I just saw a pair of identical twins while going Chinese New Year visiting…they look so much alike even their parents can’t tell them apart!
]]>Month: January 2006
Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots review
This is a box of assorted firecrackers and fireworks that somehow appeared in my room in Sibu in a mysterious and somewhat nefarious manner. 😉 I gave most of it away since I prefer loud and large fireworks and firecrackers. There were a lot of assorted fireworks (and more will mysteriously appear again tonight) in the box with a couple of larger scale firecrackers.
This is 48 Colorpeony placed next to a 16 Colorpeony for scale. The number represents the amount of shots inside the fireworks. Mysterious mysteries. Colorpeony is a popular Chinese New Year firework and again, it somehow appeared incriminatingly in my room. I love loud firecrackers and huge fireworks boxes that produce the pyrotechnics I crave. 🙂
I got up at 7 am this morning (“got up” not “woke up”, haven’t slept in two days) feeling extremely irritable for no reason at all so I decided to wake up the neighbours with the 48 Colorpeony firecrackers. It’s supposed to be lit at night so the flaming balls and sparks that shoots up into the sky isn’t overpowered by the sun, but I wanted to cheer myself up.
Thus, I set the 48 Colorpeony fireworks on the ground near the auto gate and prepared to light it up. The size of Colorpeony fireworks is huge if you haven’t seen one – it has a footprint as large as a notebook (larger than the mini laptops) and it’s about one foot in height and girth. I asked my mom (who was conveniently there) to take a video of the pyrotechnics.
She did…at least all that aiming and panning stuff, but she forgot to press the shutter button! Arrrggghhh…I would have killed her if it wasn’t Chinese New Year coz it was a really good scene coz I was being stupid. I just lit the fuse, stood there looking down INTO the fireworks, gave a running commentary on my favourite firework and got hit by one of the shots coz I stood right beside it. Jesus Christ, I wish that was recorded…
Thus, I went up and grabbed this new firecracker that I bought – it’s called Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots which is a damn long name. It’s smaller than the Colorpeony fireworks but I didn’t want to waste another Colorpeony so I decided to check out this new firework. It sounds intriguing enough. Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots. Mines. Shots. Mmm…
Download: Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots [sixthseal.com]
I gave my mom a 30 minute tutorial on how to use the video function of my digicam and taught her the basics of panning correctly (she doesn’t know which scenes should be focused on at what time, so I had to give her audio cues…loud ones, in the video, and she had to use zoom coz she thinks fireworks are dangerous in close proximity) and lit the Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots.
The Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots are surprisingly captivating. It alternates coloured balls of fire and shots of explosions in a standard 30 tube box firecracker format. It doesn’t have the sheer intense exit velocity of Colorpeony (which is loud and shoots up a good 200 meters into the stratosphere) but the Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots holds its own for a firecracker in its class.
It’s very therapeutic to light fireworks in the morning. I went to bed straight after that and just woke up for the reunion dinner. I’ve only had half a sandwich in two days so I’m a little hungry. I’ll light more of the Dragon Playing Pearl Fireworks tonight when it’s dark so it would look better…
…or should I do it now? Hmm…
Related post: Firecrackers in Malaysia – photos, videos and descriptions [sixthseal.com]
P/S – I love Sibu, practically everyone is letting off firecrackers (which was what woke me up just now) in the neighbourhoods. There’s always a constant sound of various fireworks and firecrackers, distant and near, and that, my friends, is the true spirit of Chinese New Year. There’s more to come tonight – that’s when the Chinese New Year Eve celebrations really goes off large scale. I have more boxes of interesting fireworks and firecrackers for tonight, so stay tuned!
Happy New Year to all of sixthseal.com readers!
Gong Xi Fa Chai!
]]>Tongue Piercing – Photos and videos
I had my tongue pierced together with Cherie at Borneo Headhunters Tattoo and Piercing on a whim about three weeks ago. I used to have a tongue piercing back in Christchurch, and it was more towards the front of the tongue. I tried to get it done in the same place (there still is a visible hole) but decided against it since I have a career so I went for one towards the back so it isn’t too visible.
This is the second time for Cherie (she has a navel piercing) while I had most of my face pierced in NZ, so I’m used to it. However, we both have a very high threshold for pain so we didn’t feel much at all.
I didn’t want to post about this but since a previous entry depicted my tongue piercing, I might as well put up the photos and videos. 😉
You will need QuickTime for the videos (.3gp) and double size it coz I didn’t bring my digicam (it was an impulsive decision) so it was filmed using a cell phone. Check out the background soundtrack – there was a procession…I found it very appropriate. Heh!
Download: Tongue clamping [sixthseal.com]
This is a video me getting my tongue clamped for the piercing.
Download: Tongue piercing [sixthseal.com]
This shows the needle going in and piercing through the tongue with the follow through with the bar.
Download: Cherie tongue clamping [sixthseal.com]
This is Cherie getting her tongue clamped.
Download: Cherie piercing [sixthseal.com]
The needle going through…
Download: Cherie barbell [sixthseal.com]
…and the process of screwing in the barbell.
Download: HB tongue piercing aftermath [sixthseal.com]
This is a video taken right after the tongue piercing.
Download: Cherie tongue piercing aftermath [sixthseal.com]
This is a video of Cherie right after the tongue piercing.
We used a 14 gauge bar for the piercing. Cherie went for the surgical steel bar while mine is an 18k solid gold barbell…
…and it’s topped with a jewel.
It’s a bit of an overkill on the bling bling factor, yeah? 😉
]]>Minoru Japanese Restaurant review
Minoru Japanese Restaurant is an authentic Japanese cuisine eating establishment in Kuching. It is supposed to be the best place to go for authentic Japanese food. It’s located in Rubber Road and it’s a cozy corner lot, relatively unknown, but a gem of a place if you find it.
The interior of Minoru Japanese restaurant is furnished in classic Japanese decor and there are various seating arrangements to accommodate patrons as well as a sushi bar area where you can watch the sushi chef prepare the orders.
The service at Minoru Japanese restaurant is excellent – the waitresses are accommodating, friendly and attentive…probably coz we were the only ones there. 😉
There is a menu plastered on the wall with Japanese writing which I can’t make sense of and I don’t know why it’s there since probably 0.0035% of the population here actually can read Japanese.
I went there with Cherie before she left for Melbourne in the afternoon and the place exudes an ambience of serenity. There is a fish tank at the bar seating area (which used to have piranhas) – it’s very tranquil, perfect for a quiet afternoon lunch.
There are various condiments interspaced with sake place cards every meter or so on the bar seating area. The condiments are all imported from Japan, unlike other “Japanese” eating establishments.
The view from the sushi bar into the area is decorated with lighted paper lanterns and the area behind it is full of Japanese paraphernalia.
There is a wide selection of sake and shochu (including the ones in the cardboard boxes – love them) and naturally, Asahi beer in bottles, cans and mini cans.
The sushi bar has a transparent glass counter at eye level with the fresh tuna and octopus as well as other provisions…all air flown in from Japan.
This is the sushi chef behind the counter. Minoru Japanese restaurant also serves fugu (puffer fish) but the dish is seasonal.
I ordered Hon Nama sake (RM 35) which can be served
either at room temperature, chilled or warmed. It comes with a shot
glass so I decided to take shots instead of savoring the sake coz I have an alcohol problem I didn’t want to be pretentious.
This is the California Roll (RM 20) which Cherie recommended. It’s really good! Unlike other establishments, the Temaki is filled with all sorts of premium ingredients right down to the bottom of the roll. It’s a must have if you’re going to Minoru.
This is the sashimi platter that we had. There is salmon sashimi (RM 25), shrimp sashimi (RM 22), octopus sashimi (RM 15), Ikura (RM 30) and Tobiko (RM 14).
We also ordered Akagai sushi (RM 30) which is rare in Kuching. It’s fresh ark shell. The other one is Kazunoko sushi (RM 25) which is herring roe.
The Unagi (RM 25) with rice topped with seasoning (RM 2) tastes great as well. I can’t resist eel with rice; it’s what I used to eat in Melbourne.
The Chawan Mushi (RM 6) in Minoru Japanese restaurant is good as well…it’s full of ingredients inside.
This is the soft shelled crab (RM 16) which we did not manage to finish coz it’s obvious that we ordered too much food. 🙂
The most interesting décor in Minoru Japanese restaurant is this glass encased selection of miniature dishes that the establishment offers. The bill came to about RM 300+ which is reasonable for authentic Japanese cuisine.
Itadakimasu!
]]>Fortune Cookie: Your success will keep improving every year
Fortune cookies – it’s a cookie with a paper couplet inside stating your fortune. I went to Mojo and everyone in our group got one.
Basically, it’s usually served after a meal in Chinese restaurants everywhere (except Malaysia and Singapore for some reason) and you break the cookie to get the paper fortune inside. I used to work in Chinese restaurant in Melbourne.
Mine goes “Your success will keep improving every year“.
No shit…
]]>Huai Bin, Meng, Cherie
This is a group photo of us @ Luconia. Meng just came back from KL – I met him in KL (Cyberjaya) last time I was in KL and hung out at his place.
]]>Shopping @ KLIA – Shop & Unwrap the Nuggets
KLIA Shopping is running a promotion called Shop & Unwrap the Nuggets from the 14th of November 2005 to the 31st of March 2006 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The contest entails racking up a RM 250 minimum on any retail or F&B outlet purchase and redeeming the receipt at the KLIA Shopping Redemption Counter.
The KLIA Shopping Redemption Counter has “nuggets” of Cadbury’s bite sized milk chocolate with a customized wrapper which has the prize printed on the hidden side. The main prize is a RM 5k Tag Heuer watch with other prizes which includes Rocaille decorative boxes and hotel stays, all immediately redeemable.
I picked a chocolate nugget from the container, reaching into the upper left quadrant and retrieving a “Shop & Unwrap the Nugget” piece before carefully unwrapping it…
I have won a set of three (3) pencils! w00t! I love pencils! I can’t get enough of them!
The person manning the KLIA Shopping Redemption Counter also stuffed a small teddy bear into the pouch containing the pencils and threw in a Beryl’s chocolate box.
It’s like, the greatest gift evar!!!!!oneone
Got pencils?
]]>Burger King BK Lamb Promotion
Burger King has two outlets at KLIA – there is a large one in the public accessible area and other one adjacent to Asian statioN inside the main concourse. The departure lounge BK shares the space with Asian statioN with a common seating area though I’m not sure if the two establishments are related.
I saw a BK Lamb Promotion for RM 12.90 and decided to order the meal since Burger King doesn’t serve lamb / mutton so I thought it was pretty unusual for them to have a lamb meat based burger. I haven’t seen a BK which serves lamb, so I just had to check it out.
This is what the BK Lamb Promotion meal looks like – there’s the Burger King lamb burger (wrapped in a BK wrapper that’s labeled “Special”) with the standard medium fries and a medium coke. I’m not sure if the BK Lamb Promotion is just available in the KLIA Burger King or in other outlets as well.
Here’s a shot of the BK Lamb Burger – it’s a long (as opposed to round) burger and the bun looks like the ones they use on their sandwiches. It took longer than usual for the burger to come out (also ordered three other burgers to bring back to Kuching for friends since we don’t have BK over here) compared to the standard menu items.
The contents of the lamb burger doesn’t exactly look appetizing…there is a slab of lamb coated with thick black pepper sauce, tomato slices and chunky lettuce which keeps on dropping out of the burger.
It might not look like much, but the taste of the burger is excellent! This is what a proper Prosperity Burger [sixthseal.com] should taste like! I love the lamb meat – it’s a nice change from the usual suspects…the Chicken, Beef, Fish fast food holy trinity.
It’s a great burger, flame grilled BBQ style like most of Burger King’s offerings.
Mmm…lamb!
]]>Nachos and beer @ Lots of Love Affection (Lola Lounge)
Lola Lounge is located in the heart of the clubbing district of KL and it’s an acronym for Lots of Love Affection as the purple neon sign shows. Lola Lounge plays chill out music and is based on the open al fresco area concept.
I met up with Larry [blogspot.com] who opened up another one of Danny’s All American Gourmet Hot Dogs franchise there (bringing the total to three) and he was kind enough to cook up two plates of nachos with his famed chili con carne. Thanks for the nachos and beer!
Cheers!
]]>Kuching International Airport upgrade
Kuching International Airport (affectionately dubbed KIA coz flights gets delayed all the time) has just upgraded the upper concourse so all departures have been diverted to the second (third?) floor check in counters. It looks remarkably similar to KLIA…
The Customs checkpoint has also received a hefty upgrade, with more personnel and detector wands and scanners that can actually SEE through the tangle of cables in your notebook carrying case and isolate the prescription medication that you have a legitimate script for. The previous old X-ray machines didn’t have the resolution (or penetration) to see through the Cables of Obscurity (Wearer gains +6 in concealing stuff).
The similarities between Kuching International Airport and KLIA ends at the boarding gates – Kuching International Airport has merchandise counters inside the boarding gates.
Capitalism at it’s very best! 😉
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