tryin'
i am tryin' out somethin' new different.
there should be changes from now till this wknd when i've decided wat's nice. cheers!
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Monday, February 20, 2006
Brokeback Mountain
first up, i (finally!) watched the critically-acclaimed, multiple awards nominee and winner (8 up for oscars & Best Movie in the Golden Globe and The 2005 International Venice Film Award) and the most talk about and controversial movie of last year, 'Brokeback Mountain'.
my brother wants to watch the movie. My friend's conservative mother has shown interest to see it. Ah Beng looking for it at the VCD/DVD stores/vendors. My (current) favourite DVD/VCD shop owner, who happens to look like a Redneck herself, said that the copies they managed to get hold off flew off the shelf like hot cakes. i'm only left with 3 copies. Better decide fast. She said. threats don't work for me, dude. but...
i called my dear fren who had text me earlier to say that she's seen it and that she would pass a *unprintable* for me. hey, you got a copy of BM? Yes, i do and it is quite clear. But the accent is .... so difficult to understand la! This copy hasnt got any subtitle. She lamented. Don't worry. I'll wait for your copy. I told her. promptly after that, i told redneck that i'd give it a pass. she shrugged and, snorted, i think.
every friggin' queer in the queerdom talked about this movie and how much they cried (some balled, mind you) watching it. even the latest season of American Idol mocked a contestant by doing a 15 minute 'trailer' and called it 'Brokenote Mountain'. poor Gareth - the contestant tho that was like, the highlight of the show for that particular episode and so farking funny, too.
so what's the fuss?
ang lee had pulled together a fantastic cast - young and highly talented stars, selected a beautiful script and filmed it so magically that you wish you were herding sheeps on the magnificent and astounding scenic mountains, which Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) calls it the Brokeback Mountain. i never imagined heath ledger could pull off such emotional and strong character, and i applaud him for suceeding it. he reminds me a lot of my past and i can relate what he and jack had to go through. ultimately, it is him that drove jack away. and it is him that caused the tragic end. he, ledger, is the moving force in the entire movie. he deserves a nod in the oscar. on the question of whether he will win it is still highly questionable because he is competing with the very talented philip seymour of 'Copote'. one problem tho. the american (southern) accent is so thick. ad and i were sitting so close to our tv, any noise would've missed what they say.
i saw 'Crash' about 6 months ago. i love the movie. but, it is undeserving to win Best Picture. im all for 'Brokeback'.
"Brokeback Mountain is not quite the period piece that some would like to imagine. America's squeaky closet doors may have swung open far enough for a gay rodeo circuit to flourish. But let's not kid ourselves. In large segments of American society, especially in sports and the military, those doors remain sealed. The murder of Matthew Shepard, after all, took place in Brokeback territory. Another recent film, Jarhead (in which Mr. Gyllenhaal plays a marine), suggests how any kind of male behavior perceived as soft and feminine within certain closed male environments triggers abuse and violence and how that repression of sexual energy is directly channeled into warfare.
Yet Brokeback Mountain is ultimately not about sex (there is very little of it in the film) but about love: love stumbled into, love thwarted, love held sorrowfully in the heart.
Or, as Ms. Proulx writes, "What Jack remembered and craved in a way he could neither help nor understand was the time that distant summer on Brokeback when Ennis had come up behind him and pulled him close, the silent embrace satisfying some shared and sexless hunger." One tender moment's reprieve from loneliness can illuminate a life.
Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES.
more reviews:
"Magnificent!" Glenn Kenny, PREMIERE
"Groundbreaking! Played with great imploded passion by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger" David Ansen, NEWSWEEK
"A Landmark. Moving and majestic! Heath Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears into the skin of his character. It is a great screen performance as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn." Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES.
"An instant classic. An epic American love story!" A.M Homes, VANITY FAIR
"Heath Ledger's wrenching performance is the stuff of Hollywood history." Mahnola Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Saturday, February 18, 2006
intentional procrastination
i'm currently chattin' with a fren, and from our conversation it inspires me to post (this). i have not chatted with this 'cyber' friend of mine for quite some time now, and we were catchin' up w/ what we've missed out and what not. suddenly, ideas came bursting out while talkin' to him. ideas for a certain somethin' that i have been talkin' & thinkin' about (alot) and havent had the time to sit down and work it out.
have i been intentionally procrastinating?
design. outlet. food. graphic. soar. pink. birds. ipod nano. christmas cd. pictures. furniture. interior design. magazines. trash magazines. times. songs. sugarbabes. william orbit. hello waveforms. golf. duncan sheikh. angels. brokeback mountain. photography. google. investor. funds. nasi lemak. iced lemon tea. events. sme. bank. management. good. sources. biz. inspirations. fly.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
new born / new blog / new recipe
a friend of mine had caught the blog's bug recently and i am thrilled cos i've got (more) blog buddies.
razzle, dazzle, puzzle. what's da buzz? well check it out urself ppl
on valentine's day yesterday i played d role of chef for my b. hehe... i knw he must be squirming when i said im gonna take over the pot and skillet and cook him a feast. feast it was not but i managed to buy him his favorite - sushi + sashimi which i presented differently (stylo-mylo lah!). i also prepared my mandarin oranges salad w/ bacon bits and cherry tomatoes (own recipe yo!). lastly, and supposedly the main course, was partially prepared by him - kimchi noodles. haha... totally enjoyed d nite at our own place without the hustle and bustle in restaurants or cafes. i totally loathe d valentine's day gimmicks...
1. send sms to ur love ones
2. buy anything in our shop/mall and u'll get a stalk of rose and red apple (err... ok)
3. love (steam)boat
bla bla blearrrrghhhhh..
yawn.
yay! finally i get to see victor tan's baby boy...and before anyone else! ha! in malaysia that is! hehe...here's the adorable kenneth tan and quote the daddy: 
"Baby Ken is growing day by day. Now, he's begining to make baby talk
and yesterday, for the first time, he giggles. It is fun just watching
him do all those things that we all take granted for. I wasn't aware
that it's so fascinating to watch a baby play and giggle."
aww... makes me wanna cry. and damn, i feel old now. anyways, thanks so much for the adorable pictures vic and i wanna see more soon k! and on the question when im goin' to visit new york, hmm, if i work doubly hard this yr perhaps next yr. hehe
Monday, February 13, 2006
serenity is priceless
i love the nature. the sun, the greens, the beaches. i cant farking wait for my perhentian trip come march! whoo hoo!
picture taken in 'sg chilling' circa 1 feb 2006
'chilling' out [pt 1]
our excursion leading to the 'chilling' waterfall which was fun, fun, fun!
thanks so much to our drill sergeant/guide, johnny. the hike was so worth it when we finally reached the waterfall cos it was cooling, tranquil albeit smoky - there were some ppl bbq-ing stuff nearby, and i dare to say therapeudic cos of the sound of the waterfall. we did some bbq, too, and wat came out of it - lamb, chicken, nasi lemak, sausages - was superb! think we can challenge steven's corner lamb chop haha! would love to do it again, really. incidentally, that day was juwene's *unprintable* birthday. serina baked her a cake and we all sang her a birthday song for her in da jungle!
'chilling' out [pt 2]
'chilling' out
clockwise from left:
1. juwene, the birthday girl
2. posing w/ d b'day gal: jasmine, johnny, birthday girl, serina + adrian
3. in the blinking, icy cold water: me, johnny, serina, adrian + juwene
4. starting up the BBQ
"doncha wish your girlfriend is FREAK like me"
from l-r: fiona apple, kanye 'mafia' west, madonna, teri 'not-so-sexy' hatcher & kelly clarkson with her borrring dress & more borrrring performance
hehe..sorry madge. i thought the "leg-warmers" or whatchumitecallit are a bit too much. love the hair tho it is very farah fawcetty. great performance anywho! and the best dressed on that nite has got to go to john legend for his all-white get up and beyonce for her bootylicious dress. best performance in no order: mariah "puff" carey, madonna, john legend & the ensemble payin' tribute to sly stone. love joss stone and ciara.
pictures from eonline
"doncha wish your girlfriend is HOT like me"
from l-r: alicia keys, beyonce, christina aguilera, very pregnant gwen & very flat-tering sheryl crow
pictures from eonline
Friday, February 10, 2006
Mc fab!
'im lovin' it, ba da ba ba baaaa...' that's exactly what im singin' for this super-cool mcDonald's website from down under that i stumbled on this afternoon. it is very informative, colourful (they use very good images with strong vibrant colours against the black bg) & effective. the flash work is darn impressive! best bit, they've got a Nutritional Facts section where you could select from 'the menu', place it on the 'tray' and voila! it'll tell u how much of calories ur eating for a Big Mac or nuggets.
i was, for that half an hr, salivating while browsing through the website. then, reality dawned on me and reminded me that on 'Abs Diet' book, fast food is a no no if u want a flat stomach. sien. anyways, the aussie mcD is much, MUCH better compared to the local ones cos they've got more, should i say, healthy selections on their menu. i especially love the toasts, yogurt, mueslis and salads. if McDonald's of Malaysia is reading this, pls introduce more 'alternative' selections for your menu. pretty pls? cos i betcha, us, gym/work-out/sports enthusiasts will patronise mcD every other day if not everyday!
all pictures by McDonald's, Australia
Thursday, February 9, 2006
top 5 curry laksa
yes, our shop's cafe is voted as the top 5 restaurants and/or cafe that serves the best "curry laksa" in the whole of malaysia! by a local english daily, The News Straits Times! i am not sure if it incl. sabah & sarawak but what i am damn blinking sure is that it is a very flattering article for our business.
one problem tho'... it is solely based on the writer's opinion and tastebuds. so it can be quite subjective. nonetheless, that is something we can be proud of for a long time.
here's the top 5 by shannon teoh of nst: -
1. Kuantan: Kedai Kopi Hai Peng.For those in the know, Hai Peng is synonymous with that great brew of coffee from Kemaman but their new branch in Kuantan, run by the original owner’s grandson, serves up a wicked curry laksa as well. The operator, who used to be based in KL, has a concoction that has elements of asam laksa but it doesn’t overload the senses as the entire broth is of a lighter consistency than average. At only RM3.50, this pork-free dish is good value for an enjoyable main course or as a hearty snack.Location: 36, Jalan Haji Abdul Aziz, in the middle of the banking “district”.
2. Ipoh: The Yat Yat Seng Restaurant is a neighbourhood coffeeshop famous for its curry mee and pie tee. People order the latter as a snack or appetiser while waiting for the former. The curry has very little or no santan, and comes with your choice of roast pork, shredded chicken or prawn (or maybe you’d like to have all three?). Open for breakfast and lunch. If you go during the festive season or public holidays, be prepared to wait. A bowl can set you back anything from RM4 to RM6 depending on your specification. Worth every ringgit. Not halal.Location: 83, Jalan Dato Lau Pak Khuan, Ipoh Garden.
3. Penang: Restoran Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee. The gravy is noticeably different from versions in other states, using a lot of stock and less coconut milk, making it more watery. Ingredients include cuttlefish, quail eggs, fish balls and jellied cubes of pork blood, obviously an acquired taste. Apart from the shop at Lorong Seratus Tahun which opens from morning to evening, it has established two branches, one nearby on Jalan Anson and another in SS2, Petaling Jaya.Location: Lorong Seratus Tahun, near Melaka Street and Jalan Anson
4. Segambut: Restoran Yu Ai. The seafood curry laksa is our target but this famous restaurant offers its seafood noodle in clear soup and tom yam as well. No matter the gravy, the seafood includes brown squid, juicy mussels, tiny clam shells that require some work andfour orfive prawns with heads attached. Yu Ai’s curry is deep and complex, with layers of warm spices. Open 8am to 5pm, expect to pay higher-than-average prices due to the bounty of seafood. For urbanites, there are branches in USJ, Subang Jaya and SS2, Petaling Jaya.Location: 42J, Jalan Segambut Utara.
5. Kuala Lumpur: House + Co. Inside this interior decoration store lies a small cafe that serves up a rich nyonya laksa for lunch. Yes, it’s pricey at RM15 a pop but it comes in a serving that’ll put away any thoughts of teatime. As expected from a nyonya laksa, it’s got plenty of santan that sweetens and deflects any overt spiciness and goes down with significance. This halal dish has got the character to match the ambience.Location: Lot 2.15, 2nd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre. {picture from House + Co}
con-figure-ass
arghhhhhhhhhh...... im havin' some difficulty in conFIGURING the wireless router i've purchased recently cos we are using mac at home. callin' the support team from netgear didnt do much help cos they sounded a) cranky b) heavily accented ie india c) too much white noise over the telephone and d) "sorry sir we are not very familiar with mac". WTF!
apparently it is toll free so i sure hope my cellphone bill didnt come up to a bomb. sigh
on a slightly happier note, i cant wait to see madonna performing at the grammy's tomorrow with the gorillaz. yay! and and american idol - all selected candidates will be flown to ho ho hollywood for the first round of elimination. cant farking wait
Monday, February 6, 2006
road signs in india
these are some of the road signs in india a fren emailed me recently. totally whack! i like the one that says, 'drive like hell, and you'll be there'
life vs mahjong
Life .. and mahjong. Vivien Siaw called out everyone to play 'Life' with her ... but of cos we were drawn to play w/ mahjong, instead
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