Random Rabbit Holes

A Drop-by to Tanjung Sepat

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 01:05:00 +0000

Dropped by Tanjung Sepat a few weeks ago. Always wanted to go there to take some shots of the place. There hasn't been many photo opps lately since coming back to KL (with work and all). But at least Tj. Sepat was a decent place to visit on a day's trip.

A fisherman's village with notable seafood restaurants and various orchards, it's a stone's throw away from the bustling city and a worthwhile escape for not just for it's food but the refreshing views by the sea.

Company Annual Dinner, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 09:58:00 +0000

The greatest thing about joining my new company is the amount of activities and events we get to join within such a short period of time. Barely 2 months, and I’ve had a departmental trip (although it’s just PD but its free!!!), get to star in a short film that’s to be competing with other departments and now, an annual dinner at the KL Hilton. And from what I hear, I’ll be in Singapore for a meeting soon. Although it’s just Singapore, but hey, I support any trips that’s free. Fingers crossed, I’ll be back in Singapore in no time ;)

But back to the annual dinner. To make things insanely fun, the theme was Hollywood and anyone can dress up as anything from Hollywood. The result: had loads of fun cam-whoring, plenty of joke poking at one another and finally got the perfect excuse to go out in a skirt. Dream come true. JOKING LAH. Here’s some photos of me with some killer costumes that appeared that night on the 25th Sept. 2010:

Me = Ramonus Naughtius Maximus

Heth Ledger lives!!!

We want YOU to join us!!!

Aaarrrr!!! Pirates earned more money at the box-office than Gladiator!!! DIEEE PIRATE!!!!

Unfair fight!!! Let's exchange swords!!!

How often you get to see a Diver, a Gladiator and a Wonder Woman together?

A whole bunch of more costumes: a G.I. Jane, a Beyonce look-a-like, Joker and...err...I dunno who that grey girl is supposed to be haha.

My comrades at war!!

The protector and the Helen of Troy

Mr. Rayban Aviator Gladiator

It was just cam-whoring. There was food you know. Time to munch!!

There was much, much more than what was shown tho, but all in all, hats off and a great salute to a truly great and an enjoyable party!!!

Of birds & eats during Malaysia Day Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Thursday ~ 16th September 2010

What a peculiarly long Malaysia Day weekend. Things kicked-off on Thursday (which was Malaysia Day) with my question “who was Tan Cheng Lock?” Somebody mentioned “Jalan Tan Cheng Lock” in the car, and out popped this question from my mouth. What a question to ask on a day like Malaysia Day. Patriotic, aren’t I? And from that question onwards, I guess I pissed off the Gods of Patriotism (if there is one), and all plans went out the car window as me, Uncle, Maj & Jon drove intently for the famous Curry Fishhead in Kampung Attap (closed) and onwards for the Nasi Lemak in Jalan Tanglin (closed) but somehow ended up at the KL Bird Park. If anyone even had possibly somehow guessed that we might have ended up at the KL Bird Park with the original intent for Curry Fish Head, I totally respect you for your zaniness. Not only we had lunch at the Bird Park (Hornbill restaurant), but we even paid the park a visit. How utterly random was that. That’s why I just had to post this on this blog, ‘cause afterall, my blog’s called Random Rabbit Holes (Geddit? Geddit? Random? Ha!) The park was pretty cool, very decent and very well maintained. No wonder the “Domestic Goddess of USA” Martha Stewart even stopped by. Didn’t bring my DSLR along (remember: we left home with curry fish head in mind) but here some snapshots in random:

Never speak randomly to birds!!!

Friday ~ 17th September, 2010.

Work work work, sad sad sad.

Saturday ~ 18th September, 2010.

It was jalan-jalan cari makan time and this time it’s Hainanese food, and it no other that ‘Restaurant Yut Kee’. Tucked away quietly and somehow untouched by time along Jalan Dang Wangi, this coffee-shop serves delectable Hainanese fare at reasonable prices. Famous servings are such as chicken/pork chops, noodles, roti bakar, kaya rolls and even marble cakes. There’s more in store of course, but here’s what me, Uncle and to some extent, SL ordered:

Forget Old Town Kopitiam, forget PapaRich. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL RIGHT HERE. The kaya is rich is flavor, the bread crunchy and Bridel salted butter. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY GO WRONG??!!

Kaya rolls. The kaya simply made it great. But the skin is just normal only tho.

One of the best roasted pork I've ever tasted. Comes with apple sauce. Skin is delectably crunchy and brittle with the meat tender and succulent. SIMPLY DELICIOUS.

The standard order here is hainan chicken/pork chop. Hence, I ordered the chicken. The gravy made it worthwhile, but sadly the potato wedges were not so top-notch.

Uncle's order. Good?

Evening fell and arranged to meet up at Maj’s place for dinner as she had some sudden craving for ‘Chicken Mee Suah’. The gang of me, Nei, Uncle, Maj and Jon were there. Very nice dinner and appreciate the effort, ‘cause dinner came will nicely decorated table arrangements and all. Felt like the Ritz minus the service charge!

After dinner and a SUPERB movie i.e ‘The Decent’, is where the zaniness started. Instead of practicing for a dance thingy to be recorded for a friend’s wedding, we ended up playing Saidina instead. God knows how long ago I’ve played this board game (last 20 years ago???) and it showed. 15 minutes into the game, I’ve gone bankrupt. Yes, bankrupt. 15 minutes. Won’t be appearing in the front page of the latest Fortune 500 mag anytime soon (or will appear for all the wrong reasons). Jon kicked major @SS as he swept through all the player’s fortune like a ‘Tai-Yee-Lung’ (illegal debt collector) hell-bent on bankrupting each and everyone with his over-luxurious-RM4,000-a-nite-hotels-in-oh-so-glam-places-like-Taiping. The remaining players even ganged up to topple this living freak manifestation of capitalism, but to no avail. Alas, the game ended with the utter annihilation of the consortium known as M-U-R-N (Maj-Uncle-Ray-Nei - sounds like mourn). This game shows clearly that capitalism rules the world whereby the rich get richer and the poor just gets trampled over and die, or live puny lives similar to any low-grade bacteria existing by the dirtiest corner of one’s little toe. Am I even able to contemplate another round of this devilish amusement of the greedy, and dare to face the possibility of re-living this ghastly experience of all over again? God (and Satan) only knows.

Sunday ~ 19th September, 2010.

Went to see ‘Devil’ at GSC 1U. Not the normal summer blockbuster fare, shot with a minimalist budget and with B-list actors, this first-part-of-three saga called ‘The Night Chronicles’ from the twisted mind of M. Night Shayamalan was a decent movie with a very simplistic core storyline but done with enough twists and psychological mind-bending that it just touches that satisfactory button enough to leave the cinema not regretting the price of the movie ticket paid. It’s the kind of movie that one either likes or dislikes, I’ll personally give it a 6 out of 10.

Dinner time, and me and Uncle headed off to Sunway Giza for ‘New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice (a branch from the one in Jalan Gasing) and of course, watched THAT footie game between none other than the greatest rivalry in English football history: Manchester United Vs. Liverpool. Suffice to say who won by now, and I can only produce to you one and only one word: BERBA-TOP. Watched at a new bar called ‘The Beer Factory’, we went adventurous and tried-out some German beer called ‘Erdinger Weiss Beer’. Verdict? It will definitely appeal to the ones that prefer light beer. Hoegaarden fans, this is another option for you lot. When all was done and settled, went back to Subang (with a stop-over for McD ice-cream to boot) by around midnight.

Until next time, cheers.

Gone Up North: A Weekend in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:38:00 +0000

Went to Penang on a recent short trip a few weekends ago together with a slice of the usual travel gang. One would expect any Penang trip to be filled will over-zealous food devouring and go on that customary trip up the ‘Kek Lok Si’ (which we did that of course. It’s Penang after all!!) But Penang is certainly so much more than that, and going off this beaten path abit, we tried-out the ‘Khoo Kongsi’, a clan house of the Leong San Tong clan. A tourist spot nonetheless (complete with ‘visitor’ sticker required for visiting after completing with the entrance fee), but the ‘Khoo Kongsi’ doesn’t always frequently pop-up into the mind of many individuals whenever they visit Penang. But after experiencing this place, I seriously think everyone should. Here’s a photo journey of the place as well as other places/events that we came across.

The facade of the Khoo Kongsi.

Detailed decorations of the building.

How did it take them to complete this? Amazing.

From a different angle.

At the entrance of the Khoo Kongsi.

The timeless interior. A classical ambiance of a world prosperious.

Notice the old grandfather clock? Simply classical.

One of the many murals garces the walls of the Khoo Kongsi.

Pictures do no justice to the grace and spendor to the beautiful murals. You just have to see it for yourselves.

The new addition of the majestic rooftop for the Kuan Yi @ the Kek Lok Si.

The gang @ the Kek Lok Si.

Tortoises showing us the good life @ the Kek Lok Si.

It was the Hungry Ghost month, and the traditionals show are out on display. Haven't seen these kind of shows in decades!

There always some peculiar lure to see how things work backstage. Here's the band playing the accompanying music to the show.

An "all dressed-up" uncle and his cello for the show, with drink standing-by. I like this pic.

As usual, there's more on Facebook. See you there. Cheers.

New Company, New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:09:00 +0000

Been at my new company for almost 3 weeks now. Not much work had begun yet, it's still all training after training after training. So much so, i don't even know what I'm training for. Especially when they group 2 to 3 training sessions in a row, I'll would have spaced out by the 2nd session. Oh well. Luckily there's no exams or anything like that at the end of these trainings. But the lucky bit was, even less than a month in the company, there's already an 'away day' for the employees. It's not a company trip, but just a get-together to know the new members of the organization and all that mumbo-jumbo. And there's an annual dinner coming up in September too. Hollywood is the theme. Would it be too much to bring out my Flintstones outfit again? Time will indeed will tell. Adious.

Photos from PD:

Hotel room. Nice.

The Team!!

The team again!!

The fruit of our labor. Fake money. How generous.

Team S&E (Sourcing & Execution).

Dinner by the sea.

There's more on Facebook. Adious.

If Nothing Ever Changed, There'd Be No Butterflies.

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:19:00 +0000

Another chapter on my life is about to end. I’ve resigned from working in Labuan, Sabah and will be permanently (as far as I know at the moment!!!) back to Kuala Lumpur for good. It’s not a transfer, but a change of company. Some might already know where I’ll be going, but it’ll still be in the same industry.

Resigning so fast? Well, why not? An opportunity presented itself, and after weighing out the pros and cons of all the options I had, coming back was the best option. Was it for family? The obvious answer to many, it was. Well, it was and it was not. The new job had a better job offer overall and I just had to take it.

But financial perks aside, deep down in my heart it was for the best. I’ll be close to my family, to my wife and to my friends, which is the most important of all. Afterall, money only come and go, but a good strong family and friends stay with you to the very end.

Any regrets working in Labuan after all these while? I can sincerely tell you I had no regrets whatsoever. Working in Labuan is so much different than working in KL. Colleagues here are truly colleagues, they help and support you to the very end. Unlike the usual finger pointing and blame culture in KL (generalizing here), working in Labuan was tough but it was sincere hard work. No political BS, no cronnies or groupies, no conspiracies. Work, sweat and glory.

So, looking forward to working back in KL? To be very honest with you, I am not. New environment, new changes, new everything. But I guess he who rejects change is the architect of decay. Life moves forward, weather you like it or not.

On another note. I realized there are so many tough decisions to make over these past 2 years. From deciding to get married, deciding to work in Labuan and decide to come back, and a few other family decisions that I can’t reveal here. Sometimes I linger in the dark in my bedroom alone at night and think, have I made the right decisions, the best decisions? God only knows. I can only think so much, risk so much, do so much. I guess God only help those who help themselves. At least I’ve tried.

Until next time.

A Revisitation

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:34:00 +0000

Hello...? Hello blog world? Is anybody there...?

Reminiscence, 2009.

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:07:00 +0000

It’s been so long since I’ve updated by blog. Felt like it’s been weeks. Or months. Or a year?

And already Chinese New Year is upon us. Speaking of years, how was your year of 2009?

For me, I can’t deny it was a good year. In fact, it’s been a great year. It was a roller coaster year full of emotions, changes, challenges, realizations, disappointments, triumphs, all a cacophony of sensations wrapped up in a nice little whirlwind thrusting me into new horizons that I’ve not known or experienced, until now.

Emotions. Joy, happiness, anticipation, exhilaration, love. It was a year blessed with many of such emotions and it lighted up a year that was truly extraordinary. Marriage is such a miracle that brings out emotions that one cannot truly feel until you experience it. Love itself then blooms into something much more than simply love. Love grows into so many facets now, so many levels and so many dimensions that I’ve not experienced or felt before. There is love, and then there is being in love, and then there is being loved. And I’m still learning about this emotion until this very day, perhaps until my dying day. Yes, love at times can be bitter, but one cannot experience love without the pain, or else it wouldn’t be a true emotion in its purest sense, or else there wouldn’t be true love, is there?

Changes & Challenges. There were so many. From bachelorhood to manhood. And you think life is already a challenge, wait till you get married. Winding the clock a wee bit back to the time when I was just about to get married, I was not exactly jumping for joy. I was actually quite scared. Very scared, in fact. There were so many confusing feelings. Maybe I was just nervous for the big day. Maybe I’ve not gone through this path before and I’m scared of how things will turn out. Or maybe my life will change forever. Maybe I’m scared of the changes that will occur after the big day. Maybe I’m scared of leaving behind my life once so comfortable, so free, and now, there will be serious obligations.

But don’t get me wrong, there were no regrets. I was happy for that special day to arrive and still happy to this very day.

But these changes were challenging. However life needs to progress I suppose. Nothing worth living for lies in constant motion, and my life needs to progress. Or else it wouldn’t be this silly thing called life, isn’t it?

I thought it was the right time to make progress for myself, the right time to flip the pages of life and write the next chapter. And my book is at the stage where the next chapter needs a new character to play, and there she was, and there she was the one. Did I have doubts about it? No, I just knew. We all will know in the end, we will all know who the perfect one is. It’s a magical sprinkle of a miracle within your heart that hints at an unavoidable inevitability. You’ll just know, and that is what I’ve learned.

Triumphs. SL’s acceptance of my hand in marriage was my greatest triumph. The moment she whispered “Yes”, all of the world stood still and silence filled the air all around except for her voice. A warm numbness overwhelmed me and yet my throat felt cold. I could not speak. I just smiled. She smiled in return. I held her hand, I kept her close, we kept each other warm and we looked overhead as fireworks kept blooming with abundance and color in the night’s sky. We were in Hong Kong, in Disneyland and it was on Valentine’s Day with the fireworks in full flourish. We were in love. Put simply, it was just unforgettable.

Well, those were the good parts of my life in 2009. Nothing is constantly a bed of roses. Things get greyer and darker from here on….

Realizations. I realized something this year. I realized that I’m kinda rich. No la just kidding. I realized that money doesn’t really make me happy. The initial reason I switched job from my previous company to the current one was mainly on the monetary factor. They doubled my salary. How can I resist? But the catch: I was to be posted to Labuan, Sabah until further notice. Although my current company did it’s best to adapt me to my new surroundings as much as possible (transportation, housing – although I rented my own room in the end for more privacy, unlimited handphone line, laptop for convenience while travelling and allowance), nothing feels like home sweet home. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m dying here from home-sickness. Labuan has its charms that I like – relaxing, friendly, peaceful. But home is truly where the heart is. Anyway, My bank account bulged (and it was one reason why I decided on marriage this year, to have it over with while it is still possible before it’s all gone to God knows where!!), but so what? I was really truly happy? Was married life supposed to be two souls separated apart by bi-weekly flights? No. I thought my decision to change jobs to this current company was a long-term decision. But I guess now it’s a just a short-term one.

Disappointments. There were disappointments in 2009, but thank God it was not explicit or distinct. It was more like leftover food stuck in between your teeth that just annoyed you to bits. You try to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge until you get a jackhammer and jammed it off from your mouth. Abit dramatic but hey, isn’t life a soup opera without the stars? Bottom line is, the biggest disappointments all came from work. As the economy slowed, so did everyone’s prospects in the company, and some had no prospects at all in the company as their jobs were cut. Not just in Malaysia, it was worldwide, and in Houston (company HQ), the cuts were more prominent. Here, only those on a contract basis and the deadwoods (i.e. expired old hacks that still think they can contribute to the company by sitting around and simply warming chairs and making retarded jokes that we are forced to laugh). But the cuts did affect my department. One staff under my supervision was cut. Another got job-rotated to another department (God - and my manager - only knows why job rotation were in practice when job cuts were in full effect. Oooops sorry, my manager was simply being a manager by doing brainless things). So, two employees under my supervision were cut and no additions were possible. Which means my department’s American style governance collapsed and thus switched to the typical Chinese rule of the kiam-siap “one leg kick all” style of jurisdiction – meaning one guy has to handle multiple guys jobs. Hence the 2 guy’s jobs that were released were to be absorbed into my job description. But luckily there’s still 2 more assistants under me and one of them – G, a girl, is extremely helpful. So the cog is still turning and churning out the results, but for how long? Plans are now in place to add new recruits, but again, God – and my manager – only knows…

Well that’s a slice from my apple pie of 2009. Hope yours was as interesting and absorbing as mine. Here’s to 2010….

Life's A Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Another long weekend holiday had passed and spent another day at the beach. Yup, that’s the life at the moment in Labuan. Haven’t been back to KL for almost 7 weeks already. It’s the year-end, and with a gargantuan amount of work to finish up before I go for a week off during X’mas and New Years, I can’t possibly go back KL as frequent as I used to. Been pretty much stressed out these past few weeks, and when stressed I tend to appreciate Labuan a little bit more. This place is a slow-paced island, filled with mostly incredibly nice people and is very, very laid back. Perfect ingredients to unwind those troubled minds, and the best spot in Labuan is definitely the long stretches of sandy beaches, accompanied by spots of stalls dotted all across the beaches offering various refreshments to help make your day much better. Admittedly the beaches here is hardly anywhere near beaches of Redang, Perhentian, Tioman etc, but Labuan does possess it own unique charm.

Luckily the workload is now on schedule and it looks like it’s going to be a work-free X’mas & New Year’s holiday (fingers crossed!!).

Anyway, here are some snapshots taken a few weeks back of the beach spots I usually frequent to forget those corporate hassles and release those unwelcomed anxieties….

Duck!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:18:00 +0000

When someone shouts "duck!!" at you, it doesn't necessarily mean take cover...

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts (AP): A driver who ran over and killed a mother duck walking her 12 ducklings across a Massachusetts mall parking lot has been sentenced to a year of probation, which means that at any time during this probation year that any offences, however slight, does occur, the driver in question will face a posibility of jail term.

Witnesses say Joshua Linhares deliberately drove at the ducks in the Dartmouth Mall parking lot in June, turning sharply and speeding up. Surveillance video from nearby stores supported their account, The Standard-Times newspaper reported.

The 25-year-old man testified he didn't see the ducks because he was distracted by a woman waving her arms at him.

He says he left the scene because he panicked.

New Bedford District Court jurors took 15 minutes Tuesday to convict him of animal cruelty.

The ducklings were adopted by a family and then released into the wild.

Karaoke Transmitted Viruses (KTV)

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Love karaoke? Yes? Well so does a million other people. With only a few microphones to serve so many people in a room, God knows what spits and grossly bodily fluids had been liberated from mouth to mic during any possibly emotional rendition of Michael Bolton’s crooning classics (such is an example).

As we thanked the Gods for the holy creation that is a Condom, we must thank the people that created the mic condom to protect us from the infidels that are those germs and bacteria bombarding our music sticks and avoid any transfer of unhygienic return of mouthly diseases.

As such, here is a simple Bible to attain maximum musical satisfaction without to worry about any Karaoke Transmitted Viruses (KTV). Behold, the mic condom and the simplest way to wear it:

Step 1: Make sure you got the right side facing your music stick, i.e. opening of condom facing stick. If not, then it will get rather uncomfortable wearing it I assure you. Note: This is Green Apple flavour that gives out a soothingly sweet aroma to provide a more sensual satisfaction while performance is being rendered.

Step 2: Slowly wrap the condom around the head of the stick to avoid any damage to condom and head. Once secured, carefully pull down condom all the way to the base of the stick, while gently adjusting it to fit comfortably, compensating to the size of head and stick. Remember, wrap entire condom around the head first, and then stroke down slowly to achieve smooth fitting for that desired performance.

Step 3: With fitting accomplished, now hold the music stick in your hands feel its pulsating energy with a promise to achieve maximum musical satisfaction. Enjoy.

The Teh Tarik Monologues, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:04:00 +0000

J: What movies made you cry, and why?

R: Haha paiseh to say lah!!

Z: C’mon lah!!

R: Errmmm. Let’s see. I remember watching a Japanese movie called ‘Crying out for Love in the Center of the World’. There was a boy and girl, they fell in love and suddenly the girl got sick and was slowly dying. When the girl was vey close to death, out of true love the boy proposed to marry her, in hospital and on her deathbed, even though he knew he wouldn’t get to see her again for another day. I remember he even brought the marriage cert for her! And when she said yes and he cried, the music and all came on and I started crying too!! Hahaha…Very very touching. Luckily it was in the cinema haha, still very dark inside, can’t see can’t see…

Z: Hahah, got no “sob sob” sound one meh?

R: Got, but make it sound like I’m having a flu lah!! HAhaha

J: Like that also can!!

R: Hahahha. The other movie I remember I cried abit was also a Japanese movie called ‘Cyborg girl’. Also called ‘My girlfriend is a Cyborg’, or ‘Cyborg She’ I think. There’s this guy that met and fell in love with a girl, and that girl turns out to be a cyborg or robot, built by himself in the future and set back in time to met himself!! I think why he did that was because in the past he met this girl and fell in love, but he didn’t have the guts to approach or talk to her. Ever since then, he grew old and alone, he really regretted it until his dying day. So, he being a brilliant scientist made a cyborg of her to bring back to the past, to allow himself another chance not only at love, but in life, to show him the mistakes he had made and hopefully learns to rectify them. In the end, when the girl had to ‘shut down’, the boy was reminiscing about all that he had experienced and learned about life with a second chance, and when the music came on, I just cried hahahaha….Quite a meaningful movie, if you really look into it. But luckily I was watching it alone.

Z: Ooooooh.

R: The other one was…Jeng jeng jeng!!! Titanic hahahahaha.

J & Z: Wahalooooooooo….

R: Eh, when watching it the first time it was so nice ok!! Then it got so popular until everyone was singing that song and all. Sigh, spoil the movie already haha. But the scene when Jack was clinging on to Rose on the water after the ship had sunk, Jack had died from the cold, Rose kept calling him to wake up, but he didn’t, she still kept calling him to wake up, hoping he would, but in the end she had to let him go, and seeing Jack fading into the water, and that music started playing, I cried hahahhaa….Lukily, the person next to me was crying also, so no problems hahaha…can share share tissue paper hahaha….

J: Aiyooooo!! Any other movies?

R: Got la, quite a few lor. ‘Winter Sonata’ was so good, and then ‘1 Liter of Tears’. Wahlau, that one really can make you cry 1 liter of tears out from you one haha…

Z: Hahah, not corny or cliché meh these shows?

R: It’s clichéd lar, but sometimes you just have to open up and let it all in. Allow yourself be taken in by it, and when you start to believe in it, then it shows you emotions that you can only dream of haha…And sometimes, who knows, you can maybe learn something from these shows too.

J: Like what?

R: Like opening up to love, I mean I see some people always so cool, like too cool for sentimentality, too cool for love. But, why not? But then again, they might have gotten hurt from love…and love is not welcomed.

J: Yes true. People are the way they are from their past experiences, the way there brought up, etc. So many factors.

R: True. So thank God I didn’t have to go through many bad experiences.

Z: So that’s for movies, what about in real life? What touched you most and made you cry?

R: I think it was only recently. It was during my wedding and it was at the tea ceremony. There’s this auntie that I know since I was a kid. She cared for me and saw me grow up since young. And on that day, when it was her turn to present the tea to her, I was touched. There she is, from the day when she walked me to school when I was a boy in primary school, fetched me in to secondary school, she was there when I graduated in the UK, she came all the way there, until now, I am married and here she is, in front of me. When I said the words to ‘cheng yamca’ I was touched then, but after finishing her drink, she put the cup aside and got up and hugged me. And it was a long hug, it was a hug many, many years in the making, and I cried. It was not a sobbing cry, it was a cry of comfort and assurance, that we reached so far in the journey together, and hopefully for many years to come. Many people didn’t notice I think. I looked away & continued on with the day…

Z & J: Awwwwww….ahahahhaa….

Z: Wahhh so much crying, and nothing to do with your wife one ah??

R: Hahahah. Well, for me, the most romantic thing la together with her is when I proposed and she said yes, we spent the first moments engaged underneath the sky of fireworks in Disneyland, Hong Kong. I think for me, the feeling was just perfect. The fireworks were out of this world, and the feeling with her was out of this world. And just walking around Disneyland with her, with the fairy lights and innocent laughter all around the park, it was just special for me. It was ‘A Whole New World’!!! Hahaha.

J: Ooooooo…Interesting interesting…shall we talk more about your love life hmmmm? Your ex, or ex-es etc hahaha…

R: No laaaahhhh…..enough enough ahhaha

Z: Yaya, how many ah? 2? 3? 4? 5?

R: I’m a single-lady person ok!!

J: YEAH RIGHT LAHH hahaha…

Z: Quick quick tell, how one your love life. In UK sure got one ler? I heard got, Ben say one hahah…almost want to start, but didn’t start one rite!!! The girl got bf already somemore!!!

R: Whatever lahhh….

The rain slowly subsides, but the questions linger much longer. Much more was said, but that’s all for today. But after reminiscing through all that was asked and spoken, it’s amazing how a few cups of The Tarik can bring about so many emotions, so many questions, so many words spoken. I guess it’s just one of those peculiar pulls of the teh.
Coffee shop talk and all that. Until next time….

The Teh Tarik Monologues, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Me, Zach and Jerry was driving back from KL last weekend, and we were stuck in a massive rain storm (and I mean massive, can't see a cun chick from 4 yards out if I wanted to). In order to avoid all the floods, jams, drenched cows, crazy rushing motorists etc, we stopped by a mamak stall nearby Solaris Mount Kiara and took a few sips of teh tarik to wait for the rain to subside. During the warm sippings, our mouths got a wee bit loose and some interesting questions popped out.

And the topic of conversation was, ME.

Here's something to share. Conversation recorded using Zach's handphone and transfered in writing my 'muah'.

Zach: Question: If one of your friend or friends says to you one day that he’s gay, what’s your reaction?

Ray: You gay kah??!! I knew it…

Z: &&*$#%@^%$!!! (plus some Hokkien flower power bad words too).

R: Hhhahaha. Well, if he’s gay, then gay lo. If I can be friends with him before, then why not now after I know he’s gay? Why would his sexuality change anything leh? I got a lot gay friends anyway….

Z: Really ah? A lot?

R: Yalor. One of them is you lor.

Z: &&*$#%@^%$!!! (plus Double the Hokkien flower power bad words).

R: Hahaha, really lah. I still hang out with them.

Jerry: I know a few gay people also. But I don’t really hang out with them. They never friend me also haha.

R: Actually I knew one when I started working in ********* after graduation. That time Friendster was very popular and people always post things there like “finding new job” etc, and this guy was finding a job. Then I just play play and asked him to try-out my company. Weeks after that he joined lor. We shared the same working hours selling electronic stuff for the company. We become quite good friends, and he was the one that introduced me to the “world of gayness” (haha). He was the one that intro me to other gay people, took me to gay bars, gay discos, all those lah. Call them PLU la, G la, Bi la, versatile la, they are all friends in the end.

J: Ooooh. He got intro you to gay sex ah?

R: &&*$#%@^%$!!! (plus Cantonese flower power bad words).

Z: They are so ‘na’ leh!! (so feminine/so sotong/etc)

R: Not all of the so sotong lah. Got straight types, meaning outside look and act like guy but inside likes guys one haha. Then got the feminine ones lah, then got transvestites lah, so many lah.

Z: And all you met before, hang out with them before?

R: All lah. Hahaha. Most of them are nice and friendly people lah. You know some of them even gave me a bottle of fragrance for my birthday. It was Giorgio Armani Aqua Di Gio. Still of my favorite fragrances ever haha.

Z and J: HHHMMMMMMM. Give you perfume?? INTERESTING haha...

R: Shaddup lah.

J: Seriously, did any of them ask you to be their partners?

R: *Pause*. Yes. a few times.

Z: A few times by the same guy??

R: Different guy lahh.

J: And then? You said yes?

R: Your head lahh.

Z: And then??

R: Just politely say no lahh

Z: That's it??

R: That's it lo. But it happened quite along time ago la...

Z: So, anyway, another question lah. Who are the 5 people you want to meet before you die? Besides family la, make it more interesting…

R: Wahlau. I think for me, First to meet is Barrack Obama. I love that guy. I think he’s the first president since the 1st president hahaha. Secondly, Michael Jackson, to see if he really is dead anot. Thirdly, Paris Hilton, to see if her head is really so hollow. Fourth, Homer Simpson, coz he is the coolest dad in the whole world. And lastly, Pamela Anderson, just to squeeze those tootsies to see if it qualifies as the 9th wonder of this world.

Z & J: OMIGODD!!!

J: Name 5 things you want to bring with you if you ever get stuck on an deserted island.

R: Of course a lot of food and water lahh!!! Besides that, one of them would be a solar powered PS3 Hahaha. Secondly, alot of suntan lotion? Haha. Then, of course a lot of popcorn, coz it would just pop from under the hot sun and at night can enjoy it under the stars haha. Then, I would bring along Jim Carrey coz he will make me laugh all the time!!!

J: Would you be a girl for a day or more??

R: Yes I will haha. Shiok ma, u know hahahaha….

Z: Aiyerrrrr!!!

Z: Your favorite things you always do…

J: This question so easy lahhh!!!

R: Hahaha okok, I’ll name 5. Going for movies, coffee, shopping, eating, I mean not just eating but going out to eat new and good stuff, photography and sex hahahah.

J: That’s 6!!!

R: Oklah, forgot about sex haha

R: Here’s a weird question for you. Is it rude for a deaf person to talk with handsign while their mouth is full of food?

J and Z: *Silence*

R: Forget about that question haha

J: Do prison buses have emergency exits? Hahaha

R: Omigoddd

Z: If a nursing mother had her nipples pierced would the milk come out of all three holes?

J: Wahhhlaaooo

R: I think soo lahh!! Hahaha

Z: So Ray, if your wife one day asks you for a divorce coz she turned a lesbian, what would you think and say??

R: Hhahahaa. If she turned a lesbian then I’m really doing something wrong in bed right??! Hahaha

Z: Tooo much infooooo

J: Next question pleasssee….

Z: Okla, here’s a serious question for you. Assume you are not married, and also not even with your gal at the moment. You are single. Would you have chosen anyone else, and how would that affect your life?

R: WAAAAHH. Super deep question leh. Well, I would not know what or how my life will be if I’m with another person. But I can tell you now that I have no regrets over who I with now (J and Z goes WHHHOOAAAAA!!!!). But I’m not sure if that person I’m with now got any regrets anot hahahah.

To Be Continued....

The Roads Not Taken

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000

So how’s life after marriage? Many people ask me this question ever since I tied the knot. Well, the answer is, to be honest, there not much change whatsoever. For me anyway. Maybe because I’m in Sabah now since the marriage and going back to KL periodically didn’t have that much effect on my life in regards to me and SL. Some say the further the distance makes the heart go fonder for each other. In a way it’s very true, there’s some sort of comforting space between us due to the distance that I’m actually quite contended with. It’s like watching your favorite TV series everyday over and over again for the rest of our lives, would that TV series still remain your most favorite? Or would you like to watch something else after a while? I’m not suggesting we go grab a “remote life control” and go wild with partner surfing, and using a TV series isn’t all that right but there you go, you get my drift?

So I guess I’ve not really “become” a truly marriage man yet? Besides some extra added weight on my left hand’s certain little finger, much remains the way they are. And I guess that what I really wanted frankly. To be honest, I was completely apprehensive on how my life would change completely once my “life title” has been changed. Actually, throughout my life, I’m always been very apprehensive on how my “life title” changes from ‘single’ to ‘in a relationship’ to ‘married’ (and not hopefully not ‘divorced’!!). From the beginning of changing of my lifestyle to suit a particular someone, to the changes in attitude and until most recently, I might actually comprehend in changing my job to be closer not only that someone, but to the family on both sides as well. And it’s not something that is forced upon me for this change, it’s just that something clicked in my mind and that would be something that I should do. So should I…? Deep down, I will, it’s only a matter of time…

But there you go, if I’m back in KL full-time, how will that change my life in regards to my new found status quo? For the better? Hypothetically, yes. Well, why shouldn’t it be better? But then again, remember that comforting space I mentioned?

People tell me I shouldn’t think so much into these things, that “life will take its course”. My thoughts on it is that whatever you do, you will end up in the same destination, only the road to that destination was different. But I do wonder. I always did wonder, what would my life be on the roads not taken? Would my life be happier if a certain decision on any given day leads me to a different road? Or would it be far worse? Or would it actually be anything like what it is currently right now?

I never mentioned much to anyone about my many opportunities to work in Singapore. I was a hair’s breath away from working in Singapore upon my graduation from the UK (working in UK is a whole different story). But it didn’t materialize, I chose not go. If I ever did take that road, would my life be the way it is now? Will my Facebook photo albums filled with those photos that it is today? Would I even be married? I can’t possible consider marrying a Singaporean, can I? Last month I spent a good whole week at my company’s Asia HQ in Singapore during my company’s training course. Seeing the life not only on the streets but in the corporate environment there as well, I cannot help but to ponder how my life would change if that road to work there was taken.

“The roads not taken leads to many parallel worlds that are different but only slightly, the destination ends but the same.”

I guess that just got me thinking…

Tale of Halloween's Past...

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Last year was the first time I actually participated in Halloween. I dressed up as a pimp, and my sister was my bitch. We had to walk down Jalan Bukit Bintang because we couldn't get a ride to the party, and everyone was sticking their heads out of their cars and yelling at us. It was great. And I made loads of dosh on the way to the party. Life couldn't be any damn sweeter.

Happy Halloween!!!

Random Weird Monday News...

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Planting the Seeds of Non-Brainery:

Ever played those Facebook games? Cafe World? Roller Coaster Kingdom? Barn Buddy? If you did, you'll probably just reach a point where the currency used in these games is just not enough to meet your hefty heights for global gaming conquest. That button to buy more electro currency will just devilishly creep into your consciousness (confession: I did casually check on the prices for such currency. Only casually...) But unfortuantely for some, the temptation was too just too much. That extra currency to purchase that extra stove to make that extra few chicken tikka masalas or that extra tractor for more cabbage was too alluring to bear... Read on below taken from 'The Star'...

TAIPEI: A Taiwanese netizen plans to sue Facebook for deceiving him into spending money, according to the United Evening News.

The netizen, surnamed Hsu, spent a total ofUS$62 (RM209) in seven days on a game on the Facebook website named ‘Happy Farm’, and accused the company of luring consumers into spending more money on the game, said the report.

The game is a virtual farm run by players growing vegetables and raising livestock by themselves. Players have to spend all day taking care of the farm and prevent other players from stealing products.

Playing Happy Farm itself is free. However, Facebook users can pay through credit card, cash, Paypal or cell phone to buy virtual currency for extra functions in the game.

But such functions raised disputes with customers, including double charging on credit cards. In some cases, customers didn’t receive virtual currency after paying.

The netizen originally bought the cash loadable cards and added US$9.3 (RM31) value on it. Later, he bought four guard dogs from the website to protect his farm from other players, said the report.

However, his crops were still stolen by other players and he was asked by the website to spend more money to feed the dogs.

Hsu earlier made claims for compensation from the cash cards company, Gamania Digital Entertainment (GDE). But the company said that they are commissioned by Facebook.

They only help to sell the loadable cards and on-line currency for the games, and check for customers’ adding value. The spokesman of GDE said that they would show customers’ dealing records to the police to resolve on-line consumer disputes.

Hsu has not received any response from Facebook and he plans to sue the company.

Facebook is a free social networking website and the game was developed by Hong Kong 6 Wave and recently has become widely popular in Taiwan. Users on the websites can make new friends, send messages, play games and take informal psychological tests.

“I think what is special about the game is that it provides a good platform for office staff to kill time and relieve pressure,” a Facebook user, surnamed Chen, told The China Post. “It’s convenient and simple to play and we don’t have to download anything”.

“Besides, the game is a good way to maintain relationships with friends and you can invite them to play the game together,” said Chen.

The Consumer Protection Commission in Taipei said that they would clarify the responsibility of GDE and Facebook and gave warning to the netizens to be more cautious about online consumption.

Just Married!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:39:00 +0000

…And thus I got married. Yup, had the Big Day on the 3rd October 2009. Why? It’s a massively auspicious day for the Chinese as it coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival aka Mooncake Festival. So old ladies and the like scuttle couples to tie the knot regardless of whatsoever and in a nothing-else-matters-do-it-or-lose-it manner, as though doom and gloom would befall any that don’t get together on this great day of fortune. And that’s more or else how the date was set for me. How romantic.

Anyway, my wedding schedule is abit plump & twisted. Had the dinner 1st, then a buffet at my place, only then had the actual day, and then moved to Ipoh to entertain those relatives there. All in a space of 3 weeks, weekend after weekend starting from 27th Sept to 10th October.

In the end, I felt like I got married 3 times, 3 weekends in a row. But luckily only 1 ring on my finger ;)

So I wonder who’s next……..?

Bride and Groom welcomes you to our KL dinner!!!

A white bachelor party/buffet @ my crib. No, that's not my personal stash of Grade A coke, it's flour, and LOTS of them. But maybe I got my coke mixed with the flour somehow. See how high that girl is?

Soaking up the cool pool (private, no less) @ Ritz-Garden hotel for my Ipoh dinner. Looks calm and chilled-out at the pool? Well, LOTS more happened after this was taken...

With some good friends at the wedding dinner @ Ipoh.

Out and about in Ipoh and stop-over in Gopeng. Gua Tumpurung that is, and our usual cam-whoring devils were let out to play. And proud off it, mind you. ;)

Well, would like to show more, but not in an open medium like a blog ;) Hop on to my facebook page for more scandalous moments to wet any grimy tastebuds. Rwwwrrrrr!!!!

Swinging Singapore!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Back from Singapore!!! Had a wonderful time there, went to so many places and didn’t realize I need to walk so much in a tiny island like Singapore. Here and there, we were rushing to go here, meet there, getting lost (yeah lost in Singapore!!), etc. but it was all for fun. Even though I’ve been to Singapore on a number of occasions, but this time it was a bit more special ‘cause managed to meet up with many old friends and also met new ones. Siew Chyn and Mak, thanks for dropping by and spending time with me again and for Alan (also Ipoh mali punya!!), Raju (original Indian brotha from actual India!!) and Luda (she from Kazakhstan!! I like!!), it was so great meeting you all there. And for the many other Schlumberger friends I’ve met at training that I didn’t manage to spend more time with, glad to have worked and met you all too!!! That’s you Eng Eng, Srini, Jiayi, Arun, G.E., Manoj, and Naritoyo!!!

I guess this time in Singapore it was so memorable not only because of the sights and sounds of this vibrant city, but it was also the many friends that were with me that made it special.

In a nutshell, the main places I’ve been are Sentosa, Night Safari, the Singapore Flyer, Chinatown, Little India, Bugis area, Orchard area, Esplanade, Marina Bay area, Clarke Quay, Jurong (yes Jurong, long story haha), Suntec City, and a few places that I’ve dropped by which I can’t remember now haha.

Will I go back again? I’m already looking forward to another trip back there!! Maybe Christmas this year? Or for the Formula 1 race next year? But whenever it is, I’ll definitely be back, unless of course no one teman me there :(

But right now, have to settle my wedding preparations for this coming weekend and then another week after that, the actual wedding itself….God help me. It’s coming soon. *Gasp*.

Merdeka!!! Merdeka!!! Merdeka!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Merdeka's over, and it was a tad bit quiet this year wasn't it? Less fanfare and fireworks probably due to the double whammy of cost-cutting and the fear of A(H1N1) subdued the celebrations. But what was not shown on the outside, it was celebrated on the inside by many of most Malaysians I'm sure. As for me, well, hectic as usual with "the event" and busy delivering "bombs/summons". I was back in KL on Thursday, 27th Aug. until the 1st Sept., so here's a briefy on the days of Merdeka 2009.

Thursday, 27th August 2009.

Arrived LCCT airport and was immediately whisked away to Subang for my contractual obligations with a certain restaurant (hint: chicken rice). There’s no real contract in place of course, it’s just that every time I come back to KL, I always end up at this place one way or another. Thus, I’ve been “contracted” to this place. Can’t really complain coz the food is actually quite good…

Noon time, had to wait for my new cupboard to arrive. No probs on that as supplier was dead on time. Lovely.

By evening, went to meet up with SC to discuss on a certain performer for a certain event. Massive discussions ensued between me, SC and the performer until the wee hours of the morning. 3AM to be exact (actually there was more eating than discussing as we were at SS2 and simply just eat and eat and eat).

By that time, SC’s car which was park at her Subang office's basement car park was LOCKED, with roller-shutters dead shut all over. Massive panic erupted with SC, so had to ask a guard on opening the roller-shutters.

"Bolehkah encik tolong bukak pintu carpark?!!"

“Sorry ‘bang, pukul 6 pagi baru bukak.”

=.=”

“Tolonglah boss, bukak pintu saja la. Nanti pergi minum ok.

"Puasalah."

=.= """

All hope died on the spot.

It was 4AM and caught in between too early and too late to wait for 6AM, I ended up fetching SC back to Damansara Perdana instead. SC then had to bring along another fren the next day and drove 2 cars back to SC’s place. Talk about a logistics cock-up.

Friday, 28th August 2009.

Had to wait for another furniture to arrive, nothing to do but to rot at home until the lorry appears. All afternoon wasted. Haihz.

By night, SL was free from the shackles of work and ended up in Pyramid for dinner at Popeyes. Yes, Popeyes. Tempted by something that we haven’t tried, and thus ordered the below:

The fried chicken was just so-so lah. Spicier then the other fried chicken offerings out there, but really, it’s nothing to shout about. The taste is slightly different from the other fried chicken offerings out there, but nothing unique. But that biscuit on the side however was a surprise as it was shockingly good for a pathetic looking piece of side…

This fish burger was extraordinary ordinary. Nothing to go ga-ga over whatsoever. Was just abit surprised at the size of the offering though, as it will fill you up pretty darn good. Be warned of massive fish breath post finishing of dish.

Our healthy lifestyle continued by going straight for a movie, relaxing our tummies after a fatty round of fast food. Go large on life, I always say, the McD way. The movie was ‘Up’, and being a Pixar film, Pixar delivers what Pixar does best with sugar-coated sweetness of touching stories mixed with innocent jester that guarantees to satisfy the most lucrative demographic in the world, i.e. families. Overall, 8 out 10 if you are into 3-D cartoons/Pixar fare, or just 6 out of 10 if you prefer Wolverine to Shrek.

Saturday, 29th August 2009.

You know what, I have completely no clue on what I did on this day. I remember going for a swim at my friends apartment, had a simple dinner and then gone out with Z to Plaza TTDI for the Man Utd Vs. Arsenal match. Had a few beers, place a 10 bucks bet on Arsenal to win (yes, betted on Arsenal to win. Considering Arsenal was kicking massive ass from the previous matches and Man Utd lost to lowly Burnley of all teams, Arsenal was a safe bet. How happily wrong I was. Coz I’m actually a Man Utd fan hahaha).

We found a ‘Ramly’ burger stall and just had to eat an ‘ayam special’ with telur. My "go large on life" motto never ceases to leave me. After some chit-chat, and bla bla blas, went home at 5am.

Sunday, 30th August 2009.

Woke up late as hell. Bummed around the house. Ran around naked shouting “De Nazi’s are comminggg!!!”

Had a quick yamca session with a buddy from Labuan, and of course, gave out more summons. He’s bringing his gf along. First time can see his gf!!!

Night time, no large groups of agent H1N1 please (i.e big masses of peeps with potential H1N1 at clubs, fireworks shows, etc), so we headed to a slightly secluded restaurant for our Merdeka dinner. It was 'Han Woo Ri' @ Taipan area and In attendance? Me, SL, TK and V. OMG. V. Well what to do, old friends need to maintain some contact right. But I noticed all night long, V and TK never spoke at all!!! C’mon lah…Kiss and makeup ya?

Things we ordered:

Spicy BBQ Sliced Pork. Tastes alot like satay. Satay more cheaper. beh.

But the service is pretty good (as usual with Korean BBQ place in general). They cut, flip, change the metal plate very very regularly. OHhh speaking of service, when you leave the place, ALL the waiters will line-up and in synchronized fashion shouted "anyonghee kahshipsheeyo!!!!!" (or goodbye or something to that effect laaa) haha. Sigh, made me feel soooooo important!!!! Like VIP!!!! I don't mind to come again just to experience that again haha. Now that's sales tactics right?

Doooooone, yummy yummy. This is the usual sliced pork marinated in BBQ sauce. Not the best BBQ pork I've tasted but good nonetheless.

There's so many sides, I've actually lost count. I noticed kimchi, tofu, pickled asparagus, dried seaweed, sliced eggs etc etc etc. And it's unlimited. Free re-fills. The best.

The sauces didn't lose out either. Go dip-crazy!!

But this fried rice however, leaves much to be desired. No taste :( Still prefer Chinese fried rice muuuuch better. Btw, noticed Mickey Mouse?

Dessert drink was on the house. What was it already ah? I forgot. Soya rice or something funky like that haha. Tasted sweet. A good parting drink.

After the dinner has ended, V went her to her separate way while the rest met up with the usual gang at Station 1. Yup, Station 1. Of all places. Well better than another Kopitiam lah (I’m starting to feel intruded by these kopitiams mushrooming all over the place. Now’s there’s Papa Rich, what’s next Mama Poor? I feel we are forced to live with these establishments!!). Highlight of the night? TK going French over his uncle-esque Carlsberg Gold. 0.5% more alcohol!! Phoo-yooh!!! But tastes just the same lah (never fancied beer anyway). Here’s TK almost going orgasmic with a bottle…

"Bottles are my best friend. It offers me pleasures like no other...."

After all the gang’s fanfare has ended, I’ve sent SL home while I dropped by P & S’s house for some late night BBQ session (2AM to be exact, and BBQ indoors. Ohhh the fumes, the fumes. Thank God there’s no fire alarm, or the neighbors will be pissed). Chit-chatted and bla bla bla until 4AM.

Monday, 1st September 2009.

All these late nights were taking a toll on me as I was completely crashed for the day. Wanted to sleep so badly. But mum and dad shook me up like a hurricane for breakfast. Haihzz. There’s a nice Hainanese shop serving delicious ‘Mee Pok’ in SS2 they said. Fair enough, good food conquers all bad troubles, I always think. So off we go, and arrived at the shop to find that is it aptly named ‘Hainanese Taste’. How original!!

Here’s my breakie for the day:

Mee Pok with minced beef. Very tasty and quite spicy!!! Finally there’s an outlet for good Mee Pok around PJ…

Bored with the usual Old Town/Uncle Lim/Papa Rich kaya bread? Dread no more, here’s a excellent substitute. The bun is slightly crunchy on the outside but tender soft inside, and the kaya, Mmmmmm, perfect. I’m going back to this place just for the buns!!

After breakie, headed off to Mid Valley for our retail therapy. With no more cash to splash, window shopping was it. Dusk soon came and for dinner time at the Gardens, dropped by the ever-popular 'Fong Lye' Taiwanese joint for some grub:

The Tea Smoked Duck with Noodle. A weeeee bit expensive at RM15.80. But the duck portion is quite large to be fair, fit for 2 pax if you ask me (considering this as a noodle dish, not rice) and the smokey taste is very evident. The noodle's soup base is quite good too. Quite recommended.

One of their signature dishes, the (obviously) titled Taiwanese Burger!!! Ehhh, so where's the burger? THAT's the burger. Either the Taiwanese has a wicked sense of humor on what is called a burger, this is actually one heck of an original culinary concuction. There are many, many variants of a Taiwanese Burger, but generally it encompasses the skin similar to those found in 'Char Siew Pau' and it wraps in slabs of meat (usually pork belly, yuuum) and hints of some veggies. A must try if you haven't tried before!! Give it a kiss!!! MUACKKSS!!!

Another signature dish, the Sweet Potato Balls (but not really sure this is an authentic Taiwanese dish, coz China will no doubt claim property to this as well as it's easily found in chinese areas, and even Petaling Street has a stall that sells very very good potato balls). This is ever popular among the patrons in 'Fong Lye' as almost every tables ordered this. At RM5.30, you get I think 10 balls. A bit pricey, but hey, it's at the Gardens. Expected lah.

And with that, another Merdeka weekend drew to a close. It is one of the quieter Merdeka celebrations, but it was one of the most filling. My stomach’s still digesting the food as I write this. ***Bruurrp***

Flights of Fancy?

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Waiting for the plane again at some damned airport. Bored to death at all these checking-in, wait-for-boarding, safety-beat-fastened-for-take-off bla bla bla. With my current project in full swing, I had to meet up with suppliers from all over East Malaysia, from Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, KK, Brunei, etc. Giving presentations after presentation to our suppliers on what needs to be done etc, hopefully these people knows what needs to be done, or some serious ass-kickin’ is much needed.

I think I’ve done more flying in these past few months than any other time in my lifetime, including those few years while in UK. Now let's reflect on my "flights of fancy". So there's my usual bi-weekly/tri-weekly flight back to KL from Labuan, then there's from Labuan to Miri, and to go to Bintulu I’ll need to fly to Miri first then to Bintulu, and the same goes for Kuching and KK. And soon, Lawas will come into the picture some day, I wonder how that will turn up. Again and again, week after week. Haihz.

And coming soon, I’ll be going to Singapore for training for a week, and that trip's flight is via KL. More boarding and take-off merriment. Oh JOY!!!

Well, at least flying is the safest mode of transportation. Statistically anyway. It better stay that way dammit. Oh crap, time to board the plane...

Squirrelized!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:35:00 +0000

On 19th August 2009, this appeared:

From yahoo.com:

"The rodent first made its appearance in a holiday photo taken by an American couple in Canada and has gone on to become a Web sensation.

Melissa Brandts and her husband, Jackson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were taking a time delay picture of themselves in front of a lake at Canada's Banff National Park when the squirrel jumped into the frame.

Melissa Brandts submitted the picture to National Geographic's "Your Shot" photo gallery with an explanation of how the unusual picture came about.

"We had our camera set up on some rocks and were getting ready to take the picture when this curious little ground squirrel appeared, became intrigued with the sound of the focusing camera and popped right into our shot!"

"A once in a lifetime moment! We were laughing about this little guy for days!!"

The holiday photo has since gone viral on the Internet and websites such as "The Squirrelizer" have sprung up in which the photo of the squirrel can be inserted into any picture.

And thus I thought, it would be nuts not to Squirrelized thy-self. And the below is me spending the most time with a rodent ever (besides my boss)...

It's the attack of the 60-foot giant Squirrel!!! AAAAAARRGGHHHH!!!! And it swims too!!! DOUBLE AAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!

Squirrel: "Hey Disney, where's my payments to my image rights eh?"

Goooood squirrel, Baaaaaaaad Uncle!!!

Squirrel: "Hey!! This ain't Kansas no more!!"

"You humans sure are NUTS".

Squirrel bowling via water slide. Poor squirky.

Whooaa squirrel, impressive "3rd hand"!!! So are you just happy to me or are you just going nuts over me?

My place or your place tree eh?

So what would be next...dog? cat? lamb? Barney?

Of Food and K...

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Ahhhh.....The morning is rainy again, no mood to work yet again, and thus my blog comes a-calling!! Massive windy rains last nite by the way, dustbins and garbage strewned all over, windows smashed from flying debris, tents akimbo, signboards awry, but enough of my room already, here's some updates on weeks past....

No, didn't go woody horse-riding, it's actually the front of Ming Room @ Bangsar Shopping Center. Come, come, follow me and I'll shall you what's on offer...

Promo promo promo: Buy 1 dimsum dish and free another @ Ming Room, BSC. This one is the pomfret, 2 bowls of it for only RM8. And yes, it is delicious!! It's so good, I had to order 2 bowls...

'Chee Cheong Fun' warpped in 'Yau Char Kuai'. One of my mostest favouritest dishes for Dim Sim. Crunchy crunchy 'Yau Char Kuai', again had to order 2...Btw, that chilli concoction is to die forrrr.

Don't remember what this was, but it's something fried tinged with dashes of mayonise. Caterpillar perhaps? Maybe not in a place like Bangsar. But it was yummy yummy yummy nonetheless.

Of course, what is Dim Sum without the 'Siew Mai' and 'Har Kao'. But to be honest, these dishes here wasn't that good. I've had much better someplace else. Quite a shock that this was just so-so but the rest of the not-so-popular dishes was so good.

But enough of Dim Sum. Time to get some flower-power going. And no, nobody gave that flower to me unfortunately (and contrary to popular belief, guys DO appreciate getting flowers too y'know. Sounds completely weird, but besides the usual stuff that gals give guys, i.e. CDs, ties, shirts etc., some cool flowers are a new and modern way to go. Cool flowers? Purple roses rock). But enough of my feminine side, here's me @ Meatworks, Solaris Damansara for some meaty action (steaks and all, not call girls).

The T-Bone @ Meatworks, Solaris Damansara: Simple it may seem, but its surprising yummy. Good place for your meat fetishes...I guarantee it.

The Rib-Eye @ Meatworks, Solaris Damansara: Succulent and tender meat made to perfection. I'm saying this not because they gave me a free meal or anything, but this place is GOOD. I bumped into this place at Solaris when Tenji was fully-booked, and still am glad Tenji was fully-booked.

Flower Power!!! Nothing like a cuppa hot warm tea to wash down the meat grease. Ok that sounds yucky but it's true...

And on the same night, joined some frens for some K-Session @ Red-Box, Sunway (now you guys know why I was so late. But fret not, the Meatworks was for a good cause, i.e. to celebrate SL's achievement is some academic certification, so I have my alibi!!)

...and when you take off the top from the mike, it becomes a Lightsaber!!! Luke, I AM YOUR FATHER!!! The Force is indeed all around us.

*Wooot Wooot!!!!*

And that's all for now lah. More updates on my next post. Cioz!!

Photos To Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Disneyland is truly a magical and wonderous place to escape from anyone's harsh realities. But when unsuspecting visitors meet lousy Disney workers plying their cheeky trade behind Disney costumes, the result can only be below:

Now that's just Beastly.

Of Early Week Blues & Freaky Shit

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Been surfin around youtube on a lazy Monday morning, armed with a temper to refuse all work that came my way, and it starts to rain, my mood goes down the drain along with the rain, and like a coincidence that was bestowed through the rain by the Gods of Heaven, I bumped into a freaky video of creatures living down in drains. In North Carolina, USA to be exact. Weird shit, this is:

Aliens or some other person's ass? Frankly, this is basically Karma. What you eat is what you'll get. You eat bad shit, you'll poo bad shit down the drains, and it'll come back up and bite yer ass. So save Mother Earth, cut down on the Sambal Belacan.

P.S. I'm a wee bit vulgar today. Probably's the Mexican I ate. Cut down on that too people.

What The...??!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Raymond) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:07:00 +0000

"When a hawker and his two customers saw a car heading at full speed towards their stall, their first instinct was not only to save themselves but also the bowls of laksa that they were eating, reported Kosmo!.

A Proton Iswara crashed into the stall after colliding with a Nissan Sentra at the junction of Kampung Guar Jentik, Beseri, near Padang Besar, on Sunday.

In the 1.30pm incident, hawker Dahli Saad, 36, was making a bowl of iced shavings while the two customers were eating laksa.

“I heard a loud bang and saw a car spinning towards my stall."

The food's THAT good ehh...