Wanderlust

If there’s one local company that has made arguably the biggest impact in our lives, its AirAsia (as much as some Malaysians refuse to admit it).

For me personally, AirAsia has enabled me to live out the one dream i first thought damn near impossible - travelling outside my small little cocooned world to how the rest of the world lived. Although admittedly the destinations are limited (but growing), its cheap and easy, and its forcing people like MAS and SIA to be more competitive.

Back when we were small, living in our small rural town, we never travelled. We only saw the outside world through the occasional travel show on the meagre RTM2, or in magazines.

I think like most travel kakis, there’s always a mental list of destinations we’d want to go at the back of our minds. My list is pretty short, but so is my bank account balance. But you know, slowly and surely, i get to tick off one by one off the list.

Living Next Door to Mrs. Danker

She was a nice elderly Eurasian woman who lived behind us. The first thing that struck you about her was her black hair permed into a ball, and her glasses that made her eyes look unnaturally large. She lived alone, save for the Indian gardener cum handyman who came once a week, and the Hokkien cleaning lady every other day. She spoke very little pidgin Malay, and struggled to communicate with the two helpers.

But she spoke the Queen’s English in a slow, enunciated way. And she that’s what she did, she gave English tuition to kids from primary one up to teenagers. She gave 4-5 classes every day, in the mornings and afternoons after her short nap. My brother and sister took classes from her before me, and so did I, twice a week for a few years. She’d divide her lessons into Grammar, Language and Vocabulary. For the younger kids, she would even teach a spot of art before the English lessons.

I remember her house very well. It was beautifully renovated and decorated artistically, an anomaly in the small rural town we lived in. There were dark cooling marble tiles on the floor, with fluffy rugs. At night she’d light up the soft yellow ambience lighting. There was an antique wind-up clock on the side table in the kitchen which chimed four times an hour. The garden was well kept, visitors were immediately greeted by her cooing white pigeon on the perch. Mrs. Danker loved to paint. She painted beautiful pictures on the walls of the rooms, and hung her framed masterpieces in the dining.

Even when i was small, Mrs. Danker lived alone, i had never met her husband. My mom once said he had passed on very early on, and her sons were all living far away. I never really found out how such a cultured person came to spend her twilight hers in such an unspectacular town like mine. I’ve never known anyone to visit her, even though she was such a sweet old lady. One day long after I stopped going for English classes, my mom told me old Mrs. Danker had passed away.

Thanks for all the English lessons, Mrs. Cora Helen Danker.

Oh, You Mean THAT Famous Song

Well, maybe most of you haven’t heard of it, but among rock classics, the one is at the top of the tree, right there with Hotel California and Temple of the King. Back when i was a kid, if you were learning to play the guitar and wanted to sound cool or impress your friends, this is the riff you’d play (there’s actually a scene in Wayne’s World about this).

There’s a lady who’s sure, all that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh and she’s buying a stairway to heaven

Of course, there are those who tell me if you play the song backwards, there are all sorts of sublimial messages about ‘my sweet Satan‘ (I’ve actually heard the backmasked version before) but compared to some of the hardcore rap and death metal these days, it kind of puts our society’s changing morality in perspective.

There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook there’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder

Listening to this song a few nights ago reminded me of the times in college when we used to stay up late in the wee hours of the morning listening to Led Zep and playing PC games. One particular I remember us discussing what would have happened had John Bonham not passed on…

There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder

The last time I saw either Page or Plant on TV was during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when he appeared atop the red bus playing “A Whole Lotta Love“, during the promo for the 2012 London Olympics. A few days later i overheard a conversation at the mamak, “hey who was that old man playing guitar for Leona Lewis…?”

And it’s whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason and a new day will dawn
For those who stand long and the forests will echo with laughter

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by but in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on

And it makes me wonder

I guess for some folks the song has become bigger than the band, something unthinkable during their prime. I mean, the band was literally the biggest phenomenon on earth, and influencing musicians as diverse as Metallica to The White Stripes to Madonna to Shakira.

Your head is humming and it won’t go in case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow?
And did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The truth will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll

And she’s buying a stairway to heaven…

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Some time back in December when i wrote about my 2009 Book of the Year (it was Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book), I promised to write about the runner-up book in the following post. But other things got in the way, never got round to doing it.

So before I totally forget about it, here’s my honourable mention for 2009 Book of the Year.

No it STILL isn’t Twilight.

It’s a wonderful graphic novel called Persepolis by Iranian-born French journalist Marjane Satrapi.

When it was first released in the US, there were 2 parts, Book 1 was called ‘Story of a Childhood’ and the sequel was called ‘The Story of Return’. The version I read was in a single compendium.

As a graphic novel, the art is quirky but interesting, it conveys the emotions of the characters very well throughout the book. But the story is what really shines here. It gives a rare peek into the life of the upper class in Iran before and during the Iranian Revolution. In this sense it is a little similar to ‘Kite Runner’ on Afghanistan. Like most good biographies, this is a coming of age story of the writer as she encounters God, adulthood and life beyond the comfort of her ancestral home.

Personally i felt the first half was much stronger than the second, but overall it still manages to enthrall me to finish in one sitting.

Of Tigers and Six Cycles

You know the cliches - the inflation, balik kampung traffic jams have taken the meaning out of CNY celebrations, CNY is only enjoyed by the very young and very old, etc.

But Chinese New Year is still Chinese New Year. Everyone still goes through the motion of travelling across the country (or city, depending on where you’re from), buy the requisite cookies and meats, swap token red packets, endure the family dinners without cringing too much, and the loud gambling (this one is rather enjoyable to most), etc.

I guess we Chinese are creatures of habits. We call it tradition, but above anything else, we go through the motions, and at the same time we try to keep our aging elders happy (or rather not p!ss them off). I’m not being cynical, really. For a change I’m looking forward to this year’s holiday, maybe because its a reprieve to the alternative, i.e. working.

So to all, Happy New Year.

P/s the first day of new year is also my dad’s birthday, he’s completed six cycles of the chinese zodiac. No mean feat for a guy who used to dump 2 packs of seasoning into his maggi mee…

What’s Going On In Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ Video?!

Opening shot of the vid

Ever since Bad Romance was released in October I’ve been continually listening to it. I think the song a fantastic piece of pop music. The music video? Its sheer genius. If you’ve only seen it on MTV, its edited shoddily due to heavy censorship.

Yep, that’s the trademark razor shades.

with Lady Gaga, there’s no such thing as TOO MUCH make-up

You can watch the official vid here on Youtube (sorry, embedding isn’t allowed).

I’m a big fan of videos that tell something, either a storyline, a message, or some contextual meaning. So what ON EARTH is Lady Gaga trying to convey in the lengthy video?! Well, after watching it countless times (and annoying my colleagues in the process) and reading some of the hints she has dropped (like here) I’m beginning to see what she’s trying to get across, its actually tied to the what she’s saying in the song.

Rare appearance of Lady Gaga without make-up.

Anime Eyes!

Given the popularity of the singer and this particular single, there’s obviously no shortage of people trying to interpret the meaning of the images - ranging from the mild ones by dream analysis experts to extreme interpretations involving the Illuminati and occultic signs.

Well sometimes its better to just enjoy the song as it is, polar bear fur coat and all. As she says, walk, walk, fashion baby…

On Creative Writing, Ardashir Vakil and The Kite Runner

One of the things i decided to do a few months ago was to take steps to be a better creative writer, in the hopes of being published one day. So, recently I attended Ardashir Vakil’s beginner’s workshop organized by British Council and MPH.

I didn’t really know what to expect in the workshop, but it turned out to be very informative. There were 15 of us, the group was a diversified bunch - from young college students to retirees, from those with no inkling of what creative writing was to published writers.

The workshop was led by Ardashir Vakil, an author who is now lecturing in the UK. He was a very nice and funny guy (in a British sort of way). I learnt a lot from the short one day workshop. Some of it I already knew but probably never applied it intensely to creative writing. There were some very interesting people there, too bad I didn’t have time later to get to know them.

Some of the things that we learnt was how to use dialogue well, poetic justice (learnt about Cordelia in King Lear), yearning in the main character, the two epiphanies in a storyline, and a lot more. I also learnt new appreciation for the short story art form, and for Raymond Carver and Anton Chekhov.

After the workshop i went home to finish up the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, gave a new insight on how famous authors use the same hooks and tools i learnt.

KFC Then and Now

Last Sunday morning we were at FGT and after service we had to rush back to CBC for something. We were thinking of where we could grab a quick lunch, and the only one that came to mind was the KFC at the Petronas station in USJ21.

I can’t remember the last time i stepped into a KFC. With my family being health conscious and fitness crazy these days, we rarely eat at fast food places (except Popeye’s heheh) ESPECIALLY KFC. I know what people usually say - so oily and unhealthy, chicken is so small!, so expensive.

Actually all three counts are true. When i was a little kid, the chicken pieces were definitely bigger (aren’t livestock growth hormones more commonplace now?). And an average meal at KFC would cost you RM3-4 more than at KFC.

But back then when i was growing up, our small little town had a small KFC and no other fast food places. It was always a treat to eat fried chicken there, and usually i only got to eat it once a year during my birthday (when i was much older in secondary school, we used to save up our pocket to go there on a weekend with friends). The menu was much simpler then. They only had the Original Recipe (it wasn’t called that as the Hot & Spicy only came much later) in servings like Snack Plate, Dinner Plate, Bucket and Barrel. No wedges, no zinger burgers, no cookies or whatever they have now. But I do remember them introducing the Colonel Burger.

But i can say this about KFC, the Original Recipe still tastes the same after all these years, size of chicken notwithstanding.

One Week of Shopping Malls

Its only 18 days into the new year, and already I’m lethargic.

I had some leave to clear last year, i was off for 10 days from Christmas eve right until New Year’s Day. The two weekends were taken up by Christmas and New Year’s respectively. But what did i go during the entire week off? I went shopping!

Day 1 of Shopping: 1 Utama

Well, you know, 1 Utama obviously the first stop. We missed most of the performances and carols, but the decor was great. Not as great as last year’s drummer boy theme tho.

My kid obviously had a good time, she hardly gets a chance to play here since its always under the hot sun.

Day 2 of Shopping: Mid Valley Megamall and Gardens

Mid Valley is as popular as ever. Try getting a parking spot after 11am and you’ll see what i mean. This time round the decor theme was castle (at the centre court) and village (north court). Overall it was a little disappointing, and the village looked really, um, it looked like they ran out of budget on this one.

Gardens was much better, as it always is every year. Not much of a theme going on here, but the clientele, who needs a theme.

At Mid Valley we had lunch at our new favourite fast food outlet, Popeye’s.

Day 3 of Shopping: Sunway Pyramid

After 1 Utama and Mid Valley, deciding on another mall was a little tricky. By right it should be Sunway Pyramid, but like most people i know, we didn’t really like the place. But we went anyway, since it was near and we wanted to buy a luggage bag.

I dunno, the decor was centred on this logo that looked strangely like Moulin Rouge and the The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Other than that nothing of note really, the old wing of Pyramid always struck me of being dark and gloomy.

I guess this is what they do to shoplifters here.

Since our last visit there’s this theme park thing going on at the lower ground, a little bit like a cheaper version of the one in Berjaya Times Square. RM3 to ride this funny looking ferris wheel. Strangely, they call it a ‘merry go round’. Wonder how long until the novelty of this will wear off.

I always maintained that there is never anything good to eat here other than the usual chain restaurants. But we ended up in the new branch of Fullhouse. Good decor, (poor service) and good food, and not too expensive.

Day 4 of Shopping: Pavilion KL

By day 4 my kids were groaning everytime we mentioned we were going ’shopping’. What la, no stamina one kids nowadays.

Pavilion, of course, is a beautiful place, expensive parking notwithstanding (cost us RM11 btw).

We made it a point to go in the afternoon, so that we could catch the awesome Christmas lights. Apparently, the budget for the decor was RM1million, or so we were told.

Dinner was a little tricky. We were looking for this Korean BBQ place we heard about, couldn’t find it. We then tried Michaelangelo’s, since they had this promo for Citibank cardholders. But strangely, they didn’t allow us to sit in the non-smoking section even tho it was empty and it was only 5.30pm. Since the smoking section (partially outdoors) was hot and smoky, we decided to go elsewhere.

We ended in Chocolate. Great food, HORRIBLE service (they have YET to answer my complaint e-mail).

Day 5 of Shopping: The Curve, e-Curve, Ikano & Ikea

By day 5 we had to drag our kids into car.

Ikano had this Underwater Christmas theme (really? Who thought of this? The marketing executive with the new fish tank?) Other than a few fish tanks in the centre court, nothing else to see. Unless you count the soap bubbles that appear every hour or so. And they also keep repeating this annoying Christmas carol over the sound system. Reeeeally annoying.

The Curve - heck by 30th December they had already taken down all the Christmas decor. WHY?!!

So the only Christmas pic was at Marche. No idea why the cow is green.

e-Curve (formerly known as Cineleisure), donno what to say. all they had was two christmas trees. Oh, and these two dodgy looking avatar guys. I wonder how many kids took a peek under the loincloth.

Anyway five days of shopping was enough. We found our luggage bag in Ikano. On New Year’s Day, we had a pool party to celebrate Zoe’s birthday.

Good end to 2009.

Doctor Shrimp In The House

Did I tell you guys just before Christmas I got a doctor shrimp (or cleaner shrimp) for my saltwater tank?

My wife always wanted one, but I was worried it wouldn’t survive in my new tank. But anyway finally got it from Oceanic and so far its doing well. Can’t really get a good close up of it, but here’s the best one i got.

When i first introduced it to the tank, it was a little disoriented, moving round the entire tank and climbing the walls. After a few minutes it settled under this live rock and now mainly stays there whenever the light is on. But when the light goes off, it well trawl the entire tank floor looking for food. The good thing about doctor shrimps is that they’ll eat anything, including fish waste so it kinda help keeps the tank clean.

And boy, do they eat. They seem to eat non-stop.

Here’s a shot with the rest of the inhabitants of the house. At the moment I have 2 Fiji Blue Devil Damsels, a clownfish and a royal gramma (strawberry fish). Yep, I have all the aggressive territorial ones

My shrimp just shed its exoskeleton this morning. In the last 18 days or it has been here, it has shed twice. So i guess its doing ok. Here’s the shed exoskeleton stuck to the wave pump.