I thought I could get some rest after my hectic KL trip but it seems that it’s not to be! There should be a holiday after a holiday as post-holiday is just as bad as pre-holiday. Anyway, the upside is, I work for myself so if I think I can wing it, I can just vegetate in front of the TV (tsk, tsk….).
But I am also the sort to feel utterly guilty if I don’t engage in some form of productive work. I think this ‘guilt phobia’ of mine is debilitating; it punctures some of the best moments of lepak!
Nic on the other hand can be such a hippo. He can laze about, or lie about and be so carefree about life even when deadlines are approaching. Maybe that’s why women cannot gain the upperhand in this battle of the sexes; we’ve never learnt how to let go and relax when it’s needed.
But it’s a mad start to a mad week. I can foresee a number of appointments this week which would eat up my time. I’ve got a proposal to complete (which I am not looking forward to – I mean, who looks forward to doing proposals?), I’ve also got a KL friend coming up to visit and I get to be her driver for the day (hurray for me… hmmm) and I’ve got a Mother’s Day lunch to plan for later this week.
Petaling Street Food
The problem with expectations is that most times, I get disappointed. Sorely disappointed! Or maybe my tastebuds grew up and know what’s good from well, what’s bad.
I just came home from a short time in KL. Petaling Street to be exact. Petaling Street is Chinatown and it’s a food haven. And I, armed with my Flavours Good Food Guide, was raring to try the recommended cafes, hawker stalls and restaurants.
Here’s my opinion after trying out some of the recommendations.
Gubra… A Malay Movie?
I watched Gubra in the cineplex last Friday afternoon. The cineplex was empty, save for a few annoying teenage girls, whom I presumed wanted to see more of the ‘unfinished’ love story of Orked and Jason.
I tried not to read any review of the movie before I stepped into the dimly-lit cineplex, but I did read S.B.Toh’s highly positive words in The Star about Gubra.
Yet, even if the review was not positive, I rarely trust movie reviewers. Opinions are based on emotions. And emotions are subjective. And what I loathe, you might love. The best way to determine if Gubra was any good was to pay money to watch it in the cineplex.
Oh Dotty Dear Dotty
I have been meaning to make this post for ages now… but somehow always forgot to resize my photos. And today, tadddaaa…I managed to download the pics and resize them and uploaded them again (phew, the amount of work just to blog….).
I count myself utterly fortunate to know so many great people. And among my earliest friends as a result of blogging (hmm, in 2003 I think) is Dotty. Dotty, my dear, thanks for your gift of friendship.
How to make Sangria, my style
1. Get a bottle of leftover red wine.
2. Grab a bottle of sparkling juice – the pseudo wine – from your uncle’s Chinese New Year hamper. He won’t mind.
Walk Your Talk
What I love about Penang is that the island probably has the largest number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are active and take a strong interest in the island’s happenings. Although Penang is not hip in the KL sense, Penang has many activities for those who are interested in local culture and its peoples.
That’s how I found myself on the 4th floor of 60, Weld Quay two weeks ago, after huffing up many flights of cramped stairs. Nic and I got there just in time – Dr Choong Sim Poey or known affectionately as SP was giving a speech about what PenangWatch was all about.
Margaret
We took Margaret to the vet yesterday. It’s tough explaining why we paid RM85 to neuter a cat which wasn’t even our own.
Margaret is supposedly 2 years old (this we found out when we got the vet’s card this morning) and colour-wise, she’s a mackerel tabby. We didn’t know her age all the while and we never knew she weighed 3.94 kg. Is that fat for a cat? A stray cat?
A-hunting We Will Go
It’s odd that I even do this. I am not even in Mensa (that’s a totally IQ thing if you ask me). I first got hooked on motoring treasure hunts last year when on a whim, I told Nic that we should be joining the Mensa Penang Treasure Hunt to show our support. It was also raising funds for the La Salle Learning Centre right here in Penang.
Nigelicious!
I love cooking shows. I mean, I used to sit through wacky Chef Wan and his antics from years ago. I even watch (if there’s nothing else on TV) some boring RTM production – you know, the type where everything looks OLD and the lighting’s all yellow and the women look too pasty for words. But heck, I sit through THOSE too because I watch for the food, not the stilted host!
But then, TV became so sexy and food was the new sex (please correct me if I am wrong). All of a sudden, everyone’s popping up and declaring themselves cooking maestros.
Now I watch because the host is cute/sexy/funny and food comes second. Most times, the food isn’t that tantalising either as many of these hosts/cooks are rather slapdash. Nic’s biggest grouse is that these people/hosts/chefs do not ‘respect the food’ they are cooking with!
My favourite used to be Bourdain, yes that sunken-eyed, chainsmoking American with the French connection. He was the most sarcastic thing on Channel 11. He still is, though but he seems a bit bored. Maybe too much of food is a bad thing!
Why MayaKirana?
Through this blog of mine (which I started back when blogging wasn’t even cool or understood), I’ve made plenty of good friends. I leave my blog URL in a few places but somehow, people find their way here and end up being my good buddies.
When they email me and I reply, they are inevitably surprised. The first thing many e-buddies ask is this, “Why did you choose Maya Kirana as a name for yourself and your blog?”