FlexiRoam, a convenient to call from foreign lands

I have to admit, I am not sure whether I will need this service or not. However, having an option to call from foreign countries is great. I went to Kazakhstan last June and I only had the option to tweet (through Twitter) and BBM my wife for nearly 10 days as I didn't want to incur cost if I made any calls.

FlexiRoam seems to be the solution for that. It is a phone call only solution but its ease will make sure you are in touch with your friends and family. How does it works? While you are overseas, calls made to your Malaysian mobile number will be forwarded by FlexiRoam to your foreign mobile SIM card which you can purchase locally at your destination country. This means Malaysian users do not need to inform their contacts of any new international mobile numbers. By the way, it is GSM powered and not wifi or 3G powered.

So, this holiday season, FlexiRoam is giving away some credits for free. I have Ten (10) RM50 credit to be given away.

As I know not many visitors land on my blog nowadays (who have time to read blogs anymore?), let me make this easy. First come, first serve.

Just comment and ask for it. Much like Santa, I will credit it to your account after you signed up for FlexiRoam. If you already have an account, just give me your email and phone number which you sign up with. Send it to my email : kruel74[at]gmail[dot]com.

Here is the Sign-Up page for FlexiRoam : FlexiRoam SignUp

2011 : The year I learned to love rice

Yep, am born and raised in Malaysia where the food is always partnered with rice. There are so many type of rice and the way it is cook that there Malaysia imported from so many countries. So, in a way, it is weird for me to just get acquainted with rice.

I am so not really into rice when my wife and I eat out that she would go to her mom's when she wants to really eat rice (which she always eat with sambal tempoyak, which I still hates). 

So, this year of 2011, I start to eat rice. A lot. Some are rice-based. Some are flour-based. You get the idea.

I want to say it was due to my wife. However, it was the making of a friend who loves to eat by the name of Jahabar. 

He loves to recommend places to eat and most of them consist of rice as its main dish. The beauty of it? All these places are well known to my wife. And we sometimes eat without the presence of others. Just the two of us.

Here are some of these rice places :

The Twitterjaya Wedding

So, Twitterjaya had a wedding over last weekend. What's so different about it from all those announcement on Twitter is that this wedding was made in Twitter nearly in total. The courting, the drama, the proposal and then the wedding itself.

The wedding was between @jud9e and @ritarita_ritz. A sailor and a personal assistant extraordinaire. They met exactly a year ago, courted and then the proposal happened in May. I know most of what transpired between them as the groom is a client and a friend. It wasn't a smooth ride but all that is in the past now. 

They were solemnised at 4.40pm on 11.11.11 at a small ceremony at the groom's house. The reception was held on 13.11.11 at Bangsar Seafood Restaurant hall. It was simple and beautiful. All thanks to a few friends like @elviza, @imShahidah, @jsadiq, @iamchakchibo and @auzani. I played a small part by being the usherer and we missed one part of the #Geng Kopi Mahal geng when @YouTiup as he was struck by a stomach bug.

Twitterjaya was well represented with so many people with the presence of notables like @zeffri, @MeTangere72, @2side, @SalawatiUni,  @titbiz, @smellykatemoss, @pualdidan, @limmengkeong, @KhairyKJ, @loveykatz, @citybasher and a few others.

Semoga berbahagia ke anak cucu :

The place

The special table for #GKM

MCs ready for the wedding

The MC with friends

Twitterjaya people before the wedding starts

Arrivals

Catching up

Ready for the bride and groom

At the doorway

Streaming in

Radiant

 

 

 

 

Merenjis

Makan beradab

Serenaded by Atilia

Dinner was served

Digging in

The moment of solemnization

Slide by bride's friends

Cake cutting

That's it....

Time for some photo ops

MC taking a bite

Orang kuats

Boy getting restless

Erk...

Smiling...

How to make lemang in modern times

The last time I join the festivity of making lemang, it was when I was still just a wee lad. Not wanting to let a tradition dies, I just want to observe and participate which lead to the most important event : The eating part! When my wife said that her family is going to make some lemang at her kampung in Tapah Road, during the Eid ul-Adha, I just jumped into the opportunity to join them. 

Lemang are sticky rice which are cooked in bamboo stick and eaten with whatever you fancy but usually it is eaten with another dish called rendang, which are meat cooked with spices and coconut which are fried until it turn much like fried brown sauce. Making lemang is not rocket science but it does take considerable effort.

So, here are the steps :

The bonfire is prepared

The banana lead is made into a cylinder and inserted into the bamboo

In the meantime, the womenfolks were getting the santan prepared while cooking the rendang

Rice is inserted into the bamboo

Coconut milk a.k.a santan is inserted into the bamboo on top of the rice until it is settled

The bamboos filled with rice and santan are lined up near the fire until it simmers

Every half and hour (depending on the heat) the bamboos are turned so all sides get cooked properly

 

The lemang will simmer until it is properly cooked

In order to eat it, you cut the bamboo into half from the top, cut it into small pieces and eat it with rendang

Conclusion : Nyums!!!