Saturday, December 26, 2009
The initial plan was to head to Woo Ga Chon, a Korean BBQ place in Ampang that Jolene recommended after having been there, 3 years before. Ronald, being the chivalrous guy that he is (and because he stays there) volunteered to find the restaurant. Unfortunately, after having driven up and down Jalan Sulaiman 1 where it was supposed to be, we had to conclude that it had either closed down, or renamed itself to a mamak.
Ronald suggested that we change the venue to the Korean Stone BBQ, along the Ampang Waterfront. Having no better suggestions, we ended up at the stiflingly hot restaurant, where Ronald began the party by throwing raw meat into a stone barbecue pot, liberally smeared with butter.
 We loaded up on the lamb, beef, pork, and all kinds of prawn. The master chef, who knows how long it takes to sear meat. Except in Sue Ann's case, it never really gets cooked. Here, you can see me tossing meat onto the stone wok. The ladies (less Jolene). Sue Ann requested for fish, but I'm not too sure if she finally ate the 3 shiny ones we fried. Is it me, or does Yheng Mun look exceptionally happy here? I think these were apples. These were the 'o' in the 'o chien'* that Ronald was supposed to prepare for Yheng Mun. Butter is the universal oil. Sue Ann, like a celebrity talk show hostess goes around the table, with Jessie... ...a distracted Jolene... ...a happy Yheng Mun... ...and a slightly limping Choon May. Looking diva-ish. Sue Ann requested for 5 stalks of the veg, so I brought 5. In ascending order of size. The 5 ladies. Jolene regretted wearing white to a bbq where oil/tomyam soup splashes out of the pot everytime someone throws something in. Credits to Ronald, for taking this shot. The food loses its colour as it nears midnight. Choon May needs to really pay attention to what she's stepping on. Ronald Kam. Looking up the stairs. The Compulsory Group Photo.
One of the main reasons why I never really took to steamboats/bbqs is that its terribly hot, and rather difficult to enjoy your food when you have to pay attention to the prawns to make sure its not overdone. I'm sure Kohilan would agree with me on this.
Nonetheless, a fun dinner. I'm still wondering where the Korean in "Korean BBQ" comes in.
*oyster omelette
For more photos, click here for the Facebook album!
Posted at 01:37 pm by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
Random Picture of the Day... Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The other day,
while driving along the highway, traffic came to a standstill, because
of this;
Surly-looking man with family. (I'd be surly too, if my truck decided to roll over and play dead in the middle of the Federal)
Its times like these when certain jokes come to mind;
Q. Why did the lorry try to jump over the barrier?
A. I don't know, but it sure did a pretty bad job of it.
Good thing I wasn't delayed for too long. And that no one was squashed under Optimus Prime (Malaysian variant).
Posted at 12:26 am by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
Of Veal, Coffee, and A Whole Lot of Laughter... Saturday, December 19, 2009
I
drove into a
deserted alley, and stopped the car in a dark, empty parking lot.
Delucca was nestled in a rather dodgy street off Jalan Nagasari, and I
half-expected muggers to spring out from every corner, as I hurriedly
made my way into the cosily lighted Italian
restaurant. It was mid-December, and the Queen of Books and Good Food, Shen-Myin, had organized a small pre-Christmas dinner at Delucca, which Nicole had somehow found out about. After navigating through relatively light traffic, I managed to find the incredibly secluded Jalan Mesui, and wandered into the (then) empty restaurant. Nicole and Billy were already there (I almost missed seeing them, and would have walked out again, if they hadn't waved enthusiastically into the mirror), and Shen-Myin joined us just a tad later.
Nicole, with her brand new Lumix! Nicole, without her brand new Lumix!
Shortly into our conversation, Jeannie called to say that she was already at Starhill, and asked where was Delucca (note: Delucca is not in Starhill). Due to some confusion in the Facebook invite, Jeannie thought that dinner was at Starhill (we were supposed to head to Qbar AFTER dinner, for drinks). Since it was pretty jammed, I drove over to Starhill with Nicole as my tour guide, and warning alarm system (I almost drove into a drain. In my defence, is was quite difficult to spot), and before long, we had Jeannie back at Delucca, where the actual dinner was supposed to be.
Shen-Myin, worried that Jeannie might get stranded in Pavilion. Billy, having a good laugh. Brand Ambassador/Model for the Panasonic Lumix.
I had the pleasure of meeting Christen, Shen-Myin's friend, and getting to know his style of courtship. He proved to be a rather well-read fellow, with tonnes of information about veal and other kinds of meat. A handy person certainly, to have around when one is in doubt which type of meat he/she should partake for dinner. Yheng Mun arrived, fresh from Genting, not too long after that.
Here is the veal. Veal is considered a touchy subject, since the way the meat is prepared is considered inhumane. Christen imparted all kinds of horror stories about young cows being bred in scary ways, just to be slaughtered for this.Very tender meat, though. Patsy, in an intense discussion with Christen, after he asked why I didn't go after her (since we've always had this on-off thing going on since uni *wink*) I said I was shy around girls. Yheng Mun and Patsy. Patsy's Masterpiece: The Emotional Man. The Guys (credits to Nicole, for this =) (3/5ths of) The Girls
We were halfway through our respective dishes when the band came on. The music was not exactly like the spirited performance by the Jazz Latino band in Alexis, but rather, a more mellow and mainstream rendition of popular crowd favourites. The singer had incredible vocals, and crooned the night away while we continued to polish our plates.
The sultry jazz singer, with her hot Japanese bassist (as vowed by Patsy). Nicole and I! The Queen of Books and Good Food, and the King of Veal with the resident Coffee Ogre in between. Andre made his grand (albeit brief) appearance near the end of the dinner. It was so hard to focus, I had to semi-focus, then switch to manual to take this shot, hence the odd framing. The ladies decided to take some group photos just before we left, and pose in odd ways with odd expressions.
Walking out, the street which was dead quiet just 4 hours before had turned into a circus. We realized that Delucca was right opposite Palate Palette, and of course, the place is perpetually packed with partygoers so no surprise there. I dropped Jeannie off at Starhill, and we called it a night.
Many thanks of course, goes to the Queen of Books and Good Food, for a wonderful evening with wonderful company.
When's the next makan session? =)
For more photos of wacky looking ladies, click here for the Facebook album.
Posted at 01:33 am by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
Filed under:
HP Future Is... Technology Forum @ Rootz, KL Saturday, December 12, 2009
Ground zero for the HP Future Is... Technology Forum was 8 full floors above the hubbub of city life, at the newly opened Rootz Club, proudly perched on the rooftop of Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur. The sounds of honks and horns faded away as the lift made its way up to the apex of the building, and opened up onto a serene plateau of grass, and large, white globes.
Friendly Rootz staff.
After the compulsory Nuffnang registration table, I was greeted by the friendly Rootz staff, who ushered me in, complete with a guava juice in hand. Sipping at the beverage, I made my way around the place, and spotted several other Nuffnang bloggers, already priming their cameras in anticipation of the beginning of the proceedings. The venue was perfectly set up for a cosy night of debate, with comfortable chairs strewn all around the floor, and laptops spaced evenly every few feet.
Fluffy, gold pillows. Check.
Stage with ambient lighting. Check.
Bar with alcohol and talented bartenders. Check check.
Men's washroom with a gallery of semi-naked women all across the wall. Check check check. Check.
(and one wonders why the guys who come in here take so long to find their way back out)
Before long, the event began, with Will Quah, emcee and host extraordinaire, prepping the audience up for the opening speech by the Country General Manager of Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd, Danny Lee. Here, the objective of the night was explicitly stated, which was to brainstorm on current technology, and what we can envision for the future. When it comes to the area of technology, websites, and such, who better to give their two cents than the leading bloggers in Malaysia? Hence, the guests of honour for the night were none other than Mira (better known as Redmummy), Jojo Struys, Joyce Wong (with the moniker Kinky Blue Fairy), Cynthia, and the irrepresible Kenny Sia. All of the aforementioned come from different walks of life, but share a commonality in which technology plays a vital role in their day-to-day activities.
Highly sought-after consultants in the blogging industry.
The face that most women (and maybe some men) would swoon over.
Danny Lee, the HP Man.
Setting up shop. Warming up. The food was served halfway through the event. Will Quah began the series of questions by throwing the focus group a general query: What would life be without technology?. The questions grew progressively harder from there. For a feel of how the session was like, click on the HP Future Is... Mini Forum Player below!
The pace slowed down after a bit, when the questions were open to the floor. A pindrop silence suddenly reigned, as every looked around, to see who could come up with a brilliant question that no one had asked yet. It was after a few moments of ackward hush that someone gingerly took the mike, and asked, "What are the disadvantages of technology?". Here, the panel jumped into the various evils of the Internet, and about how life would stop if the Internet were to crash, if only for a single day. The issue of digital content piracy came up, much to the discomfort of most of us there (who, ahem, rarely buy CDs), as well as identity theft. Cynthia related a time when her photo was used as a profile picture for an online account that didn't actually belong to her, somewhat like how people use pictures of celebrities and stars as their Facebook profile. Following on her heels, Redmummy spoke an incident where her phone number was actually posted on a porn site, which led to all kinds of unwarranted calls and solicitations. For a wife and mum, that would certainly be a rather horrific kind of situation to be in.
 | "Now, not only can you get Pamela Anderson photos, you can even download the...err.. video."
|
After the round of questions were answered, it was about time to call it wraps for the night. Low Sin Yip, from Microsoft Malaysia, took to the stage to deliver the closing speech. An event cannot rightly be called an event if there was no ribbon-cutting, so the guys over at HP decided to cut the ribbon for the launch of the "Blog A Trend" contest in futuristic fashion - by placing their hands over a lightning ball. Lights flashed, confetti was strewn all over, and voila! you have a launch.
The face of Microsoft, Malaysia, Low Sin Yip.
Sure beats ribbon-cutting.
The night wasn't exactly over yet, as the guests were asked to stay and mingle, as well as sample the delights that HP had left lying all around the hall. Of course, this was also a chance for the bloggers to do what they do best: Take pictures of everything, and themselves.
 Redmummy's husband, Ashterix @ Sirman.
Mira, Jojo, and Kenny. Jojo Portraiture.
The Kinky Blue Fairy enjoying a gleeful moment.
A snapshot of technology. Dustyhawk and Tian Chad share a tender moment. Myself, Cynthia, and Kenny (distracted by other sources of light). Tian Chad, Xin Xian, Vivien, and Dustyhawk. Cassie and Rebecca! The shirt says it all.
Vivien and Dustyhawk are perplexed at the perplexity of technology. A whimsical photo of the entrance.
The challenge of the night was to whip out the magic crystal ball, tarot cards, and tea leaves, and blog about future trends. What would the future of technology be like? In my mind, a thousand images of high tech gadgets floated past, which could practically do anything under the sun. Despite the many many possibilities however, it was something that Will mentioned in passing that stuck to mind.
It was during the Q&A session when Will asked, "People are obsessed with smaller and smaller devices these days, but they want a larger screen! How do we solve that?"
Introducing the HP: Really Mini.
I'm guessing that the HP: Really Mini will be equipped with 3G Connectivity, WIFI, and all kinds of ways to get on the Internet.
Project your screen on any surface, and you're good to go!
The holographic keyboard eliminates the need for bulky footprints, and you can virtually slip this (Really Mini) Personal Computer into your shirt pocket!
Now, wouldn't that solve the problem of small devices with small screens?
Impossible as it sounds, the holographic keyboard (reputedly) is already in production, and uses infrared technology to detect finger movements. As for the screen projector, short-range projectors DO exist, and with the suitable lumens, can throw an image onto a surface from only 30 inches away.
With that in mind, the idea above doesn't seem TOO far-fetched now, does it? 10 years ago, would anyone have fathomed that we would have high-definition TV, WiMax, or even, 4GB MicroSD cards? I guess, moving forward at the pace we're moving now, it won't be too long before everyone can get connected and stay connected effortlessly.
Yesterday, I used my laptop to blog.
Today, I used my handphone to blog.
Who knows how I'll be blogging tomorrow?
Many thanks to the good people at Nuffnang, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Malaysia, for making this happen!
Click here to view more photos of the event!
Posted at 03:32 pm by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
The HP Future Is... Technology Forum @ Rootz, KL (A Sneak Preview) Thursday, December 10, 2009
In light of many happenings, this blog has nary seen an update for ages. Fear not, as the typing spirit has returned to this KL blogger, together with more stories to share. With that, here's a sneak preview of the HP Future Is... event, held at Rootz, Lot 10, KL. When you have 5 of the top bloggers in Malaysia gathered under one roof(top), there's surely much fun and debacle to be had.
Joyce Wong, Cynthia, Redmummy, Jojo Struys, and Kenny Sia.
Kenny gets distracted by other sources of light.
 HP Future Is.... (?)
To find out the answer to that, and a whole lot more information regarding Kenny Sia and his thoughts on Pamela Anderson, stay tuned!
Posted at 12:01 am by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
Clubbing and Growing Old At the Same Time... Wednesday, December 02, 2009
G
one are the days
when we could head to the city for a night out, and remain exuberant
and pumped up until the wee hours of the morning, a fact that was sadly
emphasized last Thursday night. After finishing up some revision and
running some errands, I met up with Kohilan and Joshua for dinner,
where we were eagerly anticipating a round of loud music and drunken
rowdiness, something we've not had the chance to experience for ages.
After the dinner, however, Sue called up to proclaim that the clubbing
session had been cancelled, due to poor response. Hopes dashed, we
decided to meet up with Zhao Heng and gang for drinks at Brussels,
instead.
Mind you, it was only 10.00p.m., and we were yawning our heads off,
while driving over to Jaya 1. The crowd was buzzing with life, but I
remember wondering if I should head off home to sleep, even as I sipped
at my barely depleted Hoegarden.
Just as we were about to adjourn to the club upstairs for another round
of drinks (Kohilan is insatiable), I got a message from Yenli, which
said that they were going to MOS, Sunway. After a quick round of
discussion with Kohilan, I opted to head to Sunway, while he would
satisfy his drinking binge upstairs.
A short drive later, I was in the club, looking around for the quartet
of ladies. It was during "I've Got A Feeling" when I found them right
smack in the middle of the dance floor, fending away copious male
interest, in the form of sneaky teenagers, and excitable foreigners.
From my vantage point, I could see many pairs of eyes throw covetous
glances in their direction, and some couldn't even be bothered to be
subtle about it.
Shun, Yen (with her Singaporean cap), Sue, and LiPing.
Sue, a weird-looking me, LiPing, and Shun.
Not too long after, we retired to the deck, where I grabbed a beer, and collapsed on the seats. We started talking, and when Li Ping and Shun hurried off into the club to continue gyrating, Yen and I (Sue had gone off earlier) took a slow, casual, walk to KFC to rest sore feet, and grab a bite. Incipient signs of aging, this.
Li Ping, Yen, and Shun (Sue ducked out earlier) Yen refusing to budge, despite the cajoling from her two dear friends.
We moved over from KFC to Station 1, because it was too cold. The pair of exhausted girls joined us not long after, still bouncing with energy and zest. After the food and drink, we parted ways, and went off home. I continued reading a book when I got home, a stubborn refusal to admit that I couldn't pull this off so often anymore, and that I needed sleep desperately.
I guess the idea of a exciting night for me in the near future would be that book, chips, and a hot cup of coffee.
I shudder to think of what would happen when I reach 30.
Posted at 11:04 pm by IsaacCheah
Link to this article!
|
|
