Please do not try this at home!

stealth

I’m quite fond of pranks of the practical nature and once I get an idea into my head, it’s nigh impossible to push it out. I’ll just keep thinking about it until I do it.

left for dead

Anyway, while my parents were out, I got a friend to take a photo of me lying prone on the ground. This by itself is nothing to write home about but what I’m about to do is – mischief. πŸ˜‰

cctv

I sat at the home CCTV monitoring screens until my dad and mom drove up the street and rushed out and projected this image right in the middle of the road:

prank

ZOMG I could literally hear the ABS kick in as my dad braked HARD to avoid hitting what he thought was a person lying dead in the middle of the road. smirk

I got a good earful from my parents about practical jokes taken too far but it just shows how amazingly vivid and realistic the projection is.

dad car

I repeat – Do not try this at home or at all! No homo sapiens or vehicles were harmed during the prank but it’s still a stupid (but funny) thing to do.

You might be wondering how managed to lug a projector with such speed and grace to catch them just before they pulled in and the answer is…I didn’t.

nikon s1100pj

I used the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj to do it. This compact digital camera has an awesome built-in projection feature that allows incredibly clear photos to be projected onto any surface.

There are a lot of applications I can think of for this:

inducement

Projecting an image of your favorite dish when you only have leftover rice to eat. This is psychologically like the story of the poor man who ate his bowl of rice while savoring the aromas from his rich neighbors’ cooking from outside the kitchen. You know how the story goes – the rich man (being an ass) demanded compensation and the wise judge agreed that gold coins should be paid in reparation…except the rich man only got to hear the clinking of the coins. LOL! Justice at it’s best!

airline

You can also use it to project images of food on the flight back from a long vacation after you used up all your money and can’t afford to buy an in-flight meal but I suspect this would make your hunger worse.

nikon s1100pj projection

What the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj really excels in is showing vacation photos to friends and family. There is a retractable kickstand which you can use to tilt the camera and an IR remote to flick through the photos but I like manually going through the images with the touchscreen – it’s just personal preference.

I just returned from another vacation in Europe so I was showing off the photos of my travels to my parents (to make up for the prank I pulled). They’re heading to Europe later this year too so I thought I’ll give them the heads up on where to go when they’re there.

There are other things I liked about the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj:

The HD movie recording feature

tilt

The tilt sensor that knows when you’re holding it horizontally or vertically and adjust the menu orientation automatically

The 14.1 MP sensor and the option to shoot in traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) aspect ratios.

projection

However, the best thing about the Nikon Coolpix S1100pj is still the built-in projection feature. I’ve shown this to numerous friends and they were all amazed by the bright and vivid projected images. You don’t have to crowd around to sneak a glimpse at the LCD screen anymore – that’s so 2008 – just project it for everyone to see.

You can project it on almost any surface – even on the ground! πŸ™‚

lainey

I’ll be the coolest kid on the block with this!

Wilson and Eileen’s wedding

firecracker

Wilson and Eileen just had their wedding on the 8th of February. I got a call early in the morning asking for their β€œFirecracker Sifu”. In case you didn’t know I’m now working at I-Concept Event Agency – official job designation being as above.

I’m kidding – that’s Jeanie’s brother’s events company (look for Willie) – I’m just helping out. πŸ˜‰

The preparation

flowers

I was at Jeanie’s place the day before the wedding to help out with miscellaneous stuff and prepare for the rehearsal. Eileen (the bride) is Jeanie’s younger sister and since I didn’t have anything better to do, I thought I might drop by and see if I could be of some use.

preparation

I spent most of the time stripping artificial flowers and using wire to make a hook and wrap around before setting it into foam.

break

It was quite fun working with pliers and I think I managed to do a decent job out of it (at least it was better than my attempts in wrapping a flower bouquet). You’ll have to ask Wendy (the youngest sister) though – she was the one directing everything.

work

The rehearsal was at the church not too far from their place so after a bit of a rush to meet the 3 pm deadline we packed up and headed over to transform the place of worship into a suitable place for the wedding service the next day.

rehearsal

We managed to wrap everything up by 5:30 pm although there were a couple of mistakes which you wouldn’t know unless you know where to look. smirk

The groom cometh

firecrackers

Jeanie woke me up at some Godforsaken hour the next day and I rushed over to fulfil my obligations as the firecracker master. πŸ˜‰ I quite like this job actually, nothing much to it except stringing up the Chinese firecrackers and lighting it.

The first string of firecrackers was set up on a pole beside the gate to be lit when the groom comes with his entourage and a second one was setup after everyone was inside to usher the groom and bride’s car out.

noodles

As one of the first to arrive, I quickly had a bowl of chicken soup and mee sua (longevity noodles) – a tradition in all Chinese weddings. You’re supposed to eat an egg too.

bride

The day started out proper with the β€œbrothers” (friends of the groom) and β€œsisters” (friends of the bride) ritual. I think this is a Hong Kong tradition – the heng tai (brothers) have to gain entry into the bride’s house by completing a series of tasks thought up by the zhee mui (sisters).

brothers

This one wasn’t too bad – I once had to eat noodles generously doused with wasabi at my friend’s wedding. In any case, these things are supposed to be light hearted and fun. πŸ™‚

respects

The bride and groom then proceeds to a lengthy process of paying respects to their elders. I learned that only married elders qualify since Jeanie is older than Eileen but isn’t married so the newlyweds didn’t bow three times to her. On the plus side, she didn’t have to give away any jewelry to the bride after the ceremony. Heh!

group

This is a shot with the cousins and sisters.

chillax

Meanwhile, I was just lounging around with Jeanie while all this was going on until the entourage headed off to church at 9 am…

car

…ushered by firecrackers of course.

smoke

The church service

service

*cue wedding song

This was held at Tien Dau church – a stronghold of Christian Heng Huas. I was seated at the front row along with the bride’s side of the family – the only non-family member parking his ass there. πŸ˜‰ I didn’t know anyone so Jeanie told me to just sit beside her.

church

There was the obligatory exchange of vows…

blessing

…followed by a sermon by the pastor about love and marriage.

choir

There was even a delegation from Miri who sang a song in the church (both the bride and groom are based there).

register

Anyway, there was a very organized photo session with the bride and groom after that and I realized I didn’t qualify for any of the categories. I can’t properly say I’m friends with the bride since I’ve known her all of 3 days so I decided to wait for the rather promising β€œOthers”.

photo

It turns out that β€œOthers” were also subdivided into groups of people of which none I can identify with so I just took a photo with them after the church service. This is actually rather hilarious, it became sort of an in-joke between us. smirk

The lunch reception

lunch

This was held at Joystar Garden – they booked the entire restaurant on top and it was buffet style but since I was sitting at the table with the newlyweds, someone actually brought the dishes to our table so we didn’t have to line up for the buffet. Heh!

janet

Oh! I also met Janet here while I was off getting plates. I saw her later at night at the wedding reception too. Hello Janet! πŸ™‚

The interlude

makeup

I went home and passed out for about two hours before heading over to Jeanie’s house to pick some of them up for dinner. She was still getting her makeup done at that time and I think we were one of the last to arrive. I was driving her sister (Wendy, the younger one) and her boyfriend too so it’s a good thing we made it in time.

The dinner banquet

dinner

The wedding dinner was held at RH Hotel – same place my sister had her Sibu leg of the wedding a couple of years back.

They’re known for their first dish presentation – it’s changed a bit routine wise but it’s still the β€œlights out, dishes in” song and dance.

food

I really liked the customized wine bottles on the table too.

wine

This is Wilson and Eileen – the man (and woman) of the night.

Jeanie forfeited her place at the main table to sit with me and soon after that the bride and groom made their appearance.

jeanie

There were ballet performances and other entertainment before some people took to the stage and started singing – including Jeanie and Willie – the brother and sister of the bride.

singing

Congratulations to the newlyweds Wilson and Eileen!

end

May you both have the happy-ever-after and all that. πŸ™‚

newlyweds

BTW, I ate an ENTIRE fish that night. There were leftovers and I took home a whole fish coz I love soy sauce steamed fish. In hindsight, it was quite a feat to finish it all by myself. smirk

I want it now!

want it now

I can’t deny it, I’m part of the β€œI want it now!” generation where everything is (supposed to be) instantaneous, whether it’s food or services. I can’t stand waiting and my patience is constantly put to the test when it comes to stuff like renewing passports or car insurance.

I think of them as life’s necessary evils. :S

However, more often than not I forget to renew my car insurance. It’s a recurring problem, much like my cell phone bills – I wait for it to be terminated before I call them up and pay. I think of it as a shortcut since I never check my mailbox (either due to pure laziness or being too tired from work is an open question).

road tax

It does have its price though – I need to pay for the reconnection fee every time. I also couldn’t claim an accident that wasn’t my fault coz I didn’t know my insurance expired. It’s just like my road tax, except the price is higher. I got caught once by during a routine roadblock and didn’t even realize my road tax has expired. This resulted in a summons. >.< saman

This is exacerbated by the fact that my car is registered in Sarawak and I haven’t changed the postal address ever since I moved to KL so after that roadblock I just decided to get my old office runner to help me renew my road tax. He tells me when it’s due and I use e-banking to transfer the funds to him and he mails it to me, the services of which I pay him a token amount.

summons

Unfortunately, I also have a tendency of running afoul of traffic offenses…I have always reminded my runner to tell me if that’s the case so I can pay up before he renews it. However, for some Godforsaken reason which is unbeknownst to me, he didn’t tell me that I had an outstanding traffic violation and renewed it for six months instead.

ticket

Sigh.

I have an account with HSBC and up till now I didn’t know that they do road tax and car insurance renewal online. You can apply and receive an E-cover note on the spot within 10 minutes!

You can also pay for it via credit card and download and print your insurance policy online! The NCD (No Claims Discount) can also be automatically transferred without hassles if you switch over.

hsbc

The best thing about it is that you can also get HSBC to automatically remind you when you need to renew your car insurance. It’s easy and very user friendly too! You can check it out here.

Have you ever been in the same situation where you only realize that you haven’t renewed your car insurance or road tax until the last minute?

You’ll love this commercial. Heh!

Gambling during Chinese New Year

in between poker

Yup, it’s a tradition along with fireworks and heavy drinking – the third component of celebrations would be gambling with blackjack el arab! I don’t have photos of the family session coz I lost my iPhone but I have several other ones after that:

In-Between

in between

This is a poker derivative where you get dealt two cards and you draw from the deck to see if you can get a card with a denomination in the middle (thus the name “in between”). You can opt to wager as much as you want up to the limit of the pot. There is no distinction between spades or diamonds and a card of similar value would result in a penalty of double pay. also you can enjoy situs poker online here.Before playing one must check that the casinos and gambling sites,you are prefering should be on the most popular platform of gambling i.e https://bestsitesuk.casino/not-on-gamstop/.

in between pot

You contribute a predetermined amount into the pot when you first start and roll until it’s empty. The pot was over RM 600+ at one point. You can opt for the entire pot if you have a good hand but if you draw a similar card, you’ll have to pay double – RM 1,800. This tends to make everyone cautious unless you’re attempting to win back your losses. I won about RM 200+ from this (after minimal fluctuating movement in my loss-profit – the most I was up was by RM 300 before paying RM 200) and reimbursed Jeanie for her RM 100 loss.

Poker Terpercaya is also one of the popular online poker platform to play poker, for those who love to play poker online anytime or to consume their time by playing poker. It Provides You to play numbers of games as much as you want.

Four Color

four color

I have completely no idea how to play this – it’s like Chinese chess on Mahjong tiles and you have to make a set of matching components which totals 11 points (minimum) to win. This is my first time playing it and I was using Jeanie’s money to play – it’s a game between her two sisters and brother.

emperor tiles

It took me a while to figure out how to win and how to calculate points but the rule of thumb is that if you get the β€œhighest denomination” (think of it as an Ace of Spades) – a tile with the β€œEmperor” calligraphy on it – it’s calculated as 1 point AND RM 1 at the same time.

tiles

I managed to win about RM 20 in a single game due to an abundance of Emperor tiles and it’s quite an interesting game – but I’m still not very good in arranging sets. It’s a bit complicated to explain the rules coz I’m not sure of it myself. 😑

cny visiting

Anyway, Chinese New Year is not over yet – I’m heading over to my grandma’s tomorrow (technically later tonight) for dinner and there are some developments on the personal front which I guess I’ll share when I’m not so sleepy. πŸ˜‰

Happy CNY everyone!

Chinese New Year Eve in Sibu

cny fireworks

It is a source of our pride that the residents of Sibu put out the best display of citizen sponsored fireworks during Chinese New Year annually. Despite the ban on the sale and use of firecrackers and fireworks most people still let loose every year – spending incredible amounts of hard earned money on pyrotechnics.

Unlike most other places, we can get firecrackers and fireworks by just strolling into certain shops, where they are displayed in all their glory. It’s nowhere close to the good ol’ pre-ban days where there’s a booth selling firecrackers outside supermarkets every meter or so but I take solace that despite the ban we still manage to put out an impressive barrage every year.

Most of my neighbors were out in force, and the most popular item this year is pre-loaded β€œground cakes” which makes a sustained burst of colors and sound easier than one shot shell launchers.


CNY Eve in Sibu!

This is what Sibu looks like at the stroke of midnight on Chinese New Year Eve – it’s awesome and the smoke from all the firecrackers and fireworks quickly overwhelm the street, making visibility poor and seeping into your houses until everything smells like sulfur.

roman candle

It’s all good though and the best part of CNY for me! Happy Chinese New Year 2011! πŸ™‚

The CNY karaoke session

It so happens that it has become a bit of a tradition for us to gather at Pan Box, book a room and a case of beer and sing (in a completely off tune manner) karaoke. It’s more about having fun than anything and several songs are bound to make the play list:

Hotel California
Friends (it’s a Chinese song – the one in the video)
Isabella (a Malay song from a movie)

eddie

Truly 1Malaysia. Heh! My bro Eddie and a bunch of us usual suspects turns up and I usually need assistance to walk to the car by the time it’s over. This is the inaugural photo with my bro.

jeanie

This year, we’re joined by J who I’ve been hanging out a lot with. It’s really funny coz years ago she told me I’m a total asshole (not in these words exactly), but now we’re really good friends. πŸ™‚

reunion firecrackers

Anyway, the neighbours have been letting off the pre-reunion dinner firecrackers for the past 3 hours (damn, they start early over here) and I couldn’t take a nap but it’s all good coz I’m heading over to my grandma’s for the reunion dinner now!

Happy CNY everyone! πŸ™‚

Prosperous Mee Sua

Okay, it’s listverse time! What do you need to do before Chinese New Year kicks down your door and sprays you in the face with FOX 5.3 million SHU OC pepper spray?

sibu haircut

Well, the obvious thing is to (as my grandma would put it) GET A FUCKING HAIRCUT. I’m totally down with that, I totally understand that an untamed mane is a liability when all and sunder gathers around during CNY eve a.k.a. The Reunion Dinner (TM).

I still haven’t figured out what to tell them when they bug me about not being hitched when I’m 30 but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. smirk

jeanie movie

Anyway, I’ve been hanging out with Jeanie the past couple of days and last night we ate this super sized portion of Prosperous Mee Sua (longevity noodles) for RM 18.50++.

It’s pretty good – there are lots of goods in the middle – squid, prawns, mushrooms etc etc but what makes this dish from Tanahmas special is the way it’s served. Mee sua in Sibu is usually soggy and drowned in chicken broth – this version is a crispy and soaked in gravy and it’s very tasty!

mee sua sibu

The portion is a bit too large though coz my stomach has shrunk during my hibernation (not eating for 24 hours) so it took us quite an effort to even make a dent in the dish.

I told Jeanie that according to custom, you’re not supposed to break the strands of mee sua lest the Powers That Be/God/Sol Invictus/(insert deity) frowns upon you and casually strikes off a few years from your lifespan in His righteous anger (at least according to my paternal grandma).

jeanie mee sua

I reckon we sacrificed 20 years (cumulative) of our lifespans coz we couldn’t finish the generous portion but still it was a good dish and I loved the goodies in the middle.

Wicked the Musical in London

wicked the musical

Wicked the Musical is one of the best musicals I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. It’s currently showing at Apollo Victoria Theatre in London. Yup, I caught the West End cast in this award winning production! πŸ™‚

wicked

Wicked is actually based on the first of a trilogy of books by Gregory Maguire called Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Most of you would have watched or read The Wizard of Oz at some point in your childhood. It’s a good movie but ultimately suffers from being based on a children’s book – it’s all black and white, good versus evil.

wicked book

As you grow older, such concepts are foreign, nay, an insult to your intelligence, in a world you know has no such absolutes. It’s all shades of gray and Wicked will appeal to the older audience. The book and the musical adaptation has quite a few differences though – the book is darker and Dorothy does not make an appearance in the written word.

wicked glinda

However, I love the musical coz it weaves everything together and portrays Elphaba (the name of the Wicked Witch of the West) as a revolutionary who fights for the rights of Animals. She is ultimately a very misunderstood character and you can’t help but feel sorry for her.

wicked ticket

I managed to get reasonably good seats for 62.50 pounds (about RM 300) – it’s the very front row in the middle of the Dress Circle. I was impressed by the props on stage as well – the animatronic bird (?) hovering over the stage like a large pterodactyl that comes alive when the Wizard of Oz makes his speeches is awe inspiring!

apollo victoria wicked

The orchestra playing in front of the stage is so good that I went and bought the CD + program for 20 pounds. Wicked the Musical is probably best known for the song β€œDefying Gravity” which also appeared in an episode of Glee (the one with the wheelchairs in Season One).

wicked program cd

I won’t spoil the story for you but basically the musical is about Glinda (The Good Witch of the South), Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) and Nessa (The Wicked Witch of the East) during their days in school.

orchestra

The witches weren’t known as such then (Glinda is such a selfish airhead) and the incredibly sad and touching series of events which culminated in the death of Nessa (damn Madame Morrible) and the vilification of poor Elphaba will bring a tear to even the most stone hearted man.

elphaba

The production runs for about 3 hours, including an intermission between Act I and Act II and I cannot recommend it strongly enough for those with an interest in theatre (and even those without). If you only watch one musical in your lifetime, let it be Wicked. I got so angry at Galinda and felt so sorry for Elphaba even though it’s just great acting.

I can relate so much to Elphaba. T_T

No one mourns the wicked. πŸ™

Broodje haring, Hollandse Nieuwe and herring in Amsterdam

Frens Haringhandel

Amsterdam is famous for a raw herring dish served with onions and pickles called Hollandse Nieuwe. The best ones are usually found in stalls scattered around the canals. The traditional way of eating herring (as related to me by a Dutch citizen who saw me eating it and asked me what I thought of it) is by taking the tail of the raw herring, slathering it with onions and eating it whole.

Hollandse Nieuwe

However, the way herring is served in Amsterdam is sans tail. The herring’s tail has been amputated somewhere during its voyage from the North Sea. Instead, it’s sliced into manageable pieces and sprinkled with raw onions and some pickles. You’re supposed to eat it with a toothpick – mine comes with a nice Dutch flag on it – this is the famous stall in Koningsplein where you can get herring and broodje haring.

herring amsterdam

The herring (spelled haring in Dutch) is fresh and this place has a very healthy turnover of customers craving for some raw sea produce. It costs Euro 2.70 (about RM 12) for a whole herring and you can add Euro 0.50 for a broodje haring.

Koningsplein herring

Broodje haring is basically an entire herring sandwiched between a bun. There are two types of buns in Frens Haringhandel – the traditional one is the soft bun. I would recommend eating just the herring but if you need a bit of carbohydrates to fill yourself up, the boodje hearing is a great option.

Broodje haring

Fresh raw herring in Amsterdam is divine – it’s surprisingly creamy, a word I wouldn’t expect to describe fish. The haring has been deboned and practically melts in your mouth. It’s also slightly salty and totally unlike sashimi – definitely a must try if you happen to go to Amsterdam.

me herring amsterdam

Just look for the Frens Haringhandel stall near the flower market in Amsterdam!

Mulled wine

british mulled wine

I’ve never tried British mulled wine before and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. It seems rather hard to find, despite it being winter when I was there but I finally managed to track it down.

mulled wine

Mulled wine is red wine with spices like cinnamon added and served warm. It comes out of a pot – the glass of wine is filled by ladling the hot mulled wine into it.

mullet wine

The taste is quite extraordinary – the warm drink makes it perfect for sipping and the sugar and cinnamon tones makes it very palatable indeed…even for non-drinkers. It’s awesomeness in a glass during the cold days of winter! πŸ™‚

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