New Year's Resolutions for 2008

My new year's resolutions:
.
.
.
.
.
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
kill neighbour's dog.
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!
UPDATE THIS BLOG MORE OFTEN!

k thx n happy '08!

Bamboo Cafe, Miri

One of the greatest satisfaction about hunting for good food is to discover a new place that you never knew existed! That's exactly what happened when a friend introduced me to Bamboo Cafe.


It was a surprise that the cafe is located near the Pujut Corner bus station (along the Miri By-pass road), because it is almost in a middle of nowhere! Nevertheless, it comes highly recommended if you are looking for good food at a reasonable price plus relaxing ambiance.


As I said, food is good. They serve a variety of Thai, Filipino and local food. Anything under the Thai menu would be a safe choice.

Mee Siam

Tom Yam (Recommended)

Why is the place called "Bamboo Cafe"?


**begin sarcasm**

Absolutely no idea!

**end sarcasm**

Adventures (Or Misadventures) Of 2007

Heck. Time flies. I realized its December and only a month left before a new year. Before I turn into a beer-bellied 50-year-old with receding hairline, allow me to gratify myself and point out the highlights of my 2007.

---

1. Went horseback riding for the first time in Sabah

Thanks to my non-existent horseback riding knowledge, it was almost disastrous.

---

2. White-water rafted down the Padas river

It's a good thing that I water rafted before a Dutch tourist died attempting to do it, otherwise I would think twice. Rumours about crocodiles in the river doesn't help either.

---

3. Turned 24


I think you start losing count of your age in mid-20s.

---

4. Parasailed in Pattaya


Yes, I know its over-commercialized and nothing more than getting strapped with belts all over your body and under your crotch before hauling you up in the air. But anything that gets the adrenaline pumping for a good 15 minutes deserves a spot here.

---

5. Molested a snake in Bangkok

Wait, this isn't a highlight. Its a "lowlight" that scarred me for life.

---

6. Unexpectedly moved from away from my hometown to Miri

Beautiful sunsets and the pace of life is a nice change.

---

7. Played paintball for the first time

Two words : Damn.Fun.

---

How was YOUR 2007?

Breast Lifting

Spotted at a mall:


Breast lifting anyone?


I wonder who's doing the breast lifting. It must be the best job in the world. Its no wonder McDonald's hasn't got any employees at its stall.

Do check out the Eye Lashes Extanssion as well (whatever in the world that is....)

Why McDonalds Urgently Need New Employees

An innocent looking VACANCY ad that I saw at the McDonalds' McTreat stall that seems to be desperately crying out for people to APPLY TODAY:


It's no wonder that they were desperate........






There's NOBODY looking after the stall!!

Yellow Fever

Some time ago, I wrote about ordinary people in Thailand wearing yellow to show their allegiance and loyalty to their king.

Last Saturday, Malaysians wore yellow for an entirely different purpose!

Photo taken from http://rockybru.blogspot.com

Save Malaysia indeed!

Top 10 Places In Miri To Eat Laksa

The top 10 best laksa in Miri, bottom up:

10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.

For the Kuching version, click here.

Performance Anxiety

Recently I had my blog rated:

Nice! Though parental guidance is suggested, its still suitable for a wide range of readers. There are other ratings such as RESTRICTED. Let's hope this post doesn't screw the ratings.

Now.... what is performance anxiety??



Performance anxiety is a term often used to refer to self-consciousness and anxiousness about the quality of one's performance.

Its a self-conscious, self-doubting awareness that hinders performance instead of helping.

Imagine a gradual build-up of TENSION.... to that moment when everything around you seems to freeze .... and all focus is on YOU.



Imagine a moment of climax .... where you know you MUST perform .... otherwise that moment will be lost forever .....



What am I talking about?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Check out this public toilet in London..... (What were you thinking about??!!)

Its a toilet with one-way (or two-way - depends on who you're talking to) mirror walls.

This is from the outside....

Don't tell me you'll be perfectly comfortable peeing in this toilet.

Talk about performance anxiety!

The End of James Bond

Bond .... James Bond - the epitome of talent, intelligence, physical prowess, coolness and style that has placed him as the desire of women and the envy of men everywhere.

Whether it be piloting assault helicopters, firing rocket launchers, clobbering nameless henchmen or regularly bedding beautiful women, Bond rose to fame by excelling in everything that he does.

In fact, I would love to learn how he manages to jump away from explosions with his crisp tailor-made suit still intact.

It's the accomplishments of the British secret agent that has led him to possess the rank of "Double 0" in Her Majesty's service, hence the legendary code number "007".

The "double-0" prefix indicates his discretionary licence to kill in the performance of his duties.

The seemingly ageless Bond was allegedly born in 1968, which would make him 39 years old this year.

I think James Bond has finally called it quits, slowed down the pace and ventured into a new field.................

SELLING DIM SUM IN MIRI!!!

Er... Mr Bond, one sio bee please..... steamed, not fried.

Another Little Planet

I'm still amused at this:


Again, you can create your own little planet using the instructions here.

A Dog's Life

A few months ago, I posted a video of a neglected stray dog in YouTube and totally forgotten about it.

After some time, I checked the video and it received a number of unfavorable comments (and links to a number of animal cruelty caring for your pets websites), in what I perceive as a total LACK OF understanding in the situation and the cultural differences.

Here are some of the comments (unedited):

"WTF dude that is sooo mean!!!"

"man, you shouldnt own a dog, if you cant be responsible get him/her to a vet. Not impressed at all.."

"This is horrible. What kind of sick and cruel person would leave this aninmal to suffer?"

"that is just plain horrible to leave a dog to suffer!!
what the hell is wrong with you?
take him to the vet, but DON'T make him suffer like that.
Just becasuse he can't speak, doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to be treated right."

OK. First of all, learn to spell properly. Secondly, its a stray dog and therefore it doesn't belong to me. Besides, someone was aware of the situation and was trying to help it.

It's also obvious that they are not aware that stray dogs in a 'less than desirable' condition are a common sight in this part of the world.

I live a culture where generating the next winning 4D (lottery) number takes precedence over pro-actively caring for stray (and potentially dangerous) dogs. There are limitations to what the general public can do to curb the problem.

The dog catching competition proposed a few months ago here in SemuaPunBolehLand could reduce the number of strays in the streets, but was too controversial.

Seeing neglected stray dogs roaming the streets of Malaysia remains part of our everyday lives.

One thing to bear in mind, the strays here do NOT look as if they were fed an 8-course buffet for the past 6 months......



And in this part of the world, the dogs - strays or not, certainly do NOT receive $12 million.

Peculiar Massage Parlors

Found in Miri (Dedicated to Orange):

A massage parlor with a name like that, you begin to wonder what else they have on their 'menu'.

On the other hand, here's a massage parlor that I came across during my last trip to Thailand:


**begin sarcasm here**

Thank goodness there's PHYSICAL massage there. I was beginning to worry that the non-physical massages that I've been having aren't effective for my sore muscles.

Washroom Routine

So my camera is dead. That doesn't stop me from my usual illustrative blogging (Thanks to the often-overlooked MS Paint).

The following illustration depicts a plan of my office's gentlemen washroom:

The design flaw here is that the paper towel dispenser is placed too far away from the sink. One would have to walk across the toilet area to dry his hands.

The normal routine that me and 95% of the users of this washroom follow (under normal "circumstances") is:

1. Enter washroom.
2. Use urinal (Absolutely NO greeting is allowed).
3. Wash hands at sink (Now is the time to greet anyone whom you may know).
4. Walk across toilet area and use the paper towel dispenser.
5. Exit toilet.

Normal Routine

Once in a while, I see people do THIS:

The Quick Enter-Use-Exit Routine

Moral of the story:
Do NOT greet and shake hands with people who have just exited the washroom.

Deprived

I feel so deprived. I don't have an internet connection at my place and my camera's dead.

Updates when all is in order.

Ipoh Town, Miri

If you've failed geography in school, NO - Ipoh Town is NOT a town in Miri.

West Malaysians are probably familiar with a franchise of eateries called Old Town. It serves fantastic signature delicacies from Ipoh such as hor fun, extra kao white coffee, toast, and half-boiled eggs with bulging and orangy yolks.

Miri has its own version of Old Town!

Sadly, it doesn't serve any hor fun. I think it would be impractical to import hor fun from Ipoh all the way to Miri.

On the other hand, it does serve other reasonably good dishes. Prices range from RM2 to RM7.

Chicken Curry Toast

There isn't any outstanding dish that I personally like. Nevertheless, the dry kueh tiao is a good choice.

Dry Chicken Kueh Tiao

In addition, Ipoh Town is an ideal location for an afternoon tea break, in view that food is somewhat scarce here after lunch hour.

Loh Lou Shu Fun

Not forgetting the pride of Ipoh - white coffee .....

Looking at the fact that the white coffee isn't as kao and aromatic as the one at Old Town cafe in West Malaysia, I have a feeling the white coffee here originates from the SUPERMARKET .....





Ipoh Town Kopitiam
Address: Lot 1395, Grd Flr, Centre Point Phase II, Jln Kubu, 98000 Miri, Sarawak.
Phone Number: 085-415288

Hello Miri

I know... it has been more than a week since I've updated my blog, but I have good reasons. Almost everyday after office hours, I have been occupied with activities, dinners and relocation issues.

I think I'm beginning to adapt to the lifestyle here. Life isn't as hectic as KL or even Kuching. Being a city by the sea, there are plenty of recreational activities. The only thing this place needs is good laksa!

I have been and will be staying in a cosy lil' hotel room until I move to my apartment around the end of the month.

Better not get too cosy though... I know it won't last forever.

Top 10 Places In Kuching To Eat Laksa

Ahh... laksa! What's there to hate about it? For those of you who do not know what laksa is, allow me to give a brief introduction..............

Now that we have familiarized ourselves, here are the top 10 places in Kuching serving the best laksa. The list is done with the following assumptions:

1. I'm aware that there are many variations of laksa, such as Asam Laksa and Curry Laksa. However, the list strictly comprises of Sarawak Laksa.
   
2. The maximum price of the laksa being contested in the list is RM5.
   
3. I place a high importance on the gravy.
   
4. The list is done based on the my personal view. If you are offended in any way, then go suck on a lollipop.
   
5. I do not have weird fetishes when it comes to eating laksa, such as ordering laksa kosong (Believe me, some people do order that!).
   

Without further ado, I present you the top 10 list, bottom up.


#10 - Sin Chong Choon Cafe

Sin Chong Choon Cafe is located at the Green Heights commercial center. And yes, the cafe apparently have relations to the famous Chong Choon Cafe at Abell Road, which is also in this list.

The laksa tastes nothing like its counterpart though. It has rooms for improvements, particularly in the quantity of the ingredients.


#9 - Combo Laksa

The Combo Laksa shop is at the Pending commercial center, near the Dua Puluh Sen Store. Rumors have it that once upon a time they served laksa in coconut shells.

The color of the gravy looks fantastic but unfortunately not as fantastic in taste. It needs a little less coconut milk and a little more spice.

Combo Laksa also sells the most expensive laksa I have ever seen - Abalone laksa for RM128!! A more realistic RM10 option would get you clams in your laksa.


#8 - Barrett's Laksa

Barrett's Laksa is being sold in a cafe called Tiang's Cafe at the Bormill Estate, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce.

They go the extra mile by adding fish balls and fish cakes into your laksa - an ingredient desirable but non-essential. The gravy is rich in spices.

You can also buy their laksa paste or sambal belacan if you like it.


#7 - Madam Tang's Cafe

Despite serving one of the best beef noodles in Kuching, the laksa at Madam Tang's is somewhat mediocre.

The flavor of the gravy is bland and diluted. A regular laksa comes with prawns you can barely see. You might want to size up your laksa to the RM10 option if you want your prawns truly visible.


#6 - Jin Ming Cafe

Jin Ming Cafe may be hidden from the usual hustle and bussle of the Sekama main road, but the laksa here commands a fair number of faithful eaters.

The laksa here is enough to satisfy one's cravings for the food. Decent, but not spectacular. The only complaint I have is that the prawns are sliced in half and placed outer-side up on your laksa, giving you an impression that prawns are aplenty.


#5 - Golden Arch Cafe

The "golden" laksa of the Golden Arch Cafe at the Golden Arch Commercial Center is above average. In the mornings, the cafe is usually packed full of people and parking can be quite a hassle.

The laksa is savoury and deserves to be one of the most popular laksa spots in Kuching. I, however, do not frequent this place.

#4 - Foody Goody Cafe

Foody Goody Cafe can hardly be missed if you know where the Kuching Specialist Center is. The cafe not only sells laksa, but a host of other local delicacies.

Sometimes I think the laksa here is overrated and overhyped. Many people have agreed with me that there is nothing so spectacular about the laksa.

Among the most popular stalls is the one that sells Yu Cha Kueh (Fried dough sticks) fresh out of the frying wok.

What happens if you add these crispy fried dough sticks to laksa?

Almost as good as eating strawberry and cheese together I suppose.....

3 - Hak Guan

Hak Guan is located at a house-like establishment near the traffic light at 4 ½ Mile. The cafe is always thronged by hungry Kuchingites every morning.

Food being sold here include kueh chap and porridge but the main attraction has got to be the laksa. The gravy is superb - not too spicy, strong or diluted. Prawns are big and fresh.

The only thing that can be improved is maintaining consistency of the taste in their gravy.

#2 - Mei Mei Food Centre

In the not-so-faraway land of Chong Lin Park, lies a cafe selling one of the best laksa in Kuching. Parking is hassle-free as there are plenty of parking spaces. There are also more than enough tables to cope with the current stream of customers.

Mei Mei's laksa is delightfully aromatic and rich in ingredients. The price of the laksa as shown in the picture below is only RM3.20. Imagine what you would get for a RM5 option.

Not only is the laksa delicious, but the drinks here are also fantastic. Order a kopi peng or teh-c-peng and you would get a smooth-tasting drink with froth.

Mei Mei's laksa also needs to maintain more consistency in the taste. Sometimes the taste of the laksa may not achieve its "full potential". In fact, this is the reason why it lost out on the #1 spot in this list.

#1 - Chong Choon Cafe

Its no secret that many people think Chong Choon Cafe at Abell Road serves the best laksa in Kuching. Just look at the number of customers there! The laksa is usually sold out around 10am. The place is crowded and seats are limited.

Tips for securing a seat at Chong Choon Cafe:

• Don't be afraid to ask people if you can share tables with them. Remember to be polite and courteous!
  
• Locate and position yourself nearby people who have finished or almost finished their food and stare at them until they leave. Remember to be polite and courteous!

The laksa? Simply breathtaking.