Ripples: Kickapoo's Less Sugar Twin

For as far as I remember, I have been drinking Kickapoo Joy Juice. Whether it's at a relative's house during Chinese New Year or just an occasional drink now and then during the hot afternoons, Kickapoo had always had been a thirst-quenching drink to me.

Now I've found a substitute for it during last week's grocery shopping trip: another carbonated drink by the name of Ripples. Its label says that it's a cloudy citrus drink, so being the ever adventurous me, I thought of just giving it a try.

The verdict? Well, it turned out less sweeter than Kickapoo. And for those not a big fan of the lemony smell, Ripples is the drink for you.

The author loves browsing through the shelves during her grocery trips to find and try new F&B products.

Vampire Themed Books To Satiate Your Thirst

I strolled into a bookstore today while I was out shopping, and noticed that the books on the shelves were mostly black in colour.

At first glance, I dismissed them as books from Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight Saga series, but at closer inspection it seemed that these books were targeted at teens that had not gotten over the Twilight fever yet, and are still eager for more vampire themed titles to satiate their thirst for fictional stories.

Even classics such as Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights were not spared by the current publishing craze. These titles have been reproduced with covers that looked like those of the Twilight Saga series, and they do look good, I admit.

But I could not help wondering whether publisher should go till the extent of extorting classics such as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott by adding blood, gore, and vampires into the storyline. Yes, they do draw in the teen readers, but would they get the opportunity to appreciate the real essence of these famed titles?

A quick browse on Google also showed that there were many vampire-related websites which offered more stories for the reader of Twilight who still couldn’t get enough of vampires. Many other book series have spawned from this phenomenon, and my opinion is as long as the content is good, readers will develop a good following, and become fans of the author’s works.

The author thinks that books that are riding on the bandwagon of the Twilight Saga series’ success should try not to have similar cover themes as every book’s cover should reflect its contents.

Carrie Underwood : Country Music's Sweetheart

For those unfamiliar with the country music genre, you might have heard of the name Carrie Underwood through American Idol. A country singer who hails from Oklahoma, her rise to fame is propelled by her win in the fourth season of American Idol in 2005.

Since then, she became a multi-platinum selling recording artist, multiple Grammy Award winner, three-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Female Vocalist winner, and ACM Entertainer of the Year, which is a great feat for a singer whose career was launched by a reality television programme.

She had also been bestowed a great honour when she was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee that has presented the biggest stars of the genre for nearly 85 years.

Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum. It is also the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. Some Hearts yielded three number one hits on the country charts, "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Wasted" and "Before He Cheats". Some Hearts was eventually titled the Top Country Album of the Decade.

Her second album, Carnival Ride, produced five number one country hits, "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name" , "Just a Dream" and "I Told You So". She collaborated with fellow country singer Randy Travis, on the song “I Told You So”, which won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration.

“Cowboy Casanova”, the first single off her third album, Play On, was released to country radio in September 2009, and peaked at number one on the country charts, which made Underwood the female country artist of the decade with the most top ten hits on the country chart.

Her huge success is attributed to her powerful vocals, which captures listeners’ attention, and also her songs, which are mostly inspirational.

For such an accomplished singer, Underwood manages to keep her feet on the ground and is actively involved in NGO work, and is an animal lover and a vegetarian. She stopped consuming meat at the age of thirteen as she couldn't stand the thought of eating one of her own animals. She was voted "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" by PETA in 2005 and 2007.

She is also a supporter of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and has done several public service announcements for the organization. Furthermore, Carrie has also teamed up with Pedigree to shoot a public service announcement on behalf of the company's big adoption drive.

Besides creating music to inspire more people and devoting her spare time in NGO efforts, Underwood also continues to expand her career in film, and hopefully she will succeed in that arena as well.

Ah Yat Abalone Restaurant

During the past Chinese New Year celebrations, I experienced an opportunity of a lifetime when I was treated to a feast that had abalones, scallops and Peking ducks on the menu.

Located in Avenue K, Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant is tucked in a corner in the middle of the bustling Kuala Lumpur city. However, reservations still had to be made in advance since it is famous for its namesake, which is of course, abalones.

Studying the menu, I was surprised to find out that there were many types of abalones. Abalones come from all over the world, such as Australia, California, New Zealand, and also South Africa.

This restaurant also serves a variety of popular and more upscale Chinese dishes, which are very suitable for occasions such as Chinese New Year or an important family celebration. The dishes served at Ah Yat include Abalone with Japanese Mushroom and Vegetable, Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Bird’s Nest and Bamboo Pith, and Steamed Tiger Garoupa in Hong Kong Style, to name a few.

My personal favourites off the menu are Yoshihama Dried Abalone with Mushroom “Ah Yat Style”, and Baked King Scallop with Garlic. The abalone was so tender till it was effortless chewing it, while the scallop was cooked to perfection. Both dishes are simply delicious, and absolutely left me craving for more.

Since it was Chinese New Year, Yee Sang was also on the menu. The process where the waitress served the Yee Sang intrigued me. As she was pouring ingredients such as syrup, pepper and crunchy biscuits onto the big platter, she said a few words which were supposed to symbolise good luck and wealth towards those consuming the dish. That was something I learnt as I never knew that when you serve Yee Sang, you should also bless the dish.

The service here is good as the waiters are quick to notice when a dish is finished, and they will whisk the empty plate away before you even know it. Even when your teacup is almost empty, the waiters come and refill your tea before you can do it yourself.

If you happen to look for a good place to dine with your family on special occasions, Ah Yat Abalone is the place to go.