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.

Restoran Haeun Khon: A Fantastic Discovery

Tucked away in a corner of Amcorp Mall, I stumbled upon this little shop (well, not very little, but the sort that gives you a cosy and homey feel since it’s not sparse and cold) which serves Korean cuisine.

I would never have stepped in the place if I had not been coming to visit BookXcess regularly to stock up my supply of books. Since I was in the vicinity, my friends and I thought that we’ll just give the restaurant a try as we were also hunting for good food for our lunch.

For a random choice, the food at Restoran Haeun Khon was superb! The three of us ordered the Korean Fried Rice, Cuttlefish and Bibimbap. The portions were big and the side dishes were plentiful.

I had the Bibimbap set, and I the amount of work that goes into my dish was very well paid off as I enjoyed every single bit of it. From the main dish of rice and shredded vegetables topped with fried egg to the side dishes of kimchi, salted vegetable, tofu, soup and cold fruit, my appetite was satisfied and I had a huge problem detaching myself from the chair as I was leaving!

And as we ordered quite early, we had the opportunity of observing the steady stream of customers coming in for lunch. By the time we were leaving, the place was already fully seated.

The service was good and prompt, prices were affordable and the ambience was suitable for those who need an escape from the stress of daily working life (people like myself!)

Do stop by Restoran Haeun Khon for a good Korean meal and BookXcess to satiate your thirst for books!

Restoran Shen Jing Sheng: Food, Glorious Food!

Every time I eat out, I am sort of like a person who is on a quest to identify the best restaurant or stall that serves a particular dish.

An example is assam laksa, a Malaysian favourite, which is served by both food stalls and cafe’s. Just a simple mention of it makes my mouth water, and I am bound to order it!

That if, when I am wearing a dark coloured blouse. Hey, a girl gotta look presentable right? Who wants to walk around town with stains on her beautiful blouse?

But my extended family and I are all very particular when we eat out at restaurants. Good food, topped with good service and ambience (of course at an affordable price too), and I guarantee that you will definitely see us coming back real soon, as well as being loyal regulars.

Tonight I had dinner with my family at one of the local restaurants in my area, and the food was simply delicious. It has been our favourite restaurant for the past few years, as they serve home-cooked dishes, as well as those worthy of a Chinese dinner at 5-star hotels.

And the service was quick too, as we waited around 20 minutes for about 6 dishes, which was also inclusive of a complimentary soup (yeah, we probably love this place so much since they serve FREE soup).

We were served Steamed Tilapia, Marmite Chicken, Yam Basket, Vegetarian Curry, Sweet Potato Leaves with Garlic and Sizzling Plate Tofu. And each one tasted as good as the first. We didn’t order the chef’s special, which is Prawns in Pumpkin Gravy, but for every newcomer, this dish is a must try.

So if you ever come by to my part of town, Bandar Damai Perdana, do give Restaurant Shen Jing Sheng a try!

The writer recommends that a good assam laksa has to have the right amount of bunga kantan, lengkuas, thick stock boiled with ikan kembung, and not forgetting, lots of hae ko.

Shopping in Bangsar: How A Little Retail Therapy Can Help Save Your Life

Girls out there, don’t you agree that shopping takes away your worries and stress? Even just a casual window-shopping trip is surely a relaxing therapy.

Sure, we walk till our feet are blistered and our throats parched, but even if we do come away from the ‘lil shopping trip empty-handed, it feels as though you had satisfied your inner self.

But with a short stop now and then for some refreshments, (oohh, a personal favourite of mine is ice-cream) you’ll definitely be so recharged for more shopping till the security guards have to shoo you out during closing time!

I used to love going to bookshops, scouring the shelves and finding for great reads. And later at home, curled up on the sofa, I’ll unwind myself by reading my new book while happily sipping my hot cup of tea.

Well, that used to be in the past. Nowadays, my days are spent mostly at the office and when I reach home, its dinner and a little television time before dozing off to dreamland.

As this pattern is repeated 5 times a week, when the weekend comes around, I’m usually so stressed out that I don’t even want to move out from my comfy bed when the sun is high up in the sky!

Retail therapy definitely helped me a lot by releasing my pent-up stress at the end of a long day after staring at the computer screen. You should try it out too, since it’s free (provided you do not purchase anything by impulse-lah)!

The writer can be seen from time to time in quaint little Bangsar boutiques, hunting through the racks for great bargains.

A Stroke of Luck

Last Friday, my classmates and I were supposed to go on a little field trip. That morning I felt really restless as the plan kept changing and we kept waiting for one more person to show up, and another, and another.

Of course, I kept asking when we could make a move, and just as one of my friends showed up, we were surprised to see a long queue of cars on the highway that we were about to use to reach our destination.

After waiting for another 10 minutes, we decided to make a move as we were already running late for our appointment. When we were on the highway, we saw that there was a lot of sirens in front of us. Cars around us couldn't move and we were inching our way through the traffic. From afar, we could see a lorry, crushed against a wall.

As we drew nearer to the crash site, I just couldn't move and all of us in the car were dumbstruck. The accident was horrific, 7 vehicles were involved, and most of them were smashed up beyond recognition. It was only later that we knew that 2 people died in the accident, the lorry driver and a motorcyclist. The reason: the lorry had a brake failure, ramming through the divider when it took a turn, and ploughing through traffic on the other side of the highway too.

I am really lucky that my friend showed up late that day, and for that, I thank her for saving my life as I could have been the one who was on the highway when the accident happened. From today onwards, I am going to live my life to the fullest as we don't know what does the future holds.

Jonker Walk - The Heart of Malacca town

Malacca’s most famous landmark, or rather, street, would definitely be Jonker Walk where a night market is held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Sounds pretty in interesting right? Here, a wide range of goods are sold, from 3 for RM 10 souvenirs such as keychains, magnets, and handicrafts, to Nyonya delicacies such as pineapple tarts. There are also a lot of activities going on, in spite the night market occupying a long stretch as there are many Chinese associations opening their doors to their members to take up line dancing and karaoke lessons, and the music coming these association halls along the street also provide background music for the otherwise drone atmosphere. To those travellers out there who want to experience Malacca night life and culture, this is the perfect place to go.

Crazy for books

I went to the Popular Book Fest two days ago and it was totally crowded! It was my first time at the annual book fest, but I will definitely return next year for sure! The books that I had been eyeing were all going for RM 10 lower than the original price, so, I grabbed three books! I wished that I had brought more cash with me as I really wanted to raid the entire exhibition (just kidding!). The books that I picked up were Cecilia Ahern’s “P.S. I Love You”, Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” and Alexandra Potter’s “Me & Mr Darcy”. Hopefully these books turn out to be as good as the reviews say they were!

The Battle of the Two Davids

I am so looking forward to next week’s finale for American Idol! As much as I anticipate a great performance from both of the two great performers of this season, I have doubts that they would perform as good as recent weeks. Jason Castro was a victim of exhaustion as he got lazier as the season ran on. I hope that both Archuleta and Cook would put up their best performance yet. As for who I am rooting for...well, I’ll judge them on the performance night itself. Until now, I still can’t decide who to root for! They’re both so good singers!