Back in Malaysia

Night view from my balcony with Genting Highland on the right

Hi everyone.. I know, I know.. I have been missing in action for months. It was a very stressful period which was not the first time as we were again moving. Moving for most people is changing streets or may be a bit further meaning communities or towns.. but for us as always due to hubby's job, we move from country to country.

When LM was little it was easier as changing Kindergarten is easy. We can even quit school earlier or have extra "holidays" for him to get used to the new environment but as he gets older, changing school becomes very challenging. We actually waited for almost 5 months to be enrolled into the only French school in Malaysia.

But needless to say, I am very happy to move back to Malaysia. It's something very important for me to let LM understands and experience Malaysia. He knows that he is a mixed of French and Malaysian but  has never lived in Malaysia long enough to understand the mix of culture/food and languages. Not to forget his other family/relatives in Malaysia.

Happy to be back is one thing but I have never lived in KL before, so I actually feel like a foreigner living in my own country.

Fireworks at night during major festivals. This one was taken during Chinese New Year 2013

I have been away too long, living in re mode places most of the time (example a plot of land which takes only 15mins to walk around, lost in the ocean) and now I am in the capital city of Malaysia!! The traffics, people everywhere and shopping malls!! The pace is fast, non-stop and dynamic!! Compare to those days where I have to prolong my walk around the island by stopping to smell the breeze, check out the Hermit crabs and look out to the horizon to see if any dolphin decided to make a few spins and all in all it took only a mare 15 mins.

A trip to the supermarkets in any mall during the weekends is nightmare!! You could be stuck in the jam for hours and when you arrived at the mall's car park.. you might say to yourself Oh! finally I can get out of the car and enjoy my breakfast which might turn into lunch with all the time spent in the jam.. but NO!! You are not done yet cause looking for a car park space is yet another challenge!! A few huge, multi level-joined-together car park building have not a single parking space!! We actually end up circulating around to wait for someone to leave.. Shopping in this situation is not fun at all.

I actually prefer my little town/kampung(village) in France where everything is between walking distance. I'm talking about market, post office, bank and Boulanger (bakery) not department stores. Where I am living now, there is nothing between walking distance which sadly very common in Malaysia.

The first thing my parents and friends tell me when we were back was beware of your kid's where about! I am still in the very high alert mode cause with what I read on the newspaper. Kidnapping, robberies, false taxis.. I think it will take me sometimes to know my environment before I can chill out.

Please don't get me wrong, Malaysia is still a very beautiful and relatively safe compare to other major cities int he world. I think it's just me being away from the "real world" too long where the only sound other then my own breathing, is the rattling of coconut trees when wind blow through , chirping of birds and splashes of waves..

Now that I have my new nest set up, I will be spending more time here to share with you my experiences as a foreigner in my own country.

Have a great week ahead
oxoxo
Sylvia

Weaving

Here's a few pictures which I took when assisting the school for a class visiting of the local heritage. And Weaving is part of Angers' heritage. 

This is a view on top of the weaving machine. I have a love for these objects, the colours, the wood, shape..art..patience.. perseverance..

And many pairs of little hands working hard to preserve the "Savoir Faire"

Bobbins

Rainbow

One of the many end products

Proudly display in the classroom.



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Orangette au chocolat /Candied Orange peels in chocolate coat

Orangette au Chocolat/ Candied Orange peels in Chocolate coat

Hello everyone, wishing you a very Happy and prosperous 2013. Today, I would like to share with you a very simple yet easy to put together recipe for a good and sweet start.

All you need is: a few organic oranges, brown sugar or just white if you don't have in hand and the third ingredient is a good 70% dark chocolate. That's it!! Only 3 ingredients. No kneading, no baking and oh the best is no tons of dishes to wash :)

Oh yes, it's Orangette au chocolat /Candied Orange peel with chocolate. Think Valentine's day.. which is not too far away or just for any day indulgence. It is so easy to make and the result you get can be as good or better then store bought but the price difference is quite significance.


Ingredient:

3           Organic oranges
300g     Caster Sugar
100g     70% dark chocolate

Method:

1. Wash your oranges, dry them then cut them into quarters.
2. Pull the flesh away from the skin. (I left the flesh just so to have more bit, I cut my oranges length wise then into about 5-7mm slices)
3. Par boil the skins in boiling water for 5 mins, drain and repeat for another time. I like the bitterness in the peels so I skiped this step all together.  So it is very much up on you.
4. Now in a saucepan dissolve your sugar in some water say 100ml. Add peels and simmer for 10 mins until the skins are translusent. 
5. Dish out and let dry on a wire rack over a tray for a day or two. Loosely cover it with foil and let it dry or you can dry them in the oven. I have never done this so can't give you a right temperature and duration. For those who does only the peels, this is when you cut the peels into little stripes of 5mm when they are a little chewy.
6. When peels are dried, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering watering, making sure bowl does not touch water. Cool slightly, then dip half of each orange peel strip in chocolate and place them on a tray lined with baking paper until chocolate hardens.
7. Keep them in an air tight container and place them in the fridge.

Note:

 The candied orange peels/orange slices can be use in cakes and desserts or simply enjoy as it is. I did make some to be added in my Christmas cake.

 Candied ginger, lemon, Kumquats are done in the same way..

 I never buy any candies fruits for my Christmas cake as not only they are expensive but they are full of additives too. 

Hope you enjoy this :) 

Sylvia xoxoxo

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Tears

How to describe the pain of losing someone?

or is there a way to put the feeling into words? so that it would ease our pain?

My heart goes to all those who had lost their child/love ones in the Connecticut shooting.

I can't stop asking myself...

What has gone wrong with this world??

I am grieving not only with America

 but also Humanity

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Angers by night

It's freezing out there but the lights make me forget all about the cold.

I am standing right opposite the Chateau D'Angers. Also known as Chateau de Roi René (castle of King René) but you can't see it.

What shows in this picture is the Cathedral Saint-Maurice D'Angers which was constructed in the 11th century.

Everything in this place is just so old, yet very well preserved and still in use.

At the Chateau D'Angers, we can even see some stone-aged tools being exhibit next to a modern souvenir shop.





Pont de Verdun, Angers

 Have a great Sunday,
Gros Bisous,
Sylvia

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Foire St. Martin

We went to the Foire St. Martin Angers which happens a month before Christmas each and every year. According to their web page, they are celebrating their 388th anniversary.. for what I know this funfair happens only in every November just before winter comes. For someone who comes from a young country (Malaysia is only 55 years old) and this funfair is.. err 388 years old?? 

This makes me wonder what their games were?? cochon (pigs) race?? but 388 years ago..we are talking about.. let's do some maths, oh boy the first year would be 1624!!

Photo source

I have made a search on the net and this happened even before Loius XIV our most famous and flamboyant Roi Soleil who was born in 1638.

Imagining them wearing their big wigs, white powdered face and a little "mouche" sitting on their upper lip..and didn't know that heels were in for men at that time until I see this picture. (La mouche is housefly in French but is also beauty mark which was commonly used)

Coming from a young country where everything is so instant and recent makes me appreciate how the French blend the old and the new. Example?? La mouche in 1638 and  Lip piercing 2012 ;)


Have a wonderful week...

Love xoxoxo,
Sylvia

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October; A month in photo

We had our last harvest of tomatoes from....Ahem, our balcony. They were potted that's why we didn't get many and they were not big. they might be smaller in size compare to store bought but they have all the taste minus all the sprays. Mine were simply yum...

September/October was also the season for Mussels. I cooked mussels many ways, Mussels in garlic herb bread crumbs, the classic Moules Marinieres (as shown in picture) or simply steam mussels with french vinaigrette.

Soup is something we have for every dinner all year round. During the summer it would be something light, mostly vegetable soup or Le Miget/ Migé but came October, we had creamy Lima beans soup with some Chorizo chips to gives textures and saltiness (picture above) and pumpkin soup of course.

I did a few desserts too, mostly tarts apples, pear and chocolates. But the lemon above was a Lemon Curd Tart simply to prolong the taste of summer.

All these were accompanied by a few French country, Ciabatta or Buckwheat sourdough loaves from my own oven.

What about you? what comes out of your kitchen? Wishing you a Happy November...
xoxoxoSylvia

Hopping over to Simple as that - A month in photo