Messed Up...

The past few days have been pretty messy. There was frustration. There was hurt... lots of it... I wished I could just take my heart out but alas I can't. There was anger. Some people just love to report half facts and get others worked up... really spoilt my days.

Anyway, thankfully I had planned to spoil myself last night and that kinda made up for everything for the time being. I bought myself tickets for Avatar-3D on Monday for last night, midnight. My last 3D movie was Jaws 3D... and I think I was about thirteen then. I decided on 3D for Avatar as I read somewhere that this would be a good movie to watch on 3D. To cut a long story short... I was happy as shit. Damn! It was so cool! Really cool... nowhere near what I remembered it to be. I was literally fascinated... switching views to see the difference... trying to touch certain things... and here comes the best part.... there was a scene with an explosion and  the debris flew towards the audience... I actually ducked! It was a good experience. Go try it... you won't regret.

This is a view that I should be seeing daily soon. I've always dreamed of having a beach-side house but I guess a beach-side workplace will have to suffice for now... really looking forward to it... get away from this place... away from everyone. Maybe I'll find peace there... maybe I'll just decide to sever all ties and start life all over again... maybe that's the best way since people can't move on... they just have to haunt you.

If the weather is good I'll go out for some photography tomorrow...

DIY Plumbing

For the record, I'm a DIY kinda guy. It all started when I was a kid. My first big project was a racing bicycle.  I am the second of three siblings and as usual the eldest was mommy's boy and the youngest was daddy's boy... me... I was the devil's boy. Hahaha... anyway... my elder brother was lucky enough to get a racing bicycle from my parents. Can't understand this... my results always aced his but he always got the good stuff. So... the idiot crashed his bicycle. The brake handle fell into the wheel while moving and he and the bike went flying... so he claims. The bike was a total loss... to him... he junked it.

I took the bike apart piece by piece and salvaged whatever that was not damaged.... I gradually bought the parts back with my pay (I was already working part time). I bought a few cans of paint (aerosol) and lacquer, repainted the bike then put it back together again... piece by piece. How did I manage this? I spent a lot of time at the bicycle shop observing and learning and I borrowed a couple of things like the tightener for the spokes. This monkey see and this monkey can do. I did a bloody good job to the surprise of my parents. Alas, the bike was stolen a couple of months later.

My parents then bought our first home and only... Well, my late father actually and he only paid the down payment. The installments by me and I am still paying for it now... but that's another story.

Anyway, we were all excited about our new home a.k.a 870 ft² pigeon hole. My senior colleague then, Ong Chit Lai was the one who introduced me to DIY. We bought all our stuff and installed them ourselves. Now when I say DIY, I mean literally DIY. Example... the fluorescent lamps had to be assembled and wired. The casing came separate and had to be installed (put together), the choke had to be wired then attached to the casing, the starter then wired in, etc.  This was back in 1990 and everything we installed is still working.

When I bought my own home which was second hand, I did all the painting myself.... alone... all 1364 ft² of it... with the exception of the doors as I replaced all the doors with solid doors and the new doors required sanding, an undercoat and all and I was just too lazy for that. I hired someone to do the doors. I also bought additional cabinets for the kitchen from IKEA and installed them myself. These were for the oven and microwave oven. My ex actually thought I couldn't do it. It's not easy though but it's not rocket science either. It is very much different from assembling the book shelves and what not from IKEA. Those are no brainers. For things like the kitchen cabinet it required some basic skills. The counter top came in standard lengths so you had to custom cut it.

So, fast forward to today. The washroom did not have a bidet and I decided to install one. I went out to buy what I needed or at least what I thought I needed for RM17.00. I got back home and then realised that I did not have the tools I needed. Alamak... I didn't want to go out again so I went to my car to see if I had the tools. No luck. I then went to the convenience store downstairs. He didn't have the tools either. He only had a pair of large pliers. Desperate and lazy, I bought it for RM9.90. Went up and tried... it was ok but I couldn't tighten it properly and it was still dripping slightly. Then I realised I was short of  a nipple. No, not MY nipple. A nipple. Shit! Shit! Shit! I had no choice but to go out and buy the nipple.

I didn't want to drive all the way to Wangsa Maju to where I got the stuff earlier so I tried driving around the vicinity. It's a Sunday and that makes it more difficult. I start off around Chow Kit to Jalan Ipoh to Sentul and finally found a hardware store on Jalan Genting-Kelang. Bought the nipple and an adjustable spanner to do the job properly. 50 sen for the nipple and RM9.90 for the spanner.

Got home, took everything apart again, applied the thread seal tape properly and generously and then assembled everything properly. These days we have the screw-on versions as opposed to those days when we had to use sealants.

From left... T-elbow, nipples in black, the tap and the bidet's flexible hose. The thread seal tape is white. I'm sure most people have seen it before but just don't know what the heck it's called. Colourful eh?

Supplements...

I'm having problems with my memory again. I realised that I have not been taking my supplements for a very long time. So, I started taking these yesterday and next week I'll start with the rest again.

Happy Birthday...

It's the ex's birthday today. She turns 34 today and in 36 days she'll tie the knot again. Happy Birthday and congratulations in your new found happiness....

The Idols...

I received this from my ex-colleague today. This picture is called 'Hawaiian and Malaysian Idol' by the sender. This was taken in November 2007 during the staff party. That's my boss on the left and that's me on the right..... if it wasn't already obvious.

Aww... Shucks...

It looked like it was going to pour this morning and since I had to vacate my apartment by the end of the month I decided I'd catch the gloomy morning scene before I lost the chance.

The phone rang at 8:33 am to the theme of Ironside. Only one person in my phone book with that ringtone... my boss. Alamak... not again... last week's argument was enough. I don't need another one. I've been having too many arguments with him in the last 8 months. Come to think of it, we've had more arguments in the past 8 months than over the last 10 years. I take the call and he asks if I am at work yet. Yes, I am... he's here too. Aiyoyoh... karavale, karavale... this is so unusual. I go to meet him and he asks that we adjourn to my office. That's even more strange. This is the first time he's been to my office.

Something's not right. He closes the door after he gets in. It was an hour session. He apologised for not guiding me properly since I took this challenge 8 months back. He must have heard or felt that I was serious when I said I was going to leave though he never touched on that topic. He explained many things which had to stay within the four walls of my office. There were emotional moments... him holding back his tears when I told him how shitty it is to be a senior management and to get your 10-year service cheque and letter from your own HR manager and the letter signed by the HR manager and not from the owner himself or Council. Of course he assumed responsibility for that failure. As usual... Well... to cut a long story short, he's managed to make me feel guilty. I tell you... this one man is the only thing binding me with this company.

Anyway... I have NOT changed my mind. He's got me mixed with my feelings and I MAY stay on but that certainly remains to be seen. I am still going ahead to recce the resort next month during Raya Haji and I called Mahmoud yesterday to ask him for leads on international postings. I'll be sending him my resume tomorrow.

Oh, by the way... in that discussion... I was told I now don't have to move from the apartment... damn... he sure knows how to go for the moral ground. His Sun Tzu is WAY superior to mine.

The Ugly Mutthafucker

Met an ex-colleague today and had coffee together while exchanging stories. In fact, too much coffee. I had 3 cups of brewed coffee on top of my daily cup early in the morning. The consequence.... was hyper all afternoon and didn't feel hungry till the late afternoon by which time it was no longer convenient to eat.

Back to the stories... Lembu punya susu, sapi punya nama... I had predicted this while I was in Kuantan. I knew without a doubt that I would not be there long enough to see the fruits of my labour. Somehow, I just knew it and I was right. Anyway, apparently my successor is a person who seems to like to bask in attention and is one who looks for personal glory. So this is a stark contrast compared to me who shies away from attention and personal glories.

It was rather amusing listening to all this come from someone who used to bitch about me and how I was supposedly 'indecisive'... just because I changed my mind about something. Well... as the saying goes... you never appreciate what you have until you've lost it.

I'll make a prediction here... I will turn this place around. The results will show and be very apparent but the credit will go to someone else... the story of my life. As long as the team gets the credit as well, I'm fine with it. As of last month, I am RM158K behind last year's PROFIT. So, by this month I would have exceeded last year by about RM500k and whatever we make in the next two months will be all extra.... and I think we will close RM1.5 million higher than last year in profits.

What did I do? Seriously, Jack Schitt... I merely played the role of Morpheus in The Matrix. I freed their minds... the minds of the team here and I got rid of their restraints. That's all I did. By the way... people say I look like Morpheus and some say I look like Yao Ming. Now I know how truly ugly I am... reminds me of Predator.. with Arnie saying, "You're one ugly mutthafucker!" No wonder I have no  luck with girls. Oh, well...

I got home close to prime time news... feeling absolutely famished. I wanted something fast to cook and good to eat... Maggi instant noodles. My usual 2 packets... double-whammy. My all-time favourite....

Happy Deepavali

It's Deepavali today and I'd like to wish all the Hindus a very Happy Deepavali.

No Hindu homes to go to this year. Strangely I got an SMS inviting me for Hari Raya open house today. But I didn't feel up to it. I was awake by 8:00am. I decided to watch Transformers again on Blu-ray. Then I cooked some sausages, burgers and chicken drummets for breakfast. Had to clear my perishables before I move at the end of this month. After that I did some cleaning and had leftovers for lunch.

After lunch I lazed around a bit, fooled with my camera and played or rather tried playing some games on PS3. I  don't think I'm any good at PS3. Then I felt like watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen so off I went to buy some DVDs. Didn't get to watch any DVD when I got home as I had a dinner to attend at the Shangri-La Hotel.

I took the monorail there. Walking into the hotel brought back memories. Just as I walked in I was startled by someone calling my name. Looked around and I saw a familiar face but for the life of me, as usual I couldn't remember the person's name. She's asked me what I was doing now... I replied...

Coolie...

Yeah, right... come on... Director of what now?

Director of Garbage

Seriously, Director of what now?

Nolah... not even a Director... just a Manager...

Ala... you ni poyo lah...

I guess I am... nice to see you again.

Off I went... I wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. She must have been there for... let's see... 12 years at least as I have left that place for the same number of years. Frankly, she looked horrible. I guess it's true when they say that GENERALLY women don't age as well as men. I proceeded to have dinner with my colleagues at Lemon Garden. Dinner was okay... nothing spectacular. Food was just so-so.

I saw a few familiar faces and they too recognized me despite my lack of hair now. Two of those I met have been there for over 20 years! Geesh... that's a long time.... and does not seem like they have progressed much with their career.

This got me to think... I have been with this company for over 10 years. Next March it will be 11 years. At my 10th year I received one month's salary as ex-gratia for my long service which was fine. But... to a person like me, that's not important. I hold a senior position in this company. The least for me was for the owner or his number two at the least to call me and thank me for my long service and if they could not accomplish that then a letter from either one of them would have sufficed. But NO... I got a letter signed by my Human Resources Manager. I have made it a point that all the long service employees got their letters from me and not the team leaders. I felt this was important to recognize employees. My bosses harp about taking care of employees but they don't seem to walk the talk.

So, if this is the way I am appreciated then it only compounds that I really should move on. A great Deepavali thought. The festival of lights probably gave me light...

Bueno

This is my latest indulgence... Kinder Bueno. I had seen the ad on TV many times before but never did try it until lately when I was in Ipoh and was craving for a snack and this was the only thing left so I tried it. I am now hooked on it. Like I said before, I can't stop till I finish everything... and when I finished everything, I ended up being hyper and unable to sleep.

Oh... it's my late father's birthday today... Happy Birthday Dad... I miss you. :(

FIRE!

My sleep was interrupted with a call at 0056 hours today. It's always like this... just as I doze off into a deep slumber... a quick look at the phone to see who it was and I jumped up immediately. It was the Duty Manager... at this hour, it can't be good. I was still drowsy but when I heard the word FIRE... I was wide awake in a nanosecond. I quickly jumped into my jeans, put on a t-shirt, grabbed my keys and I was off before you can say 'Jack Robinson'.

2 fires in less than 8 months. Geesh! What fucked up luck?! The last one was on 5th March. When I arrived the sprinkler had already triggered and the fire had been put out. They had already called BOMBA. There was still a lot of smoke so I went in and opened the windows to let the smoke out. Then BOMBA arrived. We then switched the sprinkler off and BOMBA did their so-called investigation. By the time I left it was already 0300 hours. I couldn't sleep at all when I got back as much as I tried. Ended up being like a washing machine... tossing and turning.

The next thing I know it was time to go to work... I was sleepy... and I had to drive to Ipoh after work.... aiyoh... and in the afternoon... I dread doing long distances in the afternoon. I had so much coffee that I was so close to being like Alvin and the Chipmunks when they had their dose of coffee.

Anyway, I'm going to have to ask my mom to buy me some flowers so I can Mandi Bunga. Can't go on like this... just too many things happening...

I Miss My Baby...

Miss you so much...

I got into the car today and was just about to drive home and for some strange reason my left leg attempted to step on the clutch. Alas there was no clutch. Bang... kete hang auto lah skang...

Started to reminisce the good old days with my baby. Zooming down Karak Highway at 110kph... taking all the sweeps easily... and to make matters worse, after dinner there was this show on NTV7 which was about cars and they were featuring the Lancer GT... lagilah sakit hati woi...

The dude who's hosting this show somehow looked so familiar. At the end I saw his name... Adian Yein Khalid. This is the dude who sold me my first CAI (Cold Air Intake), suspension and springs for my baby. I think I still have that set of springs in my apartment, unused. Adian used to head Proton's Motorsport Division for a while. Now he's into something else but still is into cars, obviously.

My baby sure has some memories... like flying off a 2.5 feet high ledge... hahaha... will never ever forget that one. I was so high on booze just after some silly pool with the gang... Crazee who was in the car with me was speechless. The bumper fell off... I got out of the car, squatted down, looked at my baby and burst out laughing. Geesh... those were the days indeed.

8 Months in 6 Days...

I would have been here for 8 months in 6 days time.

Last night I got a call from my boss. It really upset me and I actually lost my cool at him again. Poor guy. I know he was only trying to help me out but I am just so frustrated working here. He was cool despite me losing my cool. Dunno... maybe he understands my predicament. And maybe he put me here against my will therefore he has to understand. Whichever...

I was in tears with frustration and in the middle of cooking my chicken curry. I had to stop the fire to continue with the conversation. I was tempted to ask him a very personal question which would have put him in a dilemma... to answer as a boss or as a friend. It was so close at the tip of my tongue but I knew there was too much anger and frustration in me to allow myself to ask as I was sure my anger would have gotten the better of me and I would have said things that I would regret. So, I held back... but I will have to ask him eventually... Do I still have a future with this company?

I felt regret today as I read my e-mail and remembered yesterday's incident. I regretted not joining my cousin. I turned down her offer which was 40% more than here. But another part of me... the responsible part of me felt I should stay on and steer these guys out of choppy waters before moving on... and I guess that is why I am still here. I received an e-mail from one of the directors who claims that my products are getting from bad to worse. It offended me. Not that I am not willing to take criticism but I know that this was an unfair statement. ALL evidence shows that the product has improved since I took over. I am not claiming that I did that but I will stake claim to giving the team here motivation to do what they failed to do earlier. My boss called me about the e-mail which he was copied on. He briefly asked me the circumstances and just advised me not to give excuses when I respond (Not that I would, he just wanted to make sure). He indirectly told me that he could not interfere. His last words, "You know what to do".

Nincompoop... this is another species that I despise. The species that sits and does nothing and criticises everyone. The species that does not see what their staff do for them nor appreciates the efforts of their staff. The species that imposes all kinds of restrictions to your jobs then conveniently asks you why you are not performing. But here's the strange thing... people like this thrive... I guess because human beings just love to get smoke blown up their asses.

Anyway, Julian came to see me today. Julian is the chap I recommended to my cousin when I turned down her offer. Julian took the job for less than half from what I was offered... of course at different capacity lah. He's just the Operations Manager. They wanted me to replace their CONsultant who never made a sen for them in one year of operations with a RM7 million turnover. I would have charged the guy with CBT if it were me. Julian is doing well, so he says. I told Julian that I was using him actually. If the guy I recommended at half the price can do a good job it SHOULD only reinforce my value, right? Technically lah... Julian says that they're expanding and would probably need a GM soon. This would be my back up I guess. I'm just not too keen in getting back into the entertainment scene. Been away from that scene for a long, long time.

As I tell my team over and over again. As much as I seem unscathed due to my so-called cool-poker-faced demeanour, I am only human. I go through the same ups and downs that they do and the same emotions too. I just don't have the luxury of openly exhibiting my frustrations as I have to set an example.

Oklah... enough of rambling... I've vented.

Tsunamis

In the past year, I have dreamt of at least three tsunamis. I looked it up on the net and this is what I found...

The Dream Dictionary:

Tidal waves or tsunamis suggest that you may be in a period of emotional upheaval. Anxiety, stress, and unconscious materials may be coming to the surface and affecting your daily moods. Giant tidal waves from your dream may be symbolic of current emotional unhappiness and psychological stress that may be threatening to destroy or uproot you. The outcome of this dream could reveal to you how much strength you have to "ride out" this storm. If you are not consumed, or you survived the tidal waves of your dream, be assured that you will survive the challenges of life and living.

Each tsunami as I recalled was even larger than the previous one and scarier too. I guess the only consolation to me is that in all three tsunamis, I survived.

My Daily Cup

Everyone has their daily ritual. I know Lian’s was being gloomy for the first hour of her day… ha, ha, ha… don’t know if she still is. Would be bad if she still is as the weather where she’s residing in now is just as gloomy all year round. Hah!

My ritual is *ahem* visiting Bank Negara every morning but that is after I have my daily cup. My daily cup is extremely important as it makes the visit to the bank ‘smoother’ and it also prevents me from getting a severe headache. My daily cup is essentially coffee... not just coffee but strong coffee. The recipe is basically the same but the coffee I use varies depending on what’s on sale at the supermarket. My recipe is:

1 packet 3-in-1 instant coffee

1 packet Anlene milk

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1 teaspoon condensed milk

Pop the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes, add all other ingredients and some hot water and ‘tarik’ for about 10 times.

This is my daily cup... a nice 'tarik-ed' cup of deliciously strong coffee. And I have it in this same mug every single day. Got this mug back in 1997 as the pre-opening team. How time flies...

My preferred variation is Nescafé Gold 3-in-1 with a teaspoon of Nescafé Gold and the alternative would be Nescafé 3-in-1 Rich with a teaspoon of Nescafé Classic. Obviously the preferred variation is more expensive. The Gold range seldom has offers whilst the Rich type often has offers where you get 5 sticks extra… so since it is already cheaper and you then get 5 sticks extra it becomes a no-brainer, No?

Anlene is the milk of choice due to the extra calcium but I limit myself to no more than 2 cups of milk a day as I have the opinion that milk is a carcinogen. I read an article somewhere and I just believed it. This is not scientifically proven but... hey... what have I to lose?

When I have brewed coffee then it is different…. I take it black, no sugar. Ummppphhhh!

The Last Pig-Out?

Quite a busy day today. Went to work as usual... then I snuck off to send my car for an overdue auto detailing at CARS International in BTS. Then I hopped on the monorail back to office. At 2:00 pm I hopped on the monorail again to go pick the car up. I enjoy riding the monorail... actually I enjoy being in public as I love to observe and profile people. Those who don't know me would think that I am an asshole for the thoughts and remarks that come from my observation and profiling while those who DO know me would tell you that I am actually 10 times the asshole. Ha, ha, ha... I am a blunt person... it's my sincerity. So, if you can't handle the truth don't bother asking me my opinion. Anyway... I saw a few amusing things... one was a huge giant assed girl who shook with every step she took... reminds me of my childhood days and the 'Square Fruit Jelly' advertisement. And she seemed to take pride in every step that she took. Then there was this guy who planted himself in front me while I was seated on the train. He had so much confidence in him as if he thought he was Tom Cruise or Johnny Depp or what I don't know. Damn poyo! But alas the truth was... I had to look away. You know, I never forget a face.... but in his case I am willing to make an exception. Urgh!

Back to work. After my daily 4:00 pm meeting I indulged in some upgrading of my gadgets. I found out that my Garmin Mobile XT had an updated software and attempted to upgrade. I tried and tried and failed... tulah pasal pakai ciplak punye. Spent over an hour in vain. No choice so had to rollback to the previous version. Thankfully, it worked.

While I was doing my stuff and chatting on Skype my ass felt some tremors. I thought I was mistaken so I quickly grabbed my bottle of water and placed it on the table. My ass was right... there were tremors. So, I thought I'd wait till tomorrow to see if there was anything or just my imagination.

And off I went... home. Got home... took a peek out and decided that I'd take a shot of the Twin Towers again... this time without the lights. I think it looks cool without the lights on.

Since it was my last day of pigging out, supposingly lah... I decided to grab sushi. Looked it up on the mobile phone and set the navigation on and off I went to Sushi King at Ampang Point. Yeah, Ampang Point again. I needed to go to CIMB and HSBC so it was convenient. Just before I arrived, I heard over the radio that Sumatra was hit by an earthquake. So, my ass was right after all. This is the first time I've felt tremors other than the tremors from my fart lah. Cool...

At Sushi King I ordered my usual stuff... Calirfonia Maki, Tuna Mayo Maki, 2 California Temaki, 2 Soft Shell Crab Temaki, Agedashi Tofu and another Soft Shell Crab Temaki. Heh, heh, heh... yummy, yummy... with lots of wasabi with shoyu.

After dinner I did my banking. Then I was about to go home when just after I made the turn I saw Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa. It was just too tempting. I pulled over at an empty parking lot and apa lagi? Nolah... didn't eat there. I decided to take away. Nasi Lemak with Rendang Daging and Ayam Masak Merah. By the time I got home I was hungry again... need I say more? Heh, heh, heh... I know, I know... I am such a pig. Tell me something I don't know, please...

Then I lay on the sofa and watched The Sixth Sense... "I see stupid people..." eh, nolah... "I see dead people..." and the next thing I know... The Sixth Sense was watching me instead. Now I need to watch it again on DVD... I just love it.

Fat PIG!!!

Yeah... that's moi...

About 2 months back I had lost 4kgs which would have brought my weight to between 76-77 kgs and followed with 29 days of fast, one would have thought that I'd lose more weight and then added on with me pigging out lately it SHOULD have brought me back to my original weight... theoretically lah...

Today I stepped onto the digital weighing machine and I swear I think I heard the screws go BOING!... it registered 84.6 kgs... and this was after I did my business (beraklah). Problem, problem... I was concerned so out came the tape measure... alamak... 36.5 inches... you fat PIG!!!

My normal weight is about 80 kgs and my waistline would be 34 inches. Normal here meaning some light exercise daily... push ups, chin ups, etc... no cardio and just the normal diet of 3 meals a day. If I do cardio and eat 6 times daily, protein only... then I have achieved 75 kgs with a waistline of 33 inches before. But then... I was told I looked haggard at 75 kgs.

So now that I am back at where I was 2 years ago it got me pondering... what happened?

Well, for a start I have not been doing ANY exercise at all... just sexercise, sexercise, sexercise... which is not good but I am not complaining... just making a statement. Ha, ha, ha... The average guy would say that sexercise only is good but then the average guy doesn't know that exercise creates testosterone which is essential for QUALITY sexercise... and me being in the demographics where natural production of testosterone deteriorates, kenalah EXERCISE.

I know... I am getting old... but the key here is the present CONTINUOUS tense... GETTING.

The people around me do not seem to think I would be able to lose the inches around my belly. They seem to think it's all downhill for this baldy... are they right? Have I reached a point of no return?

Well, I guess we'll just have to see in about 3 months. Starting 1st October, it's exercise again... and not forgetting sexercise... ha, ha, ha...

Foursome...

I did my normal grocery shopping and cleaned the apartment. I had a date with two women in the late afternoon. I was running late so I called Brenda to say I that I was running late. She was okay with it and said that she would inform Christine. I picked Brenda from her home and asked her where was Christine? She didn't know so I called Christine. Christine said she was at her friend's house in Bukit Ceylon. She asked if I could pick her up there and said that her friend Janet wanted to tag along and asked me if it was okay. Hey! THREE women at once and they're all okay with it? Of course I'm okay with it. So I drive to Bukit Ceylon and picked Christine and Janet up. Then they decided that they wanted to go to Mid Valley. I don't like that place as it is too crowded but I can't disappoint three ladies can I?

So we arrive and walked around a bit. They walked while I engaged super slow mode and cuci mata. Then after a while we stopped for a drink while two of them had to have their cigarettes. We chit-chatted a bit and then it was time to leave. I sent all of them home and headed home ALONE.

By the way, Brenda is my mom... while Christine and Janet are my aunts. They're my Diamond Girls... heh, heh, heh...

Daging Masak Kicap & Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi

Tomorrow is grocery shopping day so I decided to clear the freezer. I had prawns, beef and chicken drumsticks in the freezer. A quick rummage through the refrigerator and I decided on the menu. It was to be Spicy Prawns, Daging Masak Kicap and Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi.

The Spicy Prawns. This is definitely a better picture compared to the previous one. Recipe is here...

Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi. I don't know what the authentic version is like but this is my adaptation from my memory based on what my mom taught me.

1 inch kunyit

15 cili padi

1 garlic

10 shallots

1 asam keping

1 serai

1 daun limau purut

1 cube chicken stock

1 tomato, quartered

1 nos coconut milk

Blend the ingredients. Bring the ingredients to boil with about 500ml of water and the chicken stock. Throw in the asam keping, serai, daun limau purut and chicken. Simmer till chicken is cooked. Add tomatoes then add coconut milk. Bring fire to a gentle simmer to avoid the coconut milk from curdling. Season to taste with salt and you're done.

Daging Masak Kicap. Again this is my adaptation done the Chinese way...

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp osyter sauce

1 tsp corn starch

pepper

1 dry chili

1 bulb garlic (whole, skin on)

1 star anise

2 cm cinnamon stick

4 cloves

1 large onion, quartered

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar or to taste

Slice the beef and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Heat some oil in a pot. Stir-fry the beef in very hot oil to seal the meat. Add about 500ml of water and add all remaining ingredients except sugar. Simmer till beef is tender adding water along the way if it is too thick. Add sugar to taste and you're done.

By the way... the garlic is thrown in whole for taste. If you peel it, very likely it will break up through the cooking process. The garlic is damn layan like this... syiok... kind of like roasted garlic.

Hokkaido

It's Ayu's birthday today and since the birthday girls just loves crabs I took her to Hokkaido as this is the nearest pork-free Chinese restaurant that I know of. The menu was simple. Dry Chilli Crabs and Steamed Sea Bass with Supreme Soy Sauce.

The Dry Chilli Crabs is a signature dish at Hokkaido. Actually, I think it is Kam Heong Crabs but since they have a predominantly Malay clientele it probably 'evolved' to Dry Chilli Crabs for simplicity.

A closer look at the crabs and if it's not close enough click on it... if you don't already know. It is literally finger licking good.

The Steamed Sea Bass with Supreme Soy Sauce. It was nice and so was mine. Confirm... mine is 'restaurant quality'...

Genting Highlands

Made a trip to the highlands today. I decided to drive halfway and then take the Skyway. There was a large crowd and although I was told it would take 45 minutes, I was in a car within 30 minutes.

Upon arriving at the highlands I noticed one of my favourite fast food kiosks and I just couldn't resist and ordered these two. I really sound like a pig with all my double-whammy orders right?

1901 New York Chicken

1901 Coney Dog

Then it was off to the Outdoor Theme Park. Honestly, this is my first time. I paid RM44.00 for the entry... I think. It's free entrance for birthday celebrants. Frankly, I find it quite ridiculous. The entire set up is ridiculous to me... here's why... I pay a premium to enter... then when I decide on a ride, I have to queue... in my instance, I chose the Cyclone first... I queue up for about 45 minutes and my ride was over in 30 seconds. Hello? That's just one ride. At the Space Shot it was the same... a long queue... I took one look at it and walked away. I have to spend almost an hour for every ride? Come on...

So it was off to lunch and what do I see as soon as I exit the Outdoor Theme Park? Old Town White Coffee... apa lagi? On... heh, heh, heh... malas nak jalan punya pasal...

Chicken Curry. It came with steamed white rice. Very plain but very nice. I tell you... I can layan chicken curry with plain bread only... yummy... those were the days...

This is their signature coffee if you don't already know. I like it... nice... strong enough for me.

Before I move on, my 2 sen on the previous two rides.

The Cyclone - it was nice but to wait for 45 minutes and have it over in 30 seconds? It's like having sex with a guy with premature ejaculation. I'm sure you ladies can relate to that. Frust kan?

Space Shot - first of all the queue was ridiculous like I said, then I am Acrophobic... yeah, yeah... so tall yet have Acrophobia? Yes... I am Acrophobic... so? Anyway, queuing for approximately 45 minutes only to feel your balls move to your throat is not my idea of fun. Kinda sadistic to me... so, I doubt I will ever get on that ride.

After lunch it was time for the Flying Coaster. It was RM10.00 for wristband holders. Since this was pay per ride, the queue was short. Got my ride in 5 minutes. This was fun... but the head rests smelt horrible and it stays with you for quite a bit... potong stim...

Then off to the Snow World... this was RM17.00. Now, this.... is a disappointment. Really...

They have time slots which is fine.... gave me time to grab a Hot Caramel Macchiato from Starbuck's. Then they don't allow any cameras in the Snow World. Why? They have their cameramen there and you have to use their services. This is too much. Ok, I can afford it and even I feel the pinch. How about those parents who HAVE TO take their kids there? RM30.00 for 2 pictures is simply outrageous. And on top of that they take crappy pictures. And after you pay your RM30.00 you can't even get the soft copies. Just one word for Genting management on this... FUCK. I can understand that it is a business but this is simply outrageous and people should complain to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs on this. Then inside... Snow World? What snow? Ummm... maybe giant freezer is a better description. Sedih lah... this will be the first and the last for me. The next time I get the urge or if I ever think of this Snow World, I'll just walk into the hotel's walk in chiller and freezer. I think that would be a better experience. Sad... very sad... so save your moolah and don't go there.

Then it was time to leave...

While we're on the topic of rides... the scariest ride I have ever been on is called the Orbiter. I could hardly walk when I got off. It really didn't look like much from the ground but when you're in the air it is something else. I took this ride at a fun fair in Kuantan. This fair comes to Kuantan about twice a year. If you don't believe me... when you see this fun fair near you, go try it. Here are some pics I took early this year.

This is the Orbiter in motion... yes, it was moving that fast... and it is not just spinning around like The Spinner.

This is a high-speed shot. While it spins around, each individual arm spins around as well.