Our DIY Coffee Brewing at Home

I confess.

I love everything there is to it about coffee.

The smell. The taste. 

Whenever I think about coffee, I think of breakfast or cakes or cookies which would accompany my coffee. 

I think of a sunny morning. 

Nothing perks me up better in the morning than coffee. 

I'd probably feel that something is amiss when I start my morning without my cuppa. 

Seeing that I love coffee, hubby bought an espresso machine for home use. 

We've tried a few espresso machines, to be honest. 

We finally settled for this:

A Philips Saeco Poemia series. 

We saved up enough (a few months or so) to make this purchase and saved up on our coffee trips to the cafe. 

The size isn't too bulky and fits perfectly on our counter top, right next to our water kettle of similar color. 

Setting it up to brew coffee in the morning doesn't take too much time. 

Of course, before I was able to use it all by myself, hubby showed me the hows until I was confident enough to brew my own. (Cue victory dance here).

How to Brew Your Own Coffee

The steps below are for preparing a cup of latte.

Step 1

Steam the milk in a container like the one below using the espresso machine.

Before steaming, there'll be an indicator (green light) on the machine to show you that the machine is ready to be used. 

It should be hot enough (not scalding hot), to be poured into your coffee mug at a later stage. 

Once the milk is steamed, set it aside. 

Step 2

Use ONE scoop (provided in the kit) of ground coffee beans and pour this into the scoop as per the picture. 

Insert this scoop onto the machine. 

You may purchase coffee beans from your local cafe and request for them to grind the beans for you (notify them that it would be used for a coffee machine at home, not for commercial use). 

Alternatively, if you have your own grinder, you may grind the beans to your liking at home. 

Select the option to express the espresso into a small espresso glass shot.

As I love my coffee to be thick, you can see that I'm using 2 espresso glass shots here.

Step 3
Quickly pour your espresso shots into your coffee mug, immediately followed by the milk you've heated earlier.

Step 4
Once done, you may add sugar to your liking. 

There you go! 

Your freshly brewed coffee which you can enjoy within the comfort of your own home. 

Aaahhh ... bliss! :)

How to remove or hide your house from Google Streetview for dummy

GUIDE - Bagaimana nak sembunyikan atau padamkan rumah anda dari Google Streetview?

Sebelum kita explore the process mari kita lihat apa itu Google Streetview?

Menurut Wiki:

1. Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from positions along many streets in the world. It was launched in 2007 in several cities in the United States, and has since expanded to include cities and rural areas worldwide.

Dalam simple terms, kira Streetview ni macam pemandangan peta jalanan di seluruh dunia tanpa perlu pergi sendiri ke lokasi secara fizikal.

Bak pepatah melayu "Jauh berjalan, luas pengetahuan"

Baru-baru ni Google announce yang Google Map Malaysia dah feature kan Streetview untuk Semenanjung dan menurut Team Lowyat.Net kawasan di bawah adalah next dalam senarai mereka.

• Taman Tasik Ampang Hilir
• Dharmikarama Burmese Temple, Georgetown, Penang
• Fort Cornwallis, Penang
• Kapitan Keling Mosque, Penang
• Penang War Museum
• Taman Putra Perdana, Putrajaya
• Taman Rimba Riang Park, Selangor
• Taman Tasik Shah Alam, Selangor
• Sunway Lagoon
• Shah Alam Go Kart
• Taman Desa Water Park
• Taman Tasik Titiwangsa
• Taman Rimba Kiara
• Taman Botanical Kepong
• Taman Tasik Kepong Metropolitan
• Sri Subramaniam Temple, Batu Caves
• Masjid Sultan Sallahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Shah Alam
• Desa Park City

Inilah dia kenderaan yang telah menjelajah pelusuk Malaysia untuk merakam gambar bagi Google Streetview.

Image by Astro Awani

Feature Streetview ni memang sangat hebat tetapi media tempatan melaporkan ramai orang awam yang bimbang privacy mereka mungkin tercemar dengan wujudnya Google Malaysia Streetview.

Astro Awani - Netizens divided over Google Street View, citing it as 'invasion of privacy' 

The Malay Mail - Google finally brings ‘Street View’ to Malaysia


Tapi kebimbangan dan ketakutan itu juga di kongsi bersama dengan para celebrity antarabangsa menurut Huffington Post dan berjaya untuk sembunyikan rumah agam mereka dari tatapan umum. Yeah! Paling best sekali orang kebanyakan macam kita juga boleh berbuat sedemikian

So tunggu apa lagi, kiranya anda takut kucing atau motor kesayangan menjadi tatapan umum sila cuba step by step berikut:

1. Layari https://www.google.com/maps

2. Taipkan alamat rumah anda atau ibu mertua anda

3. Bila dah jumpa lokasi rumah seperti dalam peta contoh di bawah

 4. Boleh click Streetview terus di paparan kiri atau boleh drag little Street View Man yang comel tu kat lokasi yang di perlukan (I prefer the little man because he appear helpless and funny when you drag)

5. After that click "Report a problem" on the bottom right of the screen.

6. Nanti akan terpaper page macam kat bawah ni sila pilih sebab musabab kenapa nak sembunyi atau blur kan rumah anda. Pilih satu jer ye

7. Bila dah pilih satu anda kena taipkan reason contohnya nak blur kan rumah. Masukkan alamat email dan type in the CAPTCHA and press submit. 

Hopefully Google akan menunaikan permintaan anda. Jika berjaya anda akan terima email pemberitahuan daripada Google.

Selamat Mencuba!


Bagaimana nak sembunyikan atau padamkan rumah anda dari Google Streetview?
Bagaimana Memadam Imej Sensitif Dari Google Streetview?
Macam mana nak padam gambar dari Google Street View?
How to blur your house from google Street view?
How to remove your car image from Google Street View?
How to remove your sensitive image from Google Street View?
How to delete your image from Google Street View? 
How to delete my business place from Google Street View?

Poslaju Online Airway Bill

Based on my experience so far using the Poslaju postal service, parcels shipped to recipients would successfully reach them by the next business day. 

The only time where there was a delay was when I sent it on a Friday and the recipient only received it on Tuesday the following week. 

Even though I've handed it over the counter around 10am+. Hence, I'd avoid sending parcels on Fridays. 

Now, dragging a toddler into a packed post office whilst trying to juggle the parcels, filling up the form and referring to your mobile phone or notes for the address and at the same time, eyeing your toddler running around the post office is one challenging task!

So hubby advised me on creating an online airway bill. 

Here's how:

Go to www.poslaju.com.my

Click on 'CREATE CONSIGNMENT'

Fill up the online form, starting with the details of the RECIPIENT followed by your details:

Once all fields have been filled, click on the 'CREATE CONSIGNMENT NOTE' button at the end of the page:

 It will then prompt you to print a pdf form with all the fields already filled up for you. 

You'll need to print out 2 pages (there will be 4 forms in total) and complete the signature section along with details of the parcel's content.

You can bring the 2 pages and your parcel over to the post office for them to arrange the necessary. 

If you wish to make their job easier, particularly if you have more than once parcel to ship, you can cut out all 4 forms separately. 

3 forms will be retained by the post office whereas the remaining 1 form will be for your personal copy. The forms already have a tracking number so you may provide this to your recipient.

It has made my job much easier ever since I've prepared the print-outs prior to my visit to the post office so I could pay close attention to my toddler :D

Hope this helps! :)

Passport Renewal @ Wangsa Maju

When hubby told me that I needed to renew my passport, of course I reacted with a huge sigh and groan. 

I was thinking about having to wake up early and leaving the house by 6.30am, dragging along a sleepy toddler so that we could queue in front of the Immigration Office just to take a number! 

Last Friday, we initially planned to leave the house early.
Didn't expect our toddler to wake up around the same time, so we got her ready, packed her stuff and off we went, albeit being half an hour later than planned.

We reached the Immigration Office around 7.15pm and parked right in front of the office. 

At that time, there were ample parking space whereby the mamak stalls were filled with office workers grabbing their breakfast and you can see the makcik selling nasi lemak setting up their stalls too, so if you wish to grab a quick breakfast, you have a lot of choices around.

As we climbed the stairs heading to the department, a lady immediately grabbed our attention with "Nak buat passport? Ambik gambar dulu."

I initially hesitated, saying that we needn't take a picture (yes, I've read some blogs saying that you need not bring any photos) as I didn't want to be cheated out of my money for something I wouldn't end up using!

But the lady said "Bukan untuk awak, untuk anak awak. Diaorang tak amik gambar budak bawah 6 tahun sebab susah."

I see. 

So we prepped our toddler for a picture taking session. 

Yes, tough at first as she refused to look at the camera and was smiling AT ME instead! 

"Look at the camera, baby," I told my little toddler.

The lady who took her picture said "Tengok camera, hello! Senyum! Hi." I could see she was also trying to grab my toddler's attention. 

Whilst my toddler and I were in the room taking pics, hubby was outside busy completing forms for both of us which the lady had handed out to him, "Ini borang kena isi untuk apply passport. Nah, percuma."

Wow, very efficient of her! 

It took us around 15 minutes or so to get it sorted and hubby asked me to line up first. 

We were number 13 in the queue.

Two RELA officers were standing guard, asking everyone to get their ICs ready and they ensured that the everyone was in line, not blocking the pathway. 

They also handed out the same forms and requested everyone to complete the forms (which the lady had handed out earlier to us at the photo shop).

The two RELA officers, despite looking serious, are actually very helpful and will most definitely answer any questions you have in the most kind manner. 

Everyone else was very courteous in the queue, like WOW! I'm truly impressed. (Faith in humanity restored!)

Doors were opened around 7.45am.

You need to prepare:
1) IC or Birth Cert for your child
2) 2 Photos of your child
3) Copy of IC / Birth Cert
4) Completed Form(s): Personal details, including your height and also for how long you wish to renew it for. <You can measure your height by yourself in the Immigration Office>

RELA officers will guide you to the counter.

Approach the counter, they'll check that your documents are in order and they'll give you a number.

Take a seat. 

You'll need to wait until 8am, then they'll start operations. 

Wait for your number to appear on the screen. 

We went to counter 11.

Hand over the same documents and you'll be required to take a picture here. There's a mirror too at the counter so you can check your hair before snapping your photo. You'll be required to sign on a document too, along with your thumbprint. 

The officer checked her screen, checked the documents and printed a document, passed it to me. 

Take a seat, again.

Wait until your number is called.

This time we went to counter 8.

Paid RM300 for 5-years renewal.

The officer will return your IC and produce a receipt. "Boleh ambil passport dalam masa sejam ya."

I decided to wait inside the office instead.

45 minutes later, my number suddenly appeared. 

I approached the counter, was asked for my old passport, she looked at it and stamped on it. She handed over my new passport, requested me to check the details on the passport and sign.

Walla, all done by 9.30am! :)

Photo is in black and white so don't worry if you didn't manage to apply your make-up so early in the morning :D


Getting there:

Jabatan Imigresen Wangsa Maju