 worth of any combination of those products to get it free.

Actually, I won't say it's a shoebag, but more of a beach slipper bag. The Flipper thong kind of slipper.

Anyway 3 country teams were up for the taking.

Brazil, Germany and Spain.

Quality isn't exactly built to last, just that the design is quite pleasing. Material is thin and the design is flat packed with no bottom base.

Collected at last

Way overdue for collection but I finally got round to it today. 

Will come in handy for those in my household who are keen on ice blended drinks

Unisys - Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade

Apparently this Electrical Parade is the only one of its kind in the world. Thus, if you have come all the way here, make sure you stay back for this very unique spectacle.

Daytime parade - the cute parts

Just find these lady bunnies so cute and 

Seriously too hot to enjoy the flowers...

...but here it is anyway. Front entrance. In the shape of Mickey Mouse....amazing !

Paddling instructions were in Japanese

How clever of us to just go and line up for this little activity .

Nobody told us that there would be no instructions in English. Yeah, I know, you're in Japan but geez imagine if the rest of the crews life had depended on the two of us getting it right. 

Shake head. 

Grandma Sara's Kitchen - Critter Country

Doesn't look the part from the outside, but tasty and good meals ( portion a little smaller) most certainly can be found in here.

The female staff are dressed like mid west grannies and the kitchen is a must see since the front is antique with a whole bustling real kitchen filled with modern chefs in the window behind that. 

Interesting.

Everybody queues patiently in Tokyo Disneyland

Although I took great care to select a weekday for our visit, the queues were still too long for some popular attractions.

When you compare this place to Hong Kong,the consolation is that at least there are none of the notorious Pinoy and Chinese queue cutters. Also,the Japs don't seem to mind even if they're 80 . Heck, they don't even grumble nor ask for a chair to sit down on . So just suck it in and join the leg breaking line will ya.

Cos everybody queues patiently in Tokyo Disneyland

even the China tourists. I'm not kidding.

Cute and quirky Japanese girls at Tokyo Disneyland

I met the prettiest , most regal Japanese girl right here in Tokyo Disneyland. She acted like the most wonderful , charming Disney princess with such poise as she willingly twirled and posed for my camera.Sweet little angel this. 

Can challenge Azatulsheeda's very model like daughter ,I tell you.

A Boost in return

No wonder everyone's gone mad over these current World Cup football tees.

Really good colour and quality this batch. Especially the Germany one. That badge itself, huh, class of its own.Wonder who designed this.Very nice indeed.

PARAM at Jalan Utama

Pasar Ramadhans or PARAM's are once yearly affairs most look forward to. The one at Jalan Utama features the usual fares one expects to see, so I'll just highlight those I deem to be rarely seen in Penang.

First thing you'll notice is that there is a massive amount of fish dishes on display at the nasi campur stalls....

....and a larger variety of grilled ones by ikan bakar operators

The perfect tenggiri fillet steak

Otherwise known as King Mackerel to South Africans, Tanigue to Pinoys , Kanaad to the Arabs and Spanish barred mackerel in the western world , this on a plate , is my grandma's recipe handed down.

Pan fried with ginger and drizzled in palm oil , there are just no words to describe just how delicious it is especially if you add on a little soy sauce afterwards ( which I did of course ) . Yes, very we like it very oily, with a brown crusty layer on the outside, while a little dry but snow white and crumbly on the inside.

Peanut root soup - said able to make 'em grow taller

Update : by October 2016 , the hobbit has hit 170 cm . So I guess this recipe is successful but you will have to follow these rules .

1. use PORK fillet

Why not Chicken ? Because I have 2 sons and I used chicken on the first and I can tell you that you need to use pork as a catalyst or it won't be so effective . Chicken can be used but it won't be so effective .

2. Only for boys . Not for girls .

Again , I need to stress that this recipe is for boys . DO NOT let the girls drink this . The effect will be reverse plus she will get a host of other physical attributes except for being tall . She will end up VERY SHORT with other things growing instead . Please take note . Not kidding .

3. Method 

Boil with the cleaned roots for 2 hours and drink the liquid 

4. Dosage and timing

Your boy can only drink this a maximum two times , not more and BEFORE their voice breaks . If their voice has broken ( changed ) you cannot let them drink this .

*********

The hobbit doesn't seem to be increasing in height, so I'm trying this recipe out. 

Said to be able to spurt growth, I never boiled this in the first place partly because I rarely go to the wet market. Cut the long story short, I stumbled upon this most unexpectedly.

Ahah ! Time to see if what they say is true about peanut root soup being a growth spurter.

Joyce hokkien mee - Pulau Tikus morning market

The signboard indicates that they've been in business since the 1950's. If that is the case ,I'm just wondering how come most of today's Penang hokkien mee version on the island, has become so corrupted with sugar and all that other etc ingredients.

Alcatel / Digi's crazy weekend offer

In Penang, if the deal is really deemed to be absolutely worth it and dirt cheap , you don't even need to advertise in the papers. The people will just come and flood your counter.

Now.... say, even if you run out of stocks cos of the overwhelming demand, they will even trust you with their IC, heck, they'll let you hold onto it overnight just to lay their hands on this offer.

Meet Donald's ducks

Don't think you can avoid meeting Donald's offsprings / harems / relatives when you're in Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland tickets

In case you wanna compare, this is what the tickets look like.

Gundam Front Tokyo - what you get to see for free

Not being that into Gundam, I saw no reason to want to pay for a ticket just to play a series of games that would get me into the coveted hot seat head of the giant Gundam.

Odaiba when night falls

Most people pack up and leave when night falls in Odaiba. But since we were already staying in the area, I can show you what there is, in the vast quiet area.

Linking Diver City to the corner of the beach area where a replica of the Statue of Liberty can be found, is this spot, where you can see both the Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge at the same time, it's a romantic spot which is a hit amongst dating couples.

Breakfast at Hotel Trusty Tokyo Bayside

Is this posh or what ? 

Yea, that was the breakfast I more or less picked throughout our stay. No doubt, I had to self serve but gosh, you just gotta hand some things down to the Japanese.

Respect . They really do think of everything and they really know how to make their customers feel darned good too.

Our room at Hotel Trusty Tokyo Bayside

Just lie down and you'll sleep so soundly, you wish you didn't have to get up and explore the city or even go down for breakfast for that matter.

My pictures don't do them any justice, cos the beds here, ah, they are the best if you like soft beds that is

Hotel Trusty Tokyo Bayside

We stepped off the plane and were picked up by THIS vehicle.

Holy...!!! Yeah, like hell, I was absolutely soooooo impressed. So much so , I half expected Jason Statham , aka The Transporter, to pick up my bags for me,this Mem Besar.

Nope, wasn't him behind the wheels but Fuh....shiny...what I way to enter Tokyo . Nice !

Saturday courier

Managed to hook a Portugal tee from Maggi eons ago, but it only arrived via courier today.

No where near Wak Gelas's mind blowing haul of course, as I only got one. Still, I know some people tried countless times and yet ended up with nothing. So, really, I should be grateful and yes, I am.

Just in

Small tidings still gets me very excited sometimes.

Especially if the voucher is rare.

Phoned by the organiser last evening. 

Received this morning.

Woooo Gdex's service has definitely improved 

Air Asia Big Shot ID membership card

When I logged in yesterday, my heart almost dropped into my stomach. 10,000 points had been credited into my Big Shot Air Asia membership card !

Naturally, I went to check out what I could redeem with those additional points.

Box big enough to cover even my ess

This 2 month old hamper was wayyyyy overdue for self collection . Never mind that, I was really impressed by the sheer mammoth size of it. 

Now, this is what I call Big 

I'm going ahead and posting this bad pic, no editing can rescue, just to show you what a big box it is, cos I'm already a big girl to begin with and this can just about hide my booty. Amazing. 

Man, I look like a dangdut retiree in need of a coffee break. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I wanna check if the contents are the same as what Ezna has.

Basket weave carryall

The cashier's eyebrows shot up when she saw my purchase. Happens quite often especially when it comes to the subject of bags.

Some of them will even ask me if the item is sold in their store. Cos I can sift out some gems lying amongst a pile of horrid made in China ones. If I were to follow my heart, I'd go for real quirky designs. Yet I know I love to stuff everything I might need and more inside. So, carryall it is.

 Every now and then, this design makes a comeback...and its currently trending now. No, I don't follow trends, just saying cos I read it somewhere on facebook earlier today that it was.

Aeon Big gift card

Yeah, so the other day, I got a phonecall around 10pm.

Right...at night.

And the person on the other end tells me I've got a voucher waiting for me in their store.

Transformers Light Up Magnet Head - GSC Cinemas

I overexpected. Thought it would be made of ceramic like most magnets. But no, it's plastic, lightweight, won't break and best of all comes with a creepy ( yet really cool at the same time ) glowing eye mechanism ( just press Optimus Prime's helmet around the nose area).

 In fact I like this so much , I can't bear to unbox it.

The white moth pays a visit

Living on Penang island, near the hills, makes it easier for insect and bird watching. Thus while most people have to go to specific parks to see things like stick insects, all I have to do is wait for the next surprise visitor to pop by.

This white moth is one such example. 

Yeah, that's my hand there.

364 dead otherwise . Just not yesterday

Ten years ago, not many thought of taking the man of the house out for a treat during Father's Day , but things are different today. Over in Penang, the day is celebrated by more and more families with each passing year. Doesn't matter if the Dads themselves, are expected to pick up the tab for their own dinner, presents etc. It has become a must celebrate day. 
However,  this year, I noticed an emerging trend of families dining out, albeit with missing moms. Not so noticeable last year. 

Flame of Liberty - Odaiba's Golden Needle sculpture

So now, you probably think the Japanese came up with this weird looking gold structure, but you're wrong.

The Flame of Liberty is a gift from France. 

Meant to resemble an eternal flame of friendship between the 2 nations I only noticed it only when the sun was about to set. Strangely enough , the structure is hardly mentioned in Odaiba tourism brochures. 

Towering Gundam at Diver City

Even if you're not that into Gundam, the moment you see it, you'll definitely wanna snap many, many pictures of it.

Yep, it's HUGE alright !

Only later did I regret rubbing the Tanuki statue all over

We visited Tokyo at a time when the heatwave struck. Nah , no bad weather ever gets in my way of enjoying whichever city I am at ,to the fullest. 

So anyway, this Tanuki is a racoon dog which is said to be a shape shifter, revered for its big balls...I kid you not...which is turned into everything from a dish ( how radical ) to drum skins. See the thing between the legs and you get the hang of just how well endowed it is in that department. 

Watching the Shinkansen pass by at Shimbashi station

Last time, we were here, we headed to Tokyo station just to see the Shinkansen. But as you can see, as we made our way from the Yurikamome line towards the Ginza line, you don't need to go all the way there ,unless you wanna include the palace and major glitzy food halls in your itinerary

Using the Yurikamome monorail

The Yurikamome Line is an elevated monorail which connects Odaiba to the mainland. 

Decided to get the Day pass for unlimited stops till 12 midnight.

Hachiko at the Shibuya Scramble

This is what an Akita looks like. It's a Japanese mountain breed and as you can see, even as I was taking this pic, it only had eyes for its lady owner whom it obviously adores to bits

Tokyo Tree - a changing skyline

Tokyo Tree has now dwarfed out Tokyo Tower . Walkable from Sensoji, it was so hot that we decided to hop on the local shuttle bus.

When newly weds choose a rickshaw

Asakusa is about as touristy as you can get. 

But this wedding was real, only instead of a car, the newly weds settled on a rickshaw to be their Just Married carriage

Asakusa's rickshaw pullers

This is the long term effect of manually pulling a rickshaw through the streets of Asakusa.

Oriental Beefcake if there ever was one

Nasi Kandar Deen Maju - Jln Gurdwara

Know how jammed the roads are in Georgetown today ? It's sheer madness trying to get around. Anyway, we interrupt my long winded travel posts to bring you yet another nasi kandar place.

Mind you, although Deen Maju has become very popular, the prices here, tend to attract a hoard of lower income earners. If you're not comfortable with that, then I suggest you move on. But this being Penang, where the filthy rich and the dirt poor, eat side by side at roadside stalls. Learn how the different classes co-exist if you can. Most important don't start wiping your plates or engage in other demeaning uncouth practices such as staring at the down and outs in disdain , for goodness sakes.

Open for less than a year, Deen Maju has succeeded most admirably in drawing in the locals looking for that cheap and tasty Nasi Kandar fix.

Ice cream to beat the heat

How to beat the summer heat ? Well, there was a beeline for the ice cream sold at this stall where the customers comprised of 

Kanto lantern pole balancing performance

Looking at all the rows of lanterns carefully placed on the ground, I roughly guessed, that some cultural performance would be on the cards  ...just no idea how long I would have to wait. 

Searing summer's day at the Sensoji - Asakusa Kannon Temple

Don't know anyone who doesn't like this entrance at first sight.

First visited during a wet cold dreary winter, now it's summer . Both seasons always pulls in the masses.

Coca - Cola Japan - FIFA 2014

Didn't buy any but I thought some of you might find this interesting.

Presenting..... 

Yamamoto, Ogawa, Kuni, Haruto, Shu, Shinzu

There are probably more names but these were all that I found 

Location : Japan

Tokyo man takes his pet pig for a walk in the park

I know, it's so crazy.

I didn't even believe it at first but omg...it really was a pig and he had it on a leash.

See below the two shocked  tourists staring at the unbelievable sight of a pig on a leash right before their eyes.