Garra Rufa Fish Therapy

Recently the fish spa craze has been hitting the Klang Valley, with more centers opening around the KL-PJ area. While the medicinal benefits were initially discovered in Turkey for people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, the spas that have been operating here seem to target the beauty/retreat market. I've read about some spas that use a type of tilapia, which has no medicinal benefits at all other than biting off your dead skin. The real Garra Rufa species has a compound in their saliva that helps healing for those afflicted with certain skin diseases.

I came across Garra Rufa Fish Therapy at Bangsar, which uses the actual fishes for the therapy. I decided to bring my mom there as a treat for Mother's Day. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were having a special promo that day.

The shop has a nice ambience, with a glass-fronted entrance, dark wood and soothing music. The receptionist was friendly and inviting, taking time to offer us towels and an explanation of how to go about with the session. It was helpful for first timers like me who felt a little ackward not knowing what to do.

First of all you need to wash your feet with a scrub to get rid of any residues so that you don't contaminate the pool. There was a separate area to do this and we were also provided with slippers to wear.

After I cleaned up, it was time to hit the pool! I was a bit apprehensive at first because there seemed to be quite a lot of them fishies swimming about. But I went in, both feet at once and breathed. I didn't have to wait long, as the little buggers came nibbling away at the feet. Mind you, I had quite a lot of dry, and probably dead skin from sunning by the beach a few weeks back!

What surprised me was how enjoyable it was to have fishes bite at you. It felt like a mild current running through my skin, not dissimilar to how an Osim machine might feel. Of course, you can't control the speed and strength of the massage hehe. The buzz sometimes got stronger when the bigger swimmers came nibbling and it was a bit ticklish. Somehow the big ones loved my left foot too. More dead skin perhaps.


After a while it really did feel like a therapy, as watching the fishes sucking your feet can be hypnotizing. I found myself just watching them, clear of thought and being very relaxed. It was also very nice of them at the spa to let us sit way longer than our booked session.

Many people question the hygiene and cleanliness of the pools and fishes, as there would be so many people using the same pool throughout the day. From my experience at Garra Rufa, there's nothing to worry about provided the spa that you go to have got the practices right. The water is cleaned everyday, and the pool has ultraviolet light to kill bacteria. The place feels really clean to me, and the staff is quite diligent in keeping it that way.

My skin didn't feel immediately smoother or nicer, but maybe because it's only my first session. But it was an enjoyable experience, something different. :)

Garra Rufa Fish Therapy is at Jalan Telawi, Bangsar (next to Al Rajhi bank). It's RM38 for 1/2 hour, RM72 for 1 hour and they also have therapy packages.

Pasta Zanmai

I was out with a friend at 1 Utama last weekend, wanting to do some shopping. Needless to say, as with most of my shopping experiences, I didn't get my shirt but strolled through a myriad of exhibitions and deviated off-course.

But sometimes it's good to explore, as we discovered this gem of a restaurant. Discreetly tucked behind a small Japanese snack store, it's next to Carl's Jr. It was a Sunday night and the place was packed. We had to put our names down on the waiting list, but it wasn't too long a wait.

Once we got cosy we had a huge challenge. Almost everything on the menu looked so good! It was quite difficult to narrow it down, but we decided to share on a few dishes. We didn't order much as we weren't sure how big the portions were. Plus we wanted to leave space for dessert, hehe.

We started off with the miso soup. It had lots of vegetables and mushrooms, so it wasn't your normal tofu-seaweed staple. The soup had good flavour and it went down very well. It was clear and light on the palate.

Next we had this creamy japanese pasta with prawns and squid. The waiter grates parmesan cheese on top of the pasta upon your request and he'll keep going until you stop :) I smile because I love parmesan, hehe. This dish was delicious, though the cream was a bit sweet and it might not appeal to everyone. I found it special because there's actually three different flavours in that plate. I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into the prawn. You know how most seafood in a seafood pasta are just cooked together with the sauce, and they all have the same taste, i.e. the sauce? Well at Pasta Zanmai, the prawns and squid have their own flavours! I think the chefs marinated and cooked the ingredients beforehand and put it into the pasta before serving. This is brilliant as it keeps the dish interesting with every bite. Very nice :)

ekisaitingu!

The second entree for the night was the teriyaki chicken and hot spring egg pizza. This is different from western pizzas as it had no cheese. It's a flatbread topped with teriyaki chicken, mayo, shredded seaweed, spring onions and a wobbly half-cooked egg in the middle. It looked really appetizing.




The trick to eating this (I think), is to break the egg and let it spill over the pizza. This will make it like a sauce for you. In our case, I just used the chopstick and swivelled it all over. It looked even better than before! The teriyaki chicken was succulent and sweet, balanced by the combination of the rest of the toppings. The spring onions gave a fresh taste to the pizza too. Of course, the best moments were scooping/wiping up the egg with the bread! Delicious :)

Boom!!

By this time we were kind of full, but the dessert menu looked so tantalizing we had to give it a try. We decided on something called Macha Cha on the menu, but Macha Macha on the receipt. Weird. But definitely nothing to do with your Indian brother though. It's this tower of green tea jelly in milk, topped with cornflakes, green tea ice cream, red bean paste and whipped cream. I was a bit skeptical about the cornflakes at first (har, so cheap ah?), but it turned out surprisingly well. You get very different textures and tastes as you work your way down the glass.

We also had hot chocolate, which was again different from what you get at other establishments. It was slightly bitter and not loaded with milk/cream. So you have a lighter drink that is still flavourful, and it leaves a dry finish on your tongue. Not bad huh?

aphrodisiac?

oishii...

So in summary - I Like. Very Much :) What they serve is really different and refreshing from the plethora of western, Italian, and oriental joints out there that offer mostly similar fare. The quality of the food is good, the service is quite nice, and price is reasonable. This is east-meets-west done really well. Fusion is fun. I have a feeling I will be back there again very soon!

Parpadelle with Prawns & Basil

I was contemplating something light for a late lunch last Sunday, but was too lazy to line up in the heat to take away at my local joint. So I dug up stuff from the kitchen and came up with this:

Ingredients:

4-5 bundles of parpadelle (you can get a box of Barilla's from Carrefour or other hypermarts)

1 clove garlic

As many prawns as you like

Some basil leaves

1 heaped tbsp of tomato puree

Salt & pepper to taste

Put the parpadelle in boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, clean and remove the shells from the prawns and chop up the garlic. Heat up a pan with some olive oil (or if you're lazy like me, drain the pasta and reuse the pot). Keep some of the pasta water for making the sauce. Fry the garlic until fragrant and throw in the prawns. I threw in some basil leaves too. Once the prawns start to turn colour as they cook, put in the tomato puree and some of the pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Give it a minute and then put in the pasta. Stir to coat the pasta with sauce. Plate, garnish with a few basil leaves and serve.

This dish took just 10 minutes to prepare, and the best thing about it is that I'm already reaping the rewards of having my own basil pot! :)

Power

The recent general elections have been a real eye-opener for me. As with the rest of my fellow Malaysians, I was in shock and awe at the sheer scale of the opposition's victory. In some states, even the tables were turned; the opposition is now the ruling goverment, and the previous goverment is now the opposition. How incredibly unprecedented. And how historic it is that we have finally made that first, important step towards a 2-party government. A government that has better conscience, and leaders who serve the people instead of protecting the interests of a select few.

We are no longer held back by fear, and we have transcended the barriers of race and religion to achieve the same goals. Malaysians have certainly come of age, and more importantly the coalition has shown (for now) that the country can have a multiracial/multireligious band of leaders working together for a higher cause. I hope that this will be the path to councils and goverments that are truly merit-based; leaders who are right and able to do the job irregardless of race or religion.

Much has been said, printed and blogged on about the elections and the huge array of statistics that come with it. Numbers, facts, rumours and analyses can be discussed to no end. But the one thing that struck me the most, and that really opened my eyes is this word - Power.

Power of the people
This election has been one of, if not the most significant and crucial elections in the history of Malaysian politics. Long have the people suffered in silence, stifled without a true voice in the parliament to demand for their rights and to scrutinize biased bills/policies/laws that benefited few and caused anguish to many. But now everyone has had enough. People have banded together to achieve a single aim; deny BN the 2/3 majority it has held for decades. In each individual's mind, the aim was simple and clear. If they vote for the opposition, there will be a chance. If they don't, then nothing might happen at all. A simple aim, but collectively, it's absolutely amazing how this has translated into such immense power and influence. The sum of all parts is definitely greater that its components. I think now Malaysians have realized that as citizens we hold real power, that we can decide who we want our leaders to be, and that we can influence and make changes for a better future. As we come of age, we must also mature and learn to use that power effectively and wisely.

Power of the media
Besides the swing of votes, the one other thing that has changed tremendously this time around is the access to media. Where previously we relied solely on the television and newspapers, the campaigning and results were largely dominated by text messaging and the internet. In fact, the results were circulating throughout the technosphere much faster than traditional media. While BN were very visible on the papers with their achievements, the opposition were in my opinion much more savvy, using the internet to its fullest potential while still reaching the masses with their ceramahs. With the proliferation of blogs, webmail, social networking sites and instant messaging, the opposition had the power to reach out to so many potential voters that traditional media can't. Coupled with the fact that the more tech savvy voters out there are of the younger generation who are better educated, I think this made another decisive factor in the results. This generation is more exposed to world issues than ever before, and they are more opinionated as a result. They will not take mere words and marketing blindly when it comes to political issues. The new generation of voters is a completely different beast, and I think BN has failed to realize that fact.

Power to act
The coalition now has the muscle to push for real change and voice out the plight of the public. They now have the power to ensure transparency, improve welfare and do away with corruption. No doubt, all these are not issues to be resolved overnight, but there have been some encouraging indicators with the push for open tenders and a Freedom of Information Act. Let's hope that there will be better news to come. The coalition has been elected by the people to be their proxy; a chance to act on their behalf ; a chance to walk the talk. If they do it right, the people will continue to support the cause and be right behind them. Else, we will just be back to square one in the next elections.

Now is the time for the coalition to prove themselves to be the right choice. It is time for real work and real battles to begin; the elections is just a start. It won't be easy, with no shortage of obstacles and it will be a big responsibility. But that's what you get with power.

Syabas Malaysia, and all the best to the stewards of a new dawn!

Herb Project: Basil

I've been trying to experiment with growing my own herbs from those sold in small packs at the supermarket. I heard that you can root them by just cutting and putting the herbs in some water, not unlike how you'd put your flowers in a vase. Sadly, both my naive attempts ended in clumps of dead leaves.

So I started looking for potted herbs, but they were quite hard to find. I finally got my hands on some basil last weekend at a higher-end supermarket chain. Whee!

It's quite small and fragile at the moment, but I'm hoping it will grow and be the first nice plant in my planned herb garden!

If anyone knows where to get other types of potted herbs please let me know! :)

To curse without cursing

A friend of mine thought me this, and I found it really funny, hehe. Next time you feel like scolding someone in Hokkien but don't really want to curse, try this phrase:

"Lu lao bu sai skuter long tiao!!"

Translation: "Your mother ride scooter langgar tiang!!"

Hokkien is such a colourful dialect. :)

Roast Pork (Siew Yuk)

Tried experimenting with siew yuk yesterday with a recipe I found on the net. I'm a bit lazy to jot down the recipe, except to say that the ingredients are so simple. All you need is good pork belly, five-spice powder, quite a bit of salt and vinegar.

The recipe first called for scalding the skin with a boiling vinegar and water mixture. I don't know why this needs to be done, but it did firm up the skin and seemed to help remove the moisture together with the salt.

Marinade the meat with the five-spice powder and salt for at least 2 hours. Score or pierce the skin and rub a generous amount of salt on it to remove moisture. This will help make the skin into crackling. Pop it into a 180°C oven about 1/2 hour and you'll see the salt crystallize. Remove them and roast for a further 1/2 hr or until the skin bubbles up and turn crispy. Rest and serve.

Fresh from the oven, resting...



After some deft knifework and a bit of garnish...

Nice and juicy...

Crispy pork!

The best part was cutting the meat. A good measure of siew yuk is how crispy the skin gets, and it was such a nice 'shyok, shyok' sound that reached my ears while I was chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Ahh..heavenly!

p/s: If anyone can explain about the vinegar, please let me know!

Char Siew Pork Ribs

I made some char siew a couple of weeks ago, and last week I tried using the same recipe to do pork ribs.

The ingredients are simple, but the roasting takes some time, effort and vigilance to ensure a nice shiny, sticky glaze when it's done.

Ingredients:

About 800g - 1kg of ribs, or about 5-6 ribs

2 1/2 tbsp of Hoisin sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

250g - 300g sugar, or to your preference (you need loads)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Shiao Shing wine, or rose wine

Method:

Mix all the seasoning together to make the marinade. It should be a bit thick so that it will stick to the meat. Rub marinade all over the ribs and put the ribs together with the remaining marinade into a freezer/storage bag. Leave the ribs in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Put the ribs onto a roasting rack/pan and into the oven. Turn down the temperature to about 150-160°C for a slow roast. After 30 minutes, glaze the ribs with the marinade from the freezer bag and put it back into the oven. Turn up the heat back to 180°C. Repeat the glazing about every 10-15 minutes for about another hour. The glaze will become sticky and give a nice caramelized colour to the ribs. Rest for about 10 minutes and serve.

Note: Line the bottom of the roasting rack/pan aluminium foil to avoid a messy and painful cleanup job. Burnt sugar is a b*tch to remove.

The meat was juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender, and the marinade was sweet, sticky and delicious. Really enjoyed the meal. :)

Secret Admirer

An unknown number calls; I press the busy button and cancel it. A mysterious text message follows:

Mystery woman: Hi yeng, perhaps I’m a bit too forward to call you straight away..i’m Cheryl, we met briefly last weekend…anyway, are you free tonight?

YY: Hi Cheryl, sorry my memory fails me. Where did we meet?

Mystery woman: Your message aches me! Did I not leave an impression at all? Hint: somewhere in ss2 over a coffee?

YY: Aiyoh I really can’t remember. What day? Where? Hehe.

Mystery woman: Aiyo, I give you 30 mins to think about it before I give you a call. I’m expecting a good answer ;)

She gave me a missed call. Then her text said…


Mystery woman: Cibong, Chuan here la…


Bugger Chuan*!!!!! =P


*prolific prankster with a penchant for beer and pork, girls under 18 beware.

KL Towerthon 2008

Last Sunday I went to visit the Kl Tower for the first time. Being a Malaysian staying in the Klang Valley, I’m sometimes a bit embarrassed that I haven’t even visited a landmark so close at home. However my first visit was a real challenge, because I did not take the lift up the tower. I ran. All 2058 steps to the deck. I probably did a lot of walking too, but I was too light headed to notice.

All I can say is that the KL Towerthon is a great workout for your cardiovascular system, legs and bum. It beats any Stepmaster machine in the gym or squat exercises. You will struggle to breathe, and fresh air will feel so good. You will zone out, seeing nothing but steps, steps, and more steps. In the end, your legs will feel like jelly and you will wobble. But you will feel proud that you reached the top.

I was almost a no-show because frankly, nobody wants to get up on a Sunday and run up a tower at 6.30 in the morning when it’s raining. But I paid RM20 for it, and I couldn’t let my running buddies down! So it ended up with us at the starting line, slightly soaked and losing momentum because it took so long to flag off our group of runners. There were 15 minute intervals between groups and we were in the third batch. Any warm up we did had dissipated.

The kilometer uphill leading to the tower proved to be quite exhausting. I was cold, my muscles weren’t ready for it, and my legs felt like solid lead. I think that stretch really spaced the field out.

The first few floors were quite bearable, but I could feel my leg muscles start to work overtime. My thighs were getting tight and tense, and I was sweating profusely even though the stairwell was well ventilated. By the time I reached the 16th floor I was gasping for air and dreading the remainder of the climb. I had no idea how many floors there were to go, and somehow not every level is labeled. I had no choice but to just keep going. It wasn’t really that bad once I got used to the rhythm, but my mood was spoilt by some inconsiderate people who threw empty bottles and bottle caps from above. One hit my head and really got my nerves going. Why did they have to throw anything at all? This ugly side of Malaysians really reared its head big time.

The view from the observation deck was really quite nice. As it was cloudy and cold, it kind of felt like I was in Genting especially when it got all foggy and white outside. I just pitied some of the tourists who had to share space with a few hundred sweaty participants!

The Towerthon was quite a fun experience and not as tiring as normal road runs due to the short duration. It’s like a short sustained burst of energy rather than a long burn that tests your stamina. I did it in about half an hour, which I think is average. The winner did it in less than 14 minutes. Crazy bugger.

Good as it was, I’m not sure if I want to do it again, hehe. Suffer la.

Char Siew @ Overseas, Jalan Imbi, KL

I had one the best char siew ever at Overseas last weekend. The few of us wanted to have lunch but we arrived too early and the restaurant wasn't opened yet, so we popped to a coffee shop nearby to have some great pork noodles first. Truly focused on our mission, we then headed back to Overseas just for the char siew. My cousin said it would make me happy.

We had to wait for about 15 minutes for the meat to be ready as it was still in the oven.

Captain: Char siew ah...have to wait a bit loh...12:15 lah...

Then we saw it; large strips of glistening, dripping, blackish pork...beautiful like you've just met your first love. The caramelized glaze around the meat was thick and dripping down slowly, like stalactites forming at the bottom. We got all dreamy as the chef started chopping up our order.

The meat was warm, juicy and tender; full of flavour and bite. The marinade stuck to the barbequed pork so well, and the caramel stuck to our teeth as we chewed. Ah...heaven.

Mmm...slurp

Needless to say, the whole plate was gone in less than 10 minutes. :)

It's a bit pricey at RM30 for a portion of 4 pax, but I guess it's worth it because it really does make you happy!

I do!

By any measure, most weddings that we go to are pretty run-of-the-mill affairs. The same rituals, the same greetings; you go through dinner doing small chats because you’re invited. However, as I experienced recently, once you’re involved and the couple happen to be your great friends, it becomes such an exciting and wonderful event.

Eugeen and Winnie got married at a beachside resort a couple of weeks ago, and I happened to be his Kato (that’s super duper sidekick for you people who didn’t grow up watching 70’s TV comic shows) – best man, army general and dinner emcee. Some people say ‘one leg kick’. It was scary, exciting, fun, and I loved it because it was for two friends close to me.

It helped that the wedding was at a resort and we had to make a trip there. It felt like a short holiday and really set the mood for the weekend. As we haven’t gathered together for some time, it also felt like a reunion of sorts for our university mates.

The morning started off well enough with the groom’s dad giving us lads the lowdown on life’s three stages – dating, marriage, and kids. Mind you that was before breakfast, and I noticed we didn’t eat much after. When the time came, we had to drive EG out for a spin before coming back to pick up his bride. Well, we actually did two spins because there was no one to open the door for him the first time! Minor hiccups, but memorable J

We stormed the Women’s Tactical Front, taking on everything they threw at us, even though at some point it was more ‘WTF??’ than a tactical front. We endured oranges, push ups, ice cold feet, chillies, nursery rhymes and the rubbing of certain, ahem, bodily parts. All in good fun and great times, hehe.

The most meaningful part of the day for me though was the wedding ceremony. Standing beside my main man at the front, I couldn’t help but be welled up by emotions as I watched the bride walking down the aisle with her dad. Tears were in her eyes and I knew father and daughter must’ve had a good heart-to-heart right before. Their parents looked proud, and I’m sure they were. I don’t know how EG felt waiting for his bride, but I was enormously proud and happy for the both of them. At that moment, they felt close like family to me, and deserved nothing less than each other. The ceremony was simple, and yet very beautiful.

Emceeing for dinner was nerve wrecking as I had never done it, and it must have shown to the people who asked me why I was so tense. Mates, you try to be funny and witty in front of 30-odd tables! The butterflies were having a ball in my knotted insides. But it went well, everyone had a fun time and I’m glad my speech was well received. I had been working on it for weeks, revising and practicing with friends. I wanted it to be my present for EG and Winnie, and I wanted it to be good. Thanks goodness they all laughed!

I had lessons from the groom’s dad again the next morning with a reminder to quickly get one for myself too, but I took it all in like a soldier. It had been a great weekend, and it had been a fantastic wedding, what with all of us close friends taking part in the celebrations. I think all wedding should be at resorts now; it’s just so much more fun!

The Secret, Prayers & Goodbyes

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne talks about the power of belief; that if you believe you are already at the desired state, it will come to you and it will happen.

I read that book a while back, and while I believe in the power of positive thinking, I also think that good luck will come only if you try and work towards what you wish. Looking back at recent events that's happened to me, I can't help but see some parallels to what the book has been preaching.

When I first got back from the UK, I wanted to do something different and was thinking of going into sales for the experience. So I searched for jobs and got interviews through recommendations. I did my homework and I managed to become a sales executive, though in an industry which I have never even considered. I then discovered that it wasn't for me, and I wanted to switch jobs. I applied for positions diligently and told myself that I would like to have a new job by the new year. True enough, I landed a job with pretty good prospects and an attractive price recently. I start work very soon and I'm hoping it will be enriching. Both jobs were very near my house, which was also another thing I wanted. From another angle, everything fell into place at the right time, which was important as I was balancing several events.

I don't know if that Secret really works, or if it's just pure coincidence. I would like to believe that if you want something and put effort into it, luck will come your way. It may not be in a form you expected, but you need to open up your eyes and recognize it. You will arrive there, but the journey might take you to places new and scary. Just ride it and have faith.

Of course, it helps when you've got the power of prayers on your side. I'm not particularly religious by nature, but I do feel blessed that I've got loved ones praying for my well being and protection on my journey. I'm sure it works in ways that are beyond me, but I'm appreciative nonetheless.

So, I said my goodbyes yesterday to my team during lunch. I never thought I'd be quite sad as I've only been there a short while, but I was. I guess it's because they are great, fun people - and I was the only male in the team...hehe. I'll miss my partner the most; working with her was such good fun. The sales environment wasn't too bad either with its liveliness and great energy. I hope the friendships made will be lasting.

Oh well, time to learn from the past, move on and look forward!

Happy 2008!

Well, there goes another year. Whoosh...just like that. Time really does fly supersonic.

Many ups and downs for me this year. I packed my backs and returned home after two years abroad. The final days in Reading was a blur of packing and rushing to get my affairs sorted, but I remember vividly the moment I touched down in KLIA. After the usual "we will jail you for bringing drugs' speech he said, "To all Malaysians, welcome home". I almost cried. Never had such words sounded so comforting.

However after just weeks I started noticing so many things wrong in my own country that I've never noticed before or were just ignorant about - the lack of decency and manners, materialism, the selfish pursuit of money, how we're still so far behind in public infrstructure, how funny some of our leaders are, among other things.

On a personal front, friends seem to be so engrossed in chasing money and success that I seem like a hippie lost in translation in 2007. I found myself at a slightly different frequency when conversing and in issues of interest. Fitting back in was suddenly a bit difficult at times. I mean, there's more to life than your boss and wanting to be rich right? Jeez, lighten up a little. And keeping up with friends who have moved up the ladder was a challenge as well. Somehow the mamak and hawker food is no longer good enough. The likes of La Bodega and Delicious is the standard now. Goodness. How do people save money these days? I guess time abroad has changed my priorities and thinking slightly.

Job searching was also a vast ocean that sometimes seemed to drown me. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and couldn't close interviews that I went to. There were times I was so lost and didn't know what to do. I wanted to start my own business and did experiment with it for a while, but I realized that it was very difficult to do alone and too crazy to risk it blindly. In the end I found work, but quickly realized that it wasn't for me.

Damn hippie right? All I want is love, peace, fun, and like...chill...dude. I think everyone should hug each other more. Seriously.

The past 9 months have been a time of adjustment and ironically finding my place in my own home. It hasn't been easy, what with no one that shares my experience. Some friends have mentioned that I've grown quieter, less fun and happy. I guess I have in some ways. It's hard when you're lost and can't find the answers, but I think I've almost come to terms with life right now. I feel more settled in and less anxious about what comes next. Que sera sera I guess.

For 2008 though, I want to try my best to live everyday in happiness. I have faith that things will bloom well and it will be a great year. I have always tended to measure my life in terms of the kind of person I am to my loved ones, rather than in career or monetary terms. So, for this year, I want to:

• Love more.
• Be a better son and brother.
• Be the best friend you've ever had.
• Be more charitable.
• Be a great boss (I still have dreams of my own business).

I hope that everyone will have a smashing year ahead and live life to the fullest. Take risks, do something scary once in a while, and take more time to actually talk to each other. Life's too short to live with what ifs and regrets. :)

See, so 60s hippie.

Happy new year!!

Kin Kin Spicy Pan Mee

This is for the chilli and pan mee lovers out there. If you're one of those who are already immune to the hot-bum afterburn that accompanies every spicy meal, then this is definitely the place for you.

The place: Restoran Kin Kin
The location: 40, Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1, Off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KL.
The food: Pan mee and kick-ass (or burn-ass) chilli.

I was introduced to this place a few months back by a buddy who assured me that I'll enjoy and boy was he right. I've been back every so often since for the pan mee that it has become a bit of an addiction.

The restaurant serves pan mee, in both dry and soup versions. The pan mee itself isn't much to shout about, with lashings of the normal minced pork, ikan bilis and greens. It does however come with a poached egg. At Rm4.80 a bowl, it's not the cheapest grub in town too especially when the portion isn't very big. I personal polish off two bowls everytime I'm there.

What's special and separates this restaurant from the rest is the chilli. It is oh-my-gawd so good. I'm not sure what they put into it, but I've seen pieces of fried lard (chu yau char) and I think that's what makes it so fragrant. Served in containers, the chilli concoction is a bit flaky and sticky, waiting to knock your socks off. You decide how much you want to put into your pan mee. I started with 2-3 spoonfuls, but nowadays I tend to put 4-5 heaped spoons into my bowl.


How to eat chilli pan mee 101:

Step 1: Look at your bowl and decide how much chilli you want to put in.

Step 2: Load the chilli in and delight in how beautiful it now looks. The colours...ahh..

Step 3: Mix all of it up and be prepared for the fire that is about to burn you into a sniffling, sweating mess.

Step 4: Finish everything up, including all the tissues you can find, and enjoy the light-headed sensation from the fiery torture you just went through. Smile. You survived. :)

Sounds a bit freakish to enjoy such torture for only a bowl of pan mee? Not at all for a chilli lover. The enjoyment and pleasure of getting new levels of chilli-pain can only be understood by fellow enthusiasts. If you're one, try this establishment out. You won't regret it.

Quickie

recent happenings on the home front:

1. i'm still trying to get used to sales and the tactics needed in the battlefield out there. i feel like i'm too logical and not zany and creative enough sometimes. so many things to remember and learn too. it's gonna be challenging. i need to be more thick-faced!

2. one of my sunday-morning-trek-and-breakfast buddies decided to ditch us for chinese girls in the mainland and to co-habitate with his boss. need to find a replacement.

3. had a real bad case of the runs last weekend. must have been a 'jampi' from uncle lim for crapping in his casino. it didn't help too that i had to run 5.5 km for charity while relying on 'po chai' pills to hold everything together. i barely survived.

4. i realized that there are many, many bloody rich malaysians out there. so bloody rich they don't know what to do with it, so they go to genting and throw it to the dealer. aunties and uncles, next time please throw it at a better angle - my pocket is about 45 degrees downwards ok?

5. been spending good quality time with family and relatives. i'm turning into quite a family guy. no complaints though it feels good. :)

6. i'm missing the quality of life in the UK a tad bit. but i miss the ales and pub food more.

7. and i miss you buddies still living there la, hehe.

8. i was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from the tax dept telling me to expect a cheque on the way! WOW. now let's see if it will really arrive.

yoohoo!

i haven't been blogging for a while now as i've been sorting out some stuff in my life. well, most of the stuff involves getting a job...but it's funny how that can lead to an emotional ride that brings you through a rollercoaster journey of searching, excitement, disappointment, depression, uncertainty and happiness. thankfully it's turned out well in the end and i'm hoping that it will be even better days ahead.

i don't really know what to write about at the moment, so i'll just word-doodle for a bit as a warm up to get back into the momentum. i think writing is like exercise; you've got to keep doing it or it will be difficult to pick up the pace again. when i started blogging, i also started to notice more things and was more aware of stories/issues to talk about. but when i took a break, somehow it felt like there weren't many topics that were particularly interesting to me.

maybe it's because i haven't been cooking since i came back home la. nothing to stir my culinary interests and make me want to cook. i think it may be due to the unfriendly kitchen in my house too.

emmm...ok don't know what to write anymore for the moment, hehe. happy days to anyone who read this post and thanks for still coming by! :)

Free Food - Our Biggest Vice?

In Malaysia, it seems that almost everyone is into food. We love to eat, and we're always on the lookout for grub that is better, tastier and more exotic to satisfy our tastebuds. We head out to the latest restaurants, the newest dessert shops and try out ever-changing flavours of the month. Having said that, good food doesn't always come cheap and so we are also constantly on the look out for cheaper places as well. The Chinese phrase "peng, leng, jeng" (cheap, beautiful, great) sums it up nicely. What could be better than to have great meals without burning a hole in the pocket, right?

Right. But sometimes, I think we take it way too far and start displaying a really ugly habit whenever a type of food comes about - free food. Okay, I know not all of us are like that, but those who are so blatant in their conduct whenever free food is available really make me feel ashamed to be Malaysian at times.

There I was with mom at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in KL to attend Maxis' AGM yesterday. The hotel itself is very nice and posh, and I'm sure it has played host to many important guests, foreign dignitaries and other VIPs. As we walked towards the registration hall we passed the refreshment area where a sumptious lunch buffet was laid out for Maxis guests to enjoy before the meeting started. There was a big spread for the huge number of people there and it was expectedly crowded.

We registered, got our stickers to identify ourselves as shareholders and walked back out to the refreshment area. It was then that I saw all the skills that would put waiters and petty thieves to shame.

Firstly, a lot of them didn't have stickers on them. So, either they stuck it under their clothes, or they weren't there for the event in the first place. If they were there just for a free lunch, they certainly were enthusiastic about it. Moving with such gusto from fried mee hoon, chicken, pastries, cakes, etc. to coffee and tea, you'd think they were on an Amazing Race roadblock challenge trying to beat the other teams. Or maybe just wolfing down the food before it runs out.

Then, there were aunties with such deft hands that they could juggle two plates - filled to the brim with puffs and mini cakes - on a single palm! That's four plates per auntie man...and there were a lot of them. It was amazing seeing them balance all that food while waltzing through the crowded room avoiding collision and spillage. I think waiters in training could learn a thing or two just observing them.

But the one that takes the cake was something my mom pointed out to me. This auntie was taking out a plastic container from her handbag! She was there to get some take-away! I was really shocked that some people would actually do something like that. I know that a lot of people go crazy at buffets or open houses and start hoarding food like there's no tomorrow, but I have never actually seen people bringing their own containers to tah-pau.

It was quite sad to me to notice such a state of things. That the purpose of the event wasn't even about food in the first place, that most of the people there were so kiasu about sampling every morsel - it really makes one wonder why we behave that way. The saddest thing of all for me though, was how it seems to have become an accepted habit and no one seems to think it inappropriate. I mean, you're at a company's AGM ok, not an eating competition.

I can understand that in certain countries people are starving and will fight for anything that remotely looks like food. But we're not poor or hungry, we're educated, we live comfortably and if you can be a shareholder in a company, you can definitely put food on the table easily. Do we really have to bring ourselves down to such a level?

I just hope this habit doesn't result in an image of Malaysians that shows us as foodie freeloading hogs without respect to others. But if that's what we want to project, well, Malaysia definitely boleh-lah.

Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge

Last week, I visited the Petronas twin towers for the first time in my life. They have been standing majestically for a good number of years now and I've always enjoyed looking at them illuminated in the night skyline. However, I have never made the effort to actually visit the skybridge, which is the only place you're allowed to walk around unless you work in one of the offices there.

So when my cousin managed to get tickets I thought "Why not?".

The tickets to the skybridge are free, but you have to go really early to line up for them. There's a limited amount of tickets given out each day, so be kiasu and make a beeline to the counter in the morning. The entrance to the skybridge tour is at the Tower 2 side of the lobby. If you're going by LRT, go to the centre court and make a right. Take the escalator up a floor, go past RHB bank and turn right to arrive.

There are set times for the tour, depending on your ticket. To start things off, there is a video presentation on the design and construction of the towers. We were late, so we missed this part. After that, a guide will take visitors up to the skybridge at level 41. The lift we took had the most LEDs I've ever seen (due to the sheer number of floors) and moves very fast - a zippy 1 floor per second.

Once at the skybridge, you're allowed 10 minutes to wander around, enjoy the view and take pictures. IMHO, 10 minutes is really short...so kiamsiap. But to make up for the kiamsiap-ness, the view is really good and you can see almost the whole of KL.

It also helped that the weather was bright and sunny (and hot!), giving us clear skies.

After the skybridge tour, we then went up higher (71st is I've remember correctly) and the view was even better. Looking below, the people looked like ants crawling around some concrete jungle. Everything at ground level looked so small. Made me feel very big, hehe.

Up close, the size and height of the buildings are quite impressive too. The architecture is nice as well. If you have the time, just go up and have a look.

Heck, it's free anyway...don't want ah? :)

StarCraft II !!!

Man oh man this is exciting. Blizzard has announced the sequel to Starcraft! Check it out:





I think the video looks awesome. Personally, I think StarCraft is the most balanced RTS game compared to other titles in the market. It also has a very engaging storyline and each race is so unique without being overly powerful, giving plenty of room for creative gameplay and tactics. It may have been around for quite some time, but it is an absolute classic and is still being played by gamers around the world.

I remember pulling all-nighters during the weekend when I was in university - not for studying, but for playing StarCraft until the wee hours of the morning with my housemates! We would start after dinner, blasting each other's armies and trying to outwit one another the whole night. Sometimes we would even play till the sun came up. One housemate even stayed up sometimes while we were asleep to practice to be the best...he was THAT hooked. Needless to say, it was THE game to play during those days.

And now Blizzard's announced the 2nd installment of the saga. From the in-game footage, I think it will not dissappoint fans worldwide.





It looks so beautiful.