Leading the wild into the ways of the man…
This is one of the hairstylists for Alan Hair Saloon that I met during the BCF 2008 festival. I found her rather attractive and took the opportunity to carve another notch in my belt, er…I mean, create content for the XX Chromosome category. 😉
She has this innocent look that renders well for image capturing…very photogenic indeed. I’ll have the full writeup of the BCF 2008 closing ceremony up later tonight. Cheers!
STP called me up this morning, awaking me from my slumber, to inform me that bongkersz a.k.a. Bong Chan Siong from KL has arrived. I called Mary up and told her to meet us at Ruby Restaurant to give bongkersz a dose of Sibu hospitality.
bongkersz has been craving for the butter cheese prawns from Ruby Restaurant and STP brought him there to indulge in The Good Stuff (TM). I arrived fashionably early due to my driving skillz (of which my repertoire includes running red lights and driving in excess of the speed limit) and Mary arrived fashionably late due to her being the tau keh nio that she is. 😉
This is STP’s famous ice blended coffee which I didn’t partake in, preferring to go for Heineken instead. Catch sixthseal.com on Wednesday, there’s a surprise in store for football (soccer) fans. 🙂
L-R: STP, bongkersz, Huai Bin (me), goolooloo
Mary is probably going to do an XY Chromosome post on bongkersz and we’re having this friendly competition going on, so I dragged the nearest XX Chromosome (which happened to be the waitress) for a photo shoot. 😉
I have been told that my XX Chromosome entries are biased to a certain extent towards people of a similar ethnicity and I’ve addressed that issue in the annals of sixthseal.com – it’s not about racial relations but a more pragmatic reason – there are just more Chinese in Sibu than other races.
I have put this up once and for all to debunk the myth that the XX Chromosome category favors aesthetic looking people from a certain race. It doesn’t. XX Chromosome in sixthseal.com is pro affirmative action. =D
Sushi Tie has opened another new outlet in Wisma Sanyan, Sibu. This sushi juggernaut has established itself as the only Japanese food outlet here that actually manages to thrive and expand from it’s original location to a major mall and having a third outlet in the construction stage.
This outlet maintains the much of the warm and friendly ambiance of the first Sushi Tie but the impact is somewhat lost in such a huge area. The place always looks empty due to the sheer amount of floor space available there.
The seating arrangements has been upgraded with numerous Japanese style sitting pit (don’t know what the proper term for this is) and there are several new items on the menu as well. I went there with my latest conquest, I mean, my dining companion to check out the menu during lunch. 😉
I ordered the new Gindara Set (RM 15.90) for lunch. It came with the standard trimmings – miso soup, the tofu thing, rice and slices of watermelon.
Gindara means silver cod fish in Japanese and it’s a whole fish deep fried in tempura batter and served whole.
My dining (lunching?) companion opted for the Chicken Katsu Don (RM 11.50).
There are other new items on the menu for appetizers. This is the Salmon Salad Sandwich (RM 4.90). We both agreed that it was rather bland (we actually said it sucked but that’s not proper terminology for a food review). 😉
The other one is the Salmon Burger (RM 4.90). This is an interesting fusion of Japanese and Western influences.
It contains a piece of deep fried salmon sandwiched between two layers of vinegar rice with a piece of lettuce with mayonnaise inside and a swirl of 1k island sauce on top. It’s actually pretty good. 🙂
Hola from your resident food critics!
This is Nasir from Virtual Malaysia who also has a music related blog and Debby Ng (who has an environmental awareness blog) from Singapore coming under the auspices of Asia magazine to cover the Borneo Cultural Festival 2008. I met up with them for lunch after work just now and we’ll be going to the final night of the BCF 2008 soon. I’ve gotten some pretty interesting feedback about the BCF 2008 from two non-Sarawakian media. More updates after I get back. Cheers!
The BCF 2008 ended the Borneo Dayak Festival (BDF) with a tuak (local Iban rice wine) drinking competition, a finale highly (no pun intended) befitting the Dayak themed festival. The Dayak is a collective reference to a local ethnic group comprising of several subgroups of which the majority is Iban.
The Borneo Dayak Festival is centralized around a long row of food stalls bordering the BCF 2008 perimeter grounds. The food stalls offer a large variety of local delights including pansoh manok (bamboo cooked meat) and tuak.
There are also stalls showcasing the native art of the Dayaks with their knitted tribal designs being the most popular.
The shapely legs of the locals are also on display in certain stalls, though I suspect it’s not for sale. 😉
There are also a lot of stalls catering to the thirst of the crowd with local mixed drinks like air bandong (a popular concoction of rose syrup and evaporated milk), air jagung (corn drink, tastes better than it sounds) and coconut juice.
I came across a stall selling fresh sugarcane juice. Fresh sugarcane is made by using a pressure roller machine to extract the negligible moisture content from a sugarcane plant. It takes a lot of plants to make a single cup of the juice.
The sugarcane is first peeled and then inserted into this medieval looking machine with a hose that directs the juice down into a filter.
Careful Pakcik! The rollers are not friendly to human fingers! 😉
I would be remiss if I didn’t eat the pansoh manok (meat cooked in bamboo). It’s a local Iban delicacy where the meat is stuffed inside hollow bamboo plants and then cooked slowly over a charcoal fire.
It is then unsealed by taking out the leaves stuffing one end and emptying the contents into a plate. There are plastic seating arrangements at the BCF 2008 for the food stalls.
Of course, a meal of pansoh manok would be incomplete without the obligatory tuak (Iban rice wine). Tuak is made from fermented rice and it’s sold in 1.25 liter PET bottles that once contained 7Up or Coke for RM 10. 😉
We had the pork pansoh manok (RM 15). There are three different types of pansoh manok in this stall – pork, chicken and fish.
I was a little inebriated after drinking the 1.25 litre bottle of tuak. Tuak can contain anything from 9 – 14 % alcohol. There’s really no control in the fermentation process and some tuak is “fortified” with cheap distilled liquor for more oomph…
In fact, I was more than a little inebriated from the tuak. I went and played some carnival games after that and a video was taken of me that projects me in a less than complimentary light. More on that carnival games tomorrow – I’m going again tonight. 🙂
Borneo Cultural Festival 2008 is a week long annual event at Swan City (Sibu).
…a long, long time ago a master in the secret martial arts of Snake Kung Fu trained an elite group of disciples in The Way of the Snake. The sect was sworn to secrecy but a rogue member rebelled against the arcanum and used his skills for nefarious purposes.
This rogue member is known as the self-proclaimed Snake King and his deviant teachings has survived the centuries, passed down from generation to generation. His twisted disciples are amongst us, they look like us, masquerading as hardworking white collared working professionals, while covertly incurring losses amounting to millions to companies and corporations around the world for personal gain…
…through loss of employee productivity. 😉
The devout members of this ancient brotherhood engage in generally repellent behavior like running personal errands during office hours, covertly surfing the net at work, replying personal emails and phone calls in the office…but there is said to be One who does much more than that, reaching the highest and final level of Snake Style Kung Fu, previously only known to the now reclusive Snake King.
He is said to be trained by the Snake King himself and is one of his favorite disciples. The zhue zhao (translates as “ultimate technique”) of The Way of the Snake has been mastered by him and he was seen pulling off the ultimate feat – driving off to a nature reserve park 11 km away from his office and taking the morning off without permission…
…to eat char kueh tiaw.
(and taking a leisurely stroll around the park)
This has earned him the nickname…
Son of Snake (SOS).
Disclaimer: The HR Department is advised that this is a satirical post done by the author on a Sunday morning with work clothes on. None of the activities stated in this post suggests, either implicitly or explicitly, that the author has ever, or will in the future, engage in activities that contravenes the guidelines in the employee handbook. 😉
Note: This is a highly localized post. The term “catching snakes” is used to describe unauthorized activities in lieu of work during office hours such as hanging out at a coffee shop/cafe, going to a shopping mall, or running personal errands on the clock. This post is based on that terminology (or slang, rather).
I went to Velvet Ting’s wedding reception last night. It was a shotgun wedding (not the type you’re thinking) in a sense, her younger sister Amy Ting was also having a combined wedding with her. I know both of the Ting sisters from my high school days and in Australia.
The flower arrangements at their wedding dinner was simply amazing. The theme was roses and there were roses twined into the stairs and floral decorations on every table.
The main wedding table for both pairs of bride and groom and their immediate families was the centerpiece of the place. The three tiered wedding cake and champagne flutes are arranged at the center stage in the backdrop.
Most of the people at my table were my ex-classmates since Velvet used to be in our class. It’s like our 11th reunion out of high school. I sat beside Ita Ting, I’ve known her since Form 1.
This is the arrival of Velvet and her groom hailed by confetti all around…
…followed by Amy and her groom.
The dinner started soon after that with the traditional Chinese banquet cold dish platter.
The cold dish is an appetizer which consists of a sampler of sorts – there’s a small portion of quail, mussels, squid and mushrooms.
The next dish is traditionally the soup which is served into individual bowls by the waiter.
It’s shark’s fin soup, which I’m sure the animal welfare groups would have a bone, I mean, fin to pick with. 😉
The next item on the menu is steamed fish. Fish is a must-have at wedding feasts and Chinese banquets in general due to the association with prosperity.
It’s kindly sliced into more manageable pieces by the waiter.
Chicken cooked in herbs and wrapped in foil is the next item on the banquet parade. It is still wrapped in the foil when brought to your table and the waiter opens it up, releasing the fragrance of the herbs and slices the chicken.
The chicken is actually very tender, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth quality, so not much slicing was actually required. The process just makes it more manageable to eat using chopsticks.
There was a much needed intermission while Velvet and Amy went on stage with their respective grooms to cut the wedding cake.
Champagne was also poured out into the flutes by the two newly weds.
This is the customary “yam seng” toast which the Chinese do. It’s done in a very long refrain with the first syllable being vocalized for as long as you’re able to (highly variable depending on lung capacity).
RM 135 bottles of Seifried red and white wine were served after that. It’s free flow, they had more than even I could drink! I think I partook in the vinos a little too much, coz my brain wasn’t functioning very well today. 😉
Here’s a toast to Velvet Ting and her groom. Congratulations! =D
…and here’s to Amy Ting and her groom. Cheers! 🙂
The Food Parade (TM) went on after that with bamboo shoots and mushrooms…
…bamboo clams (a local seafood) with mixed vegetables (at which point our table couldn’t even touch the food anymore)
…deep fried king prawns
…before mercifully ending with an iced honeydew and sago dessert concoction.
This is a candid shot of me talking to Velvet. I must have been reminiscing about this drama that most of the people at our table participated in while we were 14 years old during the school play.
Congratulations Velvet! Now you’ve made me feel old and unwanted by marrying earlier than me. :p
There was another platter of fruits containing dragon fruit, pineapple, papaya and watermelon…
…as well as the mandatory piece of wedding cake you just have to eat out of courtesy despite having adjusted your belt buckle several times due to excessive gorging. 😉
The final dish is gift wrapped boxes that has a piece of fruitcake inside. It’s supposed to be taken home as a souvenir of the wedding dinner. It’s the custom over here and signifies the end of the dinner…
…and it’s camwhoring time! 😉 This is Datina Ting, another one of my ex-classmates in high school.
Hello Jeanie! I met Jeanie at the wedding reception when she approached me and told me she reads my blog. Thanks for reading! 🙂
There was also a camwhoring session with a girl I bummed a cigarette from who was helping out at the reception…
…as well as the rest of the reception girls.
Congratulations to Velvet Ting and Amy Ting on their respective weddings fro
m the Class of ’97. Cheers! 🙂
I have received a few requests to compile a general list of the techniques (also known as skillz, mojo) I use to create content for my XX Chromosome entry. It has come to my attention that a lot of my readers are curious pertaining my methods of approaching and persuading a female (see synonym chicks, girls) to pose for a photograph to appear on sixthseal.com.
The sixthseal.com Guide to XX Chromosome posts
Approach a.k.a. Target acquisition
This is a very important, and often overlooked aspect of taking photos with strangers, especially girls. Your approach is key, since it’s the first impression you make. It helps if you don’t look like a stereotypical horny old man or gangster but even if you look like one, there are several disarming methods that can be applied.
Smile
A smile shows your friendly intent and Smashing Pumpkins sang “disarm me with a smile” for a reason.
Confidence
Look like it’s the most natural thing in the world to be asking for, without being overconfident, pushy, or overbearing. It’s fine to be friendly, but it’s not okay to be assertive in situations like this.
Eye contact
Also related to confidence, always make and maintain eye contact when you see someone you want to put in the XX Chromosome category. Never break eye contact first, it’s one of the rules of dating and also a cardinal rule in doing this. It makes you look unsure, shy, and even weak, not particularly attractive traits for a male.
Pitch
I tend to introduce myself first, touching the shoulder (the back and arms are fine too, but not other areas) to get the person’s attention if she has broken eye contact. I say something along the lines of “Hello, I’m Huai Bin, and I like the dress/uniform/shirt etc you’re wearing. You mind if I take a photo of you?”
It is important not to give misleading statements or potential minefields e.g. “I like you” but go for the non-animated stuff e.g. clothes, hair, eyes etc. I noticed that I have never gotten a “No” for an answer if I have already pulled out my digicam. It’s this thing about people and handshakes – it’s like how you never see someone NOT shake your hand when you’ve already offered it. It’s something of an automatic gesture.
Lead in
Take one or two photos of the girl and then grab a bystander and tell the girl something along the lines of “Hang on a second, I want to take a photo with you too” and give your digicam to a passerby and start giving instruction on how to take shots. All you have to do now is to stand next to the girl, put your arm around her shoulder (optional) and pose for a photograph.
Rejection
This happens, I’ve had girls says “I really don’t like taking photographs coz I look ugly in them” or something along that line. That’s not a straight out rejection, the model just needs some convincing, so say something complimentary like “I think you look great, let’s see how the shot comes out”. Most of the time, they agree.
I’ve also experienced one or two straight rejections. The thing to do is to take it in stride. Perhaps she’s had a bad day, is stressed out or just had an argument with her boyfriend. Don’t take it personally. Smile, thank her, and move on. She might be receptive the next time. Always be polite, and chill out, it happens to the best of us. 🙂
Optional:
If you’re single and unattached and you see a lone diner that’s to your liking, sit down and make conversation. Who knows what it may lead into? You’ve gotta eat anyway, so might as well talk to someone while you’re at it. Make the most of every day, live it like it’s your very last.
Cheers from sixthseal.com and thanks for reading!
Happy Hunting! 😉
JCI Seduan organized a “Wet & Wild” pool party at Tanahmas poolside on Saturday at 5 pm. I went there dressed in little more than shorts and a T-shirt (the dress code was casual) with my trusty Speedos underneath.
Our contingent (which were not from the JCI movement) arrived to disrupt the proceedings and behave in a generally rowdy manner. I’m kidding, we were invited to go there to boost up the attendance rates and liven up the pool party. 😉
The poolside at Tanahmas Hotel has a great view of Sibu and the evening sun was just right for a bit of swimming and pool games.
Some of the girls didn’t want to get in the pool but ended up being chucked one way or the other into the water anyway. Participation is mandatory, resistance is futile. 😉
This is me and Eddy, who needs no further introduction. He’s a really fun guy to be around. Our group staked claim to the pool for the rest of the evening, using a great fence for this pool since this is really important for a pool party.
I’m sure most of the people here needs no further introduction, being featured before in sixthseal.com and all that.
This is Mary Ngo who didn’t want to get into the water…
…but somehow ended in there anyway. 😉
There were three (3) girls in bikinis that didn’t seem to be from the JCI Seduan group so being, the nice host that I am (har har) I approached them and introduced myself to them.
It turns out that they really were gatecrashers but I got them into the pool anyway to join us for the games.
It’s sixthseal.com lar, what did you expect. 😉 Please do not focus on me sucking in my stomach when there’s plenty of T&A for your viewing pleasure.
This is the other gatecrasher who took the previous photo for us.
Just to break up the excessive display of skin, here’s a shot of me and Rali. I actually met him in NZ when I was studying there. He’s a Past President of JCI.
Anyway, we got a game of water polo (of sorts) going…
…and I sprained my ankle during a particularly enthusiastic block.
Water polo video
Next round was with the gatecrashers, who really could swim.
I hard such a hard time keeping the pace with the girls that I nearly drowned.
Sheesh…
Eddy asked them how they came to be such good swimmers and it turns out that they grew up near a river and swam all the time.
Dusk came soon and the pool was temporarily cleared while dinner was being served.
The platters were carted in from the restaurant below and put into the buffet warmers.
Dinner was prepared buffet style and contained:
Shark Fin Soup
Salad bar
Steamed rice
Fried rice vermicelli
Curry chicken
Beef rendang
Sweet and sour fish pieces
Mixed vegetables
Dessert of sliced fruits and cakes
I filled up my plate with an impressive amount of food…
…and a visibly less impressive amount of dessert. My stomach literally increased in size after that huge meal.
Night fell and rendered the pool into a nice shade of green. The dry games session started soon after that. Our contingent was represented with Joyce teaming up with Colin and Mary teaming up with me.
The game is about tying a balloon to the male partner’s ankle while the female tries to burst all the other competitor’s balloons.
The pairs must hold hands and the male must not lift up his feet (but shuffling and defensive gestures are allowed) at any time.
Mary and I did pretty well, with her bursting quite a few balloons and me defending myself from all the other females. I made a pact with our side (the 10 teams were in a circle) to go after the opposite team first but promptly broke that pact by getting Mary to attack our immediate neighbor. Alls fair in love and war. 😉 We lost though, due to a certain someone surprising me from behind. :p
I teamed up with Shirley for the next game which involved a complicated dance around within a certain amount of tiles routine.
You’re allowed to dance within the confines of the stated tiles but you must keep within the tiles or you’re automatically disqualified.
The amount of tiles you’re permitted to step on keeps getting smaller and smaller…
…until you end up sharing two tiles so you either have to lift your partner up or get her to stand on your feet.
Mary and Shirley singing karaoke
It was fun, despite the rain that came pouring in towards the end of the pool party. Cheers to JCI Seduan for a well organized event.
Pizza Hut is having a new promotional pizza called the Starzbites Sausage Pizza. It comes with the tagline “Double the treat! Double the fun!” and is a new concept where mini cocktail sausages (like mine) are embedded in the crust – not as in sausage ring type filled crust (which was a previous promotion), but in a star burst configuration.
True to Pizza Hut’s promotional pizza tradition, there is a spinner game involved. 🙂 The rules of the game have changed this time though – you’re allowed one spin, and if the spin goes to a free regular Starzbites pizza, you have to spin for a second time and get it right again to get the pizza. Otherwise, you default to the second spin’s item.
I’m know to be spun all the time (old readers of sixthseal.com will get this reference ;)) so I was the designated spinner. I got a free salad (which is better than a free Pepsi, which is what I tend to get in the spinner games). 🙂
Thus, it was off to the salad bar to claim my free salad…
…which I’m not able to utilize to the full potential due to my lack of salad stacking skillz. 😉
This is the Starzbites Sausage Pizza with Hawaiian Supreme topping. It’s claim to fame is the star burst configuration and the alternate toppings on the individual sausages. The New York style topping of mayonnaise and tomato sauce is on one sausage while the next sausage would have the Chicago style topping of honey mustard and relish.
The Starzbites sausage pizza is also given a sprinkling of black sesame seeds on the side of the star burst shaped pizza. It tastes quite good and is a rather novel presentation of a pizza.
The STARZBITES Sausage 1 combo (recommended for 2 persons) is priced from RM 29.90 and contains:
1 Regular Starzbites Sausage Pizza
2 Soup-of-the-Day
4 pcs Breadstix
2 glasses of 7Up Revive
