October 2004 Archives

This is the chocolate biscuits that caused a bit of controversy when it came out. Arnott's came out with a line of liquor biscuits, the most popular one being the Kahlua Slice. I just found it today and realized from the various artefacts that my sister came back from Christchurch, NZ for a holiday. I just missed her by a couple of days, she was only here for a while, it's hard to get leaves in her line of work (she's a doctor attached to a hospital).

Well, she brought back these Arnott's Kahlua Slice chocolate biscuits made with pure coffee liquor that I've heard so much about. It's available in New Zealand, though these are made in Australia. The package blurb goes "Why is your Kahlua Slice moment so special? It's because at Arnott's we make our own real chocolate. We source the finest cocoa ingredients from around the world and blend with natural milk products from Australian pastures."

It looks like a standard Arnott's product...

...but it really tastes like Kahlua! Arnotts licenced the coffee liqueur Kahlua to make Kahlua Slice. It's great! The synergy of flavors goes very well - this product just might be the one to ursurp Tim Tams as the Arnott's golden goose.

I'll be going back to Sibu in a couple of hours. It's work related, the flight leaves at 5:30 pm and I have three site surveys to do in Sibu. First one is tomorrow morning at 8 am, that's the reason behind the last minute change in departure. I'll be flying back to Kuching again on Sunday night, last flight. I have a net connection in Sibu, but I doubt I'll be doing much updating until tomorrow since it's...Sedating Sibu, after all. ;)

One of Starbucks Summer Fun beverage items is the much lauded Starbucks Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. This is the outlet in 1 Utama.

Here's what the literature says - Coffee Jelly Frappuccino Blended Coffee "Take a sip of the world's finest coffee, complemented by tasty pieces of coffee jelly".

I ordered one and it didn't disappoint. The coffee jelly is amazing, it's firm but yet, oh so pliable jelly, made of real coffee. It's divine!

It looks like cincau with caffeine. It tastes like a Frappuccino with coffee jelly. It's amazing. This is the last KL post. Phew, I've cleared the backlog. ;)

Snack Attack is the Air Asia on-board outsourced cuisine (if you can call airline food cuisine). I have tried the Snack Attack Chicken Congee [sixthseal.com] before and it seems that they switch their menu items once in a while and that one didn't quite make the cut coz I didn't see it on the menu this time. This was on the trip to KL, I had wanted to review the Snack Attack menu for ages.

I had not eaten for a full 52 hours (I counted, statistical variance of +- 30 minutes) in preparation for an all out attempt to tackle the Air Asia's prohibitively priced, bland tasting but yet strangely attractive on-board offerings. This budget airline sells food and merchandize on board, much like some US carriers do. Malaysian Airlines provides food for free.

Snack Attack drinking water (RM 3)

I first attempted to hydrate myself with their Snack Attack reverse osmosis water, "exclusively for Air Asia". It tastes like water. Hey, what did you expect? ;)

Snack Attack Malay sandwich (RM 6)

The Snack Attack menu of sandwiches consists of 3 types of sandwiches in 3 different categories - Western, Asian, and Malay. There are three subgroups under the Malay sandwich banner, namely, Sambal Anchovies, Chicken Satay, and Vegetarian Samosa. I went for the last one. It comes wrapped in a square sandwich box.

Here's Vegetarian Samosa sandwich in all its...er, glory. It's cut in three horizontal strips but didn't taste all that bad. Or maybe it was coz I was hungry.

Snack Attack Nasi Lemak (RM 7)

This is the nasi lemak (the only substantially filling item on the menu) from Snack Attack. It has no logo, just a barebones classic foil container which retains heat.

It tasted as sad as it looks. Oh well, at least the plastic spoon and fork didn't break on me...I count my blessings. ;)

Snack Attack SnackPack (RM 8)

The Snack Attack menu describes this box of goodies with the tagline - "Want a little of everything? How about our SnackPack with a tasty savory, Cadbury chocolate and beverage. We've even thrown in a FREE Snack Attack Pen!"

There's a RM 0.70 cent Gardenia Spicy Bilis Fun in a Bun, an RM 1.40 Cadbury Break chocolate bar and a pack of RM 0.80 justea. Move along now, nothing to see here...

Here's the free Snack Attack pen, which I promptly misplaced.

Snack Attack Mango Juice (RM 3)

I had to wash all that down with a bottle of mango juice...which tasted like generic mango concentrate diluted with water.

I'll never fly S&M Airlines again...

There are a lot of dates in the market now since it's the fasting month. I saw the now ubiquitous date displays at 1 Utama and something caught my attention...

RM 13.90 for five dates in a container! That's about RM 3 dollars per date! It's a ludicrous sounding price, since most dates aren't so expensive.

I couldn't resist from getting some though. I just had to taste these expensive dates, just to see what's so special about it.

I learned that Anbara (also spelled Anbarah) dates hails from Saudi Arabia and is the most expensive premium dates around.

These are very large dates, as you can see - here's a 20 cent coin on top of it for a better perspective. It well deserves the title of king dates indeed. I haven't seen larger dates around.

It tastes really good too, high sugar content, with very generous flesh. There isn't much of a seed to speak of, which is good. Fleshy, sugar packed dates, full of protein.

Anbara dates. i'm lovin' it.

This has got to be the most hilariously named eating establishment ever. It's called Mmm Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh and is from the original Klang restaurant. This is the one in 1 Utama. This place specializes in Bak Kut Teh, a potpourri of pork cooked in variety of spices and herbs. It's usually translated as pork rib tea.

It feels like stepping back in time, into ancient China while walking into the interior. The decors, the seating arrangements, the lanterns...everything in Mmm...Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh (cracks me up every time) seems to preserve an aura of the old mainland dynasty elements.

I've always liked har kow so I ordered a dim sum platter of it. This establishment serves dim sum as well.

The har kow is good, with a huge prawn inside, but the wrapping is a little too fragile...

This is raddish cake, a savory appetizer.

Going to the main - this is the claypot bak kut teh, the flagship dish of this restaurant. It's good bak kut teh. The small version for 1-2 person(s) goes for RM 18.

Here's a look inside - this is the mixed variety, a "combo" if you will, containing not only pork spare ribs, but other offal from the animal called pig.

It comes with a choice of two sauces - either chilli or garlic. I like garlic with Bak kut teh.

Bak kut teh is usually complemented with you char kueh (or you cakoi as it states in the menu). It's RM 3 for a serving.

Rice goes for RM 1.20 per bowl. It's for small appetites, but the rice is very fragrant, the fried onions on top complement the rice perfectly!

Add in a serving of vegetables (RM 8) and there's a complete meal for you.

There's another option which is more economical - the Executive Lunch Set which comprises of Bak Kut Teh, You Cakoi, Rice and Tea for just RM 9.90. However, the portion is much smaller, as you can see in the picture above. It's only slightly larger than the rice bowl.

The rice is the same as the normal variety, but the you char kueh is served on the side of the bowl. Nevertheless, it's good value since it comes with a bit of everything in the set. This place serves really good bak kut teh and rice. It really deserves the title of Mmm Yum Yum Bak Kut Teh! (or maybe I just wanted to use that phrase again ;))

Of course, the perfect thing to end the meal would be a classic old skool dessert of hot glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame, swimming in a clear bowl of sweet syrup...

This is TGI Friday's at the newly revamped mall at 1 Utama which threatens Mid Valley Megamall's claim to the biggest mall around these parts with its new extension wing. I was in KL as a surprise for my girlfriend's 23rd birthday.

Richard had already made preparations for Louisa's birthday, but there was a mistake in the TGIF venue so we had to wait for around 10 minutes before seating arrangements could be made for our party of four.

TGI Friday's was packed as usual, since it was a Saturday night. There was a table beside us with two girls who ate a prodigious amount, which puts my legendary voracious appetite to shame. One of them ate twice the amount that I could usually eat. I guess there's always someone better than you. ;)

This is one of the appetizers...I didn't order it so I'm not sure what it is. Buffalo wings with celery and dip.

Ultimate Mudslide RM 19.50

A chocolate laced avalanche of Kahlua, vodka, Baileys Irish Cream and ice cream. It's absolutely fabulous - very thick and rich. It's a great dessert style cocktail. Highly recommended!

Ultimate Margarita RM 19.50

Our signature margarita made with Jose Cuervo Gold, Cointreau and Grand Marnier. I reckon it's much better than Chili's margarita.

World Famous Friday's Burger RM 17.90

Our renowned patty topped with crisp beef bacon slices and melted Colby cheese. It's alright, what I usually order at TGIF.

We shared this one along with the new Fajita Tower.

JD Chicken and Shrimp RM 32.90

This is a blurry picture of what Richard ordered. It comes with dip and mashed potatoes.

Fish and Chips RM 22.90

Here's Alice's meal. Fish and chips.

Sizzlin' Fajita Tower RM 33.90

This is the new menu item at TGI Friday's. Chargrilled beef, chicken, or combination (we chose the combo) on a platter of grilled onions and peppers. Wrap meat and vegetables in warm flour tortillas or crisp lettuce cups. Then top with cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole to give it more Southwestern flair.

This is the highest plate on the 3 tier tower. It has the toppings on it.

This is the middle platter - with the main beef and chicken fillings on it.

This is the lowest tier with the warm tortillas and lettuce.

I mixed a little of everything - it's a great menu addition to TGIF's portfolio. Nice!

This is the TGIF birthday singing team.

Thanks to Richard for being a great host and taking care of things during this distracting time.

Happy birthday Louisa! :)

TFI Friday's...Come for the food, stay for the fun.

There's a Ramadhan Fest organized by Eraman (not Erimin ;)) at KLIA yesterday. There's some people doing nasyid performances on-stage as well as many vendors selling everything from dates...

...to shisha/hookah pipes (!) complete with the tobacco mix and charcoal. I saw a variety of fruit mixes and charcoal and intricately designed pipes on sale. It was retailing for RM 159 for each pipe, which I reckon is a nice price. I would have bought one if it wasn't for that 19/10 incident. :p

...and here's the Air Asia newly equipped leather seats that they've been advertising for quite some time. Not bad for a budget airline. I booked the tickets to KL a month ago as a surprise for my gf's birthday. I just arrived in Kuching late last night. I will post the birthday post up during lunch break - I have a backlog of things to do due to the unpaid leave I took yesterday.

The hearing yesterday went alright under the circumstances...there will definitely be a court case, date undetermined. These things can drag on and on. I've consulted with a lawyer and he said he wouldn't want to speculate what charges would be pressed against me. However, the police officer said it would most likely be a charge that would carry a fine of up to RM 10,000 or jail.

The problem here lies in the fact that I do not have 10k in savings. That is four months of my salary. I now see why people choose the "or jail" part coz in my case RM 10,000 = 4 months wages, not counting living costs, rent etc. so that could be why jail can be appealing to those people. However, I would not want to go to jail, so I will pay the fine.

Please understand that I still cannot talk about this case since anything I say can be used against me. I've already spent a whole lot of money and I have to spend more for legal representation and court fines. The good news is, there isn't a high chance of mandatory jail, just a huge fine. The bad news is, I don't have 10k in savings.

My father has kindly offered to pay for the fine when it comes. The day I have to appear in court has not being determined yet, this shit can drag on and on, but it's going to happen soon. Next Thursday, I'll know the date. The thing I hate about this is I have been financially independent since I started working and having to have my father bail me out really brings me down. I hate that feeling.

I still can't discuss the facts of the case yet, since anything can be used against me, but I've already spent more than a month's salary due to this incident. I don't want to solicit contributions, but in the dire financial straits that I'm in...shit, ya know...

I had watched my savings grow and just disappear due to this unfortunate incident. I would appreciate it if anyone could help me out. It takes a real blow on my pride to have to ask this from my readers, and I have to give out one fact of the case just to make things clear if anyone wants to help me out financially.

I accidentally caused injury to someone. It was unintentional. I honestly didn't intend for anything like that to happen.

Even though I know I will probably lose most of your support by this revelation, I still think it's fair to say that before anyone decides to contribute. It's the right thing to do and I'll appreciate it if anyone could help lighten my financial burden despite this. It was an honest accident, I never meant for it to happen...

Please send an email to legalhelp@sixthseal.com if you decide to contribute. These are my account details:

Bumiputra Commerce (BCB)
Account Number: 1115-0066354-52-5
Name: Poh Huai Bin

This is the easiest method to ease my financial burden since you just need to deposit cash into a BCB teller machine and email me. I would appreciate any help, no matter the amount, since I honestly can't pay a RM 10,000 fine by myself and certainly not with the additional burden of legal fees...

Thanks in advance for anyone who wishes to do so, and please email me so I can thank you.

I will be flying off to KL in an hour and I won't be back till Tuesday. It's a break from all this...I'll update then.

Take care everyone...

Mosquito season is here again and fogging operations are being done to counter the threat of Aedes mosquitoes which is a vector for dengue fever. I remember the fogging operators going into my house when I was young and I simply loved the smell of the chemicals. It's a sickly sweet smell and it's like walking in a fog dream.

I saw fogging operations being done again just now. They still use the phallic looking fogging devices but the Malathion trucks were gone. It used to be a double whammy last time, fogging operations followed quickly by a truck dispensing Malathion through a specialized exhaust. I think they scrapped the Malathion truck coz of the toxicity...

I miss those trucks...

This is directed at no one in particular, but the way I see it, if you're asking me for a favor, which I define as something that goes beyond my job scope, but I willingly took upon coz I want to help you out, at least a simple "Thank You" would please me.

I'm perfectly happy to draw a Visio diagram while I have a backlog of my own work to do. I drew that diagram from 7:30 am to 8:00 am, which is before my stipulated work hours. You wanted to rush it out, I rushed it for you. This is not my project, but I'm perfectly willing to help, to do this for the company.

I know people can be busy and caught up with other things, and I'm not being sensitive here, but saying a simple "Thanks" goes a long way. It makes people willing to help out the next time. Treating people like they're unimportant after the delegation (which is not my project to begin with, but like I said, I used my private time to draw it) makes people resentful.

It only takes one second to say "Thank You" and make people happy.

Upper management out there should take note of this. It doesn't take long to say it and make people feel appreciated. Good management already knows that.

I've heard of essence of chicken. Brand's Essence of Chicken is like a household name over here. Essence of fish - now that's new to me. I've never heard of essence of fish before, and was surprised to find one. This is Pati Ikan Haruan dengan Amerika Ginseng or Essence of Fish with American Ginseng.

It lists the popular radix ingredients used in traditional Chinese herb preparations in the contents. Ikan Haruan is written down as Cyprinus carpio which is the common carp. However, some sources translates Ikan Haruan as Channa striatus or Ophiocephalus striatus which is the infamous Asian snakehead fish.

Here's what the bottle looks like. It's the classic design which follows the time-honored form factor of the Essence of Chicken/Bird's Nest with Rock Sugar bottles. It's a thick glass bottle with a tear-off aluminum top which then reveals a thin cap which can be twisted off easily.

Notice that this Essence of Fish is made in The People's Republic of China. This is supposed to be Healthy Stuff (TM) which parents used to cram down their children's throats while they're swotting for exams. You ask me, methamphetamine works much better than this placebo shit. ;)

It tasted fishy, as I expected. It tasted very, very fishy. Fishy stuff, revisited. Drink up, it's good for you. ;)

This is Pure Fish Ball Cafe which is famed for being the first to introduce pure fish noodles here. Pure fish noodles means exactly what it is - the noodles are made of fish! I've passed by this eating establishment in Jalan Padungan many times, but never did get around to reviewing it until lunch just now.

This is the famous Pure Fish Mee. It retails for RM 6 per bowl and its well worth it, considering what's inside. It's a soup based dish with noodles made out of fish meat and various condiments. There's a whole lady finger stuffed with fish meat, crab stick, tofu stuffed with fish meat, fish balls etc. You get the idea...fishy stuff, basically. ;)

Here's a macro photo of the "fish noodles". Perhaps a more accurate description would be that fish meat was pressed into reels of noodles.

I've been adviced that blogging about it is not a good idea and can be used against me. I have removed the original post. For those who read it, thanks for your support. For those who didn't, the gist of it is, I'm in a bit of trouble, the hearing is on Friday and I cannot furnish any details until then, until the case is closed. I am innocent, like I stated in my statement.

Thanks to Corporal Tina for playing the role of the Good Cop (TM).

Thanks to Mr. Wong for doing more than what's required of an employer - I owe you one...

...and thanks to all my readers, for praying that everything will turn out okay.

Little Lebanon is the premier restaurant serving middle eastern cuisine in Kuching. It's located in a very central location and it currently has a Ramadan Berbuka Puasa set meal promotion for RM 25++. Little Lebanon is a very popular eating establishment and is frequently fully booked.

There is an al fresco dining area lining both balconies and nice indoor seating as well. There is prayer mats aligned to Mecca to the back and we saw several customers utilizing this commodity before breaking fast. It's the fasting month for Muslims now and there are a lot of places vying for the lucrative end-of-day breaking of the fast.

We arrived early so we had to wait for about half an hour before dinner was served. We had fresh yoghurt drinks while we waited for the meal. It's offered in sweetened and natural options - I would recommend the natural, unsweetened version. It's almost pure yoghurt, thick and filling. Divine!

Little Lebanon comes to life at about 7 pm...the interior lights are turned on; everything is ready for the patrons, the table linen all done nicely. Notice the Sahara tent in the middle? It's a huge private dining area for large groups - there's room for 20 people in there. It's the prime dining spot in Little Lebanon.

There are two choices for the Arabic menu in the Little Lebanon - the main difference is in the main...chicken or lamb, something that reminds me of long haul flights. ;) There are also two choices for the Local menu, but people don't go to Little Lebanon for that, we're here for Middle Eastern cuisine, so we went for the Arabic menu. Both Menu 1 and Menu 2 were ordered to provide the best variety.

Dates

This is the first dish that came out - dates or kurma. It's good - the seeds are not as large as the ones I got the other day. It's customary to break the day's fast with kurma (dates).

Bandung Drink

This is a local favorite. It's rose syrup with evaporated milk. It's creamy and thirst quenching at the same time. There are two options in the menu - bandung drink and selasih drink.

Selasih Drink

I'm not familiar with this one, but its very thirst quenching. It seems to be a cordial of some sort, with jelly that looks like passion fruit seeds.

Soup of the Day

This didn't come out from a Campbell soup can - it's made in house. It's good, real soup, creamy and hearty.

Plate of Hommus and Baba Ghannouj with Lebanese Bread

The Lebanese bread came out piping hot.

It's baked bread, with an interesting crispy/chewy texture that's unlike any other I've ever had. It goes very well with the two dips.

Mashed chickpeas blended with sesame seed paste and baked brinjal blend. This is easily the best dish coz I like bread. I like oven baked bread even more. Oven baked bread served hot is tops in my book. :)

This is a photo of the two dips taken with flash. I love the presentation - the way they got the oil into the middle of the dip intrigued me. It's good, soaked up very well with the Lebanese bread.

Spaghetti with Yoghurt

This is an interesting appetizer...it's a cold dish of spaghetti cooked with yogurt and yogurt only. The spaghetti is done al dente and the yoghurt sauce makes the whole appetizer cold.

Here's what it looks like, taken with flash. It's interesting, that's for sure. It's cold. It's sour. It's different! :)

Meat Sambousah

Minced beef, finely chopped onions and pine nuts wrapped in thin pastry.

Here's a photo with flash, this warm sambouhsah is a nice item on the menu since it came after the warm Lebanese bread and cold Yoghurt Spaghetti. It's a hot item again this time and this hot-cold-hot appetizer leading up to the main meal is a very interesting decision on the chef's part.

Chicken with Polanjar Potatoes

It's described as roasted chicken with buttered potatoes and that's not too far from the dish's offerings. It's given a Middle Eastern twist with the unique blend of herbs. It also came with a side serving of what looks like coleslaw, but isn't.

Lamb Mansaf with Arabic Rice

This is the difference between Menu 1 and Menu 2. The lamb is served around the rice, it's good, cooked in some kind of creamy stew. The Arabic rice has some mixed chopped nuts topping it up. It's dubbed as sliced lamb served with lamb sauce and rice. It's good. This one has more of a Middle Eastern twist to it than the Chicken. I'll recommend the lamb.

Fattoush

Finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, parsley, mint leaves dressed with pomegranate and lemon juice. It's an acquired taste, that's all I can say. You can't really see anything from the ambient lighting so here's one with flash:

It's an interesting vegetable based dish with all sorts of crunchy stuff lining the plate. There are nuts and hard biscuits and crunchy bread crumbs. It's an interesting dish. I use the word interesting liberally to describe the food coz it's...er, interesting. ;)

Arabic Dessert and Seasonal Fruits

This is the dessert to end the, er...interesting course. The Arabic dessert is some sweet concoction which I can't put my finger on and there's some fruits served to the side.

Here's a clearer but more washed out picture taken with quick flash.

We were offered sisha during the dessert and this, to the best of my knowledge, is the only eating establishment that offers sisha in Kuching. I immediately agreed - there was an option of various fruit flavors and we went for the mixed one. Sisha looks like a bong, heck, it is a bong, but the cone doesn't have anything psychoactive inside.

There are two filters provided with the sisha for hygienic reasons.

Sisha is like a bong, except the smoke you're inhaling is fragrant incense. The fruit mix is a good choice, it's a nice fusion. There's no nicotine or anything psychoactive in there, so don't expect to get anything out of it, but there's something about smoking sweet fruit smoke while talking and relaxing with a great view of the city...

...it's simply divine. Sisha seems like a popular choice here, there's at least one to every table. It only costs RM 12. Highly recommended!

This is a farewell dinner of sorts for Bernice before she goes off to KL. Little Lebanon is a nice place and their Arabic Berbuka Puasa set at RM 25++ is a great deal. This time of the year is the best time to try out the promotions going around as it allows a wide range of dishes to be sampled for the breaking of fast ritual.

Peace be with you all, my dear readers... ;)

This 250 gram container is supposed to have kurma segar or fresh dates from Egypt. Kurma usually comes out around this time of the year - it's a customary food to break the day's fast.

There's a sticker on the container which shows a local packing company but the dates are supposed to hail from Egypt. There are two pharaoh graphics meant to visually reinforce this claim as does the "Products of Egypt" font. ;)

Here's what the dates look like - they're generally large and discolored. The flesh and the skin has two distinct textures, which is bad in my book, I like them to be fused. The seeds are rather large, but there's enough flesh on each date to compensate for that.

The large seed has a, hmm...decidedly phallic look to it. ;)

Empire is one of the many hairstylists (a pretentious word for barber ;)) located at Wisma Saberkas. The shop's logo looks like Empire Records, but I sincerely doubt that this is one of their efforts in diversification. ;) I love the tiny little red blue swirling thing that indicates a barber shop in the old days mounted to the side.

The place is surprisingly empty for a Sunday afternoon. It's staffed by four female and two male hairstylists - all of them aesthetically pleasing. ;) I would highly recommend this place if you're into that. I was offered a shampoo and hair wash service by my hairstylist, Su Fang, which I declined. I was strapped for time, didn't want to waste my time cutting my hair.

This is the ubiquitous "Before" shot. Quit the junkie jokes everyone - it's just a bad shot, alright. :p The quick flash was on, makes me look washed out and all that. My hairstylist asked me about my age, and she got it way off...I really look young for my age; or so it seems. Heck, I'm even older than her.

This is my hairstylist working on me. I don't usually look like that in real life, the quick flash washes out the details that's all and I was a little sedated during the haircut. ;) Okay, I admit, I was kinda nodding off at that time. It's a little obvious. Hey, it's Sunday; don't I have a right to relax a little? :p

Here's a photo taken through the mirror - I just asked for it to be cropped short. Su Fang (my hairstylist) told me that it'll make me look like a school boy, and I said, that's the image I want to cultivate. The little innocent school boy "I didn't do it"/"It wasn't me" look and all that. ;)

Su Fang was good enough to compensate for my loi. I don't know what it's called in English, you know that swirl that you have at the top of the head? Yeah, some people have two (they're supposed to be evil ;)). My second one is to the upper right forehead, and she left the hair a little longer there, coz I told her I don't comb my hair.

This is the finished "After" shot - it's croppeds shot on all sides. That's my hairstylist beside me, her name is Su Fang. Empire is a great place for a haircut, and the prices are reasonable too - RM 16 for mine.

w00t, I look like an innocent school boy again. ;)

My trusty Ericsson T-28 has finally succumbed to my 4 years of rough handing and general disregard. The LCD screen, for mysterious reasons, seems to have suffered pixel burn. There is a hairline crack below the screen, suggesting overt applied pressure, but it happened suddenly without any catalyst.

It boots up perfectly and accepts the phone lock code...

...and it's still usable. I can make calls, receive calls and all that. It's in perfect working order, except I can't SMS (which I don't use anyway, too much of a hassle) and I can't see the caller ID. I've been putting off on getting a new cell phone for ages, didn't think it was worth it. It's still usable so I'm still going to use it, but on the other hand, I'm looking to get a new cell phone. I want GPRS and EDGE support so I can get on the RM 99 unlimited use Digi package and also an integrated good digicam.

Suggestions for a new cell phone which meets those requirements anyone? Thanks!

Ringgit McSavers comprise of the newly introduced concept of RM 2.50 McDonald's menu items. Great savings, every day! I'm a big fan of McDonald's, as regular readers of this site know. i'm lovin' it and all that. ;)

I had a McAttack just now and went to the nearest McDonald's to check out their new Chicken Burger, which I'm told is not the same as a McChicken. I had also wanted to try out the Orange McFizz.

I also noticed that they had a new drink out - Lime Chill. It's pre-blended and dispensed from one of those juice dispensers they have. Notice the McDonald's Privilege Card promotion to the side?

On the same note, I was offered a loyalty card which they called the i'm lovin' it Privilege Card. It costs RM 2 and comes in a siren red credit card format.

Here's the benefits this loyalty card gives you. I got one just for fun, there's not much benefits per se, but it's well worth the RM 2 if you eat at McD's often.

Lime Chill is dubbed as The Zesty Thirst Quencher and is available for RM 3.20 (22 oz) and RM 2.90 (16 oz). It tastes good...it's slightly carbonated and the taste is different from mere lime juice but I can't quite put my finger on it. It's definitely thirst quenching.

The Orange McFizz is made up of two drink combinations:

Sprite

Minute Maid Orange Juice

I half expected it to be a Sprite and F&N Orange mix (which will undoubtedly be mediocre) but to my pleasant surprise, I saw that it was a mixture of 1/2 Sprite which was then topped up with Minute Maid Orange Juice.

The texture and taste is divine. It's above the world! The thick pure fruit juice of Minute Maid was offset by the carbonated fun of Sprite to make this the King of Thirst Quenchers! The Sprite fizzles up through the Minute Maid orange juice and the combination came out to be slightly thick, yet satisfyingly liquid. i'm lovin' it. ;)

I also had the aforementioned Chicken Burger, which is a different menu item from the McChicken, the Chicken McDeluxe and the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe. Chicken Burger is made from crusty grain buns and has a great spicy sauce which is unlike any other I've tasted before.

Here's what it looks like. It tastes really great - highly recommended! The texture of the buns gives it a different zest that makes this burger one of the greats.

Selamat berbuka puasa to all my Muslim readers. ;)

Sin Chua Huat bakery is about as old skool as they come...this establishment has been around for over three decades! It's a permanent fixture in the old Jalan Padungan section...this Chinese bakery dates way back. The bakery has bags of flour lining the entrance and all the preparation is all done in full view of the public...and this was way before it was chic to have the visible chef concept. ;) Old school, all the way.

The bread that this place offers are all oven baked...as in hot coal brick oven. It's the traditional method of baking and this place has retained the method over the years. The picture below shows the first section selling full loaves and half loaves of bread.

The half-loaf is meant for families who do not have the gastronomic fortitude to eat through a full loaf and this practice of selling half loaves has been marginalized to the point of extinction...except in old Chinese bakeries.

Sin Chua Huat bakery has been passed down from generation to generation and you can see the wide age gap here - everyone chips in to help in the bakery. It's family owned and it's said that the original proprietor still comes out to help from time to time. Notice the butter filling to the left and the coconut filling to the right?

Sin Chua Huat sells four things and four things only - loaves of freshly baked bread, empty buns and two types of filled buns. The picture above shows the empty buns...it's just bread made into buns. The place sells home made kaya too, for complimenting their products.

This is what this place is famous for - filled buns. They only have two varieties - butter and coconut. The long ones are the butter buns and the round ones are the coconut buns. We bought five of each for the office. It costs 40 cents each.

The buns are baked twice a day...it's best to go either very early in the morning or mid afternoon. That's when the buns come out warm and fluffy.

This is the coconut bun. It round and the filling is made of shredded coconut and brown sugar.

Here's the butter bun. It's the longer one and the filling is made of butter.

Sin Chua Huat is a must try if you've got a hankering for old skool Chinese pastries, done the traditional way.

Bernice has decided to pursue a different career path and she will be going to KL to work as a branch manager in a different field. She has left Huygens Asia on her own accord and will be flying over to KL to start on her new job soon. She told me about the offer - she'll be pulling in a paycheck that's bigger than mine. :p

I have learned a lot from her about marketing and working life in general...she's intelligent and experienced - I still have a lot to learn from her and I appreciate the invaluable business knowledge that she has imparted to me. I lack a lot of smarts in that division. I reckon you can learn from anyone if you keep an open mind and you're willing to learn.

All the best, Bernice! Take care and good luck...you will be missed. :)

Tadas is one of Coca-Cola (Japan) product lines. The Japanese Coca-Cola seems to have a larger portfolio of drinks and they're nicely packaged in a very unique 300 ml aluminum bottle for RM 6.99 each. It seems that this novel aluminum bottle is common in Japan, as they are other offerings in the same form factor, all by the Coke drinks line.

Tadas is one of them, and there are others in the same packaging as well, like the Fanta! Grape drink and one mineral water (Aquarius - also in the aluminum bottle form factor), amongst other things. I found this Japanese import to be very appealing, due to the all aluminum bottle (not can, bottle) casing.

It contains 300 ml of liquid instead of the usual 325 ml in a can. Tadas tastes like what an isotonic (otherwise known as sports) drink tastes like - nothing special, it's slightly bubbly and thirst quenching. It's just the intriguing aluminum bottle form factor that got me - interesting Japanese import for RM 6.99.

Magenta is the premier restaurant in Kuching, nestled in a private alcove off a little side street. This eating establishment has been in operation for about a year, and it has a reputation for fine dining.

The private car park leads up to a cozy wooden structure, all very nicely decorated in a subtle yet elegant manner, nothing loud or vociferous here.

Subtlety is the key in Magenta. Elegance and subtlety.

The ambience inside is very warm, with ample space between the various seating arrangements and a waiter waiting to greet you at the door. Excellent service all the way, I was very impressed.

The other thing I like is that Magenta does not pack the area with tables and chairs for maximum profit like other eating establishments out there, but leaves ample room between tables. The decor is nicely done too...it exudes a feeling of warm appreciation.

I had a mango smoothie which was very thick and they don't skimp on the fruits. We also had several rounds of this foreign beer I can't remember. It's RM 15 but the beer really pampers your taste buds with after notes of honey.

Spit-roasted Soy-marinated Prawn Tail on roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Coulis (RM 20)

This is the starter dish that we shared. Actually, we just ate from everyone's plate so that we could try everything. The prawn tail is good, but it's nothing to write home about.

Linguine with Seafood in a White Wine sauce with Garlic, Chilli and Cilantro (RM 26)

The linguine is one of our mains - it's excellent, the pasta is done al dente, with generous portions of mussels, squid, cuttlefish and prawns. The dish is sprinkled with oregano, a nice touch and what seems to be the signature of the chef here.

Orecchiette with Tomatoes, Prawns and Parmesan Cheese (RM 25)

This Puglian pasta dish looks simple, but it tastes very good. It has a nice home-cooked Italian flavor and the sauce and grated Parmesan cheese works very well with it. Jesus, I'm starting to get pretentious in my food reviews. ;)

Duck Leg Confit & Shredded Duck Breast with Honey Wine Jus and Creamy Tagliatelle Pasta (RM 46)

This duck leg confit is recommended by the chef...and I was certainly not disappointed. It's a great main course, the duck is cooked well and retains its natural flavors. The duck leg portion is generous too and it does not have the rubbery texture of badly done duck. Highly recommended!

Magenta is a great place for fine dining and the food is great. The chef comes out at times to speak with the patrons and the service is excellent - right from the start where the waiter unfolds the serviette for you to the generous allowance they provide the patrons (we were rather boisterous). The bill came up to RM 200+ and it's well worth it for a place of this magnitude. Magenta gets two thumbs up from me - I haven't seen a better fine dining place in Kuching.

I'm feeling depressed today...taking the rest of the day off, get home, think about things a little. There's nothing wrong here, just need to sleep for a while, for my sanity. :)

This is Fu Yu Kopi Shop at Sekama. It has a larger variety of dim sum and is famed for its fried prawn kolo mee.

The place has a wooden balcony type extension, that's the best seating arrangements for a breakfast...it's nice, you can see the bustling morning activity around you.

This is 99 Dim Sum, one of the stalls in Fu Yu Kopi Shop. The proprietor is a friendly woman who has a large repertoire of dim sum dishes...

...as you can see here. The dim sums here are mostly one off i.e. one of a kind, so when that dish is gone, it's gone for the day.

I think we ordered five dishes but she forgot about one of them...either that, or the one that we chose was out. There's also chili sauce provided, which goes well with some dim sums.

This is chicken bits in Thai chili sauce. It's very nice and flavorful, with the chicken meat flavor infused through broiling.

Here's a variant of siu mai which doesn't contain pork, but a conglomeration of other ingredients. It has mystery meat and other fillers.

This is a fish based dim sum wrapped in seaweed strips. It's basically a large fish oblong.

I thought this was har kau, but it's not. It's a mostly vegetable based dim sum...in fact, I didn't think I tasted any meat in there.

Here's the dish this place is famous for - prawn fried kolo mee. It has two prawn fried batter pieces on top, but otherwise, it's a normal kolo mee. The fried prawn mini fillets were good though.

It's a good place to have breakfast, with the al fresco (this term should be banned in Malaysian food reviews, since most of our dining establishments are al fresco by nature) balcony and the hustle and bustle of the Sekama district.

This is a bottle of 1000 Cofdex tablets. It contains 30 mg of dextromethorphan (DXM) per tablet and is mainly used as a cough suppressant. However, DXM has a cult following due to its remarkable NMDA antagonist effects. It's used recreationally by people who like psychedelics or just a good old mind fuck. I would describe the experience as a cross between ketamine (another NMDA antagonist) and acid (LSD). I usually take 20 tablets but you need to calculate your body weight to know what dose will push you to the trippy third plateau.

The interesting aspect of DXM is that it brings you to different plateaus, with each one giving you a different experience, depending on the dosage (which is calculated by body weight). I'm about 56 kg so 600 mg would put me to the third plateau, which is the one I always aim for. I didn't like DXM the first time I tried it, I thought it didn't give me much effects. The same goes for the second time. However, it put me into a very heavy trip the third time, where you can see my thought process on DXM [sixthseal.com]. That post was written under the influence of DXM. It's a real mind fuck.

It's hard to obtain Robitussin DX here and pure DXM tablets are hard to find too. You do not want antihistamines or pseudoephedrine in your dose if you're aiming for a high plateau. I was surprised to find that my pharmacy friend has a bottle of it and I got it off him for RM 150. We didn't count the tablets; I just offered him that price by looking at the remainders. It turned out to be more than 300 tablets. I take DXM occasionally when I want to learn something or just trip.

The trick to getting effects from DXM is to fast (don't eat anything) for at least 18 hours beforehand and then dump the whole load at once. Otherwise, it'll just give you a slight puzzling drunken feeling, and not a full out trip. This one need an empty stomach for it to "work" and you need to "hold it down" i.e. not throw up. ;) I only learned that during the third time I tried it.

DXM is not commonly available in Malaysia - the cough suppressant of choice is codeine, but if you see DXM HBr (without other active ingredients) and you like ketamine, it feels something like that - with less euphoria and more mind fuck. :)

Fock Hai Tim Sam Cafe has been a permanent fixture of Jalan Padungan for over 10 years. It first opened its doors a decade ago and has been serving basic dim sum ever since.

This is a really old skool dim sum establishment, what they'll call a tea house back in the days. They have a very limited array of dim sum dishes, just the basics, plus several varieties of paus.

We ordered some sio bee (pork filling in a paper thin wrapping). It tasted alright, but it's not the best I've ever had...

Their har kau (prawn filling with translucent wrapping) is on a whole other level though. It's really good! I've never had such good har kau outside expensive specialized dim sum establishments. Highly recommended!

This is another staple of dim sum breakfasts - lo mai kai. It's a rice based dim sum, with meat at the bottom, steamed in fully wrapped foil to infuse the rice with the meat flavors.

This place serves good lo mai kai but there's a pet peeve of mine that manifests itself here...they don't fully de-bone the chicken, so you have to spit out bits of bone...

Nevertheless, it's a good place for a quick breakfast if you work somewhere in Jalan Padungan...which would comprise of a sizable amount of Kuching people, since it's in the heart of town. :)

I was feeling particularly depressed last night and thought it would be interesting to use a balisong (butterfly knife) to do some self-inflicted wounds. Okay, it wasn't coz it was interesting, it was coz I was feeling down. :p I didn't "feel" anything, everything is so routine, so numb, so meaningless, and I am so fragile, so replaceable, so useless.

Well, I punched the wall in frustration and I liked that. It made me "feel". I didn't feel the pain much so I thought I'll cut myself. Two cuts, like an X, with my el cheapo balisong. I tried looking for my Benchmade but I couldn't find it, and I couldn't be bothered to look, so I just used this one.

Download: I don't want to feel [sixthseal.com]

The interesting is, I went from "I want to feel" to "I don't want to feel" coz the world is a shitty place to live in, as I felt at that time. I'm feeling better now, this video is the manifestation of the sixthseal.com Quarterly Serotonin Depletion Moment (QSDM). I get depressed every once in a while. I don't know why, no drugs involved, I just get depressed.

Download: X marks the spot [sixthseal.com]

Here's the second part of the video. I just felt down and kept on repeating "I don't want to feel" for some reason. I should have used a razor blade though...and there are two things I learnt from this:

1. I need to sharpen my balisong.
2. I really need to sharpen my balisong. ;)

I mean seriously, I use that thing so much it's become blunt. I was like "Draw blood, dammit!"...it used to be very sharp.

Here's what it looked like this morning. I think the uneven cuts don't look so good, so I might have to touch it up a little for a nice scar. I hope it'll scar anyway. It felt good, cutting myself. The strange thing is, I didn't feel any pain, but I felt ALIVE!

I FELT! It gave me the catharsis that I needed. I slept like a baby after that. It's nice. I felt so alive. I just might be interested in this self-inflicting wounds thing. With God as my witness, I felt! :)

Disclaimer: I'm perfectly sane and this is... (Choose below)
1. If you're my friend:
...just a publicity stunt for sixthseal.com I mean come on, the cuts aren't even deep, superficial at best.
2. If you're my coworkers:
...mind your own business. I don't bring my personal problems to work.
3. If you're someone who loves me:
...er, I accidentally cut myself...twice. ;)

P/S - Don't make a big deal out of this, it's not a "suicide attempt", a "plea for help" or any of that bullshit psycho-babble. There's nothing melodramatic here, it's just all in good fun...alright?

I didn't go out for lunch today due to a backlog of work that I need to get done. I wasn't hungry anyway, so I just figured I'll skip lunch. However, Bernice came in with a paper bag from bing!

She bought me a lamb wrap from bing! the coffee shop that everyone seems to like in Kuching.

The lamb wrap comes with a small tub of sauces - mustard, chilli and mayonnaise and the familiar orange bing! sticker.

I've never had their wraps before - there's a lot of crisp, fresh lettuce with a bed of lamb meat. I like the taste of game, as she knows. I like mutton.

I just poured the tub of sauce into the wrap, rolled it up and ate it. It's good. Thanks for lunch, Bernice! :)

There are two leading brands of coffee candy containing real coffee inside i.e. it have real caffeine and is made of coffee powder/extract. These are good sweets - they're marketed as "coffee on the go" and it really does feel like drinking coffee (if you eat enough).

The market leader is Kopiko, which has been around forever (figuratively speaking). It hails from Indonesia, our neighbors to the south and the retail price is about RM 2.40 for a 150 gram packet. It's made in Jarkata, Indonesia and imported in. There is a local manufacturer, but I prefer the imported ones.

Kopiko tastes sweet and I guesstimate that 10 of these little sweets have the caffeine equivalent of a glass of iced coffee. It's the most popular coffee sweets and tastes good, with aromatic coffee notes. It's the cheaper one of the two and Kopiko has diversified into making real coffee - instant coffee and coffee beans.

The other leading brand is a newcomer and is called United Coffee Candy. Hailing from our neighbors to the north, this product of Thailand retails for about twice the price of Kopiko at RM 4.40. The packet is 200 grams though, and it's imported from Chonburi, Thailand. United Coffee Candy beats Kopiko in the taste department, from most taste testers...now, this is one candy that tastes like real kopi peng.

United Coffee Candy is flatter in shape than Kopiko and but packs a little more punch in the caffeine department. My qualitative estimate puts 8 United Coffee Candy sweets as equivalent to the amount of caffeine in a typical glass of iced coffee i.e. 10 mg per sweet, assuming that a typical glass of coffee has 80 mg of caffeine.

I prefer United Coffee Candy over Kopiko but Kopiko has a large distribution network, so usually I just get Kopiko. Of course, nothing can substitute a nice triple espresso, but I think of these sweets as "booster doses" - something to keep the caffeine levels high throughout the day after your morning coffee(s). :)

This is Tok Janggut Cafe in ChongLin Park. It serves a wide range of murtabak containing esoteric fillings like camel in the mornings and probably the best nasi briyani in town for lunch. I went there with the new staff intake of Huygens Asia for lunch today.

Here's what the main eating room looks like - the place is clean and it has a reputation for good food. It opened quite recently, sometime earlier this year.

Towards the back is the nasi briyani preparation place. The nasi briyani unta (camel) is good. Nasi briyani is a type of savory rice, it's really good, infused with a plethora of spices. Tok Janggut serves a wide range of nasi briyani - plain, chicken, fish, mutton and their flagship camel variant.

The afternoon lunch crowd usually goes for mixed rice or nasi briyani. Murtabak and roti canai is only served during the mornings.

There's also an air-conditioned side room that's very popular during the afternoon due to the heat. I went there today with three of my coworkers. Two new marketing department people came in this month and we went out today to get to know each other better.

I had Tongkat Ali for my drink. It's coffee with tongkat ali for RM 1.90.

This is what I ordered - camel briyani. I love camel, the meat is slightly tough, with just a hint of game and an interesting texture.

Here's a closer look at the camel meat. Sufian also had nasi briyani, but he went for chicken instead.

This is Tok Janggut's fried rice that Elvinna ordered. She tried her best to finish it, commendable effort. ;)

Here's what Bernice ordered - Rice and Camel Curry. She gave me nearly a quarter of her plate but I still managed to finish mine and the additional load. Nearly, anyway. :p

This is another macro shot of the camel. Camel is good. Mmm...camel...

L-R: Mohd. Sufian, Elvinna, Bernice, Huai Bin (me).

Life Cafe is a little quaint place hidden along a narrow street. The place exudes a charming old ambience, with its wooden chairs and constructs, the sliding doors, and the intentional ancient decorations.

The interior is air conditioned, with minimal incandescent lighting. There's a narrow brick walled enclave to the side and normal sitting arrangements on the other side. The place makes you feel like you've stepped into some old-fashioned place out of time.

There's also a private dining area at the back, which is walled off from the main area. This tatami style section is raised, with a short table and mats, cushions and futons for sitting. Basically, you sit on the floor and the table clearance doesn't leave much room for your legs, but it's comfy.

The waitress recommended a range of pies that were freshly baked. She assured us that it was good, and my coworker, who's been here before, agreed. We went for the chicken pie.

It's good, the pastry is crispy and the meat filling is just nice.

I was recommended their Life Ice Cream Coffee. It's coffee, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to replace the ice cubes.

I ordered a boiled herbal egg for starters. It's served whole and un-cracked, in a saucer of soy sauce.

The herbal egg tasted of herbs, and is colored green, even the yolk. It was alright to me.

I went for the Life Mutton Spiced Rice for the main. The mutton is nice and tender, great dish.

My coworker had Life Mutton Spiced Noodles. It tasted about the same but the noodles are infused with something I can't put my finger on. It's good.

Life Cafe also has an unusual specialty - Crocodile meat soup with red dates and ginseng. It's RM 12 for a bowl, which we shared, and the soup is boiled to perfection, with the ginseng flavor shining through brightly.

The crocodile meat was good too. The boiling process made it tender and it tasted strange, but nice. Kuching has a crocodile farm which rears crocodiles and sells the meat to various food establishments here and I believe it's exported as well.

Life Cafe is a good place to have a quiet lunch - grab the tatami style seats at the back if they're not taken. It's the best spot in the place. :)

Life Cafe is a little quaint place hidden along a narrow street. The place exudes a charming old ambience, with its wooden chairs and constructs, the sliding doors, and the intentional ancient decorations.

The interior is air conditioned, with minimal incandescent lighting. There's a narrow brick walled enclave to the side and normal sitting arrangements on the other side. The place makes you feel like you've stepped into some old-fashioned place out of time.

There's also a private dining area at the back, which is walled off from the main area. This tatami style section is raised, with a short table and mats, cushions and futons for sitting. Basically, you sit on the floor and the table clearance doesn't leave much room for your legs, but it's comfy.

The waitress recommended a range of pies that were freshly baked. She assured us that it was good, and my coworker, who's been here before, agreed. We went for the chicken pie.

It's good, the pastry is crispy and the meat filling is just nice.

I was recommended their Life Ice Cream Coffee. It's coffee, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to replace the ice cubes.

I ordered a boiled herbal egg for starters. It's served whole and un-cracked, in a saucer of soy sauce.

The herbal egg tasted of herbs, and is colored green, even the yolk. It was alright to me.

I went for the Life Mutton Spiced Rice for the main. The mutton is nice and tender, great dish.

My coworker had Life Mutton Spiced Noodles. It tasted about the same but the noodles are infused with something I can't put my finger on. It's good.

Life Cafe also has an unusual specialty - Crocodile meat soup with red dates and ginseng. It's RM 12 for a bowl, which we shared, and the soup is boiled to perfection, with the ginseng flavor shining through brightly.

The crocodile meat was good too. The boiling process made it tender and it tasted strange, but nice. Kuching has a crocodile farm which rears crocodiles and sells the meat to various food establishments here and I believe it's exported as well.

Life Cafe is a good place to have a quiet lunch - grab the tatami style seats at the back if they're not taken. It's the best spot in the place. :)

Smash is the way you feel all alone
Like an outcast you're out on your own
Smash is the way you deal with your life
Like an outcast you're smashing your strife

Note: This report details experiences in the past. I am not using tramadol anymore and I do not use any drugs, legal or otherwise now.

I have been using tramadol hydrochloride on a daily basis for several months now and I feel that my experience with this substance is sufficient for a detailed report. Tramadol requires a prescription in most countries, but it is OTC in Malaysia. This makes it perfectly legal to possess and use. It's considered a weak opiate agonist but it has strange serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor effects. In other words, theoretically, it calms you down, makes you happy and gives you some energy. I usually buy Tramadolor, which is manufactured in Germany.

I get five boxes for RM 300, which comes to RM 6 per blister pack. There are 10 blister packs in a box and each blister pack contains 10 capsules of 50 mg of tramadol hydrochloride, so that makes 500 mg in total. The standard retail price is usually around the RM 13 - RM 15 per blister pack, but a pharmacy in Sibu sells it to me for RM 6 per blister pack when I buy a minimum of five boxes. Tramadol is fast acting, personally, it hits in about 10 minutes or less and peaks at T+ 4:00 before slowly returning to baseline.

There are a lot of people who doesn't have a high regard for tramadol, condemning it as a useless substance. I have a lot of experience with both illicit substances and pharmaceuticals so I'm speaking from my personal experience. Clinical trials seem to indicate that a lot of people can't "get off" on tramadol. However, there is a small percentage of people that can get something out of tramadol. Off the top of my head, it's about 7% of the subjects in the clinical trial.

I use tramadol to boost my mood. It works very well, so I consider it "recreational". The effects I feel is a serotonin release (the neurotransmitter that makes you "happy", to make things simple) and also an increase in energy. The best way to describe the psychoactive experience is that tramadol makes me happy. It makes me very happy. :)

However, tolerance builds up very quickly with tramadol. I use it on a daily basis, so this is an issue to consider. Basically, you won't be able to get off on tramadol unless you increase the dose if you're using it daily. Personally, I increase the dose every other day, so it bring me through the whole working week.

My personal policy is to start with 200 mg of tramadol on Monday, and that gives me a nice boost to start off the week. The dose is repeated on Tuesday, but with the tolerance, the effects aren't as strong as Monday. I take it on an empty stomach early in the morning with lots of caffeine.

I escalate the dose by 50 mg increments, so on Wednesday, I take 250 mg, and the same goes for Thursdays. I go up to 300 mg on Friday and Saturday and Sunday is a "rest day" so I can get off on 200 mg on Monday the following week. This works well for me, it makes me happy throughout the work week.

There's something that should be noted here - do NOT take tramadol after taking any pure opiate agonists like codeine, DHC, heroin etc. The mixed opiate agonist/antagonist nature of tramadol will make you dope sick if you don't put at least a full 24 hour rest day in between. If you do take tramadol earlier than that, you'll be very sorry you did. ;)

I know there are a lot of people out there who does not get the effects of tramadol. Tough. There are some that do, and for these lucky few, tramadol IS recreational. I find it useful to get me through the work week and be productive in my work. :)

Disclaimer: This post was written a long time ago, and is not reflective of events now. It should be noted that tramadol can be dangerous if the dose exceeds 400 mg and it also decreases the seizure threshold. Tramadol can lead to dependency in some individuals.

Here's a takeaway container of bubur cha-cha I got off a small stall off the roadside for lunch today. Bubur cha-cha literally means mixed porridge. It retails for RM 2.

It's a sweet concoction of ingredients, usually served warm. The primary contents are tapioca, yam, sago, carrots, jelly and other stuff, swimming in coconut milk. It's old skool liquid lunch. ;)

This is Prescott cigarettes, a brand I haven't seen around. It's not very popular - it doesn't have a large market share from what I see from its limited distribution outlets.

Interestingly, Prescott is made by PT Sampoerna - the famous clove cigarette manufacturer from Indonesia. However, Prescott is one of its non-clove cigarette lines, it's using "Fine Virginia Tobaccos" and is supposed to be "International Quality".

Prescott has the MY watermark that is mandatory for all cigarettes now. This means that it's a licensed product. Malaysia recently introduced a new law with hefty fines for retailers and end users (a pretentious word for smokers ;)) who has unlicensed cigarettes in their possession.

It looks like a standard full flavored cigarette. It tastes remarkably nice, with heavy woody overtones. The flavor certainly gets high acclaims from me. The nicotine content is just about right too, strong, but qualitatively it doesn't have as much freebase nicotine...it just doesn't hit you as fast as a Marlboro.