Snake head wine

snake head wine jars

There are a lot of weird and wonderful creatures served with wine as a “tonic” in China. I had the chance to sample snake head wine in Guilin. It costs RMB 30 (which works out to about RM 15) per glass.

snake wine jars

It is not “wine” in the classic sense of the word. There is no fermentation here. The Chinese word “jiu” means alcoholic beverage. These snake heads are actually preserved in some sort of liquid. The snake head is taken out, along with a tablespoon of the liquid inside those jars to produce:

snake wine

Snake head wine!

snake head wine

It’s topped up with the legendary “kao liang jiu” – very high proof alcohol (in excess of 57% alcohol) and downed in a single shot. You’re not supposed to eat the snake head though – I enquired about the reason behind that and it seems that it’s quite poisonous.

This is the first of many snake posts from Guilin. ๐Ÿ˜‰

The land of milk and honey

dutch lady full cream

You know, milk has been around for ages, so much so that even the Good Book uses it as an analogy. I used to drink a 5 liter keg of fresh milk when I was in university in Melbourne. Every. Single. Day. I can’t help it, the milk over there tastes so fresh and creamy! I think of this as a graduation of sorts from when I was a kid. I loved milk even as a kid. I remember my dad buying a 1 litre pack of UHT milk every single day, which he never complained about since it’s considered Healthy (TM).

Yes, I have a weakness for all things creamy. I’m not the type of person who goes for low fat milk (tastes diluted to me) or skim milk (which is not even “milk” – if you remove all the fat, how can you call it milk?). It’s either fresh or full cream for me.

dutch lady fresh milk

Half full or half empty?

Anyway, I had lunch with Jenny last week and she swears by Vitamin B – claims it improves her work. I Googled and found out that the riboflavin in milk not only increases metabolism (w00t!) but enhances the good ol gray matter (medical professionals call it nervous system function). I did not know that (or more likely chose to forget it, selective memory FTW).

That’s awesome news coz I don’t exactly live a healthy lifestyle, skipping breakfast and eschewing vitamin supplements.

cereal milk

Contrary to popular belief, milk is actually a great source of energy. There is a reason why cereal (which requires milk, unless you’re a frat boy at heart who eats it from the box) is a popular breakfast option. In fact, it is my Constipation Cure (TM). In my quest for better living through chemistry I have taken to:

Drinking milk with Manuka honey

I love this combination. The milk contains lactose, which provides a boost in your energy levels and the honey provides a reasonably sustainable sugar high. It tastes great too! You must try this, as previously mentioned, there is a reason that the Scripture has this analogy. I was at one point drinking several mugs of these per day due to my sister (who is in NZ) predictable gifts of Manuka honey every time she comes back.

dutch lady coffee

Drinking milk from the bottle

Oh, how everyone hates this habit of mine. Haha! I believe in minimizing the washing up so I drink the stuff straight from the carton/bottle. The ice cold milk in the morning is thirst quenching and it also allows me to not have breakfast.

Either way, it’s perfect for those of us with an aversion to vegetables and goes against the “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” school of thought. It’s easier to drink something you like than eat something you hate.

energy

World Milk Day is coming up on the 1st of June and in conjunction with this, Dutch Lady is going to attempt a record breaking event to encourage the consumption of milk dubbed “Largest Milk Drinking Event“.

I’m going to be part of this entry into the Malaysia Book of Records. It’s not something that happens everyday, so come one, come all to achieve this feat and maybe get your photo in the papers! It’s all happening at:

Venue: Pavilion KL
Date: 30th May 2010
Time: 10:00 am

Dutch Lady will also be giving away free milk on that day, featuring two limited edition designs on their Chocolate and Low Fat packs. There will be an estimated 2,500 people at the event and with Dutch Lady Malaysia spearheading this effort, I have no doubt that the numbers will be met.

Guess who will be gracing this event?

1. Amber Chia
2. Shakila
3. Alif Satar
4. Dayana
5. Sharizan Borhan
6. Reshmonu
7. Najwa
8. Khoo Cai Lin

You know you want to go!

There will be a cheerleading team performing there too! smirk

Do you want to be part of history? Be there or be square!

milk and honey

Got milk?

An honest day’s work

an honest days work

I’ve been swamped with work lately. Sorry about the lack of postings, but I’ve got something coming up which involves clubs (the kind you hit people with, not the place you get drunk and do something embarrassing you regret tomorrow) and rodents.
smirk

Regular sixthseal.com programming to resume soon!

Li River RMB Yuan 20 scene

guilin li river 20 yuan

The famous Li River boat trip takes you down amazing limestone formations, one of which is depicted at the back of the RMB 20 (RM 10) bank note.

gui lin li river 20 yuan

It is exactly the same scene, minus the quaint little boat of course, which probably decided to stop plying the route after the influx of larger cruise ships filled with camera toting tourists. ๐Ÿ˜‰

guilin li river rmb 20

Unfortunately, I set my ISO at 400, overexposing and ruining most of the Li Jiang photos. The ones that weren’t didn’t have the entire scene due to people unfamiliar with dSLRs adjusting the lens. *cries river of tears* Okay, that was an extremely bad pun even by my own standards. ๐Ÿ˜‰

yuan 20 point

I have another backup cam which I used to take a proper photo but by that time we have passed the Yuan 20 place. I also look constipated in this picture.

The place is actually at Xingping, the Li River boat cruise takes you from Guilin to Yangshou. The limestone formations are called Karst formations, a very atas word which I had to Google to understand.

I got a mint copy of the RMB Yuan 20 bank note just for this trip and after my pose, a couple of domestic tourists asked to borrow mine to pose in the same way. Heh! Here’s what the RMB 20 note looks like at the back:

rmb 20

Compare it to the RMB Yuan 20 point on Li River!

rmb 20 guilin

It’s a good thing I paid RMB 10 (RM 5) for a laminated copy of the photo taken by the ship or I wouldn’t have a proper camwhore moment.
smirk

Ringgit, rupiah, duit duit

the good life

Have you ever dreamt of living the good life?

My dad has always believed in buying unit trusts and blue chip stocks as part of his portfolio of investments. He gave me shares for my 18th birthday in a certain F&B company (which isn’t performing very well) and have always encouraged me to diversify my investments. I have mutual funds and I’m getting a condo in June but currently my primary “investment” techniques involves heading up the hills, which isn’t very wise as I lost RM 11,000 just a couple of weeks back.

19k genting

However, the oft quoted idiom “Like father, like son” does not apply to our family. My dad is a very conservative person and invests solely in stuff that involves low risk, with long term returns as his primary objective. I, on the other hand, have a natural affinity to terms like “high risk, high returns”. I do not like waiting too, so I like to see results fast.

When I was introduced to Fundsupermart.com I was immediately attracted to their 2% or lower upfront fee and online transaction capabilities. They also have a wide range of products you can ride on – they offer a staggering 130+ funds which includes emerging markets, commodities, energy and even gold and minerals!

aussie dollars

The best thing about them is that opening an account as well as maintaining it is free of charge, so I’m going to check them out. You can choose to invest from as low as RM 100 monthly so it’s great for those new to unit trusts.

I must admit, I’m a newbie in this world too, but Fundsupermart.com offers an extensive guide online on how to invest as well as risk ratings, news, fund selector tools and even a fund returns calculator!

rm

Since it’s all online, you get to have a shorter transaction time – perfect for those of us who works long hours and don’t have time to meet with traditional unit trust resellers.

This also means you can keep track of all your investments and buy and sell with a click of a button.

fingertips

Money at your fingertips! I just need to learn a bit more about what they have to offer.

Fundsupermart.com is having a seminar at The Apartment @ the Curve on the 30th May 2010, 1 pm – 3 pm and it’s free to attend! These investment seminars usually charges a fee to attend so I think it’s great that theirs is FOC. I’ll be going to learn more and if you’re interested, all you’ve got to do is be signed on to your Nuffnang account, complete the sentence “I want my financial freedom redefined because…” and leave a comment here.

You can also learn more about them by joining their Facebook page here.

the good life twilight

Invest and live the life you want to in your twilight years! =D

Guilin Mi Fen with Horse Meat

There’s no horsing around in this outlet. smirk

guilin mi fen horse meat

Okay, the first thing on the agenda when I arrived in Guilin is to eat the famous Gui Lin Mee Fen (rice vermicelli) with horse meat. However, that proved harder to find that I initially thought. Rats too for that matter, but that’s another post.

guilin mee fen

Anyway, after walking 1,000 miles and nearly getting run down by several cars and buses (it’s left hand drive here in China) I decided to consult a person from the industry that knows everything about anything obscure or illegal – hard to find cuisine, the oldest profession in the world, substances, basically The Travelers Guide to a New City (TM). Your friendly neighborhood taxi driver.

gui lin mi fen eat

Within minutes (and a RMB 10 fare, which is RM 5, pretty damn cheap cabs over here) I was on my way to the oldest Guilin Mi Fen with Horse Meat establishment in town. It has reputedly been around for about 40 years (as told by two different sources) and caters to the locals instead of tourists (just the way I like it).

gui lin mee fen

Alas! How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! In the past, horses were used for transport, war machines by knights, riot control by mounted police, and prized stallions on the racetrack. It has now been relegated (at least in China) to food. Heh!

gui lin mi fen horse meat

The Gui Lin Mi Fen is not rice vermicelli as we know it, it looks more like rice noodles to me. You are free to add as many condiments, pickles and spices as you want. I highly recommend their chilli flakes – Guilin is known for its spicy food so go wild with this one.

gui lin mi fen

Gui Lin Mi Fen with Horse Meat is a soup dish, which is not what I usually eat, but since it’s the local specialty, I tasted it and pronounce it GOOD. The spring onions adds a lot to the taste of the soup while the peanuts contribute that additional texture to this dish. Best of all, it only costs RMB 6 (RM 3) for a large bowl.

guilin mi fen

I love it, mostly coz of the horse meat. Horse meat can best be described as something of a cross between beef and lamb. It’s sweet and has a nice gamey aftertaste and it’s surprisingly lean.

guilin mee fen good

Mmm…equine meat!

Posted: 7:19 am China Time (Guilin is in the same timezone as Malaysia)

Greetings from Guilin!

hotel

I have arrived in Guilin and checked into this dodgy hotel smack dab in the middle of town. The cheapest room costs RMB 150 (about RM 75) for a night and if you add RMB 20 (RM 10) more you get a room with a computer and Internet! =D

slums

I wanted to stay at Flowers Youth Hostel (RMB 55 per night for a single room – get to save RM 150!) but they were fully booked. ๐Ÿ™ Thus, I went to this dubious Guilin Swan Hotel. I can’t say the view is excellant, but you get what you pay for and it’s a pretty decent hotel.

stuff

Anyway, the reason the words “dodgy” and “dubious” is being thrown around is not just from the vibe but the ancillaries in the room itself. You have to pay for EVERYTHING – only the soap is free (and even I’m not sure of that since there is a Chinese sign above it and I can’t read Chinese).

condom

There’s also a pack of condoms (RMB 10) right by the bed within easy reach but that’s not my primary concern…

genital wash

…it’s the toiletries for sale in the bathroom which prominently displays two sachets of Mei Fu Antibacterial Lotion. That in itself is not worrying, the description of said lotion is more disturbing – “Specially designed for the health of men’s genitals. Used for relieving the itching, killing germs and usual nursing of the private parts. Please apply to genital area gently. Rinse well with water“. There is a female version too, which makes me wonder what sort of clientรจle this hotel attracts.

*double checks bedsheets for stains*

Posted: 1:06 PM China time (which is the same as Malaysia for Guilin)

Pizza Hut Fish King Pizza

pizza hut king fish pizza launch

Do you see what I see?

pizza hut king fish pizza official launch

Seafood lovers rejoice! Pizza Hut officially launched the Fish King Pizza on the 5th of May. Six of us descended to their Kota Damansara outlet to get a first taste of their latest offering on the very same day.

pizza hut king fish pizza aud

This is Aud attempting to emulate the guy in the ad. Pretty accurate pose. smirk

pizza hut king fish pizza

The Pizza Hut Fish King Pizza (RM 32.90 a la carte for a Regular sized pizza) comes with 8 breaded and deep fried Alaskan Pollock Fish Fingers on every slice. The fish fingers are tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside – just like what a good fish and chip shop would produce!

pizza hut king fish pizza lemon

I love the presentation too – there are wedges of lemon neatly arranged smack dab in the middle of the pizza for you to squeeze on the fish sticks. The fish sticks are made from specially imported Alaskan Pollock which is a type of cod.

fish

Spot the Alaskan Pollock!

(Don’t waste too much time on it – there is none coz that photo was taken in Sabah, not Alaska, but here’s a photo I nicked from Wikipedia)

alaskan pollock

It dubbed the “largest remaining source of palatable fish in the world” (don’t play play) and looks like this – you can read more about the Alaska Pollock here.

It tastes better with lemon!

pizza hut king fish pizza slice

The Fish King Pizza is topped with crab sticks, Mozzarella cheese, roasted capsicums, yellow onions and juicy pineapples, all on a cool lime mayo sauce base. I love the sprinkling of fresh parsley on top of the pizza.

pizza hut king fish pizza eat

Biting into the pizza is simply orgasmic…the initial crunch of the hot fish fingers and the citrus tang of the lemon before the creamy sauce kicks in, with a medley of seafood delights competing for attention on your taste buds. The pineapple in the pizza gives it a sweet aftertaste too. Perfect for our hot Malaysian weather!

pizza hut king fish pizza food

We were given a lot of food, more than we can actually eat, thanks to the hospitality of Winston Lee and Nor Aziani Azizan of Pizza Hut!

pizza hut king fish pizza snap shots

To add to the aquatic theme, we were given a Pizza Hut Fish King Pizza disposable underwater camera which is (stating the obvious) waterproof.

pizza hut king fish pizza real fake

Which one is the real pizza? *feels very tall standing beside Aud*

pizza hut

There are two contests going on – one from Pizza Hut where you stand to win RM 40,000 in cash and prizes by just taking a photo with the Fish King Pizza. Detailed mechanics here.

The other one is for Nuffnang bloggers where you write a blog post titled “Big Fish Moment with Pizza Hut” and share your Fish King Pizza experience for a shot at RM 2,000 in cold, hard cash for the 5 best entries. Join the contest now!

pizza hut king fish pizza us

Hail to the (Fish) King (Pizza), baby!

pizza hut king fish pizza serve

Tonight, we feast! =D

RM 2 flat rate parking daily!

fixed fee coupon

I have managed to secure a bundle of RM 2 flat rate parking coupons from my friendly neighbourhood parking assistant. These coupons allows you to park for as long as you want and exit with just a RM 2 fee.

The parking lot has been automated and the bars don’t lift up at 10 pm anymore, so I felt this was a necessary investment. However, my macha sold it to me at face value – RM 2 per coupon, which makes me wonder where he sourced it from.

Best not to think of it, as the saying goes, you senang, I senang. (Easy for you, easy for me). ๐Ÿ˜‰

Jothy’s Fish Head Curry Banana Leaf Restaurant

a.k.a. The Worst Fish Head Curry and Banana Leaf Restaurant in the Known Universe

jothys fish head curry banana leaf rice

Jothy’s Fish Head Curry Banana Leaf Restaurant is located in Api Api Center in KK, Sabah and has a lot of impressive stickers on its front window facade, including one that says “as seen in Lonely Planet”, which was the reason we headed there to eat in the first place. I place a certain amount of trust in the Lonely Planet brand.

jothys interior

The first clue that it might not exactly be the best place to eat when we walked in is the underwhelming crowd in the restaurant. We were the only ones there. I swear I could hear crickets chirping.

jothys banana leaf

Their banana leaf rice seems authentic enough…

jothys banana leaf rice

…but the taste did not live up to expectations. I tried every single one of the side serves and found them severely wanting.

jothys curry fish head

Their flagship signature dish – the curry fish head – was tough, overcooked and dry. It’s certainly not “the freshest fish head from the market”.

jothys curry fish head meat

I don’t know what kind of fish this head came from but finding meat is like looking for a needle in a haystack (or insert other cliched analogy here since there are a lot of fish bones in there).

jothys prawn

The fried prawns were not “succulent” as the menu claimed, but tough. I’m also highly doubtful about the “choice fish eggs fried to perfection” description as our fish roe had the same taste and texture of cardboard (not that I’ve ever eaten cardboard – it’s what I imagine cardboard would taste like).

jothys lonely planet

I find this unforgivable in a place known for it’s abundance of seafood. The bill was exorbitant too – the fish head curry alone was RM 50.

jothys herpes

It’s a tourist trap. Avoid it like a bad case of herpes.

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