crazystrat

The Proposal (shorts)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0800

He drew out a small blue box and started fiddling with it. The air tastes extra sweet today, one part excitement two parts anticipation. Gently he opens it the in privacy of his cupped hands, sneaked a glance, and shut it quickly. He sinks back into the large leather chair, allowing his thoughts to drift away into the wooden fans spinning lazily on the ceiling.

“I’ll have an apple crush please” Frank motioned to the bored waitress hovering beside him.

“…and to eat, sir?”

“I’ll wait for my friend thanks.”

“Very well.”

It’s all coming back now. The smell of scrambled eggs and tea wafting in along with the morning breeze.

“Sa-“

“Jake, I have something I need to tell you.”

“So do I.”

“Really?”

“OK, together 3…2…1…”

“Sarahwillyoumarryme?!”

“JakeIwannabreakup.”

Eyes open. Silence.

“You’re…joking right?”

“No, Jake I really can’t do this anymore. Goodbye.”

“Sarah, wait! Please. Let’s talk.”

The smell of scrambled eggs and tea. Big plush leather armchairs tucked in a corner. Golden fans. Warm wood. Idle chatter. Marble tables. Quaint lamps on the wall. Rustic, yet modern. Lounge music in the air. Waiters with black barets. Aprons like skirts. Mocha biscotti on the side. The cute description of sugar on the pack. Little details. The serviette under the cup. The wooden menu holder. The bittersweet taste of mocha, the refreshing nose. Airy.

How the hell does one remembers these things, he wondered.

The blue box. That held the ring. That held its three round brilliant cut diamonds on a platinum band. That cost a year’s pay. That had I love you forever Sarah engraved on it.

Oh, right.

“Fuck my life.”

Video

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:41:24 +0800

Blind tolerance (shorts)

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:05:00 +0800

MORNING RUSH HOUR. A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ENTER THE TRAIN AND SIT. ANGELA TAKES HER PLACE NEXT TO A WOMAN. AS THE DOORS CLOSE AND THE TRAIN STARTS TO MOVE, SHE PULLS OUT A STRING OF MEDITATION BEADS AND START CHANTING ALOUD. SHE IS YOUNG, CHINESE, ABOUT 20ISH AND SPORTS A PONYTAIL.

WOMAN: (loud rapidfire)om mani padme hum om mani padme hum om mani padme hum om mani padme hum…

PEOPLE AROUND HER ARE SURPRISED BUT SAY NOTHING. A MALAY WOMAN SITTING NEXT TO HER GETS UP AND WALKS TOWARDS THE OTHER END OF THE TRAIN.

ANGELA: (too softly, shy) Ahem. Erm…

WOMAN DIDN’T HEAR HER. CONTINUES. EVERYONE LOOKS TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO THIS ANNOYANCE IN FEAR OF BEING DISRESPECTFUL.

ANGELA: Excuse me. Could you…

EVERYONE TURNS TO HER AND THE WOMAN STOPS. SHE PACKS UP HER BEADS AND EXITS THE TRAIN.

The Future is in Black and White

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:40:00 +0800

First it was matt black in the 90s, then silver at the turn of the millennium. White gained prominence briefly after that, before giving way to metallic black. But I think the future is a black and white combo - used in the right proportions to create a contrasting effect.

2010 Lumigon T1, S1, E1 series (runs on Android)

2009-2010 iMac

2010 Mini Countryman

Late 2009 Land Rover LRX concept

2010 Tesla Eye concept

And the good ol’ Imperial Stormtrooper

Habit lag 2

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:43:33 +0800

One thing that increasingly vexes me of late is paper. Paper products. Notebooks, newspapers, cards. In an environment where we have constant access to a computer in one form or another, why are we still writing post it notes?

Sure, paper is an incredibly reliable and cheap resource. And in many ways is here to stay. But the amount of time and waste expended in it’s use is quite significant.

For example, instead of taking notes in a meeting and transferring them into a proper presentation on the computer, why not type it on a laptop/smartphone and delete the digital note after you’ve copied all your notes in two keystrokes?

Books. BOOKS. Made of paper. We buy them and leave them on a shelf to feed the bookworms after reading them. And we have to go to the store to buy it, for more money because of shipping and costs of putting it in a brick and mortar store.

Is it any surprise why more people are moving to eBook readers? I know I will. At the very least read on your computer.

Newspapers. Yes you recycle just like any other responsible citizen. But you’re paying for a piece of limited, delayed, biased news coverage stuffed with ads. You have to flip through the whole paper to find what you want. And you’re paying more money because everyone in the distribution chain has to take a cut.

I hope you see how much time and money it costs to use paper, and we haven’t even touched on the environmental impact.

It’s already 2010. We’re in the second decade of the 21st century. We have the technology to be more efficient. Stop living in the 90s and make a change today.

2010 will be a year of running for me.

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:31:32 +0800

2010 will be a year of running for me.

Farewell (shorts)

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:24:00 +0800

I can’t believe what I’m reading. I can’t believe you never told me.

I hesitated from reading on, but I couldn’t help it. I spent the rest of the afternoon poring over all the archived pages I could find. I regret not knowing you better. You’re not the same person you were in your youth. Did I change you?

Whatever happened to the smiling girl in the pictures? My favourite was the one with you and dad sharing a Wendy burger. And then there are the blog posts. I must confess it was terribly intriguing to read about your pregnancy of me, day by day, but you really were someone else back then. Radiant, enthusiastic, lively. Happy. You indulged yourself in the simple pleasures of knitting and the whole experience of motherhood seemed a bliss.

I don’t remember much of our old house, and I’d rather not, it still haunts me. After what happened but one memory still remains with me.

I still have them you know, the red mittens.

I’m more confused than ever. Where did my abusive childhood come from? What did I do to you to deserve it?

We were looking for all the pictures of you in the Archives and stumbled upon your public diary circa 2004-2013.

It’s funny isn’t it how I’m recording this now in my diary as you did over 30 years ago in yours, tragically, both without the other.

Thank you for the mittens. Thank you so very much.

Question for the reader:

1. Did you understand what was happening?

2. If any, what is the significance of this piece?

Come watch the play I co-wrote at KLPAC from the 22-27nd...

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:04:29 +0800

Come watch the play I co-wrote at KLPAC from the 22-27nd December! (opening night preferred)

Scones at Carcosa Seri Negara

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:02:00 +0800

At last, we have arrived at what is supposedly the creme de la creme of English teas - the famed afternoon tea at The Drawing Room.

I consider myself extremely lucky as it was probably the first and last time I will ever set foot in Carcosa because it will be closed at the end of the month when the lease expires. It may or may not reopen, but even so things would probably be different then.

Unfortunately, tea is now held at the Carcosa mansion as the Seri Negara (other building) has been closed since October. So we didn’t have “afternoon tea, served in the elegant drawing room, or charming wrap-around verandah, overlooking the beautiful gardens” (wiki). Still, the dining room was extremely cosy and charming.

Seeing as there’s someone plucking strings on a harp (yes, I’m serious), I’m surprised that the price is even listed in the menu. Or even have a menu for that matter as you’d know what you’re into if you have a reservation. But I digress.

Tea was promptly served, and there were only a handful, maybe 10 popular types to choose from. And along with it, scones to start.

Fittingly, it came with fresh clotted cream and a dollop of jam. The scone was airy but overall firm and fresh. Slightly hard on the crust but otherwise a good combo. Judging purely on the scone, Westin was better. But I must say though that they got the cream just right.

The most notable thing on the tray however, was the fruitcake on a spoon. Doesn’t look like much but it will blow you away. Very moist and fragrant, I think I tasted rum but I can’t confirm (rum dried fruitcake?). And the yellow stuff you see on the spoon is custard. Truly decadent.

This fruitcake really made the afternoon tea, even more than the scones. It’s that good. Other offerings on the tray were the usual sandwiches, smoked salmon buns, cookies - leaning towards the traditional.

To wrap, I would say that tea at Carcosa has lived up to its reputation, and expectations. The only minor drawback would be that the staff wasn’t as accommodating as expected (for an establishment of this stature). But overall very good. Shame we won’t be enjoying it again anytime soon.

Tiered stand.

People.

Best. Fruitcake. Ever.

Goodbye.

Scones at Coffee Bean

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:10:00 +0800

Another unplanned review. Was at Coffee Bean and saw that they had scones. Actually, they’re the only fast-food coffee chain cafe doing scones. I know O’briens does sometimes, but I wouldn’t get anything other than a sandwich there. And Dome too, but it’s more of a restaurant.

So there are two kinds of scones - a raisin scone called ‘My Mom’s scone’ (for some reason), and a slightly more expensive cranberry scone. I had the latter because it was the only one they have left.

It had a very buttery, cakey quality to it. I’m not sure if scones are supposed to be more bread than cake - but I would lean slightly towards bread. And you don’t really taste much of the cranberry bits. At least I think they’re not as obvious as raisins.

The scone came with butter and jam, which is laughable but I had no expectations to begin with. One thing about jam is that it makes almost anything good by covering it up with its sweetness.

Overall, I was hoping for a surprise in the scone, like Dome’s, but it was not meant to be.

P.S: Their Dark Choc Peppermint Ice Blended was good though.

This is such a great picture because it captures the moment of...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:00 +0800

This is such a great picture because it captures the moment of anticipation so well. It’s not about what he’s giving but rather, the suprise. It is an amazing feeling.

Scones at Dome

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:32:00 +0800

An improptu visit led me to try the ‘Heavenly Scones’ at Dome. Apparently this is a new item on the menu?

Anyway, it had great texture. Soft and light. Sometimes it feels like it’s melting in your mouth. However, the cream is a let down. It’s not clotted cream but some sweetened cream. And the strawberry jam was nothing to shout about.

If only it had the cream from Marmalade, this would be a great combo. Overall a good scone but slightly let down by the cream.

Vines (shorts)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0800

“Please, take a sit.” says the middle aged man. A young man walks in, his shirt and jeans slightly crumpled. There was no seat, simply a cushion on the tatami mat. Unsure of what to do, he simply knelt down on it.

Pearl shoji screens line the walls, a large white paper lantern mark the center of the room, the quiet softly punctured by the flow of water from the tsukubai fountain in a corner.

“Alex Foster,” he starts, reading from his laptop. “26, three years with the company, hardworking, takes initiatives. Good.”

“Er…yes…thanks, Mr. Rowland sir.” Alex answers hesitantly, forcing a grin.

“Why are you here Mr. Foster?”

“You…mean HR? Here this office?”

“Yes, why?”

“I don’t know, actually”

“Well, unfortunately we have to ask you to leave.”

“Excuse me?”

“Resign. Before I’m forced to give you a pink slip.”

Alex is momentarily stunned, eyes fixated to the ground. He sighs and mutters an OK. “You’ll have my letter tomorrow morning…”

“Actually, you have to leave now.” Rowland interrupts. “You will be compensated as per your contract. Lisa will take care of everything.”

“I…”

“That is all.”

Defeated, Alex shuffles to the door and let himself out. Lisa, Rowland’s secretary was already standing by with the paperwork. “Sign here and here.” she gestures to the contract on the clipboard. “Your personal effects are in that box over there. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.”

An oddly chilling sensation washed over Alex as she offered her hand. Actually, it was more of a mix between disgust and awkwardness, like she was the very personification of the corporate world, full of false niceties and professional sounding jargon. What she’s really saying is - Bye! Thank goodness I’m not seeing you again.

“Thanks” was all he could muster. Alex removed his tag, picked up his box, and that was that. He was free.

“Here you go Mr. Rowland.” Lisa says as she hands him the documents.

“Thanks Lisa. Oh yes, Kelly will be replacing Alex effective immediately.”

“Kelly the new girl?”

“Yes. She’s been involved in most of his projects over the past few months. So it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why Alex?”

“His time has come.”

“How do you mean?”

“My…vines… stretches to the very edges of this company. I see and hear everything. Every keystroke, every email, every byte from every workstation.” boasts Mr. Rowland. “Foster. 11 October 2014. Communicated dissatisfaction and undermined the authority of his superiors. Foster. 16 January 2015. Replied to an unknown recipient regarding a freelancing gig. Beginning February left company early with increasing frequency. You might think they’re unrelated but these are signs are clear as day.”

“That he’s planning to move on?”

“No, that he’s increasingly a threat to the wellfare of the company. We couldn’t afford to let him hold on to much responsibility any longer, nor could be afford to renew his loyalty. They all think they’re the key, but in fact they’re just a cog in the machinery.”

“I see.”

“Sometimes I see timers above people’s heads. I know when their time is up. My data never lies.”

“And me?”

“Haha…You’re good Lisa. Don’t worry, you’re not in an M2 level position for nothing. Now could you get Margaret in? Margaret from Marketing. Thanks.”

Scones at Marmalade

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0800

Over the weekend, I went back to Marmalade to properly review the scone that started it all.

I was dissapointed.

Well, the cream was good. Tastes like clotted cream but I can’t confirm this. One thing’s for sure, it isn’t sweetened, which is good. The scone also came with a small packet of strawberry jam, which is laughable.

You could taste an even firmness in the scone, which could be a good thing, but I prefer it softer. There’s also a staleness to it that they couldn’t hide with a minute in the microwave. Not surprising since it spent the whole day in the fridge.

Overall, it was mediocre at best. I still love the cream but the scone could’ve been better.

Rush (shorts)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:25:00 +0800

The wind rushes against Dave’s face and hair. The initial sensation of falling has given way to the joy of floating. Sarah has obviously not gotten over this sensation and is clinging onto his hand for dear life. Beneath them the speedboat is beginning to pick up speed as the operator extends the rope.

Ahead, the setting sun glistens against the blue waters. Fishing trawlers dot the horizon in silhouettes large and small. Not a care in the world. Well, there is Sarah who looks as though she might throw up at any moment. But that’s beside the point.

Beep beep!

“For fuck’s sake Dave. What is that thing doing with you!?” Sarah shouts against the wind.

“What? I keep my phone on me wherever I go.” Dave shouts back.

“Hand it over. NOW!”

“Alright, fine!”

Sarah snatches it and hurls it into the water below and starts laughing uncontrollably.

“WHAT!” exclaims Dave. “WHAT THE HELL SARAH?”

He is fuming, but a grin creeps in and soon they’re laughing. The operator on the boat is saying something below, probably wondering if everything’s OK.

The wind rushes against Dave’s face and hair. The pleasure of floating evaporates into a panicked state of falling. Dave is laughing. There it is, the broken Blackberry in a million pieces on the pavement.

Scones at The Living Room

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:03:00 +0800

The search for the best scones in KL begins.

First stop - The Living Room at The Westin. This wasn’t my first choice, but it’s one of the many shortlisted. Weirdly, many places don’t offer Traditional English Teas on Sundays.

Also, this series will focus on scones. Although it may seem like I’m covering Hi-Tea/Traditional English Tea offerings, the main points will come from the quality of the scones. Everything else is secondary.

The Living Room offers a general buffet spread daily, but they have a relatively unknown English Tea menu called “An Afternoon Affair” that runs from 3-6pm. Be careful to order just one serving as it’s more than enough for two.

You can’t call the scones mediocre. But they’re not quite there either. And small. The cream was a let down too. It came with ‘fresh bulla double cream’ which was thick but less consistent and neutral than clotted cream.

However, it came with two jams which were superb to say the least - rock melon with vanilla jam, and passionfruit butter curd. Personally, I like the latter more. Random useless fact - double cream is 45% fat, clotted cream is 55%. Whipped cream is in the 30-36% range.

To be fair, An Afternoon Affair is a very rounded experience and the other pastries were awesome, to sum it up simply. There was a live band going from table to table serenading guests, a welcome surprise.

Other notable items on the menu include - the lobster, walnut and celery sandwich, oyster mornay, and the chocolate fondue at the end (which quenched my very long craving for choc dipped marshmellows).

On a sidenote, the teas weren’t much to shout about either. Sure it came in a tea press, but anything less would be a disaster. There wasn’t an extensive tea menu or anything, but then again, I didn’t care.

Overall, to call it good would be an insult - it’s amazing. But the emphasis wasn’t on the scones, and it didn’t standout despite being one of the few English items on the menu.

Creammmmmmm

The jams and cream

Mini frangipane berry tartlet and little white chocolate and raspberry crush eclair

Warm potato pancake with caviar

One of the best songs of all time! Although subsequent albums...

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0800

One of the best songs of all time!

Although subsequent albums from The Verve, like their latest ‘Forth’, and Richard Ashcroft’s(lead vocal) solo albums were mediocre at best.

The band broke up in August but they will always be remembered for Bitter Sweet Symphony.

Habit Lag

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0800

This has occurred to me a few times recently.

You want to buy something, you go to the store, assuming they have it. But they don’t. It’s sold out. Time is wasted.

The tragedy is that you proceed to another store that sells that product, in another location. So you drive there and it’s sold out as well. More time wasted. And so on.

What we don’t realise is that we can effectively check and get any information we want regarding the product and the availability of it at a push of a button. But for so long this wasn’t possible. More accurately it wasn’t effective.

For instance, you won’t get much info from a WAP site, which is all your mobile could support at the time. And it’s extremely cumbersome to browse a full page or you’re not subscribed to a data plan and are unwilling to pay for the high pay-as-you-go rates.

That’s true for a lot of people, and it was certainly true for me.

But as we move to more capable devices *coughiphonecough*, we have to do things differently as well to take advantage of it.

This Monday morning I’m listening to Liz Phair again....

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0800

This Monday morning I’m listening to Liz Phair again. Specifically her self titled 2003 album, with hits like “Extraordinary” and “Why Can’t I”.

This is an album I discovered long ago but have only got my hands on recently, and I think “Extraordinary” sums up her casual, upbeat, pop-rock style which is such a pleasure to listen to.

Another plus is that she doesn’t hold back the profanities when necessary, and she has a nick for singing about sex without being too heavy or weird about it.

So if you’re alien to Liz Phair, do start with this album. Enjoy.

Clotted Cream is Win

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:27:00 +0800

English tea with homemade scones and clotted cream in Brighton

I’ve just returned from a sumptuous dinner with some friends at Marmalade. One of the finer but greatly overlooked restaurants in KL.

We had scones, which came with clotted cream and jam.

Now there’s something to be said here because this is the first time I’ve had clotted cream in KL. Most cafes will settle for whipped cream or just jam or nothing at all. But I could be wrong as I seldom have scones.

Anyway, with this latest experience I’ve realised that tea and scones (with clotted cream) is by far the most delicious thing I’ve had in the UK. Come to think of it, it’s probably better than the juicy burgers of GBK, the awesome milkshakes at Shakeaway, and Fish and Chips.

Where does one go to get the best scones and clotted cream in KL?

I will find out. Soon.