the zest of life...

Closed - for good

2008-07-24T15:20:00.003+08:00

After much deliberation and thinking, I've decided to close this blog.

I will continue blogging but anonymously - that way I don't have to do any self-censorship which is pretty much my only hindrance right now..

You may or may not bump across my blog.. Cheers and its been a pleasure..

Finale - Bali (updated)

2008-07-20T16:36:00.004+08:00

My favourite Bali shots...

Hello aboard flight SQ325 from Frankfurt to Singapore... We just took off a while ago and are cruising at 0.83mach at an altitude of 31,000 feet above sea level.

Okay this will be the last post on Bali - a recap of my favourite photos.

Pebble on the beach, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Bale's at the poolside, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Infinity pool, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Purnama Suite, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Blue skies, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Cloudless skies on a black volcanic sand beach, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Night shot of the poolside and dinner table, Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Our villa (leftmost) at Kamandalu Resort - Ubud, Bali

Morning view from the villa, Kamandalu Resort - Ubud, Bali

Smiles from the soul - Singaraja, Bali

The simplicity of life - Ubud, Bali

Intricacy of the arts - Ubud, Bali

The faithful - Ubud, Bali

Ancient agricultural achitecture - Ubud, Bali

Loyalty to royalty - Ubud, Bali

The old, the new, the suicidal - Ubud, Bali

Memories of youth - Kuta, Bali

Thirst kills - Seminyak, Bali

Of endless beaches, blue skies and palm trees - Seminyak, Bali

The ugly duck(ling) - Tanah Lot, Bali

Of sunsets, sea and skies - Tanah Lot, Bali

Copenhagen - Denmark

2008-07-17T01:43:00.005+08:00

The day I picked up my new glasses at the optician, it's weird of them to take pictures of their clients with new glasses... 2 hours after I arrived from Bali
Greetings from Riga, Latvia... Hello there! Yes I know it's been quite some time since my last update, I do apologise as I have been working my ass off (yes, I actually travel for ~~free holiday~~ business).

Copenhagen, is a very pleasant and vibrant city (in comparison with Stockholm, Sweden). I stayed at the Le Meridien Palace Hotel, which was right in front of the city hall on Radhuspladsen. I bought a few things from people here, and a few books from the second hand book store (a cook book dating back to 1919).

Here are some pictures from Copenhagen...

More updates soon!

Greetings from Copenhagen

2008-07-11T19:24:00.001+08:00

Hey guys just a quick one...

I'm in Copenhagen now and will be flying to Amsterdam on Sunday morning (Europe time).

Things have been great, especially work-wise.

More updates soon!

Cheers, Leo

Culinary journey Bali - part 05 La Lucciola Restaurant Petitenget

2008-07-08T10:19:00.000+08:00

Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden!

Located on the beach next to a temple at Petitenget, La Lucciola remains one of my favourite restaurants in Bali - a must visit!

Style of cooking is Mediterranean with a strong Italian influence.

Entrance of La Lucciola - Petitenget, Bali

La Lucciola, restaurant proper

Upper deck La Lucciola

Calamari fritters with rucola and balsamico

Special of the day - Seafood pie with snapper and slipper lobster accompanied with truffled potatoes and rucola

Special of the day - Strozzapretti with Italian sausage and pancetta

Cheese platter of brie, parmagiano and gorgonzola
One of the best places in Bali for a proposal, stunning sunsets to enjoy your pre-dinner cocktail and continuous breeze from the sea as your dinner companion.

Culinary journey Bali - part 04 Gado Gado Restaurant Seminyak

2008-07-07T10:00:00.000+08:00

One of my all-time favourite restaurants in Bali, Gado Gado is one not to be missed if you are a fan of seafood in a super setting by Seminyak Beach. Located at the end of Jalan Dhyana Pura, it was a 3 minutes walk from where we were staying in Seminyak, the Sofitel Seminyak Resort.

As you can see below, stunning food together with an excellent selection of both new and old world wines. I ordered a nice Italian red although we were having seafood.

Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali

Ceviche of mackarel, Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali

Pacific oysters au naturel, Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali

Seafood platter, Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali

Sea brim roulade with linguine, Gado Gado Restaurant - Seminyak, Bali
Food pictures are a little overexposed due to the flash (super powerful one), but I think you get the picture. Open for lunch (I think) and dinner.

Going, Going, Gone

2008-07-06T02:56:00.001+08:00

Off to Europe...

Be back 21 July =)

Arrivederci!

Culinary journey Bali - part 03 Babi Guling Ibu Oka Ubud

2008-07-04T01:19:00.002+08:00

Located at one of the main junctions of Ubud, Ibu Oka's Babi Guling joint has received raving reviews and accolades from fellow bloggers and foodies. So it was a stop which we couldn't miss in our short 24 hours in Ubud.

Babi guling Ibu Oka - Ubud, Bali

One of the many roasted pigs on the spits at Ibu Oka - Ubud, Bali

Nasi babi guling Ibu Oka - Ubud, Bali
What is it? If you don't already know, babi guling is a whole big roasted on a spit. Ibu Oka's take on it certainly is breathtakingly delicious. The meat was tender and extremely moist, accompanied with intestines roasted to a crisp, a huge piece of crackling, lawar (spicy sauteed vegetables) and on rice.

Suffice to say I was thoroughly satisfied with my meal. One tip, get there early as it tends to run out towards the early afternoon. Open for lunch only.

Culinary journey Bali - Part 02 Spa Village Tembok

2008-07-03T03:00:00.002+08:00

Keeping in line with healthy and balanced spa-oriented food, the chefs at Spa Village Tembok, have concocted a stunning - both visually and taste wise, menu which I could only describe as delectable. See for yourself...

Over the top coconut!

Herb rolls in rice paper and sweet chilli dressing

Super duper chicken salad

Braised seafood on rice in a light egg sauce

Balinese style grilled chicken

Tropical fruit platter

Grilled tiger prawns on roasted aubergines

Carrot soup with Madras spices

Babi Kecap, braised pork with sweet soy sauce

Grilled barramundi with mushrooms

Bintang beer, water and the other half

Shitake shioyaki (grilled shitake mushrooms with salt) and garden greens

BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich

Tuna herb roll

Basil ice cream

Part 03: Ubud

Culinary journey Bali - Part 01 Singapore Airlines

2008-07-02T03:00:00.001+08:00

The food that we had enroute Bali was up to standards of a business class flight in Singapore Airlines. Food quality and variety of wines and beverages were up to expectations. We were served dinner as we took the night flight out of Singapore to Denpasar.

Silverkris Lounge - Changi International Airport Singapore

Champagne onboard SQ948 Singapore/Denpasar - Singapore Airlines

Fillet of beef with champignon sauce with a nice Italian 2005 sangiovese - Singapore Airlines

Ben & Jerry's for dessert - Singapore Airlines

Otard XO cognac and sparkling water to digest - Singapore Airlines

Next part: Spa Village Tembok

Photos - Bali, Indonesia

2008-07-01T11:29:00.002+08:00

Finally managed to upload some of the photos I took, please take a look at it here. Assorted photos of Spa Village Tembok, Kamandalu Resort Ubud, Sofitel Seminyak together with location shots of Tembok, Kintamani, Ubud, Seminyak and Tanah Lot.

My favourite would be the sunset picture at Tanah Lot, and the pebble shot on black sand at Tembok.

View Album

Get your own

A big thank you to Spa Village Tembok Bali for hosting our stay in Tembok, especially to Cheryl and Adrian. We were treated like king and queen, especially since we were the only guests in the resort during our stay. Spa treatments were of worthy mention! Food was of superior quality.

Comments are much appreciated! Off to Europe on Sunday! Cheerios!

Back from Bali...

2008-06-30T21:55:00.003+08:00

Seminyak Beach at Sofitel Seminyak
Sunset at Tanah Lot Temple
Guys, I'm back from Bali with over 600mb worth of pictures!! Anyway, the above picture was taken yesterday evening at Tanah Lot Temple. My first attempts at HDR photography..

More updates soon, I'm a little burnt and I've got new glasses from ic! Berlin, super light titanium frame!

Arrivederci!

2008-06-25T16:55:00.006+08:00

Leo is away from 25th till 30th June 2008 in Bali.

He is enjoying a nice flight on Singapore Airlines to Singapore, enroute Bali.

When he reaches, he's gonna have a good night's sleep and go for various spa treatments the next day on the shores of the Black Sand beach of Spa Village Tembok, in Singaraja - northeast of Bali Island.

He will probably sit on an edge of the pool, meditate and go "OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHMMMMMM", thereafter attaining enlightenment whilst sipping cocktails with a cherry and little umbrella attached to it.

So, to you guys out there who's reading this with envy, he has only one thing to say...

"Its a tough thing to do, but someone's gotta shovel the shit..."

=) Till later, arrivederci!

Happy birthday me =)

2008-06-25T01:12:00.000+08:00

I'm turning a year wiser today.. =)

Cheerios!

Let's hit the road!

2008-06-23T09:44:00.001+08:00

My next trip to Europe in July...

Stockholm, Sweden
Copenhagen, Denmark
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Riga, Latvia

Travelling season is back!! YAY!! Finally, Europe in summer!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTSSS!

On a separate note, I'm thinking of taking up Italian... It seems only natural for me, rather than Spanish (which I did a while back), due to the presence of many native Italian speakers in my office at any given time. What do you think? Self-thought of course.. Too much in and out of Kuala Lumpur to attend classes...

Tawau - Sipadan Pom Pom Island

2008-06-21T13:10:00.003+08:00

Some photos from Sipadan Pom Pom Island during my recent trip to Borneo

Sea turtle shot using the Nightshot feature on the Sony DSC-F828

Kuala Lumpur Photoshoot!

2008-06-19T20:18:00.004+08:00

Boss and I went around Kuala Lumpur today to shoot some photos for our upcoming brochure. Here's a little sample of what I took...

Nice??

tagged again

2008-06-19T18:48:00.001+08:00

Tag #1
The rules:-
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules. (I've been tagged by Stephy)
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of this post and list their names.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

[一] I like to do things right the first time - it's all about efficiency; doing things accurately with the least amount of effort.

[二] I'm passionate about everything that I do.

[三] I love cooking and baking. It's my stress reliever.

[四] I really don't mind staying in bed the whole day.

[五] I hate Malaysian politicians.

[六] Being a Dato' or a Tan Sri does not make you a more superior human than I am.

[七] I like to have a proper meal (aperitifs - prosecco, gin n tonic or ice cold beer, meal, digestives - whiskey, cognac or grappa)

[八] I like dressing up but I love the fact that I can go to work in jeans, t-shirt and sneakers every day - basically whatever I want.

Tag #2
Instructions: Remove 1 question from above, and add in your personal question to make it a total of 20 questions. Then tag 8 people in your links list at the end of the post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.

1. What do you want the most now?
A new government.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Ummm I am grown up. But I want a yacht, golden retriever, nice house with a big yard by the sea and a wife upon retirement. Private jet would be nice too. Kids strictly optional.

3. What are you afraid to lose now?
My PDA.

4. Do you believe in being in love forever?
Yup.

5. If you meet someone you love, would you confess to him/her?
Yup.

6. What would you do when you're feeling down and depressed?
Talk to the bestie.

7. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Commitment, trust and support.

8. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Attitude, attitude and attitude do not go down well with me.

9. Do you cherish every single of your friendships?
Most certainly so.

10. Do you believe in God?
Agnostic - yes I do believe in a supreme being, just not sure whether it's a God, Allah or otherwise.

11. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Work / life balance. It's all about balance.

12. Do you find it necessary for you to have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Absolutely not.

13. What do you want your friends to be like?
Themselves.

14. What kind of friend do you hope to be in your friends' eyes?
I hope to be me.

15. If you can have a change, which part of your character would you like to change?
Extend the patience by a teeeeennyy weeeeeennyyy bit. And cut down on the skepticism.

16. If you're feeling low one day, who will you go to?
Mama.

17. Would you kill in order to save the ones you love?
Yup. Actually my second job is a cold blooded viciously savage assasin.

18. What would you do if you've lose everything in one shot?
Doubt that'll ever happen (skeptical me) but if it does, out of adversity comes wisdom and courage.

19. What’s the worst case scenario, in terms of friends (backstabbing, etc) that you have ever faced before?
Nothing serious.

20. When did you lose your virginity? (my question - why all the other questions so serious?)

Congratulations!
Feel free to do the tags, whoever who has time.

Borneo Adventure Part 2 - Kuching

2008-06-16T18:37:00.004+08:00

Sunset from my room, overlooking the Sarawak River
Kuching is the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak and is the most populous city in the state of Sarawak and the fourth largest city in Malaysia.

My feeling about Kuching is, despite it being called a city, I find the people generally rather umm, provincial. No offense to Kuchingnites who read my blog, of course as with everything there are exceptions.

Nevertheless, my experience in Kuching was a pleasant one, thanks to June who took time off from crashing for her finals to show me the sights.

But work was work, and upon leaving Batang Ai in the morning on the 8.30am ferry, I backtracked again through Lachau (for an early lunch) and Serian. Arrived in Kuching at 1.45pm (no, Ambrose wasn't speeding).

Visited the supplier's office to do some PR, followed by a late lunch in Khatulistiwa (which wasn't WOW I must say, had the Sarawak Laksa). I then went to Holiday Inn Kuching, Crowne Plaza, and Merdeka Palace for a brief inspection of their properties.

Mango Tree - Thai food, nothing impressive
Met up with a friend from Hilton Kuching in the evening for drinks at Senso, followed by dinner at Mango Tree with June who joined us there.

Night view of Kuching from my room, 30 seconds exposure
We went around and June showed me the place in Tabuan (I forgot the name, I think it was Jalan Song) where Kuchingnites hang out to makan (think of it as an Asia Café, only half the size) and Friendship Park. We went restaurant scouting thereafter and landed in Magenta, a chic fusion hip hop restaurant located around 10 minutes drive from the Hilton Kuching where I was staying.

The interior of Magenta
Façade of Magenta - charming isn't it?
June sent me back to the hotel, I hung out at Senso watching Nadal and Federer fight it out. Crappy Filipino band played.

Treehouse at Permai Rainforest Resort
Wildlife at Permai Rainforest Resort
The next morning, I headed towards Damai to inspect the Permai Rainforest Resort, Damai Puri Resort and Damai Beach Resort. Met up with old colleagues who used to work with Nexus, they have since moved out to form the pre-opening team of Damai Puri.

Damai Puri Resort - brings back old memories
Nice flowers at Damai Puri Resort
Took the afternoon flight out of Kuching to Kota Kinabalu.

Europe once more!

2008-06-13T16:23:00.000+08:00

Europe here I come! Finally some decent weather, first time I'll be heading to Europe in summer! :D 6 - 24 July covering Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Latvia.

Next update: Kuching

Batang Ai - The Last Frontier

2008-06-12T08:32:00.005+08:00

After boarding flight MH 2504 from Kuala Lumpur, I arrived at Kuching International Airport at 1000hrs. I was greeted by my driver / guide, Ambrose working with our ground handler in Sarawak - we headed immediately towards Batang Ai, located approximately 250km South East of Kuching. The plan was to arrive at Batang Ai jetty by 1500hrs and catch a further 40 minute boat ride to a native longhouse to inspect the area where our clients do their day excursions from their hotel.

Let the journey begin!
The journey was indeed an arduous one as I had not slept well the night before. Road conditions on the Pan Borneo highway did not help with numerous bump and surprises along the way. Nevertheless, I was thankful for the excellent condition of the vehicle that day and Ambrose's superb driving skills.

We arrived at the town of Serian, located 65 kilometres from Kuching. There, we made a quick toilet stop and a brief tour of the market. Ambrose briefed me that they would stop for an hour for tourists to stretch their legs and stuff.

No offence - I've not seen so many people looking like Indonesians (later found out they were mostly Ibans or tribals Malaysians), I felt rather intimidated.
Serian is also a border town with Kalimantan, Indonesia. Ambrose is a native Iban and explained to me, the history and origins of the Iban tribe in Sarawak. Apparently, they only started to move towards Sarawak around 300 years ago due to the ongoing feud with other tribes in Kalimantan. He further said that there are many natives still in Kalimantan which make the cross-border trip to Serian daily to trade jungle produce, etc.

Serian felt like a cowboy town, this snake in the food court reminded me of the rattle snakes in old cowboy movies
The journey was resumed, and we headed towards Lachau for our lunch stop. I had my first taste of Kolo Mee, a Sarawak specialty and although not impressed, I was delighted by the simplicity of the dish.

We pressed on and it started raining. Treacherous road conditions and heavy traffic slowed our pace to a crawl. We finally arrived at the turn off towards Batang Ai, I was definitely relieved only to be told that the jetty was actually 40km from the Pan Borneo highway junction.

Ambrose mentioned that it would not be advisable to take the boat to the longhouse as the lake can get pretty choppy when it rains. I agreed with him whole-heartedly upon arriving at the jetty and witnessing it myself. We arrived at 1445hrs, 15 minutes too late for the 1430hrs ferry and well a tad too early for the 1600hrs one. While waiting, Ambrose told me about his family and his various jobs in the past.

I thought I had the boat all to myself
I thought wrong
The wet boat ride
We (Ambrose, a group of 30 Dutch, and I) went for the ferry ride across the lake and arrived in the rain at Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. Unfortunately, the resort did not have any covered walk way from the jetty to the reception area and thus, we were all forced to hike up the 7 flights of stairs under the torrential rain of the Borneo rainforest. Talk about originality right?

To be honest, I was taken aback by the lack of maintenance of the resort and especially so since it was a Hilton. The rooms were gloomy and were not clean.

Anyway, I was quite relaxed as there was no mobile coverage at the resort, thus no updating of blog. Proceeded to take some photos (which didn't turn out great anyway due to the difficult lighting conditions).

There was a stunning sunset and I took a picture of this Dutch couple...
Went to the Spa thereafter for a massage and was not impressed either.

The mediocre spa
I spent a night at Batang Ai and headed on to the super clean city of Kuching the next day.

Greetings from Kota Kinabalu International Airport

2008-06-09T11:44:00.003+08:00

Greetings from Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Just a quick update - flight to Sandakan in 40 minutes. Kota Kinabalu was a smash (as expected!). Met up with some old friends and made new ones.

My flight from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu was delayed by 2.5hrs and I went back to the hotel for a short nap before proceeding to the airport once more. Thanks to Hilton Kuching and Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort for hosting me.

I finally arrived at Kota Kinabalu at 2030hrs. Thanks to Hyatt Regency Kinabalu for hosting me here.

It was a full day yesterday with hotel inspections from Tuaran (north east of Kota Kinabalu) to Karamunsing (west of the city).

Pictures coming up as I've not taken the time to sort things out yet. I will be heading to Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and the Sukau River Lodge for an inspection upon arrival. Hopefully the weather will hold up or I'll be screwed once more.

Cheers for now, buon giornata!

Hello!!

2008-06-07T17:22:00.005+08:00

I know it's been a while since my last update, I do apologise for the absence!

Anyway, hello from Kuching Airport.. The last 3 days have been truly gruelling, mainly physically due to the travelling. I know most of you might be thinking "Hey this dude is only going to Kuching, what's the big deal?"...

Well here's a little sample of what happened over day 01 and 02.

Day 01 (5th June)
0530 - Wake up and pack
0630 - Leave for KLIA
0715 - Reach KLIA, check-in
0815 - Flight departs for KCH
1000 - Flight arrives KCH
1005 - Depart for Batang Ai, 270km from Kuching
1130 - Stop at Serian market
1300 - Lunch stop at Lachau
1500 - Arrive at Receiving Jetty, Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort
1615 - Ferry to resort
1635 - Check in and inspection of resort
1800 - Inspection over, drinks at bar

1900 - Sunset shots around resort
2000 - Dinner
2300 - Died (sleep)

Anyway, more updates soon.. My flight to Kota Kinabalu (which was delayed for 2 hours) is boarding now, that's another story altogether.. Till then, cheers!

Off again!

2008-06-05T07:52:00.001+08:00

I will be in Borneo from 5 - 11 June, anyone around do give me an email or sms.

5 - 7 June: Kuching
7 - 9 June: Kota Kinabalu
9 - 10 June: Sandakan
10 - 11 June: Tawau

Cheers for now

For sale

2008-05-27T23:30:00.004+08:00

One accommodation voucher of 3 days 2 nights stay in a Deluxe room at Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu with buffet breakfast for 2 persons at Circle Restaurant.

Validity: Immediate till 26 November 2008

SOLD

On a separate note, anyone up for Matsusaka Beef? This is so much better than the Wagyu's that we get here... I'm also looking out for the elusive Mishima beef.. Any ideas?

Super Yummy Fudgy Brownies

2008-05-24T21:27:00.004+08:00

Absolutely smashing recipe that is relatively simple to do, I hope all of you will try this one!! Excellent with some vanilla ice cream, or créme anglais... =)

Ingredients
200g dark brown sugar
75g granulated sugar

200g unsalted butter, room temperature

335g Valrhona Manjari bittersweet chocolate
5 large eggs, room temperature and beaten
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
225g all purpose flour
50g cocoa powder
1/4tsp salt
125g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Technique
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line a 9" X 9" X 2" baking pan with parchment. In the meantime, mix butter and sugars in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Combine chocolate into the hot butter mixture and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Whisk in the eggs. Combine the flour and cocoa powder and sift into the chocolate mixture. Fold in, in two additions. Add in the walnuts and fold until just mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes, ot until a skewer inserted 2 inches from the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and trim the sides if necessary.

Makes 16 extremely rich portions

It's so good, even my other half agrees!

What's cooking?

2008-05-23T09:40:00.002+08:00

Super fudgy brownies!! Stay tuned!!

You are an Architect

Your preference for concrete, visually pleasing things, combined with your confidence and your respect for order make you an ARCHITECT.

You are logical and detail-oriented, which allows you to get things done efficiently.

You are quite sure of yourself, so that you tend to know the best ways of doing things.

Your eye for aesthetic beauty and style indicates that you know a lot about design.

Having a routine and sticking to it is important to you; you find comfort in tradition and familiarity.

Self-reliance is something in which you take great pride—you are confident and down to earth.

You have a basic faith in yourself in many areas of your life, allowing you to be self-assured when facing challenges.

Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts

You have a strong sense of style and value your personal presentation - friends may even seek your style advice from time to time.

The control you feel over your life is empowering to you-- you believe in your abilities and acknowledge your shortcomings. Explanations of the world that focus on destiny or fate don't really interest you. You take responsibility for what goes wrong in your life, and also for what goes well.

You are Free-Wheeling

Your charismatic nature, liveliness, and independence make you FREE-WHEELING.

You don't mind being in the spotlight, preferring social gatherings to quiet nights at home.

You take a practical approach to people, not getting too involved in their feelings—or their business.

At the same time, your acceptance of others leads you to be understanding of their life circumstances, even if you don't quite understand their emotional reactions to some things.

Although you have a wide circle of friends, you're very discerning as to whom you can trust.

You're not rigid in your beliefs about the world, and you don't want to impose your perspective on others, but at the same time, you know that plenty of people don't always act responsibly.

Engaging with others is a large part of how you live in the world, and most importantly, it plays a role in how you see yourself—you tend to learn a lot about yourself in situations where you are with other people.

You have an understanding of the complexities of situations, and you don't judge others too hastily.

Tagged by The Evil Vampiress

2008-05-23T02:36:00.000+08:00

Rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they got tagged and to ask them to play and read your blog.

Starting time : 02:36 AM

Name: Leo
Sisters: -
Brothers: 2
Shoe size: 41
Height: 5'11.5"

Where do you live: Malaysia, Europe
Favourite drinks: Water/Beer
Favourite breakfast: Bacon, Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, half a grapefruit, a nice hot ciabatta or croissant, earl grey tea with cold milk and espresso to end it all.

Have you ever been on a plane?: Yes
Swam in the ocean: Yes
Fallen asleep at school: Yup
Broken someone's heart: Yup
Fell off your chair: Yup
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: Nop
Saved e-mails: Yes

What is your room like: Messy
What's right beside you: The Wall
What is the last thing you ate: Fruits

Ever had chicken pox: Yes
Sore throat: Yes
Stitches: Yes
Broken nose: No

Do you believe in love at first sight: No
Like picnics: Yes
Who was the last person you danced with: Don't remember
Last made you smile: Sam's stupid yummyyyyyyyyyyy
You last yelled at: ;)

Today did you:
Talk to someone you like: Yup
Kissed anyone: Yup
Get sick: Nop
Talked to an ex: Nop
Miss someone: Nop
Eat: Yes

Best feeling in the world: Orgasms?
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: Yes, sometimes
What's under your bed: Dust bunnies
Who do you really hate: Teachers, stupid politicians
What time is it now?: 0239am

Random:
Q: Is there a person who is on your mind now: Yes
Q: Do you have any siblings: Yes
Q: Do you want children: No
Q: Do you smile often: Somewhat
Q: Do you like your hand-writing: Yup
Q: Are your toe nails painted: Nop

Q: Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: Any decent hotel would do
Q: What colour shirt are you wearing now: Green
Q: What were you doing at 7.00 p.m. yesterday: Eating

Q: I can't wait till: I get some sleep
Q: When did you cry last: Don't remember
Q: Are you a friendly person: Definitely
Q: Do you have any pets: Yes

Where is the person you have feelings for right now?: Feelings of hatred or love?
Did the last person you held hands with mean anything to you now?: Yup
Do you sleep with the TV on?: Sometimes

What are you doing right now?: Answering?
Have you ever crawled through a window?: Yes
Can you handle the truth?: Yes

Are you too forgiving?: I always forgive, but never forget...
Are you closer to your mother or father?: Mom
Who was the last person you cried in front of?: ...
How many people can you say you've really loved?: A couple

Do you eat healthy?: Yup
Do you still have pictures of you & your ex?: Yup
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you?: Nop
How often do you go to church?: Not anymore

If you're having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to?: Myself
Are you loud or quiet most of the time?: Quietly loud
Are you confident?: Yup

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
- Swimming a lot...
- Checking out chics with friends
- Cooking alot
- Falling sick quite often
- Got my first pair of glasses =(

5 things on my to-do list today:
- Eat
- Be nice to people
- Strategise for tomorrow's important meeting
- Breathe normally
- Lay off alcohol

5 snacks I enjoy:
- Celery sticks
- Parmesan cheese bits
- Prosciutto with melon
- Grissini
- Red wine

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
- Invest
- Start a restaurant in Fiji, Italian restaurant of course
- Get a bigger house for each of my parent
- Get a nice big fat juicy wagyu steak for Roofus
- Travel with other half to Japan

5 of my bad habits
- Being too direct, some people can't handle the truth
- Impatience
- Procrastination
- Intolerance for insubordination
- Shoes.... lots of them..

5 places I have lived in
- Home
- Lots of hotels
- Airplanes
- Friend's place
- Tents

5 jobs I've had
- Public Relations & Communications Executive
- Pastry Chef / Instructor
- Banquet Waiter
- A&W Root Bear (HAhahahha yeah I know)
- Business Development Manager

5 people I tag
- Steph
- June
- Julie
- Chew??
- Ummm Jen Yeen?

Sexy school uniforms?

2008-05-22T09:55:00.007+08:00

So, from stupid teachers, we now have stupid students...

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian group condemned the uniform worn by girls at government schools, saying it encouraged rape and pre-marital sex.

“The white blouse is too transparent for girls and it becomes a source of attraction,” National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia vice-president Munirah Bahari said in a statement.

“It becomes a distraction to men, who are drawn to it, whether or not they like looking at it,” she said, calling for a review of uniform policy so that it did not violate Islamic ideals.

In multicultural Malaysia, home to majority-Muslim Malays as well as ethnic Chinese and Indians, female students at government schools have a choice of wearing a white blouse with a knee-length skirt or pinafore.

They may also wear a “baju kurung” and a headscarf is optional for Malay students.

Munirah said that “covering up” according to Islamic precepts was important to fend off social ills, including “rape, sexual harassment and even premarital sex.”

“This leads to babies born out of wedlock and, to an extent, even prostitution,” she said.

“Decent clothes which are not revealing can prevent and protect women from any untoward situations,” she said, suggesting that girls wear a blouse of a different colour or with an undergarment.

However, the girls themselves also came in for criticism, with the association saying that some used the white blouse to lure men.

“This is the source of the problem, where we can see that schoolgirls themselves are capable of using this to attract men to them,” Munirah said.

“This could see them getting molested, having premarital sex and all sorts of things.”

Does she mean that currently, girls wear a blouse with NO UNDERGARMENTS?? OMG OMG OMG you certainly painted sexy pictures in my mind now Ms. Munirah...

And you know what that means right? It means that all of you people working in accounting and law firms, hotels, and airlines have to wear undergarments too under your white blouses... DAMN!

You should just stay at home in your kampung and not go out because all men are predatory animals with a lust for our sexy school uniforms. My god, editors of The Star - don't you have anything else to publish?

So let's all go out and molest, have premarital sex and "all sorts of things" =)

I have a better idea for Ms. Munirah... Change the school uniforms to this...

THAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAVE AN ORGASM,
WOULDN'T IT?

Updates:
School uniforms not sexy
And this is why they go on to have brilliant careers...

Risotto alla Milanese

2008-05-20T23:26:00.004+08:00

Another overdue post... Sorry! One of my all time favourites (the other being risotto al funghi), risotto alla milanese as the name suggests, originates from Milan - the northern part of Italy. You may notice the strong influence of the north with the ingredients used - butter, beef marrow and most importantly saffron. This time around, I have used Iranian variety. Saffron as most of you would know, is the stigma derived from the purple coloured crocus flower. As each flower has only 3 stigmas, it takes a whole lot of flowers to produce an ounce of saffron, hence it is still worth it's weight in gold. Saffron is widely cultivated in Southwest Asia.

Risotto alla Milanese
Ingredients:
185ml dry white vermouth or white wine
large pinch of saffron threads
1.5l chicken stock
100g butter
75g beef marrow
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
360g risotto rice (arborio, vialone nano or carnaroli)
50g pecorino cheese

Technique
Put the vermouth in a bowl, add the saffron and leave to soak. Put the stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then maintain at a low simmer.

Melt the butter and beef marrow in a large wide heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned. Add the rice and reduce the heat to low. Season and stir briefly to thoroughly coat the rice.

Add the vermouth and saffron to the rice. Increase the heat and cook, stirring, until all the liqued has been absorbed. Stir in a ladleful of the simmering stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring continuously. Continue like this for about 20 minutes, until all the stock has been added and the rice is al dente. You may not need to use all the stock, or may need a little extra - every risotto will be slightly different).

Stir in a handful of pecorino cheese and serve the rest on the side for people to help themselves. Makes 5 very generous secondi portions.

I've had enough of this shit...

2008-05-20T18:08:00.005+08:00

Respect us for what our identity card says we are, not what colour skin we seem to have - we had no say in this. Treat us as we were your own children - we went to school together, we were best friends until your fucking propaganda screwed our innocent minds.. Provide for us as you would provide for your family.

If being supreme-er makes your ego inflate, by all means do it - but do not forget that taxes and money does not state their sources, halal or otherwise. Taxes are obtained from gambling, sales of alcohol, pork and such.

So if you are using taxes obtained from "forbidden" means to finance your "development" activities, don't call our land an Islamic one because, it clearly isn't. The very act of spending "haram" money and then praying 5 times daily doesn't make you holy, by the way.

Don't use religion as a tool to control your people, just because you don't have the intellectual substance to convince them. Religion is a dangerous two-edge sword.

This land does not belong to you or your likes alone. This land belongs to every one of the 25+ million people who call this country home.

So, don't break everyone's balls on your religious, political, economic and power insecurities. Just leave us fucking alone for fuck's sake and take your fucking hang ups and screw your own fucking self till you are contented.

Updates
It's ironic that I'm Malaysian when I need to pay my taxes, but Chinese when its time to enroll in public universities.
It's ironic that I'm Malaysian when it comes to philantrophy, but minority Chinese when it comes to subsidies and government grants.
It's ironic that I'm Malaysian when I travel abroad, but minority Chinese when I return "home".
It's ironic that I'm Malaysian when it comes to voting time, but minority Chinese when it comes to "Don't dispute Malay Supremacy".
It's ironic that you bunch of clowns are called MP's and voted to serve your people / constituency, when all you do is act like kids and serve your own interest.
It's also ironic that I'm Malaysian when it comes to freedom of religion, yet very much "Muslim" when it comes to food and lifestyle (you know what I mean).

Lasagne al forno

2008-05-19T00:26:00.006+08:00

This is a loooooooooooooongggggggggggggg overdue post hehe

Al forno literally means "baked"... Here's a nice recipe for lasagne, I personally think that's its a wonderful recipe, although you'd probably spend the whole afternoon making it. The results are well worth the time!

There are a few parts to this recipe, first and most important, the ragu - meat sauce. Béchamel sauce and the others are quite rudimentary.

Lasagne al forno
Ingredients
Ragu
30g butter / lard
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
120g pancetta, sliced (can be substituted with streaky bacon)
500g ground beef
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of ground nutmeg
90g veal liver, trimmed and finely chopped (chicken liver is ok too)
4tbsp dry vermouth or white wine (use really fruity chardonnay)
350ml beef stock
1tbsp tomato paste
2tbsp thick cream
1 egg, beaten

Béchamel
65g butter
40g plain flour
pinch of ground nutmeg
625ml milk
1 bay leaf

Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk. Add the bay leaf, return to heat and simmer, stirring often, until sauce thickens. Season and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming and cool. Discard bay leaf.

125ml thick cream

100g fresh lasagne verde (spinach lasagne sheets)
or 6 sheets dried lasagne

A combination of your favourite cheeses;
150g grana padano or parmagianno
60g pecorino, all grated

Technique

Make the ragu - heat the butter in a frying pan and add the chopped vegetables, garlic and pancetta. Cook over moderate low heat for 5 - 6 minutes, until softened and a light golden colour. Add the beef, and increase the heat and cook for 8 minutes. Add the oregano and nutmeg and season well. Stir in the liver and cook until it changes colour. Pour in vermouth and increase the heat and cook until it has evaporated. Add the beef stock and tomato paste, simmer for 2 hours.

Towards the end, let all the liquid be absorbed. Stir in the cream, remove from heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the egg.

Put the béchamel in a saucepan, heat gently and stir in the cream. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a 22 X 15 X 7cm dish.

If using fresh pasta, cut into manageable sheets and cook in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Scoop out each batch with a slotted spoon as it is done, drop into a bowl of cold water then spread out on a tea towel to dry.

Spread half the meat sauce in the dish. Scatter with half the grana padano, then cover with a slightly overlapping layer of pasta sheets. Spread half the béchamel over this and sprinkle half of the pecorino. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of béchamel and pecorino. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

What's cooking??

2008-05-18T12:03:00.001+08:00

Lasagne al forno...

Stay tuned.. =)

Teacher teacher, he never tuck in his shirt!!

2008-05-13T16:53:00.010+08:00

Dumbfounded by this one...

I was completely disappointed with some of my former students, who came back to school to collect their exam results or certificates.
They dressed improperly, and rather shabbily, which was very unbecoming and tactless as they were in the school compound.

Some of them were top students, hailed as role models by their peers and juniors, and had always looked smart when they were in school.

However, when they came by the other day, I couldn't even recognise them, with their unkempt long hair, ripped jeans and torn T-shirts. I just had to tell them off and refused to speak with them until they "cleaned up" and visited the barber. Although they were my favourites back then, I really felt let down and was rather disheartened seeing them looking like that.

The boys just seemed to adore the dishevelled and scruffy look, thinking that they are cool. To make things worse, they seemed to be doing it out of spite for the teachers and wardens, as they had to adhere to rules regarding attire when they were in school. And so, they came back to school just to show off to their juniors, seemingly saying, "Hey, look at me now. I can wear anything I like!".

Here's my reply...

Dear NTA of Mersing,

Fact of the matter is:

1. Your remarks in criticising your former students on their dressing are totally unbecoming and tactless for someone in your social stature. Is society totally reliant on appearance now? Apparently, not - less everyone would be dressed in suits right now.

2. I believe that the Malaysian education system practices the use of uniform in all schools. How can some of your "top students" look smart when everyone was wearing the same thing? Your preference for some styles and disgust of others doesn't make you right. Which brings me to my next point;

3. Favouritism - is something that everyone possess but should not be expressed, especially in your capacity as a teacher. Have you thought for one second about how your integrity be compromised if your students are made known about your "favouritism"?

4. It is of your personal opinion and emotions that you are "disheartened" and "let down", but that should not impede you in executing duties entrusted to you as a teacher, and civil servant i.e. disbursing exam results or certificates. Please be reminded that you are living on taxpayers money to educate future generations, not to give fashion / grooming tips, nor pass judgement on others' appearances. Leave that to their others more experienced and qualified to do so.

5. Perhaps you have forgotten that you have no right at all to deny your former students of their exam results or certificates. Your having personal opinions and emotions get in the way of your job only demonstrates how unprofessional you are - such is the level of civil servants these days. You are in the noblest profession and yet you display the worse of examples. FORMER students mean that they were FORMERLY governed by the rules of school, which they are not PRESENTLY required to.

So all your former students have to dress up according to your standards to meet or talk to you? What are you? Some kind of communistic, fascist dictator? And to think you have the audacity to write in to declare your "noble deeds" to the nation truly makes you a person of deplorable character.

In conclusion, get a grip and wake up, or look for another job if you cannot respect or accept another citizen's civil liberties. Malaysia certainly can do without another petty and narrow-minded teacher like your goodself.

The most useless are those who never change through the years - Sir James M. Barrie

Some fellows get credit for being conservative when they are only stupid - Kin Hubbard

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs, who has never learnt to walk - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Updated:
Another example of the exemplary conduct of our beloved teachers
And a beautiful post by Rae-chan...

No more updates for now..

2008-05-12T10:01:00.003+08:00

The most ironic thing is, I have a camera with me now, but I really don't feel like updating...

And my travel plans too no more updates on that, due to the dynamic nature of my plans it's difficult to do updates just before I fly..

By the way, anyone attending the Starwood Hotels & Resorts dinner on 27th May? Let me know, lets meet!

Talk soon.. Cheerios!

Have letter, will travel?

2008-05-05T11:59:00.002+08:00

I read this article with amusement...

Does our Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim think that Malaysian women are generally stupid, or that they are incapable of taking care of themselves?

I must say this is by far, the most ridiculous and preposterous idea that he has come up with.

No wonder our country is going down the dumps...

The Big Bali Plan

2008-05-04T12:16:00.006+08:00

So the big Bali plan has been finalised, somewhat...

We'll be arriving Bali on 25th June (a big *aHeM* - my birthday lahhhh) and spend two to three nights at Spa Village Tembok at Singaraja on the northeastern side of the island.

After that brief period of isolation and reflection (I make it sound so spa-ish, don't I?), we move on to Seminyak... Haven't decided on which place yet, but it'll probably be either The Oberoi Bali, Sofitel Seminyak Bali or some nice villas around the area.

Good plan?? I think so too...

A domani!
Un bacio grande, Leo

good one...

2008-05-04T09:17:00.000+08:00

It's not the fault of student if he/she fails because the year has ONLY 365 days...

Typical academic year for a student:

1. Sundays - 52 Sundays in a year, you know Sundays are for rest.
Days left 313.

2. Summer holidays - 50 where weather is very hot and difficult to study.
Days left 263.

3. 8 hours daily sleep - 130 days GONE.
Days left 141.

4. 1 hour for daily playing- (good for health) means 15 days.
Days left 126.

5. 2 hours daily for food & other delicacies (chewing properly & swallowing) - means 30 days.
Days left 96.

6. 1 hour for talking (man is a social animal) - means 15 days.
Days left 81.

7. Exam days - per year at least 35 days.
Days left 46.

8. Quarterly, half yearly and festival (holidays) - 40 days.
Days left 6.

9. For sickness - at least 3 days.
Days left 3.

10. Movies and functions- at least 2 days.
1 day left.

11. That 1 day is your birthday.
How can you study on that day ?!?!?!?!?!

Balance = 0
How can a student pass ?????

Chiaroscuro

2008-05-02T16:37:00.006+08:00

Chiaroscuro - literally meaning Light and Dark is the latest Italian joint to pop up in Kuala Lumpur.

A nice simple, no fuss trattoria and pizzeria - with Chef Andrea (hailing from Veneto) at the helm is absolutely understated in decor and style.

Dinner here is a delight for the senses, from the climate control at the right temperature, to the excellent ventilation that extracts second hand smoke from your neighbouring table.

The menu is short and simple, with a choice of 10 each of appetisers, pasta, main courses and desserts.

Let's move on to the real thing... The food.

Started with a nice glass of prosecco (Italian sparking wine) that the waiter gladly changed for me as the first glass was rather flat..

A generous portion of prosciutto San Daniel with fragrant canteloupe followed... Needless to say I was in heaven..

The red Palazzo della Torre (2006) from Veneto region was next. A little edgy straight from the bottle, but chucking it in the decanter took care of that...

The linguine aglio olio con vongole (pasta with olive oil and clams) was done to perfection and there was nothing to complain about except for the portion which was very large as a secondi (second course). Although not on the menu, Andrea was very concerned that the one on the menu wasn't to liking and he re did it my favourite style. Pasta was perfect (al dente).

Main course was veal tongue with a nice homemade sausage served with caramalized onions, mashed potatoes and green sauce. This dish, is really something you'd have at the dinner table in a typical northern Italian home. Andrea explained that he loves making this dish and I could really feel the passion he pours in it.

Also worth noting is the Amarena gelato - my favourite!

And the mango sorbet which didn't disappoint!

The espresso to round it all up was super excellent!

All in all, a very very satisfying meal.

It's located right behind Istana Hotel (at the lobby of Bidara Apartments).

Chiaroscuro Trattoria Pizzeria
Ground Floor 38 Bidara
30, Jalan Bedara
50200 Kuala Lumpur
t: +60 (3) 2144 8006
f: +60 (3) 2144 9006

Lunch...

2008-04-30T15:42:00.002+08:00

Lunch was a Nihonmono affair...

Lots of Otoro, raw fish, cooked beef, and rice.. I'm stuffed...

Updates...

2008-04-30T00:08:00.003+08:00

Leo just redeemed a whole lot of frequent flier miles for two return free business class tickets to Bali.

Bye bye Streamyx!

2008-04-28T20:41:00.005+08:00

This post is written over a nice ice-cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc...

Today's lunch at Saffron, One Bangsar:
Wild Mushroom Soup (which kinda sucked)
Grilled Butterfish with Linguine Aglio Olio
Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream (YUCKS)

Leo has just got his hands on a spanking new 7.2mbps 3G modem!

So it's bye bye crappy-government-linked-company-lousy-ass-service-of-a-Streamyx, hello Maxis 3G!

To update you readers out there on what's been happening, I sorta just kinda finalised my travel plans for the next 3 months.

It centers around being in Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau for a week, then over to Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong for another week.

Then to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich and Amsterdam for around 3 weeks and finishing with a week or so vacation to Bali (hopefully).

Nice huh? More updates with pictures next...

Keep reading ok?

Broccoli with Chinese Wine

2008-04-25T21:56:00.003+08:00

One of the staples at my dinner table, this dish is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. I love the simplicity of flavours and colours!!

Ingredients:
1 head Broccoli cut into dainty little flowerettes (I discard the stem, you may add it in if you like)
3tbsp Oil (lard is preferred for better flavour)
5 cloves Garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise
A pinch of coarse Salt
3tbsp Chinese Wine (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao wine)
1tbsp Chicken Demiglace (or 1/4 chicken stock cube)
1tbsp Corn Starch mixed with 2tbsp water

Technique:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add in a generous amount of salt (to bring the boiling point up).
2. Chuck in the broccoli, let it come up to a boil again and immediately drain it out.
3. Heat the oil in a wok (preferably cast iron, non-stick is a no no) and heat it on the largest flame you have until smoking.
4. Throw in the salt, wait till it stops sizzling and throw in the garlic. It will take about 10 - 15 seconds till the garlic develops nice lil brown spots.
5. Throw in the blanched broccoli and drizzle the Chinese wine, demiglace (or stock cube) around the wok.
6. Add in the corn starch and water mixture whilst tossing the broccoli. This will give the vege a nice sheen and coat it with yummy flavours.
7. Dish out and serve IMMEDIATELY.

Tips n Tricks:
1. The technique of drizzling wine at the sides of the pan lends the dish a nice aroma while eliminating the strong taste of the time. This is important as wine turns green vege yellow in no time. The idea is to evaporate the wine before it reaches the vege, leaving the vege to mop up whatever that's left at the sides of the wok. Remember, the side of the wok is the hottest part.
2. I don't use a ladle to stir the vege, the actual cooking is less than 2 minutes (if you have a nice bigass burner like I do). Tossing is the skill imperative to the success of this recipe.
3. This dish is prepared using the biggest flame on the burner. Do not be intimidated by all the smoke and stuff, don't worry your vege won't catch fire.
4. Best eaten with steaming hot rice.

I am back!!

2008-04-25T18:32:00.003+08:00

I'm back from my Indonesian trip Pak...

The trip was a nice one, of which I will elaborate in my future posts..

Anyway, here's what I had for lunch today at Nero Vivo...

Antipasto - Beef Carparccio with Rucola and Parmesan shavings
Pasta - Parpadelle with Lamb Ragout
Secondi di Mare - Grilled baby octopus, scampi, tiger prawns and garoupa fillet with olive oil and lemon juice.
Dolci - Tiramisu
Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Scamorza, Brie and Parmaggiano cheese board.

All these washed down with a nice bottle of Kaila Nero d'Avola red..

Happy Italian Liberation Day!

La Dolce Vita I tell you.. =)

Jakarta...

2008-04-21T15:27:00.000+08:00

Greetings from Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta..

Catching my flight to Bali in a couple minutes, its been exciting times in Jakarta..

Updates soon.. cheers!

Lunch today...

2008-04-17T16:20:00.001+08:00

Was a nice Italian fare again, this time at Ciao with the Sales guys and GM of Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu!

Had carpaccio for starters, penne arabiatta for mains and tiramisu for dessert.. All this accompanied with Church Road Wirra Wirra Cabernet, Merlot & Shiraz..

I'm going to be putting on weight if this terrible eating pattern continues..

Cocktails at Istana Hotel later this evening.. OMG...

Over the top...

2008-04-17T12:23:00.004+08:00

Lunch was a Wagyu beef pie at Delicious (which sucked maximum) but dinner made up for it all...

It was a night of oysters, vintage champagne, risotto al porcini, excellent vintage Brunello di Montalcino and polished off with exquisite cognac..

I'm so bloody strung out..

New layout

2008-04-16T10:52:00.000+08:00

like it??

Long day...

2008-04-15T21:26:00.003+08:00

Today
10:00 - 12:00: Risk management meeting
12:00 - 15:30: Lunch appointment at Starhill (Foie Gras appetiser, Wagyu main, Creme Brulee dessert - with champagne and espresso)
15:30 - 17:00: Appointment at Parkroyal KL

Tomorrow
09:30 - 17:30: Tourplan training

My day's work waiting for me on my table. I'm screwed. Frustrated.

Recruiting

2008-04-15T01:42:00.002+08:00

Comprised of a highly motivated team of Malaysian and European travel professionals, Synergy Tours has built a solid reputation among clients from all over the world in the past fifteen years.

Our experience, coupled by the resources available to us, create the right mix of ingredients needed to venture into new frontiers emerging in these consistently rapid changing trends and environment.

In line with our expansion plans, we are calling ONLY suitable candidates to submit your CV to be considered for the following positions:

1. Sales Coordinator
A supporting role in the Sales & Marketing department. Main duties include -

Administrative role in keeping the marketing room in an orderly manner to ensure efficient work pace;
Assist in product research and development, and contracting with various suppliers;
Ensure that clients' inquiries are attended to in a timely manner and within company's accepted standards;
Work closely with other divisions within the company in day to day operations;
Create and maintain an efficient filing system of all essential documents and information;
Maintain an accurate database of both, suppliers and clients for dissemination of important information; and
Support the Kuala Lumpur and Italy sales office in executing strategies and plans as and when necessary.

What is required of you:

A proactive person with at least half a brain
Able to think outside the box, even outside the packing
Able to work independently with minimal guidance
A degree or diploma of any field is preferred, although exceptions may be made
Innovativeness, ideas and creative thinking is much appreciated and encouraged
You are expected to be able to express yourself well and get your points through with minimal words
Has opinions on various issues and is not afraid to express them in a rational, logical discourse
Knowledge of an additional European language besides English (which is expected to be excellent, by the way) would be an advantage but not entirely necessary
Practical experience in the travel line would be an advantage but not entirely necessary

2. Systems Administrator
An equally important role in the company. Main duties include -

Facilitating the roll-out and implementation of Tourplan;
Maintain and ensure that the server and networks are in efficient working order;
Minimise server downtime;
Troubleshoot and systems support for all users within the network;
Auditing and keeping accurate and updated records of all company electronic assets; and
Assist in establishing and maintaining an accurate database of both, suppliers and clients for dissemination of important information

What is required of you:

A proactive person with at least half a brain
A degree or professional qualification covering specifically Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft SQL, HTML and java would be advantageous
Able to think outside the box, even outside the packing
Able to work independently with minimal guidance
Innovativeness, ideas and creative thinking is much appreciated and encouraged
You are expected to be able to express yourself well and get your points through with minimal words
Has opinions on various issues and is not afraid to express them in a rational, logical discourse
Knowledge of an additional European language besides English (which is expected to be excellent, by the way) would be an advantage but not entirely necessary
Practical experience in the travel line would be an advantage but not entirely necessary

What you get:

A casual office without a dress code
An organization which is low in hierarchy and welcomes you like family
Somewhere where you can actually be yourself without the usual office politics
Opportunity to work with colleagues of different nationalities
Chance to pick up a European language
An above-market rate salary which commensurate with skills and experience

Caught your eye? It's recruitment@synergy-tours.com - please indicate position interested in, in the topic

Surprise surprise!

2008-04-14T16:11:00.002+08:00

Received a surprise at the office today... See the new LCD panel?

=) Me like.. A lot!

A new layout is in works.. something more.. simple =)

Back for now..

2008-04-12T22:58:00.004+08:00

I'm back from the Belum Rainforest Resort... It was absolutely breathtaking, as my pictures would tell..

Take a look and let me know what you think..

Travel Schedule

2008-04-04T21:30:00.003+08:00

Belum Rainforest, Perak 11 - 12 April 2008

Jakarta, Indonesia 19 - 21 April 2008
Bali, Indonesia 21 - 24 April 2008

Kuching, Sarawak 26 - 29 April 2008
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 29 April - 1 May 2008
Sandakan, Sabah 1 - 2 May 2008
Tawau, 2 - 3 May 2008

Berlin, Germany 9 - 14 May 2008
Cologne, Germany 14 - 17 May 2008
Hamburg, Germany 17 - 21 May 2008
Warsaw, Poland 21 - 24 May 2008
Poznan, Poland 24 - 27 May 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands 27 - 31 May 2008

Once more...

2008-04-02T19:28:00.002+08:00

Next stop:

Jakarta 19 - 21 Apr

Bali 21 - 24 Apr

and a whole lotta shit in May, in the next update. =)

An interesting article

2008-03-31T08:49:00.004+08:00

An interesting article I stumbled across on SilverKris - Singapore Airline's travel magazine...

The Louvre - Paris, France
Avoid museums
This advice may seem absurd, but let us reflect a little together: If you are in a foreign city, isn't it far more interesting to seek out the present, than the past? Usually people feel obliged to go to museums, because ever since they were small they have been told that travelling is a search for this type of culture. Of course museums are important, but they require time and objectivity - you need to know what it is you want to see there, otherwise you will come away with the impression that you saw several things which are fundamental to your life, but cannot remember what they were.

At a bar - Kent, United Kingdom
Frequent bars
Unlike museums, this is where the lift of the city can be found. Bars are not discotheques, but places where people gather to have a drink, pass the time, and are always willing to chat. Buy a newspaper and observe the bustle of people coming and going. If someone speaks to you, strike up a conversation, however banal: one cannot judge the beauty of a path merely by looking at its entrance.

With the Spanish Ambassador - Kuala Lumpur
Be open and forward
The best tourist guide is someone who lives there, knows everything, but doesn't work at a travel agency. Go out in the street, choose someone you wish to speak to, and ask him or her for directions (Where is such-and-such cathedral? Where is the post office?) If this bears no fruit, try someone else - I guarantee that in the end you will find excellent company.

Red Square - Moscow, Russia
Try and travel alone, or - if you are married - with your spouse
It will be harder work, no one will be looking after you, but this is the only way of truly leaving your country. Group travel is just a disguised way of pretending to go abroad, where you speak your own language, obey the leader of the pack and concern yourself more with the internal gossip of the group than with the place you are visiting.

Don't compare
Don't compare anything - not prices, nor cleanliness, nor quality of life, nor means of transport, nothing! You are not travelling in order to prove you live better than others - your search, in fact, is to find out how others live, what they have to teach and how they view reality and the extraordinary things in life.

Understand that everyone understands you
Even if you don't speak the language, don't be afraid: I have been in many places where there was no way of communicating with words, and I always found support, guidances, important suggestions, even girlfriends. Some people think that if you travel alone, you will go out into the street and be lost forever. All you need is the hotel card in your pocket, and should you find yourself in extreme circumstances, take a taxi and show it to the driver.

Rubles - Moscow, Russia
Don't buy much
Spend your money on things which you won't have to carry: good theatre, restaurants, walks. Nowadays, with the global market and the internet, you can have everything you want without having to pay for excess baggage.

Don't try and see the world in a month
It is better to stay in one city for four or five days than to visit five cities in a week. A city is like a capricious woman, who needs time to be seduced and reveal herself completely.

A journey is an adventure
Author Henry Miller said that it is far more important to discover a church no one has heard of, than to go to Rome and feel obliged to visit the Sistine Chapel, with two hundred thousand tourists shouting all around you. Go to the Sistine Chapel, but also get lost in the streets, wander down alleyways, feel free to look for something, without knowing what it is. I swear you will find it and that it will change your life.

Enlightening, isn't it?

Cheers, Leo

Ciao Kiev!

2008-03-28T11:38:00.000+08:00

A quick update~!

Greetings earthlings! I am writing from Kiev Borispil International Airport waiting to check in for my flight to Frankfurt.

It's been a great one month in Europe and needless to say, I have enjoyed myself thoroughly. It's also been good for work with a plethora of new clients coming on board.

Reflecting back, it was one hell of a roller coaster ride racing from one airport to another chasing (and nearly missing) flights. As expected, the hotel in Kyiv was very communistic and was way overpriced compared to the price I payed for the Sheraton, Westin and other hotels in my past destinations. I was indeed glad that I decided to spend the Easter weekend in Warsaw, albeit a quiet one than an additional two nights in a communist camp here in Kiev. It was a white Easter - with heavy snowfall in the early morning till late afternoon.

In my travels, I bumped into several interesting personalities, here are a few...

Warsaw - I was having a nightcap at the bar on Saturday before Easter and was chatted up by a Polish doctor who was with his friend. He bought me several rounds of whiskey and we did have an interesting conversation. He's one of the leading orthodontist in Eastern Europe and has his own private practice in Warsaw as well as consultative work in the hospitals around Poland. Passed me his card and to quote - "If you ever have any teeth problems in Poland, just give me a call!"... Sure will do yes siree!

Kiev - Another strange encounter was with two German blokes from Dusseldorf over a nightcap at the bar in the hotel last night. I had a really good dinner at the hotel's restaurant - Veal steak with grilled vegetables, with a wonderful glass of Chianti (Ukrainian wines are truly unpalatable) and rounded it up with a generous serving of French cognac.

Continued my drink at the bar where I bumped into these two blokes who were in the printing business. We exchanged views of the worst (and best) airports that we've been to, airlines and hotels. They bought me drinks. Hehe!

I hope to get back to tropical weather soon. Weather here in Europe has been pretty crazy... It is supposed to be spring but most of Europe is still experiencing snowfall.

That's all I can think about right now, more updates soon! Cheerios from Europe.

Un bacio grande!

Killing me softly with his words...

2008-03-24T00:07:00.009+08:00

*WARNING - GRUESOME PICTURE AHEAD*

The Palace of Culture, Warsaw
Being away and alone for the duration gives me plenty of time to contemplate on my life.

A little something I found in my room today - how nice of the hotel

It appears to be a variety of the German kugelhof, and tastes like yeast-raised rich brioche cake/bread... Yummy with Earl Grey tea!

Happy Easter - Today, Christians all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ "the Saviour" after being crucified a million Fridays ago.

It is shocking for me, to learn that there are still people around the world nailing themselves to crosses hoping for the salvation or whatever they hope to achieve. Done a lot of reading in the past few days on the atrocities of the Church in Europe and it's a wonder why 95% of Poland's population are still, staunch Catholics.

In addition, watched the movie entitled Goya - which is the precise embodiment of what I have mentioned above. I am swaying towards agnosticism. I do believe there is a supreme force up there but I don't understand what drives people to cause such harm to others. Good example would be the Jihadist movements who would kill in the name of god. Open your eyes - while you are "sacrificing" yourself in a suicide mission, you won't be getting your 72 virgins... I stress that this is my blog and strictly my opinion.

I don't really give a shit about religion and I am a firm believer that all religions preach peace and harmony (ir)regardless of denomination or genre. That said, I am also a firm believer that there should not be an intermediary between me and the supreme force up there.

I doubt the authenticity of the religious books (all of them) - history is recorded by winners (of wars and conflicts) and as such, facts may be distorted to sway toward some ideas or direction.

Normal turn-down chocolates

My Easter turn-down chocolates... See! Easter is really a big thing this part of the world...

Indeed, paying a little extra to stay in 5-star hotels comes with benefits hehe!

Anyway, today also marks the 3rd week in Europe. I must say I'm enjoying it very much.. I went to Europe early this month with 1,500 euro in cash and I have about 600 left.

It's been a wonderful journey so far, with the latest news being me clinching top notch clients in Hungary and Poland.

I hope all's well back home, although I know the political scene has been much of a circus.

Anyway, the weather is much better now. It was snowing for abit just now but it's all nice and dandy now, nevertheless its still cloudy with occasional bouts of sunlight.

Easter is one of two major holidays in this part of Europe (the other being Christmas) and all the shops are closed. Even old town - the main tourist area of Warsaw has seem to come to a standstill. It's like Kuala Lumpur during Chinese New Year.

Had lunch at my regular Chinese restaurant - you can always count on the Chinese to take advantage of demand, there was a 10% surcharge on top of the bill due to the holidays (typical, isn't it?). Also met a couple of Hongkies working with a company branch in Warsaw. They are here for 3 months, and are the gambling and women type of men. Me no like. However it is nice to speak Cantonese after 3 weeks! =)

I am very pleased with the flights and hotels so far but I'm bracing myself for the old communist-style hotels of Kiev on Wednesday. With a name like President Hotel, who wouldn't?

Additionally, I won't be updating from Kiev due to a busy schedule but will do it when I get the chance.

P.S.: The prices of real estate in Warsaw seems pretty reasonable.. *hint hint*

White Christmas

2008-03-22T00:03:00.003+08:00

It was snowing here in Warsaw - yes, it was snowing in March...

It really seems like winter time here with temperatures hovering around the low 5's..

The following pictures says it all... Views from my windows...

The hotel did a minor boo boo and they sent me these chocolate truffles and some money ~~to shut me up~~ as service recovery.

Hello from Warsaw!

2008-03-20T01:56:00.004+08:00

Greetings from The Westin Warsaw! I arrived this morning from Budapest. Boy I thought Budapest was cold, Warsaw is even colder. Ambient outdoor temperature is 3 degrees, with wind chills making it worse.

I took the Embraer 145 jet here. It was a nice 1+2 seat configuration. I must say this is my favourite commercial jet of all. It seats 48 persons and is manned by only one flight attendant.

Here are some pictures...

The Westin also has the most stunning elevators I've ever laid eyes on. Take a look...

This is my room - The Westin Guest Office. It has a inbuilt fax, printer, free internet connection with 3 bottles of water replenished twice daily. It also comes with Molton Brown toiletries and windows on two sides of the room (it's at the corner of the building). I'll post more pictures of the views from my room in my next post.

In the meantime, it's going to be a busy Thursday and Friday for me. I am probably going to spend Easter weekend in Krakow.

Cheers for now... More on my next trip to Europe in the next update.

Did I tell you I hate snow?

2008-03-18T14:53:00.000+08:00

This isn't good news... I need some hot tropical sun!! ARGH!!

Updates from Budapest!

2008-03-18T01:05:00.004+08:00

I am DEAD TIRED
It was a productive day with 3 new clients coming on board with the company. I am beginning to think that I'm one helluva smooth talking con-sultant. Worst part is, I don't even feel guilty about it!

*makes mental note to ask CEO for a raise when I get back*

The tram drivers of Budapest drive like Formula 1 wannabes (if that's even possible). You must experience this sudden, knee jerking acceleration - all 1.5G's pushing you back into your sit accompanied by the loud roar of steel wheels on the tracks. It's a stark contrast with the courteous Strassebahn drivers of Germany. The drivers here drive like they're about to ram and roll over anything that stands in their way (tracks would be more suitable here).

Some pre-drunkedness pictures from the recent Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur's 10th Anniversary celebration.

Anyway, as promised, some photos of Budapest for you guys..

Off to Warsaw on Wednesday morning - The Westin Warsaw awaits!

Cheers!

European Flavour...

2008-03-15T15:09:00.004+08:00

Greetings all from the Northern Hemisphere of Europe...

I am currently at Gate B62 in Frankfurt International Airport waiting to board my flight LH 3446 to Budapest, Hungary.

My 10 days in Germany has been filled with ups and downs, but this time around more ups than downs.

I will arrive at Budapest at approximately 1800hrs and probably reach the hotel around 2000hrs.

Hopefully the hotel (Le Meridien Budapest) is a sanctuary from the torture I had to endure for the past four days in a miserable small hotel in the middle of nowhere in Frankfurt. I sense that it's gonna be all nice and dandy till I reach Kiev (that's another week and the half to go) and my next two destinations will be interesting.

It is my first time to Budapest and I am certainly looking forward to the sights, sounds and scenes of the city. It is too bad that my camera is out of order but no worries, I still have my PDA with me. Do bear with the "not-so-good" picture quality.

Germany was nice, it was snowing on the first two days of my arrival in Berlin. Nevertheless, I spent much time indoors due to the ITB tradeshow and had very fruitful business meetings there. I then headed to Munich and had more fruitful meetings.

For the first time, I visited a client's office in the region of Konigstein in Frankfurt and it was indeed the most beautiful office that I've ever laid eyes on. Imagine a scenic countryside with fields and forest. Now imagine a 2-storey building with glass wall all around at the side of the hill overlooking the entire Frankfurt City.

The journey there was an adventure by itself. It was a 35-minute ride on the suburban S4 train (S-Bahn) to the last stop (Kronberg). From the station, I took a 15-minute cab ride to the office.

Needless to say, the scenery was breathtaking and I learnt that the area (Konigstein) is where all the rich bankers from Frankfurt spend their weekends in their huge villas / chateau's.

I was rather overwhelmed by the hospitality accorded to me by my prospective client and it turned out to be all good as we sealed the contract for 2009.

This trip is truly fulfilling and I hope it continues to be the same.

I hope that all is going well with you at home and trust that the new opposition coalition governments are slowly making the much-needed changes in the state and federal administration. This is indeed a wake-up call for the ruling coalition who have been resting on their big asses and thinking that they are taking us for a ride.

Bravo once again to the people who have made their voices heard - change is indeed in the pipeline.

More updates from Budapest. Cheerios and love to all.

Updates...

2008-03-12T16:06:00.002+08:00

So many things happening while I was in Munich.

1. The Malaysian Opposition took hold of 4 states and denied the ruling coalition of their two-thirds majority in parliament - for the first time in about 30 years. I guess the people have really made their voice heard! And I learnt that Hannah Yeoh won! Brava!
2. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer revealed that he was involved in an international prostitution ring.
3. Space shuttle Endeavor headed up to the international space station.
4. Spring sets in on this part of Europe.
5. I finished reading the absolutely sinister book - Grostesque by Natsuo Kirino

It was nice and sunny and I spent most of yesterday at the old part of town, sipping on coffee and submergging myself in the book.

Today, weather doesn't look too good as the weather system that wrecked havoc in UK for much of Sunday and Monday is heading toward central Europe.

I will be heading for Frankfurt in a while and hope the weather there will be much kinder.

How am I holding up? Well technically it's only been a week since I left Kuala Lumpur so I guess I'm doing alright. Check back with me again in a week.

Ciao for now and more updates soon.

White Christmas?

2008-03-05T15:26:00.002+08:00

It's snowing in Berlin...

I'm cold =(

Think you have fast internet?

Think again!

Europe here I come!!

2008-03-03T10:28:00.002+08:00

Cash - Check
Flight tickets - Check
Hotel confirmations - Check
Passport - Check

Europe, here I come! Ciao guys! Updates when I get the time and internet connection.

See you in April!

Opposition Propaganda

2008-02-29T15:04:00.004+08:00

Calling out to all Subang Jaya residents~!!!

There's a fellow resident who will be running for the elections on 8 March 2008.

Please vote for Hannah Yeoh.

It's about time someone serious takes office!

Elementary really...

2008-02-26T22:34:00.002+08:00

AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO TEACH............

It is most alarming that Malaysian schools teach our children the wrong things. I mean: can the children really apply what they are taught in school later in life? For example, can you imagine a mathematics question in a recent examination as follows?

"If an egg costs fifty Sen, and if you buy one-eighth of the egg, how much would you have to pay?"
Who in heaven's name will want to buy one-eighth of an egg? The shopkeeper will probably think you are crazy and he will be equally stupid to break the egg and measure one-eighth for you.
Yet, this is how they structure the questions in Malaysian schools.
Why not pose questions that would be more useful later in life when you go out into the world to earn your living?

To help Malaysia's Ministry of Education to better face the realities of life, we are suggesting some questions they could use in our classrooms.

QUESTION 1
If you drive from Kuala Lumpur to Penang along the PLUS Highway and there are four speed traps along the way, and if each speed trap would cost you RM300.00 in fines, how much in fines would you accumulate by the time you reach Penang ?

ANSWER (Choose one)
1. I would not suffer any fines as the oncoming cars would flash their headlights and I would slow down before coming to the speed trap.
2. I would only need to pay a total of RM80.00 as I would pay a RM20.00 bribe at each speed trap.
3. I would not be stopped as I am an UMNO Wakil Rakyat so I am exempted from speed traps.

QUESTION 2
If your Bumiputera company is awarded a RM150 million government contract, and you make a 20% profit, how much profit would be at the end of the contract period?

ANSWER (Choose one)
1. I will not be making a 20% profit as I would have to pay the Minister 10% and UMNO 5%.
2. I would make 30% profit, which is the progress payment I receive, after which I will abandon the project and let the government call for re-tender.
3. My company will not make any profit at all as I will siphon out all the profits and show a loss to avoid paying corporate tax.

QUESTION 3
If the ruling party obtained 54% of the popular votes the last election and won 151 or 80% of the seats, and if it saw an increase of 10% in votes this election, how many more seats would it gain?

ANSWER (Choose one)
1. The ruling party will not show a 10% increase in votes, as it will stuff the ballot box with another 20% to give it a 30% vote increase.
2. The ruling party will win which are the newly created seats in the delineation exercise recently done.
3. The ruling party has already decided it will win 90% of the seats and the votes have nothing to do with it.

QUESTION 4
If the national petroleum company, Petronas, pays a 5% royalty to TerengganuState and if the amount paid is RM800,000,000 per year, how much should Petronas have in the bank accumulated over the last 25 years?

ANSWER (Choose one)
1. Nobody is supposed to know as Petronas need not show its accounts to anyone except the Prime Minister and this information comes under the Official Secrets Act.
2. Petronas earns only 50% of its petroleum revenue from Terengganu so Petronas' total income accumulated in the banks over 25 years should be RM800 billion.
3. Petronas has nothing accumulated in the bank as all the money has spent bailing out companies and finance mega projects.

Dilemma...

2008-02-25T11:04:00.005+08:00

7 Days
to Europe

Sigma SD 14

or

Canon 30D

or

Sigma DP1?

That is the question...

P.S. - Notice how I conveniently omitted Nikon?

CNY is over...

2008-02-22T11:08:00.000+08:00

10 days

to Europe!

Happy Valentines!

2008-02-14T15:32:00.003+08:00

Lazy afternoon...

2008-02-10T13:48:00.001+08:00

So what do you do when you're house-sitting for mommy and it's Chinese New Year afternoon?

You bake! :D

Orange Truffle Gateau
Cointreau flavoured Valrhona Manjari chocolate truffle in between layers of cointreau and vintage whiskey scented genoise cloaked with a Valrhona Alpaco chocolate glaze...

The simplicity of its ingredients allow the main stars - chocolate, to shine through. I must say that the orange liqueur compliments the excellent complexity of the chocolates used. The sponge provides a contrast in texture.

Best eaten a day after (if you can resist), leave in room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to soften and develop flavours.

It's like eating orange truffles with a fork!! :D

Genoise Sponge
4 eggs
125g vanilla sugar
125g soft flour
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Orange Truffle Filling
400g Valrhona Manjari chocolate
350ml Double / Whipping cream (min 36% fat content)
1 vanilla bean, scraped
100ml cointreau

Chocolate Glaze
175g Valrhona Alpaco chocolate
175ml double / whipping cream (min 36% fat content)

Cointreau syrup
100ml Cointreau
50ml vintage whiskey
100ml cold water

*Valrhona Manjari
Chocolate couverture, 64% cocoa - A blend of Criollos and Trinitarios cocoa beans from Madagascar - Very characteristic, fresh slightly acid chocolate taste, with intense hints of red fruits.

*Valrhona Alpaco
Grand Cru de Terroir from Ecuador. Experience a chocolate combining strength and finesse: delicate floral flavours (jasmine, orange blossom)… lovingly wrapped in pronounced chocolate notes which make it both calm and powerful.

Europe for a month.. (updated)

2008-02-05T21:06:00.000+08:00

Here's the final plan...

3 March 2008
Singapore Airlines SQ119 Kuala Lumpur-Singapore (184 miles)
Singapore Airlines SQ026 Singapore-Frankfurt (7984 miles)

4 March 2008
Lufthansa LH176 Frankfurt-Berlin (338 miles)
Apartments am Brandenburger Tor

8 March 2008
Lufthansa LH221 Berlin-Munich (386 miles)
Sheraton Munich Arabellapark Hotel

12 March 2008
Lufthansa LH977 Munich-Frankfurt (194 miles)
GHOTEL hotel & living Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen

15 March 2008
Lufthansa LH3446 Frankfurt-Budapest (648 miles)
Le Méridien Budapest

19 March 2008
LOT Polish Airlines LO534 Budapest-Warsaw (420 miles)
The Westin Warsaw

25 March 2008
LOT Polish Airlines LO751 Warsaw-Kiev (560 miles)
President Hotel Kiev

28 March 2008
Lufthansa LH3237 Kiev-Frankfurt
Singapore Airlines SQ325 Frankfurt-Singapore (7984 miles)

29 March 2008
Singapore Airlines SQ118 Singapore-Kuala Lumpur (184 miles)

Anyone flying the same flight / staying at the same places as I am in these periods? Let me know!

38 hours of flying, 18,882 miles on 11 flights in 27 days across 6 cities... *makes mental note to stock up on Valium*

=)

2008-02-05T17:55:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year can??

Absolutely Hillarious

2008-01-30T14:26:00.000+08:00

"I was drunk..."
Photo courtesy of Jeff Ooi

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and are now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan.

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?

ATTORNEY: So the date of your conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh....

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh?

And, the best for last

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Well, I guess it's possible he could be out practising law somewhere

Going away...

2008-01-23T05:59:00.000+08:00

Going away in an hour to Bangkok, attending the Asean Tourism Forum 2008.

Be back this Sunday.. Tatas for now.

Good one!!

2008-01-22T19:22:00.000+08:00

My passport is just a piece of paper and doesn't mean that I

... lived on trees or in caves or in long houses or in water villages or underneath holes in the ground.

... necessarily have a 4 digit sum wired into my bank a/c every 2 or 3 weeks.

... had to walk to school through muddy jungle paths and had to fight off cougars and crocodiles.

... was adopted.

... speak or write worse English than you, even when i speak (or write) 2 or more other languages.

... have a car, a paid for condominium, a consistent 5 or 6 digit bank a/c and 2000 Louis Vuitton bags.

... am heir apparent to daddy's companies that make up 15% of a countries economy. so no, I don't have spare change .. : P ... ask your welfare government for it or get a job you lazy bum ! I'm just here to study/travel/visit/work.

... cannot appreciate a good cup of coffee. or a decent glass of wine. or a beautiful piece of painting.

... have a distant relative who is a terrorist.

... don't know who is Homer, Dante or Virgil.

... do not understand the word 'existentialism'. nietzsche and sartre is my home boy yo!

... think your political system is any better, or your country any stronger, your culture any richer, your cuisine any more refined, or your politicians any less full of shit.

... go head-hunting with my dad on weekends or dance around half naked wearing peacock feathers.

... give a damn about Badawi or Mahatir or article 153 or Lim Kit Siang.

... can mentally recompose the structural system of the Iban long house when i only saw it once, as a child, for a brief moment and when dad was driving pass it at 160 kph.

... care about how Singapore is stealing your water, or your shipping ports, or how Lee Kuan Yew or his son is being difficult with your airlines industry.

... have forgotten about the family and friends of the community I grew up in.

... always do the V finger salute or the finger to cheek pout when I pose.

... can sing the national anthem of the passport i hold.

... celebrate Merdeka.

... can name the 14 to 50+ federation states of the country of the passport i hold.

... love durians and what the hell is a langsat ? no, don't relate with me the 3 days you spent in Malaysia eating char kuey teow or how good nasi lemak is. I appreciate your worldliness but I'm not your personal char kuey teow advisor or confidant. don't stereotype me you cunt.

... have a proton car.

... went to the Petronas twin towers before and am able to structurally and visually recreate the 88 floor plans and name the type of glass they used for the façade.

... have a pet kangaroo, or a koala, or a possum.

... add a lah or leh or lor to the end of my sentences. you should be happy I don't start using thee, thou and art.

... only eat rice.

... only eat bread.

... don't know anything about politics. I'd vote for Hillary if I could.

... think your country is any better than from where O come from.

... give a rats ass when you use the terms 'chinese chinese' or 'malay malay' or 'asian asian' or 'fobby'

... work at 7-11 at nights or at McDonald's, or at KFC's and earn 9 dollars an hour.

... drive a taxi.

... need to call a hen, a chook, or I need to 'shout' when I buy beers. I'm fine with my 'hens' and 'buying a round' of drinks for everyone, thank you.

Profound, isn't it? I found it here

Da Bomb...

2008-01-22T00:23:00.001+08:00

Okay I'll make this brief...

Leo is going to spend a month travelling around 7 cities in Central and Eastern Europe in March...

Please pray for this mental sanity.

Alright, I admit it won't be that bad as I will be staying in comfort and flying in comfort too =)

Thank you...

2008-01-20T01:41:00.000+08:00

Thank you for visiting, going through life's ups and downs with me...

Oh yeah, this nice Tiffany & Co. bracelet was given to me this evening.. :D

Thanks adik..

OMFG...

2008-01-18T11:03:00.000+08:00

So Mr. Italian CEO called in sick today and asked me to represent him at a function this evening...

I thought "OK-lah, another one of those cocktails" - till I read the invitation...

10th Anniversary of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur
featuring
The Garden District Jazz Band from New Orleans
Formal / Black Tie

The only problem is...

How now??

Update: Leo got all drunk on Moet & Chandon champagne... Managed to hold himself together throughout dinner but puked badly on the way home, and lied down at the car porch for 20 minutes or so...

2008 and beyond...

2008-01-13T11:39:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, I know its been quite a long while since my last brief post...

Nothing much's been going on lately, I've been absolutely busy at work, as its the beginning of the year and that's where we plan for the rest of the year.

This year is going to be a hectic one, with me piling on more frequent flier miles as boss has decided to diverse into the regions of Russia, Ukraine and South Africa. I will also be doing the switch from Star alliance to Skyteam in my flying come March 08.

I hope to be able to bring to you, more of my experiences in foreign land and with it, nice pictures as well. I need a new point and shoot! Anyone willing to contribute? Looking at the Ixus 850.

I am also in the midst of procuring a global SIM card. What this means, is that I will be able to receive calls when I'm abroad - without the charges associated with international roaming.

I'm gonna reflect on 2007, so bear with me a little while I get all sentimental.

In general, 2007 was quite a good year for me. The month of May marked my one year anniversary with the company. Mr. Italian CEO is has been very supportive of my work and continues to be. I hired an assistant (my colleague from the previous job) in November - suffice to say that the workload has been much lighter since. Hotel rooms were my home for about 4 months last year.

We also started Italian and Spanish classes at the office in the month of August.

Personally, 2007 also marked the 6th anniversary of my maternal grandmother's passing. I must say that I miss her a whole lot - going back to Penang isn't the same without her sumptuous Nyonya dishes, more so during Chinese New Year.

I grew closer to my mom, which is a good thing and she continues to be my listener of sorts.

My other half continues to be my pillar of strength, we've known each other for 10 years and dated for almost as long. We've sort of grew up together through teenage years, and now we're both scaling the corporate ladder.

I was not able to cook up a storm as much as I would have liked to in 2007 due to work commitments. Nevertheless, do keep reading on for the odd recipe and food review or two.

This blog will continue to centre around food and travel - the original purpose of blogging in the first place.

Do bear with me if there are long intervals in between posts - it doesn't mean that I've neglected the blog.

I think I shall wrap things up before I get too nostalgic. No use reminiscing when a whole lot is waiting ahead for me.

I leave you with this picture, my inspiration for this post.

Posted from my PDA at Starbucks KLCC.

new year, new layout

2008-01-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

Like it?

This blog is under permanent neglect.

2008-01-05T09:01:00.000+08:00

Singapore...

2007-12-30T10:51:00.000+08:00

Image courtesy of Gee Bee

Will be heading to Singapore for NY Eve, anyone with any ideas on where to go? I'm a real nut when it comes to partying..

Cheerios!

I'm lost for titles...

2007-12-29T23:14:00.000+08:00

This is a short note from someone who's on 2 weeks vacation...

Happy new year 2008 from Leo, his other half, Roofus and friends too! =)

My Christmas present!

2007-12-24T00:09:00.000+08:00

Nice?

Thanks hunz, I love you!

As 2008 closes in on us,

2007-12-21T19:40:00.000+08:00

My Year in 2007 as it comes to an end.

1) Where did you begin 2007?
Penang

2) What was your status on Valentine's Day?
Taken of course

3) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Nopes, unless you count that brief encounter in British Council Germany

4) How did you earn your money?
Travelling in excess of 60,000 miles, spending a third of my year in airports and hotels, usually in spring and winter...

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
Nope

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Nopes

7) Where did you go on vacation?
Well lotsa firsts this year... Krakow (Poland), Kuwait, Doha (Qatar), Kiev (Ukraine), Riga (Latvia) - mainly short weekenders in my business trips. Otherwise, there's Bangkok, Dubai, Redang, Tanjong Jara and a couple more that I don't remember (flipping through my stack of boarding passes)

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
I don't remember but I don't think I bought anything that expensive...

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Marcus, Cavin!

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Apparently some relative died somewhere..

12) Did you move anywhere?
Moved office twice hehe (changed rooms)

14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
Don't remember - the orchestra several times in Germany, opera in Latvia, and ballet in Moscow.

15) Are you registered to vote?
Yup, last year

16) Who did you want to win Big Brother?
I don't care

17) Where do you live now?
Subang

18) Describe your birthday?
Quiet intimate evening spent with the other half.

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2007?
Travel back to Moscow AGAIN.

20) What has been your favorite moment?
Has to be the Eisbein (braised pork knuckle dinner) in Berlin.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
I can actually cook Italian food quite well =)

22) Any new additions to your family?
Nope!

23.) What was your worst month?
I don't know really, probably the months where I was travelling.

24.) What music will you remember 2007 by?
I Miss You - Incubus

25) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
Probably the Italian CEO.

26) Made new friends?
Yups. Heaps.

27) New best friend?
Nopes.

28) Favorite Night out?
Probably Bangkok roaming the streets with the other half at Sukhumvit.

Frustration!

2007-12-18T00:10:00.000+08:00

What I made for this year's office Christmas giveaways... Chocolate chip cookies with candy canes in an organza pouch =)

Frankfurt Airport
Came across this article which I can relate to a plenty... It speaks of frustration over "amateur travellers" at the airport.. You can read it here..

No further updates till 2008... Going on vacation from 22 Dec 2007 - 6 Jan 2008.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Going away soon!

2007-12-17T00:22:00.000+08:00

Hello there!

We are going on our annual Christmas vacation pretty soon (next week I guess).

So here's a blessed Christmas to you, wishing you a bountiful harvest of Christmas turkey, stuffing and gravy, presents and family.

Cheers, Leo

Krispy Kremes

2007-12-14T22:30:00.000+08:00

So, all this hype about donuts lately, especially with the opening of J&Co in Pavilion has got me all curious...

Not much of a donut fan myself, I discovered a Krispy Kreme store in Deira City Mall here in Dubai...

It is apparently the first store in Middle East with plans to open another 30 in the next few years.

Bought half a dozen for breakfast and lunch...

Over rated I must say...

Don't get me wrong, it was nice... But that was it.. It wasn't WOW...

Okay I see all you donut lovers out there screaming with rage "How could he not find Krispy Kremes WOW?!?!?!?"

Haha, well I don't... Tough Luck...

Shopping =)

2007-12-14T01:43:00.000+08:00

Well let's see what I've bought on this trip...

Mag Lite Solitaire (2 sets)
QR100 = RM 90

Clip-on mic
QR10 = RM 9

100% Kashmir wool scarf (it's more like a big pullover, 2.5m X 1.5m)
KD1.5 = RM 18

100% Kashmir wool pinstripe pants
KD1.5 = RM 18

St. Dupont Essence Pure EDT pour homme (50ml)
DH108 = RM 97

Beyond Paradise EDP (50ml)
DH228 = RM 205

Italian Linen Suit (jacket + pants)
DH295 = RM 265

Sketchers shoes (70% discount)
DH125 =RM 112

Kuwait Kuwait

2007-12-13T20:57:00.000+08:00

Liberation Tower, Kuwait City
Greetings from Dubai! Again, it was my first time to Kuwait and I really didn't know what to expect...

Night view of Kuwait city...
Kuwait is a country off the coast of the Persian Gulf... It is also the country with the highest valued currency in the world (Kuwaiti Dinar KD 1 = RM 12.63). Dinar notes come in KD50, KD20, KD10, KD5, KD1, KD1/2, KD 1/3, KD 1/4...

The coins were in arabic, so it was incomprehensible.

Dinner in Kuwait
The people here were certainly more friendly than those in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

A street bazaar in Kuwait City...
As with all GCC countries, majority of the population in Kuwait are non-residents.

Gulab Jamun - Indian Dessert Balls
No one comes to Kuwait for holidays, due to the absence of tourism attractions, hotels and infrastructure. Furthermore, alcohol and pork are also illegal here.

My ride to the airport... constant reminders of home haha!

My take on Kuwait...
I won't say I hate it, but I wouldn't come back again unless absolutely necessary. It is not advisable to go out alone at night.

Greetings from Dubai!

2007-12-12T22:46:00.000+08:00

Went shopping with the Uncle Milton today.. Bought a linen suit for RM 250!!!

And a pair of skecthers for RM 100!! 50% off! Haha more pictures soon! No free internet here...

And finally yummy ribs for the first timein 5 days with chunky chips! This is heaven!!

Doha, Qatar

2007-12-11T20:20:00.000+08:00

Doha West Bay
Greetings from Kuwait!

My first time in Doha and Kuwait was an eye opener. My past travels to this part of the world was only to Dubai - a bustling metropolis with everyone trying to vie for their place under the sun... (or rather buildings trying to outdo each other).

The Souk (Bazaar) in Doha
Let's start with Doha, Qatar. Doha - literally meaning "Big Tree" (aw-dawha in Arabic) is home to 80% of Qatar's population of 500,000 people. Most of the people in Doha are expatriates, hailing from South Asia (manual labour workers) to Europe and America. English is very widely spoken here, being a former British Colony.

Sunrise, Doha
One of many underpasses in Doha
As with all other GCC countries, Qatar is fast becoming a metropolis - evidence of petro-dollar wealth is in abundance. Qatar produces 800,000 barrels of the world's oil daily. Interestingly, Doha has 50 towers in construction.

The New Islamic Centre - Doha
The Qatar Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Located on the outskirts of Doha, Education City covers 14 million square meters and houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities.

My take on Doha
I was thought I was prepared for the "siesta-culture" commonly practised in Latin America, but the whole city comes to a standstill between 1.30pm -4.30pm. Extremely frustrating if you are trying to get to the pharmacy to get some dental floss =)

Honestly, I wouldn't live here. Weather was fine, with temperatures averaging 26 degrees in the day and 18 degrees in the night. It was dark by 5.00pm.

Business-wise, it was quite a productive trip. It was my first trip to middle east for business and the business community here are generally more receptive to me.

Me like! More on Kuwait soon! Got a flight to Abu Dhabi to catch... See ya!

What I want for Christmas..

2007-12-10T23:15:00.000+08:00

I want one of these for Christmas...

It hops like a kangaroo, by the way... So cute!

Internet Censorship Part #3

2007-12-10T20:21:00.001+08:00

Kuwait too...

SIGH =(

Internet Censorship Part 2

2007-12-10T00:24:00.000+08:00

WTFFF!!!!!!! AGAIN!!!!!

Internet Censorship??

2007-12-08T11:05:00.000+08:00

WTF!?!?!?!

Hello from Abu Dhabi!

2007-12-08T07:32:00.000+08:00

Hello from Abu Dhabi International Airport Lounge!

It was an uneventful flight, with Etihad.. Service was what I would call... Effective, but nevertheless lacking of the personal touch of Asian carriers such as Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai where they address you by name..

I guess it's because I'm a frequent flier on these airlines.. Well I'm stuck in the lounge with a harrowing 8 hour transit to my next destination, Doha - Qatar.

I checked up Qatar's duty free allowance and guess what... No alcohol allowed in the state.. What the hell!

Anyway, I'll only be spending a night in Qatar and then I'm off to Kuwait.... 2 nights there and guess what!! No alcohol allowed too! OMG I'm so gonna die! hahahah

Anyway, here's a peek of the lounge..

Till the next update, cheerios!

My gear, from left to right - Laptop Inspiron 640m, Gold Label on the rocks, Al Ain Mineral water lol!

Going away!

2007-12-04T23:48:00.001+08:00

Okay dokes, here's the finalised schedule..

7 - 9 Dec 2007: Doha, Qatar
9 - 11 Dec 2007: Kuwait City, Kuwait
11 - 15 Dec 2007: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

It will be my first time flying Etihad Airlines and Qatar Airways, and my first time to Qatar and Kuwait too!

Wish me luck!

Updates when I get back... Tatas!

Berlin Wall (remnants of it), Berlin, Germany - March 2007
Frankfurt Old Town, Frankfurt, Germany - October 2006
Rhine River cruise, Frankfurt, Germany - October 2006
Rhine Falls, Zurich, Switzerland - October 2006
Fields of green, Zurich, Switzerland - October 2006

My Kitchen!

2007-12-02T01:38:00.000+08:00

These are the stuff that I have in stock for my baking, and I replenish on a first-in-first-out basis.

1. Butter
I love Lurpak (a Danish brand). Believe it or not, the aroma and taste of this butter is absolutely marvellous! I usually have 5 to 6 blocks of them unsalted butter in my fridge at one particular time.

2. Vanilla Beans
Top grade vanilla beans from Madagascar are a highly sought after commodity in the pastry and confectionary field. I get my supply of these beans from UK. About 35 pounds for 30 sticks I think. You can also get the Indonesian variety locally, however these pods are more "woody" and have less seeds to scrape. Don't throw away the used pods, stick them in your sugar and you'll discover the joys of Vanilla sugar; a great addition to coffee!

3. Sugar & Sugar Products
I normally stock about 5 - 6kgs of fine granulated white sugar. If you are cost restricted, no worries. Just buy your regular granulated sugar and spin them abit in a food processor and voila! Besides that, I have several varieties of brown sugars (add marvellous flavour and texture to breads and other stuff). I also have liquid glucose for confectionary and candy making.

4. Flour
Number of types that I have. High protein flour (wholemeal and white) for breads and rolls. Superfine low protein flour for cakes, cookies and everything else. Hong Kong flour (highly bleached, super white and low protein) for Chinese pastries. Potato Starch, Tapioca Flour, Glutinous Rice Flour, Rice Flour, Wheat Starch, Self-Raising Flour.

Remember to keep them in an airtight container in a dry place. Put them in an oven at 150 degrees C for 1 hour or so you purchase them, to kill all organisms and rid the moisture outta them. It is well worth the effort coz it extends the shelf life of the flours by an amazing 6 - 12 months (not that it'll ever last that long in my kitchen anyway). However, do not do this with self-raising flours.

5. Nuts
Almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts are a staple in my kitchen. They come in nibs, chopped, whole, blanched, ground. Keep in the freezer!

6. Dried Yeast

Freezer please! Keeps forever, handy for breads and rolls.

7. Gelatine
Powdered or leaves of 10g each, its your preference. Kept in the freezer.

8. Eggs
Essential! High quality AA size eggs please.

9. Chocolates

My favourite subject... Currently I am using Valrhona Manjari chocolates. I don't usually buy chocolates in big blocks, it's quite messy trying to weigh and cut the blocks up. Buttons are easier to weigh and melt. When buying chocolate, read the ingredients. If it doesn't read cocoa butter in it, it's probably no good. Head for couveture chocolate, it usually costs more but believe me, it is worth the money spent. For a cheaper alternative, buy them Carrefour branded cocoa bars (200g bars) at about RM 8.00 for a 2-pack.

I also have some Lindt milk and white chocolates, dark chocolate I keep more.

10. Alcohol
Essential for all desserts, use only quality eau-de-vie. Rule is, if it's not good for drinking, it's not good for cooking. I have lots of whiskey of different varieties, cognac, Kahlua, Baileys, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Amaretto...

Been trying to get my hands on a good bottle of Limoncello, anyone can help?