A mouse in my House

We recently had to deal with a mouse that had made its way into our home but we couldn’t possibly live with any sort of mouseketeers in our house, could we? I get the creeps even thinking about the rodent crawling into my bed at night. It won't really harm you, but it can cause enough damage by gnawing food.

I discovered a few packs of food stuff were chewed open which means that the evil mousie has been feasting on the packs all night long. I'm not sure how the rodent managed to sneak into my house in the first place. It's an annoying pest and I don't want it as housemate because it probably carries germs, infections and such.

With no time to lose, I set a mousetrap cage and placed it near where I had seen the little critter. The kitchen may be my favorite section in the house and it happens to be also the mice's favorite part of the house too. Obviously, it’s the place where they can find food.

Since I had previous encounters with mice, it wasn't difficult to set up the trap. I have used this cage trap for years and all it takes is a piece of dried toasted salted fish as a bait. Tying the bait to the hook works well enough as when the mousie touches the bait, the trap door will snap shut. I tried to imagine that little critter being roasted but then, I couldn't bear the thought of hurting, killing it or leaving it to die of starvation. My hubby would usually take it a very long way, away from my home to set it free.

I bet it looks just cute in the cage but running around my house doesn't sounds cool at all. I'm sure many of you have seen cartoons like Tom and Jerry and would have known the reasons behind of Tom having his way with annoying Jerry.

Have you encountered any unwanted house guests, pests or otherwise?

First Commenter- Sandy

PhotoHunt - Low

This is another different sight of tea plantation that we've visited in Cameron Highlands. On the last leg of our trip, we stopped at the Cameron Valley tea plantation before heading to KL. As expected, the view overlooking the valleys are spectacular with low neatly, trimmed tea bushes covering undulating low hills like a green carpet. And with the low cool temperature all year round, Cameron Highlands is an ideal place to grow tea leaves.


Incase you are wondering, tea pickers begin their work among low hills before sunrise. Tea leaves are then transported to nearby factories for further processing.

Everything is so lush greenery

A close up, low angled view of the tea leaves.

First Commenter - Lina

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Bride and Groom Daruma Dolls

This vintage set of male and female Daruma dolls slightly resemble the Kokeshi Dolls without limbs except that they have bright kimono designs to the clothing, painted faces and the lady has pretty long hair.

First Commenter - NickTay

Penang Assam Laksa, anyone?

If you're like me, who loves fresh herbs and vegetables in your meal, a good bowl of Penang assam laksa (as we Penangites call it) is likely to tantalize your taste buds. What I love about this noodle dish is that it's never without a fresh, uncooked ingredient and there are always tasty herbs that makes an appetising meal. The gravy of good assam laksa is tamarind based, made with a generous amount of ingredients and is thick with fresh fish broth. Topped with sliced onions, sliced cucumbers, lettuce, sliced pineapples, mints, pink ginger buds (bunga kantan) with sweet prawn paste, the amount and texture of the gravy was just perfect to my taste buds.


Love it or loathe it, this noodle dish is arguably the most famous hawker food in Penang. Having had assam laksa in various places, perhaps one of the best that has come my way would be the outlet at the popular Gurney Drive eateries. This is a stretch of road or esplanade facing the sea in Penang. With each serving priced at RM2.50, this meal is not only worth the price but oh, so delicious to the last drop.

So folks, if you happen to be in Penang, do drop by and check out this eatery. Give it a try, you'll definitely be craving for more!

First Commenter

PhotoHunt - Entertainment

While hunting through my photo folders for something appropriate for this week's theme, I found a few pictures during my visit to Taipei Traditional Arts Festival in Taiwan last year. Pictured here is the Red Ribbon Dance which is one of the most popular of China's folk dances. Incase you are wondering, it is originated from Chinese opera and has been preserved for centuries. Each performer holds the ribbon stick in her hands and create a visual collage of circles, swirls, corkscrews to the music of the Chinese chant. It is a great form of entertainment for cultural events and parades.

For opera lovers, you'll be thrilled to witness the Taiwanese opera in artistic form. These days, it's one of the most popular form of theatrical entertainment in Taiwan which combines local opera and music into one performing art.


Belly dance is a dance form originated from the Middle east and it has gained popularity all around the world these days. While I was on vacation in Turkey a few years ago, I managed to catch the exotic belly dance entertainment. The dancers are young yet voluptuous and their flamboyant costumes and flowing movements elicit oohs and aahs from the audience. I was amazed on how the dancers moved seamlessly with the fast tempo of music. I noticed how difficult the techniques were and how much artistry there was in it.

We enjoyed it and it brought fun entertainment. Needless to say, the men just couldn't take their eyes off them and the cameras just couldn't stop clicking. :)

The dancers commonly used finger cymbals and some of the exotic dance movements are carried out at floor level.



First Commenter - Annie