Oh Shit

Ever had one of those days?

*looks at photos*

Hmmmmm,... actually,... that road reminds me of the bad parts of Old Klang Road...

Anyway,.... on roads:
Was just thinking this morning, if there is only one thing that is great at working at my current company, it's NOT working in KL and thus, NOT having to fight through the hypertension inducing traffic to get to work....
... AND not having to suffer through the spirit-crushing traffic on the way back home...

I cannot tell you the joy that fills my heart when I arrive at my office, knowing that it only took me 20 minutes to get there (as compared to the mind-numbing hour I used to spend fighting through traffic....)

We have to hold on to the small joys in life, right?

:)


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Bad Day, Funny Photo

Nippon - Yatta!

A few weeks ago, my mum saw the review for this restaurant in the Star and decided that the family should go check it out.....

The Lunch:

Nippon Yatai Mura, the new addition to the already popular chain of restaurants is situated in a rather strange location: surrounded by factories (save for Unique Seafood restaurant, which is right next to it) on Jalan Kemajuan in Section 13, Petaling Jaya.

The Front of The Restaurant

The restaurant looks inviting from the outside and has a cosy environment inside, with warm colours and wooden finishings in a more modern Japanese style.

The Cosy Interior

As they are positioning themselves differently as compared to their like-named counterparts (which are mostly situated in shopping centers - I know there's one in One Utama), this outlet of Nippon Yattai Mura has a different menu on top of the generic one. There was quite a large range to choose from, ranging from the affordable (ramen/udon) for around RM15 to mid-range (various bentos) for around RM35 to top range (Kobe beef steak) for about RM90. This outlet has certain more "authentic" Japanese specialties like Beef Sumiyaki (DIY grilled beef) and Ishiyaki Goya Chanpura (stone grilled bitter gourd with egg) available.

After poring over the menu for quite a while, we decided on some good ol' Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) to start off the meal.

Piping Hot Gyoza

The Gyoza, served with a tart chili oil+soya sauce mixture, were really yummy! - juicy and generously filled.... Just the way I like 'em....

:)

Moving on, a nice surprise: We were served Chawan Mushi, compliments of the chef.
(According to the very nice waiter, the restaurant plans to have a special promotion every month, this month being free Chawan Mushi for every patron).

Yummy Chawan Mushi - compliments of the chef!

The chawan mushi was smooth and fragrant, with bits of gingko and prawn inside.
(I don't usually like Chawan Mushi... I find it well,.. too mushy... but this one was quite nice)

Moving on, our main meals arrived.

My dad had ordered the Deluxe Set (erm, around RM40? - I can't remember, sorry!), and what a whopper it was....

This set had small servings of all the popular Japanese dishes, being Unagi Kabayaki (grilled eel), Ebi Tempura (deep fried prawns), Sushi and Sashimi served with rice, miso soup as well as salad and fruits.... It's great for someone who wants to have a bit of everything but is definately somthing that should not be attempted by:

a) small children,

b) people with small appetites, or

c) dieters.

The Deluxe Set

See what I mean? (It's a pretty big set, right?). Anyway, I wanted to try something different, so I ordered the Kobe Beef Hamburger set (RM35)....

The Kobe Beef Hamburger Set (nope, no burger buns, just the patty)

The beef patty (made from drunk cows), minced with onions and carrots and pan-fried, was delicious..... tender on the inside and just ever so slightly crispy on the outside (Note: If tastes very "beef-y", which is great to me but some might find it a bit much).

The special sauce, fried with Japanese mushrooms and leafy vegetables, really brought out the flavour of this simple dish.

Lastly, my mum had opted for the Four Delights (RM35) bento set.

This set, like the Deluxe Set, had several different dishes to tantalise the tastebuds: Prawns in Sweet and Sour Sauce, Chicken Teriyaki, Unagi Kabayaki and Tofu in Wasabi sauce.

The Four Delights Set

Overall, the lunch was good... The restaurant ambience was lovely, the staff were very attentive and the food was delicious.

My dad complained that it was a bit expensive, but then again, he always does.....

(I mean, of course it's more expensive than Sushi King! Sushi King is like the McDonald's of Japanese restaurants.....)

There's just no pleasing some people.....

Anyway,... just a word of warning: When I went there on a weekend afternoon, parking was ok.... However, I have passed by this area many times at night (both weekdays and weekends) and the parking looks like it could be quite a pain.... There's a valet service though... so you can always resort to that....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Nippon Yatai Mura @ Jalan Kemajuan, PJ

Taste: 7
Ambience : 7
Service : 8
Price** : RM 35/++ per person
Parking: Erratic
** Approximation - japanese set meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 603 - 2144 3152/6663
Opening Hours: 11am - 11pm

NOT HALAL

Signing off,

J

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Petaling Jaya, Nippon Yatai Mura, Japanese, Kuala Lumpur

Dreaming of Simpler Days

The weekend was a good one....
... although it started off pretty badly....

• Was deathly ill with a sudden bout of the flu from Friday night till about Saturday evening,
• Doped myself up with enough Clarinase to be able to make an appearance for dinner,
• Passed the flu to Pat during dinner (Muahahaha,... I mean, ...SOWE!),
• Went to a reunion Takoyaki + Waffle party with some high school friends on Sunday morning (Mmmm,... the takoyaki was delicious TJ!) (Amazing though - takes ages to cook but so quickly consumed),
• Rushed back to PJ from Shah Alam and then raced to Hartamas to help Albert out with his film project (Yay, I'm going to be "Fawning Floozy No. 1" in the credits),
• Then raced home and freshened up to go for my mum's birthday dinner.

... and thus ended my weekend.

Anyway, I came across this video on Google....
Watched it for the first time ages ago..... back in Melbourne.....

*gets all misty eyed*

It just made me think of the OSS room at uni....
... and Frank Tate House (my dorm).....
... and how me and Pattar and Jason used to hang out and watch silly videos (such as the one linked above)....
... and how we used to purposely go to the video store and rent the corniest looking B-Grade movies for our movie nights....
(remember all those Troma Studio movies? Ah... such classics! The Toxic Avenger in particular... *lol*)

Screenshots: The Toxic Avenger - BEFORE

Screenshots: The Toxic Avenger - AFTER

(An improvement, or not? What do you think?)

... and of course, all the Indomee Goreng....

(and La Porchetta's Original Pizza!)

(and the Strawberry Cheese Cake at Cafe Greco!)

(and grocery shopping at Coles!)

(and the......*sigh*..... this list could just go on and on)

(Now you see why I gained so much weight while I was there?)

:)


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Toxic Avenger, Troma Films, Troma

Video Madness

Feeling rather "bleh" this week.
Not that anything has gone catastrophically wrong......
(haven't gotten scolded/ fired from job/ hit by bird flu/ etc)
.... just feels..... well,... very "bleh".
(Can't find a better word)

I actually made a resolution to try to put up a new post every day, but I kinda slacked off this week, I guess.
(My bad - just didn't feel up to it)
It's not that the lack of updates affect many people anyway
(My blog stats are not that great)
It's just nice to have a creative(-ish) outlet for me out of my mundane cubicle dweller life....

I remember a time when I was much younger (and possibly, much more innocent) when I enjoyed writing (albeit, writing really BAD poetry) and I suppose I'm just trying to attend to that latent, much ignored part of my psyche.

*er-hem*
Anyway, enough moping.

Here are some interesting videos to watch:

• Advertising at its best with sheer simplicity,
• Proof that guys should no longer be allowed to own video cameras,
• Ouch. Very ouch,
• Boredom breeds insanity.

Will try to update tomorrow and the day after....

.... but if not, hope you have a great weekend ahead....

Cheers,

J

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Video, Videos, Link, Links, Funny

Dinner

Dinner Info:
Venue: Delicious Cafe at Bangsar Village (near the Village Grocer)
Date: Saturday, 26 November 2005
Time: 8.30pm till late
Confirmed attendees so far: Me, Al, Z, Sneexe and their friend.
Type of food: Fusion Italian-Asian Cuisine. That, and very yummy cakes.

To everyone else, RSVP when you decide.

Thanks.


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal

~~My Life As An Event Planner~~

~START EDIT PART DEUX~

*sigh*

According to certain sources I sound a bit pissed off in the first edit.

OK, just for the record: No, I'm not pissed off about:
a) the restaurant planning thingy -
Ok, so I spent a lot of time searching online for somewhere special, made enquiries at the restaurant and took time to find info+links+pictures and post it all up on my blog... but HEY, if we don't go there this week, there'll be other times... and of course, conveniently, I now have all the vital info ready at hand.

b) the "party I wasn't invited for" -
I know Jo didn't intentionally NOT invite me and yes I acknowledge that I wasn't there when she mentioned it during mamak or coffee or somewhere at sometime and somehow from then on, the information just plained never reached me.
Fine. It happens.
Especially since I started this new job... Or more like since the last job I took.

I suppose when you are travelling around that much for work/ busy with work/ tired from travelling, people tend to start to assume that you are not around/ too busy/ too tired to come out all the time.

Which is mostly true anyway, I guess.
*sigh*

Once again.

Me going back to work now.

~END EDIT PART DEUX~

~START EDIT~

You know what?

F*** it.

Since everyone had already agreed unanimously (at a party that I wasn't invited to) that they want to eat KFC for dinner this Saturday, then fine.

I really don't know why Pat said he needed help organising.

Ho Hum.

I'm going back to work now.

~ END EDIT ~

**STICKY POST - please refer below for more recent posts**

Hello all!

UPCOMING DINNER ALERT!
Senor Pattar has decided that his schedule is too busy to organise the weekly dinner this time around, so he has so kindly passed the torch to me...

This week, we will be going to a new restaurant in town, El Cerdo.....

Interior of El Cerdo

Details:

Venue ~ El Cerdo
Address ~ 52, Tengkat Tong Shin, 50200 Kuala Lumpur (I will post up a map soon)
Date ~ Saturday, 27th November 2005
Time ~ 8.30pm till late
Note ~ NOT HALAL (Sowe)

El Cerdo (which translates into "The Pig") is a German-French-Italian restaurant which specialises in (you guessed it!) porcine dishes, in particular their succulent Crispy Pork Knuckles.

Specialty: Crispy pork knuckle!

(and yeah, I had to "borrow" the photos seeing as they don't have a website yet)

They also have a selection of seafood and other food (for those of you who don't feel like chowing down on piggies).

Grilled prawns

Now, this restaurant has only been around for about 4 months but has already gotten a pretty good response so far.

Reviews are currently available at Babe in KL's Blog and Little Creature's Blog.

As per the usual, kindly RSVP in the comment box below or sms/call/email me.
I will be making the booking soon.

At your service,
*curtsies*
J

PS/ There are no set plans yet on where to go after dinner. Suggestions are welcomed. If not, there are a few nice bars around the Tengkat Tong Shin area that we can go to.

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal

Weekly Checkpoint

*yawn*

Tis Wednesday again...

(Otherwise known as the "Woo Hoo, 2 More Days Till The Weekend" Day)

:)

Here are some hand picked time killers:

• Comments on inspired hairstyles by Devil Baby,
• Desperate times, call for desperate measures,
• Some people are just too free (Poor cat!),
• OMG.

Hope you enjoyed that short escape from the daily drudge....

Till next time...

Ciao!

(and NO - No updates on my life for the last few days.... Wouldn't want to bore you - it's really been just work work work again)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Funny, Video, Videos, Link, Links, Entertainment

** History 101: Lesson 2 **

Hola......

(Hope all of your weeks have started off well)

.... and welcome to the second sensational session of....

HISTORY 101

A segment of obscure and sometimes pointless information!...

This week:
Chocolate - Part 1

The Tree
The tree at the heart of this sublime subject, has grown wild in Central America since prehistoric times. The cocoa tree's scientific name couldn't be more apt; theobroma cacao is Greek for "food of the gods" and the first people to make use of it were the Maya, an ancient people who lived in the Yucatan Peninsula in South America, as long ago as 600 AD.

The Mayan
The word chocolate is said to have been derived from the Mayan xocolatl which meant bitter water.

Cocoa comes from the Aztec cacahuatl. The Mexican Indian word chocolate comes from a combination of the terms choco (foam) and atl (water) because for centuries early chocolate was only consumed as a drink.

The Maya harvested cocoa beans from the rain forest trees then later cleared areas of the forest to make way for the first known cocoa plantations. The Mayan knew a good thing when they saw it and worshiped the cocoa bean as an idol. The merchant god, Ek Chuah, was closely linked with cocoa and the beans were used as currency. Early explorers to the region found that four cocoa beans could get you a pumpkin, 10 a rabbit and 100 would buy you a slave.

Mayan Bartering Guidelines

Cocoa beans also formed the basis of a drink; xocolatl was a rather bitter little potion made from roasted cocoa beans, water and spices. Cocoa's soothing qualities were also discovered early on and it was used for the treatment of coughs, fever and even discomfort during pregnancy.

Mayan farmers traded their cocoa beans at market but wealthy merchants traveled further afield, some as far as Mexico, the land of the Aztecs…

The Aztecs
The Aztecs also held the cocoa bean in high esteem, and their delightful story about its origins involves their creator and god of agriculture, Questzalcoatl. The Aztecs also associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility (Questzalcoatl's momma).

Xochiquetzal

They believed he traveled to earth on a beam of the morning star carrying a cocoa tree from Paradise, and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the tree.

The Aztecs were an ancient, nomadic people who founded Tenochtitlan; a vast city in the Valley of Mexico in 1325. Because of their dry climate the Aztecs were unable to grow cocoa trees themselves so they had to obtain supplies of cocoa beans from trade or 'tribute'. This was a form of taxation paid by the tribes they conquered.

Like the Mayans, the Aztecs also consumed large quantities of xocolatl as a luxury drink. However their version was described as 'finely ground, soft, foamy, reddish, bitter with chili water, aromatic flowers, vanilla and wild bee honey,' - slightly more inviting than the Maya concoction!

The xocoatl was said to be an acquired taste. Jose de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who lived in Peru and then Mexico in the later 16th century, wrote of it:

"Loathsome to such as are not acquainted with it, having a scum or froth that is very unpleasant to taste. Yet it is a drink very much esteemed among the Indians, where with they feast noble men who pass through their country. The Spaniards, both men and women, that are accustomed to the country, are very greedy of this Chocolaté. They say they make diverse sorts of it, some hot, some cold, and some temperate, and put therein much of that "chili"; yea, they make paste thereof, the which they say is good for the stomach and against the catarrh".

Descendant of Xocolatl: The Modern Hot Chocolate

It was in this form that Montezuma drank up to 50 mugs a day in order to keep his harem smiling (tsk tsk, such a greedy man - with both chocolate and women) and also where the once common phrase “Montezuma’s revenge” derives from, as the ingredients used in the drink acted as a mild laxative.

Cocoa was used in ceremonies too, including ritual human sacrifices where the heart of the victim was replaced with a cocoa pod: this didn’t do much for their life expectancy! (brings new meaning to the phrase "to die for", doesn't it?)

The Aztecs also used the cocoa bean for currency and by the time the Spanish invaded Mexico in the 16th century the Aztecs had created a powerful empire.

(Note: In no way is all of the above my original writing. I have taken bits and pieces of info from here and here. Might have summarized/ reworded/ added a few comments, but that's about it)

That's all for today....

:)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Chocolate, Aztec, Mayan, Interesting, Trivia, History

Dear Diary....

Had a good weekend this time around....

Went to the gym on on Saturday morning....
... and now all my muscles are aching.....
(erm,... but that's a good sign, right?)
*reaches out for coffee*
*ouchouchouchouchouchouch*

After doing the usual round of window shopping after gymming, I proceeded to lounge around and NOT use my Saturday afternoon in a productive manner....
(and boy, was that fun!)

:)

Of course, there was the usual weekly dinner at night where the usual KL crowd (Pattar, Lenny, Albert, Huey Yee, Sneexe, Z, Chen Hoe, Kwong Heng) were joined by our good ol' out of state friends (none other than JJ and Julian) and some new friends.
(as you can see, twas a nice big group as usual....)

We tried out the Mustard Tree restaurant in Ampang this time... It was nice.... and I really meant to put up a proper review by today (and also do an update or two over the weekend)... but I suppose procrastination + work got the better of me.... Oh well.

My bad.
(but really it would be nice if Pattar would do the restaurant review once in a while... I think I've done the last 4 or 5.....)
(HINT HINT *glares in Pattar's general direction*)

Sunday was relaxing as well.... did the usual "quality time with mum" day.... meaning lunch + shopping....
(yup, that's how we bond - by paying homage to the Retail Gods together)

How quickly it all went by...
Ho hum.
Monday again already.

*whistles and sings quietly*
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go....
da da dum dum dum, da da dum dum dum.....
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Hi Ho.....

Till next time, dear diary...

XOXO,
J


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal

Mmm-MMmmm, Just Like Mum Used To Make

Good morning y'all!
It's Monday morning!
Isn't it GREAT?
*trying hard to psyche self up*

Hmmm,......... *looks in mirror*.... doesn't seem to be working...
(Monday Blues still setting in)

Anyway,.....

Jones Soda Company, a specialist soda manufacturer from Seattle, has just came up with a special new flavour to add to their already eccentric selection of limited edition seasonal packs....

Have a look for yourself:
1) The National Pack

Flavors: Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto, Cranberry Sauce, Turkey & Gravy, Wild Herb Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie.

Also included: Serving spoon, moistened towelette, and wine list.

2) The Regional Pack

Flavors: Broccoli Casserole, Smoked Salmon Paté , Turkey & Gravy, Corn on the Cob, and Pecan Pie.

Also included: Serving spoon, moistened towelette.

O_o

*blinkblink*

My stomach is turning from the thought of drinking soda that tastes like turkey (or smoked salmon, for that matter!)....

It is for a good cause though.
In an effort to provide more support for children’s charities, the holiday packs benefiting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Center and Toys for Tots, with the goal of raising $100,000 and $50,000, respectively.

You can check out the full details here.

So,... who's feeling brave?

(Sadly for us here in Malaysia, these "special" party packs are not available.....)

(Oh well,... I guess I'll just have to live with the fact that I'll probable never taste turkey flavoured soda then... *sigh*..... Oh, the humanity!)

:)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Unusual, Jones Soda, Limited Edition

Poor Fool

It must be love....

*grimace* "Of course I love it, honey.... It's BEE-EWW-TI-FUL"

.... or some simple yet effective tool of torture.

(look at his face...... the ~PAIN~ in his eyes!)

There can't be too many other reasons why someone of a sane mind would subject himself to that level of humiliation.....

Anyway, went for my first Salsa lesson by Senor Pattar last night......
(with Jo, Albert and Ken as my fellow students)

After getting over feeling totally self-concious due to the fact that we were dancing in an open area (and had some patrons of the nearby cafe staring at us).... I came to a sudden realisation: Something musta went ~VERY~ wrong while I was still forming in my momma's womb cos I got 2 left feet attached to my body....

:(

Anyway... shall have to work on minimising the sheer "club foot"-ed ness of my dancing....
(Thanks Pat! You say the nicest things *glare*)
Bah.

In any case, it's FRIDAY...

:)

Hope you all have a good day and a good weekend ahead....!

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Ugly Sweater, Funny

TickTockTickTock

So sleepy.....

Even massive intakes of coffee doesn't seem to be working any more.....

~_~

Why are the minutes passing by so slowly...?

*sigh*


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal

... and she looked up and asked: "Why, momma, ... WHY?"

Here are the top ten zaniest names that rock stars/ celebrities have named their offspring:
(Poor kids..... Well,... at least they're filthy rich, I suppose.... so they can drown their their sorrows with expensive hobbies)

1 . Moon Unit -- Frank Zappa

2 . Apple -- Chris Martin (Colplay)

3 . Misty Kyd -- Sharleen Spiteri (Texas)

4 . Geronimo -- Alex James (Blur)

5 . Heavenly Hirani Tiger Lily -- Michael Hutchence/Paula Yates

6 . Dandelion -- Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)

7. Dweezil -- Frank Zappa

8 . Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q -- Bono (U2)

9 . Zowie Bowie -- David Bowie

10 . Rufus Tiger -- Roger Taylor (Queen)


Notable mention:

Romeo -- The Beckhams
Little Pixie -- Paula Yates
Bamboo -- Big Boi (Outkast)
Peaches Honeyblossom -- Paula Yates again
Kal-El -- Nicholas Cage.... and yes,... that's right.. *nods*.., Kal-El as in Superman's name
Diva Muffin -- Frank Zappa AGAIN
Fifi Trixibelle -- Paula Yates ~AGAIN~
...
...
...
ETC.....

Honestly, I could just go on and on and on....
(with Frank Zappa and Paula Yates being consistent serial offenders)

Call them "inspired" or just plain ol' crazy, celebrities seem to name their kids in a manner that borders on insanity.

In other countries it would probably be ok....
(I think there are ways to change your legal/birth name in America)
... but in Malaysia, you'd probably have to live with it forever....


Can you imagine being called Diva Muffin?
*blinkblink*
Or... *gasp*... Fifi Trixibelle??


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal, Unusual Names, Celebrity, Funny

** Words of Wisdom **

~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~

"Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn't like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good."

--Lora Brody, author of Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet

~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Personal, Quote, Chocolate

{{{ Space Filler }}}

Came across this video yesterday....
It's not a new clip for sure (maybe some of you have seen it before) but I still love it...

:)

Anyway, hope you'll have a laugh:

• Extreme Ping Pong

(Pssssst... Ken, if you're reading... this is the video that I told you about)

In other news, I had the shock of my life last weekend....

In an effort to (try to) diet, I purchased a salad from a neighbourhood chain Tex/Mex restaurant....

.... I "ta-pauwed" (took away) the salad and was sitting down comfortably at home, chomping away happily in front of the TV when I looked down into my plate.....

... and found a baby snail staring back up at me with its beady little eyes!!!

O_o

... AND THEN IT STARTED MOVING ACROSS THE PLATE!!!

*wail*

Maybe in certain parts France or China, a snails in a salad (salade d'escargot?) could be a delicacy.... but to ME, .....

(freshsalad)

+

(live snail)

= A VERY BAD THING!!!

*girly squeal*

The worst thing was when I found it I only had about 10% of the salad left at that point......

... and seeing how close I was to eating the snail that I found, I am so, so, SO afraid that I might have already consumed some of its brethren in the 90% that I had already eaten...

(I mean, I found the baby snail... but maybe I have already eaten it's mum/dad/brother/sister)

*silent scream*

*starts rocking in a corner in a fetal position*

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Video, Videos, Funny, Ping Pong, Japanese

Chronicles of An Ipoh Girl

Last Sunday, I ventured to the KLPac again to watch Low Ngai Yuen's latest effort: The Girl From Ipoh.

The Girl From Ipoh Poster

Having been (slightly) disappointed with the recent Pygmalion, I tried to keep my expectations low....

... and when I sat down in the KLPac theater and heard the starting bits of the play in all its typical Manglish glory, my heart dropped and I thought: "Oh God. Not another round of "oooi, wah lau wei... look at me! I'm so oliginal cos I'm like, so "Malaysian"-lah" in shrill Ah Lian tones.

However, the play really surprised me.
First of all, it had a delightfully simple story line:

The protaganist of the play is Wong Mei Lee, the daughter of a noodle seller. Starting from her humble roots in Ipoh, a town famous for its pretty girls and delicious food, the chubby Mei Lee tries to dream of a way out....

... away from her conflicted attachments to being Chinese...
... away from her cold father...
... away from her the constraints of her fat body...

Imagining herself to look like her ideal self, a woman like Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (specifically here, as Carmen Soo, dressed in pretty, pretty dresses by award winning designer Melinda Looi), she plods through life seeking love and a life more extraordinary then her bleak beginnings....

Along the way, the play examines thought-provoking themes. As the publicity write-ups put it: “The play explores an issue that plagues many – when is a Chinese person not Chinese enough? Does speaking English without sounding Chinese make them a traitor to their culture? Or does speaking "mat salleh" sounding Chinese make them an abomination to the race? Does liking everything Western mean a degradation of everything that is Asian?”
(It also touched on very adult topics on love and s3x)

The Girl from Ipoh features Carmen Soo in the title role, who is cast alongside:

• Lee Swee Keong as her father (brilliant job! he was perfect as the roughneck, ass-scratching noodle seller),
• Actor-model Tony Eusoff as the dream guy (also really good - he did the "geek" part really well), and
• Season Chee as the @sshole boyfriend (wah, what passion for his role - he (appeared to) strip down to his birthday stage right there on stage for the bedroom scene!).

Carmen Soo, in all her glory...

One of the most interesting features here is that the cast is joined by an all female a cappella choir playing the role of Mei Lee's conscience.

Under the direction of LiT Performers co-founder Penny Low, the choir comprises eight talented women.
(Angie Teoh, Anrie Too, Fang Chyi, Nor Hazlin Nor Salam, Colleen Daphne, Priscilla Wong, Karen Tay and Penny Low herself)
(The LiT Performers don't have an official website of their own, but you can find out where they're performing from their managing company's website, Intergrated Expresssions.)

“(They) are actually the villain of the play,” explained Ngai Yuen in a recent interview. “The choir is not a chorus in the Greek sense, they are part of the action, representing different sides of the lead character. The eight a cappella singers who will be on stage together represent the inner workings of Mei Lee’s mind.”

The Angelic Voices

As evil as they were supposed to be, I really liked the singing... The a cappela was done really well, with a mix of eclectic mix songs from "Under the Boardwalk" to classic Chinese folk songs to "Barbie Girl"....

The set was also, like the play, simple yet well put together.... It's amazing, with hardly any prop changes throughout the entire 2 and a half hours, the stark white set, contrasted with black paintings and a clever use of the lighting, failed to bore.

To sum it all up: Great story + Great acting + Great singing + Great set = Great play = Very Happy J

It would seem that many, many others agree with my view, cos at the end of the night The Girl From Ipoh was heralded with a standing ovation from the audience members (a full house too, the first time I've ever seen the KLpac theatre so packed)....

(And you know what? They deserve every bit of the applause)

(Good work ppl! Keep it up!)

:)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, The Girl From Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, KLPAC, Ngai Yuen, Carmen Soo, Review, Art

Another Monday, Another Dinner Review

Wah.

How did Monday get here so quickly?
(Sigh... another ~fun filled~ week at the office to look forward to)....

Anyway, forging on along......... Here's the review for the dinner session....

The Dinner:

This week, weary from week after week of rich Western cuisine, we decided to head back to our roots for a simple Chinese dinner. The restaurant came highly recommended by Alvin and Diana so we were all looking forward to it.

Restaurant De Maw (Nope... couldn't find any links for it AT ALL. .. apparently it hasn't joined the e-generation yet) is located at Jalan Pudu Ulu off Jalan Cheras near the PGRM building.
(Mind you, traffic around there is pretty bad - so, you have been warned)

De Maw looks like a typical Chinese restaurant from the outside but the cosy modern (yet still very Chinese) interior with its classic marble tables and warm wooden finishings was a nice surprise...

Front of the restaurant

Inside De Maw

We really went all out with this dinner... even indulging in some delicious but very unpolitically correct shark's fin soup...

Controversy in a bowl

The shark's fin soup was a little teeny bit too starchy but nonetheless, tasted lovely and was packed very generously with crab meat and well, shark's fin.

Soon after that, we were served with the other dishes: the succulent fish (steamed with soya sauce, topped with fragrant fried dried prawns (that's "hae bee" to you and me)), the juicy prawns (fried with sweet and spicy sauce), the classic sweet and sour pork (Mmmm... my favourite since I was a wee child), the tantalising fried noodles (stir fried green bean kuey teow with chicken) and the yummy baby bok choy (stir fried with preserved veg).

I Heart Fish

I Heart pR0n... Erm, I Mean Prawns..

At the end of the night, we topped off our already our already bulging bellies (being the gluttons that we are) with a simple gingko and longan dessert. The dessert was a tad too sweet for my taste, but other than that, the dinner was fantastic. Everything from the fish to the bok choy was done really well... and all that for only RM40/ per person? Well,... I definately have no complaints.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Restoran De Maw@No.18, Jalan Pudu Ulu

Taste: 7
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 40/++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - typical chinese meal with 4 dishes+soup, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 603 - 9285 6833
Opening Hours: 12noon - 11pm

NOT HALAL

The After(-Dinner) Party:

While the others headed back to Alvin's place for an exciting round of monopoly (oh, and Uno Domino after that *lol*), me and Pat headed over to Telawi Street Bistro (TSB) to meet up with Huey Yee for her birthday...

After waiting for her for about an hour (*glare*), the birthday girl arrived and the festivities began!

*woot*

No, actually, we just had a few drinks and a nice chat, but hey,... I had fun.

:)

I've been to TSB too often to be able to give a proper review on it (with objective first impressions and all).... but if I had to sum it up it probably would be: comfortable dining/restaurant downstairs, fun music (tho very rojak/ mixed) in the bar upstairs and yummy drinks.

Telawi Street Bistro @ Bangsar

1 Jln Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru
Tel : 03 - 22843168

Opening Hours
Daily: 6pm-1am (weekdays)
6pm-2am (weekends)
Happy Hours: 6pm-9pm, Sunday all night long

Ok, that's all for now.

Really should get back to work.

Hope you all had a great weekend too.

Ciao.


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Pudu, De Maw, Chinese, Kuala Lumpur

Video Killed The Radio Star

Just a short post this time....
*yaaaawn*
(just woke up and have to run off soon for brunch with the parents)
(*grin* mmmmmm, I love weekends.... can really sleep in)

Anyway, here are more videos for your viewing pleaure...

• Got milk?
• Now with English subtitles for double the fun
• Sex sells and you know it.
• Bwaaainnnns..... Arnold Schwarzenegger, give me your bwaaaaaaaaaaaiiins

Hope you're all having a great weekend so far....

(It's Sunday already)

(SAVOUR IT! It's the last 24 hours till Monday!)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Video, Videos, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Funny, Link, Links, Entertainment

OMG. Your WHAT??

Here's a jaw-dropping hit from a classic Rock and Roll star.....

My Ding-A-Ling
A classic rock and roll song by Chuck Berry

When I was a little biddy boy
My grandmother bought me a cute little toy
Silver bells hanging on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling

My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling
I want you to play with My Ding-A-Ling
My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling
I want you to play with My Ding-A-Ling

Then mama took me to Grammar school
But I stopped off in the Besta Beau
Evertime that bell would ring
Catch me playing with my ding-a-ling

Once I was climbing the garden wall,
I slipped and had a terrible fall
I fell so hard I heard birds ring,
But held on to My ding-a-ling

Once I was swimming cross turtle creek
Man them snappers all around my feet
Sure was hard swimming cross that thing
with both hands holding my ding-a-ling

This here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own Ding-a-ling

And now, ... the man behind the madness:

"Hey baby, do you know what I wanna play with?"

The Profile:

Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is a highly influential African American guitarist, singer, and composer. Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri and was part of the first group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors (an award that is awarded annually for exemplary lifetime achievement in the performing arts) in 2000.

Many of his songs are among the leading rock and roll anthems, like:

• Johnny B. Goode
• Roll Over Beethoven
• Back in the USA
• School Days

His iconic status in rock and roll history has inspired many other artistes, ranging from AC/DC (Johnny B. Goode) to the Beatles (Roll Over Beethoven) to Wyclef Jean (Let It Rock).

(If you want to check out his songs, including the infamous Ding-a-Ling one above, you can find the samples here)


The Song:

My Ding-a-Ling was a 1972 novelty hit record for Chuck Berry, and his only US number one hit. Its 2 weeks at number one in the Billboard hot 100 were preceded by Michael Jackson's Ben and followed by Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now". It was also Berry's only #1 hit in the UK.

The Meaning of the Lyrics:

The songs tells of how the singer received two silver bells from his grandmother, who calls them his "ding-a-ling". According to the song, he plays with it in school, and holds on to it in dangerous situations like swimming across a creek infested with snapping turtles. Finally he accuses audience members who do not want to join in and sing the song of being too busy playing with their own "ding-a-lings".

Construed by many as a lighthearted song about *coughcough* m@sturbati0n.... Chuck's song was rather controversial at the time. Many radio stations refused to play it despite its popularity and there were tries (by a certain Mary Whitehouse) to ban the song.

*laughs*

What a song.......

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Funny, Song, Lyrics, Chuck Berry, My Ding-a-ling

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? NO! It's Squirrel Girl!

... talk about an obscure superhero(ine)....

Lookee here... it's:

Squirrel Girl, feared protector of cute furry rodents!

• Real Name : Doreen Green
• Identity/Class : Human mutant, U.S. citizen, still a minor
• Occupation : High school student, adventurer
• Group Membership : Great Lakes Avengers
• Affiliations : Tippy-Toe (partner), squirrels in general; tried to become Iron Man’s sidekick; formerly Mister Freckle, Monkey Joe, Nutso, Slippy Pete
• Enemies : Batroc the Leaper, Batroc's Brigade, Dr. Doom (disputably, see comments),Leatherboy, Machete, Zaran; unidentified criminals
• Known Relatives : Maureen Green (mother)
• Aliases : “Rodent,” the taunting title everybody at her school called her
• Base of Operations : GLA HQ, Milwaukee(?), Wisconsin; formerly Central Park, Manhattan; formerly Los Angeles, California
• First Appearance : Marvel Super-Heroes III#8 (Winter, 1991)
  
  Her full profile and history can be found here (if you should be so inclined)...

Oh, btw....

IT'S FRIDAY!!

Got a fun filled weekend to look forward to (which is great)....

... dinner with friends on Saturday night,

... drinks with the ageing Miss BlurYee on Saturday night,

... shopping with mum on Sunday,

... watching play (The Girl From Ipoh) on Sunday afternoon.

Hopefully I'll be a good girl and fit in some hours at the gym in there somewhere...

:)

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Squirrel Girl, Superhero, Funny, Obscure, Marvel, Comics

** History 101 : Lesson 1 **

*scratches Wednesday off the calender*
Ahhhh... Another day closer to the weekend....
*yay*

:)

It's been an ok week.
Work-work-work as usual....
..... I was hit by a very sudden (and very messy) 24 hour flu bug on Monday morning.
(strange, was feeling fine that morning and then, the moment I step in the office, I start sneezing violently)
(I think it's my body telling me it didn't want to go back to work after the long weekend)

..... Thankfully though, I haven't been working past midnight at all this week, so at least I am able to get about 6 hours of sleep a night.
(Hey, you gotta look at the cup as half full right?)
(Besides, sleep deprivation is terrible! Been there, done that... and hope not to do it again anytime soon)

Anyway kids, today I'm trying something new....

Presenting: History 101! A segment of obscure and sometimes pointless information!

*cue dramatic music*
(DUM DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMMM)

And the first entry for this segment...

:::::::::::::: The Hot Dog ::::::::::::::

Definition
A hot dog is the term for either a type of sausage or, alternatively, a sandwich with the bun and sausage. Hot Dogs are also called frankfurters/franks (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany), a wiener (named after the city of Vienna, Austria), or sarcastically as tube steaks (illustrating that hot dogs are typically among the cheapest meat products one can obtain).

History
The invention of the hot dog, like the hamburger and ice cream cone, is often attributed to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. However, similar sausages were made and consumed in Europe, particularly in Germany, as early as 1864, and the earliest example of a hot dog bun dates to New York City in the 1860s. The hot dog's association with baseball also predates the 1904 Exposition. St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sold them at his ballpark in the 1880s.

Hot dogs were frequently known as frankfurters or franks until World War I, when the name was changed due to anti-German sentiment (see freedom fries). After the war the original name returned to common usage.

In 2001 the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council stated that others assert the hotdog was created in the late 1600's by Johann Georghehner, a butcher, living in Coburg, Germany. Others have also been "acknowledged" for supposedly inventing the hot dog. Charles Feltman and Antonoine Feuchtwanger are among this group.

Trivia
Hot dogs are the most widely consumed form of sausage in America.... In Toronto, Canada, hotdogs are the only kind of street food allowed by law .....
Takeru Kobayashi is the world's fastest hot dog eater. On July 4, 2004 he set a new record when he ate 53.5 in 12 minutes, defending his title for the 4th year at Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Associations
National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (USA)

Holidays
National Hot Dog Day - 23 July 2005 (USA)

That's all for this time, folks.

:)

Join me again next time for another round of History 101!

*cue end credits*

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Hot Dog, Interesting, Trivia, History

The Wacky World of Japanese Ice Cream

I am so curious what it would be like to actually try these..............
(Am conflicted on whether it would be an interesting experience or conversely, an experience that would scar me for life)

Fish Ice Cream (Sanma Aisu) Something must smell fishy about ice cream flavored with saury, a saltwater fish popular in Japan...But there's no worries about that with this offering from Kimura Shoten as the fishy fumes have been drowned out by liberal doses of brandy. Not the greatest tasting ice cream on earth, though.

Octopus Ice Cream (Taco Aisu) Want to tantalize the taste buds with a tentacle? If so, Octopus Ice Cream is the go. Japanese have been able to come up with an amazing variety of uses for octopus, ranging from delicacy to p0rn0 movie prop. Little wonder that octopus has found its way into ice cream, then.

Fried Eggplant Ice Cream (Yaki Nasu Aisu) Eggplant is a mainstay of the Japanese diet, appearing regularly on such dishes as pizza and in sandwiches. Becoming an ice cream flavor was merely a matter of time

Eel Ice Cream (Unagi Aisu) Eel is a summer delicacy in Japan, which probably explains why Futaba decided to use it to flavor an ice cream. Surprisingly, the smooth taste is quite palatable, even if the thought of what's being eaten is not quite as tasty.


You can check out the other flavours here.
(with corny commentary attached, as above)

(Pssssst...... Serina, you wanna try these flavours out instead of the usual Haagen Dazs?)


TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Unusual, Ice Cream, Japanese

BBQ Dead Cow - ~Delicious!~

Another round of videos for your viewing pleasure:
(they're office safe, so feel free to misuse your working hours if you please)

• Good lord. What an ad.
• Don't try this at home kids.... No ~really~...
• Aiiiiiiieeeeeeeee......

Had a nice long break last week cos of the whole Hari Raya holiday + the weekend...
(Ahhh..... 4 day weekends.... gotta love them)
Somehow it never feels like quite enough though.
So quickly I'm back in the office again.

Anyway, like I said, the long weekend was good....

... albeit a little too high cholesterol inducing...

Friday night, I enjoyed a nice Hari Raya barbeque party with some old school friends from Sri Aman...
Then on Saturday, instead of the usual weekly dinner, we congregated at Lenny's house (in the outskirts of Shah Alam) to celebrate his birthday by having, you guessed it, a barbeque party.....

Lenny and his bros and mum were ever the gracious hosts, supplying us with (what seemed like) endless amounts of delicious, juicy flame grilled steaks, bbq ribs, chicken and lamb chops as well as a really nice chicken curry.....
*drooool*
(I must say though.... it is plain scawy how much meat Lenny, Gib and Ken can consume when they put their minds to it.....)

(Poor cows.......)

Albert probably caused a small dip in the bovine population too,... but was kept busy for most of the night by the dragon they now call "Ka-Kraw" (as named by Alvin *sigh)

(Guys will never ever ~really~ grow up, will they?)

Ph34R m3.... F0R I 4m L0rd of K4-kR4w!

Anyway, it's a bit belated but:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Image by Clip Art Inc.com

*hugs*

(hope you like the massage oils and that you continue to put them to good use)

(and for the grand finale, here's a photo of the birthday boy getting in touch with arty side)

To be, or not to be....

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Happy Birthday, Funny, Videos

Japanese Gorge-Fest

Hola' senors and senoritas!
I present to thee - the VERY late weekly dinner review:

The Dinner:

*frowns*

Yes, I know this is more than 2 weeks overdue.....

...and Albert is definately going to say that I am mean again....

*sigh*

Can't be helped I suppose.... With reviews, I speak only the truth and nothing but the truth
(however harsh it may be)

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, the our humble weekly dinner group decided to pork out and go for a yummy Japanese buffet dinner at the Istana hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

This time, we had a few international visitors (friends of Kim) who were visiting our tropical wonderland for a few days... It's always nice to meet people from other countries,... especially when they astound us with tales of Viagra ice cream in Spain and other such tales of wonder and mystery....
(pssst,.... don't worry man, I believe you - I'm sure you really found out about this ice cream from your ~friend~ and that it wasn't that you ate it yourself)

;)

About the food that night, the main highlight of the buffet was that it is an "a-la-carte" concept buffet... meaning that you get to pick as much as you want off the buffet menu and it will be cooked and served to you...

Borrowed Photo No. 1 (I forgot to bring a camera that day)

Strangely though, the said buffet menu only contained the names of the various items in Japanese, with no explanations of what it actually was or any accompanying photos, so ordering was a bit of a pain initially....

After a few rounds of explaining by the waitresses and us pretty much resorting to saying : "Yeah,... just bring us.... erm.. *glance at menu*... everything lah" and "Please bring more of that deep fried beef stuff", everything was ok.

Borrowed Photo No. 2 - yum yum unagi

Sadly, the food was rather disappointing....
I had eaten at this restaurant many a year ago, and have memories of the food being good, so I suppose my hopes were a little high.
Still,... the unagi was nice and the tempura was ok.
(I don't eat raw fish, but I heard that was ok too)
Other than that, the food was only so-so overall.
(Still, being the kiasus that we are, we all stuffed our stomachs to the max, ESPECIALLY Ken, who is possibly now responsible for the extinction of eels and prawns worldwide)

I have heard from some that the normal a-la-carte meals here are usually quite nice though... although I have not tried it myself so I can't say for sure...

The ambience of the place was also rather unimpressive,.... they have a lot of segregated areas, which is good as it increases privacy, but the decor was very normal and shows sign of old age..
(not what I would expect of a hotel restaurant)

Borrowed Photo No. 3 - photo of Chikuyo-Tei from the hotel website

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Chikuyo-Tei @ Istana Hotel

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 70/++ per person
Parking: Ample (but expensive!)

** Approximation - Buffet meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 603 - 2141 9988 Ext. 3702
Opening Hours: 12noon - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm

NO PORK SERVED

The After(-Dinner) Party:

That week, we went to Alvin's house to hang out for a change....

(... seeing as Aero was closed for renovations ~AGAIN~)
That's twice in 6 months already.... What on earth are they doing?)

Hmmm,.. have to cut this one a little short.

(Work beckons...)
Ciao.....

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Chikuyo-Tei, Hotel Istana, Japanese, Kuala Lumpur

The Attack of the Ah-Lians

Went to the KLPAC a few weeks ago for the Sunday matinee viewing of Pygmalion.

This particular version was the Malaysian adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's timeless classic by Paul Loosely starring Harith Iskander as Professor Harun Higgins, Indi Nadarajah as Colonel Sankaran Pickering and Michelle Quah as Lisa Doolittle.

Left to Right: Harith, Michelle and Indi

What can I say?

First of all, Harith Iskandar, bless his soul, just can NOT sing.
(Well,.. not really..., anyway)
(You can tell that all the gals have had professional vocal training though)

Anyway, it was a good try overall - It's obvious that they put a lot of heart and soul into the costumes and creating original scores with "Manglish"** lyrics...
(with gems like: "Don't Talk Like That One", "Dirty Bunga", and "What To Do Lah"..., among others)

(** "Manglish" = Malaysian English, not Mangled English, for those of you not in the know...)

(... although there is hardly a difference between the 2)

Not great by international standards, but a definate sign of improvement in the local scene.

My parents loved the show though.
(they thought it was hilarious)

They've also fallen in love with the KLPAC building and the surrounding Sentul West development.

The KLPAC

It is very nice,... a beautifully sculpted landscape with an abundance of trees and a lake.....
Would love to live in an area like that.
But of course, I don't have a million ringgit on hand to blow on a place there.

The Park in Sentul West

The only downside, I suppose, is that the area is just off Jalan Ipoh, near the heart of KL.
*imagines intensity of the average daily traffic jams there*
*shiver*

Scawy.

TAGS: Weblog, Blog, Malaysia, Personal, Pygmalion, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center, KLPAC, Review, Art