October 2009 Archives

Tteokbokki or Dduk Bbok Kie as our Korean interpreter Kim spells it is a popular street food in Korea. I only knew that after I had it though. Three of us were walking around the streets sans interpreter and stopped to grab a quick bite to eat before heading back to the main event.

I caught sight of a group of locals congregating around this stall which sells some kind of spicy looking pottage. I don't know what it is but it looks starchy and comes in a rather promising shade of red. The smell coming from the bubbling pot was decidedly pleasant and I concluded this was just the thing to have on a chilly autumn night.

We were in huge market somewhere in Busan and attempts to ask what it was failed miserably. I wanted to know what it contains so I can write about it but finally gave up and did The Sign Language Thing (TM).

The Sign Language Thing (TM) involves using your index finger to point at the simmering pot, turn that finger 90 degrees to indicate one serving, and rotate it another 90 degrees to point towards yourself, demonstrating your intent.

The Tteokbokki is served with a whole boiled egg, fish cakes, sliced meat, and tteok (a long rice cake with a texture like chewy dough) doused with a hot paste. It was surprisingly good. I love the hot sauce made with peppers - you can still see the chillis in the dish. It's savory and spicy and costs 3000 Won (RM 8).

I was also given a pork sausage made with pork and starch as a "service", which means free in their version of English.

Anyway, I was standing there eating the hot Tteokbokki (though I didn't know what it was at the time) when up came this hot Korean girl (or so I thought at that time) and explained in PERFECT QUEEN'S ENGLISH what the dish contains. I was flabbergasted and my jaw probably dropped in mid-chew, exposing the half eaten contents inside my mouth.

I'm sure she was very impressed. T_T

She translated what I said to the stall owner and vice versa and thanks to her, this post comes complete with the ingredients in Tteokbokki.

Oh, and I found out she's a Malaysian studying in Seoul after talking to her. Heh! She was here with her friends for PIFF 2009.

My promo for Project Alpha is out! Click on the YouTube video above to watch it. I am a little apprehensive about how the episodes would come out...especially the part where Cherie dishes out dirt about me. OMG, that one if not edited out my saham turun dy. :p

It'll be epic...as in 1997 Asian Financial Crisis proportions. T_T

Episode 1 is also up!

BTW, you can also watch it on your BB. I watched the promo on my Xpax BB Curve 8520 when I was told it's uploaded. =D

The first Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards was held on 23rd October 2009 at the Grand Ballroom of Pan Pacific Singapore. I just realized that I have too many photos to write in my usual verbose (some just call it long-winded) full-fledged event coverage style so:

Like a scrotum here it is in a nutshell! ;)

Registration! Spot Carol (MY), Raine (SG) and Pinky (AU) behind the desk! Hanis (in white) was with me on the bus, thought I went on the wrong one.

Here's Jestina and Rina behind the (very long) registration desk.

This is the Australian contingent at the wall where you can take photos courtesy of Canon.

I always feel (slightly) better about my height when I stand next to Audrey. ;)

I. Must. Resist. Pulling. Audrey's. Tiny. White. Cap. Off.

Tim and Ming with the rest of the Nuffies did a great job in pulling an event of this scale off.

Two Jestinas!

I also met XiaXue who snagged 3 (!!!) awards that night. We don't exactly see eye to eye on some issues e.g. substances, so barbed remarks were occasionally exchanged (to be fair I started it first - I think) but seeing her in real life suggests she's an alright person.

The stage is set...and the Grand Ballroom slowly fills up.

I love these custom made Nuffnang APAC Blog Award candy - it comes with three varients: I (heart) blogging, NN Blog Awards, and the Nuffnang logo.

Cheesie's reaction after I politely put forth the suggestion of using Cheddie as an ingredient in a cooking experiment.

Hot bread rolls and butter

Marinated Smoked Tuna with Feta, Herb Salad and Balsamic Olive Oil

Light Cream of Asparagus and Green Peas topped with a Chive Mousseline

Rosemary Marinated Chicken Breast with Saffron Cheesy Mash Potato and Balsamic Reduction Mediterranean Vegetable in Mango Coriander Salsa Sauce

Praline Hazelnut Gateau with Raspberry Jelly

Camwhoring with:

Tzia

Vivien

Karen

Michelle

Ning

Zues

Jolene

Natalie. The sheer amount of photos here will probably rape your bandwidth...

I really like this photo. Haha! Nice pose there, Jestina.

Wei Zhi

Carol

Nicholas

Cheng Leong

Jolyn

Nara

Doing the attitude pose with Jojo!

It was an awesome night. Here's to Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2010! =D

I was at Maxwell Food Court for lunch during the Nuffnang APAC Blog Awards Singapore tour when I stumbled upon a stall in the otherwise modestly populated food court with a long queue. It was for Zhen Zhen Porridge and not being particularly fond of porridge; I explored the other side of the food court and was rewarded (?) with the longest queue I've ever seen in my entire life!

Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration...it was the longest queue in the food court, snaking all the way through tables of people eating to the other side. I wondered what the fuss was about and stood in line. 

That probably wasn't a good idea since my rudimentary calculations of the number of people in the queue and the speed at which Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice was pushing its warez indicated I would probably get my lunch at 2013 AD or so. Probably around August 13th at a little past 4 am in the morning. 

However, I spotted Wei Zhi (otherwise known as Citygal of KampongboyCitygal - pictured above) and Christine (of Brought up 2 SharE - shown below) standing in line in front of me. Ha! If they're waiting in line, it's gotta be good, so I trusted in their judgment and casually strolled up to have a chat with them. 

This is a very advanced tactical maneuver which involves pulling your digicam out and nonchalantly taking a narrative video of the queue ending with the two abovementioned people in front. It works best if you proceed to camwhore straight after that and start talking animatedly while pointedly ignoring the people behind.

It is also known as queue cutting. ;)

The list of awards bagged by Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Despite my strategic maneuvers, it took us 30 minutes (!!!) to get to Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice which is a bit on the ridiculous side considering we were all standing up instead of seated and waiting. My table mates thought I went missing! 

The drumstick chicken rice with a large portion of rice came up to SGD 3.50 which is pretty cheap if you don't convert it into about RM 8. I liked the taste of the rice; it was very flavorful and infused with chicken stock. I half expected to see a stray chicken or two inside the plate of rice. 

Having a less refined palate than Wei Zhi (she's the one who recommended Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice) I found the chicken to be tender and moist - both promising characteristics in poultry. It's very juicy and the sauce and ginger paste served with it does well to complement the flavor of the chicken rice. I quite enjoyed it to be honest. 

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Court dishes up great chicken rice but I wouldn't wait 30 minutes for it. I was about halfway through my meal when I was told our group had to leave for the next destination.

*cue speed eating demonstration*

Okay, a lot of people have been giving me a hard time about heading down to Geylang in Singapore but I didn't go there to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. Oh wait, I did! However, it was frog flesh rather than the Homo sapiens variety. I went there for the famous frog leg porridge. =D

The frog leg porridge is at Lorong 9 in Geylang. You can't miss it. There are pictures of frogs right on the signboard. I'm not a big fan of porridge so I was rather dubious about this, but I like frog legs, it's the best invention creation evolution since sliced bread. The Chinese calls it tien chi which means "field chicken" - a euphemism if you will.

The Lorong 9 Geylang frog leg porridge is the most renowned one in Singapore. I had a bit of a chat with the proprietor and he told me that the frogs are actually from Malaysia since they don't have frog breeding farms in Singapore. 

He also enquired whether it's my first time eating here, to which I replied in the affirmative. He recommended the Dried Chilli Frog Leg Porridge. 

It costs SGD 10 for the entire meal (about RM 25 or so) and comes with a bowl of steaming hot porridge seasoned with freshly chopped spring onions and a claypot serving of frog legs cooked with dried chillies (kung pow style). 

This is actually a fucking good cooking method since the chillies do not overpower the frog legs but adds that elusive zing to the porridge. Congee, as we all know, is rather bland by nature. 

I don't even like congee, but to my surprise I ended up eating the entire bowl. The dried chilli cooking method produces a lot of mouth-wateringly spicy gravy for the porridge. I planned to just eat the frog legs with a bit of congee but I whacked the entire pot. 

Mmm...frog legs - it tastes like very tender chicken with the texture of fish. The sweet and succulent frog legs, the appetite inducing dry chilli, and the spring onion infused congee are hallmarks of what makes this a truly intense porridge experience. 

Lorong 9 Geylang frog porridge gets the thumbs up from me. Just don't linger around the area; you may come across establishments which your mom would frown upon. ;)

Ah...I can't think of anything more sinful than this. I've first been introduced to deep fried Mars bars in Australia but we heard there's a place in Singapore that sells it.

It's not fried Mars bars per se but what they call "Fried Mars Balls". It's SGD 3.50 for 4 pieces with your choice of ice cream.

Of course I chose chocolate ice cream. You just can't have enough chocolate despite what Solomon said.

I was rather disappointed with the serving though. It's Mars and it's batter fried but it doesn't beat a whole deep fried Mars bar from a fish and chips shop. It's just like pickled eggs I reckon, it's one of those things that only fish and chips places does right.

PSA: DO NOT USE HOTEL CURRENCY EXCHANGE!!!

I exchanged RM 800 for SGD 311.20 which is a 0.389 exchange rate. It's ridiculous!
Yee Hou told me it was more like a 0.24 rate outside hotels and a quick check via XE.com verified that it is 0.24542 so I should have gotten SGD 329.840 instead of SGD 311.20.

However, it's not that bad la...SGD 20 is about RM 50 and I paid more than that for drinks last night so for the convenience, well, *shrugs*.

If you're changing large amounts of $ it's not advisable though. I have access to my Xpax BB WiFi so I could have checked the going rates but I was tired after the Nuffnang Awards. Oh well.

BTW, I'm starting to love my BB, I can't believe how I lived without it before. Imagine Twitter, MSN and surfing at your fingertips with QWERTY!

I'm off for the Singapore Tourism Board tour. Catch ya on the flipside.

 

I am blogging this live on my Blackberry! Here's how you can do it:

Capture It

(this is the screenshot application I use to take captures of the BB like above)

ShrinkIt

(this is a photo editing software for the BB that is used to resize photos you take via the BB cam)

I'm loving this live blogging thing from my Xpax BB Curve.

See ya in Singapore!

I swear this uses the same setup of the Ramly burger stalls over here. We were actually discussing on how easily this can be done in Malaysia - same hot plate, same skillet. Even the topping of shredded lettuce is similar. Same same but different different ya know? ;)

Isaac Toast is a franchise operation in South Korea that serves a variety of toasted sandwiches. Now, I was dubious at first too. Toasted sandwiches? It all tastes about the same everywhere. Okay, listen up, history lesson is in session:

Korean toast sandwiches started out as authentic street food in the same vein as silkworm pupa but got so successful it spawned a host of different franchises for toasted sandwiches. One of them is Isaac Toast.

What makes a toasted sandwich a Korean toast sandwich? That is a very good question...

...to which I have no good answer.

I suspect it has something to do with the egg in every sandwich - it is grilled with something that makes it taste sweet. That's the best part about the sandwich; the savory taste combined with the saccharine omelet at the bottom turns this Korean toast from ordinary to exceptional.

I had the bacon (made from real oinking babis) toast sandwich which costs about 2,400 Won (about RM 6) and I loved it! The salty strip of streaky bacon contrasted with the sweet egg at the bottom. Delicious!

I only wished they put more bacon in. You can never have too much bacon! It's scientifically impossible.

The survival of the fittest doesn't mean the Neanderthal with the largest biceps and biggest club in the forest anymore. It has turned into the man with the most Glocks. ;) Well, at least in Left 4 Dead. I have always been a gamer and I play all sorts of different games - Japanese RPGs, FPS, RTS, and other geeky acronyms.

 

However, we had a problem setting up the Left 4 Dead server one night and had to make several calls to ask how to go about it. We ended up playing at the cybercafé till early morning.



There are also a lot of Facebook games out there snagging people left, right and center since they're easy to pick up and you can furtively play at work. This probably caused a 78% drop in office productivity (just pulled that figure out from where the sun don't shine) so HR IS GONNA BE WATCHING YOU!!!



I figured if you're going to risk your job playing Barn Buddy on Facebook (which won't give you any tangible rewards) you might be interested in this puzzle game (which does).

I've got the mechanics all figured out so I'll give you the lowdown here:

Register and head over to the clues page.

You'll find six (6) clues each for Mega, Tera, Giga e.g.



This is Puzzle 5 for Giga Clues.

My dear Watson, obviously this calls for you to navigate the website and find the corresponding page.



The answer to the question is a no-brainer. It's gotta be under Support so look up at the top navigation bar and click on that button to produce:



Your very first puzzle piece! Congrats!

Now click on that puzzle piece (it's floating on the page - see red arrow in the previous image) and it will be added to your collection in the pop up. You only have 5 more to go and you'll complete the Giga Puzzle!

Feel free to complete the puzzles (Mega, Tera, Giga) as many times as you want. You can even repeat the same clues to get spare puzzle pieces, which would also win you a prize, as well as the title King of Spare Pieces.

Register now to play! Contest ends 31st October. Full prize details here.

...and best of all, it looks like a corporate site, so you can pretend you're doing research or something. ;)

I got this can of mystery food in Busan and had it last night for supper. I call it mystery food coz I still don't know what it is. I don't read Korean and since I bought this in Korea, there are no English translations anywhere.

Update: I have found out what this is! =D It's Beondegi - Korean silkworm pupa. It's a very popular snack in Korea and can be found in convenience stores in cans, where I got mine.



It looks remarkably similar to cockroach larvae right?



Exhibit A

Update: I emailed the photo below to the Korea Air flight crew that I met and she translated it for it - it is Beondegi (Silkworm). Mmm...I'm so glad I accidentally purchased this! =D



I would have dedicated a longer post if I knew it was silkworm pupa though, but worry not, I have ANOTHER CAN (had the foresight to get two - haha) so I'll do a cooking post with that one. :) 



It's crunchy too, just like how cockroach egg casings sound when you step on it. I found it quite delicious actually.

I love McDonald's and I've been writing about their promotions for ages. Don't
me, just look at my archives.

 

I even rushed to the nearest McDonald's in Korea during my recent trip to Busan to grab a Big Bulgogi Burger (their localized specialty).



I started my passion for the Golden Arches with the McDonald's promotions in Australia - a particularly memorable one is a cross-promo with Scrabble. I remember trying to eat their entire menu (one of each burger) during an astoundingly stupid dare when I was in university. It didn't work out too well. Chronically ravenous *cough*, I started with the McOz burger, and proceeded to eat three more burgers before slowing down and grinding to a complete halt, stomach near bursting.



The next time I tried to eat everything was done in a more appropriate (read: controlled) setting - the Salads Plus menu, over the course of a couple of days.



My love for McDonald's collectibles is not unknown either - I rushed off during my lunch break in 2004 to get my grubby paws on the McDonald's and Sega 2 mini video games. One horrific day, the handheld game sold out BEFORE lunch hour and I had to scour the entire town for places that still has it. Since then, I've taken to going in the morning before work. I stood outside the outlet as it opened, and it got to a point where the people working there recognize me and waves.

Some other memorable McDonald's promotions:

McDonald's Crispy Prawn Burger and Prawn Wrappers
McDonald's Fish McDippers
McDonald's Grilled Chicken Foldover
McDonald's Prosperity Burger Chicken and Prosperity Desserts
McDonald's Spicy FIFA World Cup Soccer Star promotion
Mega Mac and Big Mac Chant
McDonald's Gold Medal Meal Beijing 2008

I loved the Crispy Prawn Burger and I really wish they'll bring it back. It's awesome stuff. The Olympics 2008 glass is the predecessor to the 2009 Coke Glass promo which is the point of this post. I'll better get to the gist of it before this turns into a full blown PhD dissertation. ;)



Well, if you're into collectibles McDonald's is coming out with a series of limited edition Coca-Cola glasses. Yes the iconic Coke glasses are back! =D There are 7 Coke glasses in all and you can get it FREE just by buying any Large McValue Meal with a Sundae.



Just point at the Coke Contour Glass Meal place card conveniently located at the counter, choose your burger and the flavor of your sundae to get the current Coke glass FOC!



I managed to get the Cool Blue glass but what I'm really waiting for it the Iconic Grey (called Charcoal in other countries) coz the personality description for that is "You might just be the wildcard!"



Heh! That describes me down to a T (or *.* rather - dash of geek humor here).



Another one to look out for is the 7th Coke glass. It's called Sparkly Clear and it's exclusive to Malaysia! The other countries only get 6, so the final one will definitely be one hell of a collector's item!

I've got the Perky Pink and Cool Blue.  This time around, there's no set release dates for new Coke glasses...which can lead to some, well, problems:



You'll just have to keep checking the McDonald's website to get the inside scoop when a new one comes out. Perky Pink, Cool Blue, Fortune Green, Iconic Grey and Royal Purple are out, and some colors have already sold out. Don't let the Coke glass ruin workplace relationships. Grab your favorite color today, they're going fast!  Go go go! =D

I was at 1U just now and came across this stall selling "Korean fish shaped bread" filled with red bean paste. I didn't bring my dSLR since I had a data disaster to manage but I remembered having the same thing in Busan.



Bungeoppang is a fish shaped cake of sorts sold by street vendors in Korea. It's 1,000 Won (about RM 3) for 4 pieces. It has a red bean filling and it's quite tasty when you eat it hot during the chilly autumn weather.



We didn't have a translator with us that day since we're just exploring the streets and the kind stall owner gave us one with a smile and said "Service".

Service means "complimentary" in Korea. The stall owner guessed we were not locals (probably due to our complete inability to speak Korean) and gave us one for free! It's these little things that I love about Korea...and the fact that you can leave stuff lying around and it won't get stolen the moment you turn your back. =D

I was supposed to attend the Xberry party last Saturday but couldn't coz I had a business trip to Korea. The date changed at the last minute, so that threw me a Curveball (pun here) of sorts since the means to be in two geographical locations at one time is not generally known to the average man. However, the wonders of modern technology managed to bring you these pictures:







...which Cheesie took for me.

I was there in spirit, if not in flesh. ;)



Xpax was kind enough to allow me to pick it up at a later date. Carol just passed it to me and I'm going to activate the SIM card now. Review of the Blackberry Curve 8520 soon cheers to Xpax!

*adds a notch on my belt*

I like eating McDonald's in different countries to check out their localized offerings. I suspect this has a lot to do with the New Tastes menu in Australia where 2-3 new items are introduced for a week, and a week only. I was in university then and most university students eat a lot of fast food. *shrugs* I digress.

McDonald's in Korea has several different items:

Big Bulgogi Burger (3400 Won or RM 10)
Bulgogi Burger (2800 Won or RM 8)
Bacon Tomato Deluxe (3800 Won or RM 12)
Shanghai Spice Chicken Burger (3700 Won or RM 12)
Shrimp Burger (3300 Won or RM 10)

The Bacon Tomato Deluxe is like the Big N' Tasty we get over here except with real bacon from pigs. The Shanghai Spice Chicken Burger is their version of the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe. The Shrimp Burger is similar to the Crispy Prawn Burger we had over here a while back. I ate the one in Lotteria (the fast food arm of the giant Lotte) instead. Lotteria is the #1 fast food chain in South Korea - I'll post about it later.

Thus, the only truly localized menu item is the Big Bulgogi Burger.

I had the Big Bulgogi Burger set (4900 Won or RM 15) and one interesting thing about Korea is that they're very big on the environment. You pay 100 Won extra for the cup, which is refunded when you return it for recycling.

Bulgogi is a Korean dish which means marinated barbecued beef and we had the same thing for dinner the night before. Bulgogi done right (and the Koreans always do it right) is tender, succulent and delectable! The Big Bulgogi Burger is essentially a double Bulgogi Burger - the Korean version of Big Mac, if you will.

Oh, how do I even begin to describe the pure awesomeness of the Big Bulgogi Burger? Imagine a huge burger made with soft buns and tender, melt-in-your mouth bulgogi beef sandwiched in the middle. Visualize the juices practically squirting out of the bulgogi beef when you bite into it, coating your tongue with the delicious barbecue marinate.

Now, multiply that thought by a factor of 10 and you might just get a hint of how breathtaking the Big Bulgogi Burger is. One of my friends took a bite and promptly decided that he needed to have one too so we ate the same thing again at the airport McDonalds!

The Big Bulgogi Burger is awe-inspiring - it's so delicious that the superlative to describe it hasn't even been coined yet.

I have experienced the divine and I'll never be able to settle for a lesser burger. :(

I managed to get gastronomically acquainted with man's best friend during my trip to Korea. I have made it a personal jihad/crusade to sample their wonderful canine products. It was harder than I thought, despite the English - Korean word translator because: 

Contrary to popular belief, selling dog meat is illegal in Korea! 

We had to ask a lot of street vendors, who all shook their heads and looked away. Just as we were about to give up, one kindly old lady overheard us, proclaimed gae jang guk (dog meat soup) and made the appropriate "woof woof" sounds. She led us down this really dodgy and narrow side street and we half expected to be mugged in the cobbled alley. 

...but lo and behold - there it was, an eating establishment in the middle of nowhere, out of the sight of casual tourists and probably accessible only to locals. 

We entered the establishment and I asked for gae jang guk. The female proprietor eyed us and our entourage of cameras with some suspicion and I improvised a combination of sign language and enthused "I eat". She finally nodded and let us into the seating area. 

I present to you dan gogi tang (dog meat soup) made with 100% authentic dog meat! It's served with the usual Korean condiments and steamed rice. 

It should be noted that the dog meat in Korea is not from your pet Labrador but a specially bred dog made for eating. 

I find the dog meat excessively gamey and there is a lot of fat in this breed of dog. It tastes like nothing I've ever sampled before - the best I can describe it is a cross between lamb and pork but with a VERY strong smell and aftertaste. The odor was quite overwhelming despite the hot peppers and what not used to flavor the soup.

I would love to try it again though. I'm thinking back to the fatty-lean texture and pungent odor infusing the meat, and I'm drooling at the thought of chewing that in my mouth right now, allowing my palate to savor the taste of dog meat.

Bon appétit!

Oh, and the first dog I met barked at me. I'm serious. Does he know I ate his brethren?

I met Yunjin Kim in Korea during the PIFF 2009 red carpet event! =D

Well not really la, I was standing 5 meters away from her since I had a press pass and the only communication that happened was me shouting "you gi oh" which means a combination of "over here/hey/excuse me" in Korean.

I didn't manage to get a good shot of her coz she didn't linger at the red carpet unlike the other Korean celebrities. Yunjin Kim is the actress who plays Sun in the TV series Lost.

I do have photos of other hot Korean actresses wearing more titillating dresses who got much more attention from the other photographers but I still love Yunjin!

Sa rang hae yo Yunjin! =D

Anyway, if you missed the XBerry party, you can still get the BlackBerry Curve 8520 for RM 998 with a RM 50 reload (you gotta reload anyway right?) at any Blue Cube outlets. The RM 998 promo is only valid till 15 November, more about the Xpax deal here.

...one cold night, it was decided that a trip to Korea would not be complete without a dip in the famous Gwangalli Beach in front of our hotel in Busan.

Thus, I went in and did it!

The interesting thing was that two other people in our group were also rendezvousing on the beach (they were not aware we were there) and I was told this conversation happened:

Farez: Where are you? I'm at the beach.
Farez: Jun Jye...is that you? Running towards me? Naked?
(It wasn't - that was me)
Jun Jye: What?
Farez: You're running towards me. On the beach. Naked.

It's funnier when you hear it, I've got other videos in this series. Heh!

...and OMG, the water is freezing. Autumn in Korea combined with a killer wind chill factor nearly gave me hypothermia.

I am back in KL after a grueling 6 hour plus flight from Seoul! We took a KAL (Korean Airlines) flight from Busan to Seoul too so that took the better part of the day. I'm going to crash now so here's an XX Chromosome post (been neglecting this) with the Korean Air flight crew/cabin attendants. I've given them a crash course on how to mix proper Bloody Mary drinks. ;)

Regular sixthseal.com programming will resume tomorrow! =D

P/S - I've returned the +82 010 688 1579 Korea cell phone rental so call me at my usual number if you want to get in touch with me.

I was bargaining with this aunty who approached me on the beach to sell me fireworks and managed to get her to sell me one which costs 5,000 won for 3,000 won. I bumped into her again when I was getting it from the street vendor and told her I'm gonna buy it for 2,000 won this time.

She whacked me with her fireworks. T_T

It was pretty funny though...and I might have inadvertently triggered off a turf war between the beach vendor and the street vendor. Heh!

Posted: 4:27 am Korean time

The land of gigantic chunks of dry seaweed,

Cute Korean chicks offering you melon,

Parking attendants bowing to every single exiting car,

And mysterious religious relics long lost to man.

Posted: 7:14 pm Korean time

You know the saying right? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There are several must-eat dishes in Korea - and one of them is live octopus. I also had a dish that is...er, decidedly canine in flavor but that's another post. Live octopus (octopi?) is served with the eight armed creature still squirming with the suckers trying to stick on your tongue.

It's surprisingly good - videos up soon, I just finished working, am so tired I'm about to pass out.

Posted: 10:58 pm Korean time

I am here for the Pusan International Film Festival 2009. Unfortunately, I'm here for work, not leisure. T_T

I took this photo on the way coz...this is lame but I'm suaku k, it's the shops over shops in a building that I really love about Korea.

Not in Korea?

Republic, Sunway is where it's at! Go to the XBerry Party tonight and get a chance to win a BB Curve 8520 in the lucky draw. You have to get yourselves invites though.

Posted: 9:08 pm Korean time

Ha! I haven't seen bacon (as in real streaky bacon that comes from oink oink) served in a hotel breakfast buffet for a very long time.

Posted: 10:13 am Korean time

Okay, it seems pretty good at the first peek - hot cabin attendants, good service, and even a nice girl called Sam!

However, I am VERY PISSED OFF coz they cut me off in the middle of my drinking binge. Granted, I had...er, 4 neat shots of vodka, followed rapidly by 3 neat shots of vodka, followed by 4 neat shots of vodka, followed by 3 neat shots of whisky, followed by 2 neat shots of whisky chased down by a beer but fuck it I'm still sober enough to type this so who are you to tell me how to drink? :p

Oh, and I also had another two shots of whisky while at it. T_T

,,,and a Korean beer (or two).

....but that's not the point la!

The point is...and I'm going to do a memento mori and put this at the very beginning okay...meeting Tan Chui Mui! OMG! I first met her in the departures hall and I...erm, kinda have a crush on her.

I present to you, the director behind One Future in 15Malaysia Chui Mui!

On another note, the XBerry Party is happening this weekend!

Date: 10 October 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 8 pm till late
Venue: Republic, Sunway Pyramid
Highlights: Special performances by Joe Flizzow, Arabyrd, Lapsap(Xu) and Twilight Action Girl
Dress code: Party chic

You'll need to pre-register at Xpax to get 2 exclusive invites to the party!

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be offered at RM 888 that night and you'll get 1 month BB prepaid access FREE along with a limited edition designer skin (exclusively designed by Lapsap, TAG, Black Fryday, Yayawoo & Bangkit) and other goodies. There will be performances galore and lucky draw prizes so groove to the beats of the Republic this Saturday!

Posted: 8:08 am Korean time

One night in Singapore and the world's your oyster!

Singapore...the Sin City (used fondly in this context of course). Oh, let me enthuse how many reasons I love you, and your rich blend of culture, cuisine, arts and architecture (okay, I just copy and pasted that but it doesn't mean I don't love our neighbors down under!)

I've been to Singapore a few times, and I have had one memorable experience as a kid where all the hotels were fully booked and my dad was trying to get a roof over our heads. Most of the Singaporean hotel receptionists were rude and downright fucking condescending to Malaysian tourists (we're like 10th rate travelers to them or something) back then. My dad, being the head of the family slogged on to hotel after hotel with us trudging along behind him.

I am sad to report that being young (was 10 at the time) and not fully appreciative of my dad's efforts, I snapped at him for not having the foresight to book a hotel beforehand. My dad took it in his usual stoic stride. He didn't say anything. You know how many years back that was? 18 years, my friends.

I still remember it and feel guilty about it coz my dad is a really solid all around nice guy.

However, the thing I remember the most was the patronizing tone the Singaporean hotel receptionists took to my dad and to this day I feel like choking them and their holier than thou attitude. It's like they feel they're part of a higher purpose, riding on their high horses, and generally acting like the fucking smiting left hand of God.

However, with age, I've come to accept that not all Singaporeans are like that, so here's your chance to prove me wrong okay? ;)

I'll love to go to Singapore on a one day itinerary as listed below:

0900 hours

I shall be waking up (grudgingly dammit) and head out for some roti prata.

1000 hours

With some food in the tummy, it's time to hit...erm, Geylang can? :p

1200 hours

(space left intentionally blank)

I know the math doesn't work here, but hell, if I decide to spend 2 hours sightseeing in the famed street, who's gonna stop me? :p

Next up: Chilli crab lunch!

1230 hours

I'm going to the famous Long Beach restaurant for chilli crabs! I've got something else planned for dinner so I'm going to eat this (and black pepper crabs) for lunch instead!

1400 hours

After a nice, leisurely lunch where I eat at least 6 crabs, it's time to churn the undigested food at the reverse bungee at Clarke Quay! G-MAX is supposed to be the ultimate reverse bungee, and having tried the one in Sunway as well as the real thing, I feel it's my duty to see how this measures up.

1500 hours

Okay, now we've come to a crossroad. Difficult decisions to be made and what not. Do I do the tourist thing and head to Sentosa? Or do I go to St John's Island instead? Well, since I'm alone in this scenario, I'll head to Sentosa. St John's Island would be ideal with a loved one though.

Sentosa would take up most of the afternoon so after all the rides and attractions over there, it'll be time for...DINNER!

1900 hours

I'll be going for the world's first full butler service sky dining experience on the Singapore Flyer! I've never been on the Singapore Flyer before so it'll be fun...besides they have bottles of wine and champagne upon request.

2000 hours

This is the time to head to Orchard Road to do some shopping before painting the town red. I remember buying some great He-Man toys here as a kid. I think my tastes have evolved but Orchard Road has evolved with me so I'm sure I can get some fine looking threads for the next destination. ;)

2200 hours

Zouk! One People, One Tribe, One Dance, 1Malaysia(n). It's practically an institution so not hitting this club would be akin to going to Egypt and not visit the pyramids, going to Paris and bypassing the Eiffel Tower, going to Rome and...well, you catch my drift.

Open till late so I'm going to drink, party, dance and see if I get lucky. ;)

Photos stolen from too many sources to list via Google Images.

Indulge in the Uniquely Singapore experience!

*gobble*

*munch*

*chew*

*slurp*

*chomp*

*scarf*

Man, I had to dust off the trusty old thesaurus to find synonyms for eat to write all that. ;)

You know those Wrigley's New Extra Professional Mints with ridges on the side? I thought it was there just for aesthetics until I was told it's designed for a very pragmatic purpose. It works just like the tongue scraper you see at the back of your toothbrush:

I've been sucking on those mints all the time without realizing it! It turns out there is a Proper Way (TM) to go about it - the ridges should be against your tongue to reduce germs after a meal to keep your mouth fresh and clean. I was so excited when I discovered this (coz I felt stupid from not seeing the bloody obvious :p) that I've been going around doing this:

It's essential to do the vigorous scrubbing motion while chanting "Scrub!" on top of your lungs every time you see someone finish eating.

It'll be a compelling experiment to see many times you can do this to your friends before they get really annoyed by it. Trust me; it won't take long at all, so unless you want to radically downsize your social circle, I suggest you do it online instead.

Wrigley's New Extra Professional Mints is launching a contest where you scrub food from your tongue. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try to clean your mouth with a mint while burgers, popcorn, pizza and a plethora of other food stuff turns your tongue into their personal house party.

It is your job, as the steward of this very important organ (it's not just for tasting the stuff you eat, ya know ;)) to prevent the food from using your tongue as their playground, running amok and getting into all sorts of shenanigans that would lead to your neighbors calling the cops.

The highest score wins a Sony Video MP3 player weekly and the grand prize is a Sony VAIO Pocket Style PC. Flex your gaming muscles and start playing here.

M&M's - Mussels & Mints. ;)

Would you like to be worked on like a piece of prime Kyoto beef, massaged and then tenderized before being cooked by hot stones? If your answer is a resounding (or doubtful) yes, you've come to the right place! Welcome Sir Moo, to Vila Manja! 

Vila Manja is located in Jalan Damai, off Jalan Tun Razak along the multitudes of foreign embassies in that area. Nestled in a quiet alcove which is a converted bungalow, it offers spa and massage packages ranging from foot reflexology to full day pampering sessions that probably only Datins can afford on a regular basis. 

The place is amazingly Zen (one of my lame puns) with a water feature I like to call a Sobriety Test (TM) coz you need to be reasonably unimpaired to navigate the stepping stones lest you wind up with the dreaded soaked sneaker. >.< 

The interior of the spa is inviting, exuding warmth and ambient lighting. I felt like a baby going back to the womb as I disrobed and started to lie down on the massage table. There is a sarong of sorts covering me to preserve some semblance of propriety and the scented massage oil made the masseur's skilled fingers feel like a thousand little butterflies gliding across my skin.

Bliss! My oasis of peace. 

I experienced a Moment of Truth (TM) - a glimpse of the mysteries behind life, the universe and everything before the overwhelming knowledge (and the masseur's caresses) drove me into a slumber. I am sad to report that I forgot everything about the meaning of life when I woke up, except it was a number. I think it was 6 but then again it could be 4+2 or 42. *shrugs* 

I adjourned downstairs to join the others for lunch...and a presentation by Fiona on PRUhealth, a new medical plan that Prudential has launched. 

The affable Fiona explained that the average lifespan for Malaysians is 71.7 for males and 76.5 for females. You probably know females live longer than males - the mysterious XX Chromosome factor. Both my grandfathers (maternal and paternal) are six feet under while both my grandmothers are still alive and kicking.

I don't think I'll live to see the big 50, but with me as a stellar example; people are getting sick earlier and earlier. New age and lifestyle related illnesses like stroke, diabetes and heart disease is on the increase (hey, it rhymes) and you get more susceptible to it as you grow older.

Coupled with inflation, you can imagine how much a heart bypass (or kidney transplant for me) will cost when you're old. I really need to get on an insurance plan lest my (forthcoming) kids decide I'll be better off in a retirement home - out of sight, out of mind. ;)

Okay, here's another thing about their flexible plan - you can remove the annuals claims limit so you can claim up to the lifetime limit. This would be mighty useful if *knocks on wood* you need to go for major surgery which would exceed the limit of most insurance plans. 

I think this is a great idea since you'll probably only need to go for one of these procedures once in your lifetime. PRUhealth allows you to claim up to the lifetime limit so you won't hit the ceiling of the claims limit per year with their special rider plan. 

It starts from a minimum monthly premium of RM 100 (actual premium will depend on your age and the type of plan you select) and covers you up to age 100. I doubt you'll live that long, but if you do, hey, don't forget to give a shout out to me in the Guinness Book of World Records.

...or I'll snip your finger off. ROAR! ;)

I love this photo. It's one of those photos that looks Photoshopped but isn't. This was taken during the BEP concert on Arthur's Day. We were doing a jump shot for the camera and I jumped right out of the photo.

It's quite amazing since I don't recall jumping that high. Please direct your eyes to my...er, waist's position with Suanie as the point of reference. I literally jumped off the frame.

I've never been able to achieve the same altitude after this photo. >.<

Photo courtesy of Kimberly.

Remember the good old days as a kid when you had to actually WAIT by the house phone to get calls and "mobile phones" were the size of a car battery?

Cell phones, the Internet, (insert 21st century invention) has made everything a lil' bit impersonal, but I bet our grandparents said the very same thing about the 19th century too. ;)

Now think back to when you were a little kid, doing stuff kids back then do, like talking to your sister in the other room with good old string and paper cups.

Yes, I got along better with my sis when we were kids.

I kinda miss that bit.

I happen to live in an apartment that is chock full of students and I can hear distinctively female voices coming from the next unit (that is apparently the master bedroom shared by at least four girls, or so I deduce) which is separated from my bedroom by a 1 foot thick wall.

It's really hard for me to sleep at night so I like to turn off the monitor, lie there in the dark and think.

One day I had this bright idea to recreate the chatting escapades of my youth. You know how every little project is Krrunch when you're a kid with a hyperactive imagination? I wanted to recreate the innocence of childhood too. I decided to make PCTN (Paper Cup Telephone a.k.a. two cups and a string) with Pringles cans!

You will need:
Two (2) Pringles cans
String
Needles

1. Eat the Pringles.
2. Thread the string through the needle and use it to pierce the bottom of the empty Pringles can and knot it.
3. Repeat with the other Pringles can.

Now for this to work the string must be taut and in a straight line so some improvisations in posture might be necessary.

I dangled one side out of the window, and hollered at my neighbors to pick it up.

They didn't. I have no doubt there was much talk that night about the "crazy guy next door".

It's Krrunch Time, Get Playful!

Menglembu is a town in Perak that's famous for their peanuts. You know those peanuts with a huge ass thumbs up sign imprinted on the front that's everywhere during Chinese New Year? Yep, those came from none other than Menglembu, Ipoh.

It's also famous for their honey chicken so we stopped by Wonderful Honey Chicken on our way back from Penang. It looks like a simple roadside stall but the pure industry that goes on in the small shop lot behind the kitchen is nothing short of amazing.

Unfortunately, their honey roasted chicken was sold out (!!!) so we had to settle for fried chicken, char siew and "paper wrapped chicken" instead.

The char siew is made with the same sauce (e.g. honey) so if you close your eyes while eating the fried chicken dipped into the sauce and concentrate really, really hard, you can sort of imagine what the famous roasted honey chicken tastes like. >.<

*sour grapes*

The coffee shop by the roadside near Wonderful Honey Chicken serves a refreshing bowl of tong sui called Ching Bau Liang, complete with a quail egg! Do check it out if you're ever in Wai Sek Gai (which is apparently what this entire food street is called).

Menglembu is also famous for their miniature wantan mee and the stall does a very brisk business late at night. We had to wait for about 30 minutes or so to get our chance at the ridiculously small portion of wantan mee.

I wouldn't say there's anything special about their wantan mee, it's probably the Lilliputian serving size that provides most of the appeal. The side order of wantans we had that night was a bit off too.

However, I do like the aunty manning the store, who did an impromptu kung fu pose for me. ;)