41. Syrian Maamouls And Turkish Tea (Çay)

I love to drink Turkish tea, which is locally known as 'Çay' and pronounced as 'chai' together with some Syrian tarts called 'maamouls', especially the pistachio 'maamouls'. 

Turkish tea is typically prepared using two stacked kettles called "çaydanlık" specially designed for tea preparation.

Turkish Tea With Syrian Maamouls

I love the Turkish tea sets and tablewares. Personally I think they are among the most besutiful ones in the world.

Syrian Pistachio Maamouls

A Turkish 'Çaydanlik' (2-stacked teapot)

40. Vintage-Style Coffee Demitasse From Victoria Style, Doha

When my daughter Stephany was still working and studying in Doha, she loved to take me out to the shopping malls, sometimes to window-shop and if there was something we both love, then we would buy it. The coffee cups featured here were bought during one of such occasions! There were many lovely vintage-style teacups and coffee cups sold in the shop, Victoria Style, at Doha City Centre, and I simply love this pair!

Vintage-style Coffee Cups & Wedgwood 'Butterfly Bloom' Teapot

Vintage-style Coffee Cups & Wedgwood 'Butterfly Bloom' Teapot

Cupcakes Baked By Stephany

39. A Gift From Stephany - A Tea Set From Czechoslovakia & A Rainbow Cupcake

My daughter, Stephany loves to bake - cakes, macaroons and especially cupcakes. And she also loves beautiful tea sets just like me. She has gifted several tea sets to me on various occasions like my birthdays, Mothers' day, Wedding Anniversary Day and just about any random day as and when she feels like it.

The set in this picture here is also a gift from her. She loves the colour and when she saw the set for the first time, she fell in love with it and bought it, knowing that I would surely love it! May The Almighty God bless her always! 

Tea Set Made In Czechoslovakia & A Rainbow Cupcake Made By Stephany

Tea Set Made In Czechoslovakia & A Rainbow Cupcake Made By Stephany

Tea Set Made In Czechoslovakia & A Rainbow Cupcake Made By Stephany

Tea Set Made In Czechoslovakia & A Rainbow Cupcake Made By Stephany

38. Yearning to eat 'Laksa Sarawak' in the land where there's none!

I woke up this morning yearning for some 'Laksa Sarawak' - a dish popular in my birth place, but not available here in Doha. As the gravy requires specially made spice paste which is also unavailable in this city, I had to browse through the internet for the recipes - thanks to present day technology!! So I had to start from scratch, making my own spice paste and then the rest!

It took me almost 2 hours to get everything ready to eat! Here's the pictures of the outcome of my effort. Hopefully my other half appreciates it when he tastes it later!

The dish consists of the boiled rice noodles, the hot-and-spicy-coconut milk-rich gravy, shredded boiled chicken meat, strips of omelete, cooked fish and crab balls, strips of boiled fish maw, steamed shredded carrots, cooked young corns and fried onions and garlic.

Bon appetit!

Laksa Sarawak Ala Victoria

Briefly Boiled Rice Noodle

Shredded Omelette, Boiled Fish & Crab Balls, Shredded Boiled Fish Maw

Shredded Chicken Meat, Steamed Shredded Carrot, Steamed Young Sweet Corn, Fried Onion & Garlic Slices

Hot & Spicy 'Laksa' Gravy

37. Bone China Chinese Tea Set/Expresso/Arabic Coffee Set With Warmer

Bone China Chinese Tea Set/Expresso or Arabic Coffee Set With Warmer

Bone China Chinese Tea Set/Expresso or Arabic Coffee Set With Warmer

36. Moroccan Tea Set - Mother's Day Gift From My Daughter, Stephany

Colourful Aluminium Teapot & Glasses 

Mother's Day Gift From Stephany - 2012

35. Enameled Bone China Tea Set - Purple Peacock - Gift From My Daughter, Stephany

I love drinking tea, particularly in the morning, for breakfast and at mid-morning. My love for tea goes back a long way to those days when I was a little girl, and my maternal grandfather used to come and visit us and he would bring me to the bazaar to drink tea at the coffee shops, called 'Kopi Tiam'. Sweet hot tea, brewed mostly from tea leaves from Sri Langka (then Ceylon). I especially love the Triple 8 Ceylon Tea, which used to be rather fragrant. Those days, the coffee shops used to serve hot tea in very thick porcelain teacups and saucers. In order to let the tea cool down faster, my grandfather used to pour a quarter of the tea from the teacup into the saucer and he would ask me to 'blow wind' on on to the tea in my saucer so that the tea cools down faster.

Now, I am privileged to taste many kinds of tea in the world. Friends from all over the world who are working together with us here in Doha, and last time in Yokohama, often bring back and present us with tea from their countries of origin each time they return there for holidays. I am thankful for their kindness and generosity.

Various kinds of tea.

Milk & Sugar Bowls

This beautiful enameled bone china 'Purple Peacock' tea set is a gift from my daughter, Stephany. I remember asking her what the occasion was that she presented me with such a beautiful gift. She told me that the gift is for "an every day occasion" - for the time and effort I spent making breakfast and sandwiches for her to bring to her classes at her university and during her clinical practice at the hospital. I responded that as a mother, I would do anything for my children.

Enameled Bone China Tea Set - 'Purple Peacock' - Gift from Stephany

34. Sipping my Bais De Montagne (Mountain Berry) Tea from my Queen Victoria Tea Set

Today I felt kind of lazy.....I made myself some Mountain Berry tea (Bais De Montagne) Fruit Infusion, Blend No.: 2130 from Tealeaves, Infusion Of Luxury in my Queen Victoria Collection tea set and served it hot wih some Danish cookies from Jacobsens Bakery Ltd, Denmark. 

It was during one my family's trips to the UK that we went to London to tour the Buckingham Palace. It was a Thursday and I had wanted to witness the Change Of Guards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. After the ceremony my family and I took a tour of the Royal Mews, the Queen's Gallery and the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.

Change Of Guards Ceremony At The Buckingham Palace, London

The berry tea has this ripe fruit aroma, somewhat wine-like, full and strong! To complement it's fruity taste, I took it with some Lindt & Sprungli's Lindor chocolate.

Tealeaves'  Mountain Berry Fruit Infusion tea served in my Queen Victoria Tea Set

The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace

The Queen's Horsemen Inside The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace

One Of The Queen's Coaches - A Gilded One - Inside The Royal Mews

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace

The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, where I bought my beautuful bone china tea sets and plates

Hot English Breakfast tea is also very nice to enjoy with some Syrian pistachio 'maamouls' (cookies), especially at mid morning. When we were residing at Porto Arabia, I used to enjoy sipping hot tea served with Syrian pistachio maamouls while sitting at my balcony and watching the Sheikhs' beautiful boats and yachts sailing in and out of the marina below!

English Breakfast Tea Served With Syrian Pistachio Maamoul (Cookies)

Queen Victoria Teacup & Saucer

Queen Victoria Bone China Basket

33. Time Flies....

Time flies really fast.....Sunday is on the threshold. 

Figuratively speaking, in a blink of an eye, it's our 9th year residing in the Middle East. I remember the first time my husband dropped the bombshell that we had to move from Japan to the Middle East, I was at loss for words. That was in September 2008. I thought I heard wrongly...how could we be leaving Yokohama! I loved the place then and still love it now. Yokohama nursed me back to health; Yokohama taught me to love nature; Yokohama unveiled my hidden talent, and Yokohama, through my dearest friend, Joy, opened my heart to our Creator, our Heavenly Father again.

When I finally decided to join my husband in Doha in January 2008, I didn't know what to expect. I was worried if I could cope with the weather, and with the different life style. My husband had to entice me to join him in Doha, but it was the thoughts of him having to take care of himself and coming home to an empty house after work each day that finally helped me made up my mind to follow him. And I never regret ever since that first day I arrived in Doha and made it my home. 

View of across the bay from our balcony at the 27th Floor, ASAS East Tower, in West Bay Area, Doha in 2008

Now I've grown to love this fast growing little city. Buildings and roads/highway construction is on-going day and night everyday. I have witnessed the growth of the city of Doha since 2008 when the construction of the high-rise buildings and towers, and the man-made Pearl Island had just started. I remembered those days when my husband and I were staying at ASAS Twin Towers at West Bay area, when I used to look out across from our balcony at the 27th floor of  our tower, I used to ask my husband about the Pearl Island. Who would be residing there when the construction of those towers, town house, villa and mansions are completed? He would tell me that only the rich ones would be able to live there! And I used to tell him that I hope one day we could afford residing in Qatar's premier living area - The Pearl Island!

One day in December 2009, just before Christmas Day, and that was while my daughters and I had just flown out of Doha and arrived in Malaysia for our holiday, that I received a phone call after midnight. It was my husband saying 'Goodnight' to me and the girls. After about 10 minutes later he called me again, sounding breathless. He told me that the tower where we were residing (ASAS East Tower) was on fire and he and the other tenants were being evacuated. I was so scared and only could pray for God's mercy. Later, my husband informed me that our unit was all right, but the tower had to be closed and guarded to enable the relevant authorities carry out investigation.

As as result of this fire, the company which employed my husband moved us out to a temporary place at Grand Hyatt Hotel and Villa while waiting for the tower at The Pearl Island to be ready for occupation. Yes!! We were being moved to THE PEARL!! Someone up there must have heard my wishes and prayers and granted them! In the third week of April 2010 we officially moved to Porto Arabia, The Pearl, Doha - our new home in the Middle East!

Photo of the view  of the marina at Porto Arabia, The Pearl, Doha from our balcony at the 7th Floor, taken by my daughter, Catriona, 2 months after we moved to The Pearl Island.

Panoramic view of Porto Arabia Marina from the balcony of our condominium at the 7th Floor of the tower.

What I loved most about our stay at Porto Arabia was that in the morning after I woke up I would enjoy sitting at my balcony, watching the boats came and went while having my breakfast! This was especially so during the cooler months of November to April.

One of those mornings when I enjoyed just having 2 soft-boiled eggs mixed with a dash of Sarawak pepper, few drops of soy sauce and a teaspoon of Otago Pasture Flower Honey, gift from my daughter, Catriona, and a hot cup of Eanglish Breakfast tea with milk

32. Tea-For-One Tea Set By Stevens - Gift from my daughter, Catriona

In  the first week of July year 2010, my daughters invited me over to visit them in Dunedin, New Zealand. I flew there and it was mid-winter in the southern hemisphere. At the end of the week, the girls told me that they would like to celebrate my birthday. My daughters Catriona and Stephy, their cousins Angie and Jenny, and their housemates, Eun and Yim prepared dinner. Stephy and Angie baked my birthday cake.

For this birthday, Catriona bought a lovely Tea-for-One tea set by Stevens from Dunedin's Arthur Barnett Department Store.

31. Serving Tea In My Coat of Arms Tankard

I bought this pair of Coat of Arms tankards from Buckingham Palace's Royal Shop in London back in 2009. The tankard is English fine bone china finished using 22 carat burnished gold. It's design is inspired by a beautiful hand painted plate found in The Royal China Pantry, Buckingham Palace, and the highly embellished coat of arms of King George IV forms the centrepiece of each piece.

Coat of Arms Tankard from Buckingham Palace Royal Shop, London

Serving English breakfast tea in my Coat of Arms tankards, with some Scottish butter cookies

Inspired by a beautiful hand painted plate found in The Royal China Pantry, Buckingham Palace, the highly embellished coat of arms of King George IV forms the centrepiece of each piece in this service.

The prettiest of blues and glistening gold combine with blush pink English roses in the Coat of Arms range.

30. Musician, Prince, Dies At The Age Of 57 Years - Rest In Peace

Today sees the passing of one of my favourite performers of all time, Prince. I will always cherish his song "Purple Rain".

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

29. A Cup of Malaysian 'Teh Tarek' ('Pulled tea') and Slices of Sarawak 'Kek Lapis Masam Manis' (Sweet & Sour Layered Cake)

Good morning! Today is Her Majesty, the Queen of England's 90th birthday. Congratulations and may God continue to bless her with many more. And for me, let me cheer with a cup of the Malaysian 'Teh Tarek', literally translated as 'pulled tea'. This special tea with milk is popularly made by the ethnic Muslim Indians in Peninsular Malaysia, and what it really is, is hot milk tea placed in a tankard and poured over and over into another tankard to cool it down. The act of pouring and pulling the two tankards further away from each other appears to be 'pulling' the tea back and forth!

I have chosen my Italian-design teacup and a biscuit and milk saucer set from which to drink my 'Teh Tarek'. To accompany my hot 'Teh Tarek' I am having the famous Sarawak Sweet & Sour Layered Cake, 'Kek Lapis Masam Manis' which I bought in, and brought all the way from, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 

Until she got her independence and joined the Malay States of  Malaya and Singapore together with Sabah (then British North Borneo) to form the country of Malaysia in 1963, Sarawak, which is situated on the north-western side of the island of Borneo, was then a British Colony after she was ruled as the Kingdom Of Sarawak by the three White Rajahs, the English Brooke family.

Delicious Sarawak Sweet & Sour Layered Cake with a cup of the famous Malaysian milk tea,  'Teh Tarek'