..VOYAGE ECHOES (minus WIND)

At the China Visa application office in the OSK building, I saw one guy next to me with about a dozen passports & he was filling up about a dozen China visa applications. I was unsure about what I was doing so I asked him for some help since he looked more experienced in the matter. I can tell you that the queue at the counters were decently brief & the lady at the counter mentioned that I can pickup my visa after 3 or 4 days. It cost me about RM30 to make the visa.

Popularity: 11% [?]

I am keen on tasting the Texas gulf shrimp created by Chef Mark Holley of Texas. Where did I find the recipe? I found it at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com. Chef Mark Holley is one of the five finalists of the 2008 Great American Seafood Cook-Off held recently in New Orleans. The dish does not look lighter in color than the other top 4 dishes in the cook off as well as the least messy looking. The large plump shrimp looks promising of tasty juices within a bite of it. Yes, I am in the mood for it.

How about the recipe? The recipe is available for download at the site for folks like me who would like to try cooking the dish themselves. The full description of the dish is Texas gulf shrimp over hominy cakes with heirloom tomato relish drizzled with prickly pear gastrique. Certainly a mouthful so I hope the recipe will provide an extraordinary explosion of flavors in the mouth. I reckon pear with seafood is quite an interesting composition, isn’t it?

I am a bit of a cook myself. Occasionally, I do my own cooking & cook up a fine dish or two at home. Also, the availability of large prawns in the home freezer will make trying to recreate the Texas gulf shrimp dish a pleasure. It is always good to use local & domestic seafood because of its freshness ensures better taste. Besides, you can buy local seafood cheaper than imported seafood. I would not use the tequila in the cooking but rather substitute it with apple vinegar for the slight tangy taste. Take a look at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com for more splendid seafood recipes & have your own cook off with friends. Also, you may want to vote for your favorite recipe as you will have a chance to win a free trip to New Orleans prize package!

Popularity: 9% [?]

It seems that a single sms (short message service) on a Russian cell phone service provider costs $2 from Turkey to Malaysia. My girl went to Istanbul, Turkey on 9th July 2007 & arrived home to Tatarstan, Russia on 19th July 2007. She went to Istanbul for some stress relieving health treatment. Any vacation is supposed to be a stress relieving health treatment. The particular trip to Istanbul was to medicate a stress related ailment which made my girl unable to feel her hands every morning because of it. Apart from beautiful, nostalgic, & splendid attractions in Istanbul, it seems that the medication for stress related ailment works wonders too as my girl felt her ailment going away during her stay in the hospital hotel of Istanbul by the sea side.

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Yes, sea side air seems to be good for the health. Maybe it is the cool breeze & salt content in the air. Massages, health spa, & private single gender swimming pools are available at the hospital hotel in Istanbul. The hospital hotel is called ‘Akabidem’ or something like it in Turkish language. You can expect Istanbul to offer you good weather; cooling soft sea breezes in the warm summer Mediterranean sun with low humidity, which is good for health & make one able to walk for hours on end. Walking is good for the health & there are many things to see in the glorious city of Istanbul. The famous Turkish city shows off its majestic past in its architecture, museums, & parks. Istanbul is definitely one place in the world to voyage to at least once in your life.

Popularity: 12% [?]