Of all the places!

Most beautiful R&R your host ever been!

 Lunch was made more enjoyable watching the great view in front. Though the weather was mean, the soft blowing wind mitigated the heat. The azure blue sky was simply pleasant to look at! 

Ready to resume the journey to Bentong.

 Everyone was excited to finish the journey. We were about 20 minutes away from our destination. Nobody had the slightest idea of  what the place was like.  

Your host was in awe when she saw this magnificent waterfall!

 This great gift from nature really washed all the tiredness away! This was simply awesome! This also made your host and the rest felt how small we were!

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"Yeah Mummy, to sit with you here is awesome!"

 My sister's youngest son. Enjoying quiet time with his Mummy (your host). Your host really love this boy!

 How nice to have brought fresh food and nice cool drinks here.. so that we could do like what the Arabs were doing in the back ground!

"You really want to see me swim, Mummy?"

 Ikin and her brother ready to take the plunge in the cool water!

The architecture is French. The weather is not! ;-)

 The next day at the French Village. The weather was unbearable despite the altitude.

Yours truly.

Oh Mummy, I am running short of breath! Huff! Puff! Huff! Puff!

Ikin enjoying ice cream at the Seremban LRT Station

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There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Much awaited break from the long drive.

Ok, so how many packets of rice we need to buy, guys?!

Direct selling!

The Apple-Chocolate cupcakes ready for sale!

Your host and her sister made these as trial items for direct-door-to-door sale. These are apple-chocolate cupcakes with butter-cream toppings, purposely made to test the market at her sister's neighborhood. 

Your host with one of the sales team members clinging on to her!

Seen here, the youngest sales team member went tired walking around the block and demanded that your host should carry him. Seen behind your host in scarf is Ikin, the person-in-charge of Account. She was the one who kept the money/collection from the sales and who did the computation! Brilliant little Account-Exec!

The sales team - it was a sold out!

The team walked back to base happily - all cupcakes were sold out within minutes! And we knew, the market is always there! Your host and her little team were determined to be back  with more supplies! Kudos team! ;-)

What she did last Ramadhan!

Last Ramadhan your host decided to learn from her dear friend, Madam Jaleha on how to make layered bahulu (Malay traditional cake) - the traditional way. And she was kind enough to decide to agree to teach your host. So your host came to her house one Saturday morning with all the ingredients and her 7 litres mixer. Your host and she made the batter and Madam Jaleha prepared the traditional stove. Seen here, Madam Jaleha busy even-ing out the batter, patiently, layer after layer. She used those heavy metal pot with very little amber. The heat was enough to cook the cake, each layer at a time.

My dear friend, Madam Jaleha, busy even-ing the batter.

Two pots sitting in between the amber.

 It required a bit of skill to use these stove. Your host learned how to control the heat of the amber. Otherwise the cake might burnt. But the superbly heat conductive  nature of the pot really helped in shortening the cooking time. ;-)

The cake nicely done. Being cooled.

 Even the look of this done cake was really tempting, more so during the fasting month. Isn't this looked gorgeous?!

2 for Mdm Jaleha, 2 for your host!

 The fruits of our combined effort. We took home 2 each of this deliciously looking cake!

One whole, one cut. Gorgeous cakes nicely layered.

Thank you so much, Madam Jaleha for taking all the troubles to teach your host first hand on how to make this traditional Malay layered cake from zero to completion! Now your host knows how cumbersome and challenging to make these!  Love you, Madam!

Wild untamed beauties

These are some of the wild beauties I found at the Botanical Garden at Bukit Tinggi (almost 3,500 feet above the sea level). I just couldn't resist the temptation to photograph as many of them as possible. I just love the sweet smell of the "Sweet Olive". The whole Japanese garden is covered in this sweet fragrance of this wild flower.

Really sweet smelling little flowers!

The Grape Rose

Big flower that looks like the banana bud!

Purple ornamental banana with flowers!

Such beautiful flower with blue beads!

Beautiful Lilies in full bloom.

As we descend the hill, these flowers bid good bye to us. And the effort of climbing up the hill was well rewarded with such scenery!

Note: Sadly, the climate here was a lot warmer than expected. The global warming effect was surely evident!

From house to college

There is no turning back, my son!

Walking him to the registration desk made your host feels that time really flies!

Oh how so true! Time really flies. He is a fast growing young man now! Enrolling into varsity. And when your host walked him to the registration desk, she realized that he wouldn't even wait for her!. And he needed the minimum of assistance from her! Your host wishes you all the best in your studies, son! She has faith in you!

To my mother, with love

The verandah area.

The side verandah - the family favourite area to sit together and talk.

 This has been my humble ambition since the year 2000. Due to a lot of challenges, I only managed to embark on this project in the year 2010 and completed it 8 months later. This is my humble gift to my dearest mother, Habsah bt Hassan. I knew this will never equate all her sacrifices and hard work raising me up.

The front door. The steps were cracked due to Tsunami effect in 2004!.

Yours faithfully standing on the rubble, giving the sign of victory (Hitler's style)! 

This was the humble abode where my other siblings and I were born in. We grew up together, all the 10 of us in this very house. Although this house keep a lot of memories, it has to make way for the new house for my mother.  And I am proud to stand tall on the rubble for all these are made possible with my mother's non-stop prayers for my well being and happiness. Mother, I love you!

The Secrets

I am glad I attended Ms Azie's class on the 12th to specifically learn how to do these roses. I know now that it takes patience and great interest in doing these until one gets the hang (or the 'feel') of it. I personally feel that the smaller rose nozzles are somewhat easier to handle. 

I also learn that achieving the right consistency of the butter cream is crucial to get the right forms of petals. And I also learn that these roses need not necessarily be chilled before arranging them on the cake.

 

Anyway, I shall take my own time in practicing these roses until I got them correct!
Thanks Azie for sharing and allowing me to discover the secrets to this beautiful art of butter cream roses!