boun appetito...!! "felice compleanno" to me...

we were strolling along the waterfront of kota kinabalu town, admiring the busy waterway. it was 6.30pm, but the sun was already down. i decided to walk back to our hotel, but danial had a better idea.he wanted to treat me "something fancy" for dinner. i didnt know any fancy places around here. we just arrived the day before, and we didn't explore the town that much. but danial said that he saw a fancy restaurant around the corner when we were on our tour bus. ok, why not....

that fancy place he was referring to was an italian restaurant, just a few walks away from the philippine market, which is nearby the central point, that famous shopping complex in k.k. it was indeed a fancy italian restaurant, fratinnie's the name.

we were the only customer at that time. danial chose the best seat in the house, which was next to a window overlooking the beautiful sea. on our right was a glass cabinet housing all the paraphrenalias of the essence of italy-the pesto,sauce and cream,those different shapes and sizes of pasta( i could only recognize penne, macaroni, spaghetti..err...do excuse my italiano ignorancio...)and not forgetting, a small red ferrari on display...

in no time at all, the menu was presented to me...i coud not make out whats on the menu list....all in italian....but the waiter was kind enough to explain to me with the help of a few pictures in the menu....but, i cut it short by asking him what would he recommend.......

so, we ordered appetizers and main dish....danial was at his antics again, trying to utter a few italian language that he learnt from the online games -boun appetito(enjoy your meal),ti amo(i love you), passione(passion),azzuris, bella(ask you dad...seriously, ask your dad, and he'll answer alfa romeo...)bla bla bla

i was just about to take out my camera to snap the interior of the restaurant when suddenly the waiter approached silently and lay those wonderful foods on our table..that was fast...i love restaurants with fast service, which is why i love fast food, but this is real food im talking about...


-this was the main course-whats the name? i could not remember, but basically, it was penne with orange meat sea salmon and other ingredients..(i shouldve copied the name somewhere..on the serviette perhaps, coz it has a really interesting name, in which you would sound like a hopeless romantic when reciting it aloud..)


-danial, enjoying his appetizer- its salad, with sea food(mamma mia!!!really love those clams..)and garlic toast



-this delicious meal was "sicillian soup"-it reminded me of a milder version of tom yam kung minus the bird chillies...heh...but of course, with an italian twist....ordered this one, coz i was thrilled to find out what kind of food do those mafia bosses indulge in...talk about sicillian food...but it was really good!!the clams and squid and medium sized tiger prawns are fresh and simply out of this world....


- this was truly phenomenal!!it was crabmeat stuffed in portobello mushroom.....my first time ever trying this, and it really activated my taste buds...yummy indeed!! and i actually "vacuumed" the whole plate...


italian dish - is best enjoyed with selected wine,ehm...of course...
but i dared change that rule- by ordering mint tea..hehhehh...(initially, i ordered teh tarik, but then changed my mind when i saw that funny look on the waiter's face.....again, excuse my ignorance....)

verdict:
five stars for the service(hello-where do that 5% service charge should go,huh...)
four stars for the ambience (cannot get full mark coz i expect more italian touch...if you understand what i mean)
five stars for the food-its my first time in an authentic italian restaurant-so im rather biased.
overall - e eccellente!!a night to remember. the night ended perfectly with a hug and birthday kiss from my beloved cheeky handsome son, danial....e il mio preferito!!
grazie mille!!Ho un buon momento!!(thank you very much! i had a really good time!!)

lunch date...

school dispersed early that day. it was 12.35pm, and our tummy started to growl. earlier on, we only had a light breakfast at the canteen. so, we decided to go for a quick lunch fix.

it was a scorching hot afternoon. i was turning on the air conditioner lever to the maximum when suddenly suhaila decided that we should eat at kuala perlis as the route to kangar would be jammed during lunch hour. then, she dropped the much-hated question,"where shall we go?". really dreaded that question. i mean, for once, why don't you do the deciding while i do my driving. i hate to figure out where we should go for lunch as we r always left with little choice. can't help it if you are in this small state called perlis. i mean, we have tried every fancy place there is in kuala perlis-seriab-arau and kangar. most of those outlets were never tried out more than once due to the substandard food quality or horrible dining experience....

please su, help me figure it out this time....why dont you decide. KFC??? Are you sure...hmmhh...well, since you decided...why not...

so, off we went to kuala perlis town. as we drove along the coastal road, my mind started racing, thinking of a better place..i've made up my mind...sorry su...no, not KFC this time...dont feel like eating fried food and adding another kilo to this already overweight body.....

as we passed by putra brasmana, su gave me that look...what....here? are you serious? i dont feel fancy enough to dine here....well, no....i mean, try asking me again on the 26th when my purse would be tight with the newly withdrawn cash fresh from the atm....

suddenly, out of the blue..tadaaaaa..that orange alphabet appeared from the upper right corner of my windshield....like that "ahaa....hallelujah...hallelujah..." effect...shining like a beacon through the dark clouds....the "T" hotel....lets check it out su....



and off we went into the "T"hotel restaurant.....we were the only customer at that time....sat down,ordered our meehoon hokkien and stared nonchalantly at the kuala perlis jetty opposite the restaurant.....and said nothing ....merely anticipating our lunch at this newly discovered place........


verdict :
service : slow, considering we were the only customer at that moment and both of us ordering the same food. took 25 minutes for the food to reach our table.
ambience : 2 out of 5. inferior interior design. they need an expert touch.
food : 3 out of 5. still cannot beat the same dish @restoran ariff, kangar. the vermicelli is slightly overcooked somehow.
price : 4 out of five. that hokkien mee cost rm4.50. not bad!!i mean compared to putra brasmana......

overall, am going to revisit this place with the green hoodies . not very crowded. air conditioned space. can talk for hours as the service is slow. so, it is recommended for those who plan to come here on their first date.....

congratulations!!!

Hope it is still not too late to congratulate the top achievers in SPM 2009..., especially to my doting students, lim chia wei, mooi , low sin yee, syafiq muzammil and faizah.....!!!

amidst the celebration, one single result slip puzzled me.....

this particular candidate registered for nine subjects, failed to turn up for 8, sat for one subject, which is english and managed to pass........

what can i say.....bravo to the teacher for instilling such motivation into her student....good job, dear.....

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Wishing all my friends and students A Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!add oil...add oil.....

Hope it is still not too late to wish all of you a happy new year-2010.......

i was on a blogging hiatus for quite sometime. it has been quite a trying moment for me- these few weeks i mean-but now, with a sense of relief, i am back........

frankly speaking, i am truly elated to be reunited with my "work capsule" - most of those learning modules and lesson preparation happened here- including those AHA- moments....

not forgetting being reconnected to wonderful colleagues and beloved students.

bet the schedule is going to be hectic as ever. but, quoting my head panel's word of wisdom- 'its time to kickstart the teaching and learning mechanism'- i am going to 'add oil' (right choonpei....this time, i'm using ron97 so the citra would be smoothsailing...) to the rusty cogwheel thus reducing the friction ...hopefully i won't be stucked in the second gear this time around....

rest assured my students, as i have declined the offer to derma-and hopefully, my 'wise' decision to stay in kola would be a blessing in disguise. i am yet to comprehend the 'collateral damage' i've created.

in the mean time, i promise you that we are going to have a lot of fun in our english class.....

Memories of 5sn/lk 2009

This video is specially dedicated to my beloved students of 5sn/lk 2009. You have occupied a very special place in my heart. Thank you for the unforgettable memories. They will be forever cherished in my heart.

Some people come into your life, leave footprints,

and you will never be the same...

Things that made me happy today.

1. Waking up early after a good 8 hours of sleep.

2. Tommy,my doting cat, greeted me the moment i opened my bedroom door and licked my toe.

3. The smell of Anais-Anais Cacharel eu de toilette on my skin after the quick morning shower.

4. The new route i took to school - its the Kangar-Seriab-Marhom Kayang - Kuala Perlis road.The view is to die for -

5. The girls greeting me with their gigglish smile the moment i parked my car and helping me to carry my things.

6. Another important task accomplished.

7. My favourite dish on the menu - cendawan goreng tepung and telur bistik!

8. A wonderful lunch at KFC Kuala Perlis with the gigglish girls-gossipping, teasing each other and laughing till our tummy hurt....followed by another lunch at KFC Kangar(what?2 dates in a row at KFC?Have u lost ur mind,zill?),this time around with a close buddy-Suhaila. We shared stories about life,teaching,coaching and exchanged opinions on how to improve our panel for better. Sounds like mean business, but more of a cathartic woman to woman talk. need that kind of conversation every once in a while to keep our sanity alive...and i did leave the KFC restaurant with a wide smile on my face....

9. Completing level 33 of 'Farm Mania'.

10.A simple but satisfying dinner with my hubby beloved and danial.........