Mommy: Do you want another brother or sister?
Jeremy: How many kids do you still want in this house?
Mommy: Do you want another baby?
Alicia: No, as I am already the baby of this house.
Daddy: Speechless!
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Citizenship and migration
Recently, one of the close family friends declared in the Facebook revoking of the Malaysian citizenship and moved on to Singapore citing the following reasons for the decision:
- Politics in Malaysia
- Increasing crime rate in Malaysia
- Feels more comfortable in Singapore
- Committing future with Singapore
Such events trivial and irrelevant in may seems, but it always trigger massive discussions (150 comments in FB on the status area!!) and one always start to reflect on own positions when faced with such interesting topics which always will be peppered with emotions and sense of nationalism.
Well, I might as well put my thoughts down for record purposes:
Parting words - Reasons to migrate or revocation of citizenship must be more of how good is Singapore rather than how crappy and unworthy is Malaysia to the person. Choice of applying the latter is probably another case of an over enthusiastic converter I am afraid.
- Politics in Malaysia
- Increasing crime rate in Malaysia
- Feels more comfortable in Singapore
- Committing future with Singapore
Such events trivial and irrelevant in may seems, but it always trigger massive discussions (150 comments in FB on the status area!!) and one always start to reflect on own positions when faced with such interesting topics which always will be peppered with emotions and sense of nationalism.
Well, I might as well put my thoughts down for record purposes:
- Migration and citizenship I thought are two separate matters. In short, you can choose to live outside Malaysia but remain as citizen.
- Revocation of citizenship requires a far more serious reason than what is being mentioned above. On the first two points, it would be a valid reason to live outside Malaysia BUT not giving up citizenship. Otherwise many Filipinos, Brazilians and South Africans would have left the country for good.
- I thought valid reasons for giving up citizenship can be such as the country is in a war torn situation, massive or acute poverty level, Apartheid or holocaust situations or whenever when lives are in danger.
- In the case of Singapore, I would have accepted reasons such as, wife and children all Singaporeans or the last 2 reasons mentioned above as somewhat 'reasonable' reasons.
- More importantly, both migration and revocation of citizenships are indeed a very personal decision, and there is no right or wrong answer to that. However, what is definitely wrong is trying very hard to prove one's decision is a better one than another person's, as circumstances may differ from one to another, preferences and expectations in how to live life may also differ from to another. In short, one man's meat may be another man's poison.
- Many of my business contacts and friends that I have built over the years are in Malaysia
- I would like to give my children a choice to live anywhere in the world but have the options to exercise their rights from their birth nation.
- I probably will retire in Malaysia
- Cost of living at this juncture is acceptable
- Practical about political matters
Parting words - Reasons to migrate or revocation of citizenship must be more of how good is Singapore rather than how crappy and unworthy is Malaysia to the person. Choice of applying the latter is probably another case of an over enthusiastic converter I am afraid.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Itay Talgam: Lead like the great conductors
I recently attended Itay's talk in Shanghai and was really an inspiring one. It gives an alternative illustration of leadership styles than can be applied in the corporate world. This for one set me thinking on how one's leadership style can actually shape the culture of the firm, which means one wrong step will probably cause millions of dollars ultimately.
Nevertheless, it was one of the best presentation I have attended at least in recent times. Once again, it was simply awesome !
Monday, April 04, 2011
Book Review - Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother
This must be the "Mother-of-all-books" for 2011, in the sense that the author, Amy Chua has managed not only to ignite controversy and heated debate in the US but in doing so she has help to propel the book onto the best seller list of the New York Times and Amazon.com. I first heard about her from a colleague of mine and read her intriguing but yet controversial "Why Chinese Mothers are superior" article on the Wall Street Journal. The resulting controversy and debate surrounding her comments piqued my interest considerably and I decided to hunt for the book in Malaysia which was unfortunately not available in the major bookstores until mid February 2011. Being somewhat of a bookworm, I was determined to obtain a copy of the book before the Chinese New Year break and decided to order it from bookdepository.com which offered free shipping.
Once I got my hands on the book, I couldn'tput it down. With two young children to care for, the only time I could read it was after they had gone to bed. It took me 7 days to finish the book and while I found the book intriguing however the methods that Amy used to push and prod her daughters to succeed a bit to stiffling for my liking. I do agree that a certain amount of discipline and structure is necessary for young children who rely on their caregivers or parents to point them in the right direction but to control their choices is another thing altogether. However insane her methods might be,it appears on the surface at least that her eldest daughter thrived. She managed to maintain excellent academic results at school and the rigorous practice sessions that her mother put her through to ensure that she maintained a flawless performance as a concert pianist. Of course, her parenting methods and tactics did not work on her second daughter whose rebelliousness spiralled into violence. And this caused Amy to take a step back and let her younger daughter make her own decisions.
Overall, I think nobody should take her book too seriously. After all it is as she has said, a memoir and not intended to be a parenting guide. She is merely poking fun at herself as a parent and not encouraging anybody to emulate any of her methods. So for all the controversy that the book has generated, I think that at the end of the day, the parenting methods that you adopt would depend on what you as a parent think is best for your own childre. No one method works and I think parenting styles will also change as the child grows older and becomes more mature in her/his outlook of life. So there you have it - my 2 cents worth of thoughts on this!
PUBLISHED BY THE BRAIN ON BEHALF OF PINKY
Once I got my hands on the book, I couldn'tput it down. With two young children to care for, the only time I could read it was after they had gone to bed. It took me 7 days to finish the book and while I found the book intriguing however the methods that Amy used to push and prod her daughters to succeed a bit to stiffling for my liking. I do agree that a certain amount of discipline and structure is necessary for young children who rely on their caregivers or parents to point them in the right direction but to control their choices is another thing altogether. However insane her methods might be,it appears on the surface at least that her eldest daughter thrived. She managed to maintain excellent academic results at school and the rigorous practice sessions that her mother put her through to ensure that she maintained a flawless performance as a concert pianist. Of course, her parenting methods and tactics did not work on her second daughter whose rebelliousness spiralled into violence. And this caused Amy to take a step back and let her younger daughter make her own decisions.
Overall, I think nobody should take her book too seriously. After all it is as she has said, a memoir and not intended to be a parenting guide. She is merely poking fun at herself as a parent and not encouraging anybody to emulate any of her methods. So for all the controversy that the book has generated, I think that at the end of the day, the parenting methods that you adopt would depend on what you as a parent think is best for your own childre. No one method works and I think parenting styles will also change as the child grows older and becomes more mature in her/his outlook of life. So there you have it - my 2 cents worth of thoughts on this!
PUBLISHED BY THE BRAIN ON BEHALF OF PINKY
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
World Cup Fever
Colleagues are putting up bets, drivers talking about the Asians i.e Koreans and Japanese putting up a respectable fight, fathers are hoarding the television set, friends are commenting the individual games in Facebook.........oh man, everyone is talking about it ! - THE WORLD CUPAnyway, I would like to put two aspects of World Cup for the record. (1) The Past - 5 memorable things I remembered in the Past World Cups (2) The Current and Future - Teams to watch this World Cup
(1) The Past - 5 memorable things I remembered in the Past World Cups
(A) The 1974 World Cup Final - West Germany vs Holland
That was the first time I was introduced to football as a kid. My dad rushed back to watch the first ever live telecast of a World Cup Final match, and I accompanied him and watch the game together. (Alas, how I wish Jeremy would do the same. Currently, he seems NOT interested!!) Gerd Muller aka the Bomber made the historical winning goal for West Germany.
(B) Hand of God (1986)- Maradona and the notorious Hand of God goal. I thought it was one of the biggest referee mistake I ever known!
(C) Sizzling dribble by Maradona (1986) - I remembered I was held in awe when Maradona dazzled through the entire England midfield and defence from the half way mark, and scored the goal single handedly. This I thought was the best goal I have ever seen.
(D) Toni Schumacher's collision (1982) - Ok this is not the Michael we talk about here. I am referring to Toni, the notorious goalkeeper from West Germany who knocked down French defender Patrick Battiston resulting in loss of 2 front teeth and damaged vertebrae. Patrick actually need to receive oxygen on the pitch! It suddenly dawned upon me that people will resort to anything to win !
(E) Ronaldinho's goal against England (2002) - We were at Finnigans watching the game with our English Partner in the firm. I remembered he had to buy us the drinks and looked so dejected when Ronaldinho thundered in a match winning goal from a 35 metre free kick.
(2) The current - Teams to watch
(A) Argentina - Messi will play a pivotal role. With support from Tevez and Mascherano, the squad can be a tournament winning squad.
(B) Spain - They have a midfield squad where Arteta can't even get in. What more can I say.
(C) Portugal - Powered by Ronaldo. They will always be the dark horse.
(D) Brazil - You can never discount Brazil as always
(E) Germany - This young German team has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with based on the way they demolished the Socceroos in their first game.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Gastronomical Adventure
Below set forth the menu I had at Cilantro on a business function
Assorted Japanese Vegetables
Selection of French Farm Cheese
Hors d’Ouevres
Tsarskaya Oyster
King Prawn Beignet
Smoked Salmon Tartare
Consommé of Cured Duck
Blue Fin Tuna Tenmi
Seared Goose Foie Gras with Artichoke Purée
Confit of Tai Fish Fillet with Wakame and Pistou
Pan Fried Australian Rock Lobster with Zucchini Flower
Alternatively
Grilled Kobe Beef with Sautéed Mushrooms and Yuzukoshou
Chocolate Terrine with Mixed Berries, Pistachio Ice Cream
Selection of Wines
NV Mumms Champagne Grand Cru
2007 Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru
1998 Chateau Clos Fourtet
1995 Chateau l’Angelus
Although I have many a times had fine dining, having said that, this is the first time I had a 7 course session.
Highlights to the food I thought would be goose fois gras and the lobster. Normally restaurants in Malaysia would give duck rather than goose fois gras. After tasting goose fois gras, I can certainly see the difference in quality and the rate how it melted in the mouth is memorable. I actually selected beef as the main course. It was however the rock lobster which the guys ordered to share that stood out. Normally our Crustacean friends are not exactly my favourite but the way it was pan fried was perfect in a sense that it brings out the best in smell, texture and taste.
As for the wine list, L'Angelus came in with high expectation. However, I thought the wine was a little bit too young for a 1995. It somehow disappoints me. Maybe I am not a good wine taster. The white Burgundy however (ie 2007 Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru) surprised me very well. It comes across as very balanced and smooth. It wasn't too sour and yet maintain the right level of 'lightness' for a white wine.
Assorted Japanese Vegetables
Selection of French Farm Cheese
Hors d’Ouevres
Tsarskaya Oyster
King Prawn Beignet
Smoked Salmon Tartare
Consommé of Cured Duck
Blue Fin Tuna Tenmi
Seared Goose Foie Gras with Artichoke Purée
Confit of Tai Fish Fillet with Wakame and Pistou
Pan Fried Australian Rock Lobster with Zucchini Flower
Alternatively
Grilled Kobe Beef with Sautéed Mushrooms and Yuzukoshou
Chocolate Terrine with Mixed Berries, Pistachio Ice Cream
Selection of Wines
NV Mumms Champagne Grand Cru
2007 Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru
1998 Chateau Clos Fourtet
1995 Chateau l’Angelus
Although I have many a times had fine dining, having said that, this is the first time I had a 7 course session.
Highlights to the food I thought would be goose fois gras and the lobster. Normally restaurants in Malaysia would give duck rather than goose fois gras. After tasting goose fois gras, I can certainly see the difference in quality and the rate how it melted in the mouth is memorable. I actually selected beef as the main course. It was however the rock lobster which the guys ordered to share that stood out. Normally our Crustacean friends are not exactly my favourite but the way it was pan fried was perfect in a sense that it brings out the best in smell, texture and taste.
As for the wine list, L'Angelus came in with high expectation. However, I thought the wine was a little bit too young for a 1995. It somehow disappoints me. Maybe I am not a good wine taster. The white Burgundy however (ie 2007 Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru) surprised me very well. It comes across as very balanced and smooth. It wasn't too sour and yet maintain the right level of 'lightness' for a white wine.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
A Black Wednesday for Malaysian education
Today I can't help but to mourn for the future of Malaysian next generation as today's Bernama headlines read as follows:
"The teaching and learning of science and mathematics in national schools will revert to the Malay language effective 2012. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the teaching and learning of the two subjects in Chinese and Tamil national-type schools would be carried out in their respective mother tongue" - Bernama
I find the rationale used for the change appalling. Let's look at them one by one:
Point #1
"Muhyiddin said monitoring by the ministry last year found that only a small group of teachers were using English language fully in the teaching of science and mathematics.
On the average, the percentage of English usage is between 53 and 58 per cent out of the total time allotted for science and mathematics" - Bernama
COMMENT : In that case, the solution is not scrapping the use of English to teach Maths and Science. The challenge is to train and encourage our teachers to use English thoroughly. Whenever there is a major change ie from Malay to English, there is always inertia to move back to original application ie conduct teaching in BM. Hence, in order to make it effective, we must have the political will and determination to make the change. I must say we have lost the plot !
Point #2
"The gap in achievement between urban and rural schools in science and mathematics was becoming wider when the PPSMI (teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English) was implemented.The command of the English language among students, particularly in the rural areas, was still low making it difficult for them to understand the teaching of mathematics and science in English," Muhyiddin said.
Based on this observation, he said, the government was convinced that science and mathematics must be taught in the language that could be easily understood by the students, namely Bahasa Malaysia in the national schools, Chinese in the national-type Chinese schools and Tamil in the national-type Tamil schools.
" - Bernama
COMMENT : I fail to see the point here. It is expected that additional challenge will be created if subjects are not taught in the mother tounge. But given the depth of literature relating to science and mathematics that are written in BM is relatively light, lack of command of English will actually limit the amount of knowledge that can be gathered by our young ones. Again, granted that the issue is real but the solution is have a separate initiative to strengthen the command of the English language of our rural students. The effect of the reversion of policy will actually serve as a hindrance to our rural students to expand their quest for knowledge notably in the science and mathematics area.
All I can say is that we indeed has moved backward in our education policy. Such reversal in policy will definitely put a dent in our future competitiveness in the increasing competitive global marketplace. We seem to take the easy way out at the expense of long term growth and development of the country.
As for my Jeremy and the sibling on the way, education utopia will remain elusive at the back of such regressive policy. But I refuse to give up hope and will strive to still find the best solution for them becos I certainly for one believe that a good education is the greatest gift as a parent (Not inheritance) can give to them, for education will unlock the key to make a person a better man/lady.
"The teaching and learning of science and mathematics in national schools will revert to the Malay language effective 2012. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the teaching and learning of the two subjects in Chinese and Tamil national-type schools would be carried out in their respective mother tongue" - Bernama
I find the rationale used for the change appalling. Let's look at them one by one:
Point #1
"Muhyiddin said monitoring by the ministry last year found that only a small group of teachers were using English language fully in the teaching of science and mathematics.
On the average, the percentage of English usage is between 53 and 58 per cent out of the total time allotted for science and mathematics" - Bernama
COMMENT : In that case, the solution is not scrapping the use of English to teach Maths and Science. The challenge is to train and encourage our teachers to use English thoroughly. Whenever there is a major change ie from Malay to English, there is always inertia to move back to original application ie conduct teaching in BM. Hence, in order to make it effective, we must have the political will and determination to make the change. I must say we have lost the plot !
Point #2
"The gap in achievement between urban and rural schools in science and mathematics was becoming wider when the PPSMI (teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English) was implemented.The command of the English language among students, particularly in the rural areas, was still low making it difficult for them to understand the teaching of mathematics and science in English," Muhyiddin said.
Based on this observation, he said, the government was convinced that science and mathematics must be taught in the language that could be easily understood by the students, namely Bahasa Malaysia in the national schools, Chinese in the national-type Chinese schools and Tamil in the national-type Tamil schools.
" - Bernama
COMMENT : I fail to see the point here. It is expected that additional challenge will be created if subjects are not taught in the mother tounge. But given the depth of literature relating to science and mathematics that are written in BM is relatively light, lack of command of English will actually limit the amount of knowledge that can be gathered by our young ones. Again, granted that the issue is real but the solution is have a separate initiative to strengthen the command of the English language of our rural students. The effect of the reversion of policy will actually serve as a hindrance to our rural students to expand their quest for knowledge notably in the science and mathematics area.
All I can say is that we indeed has moved backward in our education policy. Such reversal in policy will definitely put a dent in our future competitiveness in the increasing competitive global marketplace. We seem to take the easy way out at the expense of long term growth and development of the country.
As for my Jeremy and the sibling on the way, education utopia will remain elusive at the back of such regressive policy. But I refuse to give up hope and will strive to still find the best solution for them becos I certainly for one believe that a good education is the greatest gift as a parent (Not inheritance) can give to them, for education will unlock the key to make a person a better man/lady.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Jeremy's favourite brands
As the saying goes, " You gotta start that when they are young". Modern advertisement and commercialisation strategy actually do have an impact on young kids nowadays. Even Jeremy at this age is able to identify brands that will probably have a lasting impression as he progresses with his journey in life. So what I have done here is to list down some of his favourite brands over the past one year.
1. Disney
No one can beat Disney's influence on young kids. With the influence of Playhouse Disney, Mickey Mouse and gang more often than not are the ones first recognised by toddlers all over the world. As for Jeremy, with reinforcement from his trip to HK Disneyland last year, Disney is probably most recognised brand in the eyes of the 3 year old Jeremy.
2. BMW
Jeremy can recognise a BMW from miles away. I probably attribute to the fact that BMW's new and old do have some distinctive features like the kidney grilles and long bonnet shapes that make them easily identifiable.
Let's hope that Jeremy does not have only one car preference when he grows up !
3. Petronas
This is all because he fell down and cut himself while we stopped at the Karak Petronas station a couple of months back (We were on the way to Tanjung Jara). Until now, everytime he sees a Petronas station, he will remind us 'Yang Shan fell down in Green petrol station ah'.
4. AmBank Group
Tan Sri Azman Hashim should be fairly pleased if he hears this. The logo on top of the Amcorp Mall is such an icon. Everytime we drive past PJ along the Federal Highway, Jeremy will get 'ecstatic' and adjust himself inside the car to ensure he gets a perfect view of the AmBank logo ! Sometimes, when he is at my inlaw's place, he will try to coax his grandpa to take a short drive for him to look at the AmBank logo. bizarre.....bizarre indeed.
5. Happy Cow cheese
I really could not anticipate this one. Somehow to Jeremy its Happy Cow is the 'mother of all cheese' - just like Colgate being synonymous to toothpaste
Everytime he goes to supermarket, Jeremy can spot the Happy Cow cheese tucked in the corner. He will then point to it and look into my eyes and say' Yang Shan likes Happy Cow cheese ah. Mommy please buy cheese'
1. Disney
No one can beat Disney's influence on young kids. With the influence of Playhouse Disney, Mickey Mouse and gang more often than not are the ones first recognised by toddlers all over the world. As for Jeremy, with reinforcement from his trip to HK Disneyland last year, Disney is probably most recognised brand in the eyes of the 3 year old Jeremy.
2. BMW
Jeremy can recognise a BMW from miles away. I probably attribute to the fact that BMW's new and old do have some distinctive features like the kidney grilles and long bonnet shapes that make them easily identifiable.
Let's hope that Jeremy does not have only one car preference when he grows up !
3. Petronas
This is all because he fell down and cut himself while we stopped at the Karak Petronas station a couple of months back (We were on the way to Tanjung Jara). Until now, everytime he sees a Petronas station, he will remind us 'Yang Shan fell down in Green petrol station ah'.
4. AmBank Group
Tan Sri Azman Hashim should be fairly pleased if he hears this. The logo on top of the Amcorp Mall is such an icon. Everytime we drive past PJ along the Federal Highway, Jeremy will get 'ecstatic' and adjust himself inside the car to ensure he gets a perfect view of the AmBank logo ! Sometimes, when he is at my inlaw's place, he will try to coax his grandpa to take a short drive for him to look at the AmBank logo. bizarre.....bizarre indeed.
5. Happy Cow cheese
I really could not anticipate this one. Somehow to Jeremy its Happy Cow is the 'mother of all cheese' - just like Colgate being synonymous to toothpaste
Everytime he goes to supermarket, Jeremy can spot the Happy Cow cheese tucked in the corner. He will then point to it and look into my eyes and say' Yang Shan likes Happy Cow cheese ah. Mommy please buy cheese'
Thursday, January 01, 2009
2009 - The years' before
1969
(1) Man landed on the moon
(2) Maiden flight for Boeing 747
(3) The year of the Woodstock festival
(4) Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States
.
Brain - Baby Brain nicknamed Mr Magoo (as coined by some relatives!) was born in this fateful year. May 13 was a difficult period in Malaysian history, but Baby Brain was safely tucked away in peaceful Taiping
Pinky - Non existent yet (hehe)
1979
(1) Iran hostage crisis
(2) Star Trek is launched
(3) Invasion of Afganistan by USSR
(4) Visicalc - World's first spreadsheet program (oh yes, I remember this one !)
(5) Brain - Standard 4 trying to adapt to the new school in Johor Bahru
(6) Pinky - Kindergarden
Brain - My family started our life in Johor Bahru where my papa was transferred while he was with Inland Revenue then. It was quite different in lifestyle as JB was relatively much smaller then Penang. The place was vast but very few buildings. Somehow, mosquitoes were more prevalent then the little island in the northwest of Malaysia. In addition, I have to go school on Sunday as the state weekend fell on Fridays and Saturdays! Having said that, JB had a major attraction in the form of Singapore. Given that the exchange rate was RM1.02 to SGD1.00, weekly trips to Singapore has become a norm. But due to unfamiliarity with roads (No GPS then) in Singapore, our movements were restricted to Woodlands, Bukit Timah, Lucky Plaza and Plaza Singapura in Orchard Road. It was only on 1 May 1979, we actually bought a map and went around the island the whole day resulting in 'extension' to our destination choices like Katong and Toa Payoh.
1989
(1) Tiananmen protest in China
(2) End of Cold War
(3) George Bush succeed the US Presidency
(4) I M Pei's pyramidal entrance to the Louvre opens in Paris France
(5) Billy Joel has a new hit - We Didn't Start The Fire (The song kept on ringing in my ears as I was preparing for my History paper A level exams !)
(6) Brain - Struggling with the impending A-Level examinations
(7) Pinky - Counting how many As she is going to get in the then SRP exams
Brain - Much as I was stressed out to perform so as to get the university of choice, life at the junior college in Singapore was indeed memorable. A-levels was the time I took subjects that I loved rather than being succumbed to peer and 'social' pressure. Humanities subjects like Economics, History and English Literature were such 'refreshing' topics as compared to 'stuffy' Physics, Biology and Chemistry.
1999
(1) Opening of Mid Valley Megamall and Petronas Twin Towers
(2) World population hits 6 billion people
(3) Anwar arrested
(4) Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France
(5) Brain working like a dog as a manager in the accounting firm
(6) Pinky considering career change
Brain - 1999 was a period of economic and political uncertainty in Malaysia. Likewise for me careerwise - was toying between career move to a bank or continue with CPA firm with a secondment to Sydney office. Alas, both never happened ! In any case, Pinky and I did heaps of local road travelling ranging from Cherating to Singapore together.
2009
Hmmm......whats ahead.....seems like deja vu as we move into the downward slope of the economic curve again. Anyway, I hope I can spend enough time with my family. Jeremy has grown so fast and with a blink of an eye, he is already 2 1/2 years old. Certainly, I hope I can be as engaging as a father should be to ensure he has a memorable childhood !
(1) Man landed on the moon
(2) Maiden flight for Boeing 747
(3) The year of the Woodstock festival
(4) Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States
.
Brain - Baby Brain nicknamed Mr Magoo (as coined by some relatives!) was born in this fateful year. May 13 was a difficult period in Malaysian history, but Baby Brain was safely tucked away in peaceful Taiping
Pinky - Non existent yet (hehe)
1979
(1) Iran hostage crisis
(2) Star Trek is launched
(3) Invasion of Afganistan by USSR
(4) Visicalc - World's first spreadsheet program (oh yes, I remember this one !)
(5) Brain - Standard 4 trying to adapt to the new school in Johor Bahru
(6) Pinky - Kindergarden
Brain - My family started our life in Johor Bahru where my papa was transferred while he was with Inland Revenue then. It was quite different in lifestyle as JB was relatively much smaller then Penang. The place was vast but very few buildings. Somehow, mosquitoes were more prevalent then the little island in the northwest of Malaysia. In addition, I have to go school on Sunday as the state weekend fell on Fridays and Saturdays! Having said that, JB had a major attraction in the form of Singapore. Given that the exchange rate was RM1.02 to SGD1.00, weekly trips to Singapore has become a norm. But due to unfamiliarity with roads (No GPS then) in Singapore, our movements were restricted to Woodlands, Bukit Timah, Lucky Plaza and Plaza Singapura in Orchard Road. It was only on 1 May 1979, we actually bought a map and went around the island the whole day resulting in 'extension' to our destination choices like Katong and Toa Payoh.
1989
(1) Tiananmen protest in China
(2) End of Cold War
(3) George Bush succeed the US Presidency
(4) I M Pei's pyramidal entrance to the Louvre opens in Paris France
(5) Billy Joel has a new hit - We Didn't Start The Fire (The song kept on ringing in my ears as I was preparing for my History paper A level exams !)
(6) Brain - Struggling with the impending A-Level examinations
(7) Pinky - Counting how many As she is going to get in the then SRP exams
Brain - Much as I was stressed out to perform so as to get the university of choice, life at the junior college in Singapore was indeed memorable. A-levels was the time I took subjects that I loved rather than being succumbed to peer and 'social' pressure. Humanities subjects like Economics, History and English Literature were such 'refreshing' topics as compared to 'stuffy' Physics, Biology and Chemistry.
1999
(1) Opening of Mid Valley Megamall and Petronas Twin Towers
(2) World population hits 6 billion people
(3) Anwar arrested
(4) Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France
(5) Brain working like a dog as a manager in the accounting firm
(6) Pinky considering career change
Brain - 1999 was a period of economic and political uncertainty in Malaysia. Likewise for me careerwise - was toying between career move to a bank or continue with CPA firm with a secondment to Sydney office. Alas, both never happened ! In any case, Pinky and I did heaps of local road travelling ranging from Cherating to Singapore together.
2009
Hmmm......whats ahead.....seems like deja vu as we move into the downward slope of the economic curve again. Anyway, I hope I can spend enough time with my family. Jeremy has grown so fast and with a blink of an eye, he is already 2 1/2 years old. Certainly, I hope I can be as engaging as a father should be to ensure he has a memorable childhood !
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Malaysian International Gourmet Festival - An amateur's experience
An excerpt from Anton Ego in the cartoon movie Ratatouille:
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new."
Malaysian International Gourment Festival aka MIGF apparently has been in KL for the last 8 years. But really, it was a passing event every year until one of my friends reminded me that Pinky and I always go and search for nice restaurants to try out whenever we go overseas and yet when MIGF is in town, we never go and try. Hence, this year I decided out of curiosity, go for at least one of the participating restaurants and see what is to be offered on the dining table.
I dunno why we decided on Pacifica at the Mandarin Oriental - I think it was becos Pinky thought that Emmanuel Stroobant would be in the hotel whipping up a storm ; I guess probably this is one restaurant I am quite familiar with arising from business luncheons I had with some of my biz associates, and experiences so far has been pleasing.
Anyway, what I hope to pen down briefly some observations made in our 'inaugaral' experience with MIGF. OK here goes:
Menu
As usual, the menu is filled with language that is alien to local. Langoustine tortelloni, carrot veloute were words used in the menu. But a further check reveals actually these words literally mean the food content. Eg. Tortelloni means a type of stuffed pasta while Langoustine is lobster. Veloute means a type of sauce.
In any case, given that there were two choices in each course, we decided to choose different selection so that we can try everything.
Appetizer
For appetizer, one can actually choose between (a) Langoustine tortelloni White tomato and artichoke or (b) Carrot velouté and passion fruit Black Perigord truffle
I must say both choices were quite unique offering different experiences. The stuffed pasta dish was very well decorated and each content gave different taste experience to wet the appetite, as it contain very wide range of food ie from carbo based stuff like pasta to seafood like lobster. As for the carrot soup, I think this is one that needs an acquired taste. It reminded me of the cappucino soup I was first exposed to many years back, something not expected in a soup ie milky and full of foam. I loved the soup itself as it brings the best out of the carrot taste. However, I wasn't sure how the passion fruit is likely to enhance the taste. I thought being sour does not seem to blend well to the milky taste of the soup.
Main course
For Pinky, she chose pot roasted Angus beef cheeks and grilled tenderloin, cauliflower strudel and roasted sesame glaze. Pinky asked for medium to well done although I advised her perhaps medium would be a better bet for steaks so that it won't be too dry. Anyway, when it came out and after trying it, it really exceeded my expectation as it was very tender and well cooked. Hence to me, the Angus beef dish is rather memorable! On the other hand, my miso glazed ocean trout ,snake beans, risoni noodles, quail egg and anise jus fell below expectation. For a start, the size of ocean trout is way too small. Pacifica is not a French restaurant as far I remembered, but the size of the fish mirrors those of French cuisine. Nice to look at but does not necessarily fulfill the basic objective ! ie a satisfied meal that does not warrant supper later on.
Dessert Gula Melaka toffee parfait coconut crisp and pomegranate aphrodisiac probably was the hightlight of the evening and easily the best dish this round. The Gula Melaka toffee parfait was something I feel is very different from the norm. Besides, it was prepared such that was not 'overly sweet' which more often than not would have 'overkilled' the positive effects of dessert.
Well, in summary, the food in general was interesting judging based on the name of the dishes and of course the decoration. Taste was above average overall falling short of being 'memorable'. I must admit I was slightly disappointed by the quality. Perhaps this was due to the hype created surrounding MIGF, which I thought have raised my expectations.
In any case, we definitely enjoyed the meal and had an excellent Saturday family evening.
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