An Intriguing Tale Of Being An Owner

We started opening on Sundays today .. till after Christmas.  Our hours are 12 – 6pm but since it was raining the whole day today..  we didn’t really get a lot of walk ins.  But that’s alright.. because even though we had to work today.. we still manage to have healthy food waiting for us… for dinner after work.  It took a little planning on our part to have healthy cooking but i could never work . .if i knew that the kid wasn’t eating right.   So yes.. ! i made the man cook beef stew in a slow cooker.. before heading out to the store… and it was a great decision.  Nothing beats coming home to an already cooked meal.

8 yrs in Canada.. and helping the spouse in the store.. does not make the meals any easier at work.  Really and in all honesty .. i’ve tried to like the food here.. from sandwiches to pasta and pizzas too.  But none i really can stomach no more.  I do need more recipes for home cooked food.. and to bring them to work.. and nuke it here but it is so time consuming.. !!arrrrgghhh..!!! why donch they have catering service here..?? for home cooked food like home.

When PB started his business, it was a clearance center whereby we buy pallets of goods from a place in Niagara Falls, on closeout sales and returns from big departmental stores around Canada. It was quite amazing and amusing to be honest, to see all sorts of things come into the store, and PB would sort them out.. and re-sell them, we had from food choppers to vacuum cleaners and air-cons that came in the pallets. Some are in perfect condition .. while others, well. .they just needed a little tweaking. In fact the vacuum cleaner that we have been using for years now .. for our home and the store came from one of those pallets. Interesting were those days and PB had liked that kinda stuff.. but there were just too many people in this town, who would take advantage of the fact that we were selling used stuff, and tried to take advantage of us.  So we gave up on doing that.

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Woohoo..! i had dim sum today..!! but of course nothing compared to the ones in Asia lah…!! but still beggars can’t be choosers.. so i IS the happy..!!

Owning a video store, means carrying candies and pop as well, for the customers who rents video from us. Alot of people do ask for popcorns too.. but we only have those that you can microwave. Unfortunately, we are not able to get them often enough to keep up with the demands.. so we’ve decided to invest in some popcorn machines, which to my surprised is not that expensive at all. Well.. one has gotta do what you’ve gotta do… to keep the customer/s happy.

I’ve found the dim sum restaurant that I want to eat in. They are open for dim sum from 11.30am – 3pm on Sundays. I can’t wait. The menu isn’t as extensive.. but still they have congee .. and egg tarts..!! and siew mai.. happy am i..! Unfortunately,I donch see any desserts.. bummer..!

Awesome for the Asians.. because i know most women out there.. are working mom.. or very busy.. SAHM or WAHMs. Or just for plain lazy mums like me. For the longest time.. i cooked everything with chopped garlic.. because they sell it here in bottles. I’ve seen this in the grocery stores here.. but they were to me. .a wee bit ex .. to buy… because afterall… onions are really cheap right. But for those who donch wanna cook from scratch .. or donch have so much time.. this is really a good alternative, though i think PB might not agree with me. I know besides the onion.. they have other things chopped up too.. like green or red peppers. I really like the idea.. just donch like the price enough to buy it. It really has to be a more competitive price.

The Americans have Coney dog… the Malaysians have Coney dogs, the Singaporeans have Coney dogs..!! why is it .. that the Canadians have Whistler dogs.. that is so shitty.. at $4 bucks.. with nothing on it.. just the normal relishes ..and mustard only..!! I told you food suxs big time.. in this small town..!! I really donch mind paying for good food.. but it’s nothing but crap at the A&W here…!!

“LONDON – Super spicy chili sauce being cooked at a London Thai restaurant sparked road closures and evacuations after passers-by complained that the smell was burning their throats, police said Wednesday.”

London Fire Brigade’s chemical response team was called because of strong smell from a restaurant in London’s Soho district. Fearing terrorism folks were evacuated, roads were closed and they even sealed off several premises to look for the source of it.

They smashed down the door of the Thai Cottage restaurant and seized extra-hot bird’s eye chilies which had been left dry-frying. They were preparing a spicy thai dip call Nam Prik Pao.

I guess I too, need to be careful when i cook Sambal or any strong chilli now. Afterall, in this day and age, anything can trigger the squads to come down and raid your place.. .when it comes to terrorism.

I never really like hot stuff when I was living in Asia. Sure I used to travel alot before coming to Canada but home is Asia for me and the longest that i’ve been out of the country for work is 6 months. Besides that time, I was in Glasgow for 4 yrs but then as a young student, we still have the energy to wake up at 4am in the morning.. and take a bus to London for the day. So chinese food is not too, too far away.

After coming to Canada.. my taste palate seems to have taken a 360 degree turn and i eat everything with chilli.  And if i am outta it.. i need my tabasco sauce.  It’s a good thing they have it for sale everywhere and anywhere in Nova Scotia otherwise,  you prolly would have me pulling out my hair.  I cannot explain to you .. why i’ve changed, for someone who wants tomato ketchup in my wanton noodles instead of chilli sauce when I was back home, this change shocks me alot.

But ask PB and my in-laws.. and they would tell you, i need tabasco sauce in my sphagettis and lasagne. But you ask my mum, she’ll tell you that I’m the only one who doesn’t eat hot stuff.

I’ve since realized that if you give me a bowl of tofu.. and a bowl of meat.. i’ll choose the tofu first. Donch get me wrong.. i love meat too.. but i think i love tofu even more.

Which brings me to this conclusion that .. my lil’ brat actually maybe unconsciously learning from me.  I may not be telling her that i donch like meat as much as i like tofu.. but still .. someone in a kid’s mind.. she picked it up somehow.  So i can’t say.. i donch know who she take after..when it comes to not liking meat as much.. because if i think about it again.. PB isn’t a great big fan of meat either.  Sure he would eat a turkey sandwich or a ham sandwich.. but i’ve yet to see him eat meat.

click on picture to enlarge

This online mooncake company is in the United States.. and they will ship to Canada. But a box of plain lotus seed mooncake will set me back about $80 USD, that means.. it would be about RM$240.00 for eating mooncake. Now you tell me.. to eat or not to eat.. muahahhahha!! A very expensive price to marry “ang moh” in Ulu Town, I’ll say.

Did you know that food bloggers are the best people in the world..?? they meet up.. and discover all the nice food.. and then share it with the world wide world. If you donch already know.. I read alot of food blogs. And because of the current situation.. and place i am in.. these food bloggers.. really, really are doing a great job.. with photos of food.. and description. .and even the place.. and phone numbers of the establishment.

Food bloggers are the friendliest people .. their only agenda is good food and good wine.  Anything to do with food.. they are very interested.. and they are not out to put anyone outta of business.. nor dissed anyone to make themselves more popular.  I appreciate them.. and thank them .. for reminding me.. time and again about home.

One such flogger who’ve make the mark and being remarkable .. is Boolicious from Masak-Masak.  If you donch know her.. it’s your lost.. !  Her blog has past the 1 million visitor.. recently.. !    A toast to Boo and her wonderful blog with always a kind answer to your comments.. and the wonderful pictures of her food rendezvous.  Thank you Boo.. for giving me.. many, many days of hope.. for good food. .to come.. when i return home for a vacation.. !  And CONGRATS..!!

I was excited.. when i learned that someone in town was selling Wanton Soup for 10 bucks… a big bowl of it. I really donch mind paying for good food .. and guess what i got for 10 bucks.. ?? 24 wantons.. and the meat inside the wanton was small than a 1 cent coin.. !! Yup..!! you heard right..!!  I mean it tasted alright and all.. but not worth the .40cents a wanton.

I assure you .. i can make better wantons than these.. !!  so yup.. no more buying wanton from this person no more..!! it’s more than daylight robbery..!!!  Even the chinese restaurant’s wanton soup is much more filling .. than these.. and they cooked them for you.  These ones .. came frozen..!! what a real bummer..!!

But it’s alright..!! you never try you never know right..??

I’m so happy for my in-laws.. ! this year.. the peas are growing good.. and the first batch was so sweet and sugary.. and they picked a fair amount of peas to sell to this year.

My FIL just told me this morning.. that they are charging like 3.50/Ibs this year.. all time high. I hope the weather.. and the crops continue to do good.. because last year sux big time..!

And if anyone deserve a good year.. it certainly has to be my in-laws.. ! they worked so hard.. and got cheated of so much money last year.. by some good-for-nothing fella..!! I hope .. that fella rot in hell.. get sun burn everytime he walks outta the house, the house he is in.. falls down on his stupid head, his asshole burn everytime he takes a dump.. everytime he eats .. he gets choked.. everytime he showers.. his hair drops.. his g/f leaves him.. and he can’t find a job, when he drinks water.. he gets drown.

Please add on whatever curses you can think of.. ya..

As usual this afternoon, after coming into the store.. chloe and i went to Tims to get our coffee.. and a bagel for me.. since i didn’t have breakfast.

Chloe wanted a cookie after i’ve ordered my coffee and bagel. And i was charged .86 cents for a cookie..! now that didn’t seems right at all. Anyhow.. i thought i heard wrongly lah.. so i took a loonie out.. and gave it to the cashier… and true enough .. i got back like .14 cents .. for my change. I took a look at the sign board for prices .. and saw that it only cost .40 cents for a cookie.

Now what makes me wonder is this. If the cashier was someone new.. then i can understand that she charged me for a doughnut instead of a cookie. But this person has been working at Tims for a long, long time..! So how could someone make this kinda mistake..?? Trust me.. it’s not the .40 cents extra.. that i’m upset about.. but this is not the first time it has happened .. and with different ppl working at Tims.. so i donch know what is wrong..?? and i know that everything is automated.. and it’s all pre-fixed in their cashing thingie. So should i highlight or not..?? if i do.. i’m afraid.. i might bring a war down .. again.. like that tuna bagel.. the last time.. hhahahaha!!

I’m so happy for my in-laws.. ! this year.. the peas are growing good.. and the first batch was so sweet and sugary.. and they picked a fair amount of peas to sell to this year.

My FIL just told me this morning.. that they are charging like 3.50/Ibs this year.. all time high. I hope the weather.. and the crops continue to do good.. because last year sux big time..!

And if anyone deserve a good year.. it certainly has to be my in-laws.. ! they worked so hard.. and got cheated of so much money last year.. by some good-for-nothing fella..!! I hope .. that fella rot in hell.. get sun burn everytime he walks outta the house, the house he is in.. falls down on his stupid head, his asshole burn everytime he takes a dump.. everytime he eats .. he gets choked.. everytime he showers.. his hair drops.. his g/f leaves him.. and he can’t find a job, when he drinks water.. he gets drown.

Please add on whatever curses you can think of.. ya..

Every day.. at the store.. PB would ask me.. “what do you want to eat” .. if i didn’t make extra food from home.. to bring to work. And everyday.. my reply would be the same.. “Arrrgghhh..!! donch even ask me.. that anymore..!!”

Sometimes.. i just end up ordering a bowl of soup. But if you asked me.. what kinda soup i want.. i’ll pick our wanton soup anytime.. at about the same prices as any “ang moh” soup you can find here. Because “ang moh” soup not filling leh..!! At least wanton soup.. got like 4 big wantons.. got meat inside..and some char siew.. and bits of cabbage. Sure it’s not great.. but if i wanna drink soup.. i’ll take the wanton soup anytime. How i wished there are some herbal soups to be bought here for 5 bucks a pop.. !! like we have back home… but no such luck.. !! Bak Kut Teh .. that i make at home.. is the closest herbal soup.. i get around here.. hahhahahahaha!!

NOT FUNNY AT ALL..!!

PS : Guess what i had for lunch..??