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In 2020, my first resolution is to stop counting the days I have failed my blog. And off we go with my day counter to begin every blog post, replaced just by the simplicity of the words I want to say. As always, every end also brings a new beginning - and like the year before, I've already wrapped up my 2019 and I'm ready to make new resolutions for the year to come!


TO LAND A JOB

Many of you should already know this, but my other half and I have moved to Europe in June and October 2019 respectively. This move was primarily because he had gotten a really good job offer and we thought it would make a nice challenge to our lives. But good as it may be, I've actually yet to get a proper job and I'm currently thriving in the retail industry just to make ends meet. For 2020 however, my biggest hope is that I will finally get a job in an industry I'm familiar with or at least in the line of work I'm best at. With all the resumes and cover letters I'm sending out, I'm keeping all fingers crossed for some news when spring comes.

TO LEARN DUTCH 

One of the constants in my previous resolutions involved learning Japanese as a language of interest. For 2020 however, I'm forcing myself to pick up Dutch instead because it's the primary language spoken in the country we now reside. Granted they speak really good English, but it's difficult to ignore the snide comments and remarks a lot of people pass on to you when you don't speak their language. From online lessons to (hopefully) classes, I'm looking forward to adding Dutch to the line of languages I will know by the end of 2020.

TO SPEND FAMILY TIME WHEN I CAN

Being abroad means being apart from my family a lot. In the past 2 years, I've managed several travels with my parents simply because we were in the same continent. Despite the distance today, I'm hoping that in 2020 we would be able to afford a trip home so I could spend some time with my family. Be it simple dinners or staying home in our PJs with holes, being with them is the one thing I'd really like for the year. And for those who have been asking, my other half and I unfortunately won't be home for Chinese New Year this year.

TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE FUN

I'm not sure if this is the right way to label this one resolution I have, but in 2020 I'm hoping to finish more games and build more model kits! I think my other half would be really proud of me saying this but I've taken such a liking in playing video games and building Gunpla kits around the 2nd half of the 2010s, so much so I actually got a Nintendo Switch during my trip to Tokyo in 2019. But with work and life happening, sometimes it's just not as easy to give all these hobbies the love they deserve. And so in 2020, much thanks to the better work life balance culture they have in Europe, I'm hoping that I'll give my hobbies more time. 

TO LOVE MY BLOG

Right, I'm actually going to make this a resolution because my writing space deserves more attention than I actually give it. I've realized how I even went through the entire months of February and May 2019 without a post, which is ironic because in January 2019 I actually mentioned I wanted to throw in monthly logs of my life. I actually failed my resolution 2 months into the year! Would I make it in 2020? We'll see in December. 
 

2020 - you're not just a new year. You're a new decade. So many things can change in a decade, as we already see in the past. You bring new potentials, new hopes, and new opportunities. Here's to winging it to the best we can. Happy New Year, whoever you are reading this!
Days since my last post: I'm not that good in math and so I've lost count.

Hello blog space! Been a while since I've had the time to sit down and write in you, especially since I now work at one of the busiest and most popular coffee chain in the world. Most times I'm home and really looking forward to the bed, but I guess that's what retail does to anyone. But tired as I may be, I'd love to keep traditions alive and that is to always do a resolution wrap up for the year.

Now for starters, I definitely didn't come into 2019 thinking I'd be moving halfway across the world with my other half. I mean we did talk about the possibilities of leaving Malaysia, but the places that came in mind were still in Asia like Singapore or maybe Hong Kong at some point of time. And then along the year came big decisions and changes so if I didn't hit my resolutions for this year, would I be forgiven?
THE HIT: TO SPEND MORE FAMILY TIME

Us on the Penang Ferry!

Us adding onto my fats in Penang!

I think most of this was extremely fueled by the fact that I was going to move to Europe with my other half, and so my parents and I took all the opportunities we could to travel together. Not pictured are days when I was working from home for about half of the year thanks to the job I had taken up after February, but those days we spent together huddled at the dining table with our electronics were fun on its own too. It's probably not a very popular opinion in today's society, but I think traveling with parents is a really fun experience. If anything, I really do look forward to going back to Malaysia (fingers crossed) next year just so we could go somewhere again!

THE HALF HIT: TO PICK UP ON JAPANESE 3.0

Tokyo, 2019

I'm only going to list this under a half-hit because I don't think I really nailed it in the head, but I realized that I was way more open to speaking Japanese during our trip to Japan in May. In fact I went on a complete crash course a month prior to the trip, taking up any possible Japanese learning possibilities - from apps to movies to websites with free courses...you name it and I was trying it. So did I truly pick up Japanese in 2019? I'd say a yes and no because I've already forgotten about 80% of what I've learned during my crash learning. I'll try harder. 

THE HALF HIT: TO PREPARE A HOME TOGETHER 

My sharks infiltrating the cabinets of our home

This resolution sits under my half-hit list because I still find it super funny when I think about it. You see, I wrote this with our KL home in mind because we knew we wanted to move in together in 2019. And with that we had the trips to IKEA, the appointments with the kitchen people, the electrician, and so on...only to abandon all our plans to move to Europe. So how exactly did I hit this? Well we're kind of preparing a home together here in Europe now, aren't we? Granted the studio comes inclusive of furniture but I believe that that's really just a stepping stone and us being here to add touches of "us" in it is the true meaning of turning this house into a home. Together.

THE MISS: TO LOSE WEIGHT 

Chubs on my birthday, chubs all the way

This, to nobody's surprise had obviously failed in such painful depths. In fact when I first moved to Europe I thought I'd actually still make it because I'm walking so much on a daily basis! From home to the trams, to grocery shopping and job hunting...I'm just still chubby. Perhaps it's just been a chubby decade for me. 

THE MISS: TO LOG MONTHLY LIFE UPDATES ON THE BLOG 

I mean, need I say more? The fact that this wrap up is my only update in December speaks for itself doesn't it?

TO THE END OF THIS DECADE


But ultimately, this is it. Today marks not just the end of the year, but of the decade that I've come to grow so much. In this decade I've entered college and I left it. I got into several jobs, and then I left them all. I got into relationships, I broke up, but in the end I also got married. I bought a home, and then I moved to Europe. I saw both my grandparents pass away, and I saw my parents growing old. I made a ton of friends in this decade, but I also lost a number of them along the way. 

In this decade we've all been through changes, but we've all braved through them as well. From the darkest of nights to the brightest of days, from the times we thought we'd never make it to the moments we wished would never end. From the good, to the bad, and perhaps the ugly, I just wanted to say thank you and goodbye to the 2010s. Thank you and goodbye for everything these years have brought to me, to you, and to everyone. You've been nothing but an amazing roller coaster ride, but now it's time for us to get on a different one. 

Adieu, 2019. Adieu, 2010s. I hope you had a great time too.
Days since my last post: 19 

It's been 3 weeks, my little space! I've been meaning to write in you for a while now but I tend to note my thoughts and pieces in my phone at midnight, and then wake up and forget about them again. Maybe...just maybe I should start extracting them for you!

But before all of that is going to happen, this is happening:

Happy 2nd Anniversary, my other half! 

It's actually 11:11AM as I write this now, and nothing gives me better satisfaction than knowing that. I remember waking up 2 years ago on this day in KL thinking about how the day would go on, and how we'd also turn imperfect things perfect. Because that's what a marriage is all about. Turning the bad into alright, and the okays to great just as long as we're together on this. 

To my other half who has brought us on this adventure abroad, I hope you know that I'll always have your back through every decision you make. From our midnight rubbish talks to our random life discussions, I'm really glad I decided to say yes to you. We're not sure what lies ahead of us here in Europe but come what may and we'll just trek on through! 

I hope we'll always remember having bak kut teh in our little studio on the day before our anniversary in 2019. Here's to more soups on cold nights, mountains of sharks in our bed, and freezing feet under the covers. 

And thank you, for everything.
Days since my last post: 5 

As I'm writing this blog post, a part of me is craving to fly back to Malaysia just to have another serving of Gin Rik Sha's Paneer Piccata with their specialty gin cocktails. Tucked in the heart of Bukit Damansara, Gin Rik Sha is a restaurant whose name set me in circles because I first thought they were either Korean or Japanese. As it turns out, Gin Rik Sha was neither - and it gave my friend Tania quite a bit of laugh at how I had no idea about this place.

Just the right setting for a night out 

Whether it's for large crowds

Or for several friends, Gin Rik Sha is set to serve

In fact Gin Rik Sha, ladies and gentlemen, serves the best Indian cuisine I've ever tried. While their dishes are originally portioned to share, it's easy to see why some guests may not want to do this while visiting Gin Rik Sha.

Gin Rik Sha's Mango Chicken Pappodom (RM 20)

Gin Rik Sha's Pop Corn Tempura (RM 14)

For starters, Gin Rik Sha's Mango Chicken Pappodom takes a twist on everyone's favourite pappodom snack by turning it into a bowl and it in sits a fresh fusion of Indian flavours ala mango salsa with tandoori chicken. What surprised me the most with this dish was the fact that I actually liked it despite the highly distinctive onion profile in every bite, and everyone around me knows I despise onions. It's recommended that you eat this immediately as it dishes out however, because the pappodom may turn soft as it soaks up the juices from the mango salsa. 

Separately, the Pop Corn Tempura (A fun word play here to the fact that it's actually sweet corn) is what I would really urge that you order if you're out for a night of drinks with your friends or family at Gin Rik Sha. Lightly covered in tempura batter and Indian spices, this sweet corn appetizer was one of my favourite dishes of the night because I couldn't stop popping it in my mouth. I'd note that it would taste slightly salty on its own, so it's best paired with a drink in hand. 

Gin Rik Sha's Paneer Piccata (RM 22) 

Ah! The very star of my evening that would be the VERY reason I want to re-visit Gin Rik Sha! This is the Paneer Piccata or Gin Rik Sha's take on fresh curd served with capers and onions. At first look, I had imaged the taste to be either overwhelmingly heavy or fall really flat but boy was I more wrong. The paneer piccata was actually really fragrant and had a light bite to it, while the capers and onions gave it a taste profile so indescribable, I could only say you have to actually try it for yourself.

Gin Rik Sha's Chicken Briyani and Pomegranate Yogurt (RM 30)

Gin Rik Sha's Bombay Masala Salmon served with Couscous (RM 38)

Onwards to the heavier side of our meal, we had the Chicken Briyani that came with a housemade pomegranate yogurt. The combination sounded rather weird to me in the beginning, but trust me when I say it absolutely works. The pomegranate yogurt actually made the dish so light and inviting that I couldn't stop myself from going for second and third helpings even when I was supposed to share the dish with Tania and Isabel. It is best recommended that you do share this dish out too, because how else would you enjoy the rest of the food that Gin Rik Sha has to offer?

The Bombay Masala Salmon on the other hand was served with couscous, and while it was tasty - I thought it didn't surprise my taste buds as much as the other food of the evening did. Perhaps it was just my dislike for fish, but I approached the dish rather cautiously and can proudly say the salmon was fresh and didn't come with the actual "fishy" aroma you'd expect.

Gin Rik Sha's Kulfi with Caramalized Bananas (RM 22) 

Gin Rik Sha's Baked Yogurt Pudding (RM 20)

And after all that food, it's almost a sin not to top everything off with desserts! Gin Rik Sha's special Kulfi with Caramalized Bananas actually set the 3 of us bananas as we tried really hard to figure out what indeed was the "kulfi" ice cream. We never actually got the answer but we thought it had a mix of Horlicks with a spice of some sort. If you ever try it and found out what it is - do let me know! 

Unfortunately after trying out the Kulfi, Gin Rik Sha's Baked Yogurt Pudding that was served with a berry coulis and almond bits fell rather short to our expectations. It was pretty good, don't get me wrong but the flavours were nothing to shout about especially after the bar was set really high by the Kulfi. The baked yogurt was light and almost souffle-like, but I'd assume it could appeal to guests who aren't looking for something that's overly sweet. 

Gin Rik Sha's bartender serving up a unique concoction

On the left: Keralan Southside (RM 33) / On the right: Laal Adrak (RM 48)

As mentioned earlier, Gin Rik Sha also serves a good array of gin cocktails created and well tested by their resident bartender. That evening, we tried the Gin Rik Sha Keralan Southside which was a mix of gin with kaffir leaf, mint leaf, and lemon juice as well as the Laal Adrak that featured a sweet and sour profile of gin, raspberry puree, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and apple juice. I personally really enjoyed the Laal Adrak because it wasn't just sweet to taste but featured a comfortable balance of sour that made me want to have even more food after drinking it. 
 
If you're unsure of what you'd like from the extensive cocktail menu, do speak to the bartender who would happily give you a list of drink suggestions according to your preference. If you're lucky, you may even end up with an off-menu item that's perfectly handcrafted to your enjoyment! 

A pleasing take

So would I return? Absolutely! In fact, I wish they'd open up a branch here in Amsterdam just so it's easier for me to reach for that Paneer Piccata and Laal Adrak! For all you hungry people out there, Gin Rik Sha is located at Plaza Damansara and opens Mondays to Saturdays, from 430PM to 12AM. For exclusive promotions and ongoing specials, do check out their Facebook page here!

*This meal was sponsored for review purposes, however this has not affected my thoughts on the dishes in any way.
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