Home Food : Fried Rice, Orange & Pear

Today is a day when everything seemed to be wrong, an upset tummy, a disturbed mind who wouldn't think straight and settle into doing something, anything.

As the day went past, and the clock is minutes away from announcing the arrival of a brand new day, my tummy is still not completely healed and seems bent on giving me another half bad day tomorrow.

I concocted something of my own for dinner today because of the need to use up the bell peppers we had bought. I am not too well versed with the usage of bell peppers in cooking any un-guided recipe as it didn't feature regularly in my diet at home.


I came to start liking it from all the Thai food I ate while studying in Sydney. Add to it a little inspiration from prior cooking with Baybie at my side... I decided to whip up something simple yet appetising enough for my palate.

Ingredients: Rice, Sausages - sliced diagonally, Bell Peppers, an Egg and some salt to taste.

To finish up the wondrous meal for one... loads of Vitamin C to boost my immune system in the face of a hard headed ulcer on the bottom right of my mouth. =D

Three cheers for better looking hair!

As some of you may know, I have recently moved to Hong Kong. The moving hasn't been a problem, but my hair was facing enourmous problems. At first, I lacked a properly powered hairdryer as the one my fiance has here is a puny little thing that doesn't even get properly HOT.

Then I solved that problem by bringing my trusty Revlon hair dryer from KL. Soon after though, I realised I had another problem... My sister isn't here and thus, her straightening and curling irons aren't here too!

So guess what I did? I went and redeemed a pretty set from HSBC Rewards! =D
*drum roll please* I hereby give you, VS Sassoon's 10 in 1 Ceramic Styler!

It is supposedly a 10 in 1 right? But it took me a while to figure out how this made 10... apparently the power cord may have been a 1... for if you look at the picture, even if you counted each of the plates on the straightening iron as 1, it still only makes 9... but then, now that I look at this next picture... is it possible that number 10 is that holding case for all the different irons?

Ahhhhhhhhh... case closed!

Gourmet King - Discovered!

It took me a long while to get to the point where I discovered Gourmet King, a regal old man who gives out special recipes and free ingredients in Restaurant City - the Facebook game. I got frustrated and gave up at one point, and suddenly, I was finding him a couple of times in a week!

The first time I saw him with my own eyes, he was travelling down the street outside my restaurant. I was so excited I forgot to PrintScreen before clicking on him for fear that he may disappear out of sight hehe...

But this is where he was when I 'clicked'... look at "HERE!"
I hadn't known that he could be found walking outside the restaurant, just that he could be found standing on the street in street view so I was pleasantly surprised.

I did find him once eating next to the planter's patch (as seen in the above picture) and once standing on the street in street view, will I ever see him in those places again? I don't know.

This is what I got most times when I clicked on GK...
I keep wondering, why is it he only seems to give away Vanilla and Raisins?!?

Today, I caught him on the street outside my restaurant again and managed to grab a shot, at last! Doesn't he look just like Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame?
I have weaned myself off the yearning for finding the GK, and yet he now seems to drop into my view every now and then... I can't help but wonder, what's the deal here?

Sugiyama Koichi 椙山浩一 - The Legend behind Dragon Quest's Music

I came across this amazing person while watching NHK's Imagine Nation. I decided to share this because I think he is definitely someone who contributed to modern Japanese culture, however big or small that contribution seems to you.

He is known simply as すぎやま こういち and single-handedly took music composing for video games to a whole new level of recognition just because he was a successful composer even prior to his first venture into Dragon Quest.


Sugiyama-san is an avid gamer himself and composing for Dragon Quest seems almost like a natural progression in his career, which includes composing for pop stars (of which several became chart hits) and worked on musicals, commercials, tv as well as anime.

I am not an avid gamer and have no idea what Dragon Quest really is about but what really got me in his short interview was the fact that he likened game music to ballet music - both are non lyrical and yet needs to convey the feelings and story of what is shown on screen/stage. As such, he used orchestral music in all his compositions for the game.



What really could be amazing if you didn't know it is the fact that there are people who are fans of his orchestral soundtracks who aren't fans of the game. The soundtracks itself are treasured in its own right, separate from the game. As seen above, complete orchestras play and record his compositions, even for video games!

Just released is its latest Nintendo DSi edition in 2009 - Dragon Quest Wars, and the original composer is still going strong, having said that the music composing remains the same, only that modern technological improvement to games have made it possible for the accompanying music to be much more multi-faceted and layered than the games of old.

For more information on his multiple game soundtracks as well as some cutting observations about some of the Legend's fans, see here.

Mentos Cola!

One of the activity that I have lots of fun doing when overseas is heading to supermarkets to check out what sort of interesting things they have on their shelves, especially chocolates and candies.

The greatest country to do this in is of course, Japan. I am not there now, and haven't been there actually... though it is one of my greatest desire.

Yesterday, we were doing our weekly supermarket tour when, for once, we decided to check out the confectionery aisle. It was not in vain, as I discovered... wuah laa!

Mentos Fresh Cola!

I am not too sure if it is available in Malaysia yet as I hardly ever trample through the confectionery aisle but if it isn't, I am happy to take limited orders for my next trip home. =D

Reason being, Mentos candies aren't cheap here, at HK$5.60 for one, and for buying 2 - HK$9.90 (nearly everything can be bought for less $$$ if you buy 2 here), they are much more expensive than the RM1.20 (supermarkets) to RM1.60 (convenience stores) they charge in KL.

That said, I am keeping my eyes peeled for now, who knows? I might find something else interesting by and by. Maybe I should start trying all those Japanese confectionery products one by one... hmm...

Home Food : Spicy Garlic Eggplant

I have to admit, since I was only cooking for one, I chose the least fussy item I could cook. Spicy Garlic Eggplant - made from a Lee Kum Kee prepacked sauce for lazy (or busy) people like me. It could be found at any supermarket in Hong Kong and looks like this.

All you have to buy are eggplants and some minced meat, add the sauce and you have this beautiful dish. I like my eggplants really soft and very cooked, but if you wonder what it looks like less cooked or as the people and Lee Kum Kee thinks you should cook it... wonder no more, this is what the recipe and results looks like (taken off their website).
Altogether, cooking time of less than 15 minutes, perfect for those busy days (or lazy days) when you don't feel like ordering fast food delivery yet do not feel like tramping downstairs for takeout.

St Regis and the Vatican

I had a cheeky thought while in Rome and decided to send a postcard to myself so that I can keep it as a momento, complete with Vatican stamp and postmark. The card arrived safely, and this is what it looks like on the picture side.

It is a postcard print of an artwork that is hanging on the walls of the lobby lounge of the St Regis. What disappointed us no end, was the lack of a postmark on the reverse side of the card. It arrived safely in our mailbox, complete with stamp, a cheeky message and no postmark!

Grave disappointment at the botched attempt to create my own Vaticano postcard...

Happy 128th P.G. Wodehouse!

P.G. Wodehouse, the prolific English writer who has written everything from novels to theatre, would have been 128 years old today, if he lived. My acquaintance with him comes rather accidentally and quite unplanned. You see, while I have heard of the name, I had no idea what sort of books he wrote, just that we wrote a fair sum.

One fine day, I visited a warehouse book sale, with the intention of buying hardcovers that I liked, old or new. The likes of which are difficult to obtain in Malaysia and if you do find any being imported, they are likely to be from super-popular writers such as Grisham, Cornwell and gang. You'd be hard pressed to find a hardcover literary novel in local bookstores. Anyway, it was there that I found a 2007 reprint of a Wodehouse in hardcover.

Original 1925 Cover of the book I have - Sam The Sudden
(Taken from PGWodehousebooks.com)

I got it for a steal (about RM7 I think) and went home with it, my boyfriend and I have both read that book by now. While I liked his quirky humour because I have always had a thing for British humour, I do not always understand why but I enjoy it anyway. My boyfriend, however, is not too keen on Sir Wodehouse's words.

In any case, the fact that his books are still in circulation today is a testament to its quality and how reflective his writing was of his time. They may not be Austens but they are still an enjoyable read on a nice balmy summer afternoon, no?

National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur - An Encounter

In my last entry, I talked about a particular show and touched on the gallery shop. Here, I would like to record my views about the rest of my thoughts about the place, from its architecture, other exhibits, and in general, the feelings that I gleaned from the running and works of the place.

The exterior architecture should have been designed in harmony with its neighbouring institutions, presenting a combined view of togetherness in the spirit of art and culture. The N.A.G. is, after all, a short walk away from the National Theatre - Istana Budaya and not very far from the National Library. These buildings reflects what Malaysian government throughout our modern history has always been obsessed with, an injection of small to large doses of Islamic, Malay or otherwise 'indigenous' cultures of the Malay archipelago.

These ancient art forms and skills are unique in itself and is possible to be combined successfully modern building technology to create beautiful structures, as can be seen from the many beautiful homes of the wealthy or well-off people of Malaysia who has managed to infuse the influence of such Asian architectural sensibilities into their utterly modern homes.

The N.A.G. falls somewhat short, which is something that befalls most recent ventures of our humble nation. It neither gave off a distinctly Asian or Malaysian look, nor does it challenge any artistic aesthetics, it is just, how should I put it, another building? Yeah, with a mural painted on a long wall and some totem pole lookalike that I can't even recall as being the ancient artform of any indigenous people. Surely, even the Lembaga Tabung Haji's building is more distinctive and forward thinking than this and the mural on the National Museum is more meaningful and beautiful than this?

So, the exterior is not breathtaking, what about the interior? My first impression upon laying my eyes on the central atrium is - hey, this place seems to be modelled after the Guggenheim in New York City! As I walk the hallways, it dawns on me that it is a rather poor attempt at a copy. While the Guggenheim's circular hallways conveys a feeling spaciousness (within the limited space it actually occupy on a tiny corner of 5th Avenue) and continuity, the N.A.G.'s version gives off a 'I'm telling you just how artistic I am by doing this.' vibe.

According to their official website and blog, they have a new exhibition commencing in two days, and one planned to run from October through to January of next year. Which means that for the upcoming 6 months, there will be an average of 1 temporary exhibition running at any time, with the exception of August 10 to August 30 because Mosaics of Malaysia will be running at the same time as Tampannya Budi.

For an organisation so rich in space, their website lists seven exhibition rooms and three open areas, they certainly do not seem to make full use of it all. On my short visit, I saw what I think is the only permanent show there, a photography based journey into the memories of photographers, from the days when there were only b&w or sepia looking prints though to 2008.

Then there was this... make of it what you will, for besides the medium, which is tied to our daily life (perhaps not so much today but was definitely so in yesteryears), I could not discern any rhyme or reason from its design, is it a batik shirt?

It made me begin to wonder, doesn't the N.A.G. own any painting(s) noteworthy enough to be made permanently exhibited? Doesn't the N.A.G. state in their mission that their aim is to help inspire the young artists of tomorrow? Should they not be pushing forward in supporting local artists that are worthy of recognition, people who are contributing to the development of the arts and culture.

Most importantly, since Malaysia is not yet so developed a market for the arts, shouldn't they be forging ahead and blazing a path as yet untread so that one day, young Malaysians will be as proud of it as how New Yorkers feel about Museum Mile, and Londoners feel about the Tate Galleries? Ah, well.

National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur - A Letdown

If anyone ever pays attention to what I write on my blog, and I hope there's at least one or two who do, then this someone would know that I recently started Postcrossing. This activity has led me to look high and low for postcards, to the point of looking like a tourist in my own country but I digress.

Since I discovered that there are people out there who seriously like art themed cards, I naively thought the best of the National Art Gallery. What was I thinking? Well, I thought... it definitely will not be able to meet the standard of the Tate, Guggenheim or The Met, all of which I have visited in recent years, but it should at least have an acceptable collection and perhaps an okay gallery shop?

So lets start on my journey. I called a friend who is free, arranged a date and off we went in high spirits. There was a camera crew at the entrance shooting scenes for what looks like an MTV but since we had neither recognised the model/singer nor the song, I can't tell you what it is. Other than those people, we did not see any other visitors on our way in.

Oh, I think I forgot to mention, I came to see an exhibition called the Mosaics of Malaysia, held in conjunction with our upcoming National Day celebration. So obviously, I expected to see works by Malaysian artists, about Malaysia, right?

First, a little background, this exhibition was made possible by an art collector from Kedah, who had commissioned a Chinese painter to paint many large scale artworks of various scenery and places of interest in Malaysia throughout the years. According to the NAG people, this exhibition is...

"the continuity of the last My Collection (Koleksi Saya) exhibition which was last exhibited around year 1970’s."

and the NAG is...

"proud to present the “Mosaics of Malaysia” exhibition in conjunction of our nation is celebrating the 35 years relationship between Malaysian-China by exhibiting Zhang Zhou, a very talented artist."

These quotes are taken directly off their website.

Now, I would like to say, his paintings and works are not half bad, there were some brilliant use of colours in my favourite piece out of the lot - a view of KLCC. I am also sure that he is a reasonably talented painter judging by his resume printed on one of the exhibition's introductory story-wall.

My complaint is on the fact that the curator and gallery management used this sorry excuse of a curation and passed it off as held in conjunction with the National Day celebrations in promoting it. The exhibition took up two halls, every single painting was the product of this one man's hand, one hall held various artwork on POIs in Malaysia while, the other hall consists only of his works depicting various places in China and still lifes. An ENTIRE hall, dedicated to his works only, nothing related to Malaysia, and the exhibition is called? Mosaics of Malaysia!

I confess that I wouldn't have minded so much if the title of the exhibition is different, it would also have been excusable if they had excluded all his other non-Malaysia related works from being exhibited and more so if they had just included some works of a Malaysian (even if not a large amount).

More importantly, what I had come to seek, I did not find, the gallery shop offered no postcards for sale. NO POSTCARDS! Easily the cheapest souvenir from any art gallery in the world, light and easy to tote around, an excellent visual reminder of that excellent artwork one had just saw on display, not a single one on sale.

Dance, Subaru!

Dance, Subaru! is a story not unlike Centre Stage and Step Up! The ballerina who overcomes all odds to realise her dreams. It is adapted from a manga by Masahito Soda and directed by Hong Kong director Lee Chi Ngai. What attracted my attention to the film is the subject - dance and by relation, music.

The only other Asian film that I remember to feature dance is a Hong Kong movie starring Karina Lam and Nicholas Tse. The title of which I can't recall at the moment but that story revolves around the fulfillment of the dead dancer's wish by utilising another's body. Essentially, it is a story about the afterlife rather than about dance, dance only played a supporting role here.

This movie stars Kuroki Meisa as Subaru Miyamoto, the surviving half of twins who shared a dream to become professional ballet dancers. She is scouted and thus goes through all the tough training, emotional ups and downs that comes with being in a troupe of dancers. All of which is part of the storyline in any other western movie about dancing that we have seen.

So why watch this one? Two words - Kuroki Meisa. She is said to have trained for months in order to perform all the dance steps on her own. She surprised even the director in executing the pointe when it came time to film it and she started out with no ballet experience. That in itself, is reason enough for me, but of course guys should be happy note that she is quite the beauty.

For those who are who would care to know more, this multi-talented girl has also released her first studio album - Hellcat (Sony Music). You can also catch her in the play Onna Nobunaga if you live in Tokyo.