The Pseudo-Italian Food Fest

It’s never particularly a wonder whenever my Uncle Martin and Aunt Kim visit from the UK. It’s never particularly a wonder because it always is particularly good, where culinary delights are concerned. You see, my Uncle Martin is particularly a good cook. So is my aunt. So expect to either be blown away by the sinful dishes they conjure or simply blow up due to excessive stuffing (on your part).

One particularly glaring family trait is the love of food and mass gathering. It’s a Chan Clan thing. Together we numbered 17 hungry folks last night. Unc. Martin, Aunt Kim and their enthusiastic kitchen helpers including my mom, another aunt and few cousins were hard at work since Sunday morning.

I brought my boo, J to sample the hardwork of the chefs. It was indeed gastronomically pleasing – the appetizer of antipasti (salami, proschiutto and ham), coupled with a gargantuan bowl of fresh green salad and lovely bread (mix of ciabatta, my fav, and other brown/whites) courtesy of Cold Storage Bangsar. With some Camembert cheese, roasted tomatoes and red peppers ala Italiano to top it all of, it was appetising indeed! I swore I was already quite full at the end of that.

The highlight was of course the wonderful Zuppa De Mare, a scrumptious delectable Italian seafood soup with a generous dash of salmon, prawn and squid. Seriously delicious! The accompaniment of oven-baked bread made everyone happy!

Unc. Martin and Aunt Kim are also known for their desserts, but unfortunately, for some strange reason this time round, two attempts for pavlovas did not prove successful. If you ever had a chance, try their Apple crumble! Yums!

In the end, my bro’s off-the-shelf cheesecake proved to be a saviour for ones with a sweet tooth.

As I washed it down with some instant coffee at the very end, I was satisfied but guilty. The taste-buds were treated with an eclectic mix of tastes, but bulging belly complained.

To the gym, you fatty!

RIP, Richard. 2001 FIA WRC Champion Dies.

Richard Burns, the 2001 FIA World Rally Champion, and first Briton to have won the coveted title, passed away last Friday, November 25, 2005.

I have been a fan of Richard’s since he took up Subaru Team colours, and his trademark full-throttle, high-speed jumps have always been a marvel to watch.

Diagnosed with astrocytoma, a form of brain tumour late 2003, Richard had been battling it ever since. Chemotheraphy and radiotheraphy enabled him to leave hospital in summer 2004 after showing signs of improvement. However, his condition worsened months later, and subsequently opted for surgery early this year.

He passed away peacefully in the presence of his loved ones – partner Zoe, family and close friends. He was 34 years old.

The world has lost another great champion, after the loss of rally navigator Michael Park recently.

Deepest condolences to the Burns family. RIP, Richard. You are and always will be a champion in our hearts.

Anyone who would like to send messages can address them to the memorials pages on this website.

Image courtesy of Richard Burns official website

Two Sisters. One Cause. 5-Cat Style & The Flyer

Darling friend, 5-Cat Style and her sis The Flyer, has set-up a blog aptly named 5-Cat Style & The Flyer with a focus to help and save cats and animals. Working closely with The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) and other non-profit organisations like PAWSWeb and SPCA, 5-Cat Style got her name from the first litter of kittens she adopted some months ago. Since then, three have found foster homes and one from the litter – the adorable matt-black Callas, has even appeared on Singapore national TV!

If you are in Singapore (and even if you’re not!) and an animal lover, pay this blog a visit!

Congrats 5-Cat Style and The Flyer! Wish you all the best! A big hey-ho to Callas and Bombay!

A Podium Finish! GRA Autocross Round 1 – KLCC

I am estatic. My first podium finish. And what better way to achieve this than at the inaugural GrassRacing Autosports (GRA) Autocross Round 1 at KLCC on Sunday. I came in 2nd in class, and was awarded the fastest Novice in Class C (1601cc – 1900cc cars). Read all about it on The R3gister!

My 1st Gen iPod. Dead.

Hah. What do you know? Old farts die eventually. And the venerable 1st generation 5GB (with its much publicised battery deficiencies) is not spared. Lest mine. It’s been a trusty companion, my iPod. Bought it brand new and cheap way back in 2002. Whoever said the battery lasts 18 months, eat your heart out!

But alas, it IS dead. For good. It complained of low power this morning when I tried to power it up, so I brought it to the office (where I sync it with my office G5) to be charged. Weirdly, it didn’t power up. And it didn’t auto-launch iTunes. And no indication of whatsoever of any charging commencing. Weird.

So as of 5.45pm, November 18 2005, I pronounce my iPod – D-E-A-D.

I actually had plans to purchase the NewerTech iPod Replacement batteries, available via their online store, in the States. With up to more than 78% more capacity as compared to the Apple stock battery, the Lithium Polymer-based batteries are rated up to 2200mAh, as compared to Apple’s 1200-1230mAh.

Looks like I’ll be placing an order real soon! Just USD34.95, not a bad deal really.

My hands were itchy, and proceeded to rip my iPod apart to remove the old battery. View pics below

The iPod, powered by a Sony battery! No wonder! OEM Sony batteries tend to fcuk-up, whether on cameras, notebooks or other digital devices. Retail versions seem far better.

Oh well. Out with Sony, in with NewerTech!

Jit Murad vs Afdlin Shauki: It’s War!

Images sourced from Kakiseni.com

The feud between prolific local comedians Jit Murad and Afdlin Shauki took an even more intense turn recently. The ongoing verbal war is currently being published on Kakiseni. Jit has cited being backstabbed by the younger (and rounder) Afdlin, and for attempting to upstage his restage of Jit Happens, aptly entitled Jit Happens…Again at around the same time as Afdlin’s own Why You Still Fat? performance at The Actors Studio this month.

The rebuttals and below-the-belt name-calling has intensified as both refuse to back down and concede.

Catch both Afdlin Shauki’s “Why You Still Fat?” (Thu 17 – Sun 20 Nov 2005) and Jit Happens… Again (Tue 22 – Sun 27 Nov 2005) at The Actors Studio Bangsar. Tel: 03-2094 9400

The Making of a Commercial

This should be quite familiar for those in the ad industry! Uncanny!

Source: Forwarded email (thanks, SJ!)

The Girl From Ipoh – Looked like tasty hor fun, but not quite…

“Doncha wish your hor fun was smooth like me,
Doncha wish your ngar choy was fresh like me,
Doncha…”

Sang the all-girl LiT performers, half of what made up Low Ngai Yuen’s The Girl From Ipoh musical drama, which was performed from the 9th – 13th November 2005. I happened to catch the performance on the final night with my boo, parents and brother Vince + girlfriend Jo. Pentas 1 of KLPAC was packed. I wondered if it was the strength of the play or the attraction of the gorgeous Carmen Soo who brought in the eager numbers. Joanne Kam Poh Poh and former Miss Malaysia Elaine Daly were amongst the audience.

The girlies from LiT opened with a medley, polished but perhaps slightly over-amplified over the sound system before Carmen appeared as Wong Mei Lee – a not-quite-Chinese Chinese girl from Ipoh. Her story began oddly enough, with her mention of sexual harrassment and abuse from her primary school teacher. Yes, the dude with the big black hose.

Fast-forward some years, Mei Lee assumes her identity as Hollie, the banana, as Malaysians would call it. Westernised Chinese. White on the inside, yellow on the outside. Daughter of a hor hee (noodles) seller, Hollie later uproots to the big city of Kuala Lumpur to further her studies. This is where her real adventure begins, her search for identity and true love. And her thoughts and dreams vivid in her mind are exposed through music and different characters and her love interests played by Tony Eusoff and Season Chee.

I wouldn’t even attempt to write a real review, which you can probably read off Kakiseni.com; or perhaps catch the sypnosis here. But at the interval, I had already felt a tad disappointed and somewhat annoyed. No doubt there were flashes of brilliance with Swee Keong who played Hollie’s father and the comical Tony, who played several characters. Sadly, I felt, there was an over-use of LiT. Musical sequences were too long and draggy. Instead of being highlights, they competed for attention with the main cast and actor, interrupting the flow of the story even more. Ultimately, it became boring. Is it a musical? Is it a drama? Is it both?

The singing was above average (being a LiT fan, I’ve to say I’ve seen better from them) but overall distracted the main story, which didn’t quite come together well in the end. An interesting concept really, the whole play revolving around her thoughts, the music in her head, her search for love and identity. But in the end fell short where execution was concerned.

But I have to say it again, Swee Keong stole the show. His intensity was genuine and real. And Tony, without being biased, provided the laughs, despite his brief 15-minute appearance. Carmen, played her sweet, naive role well, although can’t be described as brilliant.

In the end, The Girl From Ipoh, despite its many flaws, was still entertaining in a feel-good sort of way. It was funny and lightheaded in spurts and provided some drama as well. Could have been a whole lot worse, in Pygmalion proportions! Didn’t think it deserved the standing ovation that some quarters showed it after the encore, but not too shabby an effort.

The All-New Lexus IS250. I want.

Words cannot describe how much I desire this car. The specs is enough to make me cream. And the styling. Ah… top class.

The new Lexus IS250 features an all-new direct injection 2.5-litre V6 lump, which is aided by Dual VVT-i – variable air-fuel intake and exhaust valve timing system. All this contributes to a power output of 204bhp at 6,400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. This may not seem impressive as compared to the 210bhp IS200 Altezza, but being a 6-cylinder in-vee engine, performance should be progressive and silky smooth.

Some specs to dabble with:

Engine specifications
Engine type: 4GR-FSE
No. of cylinders and arrangement: V6
Valve mechanism: 24-valve DOHC with VVT-i
Bore x stroke: 83.0mm x 77.0mm
Displacement: 2499cc
Max. output (SAE-NET) kW/rpm (bhp / DIN HP@rpm): 150 kW(204 DIN hp) @ 6400
Max. torque (SAE-NET) Nm/rpm (lb-ft@rpm): 252 Nm @ 4800
Automatic transmission: Optional

Safety Systems
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BAS)
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
Traction Control (TRC)
LED rear lamp and stop lamp
Driver & passenger front airbags and side airbags
Driver & passenger knee airbags
Passenger airbag cut-off switch
Curtain airbags
Electrical Power Steering (EPS)
Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)

Impressive? Sure is! BMW 3-series, eat your heart out!

*Images courtesy of Lexus UK.