The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

"What if the woods were full of them? And of course they were, the woods were full of everything you didn't like, everything you were afraid of and instinctively loathed, everything that tried to overwhelm you with nasty, no-brain panic."

Title: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Author: Stephen King
Published Date:06/04/1999
Format: Paperback
Genre: Horror/Survival

Sneak into this book:
During a hiking trip with her mother & brother, a 9-year old girl named Trisha wandered off the trail to take a bathroom break when she was suddenly unable to find her family again. With failed attempts in using wrong short-cuts & trails, she ended up lost & hopelessly heading deeper into the forest, alone by herself. All she had were a bottle of water, a small amount of food & a Walkman. In order to keep herself from panic attack, she listened to her Walkman every now and then, hoping to hear any news of the search for her or to listen to the baseball game featuring her favorite player who was also her crush, 'Tom Gordon'. As she was struggling for survival, her mother & brother returned to their car & lodged a police report and start a search. As the polices started searching the night, Trisha rested underneath a tree & finally started to hallucinate due to the combinations of hunger, thirst & fear. She imagined a few people in her life came to rescue her, as well as her 'Tom Gordon'-Read more of this book to know the ending.

The girl who loved Tom Gordon is my second favorite Stephen King's book after Christine.

I discovered this book about 5 years ago but still remember the story clearly. This is one of the books that I will most likely to read again someday.

I love the cover. There are a few of other version as well. 

 I love the main character. She was very brave & tough despite her age.

The book is not boring & not long-winded, it keeps the readers in full suspense.

 I love the happy ending

This book deserves my stars of 5/5!!

Laksa Johor Special buatan mama

In my post this time, I would like to share with you about Laksa Johor. Have you ever taste one before? Well, my mom is having a small business in selling this Laksa Johor. So, whether you haven't yet or have already, you can try my mom's cooking.

I personally think hers are the best, not because she is my mom, no. It simply because of the taste itself. She is so generous in terms of ingredients, it makes her gravy very thick & tasty. Unlike most Laksa Johor I tasted before which gravies were either very oily, watery or tasteless.

Inherited her talent from my late grandma who was also a Johorean, her Laksa Johor always being praised by many of her Johoreans friends. After she turned 52, she felt so tired to work in office & retired. She then discovered her 'rezeki' in small business & started to make Laksa Johor & is doing fine nowadays. As a daughter, I feel it is my responsibility to do my part, which is to help mom in promoting her Laksa Johor. Hehe ^_^

Ok before I go further, which I believe I had done so (hehe), let me write a bit introduction on Laksa Johor if some of you have still never heard of this Malaysian Cuisine.

"Johor laksa (Malay: Laksa Johor), from Johor state in southern Malaysia, resembles Penang laksa only in the kind of fish used but differs in everything else. Johor laksa has coconut milk, use kerisik, dried prawns, lemon grass, galangal and spices akin to curry. The garnishing comprises slices of onion, beansprouts (taugeh), mint leaves, Vietnamese coriander or 'daun kesum', cucumber and pickled white radish. Sambal belacan (a kind of chili paste) is placed on the side. Finally, just before eating, freshly squeezed lime juice is sprinkled on the dish. Unique to Johor laksa is its Italian connection – spaghetti is used instead of the normal rice noodles or vermicelli. Johor laksa is traditionally eaten using the hand and the noodles are usually knitted (cetak) into a disk for each serving."

Sources: Wikipedia Laksa

Ok, as mentioned above, it is eaten using the hand, so don't go using fork & spoon or chop sticks, as it wont deliver much 'feel' to you. Hahaha..

So here's the shot.

This one was prepared by Mom for customer's order which were 50 packets of Laksa Johor. Using Ikan Tenggiri in making the gravy, she charges her Laksa Johor @ RM6 per packet. Ikan Tenggiri are costly compared to most gravy which uses Ikan Sardin or Ikan Kembung. Using Ikan Tenggiri will make the gravy thick & tasty.

The finish product which is ready to eat. Sambal Belacan, Air Limau, Jeruk Lobak, Timun & Bawang are combine together & mix with the Spaghetti for maximum taste. My mom is from Johor & her Laksa Johor is adopted from its state of origin, Johor Darul Takzim.

Apart from making Laksa Johor, mom also sells Mee Rebus @ RM4.50 per packet. She adopted Johorean/Jawa Style in making her Mee Rebus. Absolutely delicious!

I bet you are already drooling by now. So am I. ^_^
Contact me if you would like to try @ make an order. We accept catering also.
Kindly email me- natasha.zainalabidin@gmail.com.

Vaginal Candidiasis ~ Article by PubMedHealth

I just recently realised the importance of maintaining a good feminine hygiene & I gotta share some infos that I had just gained pertaining to this subject. Of course I'd received a good education on this since school & understood that such part is very delicate & requires extra care but all I know was simply the basic fundamentals & only now I realised there is more to learn as far as the feminine hygiene subject is concern. I may write based on my own personal experience & I would like to share it so that some of you can benefit from it. As the wise men say, "preventions are better than cure". True, indeed.

I wouldn't bother to include this topic in my blog if what I'm currently facing did not open my eyes & gives an impact to my life. I think it is crucial for all girls to gain ample of infos on the subject pertaining to the prevention of any vaginal infections. Once you get infected due to care negligence, you will be so stress & unhappy. Extra care needed to be taken at that point of time to cure the disease & this will leads to frustrations in terms of health, money, relationship with your partner & your self-confidence.

I think that many of us are open to vaginal infection, not only to miscarried women or pregnant women, but all of us. Especially those who have more white discharge daily.

Girls, I hope this article that I had taken from a website will be useful to you & take care! :-)

So let's read some of the infos here:-

What is Vaginal Yeast Infection?

 Vaginal yeast infection is an infection of the vagina, most commonly due to the fungus Candida albicans.

*Source: PubMed Health

Causes, Incidents & Risk Factors

Most women have a vaginal yeast infection at some time. Candida albicans is a common type of fungus. It is often found in small amounts in the vagina, mouth, digestive tract, and on the skin. Usually it does not cause disease or symptoms.

Candida and the many other germs that normally live in the vagina keep each other in balance. However, sometimes the number of Candida albicans increases, leading to a yeast infection.

This can happen if you are:

• Taking antibiotics used to treat other types of infections. Antibiotics change the normal balance between germs in the vagina by decreasing the number of protective bacteria.
• Pregnant
• Obese
• Have diabetes

A yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted illness. However, some men will develop symptoms such as itching and a rash on the penis after having sexual contact with an infected partner.

Having many vaginal yeast infections may be a sign of other health problems. Other vaginal infections and discharges can be mistaken for a vaginal yeast infection.

*Source: PubMed Health

Symptoms

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
  • Ranges from a slightly watery, white discharge to a thick, white, chunky discharge (like cottage cheese)
• Pain with intercourse
• Painful urination
• Redness and swelling of the vulva
• Vaginal and labial itching, burning

 *Source: PubMed Health

Treatment

Medications to treat vaginal yeast infections are available in either creams or suppositories. Most can be bought without a prescription.

Treating yourself at home is probably okay if:

• Your symptoms are mild and you do not have pelvic pain or a fever
• This is not your first yeast infection and you have not had many yeast infections in the past
• You are not pregnant
• You are not worried about other sexually transmitted diseases from recent sexual contact

Medications you can buy yourself to treat a vaginal yeast infection are:

• Miconazole
• Clotrimazole
• Tioconazole
• Butoconazole

Read the packages carefully and use them as directed. Do not stop using these medications early because your symptoms are better. You will need to take the medicine for 3 - 7-days, depending on which medicine you buy. If you do not get get repeated infections, a 1-day medicine might work for you.

You doctor can also prescribe a medicine called fluconazole. This medicine is a pill that you only take once.

If your symptoms are more severe or you have repeat vaginal yeast infections, you may need:

• Medicine for up to 14 days
• Clotrimazole vaginal suppository or fluconazole pill every week to prevent new infections

To help prevent and treat vaginal discharge:

• Keep your genital area clean and dry. Avoid soap and rinse with water only. Sitting in a warm, but not hot, bath may help your symptoms.
• Avoid douching. Although many women feel cleaner if they douche after menstruation or intercourse, it may actually worsen vaginal discharge because it removes healthy bacteria lining the vagina that protect against infection.
• Eat yogurt with live cultures or take Lactobacillus acidophilus tablets when you are on antibiotics to prevent a yeast infection.
• Use condoms to avoid catching or spreading sexually transmitted infection (STI).
• Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays, fragrances, or powders in the genital area.
• Avoid wearing extremely tight-fitting pants or shorts, which may cause irritation.
• Wear cotton underwear or cotton-crotch pantyhose. Avoid underwear made of silk or nylon, because these materials are not very absorbant and restrict air flow. This can increase sweating in the genital area, which can cause irritation.
• Use pads and not tampons.
• Keep your blood sugar levels under good control if you have diabetes.
  
   *Source: PubMed Health

Pusat Akuatik Kompleks Sukan Negara Bukit Jalil

Last Monday was a public holiday in lieu of Thaipusam celebration. Me & my hubby didn't have any plans for the day. Earlier that morning I had just completed a 3 consecutive days of massage treatment (due to the miscarriage) & had taken some sleep for a few hours to rest my whole body, til it was about 4pm.

At 5pm, we felt so boring just spending the day at home & we finally made plans with my family-in-laws to go for a swimming spree at Pusat Akuatik Kompleks Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil. I was not allowed to join the activity due to my health condition but I was there watching them swimming like a bunch of kids. It looked really exciting! I was a bit frustrated not having the chance to experience swimming in that olympic pool :-( Can't wait to go back and have my turn!

The entrance fee was only RM5 per person-only applicable to those who wish to swim, and the rest who will just be watching, it's absolutely free of charge. Only swimming trunks & swimming suits are allowed, and swimming trunks for men are rented out at RM5 per piece.

Me & my mother-in-law are planning to buy a muslimah swimming suit. At about 6.30 pm they finally finished swimming and we went to Alpha Angel Shopping Mall @ Wangsa Maju to survey some muslimah swimming suits. They were so expensive! Almost RM300 per piece. So we went back & had dinner. We planned to survey at other places or perhaps via online later.

So here are the photos taken during the day ;-)

Look at my hubby. With the "peace" sign... Oh, so childish.. He was so excited with the swimming spree, just like a kid. Cute boy.....

Kedai Hantaran di Ampang Point Shopping Mall

Remember in the old post about my wedding, I had mentioned about this 1 gift shop in Ampang Point which sells hantaran stuffs? Well, last weekend me and my hubby dropped by the shop to get some sewing kit, & I had managed to snap some photos. Their items are not only limited to wedding hantarans but they also sell sewing stuffs, gifts, assorted baskets and boxes & so on. We love this shop so much that I'd googled up a bit of an infos here for u guys too:~

About

HABERDASHERY & WEDDING GIFT

Description

HABERDASHERY & WEDDING GIFT

General Information

KLIMCRAFT Concept Shop
Ampang Point Shopping Mall
F11, 1st Floor, Jln Mamanda 3
Ampang 68000 Selangor, Malaysia.
TEL:03- 4260 3386
Business Hours: 10:30am ~ 9:30pm Daily

KLIMCRAFT OUTLET
81A , Medan Bunus
Off Jln Masjid India
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2698 0386/03-2693 0386
Fax: 03-2202 8468
Email: klimcraft@gmail.com
Business Hours: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm Daily

Check out their Facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/klimcraft



There was also a photo of the sticker kiosk which I had also mentioned in my post. As I mentioned, I pasted their stickers on my door gift boxes during my wedding reception & those stickers only cost me RM60+ for 700 pieces of stickers.

So here are those photos & hope u will find them useful :-)

My hubby was forced to be my blog's model. hahaha... He was hilarious. seriously? That pose?