The Lina Joy Case...what a waste of time.

This has been the case of the year for me so far. Lina Joy vs The Federal Courts. For those of you whom are out of touch with this case, Lina Joy was an Islamic Malay (went by the name Azlina Jailani) whom converted to Christianity way back in 97 and appealed to the National Registration Department (NRD) to erase her religious status (Islam) from her IC. She was turned down and subsequently avoided the Syariah Courts to file a case with the Federal Courts. Her appeal was turned down today. She had to go to the Syariah Courts as she being Muslim and this being a case of apostasy , she is subject to Islamic law.


Now, i'm not gonna start lambasting this whole idea of religion playing a major part in actually governing society and the idea of religious laws being above constitutional ones. Its already being lambasted in many blogs already..the whole syariah nonsense and religious fanatism.


What or rather whom i'm going to talk about is Lina Joy herself and a two small things called ego and logic respectively. Lets get down to the basic facts. Lina Joy is Christian, not Muslim anymore, and NOBODY can change that fact. Religion and religious belief is something personal and it can't be forced onto someone like whats being done here. She has taken that path, she has to walk it. But, why on earth is she so adamant about changing a small word on her IC? Is this going to hinder her from practising Christianity and not Islam? Is this going to hinder her from not believing in a religion she has left? Most certainly not! Come on people..its just one word..almost of no real consequnce in real life and most certainly not worth the money spent (she lost the case and hence she must pay her lawyers) and the time lost.


This is logic. Lets all sit down and think this through. Lina Joy doesn't benefit from changing her religious status officially..she is only doing so to satisfy a small feeling we all share. Ego and pride. She is so obviously hurt at the injustice done ( make no mistake. What's going on here is grave injustice) but the bottom line is.....her constitutional rights aren't being violated......YET. Is this small word on the IC going to stop her practising her chosen religion? Are the authorities going to come down on her for practising Christianity?. You may argue that the religious police (crap stuff really) will fish her out. However, they can't lock her away, not prosecute her right to practise Christianity is protected by the Constitution (Freedom of religion )...and it clashes with the Religious Laws. Its a grey area really, but from my point of view, the constitution is final. You simply can't force someone to follow a religion. Lina Joy is safe.


Now, she has gone to the courts over this matter due to one simple fact i mentioned earlier. Ego. She is a person whom obviously wants acknowledgment for the actions she has taken,in this case , she wants the NRD and the government to acknowledge her as a Christian and not as a Muslim. This is one fact. The next matter is, she obviously has a solid reason as to why she turned to Christianity. A Muslim converting to Christianity is rare in this country make no mistake, and i believe, by being officially recognised as a Christian to her is a way of cementing her transition from one faith to another. Its a psychological and emotionally driven course of action she has taken. Its sadly not well thought through..hence the lack of logic.


Her intentions are noble. Have no doubt about that. These kind of matters are a blatant display of religious intolerance here. However, as she isn't being barred from practising Christianity, her fight , i feel , is in vain. If she wants to stand up and make a statement about this issue of intolerance, what better way than to openly practise Christianity and wait for the idiotic muftis to pounce. THEN take them to court and make a much bigger statement. She has ill-timed her protest and should have waited instead of letting emotion get the better of her and causing her to be sent to a low profile Syariah Court.




My arguments are a haphazard above. So lets out things in perspective here and end this post.


BOTTOMLINE:

Lina Joy, in her eagerness , has just lost us all the real battle royale by taking an emotionally and ego driven action. She has chosen to contest a small mediocre matter in court (acknowledgment of religious belief) rather than bide her time and take up the real matter to court.....the matter of religious intolerance and violation of constitutional rights. All she wanted was to practice Christianity. To take the matter of recognition to court instead of waiting to be openly barred from being a Christian and then taking this matter to court, she has lost a war.


'So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will win hundred times in hundred battles. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you win one and lose the next. If you do not know yourself or your enemy, you will always lose'-----Sun Tzu, author of 'The Art Of War'

TV is lame?

No. Don't get me wrong. Not about to convert from a late night TV addict to a goody two shoes, will agree totally to aunt's mantra that 'TV is bad for you'. Bro had the com all night and sis was with the TV (hoggers both are..couldn't resist the Yoda tones..) ...so i decided to stick with the more of the two evils (it seems being with the com all the day is bad for you too) and watched wat sis was watching. Twas 'Hannah Montana' ..and I was surprised to see Billy Ray Cirus (the dude who sang that famous tune *My Achy Breaky Heart*) and Dolly Parton on that show, so yeah, i sat down and watched a typical american Disney teen show (goes red) and actually , it was ...(goes even redder)...entertaining..in a kiddy-slapstick kind of way. There was one conversation that was waaaaaaaaaaay past lame though, and i'm reproducing it here:


Girl: Hey there love
Guy: Hey there sugar, what took you so long?
Girl: Traffic
Guy: Oh?
Girl: What are you waiting for, plant one on me!


What a way to get a kiss.......


random blogging going on due to boredom..please put up with me ppl.
Cheers!

This is the reason you should NEVER argue with your girlfriend.

I am of opinion that the fairer sex exudes this strange power over all. This strange power has no description. No, it isn't le' sex appeal, nor the fact that some people just can't say no to doing them random favours ( i'm sadly in this category). but something more..sinister?

Anyway, this is the precise thought pattern my mind wove as i read the following story in the STAR (23rd May) yesterday....(I subscribe to the NST not the STAR, the latter being one of the lousiest papers i have ever read...jam packed with ads on almost every page, sucky editorials, a shitty world section....with the comics and the Sunday edition being its only plus points).


LOS ANGELES: A man was killed in a freak accident when the car he parked on the railway tracks with his girlfriend inside crushed him when it was hit by a train. The man, having argued earlier with his girlfriend, locked her in the car after parking it on the railway tracks, in a supposedly attempt at murder. The car was rammed by a passing train, and was shoved in the direction of the man as he was clearing the scene. It subsequently ran him over, killing him. The girlfriend survived.





See? See? This is why i'm so 'philosophical' today.

The History Of Recon Aircraft.

Recon Aircrafts have been around since WW1 with the sole purpose of photographing enemy terrain to be used by generals in making tactical decisions on the battlefield. I will briefly go through 3 of my favourite Recon Aircrafts...Enjoy!!

Lockheed U-2 (Dragon Lady)

In the early 1950s, with Cold War tensions heating up, the US military needed improved strategic reconnaissance to determine Soviet capabilities and intentions. The existing surveillance aircraft were primarily converted bombers, but they were vulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery, missiles, and fighters. It was thought that a plane capable of flying at 70,000 feet would not only be beyond the reach of Soviet fighters and missiles, but would also be outside the range of radar detection. This ability would allow the very risky process of "overflights"; knowingly violating a country's airspace in order to photograph a particular location.


Notice the large wingspan? This enabled this bugger to glide effortlessly on minimum fuel. Enabling the aircraft to complete recon missions high above Soviet USSR. This aircraft too was responsible for spotting the Soviet missiles in Cuba, sparking the famed Cuban Missile Crisis (the pinnacle of the Cold War). The great altitude of the plane renders it almost impossible to be shot down. One however was, over Soviet territory. The pilot (Gary Powers) escaped, but this was a major embarassment to the US (getting caught spying is always an embarassment).


The simplicity of this plane and the low operational costs are the fundamental reasons its still in use today.

Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird

The first attempt at stealth technology. In reality however, the aircraft had the stealthiness of a flying barn door. It is a fragile aircraft, the exterior skin prone to damage should anyone walk on it and very expensive to run hence its service being discontinued. Only 32 planes were ever manufactured.

The main feature of this aircraft is not the stealth tech, its the massive Pratt and Whitney J75 hybrid engines. The engine are primarily turbo jet engines, but with an additional ability that gives them the title of 'Hybrid'. They have the ability to switch into ramjet engines at extreme speeds.


A turbo jet engine is one that draws air into the engines and compresses it before ignition with the aid of a compressor (the fins you see in most aircrafts). A ramjet does away with the compressor altogether. The air is compressed in the engines using the sheer force of the air moving into the intakes, driven by the forward velocity of the aircraft.






The air gets compressed beyond the cones and ignited. This can only be done at high speeds. Now, as the Ramjet engine has less moving parts than a turbojet version, its more fuel efficient of course...albeit at higher speeds. The engines powering the SR-71 are a hybrid in the sense that its a turbojet engine within a ramjet. The concept is simple. Look at the basic drawing of a ramjet engine above. Now picture it with turbines around the cone. The cone can move too. At speeds of Mach 3, the cones withdraw into the engine, causing air passing through the engines to create a shockwave at speed Mach 1 within the engine that compresses the air needed for ignition. The beauty of this system is, it makes the aircraft more fuel efficient the faster it goes, enabling it to complete missions above Moscow with no fuel problems.


I love this plane for one simple fact. Its bloody fast, with a cruising speed of Mach 3. In fact, upon fired on by missiles, the standard procedure is to simply accelerate and you can actually outrun a radar guided SAM (surface to air missile). It too is the first plane to have the ability to fly an entire mission on afterburners (the engines reburn the oxygen rich emission) which give it its incredible speed. No aircraft has this ability except the lastest Lockheed F-22 Raptor....and we're talking about Cold War technology here.




Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS)


Doesn't look much does it? Its just a modified Boeing 767 and is totally vulnerable to attack were it not for the constant escort of F-16 Falcons or F-15E Eagles with it at all times. This baby impresses me though for its sheer usefulness.

Imagine a surveillance system, capable tracking a a single individual through any terrain (jungles, cities) , in any weather (fog, rainstorm) with pinpoint accuracy. This is the AWACS. The flying battleground HQ in the skies. Sure, looks ugly in comparison to the Lockheeds above, but for versatility, this is the best recon aircraft you could ever want. Its not exactly cheap (most of the cost goes towards the radar and computer systems onboard).


Lets not get the concept wrong here. We're talking about a system here, not the aircraft. The AWACS system can be mounted on virtually any large airplane..the most popular being the Boeing 767. Other aircrafts in use are the E-2 Hawkeye (US Navy)..Gulfstream G550 (Israel)
and old Boeing models (pakistani and Saudi Arabian airforces)

The radar on this is a beauty. Capable of detecting aerial threats from up to 400km away. This is useful in offensive roles, the radar being used as cover for fighter pilots. This means, the radar travels with the fighters and aircraft carriers, giving them an ultra large radar radius, enabling detection of aerial threats before the threats are even aware of the fighters (the fighter radar range is waaay below 400km).




Cheers!

Of Egoism And Plain Bad Luck.

I love sports. Despite being a scrawny dude whose weight constantly fluctuates dangerously between 62 (when i exercise regularly and gain 7 kilos of muscles) and 55 (when not exercising like now) i can run 7km in an hour and a half and i take great pride in this ability of mine, so much so that i, unfortunately, sound very boastful when talking about it.

Tit for Tat.


This pride was my downfall last friday, a weekend before the first A2 final papers. I was tackling the 8km route in Taman Duta near Kenny Hills and dad was waaaaaaaaay behind. Now due to the steep hills here, i prefer to warm up by brisk walking the first 4km and running the last 3.5 before going into a sprint for the last 500 or 300m. Brother was with me and he is this 6 feet pudgy dude with a body i envy. The reason is, unlike me, he has the bone structure and the mass for body building, and he simply wastes it by sitting around and putting on what can only be described harshly as a beer belly.

So, on the last 4km, i needled him into running with me and he took up the challenge. He was pretty good, could keep up with me for 2km and then, i got cocky and went into a sprint for the top of the hill. As it levelled out, i glanced back to take a good look at him puffing away and right at that instant, disaster struck.

There was this tiny durian i didn't see on the road, about the size of two fists. My left foot stepped right on it and twisted, throwing me onto the grass at the side. The first fear was.."F***k, did i break it?" as i couldn't get up after that. Bro came up, took a good look and had a laugh before helping me to sit up.


To cut the long story short, i had to be carted off home, soaked my leg in hot water and salt before letting the infra-red lamp take care of the rest. The next day, had it examined and luckily it was just a bad sprain. I somehow managed to hobble to college (mom dropped me) and now these two weeks are hell before the next paper. Can't go running, no tennis, no football..i can't even pretend to play a guitar in the showers cause it involves moving the leg a lot and that hurts.



Yeah, being egoistical about something you can do well can be your downfall.

Cheers.

Special Mention.

I have been using the pseudonym *Matrix* a lot nowadays. Its not an original name by me. Due credit to Bhavani Ananda Kumar (BAK).

Was walking along the corridor and was met with catcalls of *Yo, Matrix* by two persons poles apart from one another....(the 6 footer Bhav and the 5 foot plus Sash)..and the name stuck. Catchy though...so i've hung onto it.

So, here's to you Bhav. The blog ID in honor of your nickname, born from my apparent reluctance to part from a faded, sweaty smelling (it smell good after the monthly dry cleaning as a matter of fact) and tattered black *The Matrix Reloaded* tee shirt that has inevitably become a part of my personality so much so thay i love it even more.


PS: There is no case here for you to claim royalties from the usage of an original idea. As with all freeloaders, i have simply expanded from food to ideas.

Cheers!

The Art of Freeloading.

Being a pukka Klite...(have always wanted to use that word..rudyard kipling popularised it when he used the phrase *pukka sahib* a lot in his works)....freeloading is something you do a lot.

Now, some may say..gad, its so degrading (mom especially), but the bottom line is..its legal..so why not?

For those people whom have never freeloaded in their lives simply because their morals sream against it or due to downright snobbishness....pay attention closely...what you are about to read is disgusting, but if you take my advice on freeloading, it can pretty fun.

NOTHING BEATS THE KICK YOU GET FROM FREELOADING UNDER KILLER STARES!

There are two styles of freeloading:


COURTEOUS FREELOADING:

This is subtle freeloading. Do whatever you want and push the boundaries of freeloading..but remember the golden rule..BUY something at the poor place once your done with it.

This style is usually reserved by me for places i frequent to avoid me getting bad service and killer stares (difficult to explain to parents who are the main reason you frequent these places cause they pay).

All ice cream parlours are open to this treatment. Try every flavour (Baskin Robbins is the best cos they have 33 ...not sure about this fact, the number of tubs seem less than 33....neways...end of the day, with luck, you will get a free scoop this way..*multiflavoured of course*.


Auntie Anne's Pretzels are my fave too. They have this basket of free samples that anone can try and sometimes (depending on luck) they don't chop up the samples properly, leaving you with large cunks of pretzels. There was once this time i got half a chocolate pretzel that wasn't chopped properly...i didn't buy anything that day too..*goes red*....




SHAMELESS FREELOADING THAT WOULD CAUSE AUNTS TO BURY HEADS IN SHAME.


Freeloading without rules. Its shameless and downright cheap....but for satisfaction, nothing beats this style. Its reserved for places that are foolish enough to give loads and loads of free samples with me around. Add in the fact that i will never again visit that place..and you have a recipe for shamelessness.

I have dine this once this year so far.....


Bangsar Village 2 ......there is this kitchen utensil place on the second floor that was demonstrating a chocolate fountain in free flow. The attendant even had three plastic containers each filled with biscuits, marshmallows and strawberries. Now, i don't care much for marshmallow (you can be picky in this style of freeloading too) and i zeroed in on the remaining two containers.
Lets not go into details, but bottomline is, i finished both plastic containers under *i will chop you and feed you to my goldfish* looks. Then, i went ahead and asked for a spoon. "Why?" she snapped. "I need to taste the chocolate better to know for sure if its palatable"...was the reply. This was the limit i think. She mumbled something about not having spoons despite it being a kitchen utensil place and i took the cue and ambled off.


LOLZ....cheers mates...:P

PE random pics on last week as college students

caleb with his *i OWN you gesture*






shades of Oliver Twist...*more soup please?*








on the last day of college, hidden feelings emerge....





last day of chem practicals...needed to do something weird.



Mr Hari, valiantly trying sucking in his stomach to compete with Wei Hehn's 6 packs...




Ms Ching....giving the class the one last exasperated pose that says quite plainly....*I'm Redundant*



Ms Ching narrating the relaxing sessions she's had in PE1.



Last Physics practical..again had that impulse to do something weird.



Peter....wearing one of his numorous pink shirts.




Lab partners....




PE1 of 2006/2007.



Chee lyn.....with her infamous stare.


j
one last yam cha before the prom...

PE1

TO THE PEEPS IN PE 1......LOVED THE 18 MONTHS WITH YOU CHAPS AND GIRLS!!!















Yesterday was our last day as college students.
So, this is my dedication to all the peeps in PE1.
Enjoy!


NICOLE

One of the solitary three individuals carrying the flag of feminism in an almost all male environment. She is quirky, from Miri, loves harry potter and is an awfully good fan fiction author. Check out her blog :www.nikkidragon.blogspot.com
Being in PE1 and taking all the nonsense spouting out from the our mouths...this girl has been through loads and has come out shining.
Two thumbs Up!!!


CALEB

the official class photographer known for his tech know how , the quaint accent and his knowledge of about 5 languages (Spanish, French, English, Bahasa and Mandarin?). Mr Reliable with his college timetable in french has always been kind to point me in the right direction to the next class. A lover of movies and a blogger

check him out at www.cnxc323.blogspot.com





CHEE LYN.

The vivacious one, beware one and all of the killer stares and the threatening raised forefinger. Do not be duped by the demure look and the silent mouth, in times of need , they spring to life! Very important advantage for a girl to have in PE1. Her constant chatter in class with Chin Yuen
and the sudden explosive giggles when a joke is said is very characteristic of her.







CHIN YUEN.

The silent one. So much so, i wasn't sure of her name for almost 3 months. Always seen around partner in crime Chee Lyn. The hardworking one of the class, forever seen with either Maths or F maths work. Her great patience and immunity to the stuff that comes out from our mouths in class is typical of this no-nonsense, work hard
gal.







TING FENG

My official partner in crime. Skipping maths to go for brunch with him has been a joy. This quirky Miri dude surprisingly didn't know how to play chor tai di , but after one lesson, has become much better than me (totally hopeless at cards). Picked on by the maths teacher (Ms Ching ), he recently got his own back in this fashion



Ching: TING FENG! Do your work! Don't day dream!
Ting Feng: Done already.
Ching: then do the next paper.
Ting Feng: Done all...
Ching : ........



CHIU MING

The cutie of the class. Short, chubby, seeing him with Yeut Huey (did i spell her name right?) is like seeing the perfect couple. Basketball freak, this dude is difficult to stop despite the lack of height and his lay ups are AWESOME! .









Ian

Ian...how you did your AP and AS at the same time, i will never know. I owe a lot to this dude for teaching me the ultimate basics of calculus in the first few months at Taylors...info that has helped me take apart F maths questions concerning calculus with ease. Crowned *The Ponteng King* for his long absences from PE1. Shocked everyone when he turned up for class on Teacher's Day.









KAR WAI

PE1 Stats King.Official Blogger of PE1 with a few blogs it seems.do not be misled by the innocent face. This fella is one major player. When challenged to walk up to hottie to get hottie's number, he actually did it right away. (didn't get the number it seems though..better luck next time mate). All round nice guy with a great smiley face.








MING HAN

Car enthusiast...knows all there is to know about sports cars and how to modify them. The slowest eater in class usually but was faster than nicole during lunch at Peppercorn. The lightest dude in class with the exception of Tim Weng. Oh btw....ming han...i so want your
superman tee-shirt.






SHERN.

This dude used to drive to college , but after totallin his new Gen 2 last week, he's stuck with me on the KTM. Great voice mimicker....love the Yoda tones mate....a fellow KLite (the rest are from PJ and Subang).








YEW CHOE (aka..Joe)

Physics fan..major one. Known for the out of the blue one liners and constant tangles with Mr Hari (physics lecturer). His face carries this perpetual smile and I have rarely seen that smile disappear. Also known as Robojoe for the Terminator-like shades he sported last year. Warning: Do not let the innocent face mislead you into thinking his mind follows suit.






CHERN HAN

One word...Mexico Chai. Generally accepted as the in house Maths wiz and Olympiad. This snarky, fruit loving (waaah chern han....your mom even peels the apple for u!! issssssssh) fella is JJ's partner in crime. Always seen around with some girl (dunno how he gets them..need to glean the info from him). Sarcastic and funny.








ERIC

Class motor mouth. The bane of Ms Ching.Irritates her with the simple fact that despite not listening in class, he still gets what she teaches. Member of the backbenchers of PE1 (last row always occupied by Tim Weng, him and JJ)







JIAN JUN (J.J.)

Our class rep. Partner in crime with Eric in making Ching feel redundant in our class.....fave actress is a certain Jenna....anime fan. He swears by the maxim ...(waste not..especially food) and is usually seen sitting next to nicole during full class meal outings, waiting for the inevitably discarded fries she NEVER finishes.....this act usually accompanied by the one- liner...."Haihzz, you people waste food..think about all those people in Africa..no food one...Haihzzz".






WEI KIAT.

Other classes have their share of hotties. We need none of those when we have the perfect husband within our ranks...Yes Girls...he is single and available....smart, chubby and cute....and the all round perfect gentleman...wei kiat can score with the ladies. We however have instilled little something extra in him.....sarcasm and a naughty streak....courtesy of JJ and Eric.




WEI HEHN.

Our class macho man. The only dude to have six packs in PE1. When asked..."what drives you to get such a body?"
he says.."Nice wat....show off during pool parties..:)"
Basketball Pro with super sepet eyes and naturally brownish hair.









TIM WENG


Certified genius..period. Helped me comprehend F maths very patiently. Avid reader and has the uncanny ability to sit with the backbenchers (The notorious JJ and Eric) and yet remain undisturbed and at peace. Gives disapproving looks when the backbenchers crack pervy jokes. All round nice guy with patience the size of Texas. Anime lover.









NICHOLAS.


With pants always on the verge of slipping off him and super small polo shirts, this chap is quite a character. Nicknamed everyday based on the colour of the undies he displays proudly.,...and most of them are coloured. Solely responsible for making the girls immune towards display of guy undies.










JUN SHENG.

Badminton pro. Single handedly held off chern han and eric the last time we played. Quiet guy. Always use his house to get dressed in before sports outings.....love his dog.....jun sheng..mind me keeping him?.






YHEU SHEN

Our future Architect. Bloody creative dude. Seriously should take a look at his architectural portfolio and the models he's built. Known for his famous joke......."Who is Tesla's brother?...Testis.."..*sweatdrop*....Fellow hardcore Man Utd fan with JJ and I.

Food Junky Part 3

IPOH


Foh San

I mentioned this place earlier. Best Dim Sum in Malaysia apart from Petaling Street.....i dunno how far this is true but to me it is....correct me if you have a better place to name and i will check it out..neways....as always with good eateries, this place crawls with singaporeans on weekends. Chances of a table in the mornings are very slim unless you're outside the joint by 6.30 am or 7.00 am latest. Dim Sum fare is the usual variety..steamed seafood dumplings, fried dumplings, the works..but you do enjoy breakfast here...plus the satisfaction of munching as slowly as you can on a prawn dumpling while being watched by a group of starving singaporeans is an added bonus. Have to be thick skinned though and really kiasu to get a table.

Try the jasmine tea.....the jasmine flavour does hit you instead the usual stuff in KL where the sad soggy petals are the only indicator that you're drinking jasmine tea. Oh, and the kaya puffs here are bloody good. Homemade stuff (the way to see this is the texture of the kaya...homemade stuff is quite coarse..its not as smooth as the gardenia stuff ...and its NOT glutinuous).





Thats it.
Cheers.

Food Junky series 2

MELAKA.


Yeaps, the the epicenter of all that is history in malaysia is a food heaven. I have spent days here, wandering all over old melaka town, covering all streets in the Jonker Walk area and can now safely cay i know the place like the back of my hand.

There are only two places here where the food is worth coming all the way from KL for.



1) Curry Laksa on Jonker Walk.


I stumbled on this place..literally. Twas around 8pm and was wandering all alone around the Jonker Walk area looking at all the curio shops and for dinner. There is this little shop that sells all these old clocks and stamps (God knows how the chap makes a living from selling old clocks and stamps..but thats besides the point) and i walked up to it. Now Melaka streets are weird. The pavements are actually sunk into the ground around Jonker Walk in most parts, and i had forgotten this fact. Lost my footing and stumbled heavily into the adjacent shophouse and lo behold, saw dinner in front of me. The place was packed with the inevitable crowd of the world's most kiasu race ....Singaporeans...and the mood was infectious. People jostling for tables, practically waiting at already occupied tables, giving desperate and hungry looks to the seated patrons (if you don't know this, having a bloody Singaporean drool behind you while you eat is akin to watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre while having dinner). It struck me then. If people are willing ot go to such extremes, braving the hideous glances of SINGAPOREANS...yeah, the food should be good. I then reverted to my standard table snatching tactics, well gleaned by experiences in KL and managed to grab a table right under the nose of a Lee Kuan Yew supporter who was momentarily distracted by a quick moving Indian teen with a desperate look in his eyes. One call to dad and we had dinner. The place only sells two dishes...Curry Laksa and Ice Kacang. We shared 2 ice kacangs..didn't really care for those, but the laksa was out of this world...You gotta try it....pretty easy place to find...the most crowded shoplot on Jonker Walk.





2)Teo Chew Restaurant....Jln Tukang Besi, Jonker Walk.


Credit to discovering this place goes to uncle. He was with a construction company back in the 80s and the owner's son and him were in Melaka and they discovered this place. Its not your average run of the mill Chinese restaurant. Containing only 5 tables on average with a maximum of 6, the very fact that you can't get a table for lunch unless you book gives you the impression that this is a special place. The place looks very ordinary. Small place, with the kitchen on the outside, first impressions are *normal chinese restaurant..lets eat*. The first dish they normally serve and always recommend to first timers is the oyster mee. Tossed in black sauce (not kicap) with fresh baby oysters, this is a signature dish of the place. I highly recommend their soft shell crab dish....the meat if deep fried and served with honey..divine. Seafood, go for the bamboo lala tossed in spicy sauce. Its fresh and brought in every morning from the sea.
One other thing i like about this place. They give unlimited sambal in small plastic containers that very funnily goes very well with almost anything. For alcohols lovers....good selection of wines here, stacked neatly around the place...looks very out of place here, but the singaporeans (can't these people NOT patronise at least one place?) love it.




Up next and the final stop....IPOH.

Cheers.

Food Junky.

I am a self confessed food junky. Despite weighing in at at pathetic 56 kilos,i can sure pack away a good meal when it comes my way. This is a series, covering all my fave food spots state by state. Enjoy!


KUALA LUMPUR.

1) Chilis.

One word. Value for money. The portions are large and you will have a hard time finishing it. Try their Cajun Sandwich, their best burger in my opinion, topped with grilled cheese and fried onions. Appetizers? Highly recommend the Southwestern Egg Roll which comes with this yogurt sauce which is bloody good. They even have mexican Fajitas, a bit like a mushroom stew with lamb in it. It comes with an unlimited supply of Pita bread. Their bottomless drinks here are an added attraction too.




2) Foch Avenue.

The best Hokkien Mee place in KL..period. The chap here is an old fella my dad used to buy back hokkien mee from waay back in the 80s. The fact he's still there speaks for itself. This place is quality. The hokkien mee is standard fare. Cooked in lard, with pieces of pork leg in it and spinach with fish, this dish is to die for. A perfect place to go to for supper after a football match late at night. Don't expect cleanliness though. One of the filtiest places to eat at. Won't go into details. The food is clean though and is served hot so yeah...you won't get a hefty topping os Salmonella with your food. Location? Right opposite Petaling Street near Kota Raya. Price per plate is between RM7 to RM11.


3) Petaling Street (Dim Sum)

I have had dim sum in a lot of places in KL, but by far, this place is the BEST. Crowded on weekends, you have to be really kiasu to get a table. Basic tactics, stand near a table and stare at the patrons..(usually touristy dressed Taiwanese or Singaporeans). With luck, the unrelenting stare of an Indian dude will put them off their food causing them the pay up quickly and leave. Now, for the food....FRESH. One of the few dim dum places that actually make the food hours before serving it instead of days earlier. The steamed fish dishes surprisingly have this taste i can't place. Its like you can taste the fish, but not in an unpleasant fishy kind of way. Their char siew paus are good too. Run by old men and women, service can be slow at times during peak hours, but for good food, its worth it.


3) The Ship.

For Steaks at non-victoria station prices, this is the place. They heavily market their seafood dishes, but i don't recommend them. Go for the meat stuff and keep the seafood for starters. Best starter is this mushroom dish, grilled mushrooms served in brown sauce. Highly recommend their sizzlers, u get a bib to wear when u eat it..LOLZ. The lamb sizzler is very simple. Grilled lamb served wth an option of black pepper sauce or mint sauce. Go for the mint sauce..its the best and i mean it. I used to have this idea that mint sauce and lamb is a highly overrated combi..but after eating this stuff, i've changed. Outlets are in Bukit Bintang (two in fact, within walking distance of each other) and near Pertama Complex in Jln Sultan Ismail.


4)Coliseum


This place is, as a friend summed up, nostalgic. Old colonial style interior with soft lighting and an old fashioned pub next to the restaurant, its an awfully good place to have a good conversation over dinner. You get this semi private feeling as its generally quiet with about 10 tables only. Food is somewhat the same as The Ship, albeit at lower prices. Their lamb steaks are the best items on the menu and so are their chicken fillets served fried , grilled or as sizzlers (you get a bib here too). Drinks...for non-drinkers, go for the Boo Boo or the Shirley Temple. Unusual tasting stuff, but trust me, its good. Seating is no problem here.
Location : Batu Road near the Coliseum Theatre



4) Yut Kee.

For breakfast, old kopitiam style, this is the place. Its on the road connecting Batu Road with Jln Ampang, right opposite Wilayah Complex. Again, seating is a problem on weekends. Crowded with singaporeans, you naturally have to pull off the kiasu act again. Try their hainanese chicken chop with bolied vegetables and the lam mee. The kopi O here is good too. Black, strong, and with only a hint of sweetness, its the perfect for people who need caffeine fixes. But by far, the signature dish of this place is the french toast served with homemade kaya. Thick slices of divinely soft bread dipped in egg , fried and served with a lot of kaya.



5) Roadhouse Grill.

Location : Ampang, near Gleneagles Intan Hospital.
Similar cuisine to Chilis. Classic american fare (burgers and fries). The steaks here aren't really worth it but their burgers , pizzas and surprisingly, the pasta, is very good. Burger fillets are chilis style. Slices of meat grilled and stuffed into a bun , topped with fries. Go for their milkshakes..the chocolate one is orgasmic.
For dessert, you gotta try the messy chocolate sundae. As the name suggests, its a large glass filled with chocolate ice cream and topped off with chocolate sauce that buries the ice cream. Its messy cause the glass itself is heavily coated in dark chocolate.




Thats all folks..next post....Melaka.

cheers!

Late nights.

I love nights. Its the only time i feel like i have the world to myself. The ominous silence. The soft patter of rain outside. The night chill (artificially generated by the trusty air conditioner).

I like peace in general. Back in college, i used to escape from the presence of regular college jocks and females by looking for a quiet corner, preferably tucked away in some lonely part of the college.

Now Taylors is small. Make no mistake about it. The term *University* in the full name of it is a total misnomer. Its simply because the have more than one campus that they proclaim the establishment as a *university*.

And take that idea of smallness and factor in an addition few hundred people swamping the place in January. For people like myself whom have enjoyed he better part of october , november and december last year in an almost empty campus., life is inevitably hell. I HATE THE CROWDS!!!!!

Like i said. I like a peaceful corner all to myself or with five people i can live with in Taylors...

1) Ting Feng
2) Nicole
3) Tim Weng
4) Chee Lyn
5) Chin Yuen

Ting Feng is the best person to be with and stone with all alone in an empty class (the aforementioned lonely corner i usuallly frequent). He's.....understanding, obliges you no matter what nonsense you have in mind and is similar to me in a lot of ways.

The three girls....people i can definitely live with in Taylors. Funny, interesting to talk to and.....they don't disturb you when u want peace.

Tim Weng..the best of the three. He NEVER disturbs you. NEVER irritates you and has this general air of calmness about him that is quite appealing to hot heads like mine. Just watching him relaxing in a corner of the, room reading a book is theraphy in itself.

So, back to my topic...gah..lost it..might as well ramble on.....

I used to have these really special corners in high school.
St John's Institution is over a century old , so u do have a lot of hidden corners u can relax in and the top three are.......


1) The Chapel.

Make no mistake. Despite being not religious, this is one place in the entire schoo I can truly relax in. Located in the 70 year plus old main block, the chapel has this charm that the rest of the school does not. It is a place of peace. Quiet (cept on fridays during prayers) and u have comfy chairs to sit and even sleep in. All you need is a good book and you're set. The stained windows, with soft lighting coming through is the main reason i love this place. And you occasionally come across the old brothers living just past the chapel in their own quaters....and the conversations you have with them can get very very interesting. I'm weird in a way..i love a good story especially ones from old people and Brother Lawrence (ex principle) can give pretty good ones.

2)The Library

One of the few places in the school to be fully air conditioned...that by itself is an attraction. Its generally empty which adds more to its appeal. Ah, the many hours spent there, enjoying the peace in it, reading the old books there and being away from annoying people. BLISS. It is THE place to prepare for a debate in as daniel and i quickly found out. Internet connection within the old style place. So , you sit among old books and dusty shelves, zooming the internet for info in the comfort of a secluded and air conditioned place.

3) The top floor of the form six block, above the squash courts.

Now, due to the age of SJI, u inevitably have ghost stories for every nook and crany of the place. The toilet, the library and the oh so cliched ghost storie about the chapel. This place in particular isn't spared. There is supposedly a *Langsuyir* (vampire) haunting this floor. The condition of this floor, strewn with old tables and chairs, old benches, locked unused classrooms actually doesn't help dismiss the myth about it. But, this has been a fave spot of mine to watch a squash match in private or just to sit n read a book. ITS VERY QUIET. Of course, the ghost story does nag at the back of my mind whenever i go there alone early in the mornings (have had weird experiences there such as noises.....can be easily explained away.....sudden movements of chairs,,the top ones toppling down at one time..also easily explained....but stuff like these are enough to scare a person and believe me, the atmosphere up there in the mornings is truly chilling. But in the day..its actually inviting.




Yeah...I love lonely spots.....pity taylors doesn't provide enough of em.


Cheers.

Oh the stupidity.

This is old news. Virginia Tech shootings. After Columbine the yanks sitting in Congress should have had the balls to wage an all out war on the lax gun restrictions and the pathetic way the laws are upheld.

but lets get back to the subject.

So we have this psychopath rampaging through a uni shooting people left right and center. And what do the americans do? Resort to sentimentalism, feeding the generally idiotic american society with personal stories of the *survivors* (boo hoo..i saw this guy running and shooting my dear friends, my beloved teachers....and basically tosh only americans readily gorge on and as a, result forget the main issue and the real question we all should be asking. "How on earth did a student get hold of a gun? A mentally unstable one at that too?"


I take it that we all are well acquainted with the term *fall guy*. The brits used Blair as the fall guy for the mess in Iraq and for the world it was a certain shrub with Texan origins (forgive the pun, but Bush is literally a bush to me given the severe lack of IQ in his brain and a lil something we all call 'common sense'.

The fall guy in the Virginia Tech shootings wasn't Bush nor was it Congress. The Korean won that honour. Which makes sense in a way.....he did shoot them so its only natural to blame him. Period.

Hang on a sec though.


Know why he was the fall guy?

Americans are in general advocates of what they call 'freedom' , 'democracy'. Vietnam, North Korea, Iraq. All so called *regimes* that needed dismatling due to the people 's rights being 'surpressed' by 'dictators'. It is only natural to not be hypocritical and practice what we preach at jolly old home. So, along came this great idea to govern a notion using a document written waaaaaay back in the 18th century right uptil now.

The Declaration of Independance,

Oh Yes!

The sole pride and joy of the yanks.
The epicenter of Jeffrey Archer's 'Honor Amongst Theives'.
The target of Nicholas Cage in a movie that i'm embarassed to admit that i watched and actually enjoyed.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.. And the main document that is the reason The Korean was the fall guy.

FREEDOM

Under this banner, the american public have fought for their right s to be armed heavily. a need that was born during the chaotic days of The West and The Revolution.

Despite changed times , the americans still swear by this right of theirs. They yearn for it. They need it in fact. We have sickos everywhere people. Lets admit it.

But

ONLY IN AMERICA THE SICKOS HAVE GUNS.

hence, the need.

If the lobbies take the fall and the laws, we will see that right being quickly stripped away by the eager peace lovers.

Hence, lets all blame the Korean, mourn the dead, and forget about this.

but the story's not over yet. American brilliance strikes again.

The whole incident presents a new argument and this is one that i personallly enjoy.

Gun lobbies, in the aftermath of the incident , start lobbying for the rights of STUDENTS to be armed on campus and the public is actually sitting up and taking this seriously. Of course, i'm not concerned, less americans for the world to support. The lobbies argue that due to the onslaught of such incidents, it is not feasible for the american society to be denied their rights, rights guaranteed by the Declaration, to protect themselves. At this point, all hope i have in americans ever wisening up the the root of the problem was dragged out of me, stamped upon and left out in Sierra Leone to be torn apart.


The root of this whole fiasco is simply having too much freedom. How on earth can adults suggest teens be armed, the same group labeled as 'immature' and 'incapable remaining cool and collected when faced with problems' by them? Talk about being moronic and hypocritical.


Speaking about being hypocritical, america is guilty of it more than anyone else. They advocate democracy, but America isn't a democracy in my opinion. It is a feudalistic state.


Look at its structure.

We have the president as the all powerful leader with only advisors the only restraints he has. He resides in the capital and governs from there using a feudalistic system.

Governors instead of warlords govern each province (state is a fancy name behind which the system runs) and establish their own laws very much different from all the other provinces.

For example, its a crime in Nebraska to carry guns in a car but not in Washington. So if you are from Nebraska with a gun you own legally, you can be prosecuted in Washington unless the gun is unloaded and placed in your car boot.

Feudalism.

The only democratic thing about this whole system is the people elect the Governors. Not a very good proof of democracy dur to the mutton headedness of americans and them being easy to play.

Gah, have moved too far from the topic..might as well plug on....


And more on american stupidity, these are the only people in the world to govern using a document written way back in 1776 by rebels from the british army.


Cheers!