CNY without him

Today is the eve of Chinese New Year. Come tomorrow, it will be the Year of the Water Snake. But this time there would not be any celebration for us as we are still going through a mourning period based on Chinese Taoist customs. We didn't do much spring cleaning like we always did & any form of CNY decoration is not allowed.

We still had a reunion dinner among ourselves; but the dishes are only less elaborate. For the past 3 years, Grandpa was not fit to join us at the table during dinner but nevertheless, he was still aware & happily looked from afar seated at his favourite sofa. This year felt different without him around. Somehow, the dinner became a solemn event & a quiet one. I'd be lying that deep down, all of us didn't miss him a lot.

I supposed this is how it feels having to lose someone dear to you. More so when it's close to CNY when everything should be cheerful & prosperous has now become silent & lonely. Grandpa, though we're no longer celebrating with you, we hoped that you're also having a hearty meal "elsewhere". Don't worry about us. We'll continue taking care of Grandma as promised.

The last farewell

Grandpa left us on Sunday at 5 minutes before noon. The whole experience seems so strange & unreal as I stood there staring at Grandpa lying on the hospital bed motionless without any response. I soon realised that he was gone & I was one of the few who didn't have the chance to say goodbye to him. If I hadn't gone back home with Grandma & the rest, we'd be able to be by his side until he drew his last breath. But it's too late to cry over spilled milk.

The next thing was a whirlwind of events as we prepared for the wake which lasted for 2 days. It was an exhausting process - praying & chanting at intervals of 20 minutes or so. Apart from that, we were required to fold paper money which is to be burnt for Grandpa. All these rituals kept us occupied & focused on completing what was necessary instead of sitting at a corner weeping uncontrollably.

Little did we expect that time passed by so quickly. Along came the 3rd day; the last day for us to see his body before we sent him off to the cemetery for burial. Each of us took turns to bid him farewell. As I approached his casket, I could no longer hold back my tears. All I could utter silently that I'll be forever grateful for whatever he did for me all these years & wishing him a safe "journey" to where ever he is heading to. I touched his forehead gently & held there for a few seconds, then left for the next person in line to do his/her deed.

At 10am, we departed to the cemetery with the hearse leading 2 vehicles & a bus I was in with my sister, cousins, close friend & relatives. The burial plot where Grandpa lay to rest overlooks a small hill & the scenery is a picturesque view of a quiet town with peace & tranquility. Hopefully Grandpa loves his new home as this is the best we can provide to show our filial piety & respect.

Dear Grandpa, where ever you are, don't worry as we'll take good care of Grandma. Thanks for being such a great person in our lives. Have a safe "journey" & rest in peace. We'll miss you dearly...

The harsh reality

It has been 2 weeks already that Grandpa was being transferred to ICU. His condition became worse after New Year & had to be on a life support machine due to difficulty in breathing. Miraculously, he seemed to be showing signs of improvement 3 days ago as he was able to breathe on his own with minimal assistance from the machine.

The doctor has explained that he will have to remove the machine in order to confirm whether Grandpa is able to breathe independently without any assistance. He would then explain the necessary next steps depending on the situation. If the machine is still required, he will need to perform a surgery by opening a hole near the throat to allow better respiration.

Even though we were doubtful of Grandpa's recovery rate, we saw a glimmer of hope. He was able to breathe on his own without the machine! Unfortunately, he suffered breathing difficulty 2 hours later & the doctor had no choice but to re-attach the life support machine on him. It's a harsh reality, knowing that Grandpa may not survive any longer. What we can only do is hope... =(

The Nutcracker

It was a pretty last minute decision for me & my sis to purchase tickets for Ballet Festival at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has planned for another ballet inspired performance but this time with a little surprise - a live ballet performance by the Stars of the Moscow Ballet. Prior to the show, I was very intrigued by how the entire dance troupe would be able to perform on stage, with very limited space in the hall. We decided to go for The Nutcracker as we are more well versed with its music.

When we entered the hall, we were surprised that the organiser was able to fit in a backdrop on the stage. The entire orchestra was moved to beneath the stage in order to accommodate the troupe. The performance was divided into 2 parts - Act I & II with an internal of 20 minutes in between. The programme began on time & as soon as the orchestra struck the first few notes, the long forgotten music became all too familiar. It was heartfelt to be able to experience these beautiful melodies I grew up with come to life.

The dancers performed incredibly well even though the size of the stage was indeed a challenge for them to execute their leaps & jumps flawlessly. At one point, the Nutcracker prince nearly fell onto his knees when he was in the midst of his high leaps. The stage was way too small for him, what's more he is a tall man. He covered his mistakes very well which clearly shows a true professional dancer. The protagonist, Marie seemed wobbly at pointe in certain scenes. It could be due to exhaustion from the 2-nights gala performance or just being nervous. She still nailed her performance so we personally had no claims at all.

It was an enlightening experience to able to witness a live ballet performance, what's more from Russian ballet dancers. These performances don't come by often in Malaysia & though pricey, it was worth spending on the tickets. I hope that MPO will consider bringing similar performances to Malaysian shores as more locals are starting to appreciate these art forms. I couldn't help sneaking out my iPhone & managed to snap a  shot of the backdrop in DFP during the interval. Not long after that, I was being warned by a flash of green laser light so I had to keep my phone before it risked being confiscated. Well, one shot is better than nothing... XD

Pic courtesy of Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) Facebook

Welcome 2013!

Happy New Year! That's the first word I can think of while typing this post. I have survived the end of the world...duh! Do you even believe the world is coming to an end? I, for once, never believed in that prediction from the beginning. 21 Dec was just another last weekday before the much anticipated long Christmas weekend.

So, has 2012 been kind to you? It wasn't for my case. I was left with no choice but to leave a job I enjoyed due to political unrest within the organisation. Then, I was in between jobs for 2 months & experienced slight depression because I was getting weary of not securing one soonest while seeing my savings slowly deplete day by day. Just a week ago, I was feeling devastated hearing news that Grandpa will not survived any longer & was being put on a life support machine in ICU. Can you imagine so many things happening as I blog now?

Now that I've found a stable job that pays decent, I thought I would be a much happier person as the last 6 months had been one hell of a ride. After my last year's resolution was only a simple one - to stay happy & try to be positive. Seems like I failed miserably because I got irritated with everything & everyone around me; the fact that many things didn't turn out the way I expected it to be.

Grandpa has passed the critical stage & he's being moved to HDU, breathing well on his own. He's alert & energetic which I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd must admit he's a great fighter. He has taught me a good lesson - never give up & keep on fighting. Then, you will reap the benefits for all the effort you've contributed. Hence, I've giving myself another chance to fulfill my new year resolutions.

1. Be optimistic even when times are extremely tough
2. Spare time to pursue my passions - blogging, culinary & photography
3. Get WL to slim down by 10kg - difficult but possible XD

Last but not least, cherish your loved ones - be it families or friends. This won't be merely in my 2013 resolution, it's something I'll be doing in years to come so as long as my loved ones are around; alive & healthy. Happy New Year!

The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson brought to life J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale, The Lord of The Rings 11 years ago with breathtaking CGI & wowed us with the spectacular plot, not to mentioned stellar casting for all the important characters in the books' trilogy.

 

A decade later, the director is bringing back the magic to screen with The Hobbit which is a prequel to the incidences in The Lord of The Rings. Feeling the pressure to stay loyal to the book, Jackson decides to stretch the story into a 3-part film. I was ecstatic when it was announced that the first movie, The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey will be released in December 2012 after a long wait.

Barely a month before the movie release, I pored through the books; turning one page after another as I was pressured to complete the book in time. Otherwise, it would seem strange that I read the book half way & expect the movie to fill in the remaining gaps. I guess I regretted a little reading it before stepping into the cinema because everything about the movie was exact enactment of the book. So it was a total spoiler. -.-"

Still, nothing beats having the opening sentence of the book narrated out loud in the film. Listening to Ian Holm's voice as the old Bilbo Baggins began with the phrase, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." sent a rush of excitement, marking the start of an epic adventure. Those of you unfamiliar to Tolkien's work will find the first 30 mins a pain to watch because of the slow, lengthy pace at Bilbo's hobbit hole & the introduction of every dwarf (who looks & sounds alike) which is bound to leave you in a confused state of mind.

Skip all those & the movie becomes more exciting as Bilbo began his journey with the group of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield & accompanied by Gandalf to the Lonely Mountain. There you have it, Jackson's showcase of Middle Earth using state-of-the-art CGI that will take your breath away. If you have an eye for detail, I would recommend to watch the 3D version filmed in high frame rate which claims to have the highest definition for 3D movie. I'm not a fan of 3D movies & wouldn't bother putting on a pair of 3D glasses to witness orcs running towards my direction. It is already a headache trying to deal with wearing extra glasses on top of my own spectacles.

Overall, the movie looks great & I'd have to applaud the work for its grandeur & cinematic appeal. Somehow it struck me as a more serious film for adults rather than the innocent nature of a children's tale on hobbits. Honestly, the book seems to have some sort of identity crisis because the writing style is pretty dense (though not as heavy as The Lord of The Rings) but it's definitely not the childlike kind where you find in the Harry Potter series, yet Tolkien himself wrote it for children. If this is true, I'm very impressed with the literacy level of children those days.

Also, the book only has one volume whereas Jackson took it a little too far by stretching into a trilogy. This movie already feels maxed out to its limit just to meet the 2 1/2 hour length. Nevertheless, The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey is still an enjoyable piece to be cherished & rejoiced for the casts' brilliant acting skills. Given the choice to pick my favourite scene, mine would be Riddles in the Dark - the scene where Bilbo & Gollum first met & exchanged riddles. Best scene ever. Just like in the book...

Now I need to wait patiently for the 2nd instalment next year as the anticipation builds up in unveiling the creature living in the mountains that breathes fire. I wonder which actor will play Bard the Bowman, a significant one in the next film. Can't wait!!

Pic courtesy of MovieposterDB.com

The reversing car

It was raining while I was driving home from work at about 8pm. There was a slight jam at the traffic light interchange near Batu Tiga toll, which is a usual during a downpour. As I approached the traffic light, I stopped behind a yellow Ford Intercooler Turbo & waited patiently until the light turns green. For some odd reason, the yellow Ford started sliding backwards & moving frontwards as if the driver was struggling to balance the clutch.

As soon as I realised his car was getting a little too close, I pressed on the honk just to give him a wake up call. However, he didn't seemed to notice his car had started rolling backwards. I honked loudly & continuously, praying hard that he would just pulled the hand brakes to put a stop to his reversing car. Unfortunately, my prayers was not answered & his car hit on my front car, leaving a long scratch just below the grill. On the other hand, his car was unfazed with the kangaroo bars attached to the back.

I was really pissed to the roof but even more so because I couldn't get down from the car to confront the culprit as it was still raining heavily. We were stuck at the traffic light in the middle of the road so there was no way to park aside in order to do the talking. I whipped out my phone to snap a picture of the car with the number as a backup if I plan to make a police report. He moved few inches to the front knowing that he was at fault. This cunning man took the opportunity to escape by sneaking through the heavy traffic & sped off. Such a coward!

Upon arriving home, I complained to Dad about the situation & expressed my need to make a police report immediately. Sadly, Dad said to forget about the idea because the whole incident was not in my favour. Why?! Because I was hit on the front by the back of the culprit's car. Our police will still fire at me, accusing that I tailgated & stopping too close to the front car. Malaysian police recognises the back car will always be guilty, irregardless of the back car actually hit or was being hit by the front car. In their eyes, each driver must be focused on looking at what is ahead of you.

With that, I left the incident aside & didn't not file any report against the culprit. But this incident left me fuming mad for weeks about how unjust our judicial system is. Made me realised the importance of getting registered to vote & fight for a change. It will have to be the next elections.

Cooking Swedish

Two months ago, I signed up for Cooking British class which is to be held in October. Unfortunately, I received a call from At 19 Culinary Studio team while I was away for business trip explaining that the aforementioned class had to be cancelled due to low participation. Apparently, there were many participants who made cancellations & I was the only one left to attend the class. As stated in their rules, a minimum of 3 participants are required for class commencement as scheduled.

Due to this, I was offered to select another class of equivalent value or get a full refund if there isn't any class of to my liking. In the end, I picked Cooking Swedish which is a favourite class among most members. When the day arrived, I totally forgot that I had actually signed up for it & was rudely awakened by my alarm clock at 9am (not early but I'm not a morning person). Already running late, I scrambled to wash up & drove as fast as I could to the culinary studio. Upon arrival, I cooked up a white lie that my car had some problems just so that it didn't look too embarrassing that I arrived fashionably late. Nevertheless, the class didn't receive overwhelming response as I thought it should be because there were only 3 students who turned up (including me).

Chef Khai was the one who conducted the special Swedish cooking class for Ikea's contest winners. Due to overwhelming response, Chef Khai decided to organise a similar class for At 19's students. We started off with Jansson's Temptations, a fancy name for potato pudding. In essence, the potato pudding is made by cutting slices of potatoes & arranging it layer by layer together with anchovy fillet or bacon in a baking tin. Next, cream is poured into the baking tin to cover up the layers & then it's popped into the oven to bake to perfection. Garnish with some English parsley & voila! You have a new dish ready.

The second dish is a main course called Lindstromare with pickles cabbage & onion sauce. Lindstromare refers to beef patty in Swedish language for those of you wondering what it means. If you can't consume beef, mutton can be used as an alternative. First, the meat patty of your choice is marinated with egg, beetroot, onion cube & chopped parsley then seasoned to taste. The patty is then pan-fried until golden brown. Next, the cabbage is sauteed with butter & balsamic vinegar, season to taste. To prepare the sauce, we sauteed the onion until brown followed by black pepper. Demi glace is added & simmered until thick while adding seasoning to taste. No idea what a demi glace is? It's actually double cream. Finally, the patty is plated with pickles cabbage & onion sauce. Yum!

A meal is never complete without a wonderful dessert. In traditional Swedish style, Chef Khai demonstrated how to prepare a simple dark chocolate kladdkaka which is known as chocolate cake to the Swedes. Kladdkaka is a fairly simple cake to bake. All we needed was eggs, sugar, butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, self-raising flour, water, salt & vanilla paste. The eggs & sugar are whipped until smooth; then flour, salt, vanilla paste & water is added & mixed until well combined. Next, we put a few knobs of melted butter & cocoa powder into the egg batter, whisking it until glossy before finally adding in a teaspoon of vanilla paste. The batter is poured into a lightly greased 9 inch tart dish & baked in the oven preheated at 150 degrees Celcius for 35 minutes. Once ready, set aside the cake to cool slightly & finally dust a layer of icing sugar to serve. Just look at how beautiful the cake turns out...

Each of us took back our own creations to savour at home. The class ended at the perfect time at noon, when it was time for lunch & had plenty of appetite to gobble up all the dishes. Even then, I was struggling to finish my creations because the meal was wholesome. Now I just need to find time to practise & replicate this dish to perfection. XD

Cheesecake Galore Part 1

Two months ago, I attended a workshop organised by At 19 Culinary Studio in conjunction with their series of Open Day demos to attract new students to sign up for the various classes available. Being eager to improve my baking skills, I registered for Cheesecake Galore Part 1 which was conducted by Sandy who is a cake decorator. The class focused on 2 recipes - Baked Japanese Cheesecake & Chilled Blueberry Cheesecake.

There were 6 of us in the class, naturally we were divided into 2 groups of 3 each. We started of learning how to prepare the Japanese version of the baked cheesecake. This cake is known for its soft, fluffy texture & less cheesy compared to other cheesecakes. It is technically challenging to bake this cake because every step is crucial to achieve the softness & fluffiness of the cake. One mistake made will spoil the texture & the mouth feel becomes less satisfactory. According to Sandy, we will not have problems with making other cheesecakes or baking other cakes if we're able to master the techniques required.

True as it is, one of my group members made a mistake by pouring the melted butter into the sponge cake mix before combining it in a mixer. The right step would be to pour the melted butter partially while mixing the sponge cake mix in the mixer. With that mistake, as a result, the sponge cake layer was tougher than it should be & less spongy than we hoped for. A lesson well learnt as it allows us to understand better each & every step & to differentiate what's the right or wrong cake texture.

After baking the sponge cake layer which serves as the base, the cream cheese mixture was poured over the sponge cake layer in a cake tin foil. We put the cake tin into the oven to bake for about 30 mins at 160 Celsius. The cake was baking beautifully inside the oven while we moved on to the next recipe.

The Chilled Blueberry Cheesecake, like all other chilled cheesecakes, is a fairly simple recipe for amateurs like us to master. There is no need to bake the cake & it's all about making sure the ingredients are combined well or risk having lumpy texture. All cheesecakes require a biscuit base in order to hold the cream cheese layer in place & this one is no exception. As soon as the ingredients were combined, we poured it into the prepared cake tin foil. Then we spread blueberry jam evenly over the cream cheese layer & immediately store the cakes in the chiller. Meanwhile, our Japanese cheesecakes were ready & left to cool on the rack.

Due to time constraint, we had to remove the blueberry cheesecakes from the chiller only after half an hour. By practice, chilled cheesecake needs to chilled overnight to allow the cake to set in before serving. It still can be consumed, the only thing is it will taste more like a cream dessert rather than a proper cheesecake. Each of us get to bring home our masterpiece. =D

Although my Japanese cheesecake turned out to be stiff & heavy, it still tasted good in the mouth. Yesh! Whereas the blueberry one tasted heavenly...more than enough to satisfy my midnight craving. XD

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy

The most anticipated event of the year (among fans) is none other than Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy. For the first time, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has decided to perform selected soundtracks from our all-time favourite video game saga - Final Fantasy.

WL wanted to purchase the CD but too bad it was sold out quicker than expected. The only thing I managed to grab is a copy of the performance set list. No words can describe how we felt (me, my sis & WL) the minute we entered the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) to see young men & women in their late 20-30s. This is indeed a gathering of fans who once grew up playing the Final Fantasy series, be it on the earlier Nintendo platform to the most advanced PS3 or Xbox platforms.

Among all the MPO performances I attended previously, this show was different because it contained visual display projected on a large screen. I think this is a plus point - not only preventing boredom among first timers watching orchestral performances (I bet 60%-70% of them in the hall are "orchestra virgins") but also doing us a fan service to remind us of all those classic moments in each series.

The show lasted for almost 2 hours with a 20 mins interval break. Good for the audiences to stretch their legs while the musicians take a breather before preparing for the next performance. Towards the end, we were treated with a surprise encore performance as a token of gratitude for our never ending support. What was the most unforgettable performance yesterday? I'd have to admit there were more than one song, actually. My favourites are definitely the ones listed below:

1. Memoro de la Stono by Stephanie Van Driesen & Dithyrambic Singers
2. Opera: Maria and Darco by Ho Chi Mei, James Long Cai Hunt & Mak Chi Hoe
3. Suteki Dane by Stephanie Van Driesen - encore performance
4. Fallen Angel - encore performance

Kudos to the conductor, Arnie Roth for being so passionate & enthusiastic in bringing the sounds of Final Fantasy come to life. For your info, Arnie Roth has worked with the legendary Nobuo Uematsu & Square Enix as Music Director & Conductor for many Final Fantasy related orchestral performances. I couldn't help but shed tears of joy for such a heartwarming experience. It was definitely an afternoon to remember...


Pic courtesy of Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) Facebook

Dumb & dumber

Ever since I took up a new job at this company, I've realised that a lot of work processes are not in place. Not only getting a certain task done can be a rocket science, seems like I have to downgrade my English proficiency just so people would not misunderstand me another word.

Most of the time, the culture is like this - people do not "listen", they "hear". In other words, they do not take your words seriously. Most of them take things for granted too & assumed that they will not be held responsible if things go awry. That's just because nobody reprimands them anyway.

And then there's the GM whom behaves like your father who gets too worked up & personal over work matters. The non-stop nagging will follow suit which could last until an hour or so. The next thing you'll know is that you'll never get a piece of advice out of it. His words are a mumbo-jumbo of words from none other than a typical old man venting his frustration.

I supposed that I can tolerate as you can never choose your boss unless you work for yourself. But to actually downgrade my working style to get accustomed to most people here (who are barely qualified for their job role) is totally unacceptable. *sighs* I wonder how long I go on like this without getting a heart attack. =(

The Secretary

It's interesting & even more frustrating to know that the secretary cum personal assistant of the GM is bossier than you can ever imagine. And what's worse than being the receiving end of her confrontation over a small matter just because I mentioned that the attendance list for a press conference was approved by the GM. She conveniently marched over to my desk & gave a nasty lecture (equivalent to scolding) for lying about what I said earlier, then warned me against using the GM's name to show authority.

Which part of the story that proved my lies? All I genuinely did was sending out email invitations to the respective HODs,  hoping for their presence to support the event. The secretary doesn't seem to understand the basic idea of invitation - that it doesn't expect a compulsory attendance from the intended party being invited. It's certainly not wrong to send invitations to anyone without prior knowledge that each individual has other appointments.

I was fuming mad that this lady is here to stay; being a bitch & making a huge deal on almost anything under the sun. The ugly truth is the GM is siding & will always side her, unreasonably. The world is so unfair. *sighs*

Ted

The moment WL saw the movie trailer of Ted, he had immediately tagged it as the must-watch movie in 2012. I was eager to watch too because it does look like a hilarious show.

The movie premiered much later in Malaysia & it must be going through serious censorship for its explicit scenes & profanities. We bought a copy of the DVD at a dirt cheap price while vacationing in Bali during mid July but the quality turned out to be appalling. Shouldn't have expected any better than that because the movie only premiered not long in the US.

When Ted finally came to our cinemas, we bought the tickets without hesitation. The movie was hilarious as expected but it kinda left much to be desired. Part of the reason could be due to our strict censorship rules leading to an entire scene laden with sexual jokes to be snipped off. Sometimes I wonder if such move is even necessary. I mean, why bother rating 18SX when the explicit scenes will be censored anyway?

For a start, strict rules should be enforced to prevent underage viewers to purchase the 18SX rated movies, what more allowing them entry to the cinema halls. Whatever the Censorship Board is practising is definitely not doing us a favour, instead ruining an entertainment & still not solving the root cause of social problems nowadays. Back to the movie, the movie was entertaining & do not raise hopes on the plot being fantastic. It stayed simple without trying too hard. Also, the teddy bear is indeed adorable & huggable but honestly, I wouldn't wish for a talking bear for Christmas because it sure is freaky.


Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Missing flight (almost)

I've been travelling frequently for the past 2 weeks for business purpose & for the first time in my travelling experience, I'd nearly missed 2 of my return flights home. The first time happened when I was in JB last Friday for a day trip. I didn't managed to check in my return flight so I thought I could go to the airport earlier to get it done. Little did I expect that I had to go for market visit, then having to rush to the airport during the evening rush hour. I arrived just in the nick of time for check-in & rushed off to the departure hall. 

About 10 mins before boarding time, I only realised that the boarding pass didn't belong to my name. Feeling panicked, I walked to the boarding gate counter & told them about my issue. Thankfully, they willingly re-printed my boarding pass. You must be thinking what a klutz I was for not verifying my boarding pass. Let me ask you - if you're already running late for check-in & almost had a heart attack due to risk of missing a flight, would you have realised that the boarding pass wasn't yours? Perhaps it was my mistake for not checking & it was a lesson well learnt.

On my 2nd trip to KT yesterday, I nearly missed the return flight again because the colleague who was supposed to drive us to the airport arrived late. So much for being more prepare this time by checking in online & ended up having someone else to almost spoil my travel plans. To sum it up, I've definitely learnt to arrange travel plans earlier & give myself extra time to travel to the airport just in case unforeseen circumstances arise. And most importantly, checking in online to save the trouble of not holding a boarding pass if I happened to miss the check-in time.

Hooting of a car horn

I was out attending a shoot yesterday at a paintball field nearby my house when something really peculiar happened to my car. As I was turning my keys to ignite the engine, the horn gave out a short, loud hoot. I was puzzled because I didn't press the car horn at all. Turning around to check if any curious onlookers were giving me the annoyed look for disturbing peace in the morning, I quickly turned my steering wheel to drive away quickly before things got worse.

Shockingly, each turn of the steering gave a long, honking sound of the car. Puzzlement became more like embarrassment as other drivers are walking close to check out who the lunatic is pressing the horn while driving. A Malay guy came by to ask out of concern & the only thing I could mutter is, "Saya tak tahu lah...". He finally deduced that the wires in the car horn might have short-circuited & the steering cover needs to be removed in order to temporarily pull out the wire.

It wasn't an easy task opening the steering cover, especially there was not tool at hand. Along came an elderly Chinese man who was as curious as the Malay; asking what was going on. He suggested to open up the car bonnet & remove the car horn plug so that it won't sound anymore. Both the Malay guy & Chinese elderly man helped opened up the bonnet & pulled off the plug. Yay, the sound went off! The latter advised me to send to the mechanic for a check on the steering wheel or the plug. Meanwhile, I'd have to put up with driving without a car horn which means driving more cautiously than before.

I thanked them & was glad that these strangers are genuinely offering their help. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to receive help from fakes who would take the advantage to rob me on the spot. On a sad note, I only realised that I lost my favourite cap during this panicky situation. Sighs...

Up & about

It's my 2nd day of work at my new place. Although there are ongoing projects, I wasn't able to start working on the task assigned due to the absence of laptop. Nevertheless, my schedule has been pretty tight these 2 days as I was having back-to-back meetings for almost the whole day. I'll be attending two shoots tomorrow, thankfully at the same venue so there's no need to drive elsewhere.

No doubt exhausting but I'm not too stressed out yet. It's a huge change from the last company I joined whereby I was expected to handle several projects alone within the 1st week. My superiors are pretty friendly & seems to me are willing to guide me in every way possible. It's not like I have a choice who I wish to work with. At the moment I'm not complaining.  =) I'm not expecting it to be an easy journey taking a higher position but here's hoping for a smoother journey ahead.

Back into the employment game

As you read this, you could be very well informed that I was unemployed for almost 2 months. I left the last job without securing a new one; not that I take pride in that because seeing my hard earned savings depleting so quickly to pay up bills & other commitments is indeed one hell of an experience. Now I can truly relate to people I know who have took this path once. A lesson well learnt - to persevere & never quit before getting the next job. Umm...I could say that my scenario was an exceptional case.

The reason I'm dedicating a post about my career again because I'm so relieved that I finally found a job! After countless rounds of filling up application forms & interviews. Cumbersome it is, but the so-called never ending process makes one weary & panic if you're not called for the 2nd time. You start to question yourself: am I lacking something? Why are these people not hiring me? Did I say something wrong? These thoughts weigh you down miserably, making you feel useless inside out. There wasn't much self-esteem left in me back then.

Fortunately, my luck has taken a turn for the better. Tomorrow will be a new journey for me. I'll be working further from home & it'll be a totally new experience. Is it a good thing? I hope so. Since I'm in need of moolah, I'll just have to bear it for some time. Who knows if I'm gonna fit in better this time? By the way, WL is also starting at his new place too. Praying for a great start for the both of us. Do wish us all the best... =)

P.S. Just found out about my colleague who joined 2 weeks earlier than me in the previous company had also left. I dared not ask her reasons for leaving but I think kinda know why... *winks*

MM Cafe @ Happy Mansion, Section 17 PJ

The only good thing about being unemployed (for a temporary period) is that I have lots of free time to do the things I enjoy most. And spending time with my old folk, in this instance. The experience gets better when you have extra moolah on hand. A filial grandchild at heart, I took Grandma for another eating out session because her eagerness never seem to wane.

I drove her to MM Cafe, a little restaurant situated or should I say hidden in the heart of Section 17, PJ at this apartment called Happy Mansion. I used to patron this cafe quite often when I was still working in Section 13 because the price is decent & the food is decent. It turned out that there are a couple of new addition to the menu which is definitely a nice change. I ordered newly added Spaghetti Arabiata & picked a healthier selection, Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter for Grandma.

The food usually arrives pretty slow especially during lunch hours. Strange enough, our food still arrived late even though it was almost 1.30pm as the lunch crowd slowly dispersed. My dish is actually spaghetti cooked with mixed seafood & tomato in pasta sauce. It tasted pretty good with the spaghetti cooked al dente. The amount of sauce topping the spaghetti was just nice to my preference, not soaking wet like a bowl of soup. At RM14.90, I couldn't complain at all because the dish was satisfying.

Luckily, Grandma liked her dish pretty much or else I would be in deep trouble as she would obviously express her dissatisfaction on our journey home. I didn't manage to snap a photo of her dish since she couldn't hold on to her hunger any longer & begun chowing away. Her dish is priced at RM15.90 which is another plus point!

I'll probably bring Grandma to MM Cafe again when she craves for outside food again. I mean, she yearns to eat out all the time so hopefully she doesn't mind eating decent, affordable food for the next round.

Address:

AG-1, Ground Floor

Block A, Happy Mansion

Jalan 17/13

46400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7931 8728

mmcafe88@gmail.com

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays, 11:00am to 11:00pm

Gay guidelines

After a short hiatus for my Krabi trip, I logged in to Facebook & learned news about two organisations distributing guidelines on tackling the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) among students in a parenting seminar held recently in Penang. The guidelines caused an uproar & among netizens, not just local but abroad as well due to its unjust classification of LGBT.

Quoting the phrase from The Star's article, parents were given outlines on how to identify "symptoms" that their children might be suspiciously gay or lesbian. It was suggested that gays have a tendency to wear tight-fitting, sleeveless or V-neck shirts, even colourful attire to show off their muscular bodies. They also have a penchant for carrying man bags or large slingbags. For the girls, parents were warned to pay closer attention to their daughters who prefer hanging out with female friends because they may be suspiciously lesbian.

The Ministry of Education had denied endorsing the guidelines, emphasising the seminar was organised by "concerned" NGOs. Personally, I thought the guidelines were ridiculous & a big joke. Not to mention classifying LGBT with symptoms gives an impression that these NGOs view LGBT as a disease that needs to be corrected & treated. And to be cautious about daughters hanging more frequently among females? If I'm the mother, I would be more worried if my daughter is among the presence of male friends who may take advances on her. I'm utterly confused & the guidelines are just plain bollocks.

These NGOs are obviously not well informed or probably have not done their homework prior to the seminar. Or else they wouldn't have produced such subject of ridicule. What they have failed to understand is that each individual has different sexual orientation - male, female & sexual minorities or LGBT. By categorising LGBT as a group needs to be correct is downright sexual discrimination. To begin with, how can these NGOs educate the public when they themselves are backward thinking & couldn't accept everyone's social backgrounds? There are more problems to tackle as we speak, such as providing proper sex education in schools to curb teen pregnancies, STDs & etc.

Source: The Star Online

Step Up Revolution

Sequels, sequels! Haha. Another Step Up movie~ *squirms* A guilty pleasure that I never dared admit - I can't seem to get tired of the franchise. XD This is the first time me & WL actually paid for tickets to watch a Step Up movie in the cinema. We were out shopping for supplies for our upcoming Krabi & that activity didn't take much time to complete. Catching a random movie was the only way to make good use of the parking fees & the only viable choice is a movie dedicated to dance.

The plot is cliched just like its predecessors, but come to think of it, Step Up Revolution is even more outrageous. It's about Emily Anderson (Kathryn McCormick), daughter of a wealthy businessman who travels to Miami aspiring to be a professional contemporary dancer in a production. She meets Sean (Ryan Guzman) who is the leader of flash mob crew called the MOB (*rolls eyes*) & eventually falls in love with him.

The MOB initially strives to win a YouTube contest with the grand prize of a major sponsorship deal. However, the crew turn around their tables when Emily's father decides to buy over the neighbourhood & build a large hotel, eventually forcing the community to move out & lose their jobs. Their theme has evolved from just showing off their dancing prowess to defending their neighbourhood. Don't you think this idea is outrageous? Dancing alone can stop a project development?

You can easily guess what happens next so I shall elaborate no further. One thing that must be mentioned is how hot Ryan Guzman is. XD Superbly hot...

Ryan Guzman (first row, middle)

In person, Ryan can't dance to save his life but he possess the physique because he practises martial arts. He did his own dancing but some of the more intense moves are probably a dance double. Whereas Kathryn was in 3rd placing in So You Think You Can Dance. The rest of the casts are real dancers & I supposed this ain't surprising. Is this fourth franchise better than the previous franchises? Based on personal preference, I preferred Step Up 2 because of the dance moves. Though I'd have to point out that the flash mob choreography in the art gallery is awesome.

Pics courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com & MTV