la.b@o

one of your friend organized a bao workshop last saturday.  you were glad that you made it there. not only you had a chance to see how steam bao （蒸叉烧包）dough at work but you also had your hands on experience with the baked bao （烧包）.

before the bao workshop starts, the host actually cooked up a storm and surprise you with the malaysian local delicacies that you cannot get here in the lowland.

the prawn noodle （虾面）, the broth is light but full of substance especially the aroma of shrimp.

 the fried kway teow (fried rice stick) using a wok and high flame with gas, has the right "wok gas", something that cannot be recreated with ceramic or induction cooker.

another friend treated you the penang asam laksa that is so right, this dish is probably the hardest to recreate and yet she got the broth just authentically done, a perfect balance between spicy and sour, and the earthiness of the mint, tartness from pineapple and fishiness from the mackerel.

then the bao session begins, two different recipes for steam bao and two other recipes for baked char siew bao. you chose to get your hands dirty on the baked bao because that's what you really missed. so measuring, water dough, oil dough, let the dough rests, dividing them into the right portion, wrap the oil dough into the water dough, and use the rolling pin to deflat the ball twice in different orientation before the dough is ready.

then a whole new challenge to wrap the bao in the correct size and seal them probably... all called for hardwork and precision.

but the end result is rewarding, you are almost converted by the steam bao. the skin doesn't get hard the next day.

although your favorite is still this one.  some called it seremban siew bao, regardless of what it is called, this is your favorite. you will probably make this very soon, as soon as you find the next moment to work in the kitchen.

keeping this short, tomorrow you are on business trip again. this time to the most romantic city in the world.

casa.mila

besides casa battlo, casa mila is another amazing masterpiece of antoni gaudi. 

 a roof terrace that is not flat but resemble a wave or rather what's being described as la pedrera - the stone quarry.

at the roof terrace, you enjoyed the intermittent sunset and the shadows on the stairwells, ventilation towers and the chimneys.  they look like masked warriors to you.

 la pedrera although it resemblance to an open quarry but they are artistic and beautiful to disregard the quarry part. you just want to embrace the beauty.

it gets a little windy and wet up there but you actually quite enjoy the open space, the outlook and the moment you had with the masked warrior.

you can see another gaudi's creation the unfinished sagardia familia from the roof terrace too.

and you move down to the attic where it's like a museum explaining all the masterpieces of anthoni gaudi.

you peep through the window of the attic, and yes, you still left your heart up there at the roof top with your imaginary masked warriors. from here walked down to one of the apartment unit that is open for visit.

 the corridor is long and joining the entire apartment unit together, leading you to one room to another, showcasing the period furniture and displays.

 you love the details of the door frame

 the master bedroom with en suit bathroom.  what amazed you is there is nothing in the room is of straight line, even the furniture's.  you can really imagine yourself spending a night or two here. if only this apartment is open for lodging.

you love how the interior is being touched up with all the retro items. you love the trunks, the iron and even the period patterns of the clothing hanging out there to showcase the wealth of the family in the year of 1930's. may be 1930 is an era that you should have born in. you are so madly in love with the shanghai in the 30's and so you found the link of your love and passion, thought in two different cities (shanghai and barcelona) yet interlink by the aura of 1930s.

 at the storage or hobby room, again you are fascinated by the vintage trunks and bicycle.

then the kitchen, you love the coffee grinder, the way the kitchen is being laid out. it actually look very comfortable and inviting to live in.

but you know you are only granted a momentary in here for a visit.  you belong out there, to passeig de gracia and beyond.

having visited casa mila, you really have no more regrets about barcelona. here in casa mila, where you feel most at home.

===

we just gained one hour from now on, the winter time is on. days are shorter, nights are longer - not my favorite season but every season should have its fair share.  another new week with traveling to one of my favorite city ^^. just want to end with one verse that has left an impression in my heart today from the sunday sermon.  jeremiah 17: 7 - my blessing is on those people who trust in me, who put their confidence in me.

good night and blessed week ahead.

===

fig.it.my.way

i got some figs back from barcelona. they are cheap, a pack cost only just over an euro.

i puree most of them and infuse it with brandy to make it a little boozy so that i can keep for later use and the three good looking ones i decided to get them as snack

 raw, top with cheese and drizzle of honey

yeah, i fig it my way...

it's late now, been out for the whole day, so it's time to rest.

happy saturday.

casa.battlo

imagine a man who designed such astonished architectures in the city of barcelona.  it's amazing to just stand there to admire from a distance.

you had a quick glimpse of casa battlo ten years ago, knowing that it's a fantasy house designed by a guy called antoni gaudi.  you didn't have much appreciation about architectures then.

ten years later, you stood again in front of casa battlo on the first night of your arrival to the barcelona city knowing in your heart that you are ready to pay the "expensive" entrance fee to get to know antoni gaudi a little better from within.

you went in two days later on a rainy afternoon. perhaps it's not the best time of the day as it's really crowded that you cannot appreciate gaudi's creation fully.  the entrance to the first floor, knowing gaudi a little, you are not expecting any straight line, the stair way is a like a wave, channeling you to the depth of the sea - the main living area.

at the living room area, you are overwhelmed by the design of the doors, although the audio guide says this is more like representing the underwater world, but you feel more like you are stepping into a world of fantasy, standing in awe of the non straight line objects, appreciating the tinted glass on the door, if only, there's less tourists.

indeed nothing is straight, not the window, not the door frame either.

walking up the stairs to the attic and the roof top, you peep into here and there trying to discover something new. you got a very momentary of solitude at the attic, all by yourself...

 you look into details, you like the gold painted door and the azur blue tiles...

you discovered even more azur tiles and how gaudi has carefully thought over the entire tile wall seamlessly to create nothing but a unify azur color by using the darker color tiles on the higher floor and gradually to the lighter shade at the lower floor considering the amount of sunlight will get through. he is a genius and a master in architecture design for sure during his time and even today.

the sunlight has a say on the size of the window too, the higher the floor, the smaller the window, simply because the higher floor gets more sunshine. that demonstrate gaudi is a fair guy...

the mosaic at the terrace and some displays of the old photos at the resting area.  you enjoyed the visit very much but casa battlo remains a fantasy house to you, your heart is more leaning towards casa mila which will be a different story.

finally at the shop, all things are bright and beautiful, every merchandised is very gaudi in style.  needless to say you didn't get anything, you have bypass the tourist stage.

yet to your surprise, he gave you this little colorful bracelet that night. a little girlie but very gaudi.

tapas.24

your first meal in barcelona. 

it was a good 40 minute wait, standing in line to get a table. locals and tourists alike.

 you wanted a dry cava (spanish sparkling wine) but the waiter recommend a bottle of dry champagne. it's great palate cleansing wine that each sip wiped off the taste before in your mouth so that the next bite is a complete new exciting taste bud discoveries....

the bread with fresh tomato paste and drizzle of olive oil, a rather common staple in spain.

 this is probably the wrong order, what you intended was fries with egg and some yummy goodies you saw the waiter bring around. but this potato pancake is not bad either.

 the deep fried small fish, again the emphasis is on the freshness of the seafood in spain not over the technique on how the food is being prepared.

 the oxtail stew, tender and moist. good alternative to seafood.

 the star dish of the night is this -- grilled mini squid.

 it's fresh, it's delicious, it's yummy. to get a maximum experience of the taste, you drank a sip of sparkling wine after each bite, and that bring the sensation to the next level....

it serious so good that if there's spare bread around, you would wipe the plate clean...

a.decade.ten.years.120.months.3650.days

you just got back from barcelona. sure the photo tells... it's just an extended weekend escape. you enjoyed the food, the architectures (more on that later), the cosmopolitan and clean city, more importantly to take time to remember and celebrate a special occasion. on the third night you vomited for at least 5 times. you were better yesterday hardly ever eat and you got back home throwing out again on any food that you eat... perhaps the weather, perhaps too much olive oil, perhaps the congested places where you confined yourself with all the tourists from the rest of the world. contaminated with flu bugs... well the list can go on... 

you want to write about a spring of time. a decade. ten years. 120 months. 3650 days. the before and the after.

 you were here a decade ago, sometime in december 2001, in the winter for sure...

it's your first european city trip together.  you still have a few photos scanned from years ago that make a good comparison^^. and the comparative took place at parc guell of barcelona.

 at almost the same spot, same man,  10 years ago was your boyfriend, now your husband.

with almost the same background, different spot but the same you, a younger you 120 months ago in 2001, now still a young at heart you in 120 months later in 2011.

at the main entrance of parc guell, you at about 3650 days ago, he in the present time after the 3650 days later

a decade ago. let's say 

someway back in time, he became a friend of yours 

day by day you grow a little closer

he made your spirit to be strong

he is the friend when things go wrong

love grown deep, deep into the heart of yours

and he became a part of you...

time has flown so fast! the same you and the same him, in reality the journey that you both has started is not a bed of roses, it's not always smooth sailing but you rely on God in good times and in difficult times and you built your marriage on the biblical foundation and count your blessings.

a decade later, the same you and the same him. both grown sideways and caught up with age, celebrating the ninth wedding anniversary, at the special place that you both visited ten years ago.