HB

A long, personal journey worth having.

Saya (N)anti Rasuah

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saya nanti rasuah

I
was blindsided by a traffic police roadblock at the U-turn from Kelana
Jaya LRT station leading to Jalan Bahagia and Giant LDP while heading
towards the Kelana Parkview TMpoint to get my Streamyx sorted out. The
thing about KL U-turns is that it’s completely blocked by a mass of
concrete so you don’t know what’s on the other side, especially if
you’re going too fast.

Anyway, I did such a U-turn the other day
and immediately ran into a roadblock. It was so near the exit of the
U-turn that it’s a good thing I didn’t run literally into the
roadblock. I had hoped for a break since the traffic police was
stopping the car in front of me, so I quickly pulled the seatbelt on –
but no such luck. The eagle-eyed police saw me and gestured at me to
pull over.

I had wanted to take a photo – my first traffic
ticket in KL, just after 5 days of driving over here, but that would
ruin my chances of getting off without a ticket since a photo would
mean they would have to do it the Proper Way (TM). Anyway, the
traffic police did the usual license and registration thing (except
over here it’s MyKad/IC and driving license), while I did my best pitch:

HB: Eh, sorry tuan,
I’m new to KL, just got here from Sarawak and I don’t know the way so I
was just reaching towards the back to get my map. I had the seatbelt on
all along.
Police: Map? What map? There’s no map in your car. *peers into the back seat of my car*
HB: Er…I
meant I was looking at the road signs. I have problems with my eyesight
so I had to squint a little. I just loosened the seatbelt, I had it on
all the time.
Police: No, you didn’t. You put it on when you saw me.
HB: Yes, I did, I had it on all the time. Honest. Anyway, since I’m new here, I was hoping you could help me out.
*I pull out my wallet and discreetly thumbed a RM 50 note out, just a little, to see his reaction*
Police: Hmm…well…
HB: Okay with you officer? Help me out here.
Police: Okay, like this also good. You senang, I senang. (Less hassle for the both of us)

rasuah 50

I passed him the RM 50 note and he passed me back my MyKad and driver’s license. The good Gabenor talks, and bullshit walks.

The long arm of the law, eh? 😉

Police: What’s your name?
HB: Poh.
Police: Okay, thank you Poh. It’s better this way. You senang, I senang. Drive safely.

Now,
this police gives me a big ass grin and smiled at me in an
uncharacteristically friendly manner as I was pulling off. He even
waved at me, I shit you not.

This got me wondering…have I given too much? I don’t want to spoil the market, what are the rates over here in KL?

I
don’t use a seatbelt coz I see it as a victim less crime. I don’t like
being restrained and I don’t see how it affects other people. It does
no harm to anyone except myself.

Nevertheless, how much do you pay for getting off without a ticket in KL? Can someone enlighten me on the rates for:
Driving without a seatbelt
Driving over the speed limit
Tinted windows
DUI/DWI

Rates for JPJ and our fine traffic police would be much appreciated.

I don’t want to spoil the market for my fellow KL-lites.

You know la, you senang, I senang. 😉

DIY – Home Improvement

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hi kit

I have been taking pains to furnish our new condo recently and the DIY bug has bitten my girlfriend big time, no thanks to her colleague. Her colleague is doing direct sales part-time and I’m told she does every -way there is out there. Amway, Cosway, Tupperware etc.

She brought home this rickety and capricious clothes hanger last night and practically forced me to fix it at 11 pm at night after dinner. It took me about 30 minutes to get it done – I’m more Tim than Al in the home improvement department, but in the end I managed to assemble the contraption and anchor it to one of the ceiling beams in our master bedroom.

hi diy

It took a long time before we realized that the RM 30 device wouldn’t reach the actual ceiling of the condo, so I settled for the beam while my girlfriend muttered something about it looking out of place. Hmph…

I would have preferred to save the hassle and get ready fixed furniture delivered straight in.

Nevertheless, the truism of beggars can’t be choosers applies and it had already cost us a significant chunk of our savings to get the condo up to reasonable living standards – air conditioning, fridge, washing machine, wardrobes, broadband, breakfast bar, and a king sized bed with Aussino fittings and pillows (as well as other creature comforts).

I felt a semblance of satisfaction in assembling the rickety clothes hanger – it was meant for my work shirts and my coats and ties and I’m grateful to my girlfriend for purchasing it.

It’s not a Kodak Moment, but definitely an arrghh arrggghh arrrggghh moment. 😉

More power!

The KL breakfast

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kl nasi lemak

You know, back where I come from, very few people could claim they had nasi lemak for breakfast. Sibu is a cultural abnormality – it looks predominantly Chinese (although the population census will tell you it’s predominantly Iban) so the usual breakfast is noodles or something to that effect.

kl nasi lemak van

Well, over here in KL, I’ve been eating a lot of nasi lemak. I’ve actually grown quite fond of this stuff, craving it even. I look anxiously out my condo window at 7 am sharp every morning to spot the nasi lemak vendor pulling up in his trusty old van and rush down to buy some while it’s still warm.

I still remember a snippet of conversation that occurred the first time I went:
Nasi lemak man: Ada apa lagi?
HB: Ketam. (Crabs)
Nasi lemak man’s wife: Ketam tak ada, tapi kerang ada. Si ham. (We don’t have crabs but we have clams)
HB: Oh ya, kerang. Brain not functioning today.

I love the couple, they’re very friendly people with a great sense of humor. I’ve seen a lot of people from the neighborhood offices purchasing his warez too. Nasi lemak for breakfast is pretty common over here in KL. I’ve grown to love the stuff – I like it with clams (kerang, not ketam), lots of sambal, a fried egg and a piece of chicken drumstick.

kl nasi lemak macro

It’s pure artery clogging goodness! 😉

(which I’m sure I’ll regret when I’m 50 and my cholesterol level starts to soar)

Ah Cheng Laksa

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ah cheng laksa

Ah Cheng Laksa is one of those “hawker fare inside a mall with WiFi and air conditioned comfort” franchises, which shows no sign of slowing down. I think a lot of it has to do with their pricing and convenience. Personally, I went just coz I love the tagline, a parody of Phua Chu Kang with their version being “Best in Subang Jaya & Sunway & some even said in PJ!!”

I think the grammatically incorrect tagline adds to the good ol’ hawker stall appeal. 🙂

ah cheng laksa montage

I went to the one at the Curve since they had a promotional deal worked out with Cineleisure where you get a 10% discount off your food with a movie ticket. It’s only valid for a la carte items though, and not the Combo Set Promotions, which we went for. I like the seating arrangements at the outlet over here – the seats are absurdly low but a pit of sorts where you can put your feet in compensates for the height problem. Nifty.

ah cheng cham

Ah Cheng Laksa also serves the increasingly popular Cham (RM 2.50). Cham is a Hokkien word meaning “mix”. It’s a half and half mixture of coffee and tea and I’m starting to like the medley of tastes and the reduced caffeine content – very useful for combating stress in KL traffic. 😉

ah cheng laksa food montage

Combo Set 1, which is recommended for 2-3 people, is priced at RM 13.90 and comes with JR Asam Laksa, JR Curry Laksa and your choice of a regular (JR stands for junior, I presume) Asam Laksa, Curry Laksa, Kueh Tiaw Soup, or Nasi Lemak Ayam/Daging Rendang. I went for the Nasi Lemak Daging Rendang option. You can also choose the type of noodles you want in your laksa – it’s customizable.

ah cheng laksa us

Verdict:
Asam Laksa: Delicious! It’s very appetizing.
Curry Laksa: I didn’t think much of it. I prefer asam laksa to curry based laksa.
Nasi Lemak Daging Rendang: It’s okay, but not great. The pakcik that parks his van outside my condo weekday mornings sells much better nasi lemak from the back of his mobile stall.

sixthseal.com does KL

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kl car

My car has just survived the RM 3,500 journey from Sibu to KL inside a container through the South China Sea. It seems pretty much intact, although I nearly backed into another car yesterday. Much has been said about KL drivers being reckless and aggressive…which is pretty much the same way I drive. I think I’ll do okay here. 😉

I’m going to drive down to KL tomorrow to see if I still remember how to…and meanwhile, on the home front, the fridge has just arrived:

kl fridge

…albeit with a dent, but that’s okay coz I got the Best Denki guys to hook up the washing machine completely for me to compensate for that:

kl wash

The TM Homeline people are coming to install my line on Monday, and Streamyx should be up 24-72 hours later. I noticed that math is not my true calling (understatement of the year). I went for the fixed line + Streamyx option coz I thought the Streamyx Combo package actually works out to be more expensive.

sixthseal.com math:
TM Homeline: RM 26
Streamyx: RM 88

is cheaper than the RM 110 per month for the Streamyx Combo, which comes with the TM Homeline RM 26 fees waived, coz I didn’t need the free wireless modem (since I already have one). I actually told the sales representative that I don’t want to be paying RM 22 dollars per month extra for a modem and will be going for the separate TM Homeline + Streamyx package coz it’s cheaper.

She actually gave me a blank stare, and opened her mouth before shutting it again, realizing the futility of reasoning with an illogical person.

I was only thinking of RM 88 vs RM 110 and it just hit me that I would be paying RM 4 LESS with the Streamyx Combo AND getting a FREE wireless modem to boot since the TM Homeline fee is waived in this package.

Flawed logic, that’s me down to a T.

Waffle World, 1U

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waffle world

Waffle World is a colorful dessert house specializing in (you guessed it) waffles. The bright, happy shades used in this franchise coupled with their merry “Cheer Up! Waffle World is here!” tagline attracted us to this establishment (as well as their new WW Tower – the tallest dessert ever built).

waffle world montage

The place is located just off a busy shopping mall through way, so if you have reservations about eating at a place like this, well, you’re too pretentious to be reading sixthseal.com anyway. 😉

strawberry goes bananas

I’m not going to write about my girlfriend’s drink since she always orders the usual orange or pineapple juice. Mine is the more adventurous Strawberry Goes Bananas (RM 8) which is a fruit smoothie blended with fresh strawberries and bananas. The two tastes surprisingly well together, with the more subdued banana covering up the acidic aspects of the strawberry.

waffle world walnut

This is the Banana Walnut Waffle (RM 7.90). The presentation is great, with bananas lined in an oblique fashion (I’ve been told to use more common words, but 15 years of reading SK has influenced my writing somewhat, so perhaps angular would be a better word here?). It’s sprinkled with crushed walnuts, a heap of ice cream, and generous squeezes from a Hershey’s syrup bottle. The taste? Spectacular.

waffle world pizza

I opted for a savory waffle, since I kinda knew I was gonna have to eat half of the Banana Walnut Waffle (it’s the reason I’ve been getting so fat lately, my other half can’t finish her portions). I had the Tropical Pizza (RM 8.90), which is a pizza served on top of waffles (as the name of the establishment suggests) and it tasted pretty good. It’s sliced sausages and pineapples topped with melted cheese but at about the size of a modern cell phone, it’s not going to fill anyone up.

waffle world us

The obligatory couple shot.

waffle world tower

This is the WW Tower (RM 7.50) – a new creation from the labs of Waffle World Inc. It is hyped with the hyperbolic statement “AT LAST. The TOWER is BUILT” and is supposed to be the tallest dessert ever created at 280 mm. The WW Tower is a concoction of three scoops of ice cream, chocolate, caramel, blueberry sauces, almond slices, strawberry bits, and sponge cake, topped with two “towering” wafers.

waffle world me

It is every bit as tall as they say (I measured)…though I seriously doubt it’s the tallest desert in the world. It is definitely going to give you a sugar rush though.

I’m told the shade of purple in the dessert matches my G2000 cardigan too.

Three buddies…and a terrapin

by

kakiis

I have just moved over to KL to work and noticed a disturbing correlation in the shrinkage of my circle of friends. I left my kakiis in Sarawak and I need more kakiis in KL. Fate works in mysterious ways though, and somehow, I managed to hook up with a great bunch of guys…and a terrapin.

It’s like meeting up with kindred souls, which I didn’t think was possible in the short amount of time I have spent here. Do you have a Kakiis Experience (TM) like this?

kakiis-vids

Kakiis is running a contest where you can send in a home video of you and your best pals hanging out. The site already has videos of friends singing karaoke, goofing around and generally chilling out together.

The prize of a MacBook Air and 4 x iPod Touch is up for grabs in the video contest, so send in your entries. It doesn’t matter if it’s filmed with a cell phone or a professional video camera, it just needs to be below 10 MB and show you and your friends hanging out.

kakiis-prizes

There is also a photo contest running where you can snap photos of your buddies and blog about it to stand a chance to win the sleek Sony Skinny T digicam. There are 3 of them up for grabs. I have been eyeing this one for a while – I own most of the Sony T-series digicams, all procured this year. The T-2 was…er, misplaced during a clubbing session, the T-70 fell into a waterfall and I’m using the T-300 right now.

You also get a chance to go to an exclusive invite-only party – the Kakiis Night Out on the 13th of December 2008 if your photo or video is voted in the Top 50. The contest starts from the 10th of November 2008 to the 5th of December 2008. Start participating now by logging on to the Kakiis Contest site.

I have registered as a member of the site and instead of calling up random people to get my social circle back to a healthy magnitude (circumference?), I would have been much better off hitting the local social networking sites like kakiis. 🙂

Madagascar Move It! 2 the Curve

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mcd roadshow

Madagascar Return 2 Africa fever is running high and McDonald’s upped the thermostat with a great road show at the Curve last Sunday when I was at Cineleisure to catch the movie.

move it dance

The promotional booths had games with themes like “one minute to hit it”, “one minute to throw it” and others along that line but it was the Move It Dance Competition that drew the crowd in droves.

This is the crème de la crème – it’s a group of small children doing a dance routine. It’s choreographed, but the age of the performers makes the choreography all the more remarkable. It received high accolades from both the judges and the crowd, and it was one of the first performances – certainly setting the bar high for the other teams, this one.

madagascar meal

The Madagascar Return 2 Africa promotion by McDonald’s has three components (at least for the edible aspects, and I urge pedophiles to refrain from commenting on the dance competition with the word “edibility” in the same sentence) – the Move It Breakfast Meal (RM 11.90), the Move It Milo McFlurry (RM 5.90) and the Move It Meal (RM 14.90).

move it breakfast

I had the Move It Breakfast Meal at the LCC-T.

move it mcflurry

I had the Move It Milo McFlurry in the McDonald’s in Kelana Jaya.

move it meal poster

However, for the Madagascar Move It meal, I wanted them to Move It (TM) over to my condo so I called 1300-13-1300. 😉

move it charge

McDonald’s McDelivery certainly Move(d) It…and charged me RM 3 for it. Hmph.

move it meal

The Madagascar Escape 2 Africa Move It meal comprises of a Double McChicken, Move It McShaker Fries, and a Green McFizz. The best part is the Move It McShaker Fries, which are flavored fries and tastes great!

monkey fries

If you haven’t watched the movie, you should. It’s better than the original in many ways. I particularly liked the giraffe dying hole. Oh, that had me laughing out loud. It nearly gave me a laughing fit. Morbid humor. Heh!

I want maternity leave!

I lost my balls!

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no balls

I have lost my ball(s). It is official, and perhaps a sign of things to come. The first flesh stapling, which is fastened on one side with a ball, came undone and I couldn’t find the ball anywhere. It seems that I have lost my mojo. 🙁

Oh well, at least the flesh stapling is subdermal (it goes under the flesh) so I don’t have to worry about the entire thing dropping off. I haven’t posted about my recent body modifications so expect the photos and videos to be up soon. 🙂

I had two done this year – a double nipple piercing and three flesh staples on my wrist. I will do a full writeup on both this week.

…but before that I shall need to head back to BB Plaza to get a new ball.

Seriously, it sucks having no balls.

Budget inns in KL costs RM 60

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lcct lounge

I flew in to KL on the last flight out of Sibu and arrived exhausted, hoping to stay at the executive lounge for the night. Unfortunately, the LCC-T premium lounge experience charges a not-so-low-cost of RM 80 for 3 hours (!). Thus, I took the SkyBus down to KL Central and looked for a budget inn to stay.

hotel de sentral

There is one right opposite the station, called De Sentral Hotel. The front glass façade is grilled and padlocked from the inside to prevent untoward incidents. I’ve never thought of KL Central as a crime prone area but the person of Indian nationality clutching a can of Guinness Stout and drinking out of it from a straw (?) while occasionally throwing up foam into the gutter seem to intimidate quite a few passerby’s. 😉

hotel de sentral montage

De Sentral Hotel isn’t anything to write home about – the “hotel” is actually a converted shoplot, as can be seen by the maze-like interconnections between the rooms. It is relatively clean, with shared bathrooms and a room that has a sink and a single bed. It costs RM 60 nett per night and even comes with a small TV to boot.

hotel de sentral room

Much to my dismay though, the rooms are freshly painted. The entire area insults the olfactory senses with the miasma of fresh paint, which never fails to give me migraines. It’s a good thing I’m still down with the flu so my desensitized sinuses were a blessing in disguise.

hotel de sentral light

There is a small window inside every room, which unfortunately has the side effect of causing the hallway light to shine right into your eyes – not exactly ideal sleeping conditions. Oh well. I was just there for the night before picking up the keys to the condo the next morning.

Anyway, I’ve moved into the new condo and am in the process of getting a TM Homeline and Streamyx. I don’t have net access at home so I have been relegated to updating at either Starbucks or McDonald’s. I have been busy moving house during the weekend, but I promise there will be daily updates from now on.

Cheers!

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