The Bee, Jaya One

WL & I rarely do Monday date nights but we were suddenly up for a dinner date. He came to pick me up after work & both of us had no clue about where & what to eat #firstworldproblems. Rain started pouring not long after we left so I suggested to head off to Jaya One for shelter.

We wandered around with stomachs groaning, searching aimlessly for a suitable restaurant while shying away from those which gave us past bad experience. When we passed by The Bee, we were attracted by the B for B promo specially for Mondays. The promo can be a choice of beer-for-beer / burger-for-beer / burger-for-burger combination. Without doubt, we settled for burger-for-burger option as we were starving.

Our pick for the night is The Bee Burger & Mexican Chilli Burger. WL didn't gave me enough time to snap some photos because his hands were all over the burger, ready to stuff it into his mouth. So I held back my hunger just for a few seconds & photographed my the glorious burger.

The Bee Burger is their signature burger dish which consist of cheddar cheese, gherkins & turkey bacon atop a mouth-watering house-made beef patty held by brioche bun.

Served in a platter of french fries & dipping sauce plus my choice of a cup of hot mocha makes a wholesome meal. Although the hot mocha is not the best, one of our burgers is free! What's not to love?

It's not my usual habit to order a beef burger because my weird stomach occasionally can't handle the heat of red meat. Nevertheless, I can't help but gush over the scrumptious brioche bun. Yeah, I know I get overly excited over French breads. Anyway, I always knew The Bee serves great food ever since I dined at the Publika branch. I'd must say the Jaya One branch is on par too. It's a cool hangout place despite the small area with limited seats. Price averages around RM20+ for main course.

Address:

F-85.G.1 (K-2A-G)

Palm Square, Jaya One

72A, Jalan Universiti

46200 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7960 2160

Opening Hours:

Monday to Thursday 9:00am - 11:00pm

Friday 9:00am - 11:30pm

Saturday 10:00am - 11:30pm

Sunday 10:00am - 9:30pm

Budget 2015: Lego-fied

For the first time in years that I actually paid attention to the budget announcement. In this case, I was referring to Budget 2015. Well, erm...not really. Frankly speaking, I didn't bother to know the details details because the perks announced each year never really benefited the middle-income citizens like me.

It's because this year, The Star took the initiative to be creative by presenting the budget details in the simplest manner possible. And there you have it - a Lego-fied Budget 2015! It's so darn adorable & eye-catchy that it's impossible to ignore.

I reckon the idea of publishing the budget spread with minifigures, buildings & vehicles built from Lego bricks culminated from the growing popularity of Lego brand in Malaysia ever since the opening of Legoland.

It was a fantastic idea however, I wasn't particularly ecstatic about the details. The general public is still largely ignorant & lack knowledge of GST & its implementation. There are so much uncertainty looming within the market especially in the industry I worked in that many corporations are adopting a wait & see approach.

Housing policies still fail to address the problems of sky-high house prices that middle-income earners are increasingly unable to afford one. I happened to be one of them & even if pooling with WL is possible, the location is probably less than ideal.

The only perks I see light is increased budget allocation for small & medium enterprises especially for professional women. Indeed beneficial for my future plan to start up a business & quit my future-less job. I have been harbouring that thought for months. All I need is courage to take the leap of faith.

So fellow readers, what are your thoughts on Budget 2015?

In order to view the larger version, click here.

Image credits to The Star.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

No, no, not another Hollywood movie on childhood cartoons by Michael Bay! I just couldn't bear damaging my eye balls watching another one of my childhood cartoons being ruined to bits by the glitter of Tinseltown. But oh well... =(

Let me tell you what's so wrong about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. How can the turtles have a nose bridge?? Of course they have nostrils, but a nose?! WHA?!

As much as I agree CGI nowadays have improved tremendously & capable of creating literally anything, in this case the creators made the turtles looked rather creepy. Since they got the characters' fine little detail all wrong, how would one still survive through the movie? Well, the plot is at its simplest. A no-brainer entertainment piece that doesn't require much thinking. It's easy to digest for a moviegoer looking for an occasional movie escapade. I wasn't easily impressed but there wasn't any other movie watch so...*feeling meh*

At least they didn't make Megan Fox look like a bimbo incapable of doing nothing but scream for help. I never doubted her acting skills, it's just unfortunate the scripts that she received was never fantastic to begin with. Nonetheless, she's easily forgiven all thanks to her pretty face & that's doing her good.

I was hoping this film would just end here for good. Seems like a sequel is on the pipeline & scheduled for release in summer 2016. Omg, not another one...*rolls eyes*

Pic credits to MoviePosterDB.com & The Cairns Post

Lost

Right after I came home from my baking assessment, I stumbled across 2 little kittens sitting back to back in the garden. They looked lost & afraid - one of them has orange & white coat while the other has greyish stripes all over its body. I walked over to them, being careful to not scare them away. The orange one was mewing at me, or so I thought.

I got a bored trying to "communicate" with them & walked back to my house; surprisingly the little felines trotted along, trailing behind me. I thought they looked so adorable & wanted to play with them after putting down my stuff. The kittens crawled underneath my car instead of following me back to my door. I panicked, fearing the car may run over them if someone decides to reverse the car.

I was trying to coax them out of their hiding place but to no avail. Thankfully, the mother cat came looking for her little kittens. It was a quite a sight to behold, as I watched her gripped one of the kittens head with her mouth & carried the offspring towards the gate. It's amazing how the strong grip does not leave any wound to the kitten.

The other kitten was being difficult, refusing to leave its hiding place. Finally, the mother cat returned for its baby by entering through the back drain. Upon hearing our voices, the mother cat were very cautious about calling its baby & instead hid behind the bushes. When the grey kitten appeared slowly, the mother quickly led her kitten to the gate & out of sight.

Sometimes, the most mundane things in life can be so interesting than you'd expect. It's a normal reaction of the mother cat to be protective of its young ones but for some reason, seeing it with my eyes brings a whole new experience of life in its simplest form.

Guardians of The Galaxy

Based on my shallow knowledge of the comic universe, Guardians of The Galaxy was a lesser known comic among Marvel's more popular creation such as X-Men, The Avengers, Spiderman etc. I was skeptical about the movie & reluctant to part ways with my cash for a pair of movie tickets. Upon hearing rave reviews, WL & I took the plunge & joined in the crowd.

We were pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the movie. It was pure entertainment from start to end with no signs of dullness. Although the characters were not easily recognised, it didn't take long for me to warm up to the characters. The slapstick humour coupled with action packed sequence makes up the joy ride of these band of misfits.

You must be thinking hard who these misfits are & I'd agree, it can be quite baffling not knowing some info bits about the characters. Below is a quick guide to satisfy your curiosity (taken mostly from Wikipedia).

Peter Quill aka Starlord (Chris Pratt)

A half-human, half-alien leader of the Guardians who were abducted from Earth as a child & raised by a group of alien thieves & smugglers known as Ravagers.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana)

An alien orphan who was adopted & trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin. Joined the Guardians out of coincidence & is seeking redemption for past crimes.

Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista)

A warrior seeking vengeance against Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) for killing his family.

Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper)

A genetically engineered raccoon who became a bounty hunter & mercenary, an expert in weapons & battle tactics.

Groot (voice & performance capture by Vin Diesel)

A tree-like humanoid who is Rocket's sidekick. Has the ability to grow in size.

See what I mean by a band of misfits. You'd never imagine them gang up & save the world galaxy from the baddies. And what's really refreshing is the awesome tunes from the 60s & 70s played throughout the film. Apparently, the movie soundtrack topped the Billboard charts, an amazing feat for all the songs which never really made it to the charts during their heydays. The power of media & pop culture (in this case, comic related films which Marvel Studios has been cashing in recent years) can certainly bring something/someone out of obscurity.

It's not a movie without loopholes but it's barely noticeable. For the most part, you'll come out the cinema smiling corner to corner for the randomness & hilarity. By the way, Chris Pratt has given me renewed hopes that even a rather obese man like him can turn around to become an overnight star with hot bod. Now's that inspiring for my darling, WL.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

The Expendables 3

"Another sequel?!" I shuddered & said to myself when I saw The Expendables 3 trailer. Looks like the Hollywood trend of releasing sequels or franchises will be here to stay for at least the next 5 years. Who wouldn't when it brings in quick bucks real fast? In a modern day where young audiences go for CGI movies or easy-to-digest films, scripts which require some intellectual interpretation are probably getting lesser in demand.

Anyways, this instalment features Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas & Harrison Ford joining the team to battle against another former Expendable member played by Mel Gibson aka Stonebanks. Stonebanks' weaponry was far more advanced which led to Caesar (Terry Crews) being severely injured, thus forcing the team to retreat from further damage. Feeling remorse, Barney (Sylvester Stallone) disbands the team so that the remaining members are not killed in his mission & decided to recruit new, younger members to pursue Stonebanks.

The state-of-the-art technology adopted by the new members breathes new life to Barney's conventional method of hard core fighting. Unfortunately, the new recruits were captured & Barney was left to try rescue them. This movie is trying hard to prove that nothing beats old school method of fist & kicks when it comes to defeating the baddie. In a nutshell, the old team joined forces with Barney again to save the new recruits while exchanging endless gunfires with Stonebanks' comrades.

The Expendables 3 is no doubt the weaker of the 3 instalments mainly due to the lack of humour & change in focus on the younger cast. The intention to introduce fresh ideas to the movie perhaps failed because not many could relate them to the more iconic action stars of yesteryears. After all, I couldn't have agree more that most audiences are there to watch the old stars. Also, the movie is a serious action movie wannabe when the plot is not rock solid & lacks intelligent dialogues.

While I'm typing this, I heard that the 4th sequel is in the making. Why am I not surprised? Will I go watch the upcoming film in the theatres? Perhaps I should think twice. Even if I'm going to watch, it must be my love for WL to keep him company & support his "interest".

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com.

Mr & Ms Cafe, Oasis Ara Damansara

I woke up early this morning & was dragged along to Machines' warehouse sale at Citta Mall. Basically, I was doing my duty to accompany WL while he scavenged through the crowd for 3rd party made casings for his iPads & iPhone. I exited the shop lot with empty hands while WL brought out a bagful of casings paid at incredibly cheap price.

Our next destination is brunch at Mr & Ms Cafe at Oasis Ara Damansara. It was raining that morning & patrons were already filling up the dining area to get cozy & warm up from the cold outside. We were lucky enough to get parking & a table at the inner part of the cafe. The interior is pretty rustic yet inviting. Below are just a few images of how the premise looks like (taken from in DESIGN).

The staffs were generally friendly & the service is okay even though they may look a little too young & inexperienced. Most of them gave the impression of a recently graduated high schooler, but I reckon they're probably in college.

I shall review the dish I ordered since I didn't manage to snap the photos of dishes that WL's family ordered. My eggs benedict arrived about 10 mins later after my order was taken. Priced at RM14.90, the portion is decent.

The taste is okay though not the best I've tasted. Upon cutting the fork through the poached eggs, they were slightly overcooked as the yolks were not runny as expected. Slight fail. What a pity! WL's sis-in-law ordered spicy baked eggs with sausages for us dig in. That one didn't fare too well because it tasted like an Indian dish.

I think I should give them another chance by visiting them another day. Just so they can produce a better poached egg. After all, the price is affordable for an occasional diner.

Interior cafe pics credit to in DESIGN

Address:

B-G-3A, Block B, Oasis Square

Jalan PJU 1A/7A, Ara Damansara

47301 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7859 6665

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm

Saturday & Sunday 9:00am - 5:00pm

My journey with Roaccutane

I finally mustered up the courage to reveal a secret I've been keeping for the past 6 months. I kept everyone in the dark because I was too embarrassed & couldn't confront my situation. Now that things have improved & the bad memories left behind, I wish to share the experience I had after enduring the difficult times.

Most of you probably didn't know that I was diagnosed with mildly severe acne condition since last year. I didn't understand my problem, so why would you? It all began as small papules around my forehead not too long after Grandpa left us. Three months later, my condition worsen with papules multiplying into rashes as I struggled to cope with the loss & mounting stress in the workplace. I took an easy way out by using topical creams ie Oxy to reduce the swelling. It worked miraculously & almost all the pimples disappeared. The only problem the cream couldn't solve was my unusually oily skin.

Unfortunately, my condition took a turn for the worst because the rashes relapsed. The papules turned into pustules. It was very unsightly & started hating myself for being so ugly. It was then that I decided to quit my job & took two months off. Thankfully the pimples subsided but somehow the slight rash didn't fully disappear. When I started my new job in February, the pimple rash became more noticeable & my forehead was particularly greasy albeit being in the air-cond room for most of the time.

At that moment, I made up my mind to seek help from a dermatologist recommended through a friend. The doctor put on a one-month Acure prescription after confirming that I was indeed suffering from acne vulgaris. Acure is the generic drug name for Roaccutane. The drug didn't come cheap - RM200 with 30 capsules per box.

I googled more info about Roaccutane & digested as much as possible the risks & side effects that could affect me. I diligently popped a pill every day based on doctor's instruction, determined to clear off the acne as soon as possible.

1 week later

It was amazing & frightening at the same time to see the effect of Roaccutane after barely a week. All of a sudden, postules proliferated & I noticed blackheads were more visible than ever before. The good news was the excess sebum on my forehead had reduced tremendously. However, my lips were showing cracked lines, drier than I expected.

One month later

My forehead had worsen so terribly horrible that I couldn't bring myself to to look at the mirror every day. The pain was unbearable because the postules had transformed into nodules & cysts. It felt like the nodules & cysts were about to erupt anytime soon. I felt incredibly dry, inside out & was religiously applying lip balm every hour to sooth my severely cracked lips. Thankfully, it didn't bleed. Initially, I refused to photograph my progress because I was too embarrassed. But I had to document each stage to ensure there is progress.

Three months later

I almost gave up Roaccutane because it seemed to be aggravating my problem instead of curing it. I'm glad I didn't & results were generally positive. Surprisingly in just 4 months, my acne dried up almost instantly with my forehead demonstrating signs of recovery. What's left is the dark spots & minor scarrings, remnants of a previous cystic acne spot. I chose to believe that the remnants will vanish in no time if I take good care of my forehead.

I'd like to announce the good news that my condition had improved so well that I was off the drug for a while. It took 4 months for my acne to be fully extracted & cleared from my pores. Roaccutane is indeed an effective medicine to treat acne, even the severe ones. It's not a hormone pill; it contains an active ingredient called isotretinoin which is known as a retinoid. No idea what retinoid is? It's a chemical compound related to vitamin A. Roaccutane works by suppressing the activity of sebaceous glands in the skin - in other words reducing the amount of sebum produced in the glands.

To those who are contemplating about taking Roaccutane as prescribed their doctors, I assure you that the drug is generally safe when precautionary measures are taken. The drug is known to cause harm to the baby in pregnant women & may cause miscarriages. Refrain from using this drug & consult your doctor if you plan to conceive. Just make sure to use contraception if you're sexually active.

Treating acne is a lengthy process & requires patience. Each individual reacts differently to Roaccutane - some may show immediate results of recovery while others may go through a series of worsen condition before it heals. In my case, I was one of the latter & it was indeed a test of patience & self-esteem. When I was in the brink of giving up, I reminded myself that I had spent too much on medicines that giving up makes me sound like a child. I presevered & here I am...back to my original self. A happier me.

Flight MH17

As the saying goes, lightning never strikes the same place twice. At least, this belief should very well apply to air crash disaster in a single airline company. Unfortunately, this is not true for MAS. News surfaced on Friday midnight (GMT+8) that flight MH17 enroute to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a surface-to-air missile & crashed at Donetsk region of Eastern Ukraine.

The minute I received news of the crash, I rushed to the living room & switched on to CNN for the latest updates. I watched with disbelief at the stark reality flashing before my eyes. It was past bedtime but I couldn't bring myself to sleep & ended up glued to the TV until 1am. If it's really true that the plane was shot by pro-Russian separatise, I'm utterly disgusted by their inhumane acts.

Let's hope that the bodies of victims can be recovered soon & returned back to the respective families. Meanwhile, I'm hoping that the black box will be found as soon as possible so that investigative teams can begin finding the cause of the incident. Although highly unlikely the perpetrators will be caught soon, I'm praying hard that the relevant parties will arrest them & bring them to justice. It's so unfair that innocent lives were killed as a result of geopolitical tension between Ukraine & Russia. RIP MH17. #RememberingMH17

Transformers: Age of Extinction

I'd like to believe that the latest Transformers instalment was a blast. Or so I thought. The movie trailer is obviously a successful gimmick to deceive the audience into believing that the movie might be the best Transformer movie ever. I have been deceived... =(

I was made to believe that signing up different casts such as Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg will bring a breath of fresh air to the already stale storyline of the Transformers franchise, no thanks to Michael Bay. If only the whole franchise was a little more loyal to the original Transformers animation but I can only dream on for now.

Age of Extinction was approx 2 hours 45 mins long. And you wonder what in the world a simple robot movie would take up such long running time. Well, Michael Bay decided to inject some emotions to the movie this time by dialing up on the father-daughter relationship. As if that is not enough, the plot was filled with awfully written lines & typical Bay-plosions to remind you in the face it is after all a Michael Bay film & it won't go wrong with box office performance.

On 2nd thoughts, the whole film idea probably wasn't entirely Bay's fault. If you'd care enough to watch it in the cinema, you can't help but notice many unnecessary scenes were forcefully included just to promote "certain" countries. Ain't it obvious the funding probably came from Chinese investors who without doubt insist the content to reflect everything Chinese? Why am I being so critical about this? Well, I have worked long enough in Cina-man companies to be smart enough to notice that the investors are a typical kind - greedy. I reckon the production team behind Transformers have no choice but to oblige to the absurd request or risk funds being pulled off from such big budget production.

Even then, the efforts from the team wasn't enough to keep the investors happy. I heard that a lawsuit was filed against the production team for not complying to the agreement. Apparently, some of the scenes featuring iconic locations supposedly in the film was edited out in the final cut. I'm deeply appalled by how degraded Hollywood movie has become. Moreover, this unfortunate incident happened to our all-time favourite childhood series. Maybe I shouldn't take the movie too seriously, should I? Honestly, it was a waste of my money & precious 2 hours.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

KyoChon, 1 Utama

I was bugging WL to try out KyoChon when I heard news that the 1st outlet opened at 1 Utama. He finally gave in & allowed me to drag him to the restaurant for dinner. KyoChon was established in 1991 in Korea & has since expanded to over 1,000 chains in Korea. They even have branched out to USA, China, Thailand & Indonesia. Their menu comprises a variety of chicken dishes ranging from fried or grilled chicken to salads & soups.

The brand restaurant is endorsed by Korean heartthrob, Lee Minho so it's no surprise to see his face plastered all over the premise. It's typical in Korea but not so in Malaysia. Which is why I found it rather uneasy having his face staring at me from every corner of the restaurant. Does the food live up to all that hype generated by Minho? Read on below.

We ordered Sal Sal Strips small size which comes in 5pcs of boneless chicken breast strips coated in special rice batter. Our pairing sauce of choice is jambalaya. Price is RM10.90.

Aiks,  it looks small right? Fret not, it is unique & delicious. It's a pity the portion is so small. Wait until you see the next dish. For a start, I didn't want to be greedy & order a dinner set for myself because the thought of 10pcs seems like a daunting task. Hence, I gave WL the privilege to call for a set while I opted to share with him. Our intention is to try all the different flavours as much as possible without stuffing too much food into our stomach or risk falling into a slumber in the cinema hall later.

We picked a combination of wings & drumette in 2 flavours - Original Soy & Honey. Each dinner set comes with a bowl of rice. You wouldn't believe our eyes when the waiter placed the dish on the table.

I couldn't not recall the price but I think it was around RM28. It is unbelievably small for the hefty price tag! Thankfully...and I must repeat this...thankfully the marinated chicken was fantastic in every single bite. Otherwise, I would've to bear the brunt of WL's never ending curses & complaints. Here is WL's silly antic - pretending to be somewhat shocked at the meager size of the chicken wing. =P

Meanwhile, I'm in utter satisfaction that I succeeded in persuading WL to dine at this restaurant. Yay!

My final thoughts? KyoChon is delicious, EXPENSIVE...yet still delicious XD. And I'd probably eat it again sometime in the far future when I'm feeling my pockets are rather deep that day that I can simply splurge on anything for the fun of it. At least I'm glad that I tried & KyoChon turned out to be a good experience. Yum~

Address:

LG 311, Lower Ground Floor

1 Utama Shopping Centre

No. 1, Persiaran Bandar Utama

Bandar Utama

47800 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

enquiries@kyochon.com.my

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Bari-Uma Ramen @ Jaya Shopping Centre, PJ

It's been a long time since I last ate ramen, not to mention eating out with Mum. Since Jaya Shopping Centre just opened recently, we decided to check out the newly rebuilt neighbourhood mall to fill up our grumbling stomachs. There are still not many tenants hence the number of eateries are limited as well. Mum was craving for something soupy & the ramen shop, Bari-Uma Ramen came to mind. I didn't have any specific preference, so I willingly obliged.

Bari-Uma Ramen reminded me of Goku Raku Ramen in terms of price range & the menu offering. The easiest way to test out whether a restaurant is good is by ordering its signature dish. I always believed a good restaurant should be able to execute its signature dish well as communicated. It's one of the essential factor to gaining success. I ordered tonkotsu shoyu ramen while Mum called for another ramen & a bowl of Japanese fried rice.

The noodle portion turned out to be slightly smaller than expected. Nevertheless, the noodle texture is pretty nice & it sure does live up to its claim of being hand made. It's a pity that the noodles were a little overcooked, not as springy as I thought it would be. The broth was a slightly tasteless even though it looks appetizing. On the other hand, the fried rice that Mum ordered was delicious.

I would give an overall rating 3 out of 5 for this restaurant. The portion is rather small despite charging averagely at RM20 per dish. I think the food was too expensive, lacking the value we paid for. Taste wise is alright, if you know which appropriate dish to order. Otherwise, I'm not exactly sure if I would pay the next visit.

Address:

Bari-Uma Ramen

L3-11, Level 3

Jaya Shopping Centre

Jalan Semangat

46100 Petaling Jaya

Contact:

03-7932 2958

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I remembered blogging about the movie, X-Men: First Class some time ago raving about how refreshingly new the franchise is with the change in screenwriting & directing style. I was so elated that there will be a sequel to the franchise & eagerly anticipated for the release. It's unbelievable that I have waited for almost 3 years for the sequel to finally arrived at theatres.

If you think Michael Fassbender was amazing in the first movie, wait until you see him in this film. He's sizzling hot & hunkier than ever. How can a prisoner looks so incredibly gorgeous? It's sinful to be going head over heels over such character. Guilty as charged. ^^

The exciting bit about this movie is that both the original casts & the new casts come together to bridge the time differences between past & future. The general idea is to tie the loose ends left from previous X-men film plots. Interesting as it can be, the execution was not exactly perfect & the reason Professor Xavier is still alive after being disintegrated by Jean Grey in Phoenix mode was left unexplained.

The pace was fast when the film is needed to be & slowed down in time for the audiences to grasp the intricate storyline. The battle scene at the beginning set the right pace, providing momentum for buildup in the 2nd half of the movie. If only more time was allocated for future scenes with more original casts in action. After all, it's a rare chance for them to assemble in the same movie after more than a decade. Nonetheless, the film is definitely a must-watch.

I'm not revealing any spoilers here. Best to buy a ticket & be blown away by the spectacular duo, James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender's performance. And those who already saw it will surely agree with me that there's one uber cool scene that no one could afford to miss. Best. Scene. Ever. Kudos to Bryan Singer & team! Now what are you waiting for? Go run to the theatres get yourself a pair of tickets to this awesome summer blockbuster~

Pics courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com & Flicks and Bits.

The Amazing Spider-man 2: Rise of Electro

Two years ago, I wrote about how I dislike The Amazing Spider-man, partly because Andrew Garfield wasn't convincing as Peter Parker. When the sequel The Amazing Spider-man 2: Rise of Electro was released, I wasn't the least interested in buying tickets to watch in the cinema. I gave in to watching the movie when I was invited for a free screening by an agency. Cheapskate me!

Honestly & sadly, I certainly didn't enjoy the entire 2-hour movie. In fact, I almost fell asleep due to boredom. The visual effects was pretty impressive but for the most part, it's quite an emo movie focusing on Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy. My friend said it the best - the movie should be renamed as Trials & Tribulations of Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy. I find the scenes between Peter & Gwen cringe worthy - the lines between them were so high school & immature; it doesn't do justice to life in the adult world. C'mon, they look like grown-ups but they don't speak like one. I thought Andrew was great in The Social Network but as Peter Parker? Not at all...

Also, am I the only one who finds that the chemistry between the real life couple (Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone) ain't sizzling? I agree they do look together but something doesn't look quite right onscreen. I cringed each time the two of them appear in a scene that I almost stood up from my seat & walked out of the hall. No offence to Garfield-Stone fans, I love them being together but unfortunately, I'm not convinced by their onscreen chemistry.

The only other thing that kept me interested was the new actor, Dane DeHaan for Harry Osbourne. Quite an eye candy to watch even though he does look a little juvenile as the Green Goblin. Nevertheless, DeHaan's sinister & mysterious look is quite engaging. His pretty face does remind me a lot of those poster boy models in fragrance ads.

Oh right, he does model for Prada. No wonder.

Credits: www.annexmagazine.com

Perhaps I have a found a reason to look forward to the next sequel. If only the screenwriters would give more chance to develop DeHaan character's further. Otherwise, I'll continue putting up a poor review of the movie. Jamie Foxx did pretty fine as Electro & the whole story flow is not too bad, but I'd wish the romance part was shorter. You go watch & decide whether the movie is your type.

Dancing Fish, Setia City Mall

Right after baking class, I was whisked off by WL to join his family for dinner at Setia City Mall. Tonight, we opted for a twist from the usual Chinese food for Malay-Indo cuisine. The restaurant is Dancing Fish, named after its signature dish.

The dishes have distinct Indonesian taste with hints of local Malay palates. Quite an appetising experience for me especially after an exhausting day in pastry school. My only complain is that the price is rather steep for such small portion.

Now, here comes the must-have dish that the restaurant is famous for. The Dancing Fish~

It tasted pretty good but the fish is too bony & not enough flesh to feed all of us. Again, it was pricey. =( Boo-hoo!

In summary, I wasn't exactly satisfied with the entire meal because for the most part the portion weren't sufficient to be shared among 13 of us. It was indeed a unique gastronomic adventure but not really hitting the right level in the satisfaction meter. Not too sure if I would return for my next meal.

Address:

Lot UG30, Setia City Mall

Bandar Setia Alam, Seksyen U13

40170 Shah Alam

Selangor.

Contact:

03-3345 6881

Opening Hours:

Monday to Sunday, 10:00am - 10:00pm

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

We have all watched the first movie, Captain America: The First Avenger focusing on Steve Rogers became America's favourite superhero. The show was okay, just not the strongest among other characters (Iron Man & Thor) in the Marvel franchise.

And then came sequel, The Winter Soldier. The plot no longer dwells much on Steve's past, rather showing his journey to adapting to the modern world which all seemed too strange for him. The film began Cap on a rescue mission & oh boy, the actions were mind-blowing.

The pace is just right with the right amount of action & humour. No doubt there were several loopholes in the plot but generally intelligent & witty. What's more, who would want to miss out Chris Evans' gorgeous hair transformation from 1940s to modern day hottie. Me likey!

In typical Marvel fashion, the movie left trails of interlinked plots leading to the upcoming Marvel movie or sequel. This tactic always keeps us anticipated & hungry for more, though the wait can be quite a torture considering the follow-up movie only releases in 2 years time. But we all have to be patient in order to get the good stuff, right? XD I'm not spilling any details because you just have to watch it...

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Remembering MH370

Upon getting news that our PM has called for a press conference at 10pm tonight, my heart skipped a beat. Such immediate action surely points to a breakthrough or discovery of the incident. Although I was partially prepared that no one would be able to survive those harsh sea conditions, I was still anxious to hear what our PM had to say.

Quoted from The Star, he announced that MH370 is believed to have gone down in the southern Indian Ocean at a remote location west of Perth. The conclusion was based on the satellite data analysis conducted by satellite company Immarsat & UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). "This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites", said Najib in the press conference earlier today.

I felt a jolt of pain in my heart, trying to comprehend what went wrong on the plane that it diverted off-course & ended up in the Indian Ocean. A quick search on Google shows that the area where the last ping from MH370 was picked up by Immarsat is a path not traveled by commercial airlines nor vessels. This is because the location is too far from landing sites in case of emergency & the sea condition is rough even for huge cargo ships especially during bad weather.

No matter how heartbreaking I felt for the relatives of passengers on board, no one can ever understand their loss. All I can do is join the rest of the nation to pray that the exact crash site can be identified soon in order for the search team to locate the black box. Time is running out as the battery only lasts for 30 days but the search operation has already reached 17 days. The world around hopes to unravel the mystery of MH370 disappearance soon. As for the relatives of MH370 victims, stay strong & keep going. We are all with you spiritually during this difficult time.

Turning 28

Ten years ago, I was just another school leaver, full of youth & vigour, all prepared to enter the next phase of my life - college life. Fast forward to this year, I turned 28 today. Wow. Time flies & I didn't even realised it. In those days, I used to yearn for a birthday blast celebrated among my closest buddies. As time goes by, I didn't expect those happening parties anymore. In fact, I'd prefer to keep my birthday low key & only shared with my loved one. WL religiously celebrated with me for the past 5 years. And I'd have to thank him for that because this year is no different than before.

I opted to have a simple dinner after work since we already went for a short trip last week. We headed to Suki-Ya at Paradigm Mall to try out a Japanese style steamboat.

It's not any different from a typical Chinese style steamboat we're all accustomed to. There are a choice of 4 broths - shabu shabu, sukiyaki, miso & kimuchi. We chose shabu shabu & miso as our soup bases. The rest of the ingredients are served buffet style ranging from vegetables to seafood. WL said the buffet offering was different from the last time he visited. Perhaps the restaurant changes the buffet spread on an occasional basis. Meat for dipping comes in 3 variety - beef, chicken & lamb.

The Japanese are passionate about how to enjoy sukiyaki that they even have table sheets to educate the customers. The step-by-step guide are clearly illustrated with diagrams for easy understanding & I found the tips pretty useful tips on how to ensure the meat is well done without overcooking it. Interestingly, the eating guide can be found on Suki-Ya's website.

Overall, the dinner was a nice change from the usual steamboat I had in Sunway Mentari or Klang. Suki-Ya seems to offer a healthier option maybe because the broth is less oily & fatty. It's a little pricey but I supposed it wouldn't hurt indulging once in a blue moon especially for special occasion. XD

And because today is my birthday, I couldn't hold back the urge to splurge a little bit than usual to pamper myself. I bought 2 CDs at an insanely cheap price (RM9.90 per piece), mascara & a liquid eyeliner from Sephora.

I even got a little birthday surprise from Sephora! I wouldn't have stumble upon the birthday gift redemption email if I didn't have to check for my card number. I must thank myself for being forgetful sometimes. =P

Until now, I still find it hard to believe that I'm already in my late 20s. There's so much more that I want to do, yet so little time. Well, the only advice I can give to myself is to stay focus & make the most out of everything I have now. After all, I'll be pursuing a course soon & in the midst of preparing for my new path. I'm looking forward to it... =)

Address:

Suki-Ya Paradigm Mall

Lot UG-13, Upper Ground Floor

No.1, Jalan SS7/26A, Kelana Jaya

47301 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Contact:

03-7887 3042

One week & counting

It's been a week & yet there's still no sign of the missing MH370. Speculations are rife on what possibly happened to the aircraft, moreover the debris is nowhere to be found. Some theories are plausible but some were obviously nonsensical. It's also disappointing to know that some Malaysian netizens would rather trust unjustified news, believing it as the real thing.

Here are some of the news which I find ridiculous.

1. The plane allegedly landed at Nanjing airport after the aircraft disappeared from the radar. This is absurd because Nanjing airport would have confirmed their arrival.


2. Three bomohs turned up at the airport performing a ritual, supposedly to help locate the aircraft. One was holding two coconuts while the other was paddling using a walking stick. The third guy held a basket. Instead of helping in the search & rescue, the trio generated much media attention for no good reason.


3. Families of passengers  from China was flown to India instead of Kuala Lumpur. Omg, this has got to be the stupidest rumour I've ever read. Are you trying to tell me the passengers boarded a flight to India by mistake? Hell, no way.


4. An Australian lady suddenly came to the public accusing the co-pilot of MH370 for being irresponsible by allowing her to enter & snap photographs in the cockpit despite strict rules on forbidding pilots to invite non-authorised personnel into the cockpit. If such rules have been enforced, the incident should be taken in a separate investigation. Right now, the main objective is to search for the aircraft & this lady is not helping to make the situation better.

It gets disheartening reading the papers on the unfruitful outcome each day. The chances of survival for the passengers all seem like a distant hope. Whatever it is, all we can do is have faith that we'll recover the aircraft. Let's not give up until MH370 is found. #PrayForMH370

Flight MH370

As I woke up frantically & prepared to go for a check-up at the skin specialist clinic this morning, I caught a glimpse of the news that Malaysia Airlines' MH370 bound to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur lost contact with the air traffic control at 1.30am on Saturday. The flight operated on B777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am & was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

I read with much despair that there are 239 people on board which comprises 227 passengers (including 2 infants) & 12 crew members. There are 15 nationalities on board with the majority originating from China. It was reported that the plane disappeared from the radar at 1.30am & failed to arrive at the destination. Friends & families were shocked to receive the news & were anxiously waiting for news update from the airline.

Search & rescue team have been deployed at sunrise, scouring through the South China Sea near the Vietnamese airspace where the aircraft was believed to have vanished. Speculation arise that MH370 may have crashed into the sea. Until now, there is no sign of debris at the purported crash site though the Vietnamese officials have found oil slicks nearby which could possibly be jet fuel from an airliner. This piece of info is unconfirmed until the sample is sent for lab test.

I personally found the whole incident perplexing mainly because it is hard to believe that such a technologically advanced aircraft could mysteriously disappear without any trace. I'm sure there are other communication device that beams the aircraft's location should the radio signal device suffer technical failure. If the plane crashed to the ocean floor, debris could be seen floating on the surface by now. Yet, there is sightings of broken aircraft pieces.

I feel for the affected parties whom their loved ones are passengers of MH370. I don't think I can ever understand how much pain they're going through right now. All I can do is pray silently for the crew members & passengers to return safely. There's still hope... #PrayForMH370