American pie

Anyone who has eaten at the International House of Pancakes has more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin.

I laughed so hard. That’s a comment that someone posted on YouTube in response to one of the many videos that have flooded the site since Sarah Palin was announced as the vice presidential candidate for the republicans.

I actually know more about this upcoming US election than I do about the political scene in my own country. I usually am totally disinterested in politics but Palin has me totally intrigued – can’t wait to hear what rubbish she will pull out of her ass when she faces off against Joe Biden on October 2 (US time). Jeezus. The woman is a blithering idiot. I wonder what the rest of the world’s leaders think of her. I’m so embarrassed for America.

Bail out? Hell yes. And I’m not talking about the 700 billion.

All hail the new king in town

My first words to Colin when I woke up this morning were, “Who won?”

He was propped up in bed, staring at his MacBook. “Well, it looks like someone is biting a Wimbledon trophy…”

YEAAAHOOOOO!!!

Vijay Amitraj, who had predicted that Roger would win in four sets, had to eat his words.

After an epic battle of four hours and 48 minutes, Rafael Nadal took the men’s singles trophy from a devastated Roger Federer, who had reigned supreme on the grass court at Wimbledon for the last five years – a record previously held by Bjorn Borg. If Roger had won, he would have equalled William Renshaw’s record of six consecutive Wimbledon (men’s singles) titles. Rafa, actually, equalled another record set by the legendary Borg – clinching both the French and Wimbledon titles in the same year. And with his first Wimbledon men’s singles title, Rafa is only the second Spaniard to have won the championship since Manuel Santana in 1966.

I watched the live telecast last night up until the rain delay in the third set, and just finished watching the re-run over dinner today. I have never been so pumped up about a tennis match before. It was, as Vijay likes to say, “glorious tennis”. Both players gave it their all until the very last point, though Roger was clearly affected after losing the first and second sets 6-4, 6-4. Still, he played some superb volleys and ripped those beautiful backhands to take the third and fourth 7-6, 7-6, but went down 7-9 to my boy from Mallorca. I think that if not for the shitty London weather disrupting the match, Rafa might have closed it off in four sets – if not three.

Roger and Rafa are two of my favourite players (though I’d root for Rafa over Roger). It’s great to see the obvious respect between them, and they are fantastic ambassadors for the sport as they are the epitome of talent, grace, and humility.

I am so inspired. And so looking forward to my lesson this Saturday!

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

PHOTO FROM JUSTJARED.COM

Getting back into the groove

I’ve been occupied with work and/or away for 24 out of the 31 days in May, zipping through seven cities within that time. But it has been really rewarding and it’s one of those times when I love my job. The past month or so leading up to this was also hectic with all the logistics and though I’ve been back for four days now, I’m still feeling the aftereffects on my mind and body and I am so drained. Kinda like after I got out of the hot spring in Taipei – was trying to pull out a paper cup to get some water and my arm didn’t work!

The plan for this weekend is to do absolutely nothing. Well, except for the pile of laundry that has spilled out of the basket and now seems to be taking over the floor. And the other pile that’s waiting to be ironed. Aaargh. Jona where are you???

Gotta realign the cogs and give the old machine a jumpstart. Maybe in a couple of hours. For now, I’m going to procrastinate for a bit and think of arguments for and against the seven dwarves friends/brothers debate… (thanks a lot Kelv – yes it’s still plaguing me!)

 

 

 

Primeval

I took Colin for his birthday dinner tonight – an early celebration, since I’d be away on the actual date. We went to Astons Prime on Joo Chiat Road. Hin and Karina introduced us to this place. It’s a steak house, nothing fancy but has good quality cuts for decent prices. The last time I was there I had the kurobuta pork, which was as good as Hin made it out to be.

A CARNIVORE’S WET DREAM

Tonight, I had some baby back ribs and Colin had a 250 g slab of wagyu, medium rare. Two Japanese guys who were seated nearby heard Colin mentioning “wagyu” and turned around to ask him if he was Japanese. Haha! When they learned that it was on the menu they got really excited, but I think they were a little disappointed when the waiter told them that the meat was actually from the US (no, they didn’t order it).

The verdict: wagyu was good, baby back ribs were pretty tasty but I’ll go for the kurobuta again next time.

Not everyone in the restaurant was enjoying a good meal, though. While we were having our starters, I noticed a couple with two young kids and their maid sitting at the table next to us. They were all eating except for the maid. We figured she probably had her dinner earlier, seeing as the purpose of her being there with the couple was obviously to watch over their kids. Perhaps the poor maid hadn’t eaten yet and would only have her dinner when they got back. Either way, I thought it was really mean of the family to have her there, watching as they enjoyed a meal which in total probably cost about half her salary for the month. OK, if you don’t want to fork out $30 for her dinner, then don’t bring her along. Have her watch your kids at home. Or better yet, watch your damn kids yourself. It’s like some cruel joke to have her just sit there while everyone else stuffs their faces. These days, expecting someone to care about anyone other than themselves is just too much to ask. Forget apathy. Whatever happened to plain old courtesy? Maybe all that meat and the smell of blood triggered something primeval in these people, in both appetite and behaviour.

 

PHOTO BY FLY ON THE WALL. NOT TO BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

So much food, so little time

Colin and I went back to KL a couple of weekends ago for my cousin Kenny’s wedding. It was a short trip – arrived Friday, left on Sunday – but we still managed to cram in a few good meals.

Of course, mum had my Penang laksa waiting for me when I got home. Mmmm. Love. Love my momma too. Colin managed to get his char kway teow fix too.

Friday night, we went to eat bak kut teh at Heng Kee’s in PJ Old Town. It’s an old bungalow that’s been converted into a restaurant and they only serve bak kut teh. It’s been there ever since I can remember. I don’t know the name of the road, sorry. It’s in one of the lanes, on the side that’s across the road from the Old Town market, and there’s a shop that sells hideous ceramic vases just around the corner. Parking is a bit of a nightmare, as it is almost anywhere in Old Town, so you probably have to drive around for a bit. Between me, Colin, and mum, we had two orders of ribs, one order of meat, braised mushrooms, and some veggies. Including rice and drinks, it was about RM20 per person, which is pretty standard. The ribs are better than the meat. Colin really loves the stuff though Brian says that there’s a stall in Klang that’s better (the Klang one serves it claypot style). Next time.

     

COLIN WAS SO HAPPY HE ALMOST PASSED OUT

On Saturday, after the church wedding, Brian took us to eat some fantabulous roasted pork. It’s the best damn roasted pork I’ve ever eaten. And I’ve eaten a lot of roasted pork! The tender meat has lovely layers of fat and the crackling is crispy but not hard. Not too salty, and it’s not smothered in that nasty sweet sauce the way it is in Singapore. I have the name of the road this time – Lorong Brunei Selatan – but I can’t give you directions because I don’t know how to get there myself (I’m sure Google Maps can help). The restaurant is called Wong Kee, and besides the roasted pork they also have char siew and roasted chicken. Didn’t get to taste the char siew as it was sold out by the time we got there at 1:30 pm, but the chicken is pretty good. You can help yourself to the soup, which is simmering in a big pot with lots of leftover roasted bits. Apparently, the bossman only starts serving at 12:30 pm sharp, not a minute earlier. If you show up early, you’ll find him sipping his kopi and reading the paper, keeping a keen eye on the clock. When he’s done, he’ll change his shirt, and only at 12:30 pm will you hear the glorious sound of his knife slicing through the crackling. By about 2:00 pm, it’s all gone. 

THE BOSSMAN. NOBODY MESSES WITH HIS MEAT.

Oh, it’s not cheap – for the four of us, we ordered four strips of roasted pork (RM12 per strip, each strip is about half an inch thick and six inches long), chicken for three people, plus three plates of rice, and drinks. It’s actually quite a lot, and I didn’t think we’d finish it all (but of course we did). Bill came up to RM83, so about RM21 per person which is pretty pricey considering you can get a plate of chicken rice with roasted pork and drinks at a coffee shop for about RM6 per person. But man, if I ever want to eat roasted pork when I’m in KL, it’ll be at Wong Kee! And next time, we’ll have to get there early and try the char siew as well.

HEAVEN

 

PHOTOS BY FLY ON THE WALL. NOT TO BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

If the shoe fits…

I always chuckle when I hear girls complaining about how people are staring at their legs, boobs, ass and whatever other bits they have hanging out. Look, if you want to wear a short skirt, you can’t expect the hot-blooded dude on the MRT to avert his eyes. If you’re flashing cleavage, then Joe Blow over there ain’t grinning to himself for no reason. We dress the way we do because we want people to notice (whether we want to admit it or not).

Similarly, if you’re going to act like a bitch, at least have the balls to own up to the label. And if you’re the office slut, don’t feign innocence and distress when you find out your lascivious extracurricular activities are the subject of locker-room talk.

If the shoe fits, wear it. And save me the sanctimonious drivel.

And then there were three

First, the circle was broken. Someone got burnt and the circle had since become a square, but we’re OK and as it turned out, square was better. A circle can’t fit where a square should be.

But now it looks like we’ve lost another and the square has become a triangle. This time, I am sad.

And I still hear the tom-toms beating in the distance.

Mum’s braised pork

When I was back in KL during Chinese New Year, mum made this fantastic braised pork dish that blew my socks off. She does braised pork a few different ways and they’re all good (I love my pork), but this one had an unusual flavour which I really liked. Tried the recipe last week and it turned out well. Good thing I made quite a bit, so I’m having leftovers tonight. Mmmm! Comfort food.

Here’s the recipe (serves 3-4):
- About 600 g pork belly or ribs (I used both)
- 1/2 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-inch piece of ginger (about the length of your thumb), sliced
- dried mushrooms (6-8 pieces, depending on size)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soya bean paste
- 1 tbsp plum sauce
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- pepper to taste

How:
Soak the mushrooms in some water until soft, then cut as desired or leave them whole. Bat’s ear fungus also goes nicely with this dish. Do not marinate the meat; just give it a quick rinse and leave it aside.

Using a food processor, blend the onion and garlic to a fine paste. Sautee the paste and slices of ginger in a little oil (about 2 tbsp) until golden. Add the pork and sautee until pork pieces are lightly cooked on all sides. Grind in some fresh black pepper. Add the oyster sauce, soya bean paste, plum sauce, and light soya sauce, stir until pork is evenly coated. Chuck in the mushrooms and enough water to cover the meat, cover pot/saucepan with a lid and leave to simmer for about an hour. Check and stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t dry out; add water if required and continue to simmer. You should end up with a thickish sauce once it’s done. If you want more gravy, use a little more water and don’t boil it down too much.

When the meat is done, add the dark soya sauce and sugar. I don’t usually use sugar in my dishes, and when I tasted the sauce before I added the sugar it was already pretty damn good. But I thought, hey, mum said sugar it, so I did. And it made a huge difference! As always, mum knows best. And yes, it’s not a typo – measurement for sugar is 1 teaspoon; everything else is in tablespoons.

NOTE: DO NOT add the dark soya sauce and sugar until the end, or it will make the meat tough.

Serve with steaming hot rice. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need anything else to go with it. Oooh, maybe some sambal belacan… (it’s a Eurasian thing).

Enjoy.

Cushy-couchy-coo!

My friends are having their first child and they want your thoughts on baby names (it’s a boy). They’re even giving away a brand spanking new Blu Dot Couchoid Studio sofa if baby Quah ends up with the name that you suggested. No kidding.

Click here to play. Or to check out some of the other stuff from Pomelo Home – my friends’ modernist home furnishings store located on Tanjong Katong Road.

I could use a stylin’ new sofa myself. It’ll go nicely with my beyoootiful George Nelson bubble lamp.

My vote is “Kieran”. Kieran Quah. Has a nice ring to it, what.

Do you remember?

I had been asked recently by a friend if I could remember certain times, events, and occurrences that we had been part of. Memories that we both shared. Yes, I remembered.

I realised that it is memories that evoke emotions and actions in us, whether good or bad. It is because we remember that we love, hate, hurt, seek revenge, laugh, cry…

Our brain has, however, been known (and proven) to block out certain memories – especially ones that are too traumatic or painful. But we do not forget all the bad stuff. Actually, try as we might, we find it quite impossible to block out some memories that we’d much rather forget. How does our brain make this selection? What gets locked away and what remains in the archives? I wish I had more control over this process.

Without memories, every experience would be new. It would be like having a clean slate and starting afresh every single day. Would that be so bad? I wonder.