January 2009 Archives

Bondi Beach Grill & Bar is located at The Curve. I went to catch Inkheart just now with Yiling and decided to check out the latest eating establishment at The Curve at the same time. Yiling was so appallingly late we practically had to scoff down lunch to make it to the movie on time but we shall leave her tardiness for another post. :p



Bondi Beach Grill & Bar is named after the popular beach in Australia and I have it on good authority (I was there for four years) that it's pronounced BOND-eye instead of BOND-ee. The interior is adorned with surfboards and other surfer memorabilia that recreates a pretty authentic feel of a laid back beach restaurant. There is even an al fresco dining area shaped like a hut and shaded from the sun.



Bondi Beach Grill & Bar has a Set Lunch menu for RM 14.90 with the following options:
Soup of the Day or Chicken Yakitori or Prawn Pinwheels or Seafood Salad
with
Char-Grilled Fillet of Dory with Lemon Butter Sauce & Steamed Rice or Creamy Seafood Pasta or Char-Grilled Minute Steak with Pepper Sauce & Fried Mini Rosti
and
Fresh Fruit Salad Topped with Vanilla Ice Cream



Hallelujah! I can finally take photos like these with my dSLR. ;)
This would be the freshly squeezed watermelon juice (RM 14), which I thought was appropriate for the setting. The set lunch does not come with drinks although iced water is complimentary.



Yiling went with the Prawn Pinwheels for starters. The presentation of Bondi Beach Grill & Bar is impeccable - I love the attention to detail, it shows true passion in the chef. It's the little things like the sprinkling of oregano that makes the dish casual yet elegant. The Prawn Pinwheels are grilled to perfection and comes out juicy and crispy, another excellent contrast.



I opted for the healthier sounding Seafood Salad for the appetizer. Bondi Beach is generous with the seafood - there is squid, shrimp and mussels on top of a bed of lettuce and cherry tomatoes. The dressing uses a lot of herbs that blends well with the light nature of the dish, yet imparting enough zest to jolt my jaded taste buds.



Yiling called dibs on the Char-Grilled Minute Steak with Pepper Sauce & Fried Mini Rosti for the main. She had already decided last night that she was going to order this and the plan was to order different items so we could try out different dishes. The Minute Steak, as the name suggests, is about 1/3 the size of a regular steak. I didn't think much of it though, it was too well done for my tastes.



I wanted to order the dory fish but the waitress recommended the Creamy Seafood Pasta instead. I wasn't disappointed. It's absolutely fabulous! The Seafood Pasta is linguine cooked in a very creamy alfredo sauce served with generous portions of shrimp, squid and mussels. The creaminess of the pasta goes very well with the seafood - I've run out of superlatives to describe this dish, it's simply delicious! It's hands down the best pasta I've had this year.



Yiling agrees, and she's not even a fan of alfredo and other cream based sauces!



The Fresh Fruit Salad Topped with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert is presented well, with a hint of caramel sauce and just the right amount of ice cream. The fruits are chilled before serving, making this the perfect light and refreshing end to the meal.



Unfortunately, we had to scoff it down coz we were late for the movie.



The bill came up to RM 50.60 for two but that's largely due to the watermelon juice that I ordered. The Bondi Beach Grill & Bar Set Lunch is RM 14.90 each. I have yet to check out their dinner menu, but if their set lunch is anything to go by, it would not disappoint. I highly recommend the Creamy Seafood Pasta.

Bon appetit!

I haven't washed my car ever since it was shipped to KL about two months ago and I figured it was high time it got some foam lovin' before I drove down to Ipoh. There is a car wash near my condo so I drove over and asked for it to be cleaned, both the interior and exterior. This was the eve of Chinese New Year and there was a long queue at the car wash. I was told to pick it up two hours later.

Car wash dude: Boss, sudah siap!
Me: Okay. Berapa?
Car wash dude: RM 40 sahaja.
Me: RM 40???
Car wash dude: Ya, sudah murah ini. Saya cuci luar dalam, vacuum, lap semua bersih bersih.
Me: Terlalu mahal la...RM 30 okay la.
Car wash dude: Tak dapat boss, sekarang Tahun Baru Cina, banyak orang mahu cuci kereta. Harga biasa ni, tak naik untuk Tahun Baru Cina.
Me: -_-!!!

I've never paid RM 40 for a car wash before. It's daylight robbery! It's not even waxed; they just vacuumed the insides of the car and washed the outside. I must look like I'm not from around here, coz I was slaughtered by these dudes.

How much do you usually pay for a car wash in KL anyway?

P/S - I forgot to mention, my Touch'n Go card was stolen by these fellas too! I only realized the next day when I drove down to Ipoh and couldn't find it in the coin drawer where I keep it when I had to pay for toll!

I just came back from lunch at Canton-i, Midvalley with Yvonne. She was on The Breakfast Show on ntv7 yesterday morning and texted me to meet up. Eddie passed her some stuff to bring back when she went to the US for her operation.



Grey Goose pear flavored vodka. Corazon de Agave 100% Agave tequila. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel. Thanks Eddie, you da man! Enjoy the married life, bro.



Yvonne Foong has neurofibromatosis and she's raising funds for her radiotherapy. You can donate at her site or purchase her Heart4Hope t-shirts. It's only RM 20 and it's for a great cause - help a fellow blogger out, eh?

I managed to get a fairly good bounty thanks to the EZY sisters who kindly brought me back to Ipoh with them since I'm like...alone and all that.



Eiling



Ziling



Yiling



...and me taking a piss. I drove to Ipoh, and Eiling drove us back. I shall update again later tonight with a two part trip report about Ipoh. I'm very sleep deprived and I need to crash. See ya!

Restaurant New Paris is renowned for two things - their watermelon chicken and the speed their dishes are served. I was there for the second lou sang dinner of the year - there were 24 of us so we occupied two tables on the third floor. Yes, despite it's humble exterior, Restaurant New Paris actually has three (!) floors of dining splendor.



I neglect to mention the other thing New Paris Restaurant in SS2 is famous for - the loudspeaker-toting proprietor. He takes his hailer and literally shouts out orders to the crew, you just have to experience it. Heh! You can see how often that is done by the well-loved and duct-taped hailer. Hail to the (real) King, baby! ;)
(no pun intended)



The full three stories of Restaurant New Paris are captured here. It wasn't quite full when we arrived at 6:30 pm but by the time it reached around 7 pm the entire three floors of New Paris Restaurant was absolutely packed! It's very popular, that's for sure. I also learnt the arcane art of "cleansing" cups - you're supposed to pour hot tea into one and then swirl it around before pouring it into the next cup. Rinse and repeat.



I present - the salmon yee sang of New Paris Restaurant! Most of the ingredients are sourced off-the-shelf...



...but it's the ceremony that matters! More $ during the next year! More bonuses! Higher paychecks! Win 6k in Genting! Snag Cameron Diaz! Okay, maybe not that last one.



We were very enthusiastic about the entire thing...look at the aftermath of the lau sang session. I think some of it got into my drink as well... -_-!!!



I like the quaint steamed rice in a pot that Restaurant New Paris serves their rice in. The butter prawns was tasty too. I wouldn't be in a rush to write home about the omelet, vegetables, or the tofu but their pork leg is ze best! Excellent!



No Chinese New Year dinner would be complete without fish. This is ginger fish, steamed before being deep-fried. I was astounded that this was actually possible. How can you steam a fish and then deep fry it? Logistics aside, the ginger fish was great.



However, the signature dish of Restaurant New Paris is their watermelon chicken. It has scoops of fresh watermelon on the side with the hollowed out fruit being used as a receptacle for sweet and sour chicken. It's fabulous and the presentation is great. It's so good there was watermelon ball poaching amongst the two tables. :)



Wai Yan and Fionne.



Restaurant New Paris serves good Chinese food and the upside is that they churn out their dishes really fast. I mean, really fast, as in Speedy Gonzalez kind of fast. The flagship watermelon chicken should not be missed. The chicken pieces are tender and flavorful and I could only find the Good Parts (TM) inside - drums, thighs etc.

Anyway, I'll be driving down to Ipoh later for an overnight road trip. Catch you all tomorrow. Happy Chinese New Year everyone! :)

My Photoshop skillz are legendary for being mediocre at best, which is why I outsource most of the stuff that requires design. ;)

I'll not be going back this CNY, but to those of you who're doing the reunion dinner, Happy Chinese New Year and may the Year of the Ox bring happiness, prosperity and all that is Good (TM) to your lives. =D

For those in the PJ area who is not going back and not having a reunion dinner a.k.a. orphans of circumstance like me, wanna go dinner or movie? The latter is a bit unorthodox but I'm driving down to Ipoh tomorrow morning so I can't do drinking or stuff like that. Berhati-berhati di jalan raya and all that. ;)

Text me @ 016 888 2069

Gong Xi Fa Chai everyone!

Malaysia Airlines organized an yee sang dinner for bloggers at Mum's Place. There were 25 bloggers in attendance occupying three tables - most of them familiar faces, but I met a couple of bloggers that I haven't seen IRL before. It was fun! It's my first yee sang dinner of the year.



The yee sang with salmon!



It's a tradition in Singapore and Malaysia to lau sang during Chinese New Year. It's supposed to kickstart an auspicious new year by collectively mixing the ingredients with chopsticks while chanting phrases like "prosperity in the year to come" and all that. :)



I just like the colors of the dish and the community aspects.



Steamed rice was served and a plethora of dishes came in quick succession after that. I love the huge prawns - very juicy and succulent.



Another highlight is the Assam Fish. It's fabulous!



Other memorable dishes were the chicken curry, vegetables, delicious beef slices and the desserts. I had a banana split.



Camwhoring time was scheduled after dinner.



Lots of familiar faces here...



...and people I haven't met before or haven't seen in a long time.



Miscellaneous group photos.



Eh, dun la mug me after I just got mugged.



Miss Wai Fong who hosted the dinner. Thanks!



MAS was also very receptive to suggestions on how to improve their service - I offered an experience when I was flying KL - Melbourne on New Year's Eve and nothing happened at 12 AM. Most of the passengers were left hanging, awake and waiting for some sort of in-flight celebration, but the New Year passed with nary a peep. They took note of that, so I hope your NYE's flight would be filled with merriment (or at least some party favors and an announcement). ;)



MAS was kind enough to give us all some home made pineapple tarts and a gift pack containing a diary, a DVD and a nifty red USB drive that can be twisted around your wrist like a bracelet. Nice!

More coverage here:
Sultan Muzaffar
Wingz
Red Mummy
Babe in the City

Update:



Eevon just sent me the wittiest offline comment a.k.a. text message this morning alerting me to a disastrous typo. Okay, it's DIARY, not DAIRY. Amended. :)

I just woke up, having repaid my sleep debt for the week. I'm still feeling a little groggy though, slept for more than 18 hours (!). I was looking out my window while having a smoke, and saw two groups of people packing their bags into their cars to head home for CNY.

I'm not going home this Chinese New Year. :( I'm sure going to miss my friends back home and the traditional grand fireworks display by the good citizens of Sibu. The tickets are too expensive and I didn't think it was worth it to be going back for just four days.

(Un)fortunately my workplace decided to implement a one week compulsory holiday since too many people are taking long leaves for CNY. I checked AirAsia when I heard the news but the tickets are sold out to be in time for the reunion dinner (tomorrow night). The return tickets are also too expensive so I think I'm just going to chill here in KL.



I'll be reading a lot, catching up on my sleep and all that. I just started on this book - Train Man, literally a translation of Japan's 2-Channel forum about a nerdy young guy who hooks up with this girl Hermes (which was dubbed so due to the teacups of the label she gave him when he "saves" her from a drunk on a train).



Engrossing read, I love the forum format of the book. Its funny and endearing at the same time.

Anyway, more updates later tonight. I haven't properly woken up yet, I shall go in search for food.

Since this is a random post, I shall embed a viral video that's been going around the office like crazy December 2008. I heard it just hit a friend's workplace:



Anyone else not going home for CNY? Come, email me and we'll work out something. Trip to Genting perhaps? Uncle Lim's son owes me money from a disastrous trip there last year (lost on the fourth day after a winning streak on the first three days - arrgghhh) and thus I have decided to go back this year and get it back...with interest. ;)

Football is practically the national sport of Malaysia. It's like dengue, just more insidious. Football fever hits most red-blooded males every four years (World Cup) and we have seasonal outbreaks during the major leagues as well. Symptoms of the infection include a zombie-like appearance at work (due to lack of sleep) and the sports section of the office newspaper mysteriously disappearing.

'Tis the season again, where football fans gather at mamaks all around Malaysia. I know coz (very) loud cheering can be heard when goals are scored by the punters favorite teams. It's the EPL 2008/2009 season and things can get so loud and raucous that a mamak 200 meters down the road can wake you up with their boisterous celebration! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I say.

I'm sure a lot of gamers out there have heard of the FIFA series. I have a friend who was obsessed with the game back in high school. Of course, we didn't have broadband back then (think 33.6 k modems) but now with the massive broadband penetration, the latest iteration of the FIFA football game franchise has gone online! 

Think of an online football MMO (!). It's just something that hasn't been done before. 

I managed to get my hands on the EA Sports^TM FIFA Online 2 DVD kit before it was launched. There is a bonus code in each DVD pack that gives you a special item. The Open Beta Test (OBT) is going on now so you can also download the game client at the official site. 

There is a Bonus Game Item in the DVD kit, which can either give you LP (not the vinyl, or the Hokkien phrase - League Points, the in-game currency), Uniform Cards (which awards a mystery player to your team), or a Medical Kit (heals injured players). I got the medical kit with my code. 

The game guides you with tutorials to familiarize yourself with the game, which would be useful for those who haven't played a football game before. The tutorials covers the basics, attacking, defending, passing - it's good enough for you to try your luck in a real match...preferably with a similarly ranked player so you won't get thrashed too badly. ;) 

EA Sports^TM FIFA Online 2 plays like a football game with RPG elements. You start out with (next to) nothing, a bottom feeder, and work your way up through the leagues. You win points by winning matches and your players "level up" throughout the matches. It's a persistent game world so all your stats are retained the next time you log on! Nifty.

The interface allows you to chat with other players on the server and arrange for matches. I've been talking to some of the people in the pre-game chat room and found out that a lot of them are from KL too. 

I started my first match with someone who also happens to live in Kelana Jaya (imagine the coincidence) and got thoroughly trashed by him. I blame multitasking for my defeat, my phone rang while I was playing and he didn't stop attacking despite the fact that I'm AFK. :p 

The best part about EA Sports^TM FIFA Online 2 is the social interaction. After my defeat, he asked if I would be interested in catching the EPL game tonight at the mamak near my place. A couple of his friends are going as well, so I'm going to drop by too and watch the game.

You can get the EA SPORTS^TM FIFA Online 2 CD from 7-Eleven and Popular Bookstores starting 23rd January 2009. It's an official licensed product of FIFA!

In conjunction with the nationwide launch, a special tournament will be held at selected Internet Cafes. Check with your friendly neighborhood cyber café to see if they're organizing this event.

Do you think you have what it takes? There's also the ASEAN Championships scheduled in September 2009 with real life prizes to be won, so get your player lineup ready to beat the best of the best in our part of the world!

You'll be playing against people from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Taiwan in the ASEAN Championships and the winner of each country will be flown down to Singapore for an on-site match with a total prize bounty of USD 100,000. (!)

My only beef with EA Sports^TM FIFA Online 2 is that I'm used to playing FPS games like Quake (ranked #42 in PGL too, back in the days) and my favorite line was "Death from above!". Well, there's no "above" on a football field so I can't use my trademark taunt anymore. Oh well. Perhaps I shall resort to taking a football with me and dropping it on my new EA SportsTM FIFA Online 2 buddy's head later.

Except I don't know him IRL and he might not be amused. ;)

I have gotten all my archives back into the database! The ETA is a bit later than scheduled but at least it's before CNY. I figured it would take me a year to get all my posts from April 2002 integrated into the database so I decided to hire someone to do it for me. I outsourced the data entry to a friend of mine for RM 600 (including bonus for early completion).

I know I'm paying way above the market price since a lot of the categories and tags are messed up, but at least she's very vigilant about the chronological aspects (year, date, and time) so it's solid. This is the reason why I'm so broke this month, but I reckon it's a good price to pay to get sixthseal.com fully up and functional once again. =D

I can't expect her to think like I do so I would have to redo the categories and tags but in the meantime, I would appreciate it if you can assist in beta testing the archives. It's entirely searchable now but there are two categories that shouldn't be in there at all. Viewer discretion is advised while I sort that out.

Thank you for staying with me, Constant Reader, and it's been a long journey since I started blogging but now I'm back on track.

Hail to the King, baby! ;)

Famous Ngau Kee Beef Noodles is a simple stall setup in front of a dilapidated row of what looks like pre-war shop houses in the middle of KL. It's supposed to have really good beef noodles and I like eating things that go moo. The roadside stall was packed with people and double parked cars, which is always a good sign.



I know it's famous because the signboard says so. ;)



Famous Ngau Kee Beef Noodles invented the concept of "open kitchen" before it became the in thing for trendy restaurants. They probably coined the freaking word. Pioneers, they are. The stall also has the time-honored tradition of only offering five (5) different types of drinks. You'll be spoilt for choice! ;)



Ngau Kee Beef Noodles is famous for it's beef noodles - some of us went for the Mixed Beef with Dry Noodles (RM 6) while the others went for the Mixed Beef Soup Noodles (RM 6). It's basically the same thing, except the beef balls and tripe is served on the side with clear soup for the dry version while the soup edition has everything in a bowl with a heartier broth. This is the flagship dish of the stall. You can add 10 beef balls for RM 6 or 10 pork balls for RM 10. Okay, that didn't sound quite right, but I meant the side dishes.



It's so good PJ people have been known to drive down to eat the beef noodles!



The best thing about the stall is their patented (well, not really, but it must be the recipe of the grandma or something like that) chilli sauce. Best ever.



Famous Ngau Kee Beef Noodles is located along Tingkat Tong Shin. It's close to Jalan Alor, and you can't miss the huge neon cow (bull?) on the stall. While the stall would not be winning awards for hygiene standards or interior design anytime soon, you just can't beat the fabulous beef noodles there.

Protex came out with a new Aloe flavored (scented?) bar of soap and they were giving it away at Kelana Jaya. I saw two guys handing out the soap to people passing by while going out for lunch with my coworkers. This is the second time I've received freebies in Kelana Jaya - it seems to be a hotspot for working people.

It came just in time too - I have been neglecting my toiletries ever since my newly single status. The body shampoo ran out a couple of days ago and I am relegated to using shampoo as a substitute. Seriously.

Dude, where's my soap? Use TP much?

At last, I have proper soap to shower with again! =D

I went to the Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans premiere screening last night courtesy of the good people at Nuffnang. It was held at Cineleisure at The Curve and security was pretty tight since the movie will only be released on the 22nd of January.

There were people in RELA uniforms (?) patrolling the cinema throughout the movie, which kinda adds to the viewing experience. Heh!

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans is actually a prequel to the first two series. It goes a lot into the history behind the vampires (OMG! They've been with us since eons!) and the character development of Viktor (which you'll remember from the first Underworld). You'll get to see Sonja (Rhona Mitra) generally kicking ass and chewing bubble gum (except bubble gum wasn't invented yet) at that point.

I managed to get an Rise of the Lycans keychain and a poster of the movie. =D

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans will be in cinemas starting from the 22nd of January. I won't spoil it for you, but don't miss it if you're an Underworld fan. I loved the movie! I've been a big fan of the franchise ever since I watched the first two back to back in Melbourne.

Coca is organizing an ang pow giveaway to three (3) lucky winners of sixthseal.com and you don't even have to do anything! There are no hoops to jump through, no slogans to crack your brains on, and no pesky forms to fill up.

Just comment on this post and state what you think of Coca Restaurant. Good or bad, it doesn't matter - constructive criticism is key. Just make sure your email address is valid coz winners will be chosen by the great random number generator known as random.org so you know this contest won't be rigged in any way.

If you want to boost your chances of winning, write about this giveaway and link back to this post with the words "COCA GONG XI Giveaway". It doesn't even have to be a dedicated post, just a passing mention in the body of your post with the link and the phrase will do.

Just paste the link of the post and your name (with a valid email address) into the comment box and you stand to win:



1 x Steamboat Set Meal for two (2) worth RM 150

There are three (3) of these to be given out and you have to collect the vouchers at Coca Restaurant, 1 Utama. However, you can opt to either dine at the outlet in 1U or Subang Parade.

The contest will run until the 21st of January 2009 and the vouchers are valid for one (1) month.

Good luck!

Gong Xi Fa Chai from sixthseal.com and Coca Restaurant!

I went to Mist at Bangsar Avenue to attend the ruumz launch a couple of days ago. Mist has this really nifty tagline - Invigorate Intoxicate Impeccable. :)



I have learned the advanced art of camwhoring. It is the hidden technique lost to man for many, many eons and recently rediscovered - the age-old sucking-your-cheeks-in-to-make-yourself-look-thinner stance. ;)



I met Siao Ling, the Tuborg girl right after entering Mist. I'm not sure she appreciates being called that, but you must admit, it's pretty catchy and easy to remember. ;)



Be your ruummate? Can.



The list of the usual suspects were there...



Got names dy. L-R: Natalie, Huai Bin, Jane, Ginny. This is the first time I met Nat and Jane.



Zoe who is hardly old enough to get into a club.



I prefer this photo. Haha! She looks so cheesed off. ;)



Get in.



The Nuffnang people. Yee Hou is damn pro at camwhoring.



Timothy



Nicholas



Pinky. This one got boyfriend liaw, cannot kiss. ;)



Robb. Was it as good for you as it was for me? ;)



Mellissa!



Carol!



Rachel won this ruumz pillow but was kind enough to give it to me. I took it to camwhore with various people coz I like the tagline - my ruum or yours? I'm still wondering where that pillow ended up. I borrowed it to someone who never returned it. *cough* !



Oh, it feels so good to be loved...



Unfortunately, the arcane art of camwhoring that I was practicing had the unintentional side effect of lasting the entire night. Oops...my bad. ;)



Firdy has mad skillz, yo. He can do the Matrix bullet dodging thing.



Things started getting a little 18SX after that with a lot of people being inebriated...so we shall stop here to avoid incriminating photos from being posted. ;)



I got a photo with Elaine Daly. =D

I was in the process of hailing a cab in Bangsar when three motorcycles stopped abruptly in front of me and five people alighted. I knew I was in trouble coz they were wearing full faced helmets but before I could do anything, one of them punched me in the stomach and pulled out a knife.

I knew I was fucked - five people, three armed with edged weapons and me, totally unarmed and alone. One of them demanded my cell phone and wallet and tried to physically get it from my pocket. I could see they were kinda nervous - I think they're still newbies to the whole mugging scene. ;)

That, and the area is actually pretty well lit and it's along a main road. I knew it would be a really bad idea to set a precedence by allowing him to get into my pants (no pun intended) since I'm likely to lose everything if that happens so I brushed his hands away. He didn't really like that so he grabbed me by the collar and pointed his knife and me while shouting miscellaneous threats detrimental to my general well being.

I quickly got my cell phone out and passed it to him, and got my wallet out and threw it on the ground before walking (at a very rapid pace, which some people might describe as more as "running") to the shops behind me.

I didn't want them to get my dSLR - which they probably didn't see as they didn't surround me - they came from the front and the bag was slung around my back. Thus, by throwing the wallet on the ground, I can make a hasty retreat in the opposite direction.

Oh well, at least I wasn't stabbed or beaten up before being relieved of my belongings. I think that's a combination of good luck, amateur muggers, and being at a relatively well lit street. It was an opportunistic crime, me thinks - I was alone and thus an easy target. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I hailed two other cabs after that who won't take me home when I told them I've just been robbed and can only pay them after I go up to my condo and come back down. I just kept mum the third time and only after reaching the condo did I tell the cabbie that I had to go up to get the money to pay him. He was quite unhappy about all that, but I told him to trust me and I give him RM 10 extra.

Thank God for cash reserves at home. I actually have to thank Zoe for that, coz she was indirectly was responsible for said cash reserves. I spilled her soup all over some RM 50 notes and laid them out to dry on the breakfast bar.

I lodged a police report at the station after that and went back home and realized that my power has been disconnected due to outstanding issues with the previous tenant (which I thought had been resolved and the bill paid!). It's like Murphy's Law, anything that could go wrong will. The HTC hasn't been charged since I got it, and the battery died when I used it to go to Google Maps via EDGE.

I woke up this morning and went to Maybank first thing to get a new ATM card. I only had a couple of hundred in the house and I needed to pay TNB so I could get power reconnected. I need to have power to get some work done over the weekend in time for Monday and I needed the Internet for research.

I went back home and realized that I couldn't call anyone at work to tell them I have to take emergency leave - all the contacts are in my cell phone! I couldn't get online to type in the company's website to get the number or MSN my coworkers coz my house does not have power (and thus no WiFi). I knew I had the business card of the boss somewhere from the interview so I searched for that and called him to tell him that I was mugged and needed to take a day off to resolve everything.

I should have drove to the office instead, it would have been much faster, but I was so stressed out at the thought of getting lost in PJ and KL that the thought never occurred to me!

Good things:
I still have my RM 3,800 Sony alpha 350
I still have the RM 3k + HTC Pocket PC which isn't even mine

Bad things:
I lost my MyKad, driving license, credit card, debit card cum ATM card the first two of which will take AGES to replace.
I lost ALL the contacts in my cell phone and I haven't backed it up for a long time.
I had to take Friday off so I could get all my stuff sorted out. The worst thing was, all the contacts for work was in my cell phone so I didn't have the office number.
I got lost all over PJ and KL since I didn't have a cell phone and couldn't call to ask for directions.
I even got so lost I had to resort to paying a taxi RM 14 to guide me back home by driving in front of me!

Thanks Suanie! Appreciate you giving me directions to TNB and letting me into the office to use Google Maps.

I just got my SIM card back from DiGi Center in SS2. I need everyone who knows me to text 016 888 2069 with your name so I can repopulate my contacts list. I just got a replacement SIM card. It's a good thing I have a HTC Touch passed to me by a friend so I can use that for the time being while I hold off on purchasing a cell phone until next month.

I am really broke this month, and I can't buy a new phone until next month at least.

Anyway, thanks for all your concern, I'm fine and I still consider myself lucky coz I got away with the dSLR and the Pocket PC. I do not relish the thought of losing RM 7k + in gear.

Count the little blessings. :)

It was getting dark and I've been on the road for close to an hour. I stopped to ask for directions multiple times but I get conflicting instructions and end up driving around in circles. However, there is (neon) light at the end of the tunnel - I spotted the HQnine signage at TTDI! I was supposed to meet up with Nicholas for a couple of drinks at HQnine...it's more comfortable than a rat-infested roadside mamak, that's for sure.

It seems that we have (inadvertently?) gate-crashed an event - it was a sneak preview at Alliance Bank's new You:nique credit card. Except they call it the Picture Card, and with good reason too - you can put your own photo (or any other photo for that matter) on the face of the card! I don't have any reservations against admitting my narcissistic tendencies - I can already imagine my likeness on the face of the credit card. Imagine the looks you'll be getting when you pull out a credit card with your photo on it from your wallet! =D

The card face is a tabula rasa - that's "blank slate" for those of you who failed Latin. ;) You get to choose what goes on top of the credit card. It's revolutionary! You can either upload your own photo or choose a photo (except anything from goat.cx or veritas' archives) and personalize your credit card!

We were subjected, er...I mean treated to a presentation by the good people at Alliance Bank about the features of the You:nique Picture Card. The website has a very user-friendly step-by-step process to guide you through the process of creating your very own personalized credit card.

The presentation concluded with a question and answer session, with the poor people at Alliance fielding all sorts of stupid questions. My apologies, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people...with yours truly being one of them. ;) I managed to glean quite a few details about the card that night from the barrage of questions I unleashed.

The amazing thing about the You:nique picture card is that you can choose the features you want!

Bargain hunter?

Choose Great Rebates - it gives you a 2% cash rebate for ALL retail purchases! Cash rebates regardless of where you shop...I can smell the demise of retail-credit card partnerships for specific store rebates. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. ;)

Strapped for cash?

Choose Great Rates - it offers a flat finance charge of 9% per annum instead of the 18% other banks are charging you right now. I think this plan is going to put a lot of loan sharks out of business - interest rates are finally dropping below the "unlicensed credit facilities" benchmark. Heh! It's perfect for people like me, who spend more than what they earn. ;)

Love rewards?

Choose Great Rewards with its 2x (that's DOUBLE) points reward for every retail purchase. You don't have to wait for "promotion periods" - Alliance gives you TBP (Timeless Bonus Points) so you get twice the bang for your buck every time you swipe. It's "promotion period" 24/7, 375 days a year with the You:nique credit card*!

* Except for leap years. It'll be 366 days a year for leap years. Scared you with the asterisk, didn't I? ;)

It's the first credit card in Malaysia to offer you the chance to personalize the face of the credit card. It's also the first to allow you to CHOOSE the type of reward scheme you want! They agreed to match my credit limit, so I'm going to get one...a sixthseal.com Alliance Bank You:nique card! I already have a couple of designs in mind to customize the Picture Card.

...because just like you, I am a beautiful and You:nique snowflake. ;)

Williams Mamak is a rodent infested roadside stall with seating arrangements precariously set in a hazardous manner beside, nay, on the roadside. It's also pretty expensive even for restaurant standards. Why do people still throng to this place like flies to...er, butter?

Well, Williams claim to fame is its unique concept of Italian food in a mamak stall. Nowhere else can you find a mamak serving Italian food - it's exotic. It's also located near the old LimKokWing building and you just can't beat the ambience of having cute little rats scurrying about while you eat.

The penultimate drink in William's Mamak is undisputedly the Ribena Lychee (RM 6). It's a huge concoction of purple goodness that you can see on almost every table. Patrons are indulging in this 1 liter monstrosity with a fervor previously unseen to my eyes. It also sets a precedence for the rest of Williams meals - the portions of the dishes are huge!

It should be noted that Williams is a firm believer in The First Baptist Church of No Menu but the waiters possess the admirable ability to rattle off the dishes they serve in a very well rehearsed spiel. I can only hear bits and pieces - risotto, spaghetti etc. I asked for a recommendation and was given the Tuna Rice.

The Tuna Rice came in a huge portion with a hidden gem which I nearly missed due to the poor lighting conditions. Williams is also a member of the Dim Lighting Appreciation Society. The tuna fried rice is served with tuna pieces swimming in gravy on the side. I was complaining about the canned tuna to my dining companion...until I saw a HUGE fillet of grilled tuna underneath all the gravy. Delicious! The waiter overheard me and told me that's the best part.

Huei Juin went for the Pasta with Chicken. It was repeated as "Pasta Ayam" by the waiter - I just love the fusion of our national language with Italian food. It sounds so wrong, yet so right. Heh!

It's quite good though, it's made with Bolognese sauce instead of Carbonara, which I usually prefer. Williams is generous with the chicken pieces and the entire dish was practically drowned in the sauce, which I'm told is how it's done over here. I ended up eating more of this than my own. The portions were huge though and we didn't manage to finish either one of the orders.

The bill came up to about RM 64 for two - not exactly cheap for a mamak. This is my second visit - the first time was with Yee Hou and I went again last night with Huei Juin.

The litmus test: Would I go again? Definitely! Despite of the dodgy hygiene standards, I am intrigued by the constantly updated menu items and the concept of an Italian mamak in Malaysia. There are a lot of interesting dishes I have yet to try and I can't wait to go again.

Jom, mamak!

Williams Mamak is located at Jalan SS 26/9, Taman Mayang.

I've always had a HUGE crush on Jun-Jun Riko. Unfortunately, I missed her posting on a boyfriend vacancy so I have been bidding my time for the outpouring of my love for her. Well, it seems that great minds think alike (?) coz the feelings are reciprocal!

I didn't even know until I sent her a random email declaring my love for her.

Flowers are getting so passé nowadays, sometimes you just gotta say it with music. Music soothes even the savage beast and all that.

Plus, it only costs RM 5 for a full track compared to at least RM 100 for flowers. They're having a 50% discount now so it's just RM 2.50 for a full track! Very easy on the wallet considering I'm quite pok kai this month. I'm doing mosaic on her number so that you all won't be chomping at the bit to get to this delicious morsel. Pun intended. ;)

I've heard the DiGi commercials on Hitz FM with outrageous (in a good way) dedications...a student sending his love to his teacher and a girl breaking up with her boyfriend coz she now prefers women are two memorable ones. I LOLed while driving to the office on that one.

It seems that the more controversial the dedication is, the more likely it will be played on air. Plus, the more interesting dedications will have the honor of the DiGi Music Squad actually going over (!!!) to the recipient's location to play the song! The band will even perform the song live! Check it out at the Radio Promo microsite.

However, true love cannot wait (even though I've held it back for so long) so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I logged on to DiGi's Music Store, chose an appropriate song and sent it to her cell phone.
 
I have known her cell phone number for ages but never did muster up the courage to call, fearing rejection.

With this nifty new method, I can easily pass it off as "Eh, I send to wrong number, sorry ya" should the recipient be less-than-receptive to my amorous advances. ;)

I sent the Music Telegram her way (it was David Archuleta - Crush) and she called me back and sent me photos saying that she feels the exact same way.

I've got a date scheduled with her on Saturday night.

Wish me luck, everyone. ;)

Nokia had a teaser setup at Pavilion, KL with the cryptic message "Be here - 090109 @ 7 PM". It's the launch of their newest phone, the XpressMusic 5800 and I got the invite last week. I didn't think I could make it, coz I had something going on at 5 pm, but I managed to hitch a ride with Horng and got there before it started.



This is Reta - bumped into her while registering as a Nokia Insider at the booth. She was there as Media. I first met her way back in 2005.



There was ample time for camwhoring since the event didn't start at 7 pm sharp. L-R: Reta, Suanie, the thorn amongst roses, Erna. Fate had me running into Erna at the worst possible place. Hush Erna. ;)



This is Huei Juin, who works just beside my condo! Huei, we go dinner next week k?



The Nokia 5800 XPM launch started off with a bang, with confetti flying all over the place followed by a wonderful performance by a troupe playing with various ad hoc percussion instruments like steel buckets, tins and so forth. It's different and energetic and had the crowd dancing along to the beats.



Vlasta Berka, the GM of Nokia Malaysia himself went on stage to introduce the features of the new Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. It retails at RM 1,499 and features a 3.2" touchscreen with vibrating feedback. It also comes with a 3.2 MP camera. However, the best thing about this deal is that Nokia is giving away 1,000 DRM free songs for free with the phone!

 

Nokia events are very, very well organized and they treat the guests well. The representatives invited the media to Michelangelo's and I ended up going with them coz I saw Reta and Huei. I didn't realize they were there as media.

 

I spotted Kevin and sat next to him for 15 minutes before Suanie called me and asked me where the hell I was. I said I'm in Michelangelo's. She told me everyone was at La Bodega. Oops...



It turns out the Nokia Insiders (bloggers) were scheduled to be at La Bodega instead. The press conference for media was at Michelangelo's. Oh well, best of both worlds. Heh!



Nokia was kind enough to provide us with free flow beer, drinks and tapas throughout the night. The event was really very well organized, and they made sure we were all well fed and not in danger of dying from thirst.



There was also a huge platter of seafood paella for each table and the staff made sure that plate after plate of tapas came in quick succession.



Whenever a significant amount of bloggers congregate, camwhoring sessions are inevitable. Cindy Tey - I have made it a point to take a photo with her in every event that we meet. ;)



This is Ee Von from Text100.



I attempt to self-camwhore with a dSLR. I can't do it, it's too heavy. I noticed Jamie can do it like a pro though, and so can Yee Hou.



Jamie! I swear, she looks just like someone in the film industry, but I can't recall whom. Check out the tabula rasa pass and the guy behind us.



Zoe! I need an external flash for my dSLR, I don't think the built in one is up to the task.



Nokia gave us each a goodie bag with stickers, a rain poncho, a zip up pouch that I can use as a toiletries bag while traveling and a metal box with a heart shaped item inside.



It's a 2 GB USB drive with a lanyard!



Best schwag ever. =D



Thanks to David Lian of Text100 for getting me the invite. Cheers!

 

P/S - I am proud to announce that I did not break my New Year's resolution. There were jugs and jugs of beer and most of the people around me were indulging, much to my chagrin. I wasn't tempted though and I swear to God, my lips never touched a drop of the amber fluid during the event. I drank six glasses of OJ instead. :)

A trip to Cameron Highlands would not be complete without the obligatory yin yang steamboat dinner, since the ambient temperature and wind chill factor can be pretty cold at night. We went southbound to Brinchang instead of Tanah Rata but it turns out that both towns were equally packed with tourists.



There are a lot of places offering steamboat dinners, most of them yin yang style - so called due to the two different broths and the similarity to the symbol of good and evil. We went to Restaurant Mountain House Hotel, which offers "organic" steamboat priced at RM 16 per head.



The yin yang steamboat comes with seafood, tofu (urgh...), noodles, rice vermicelli, assorted super processed food, and homegrown vegetables. Cameron Highlands produces a huge amount of fresh, organically grown vegetables, so it's really cheap there...which is probably why we got an ultra generous portion of veggies.



The yin yang steamboat consists of a chicken broth and a tom yam broth - it's usually a mild broth with a spicy broth, keeping with the themes of absolute good and absolute evil. Exhibit A above shows the patented sixthseal.com method of ensuring your noodles are cooked.

1. Use your chopsticks to snag some noodles.
2. Apply pressure to the noodles with your fingernails.
3. It needs to be slightly soggier than al dente - you'll get a feel for it (pun not intended) the more you do it.

It was originally invented a good 17 years ago by yours truly, intended to gauge whether instant noodles are ready to eat when I started cooking Maggi at 10. :)



This photo is making the post look dated - I went to Cameron Highlands with my ex last month, but never got around to posting it until today due to a massive backlog of posts. Quickly switching subjects, the vegetables in Cameron Highlands comes in the most vibrant shade of green I have ever seen!



Nooooo....no more veggies!

David was in town and an impromptu meet was scheduled at Starbucks in Centerpoint to celebrate the second (third?) coming of dabido. I haven't actually met him in person before, but I've seen his comments everywhere (he's like the greatest commenter of all time).



This is David, better known as dabido. He hails from Perth, Australia and we have a couple of mutual friends.



This is the very elusive FA...she will be flying off to Singapore (again). I shall be in Bali, BTW.



Suanie! I suspect the only reason we meet in Centerpoint is coz it's close to her house. ;) I can't complain though, it's close to my place as well. Heh!



FA with her patented pose...



...and her other classic feature. ;)



This is David teaching us the arcane magick of balancing a Frappuccino on his stomach.

I've always wanted to be a hitman ever since I was a little kid. People go through phases of wanting to be a policeman (or fireman) and progress to something more prestigious like a doctor (or lawyer) before settling on a realistic degree like computer science. Not me.

All I've ever wanted to be was an assassin. Not just your run of the mill assassin, mind, but a professional assassin. Utilizing various tools of the trade to deadly effect, and disappearing without a trace after the hit. Money flows into bank accounts in the Cayman Islands (or Aruba, or whichever country is in vogue for money laundering now) and you proceed to the next assignment.

However, I have a problem with hyperhidrosis. That's a fancy medical term for excessive sweating. Thus, I gave up on my dreams coz you can't really pull a ninja and sneak into someone's house and patiently hide for 12 hours until he returns if you have underarm odor. You can't be covert if your target can smell you from a mile away.

Thus, I was ecstatic when Rexona passed me a Rexona Men Absolute Survival Kit. Finally, my dreams can be realized. At last - a solution to the stumbling block of my dream career! I can finally give up my day job and become...a professional assassin.



I think they somehow knew what I wanted coz inside the kit was a Swiss Army knife and a (very) bright LED light. They also threw in a compass, perhaps from reading about the logistical problems I've been having driving around KL. Thus armed with the survival kit, I can finally go on my path of wanton destruction, carving a swath of dead bodies across the Klang Valley.

The Rexona Men Quantum provides me with 24-hour anti-perspirant protection. This is very useful, not just in the scenario outlined above, but also for those all-important client meetings. It helps me keep my cool and maintain a professional façade (while smelling fresh) during face-to-face meetings.



I have met up with several potential clients. The above is not a benign bloggers meet but a covert collective discussion about "getting rid" of certain other bloggers to increase traffic and income flow. Just look at the devious expressions on our faces. I must admit, I look a little bit out of place wearing a shirt and a tie at a mamak but I am learning...



One very positive client I met at Starbucks BB Plaza (wearing a casual Quiksilver shirt with a cigarette dangling in hand to blend in with the lala crowd at Sungai Wang - I learn fast) was with a poor girl who wants to "off" her good for nothing alcoholic boyfriend. I hear the last straw for her is the boyfriend committing the horrific crime of keeping her up late from the incessant updating of his stupid blog.

Her identity will not be revealed of course, but I have already assembled the tools of my trade:



You might not think a pair of scissors can do much, but remember what your mother told you about running with a pair.

Wooden chopsticks may look harmless to you, but it could poke out an eye or two.

A can opener does not look dangerous at all, but wait till I open up a can of whoopass...er, I mean Campbell's soup and use the sharp edges against you. We'll see what you think about can openers then, eh? :p



Even a hairdryer can do a lot of damage (as demonstrated in You Don't Mess With The Zohan).

I bet you wouldn't want me to drop it inside your bathtub while you're in it. ;)



I have started to become a master of disguise, dressed like a professional for a hit inside a corporate environment (really, sometime office politics are taken to the extreme)...



...or dressed like a street kid, ready to ruin someone's perfectly good day.



I have gotten quite good at it too, taking a shower and applying Rexona Men Power before going through my wardrobe for the suitable attire for the current hit.



The last thing you will see is me shining a light in your eye and a stab to your jugular vein before you kick the bucket. With Rexona Men's line of 24-hour anti-perspirant deodorants, I can easily hide inside your home for the entire day, just waiting for you to come back at night.

No sweat.

Rexona Absolute Extreme Contest is based on the premise of writing about your dreams. If there was no limit to what you could do, what would your life be like?

Step 1: Write a blog entry on the theme "If I had an ABSOLUTE EXTREME life". The style, content and length of this post is entirely up to you - be crazy, be cute, be funny, be extreme.

Step 2: Following the theme, take a photo of yourself in your most extreme moment with a bottle of Rexona Men Absolute Protection deodorant and include it with your entry. Push your imagination to the limit!

Step 3: Then, drop an email to rexonaabsolute@nuffnang.com with your full name and permalink of your written blog post before 29 January 2008 and you can stand a chance to win these prizes:

EXTREME PRIZES

Grand Prize x 1: Full Day Car Drifting Course (car provided)
2nd Prize x 1: White Water Rafting Experience for 2
3rd Prize x 1: Adventure Hike at Gombak Forest Reserve for 4
Consolation prizes x 7: Rexona Men Absolute Survival Kit

The contest prizes are really interesting. I would love to snag the full day car drifting course, using the provided car of course. I don't want to crash my own car - I need it for my next assignment.



I know I'll have a huge problem doing this in KL since the roads are so messed up I feel like killing myself. I can't complete a scheduled hit if I can't be there on time (or understand the instructions to get there).



I need to put the Rexona Men Ice Cool deodorant in my car just to cope with the stress of driving here...

Excuse me, I have to be somewhere. A business dispute has spiraled out of control and I'm needed to...uncomplicated matters. ;)

Ajisen Ramen is a ramen eating establishment in 1U. Oh wait, I usually start off my food reviews like this, time for something different. Ajisen Ramen is a Japanese place that we finally decided upon after countless minutes of aimless walking around 1U. I was there with Zoe to get a dSLR and to catch a movie (we watched Ip Man - not Internet Protocol Man, Ip Man).



The interior of Ajisen Raman is a bit predictable and antiseptic...nothing you won't find in the other 1k odd Japanese restaurants out there.



Zoe is a vegetarian (by choice), which I keep on forgetting. She doesn't really like meat, although I force fed her chicken in Nando's. I cannot understand how someone can withstand the appeal of warm, succulent meat. Mmm...meat. Me carnivore. You vegan? I shall eat you!



This is Tuna Sakura (RM 6.80), which looks a lot like a certain part of the female anatomy. We had one each and I challenged Zoe to the Wasabi Challenge (TM).



Zoe



Me



Zoe opted for the rather tame Fish Ramen (RM 12.80), which is one of the recommended dishes. She's not a big fan of meat, as stated above. It tasted great though - I love fish as well.



I went for the more masculine sounding Volcano Ramen (RM 19.80) which is not only a recommended dish but a 5-chilli rated dish. Very spicy. It comes with pieces of pork in a very savory soup. I like!



Ajisen Ramen is a great place to eat if you're lost and craving for some ramen goodness. It's located conveniently at some secluded corner of 1U which I can't remember for the life of me...but that's what the 1Utama directory is for right? ;)

AJ Hackett G-Force X is dubbed as the highest slingshot ride in Asia - a reverse bungee jump inside a capsule pulling up to 5G's, which is more than a MIG-25 fighter plane. It's also described as an anti-gravity machine. I lost all my photos from Sunway Lagoon but thankfully I went for the DVD package so I still have the video on YouTube. :)

The ride cost about RM 30 (there is a 50% discount for MyKad holders) inclusive of the DVD and a "Certificate of Insanity". I was in with an Iranian tourist, who looked rather nervous during the ride, but chilled out at the end. I didn't think the ride was anything special, to be honest. 

It looks much better filmed from the outside - you can see the capsule slingshot up and get a scale of how high the ride is. It goes up to 65 meters reaching speeds of 120 km/h in 2 seconds before a sensation of weightlessness comes over you. It's a pity I lost the video filmed from below together with the digicam at Sunway Lagoon. This video is ripped from the DVD featuring the camera inside the capsule.

I rate rides by whether it scares me or not and not one has ever put The Fear of God (TM) into my heart. However, it is a ride by AJ Hackett, and it's worth a try with the discount for Malaysians.

I went to 1U with Zoe yesterday to get a new digicam. I figured I would be better off getting a dSLR this time, despite the bulkiness. Correct that - it is because of the bulkiness. It would be really hard to lose a dSLR and the neck strap offers some level of protection against water hazards - I dropped a digicam into a waterfall last year.

I got the Sony a350 package with a double zoom lens kit - DT18-70mm F3.5-5.6 / DT55-200 mm F4-5.6. No, I don't know what the numbers mean either. ;)

The salesperson also offered a Sony bag for RM 160 or a Sony bag + extra battery for RM 350, of which I took the latter. He then proceeded to go on about screen protectors:

Sales guy: The Sony alpha LCD can be easily scratched. You should probably get a screen protector for it.
HB: You're trying to sell me more stuff right? Is this your third pitch now?
Sales guy: Er...well we can give you a discount...
Sales girl (interjecting): No, we'll give it to you for free.
Sales guy: She's such a nice person.
HB: Yes, she is. Thank you. :)



It cost me about RM 3,800 for everything. I am officially broke for the entire month of January. The first shot of Zoe above is the first ever shot by the sixthseal.com Sony alpha 350.



This is the second. Heh!

Props to Suanie for your generous offer to teman me when I was down.

Cheers Eiling for driving 45 minutes down to teman me.



Thanks Zoe for teman-ing me!

You three get an unlimited lifetime voucher redeemable 5 times, anytime, anywhere, anything (within reason - terms and conditions apply). ;)

P/S - Zoe, your heart will not stop beating unless you have a cardiac arrest. It's really painful when that happens so you won't be able to talk. The medulla oblongata ensures that our hearts (and breathing) is regulated automagically. ;)

I have got to be the unluckiest person around. I was at Sunway Lagoon with my ex-boss from Sibu and his friends yesterday and dropped my digicam at the very last roller coaster ride. I think they have signs against loose items for a reason. I miss all the wonderful photos and videos (especially the AJ Hackett G-Force X one - it looks better taken from the outside, though I have the DVD which I will upload soon) that's lost - two days worth.

I miss The Apartment set of photos and the G-Force X video the most. Oh well, at least I have a temperamental Sony T-70 as a backup while I go hunting for a dSLR later. You can't very well lose a dSLR, it being the size that it is.

I lost/dropped four (4) digicams in less than a year. That's not good. Okay, I'm officially pokkai this month.



Ironically, I lost the digicam at the Lost City roller coaster ride. Hmm...

I spent New Year's Eve 2008 at home, as promised, sans ethanol. I was actually helping my girlfriend...er, ex-girlfriend pack. She moved out yesterday and I must admit - the condo feels a little lonely and depressing without her.

I wake up the middle of the night missing the warmth of her body, I reach out with my hand to hold the non-existent hand beside me, and this morning, I caught myself saying "Dear, where's the..." before stopping myself.

Oh well, life goes on. I will probably write about what happened when I have time.

Anyway, anyone interested in sharing the rent at a condominium in Petaling Jaya? Email me.

Oh, and I was in rehab in 2007, thus the title. I don't recall the fine rehabilitation center throwing a grand NYE bash. ;)

I stayed at home this year, just like in '07. Perhaps there's some truth to Pat's saying. :p

Planet DELL organized an event at Palate Palette last night. It was hyped as the party "before the eve of the new year" and features Lap Sap as one of their performers.



The PJ gang (we have earned this moniker due to a misdemeanor and possible felony committed by all of us) descended to the heart of KL to attend this event. The invite came courtesy of Rachel Ying.



We got the customary wristband as well as two badges ("Yours is an emo journo" - no shit, Sherlock) and stuff to play with. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, say "Hi, sixthseal.com, darling" and do the air kiss thing. The event was like an invasion of the hip, trendy, trust-fund kids - the Who's Who of KL, or their offspring anyway. Attack of the Killer Trust Fund Kids. I can't be fucked to look up who their dads are. ;)



Lap Sap didn't make much of an impression on me. I don't know what this event is about actually - we were given badges and felt tip pens to graffiti with, but nothing ever happened. It's more like...a chill out session, which is fine and all, and the old me would have jumped at the open bar, but I guess I was expecting more.



I wasn't really impressed by the fact that we had to pay for water, but alcoholic drinks were on the house. I mean, come on, that's illegal in Australia. Clubs should have free water, no two ways about it. I normally won't complain, since ethanol is my main tipple but I'm trying to wean off alcohol on the day before my New Year's resolution kicked in.



It sounds a bit wrong after I've just said that, but here's a photo of me doing Jello vodka shots with Lainie.



Kimberly, who related an anecdote to me about someone asking her if her real family name is Cun. Heh!



Joyce, with her RM 20,000 haircut. ;)



The artsy (fartsy) décor of Palate Palette.



Kim being enthusiastic about the badges.



Planet DELL was alright if I was in the mood to drink...which I usually am. It's the dearth of participant interaction that killed the event. It's all good if you just want to hit the gin + tonic and free beers, but if you want more, it's a bit of a letdown. We left rather early at about 10:30 pm.