tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74463851986118363622023-09-29T21:05:12.129+08:00The Malaysia ProjectAdventures in buying a house and living in MalaysiaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-49285405899277664472012-03-12T19:44:00.000+08:002012-03-12T19:45:01.431+08:00Indonesian Coconut Shell Carving<font size="2"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0630.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0630.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>When R and I were in <font style="font-weight: bold;">Bali </font>we saw some <font style="font-weight: bold;">carved coconut shell lights</font> in the markets, most of the designs were fairly simple. But when we went on a sightseeing trip to a temple outside of Ubud, we found this old man who had been carving coconut shells for his whole life. His designs (in the photo above) are quite elaborate and magical. We zeroed in on one that was really cool with monkeys carved in it, he said we picked his favorite work and wouldn't sell it, but showed us another that was similar. ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0631.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0631.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>The design also has monkeys, if you look hard you can see their bodies and arms and tails. It sits on another carved shell base.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0632.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0632.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Sometimes these lights are lit by candle, but we put a electric bulb in ours when we got back to Malaysia. It looks pretty cool at night as our master bedroom is dark brown so the light makes the room very moody. I tried to search more on Indonesian coconut shell carving, not much out there on the web.<br /><br /><br /></font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-32745979789040819302012-02-29T17:28:00.001+08:002012-02-29T17:29:23.449+08:00POS Malaysia<font size="2"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0731.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0731.jpg" alt="" border="0"></a>Here's a shot of the main <font style="font-weight: bold;">Seremban Post Office</font> I snapped while waiting for R to pick up a package. In Malaysia the postal system is known simply as <font style="font-weight: bold;">POS</font>.<br /></font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-81531490389976542722012-02-25T19:08:00.003+08:002012-02-25T19:11:03.389+08:00Lobster Claw Plants<span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0730.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0730.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It's been awhile since I've posted. This year has been a busy one already! I recently found some HUGE Lobster Claw plants (<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconia">Heliconia family</a>) that were blooming. I've never seen the plants so large, in fact, I've only seen small plants available once in Seremban. So I bought these three plants and planted them at the side of the house between our property and our neighbors. The Lobster Claw plants are quite popular in my neighborhood and around Seremban. I love them and have wanted a few for our yard. They have been doing well. There's not too much sun in the area as it is below a giant mango tree, but still these plants seem fine when watered once a day.<br /><br />As I added the photo to Blogger, I remembered I had seen a number of Lobster Claw and Lobster Claw-like plants on my trip last year to Ubud in Bali (see the post <a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/09/bali-trip.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a>).<br /><br />So I pulled up some photos I took in the gardens of the <span class="style2"><strong><a href="http://www.therudana.org/">Rudana Fine Art Gallery</a></strong></span>. I guess I only took one of a Heliconia, where the claws go up instead of hang down like the ones I aquired. The garden was so pretty. . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0688.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0688.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0682.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0682.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0680.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0680.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0681.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0681.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0684.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0684.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0686.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0686.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0685.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0685.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0687.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0687.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-11117721287981105712012-01-04T09:37:00.000+08:002012-01-04T09:38:13.042+08:00Kitchen<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0667.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0667.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>A Malaysia resident wrote and asked me for some current photos of the kitchen because he and his wife are embarking on a kitchen remodel at their home in Penang. So here are some photos. <div><br /></div><div>A search of 'kitchen' on the right sidebar will provide you with links of all the posts of when ours was being designed and installed. We do love cooking in it and working together to prepare meals, there's enough space for us to move around and it's designed functionally. Our favorite part is perhaps the wood shelves where we put dishes out. I like to pull various dishes right from the ledge while cooking.<br /><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0668.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0668.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>We are also very happy about the real Corian we spent the extra money on. It was a much better choice then marble because we didn't have to deal with seams.</div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0669.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0669.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The one thing we aren't thrilled about is the Stainless Steel table. While it looks fantastic and fills the space, it gets rusty if you don't wipe off the water. Actually all the stainless steel items (except the refrigerator which isn't really stainless steel but some kind of stainless looking material) get rusty if you don't keep them up. I never had this problem with my stainless steel appliances in New York.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-58733142288578636062011-12-24T10:02:00.022+08:002011-12-24T11:23:19.052+08:00Happy Holidays from Malaysia<div><span>A few readers have asked me what I'm going to do for <b>Christmas </b>here in Malaysia and so it got me thinking...</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0728.jpg"><span><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 600px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0728.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span>2005 Christmas in New York</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span>I grew up in <b>Minneapolis, Minnesota</b> where it was always a white Christmas. Snow outside, fires going inside. Christmas decorations throughout the house that had been collected over the years and every house had a tree sparkling through the front window. Growing up in the 70s was a different time, older generations of midwest women would still bake for the holidays. And it wasn't just one or two types of treats. They would bake cookies, bars, candies... basically in the midwest back then, there was pretty much a non-stop flow of sugar during the holidays. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span>My family had a tradition that every year we would go together an buy our Christmas ornaments for the year, my mom and dad and sister and I would get one, they would all be the same kind but slightly different. Every year was a different theme reflecting something we did that year. So over they years I have collected an ornament for every year. When I left home and moved to New York these ornaments followed me and every year I'd continue to get a new one. Putting up the tree, I'd start with my first baby ornaments and proceed year by year putting them on the tree up to the current year. This was what my family did, and it is what I did as an adult.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>So you can see that in 2005, my last Christmas in New York, I had accumulated quite a few ornaments. Some on the tree were also antique ones I found around at garage sales around my house. Anyway, this is what my Christmas was like in the US. When I moved to the middle-east in 2006 there was no Christmas, no trees, and the desert heat did not feel like the December cold that I knew the holidays to be. So I adapted. No tree, but still Holiday gifts with family and friends and other ways to celebrate. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>When R and I moved to Malaysia, we noticed more Christmas celebrations. We saw the malls were decorated in holiday decorations and a general sense of Christmas. There was actually Christmas wrapping paper and bows! Holiday cards! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><span><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0727.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 340px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0727.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><div style="text-align: center;">Mid Valley Mall Malaysia</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: normal; ">The Christmas tree situation is this: not really any fresh cut trees (although I'm not sure I'd buy a fresh tree anymore thinking about it from an environmental perspective), there are small potted trees that people buy. The other option is an artificial tree from Tesco or Jusco. The ones I have seen have been smallish and not really full, pretty 'fake'. So as of yet I haven't had a tree in Malaysia. My ornaments are in storage in the US as I'm afraid they will break in transit. Maybe next year I'll sort the tree thing out. Not sure.</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="white-space: normal; ">I did get a <a href="http://www.timeoutkl.com/">Time Out</a> email yesterday with suggestions of what to do around Kuala Lumpur for Christmas. There are plenty of <a href="http://www.timeoutkl.com/food/Christmas-promotions/tagsub?utm_source=SendBlaster&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Christmas%20feasts%20and%20parties%20in%20KL%20%2B%20How%20to%20spend%20Christmas%20Day&utm_content=Christmas%20feasts%20and%20parties%20in%20KL%20%2B%20How%20to%20spend%20Christmas%20Day&utm_campaign=TOKL%20Newsletter%2023rd%20December%202011">places serving Christmas meals</a> listed and even places that will make <a href="http://www.timeoutkl.com/food/articles/Time-Out-KLs-Ultimate-Guide-to-Christmas-Takeaway-turkeys">Turkey for you</a> to take home. It all looks quite festive.</div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="white-space: normal; ">What I learned about Christmas is it's not only the decorations, it's the spirit and being with loved ones. A <b>Tropical Christmas </b>is starting to grow on me, although I'll always have a soft spot for a white christmas. This year I don't think we will head to KL, R and I will stay home, break open a bottle of special Chardonnay and open our gifts to celebrate.</div></div></span></span><span><br /></span><div><span>I wish all my readers Happy Holidays!!!!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-88195355667652731972011-12-20T14:56:00.000+08:002011-12-20T14:56:41.513+08:00New Patio Plant: Euphorbia<div><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0706.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0706.jpg" border="0" alt=""></span></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I've seen these cool spiky plants around and found one at one of the nurseries in Seremban. It's a <b>Euphorbia milii Des Moulins</b>, I think. Euphorbiaceae. CN: [Malay - Pokok raja], Crown of thorns. Native of Madagsacar and panted worldwide as ornamental plant. Doesn't seem to like to much water.</span></div><div></div><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-66280904100059092872011-12-14T13:33:00.001+08:002011-12-14T13:33:26.738+08:00Baby Back Pork Ribs and American-type Barbeque Sauces<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">I was at<b> Tesco </b>awhile back and was in the separate section they have for the pork and other non-Halal items (you have to pay separately for these items including alcohol so when we are at the grocery stores and go into these sections we have to be rung up in two separate places so as to keep the Halal separate from the non-Halal in the grocery stores. It is a bit of a hassle because the act of being rung up at the register in Malaysia sometimes is a slow process!). Anyway, there was actually some ok looking <b>Baby Back Pork Ribs</b> so I picked them up. I don’t remember seeing them before and thought R might like me to make some barbequed ribs. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0725.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0725.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pork Baby Back Ribs from Tesco Seremban 23.83RM</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left; ">American-type Barbeque Sauces </b>that come in bottles here are fairly limited to Heinz and a few other basic BBQ sauces that have a generic BBQ taste. No fancy gourmet BBQ’s in Seremban although I have seen a slightly better selection before at a grocery store called Cold Storage which has a few locations around KL, Selangor and Mid Valley. But even there, they are overpriced and limited.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">So a number of months ago I decided to try making my own BBQ sauce, I was trying to get a good American BBQ sauce taste using ingredients available here in Malaysia. The sauce I’ve been making tastes great, rich flavor and just spicy enough for our taste. And because of the special ingredients like the SOS chili sauce there is a very faint Asian taste that I think makes it a special layered sauce.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it. I use it mainly on oven baked chicken, but I also used it on the oven baked baby back ribs and it was very tasty. I usually cook the meat awhile and then add the sauce towards the second half of cooking so it doesn’t burn.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>BBQ Sauce</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">1 cup Tomato Sauce</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 cup SOS Chili Sauce</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup Distilled Vinegar</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup Brown Sugar</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard, like Heinz not dry</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 tablespoon of Mexican Chili Powder<b>*</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 tablespoon of Asian Chili Powder<b>*</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 tablespoon of Red Chili Pepper Flakes<b>**</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">Mix all of the ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir regularly. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until it turns dark and thick (about 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a sealable container and store in the refrigerator. It should keep for a month.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>*</b>Chili powder here is usually Asian chili powder, a bright red finely crushed powder. Mexican chili powder or what in the US we just call Chili Powder is browner and has a different taste so it is important for the recipe to use some Mexican Chili Powder in addition to Asian Chili Powder. <b>MasterFoods Brand Spices</b> from Australia makes a Mexican Chili Powder available here in Malaysia in the spice section of stores like Tesco or Jusco. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>**</b>I think I mentioned before Red Chili Pepper Flakes are hard to buy here, so I get mine from the extra packets that are delivered with Dominos Pizzas. Then later use the packets of Red Chili Pepper Flakes for cooking because cooking with out Red Chili Pepper Flakes at times is nearly impossible! OK Dominos Pizza isn’t great at all but thank goodness they do deliver to my house in seremban when I can’t cook for whatever reason and thank goodness for those pepper flake packets they are like gold in my house!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></o:p></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0723.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0723.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0724.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0724.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-68665898449518120472011-12-09T09:55:00.001+08:002011-12-09T09:57:11.266+08:00Orange Berry Palm<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0710.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0710.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0711.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0711.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I snapped these shots at the Sri Menanti Royal Museum (I wrote about the place <b><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/11/kings-palace.html">here</a></b>). Not sure what kind of Palms these are but the berries are beautiful and would look great in my garden as I am trying to include as much orange as possible.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-14285097404720222402011-12-05T09:07:00.001+08:002011-12-05T09:07:53.917+08:00Taugeh Hijau<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0726.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0726.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></span></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I was at <b>Family Store</b> buying my vegetables for the week, there wasn't a great selection because it was Sunday and the Family Store by my house gets really busy on Saturday and to a lesser degree Sunday morning. So by the time I rolled in there, the selection was pretty grim. I got what I could and looked for anything else that might be worth buying. I saw this small packet of some cute little greens called <b>Taugeh Hijau</b> so I put it in my basket. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The Taugeh Hijau sat in my crisper for a day or two and then I noticed it and thought I better do something with it before it spoiled. I looked online and found "green bean sprouts" for one translation and on a blog another suggestion that Taugeh Hijau might also mean snow pea sprouts or pea sprouts, that they are the greens for peas. The Taugeh Hijau I bought looked kind of like other pea sprouts images. It seems they are usually cooked in Asia. I didn’t need to look at the recipes, I could tell by the finished products that it’s more of that stirfry-lightly or blanch them type of preparation done here so often in Asia especially Malaysia... similar to the preparation the baby ferns I recently prepared and other greens. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >But I was serving cold chicken and vegetable pasta for dinner and so cooking these didn’t appeal to me, I thought maybe I could add the sprouts to the top of the salad raw. I found one entry online that said they could be both cooked or served raw and that raw they tasted good. So I tried a stem. Sure enough, it tasted good. In fact it tasted an awful lot like alfalfa sprouts which I love and aren’t available at family store and are quite expensive when they are available at Jusco. So here I have another sprout alternative! R was skeptical but I cleaned them and placed them on top of the pasta salad. Guess what, he liked them and I did too. Very nice taste and cool texture- a crisp bite in the mouth and it made the salad look pretty fancy. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I’m going to have to get them again and try cooking them too.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-65193568983730779232011-12-02T13:52:00.001+08:002011-12-02T13:52:34.667+08:00Wall Lighting in Living Room<span class="Apple-style-span" >The wall lighting for the <b>Living Room </b>was proving to be the hardest fixtures to buy. I really had been looking for something over the past few months because I was tired of seeing the dangling wires when we watched films on our TV. But, in Malaysia generally there are two types of wall sconces. The very dated frosted glass dome type lighting or weird designs with colors or ... I can't even explain them, but imagine some really ugly fixtures. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >I contacted the Malaysian furniture store <b><a href="http://www.lindsfurniture.com/">Linds Furniture</a></b> via email back in April and asked about some wall fixtures on their website that I thought were passable, I didn't love them but at least they looked contemporary and white would blend into the wall, right?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0703.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 457px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0703.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Wrong. Here was the response from Linds: "The name of the Foscarini lights is Fields. They come in two different colours, White and Orange. Price is listed as below (stock as listed):</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Fields 1: RM 4,400 (1 in orange)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Fields 2: RM 5,200 (1 in white)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Fields 3: RM 4,900 (1 in orange)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The big light in the middle (of the picture) is a combination of all three fields.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >For those not in stock, we can order them, with a waiting period of not more than 3 months. Attached is a pdf document with details of the lights."</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So if I wanted to buy the light in the middle it would cost 14,500 RM (approximately $4,833 USD) and I would have to wait up to 3 months to get it in white. I just wonder, who in their right mind would spend this much on this fixture? No thanks, I kept looking.</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0659.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0659.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I had nearly given up, but finally found something useable from <b>Avalon Light Fixtures</b> in <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senawang">Senawang</a> </b>not far from Seremban. I liked the curved part and the contemporary look. I wasn't sure R would like them so I took a photo and shared it with him first. Surprisingly, he liked them. I was, at that point, prepared to spend some money on the fixtures, I mean not 14,000 RM, but more than I had initially wanted to as I figured they were in an important room of the house. But to my delight they were with discount only 40 RM each! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0661.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0661.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0662.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0662.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0663.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0663.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-78893605404036984182011-11-29T08:33:00.001+08:002011-11-29T08:33:56.290+08:00King's Palace<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0707.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0707.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></span></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">While my parents were here we decided to go to the <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istana_Seri_Menanti">Sri Menanti Royal Museum</a> </b></span>or as we have been calling it, the King's Palace, located in the royal state capital about 40km East of Seremban . I listed it in my "Places to Visit and Eat in Seremban and Negeri Sembilan" post awhile back <b><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2010/12/places-to-visit-and-eat-in-seremban-and.html">here</a></b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">R and I had seen photos of it and were really interested to drive more inland towards the middle of Malaysia to see this place. Trying to find out exactly how to get there from Seremban wasn't that easy, all directions were vague. The best way to go, or the way we went, was to look for signs in Seremban town heading to <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Pilah">Kuala Pilah</a></b> on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Federal_Route_51">Federal Route 51</a> going east. Federal Route 51 East takes you from Seremban to Kuala Pilah. The road quickly leaves Seremban and takes you on a breathtaking climb over some mountains covered with trees and palms... really beautiful. Then, still traveling East on 51 you start to get local. You see local stands selling fruits and some grilling meat right there on the road. It's pretty nice. Before getting to Kuala Pilah you see signs to turn right to Sri Menanti on to N29 (south) </span>which takes you to the royal town and then a roundabout towards the King's Palace. The place is pretty surreal and cool. The drive might be better than the actual 'palace' though. But it is fun to walk through. The building was built from 1902 to 1908, there are supposedly 99 pillars each at 65 feet and there were no nails or screws used to construct the place. Climbing to the top level was a steep ladder climb, fun.</span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0708.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0708.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>As seen in the photo above and on the outside of the building, the main color theme here is YELLOW. There are tons of yellow bulbs all over the palace, we would have liked to stay into the night to see it lit up, but we decided to go back up to 51 travel further east to Kuala Pilah which on a quick tour produced not much interest and too much traffic. Maybe another day, because there are supposedly many old shophouses to see that haven't been torn down.<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0709.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0709.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The palace is located next to the Sri Menanti Resort. Online I grabbed the following hours, but I am not sure they are accurate, best to check ahead. Hours<b> </b>Weekdays: Daily: 9.30am - 6pm; Fridays: noon - 2.50pm Weekends & Public Holidays: 9.30am - 6pm Thursdays (From 1pm onwards): Closed.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-15193320479070243142011-11-26T14:10:00.001+08:002011-11-26T14:10:48.418+08:00Bougainvillea Around the House<div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0704.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0704.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></div><div><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0705.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0705.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The orange <b><span class="st">Bougainvillea</span> </b>around the house is finally blooming in all wall planters at the same time. Some planters are full of more blooms than others, but they all have flowers!!! Some of the flowers are leaning towards pink. It has been over a year since they were planted.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-5291536667807445022011-11-23T10:36:00.001+08:002011-11-23T10:37:04.598+08:00Panasonic MX-900M Blender<span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0712.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0712.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>So I have been putting off buying a <b>Blender</b> since we moved to Malaysia. Every time I'd see them in the stores I couldn't decide what to get. I was looking for stainless steel to go with the kitchen or black to go with the coffeemaker. But many of the SS models are imported models and just way too expensive. You see I bought a blender back when I lived in New York . It wasn't that expensive maybe $75 USD (but you can get much better quality appliances in the US for less cost than Malaysia). I bought it to mainly make frozen drinks like margaritas, etc. And when I used it, the thing barely could crush the ice to make the drinks, in fact, I don't think the ice ever got that small it was more like shaved ice. This was disappointing. I figured I had to spend a lot more to get something that would do the job but never go around to it.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">So being in Malaysia, I immediately thought... oh there are good fruits here, we can make all sorts of frozen drinks!!! Every time I was in a store, I would think about my bad blender in New York and not be sold on any of the Malaysian blender options.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Well, my parents from Virginia were just here to visit R and I for the first time and they thought I really needed a blender so they said they were going to buy me one as an early Christmas present! We went around the shops looking and I was still being fussy. One day we happened in my favorite appliance store in Seremban called <b>Syarikat Hoong Bee</b> (Jalan Tuanku Antah Jalan Rahang) where R and I bought all of our Panasonic products for the house. We have been pretty happy with the <b><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2010/05/refrigerator.html">Panasonic refrigerator</a>, <a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2010/07/living-in-house.html">washing machine</a>,<a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2010/06/ceiling-fans.html"> fans</a></b> etc. we have bought from the guy Jimmy there. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Jimmy said that the best blender is the <b>Panasonic MX-900M Blender</b> (now R said Jimmy just says that because he sales mainly Panasonic, which is probably true), nevertheless, he said it is the model that all the commercial businesses use.<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0716.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0716.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I wasn't crazy about the idea of buying a white blender, but I was trying to be flexible because my parents were buying. But I did like that the model had a plastic container instead of glass because many of the real glass models just seemed way to heavy. He said the blender was made in Malaysia which didn't excite me (although strangely the plug is not a Malaysian plug and needs an adapter?). So I said OK to this blender to put a rest to the whole situation! I bargained him down to 140RM (about $46 USD).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0713.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0713.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Right after buying the blender we stopped by a fruit stand and picked up some fruit. All the fruit above cost 2oRM (under $7 USD). One Papaya, two mangoes, bananas and some strange small fruits on a stem. Does anyone know what they are called? They have a white fruit and taste pretty nice. I mainly bought them to try with my parents as they were trying all the local fruits (they liked Durian!!!).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0714.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 421px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0714.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>So we decided to make some Papaya drinks in the blender using the whole papaya, some ice, sugar and rum. We put all the ingredients in and turned the blender on it blended it in like 2 seconds! It was amazing, there must have been something wrong with that New York blender. I can't wait to blend tons of things like pesto with my Thai basil ...</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-85033675027773109252011-11-22T10:53:00.001+08:002011-11-22T10:54:06.706+08:00Monkey Palm<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0650.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 563px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0650.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>While R's mother was here we went to some of the nurseries. She bought this nice dark grey/black planter for me. I had been looking around since she left to try and find the right plant to put in it. I finally decided on something with a bit of height. The nursery told me it is a "Monkey Palm". More research online and I found its name is most likely <b>Monkey Tail Palm (Synechanthus fibrosus)</b>. Have been watering everyday and the plant seems to be doing fine. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The smaller pots are <b>Jasmine</b> I planted awhile ago. They don't seem to be growing much or flowering under the patio. I think they might need more sun or larger containers.<br /></span><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-81826166653344024052011-11-20T14:48:00.012+08:002011-11-20T16:40:00.243+08:00Sweet Home Vol. 31<span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0717.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 442px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0717.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The issue of <b>Sweet Home Magazine </b>featuring our home is available now! </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0721.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0721.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>As I mentioned previously, they came to the house to shoot our home and interview R and I about living in Malaysia.<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0719.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 375px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0719.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0718.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 387px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0718.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>They shot some of the antiques we had out which are mainly Persian items. It's fun to see these items in a magazine!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0720.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 379px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0720.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span>Pick up a copy if you can. It's in Mandarin, if you can read it. Otherwise, the rest of the magazine is great just to look at the pictures as it features a number of contemporary homes in Malaysia/Southeast Asia.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-3687994521363675612011-11-18T15:37:00.001+08:002011-11-18T15:37:41.686+08:00Main Floor Bathroom Pebbles and Wooden Slats<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0644.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 600px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0644.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>For Blue main floor bathroom, still my least favorite bathroom in the house, I removed the shower curtain I had put up when we first moved in and added some wood slats to the base of the shower area then filled with asian pebbles in grey. I think it looks better than the shower curtain.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-28861525332684679112011-11-13T10:04:00.000+08:002011-11-13T10:04:50.824+08:00Master Bathroom Pendant Light and Stones<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0639.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 552px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0639.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I had bought this <b>pendant light</b> for the <b>Master Bathroom</b> awhile back, now finally it has been installed with the other lighting. By the way, you'd think it would be easy, we could just call one lighting guy and he could install all the fixtures in the house that we needed done (this round was something close to 20 fixtures and even after this we still have something like 7 fixtures left to fully finish the house), but no, in order to get things done before Sweet Home magazine came to do the photoshoot I had to call a number of electricians. Of those who were available, I booked a few and some showed up, some didn't. For the ones that showed up, they would do some fixtures but not others for various reasons (no tall ladder, not their thing, etc, whatever) so I had multiple electricians doing work at the same time to get things done. This, I have found seems to be the best way to handle a situation when you need something to get done fast in Seremban. If you believe someone will come at the scheduled time or be able to do the work when the person gets to the house, you will be disappointed. Double/triple booking seems to be the only option.<div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0640.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0640.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0642.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0642.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0641.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0641.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>For the shower area, we found, actually R found these greenish stones that we added around the wooden slats. They turn a lovely green like the photos above when they are wet.</div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0643.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 600px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0643.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>And are a softer color when dry. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-65705705224179128322011-11-05T15:09:00.000+08:002011-11-05T15:09:18.594+08:00Pertubuhan Penganut Dewa Seremban<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0610.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 625px; height: 469px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0610.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Inside the Temple so close to our House.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-67794297905754629642011-11-01T08:19:00.001+08:002011-11-01T08:20:12.545+08:00Planting Bunga Kantan (Torch Ginger) from Fresh Seeds<span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0615.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0615.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I've written a few times on this blog about my <b>Bunga Kantan</b> plant also known as <b>Torch Ginger</b> (the plant's Binomial name is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etlingera_elatior" style="font-weight: bold; ">Etlingera Elatior</a>)<b> </b>plant because the plant just keeps fascinating me. It is always in bloom and keeps getting pollinated so that I have what seems like a never-ending supply of seeds. So I have been experimenting on how to plant the seeds as there is very little information online or photos of how to do it. After some dialogue with Autumn Belle over at <b><a href="http://www.mynicegarden.com/">My Nice Garden</a> </b>I managed to grow some seeds. Then some more. Then some more. The images here are seeds planted on July 22 and the photos were taken about 40 days later. Many more seedlings have sprouted since. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >So here is what I know, dried Bunga Kantan seed sprouts slower than very fresh seed. See the the photo above; three containers were very fresh seed and the top left was dried. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0614.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0614.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Recently, I decided that I want to grow some more Bunga Kantan to run it along the back side of our house between us and the neighbors and to keep experimenting. Below are some photos I took while planting more seed out in the Wet Kitchen.<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0624.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0624.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I got some fresh seed pods (what I call the things above) from three separate finished Bunga Kantan blooms on my plant (a finished bloom on my plant <b><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0041.jpg">here</a></b>). When the blooms start to die they are pink, then they turn green and finally turn brown and get hard. So the pink ones should sprout seeds the fastest because they are the freshest.<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0625.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0625.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >In order to plant the seeds, you need to cut open the pods with a knife. See the photo above, the fresher the seed the whiter the small seeds inside it are. As the pods get older the seeds inside start to get black.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0626.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0626.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I have been planting clumps of fresh seed into containers nearly filled with dirt. I plant alot of them, well, because I have a lot of seed. But also because sprouting is sporadic so the more you have the better chance to get growth. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0627.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0627.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Lastly, I cover with a small amount of dirt. Enough so that when you water a good amount everyday, the soil won't wash away and expose the seeds. I find that the plants like more water rather than less. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >As I continue to experiment I'll keep you posted. Also, if anyone has any experience planting these seeds, please post your tips.</span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-48234497120966531252011-10-28T12:11:00.000+08:002011-10-28T12:11:46.527+08:00Guest Bedroom Lighting<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0664.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0664.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>As I worked to get the place ready for the Sweet Home magazine photoshoot, I found I had to make a trip to Ikea to get some things. Going to Ikea from Seremban is a half day event or longer, but there was some things I really needed. I picked up this <b>Melodi ceiling lamp</b> for the Guest Bedroom. It's not that great, but it works.</span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0665.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0665.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0666.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 437px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0666.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>We had already bought the two small grey Ikea table lamps (not sure of the name) for the tables.</span></div></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-46171186235715606572011-10-24T10:36:00.001+08:002011-10-24T10:37:15.961+08:00Stairway Light Fixture and Window Panels<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0646.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0646.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Another thing we had put off for a long time was choosing the light fixture for the stairway. There was a long electric cord hanging there since we bought the house. We were looking for a large fixture because the stairway is pretty big. There is of course a wide variety of really gaudy fixtures available here in Malaysia. The long crystal ones like the chandeliers shown on the <b>TSEN </b>website <b><a href="http://www.tsen.com.my/catalog/chandeliers">here </a></b>seem to be quite popular, but too 'fancy' for our taste especially since there are already a lot of elements going on in the stairway.<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0647.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0647.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >We were thinking about the <b>Howell style Chandelier</b> (inspired by the 2097 Chandelier by Gino Sarfatti) at <b>Timeless <a href="http://www.timelessdesign.com.my/lighting/howell-chandelier-lamp-50.html">here</a>. </b>But I have been seeing this chandelier used in houses around the world a bit too much lately and think we will get tired of it. So we opted for a simple round Asian Lantern style fixture. The electric cord and cover at the top are from an Ikea Melodi lamp (28myr) where I took the shade off and replaced it with a Lantern I bought in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. </span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0648.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0648.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>As for the two windows. One is made of glass blocks so you can't see through it, but the other window is overlooking the side of our neighbors house. The window itself is something like 250cm+ long, so it was hard to find something that would fit the window. Our neighbors have had a custom piece of fabric installed, which doesn't look that great. When I saw that the Ikea panels for the <b>Kvartal panel track </b>were 300cm long, and two panels side to side would cover the width of the window, I chose to use it. We had to have a person install the Kavartal and panels because it required a tall ladder. It took them a few hours and I could hear them complaining about the process (had read online that these are not easy to install). Well, glad it is done, we have light and privacy!!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0649.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0649.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0645.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0645.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-23681518875000122542011-10-22T08:55:00.001+08:002011-10-22T08:55:58.619+08:00Library Complete<a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0633.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0633.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The largest area we had to work on before Sweet Home magazine came to our house was the 'family room'. R and I are calling it the <b>Library</b> or a lounging space. You might remember back awhile ago when I was thinking about what to do with this space in my post <b><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/01/upstairs-family-room.html">here</a></b>. I had wanted something low to the ground for lounging. Ultimately, I decided not to go with the Ikea mattresses because the grey covers were not made to be used as upholstery so the cushions would get worn and need to be replaced too fast. I did look in Malaysia for other low to the ground type furniture, but found nothing except bean bags. I had seen a cool photo of a few bean bags <b><a href="http://www.google.com.my/imgres?q=210611_06-940x626.jpg/&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=0Dc&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&biw=1280&bih=619&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=1e-pVmC7AZAckM:&imgrefurl=http://milimet.com/2011/06/rutherford-house-by-dorrington-architects.html&docid=rb9gaivEGVX-RM&imgurl=http://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/rh_210611_06-940x626.jpg&w=940&h=626&ei=PAyZTp6sG4bxrQe8huiABA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=182&vpy=150&dur=481&hovh=182&hovw=274&tx=127&ty=59&sig=104948749406732863400&page=1&tbnh=131&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0">here</a></b> and thought that they might work for the space and create the lounging effect R and I were looking for for reading and relaxing. <div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0635.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0635.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I was able to find three dark brown nearly black perfect colored <b>bean bags</b> from Jusco in Seremban 2 and bought them up with some matching pillows. The center rug is from our Bali trip. We wanted something playful and colorful to go with the colors of the books and items on the bookshelves. The small rug in the corner is a Persian rug from R's mom on her recent visit. </div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0634.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0634.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I had wanted to place these two<b> Expedit Ikea shelf units </b>straight on the ground for a low effect so it would be at the level of the bean bags, but R and I decided on legs at the store because the shelves just looked toooo low. Even with the legs, they are fairly low and go nicely with the seating area across the room.</div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0636.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0636.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The other thing we desperately needed in the Library space was some kind of<b> Curtains</b> for the large windows. I wanted something that you couldn't see directly through, but still could make out the green and sky behind. The curtains we were hoping would cool the room down because it gets so much sun in the afternoon it is super hot there. We bought another one of those long cables to hang the curtains on with clips from Ikea and 8 panels of white curtains (forget the name of these). The photo above was right after the installation. I have since hemmed them so they flow to the floor and don't bunch at the bottom. And I also removed the clips and used those old fashion curtain pleat clips and attached the curtains higher so there is no gap showing light through where the clips used to be, also, the curtains look more 'pleated' which is the look I was going for. </div><div><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0637.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0637.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>A couple Persian metal mirror holders (left) and a covered metal container sit on the table base with our Kindle. By the way, <b>Kindles </b>still aren't easy to get in Malaysia. When we bought ours a few months back, Amazon in the US wasn't shipping US manufactured Kindles to Malaysia. We had to have someone send it to us. The few Kindles that were available in KL stores were of questionable origin (meaning possibly knock offs or the models made and distributed in countries where the product is not the same as the better US models ... I don't know R knows more about this ... ) Hopefully, they will start to sell them in Malaysia before the next model comes out. We love this one so much we can't wait to get the next version.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0638.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 700px; height: 187px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0638.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><div>A few old Persian photo albums.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-20640354753399903672011-10-18T09:22:00.001+08:002011-10-18T09:22:57.415+08:00Lighting Around the House<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0655.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 425px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0655.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Recently we were contacted by <b><a href="http://www.kuangyee.com/?p=666">Sweet Home magazine</a></b>, a magazine that features homes in Singapore, Malaysia and other Southeast Asia locations. They wanted to interview R and I as foreigners living in Malaysia and also do a photoshoot of the house for the magazine. We said yes, but the house wasn't ready for a photoshoot!!!! We had under a week to get as much done as possible before they came. One of the things most noticeable (well besides the totally empty 'family room' on the second floor) was the light fixture wiring all over the house. For the past year we have been looking for the perfect fixtures, and when we would find one, we would buy it. But, now we needed to finish so I went searching all over Seremban for lighting.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0654.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 425px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0654.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I found this simple spotlight that looked nice. Bought two for 'family room' one for the ceiling and one for the wall. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0656.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0656.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Installed on the ceiling it has a rainbow effect on the wall, which I guess works ok with our color scheme for the 'family room' or what we are calling the library. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0657.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 441px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0657.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Also decided to add one of these white spots to the dining room so it is complete. Once I get the art, I may change the lighting, but it won't be for awhile.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-39946702106210782522011-10-15T09:40:00.001+08:002011-10-15T09:40:59.820+08:00More Bali<span class="Apple-style-span" >Friends have asked for more photos from <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/09/bali-trip.html">our trip to Bali</a></span> so here they are!<br /><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0679.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0679.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0696.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0696.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0699.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0699.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0700.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0700.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0701.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0701.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0702.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 401px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0702.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0698.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0698.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0697.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0697.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0689.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0689.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0690.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0690.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0691.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0691.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Look at this great Ginger plant at a spa we went to. I can only hope the ginger plants I added by the side of the house will someday be as beautiful!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7446385198611836362.post-28505360228399407432011-10-12T17:20:00.002+08:002011-10-12T17:21:42.925+08:00The Blue Room Lanterns and Ikat Curtain<span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0671.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 488px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0671.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The Blue Room is finished! Well, almost. The <a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/09/blue-room-update.html" style="font-weight: bold; ">five Ikea lanterns </a><b> </b>I bought were installed. I think they look pretty close to what I wanted to do. I'm using energy saving bulbs from Ikea, the light seems a bit bright so I searched around for some basic low wattage light blubs. No light store in Seremban carries them!!!! but finally found 25 watt blubs at a small old hardware store near the house, they looked liked they had been sitting there for ages, but I didn't care. I came home and put them in hoping it would create a dimmer effect, but no they are exactly the same brightness as the energy savers, so I guess I'll have a dimmer installed sometime. The single platform bed is <b>KONSMO Ikea </b>in dark blue. Very simple and without a headboard which makes it more like a daybed in the small room. Rug on the floor is an Persian carpet R's sister sent from the middle east that is black and red with some navy blue, it fits perfectly in the space. I added a few pillows I had brought from the middle east to the bed as well, although I should search for something better. Instead of a dresser we did end up putting a small TV table, forgot to take a photo of it. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0672.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 434px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0672.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0670.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://kriste3.fatcow.com/Blog/Malaysia-0670.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The <b>Ikat Curtain </b>we picked up in Bali on our recent <b><a href="http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/2011/09/bali-trip.html">trip</a></b>. It's one large panel. I think the woman told us it is a 'king blanket'. Works great for the large windows in the room.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1