Spice Up Your Life

'Wah, I tell you, my friend damn keng, whenever he goes KFC with his gf, the both of them can finish up one bottle of chilli sauce man'

I think most of us have heard of such statement or something similiar to this before among our friends, or friends' friend? Hehehe... Truthfully, I USED TO BE one of those fellas who can finish a bottle per visit to KFC.

Why not anymore? Well, after thinking logically that chilli should be spicy, i was wondering how come I can finish 1 whole bottle without sweating or feeling spicy. Then came advices from friends that i should cut down because it is full of preservatives, colorings and flavoring.

A friend even said 'After you die, your organs would be preserved for the next 10 years'. But i was not freaked out after listening to that; in fact i was thinking to myself "wah, i can be in the museum one day!" hahaha!


KFC

Somehow, I dont really favour Tomato Sauce that are sold on the rack. They taste fake and abit 'geli'. I'm still a chilli sauce fanatic in my heart! haha! High 5 to all chilli sauce fans out there, yeay! *piak!


Cili Padi

This is something familiar huh? Something most of us fear of. Something that makes us miserable upon getting contact with the sensitive tongue. CILI PADI!

Same as most of you, this is the 1st time around I see a round chilli. Or have u seen before? According to my dad, this round chilli is even spicier than cili padi! yea rite... i dont believe.

Fyi, I didnt snap this pic in the market or any chilli farm. It was taken right here in my home! There were so much that i thought my mum got a place at our local pasar malam to sell chilli! hahahah!


The source of Chilli sauce.

One whole basket of chilli. Eat 365 days oso cannot finish! *sweat

Btw, my dad is from the agriculture industry. He's a research officer who used to work with MARDI. But now he's with a private company selling manure. And therefore, he always get free vege and fruits in bulk! hahaha love him so much! (am waiting for his next trip to the dragon fruit farm! yeay!)

So, what's in the basket of Chilli.


Clockwise from upper left.

1. Though round, it's the spiciest of all.
2. Dark green one is an unripe cili padi, light green different species.
3. Red one - Ripe cili padi.
4. Black seeds in the chilli indicates lack of Calcium and Boron.
* Source Info: my father, who speaks in a language i seldom understand.

So, for city kids who have never seen how home-made chilli sauce is made. Here's a brief explanation on how the ever-so-yummy sauce is made.



Firstly, soak them an hour or two before u plan to move your potato ass from the couch. (Nowadays, all vegetation are very high in pesticides. They wouldnt look so nice and flawless if not for the pesticide spraying every single morning from the 1st flower it bears until it is harvested. Especially chilli and tomato.) Soak them long!

Secondly, when u've got the patience already. Use the knife and cut off the stalk/head.

WARNING: Do not contact your hands with any other part of your body, especially your eyes. Miserable crying may occur.


Clockwise from upper left.

1. Chilli with garlic. Put to taste.
2. Chilli with ginger. Put to taste.
3. Blend them till it becomes chilli paste.
4. Reddish one is with garlic. Brownish red is with ginger. Mum says it wouldnt be tasty if both ginger and garlic were mixed together.

Next, add vinegar to the paste and mix thoroughly, depending on the taste and viscosity u want. Store them in whatever tupperware your family is fond of storing. ie: kaya bottle, peanut butter bottle, ayamas chilli bowl or taufufa bowl.

Finally, before serving, mix the chilli sauce with sugar and lime to taste. Guaranteed satisfaction! SYOK!

For this basket of chilli that me and my mum made, it gave us a shock. It was freaking spicy! i only tried a lil (2mm x 2mm), and within 5 seconds it was as though the King of Hell slashed my tongue with a samurai! and within 13 seconds, beads of sweat formed around my face! Now i believe my dad's word.

My poor mum, who took up my challenge when i said 'u try 1st, I'll try after u' had a miserable time. She took like half a tea spoon of it. Immediately, she grab hold of a green apple nearby and sink her teeth into them, followed by yells of 'aiyooooooooooooooooooooo so hot! so hot!' hahahhahaha

Nothing could help. Apple, warm water, chocolate... cant fight off the spiciness of our very own malaysian chilli. For all the trouble, just buy from the racks la hor? But i think once awhile, you gotta SPICE UP YOUR LIFE and live it to the fullest!

*sob sob.... as i bite on my piece of KFC with home-made chilli.

The Kingdom Deep Down

*Smack, i'm not talking about hell! I'm talking about the beautiful mermaid world deep down under the sea surface, where another community speaks with bubbles......

Compared to Malaysian water, the Andaman Sea has a broader variety of underwater life, i'd say. There were many '1st time seeing' for me, and it was a great experience viewing such splendid creatures. They had this charm that made me float weightlessly and enjoy every bit of their gracefulness. Beautiful.

So, i hope u would enjoy it as much as i did. Simulate the surrounding of u under the water, where it is quiet and pale, and the only sound u hear is your own breathing. But, with the companion of the fish, solitude will not surface.


Nudibranch - a type of sea slug, very colorful and attractive.


Goby- very cute fella (fish), likes to hide in holes and pop its head out. "Say Hello!"


4 stripe snapper - as its name implies, 4 horizontal yellow stripes marks its body.


Macro pic - 1, 2, 3, 4...... 4 stripes!


Garden Eel - very eerie feeling when i 1st saw it. There were like thousands of them jutting out from the seabed, and vanishing into the sand as u go near. Eeee... Oh, and u see the two black spots on its body? My Dive Master said that if u see 3 black spots, it's your lucky day. And if u see 4 black spots, u'll win Toto hahaha!


Blue-spot stingray - lying on the sand. Wouldnt have noticed it if not for the blue spots. This aint the one that got Steve Irwin killed.


Lobster - Catch! Barbecue! Eat! hahahha...


Trumpet Fish - this is the yellow version (the other greyish). I guess because it's long and straight that it deserves its name? I like its golden yellow very much.


Angel Fish - Look carefully! it has eyebrows, how cute is that?! haha...


Indian Lionfish - very beautiful fish, but u dont wanna aggitate it. Keep a distance and it will pose gracefully for your postcard pics.


Rockfish/Scorpion Fish - I dont see any fish, do you? Damn, i nearly touched it ya know? i was floating very near a rock while snapping pics of other fish, and when i turned it was right in front of me! It's famous for staying still for a super-long duration, in addition with its super-power camouflage outlook, it's definitely gonna get a big fat meal. Patience is a virtue.


Clown Fish - Nemo!!! u r back! alohaaaa....


Peacock Grouper - Oh very nice fish on the dish, believe me! it already rhymes 'fish on the dish', what else?


Sea snake - no comment. Dont like it. Avoided it maximus. Btw, this is called poor visibility, can only see upto 4-5m. But for other pics, most of the time visibility was about 20-25m. Very clear.


Octopus - Wouldnt notice it if not for the other pro-diver's hawk eyes. It looks like a rock! Ugly looking, very very ugly.


Octopus - Night dive. A different species, but still has the same ugly face. Makes me think twice when i stand at the sashimi counter next time. Maybe not.


Moray Eel - the biggest eel ever. A common sight in Asian waters. It can grow up to 3-4m long, and it has a history of biting off thumbs if u wave your hands to it hahaha! looks like a hotdog i guess?


Moray Eel - macro shot. Damn he's angry! back off man....back off.


Honeycomb Moray - very beautiful species. Just a baby still.


Common Moray - babies. Cute when young, not when elder.


Puffer fish - looks unique to me


Parrot Fish - oh easy one! even a kid can guess. It does have the looks of a parrot, but too bad for the voice part. It only produces big and small bubbles, can anyone decipher what it means and uncover their underwater talent?


Dark clouds coming. As i was moving forward, suddenly it became darker, as if there was something really big blocking off the sunrays. I rolled 180 degrees, chest facing up, and saw this. A school of fish coming in. In Millions! Notice the two shades of color? just like dark clouds...


Right in the middle of the school of fish. Luckily the fish know how to avoid banging into divers. It was amazing, everywhere was filled with fish. Up Down Left Right Front Back. It went on and on for around 5 mins, some swimming left, some right..... then came the big predators. Suddenly the whole sea becomes empty! seriously empty! bout 3 seconds later, u'll see BIG tuna fish come chasing after the small fish. Was a real memorable scene.


Check that out! They have a mini golf course underwater man! dun play play, nemo plays 18 holes.


My personal favourite. Was just moving around and spotted this angle, got the camera and snapped, turned out as i wanted it to be.


Group photo underwater while doing safety-stop. Safety stop is a 3 mins stop at 5m below water surface to let our body pressure equalize. Not doing so will cause the excessive nitrogen that we breathe in to go into our veins and joints as bubbles, causing serious pain.


oh my ladyman.... doesnt 'she' look pretty? mmm mmm..... oh didnt i tell u we brought the mermaid back up to land for a night? no worries, she can survive on land for 24 hours. (we left her in the bath tub wahahah!)


WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hahhahahaha...... now that's what i call mermaid! look at those boobies man! perky pointy firm, whatever words u can think of. But it's freaking FAKE man!where got so round wan! and look at the face..... 'Dude, try again la....'

Look at (my Dive Master) Makoto-san's face! Freaking freaked out man! hahahhahhaha! he thought he saw a kawaii ghost! Hey hey, dont mix the white girl as a 'he' ok? She's genuine, never went through renovation. very pretty girl :) "Kazia, we miss you!"

Now this is what u get to enjoy in Patong Beach, Phuket. Plenty, abundant, too much till u r immuned to it. To all bachelors out there, this is heaven. To girl friends out there, dun worry la, your boy friend will stay loyal. Main buntut only maaa hahahhahah!

Similan Island SCUBA Divers

Eve of 'Chap Goh Meh' - 14th day of Chinese New Year. What have u been doing for the pass 14 days? Non-stop 'mahjong' session till 5am, and continue with dimsum breakfast, whereby the winner pays the bill? haha...

Whatever you did during CNY, whether it was boring or fun, no worries! cos visiting kampungkai's blog is always refreshing ya? high 5! *piak...

This year, i celebrated my CNY differently. Many friends of mine failed to look for me, because i was having a holiday in Thailand - Scuba Diving!


Andaman Sea

Similan Island is located in the Andaman Sea, which is positioned to the west coast of thailand, somewhere near Phuket. If you a directional inability idiot (of course you're not!), i'll just make it easier for u. It's further up north of Pulau Langkawi, easy enough?

Besides diving in the Similan Islands, we dived in Koh Bon & Koh Tachi too. (it's all around the latitude of 8 & 9 degrees)


Similan Island

Similan Island has 9 small islands in total. Each being seperated by a 10-15 minutes or so boat ride.

Since it is a Live On Board/Live Abroad diving trip, we slept, we ate, we bathed, and we shat (past-tense of SHIT fyi) on the boat. Ya ya, i know what's running through your mind now. You're thinking bout me seeing shit floating on water rite? hahhaaha i'll talk bout that later.


Parinee

This is the boat that the 12 of us were on. Named after the daughter of the diving company boss. She has a sister boat, a bigger one, named Daranee that fits 18 divers.


Parinee Layout

Arrived in HKT (Phuket) around 8pm from KUL, of course with Malaysia Airlines hehehe! Then left straight to the jetty and got on-board Parinee, which lead me into my room. Tadaa!


My lil cosy room. Comes with a 1/2hp a/c!

Approximately at 2200 hrs, a one-foot long firecracker blasted by the side of the boat, followed by two loud honks from the cockpit. Let me simulate the sound for you. It went something like this: PLAK PLAK PLAK PLAK PLAK! BON! BON!


Thai Flag & fresh flowers & fire crackers - to mark Good Luck/Safe Journey thoughout the entire trip

From the very moment i stepped on Parinee, it was swaying left and right, up and down. And i have to admit, i didnt feel that well that night, feeling nausea that i went to bed early. I have no seasick problem though, but i suspect it was because of the heavy dinner with TOMYAMKUNG i had 30 mins before getting on board. So my advice is, eat less before getting on!


A tonnne of beer

Man, that's alot of beer and pepsi, don't you think? There's 6 cartons on every layer. And the local SINGHA beer is freaking cheap and delicious! unlike carlsberg. SINGHA cost only 20 baht (RM2) per can, and Pepsi is 15 baht (RM1.50)


Toilet

Here you go, your favourite part - the toilet and the floating tressure on sea. This is called a marine toilet. In a marine toilet, you are not allowed to flush down toilet paper, because it goes directly into the sea.

Yea, and so it has become an unwritten common agreement between all divers TO NOT SHIT when it is near diving time hahahha! you get what I mean? or else we'll be seeing new species of sea cucumber everyday! hahaha!

Water is limited on board. Therefore care must be taken to not waste fresh water, especially during showers. Or else everyone would have to suffer.


Sunrise

This is how I started my 1st day of diving in Similan Island, it was a great welcome! too bad for the boat positioning that the ball of sun was obscured by the island. But it turned out perfect ya?


Sunrise Flag

Cooling morning breeze sways the Thai flag as i sat on the moist deck to snap this pic. Quiet and peaceful. And as the sun rises, the millions of bright shining stars fades away, and that's when the SCUBA Divers come to life...


Dive Equipment


Scuba Divers


Clear blue water with plenty of fish


Boatman helping divers out of water


Beautiful yachts anchoring


That's what i look at when i'm bored, it's pretty entertaining


Donald Duck Bay! named after his head.


Mat Sallehs and their sunbathing, crazy!


It feels real good to stand on land


I treasure green, brown, and white. I hate blue!


When the night comes, we go fishing!


A huge batfish! dinner...

Let me explain a lil on this fishing thing. It is illegal for fisherman to come to Similan Island or any nearby islands protected under the National Marine Park to fish. However it is legally unwritten that fishing using a fishing line for own consumption is allowable. It's like, how much can u catch using a line compared to using nets?


Front Row L to R:
Adriano - Italian
Rommel - Kajang, Malaysia
Me - Kajang, Malaysia
Hadi - KL, Malaysia (Dive Instructor)
Iu Shen - Kajang, Malaysia

Back Row L to R:
Jeff - KL, Malaysia
Makoto - Tokyo, Japan (Dive Master)
Kazia - Rotterdam, Holland
David - Germany
Simon - England
Shannon - KL, Malaysia
John - KL, Malaysia


A preview to the next post - underwater pics!

Till then... may tonight blast off with firecrackers again!