In the office & feeling darn tired...

Just imagine: you are at the office, you are really tired and really want a quick rest. You lower your head onto your workstation and rest your eyes for that quick few seconds. But seconds turn into minutes. And worst yet, your boss walks by and catches you red-handed sleeping at your desk. What would you do??? Here are 5 things you can say:

5.) They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen.

4.) This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time management course you sent me to.

3.) Raise your head and shout out load: “where’s that damn file??!!”

2.) Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?

And the number one excuse to say when caught napping at your work desk:

1.) Raise your head real slowly and say, “….in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Movie Updates

I’ve got a few movie info that’s been circulating around the net recently which I found very, very cool. First off, the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight finally gets its teaser poster. Premiering in the summer of 2008, this looks like another gem of a movie by Christopher Nolan. Check it out below:

Below are some promo shots of Batman and his latest nemesis in 'Dark Knight', The Joker. These photos are apparently leaked without the approval of the distributors:

Christian Bale as Batman, Heth Ledger as The Joker.

Next off, Star Trek. As some might already know, JJ Abrams (Alias, MI3) is re-booting the Star Trek franchise next year with Zachary Quinto (Sylar in ‘Heroes’ TV series) as Spock. Interesting choice eh? But what’s interesting is that an apparent LEAKED image of the new Enterprise starship slipped into the net. The question is, if this image for real? Or is it some fanboy hoax? But in the meantime, embrace the coolness that is NCC-1701 a.k.a. Starship Enterprise.

The NCC-1701. For real?

Now for some news on the latest addition to the already milked-dry franchise called The Terminator. It is confirmed that Christian Bale (Batman) will star as John Connor, a very contral character in the Terminator universe, in 'Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins'. So will Arnold Schwarzenegger make an appearance since he has gone all political in California? Apparently, he will. God provide us salvation from this. This movie will cost a reported US 150 million and above. Salvation indeed.

As for the Golden Compass, you might have noticed this movie as it is being heavily advertised all over the place. Good or bad, you decide but where’s a link where it help you decide whether to spend RM 10 on it or not. It features the first 10 minutes of the ‘Golden Compass’. Enjoy. Click here to be re-directed to the Yahoo Movies.

Of offers & Promotions

Some of my favourite Dim Sums at 'Tai Thong'.

Weekend of 24th & 25th November.

Saturday

I always fall for offers or promotions. I don’t know why. It’s like I’m a fly and whenever I see light, I tend to go near them. And at times (at most times anyway), my fly escapades ends up being pretty darn messy. Like being zapped by those purple-lighted bug killers in fly-infested restaurants, my money in my wallet just gets zapped away from these offers or promos. I mean, these things are supposed to help you save money right, but I end up spending more instead. Oh well. It’s for the fun of it I suppose, and last weekend there were heaps of offers to take pleasure from.

The weekend started off with Dim Sum at 'Tai Thong Restaurants’. If you didn’t know it already, ‘Tai Thong’ was offering nearly 50% discounts on their Dim Sum menu for nearly the whole year through, which makes most of the items RM 2.80 or RM 3.80. After discount, the price is almost equivalent to street-level Dim Sum parlors, so why not envelop yourself in a cozy environment and enjoy some seriously good Chinese Tea with heaps of fine Dim Sum to choose from? Plenty of other dishes such as the ‘Chee Cheong Fun’ and ‘Char Siew Pau’ were present, all at discounted rates. The quality of service were impressive as well (I went to the ‘Tai Thong’ in KL’s Wisma Selangor Dredging, situated in it the British Council). All in all, 7 baskets of Dim Sum with Chinese Tea for 2, plus tax took me for close to RM 25. Not bad eh. It’s recommended if you like Dim Sum in a restaurant environment at a very reasonable price.

After this scrumptious breakfast (I normally don’t eat breakfast), I continued my promo voyage to Pavillion’s ‘Coffee Bean’ and checked out its ‘Buy 1 Ice Blended get another for free’ promo. Offered only to ‘Citibank’ credit card holders to all CB branches (that’s what I was told by the cashier anyway), the offer had a slight catch: the free Ice-Blended only come in flavors of Green Tea and Mango. HMmmmm, I knew it was too good to be true. Well, it was free so can’t complain that much. Bill came out to RM 13 for 2 Ice-Blendeds. Verdict: Recommended only if someone in your group likes Ice Blended Mango or Green Tea.

After the refreshment, GSC Pavillion were having a pre-opening promo whereby patrons with GSC coupons that can be found virtually everywhere lately in newspapers, websites, flyers, etc, can enjoy free movie screening at GSC’s latest addition to its bulging fleet of cinemas in Malaysia. I heard the next addition will be in The Gardens, Mid Valley. Look out for promos similar to this soon. However, only old movies were offered free screenings (there’s always a catch isn’t it?) and notable movies were Transformers, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Ratatouille, Secret (the Jay Chou movie) and others I don’t remember. I caught ‘Secret’, which is no secret that I really wanted to see it but never had the chance. In the end, it was a satisfactory movie that is a lot smarter than first thought…

Thanks to 'Saimatkong' for this grab!!!

After the movie, it was already dinner time and thus proceeded to my regular joint for 50% discounted dinners: ‘Izzi Restaurant’ along Jalan Sultan Ismail. ‘Izzi’ gives 50% discount to most of the major credit cards in Malaysia, as long as if you can spend RM 100 and above in a single receipt. Honestly speaking, it is well worth your effort to splurge on the menu because what you can’t finish on the table you can always take-away. So, ‘ta-pau’ for your mum and dad at home or make someone happy by bringing food to their door at half the price!!! Discount applies to all dishes except for dessert (which is not that impressive a list to choose from anyway). Food is mostly Italian fare, i.e. pizza, pasta and spaghetti, although a list of Asian dishes can be found (i.e. 'char kuey teow', chicken rice, etc, which believe me, is not recommended). Our bill after discount stood at almost RM 50 and with 4 persons that night, each person just needed to fork out RM 12.50 for 2 large pizzas, 2 pastas, 2 lasagnas, 1 spaghetti and 4 bottom-less Coke drinks. It is recommended to those wanting to senselessly & sinfully fill up their bodies with food at a very bargain basement price.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we took a walk along Star Hill and lo and behold, ‘Lecka Lecka’ was just around the corner. As I’m pitifully weak in running away from offers, I remembered that anyone with a ‘HSBC’ credit card can enjoy 30% off their ice-creams, and I took advantage of my good memory & duly had a triple-scooper that amassed a cost of approximately RM 7 (usual price I heard was around RM 10). The flavors were pretty good (Macadamia, Cookies & Cream & Oreo) although I find the ice-cream tend to melt pretty darn fast, even in an air-con environment. Too much water content in the ice-creams perhaps? Who knows, but at 30% off it’s well worth the effort. Recommended for ice-cream likeys and likey a nice and cozy out-door environment (facing the LV boutique, no less).

Well, you would think that the day is over but it is not. Haha, since my stomach was filled with stuff, we walked around the BB area and ended up in Isetan. At first glance at my surrounding and immediately spotted a 50% off sign for all Sushi & Sashimi. Brilliant!!! I always love sushi. I grabbed a small bucket load of sashimi at RM 10, packed to the brim with sashimi it can feed a cat for weeks. Recommended if the sushi or sashimi can be finished by the next day (for freshness reasons).

Sunday


Well, now you will think the promo escapades are over. Think again. Refreshed from a night’s rest, the journey continues at the ‘Curve’. If you didn’t know, ‘Cineleisure Damansara’ is having these whacky sales whereby all of the shops in 'Cineleisure' are slashing their prices. And some of the slashes are pretty darn major. Check out ‘Genki Sushi’’s bento set, where originally at RM 30, this baby is coming at you for only RM 6.90. Kid you not, it’ a good deal and the food is pretty darn good too. It’s not hotel standard of course, but for RM 6.90 for a bento set, you can’t really complain much can you?

Other stuff you can check out are:

- 50% off (weekdays)* @ FourSkin for all T-Shirts & Flip Flops.

- 20 & off (weekdays)* @ Midori

- 10 % off for all Nike normal priced items.

- 15% off for Adidas normal priced item, above RM 100.

- 30% off for Hair Coloring @ S'Pro Hairdressing.

- RM 45.90 fpr Wagyu Beef Set @ Satsuma (normal price RM 110)

- RM 6.90 for Salmon Teppanyaki @ Mr. Teppanyaki (normal price RM 14.90)

- RM 39.90 for Beef Ribs @ Tony Roma's (normal price RM 48.90)

* for weekends discounts differ.

* coupons can be collected at information counter at Cineleisure Damansara. While stocks last.

* loads for offers and discounts up for grabs!!!

I spent the entire day there splashing my dosh on these offers. And now I’m broke. Crap. Looks like it’s Maggie mee for the rest of the week days I guess. No more Coffee Bean for days. Bosss!!! teh tarik satu kurang manis!!!

Of Annie's Wedding Dinner & An Orchestra

Weekend of 17th & 18th November

Saturday


This weekend I celebrated with many other friends a wedding that was to be celebrated sooner or later. It was Annie’s wedding dinner held at her home, although not grand (but the actual wedding dinner at her husband’s hometown will be grand, I’m sure), the atmosphere and food was fantastic and it befitted a bride that is just as fantastic, in terms of beauty, charm and personality. That night, Annie was the pearl in the ocean among a sea of people, dressed in a green dress with hints of peacock feathers that befitted her elegance that night. Just like a peacock in full feathery bloom, she was a beauty in full glamorous poise and attraction. Her efforts to impress were not in vain, that is for sure.

With her husband in tow, they complemented each other like the stars in a night sky. It is a marriage made in heaven, and I believe without doubt it will stay that way until time passes no more. There shall (and most realistically) be bumps and rough seas thoroughly the course of their matrimonial journey, but through patience, understanding and love, passing through the hard times will only make them stronger, and the love for each other will only be much more deeper.

I hope and wish to the both of you, the best and most rewarding of married times. Congratulations!

Abit more photos are available by clicking here!!!

Sunday

It seems my recent good fortunes are continuing to prosper. Last Friday I got a call from a friend of mine and she invited me to the ‘Cadaques Orchestra’, brought to us by Toyota from the ‘Toyota Classics’ series held at Shah Alam. Not being a big fan of classical music, I nearly said an emphatic ‘No’ to her until she suddenly mentioned that the tickets were free. I made an abrupt U-turn and accepted her fine offer with gleeful arms and gladly fetched her to the Shah Alam Auditorium. Joined by SL, we attended the event in full formal wear and embraced the characteristic passion and flair of the Spanish Zarzuela music for an unforgettable 2 hours and more.

With conductor Pablo Gonzalez, tenor Francisco Vas and special guest performer Sean Ghazi, it was an evening of sheer musical class and a performance befitting a King. Yes, even our Agong was there. But sad to say, the venue did not fit the standard of music on offer that night, as the ‘Auditorium Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam’ was in a dilapidated state and the air-conditioning was no exception. The guests were all in evening gowns and suits. Just imagine the discomfort of everyone from the warm conditions.

But the event was for charity, so I guess the discomfort was for a good cause. I hope. Anyway, the night of formality was not without its funny moments. I caught an uncle, a few rows in front of me falling asleep!!! His head was dropping sideways almost to a 90 degree angle and was this close to falling sideways to the person beside him. And another funny thing is, the person beside him was trying to dodge his head by shouldering him away!!! And yet that guy was still asleep. That’s the magic of classical music, I guess.

Getting ready to enter the concert!!!

I noticed a few pretty ladies around the auditorium as well, so pretty in fact, there was one lady that I swear resembled Angelina Jolie!!! She was tall, slim, and elegant. When walking, one can feel she possess an aura of sexiness only sexy ladies can own (haha!). I was so tempted to ask for a picture with her (or an autograph. Or a drink with her. Or a night out. Anything) until something out of my wildest imagination could not possibly create happened….she scratched her armpits. 3 times. Oh good lord in heaven, why did this mismatch of beauty and brains occurred. Such a waste of sexiness, ‘cause there isn’t enough of it in this world you know that….

Anyway, putting my misadventures in an auditorium aside (and I had quite a few in my time), the energy-filled ‘Cadaques Orchestra’ performed a wide-range of tunes in-line with the Zarzuela spirit (Zarzuela, according to Wikipedia, “is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. The name derives from a Royal hunting lodge, the ‘Palacio de la Zarzuela’ near Madrid, where this type of entertainment was first presented”). The lists of compositions performed are as follows:

1.) R.Chapi
Prelude to La Revoltrosa

2.) J. Serrano
“Te quiero morena” from El trust de los tenorios”

3.) F. Chueca
Prelude to El bateo

4.) A. Soriano
“Suena guitarrico mio” from El guitarrico

5.) J. Guerreros
“Fiel espada triunfadora” from El huesped del sevillano”

6.) G. Gimenez
“Intermedio” from La boda de Luis Alonso

7.) A. Lara
“Granada”

Intermission

8.) R. Chapi
Prelude to El tambor de granaderos

9.) R. Soutullo & J. Vert
“Bella enamorada” from El ultimo romantico”

10.) P. Sorozabal
“No puede ser Esa mujer es buena” from La taberna del Puerto

11.) F. Chueca
Prelude to Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente

12.) M. Torroba
“De este apacible rincon de Madrid” from Luisa Fernanda.

13.) Sean Ghazi
“Semalam”
“I Have Dreamed”
“Getaran Jiwa”


Well, Sean Ghali was a nice surprise, I didn't know we had a singer like him!!! I gotta check out his new album some day.

Anyway, here are some of the photos from the event!!!

On a side note, during the morning I went to 1 Utama to watch ‘Beowulf’ (great movie, the review in previous blog) and right after I came out from the cinema, suddenly a very tiny guy but very ‘leng cai’ and ‘yeng’ guy walked past right in front of me, accompanied by security guards and all. At first glance, I instantly knew who he was. It was Daniel Lee, the winner from Malaysian Idol (Season 2 I think). I could not get out my cam-phone out on time to catch a quickie photo with him (even though the guards will not let me), I caught a few photos of him while performing on stage at ‘1U’. He is soooooo tiny looking, but his voice is like a boom-box. What a talent. Apparently he said that this will be his last promo gig in the Klang Valley or Malaysia (I didn’t hear it properly haha, sorry). So, very sad for the Klang Valley fans. I guess he will be moving up to Taiwan where his prospect would be better? Anyway, he stayed to sign autographs and all that, but I got his autograph already hehe. An auntie of mine gave me Daniel’s signed CD of his latest album ‘Unaviodable’. Check it out!!!:

Review: Beowulf

The movie season re-starts with a bang, and what a bang this is. Of all the potentially promising year-end movies on offer, this one really ignited my excitement and to a certain extent, my curiosity. I’m excited because ‘Beowulf’ promises some truly mind-blowing 3-D effects that, it is said, will knock all special effects movies off their pedestals and plant itself firmly as the benchmark which other effects-driven movies should aspire to. I’m curious too, on how Robert Zemekis, the director, is going to fulfill these fancy promises considering that his previous offering, ‘The Polar Express’, failed in many departments, ironically and alarmingly on the special effects itself. With ‘Express’, Tom Hanks’ cold and spiritless eyes still bore holes into my soul until this very day. If Zemekis is to reach the level he has set for ‘Beowulf’, a great mighty effort is needed. And after watching it last weekend, I think his promises are mightily justified.

The visuals and style was truly breathtaking, the characters had soul digitally imprinted into them, and their eyes glimmer with emotions. Movements of every object, be it clothes, hair or snow, is as realistic as any natural world anyone can possibly imagine. Mind you, this movie is supposed to be viewed in I-MAX 3D format (which is unfortunate that Malaysia is not showing it), and I watched it on standard movie format and yet it is still mind-blowing. Imagine the spectacle that can be enjoyed when one experience it on I-MAX 3D…

Well, this movie is not all big-bang special effects and bombing sound effects. The screen play is just as solid, with renowned writer Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery at the helm; they provide a balance to the larger-than-life special effects with a wonderful source material is that substantially filled with drama, lust and heroism. Together, they provide a movie that is solidly entertaining and intriguing.

The plot is relatively simple to follow, but what made it exceptional was its many stylized lines the characters churn out that one cannot help but smirk at what was said on screen. Case in point was when Grendel, one of Beowulf’s nemesis in the movie (during a nude wrestling match that is truly bizarre), asks Beowulf who he is, Beowulf replies in a multi burst tirade of self commercialism that it makes the Spartans from ‘300’ sound like Britney Spears. Move aside Spartans, the line “This is Sparta” shall be replaced by “I am BEOWULF” very very soon.

But what noticeably stood out, considering that this is a CGI movie, were the ‘acting’ performances from all the lead actors. Ray Winstone plays Beowulf as the rampant-with-testosterone hero with a serious digital body workout to a ‘T’, Anthony Hopkins as the distressed and yuck-ingly loose clothed King Hrothgar, John Malkovich as Unfeth the King’s advisor that spits words of confrontation with almost everyone, Robin Wright Penn as the troubled wife and queen to the King, and last but not least, Angelina Jolie as the seductive water demon that wants to bed virtually every male in the entire kingdom to secure an offspring of her own and continuation of a curse (if she wants an offspring so badly, and if it is Angelina Jolie I have to bed, then lock me up and let there be offsprings aplenty!!!).

This brings back to my point on why I mentioned that this movie’s special effects were such a stellar spectacle to enjoy. The characters were extremely believable (especially Anthony Hopkins, if the viewer is familiar to his distinctive traits & mannerisms in his acting). And the creation of Grendel, a half-demon half-human and yet the most misunderstood creature is fantastically animated and voiced by Crispin Glover in a truly terrifying vocal performance. Sea monsters, dragons, and a semi-naked Angelina Jolie, the magnificence of photo-realistic digital compositions ceases to impress to no end.

The coupling of special effects magic with a solid screenplay was the key to bringing this ambitious movie to life. Much doubt and uncertainty shrouded this project since the beginning, but a glorious end-result was the conclusion to a movie that will leave its mark in movie-dom for its ground-breaking use in 3-D technology, by far the most solid performance from their actors in a digital film and possessing a screenplay that was the perfect palette for the filmmakers to create a new, vivid world that is ‘Beowulf’.

Verdict: 8 / 10

Reviewed by: Raymond Choy

What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Tell me about it!!!

A Rush to the Head: Winning a Man Utd Jersey

Weekend of 10th & 11th November

Shoulder to shoulder with a legend: Mr. Ian Rush.

Aaahhhhhhhh, what a weekend!!!! I think this weekend of one of my luckiest weekends this year. Why? ‘Cause I won a brand spankin’ new Man Utd jersey signed by the main man himself, Mr. Christiano Ronaldo!!!!! WOoOoO-HoOoOoO!!!!!! It came along with EPL shields on both sleeves, with Ronaldo’s name and number printed at the back, and with the signature crafted on the legendary number ‘7’. Check it out:

Tired but grateful for the jersey. Heck, the Nike tag is still on it!!!

I mean, WOW. Even without the signature, this jersey would have cost like what, RM300 plus with the printed number, name and shields? And with the signature on it, I guess to me, this jersey is absolutely priceless. EXCELLENTTTTTT!!!!!!

I didn’t even have to pay a penny ‘cause I got it from a lucky draw. See, if anyone had noticed recently, Mr. Ian Rush from the legends of Liverpool FC came down to Cheras last weekend to do some publicity thing for Y&Y group (which is currently handling the development of ‘1Shamelin’ shopping mall, an up-class shopping complex in the heart of Cheras). I was there to attend his media conference (basically I sneaked in hahaha. Here are the photos!!!). After the conference, Mr. Rush came out to greet the fans and signed autographs for the mass visitors that braved the rain. Yes, the rain. And the event was an open-air event which had limited cover. But a lil’ rain aint gonna stop me from seeing of one the most prolific and greatest strikers to grace the green grass of English football. And after a 30 minute aqua treatment for my hair and body, I finally got my signature from him. I even got him to sign my company name card just for fun. HA!!!! Check it out below:

Hhhmmmm, looks abit like Mr. Bean....

Mind you, I’m a Man Utd fan, but I’m open-minded about these things. Even if it’s Steven Gerrard or Didier Drogba coming down to KL, I’ll try to attend if I can. ‘Cause, you see, when will another opportunity pop up to see these guys in real life? Close to zilch. So, even if it’s an old hack like Ian Rush or a cocky German like Jens “I’m too good to be on the bench even I’m 37 years old” Lehmann, I’ll be there if time permits. Heck, I’m a football fan, not just a Man Utd fan, and it’s my duty to support these guys dammit!!!!

Anyway, putting my football emo aside for a minute, let me tell you how fortunate I was with the lucky draw. There were in fact other jerseys to be won such as Frank Lampard’s signed jersey, Michael Owen’s jersey and of course the C. Ronaldo jersey. Lampard’s & Owen’s was won through playing games, which I didn’t participate (‘cause, you know me, I malu lah). Ronaldo’s was won through a lucky draw, and out of a few hundred people there, I was the lucky one. VERY LUCKY ONE because to be eligible for the draw, a person needs to fill out this card and each person has unlimited entries. I saw kids and enthusiastic fans filling up card after card, so serious with sweat and discussion, I thought these guys were voting for the next President of the Inter-Galactic Universe. But I only filled up 2 cards. The first card was when I entered the event, and the second one, honestly I didn’t even bother to fill up until a sudden jolt in my consciousness that screamed: “FILL UP A SECOND CARD”. I duly obeyed the voice from my Lord of Screaming Consciousness and took a card from a lady, filled it up with an ink pen (which the name got blotched. That pen was all I got from my friend). Gave the card to an event girl that was on the way to submit the final entries, and 10 minutes later, Mr. Ian Rush took the liberty to conduct the lucky draw and BAAAAAAAAM!!!! There was total confusion. Total bedlam from the organizers because the card Mr. Rush took out had a blotched name on it. After a few tries with his Welsh tongue trying to guess the name on the card, he uttered a few words along the lines of ‘Raymond’ and instantly I knew it was me. I rushed up the stage like a striker sensing a goal, pounced on the opportunity to claim my prize and screamed that the name is indeed me, and scored when Mr. Ian Rush shook my hand with congratulations. The cameras went wild, the crowd clapped (although there was some boo-ing from some sections of the crowd. You know how they are), and I thanked my lucky stars for filling up that second card.

From the excitement, I forgot to give my camera to my friend for picture taking while I accepted the prize. So, no picture of me and Mr. Ian Rush with the Ronaldo jersey. DAMMIT!!! But there was an individual photo session later and I took a picture with him anyway, which was this blog’s top photo above.

After Mr. Rush left, there was more activities such as fire-eaters a.k.a. flame throwers a.k.a. breath so bad flame can spew out from his mouth, an exhibition of football wonder kids (10 year old kids doing perfectly timed step-overs and ball balancing skills. Amazing. What milk do their mama’s give them??!!!), a dancing performance and clowns. Well that’s all I saw because at around 10pm the rain started to fall again and I left the place feeling not just happy, but relieved.

I felt relieved because finally this year, something good and fortunate has happened to me. Let me tell you, throughout this year, some really bad and weird things occurred to me which I find not just annoying, but to the point of total ridicule. I mean, take for example in the month August. Within this one month, my PS2 stopped working for some weird reason; my hand phone short circuited from, according to the technician, “a mass intake of water into the phone board which resulted in circuitry malfunction”. I mean, WTF, since when I took my phone for a swim?? You think I miss my calls so much until I can’t let it go even when I was in the pool?? And last but not least, my car. My right-side door got slammed by a motorcyclist, my front bumper got knocked by another motorcyclist and my back bumper got hit my a guy in a car while I was paying toll. Paying toll for sweet sake, my car is not even moving and it got hit!!! AARRGGHHHH!!! Anyway, that’s another story. And all this incidents happened in the month of August. Just imagine. Sigh.

So, with this fortunate win, I felt like a big burden has been lifted from my shoulders and I felt that finally, the entire world is not against me. I guess Fortune & the Gods has not forgotten me yet…

The One With The Red She-Devil

Emma & Ellerique @ Vincenzo, Bangsar.

Weekend of 3rd & 4th November

Saturday

There was so much hype before it happened and finally it has arrived. It is Emma & Ellerique’s friends party at Vicenzo Ristorante Italiano at Bangsar. It was planned waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when they had the ‘kenduri’ (3 months ago I think), and the discussions about it never stopped since because apparently Emma wanted the theme of the event to be ‘erotic’. Her decision sent shockwaves across the friendship peninsular as friend after friend started calling me up and asking “how to dress erotically and yet decently”. The f**k I know I replied, I’m not a regular to erotic clubs or bars, am I? *cough* Anyway, we joked among ourselves that we would dress up as bunny rabbits, guys will wear the bunny ears and the girls the bunny bushy tail as a tribute to the lord of eroticism (to me anyway), Mr. Hugh Hefner of Playboy magazine. The only problem was how to get the actual bunny ears and tails. But that’s another problem, and we left it at that.

But when the time got nearer to the actual event, word spread that the erotic dressing up was just a hoax. Guys and gals do not need to dress up as personifications of horny jack-ass rabbits. Thank the Lord in Heaven (and with a little bit of regret). Anyway, the theme turned out to be pretty cool and simple: guys in black tops and gals in white top while everyone needed to wear some kind of head gear, be it a cap, sunglasses, bunny ears or dandruff. I wore a black shirt with a white loosened tie to go along with a white open headed cap (is that how you call it?). In fact I actually went shopping a few days before to look for that headgear. So Emma, don’t say I didn’t put any effort into this event k? ;)

The party was 6pm, and I, V, M carpooled with TK. Rushed like hell in fear of being late to the party but when we arrived, we discovered the party was in favorable accordance to traditional Malaysian culture. There was nobody there. As we didn’t want to be there before the hosts arrived, so we took some photos outside the place for fun (and looked mighty silly with our headgear), gallivanted through the concrete jungle of Bangsar and ended up in the all famous mamak stall that serves, arguably, the best apum in the land. For me, it was just so so - too sweet for my liking and too squishy squashy.

Returned back to the party and people started filling in, met with some unknown individuals, some I roughly know, and some I know but never met for a long, long time. And I’m talking about you, A. We spent so much time together in College, spent so much time trashing class rooms (until security guards need to patrol the corridors every few hours) and we wandered around KL without a thing to do, but it was still fun. I even went to your house, or is it your grandma’s house, for some good ol’ nasi lemak (which was super hot, had me sweating profusely and someone in your family duly laughed at me. Such sweet hospitality). Well, whatever new lives we are going through right now, hope we still keep in touch k.

But for beautification purposes, our hostess didn’t turn up until way late into the night. She had to put her costume on, make-up, Shalala, Shalala. But she eventually stole the limelight as she marched into the room in a red She-Devil costume equipped with horns (but I didn’t notice the devil’s fork. If she had it, it would have been perfect) and with that blazing banshee of a laugh that will either terrify you if you do not know her, or make you laugh along if you are familiar with it.

THAT's THE ONE! The blazing banshee of a She-Devil.

Anyway, we walloped whatever food that was on offer (and it was good actually, even if it was finger food. The spaghetti was top notch), chit-chatted, hooked up with old friends, gained new ones, took loads of photos, and generally had a blast. Oh, and they hired a caricature artist for the party, and most of us had our portraits drawn. Unfortunately, I was the last in the queue, and either the artist knows the world was about to end in 2 minutes time and had to rush back home, or the artist was a Man Utd or Arsenal fan (‘cause the game was starting on telly), the artist had me drawn the wrong way and it did not resemble me at all. Curse his poisonous pen!!!

The party adjourned and the clubbing people continued their partying by heading to their favorite joints afterwards while the football kakis went to a nearby mamak stall to attend the biggest match so far in the EPL season: Arsenal Vs. Man Utd. T, M, AN tagged along with me and TK, talked cock and discussed about plans for New Year’s Eve. The plan is still in its infancy so I dare not say anything at the moment, except that if it works out (and I really hope it does) it’s gonna be a blast. So, fingers and toes crossed for this one…

Anyway, you can get the whole package of UNRATED & UNCENSORED photos from my camera here.

And for the 'Kenduri' photos waaaaay back in August, click here (Sorrry for the HUGE delay, M).

Oh, and as an added bonus, here's a blooper reel caught before the party when a certain French director, aka Mousier Steeven Eng was trying to take a photo of me and M but instead took a video clip. Pure craftmanship from the Mousier...

Sunday

Went to KLCC with SL and the highlight was this restaurant that we went, although not new, had one of the greatest beef noodle shop I have ever tasted so far. It’s called ‘Bong Sen’ located at the top floor of the shopping complex, and it labels itself as “French Vietnamese Cuisine”. After tasting some of the dishes on offer, I still had no idea which part of the food is French or Vietnamese. Being the true Malaysian I am, I hantam saja lah.

For appetizers I had this Vietnamese Spring Roll, which was sadly ordinary. I mean, you can get this stuff anywhere. It looks kinda special but really, make this a skip.

Now on to the main dish and man, let me tell you, if you like beef noodle soup, you just have to try this place. It’s called simply ‘Pho’ in Vietnamese but it packs quite a punch. I ordered the spicy beef noodle soup and the soup base is simply rich in aroma (you can even drink the soup on its on!). The noodles are gingerly soft and slice after slice of meat is readily to be enjoyed in abundance. And of course, let’s not forget the throne of it all: the beef balls. Once you sink your teeth into it, be prepared for an explosion of beef flavor that will satisfy the most stringent of tastebuds. A total of 6 flavor bombs float invitingly, waiting to satisfy. So, if you are beef lover, await not and head off to ‘Bong Sen’. It is indeed the best beef noodle soup I’ve had thus far.

Happy Hallowe'en!!!

Happy Halloween!!! Even though I would LOVE to celebrate Halloween today, I can’t ‘cause of work, work, and work. And whatever free time that I may have today, well, I think I should take it to rest. ‘Cause my squeaking carcass of a body ain’t the same like before. Now that’s a scary thought for this Halloween. But I was just wondering, how the heck did this cool festivity come about and why in God’s sweet name are we celebrating pumpkin cannibalism and demonizing small innocent children? Here’s a gist about Halloween from Wikipedia:

"The term Halloween (and its alternative rendering Hallowe'en) is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the eve of "All Hallows' Day", also which is now known as All Saints' Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints' Day from May 13 to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar. Many European cultural traditions, in particular Celtic cultures, hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent (according to, for example, Catalan mythology about witches and Irish tales of the Sídhe).”

Whoaaaaa. That was intense. Just kinda scared that a real ghost pops out and shit goes out the window. Anyway, for those of you with Halloween costumes or masks, very wicked of you to have them. But for those of you that do not, well, be afraid not, ‘cause I just got the quick-fire solution for you: printable masks!!! Yes, no costume, no matter as long as you are covered with a mask of Freddy Kruger. Just attach some kitchen knifes to your hand and wear a red/green striped sweater and your are all set to make mash potato with the shit left behind by freaked out kids using your kitchen knives. I'm kidding, I'm just in the mood ;) Anyway, check out the masks with the below links:

http://www.newsgroper.com/free-masks/

http://bigheaddc.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-treat-make-your-own-creepy-larry-craig-mask/

http://www.starwars.com/kids/activity/crafts/f20051026/

Of Being an Official 'Red Devil'

Weekend of 27th & 28th October

What a weekend for football. In England, Arsenal was playing at Liverpool which Arsene Wenger’s men should have won hands down if not for 2 open goal misses. Over a relatively short distance away in Italy, AC Milan was having a go at Roma which the Roman’s won 1-0 even though they can afford to miss a penalty. In Spain, Sevilla entertained the bewildered players from Valencia, and the fate of Valencia’s manager hanged in the balance as only victory would guarantee Mr. Quique Sanchez Flores’ job for another week. Valencia duly lost 3-0, thus dramatically dropping the axe on Mr. Flores. And in Germany, Bayern Munich was at the throats of Dortmund’s industrious players, but the superstars of Munich can only muster a draw. But for me, the pinnacle of my weekend football euphoria was not at the plains of Spain or the sunny coasts of Italy. No, it was in Malaysia. No, it was not even close to any football field in Malaysia. It was in fact, closer than any distance measurable. It was close to my skin. So close in fact, it drapes around my upper body like a flag of pride, joy and glory. If you still have no idea what I'm talking about, i'm talking about the latest football jersey from one of the greatest club in the world: Manchester United. Yes, I bought United’s latest home jersey. What?! Have I gone bonkers spending close to RM 300 bucks on a shirt? No, in fact I haven’t gone bonkers or suffered a pang of Britain’s latest mad cow disease. Why I bought it is because a friend of mine is working at AIA in the Bukit Jalil offices, and AIA being the main sponsor of Man United, they can get the jerseys for a reduced price of RM 150, without buying any con-job insurance. Being relatively cheaper than the market price at the moment, and the jersey being flown direct from UK, I was assured a low price and guaranteed originality. Balancing the pros and cons, I took the offer and eventually the jersey feel onto my hands last Sunday. Thanks very much to L.E. for the offer and very special delivery (me and L.E. were suppose to meet up with friends and hand over the jersey to me, but apparently L.E. forgot to bring it and L.E. went all the way back home to get. God bless her. Amen). At long last, we shall behold below the images that is the pride and joy of my wardrobe:

Front View: The 'Red Devils' badge. I'm now an official Devil!

Back View: The white stripes of MUFC.

Withdrawn Frontal View: AIG = Alex Is God?

But the jersey would not be complete without the names and numbers of my favorite players, would it? I’ve thought long and hard about which player I should print on the back of the jersey. And in true honesty, I’m still thinking about it haha. Because I still can’t decide. Should I put Ryan Giggs, one of my all time favorite player and a legend at Mand Utd? But I already have his name printed on my old Man Utd jersey. So, should I put Christiano Ronaldo, one of the best tricksters and attacking player in the current squad? But his name is so common, anyone can catch his name from Petaling Street to Pavillion. What about Nani instead? He is labeled the upcoming Christiano Ronaldo. But, his future may yet be uncertain. But a tempting choice would be Carlos Tevez. Now, I like him as a player: he is fast, smart, skillful and is never dull to watch. In other words, Tevez is a world class player with world class footballing ethics (i.e. he doesn’t do diving). Tempting, tempting!!! And yet, there is still Rooney, Scholes, Hargreaves, Vidic & Anderson to ponder on. So much to ponder, and only 1 jersey to print on. Dammit!!! Anyway, i think, with 80 % probability, that the name I will print on my jersey would be....drum roll please....Carlos Alberto Tevez. Yes, he beats Giggs and Scholes to it as he holds a sentimental place in my heart, partly because whenever I play my Ps2 game 'Pro Evo Soccer' I just keep on scoring with him. And during his West Ham, Boca Junior and World Cup matches he never fails to excite my football tastebuds. He is a top player with flair, panache and goals as a player. Thus I think he is the right choice to grace the back of my Man Utd jersey. Agree or disagree? Thoughts and comments would help, guys and gals. Anyway, here's a snapshot of what Carlos Tevez and his number would look like if my intentions succeed:

Syabu-licious

Weekend of 20th & 21st October

The highlight of the weekend is the dinner at this fantastic but simple restaurant in Puchong (opposite Giant). It’s called ‘Syabu Syabu’ and it serves, well, syabu syabu. For RM25 bucks it is all you can eat and yes, it is definitely worth it (if you are a major eater like me). They serve nothing really outstanding but what they lack, they make it up with variety as the conveyer belt just keep on churning out dish after dish of fish balls, meat balls, lobster balls, crab balls, every freakin’ balls you can think of it is there (except for the 2 balls in between your legs. Guys I mean). Besides balls, there’s baby octopus, spring rolls, tofu, quail eggs, slices of fish, slices of chicken, etc etc etc and on and on and on. Need I say more? Besides, the soup base they provide is delicious, i.e. it is clear and not too much MSG. They also provide good chili and soy sauce mixed with fried onions (good combo) in abundance, so chili sauce lovers not need worry. As for the drinks, it was however lacking in variety as I noticed they only serve green tea, orange juice and Ribena ice sludge (which is tastier than it sounds).

All in all, definitely worth the suffering of an over-bloated stomach from too much eating and may I warn you that the crowd during the weekends is horrendous, i.e. you will have to wait a solid 1 hour on average just to get your seat. So, either you go way early or reserve your seats. But reservations do not work all the time as if the crowd gets way too thick, they drop reservations and it is all ‘first come first served’ basis. However, they do a good job in providing seats as they have the courtesy to call you on your mobile phone if you have wandered to Giant or other shops while waiting the long wait. So, be smart and give them your mobile phone number…

After that fulfilling dinner, went to ‘Maison’ in Asian Heritage Row, KL for a friend’s birthday bash. Did what everyone is supposed to do in a club, mamak abit and left for home at 5am.