I spent the entire weekend sleeping and watching Chuck. >.<
Unity is Strength
I am a Chinese kid born and raised in a small town in Sarawak. It is predominantly Chinese so I didn’t have a lot of interactions with other races. I was shipped off to New Zealand at the age of 15 for high school and there was a lot of racism going on over there.
I have never given race a serious thought before. Who would have known that being of a different culture would cause one to be a target of bullying? In my first day of school, a group of Kiwis in a car wound down their window shouted “Go back home, Chinaman!”.
However, I soon discovered that these people are the vocal minority. The vast majority did not really care as long as you can communicate with them. I guess it was the experience of being treated as a second class citizen which made me not do it to others.
When I finished my university and came back to KL to work, I had already been exposed to a melting pot of cultures in cosmopolitan Melbourne. Race didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I can only remember one incident over here – I asked someone on the road for directions in Shah Alam and was told in a less-than-friendly manner “Cakap Bahasa Melayu, jangan lupa ini Malaysia!”
It was not exactly the 1Malaysia that we have hoped for that but that was a totally isolated incident.
I can think of many more other positive interactions with strangers – like the one when I was lost in KL early in the morning (this was my pre-GPS days) and this kind Malay couple actually bothered to tell me to follow their car to my destination, despite it being out of their way. Now that is 1Malaysia to me.
I did a video for ASTRO’s MySTORY – the new channel for showcasing stories about 1Malaysia from people like me and you:
I shot the video in Petaling Street to illustrate my Chinese background before taking the LRT and mamak shots. The first few scenes were taken by a Dutch couple here on holiday – which I profiled as Least Likely To Run Away With Your Digital Camera (TM) ;).
I wanted to do one with different races locking arms and saying “We are Malaysians” but decided it would be too cheesy so I came up with the pigeon analogy instead.
…which I discovered by chance, while navigating from the car park to Petaling Street.
There was a flock of pigeons pecking away at a discarded pack of rice. The rice is Malaysia, it’s our economy, and the pigeons are Malaysians, irregardless of race. We are in this together. We literally share the same rice bowl and there’s enough for everyone.
I think we are coming closer to a united Malaysia – it’s just a matter of time. Sure, we crack some racist jokes now and then, and others do the same, all in the name of fun, but no one takes offence anymore. There is also an increasing amount of mixed race relationships (which I predict would be an archaic term in 10 years) which would produce offspring that truly represents Malaysia.
I remember Harith Iskandar’s joke about his yet-to-be-born children – he’s Malay while his wife is Chinese/Indian/Caucasian so would his future kids have to tick Malay, Chinese, Indian, and also the “dan lain lain” column?
Despite it being a joke, I am all for a 1Malaysia. I was born here, spent most of my life here and I plan to stay here. It would be nice for all third generation people to be recognized as Bumiputera but that would be an issue which would resolve itself in time.
It is possible, as the famous words “I have a dream…” uttered by Martin Luther King sparked off what is now an ideal situation for African-Americans in the United States. It is a trend that will endure, with the globalization of our world.
I believe in a 1Malaysia. One country, one race, one nation.
Interested in being featured on TV? Shoot your own 1Malaysia story and submit it at www.astro.com.my/mystory.
Malevolent Magnum 4D
Magnum 4D is a game of chance where odds are heavily stacked against you. It is very insidious in that you can easily spend RM 3,000 in a single week for three draws without even realizing how ludicrous it is to go for such long (and desperate odds).
I must admit, I spent close to RM 1,000 on the last two draws (Sunday and special draw Tuesday). I usually bet RM 50 for each number coz anything less would just be sad considering the amount I’ve lost. You don’t even feel the cash drain unlike in casinos coz of the high jackpot prizes. I would describe it as life changing even – imagine putting RM 50 on Small for two numbers that came out in the top three.
You’ll be raking in:
RM 175,000 for the first prize
RM 100,000 for the second prize
in addition to the jackpot which is usually around RM 12,000,000.
12 million is is a life changing amount, which is what draws people in. Hell, even winning ONE prize without jackpot would more than cover my losses.
However, after a week of this I decided it was unwise and spread my bets – RM 20 Small for each number. It still ran up RM 400+ each draw despite getting only 13 numbers coz of the Jackpot option, which will rack up RM 156 for 78 possible pairs in addition to the 13 x RM 20.
I didn’t get any for today (you can purchase in advance during the weekends) and I’m glad coz none of my numbers came out. Oh, and photo taken using the Sony Cyber-shot TX-5.
NO MORE GAMBLING. Not even 4D. Hmph!
Do you have a shy bladder?
I don’t. I can piss anywhere. In full view of incoming traffic. At the urinal while chatting with the guy beside me (much to his discomfort, I’m sure). Hell, I’ve even let loose from a penthouse suite in the balcony once in Melbourne. Contrary to popular belief (as most Asians who haven’t truly met Caucasians and think they are the epitome of the Son of God incarnated) it’s quite common to take a leak in an alley. It’s not “an uncultured Malaysian thing” (sorry to disappoint you girls, you just haven’t met that many Caucasians if you think that) but something that happens all over the world.
However, do you think it is culturally acceptable over here to piss like a racehorse when there are no toilets in sight?
RM 4 chap fan – will cause food poisoning
There’s this place in SS2 that serves chap fan and since I was there, I decided to go for it. Note that the chap fan has:
Curry chicken drumlet
Lots of pork ribs
Even more pork belly
A fried egg
Now, this is pretty cheap considering that I’m used to paying RM 10 for chap fun at my favorite outlet in SS6. However, the pork belly here leaves me wanting (it does not have the liberal hand that shakes the MSG, salt and starch from the good chef at SS6). All photos taken with the Sony Cyber-shot TX-5. I had food poisoning after that to boot.
Anyway, I will be going to Melbourne tomorrow night. It’s technically Saturday since the flight is at 1 am but for all intents and purposes, it’s Friday night. As usual, I’m flying by the seat of my pants – haven’t packed, don’t have accommodation (fell through due to parental visit), but hey, what’s an adventure if not going to Australia with just my meagre savings without a place to stay?
Yup, if you said IT’S AN ADVENTURE, you’ll be 110% correct. 😉
Yangshuo beer fish
Yangshuo is famous for beer fish – a local specialty that is cooked with lots of chillis, garlic, peppers and of course BEER! The fish is called Li River fish (another must-try if you go to Guilin) although I don’t know exactly what type of fish that is.
I went to a rather touristy place to sample this awesome dish so I can’t vouch for the authenticity of it. The view is great though and we were each given a RMB 50 coupon to dine on. I was the only person traveling alone in that Li River cruise tour and this girl Kiko who was there with her mom and dad was kind enough to wave me over to share their table.
WHY DO THE MENUS ONLY HAVE CHINESE CHARACTERS?
I left the ordering to them since I can’t read anything but I managed to order beer fish and beer to go along with it (it’s the perfect combo). It is obvious I didn’t do the ordering coz here you have tofu. REAL TOFU. As in the kind that comes without anything to somewhat mask the inherent tastelessness of tofu.
This is a vegetable dish cooked with chicken. It consists primarily of shoots and it’s not too bad but I’m not a huge fan of vegetables.
Now this is an interesting one – it’s a local fern gathered in Yangshuo by the locals. It tasted bitter but I found it quite interesting and ate quite a bit of this. I think the fact that it’s indigenous to Yangshuo made me go against my vegetable principals.
This is Kiko. She’s with an MNC and was based in Malaysia for a bit.
I always leave the best for the last so here I present to you the famous Yangshuo Beer Fish!
You can actually taste the malt and hops from the beer fish and it surprisingly adds a lot to the taste of the tender and succulent Li River fish. The gravy was so good I drizzled it over my rice, which apparently is not compliant with the etiquette of Chinese dining, along with my propensity for sticking my chopsticks into the rice bowl. 
I can’t remember how much the bill was but we had to top up about RMB 100 (about RM 50). I offered to pay since I was the only one who ordered beer (although Kiko and her dad drank it too) but they won’t have anything to do with that. I had to literally force my Yuan into the hands of the waitress, to the protests of the family and a lot of back and forth before I escorted the waitress away with my Yuan.
That’s Chinese culture for you. Heh! Anyway, the family is not from around here too – they’re visiting from Guangzhou and their family was kind enough to ask me to visit anytime and they’ll be my tour guide (and a place to stay). w00t! I’ll be going after my Melbourne trip. 🙂
Pangkor Curry Fish Head Restaurant
Pangkor Curry Fish Head Restaurant is not located in Pangkor but it sure seems like it. It’s nestled somewhere deep within the recesses of Subang and is Aud‘s regular stomping grounds. The proprietor there even knows her coz her family eats there so often.
I am told this eating establishment offers extremely good curry fish head. The place is full of patrons digging into dinner and the four of us managed to find a table in the restaurant. There is an al freso area and an indoor dining section and most of the tables can be seen with the flagship curry fish head.
This is Spinach with Garlic – which I tried to eat more of, considering I’m not exactly the embodiment of healthy living. It’s RM 8 for a small dish and RM 10 for a large one. I can’t comment much about vegetables, since I never clicked on the Like button on this particular food group ever since I was a kid.
Moving on to the meat of the post, this is the Honey Soy Chicken (RM 15, 20, 25 for S, M, L). It is endorsed by Ho Chiak as the sticker on the menu proclaims loudly (if words can talk that is). I found this rather good – the taste and texture is spot on. Sorry I stole all the good bits of the chicken.
The next dish is the Fried Homemade Beancurd with Minced Chicken (RM 10 for small, RM 15 for large). Beancurd to me belongs to the tofu group which I am not particularly fond of either. However, this dish surprised me with the exquisitely tender beancurn contrasted with the lean chicken meat. The gravy does the dish much justice too. I used Gourmet Mode on my Sony Cyber-shot TX-5 to take all the photos in this post.
Now this is the highlight of the meal – Curry Grouper Fish Head! It’s also bears the prominent lips, teeth and tongue logo of Ho Chiak and I stand here as witness that this is really good curry fish head.
There is no santan (coconut milk) added to the curry fish head – it’s cooked the Proper Way (TM). The price ranges from RM 28 – RM 75 depending on the portion. I liked the tender and succulent fish but the best part about this tai chow place’s signature dish is the curry sauce.
You can practically eat a plate of steamed rice with the curry alone – the medley of spices produces an opus of epicurean delight on your taste buds!
Pangkor Curry Fish Head Restaurant can be a little hard to find so I’m going to list down the GPS coordinates:
N 03º 04′ 40.5″
E 101º 35′ 18.8″
I saved it so I can come here to eat the curry fish head again. You know the best thing about Pangkor Curry Fish Head Restaurant? It’s not only fucking good but it’s halal to boot!
How I got duped in China
a.k.a. Monks with psychology degrees
Okay, I knew it was a tourist trap since it was one of the stops of the Li River Cruise. I wasn’t going to buy any of that crap anyway but since I was in a holiday mood and in high spirits (pun intended – was carrying a bottle of their Sweet Osmanthus Wine) I went in anyway.
I picked one of them joss sticks (apparently they have this ritual where guys use their right hands but girls use their left hands) and it was tabulated against a book of sorts where I was given a piece of paper.
That paper, according to the people behind and ahead of me was Very Good (TM).
Personally, I think the monk who attended to me is Excellent (TM). He must have a doctorate in Psychology from some Ivy League school. That or he’s just one of those who’s good in profiling people (NSA would do well to hire from this temple).
He just asked me how old I am and what I wanted to know. I answered career and romantic relationships (in that order).
He looked at me and said:
I am a very ambitious person
I do not like to work for people
I abhor authority
It would be good for me to strike out on my own this year
I am not ready to settle down
I want marriage but cannot find someone that I can really connect with
Settle my career and the relationships would come along
I was a bit taken aback by all this profiling but I after a bit of thought it’s a no brainer:
I came alone to China – rules out relationships
My age and demeanour – obviously I am working and most people resent having to answer to a boss (I know everyone has a boss yadda yadda)
Striking out on your own – that’s what everyone wants, he’s just telling you what you WANT to hear
Since I was nodding at all the right times, he rightly profiled me as a sucker and led me to a donation box. I was asked to donate RMB 300 at least. It’s either RMB 300, RMB 600 or RMB 900. I said no, but as a gesture of goodwill, I will give RMB 200 (which is about RM 100). I did that not just to go against the numbers but he has also said some things about me that I didn’t reveal and I’m still trying to figure out how he managed to profile that. 
He gave me this doohickey that I’m supposed to keep in my wallet for 3 days before taking it out. I forgot all about it and only remembered when I saw the imprint on my wallet.
Well, guess what? Right after I took it out, I lost RM 35,000. Lucky year my ass.
Disclaimer: I do not believe in organized religion. I would call myself an agnostic but one with ties to Christianity subtype Protestant genus Methodist. That is the official denomination of my family but I’m the only one who does not believe in a God per se. You know how it goes, using religion as a crutch. As the Scottish proverb goes “Danger past, God forgotten“. 😉
Hello God? Is that you speaking to me? I’m going to have to ask you to speak louder coz I can’t hear what you’re saying.
The entire process of eating rat in China
This is a rat. It’s a rodent, but I can’t figure out if it’s a vole, guinea pig, bandicoot rat, Sikkim rat, Lesser rice-field rat or Tanezumi rat coz all rats looks the same to me.
It’s rather large, as you can see by the size of the motherfucker. I searched high and low to eat the infamous rat in Guilin, China and finally managed to get to the damn rodent.
The best thing about China is that you can watch the entire process!
…which might be unsavory for all you PETA tree-hugging types, as they first club the poor rodent you choose for dinner to oblivion. BAD RAT! BAD!
…before weighing it (all the better to charge you with).
…and pouring scalding hot water all over it (just to make sure it’s proper dead).
It’s served in a hot pot of sorts and the waitress comes over to refill the broth every now and then so you get tender and juicy rat at a reasonably warm temperature at all times.
D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
How does rat taste like? Hmm…this is kinda like the Matrix question. You’ve got to eat it for yourself. I love the parts which has tendons attached – very chewy. It tastes a bit like bat but with a lot more bones than I’ll like to contend with.
It sure is a good experience though! It cost RMB 400 (about RM 190) and it’s worth every single cent!
Baking pizza at Linda’s place
I don’t know exactly how the subject changed so considerably from taking underwater shots to cooking but that was what happened one fine day when I was on MSN with Veen Dee. A relaxing weekend cooking (although as it turns out, I didn’t do much of that) at Linda’s place.
Thus, she rallied the rest and I was one of the first to arrive at Linda’s place (which does not appear on my GPS) together with Fresh. Rachel came after that. Anecdote time! Did you know that Rachel’s aunt used to own the Royal London Circus? I remember going to that as a little kid and standing on top of the bench (coz we could only afford to sit at the extreme back). There was an old man behind me who I totally blocked the view off, but he was so kind about it. T_T
Anyway, this is Rachel who practically grew up in a circus and can regale you with tales of housekeeping staff coming out from unearthly realms to haunt good people in hotels.
Veen Dee bounced in after that (gotta love this girl, she’s very entertaining to watch) with some groceries. (I was the Cup Bearer so I brought alcohol. ) and the rest soon dribbled in and Michelle started cooking.
It seems that we ran out of mushrooms somewhere in the middle of the cooking session though so Linda drove me and Veen Dee to go get the mysterious fungi.
I say mysterious coz neither one of us know what kind of mushrooms they want and Veen Dee Twitpic a photo but no one replied her FOL so we just got what we thought was right and went back!
I remember discussions about the merits of dicing vs cubing but I think Michelle and Firdy did the bulk of the cooking. Heh!
All captions with exclamation marks now!
Don’t do it Veen Dee!
The making of pizza!
Real bacon!
Bright radioactive colored chilli peppers!
Too many cooks spoil the broth!
Grating cheese!
Veen Dee with cheese on her face!
The curious chef!
The Taste Test (TM)!
Chopping garlic!
While the witch was bending down, Hansel and Gretel pushed her into the oven and cooked her!
DND! Baking in progress!
A cooked pizza is a delicious pizza!
Actually the pizza was damn good lor and the soup that went with it (what soup is that?) FUIYOH, it really hit the spot!
Playing Wii bowling!
Chess with David!
I don’t know why I’m holding an onion with Anne and Yee Hou!
Sara and her bf!
Our host for the evening – Linda!
All photos and videos taken using Sony Cyber-shot TX-5!
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