sixthseal.com

Eeva from KL

This is Eeva. I met her in KL.

She has a tinkerbell tattoo on her upper right calf. Nice and discreet.

The sole purpose of this post is to put it into the long neglected XX Chromosomes category and direct your attention to certain undergoing changes in the categories. ;)

Posted in XX chromosomes by Huai Bin at 12:58 PM Permalink | Comments (36) | TrackBack

Alex's birthday at the office

This is Alex, our head honcho. It's his birthday today, so we pitched in and got a blueberry cheesecake for him with a single candle (see last year's post).

In the spirit of Huygens Asia Sdn Bhd humor, he blew out the candle with our weather monitoring station. :)

The cake goes "Happy Birthday Alex" and is adorned with fruits. It's a chilled and layered cheesecake and it tasted great!

Happy Birthday Alex!

Posted in Huygens Asia by Huai Bin at 05:13 PM Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBack

Inaba Light Tuna Flake

Inaba Light Tuna Flake is a white tuna flake blend from Japan. It retails for RM 5.90 and comes in a nice rounded flat can containing 85 grams of tuna in a "non-oil blend". I got it in KL and meant for it to be a snack but didn't actually get around to eating it, and it somehow ended up together with my PS2. *shrugs*

I saw the bright red and white can when I was leaving for work just now and brought it to the office for...breakfast! I like the nice clean kanji writing (or is that hiragana?) and the shiny tin. I apologize for the lack of eloquence in this post as I didn't sleep at all last night.

Inaba Light Tuna Flake has an easy to open flip up mechanism that does away with any need for can openers or other inconveniences along the same vein. ;)

The can opens up to reveal white tune flakes in brine (that's the "non-oil blend" they were referring to). There are some nice large chunks of tuna in Ibana Light Tuna Flake too.

It's a good thing there are plastic forks in the office (refer to above comment about doing away with inconveniences) so I ate it straight from the can.

Ibaba Light Tuna Flake tastes good. It's not too salty from the brine and the tuna taste is well retained for a canned item.

Posted in Food by Huai Bin at 08:18 AM Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack

Dunhill Top Leaf review

Dunhill Top Leaf is an ultra premium cigarette manufactured by Dunhill to contain only 100% top leaf tobacco in the cigarette. It retails for RM 13 for a pack of 20's (albeit a really nice pack ;)) in selected retail outlets. I got mine from the KLIA airport - brought a couple of packs back.

Dunhill Top Leaf comes in a large form factor box similar to 25's but much slimmer in design. There is a leaf imprint on the top of the pastel red embossed box with the accompanying text "Dunhill 'D' Top Leaf" and "100% Top Leaf Tobacco" inscribed at the bottom. The entire box looks nothing short of classy and embodies premium tobacco.

The design of the box also includes an embossed BAT (British American Tobacco) figurehead on the top. The overall design is minimalist with the words "100% Top Leaf Tobacco" on the bottom saying it all. I did get a lot of looks bringing it out, probably due to the unusual design.

Dunhill Top Leaf is described as "The top leaves of each tobacco plant receive the most sun and develop the most distinctive flavors. Our blenders use only leaves from the top half of the tobacco plant to create these remarkably flavorful cigarettes" in a small side bar at the back of the textured box, as well as the stamp "Made in England".

Dunhill Top Leaf opens up to reveal two foil wrapped compartments with each side containing 10 cigarettes. I like the foil design - it keeps half the cigarettes fresh while the other half is opened. The dual compartment flat design is standard in most ultra premium cigarettes.

The foil wrapped compartment opens up to reveal 10 cigarettes with the Dunhill logo and the red embossed "D" below it. I like the feel of the textured and embossed matte cigarette box as well, although that has nothing to do with how well it smokes, it still contributes to the ultra premium experience that you're paying for. ;)

Dunhill Top Leaf comes out as a really smooth smoke with a nice distinctive taste that separates it from regular cigarettes. The only complaint I have regarding the cigarettes (and this was also iterated by a friend who tried it) is that it's too mild...the cigarettes may provide a smooth smoke but the nicotine hit falls a bit short of the mark.

Dunhill Top Leaf is a nice, smooth ultra premium cigarette though.

Posted in Ethanol and tobacco by Huai Bin at 01:59 PM Permalink | Comments (31) | TrackBack

Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition X1 Cappuccino Flavor

Nestle Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavour Limited Edition X1 is the first one in the new line of Malaysian Kit Kat limited edition series. I have only seen the other one (Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02) on the shelves and it seems that Nestle Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavor Limited Edition X1 is a Jusco (the hypermarket) exclusive.

I was walking around in Jusco when I saw this rack of Nestle Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavor Limited Edition X1 on a promotional stand. The normal box (2 x 2 finger wafer) retails for RM 2.29 and the new larger format box goes for RM 4.29. This batch of Malaysian Limited Edition KitKat runs seems to have only two flavors in the lineup.

The packaging looks impeccable - the new line of limited edition Kit Kat cardboard boxes are done well, much like its Japanese counterpart. It is indeed a leap from the simple design of the first Malaysian foray into the limited edition Kit Kat market. The normal 2 x 17 g box and the larger 4 x 17g box have similar side perforations to open up the box.

Nestle Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavor Limited Edition X1 has a more elaborate design compared to the minimalist Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02 - there are intricate swirls and symmetrical patterns adorning the cardboard box with a cup of frothy cappuccino in the form of a raised imprint as the centerpiece.

Nestle Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavor comes in individually wrapped 2 x 2 wafer packs with KitKat logo and the words "Cappuccino Flavor" on the right extreme tapering into a pure brown color palate to the left, much like the other limited edition KitKat in this series.

Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition X1 Cappuccino Flavor opens up to reveal dark brown twin Kit Kat wafers. The chocolate coating is slightly darker than the standard Kit Kat bars.

The Kit Kat Cappuccino Flavor tastes like coffee flavored Kit Kat bars. The official description is printed as "Wafer fingers in milk chocolate - Cappuccino Flavor". It tasted alright, but it's too plain compared to the Cheesecake Flavored Kit Kat.

Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition X1 Cappuccino Flavor can be found at Jusco hypermarkets on cardboard stands printed with "It's out there - ENJOY The rarest of breaks".

Posted in Snacks by Huai Bin at 10:11 AM Permalink | Comments (24) | TrackBack

Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02

Nestle KitKat Lemon Cheesecake Flavour Limited Edition 02 is the latest promotion of the Kit Kat line of chocolate wafers. I have no idea where Limited Edition 01 is - I only saw Limited Edition 02 in the Kuching airport before I took a flight to KL. Perhaps the numbering is just arbitrary. *shrugs*

The Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02 comes in two sizes - the standard 2 x 2 finger format we're all familiar with (RM 4.50) and a larger 4 x 2 finger format that I've never seen Kit Kat being packaged in, which was what caught my eye in the first place.

The packaging looks great - the Kit Kat cardboard box is light yellow and has a lemon slice imprinted on one side of the box and random see-through holes to allow the individually wrapped yellow wafer fingers inside to be visible through the plastic window. There is also a perforation on the right which opens up like a flip-tip cigarette box.

This Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition is only available in Malaysia. It marks the first time Malaysia has its own individually wrapped and boxed Kit Kat Limited Edition runs, which are very popular in Japan. Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavour Limited Edition 02 is officially dubbed "Wafer fingers in Lemon Cheesecake Flavored Confectionary".

Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavour Limited Edition 02 comes in individually wrapped 2 x 2 wafer packs with words on one side tapering into a pure yellow color scheme. The design looks good and it marks a nice debut for Malaysian Limited Edition Kit Kat confectionary.

Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavour opens up to reveal a whitish yellow Kit Kat wafer in the dual wafer format. The consistent color scheme is great!

Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor tastes like cheesecake on the inside with the lemon flavor coming from the coating. It really tastes like cheesecake! I was amazed at the taste and texture, which resembles a cheesecake (a good one to boot) so closely. The wonders of modern artificial food flavoring! ;)

Nestle Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake Flavor Limited Edition 02 tastes great! Get it while you can...it is limited edition after all.

P/S - I wrote this before I found the Nestle Kit Kat Limited Edition 01 in KL. The review of the other limited edition Kit Kat in the series is coming up in the next post.

Posted in Snacks by Huai Bin at 01:29 PM Permalink | Comments (27) | TrackBack

Dutch Lady 0% Fat Drinking Yoghurt - Peach Passion

Dutch Lady came out with a new 0% Fat drinking yoghurt with real fruit juice. I saw it on the dairy section of Jusco in Mid Valley Megamall in KL and decided to get one to drink.

Dutch Lady 0% Fat Peach Passion drinking yoghurt touts itself as having "25% less calories than other low fat yoghurt drinks". That's a lot of percentage figures being thrown around...

It tastes good, which surprised me, since I'm not a big fan of low fat drinks - it's liquid breakfast on the go! ;)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 11:23 AM Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack

PlayStation 2 (PS2) with Vertical Stand and 8 MB Memory Card

I purchased a PlayStation 2 slim form factor console with a Vertical Stand and 8 MB Memory Card (both PS2 official accessories sold separately). It comes with two DUALSHOCK 2 Analogue controllers and 10 "copied" (a euphemism for intellectual property theft) DVD games for RM 590 in KL.

It's a pretty good deal. I don't have a TV at home so I use a USB TV Tuner with a mini Component AV Cable (compatible with PS2) to use either my notebook screen or the PC monitor at home to play the games. It works well and the resolution is great (up to 1280 x 1024). The USB TV Tuner comes at RM 220 and can be used with an external antenna to watch free to air broadcast stations too.

I don't think the PS/2 really needs a review since it's a pretty old console so I'll put up some photos regarding the setup of the system - using a USB TV Tuner with a mini Component AV Cable to a PC monitor/notebook.

Posted in Interesting by Huai Bin at 09:03 AM Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack

Kedai Makanan Nasi Ayam Ipoh - New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice (Ipoh comes to PJ)

Kedai Makanan Nasi Ayam Ipoh - New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice lays claim to one of the longest eating establishment signboards I've seen in my life. It spans a good four lengths of shop houses and has the bold tagline "Ipoh come to PJ".

That's not the end of the Engrish though - the stairs leading up to this fine eating establishment is also hand painted with the phrase "Please go up slowly" in red paint. I think they meant a lot of patrons have tripped on the stairs before. Careful is the word. ;)

Kedai Makanan Nasi Ayam Ipoh is supposed to have really good Ipoh style chicken rice and our main liaison here, Lee, brought us to Petaling Jaya to check out the food over here. There are two entrances due to the large area and the place is packed with patrons - a testament to the food.

The right side of the eating establishment is where the main chicken chopping action takes place. New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice offers a huge amount of chicken products and the opening hours are from 10:30 AM to 10:45 PM.

New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice has a standard bowl of chicken balls (no, not that kind) in soup served with chicken rice. There are about 4 chicken meat balls floating in the soup.

We also had a side order of Sweet Sauce Pork (the three-layered pork from the pork belly) which tastes sweet and good. There is also a side dish of large bean sprouts which is standard in chicken rice meals in Ipoh, or so I heard.

This is the main dish itself - Ipoh Chicken. The chicken is kampong chicken (free range chicken) and it came on a huge platter with most of the chicken parts inside (including the liver).

Ipoh Chicken Rice tastes sweeter than the chicken rice I usually have back home - the essence of chicken seeps out slightly from the chicken to be soaked up by the bed of cucumbers at the bottom of the dish and the meat is tender and sweet, flavored by spring onions.

Kedai Makanan Nasi Ayam Ipoh has really good chicken rice - it comes highly recommended from me. It's somewhere in Petaling Jaya (PJ) but since someone brought us along; I don't know exactly where it is or how much the meal costs. It's great chicken rice though.

Ipoh comes to PJ indeed...

P/S - My apologies - I have to rush out again, this really is a business trip. :(

Posted in Food reviews by Huai Bin at 02:02 PM Permalink | Comments (41) | TrackBack

Roti Pisang Cheese Strawberry

Roti Pisang Cheese Strawberry is a user customized version of roti canai (the base) which uses unorthodox but delicious ingredients. I was at the 24 hour ScH mamak (just downstairs) for supper just now and asked for Roti Pisang...with cheese...and strawberry ice cream. ;) The owner hid his astonishment well and double confirmed the order. I said Roti Pisang Cheese Strawberry - and a new roti variant is born! =D

This is what it looks like - it came out shaped like a subway sandwich instead of the flat variable shaped roti canai. The Roti Pisang Cheese Strawberry is sliced into manageable but rather large bite sized pieces and it contains pisang (banana), cheese (er...cheese), and strawberry (ice cream).

It tastes amazing, trust me. The taste is dominated by the strawberry ice cream and banana, but the melted cheese shines through, distributing that sweet, squishy, and salty umami (three posts in a row!) cheese flavor and texture combination all at once.

You have to eat it really fast though coz it's hot so the strawberry ice cream melts real fast. Check it out at your local mamak next time - any reputable mamak will allow customers to order quirky combinations of this Malaysian staple. ;)

P/S - I'll reply all the comments tomorrow. I just got back and we have a big meeting early tomorrow morning so I'm going to turn in now. Good night!

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 12:50 PM Permalink | Comments (33) | TrackBack

Night view of Taman Danau Desa a.k.a. "I'm in KL!"

I've just arrived at our office in Taman Danau Desa...flew in on the late flight from Kuching to KL. I will be here for a couple of days on a business trip, so you know the drill - 016 888 3166 is the number to call if anyone wants to meet up. :)

I'm heading out now with my CTO to grab something to eat...will update again in a while.

Posted in by Huai Bin at 11:16 AM Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBack

DIY Prawn and Peanut crackers

Prawn and Peanut crackers is a local snack that is a variant of the home made Malay keropok (crackers). It isn't actually made with prawns (shrimp) but ikan bilis (a small indigenous fish fry that has been dried and salted). It's just what we call these crackers (YMMV). The crackers are about the size of a 3 inch CD.

The crackers are made by DIY (a small Kuching cottage industry) and retails for RM 1.30 at most coffee shops. One packet of the crackers contains about six pieces, which makes the price per cracker at slightly above 20 cents (MYR). The cracker usually has one intact fish fry and several peanuts embedded into the cracker itself.

This is what the crackers look like up close - the ikan bilis and peanuts is placed on the chilli infused batter base before the deep frying treatment, producing this effect. It's a favorite snack in our office. The crackers taste like spicy keropok before the salty ikan bilis tang starts to shine through as the cracker is munched, with the experience ending on a nice aromatic roasted peanuts note.

It contains very basic ingredients, but it's executed so well that the whole is better than the sum of its parts. It's also home made, so that means no preservatives. :)

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 02:30 PM Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBack

Coffee Bean Taro Ice Blended

Coffee Bean came out with a new promotional drink - Taro Ice Blended. The tagline for the new drink is emblazoned on the banner advertising it in front of the Coffee Bean outlet - "Sooth your senses with Taro Ice Blended".

The new Taro Ice Blended promotion is done in conjunction with the 3-Cheeses Grilled Sandwich and the Belgian Chocolate drink which is back for a limited time due to high demand. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is introducing the Taro Ice Blended for RM 12.

I went to Coffee Bean earlier this morning to check out the new Taro Ice Blended drink. I did bring along my digicam, but alas, the battery was missing as it was still charging at home. Thus, this post is brought to you by the Crappy Cell Phone Cam (TM). ;)

This is a photo of a Coffee Bean employee blending the Taro Ice Blended drink and pouring it into one of the large sized containers. I opted for whipped cream on top (which comes at no extra charge).

The Taro Ice Blended drink comes out purple - it's made of taro (purple yam) and it tastes great! Whipped cream is essential to the Taro Ice Blended experience - the mixture of the two tastes creamy with that umami taste.

Coffee Bean's new Taro Ice Blended comes highly recommended from me. It not too sweet and full of taro goodness! :)

Posted in Fast Food Inc. by Huai Bin at 02:24 PM Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is traditional British dish that consists of a bottom layer of minced (ground) lamb in gravy covered with mashed potato and (often) a layer of cheese. (from Wikipedia)

This is Penny's version of the Shepherd's Pie - it consists of ground beef, mushrooms, carrots, green peas and the killer ingredient - onions. I strongly belief that good Shepherd's Pie should contain onion. Onions are great!

She brought it to work (said she's make some for me) and I ate it for lunch. The recipe she uses consists of herbs and cheese mixed into the mashed potato. It works...and it's delicious when it's still piping hot.

Who there ain't no such thing as a free lunch? ;)

Posted in Food by Huai Bin at 03:26 PM Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack

Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao vs. LINDT Chocolat Cree a Berne

This is a face off between two premium Swiss dark chocolate (Chocolat Swiss Noir) - Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao vs. LINDT Chocolat Cree a Berne. I wanted it to be a straight Swiss dark chocolate comparison so...

...the Cote d'Or Belgian extra high quality dark chocolate is out of this post's scope

(and also coz I noticed that the Cote d'Or only contains 56% cocoa solids - a very low figure compared to the two Swiss brands I'm evaluating)

The Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is an extra dark bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa solid content - the highest amongst the two, weighing in at 78% cacao.

It retails for RM 9.90 each and comes in a thin cardboard package containing just 100 grams of chocolate. Weight for weight, it's more expensive than the Cote d'Or brand (which I wouldn't be mentioning except it was brought up :p) with its 2 x 200 g (400 g) packaging priced at RM 27.90.

The back of the package lists the contents of the chocolate and also has text that goes "Swiss Delice invites connoisseurs from all over the world to take part in a culinary journey throughout Switzerland. The delightful specialties are carefully created using traditional recipes and only the finest ingredients. Take a real taste of Switzerland home with you."

The packaging of Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% is impeccable - the slim cardboard packaging has a side that parts to reveal a thin block of dark chocolate wrapped in foil (which is the best wrapping for our climate - unlike the paper wrappings in Australia, our heat does not allow anything except foil for long term shelf life).

The Swiss Delice Supreme Noir 78% cacao breaks apart easily at the perforations and produces neat imprinted dark chocolate in bite sized pieces. It's about the size of the ubiquitous After 8 thin dark chocolate dinner mints for a better mind size comparison.

I ate (nearly) the entire block of Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% (which isn't much considering it's only 100 g - the size of a large Mars bar) while waiting for my flight (which was delayed). There was someone sitting beside me, traveling alone too (Swinburne student - Hello Alice!), and I offered her a slice, which she accepted. She pronounced it good, as do I.

Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is smooth high cocoa solid content chocolate - it has a melt in your mouth quality and its bittersweet nature is great. This is real dark chocolate - the product does not disappoint.

LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne is also another Swiss dark chocolate product which caught my eye due to its retro packaging. It looks like a product from the 1940's - the candy wrapping is minimalist and heavily text oriented. It certainly has novelty value.

I sampled the LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne the next day (and an important note here is that I wasn't fully in withdrawal hell as I planned to stop my opiate consumption on Friday night and I was still VERY MUCH under the influence of Oxycontin bliss during the time of this review) at home.

LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne also comes in a slim 100 g package. Unfortunately, it weighs in at a (relatively) dismal 49% cocoa solids content. LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne retails at RM 8.90 (all chocolates is this review is from the Choc Stop franchise at the airport).

The LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne chocolate bar is also wrapped in foil and comes in smaller perforated chunks. I personally prefer an After 8 sized slice, much like the format of the previously featured Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao instead of this smaller chunk.

The chocolate perforates nicely to reveal chocolate chunks with the Lindt signature on each of the chunks. I'm still harping about the size of the chunk - IMHO, I feel that premium chocolate should come in the larger format instead of this Cadbury/Hershey's (tick according to your country) style chunk which is associated with mass produced chocolate.

The LINDT Chocolat Cree A Berne breaks nicely and takes well to biting smaller chunks off it. It tastes great, with a bittersweet symphony that indulges the senses. However, I still prefer the Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao as it has that elusive mouth-feel from the higher cacao content.

Swiss Delice Supreme Noir Authentique 78% Cacao is the better of the two. It's definitely a must try, with its high cocoa solid content - which is what chocolate is all about. :)

Posted in Snacks by Huai Bin at 07:55 AM Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack

The sixthseal.com extended family Mother's Day dinner

The entire sixthseal.com clan descended to Hong Ping Corner at the fast developing new Sibu Bus Terminal commercial area at Lorong 7, Jalan Pahlawan for the Mother's Day dinner last night.

This is candid shot of everyone (Headcount: 14) including the matriarch of the family before the gale force winds made their grand appearance (which is the best part of this post, bar none). It's hard to coordinate shots what that much people...

Download: Gale force wind during Mother's Day [sixthseal.com]

This is a really funny video clip, especially when the expressions of the people are taken into consideration. :)
Sibu was struck by gale force winds last night and it caused a bit of a havoc with chairs flying around and tables topping (with food on it). Classic!

This is our table after everything has settled down - there were 3 mothers in here - the Grand Matriarch, and two others (one of whom is mine). We ordered about 20 dishes in total and booked two adjoining tables.

All Hail the Grand Matriarch!
(the one in dark red - she's my grandmother, so sixthseal.com won't even exist without her and the procreation that she experimented with many decades back)

Download: Candid video of my extended family [sixthseal.com]

I love this one - it's a candid pan of my entire extended family and back and the final money shot still makes me laugh (warmly) today. I miss my cousins and aunties. :)

P/S - They all read this blog. Seriously.
I guess I'm the de facto superstar of the family (or the black sheep, depending on how you look at it).

;)

Posted in Sibu by Huai Bin at 11:13 AM Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack

Thunderstorm = Fried Modem

My modem in Sibu was fried during a heavy thunderstorm in Sibu last night (which tripped the ELCB from a near direct strike as well, plunging the house into darkness) so I won't be able to update until Monday morning.

Anyway, I got an SMS from nepasalaver telling me that our favorite local Malay tabloid is at it again - apparently, they have a serious lack of content (not to mention a dismal understanding of the English language). I hope they get more news coverage soon coz digging out old stories is just...old... ;)

Posted in Sibu by Huai Bin at 05:59 PM Permalink | Comments (37) | TrackBack

Royal Selangor Spring 2006 Collection - Mojo

Royal Selangor is a Malaysian based company which has gone international (seen an outlet in Chadstone in Melbourne, Australia) that manufactures pewter based products. It used to produce classic designs (think pewter) but has recently branched out into more contemporary showpieces and personal accessories.

The Royal Selangor Spring 2006 Collection has several new pewter lineups for this season - Mojo, Plus, Palladio, Plasma and The Ark. Mojo is a lucky charms based lineup for this new season and I saw a range of wearable charms on display at the Royal Selangor booth in the airport just now.

Mojo by Royal Selangor reintroduces charms as pewter designs on chokers for RM 110 each, and one particular charm caught my eye and I stopped to read the Mojo advertising spiel. It seems that Royal Selangor is breaking away from their traditional target market and moving into pewter items for today's generation.

I got the Flame Charm from the Mojo series. The Royal Selangor Spring 2006 Collection is all about different themes - The Ark is a series of nicely crafted pewter items such as picture frames, piggybanks and pen holders. Mojo is a whimsical personal accessories charms lineup and the others in the seasons collection each has its own cohesive theme.

This is what the Flame Charm in the Mojo series looks like up close. I bought it coz the design looks great. I was just browsing around since my Kuching - Sibu flight was delayed from 8:30 pm to 9:25 pm (again...) and decided to get it on an impulse purchase. The Mojo range comes in a Royal Selangor display box and includes a choker strap and a protective cloth pouch in addition to the pewter charm itself.

I like the charm - it should protect me from being engulfed in flames should I nod off on a high opiate dose someday and drop my lit cigarette on the bed. ;)

Flame On !

Posted in Interesting by Huai Bin at 11:59 PM Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack

Game Boy micro review

Nintendo came out with the Game Boy micro as a revamp of the Game Boy Advance SP system with the tagline "smaller. sleeker. brighter.". It takes in Game Boy Advance SP cartridges and the Game Boy micro is one small and sleek unit, which prompted me to purchase it. I bought it bundled with a game for RM 410 - I chose Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the GBA.

The Game Boy micro retails for RM 380 (stock) and it's marketed towards the iPod generation with its sleek design. It's very small - just slightly larger than the cartridges it accepts. You'll be hard pressed to imagine just how small the Game Boy micro actually is until you see it. It's about as large as the screen on the Sony PSP. That's how small it is.

The packaging of the Game Boy micro is suitably sleek (sorry for the repeated use of this word) - it looks like a product from Apple instead of from Nintendo. The design of the Game Boy micro returns to the horizontal screen and it looks like a controller for a conventional console with an LCD screen built into it. It is easy to mistake this new product for an iPod instead of a handheld.

The Game Boy micro package opens up to reveal the Game Boy micro unit - it's exactly the same size as depicted on the packaging. (!!!) The handheld is protected with a mini bubble wrap covering and the Game Boy micro is going back to basics with the D-pad (directional pad) and the bright and high resolution LCD screen coupled with the A and B buttons on the side.

The charger for the Game Boy micro is included with the package. The Game Boy micro has inbuilt rechargeable batteries (non-removable) that charges up with the included AC adapter in about two hours to full battery status. The play time for a full charge is about 6 hours with the speakers on (which is the only bad part about the GBM - the speakers are tinny) and about 6 1/2 hours with a self-powered headphone.

This is the Game Boy micro unit itself (still inside the shrink wrap). The Game Boy micro accepts a standard headphone jack and I found gaming to be more interesting with one of my powered vibration headphones. There are Start and Select buttons at the bottom of the unit and two Left and Right buttons on the top. This unit is built to look sleek (apologies for the repetition).

There is also a Game Boy micro Instruction Manual. The manual describes the operations of the Game Boy micro and it seems that most of the GBA accessories are incompatible with the Game Boy micro due to the smaller form factor of the latter. However, all the GBA (Game Boy Advance) cartridges are fully compatible with the GBA. Nintendo has also stated that they're coming out with a Wireless Adapter for the GBM.

There is also a black traveling pouch included in the Game Boy Micro box. It's built perfectly for transporting the GBM and has a pull-shut string on the top to seal the cotton pouch. It is however, made of cotton and thus would not protect the GBM from shocks and drops. However, I have dropped the Game Boy micro from waist point to solid concrete once and it powered up without any problems. It seems pretty solid for a design of its size. That good coz I tend to drop things...a lot. ;)

That's the standard accessories included in the Game Boy micro box - the Game Boy micro unit itself, the AC Adapter for recharging the built in lithium ion rechargeable batteries, a carrying pouch, and the Instruction Manual which comes with an international warranty. It's priced at RM 380 which is affordable enough for an impulse purchase and there's value for money in this latest release from Nintendo.

This is the Game Boy micro handheld unit. The Game Boy micro is made of aluminum metal and looks like brushed silver. It looks good for a handheld - small and sleek. The LCD screen is incredibly bright with high resolution due to its smaller dimensions from a GBA unit (which are the games you would be playing with the Game Boy micro). The simple D-pad with A and B buttons is perfect - back to minimalist handheld gaming.

There is also a Start and Select button on the bottom of the Game Boy micro unit. It flashes blue for several seconds if it's on a full charge and goes dormant (same color scheme occurs during the charging process - the Start and Select buttons go blue during charging and goes dormant when it's fully charged). The two buttons goes red when the Game Boy micro unit is low on battery. The Start and Select buttons should be familiar to gamers. The On/Off toggle switch is also located at the bottom of the GBM.

The top of the Game Boy micro unit is built in with the receptacle that accepts the AC Adapter included with the Game Boy micro unit. This placement is crucial, as I found out, as it allows gaming even when the unit is being recharged (and this is very important for long RPG's like Final Fantasy IV for the GBA - there is a problem with saving games and you basically have to go through the game in one shot). There are also Left and Right buttons at the top. It's all very intuitive for console and handheld gamers.

This is the back of the Game Boy micro unit. The bottom of the unit accepts the game cartridges. The Game Boy micro is compatible with all Game Boy Advance (GBA) and Game Boy Advance SP cartridges. That's a huge library of games at your disposal. However, the cartridges are expensive though - it would be cheaper to get one of the aftermarket GBA cartridge converters that accepts an SD Card - which you can use to download ROM's for the GBA online and transfer it into the SD Card for gaming on the go (beats playing it on an emulator on the PC any day). Please note that this is illegal if you do not own the original copy of the GBA game though. ;)

Here is a comparison to show the actual size of the Game Boy micro - it is pictured here with a normal King Size cigarette box (20's). It is only slightly longer than the cigarette box. The official dimensions for the Game Boy micro is 4 inches by 2 inches. It's the smallest handheld unit on the market.

This is a picture to compare the thickness of the Game Boy micro. It's hardly near the bulk of the cigarette box - the Game Boy micro measures 0.8 inches in depth. The cartridge adds minimal bulk to the unit, which is surprising. The Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP cartridges all fits in snugly with minimal outcrop.

I bought Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the GBA bundled with the game. The Game Boy micro does not have a library of its own - it takes in GBA and GBA-SP cartridges for games.

This is how the cartridges are slotted into the Game Boy micro. It has an auto-interlock system for safe insertion of the cartridges and the raised portion of the cartridges allows you to pull out the cartridges instead of depending on a push-out button, which minimizes mechanical failure during constant swapping of cartridges.

Here is the Game Boy micro with Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the Game Boy Advance. The GBA cartridges all slots in with minimal outcrop, which is great for pulling out cartridges and inserting them.

This is the Game Boy micro boot up screen - it shows the Nintendo Game Boy micro boot up sequence (video below) and the Select and Start buttons are red - indicating low battery status.

Download: Game Boy micro (GBM) boot up sequence video [sixthseal.com]

Here is the Need for Speed: Most Wanted splash screen on the Game Boy micro. The LCD screen is incredibly bright and has a very high resolution compared to the GBA (first and second editions), partly due to the smaller LCD screen, which compresses the pixels. I was impressed by the clarity of the screen on the Game Boy micro.

This is how Need for Speed: Most Wanted looks on the Game Boy micro. The rendering is impressive on a handheld of the Game Boy micro generation (GBA). I was interested in how a racing game would perform on a Game Boy micro and it performs much better than on the original platform (GBA) - probably due to the faster processor.

Download: Need for Speed: Most Wanted game play movie [sixthseal.com]

The faster processor on the Game Boy micro can also lead to problems with classic GBA games...Final Fantasy IV Advance runs much faster than I remembered on the Game Boy micro compared to the Game Boy Advance SP. The graphics and the sound has depth to it though - much more than the GBA. The tests were run with a self-powered headphone attached to the stereo jack - the sound output is dismal on a stock Game Boy micro.

Download: Final Fantasy IV Advance on Game Boy micro [sixthseal.com]

The Game Boy micro is a great handheld system for classic games though - the return to the basic D-pad and the A and B buttons with a higher resolution and brighter LCD screen and the sleek form factor just cannot be beat at this price range.

I'll give the Game Boy micro two thumbs up but one of them is on the directional pad and the other on the A button. ;)

Posted in Best of sixthseal.com by Huai Bin at 09:04 AM Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBack

This is an endearing stock photo from my archives

I saw this family of four sharing the same small sized drink back in Sibu and I though it was endearing. Soccer mum. Kid in BB (Boy's Brigade). Younger sister. Older sister.

...and now for something completely random

SUNG TO THE THEME OF "OH MANDY"

OH JOSEPHINE
OH YOU GAVE AND DISPENSED OXYCONTIN
THOUGH YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE I'M DOCTOR SHOPPING
YOU STILL SMILED WHEN I ASKED FOR DUROGESIC

Posted in by Huai Bin at 10:30 AM Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBack

Hershey's Symphony 1/2 Pound Bar Creamy Milk Chocolate

Hershey's Symphony is a milk chocolate candy bar made by the largest chocolate manufacturer in the United States. I picked it up at ChocShop at the airport during my flight back earlier this week.

Hershey's Symphony retails for RM 14.90 and is made by Hershey Foods Corporation in the US. The bar looks rather retro with its linear lines and beige background superimposed with the stylized text "Symphony" in classic red.

The chocolate bar weighs 1/2 a pound, a fact that is proudly declared on the lower left side of the wrapping. This contributes much to the retro look as does the scheme - it's meant to look like sheet music (as in music sheets, not shitty music).

The 1/2 pound milk chocolate bar opens up to reveal blocks of chocolate with the Hershey's logo on it. I had forgotten about it ever since I left it on the office table when I came back to Kuching until just now. I had it for lunch.

Hershey's Symphony tastes like mid-range milk chocolate - with potential, but never quite achieving greatness. It was a good lunch nonetheless.

Posted in Snacks by Huai Bin at 06:15 PM Permalink | Comments (30) | TrackBack

Aho Mee Sapi Nasi Ayam Restoran review

Aho Mee Sapi Nasi Ayam Restoran is located opposite Wisma Sanyan in Sibu and specializes in exactly what the eating establishment's signboard suggests - mee sapi which is beef noodles (interpreted very liberally - the innards of the cow is also used in the dish) and nasi ayam - chicken rice.

Aho Mee Sapi Nasi Ayam Restoran is Malay owned and operated and the food is halal. The two specialties of the restaurant is featured prominently on the walls in the form of menus shaped in the likeness of a chicken and a cow. The menus list the different variations of beef noodles and chicken rice available.

I went there for breakfast when I was in Sibu last weekend. I patronize the establishment for their beef noodles...I don't think their chicken rice is anything to write home about but the Malay style beef noodles is great! It's completely different from Chinese style beef noodles. The Malay style beef noodle has a more forceful flavor, which is a Good Thing (TM).

There is also a stall at the front selling yu char kueh or yu tiaw - a deep fried twin dough batter. It's a breakfast favorite and it goes well with the beef noodle soup (dipped or soaked).

The yu tiaw comes with chilli sauce as a dipping sauce. It's sliced into manageable pieces like the servings that come with bak kut teh [sixthseal.com] which is another breakfast staple in Malaysia.

This is the Malay style mee sapi. It's the dry version (soup served separately) with everything inside. There are beef slices, beef tripe (stripe), chunks of beef fat and other delicious stuff that comes from the animal known as "cow". There is a healthy sprinkling of spring onions and deep fried onions as well as bean sprouts on top of the dish.

The yu tiaw goes well with the chilli sauce (which is depicted in this photo of my gf showing the proper method of dipping it)...

...and soaked in the soup that comes with mee sapi. The Malay style beef noodle soup is much heartier than the Chinese style beef noodle soup.

Aho Mee Sapi Nasi Ayam Restoran serves really good beef noodles. I make a point of going there every time I go back home. The place has been operating for the better part of two years and it's always packed - a testament to the delicious beef noodles served there.

Posted in Sibu by Huai Bin at 06:54 PM Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack