Durian

I know this comes a bit late to count for a Friday's post but my folder stinks of durian.

I accompanied my friend's dad running errands around town, buying stuff to bring back to Miri. Stuff like two bags of chestnuts from Petaling Street and loads of cream stuffed buns (Hi-5 and Gardenia). On our way back to his hotel in Chow Kit, we passed by a night market selling fresh produce form the countryside. There were a few durian stalls which made him say "If you fancy some durians we could park by that side and have a quick nibble"

Hmmm, durians. I've passed by durian stalls before and almost got hooked by the smell but never actually got myself to buy a pack. However, this time it's different. It somehow sounds like he's entertaining his own fancy as well.

"Local durians here are sweet. Unlike the ones from our neighboring country. I had some yesterday. They're good." He continued. Do I say no to that? Heck I don't need anyone to tell me 'they're good' twice. Especially food.

Durian it was then. I scanned for parking spaces around the corner and soon we were walking to one of the stalls. We bought the 'two for ten' combo. More than enough to fix us good.

They're good, these local durians, I tell you. They're from Perak (used to be my playground), a good place to get durians.

Check out the thorns. Fruit of the devil some may say. I wont argue. They're as good as they're deadly, physically and aromatically.

Somehow the lighting made them look green. I know some of you might be having bad dreams tonight. Evil durians coming atcha'.

Oh, we barely finished our share by the way. We weren't as hungry. Did I mention that they're good?

So, Terrence, we had a fun evening getting all the stuff he planned, me and your dad. Oh, you'll hear a lot about the distance I had us walking to get around town using the monorail and rapid transits. Hehe.. he even mentioned 'that was quite a distance there...' upon looking back at the route we just took.

It was rush hour see. I parked at Mid Valley Mega Mall after work and used public transport to avoid the jam and optimize on timing.

By nine we were at the mall. So he was in good hands. Why shouldn't he be... he's a cop. Hmmm... come to think of it, I was the one in good hands.

Scenes at The Curve

Facing Cineleisure

Facing the main complex

Neon water

Overflowing Vase

Three mastersquirts

Indeed...

Super

I was at a mall several weeks back when I saw a bank's credit card promotional tour of Superman - A gimmick drive. Among the deals were to sign up for a card and get superman merchandise and also for existing card users, spend a hundred bucks and get two invites to the premiere.

I did both.

So I got these.

Two caps for the sign up, two invites for the purchase, and one happy sucker for gimmicks.

Last night I went for the premiere and there were so many others. The bank did good. They used about 10 halls for the screening sessions, mine was number 12. No camera was allowed (strict anti piracy policy) and even handphones had to be surrendered at the counter.

But I could have done better by taking all the scenes outside the cinema and leave my camera and phone in the car just before entering the hall. Good thing this cute promo chick was around to take digital pictures with her camera phone, transfer it to a fujifilm polaroid picture printer via infrared and hey presto, I got this for my alibi. I was with my house mate during the night whatever crime took place.

The premiere was excellent. Complimentary soda and a small popcorn set.


About Superman Returns, it rocks! One thing's for sure, the movie starts with a bang! Oh, did I say bang? I meant BANG! *****. Brilliant entrance I tell you. The rest you gotta figure it out yourself. Go watch it. Don't expect too much twist though, coz hey, it's superman, how extraordinary can the story get? Lex is up to no good again and our man in red undies saves the day.

There, that's your spoiler.

Oh, and I took home a huge elegant poster as well. I'm good. I'm super. I’m swell!

See that smirk on the face? It stays for a few more days.

Gaban

Bert, this one's for you, sort of... (it's for your eyes only, non halal ma...)

Say the name Gaban and most of us in Malaysia will remember the hit children tv series Polis Angkasa Gaban or Space Cop Gaban.

While kids would take the gimmick ‘gaban can suit up in less than 0.05 second’ as ultra cool, this very statement rings as utter joke to adults. It’s not just silly, it's also mind blowing how we boys used to dig that heroic trait. But tell that to a kid and he’ll throw tantrums at you all day. Oh, and don't forget Naga Gaban, his trusty dragon companion. Hey, that even rings nice .

I recently had an unexpected encounter with gaban and needless to say it was hilarious! Imagine the number of jokes we came up with when we came across Gaban in a Japanese restaurant at The Curve.



Oh yeah, and the ice cream is specially brought to you by none other than Macha.

Highest quality eh? We totally hear ya...we'd expect nothing less from Gaban.

That's my ramen. Nice I tell you. Fit for... you guessed it, Gaban!

The Curve, a real cool place with extensive choice of eating places.

Ton Chan is located on the first floor. Cozy aint it?

The other side of the restaurant.

So, space troopers, if you take non-halal food, do drop by this Gaban of a place and bask in the memories of Gaban, our childhood hero. It should be splittin' fun(ny).

Now where did i put my Gaban suit...?

More Gaban Info Here.

Confession on the dance floor

I was at The Ship’s Captain’s Cabin last Friday night. It’s a nice place to unwind and catch the dance bug. Throw in some drinks and a good company and you’ve got a party. The music just gets you there. Oh, there’s also the drag show by the ‘sexy divas’, strictly for your eyes only. They’re very entertaining and nobody’s complaining.

The show ended and the band started playing. Pretty good, maybe that’s because they’re playing it safe. Towards the end of the last session, people started dancing on the dance floor and they continued as the DJ started spinning the favorites, mostly classic disco tracks to current RnB and Hip hop beats. I was naturally on the dance floor doing my usual stuff and accompanied occasionally by a lady friend.

The beat got hotter and several chicks from the table beside the dance floor approached. Two of them came near, one facing me. Still moving, I looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and in less than a second changed her expression to utterly puzzled. She now has a - Hold it! - I know you! - If I could just get your name out! – look.

I decided to play along and sport the same look, smiling from ear to ear watching her frowns getting deeper. She literally scratched her head and I did the same; it’s fun playing this total recall game.

Finally she leaned over and said “You look very familiar. Like my friend Rin. Seriously!”

I smiled and thought “whoa, talk about tables turning!” Heck, I think she looks familiar too but there’s no name to be exchanged from my side of the table.
“Who’s that again? Rin? I’m not him. I’m Agus” I confessed.

Somehow between my amused expression and broad grin she sensed that this ‘friend’ of hers is playing a trick on her and so she got excited and yelled “Hey! You’re lying! Rin, I know it’s you. Quit playing.” She gave me a light punch with a shove on my shoulder.

“Seriously, I’m Agus, not Rin. I swear!” I assured her, before things got really physical.

“Really? Damn, you look like him!” she said, still puzzled.

I sensed a tinge of disappointment and quickly offered a proper introduction.

“Hi, I’m Agus. Nice to meet you”

“Hi, I’m (for the life of me, I can’t remember her name). Nice to meet you too”. We shook hands and started dancing. But not before she asked “Won’t your girlfriend be pissed?”

“Nah, she’s not my girlfriend, we’re just close friends”
All this while she was sitting at our table, catching her breath and re-hydrating.

We danced to several tunes and my lady friend joined us. The two girls talked and they shared information, mostly about my identity and the actual “Rin” person. Moments later my friend conveyed the information to me. It turned out, to her, I look like Raja Azrin of 4u2c, once a popular boy band in the early nineties. She on the other hand was a member of a female rap group called Res2, both were from the same era.

Ok, it figures that they’re friends but the similarities are beyond me as I don’t have a clue as to who she was referring to. Besides, there wasn’t enough lighting and she could be … well, drunk.

Oh but I wasn’t going to complain. She looks very much a Malaysian with a hint of exotic appeal. She’s my height, super slim and she could shake what her mama gave her. We dropped it like it’s hot! I handled it with total r.e.s.p.e.c.t of course. You can’t be too careful in the clubs. Nuff said.

I retreated a few times to our table to catch my breath and have a few sips. I told my friends about the incident and they all agreed that I should give her my number. “Fish! I didn’t bring my name card!” But I don’t want to be seen exchanging numbers on the handphone…

I struggled between finding ways to get her number and reasoning with myself to let it go.

In the end I decided to leave it at that and simply enjoy dancing the night away.

All things must come to an end and it was closing time. The lights came on and everyone slowed down. She smiled to acknowledge a fun night, leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheeks. An appreciation for the r.e.s.p.e.c.t I guess.

Or maybe it’s the sign, a last call for getting her number.

Quick! Think!

As everyone walked back to their tables I struggled with myself again. Should I give her my number? Should I ask for hers?

The lyrics for TLC’s “No Scrubs” echoed in my head “… no, I don’t want your number, no, I don’t want to give you mine, and no I don’t want to meet you no where, no I don’t want none of your time…”

Ok then, that’s settled.

I let it go. And so it is, I only have this to confess, nothing more, nothing less.

I got pea

Last night I went to see a friend about a blend. It has bean a while since I got my supplies from him. I got berry excited when I saw the release of Starbucks Peaberry Blend. There’s a Starbucks near my office but it’s just not the same as buying beans from his outlet. He gives plenty of information and heads up on upcoming promotions, events and special blends. And sometimes he gives free samples, not just because we're friends. I got Café Estima with this one. Yay! But that’s for another day.

My first cup was surprisingly delightful. It is classified Bold and bold it really is. In a satisfying way. This blend feels rich, full and solid. The aroma packs a good punch, from the bag and the cup. They say it has clean acidity and I do agree. I don’t really like sour coffee. I do get some hints of citrus but herbal? Hmmmm…maybe that’s why they say it’s complex.



Overall, this makes a great satisfying cup anytime. Perfect for sitting by the window, come rain or shine.
I've made myself several cups you see, so now if you'll excuse me, I gotta pea.



A drink for you sir? Coffee, tea or pea?

Poster Show

Last night was Poster Show night at Dzu's Wondermilk. Despite the antcipated WC game, people turned up strong and excited about works in monosylabik. Go to Click Project to learn more. There were refreshing art pieces on display and for sale.

This was the crowd inside the exhibition space. It was three times bigger outside, all mingling about.

An interesting pixelated piece entitled 'intimacy'; oh you know which one.

Nice posters. Nice cuppacakes. Nice pizzas. Did I mention nice cuppacakes?

Works in perspective.

Nice people.

Advertising space.

Tired but shiny happy people.

Just chillin'.

Thanks Dzu for having us there. We dig your gig.

Found

Here I am on a wet Tuesday morning (good thing my path didn’t include the morning jam) waiting for my Costa Rica Tarrazu coffee’s last drip. Still thinking about yesterday’s pleasant surprise.

A friendster member (nickname: madcow) buzzed me a message.

“Hi i cant really remember but your name is very familiar ..used to be in st columba's miri too ..can u tell me what class were u in when you were form 3 ? Thanks”

I carelessly replied without checking his profile, “Hi there. The most important thing is what year. I was there in form 1 in 1990-ish. Did a few months there and then moved to another school. Oh but I was there my whole elementary school years. Or maybe it’s my family name that’s familiar. All my sisters schooled there too.”

After sending the message I clicked to his profile and there it was, his full name after his screen name.

Well I’ll be….

It’s one of my childhood friends! This madcow. Who would have guessed? But give me his real name and BAM!

I quickly sent another message “ Holy cow! (yeah, this used to be the word) It’s you! W.C.L! We were the hooligans in st columba's primary school!

Sorry, I replied your mail before going to your page. And now I know! This is really exciting!

What's up man?"

A few messages and exchanged numbers later, we were talking again.

It turns out, he’s been busy searching for old friends from elementary and high school using friendster. I was like, how do you do that? ...And WOW! You’re like the contact point for old friends!

“Oh it’s real easy and interesting. Just search members under st. columba’s school or Miri, and hope they have that in their profile.”

Wow! I didn’t know that. I guess it’s because friendster takes so long to load and I just can’t wait that long.

But Wow! This is going to be a blast! Long or not, I will now wait. For I have been found. And now I will seek.

It's everywhere!

Someone asked me if it is safe to blog here without getting hit with the world cup fever. I understand the concern, completely. There’s no escaping the hype. Don’t get me wrong. I love the game. But sometimes the commercial feed is just so overwhelming. And some people really seek refreshing issues and views anywhere they can. That includes blogging.

I have done my own share of spreading the Germ and I thought I should ease down on it. But not without checking today’s match fixtures. It somehow dawned on me that I should get Costa Rica Terrazu coffee beans today and enjoy it at home tonight. So I headed to a java joint several blocks away for coffee break and a bag of beans.

Sadly, they were out of stock and I had to settle for coffee break only, Brazil cup of excellence they call it. “I’ll get the beans on my way home later” I thought.

So after finishing my beverage and several long stares at the café walls, I grabbed the napkin to wipe my dry and clean hands. The napkins usually stay clean and end up in my pocket, they’re handy, see. I didn’t have urgent matters at the office so I lingered for a while, looking and staring at the napkins. They were ordinary but something about them seemed strangely familiar. No, not the outlet’s name and tag line. Yeah, the pattern depressed on the sides.

Well, how about that. It’s like the hexagonal stitches on a football. Didn’t I tell you it’s everywhere?

And yeah, you can ask if it’s safe Francis…. again. And I’ll tell you it is safe, after applying Einstein’s Relativity theory that is...

Oh, and before I left, I just couldn't resist going over to the counter and asked "These napkins, are the patterns designed for the world cup season, like a limited edition thingy?"

"No, it's always like that"

*Smiles all around*

Mild salsa

They forgot to mention the football, maybe it was intentional this time.

I stayed up till 5am this morning expecting a game full of kicks and punches and all I get was mild salsa. The numerous Croatian attempts should have materialised into goals to get the Brazilians going. Then we'd have a great game.

But I must say the Croatians worked their ass off. They played well but couldn't find the seal, a frustrating end followed every single promising attempt. It wasn't exactly nuts for them though.

Kaka is good....

P/s: Love the Korean soul and Swiss army march.

UFO

Once in a blue screen I get an Unidentified Flipping Oriental message on my phone. This came in after I sent text messages celebrating Australia's win over Japan last night. Anyone care to translate...please...

Though I don't think the message is intended for me, it's fun to know what it says. So, can someone break the code?

Oh, yeah, I wanted to see Australia rock on for the World Cup. Bert said they just got lucky last night. I kinda see his point. They won't go far playing like that. But I'm still roo'ting for them to march on. Them socceroos better jump higher, kick harder this time.

Colors in Labuan

Here are some pictures of Labuan to soothe the Monday blues.

The jade waters

The flourescent blue evening sky. These are views from Mawilla Restaurant by the sea in Labuan.

The orange ships

The twilight zone clouds, reflecting the sunset drama at the other side of the island.

He ain't heavy, he's married.

On the third day of Gawai, June 3rd, was my younger brother's wedding reception.

Here are extracts from their wedding album.

It was held at the bride's Longhouse, about 20 minutes from Bintulu town. This is an inter tribal marriage, between the Iban and Bidayuh tribes of the Dayak community in Sarawak. Both family agreed that the ceremony be held at the bride's family's longhouse. My family invited our share of the Bidayuh 'tribal council' from Kuching and Miri.

The newlyweds with mom and dad.

My brother, my family.

The bride's family.

We are family, I've got all my sisters with me....

The best thing about a longhouse is the common area outside each home, great for huge gatherings, like this wedding reception.

The focal point is at one end of the longhouse's common area. A keyboard and a P.A. system. It's not much but we made the best of it. This area became the dance floor. Party on!

Guests chilling out after dinner, waiting for the party to begin.

And they started to dance.

So did I, my family and relatives. Mom danced, Dad danced, we gave it our all.

There aren't many pictures of people dancing since I was in the crowd myself. Too occupied to think about capturing the scene. Maybe it's in the video. Oh well, that would have to wait.

A set of traditional Dayak musical instrument. Especially for the 'ngajat' dance.

An honored guest, a local politician, trying his hand at 'ngajat'.

The night went on, we danced all kinds of dance, we partied till 5am. It was a great event.

My brother's wedding, a trully proud moment.