My Story : The Search for Pineapples

Spent the weekend at my grandma's house in Kuala Selangor. I accompanied my cousin to buy stuffs for nenek to make Bahulu Gulung, a traditional pasties..a must have during every hari raya. It is made of flour, eggs, pineapples jam and other ingredients (sorry I don't know the recipe). So this weekend my nenek wanted to make the jam first. On our way back to Kuala Selangor, we made a stop at Meru to buy pineapples...There is this one place to get the best pineapples in the area...and let me guarantee you that the pineapples are indeed very sweet and juicy...but no luck coz the seller informed us he was out of stock and the newly picked pineapples only arrived later in the evening. We had to come back again tomorrow morning.

So early Sunday morning around 7:15am my cousin and I went to the same selller again. Fresh looking pineapples were piled up from the owner's run down stall. We picked about 40 pineapples and he willingly cut the thorny leaves and peeled the hard shells. The sweet smell of cut pineapples reminded me of strawberry. Somehow these 2 fruits has the same strong yet sweet smell.

These were the riped pineapples we bought

This pakcik even peeled the pineapples for us with no extra charge

Back at grandma's...nenek started to slice the pineapples into small chunks, blended with some water and cooked the blended pineapples for hours. Now I know half of the process on h0w to make pineapple jam.

Arghhh...I'm sleepy so I'll continue to update this post later. I'm spending the night at my cousin's house by the way. She'll drop me off my house early next morning before she goes to work.

nite nite...or ning ning...its 12:30am already!

My Interest : Man United

Here I am...deciding to make regular posts on Man United updates in this blog. Hopefully I am still enthusiastic tomorrow as today to do the blogging stuffs. Where do I begin? OK it was a slow start for United this season. Nothing unusual for us the fan. But I believe they've found their pace after straight 4 wins in Barclays Premier League especially last week's superb 2-0 win over Chelsea. Such joy...Yey!!! Before that they also won 1-0 in matchday 1 game against Sporting Lisbon in UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately they lost their 3rd round Carling Cup match 0-2 to Coventry City on Wednesday night. Well you can't win all can you?

The photo of 2007/2008 team with me....hehehe look at my red face...honoured to join them. Ahakss...in my dream. Thanks photoshop!. Just wanna show my support...I'll always be behind all the players and side by side with Sir Alex Ferguson.

A tribute to my King : Eric Cantona

Since this is the first post on United, I'd like to have a say about King Eric, my Man United hero. Unlike most girls (pardon me) I didn't join the MUFC because of that cute boy David Beckham as what most of my friends thought...but yeah I had a crush on him once...when he was given the King's number 7 jersey. Before that he wore number 10 previously belong to the great Mark Hughes. My my...he got some big shoes to filled during his time eh? Poor man...what happen to him today? Celebrity rather than sportsman! He was more on the entertainment pages than in the sports news columns. Shame...

Back on track...I've been Manchester United supporter since 1994 when Eric Cantona was transfered to United and proud to say that I am one of zillions United fans bloomed during "Eric the King" era. He was my man...he still is. I fell in love with his leaderships, his goals, his magics...and all other essence of him on and off the field. He's a football legend...the player of the century. A legend who'd left the scene during his glory that shed tears in my eyes. It wasn't his time to retired but it was his called and I saluted him for his decision.

I still remember Eric's famous quote "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea" during press conference for his most famous kungfu kick launched against a Crystal Palace fan few months after he joined ManU. Still hard to understand but the way he said it made me laugh. He may had bad tempers on the field but he was cool mannnn.

I still don't understand how come a great footballer like him never played in World Cup, decided to became a captain of the French National Beach Football team and later involved in entertainment industry by acting in films and became Nike face of ad. Well that's my man Eric Cantona...man of mystery.

Here's my favourite youtube clip about Eric Cantona. Thanks sjubakka for sharing this video.




to be continued...

Tech Talk : All I need is XP

I just read an article from PCWorld on Microsoft Vista and find it interesting to share. I have the same idea to stay with XP as long as it is supported by Microsoft because Vista is way too graphically heavy for my PC performance. Although Microsoft stated objective of Vista is to improve the security of Windows operating system, I doubt that Vista will be free of security vulnerabilities...just like the other versions. Security threats has been Microsoft games all along...they are making money from this.

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Vista Resistance: Why XP Is Still So Strong

If you still don't see a need to upgrade, you're not alone--many people are opting for XP even on new PCs. We'll show you how the Vista transition will become smoother.Part 1 of a special five-part series.

Erik Larkin, PC World
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 10:00 PM PDT

Windows Vista is facing stiff competition from an unlikely source: Windows XP.
The six-year-old operating system is showing surprising strength more than half a year after the full launch of its successor. In April, Dell acknowledged continued XP demand and resumed offering XP as an option on new systems. In July, Microsoft chief financial officer Chris Liddell ratcheted up the percentage of OS sales the company expects XP to account for in fiscal year 2008 from 15 percent to 22 percent. Finally, in August, Microsoft announced an XP Service Pack 2c release that does nothing more than add new Windows XP product keys so the company can keep selling the OS to businesses through January 31, 2009.

In addition, customers who purchase a Vista machine from Dell, HP, or Lenovo (among other vendors) can use a vendor-supplied XP Pro recovery disc to replace the Vista operating system on their system with XP Pro.

The wait-and-see approach of Mark Sanford, a 40-year-old software developer in San Francisco, seems typical of many users. Sanford's PC--with a 3-GHz CPU, 2GB of memory, and a 256MB video card--could handle Vista, but he says he has no plans to upgrade from XP. Sanford says he's gotten to know XP's idiosyncrasies, and has his network and software running smoothly on the aging OS. "XP is plenty good enough," he says. So nothing is pushing him away from XP, and likewise nothing is pulling him strongly to Vista.

"The Aero interface is beautiful," he says, but "When I look at Vista, there's really nothing there that's a must-have kind of feature."

Behind the Pace
Certainly sales of Vista aren't blowing away XP in stores. Chris Swenson, director of software industry analysis for the NPD Group, says that, from January through July of this year, XP sales accounted for a healthy 42.3 percent of online and brick-and-mortar retail OS sales. By contrast, from January through July of 2002, after XP's launch in October the year prior, Windows 98 accounted for just 23.1 percent of retail sales. (Windows Me launched after Windows 98, but it didn't supplant the older OS.)

Of course, retail sales are only part of the story. With PC prices dropping over the past few years, and with Vista's higher hardware requirements, it's a "no-brainer," according to Swenson, for many people to buy a new PC rather than upgrade an old one. And the large majority of Vista users get the OS on their new systems.

Still, PCWorld.com visitors don't seem to be in any rush to switch to Vista. Our traffic numbers show Vista machines accounting for just 10 percent of the traffic to our site during September (see "Vista vs. XP After 8 Months").

Dell, which offers a choice of Vista or XP on its new computers, is staying close-lipped about how many XP computers it sells compared with Vista. But Michelle Pearcy, manager of the global marketing software team at Dell, confirms that the company is seeing the same trend as Microsoft: XP sales will be higher than expected during its next fiscal year.

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Original source : http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137635-pg,1/article.html

Reflection : Old Blog Entry

Since I'm still in the state of wasteful emotion, let me share with you (whoever you are) one of the entry I posted in my old blog 2 years ago.

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22 March 2005

Dilemma : Need Career Counseling

My system analyst and senior programmer (so called supervisor) are on all-day meeting so I'm just relaxing and chatting with friends via email. The company blocked everything from download to hotmail to instant messenger. Sad eh. But i managed to get the admin password to allow myself to download stuffs on my PC...just that i don't want to take the risk on downloading messenger. Some more the connection speed is comparable to the speed of baby snail...

Lunch time : My lunch partner is on leave so I don't feel like going to the pantry. I had my lunch here in my little messy cubicle...nyammy mommy-made nasi goreng. Wish my mom will retire soon so she can relax and enjoy spending her golden years at home. But she's the workaholic type of person. She'll be restless staying home without doing anything except sitting in front of PC chatting, playing Dynomite, BookWorm and some the other Yahoo! games. Yup! that's my mom...she's the one who introduced me to Internet...taught me how to chat and showed me that I was meant to be in IT rather than Accounting (I used to studied and working in accounting line before changing my path to IT).

Still no task to do at the moment. Just queried some programs and seems like all are running smoothly. I thought the main function of a programmer is to write programs...but not here in banking industry. Although you need to understand the systems’ coding, most of your time will be on supporting the existing systems rather than developing or amending system applications. Doing PSS is not what I was expecting before accepting this job. I am really into programming and system development especially in Java and it is my objective to be a fluent software developer in 5 years time. Guess I just need to be patient and set in mind that I’m in the phase of gripping the base to gain working experience and recommendations.

I discussed this matter with one of my friend but he made me wonder with his questions:

“You want to be a software developers…so what are you doing in a banking company that already have their own software and they also use third party to develop the software for them?” – which is very true indeed

“You want to do programming but you did not practice on how to programs. So you won’t have the programming skills/experience that your next employer expects you to have. Can you see yourself fit in to be accepted by software company?” – again this is true.

At the moment I’m on 6 months trainee contract and after this they will renew the contract to 2-years bond contract. Since I've started supporting the system, the contract continuance is already in my hand. Just that if I were to accept this offer, I’ll be stuck in banking IT world. There’ll be little hope to change my career to other industry and I might have to alter my career objective.

My my I need professional counseling!!!! Wish someone would read this and give me advice…

posted by Honey AJ @ 2:46 PM 0 comments
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I can't believe after 2 years I am still having the same dilemma...and like dejavu it happen again in this lifetime...Now! Today!! I guess I don't need professional counseling. What I need is a personal SHRINK!!! Wait a minute...I have a friend who will be completing her Masters in Psychology next year and my cousin Aini is going to study psychology soon. Maybe I'll wait for them to complete their study...perhaps I will still have this same personal issue in another 2 years time...They'll come in handy ehh...WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? I have to resolve this problem NOW!!! I may not have tomorrow!!! Arghhhh...are you a SHRINK? I need you!! Well okay I'll use the proper term....are you a therapist/psychiatrist/councellor? Reach me by leaving a comment or mail me...I can't affort an expensive session so unless you feel like your service is a social obligation I just thank you but no thank you...

When I'm feeling blue...

For the first time I'm posting my personal emotion. At this moment of time I feel down...and the song by Simple Plan is playing in my ears...it brings me to tears.

Simple Plan : Welcome to my life

Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you

Do you ever want to run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming

No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like
To be like me

To be hurt, to feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding

No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like
To be like me

To be hurt, to feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

No one ever lied straight to your face
And no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I'm happy
But I'm not gonna be ok

Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work
It was always there
You don't know what it's like
What it's like

To be hurt, to feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like (what it's like)

Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life



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Why this song? Maybe because I'm depressed over things that I shouldn't be bothering about as they are out of my hands. I can only try the effort, pray, wish, hope and dream...but only Allah knows what He plans for me. It just the waiting for things to come around feels like a burden I couldn't bear. I know this world doesn't resolved around me alone...but as part of this world I am desparate for my share. I'm talking about my life that doesn't take off the way I plan...again my plan is obviously smaller than the plans that are already written for me.

I can't let myself fall!!! Instead of giving up I need to try my best to lead on this life I'm walking on today...never stop looking for better tomorrow...to be the one I wanna be...to do the things I wanna do...to fulfill the dreams I've been wanting. There are more suffering in this world...Allah don't let me be the one who lost faith...don't let me doubt my being...don't let me regret my living...just don't let me fall...because I don't want to...I want my life to be happy...I want your grace...I want to be happy...and I'm happy when I'm happy coz my world will be a better place to live...and let live...

So emo la...nasib baik dah berbuka...kalau tak sia-sia je puasa tapi failed on the emotional battle to demon inside me. But sometimes this is the only way to reflect my life...to face reality and kill those fantasies. Well looks like I'm heading nowhere with this flow of words full of emotions...so better stop now and look for more worthy topic to post!

Black Canyon : Justice Redemption

"Let me go home, I've had my run, Baby I'm done, I gotta go home, Let me go home, It all be alright, I'll be home tonight, I'm coming back home"...as what Michael Buble sang in "Home"...I do feel like I just came back home when I stepped in Black Canyon once again as me and my cousin Pidah had our dinner at our regular spot, Jusco Taman Maluri last night. Our mission was "to redeem the taste and flavours" we had lost when we dine at Summit USJ outlet last week. How happy we were to be back to the more ambience...cozy...relaxing Black Canyon...sitting at our favourite site while chatting bout anything but our expectation on the food and drinks we just ordered.

I'm not exagerate things ok...I have no shares in Black Canyon or did I know any of the staffs there. It just the satisfaction I received everytime I was there. One thing worth to note is that the service time to get the order in Maluri is indeed slower than in Summit USJ but the services itself are relatively better. The plain water is instantly refilled everytime the glass is half full and the waiters are looking eager to serve you of any needs. They don't just walked by you aimlessly.

So Kuddo to Maluri outlet!!! Keep up a good work...as we will be back!!!

News Flash : Charging Negligence Parents

I tried not to post any issue on Malaysian governments and police force in this blog if possible. However the irrational and stupidity of some press statements by representatives from these two establishments brought me to actually make this post.

"IGP: Nurin's parents under probe for negligence - Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman may face charges under the Child Protection Act if investigations show that their negligence had contributed to Nurin's death".

That was a slice of the news I read on saturday that made me cursed in this month of Ramadhan. What the heck was he talking about. Where is his sensibility and rationale...While the parents of Nurin Jazlin are still grieving for the lost of their daughter they had to went through investigation on them for negligence when the real culprit behind the tragic death of Nurin still at large.

Please don't blind us the public with this new issue of parent negligence when all we are hoping for now is the news on police actions to capture the murderer.

"It is high time for parents to be more responsible for their children's safety," he said after briefing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Police Commission on efforts to enhance the force". So NOW you want to make this effort? When a child had been murdered? Why don't you think of this "effort" earlier when you received a missing children report few years ago?

A report from The Star dated 19 Sept 2007 said during the time "Nurin is among the 17 children under the age of nine – 10 boys and seven girls – on the police’s list of missing persons". WOW 17 eh? So now you're thinking of charging Nurin's parents alone or all the 16 more parents that made ther report on their missing children? Or only when these 16 children are found dead then you'll charge the parents? Be fair to everyone and charge them all. And ohh....don't forget about the police reports on the missing 3 teenagers last week too. Tho they are "safe and sound" the parents are still can be charge of neglating their children right? And what about Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali or Yin's parents? The only different is that Yin was found alive while Nurin was found lifeless. The police had to went through the same procedures to both missing person report if I'm right.

"Musa said while there was a provision under the law to charge negligent parents, it had never been used."My take on this is to go find the murderer first before thinking of charging these parents ya. Before voicing any regulation or plan on enforcing and enhancing the law please do a study and prepare full research with the statistics first. Do things properly la...don't let us in the situation where we questions the credibility of the police force. I am not condemning the law...but the people who thought they are the law. Hmmm...*sigh*

Let me share with you my cousin view on the same issue when she wrote this feedback to one of the news editor on Sunday:

"Saya sangatlah terkejut membaca laporan mengenai rencana berkenaan Polis akan mendakwa ibubapa Arwah Nurin Jazlin atas kesalahan kelalaian. Saya rasa ia sangatlah tidak logik dan tidak berperikemanusiaan apabila membangkitkan isu pendakwaan itu sedangkan penjenayah sebenar masih belum dapat diberkas ataupun dikenalpasti.

Bagaimana pihak polis boleh mengeluarkan kenyataan pendakwaan itu di media sedangkan Arwah baru sahaja dikebumikan. Atas kelalaian apa Bapa Arwah adik Nurin mahu didakwa? Adakah kesalahan membenarkan anak keluar ke pasar malam?

Kalau memang benar mahu mengklasifikasikan itu sebagai kelalaian, maka setiap Ibubapa yang telah melaporkan kehilangan anak perlu di dakwa. Jika begitu, pihak Polis perlu mendakwa Ibu bapa Adik Yin , Ibu bapa kepada 3 org remaja yang dilaporkan hilang minggu lalu dan juga ibubapa lain yang membuat laporan polis atas kehilangan anak.Minta maaf terpaksa menyebut nama keluarga adik Yin.Ia hanya sebagai contoh.

Sebagai rakyat awam mungkin saya jahil mengenai undang-undang negara tetapi saya lebih kecewa apabila pendakwaan tersebut dibuat dengan sewenang-wenangnya tanpa mengira kesedihan IbuBapa arwah adik Nurin Jazlin yang kuburnya masih merah.

Diharap pihak yang berkenaan supaya menilai dahulu setiap kata-kata dan tindakan sebelum mengeluarkannya di dada akhbar."
- RS

My Favourite Fast Food

Yep!! I'm a Whooper girl :) I love BK burgers especially Whooper...not the jr one la...the big one...hehehehe...tasty juicy beef with spicy sauce, mayo, fresh salad and pickled cucumber nyammyyyyy....its healthy too. Mouth watering...ish I'm still fasting! Kuatkan iman....

For your info, currently BK is giving away free coupons during this ramadhan month. I've got one yesterday when I went for dinner with my partner in crime Pidah. We're such a dynamic duo when it comes to filling our stomach with good food...yeah....

The coupons are valid until end of October 2007 so grab one now! Click the image below for a larger view of the coupons.

News Flash : Little Girl's Story

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Latest news! 21/9/2007

This is the blog of Nurin's uncle, Jasni AJ http://nurinjazlin.blogspot.com/. Latest info from this blog informed that Nurin parents had accepted the fact that the murdered girl in the bag is Nurin.

My heart goes to Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Noazian Bistamin. My deepest sympathy and condolence to both the parents. After 32 days of wishful hope...today they embraced the fact that Nurin had left them forever in the most terrifying death no one could think of...except for her cruel murderer.

To all parents, may this tragedy brings caution to you. Take good care of your children. I have no children so it'll be unfair for me to judge or gives advice on parenting. I'm not saying Nurin's parents didn't care for her to let her walked alone unattended. It just that the world today is not the same as we once live in. Around the corner a mother is mugged, a husband is shot to death, a sister is molested or raped and a brother is hit and run by a car...there are all sorts of different ways of insecurity and dangers created by human being. This is the right time for Constant Vigilance!! Because you might not know what would happen to you and your family especially your children when they are off your sight.

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For the past few weeks, reading news is like reading police files. The missing of a 8 years old girl Nurin Jazlin Jazimin and then the founding of a girl's body in a gym bag, brutally murdered really shocked the nation. Never in my life I vomitted and cried over a news story. My stomach just couldn't hold the disgusted feeling I had about a being and my eyes couldn't hold the unbelievable truth of human sins of lust on a sweet little girl.

Who is this person so cruel ...so inhumane...a beast above all animals...worst than cannibals? I can't hide my sadness...my frustration...my anger. I can't stop thinking of what this evil "syaitan" did to such an innocent girl. It is beyond my imagination. I can only imagine but thinking about the excruciating pain, the anguish, the brutal tortures suffered by this girl until her dying breath is inconceivable. If this news is way too much for me to bear what about her parents? Where are they when I am grieving for their daughter? Don't you know your daughter had left you forever? Don't you know your children? Why don't you claim her? I have all these questions running through my mind. I want to express my sympathy to them...where are they?!

Yet this afternoon I was full of emotions when I read the latest news that the police had confirmed the body in the bag is non other than Nurin based on the DNA test result. Nurin's parents denied the result and believed their daughter is still alive. No mother or father wants to believe that his or her children died in such ways...unrecognisable sad bruised face. But for now I will believe in the parents' instincts until they believe in themselves. Although I pray that the girl in the picture is not Nurin...that poor girl is infact somebody's child and I wonder why her family didn't claim her lost soul if she is not Nurin. This world is already full of misery and suffering...but to accept the fact that this tragic event is in my local news is too deep to heal and too hard to swallow.

May Allah bless this girl who had lost her life in the hand of a living demon when all the evils are chained up in this holly month. May the heavens gates that are open during Ramadhan brings light to her soul and may the sinful soul of her murderer be thrown in when the gates of hells are open.

My Story : My Furry "Brothers"

I am an only child actually...but cats are like brothers and sisters to me. Always there for me (most of the time). I've lost so many of them...more than 50 if I counted all from my younger years. 80% of them were local breeds...lower maintenance with higher respects compared to foreign breeds. They came into my life, shared good times and bad times...then they left me when death did us part...but they stayed in my heart and on my mind...all of them.

My last cat M-beh passed away few months ago (He left my house when he was very sick...a sign that he didn't want me to saw him breathe his last breath). Damn!!! Suddenly I'm in tears. He was only 1 year old...too young to die. His mother carried a deadly virus that infected him and his 2 other family members, Olan and Oyeng. I didn't know until he was sicked and the vet told me that he might not survived. Sad but true...he did not survived. I still miss him so much. Remembering most nights when he slept on my bed...on my chest...playing with my hair and my fingers...sob sob sob...he was one in a million. Meant to put up his photo here but I know it will breaks my heart and make me cry whenever I look at his photo...staring at my eyes, "smiling" at me with his cute little face...sob sob sob...I'm sad. It feels like I lost a little brother who looked up to me and cared so much about me.

At the moment I shared my parents cats Boboy and Olie. Boboy is a 3 years old Sokoke cat that my mom took home from her office when he was a kitten. Our first african breed. 2 years ago he was diagnosed with HIV and the vet told us that he only has 2 years of life max. Alhamdulillah he still alive and kicking today...and very bossy and snobby too. Never wanted to cuddle but affectionate in his little way. His favourite is Whiskas ocean fish flavour and KFC. Yep!! He can smell KFC from miles away....but most of the time he only get raw or plain boiled chicken. No complaint yet.



Next is Olie...my dad's. Unlike other local breeds, he is very sensitive, affectionate and cuddly. Never leave home...always sleep on my dad's belly or on my back. He has a breathing problem since birth 2 years ago along with sinus and teary eyes...didn't expect him to live this long but we are truly grateful to have him in the family coz he's a survivor. And ermm...he's gay by the way :)



Recently I adopted 2 cats from my mom's office: Abok and MakBok...what kinda names eh? Actually Abok is for Habuk coz the ash colour of his hair. MakBok is Abok's mom...get the idea? Easy to remember...hehehehe. Here they are: Abok in grey and Makbok in black coat. I haven't bring them home yet...dunno if I ever will coz the 2 "bosses" at home are very comfortable having all the spaces they wanted. Bringging new family home might caused 3rd world war...or worst. Either me or my mom feed them twice a day or whenever they're around.

Iftar at Black Canyon, Summit USJ :(

Yesterday me and my cousin Pidah had our iftar in Black Canyon Coffee at Summit USJ. Being regulars at Jusco Taman Maluri outlet, we had high expectation dining in here for the first time.

We ordered our usual heavy meal...Dinner set for two with additional ala-carte dish. We wanted to make comparison between the two outlets but honestly we expected the taste would be the same if not better.

The waiter brought a plate of Kurma (Dates) before taking our order. This guy who wait our table looked kinda blur actually. Maybe he didn't expect us to make prompt order as soon as he laid down the menu. We used to make a quick order since both me and Pidah already familiar with the menu...infact we already memorised it hehehe. Anyway here's what we've ordered:

Mocha Glacier
Iced Blended Green Tea
2 plates of Steamed rice
Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Tom Yum Goong
Tuna Salads

The service was faster than Maluri. Unlike in Maluri, here we got our drinks in less than 5 minutes...I'd say 3 minutes. The meal came in after 5 minutes. There were quite a number of diners at that time so we were amazed by their fast service. Unfortunately that was the only compliment we had coz after that everything just went downhill...no more compliments....just complaint after complaint...

My cousin's iced blended green tea was tasteless where the milk was not creamy enough...My mocha glacier was alright tho.

The food...slightly smaller potions on the salads and chicken dishes. Our Tom Yum taste the same...but the rest were bit salty especially the chicken with cashew nuts. Most dissapointing was the rice. I even asked one of the waiter whether they'e using the same rice as the one in Maluri...she said "Yes"...so I think they cooked it differently coz the rice was over-cooked and dry...unlike the starchy well cooked rice we had before. Although I still think that the food is good...but it could be better...coz I've tried a better "version". I did express my dis-sattisfaction in their feedback form so hopefully they will do their best next time...hmmm...I don't think there'll be next time for me and Pidah but for others who would enjoy "good food for good health & good life" as what Black Canyon promised to their diners.

My Interest : American Idols

I was watching Bo Bice's performance on youtube while logging on my blogger. So I decided to put up a post to look back at my favourite AI contestants.

Bo Bice
Bo's audition wasn't aired during audition round and I only had a glimpsed of him during hollywood week singging 2 lines of "The Letters". But I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard him singging "Drift Away" during top 24 show. Since then, I started to follow American Idol religiously. I've been hooked on all his performances til today. I still have the collection of the songs he sang duringAI4. He didn't win American Idol...but he's definately my Idol.

Watch his audition and my favourite Bo's performance on Idol - "In a Dream" :




Unfortunately, Bo's music career didn't take off well after AI. His debut album The Real Thing wasn't doing wasn't as good as I hoped for. The album didn't really reflected who he is and the southern rock & country music he carries in him. So as a fan I'm dissapointed. I meant to buy the CD but after listening to song samples I just couldn't bother. The song "The Real Thing" is the only song worth listening to...

His next album See the Light to be released on 23 October 2007 in USA. I quote Bo's words on his new album : "On the next album I’d like to go more rootsy, more country, more southern rock Bo...I picked and co-wrote the songs that if I was a guy who would be spending my hard-earned money buying an album I would want to hear". Yeay!!! Sounds promising as he wrote/co-wrote all the songs!!! I can't wait for this album to be launched and released in Malaysia. I realised that southern rock & country music are not very famous in this country but I'm sure I'll find his CD around.


Elliot Yamin
It wasn't love at the first hearing like Bo coz I've already heard Elliot during his audition and hollywood round. At that time I've already had my favourites...so I wasn't paying attention to him or his voice. After he made it to top 12 that I really listen to him and saw his potential. He was the only male contestant that received most praised from Simon Cowell during the entire AI5 season. Most of his song choices were boring but undoubtly great vocal & tunes. Towards the end of his journey in AI we all saw the best part of him...and the story of his life really touch my heart.

It was a very heartbroken down time for me when he was eliminated after top 3 show. I cried and cried...and still crying if I watch it over and over again on youtube. You can watch the elimination clip below but first do read his story here to appreciate the video more :



Unlike Bo Bice, Elliot's post Idol music career took a great turn. Although Elliot finished 3rd on AI5, statistically he's doing way better than Taylor Hicks (Winner) and Katherine McPhee(runner-up). Yeay!!! I love his debut song "Wait for You". I listen to the song everyday on Mix FM...they've been playing it for months now.

Blake Lewis
In AI 2007 came Blake Lewis with his beat-boxing talent and brilliant song choices that I love to hear & watch over and over and over again. He was indeed very current and fresh as he chosen songs that never been performed by Idol contestants before him. I would play his videos from my youtube favourites everytime i feel like watching something fun and funky...well he's kinda cute to watched when he did his "sexy" walk and moves hehehe...

I was rooting for Blake and Melinda Doolittle to advanced during top 3 result show even though I knew he had a slim chance to be in top 2 spots with Melinda and Jordin around. Surprised by Melinda's elimination...I was hoping that Blake would win Idol and not that 16/17 years old girl Jordin (I still hate the fact that Jordin Won *sniff sniff*) whom I believed stole Melinda's glory.

Here are my favourite Blake's performances during AI6 "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "All Mixed Up" :

Selamat Berpuasa!!

...or Happy Fasting in english.

My Fascination : Beaches

From photo on the top-left :

Photo 1 : Chendor Beach, Pahang
I had a weekend getaway to Chendor/Cherating in early July 2007. Words cannot express the surreal experience I had when I first came to this quiet beach down a private challet called The PL Ace. Beautiful!

Photo 2 & 3 : Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
Earlier weekend getaway in late May 2007. A relaxing weekend as I strolled along the shore on a beautiful Saturday morning...The beach is located just below the Ocean View Resort that I stayed.

Photo 4 : Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor
A short trip to this place on the way back from my grandma house. Best place to get fresh seafood (especially shellfish/Clams like Kerang, lala, mentarang and all other kind that I've never seen before). The best time to go is during full moon coz the shellfish are big and full.

My Story : The Adventure for Quarter Pounder

Last Saturday, I went to my autie's house for my cousin Aini's 19th Birthday BBQ party and was too late to go home. So I stayed overnight at her place. At 2:30am Aini's pet sister Garo was craving for Ramly Burger. Off we went looking for burger stall around TTDI. After bout 2 minutes of driving, Garo changed her mind and now craving for Quarter Pounder instead. We changed our route and headed to McDonald drive trough at Bandar Utama but dissapointed when the McD guy told us "we're out of meat". What!!! I recalled Garo said something like "How can McD don't have quarter pounder? Its like KFC don't have chicken or Domino's out of pizza". True indeed! So we headed to another McD now at Mutiara Damansara. Still...no meat!! They just had to make sure their stock last for the late night/ early morning customers when they're open for 24/7. Hurt and hopeless...she bought McDeluxe. Me and Aini just went for pies and coke as we're still full. I had banana pie for the first time...taste like a very crispy banana fritter.

It was a disappointing turn of our little adventure...not only to Garo but to all of us. I was thinking what if that morning was my last day on this earth...and the only thing I want most is Quarter pounder. I'll surely die in agony. If I turn into ghost...I will make sure I haunt those McD outlets at nights til they're out of business. Padan muka!!

My Fascination : Skies

1) Evening sky along Seremban Highway
2) Heavy clouds at Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor
3) Near sunset Jalan Maluri, Kuala Lumpur
4) View of sunset from my house at Cheras Baru, Kuala Lumpur

My Interest : Harry Potter

hahahaha....took 2 different tests and guess what?!! my personality matched Hermione Granger. I wish I do have brain like her and the sexy look but unfortunately I don't. Well better Hermione than Umbridge! How bout you?! Try and take the test. Its fun!!!!...if you're a Harry Potter fan...

Click here to take the quiz at LiquidGeneration or take the quiz at Prodigy

Then I tried different personality test and now I'm Neville!! Well I am forgetful...anyone who'd knew me will tell you so. The description did reflect my character...a little over shot but overall...I'm cool with it!!! Looked at how Neville's character grew from the first book to the last. Impressive eh?! I love Neville...He'd someone I wanna have for a brother...not a lover tho.

Click here to take this test at Crazylicious

Confessions of a Coffaholic

I remember sipping coffee from saucer during breakfasts since I was 6 or 7. Not the strong one...just a touch of blackness but rich in sugar and heavenly scent. I never prepared my own coffee until I was 14. When I was in Form 2, I discovered a way to stay awake was to drink coffee at least 3 hours before normal bedtime. I got this tip from a magazine my mom brought home one day. I wasn't planned to stayup late for revisions but to listen to Radio 4 and other short waves channels available in that time. That was my hobby and the best way to learn english in my younger years.

Well back to making my own cuppa...I've been innovative enough to create my own coffee..."GilaCafe". What I did was believed to be in-ethical now that I'm all grown up (i wish). I added 2 spoonfull of nescafe and poured in a quarter full of hot water. Stirred gently and then finally added a quarter of cold water...no sugar! Then drank (or more like swallowed) it as fast as possible to lessen the bitterness. It was like swallowing an awful liquid medicine mom forced me to eat. The result was wonderful. I kept having it night over night right until I finished my secondary school.

Then I went to college. My friends introduced me to iced blended cappuccino in San Fransisco or Starbuck (can't remember which one). Although I born and raised in KL...I never heard of San Fransisco, Starbuck or Coffee Beans until I was 18. Before that I only knew about Hang Tuah Coffee, Nescafe and IndoCafe. The only thing that kept me away from those places was my pocket money. Now I gladly thank my mom for giving me just enough money for my bus fares, lunches, movie tickets and magazines. If not I'd spoilt myself with what I called "beans for high class". Since I can't affort coffee from these American franchises I sticked with my home-made coffee where I enjoyed having it once a day in late evening or when I hanged out with friends at mamak's.

Then I furthered my study in UK. A coffee paradise to me. I was a regular at the campus Ritazza cafe. Everyday I'd make sure I had at least 1pound to buy hot cappuccino or mocha in the evening before I walked home. I had 2 shots of expresso once a while when my assignments were due the next day. Dang the expresso almost tasted like my very own version of GilaCafe but stronger offcourse. Best thing about this cafe and almost every cafes around were the stamped cards. I got 1 stamp for every regular cup I bought or 2 stamps for large cup. When I had all 6 stamps in 1 card, I just showed it to cashier and walllaaa...a cuppa FOC! It was there in UK I also became a regular at Starbuck. 2 pounds for a frappuccino seems cheaper than RM12 in Malaysia. I tried my best not to convert to RM currency everytime I bought something...except when it were products from Malaysia such as Kicap Kipas Udang (soy sauce), Maggi Chilli Sauce, Manggis (mangosteen), or Rambutan. There were varieties of cheep blended coffee mix in supermarket. I bought some just in case I wanted different taste and aroma. My housemate prefered the flavoured decaf coffee...hazelnut, cinnamon all all other spices and nuts that my smelling sense won't approved. But hey! its a free world.

Before I returned to Malaysia, I shipped some of my favourite coffee powders and blended beans just to make sure I had enough stock so I wont miss UK for few months after I got back. After almost 3 years, I'm proud to say that I still have the expired expresso in my kitchen cabinet.

I had to admit the thing I did with my GilaCafe not only ruined my sleeping habbit in a long run. I became a caffiend and still battling with myself to keep a moderate consumptions. I felt the consequences of my actions every time I went to coffee shops or when I craved for a cup of Joe everytime I smell coffee or when I looked at my computer clock everytime I heard the sound of a cock-a-doodle-doo from a rooster at dawn.

Thank god I still believe I'n not a coffee warlord and hopefully will never be one. Now I enjoy coffee...not live for the coffee or let coffee live my life. Im long settled from detoxinate my body of all the caffeine but I feel great!!! I don't need coffee everyday...infact I only had coffee when I was dining out or hang out in some coffee shops or kopitiam. But I still can't help having a cup everytime the smell of coffee penetrated my "Olfactory receptor neurons" hehehe ...

Favourite Kopitiam

Kopitiam is simply means coffee shop. A combination of a malay word Kopi (coffee) and Hokkien word Tiam (shop). I'm new to this kopitiam buzz. After years of slaving my coffee tastes to only Starbuck, San Fransisco and not to forget Nescafe...I'm rejuvenated by this Malaysian chinese coffee leisure in an air-conditioned environment. The menus carries not only coffee and tea but also a variety of mixed malay and chinese cuisines.

As for my favourite coffee in kopitiam to date, I'd say Kluang Station for the kick in their coffee but I yet to enjoy the food they served. Feel free to read my brief experience to kopitiams around town.

"Kluang Station" - Tesco Ampang
The first time I sipped the Kopi Ais (Iced Coffee) I thought that they over-roasted their beans because the coffee was very bitter with a burnt smell. I made an early conclusion that I didn't like the coffee. But half an hour after I left the kopitiam, the taste was still there in my mouth and i felt it in my throat.... Miracleously I was craving for another cup so I went back there but was ended up buying the blended roast coffee to brew it myself at home. Later, it became my mom's favourite coffee. bye bye Kapal Api....

Since then...every time I was at Tesco Ampang I wen for iced coffee. When my mom came along with me she'd ordered her usual Kopi O panas (Hot black coffee).

"Kopi Oh!" - Cineleisure, Damansara
Of all the kopitiams in KL that I went...I can't forget this place. I brought my mom for a movie and we hanged out in this simple kopitiam. She's a coffee lover just like me but with limited preference to only black coffee. There was nothing special by the look at the interior and the menu of this place. But it was my mom's remarks of the Kopi O (black coffee) she drank that took me by surprised. "Rasa kopi ni sama macam kopi yang nenek aku buat dulu". Translation : "This coffee tasted the same as the one my grandmother used to make". Wow!!! To heard something like this came out from my mom was really special. Never knew my great grandma...so to have this kind of connection is very deep for me. My mom told stories after stories that she never told me before about her grandma as we sat there waiting for the show to start. It was a special day...I'll bring her again if I won another movie screening ticket from Cinema Online. I'll bring her anytime if Cineleisure is near to my house ...

"Old Town White Coffee" - Jaya Jusco Cheras Selatan
The most recommended kopitiam in KL by my friends was "Old Town White Coffee". So I went to the one at Jusco Cheras Selatan with my beloved cousin and ordered the strongest coffee, White Coffee Gao. But to my dissapointment it didn't met my expectation. My cousin told me that I was hoping too much from the word "gao" or "Kaw" and that I'd used to a stronger italian coffee. Well yes she was right...I admitted it. Still dissapointed tho. I also wasn't happy with the food I ordered but I guessed it merely because of my heartbreak on their coffee. But hey!!! I love the Ice Cream Toast my cousin had. Ended up eating half of her toasts hehehe. I promise to come back to Old Town after I recovered from the heartbreak to try the Asam Laksa and have a go at the nyummy ice cream toast. Maybe this time I'll just order the non-"gao" white coffee.

Still more kopitiams to go to....I still looking forward to another adventure...kopitiam in another states...in Ipoh, JB, Kemaman, Kuantan and Penang....

My "Stay Awake" Boost

"Nescafe Original Ice Coffee : Never drive without a can by your side and make sure there is a petrol shop for every 50km along the routes" - Me

That's my motto! A good companion during a long tiring trip or night journey when I'm driving or just a co-pilot forbidden to fall asleep even for 10 seconds by the driver. As for my body, 1 can of this ice coffee allows a full boost of enery level lasted for 3 hours. 2 cans are enough to avoid a nap and 3 cans would allow me to skip night sleep.

Strongly recommended to everyone who needs to stay awake for any reason or purpose. But first, make sure you don't have the reversed coffee effect syndrome like some of my friends. Meaning : Coffee doesn't help you from falling asleep infact u felt sleepy right after a drink of any type of coffee, no matter how light or strong. Consider yourself warned!

The price varried from RM1.60 to RM2 depending on where you buy it. Cheaper at 7-Eleven or local supermarket than at the petrol shops along the highway. Bought the coffee at RM2 at Mesra shop somewhere along Gambang Highway...So cekik darah!! But what to do...need the recharged desperately...ehehehe

Favourite Coffee House

Place : Black Canyon Coffee House (Thai Restaurant)
Location : Jaya Jusco Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur

Well it is not a kopitiam nor starbuck style...but Black Canyon does serves the best coffee to my taste but I dunno bout you guys. I would suggest this place for a relaxing dinner : good fusion food, great coffee and cozy atmosphere. Black Canyon Coffee motto is "A drink from Paradise...available on Earth". Sweet eh..?

Here are my favourites : (All descriptions were quoted from the menu book)

1. Iced blended coffee : Mocha Glacier (right picture)
"Refreshing frozen and smooth blended Mocha coffee combined with creamy coffee ice cream will remind you of the cold glacier in the ocean! Authentic!"

2. Hot Coffee : Cappuccino (Warning : Stronger than any cappuccino I've ever tried elsewhere)
"Deeply bitter after the example of "Espresso", increasing amount of delicious and tender foam which only a few international coffee drinkers have not tasted."

3. Non Coffee drink : Green Tea Frost
"Our own special recipe of green tea is blended with ice and milk to make this healthy and delicious treat. "


4. Individual Yum : Tom Yum Chicken Soup with Udon (left picture)
"This 'simple' blend of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce and chilies in soup stock is perhaps the most well known Thai dish, found on menus all around the world. Black Canyon's own authentic recipe is designed to give you a taste of the real Thailand"


5. Individual Fusion : Chicken Green Curry on Pasta (right picture)
"Sweet and spicy curry made with coconut milk and ground fresh green chilies. Sweet Thai basil adds a hint of something different."

6. Dinner Set for 2 (Ala-carte) : Stir-Fried Chicken w/Cashews, Tom Yum Goong and Tuna Salads with Steamed Rice
-- Pictures to come --

Most of the time, I came here with my favourite cousin and ordered coffee with the set meal for two. She is not a coffee lover but her heart just melted when she first tasted the Iced blended Mocha. Still not a lover but she is getting fond of coffee thanks to Black Canyon hehehehe...aren't you my dear cousin?

Favourite Pass Time

1. Nuraina A Samad's 3540 Jalan Sudin - Best stories on A Samad Ismail from his daughter's memories in "Tuesdays with Bapak"
2. RantingsbyMM - Varieties of issues from Marina Mahathir's point of views
3. The Scribe A Kadir Jasin - His words are wisdoms to my eyes...
4. KLuBBKiDD - Behind the stories of Malaysian entertainments (hate the new layout! Difficult to navigate)
5. Mr Manager - Great source of info on my ever favourite Malayian artist : Ning Baizura
6. :-) / >8-[ + 3:] - Winner from a quiz show "Kunci Khazanah". Love her reviews on movies % TV series.

Reading Blogs! Yes...i'm that person who would peep into someone else's blog just to pass the time when I'm online. Nevermind if I know the bloggers personally or a perfect stranger who poured his/her hearts out expecting someone to read them.

I'm interested in reading informative blogs on general issues, politics and entertainments. I sallute these bloggers for their efforts. Intellectual minds expressing their thoughts and hopes as well as sharing their knowledge and experience to those interested enough to read and then share their point of views through comments. Just like in the tutorial/lecture hall back in college/university time but here we can be more open and critical even on sensitive issues (well hope it stays that way...with all the controversies surrounding our bloggers in Malaysia these days).

I was thinking what will happen to the freedom of minds if bloggers can't blog. It is bad enough when we can't voice out our minds in the open...to take away the privilledge in writing/typing medium is a breach of humanity...God gives us eyes to see...ears to hear...mind to think...voices to speak...hands to write/type...take all that away from us then we're just a living corpses, Zombies, Inferi (from Harry Potter book) or even puppets with fleshes.

I still remember the first time I read a science article "As We May Think" by Vannevar Bush during my study. I was surprised by it contents. It will be too long to elaborate the article here but perhaps later in other post. Feel free to read it first. It was like reading a prophecy. The evolution of computers and Internet came from some of this man's thinking. The WWW existance was influenced by his article. Vannevar Bush's visions was conveyed into a writing so others could read and study. What if the article never been published because the authority afraid that it brought empty promises and negative impacts to scientists and theorists? WWW won't even exists! I doubt that I will be doing what I'm doing now...speaking my thoughts on the WWW through my computer and share it with others over the Internet.

Who knows some of the ideas from Malaysian bloggers would someday shape the future of this world or at least Malaysia to make her a better place to live. We had enough zombies, inferi and puppets living among us...so let them be! But please...don't let us be like them!

Something to think about :
Ever wondered why did people before us so desperate to create another world known as the World Wide Web(WWW) when they already have the real world?

Starting all over again!

Here I am trying to start blogging again. My first attempt to blog only lasted for 6 months back in 2005 because I was too busy with my job. Since I am not as busy as I used to be...lets see how long this one will stay up-to-date.

I love coffee! Thats why I came up with "Kopitiam vs Starbuck" theme. It also shows my state of mind and pressence...always collide between east and west values, black coffee and white coffee...the Yin and Yang.

Look at Coffee...there are so many different types of coffee to sipped on different kind of coffee shops. So I need to try as many varieties as I can coz I would never know which has the best taste until I tasted them all.

Just like life...We only have 1 life but too many paths to walked on this earth. For each path we choose, there'll be another twists and turns...but I believe that I must lead to different paths in my lifetime in each possible turn that is available in front of me. Only then, I will find the best in me.

OK better stop now or I'll come out with more on philosophies - talk about ethics, metaphysics, logic and epistemology. Well that's sounds interesting to blog ehh?? nehhh...I don't think so.