Someone Has A New Toy!

Yup, KN bought a new toy on February 23rd 2008 - something that I originally wanted so badly, well since I think a couple of years ago, but have been postponing the intention due to the fact that owning it would be an expensive hobby - a DSLR.

Since there are many more things that require my financial attention - my medications, our everyday life, the kids and many other commitments, I would have to put owning a DSLR aside for the time being. Moreover we just bought a 7mp HD Kodak Easy Share in December and a 5mp Nokia N95 for my birthday - enough for decent photos - and as a matter of fact these two gadgets did a fairly splendid job capturing the memories during our last vacation to Solo and Jogja.

Whatever it is, this is the beauty of being married, everything that is mine is my laling's and everything that is my laling's is technically mine - ahaha hope so! But I have a problem using something that did not come from my pocket - unless I have some contribution in the purchase, which in this case, I didn't, not a single cent, and the DSLR was again purchased without me present. Perhaps because KN knows that I might talk some sense and eventually cause a change of mind but being me, always looking at things on the brighter sight - I don't have to think about purchasing a DSLR anymore (I'm lying - I actually still want one to call my own and do as I like with it) as long as we stay married - clever eh?

So this DSLR, it's a 10.2mp Sony Alpha A200 with a kit lens that costs my laling to part with RM1999.0o - heheh it's actually much cheaper than what I wanted - a Nikon 40Dx. So my laling has been so happy with the new toy these few days, snapping photos of basically everything,
including our trip to KL Tower to celebrate Ka'ngah's 74th birthday on Feb 24th (her actual birthday is on Feb 26th) as well as our dinner @ Bora Ombak on Feb 25th . So, cheers to higher resolution pictures!

So far the camera is easy to handle and have been producing beautiful images (to beginner photographers like me an my laling lah) We definitely have a lot to learn but again as I mentioned early, I really have problem using things that are in reality not mine. Guess I have to get myself one after all.

Happy 74th Birthday Ka'Ngah

Well it's that time of the year when we celebrate our auntie's (whom we call Ka'ngah) birthday. It's her 74th this year and I hope she will have many more happy years living with us. This year we bought her to KL Tower and had lunch at Restoran Satay Kajang Hari Samuri in Taman Melati KL. I've promised to take her to KL Tower since God knows when but both parties have been postponing the trip zillions of time and I'd like to make sure my promise is fulfilled before I die.

Our favourite auntie (in wheel chair) with her favourite nephews and niece
whom she had cared for the last 33 years. Thank you 'ibu'.

To Ka'ngah, hoping you will be in the pinkiest of health and be blessed for the good things you have done for my family. Thank you for taking good care us these past 33 years. May Allah bless you. Amin. If only I can call you 'ibu' because you're all about being a mother to us.

Finally @ Bora Ombak

After reading many posts of Bora Ombak on Dr. Shah's and Beruang Madu's blog, I have several times wanted to come here. Seeing photos of the place tempted by appetite to at least try the place once. Yes, I know I shouldn't be eating much but what the heck, before I die, I'd like to try everything possible (of course minus those haram things - so pa, if you're finally reading this, don't worry, I haven't tried and haven't the slightest intention to try 'those' - never)

We made reservation for two and arrived slightly after 8pm. The place was deserted, a few couples were seated enjoying (i think) their romantic conversation and maybe, delicious food. The place reminds me of Nailli's in Sentul, dark, but it created an ambiance that I'm sure would be somehow horrific if white lightings were used (or worse if seen during the day). However as stated on the menu, Bora Ombak's 'Reminiscence of Bali' surely did bring us back to our vacation in early 2007.

There were not much to brag about the food selection - I don't know maybe because it was dark and I wasn't comfortably sitting on the floor of the wooden hut, I thought that there were not much to select from. The menu is a mixture of local, Indonesian and Thai - itwas quite disappointing as these food could be found elsewhere in KL.

The BBQ Chicken Wings for starters

We finally ordered BBQ Chicken Wings (to replace the top hat that was unavailable) as starters. I had the 'popular' Oriental Chicken Chop and KN had the 'ever popular' Seafood Tom Yam. For drinks it was the Rainbow ABC for me (which turned out half melt when sent to our table, therefore no rainbows duh...) and some ice blended mocha drink for KN.

The OK tasting Oriental Chicken Chop with brown sauce and mashed sweet potatoes

My already melted Rainbow ABC... (shown as it arrived @ our table) see I told you, NO rainbow pun...

The Oriental Chicken Chop was served with brown sauce, salad and mashed sweet potatoes (not really to my liking). It tasted OK but not as good as the one served at Cozy Corner (Ampang Park & Great Eastern Mall). Comparing the two would definitely be of two different standards although the price was about the same.

The NOT so OK tasting Seafood Tom Yam with the NOT so fresh tiger prawns

KN swore the 'ever popular' Seafood Tom Yam as claimed by Bora Ombak was the worse tasting tom yam ever as the tiger prawns were not fresh.

Well, being adventurous as I am (food only ah), I would come back to try the other selections from their limited menu but knowing KN, I know I had to somehow forget the idea of coming back. Unless I wanna dine alone. So ta ta!.

Chili's Country Fried Steak Discontinued

Yucks! Hate it! That was my first impression when knowing that my favourite country fried steak has been discontinued. When I asked the waiter why - he doesn't know. But I think Chili's has gone through some changes recently (with the new menu and slow service).

Our favourite classic nachos... yummy just love the jalapeños!

Yes, slow service. Many times previously when we dined there, the waiter/waitresses was soon at our table taking orders after we're seated. We often had to ask him or her to come back in 5 minutes time (rather annoyed usually) but this time, we had to call the waiter after waiting for more than 5 minutes looking for an available waiter. The queue for a table at KLCC Chili's too were not as many as previous times.

The lamb dish - can't recall its fancy name but it's lamb, believe me heheheh.

Dip it with mint sauce... heavennnnn! The garlic toast is not bad too.

So, feeling disappointed (they still have the country friend chicken though but I wan not in the mood for that) so I ordered a Lamb dish (ahahah extremely good for my hypertension, NOT!), and KN the country fried chicken (and so I was glad I didn't order it because it didn't taste as good as the discontinued country fried steak) and our all time favourite classic nachos, of course, a glass of diet (konon lah) coke for me and ice lemon tea as usual for KN.

KN's country fried chicken - i just love the creamy sauce... but on beef, not chicken!
Love the mashed potatoes.

The lamb was OK especially dipped with mint sauce, but now I know not to order it well done - medium rare should be it hehehe and now I am salivating at the office. Damn!

Thanks to KN for the post-valentine;s treat. Yummy! eh... Muahs!

Can't Wait for Tonite... Our Postponed Valentine's Dinner

Yep, it's a belated Valentine's Dinner at one of our favourites diner -

This year is unlike previous years where we had our Valentine's dinner on Valentine's day. Due to some unavoidable reasons we had to reschedule the dinner to... TONIGHT! What's best is I don't have to fork out a single cent because it's going to be KN's treat hehehehe. Thanks in advance my love!

Since I have been craving for country fried steak... that's just what i'm going to order tonight yummmmmmmmmy!

I love Chili's country fried steak, yummy!

Country Fried Steak (above). Another superb dish there is the steak sandwich and their classic nachos yum yum yum!

Lagenda Sundel Bolong & Sundel Bolong 2

We came back from Jogja with a recent collection of Indonesian Horror Movies. Two of them are Lagenda Sundel Bolong and Sundel Bolong 2. (The two DVDs are not parts 1 and 2 but of different actors and quality all together) The better one is of course the Lagenda Sundel Bolong. The last two nights were spent watching these two movies.

Lagenda Sundel Bolong was set in the olden Java days. The plot was good and we enjoyed the movie very much. Sundel Bolong is an Indonesian urban legend. Sundel means **a bitch/ a prostitute** and bolong means ** a hole** - in this case a ghost with a hole on her back - when alive the lady is pregnant with an out of wed child. In Lagenda Sundel Bolong, the ghost was Imah, an ex-ronggeng dancer (a cabaret dancer lah tu) who was raped by the town's bad guys (yes, not one but many guys) when her husband Sarpa was away at work in Sumatra. Imah was then brutally murdered and eventually turns into a Sundel Bolong. She seeks revenge on those who had cause her pain. A little like Nang Nak towards the end when the husband came back and she waited at her house but he later finds out the truth.

Sundel Bolong 2 on the other hand is set on the modern 2007 Indonesia. Not a sequel to the Lagenda Sundel Bolong, this B rated horror movie starts a repectable actress, Ayu Azahari (the new Suzanna), known for her effective acting in horror films. However, the movie is such a disappointment with the Sundel Bolong looking more like a Kuntilanak (a vampire) and a rather uninteresting, colloquial plot for a horror movie. There is a scene similar to the 1980s Sundel Bolong where the ghost, Erika, a model who is pregnant with a young actor's child and brutally murdered by him, drinking beer and the drink later comes out from the hole on her back.

The original satay scene of the 1980s Sundel Bolong played by the legendary Suzanna remains my all time favourite - pure originality and yucky as well. On the right is the old Sundel Bolong movie poster. Here it is. Enjoy.

Selamat Pengantin Baru Fieza

Selamat pengantin baru to my colleague Fieza. May the two of you be blessed with a happy family forever and ever. Amin.

Bukan Bintang Biasa (BBB)

Spent last night watching Bukan Bintang Biasa - a love story on Valentine's Day. Heheheh isn't that just romantic? BBB is one of the DVDs we got from our recent trip to Indonesia.

Bukan Bintang Biasa or BBB is Melly Goeslaw's film with scores written by Anto Hoed - a perfect marriage of film producer and song writer - I love Melly Goeslaw's movies and songs as I think they are of good quality.

BBB is about a group of teenagers who attend the Indonesian Institute of Art. Raffi, Bella, Ayu, Dimas and Chelsea (All are using their real names) are close friends who are tangled in a rather complicated love with one another. Well, nothing of a serious plot like in Ada Apa Dengan Cinta, BBB is just an enjoyable movie to watch - Hmmm.. somehow feels like watching FAME pulak when watching BBB ni...

What is really commendable about this movie is indeed its songs... love them so much!

Bukan Bintang Biasa

Once upon a time
ada sebuah bintang
yang bersinar terang dihatimu
ku akan datang lagi
Menjemputmu dengan cinta
kan ku bagikan semua bintangku

Ku miliki bintang
bukan bintang biasa
ku bisa hapuskan semua dukamu
ku tak akan menghilang
slalu ada di hatimu
memberi bintang hanya untuk cinta

Dan yang terbaik, selamanya bersama
akan ku bagikan
bintangku demi cintamu
and when you keep on believing
thousand miles can be sees by running
the miracles can do things though can't do

Ku miliki bintang
bukan bintang biasa
ku bisa hapuskan semua dukamu
ku tak akan menghilang
slalu ada di hatimu
memberi bintang hanya untuk cinta

Dan yang terbaik, selamanya bersama
akan ku bagikan
bintangku demi cintamu
and when you keep on believing
thousand miles can be sees by running
the miracles can do things though can't do

Dan yang terbaik, selamanya bersama
akan ku bagikan
bintangku demi cintamu
and when you keep on believing
thousand miles can be sees by running
the miracles can do things though can't do

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to my Special Laling. May our love cherish forever and never ever ends. The recent 6 years have been so wonderful.
Thank YOU.

"I love you BEARY much my love."

Muahhhs! & Lotsa Love from your dearest Hubby.

Follow up Visit to MOPD

Went to see the physician at Ampang Hospital on my routine check (read: long waiting time for my turn to see the doctor, hours of waiting, really) just last week a day before Chinese New Year I had to wait from 8am at the eye clinic at the same hospital before being called at 1pm - ridiculous time wasting but what can I say - its a RM5 treatment at a government hospital.

At the eye clinic two days ago the doctor finally decided to do laser treatment on my left eye. The burst capillaries have gotten worse indicating that my kidney is badly affected - thanks to my failing pancreas. So I'd have to come back on the 19th for another laser treatment (it's an ongoing thing for God knows how long).

Today I had to wait from 8am to until they finally called me at 11:45am. Luckily the doctor who saw me today (Dr Malek) was a practical one - unlike the doctor who saw me on my last visit who couldn't care less of my complaints, who told me the reason for my difficulty walking up stairs was because I was fat. Today Dr Malek took me very seriously. He even checked my very swollen legs and put me back on lasix.

My bloated left foot- reminds me of the bloated Tsunami casualties in 2004

I was advised to go for an angiography to find out whether there is a blockage in my heart vessels (in which Dr Malek said, there is a high possibility looking at my symptoms and current conditions) - and that I gotta have RM30k if a bypass is needed. I told him I don't have that much (although I may have if I gather properly but I rather spend this money to perform Haj and perhaps go for a last vacation with KN than having the surgeons tear my body apart like they did on Mummy). So I told him I just want to be medically treated and hope for the best.

I never told this to anyone except for KN. I don't want my family to pester me to go through that hell and talk me into being butchered alive. Especially won't tell this to papa for the same reason I hadn't told him about me having a cerebellar stroke attack in October last year.

Well, I'd just hope for the best and since I know I don't have much time to enjoy life and God knows when I'm leaving for good, I better hurry up for Umrah, InsyaAllah for my birthday this November, hopefully (so that I can pray for Mummy as well on her birthday a day before mine).

I'd have to see the nephrologist this coming 21st and the dietitian (yucks) on the 28th of this month. My next appointment with the medical doctor would be in 4 months time (thank God) heheheh. So I headed home after collecting my free medications from the pharmacy. Thank you God for this opportunity for a free medical treatment. Thank you Malaysia (chewah patriotik la plak...)

Terowongan Casablanca (Kuntilanak Merah)

Another Indonesian Horror DVD purchased during our trip to Indonesia recentlly. I have been wanting to watch this movie for a very long time but because I couldn't find a DVD copy here in KL, so I decided to look for it in Indonesia. After going into many DVD outlets in Jogja, finally found a DVD copy in Solo on the last day of our trip.

After the success of Rumah Pondok Indah and Hantu Jeruk Purut, Indika Entertainment released another Horror Movie titled ‘Terowongan Casablanca’. Terowongan Casablanca is an underpass in South Jakarta well known for its many reported accidents taking place there. An urban legend is believed that this area is haunted by a spirit of a high school student who died in the 1970s because of a failed abortion. The story is based on this legend.

Much effort was made into making the Kuntilanak (vampire) looks real and the storyline is also nicely put. However, as I was earlier expecting the plot to be much focused on the underpass with eerie accidents and ghostly appearances of the kuntilanak in the Casablanca underpass (like shown in the movie poster) but unfortunately this is not the case. The storyline is a typical revengeful ghost seeking an opportunity to kill all those who had caused her death. The story ended up somewhat confusing as suddenly her mom (also turned into a Kuntilanak) decided to take her own life and take care of the unborn baby with her dead daughter, supposedly the Red Kuntilanak.

Another thing that confuses me is the Kuntilanank only wears red towards the end of the movie when she was always been wearing white (like most depicted Kuntilanaks). Furthermore she didn't die wearing red, so where the hell did she get the red dress lah?

I believe the movie could be written better if more time and effort are put into it. But again, the most important thing is the valuable time spent with my love, KN.

Dead Floor: Lantai 13

Ah ha, this is the first movie we watched after coming back from Indonesia and yes, this is one of the DVDs we bought there especially after failing to find a DVD version of this movie in KL.

Lantai 13" opens with jobseeker Luna arriving for an interview with a posh company. There, she is met by a representative, who takes her to the 13th floor office of the company for a written test. However, even before she agrees to take up the secretarial post, Luna gets her first fright when she envisions a room with a dozen dead women - the ghosts of applicants like her. Other scary omens include a stench in the lift, and the 'missing' button to the 13th floor.

Now, would Luna run for her life and look for another job elsewhere like any normal girl would do? Nah, she reports for work the next day, despite pleas from her boyfriend Rafael not to take up the job. So what is it that makes her so eager to work in a haunted building? Is it the charmingly handsome boss Albert, or the mesmerising pull of his mysterious henchman Kuntara?

The answer is neither. It is simply a case of careless, illogical plotting that also suggests the practice of human sacrifices for the sake of business prosperity - in this day and age! Writer-director Helfi Kardit however, does a good job at creating an eerie atmosphere, especially at the stairways and corridors, and even a few comical scenes which we may call 'pseudo-scares'. The movie also makes liberal use of loud, screeching sounds to jolt us, or to prepare us for the frights ahead.

There is potential for human drama in Luna's relationship with her caring boyfriend Rafael but this is not properly developed. The same goes for other interesting characters like the enigmatic Ibu Siska (Bella Esperance) and villainous-looking Kuntara. Instead, Kardit goes for the jugular - using cliched devices from other horror thrillers in the hope that some would work. Well, some of these 'boo' moments actually do - in a low-brow, physical way. It would have helped a bit if we had credible performances from the cast. However, none of them gave us anything memorable or outstanding. Sadly true.

Happy Chinese New Year 2008 / Selamat Hari Raya Imlek 2559

Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year 2008.

Sheila Majid in Concert

We have missed a concert that we've been really waiting for, for many years. Even though it was a sit down, over dinner concert it was still Sheila Majid and no way we should've missed it.

Unfortunately we were not around. As the plan to Jogja was made wayyyyy back in November last year, we had no choice but to forgo Sheila's charity concert at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on the 1st and 2nd of February 2008.

Well, just hope Sheila would organize a little more informal concert at one of the indoor stadiums in KL soon - miss those times when I was a lot younger, dancing to her music and enjoying her songs really much. I wonder if I could still spend most of the concert dancing, especially in my situation now? Perhaps and I'm sure I can - who wouldn't be tempted to dance at Sheila Majid's concert lah?

Sheila, please haaaa a concert, a real concert soon OK?