July 2009 Archives

I'm a big fan of KIT KAT. It's awesome stress food. I tend to reach for one at work (I keep a stash) when things get hectic and I need a quick break. I remember hunting down their limited editions back in 2006. They came out with Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition X1 Cappuccino Flavor and Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02. I've even had the Nestle Kit Kat Strawberry Limited Edition specially brought in from Japan.

There are a lot of promotional bars in Melbourne when I was in university - from the KIT KA$H wafers to KIT KAT Chunky bars where a select few contains a fake plastic contraption (with a similar weight and size to the regular bars so you can't distinguish it) which sings when you pull it out. If you get this "singing" Kit Kat bar, you've effectively won yourself a round-the-world trip.

I've always wondered why Malaysia doesn't have similar promotions...until now:

I've always loved reading Roald Dahl's works and I adore his vivid descriptions of food. This reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Golden Ticket...for adults! Instead of winning a trip to a chocolate factory, you get something much better - an all expenses paid trip for two to see MTV's Featured Artist of the Month live in concert...anywhere in the world!

Repeat after me: All expenses paid trip, anywhere in the world!

I love travelling and music so I went to the nearest 7 Eleven after work and raided their Kit Kat supply. You just need to look out for this sticker:

Kit Kat has distilled the contest mechanics into three simple steps:

1. Have a break
2. Have a KIT KAT
3. Check inside pack

I've eaten several bars of Kit Kat today for lunch. I also got a couple of my coworkers to dig in - on the condition that the chocolate is free, but if there's a prize inside, I'm keeping it. ;)

I haven't found a pack with a prize yet, but I still have a stash of Kit Kat and the contest only ends on August 28 so there's plenty of time to work my way through the Kit Kat bars. There are iPod Shuffles and music CDs up for grabs too...check out the details here.

Good luck!

(Break a leg/finger)

You wake up at 4 am in the morning and walk out for some Maggi mee goreng at the local mamak. Secure in the knowledge that you won't bump into anyone you know in the wee hours of the night (morning?) you come dressed in the finest regalia from your wardrobe:

The most tattered t-shirt in your collection with more holes than a chunk of Swiss cheese.

A tacky pair of shorts without an elastic waistband which you have to constantly pull up to avoid slipping down your expanding waistline.

Now imagine yourself with a bleary expression, eyes still puffy and bloodshot with sleep and the makings of a pimple of monstrous proportions manifesting on your nose.

Your hair tousled (and not the sexy kind of messy, just plain scruffy from sleeping before your hair is dry) and dressed in what would best be described as rags, you casually stroll down to devour a plate of Maggie mee goreng before heading back to sleep.

Imagine all the bad habits you do when no one else is looking - wiping your greasy mouth with the tail of your shirt and standing up to pay the bill when suddenly...

This hot chick from the table behind you looks at you and suddenly goes "Hey, do I know you?"

This moment is the dreaded instant best described as Jeng Jeng Jeng.

Startled, you reply in the affirmative while your sleep-addled brain tries to process just exactly who she is. You stare at her as she yaks in a cheerful manner, all the while painfully aware of the nipple piercing poking straight out of a hole in your t-shirt (with probably a few stray hairs around the aureole for good measure).

Hello Amanda! You're officially seen me at my worst. ;)

Jessica was in the vicinity of my condo one night and asked if I wanted to eat some overwhelmingly delicious (those were her exact words) wantan mee in Sungai Besi.
HB: How overwhelming?
J: Power overwhelming.
I was sold. She's such a Starcraft geek sometimes. Heh! I was up for it since I just got back from work so I drove down to Sg. Besi with her as the GPS. There are no signboards at the place - it looks like a car workshop which moonlights as a restaurant at night.

We arrived there at around 10 pm and the place was still bustling with customers. The friendly lady proprietor came over and took our order. She didn't seem to mind the BYO (had a bottle of Absolut Vodka that I just plonked down on the table) and gave us the lowdown on the Good Stuff (TM) they have.

Sg. Besi Wan Tan Mee is famous for two things (one thing actually) - their wan tan mee with char siew. Their char siew is apparently their signature dish (according to the proprietor and Jess) so all their wan tan mee is served with awesome char siew.

It costs RM 5.50 per plate and it's worth every sen! The drive down was long but the food more than made up for it. It's gotta be the best wan tan mee I've had in KL. The noodles are springy and flavorful and the char siew is to die for. It has a crispy edge, but is tender on the inside. The char siew is also slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so and has an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture. Superlatives fail me.

You can choose add-ons for just RM 1.50 to your wantan mee with char siew.
I had a duck drumstick (RM 8) with my wan tan mee. I choose the entire drum instead of an add-on.
Jess had the shitake mushroom add-on for RM 1.50. It's juicy and flavorful; the mushrooms taste like it just came out of a pot of pork stew (perhaps the same one I ordered below). The mushrooms were practically engorged with delicious juices. Mmm...

We also ordered a side dish of stewed pork leg (RM 10.00). Just coz I was craving for pork.

It's so good I did my speed eating thing while Jessica filmed me. Watch me stuff my mouth like a pig on this (power) overwhelming(ly) delicious wan tan mee with char siew.

You can also add fried onions to the wantan mee with char siew for that extra oomph! I have no idea how to direct you here since Jessica guided me but the address listed on the menu is:
No. 190H, Jalan 2 ½ Mile, Off Sg. Besi, 55200 Kuala Lumpur.

Sungai Besi Wan Tan Mee - Best in Sg. Besi, KL, and some say, PJ.

I have been feeling slightly unwell since yesterday, but dismissed it as a particularly nasty bout of gastric (a decidedly un-masculine affliction) and soldiered on. I am rather puzzled though since I don't get gastric and it's never been as bad as this.

I went to see a doctor at the prompting (threat?) of a friend after work last night. I went at about 9 pm, just as the clinic was closing, so the doctor just gave me a perfunctory once over and prescribed some unknown tablets. I felt worse when I woke up this morning - acid reflux and the return of the cursed gastric pains with a Super Size Dose of Nausea (TM) so I quickly wrapped up the urgent stuff that was due at work and went to see a doctor at 10:30 am.

I turns out that I have peptic ulcers. The doctor found out coz I puked when she stuck that ice cream stick thing into my throat and there was blood in the vomit. Thus, she jabbed me in the ass and sent me back home...with a RM 60 bill.

Don't stick that stick down my throat!

>.<

The humble Claypot Chicken Rice is something which I've actively hunted whenever I get a hankering for it (and even when I don't). I remember having a family vacation when I was 7 years old, with my dad bringing me to Petaling Street and telling me that the claypot chicken rice over here in KL is good and "different" from what we get back home.

I don't know why but that memory has always stayed with me. I've actively sought out this...er, nostalgia tinged delicacy since then. I was told that there's a stall at Ming Tien food court that dishes out pretty good Claypot Chicken Rice so off I went with Jan to check it out.

The stall sells Claypot Chicken Rice (RM 5) and Claypot Pork Rice (RM 5.50) so if you have any illusions about it being halal, leave them at the door (or the arch rather). It's pork. ;)

I ordered the Claypot Chicken Rice since the Claypot Pork Rice didn't look that appealing from the photo, but rest assured, I'm going to check it out some other time. You're gonna see a lot more of Ming Tien posts coz it's near my condo and I like how they open till late. ;)

It tastes pretty good, but it's not the best I've had. The Claypot Chicken Rice was flavorful enough and came with the classic, sinful Crust of Charcoal Rice (TM) beneath. This is the best part of the dish, you scrape it into the pot to mix it around but if you're a crust aficionado, you can opt to leave it longer so the crust will procreate into a veritable swarm of Crust Goodness (TM) from the residual heat from the claypot.

I don't make any sense, do I?

I'll tell you something though...what the cook lacks in skillz, he more than makes up for with pure enthusiasm. ;)

I was privy to a most relaxing massage at a (proper) spa called Vila Manja on Saturday. I've always had the impression that massage parlors exude a distinct aura of dubiousness but this one is 100% legitimate.

There is a hole on the massage bed where you can put your face into and Someone-Who-Is-Not-Carol took a photo of me from beneath the table. I like this photo. It looks...er, intense.

I really enjoyed the massage...my neck and shoulders have been killing me for the past few months and the masseur positively worked magic with her fingertips.

I felt completely rejuvenated. In fact, I was so relaxed I fell asleep.

P/S - Please stop staring at my butt.

It's been a while since I've stepped foot into an arcade. We were waiting for Obsessed to start last night so we had 30 minutes to burn. PPC has never been to an arcade in her youth (Jesus, makes me wonder how she grew up) so we went in for some...

...button mashing fun!

There was this claw crane machine called Big Sweet Land which pushes candy instead of plush toys. It's a rip off - I got 3 sweets for 6 tokens. :p

It's back to old skool Daytona USA after that. I solidly beat PPC by 1 ½ FULL rounds...just coz her accelerator pedal wasn't working. Heh!

There's this arcade machine which has no English translations at all. It involves using two phone-looking-things to beat ghosts on the screen. The ghosts are behind a metal grill and in 2P mode, one side shows an image which looks like a wheel.

It took us three (3) tries before we finally figured out that one player is supposed to turn the wheel to raise the gate while the other pummels the ghosts coming out of the cell. It's like being a prison warden of a correctional facility filled with dangerous supernatural entities. Fun.

I also soundly thrashed PPC in air hockey. ;)

Don't ask me if Obsessed was a good movie. I promptly fell asleep after the opening credits. Serious.

This has gotta be one of the more decadent dishes you can afford to eat every day. Weighing in at a relatively easy-on-the-wallet price tag of RM 5.50, it's practically a steal! This Shark Fin Noodles is located at Ming Tien food court, and I feel obliged to proclaim the goodness of this particular dish to all and sunder.

The Shark's Fin Noodle stall serves up shark fin soup and shark fin noodles. Imagine noodles dumped into shark's fin soup and you'll have an idea about what this dish is all about. It's almost criminal that most places do not serve this - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that chucking some good ol' noodles into leftover shark fin soup would make a tasty dish.

Granted, at the price you're forking out (RM 5.50) you shouldn't expect prime fin from a 3,000 kg shark inside your dish...my agaration tells me that there's only a sliver (or two) of real shark fin inside the dish.

However, the texture is authentic enough, and the crab sticks and other miscellaneous ingredients coupled with the starchy and vinegar-ish soup fabricates a more-than-passable approximation of shark's fins soup (with noodles).

I am actually quite intrigued about shark's fin noodles. It's almost a no-brainer to create something like this. Leftover soup? No worries! Just reheat and dump in some noodles for a meal. It's the first time I've sampled this dish and it has already engendered a craving, nay, a hunger for shark fin noodles with a healthy dash of vinegar.

It's a bargain at RM 5.50!

Ming Tien food court has a lot of great stalls and they open until 3 AM...perfect for washing down your alcohol with some solid food. ;)

I've always believed that the best and most delicious food is found in the dirtiest of places. It's a Malaysian thing. Heh! The places with great food aren't really big on hygiene. Jennifer and Wye Meng told us about this awesome dai chow place beside the "smelly PJ Old Town main pasar" and we all headed down for lunch.

It was better than I expected - overflowing rubbish bins, the smell of pork and fish from the main wet market, flies buzzing around. I was very pleased...the ambience is unbeatable! ;)

The stall you want is called Thong Kee - just look #47. Thong Kee is very popular, so look out for the teeming mass of hungry customers congregating there.

Wye Meng told us that the stall beside Thong Kee serves up a mean bowl of cendol. I ordered mine with extra gula melaka and fu yoh, it really is something wicked on a hot afternoon. It's one of the best cendol I've had.

She's quite familiar with this place so she ordered all the signature dishes:

This is 福建米 (fuk kin mai) otherwise known as Hokkien style fried bee hoon.

The rice vermicelli doesn't look like rice vermicelli at all, but it more than makes up for it with the amount of seafood present. It's an aquatic celebration! I ate quite a few marine species and pronounce it good!

This is 滑蛋河 (wat tan hor). It's kwong fu style fried kueh tiaw. I obviously didn't write the Chinese characters - those were kindly furnished by Wye Meng. I can't write Chinese.

The wat tan hor is starchy and they're quite generous with the seafood too. Marine treasures abound inside the dish - everything from cuttlefish to prawns. Wat tan hor does not have a "taste" per se - it's a rather plain dish, but it's good to balance out the two salty dishes. I also like how they cracked a raw egg into the wat tan hor. Authentic!

This is 排骨炆生面 (pai guat man sang meen) - stew pork rib fried with wantan noodles. It's called Specialty Sang Mee on the menu and it's their flagship dish.

The cook is magnanimous with the pork ribs - just look at the CHUNKS of pork ribs in the dish. The noodles is done well, chewy and slurp-ilicious! I like the gravy too. Mmm...salty. Two thumbs up for this one; it's the best dish at the place!

The food was so good that I ate four (4) plates...and it nearly sent me into a post-lunch coma. I would definitely go again; it's seriously first-rate hawker style food. Thanks to Jennifer and Wye Meng for buying us lunch. Next one on me! :)

I wonder if you know how they live in Tokyo? 

I went for a drifting course courtesy of Rexona last Sunday. My entry snagged the first prize so I woke up bright and early to drive to Bangsar. I had to meet PPC and Kalai (who was there on Official Business (TM)) before tailgating them to the venue coz I wasn't familiar with that area (it's about 45 minutes away). 

The full day car drifting course was held at MAEPS in Serdang and I arrived just in time to see Tina and Carmen working on one of the cars that was provided. I took Tina's car (coz my car's suspension is too fucked up for that kind of driving) for the drifting session, which I inadvertently overheated. >.< 

The first part of the session (AM) started with a briefing by Sean and was more about defensive driving and emergency maneuvers. We also did a slalom course with traffic cones as obstructions. I was a little apprehensive about running down the instructors since some of them had the appalling tendency of standing in the middle. My driving history is not exactly pristine. ;)

I used my car for one exercise though; coz I figured it would be useful considering the unusual amount of accidents I've been through. This is the first part - it involves driving at high speed towards a cone barrier (without prepping yourself by letting go of the gas or brake anticipation) and jam the brakes after the last cone while swerving to avoid the barrier into the side lane before moving back into the center.

Joe-Han was instructing me most of the time. I like the guy, and he can drift something awesome! The basics were covered in the morning and we had a one hour lunch break at the nearby (which is 15 minutes away) mamak before the afternoon session.

The afternoon (PM) session is the drifting course and the rain during lunch caused the track to be a little bit slippery, but it was a lot of fun. It was really hard to drift with a car that I'm not very familiar with, and most of the time, I didn't make it at all. However, I managed to drift once without losing control and I was really pleased about that.

Next up is the various methods you can use to do doughnuts. Watched Fast and Furious 3: Tokyo Drift? It's the technique where one car goes around the other car in a circular motion, using understeer (or izzit oversteer?).

There are three methods to do that and the easiest is the e-brake method followed by the clutch pop, and I managed to somewhat perfect the technique with Tina's car. It kinda overheated after that though, and I was told that I'm very "persistent" as in I go all out and wouldn't quit until I have it right. I know...its part of my personality. ;)

Things I learned:
Always steer to the left while avoiding a probable collision - this is so you don't run into incoming traffic.
The 9-3 position is the best way to drive long distance coz your heart won't have to work as hard to pump blood to your extremities.
Do not drive with your thumb(s) inside the steering wheel; you'll break them in a collision.
Push and pull with your hands mirroring each other when you drive. Don't cross over coz if the airbags deploy on impact, the force will drive your arms towards your face, a Very Bad Thing (TM) if you like how you look. ;)

Other interesting things about Tina's car:

She has this really nifty e-brake which doesn't engage per se when you pull it (it goes back down) but it works for drifting, perfect for rally driving.

I sure hope Tina doesn't see this but since I added her on FB I seriously doubt it. I was having a rather crude discussion on MSN with a friend and the gist of it is replicated here:

trust me
when she's drifting
fu yoh
damn
i nearly jizzed my pants

Tina, it's a compliment! Racer chicks are hot. ;)

I got a cert for...er, Advanced Course Driving. I'm not sure I deserve it, so don't look at me weird the next time I get into an accident. :p

Saturday! I went out with Kamen for lunch last weekend. She was kind enough to help me film a video (more about that in due time). I have to admit, the weekend was a bit of a blur...I know Friday, Saturday and Sunday happened but the specifics escape me...

I just got my car out of the workshop on Friday and not 18 hours later, drove it straight into a mini longkang at MidValley. The sign says there are 20 parking spots left, but I'm telling you it's a LIE. It's a DAMN LIE! There weren't any visible spots so I was forced to park between a car and a hard place with disastrous results.

This is the evil ditch. I drove into it and while reversing out, my car hit the wall, scratching and denting the right side of my car. Lest you all have collective amnesia, let me reiterate that I JUST GOT MY CAR OUT OF THE WORKSHOP after paying RM 980. Hmph.

Anyway, we were planning to catch HP: Half Blood Prince but just look at the queue! I tried getting Gold Class tickets but even that was sold out.

Thus, we adjourned to Brewball to play pool. I like Brewball for two reasons:

Pool. Alcohol. It's one hell of a combination. ;)

It was damn packed though and I had to use all my charm and persuasiveness to induce the lady at the counter to let us have a table.

4 tequila shots later...

...and a jug of beer (we were drinking even before this) Kamen beat me in pool. >.<

It was damn fun though - she's really intelligent (and she's in law school) so it was great talking to her.

The sequel in the series of unfortunate events happened as I was driving her home...I might (or might not) have had more to drink than I should and I ran into a curb while exiting MV. I am quite familiar with curbs (I consider them bosom buddies) so I didn't think much of it...until my car started to veer in strange and unusual directions.

It turns out that the encounter with the curb caused a complete blow out of my tire. I couldn't stop coz it was a highway so I drove to the nearest gas station (a good 1 km away) to get my tires replaced.

Damage: RM 180.

Anyway, while waiting for my tires to be fixed, I went swimming in Kamen's condo. The swimming pool there is fucking awesome - there are rock formations and the pool area is huge, so without a second thought, I stripped down to my briefs (despite not having towels or a change of clothes), showered and jumped into the pool.

Damn relaxing...

Thus, despite the encounter with the wall and the blown tire, I had a lot of fun on Saturday. The not-so-fun part was waking up at 6 am on Sunday for my drifting course. Next post, stay tuned peeps!

It beggars belief that I scratched and dented my car while parking ONE (1) DAY after getting my car out of the workshop. To add insult to injury, my tire burst (not puncture, it literally FUBAR on me) six hours later. I was running on my damn RIMS for at least 1 km before I reached the nearest gas station to replace it.

Grr...

I stepped on it and it poked a hole into the sole of my right foot. Ish. Rounded edges my foot!

Grr...damn charger. I would spit in your general direction but I'll just have to clean it up later so I'll settle for biting my thumb at you. Hmm...the irony. ;)

You're right down there, doing the horizontal boogie with this girl when out of the corner of your eye; you see a text message come in from this girl you slept with the night before.

"I just tested positive for (insert communicable STD). Please see a doctor before you have sex with another girl."

What do you do?

Do you pull the brakes on the entire enterprise, knowing full well the damage has already been done, or do you finish what you've started?

A question of etiquette...

Got your attention? This post is entirely fictional. DIG.IT.ALL is the largest outdoor music festival to hit the shores of Malaysia. Get your tickets in ruumz!

P/S - This is not an advertorial. It's just a favor for LiLian to help promote the event. Besides, which client in their right mind would approve a copy like this? ;) 

Tsathoggua vs Shugo

The Battle of the Titans

Once upon a time, Shugo, a seal from his genetic makeup, emerges from the sea to dwell in the Land of Man. His fur was as white as snow, and everyone loved his soft and pliable body.

Little did Shugo know, his days of peace and quiet among the humans were numbered. The Elder God Tsathoggua awakened from his millennia-long slumber deep beneath the seas. That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons, even death may die.

Tsathoggua is an Old One, fallen from his position among the Elder Gods for black magic transgressions. The Sleeper of N'kai has since dwelled beneath the darkest seas, bidding for time when he can arise again.

Tsathoggua, an amorphous, toad-like god-creature mentioned in the Pnakotic Manuscripts and the Necronomicon of HP Lovecraft is a fearsome creature which I bought in Melaka and placed on my desk at work to guard my workspace.

I'm not really sure that purchasing Tsathoggua was entirely of my own volition. It could very well be the Toad-God himself sending emanations from deep beneath the ocean in an effort to manifest himself in the fabric of the world we are living in...just to kill Shugo.

I'm sure there's a history behind these two aquatic creatures. Some beef (pardon the pun) from aeons past which I unwittingly became part of, along with Naoko (who owns Shugo the seal).

Naoko choreographed Shugo and I orchestrated the attacks of Tsathoggua. It was totally unrehearsed, a very impromptu thing. The covert attacks were done early morning or during lunch so both of us didn't see the results until we came back separately. The photos were all taken using cell phones. All photos by Naoko except the ones with the sixthseal.com watermark. It was the most fun I had in the office for ages! It does wonders for creativity too. ;)

Without further ado, the battle report:

Tsathoggua attempts to club Shugo. It appears the human habit of clubbing seals doesn't work too well with fallen Elder Gods.

Shugo stalks a frog. Tsathoggua is infuriated by being called a mere frog.

Tsathoggua clubs Shugo for real.

Shugo goes into hiding. The taunt: You can't catch me.

Incensed, Tsathoggua emulates the juvenile behavior and proceeds to TP Shugo with a spare roll of toilet paper.

Tsathoggua immediately launches a follow up attack - The righteous smiting hand of (The Elder) God.

Shugo goes into hiding after being mortally wounded.

Unfortunately, the nefarious Shugo snuck up with a Nerf gun (nefarious, Nerf, geddit?) and struck Tsathoggua in the head.

Tsathoggua is made of wood. He cannot be hurt by mere foam. Angered, Tsathoggua unleashes The Eldritch boomstick from Out of Time to finish off Shugo.

Thus bound by elastic bands, Shugo the seal is unable to use his flippers and drowned in the deep, black seas. THE END!

The melee lasted almost a week but after a long and prolonged attack, with heavy casualties on both sides, Tsathoggua emerges, victorious!

Tsathoggua is happy. Tsathoggua is so pleased he's positively croaking with malignant joy.

Belakang mari! I was screwed in a very uncomfortable place (no, not in the back of a Volkswagen) while driving home on Federal Highway a couple of nights back. I was cruising along, minding my own business, when I saw this car on my ass, tailgating me like it's going out of style.

I wasn't in a hurry, so I switched lanes. I saw him tailgate another car and forgot about the entire thing coz I figured that was the end of it. Huge mistake...

This speed racer wannabe was stuck behind two slow moving cars so he swerved over to my lane. I was in the slow lane at that time so I was going at a leisurely 80km/h...too slow to accommodate for his (still accelerating) speed. I stepped on the gas to avoid being rear-ended by him. It was real pedal-to-the-metal stuff. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to believe in braking.

Nope, not him. Braking is not in his repertoire of moves. He drove straight up my ass and I felt the impact so I slowed down and pulled over to the emergency lane. I saw him slow down too so I got out of the car. This was Mistake #2.

The black car - it looked like a Civic or a similar build sedan - slowed, saw me get out of the car...and promptly sped off. I expected him to stop and his nefarious tactic of waiting for me to physically get out of the car before speeding off caught me by surprise. I didn't even get his plate number.

I inspected my car and it wasn't as bad as I thought, not even under direct sunlight the next day. Thus, I didn't bother to lodge a police report. I took it to the workshop yesterday and the true extent of the damage was finally revealed to me when the mechanic showed me the boot compartment.

The boot wouldn't close at all after the impact but I thought that was just due to the latch being broken. It was flapping around, making disconcerting noises like some flightless bird trying to take off but I didn't think much of it.

I was surprised to see that the car actually drove INTO my boot, even going so far as to damage the spare tyre...in my BOOT! It'll take me 3 days to get my car back. The bill?

RM 980

>.<

Sea. Air. It's like yin and yang, two polar opposites of this great chunk of rock we call Earth. I've been to both extremes of the horizon my 28 odd years here. I'm an avid traveler, novelty hunter and thrill seeker so I have a natural affinity to new experiences. Nothing rocks my boat (pardon the pun) more than travelling the world and the seven seas.

I've been deep sea fishing off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. Spending three days on a fishing boat with no showers and the smell of fish permeating everything is certainly an experience which...I've repeated several times. Heh! There's just something about being in the open seas doing some honest backbreaking toil (jigging for tuna is hard work, okay).

I also enjoy hitting the beaches. The sun on my back, the sea in the horizon and the wind on my face...it's paradise!

I've also been known to go au natural during my beach excursions. ;)

Going a little higher in altitude, I've been snowboarding and skiing in Melbourne. Nothing beats hitting the slopes in winter when the weather is all gloomy and depressing.

Moving further up the stratosphere, I've bungee jumped, skydived and done all sorts of aerial acrobatics...such as this ride in Genting. SkyVenture is a "vertical wind tunnel" that does a pretty good simulation of the free fall experience of skydiving...short of jumping out a plane 4 kilometers up.

I've always felt that something was missing though...something important.

It just didn't feel...extreme enough. It felt too common, for a lack of a better word.

I've been trying to top my experiences every single time. I like going to weird, out-of-place destinations like Sri Lanka.

There are two places which I feel are rare destinations, one more so than the other. Antarctica requires at least RM 40,000 for the trip but comes with significant boasting rights. Not many people have been down down under.

The other is of course the "final frontier" - space. This group is so elite that only a handful of private citizens have actually gone into the great beyond. I've been following the Ansari X PRIZE with some anticipation...it's a step in the right direction. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind stuff.

I was pleased when Richard Branson's Virgin group launched Virgin Galactic for an out of this world (literally!) experience, dubbed space tourism. As an avid traveler, you have no idea what appendages (and perhaps even dangly bits) I would give to have a go.

I was at the Guinness 250th Anniversary Global Contest launch at Aquaria, KLCC and I am pleased to announce that you (yes, you) will have a chance to do this and more! The launch was very well orchestrated, with divers unveiling a banner and consuming bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout underwater.

In a nutshell, Guinness is giving away three unforgettable experiences:

Guinness Space Experience
The winner and a friend will fly to Virgin Galactic's home at Spaceport America, New Mexico for training before going into space for a zero gravity experience.

Guinness Sea Experience
The winner and two friends get a unique opportunity to board the first ever Guinness deep sea bar off the islands of Norway. The four day trip to Lofoten Islands includes the experience of enjoying a pint (or six) 70 meters below sea level!

Guinness Studio Experience
The winner and two friends will get to see an exclusive live performance by The Black Eyed Peas at a recording studio as part of their forthcoming world tour! You'll also get to spend some time hanging out with the band.

Sea, space or stars (Black Eyed Peas la). No matter what, you'll be getting one hell of an experience!

Learn more about the Guinness 20th Anniversary Global Contest here.

Durian runtuh! It's durian season! There's a famous durian buffet in the PJ area which spawned multiple competitors...er, inspired by their business model. The original durian buffet (to the best of my knowledge) is SS2 Durian, and they even have their own website! I was out drinking with Angela yesterday when I suddenly had a hankering for the King of Fruits.

There's this urban legend which effectively proclaims "Thou shall not mix durians with alcohol". Unfortunately, Angela is a staunch supporter of this doctrine and was a bit apprehensive about indulging in the creamy stuff after drinking. Personally, I have no compulsion against consuming supposedly taboo food combinations. In fact, I kinda thrive on disproving urban myths. ;)

One thing about www.durianss2.com is that the durian buffet is only open on weekdays from Monday to Friday. You'll have to order a la carte from their rather impressive portfolio during weekends. They have a lot of weird and wonderful durian strains ranging from the premium Raya Kunyit to the common DX varients (D2, D24, D7 etc the last of which always reminds me of a certain police department).

Durian SS2 usually have their racks filled with the thorny fruits whenever I drive past the stall. We went quite late last night so most of the offerings were gone. However, they have Styrofoam packs for RM 20 and plastic packs for RM 25 which contains a selection of different durians. We got the slightly higher priced plastic pack and it didn't disappoint!

The durian flesh is pungent and sweet, with a slightly bitter aftertaste, just the way I like it. Angela also partook in the durians despite her initial misgivings. Durian SS2 provides wash basins, water, and makeshift tables and chairs so you can eat your durian in relative comfort.

However, Angela tells me the Proper Way (TM) to enjoy durians is by squatting down, Ah Beng style. ;)

The place also sells coconut water, which is supposed to have a "cooling effect" to counter the "heaty effect" of durians. I'm not sure if I believe any of this (a polite way of saying Hogwash!) but I must say coconut water goes well with durians.

However, there's one piece of traditional advice which might be true...washing your hands with the durian husk does seem to subjectively reduce the lingering smell of durians on your fingers. Ask for one at the counter and see if it works. It did for me. :)

The King is not dead...he just set up a stall in SS2. Hail to the King of Fruits, baby! ;)

Sharing 5 pints in the afternoon...

...and having a Flaming Lamborghini at night. :)

I love to cook! I'm sure that long time readers of sixthseal.com would notice my affinity with the kitchen. I just moved into a condo which lacks a kitchen, but that won't stop me from indulging my inner chef. I have been craving for something healthier than my usual culinary adventures, so I decided to make a BLT LURVE tortilla wrap with avocado, feta cheese and olives.

You will need:

LURVE multigrain chips
Whole meal tortilla wrap
One medium-sized avocado
Hydroponics butter head lettuce
Fresh cherry tomatoes
Kraft Real Mayonnaise
Beef with green peppercorn deli slices
Feta cheese and olives

The whole meal tortilla wrap is a more...er, wholesome option compared to plain tortilla wraps. It can be obtained at any self-respecting hypermarket. I'm a big fan of mayonnaise - it's not all that bad for you in reasonable amounts and you can't have a proper tortilla without condiments.

Real Men Eat Real Mayo!

Step 1: Start by slathering the Kraft Real Mayonnaise on one side of the tortilla wrap. Slice the avocado in half and take the seed out. Coarsely mash (feel free to use your hands) ½ an avocado into the other side of the tortilla wrap, yin yang style. This is your condiment base.

Step 2: Arrange the beef cold cuts (I like the ones with peppercorns in them, but it's really a matter of taste) on one side of the whole meal tortilla wrap. I prefer to put this on the mayo side so it won't slip and slide away, the placement is for a pragmatic reason.

Step 3: Take the butter head lettuce and peel off a couple of leafy greens from it. This will add moisture and a fresh zing to your tortilla. Next, take a handful of LURVE multigrain chips (French Onion) and scatter it on the other side. This contributes a new dimension of texture to the tortilla - the elusive Crunch Factor (TM)!

Step 4: Sprinkle the feta cheese and olives liberally to give your tortilla a salty tang!

Serving suggestion:

Cut tortilla in half with a bread knife (you need a serrated edge blade for a clean cut) and serve with cherry tomatoes and LURVE HOT 'N' SPICY multigrain chips.

It's healthy and it's delicious!

What's your LURVE Affair?

Do you have a passion in life? Something you're totally in LURVE with?

1. Write a blog post titled "My LURVE Affair with XXX" in your blog.
2. Upon completing your blog post, kindly send an email to lurveaffair@nuffnang.com with details of yourself such as your full name, IC number, contact number and the permalink of your written blog post.
3. Kindly state the following in your email "I've read the Terms & Conditions of this contest and will adhere to it". Failure to provide this statement in your email will result in a disqualification of entry.

The judging criterion is as such:

1. Creative content of LURVE Affair - 70%
2. Creative integration of LURVE into the story - 15% 
    - LURVE multigrain chips
    - Healthier snacking
3. Posting creative pictures featuring LURVE pack - 15%

The Grand Prize is a MacBook Pro and 3 selected winners will be featured on 8TV Quickie with Belinda Chee & Henry Golding! Get your entries in before 12th July, check out the details here.

Do you have your own LURVE affair to share?

Be a fan of LURVE on Facebook and play around with the four widgets - LURVE Personality Quiz, Pimp Picture, Send a LURVE pack, and Write your LURVE affair!

Sup Kaww! (with an exclamation mark to prove the point) is a Malay soup establishment in SS 6 that boasts a menu filled with all things soup. This eatery is one of those hit-and-miss places. They'll have really great soup one night and really crappy one the next. You never know what you're going to get over here. It's puzzling since I would have thought some measure of quality control would go into the process, but apparently not.

On the good days, Sup Kaww serves a mean bowl of rich broth. It's so thick (hence the name) that drinking the soup alone would fill most people up. Sup Kaww literally means "hearty soup" but due to the inconsistencies mentioned, it can range from a really sad broth to its namesake - hearty soup.

I usually order Sup Kaw Special + Tongkat Ali (RM 12) which comes with the meat, bones, stomach, lungs and tail of a cow, infused with our local herbal Viagra substitute.

Sup Kaww is not stingy with their ingredients...on any day (good and bad) you'll find large chunks of meat inside your bowl. It goes really well with steamed rice. I went again with a couple of coworkers just now and although they're having a Bad Soup Day (TM) it's still a good place to sit down to a hot, steaming bowl of potage for two reasons:

The establishment is fond of showing DVDs of dubious copyright. You can catch the latest Hollywood flicks while having your dinner.

There's a car wash service right on the doorstep. Give your car a proper cleaning (interior and exterior) for just RM 10!

I also like their RM 5 large fruit juices. Washing down a hot bowl of soup with an icy cold drink is heavenly!

I'm SUPer! Thanks for asking! ;)

Peek-a-boo!

The wall of sin.

Driving skillz. I haz it.

Hello Casey!

I saw this intriguing menu item while having dinner - it's called Upper Class Fried Rice and weighs in at a respectable RM 25. It has to be the most expensive fried rice I've ever seen! Naturally, I was pretty curious about just what an "Upper Class Fried Rice" contains. I wanted to see what justifies the larger-than-life price tag since the second highest priced item (Golden Fried Rice - slightly less expensive at RM 22) comes with salmon roe topping.

Thus, I asked the waitress about the ingredients in this so-called Upper Class Fried Rice (RM 25, just in case you forgot). Apparently, this Atas Fried Rice (as @retardedly_cute calls it) contains asparagus, shallots and other premium ingredients. I just had to try it.

I usually can't eat fried rice as a standalone dish (coz I'm a bit of a carnivore...need meat) but I finished this dish. It's quite good. My friends who sampled the dish concurred - the rice was fried really well (individual grains instead of clumps) and it tasted "fresh". The best thing about the rice is surprisingly the humble egg. The restaurant uses egg whites only and it came out really fluffy. It still doesn't justify the RM 25 price tag though.

This begs the question...is there a Lower Class Fried Rice for RM 2.50?

Pulau Pinang. The Pearl of the Orient. Penang comes in many names and it's only befitting to the rich heritage of the island to take a trishaw ride to Lorong Seratus Tahun to eat some Penang Curry Mee during our last day in Penang!

The gastronomic adventure never stops!

This is the famous Lorong Seratus Tahun curry mee. It comes with the classic chilli on the soup spoon haphazardly slapped on top of your dish. It's RM 5.50 per bowl and comes with chunks of congealed blood, clams and fresh prawns. It's awesome!

I'm usually not a big fan of soup dishes, but I drank every single drop of the rich gravy in this curry mee.

We went back to Lorong Selamat after that for char kueh tiaw. Yes, this is an eating expedition! I really wanted to try BOTH the famous Lorong Selamat CKT (the guy with the sunnies and the aunties) and I just know that I wouldn't be able to board the plane in peace if I haven't checked out the second stall.

This is the Lorong Selamat CKT, aunty version (RM 8.50).

It's oilier than the one we ate the previous day, which I much preferred. I suggest patronizing the stall manned by Mr. Wraparound Sunnies.

Next on the itinerary: New World Park Lee Brothers 4-in-1 Ice Kacang!

This place has been featured on Ho Chiak! (the local food show) before and it has certainly EARNED its place there. You wouldn't expect such good stuff from a stall located in a food court. Not just a food court, but a NEW food court at that.

The Lee Brothers 4-in-1 Special Ice Kacang (RM 3.80) is loaded with four different fruits (mango, honey dew, banana and papaya) as well as the usual condiments found in the shaved ice dessert. It's topped with a rainbow scoop of ice cream and here's the best thing about it - it's not adulterated with sugar syrup or other artificial sweeteners. The sweetness is purely derived from the fruits (and the ice cream of course). It's great!

Having eaten our fill, we checked out of the hotel and went to the snake temple with Valerie (who's a nurse!). The snake temple is a temple with a twist (which the name pretty much gives away) - there's a snake farm in there where you can take photos with the resident snakes!

I took two (2) photos for RM 30.

The snake temple also has a mini zoo of sorts, which we paid RM 3 for the entrance fee. There are a lot of rare snakes in there...

...including this gigantic python that must weigh at least a ton! I managed to see it eat a chicken.

Spit it out!

Getting up close and personal. Touchy feely kind of personal. ;)

The highlight of the snake temple has gotta be the King Cobra show. The snake charmer was kind enough to let me get within striking distance of this rather poisonous snake.

I managed to take a nice photo of the agitated reptile too. Hiss!

I managed to successfully rendezvous with Cynthia on our way out. She just arrived in Penang from Perth. It took no small amount of planning, but we did it! :)

Valerie sent us to the airport after the 3D/2N trip. We did Penang with less than RM 1,000 - it's definitely a food paradise, a veritable Eden of hawker food and all that is good!

One for the photo frame!

Thanks to MAS for the air tickets and spending money!

Planning a value packed weekend getaway? You know where to look. ;)

Previous posts:

Penang Day 1: The Pearl of the Orient

Penang Day 2: Saturday in Penang: Penang Hill, Fort Cornwallis, Seri Rambai Cannon and Sup Torpedo

"Who goes to Melaka to eat chicken satay?"

I headed down to Melaka last weekend with Jennifer and Michael. Jennifer is from Melaka and kindly offered to bring me around the place so I picked her and Mike up from Ampang and drove down really early on Saturday.

Melaka is not very far from KL actually, it takes about 2 hours if you maintain a decent cruising speed. You might be able to reach there in an hour if you have very little regard for life and limb though. ;)

We headed straight for the old market to grab a cold glass of coconut juice as soon as we got there (the heat is oppressive in Melaka)...

...and indulge in some durians (from a roadside stall). It just tastes better that way. :)

It was around lunchtime by the time we were done so we headed to Jenn's favorite place for Melaka style char siew rice. I like this place - the patrons come in and either sit on makeshift tables and chairs, or place their plates down on an empty stall nearby and start eating. It's a very unpretentious and homely environment.

We checked into the hotel after that - we actually went to several hotels before finding one which is not fully booked. Our first choice was Baba House, an authentic Baba/Nyonya (Peranakan) hotel which is set in a converted shop house that harks back to the days where they roamed the streets.

Melaka is the Peranakan capital of Malaysia, due to some convoluted history of intermarriage between Chinese traders (from China) and local Malays. Unfortunately, Melaka seems to attract a lot of Singaporeans over the weekends so it was full.

Actually, on hindsight (only saw this later that evening), if you're just heading there for an overnight stay and you want to try something different, check out the Maritime Museum. There's an activity packed tour (river cruise, night hiking etc) and you get to spend a night on board the ship for just RM 95. I'm so going for this option on my next trip.

Anyway, after checking in and dumping our bags, we headed out to try the pork satay in Melaka.

This place is called Ming Sate Hut and it serves satay and satay only. They have pork satay, intestine satay and liver satay (as well as the usual fare, but like Jenn said, who goes to Melaka to eat chicken satay?). The strange thing (strange to me ok :p) is that you order what you want and they serve it up. You eat the amount you want (you don't have to finish everything) and they just count the sticks when you're done.

The leftovers are probably reheated and served again. ;)

I also went for a crash course in Peranakan culture at Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. The tour was fascinating, mostly coz I've forgotten most things I learned about Malaysian history in high school. Heh! Apparently Straits Chinese eat with their hands, so they have small soup bowls with individual soup spoons for the obligatory soup dish at meals (coz you can't very well drink soup with your hands).

We headed to Christ Church after that. It's affectionately dubbed the Red Church due to its fire engine red façade and is probably the most photographed structure in Melaka after A Farmosa.

Christ Church, Melaka is actually a still functional place of worship (of the Anglican denomination) and comes with a beautiful square (not the shape, the place people gather) complete with an antique clock circa 1886. The Red Square was teeming with tourists when I was there, which contributes to the gaiety-charged atmosphere. It looked like almost every other person was lugging a dSLR around!

Next stop: St. Paul's Church!

The pilgrimage to the top...

St. Paul's Church is not a cathedral per se, but rather grim looking ruins used as a burial ground for the Dutch. There are a lot of tombstones, so if you're into stuff like that, you'll feel right at home!

The path we went through is actually a walk that brings you to the Big 3 in Melaka - Christ Church, St. Paul and Fort A Farmosa. Our journey ends right at A Farmosa, which is not as impressive as I had imagined...

Fort A Farmosa looks exactly like what a fort built in 1511 should look like - crumbly and worn. It's nice to stand beside this ½ millennia structure though...and you can't say you've been to Melaka until you've been to A Farmosa.

Come to think of it, you've probably seen A Farmosa in Melaka...but you've never experienced it until you've done the Ah Beng squat in front of A Farmosa! ;)

You can opt to take a scenic stroll to the many excavation sites after that...there's a huge excavation going on around the city to unearth the old fortress walls around Melaka. Take a peek.

Other not-to-be-missed stuff:

Jonker Street. Jonker Walk is only open on the weekends and it's like a huge pasar malam (bazaar) on the streets. It's festive, it's crowded, and it's a lot of fun!  

Satay celup

Chicken rice balls

Portuguese settlement

Menara Taming Sari

This gyro tower ride is much better than the overrated Eye On Malaysia. Enjoy the 360 degree view of Melaka from 80 meters up for just RM 10.

The Tan Kim Hock dodol shop - just so you can get some souvenirs home. ;)

I've watched a lot of people at my office get bitten by the yoga bug. I've been tempted to start myself, except I keep telling myself I have no time. I suspect that's my usual excuse for maintaining my sedentary lifestyle (and apparently, I'm not alone - met Chics who said the very same thing). Heh!

I was intrigued when Ninie emailed me about her new place and asked me to drop by last Sunday. beyoga is located in Metropolitan Square and it's not too far from where I live. The session was quite early on Sunday (it's almost illegal to get someone to wake up at that hour on a Sunday) but I said okay coz I'm really interested to know how this yoga thing goes.

beyoga is a really nice place - the interior is very Zen, and despite being the only guy there, I felt very much at ease. The full length mirrors allow me to see Ninie regardless of whether she's in front or at the back and check if I'm doing it the right way. It's my first lesson so I was a bit unfamiliar with the asanas and needed a lot of visual reaffirmation.

I think the thing that sold me was Ninie asking the reason we're all gathered there on that fateful Sunday. What is my purpose of doing yoga? I thought about it for a while and realized there are two reasons - to feel better about myself and to correct my horrible posture. My mom never told me to un-slouch myself when I was a kid and over the years, I've developed a bit of a slouch - a problem I have struggled to correct.

I'm hoping that all the bending and twisting involved in yoga, as well as the emphasis on correct posture, will get me to stand (and sit) straight. It is a 28 year habit, but it's never too late to start taking remedial steps. :)

The lesson started with stretching before moving to basic poses like the Downward-Facing Dog. We then proceeded to do the Cobra Pose and more complicated asanas that required feats of dexterity that I didn't know I possess!

I surprised myself by successfully clasping the small of my back with my hands and pulling my legs straight up. Ninia told me I was pretty good for a first timer, I'm not sure if she was just being kind or it has a grain of truth in it. I'm inclined to believe the latter. ;)

I felt a nice afterglow (endorphins?) for the entire day after the yoga session. Yoga can make you feel better and more confident about yourself too - another plus point. It's not just for females, contrary to popular belief. Anyone can join yoga (just look at me - I drink and smoke) and I'm STILL going (although I felt really bad about smoking a cigarette after yoga :p).

Lead a healthier lifestyle if you must (no caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, fat etc) but if you're not willing to make drastic changes to your lifestyle just yet, hold back and get a feel of yoga first.

You might be surprised to find out that you actually enjoy it.

I have bent myself in ways the human body is not meant to be twisted (at least IMHO) and I FELT GOOD after the session.

I'm going to make this a regular thing (including the horribly early Sunday session) coz it seems like the world is brighter, nicer and happier when I do that.

Exhale all your bad feelings, be a better person!

I caught this successful attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records at Jonker Street, Melaka. Master Ho, among other things, is renowned for having the fastest finger this side of town. His famous fingers have jabbed more coconuts than you can shake a stick (or finger) at.

Ho Swee Poh (the self dubbed Master Ho) and his merciless index finger managed to pierce 4 coconuts within a minute, thereby securing a spot in the book of records.

Other possible careers:
Cell phone QC tester
(if the phone doesn't shatter when Master Ho dials a number, it has his seal of approval)

What others? ;)