absolut ginger

On weekend, I had an interesting (uhm.. maybe it’s rather annoying) encounter. I was at karaoke with my college friends when one of their friends whom I haven’t met decided to join us after that for shopping.

At first the friend wanted to join us in karaoke but, knowing her, my friend told me not to include her in the booking in case she didn’t turn up. My friend was right. This woman is very famous in not keeping her words. So, as we were finishing, she called my friend to ask if she could come to the karaoke session. We already paid our bills so we told her not to come and meet us outside instead.

So, we didn’t go for lunch as we already had our buffet lunch at karaoke. She ended buying a cinnamon bun and ate it while we shopped.

Since I haven’t had my coffee fix all morning, we decided to break for one. It’s better for this friend too since the salesgirls at every shop were staring at her eating a chocolate bun and worried that she might ended up dirtying the clothes on the rack. My good intentions led to her putting a foot in her mouth. Let’s call her Katak No. 2.

We were all talking about our past trips to Cambodia when she decided to be a wet blanket. When I said, I enjoyed my trip to Siem Reap, Katak No. 2 said, she and her friend were teased while they were in Pub Street by a bunch of tuk tuk drivers and it scared the shit out of her. So it’s good to be traveling with boys as they can protect you. (“Ya right! Bullshit!”) I told her, if you were traveling with me, you won’t have this problem coz nobody in his right mind would want to mess with me. Ms Pok was laughing her head off.

Then, we were talking about coming trips and we were excited about the variety of food, Katak No. 2 decided to butt in again. “Cannot eat so much. You will get very fat!” (Yah.. as if the food would make much difference when I am already more than overweight).

Sensing my annoyance, Katak No. 2 decided to erase what she said. “Oh yeah.. but traveling also, you walk a lot, so you can eat more coz you will burn it all away.”

Then, I was looking aloof coz I didn’t want to listen to her crap no more.

Katak No. 2 added, “But I think before the trip, we all should go on diet, so we can eat more during a trip and don’t have to feel guilty or grow fat after the trip.”

I showed my tulan face. To me, those people who worry about getting fat during holiday getaways should just sit home, watch travel channel, drink detoxifying lemon juice and eat grass.

It’s a lucky thing none of us invited her to join us for trips even she hinted rather violently that she would like to come.

I wonder why she wanted to join us for shopping that day. It was then, Ms Sure Win told me that, they met up the night before for dinner with a bunch of their college friends. Seeing most of them are married with children, one of the guys in the group teased her for being single. So suddenly, she was reminded that she’s getting older and desperate. She’s quite pleasant looking really. I guess must be either she’s too choosy or maybe she just couldn’t stop saying the word “fat”.

I think she probably feels sorry for herself for being single. She said she doesn’t like being reminded that she’s getting older and still single. I guess she should join the dating club and not coming to my group of friends to get “support”.

First of all, my group of friends does not feel sorry for ourselves. We are rather happy the way we are. Come what may and we always grab the bull by its horn. That’s how we see life. She obviously came to the wrong group. She must have thought that, all single ladies have self pity, but no. We feel just fine and dandy. Please bring your self pity and negative thoughts to someplace else, maybe to “Spinsters Anonymous”. Yeah! You can be president there if you like. Thank you very much.

I relate this conversation to my friend and he told me something liberating. He said, he too was hurried to find someone and settle down. He has this friend who is 34 and whenever someone pushes a girl to him, it’s like saying, “Hey! You two leftovers, please hook up!”

Men find this rather unchallenging to have a girl being thrown at him like some leftovers. Haha. So, we should be liberated from such thoughts. We should not have this leftover mindset. We all deserved what we think is right for ourselves ( I don’t want to say best coz it sounded rather egoistic!). Just because everyone is hooked up, doesn’t mean that we are pressured to do the same.

Who knows? Love ambushed the unsuspecting, often violently, just like accidents*. It’s never too early or too late to find love.

*Inverted saying (Accidents ambushed the unsuspecting, often violently, just like love) from Andrew Davidson in the Gargoyle. Check out this book! it’s rather interesting!

3 Comments | In: Bitch & Whine, Drama | Permalink
Posted by Gina

I know I’ve been rather slacking in reading these days. Gone are the days where I could finish a book in a week or two consecutively! Anyway, I did try my best to get my momentum back the past couple of months and glad that I managed to finish a few books. These are some books that a friend recommended me to read and I wish to do the same for you guys as well. Well, this is not exactly a review lah, just some short notes on what I think of the books because I am not “academic” enough to write a review!

What Your Teacher Didn’t Tell You by Farish A. Noor

With the current spate of high dramas (not to mention sickening!!) in politics, one couldn’t help but to feel utterly hopeless for the country. Reading this book is an eye opener. It sort of gives you a glimmer of hope. It displays much wayward forward thinking than you could ever imagine! I wish that those idiots who think this country belongs to them solely should at least read this book to at least know some history (the second part of Hikayat Hang Tuah seems real to me despite presence of magic and mysteries!) This book intellectually dissects and analyzes history thoroughly leaving no stone unturned and the consequences when history is wrongly twisted to suit malicious agendas. With great power comes great responsibility? There’s also a gay issue in the book which was wittily written. It’s more than 18PL if it’s being made into a movie!

Farish A. Noor blogs on this site.

Yasmin Ahmad’s Films by Amir Muhammad

As I am writing this, I am in the midst of finishing the book. Amir shared his views and feedback on Yasmin Ahmad’s movies and advertisements. For those who watched Yasmin Ahmad’s films and enjoyed them, this is the book for you. My favorite Yasmin’s movie is Sepet. That was the first movie I watched and I am a fan ever since. I have watched all her movies except for Rabun. After I read about Rabun, I wept at the end of the chapter. The book explains in minute details of scenes in the movies. I don’t know about you but I think I would have missed out some of the special moments if I were to watch the movies with only my eyes and not my heart. This book stirs emotions in your soul. What I like most in this book is probably the short notes on some words accompanying the review. They tickle your bones with irony!

Amir Muhammad blogs here and he wrote hilariously funny short stories in the city of shared stories under the initial AM.

The Law of Attraction by Michael J. Losier

I am not a fan of self help book but this one seems okay. It tells you the importance of positive thinking (Yes.. some people needs constant reminder to remain positive!) and has a guide for you to follow in order to reach your goal. I am generally a happy person, but I guess I need some booster to be even being happier! We only live once! So make sure we live to the fullest!

Did you notice that the author’s surname is only one alphabet away from being read as loser. Haha!

8 Comments | In: Hobby | Permalink
Posted by Gina

With the festive season came and went, I guess all of us must have met up with fellow friends over many lunches and dinners. After all the lou sang and what-not, we Chinese would normally share food, using only one set of spoon and fork or chopsticks. Don’t you think it’s rather disgusting?

Over the years, my family sort of had gotten a little more health conscious. It’s not healthy to be using the same spoon to pick up dishes and put them in your mouth, only to stick the spoon back to the dishes. We made it a point putting a serving spoon in all dishes to avoid spreading of germs via saliva and touch.

The same goes to eating with friends. ESPECIALLY eating with friends. At least with family members, we still know their health status as we live together in the same house.

I have a colleague in office who is a Hepatitis B carrier. Not many people knew about this. The thing is whenever she goes out having lunch with other fellow colleagues, she would stick her spoon into someone else’s meals, even ala carte without permission. Of course people find it offensive. First of all, you are not my very, very good friend and I find it’s rather off putting to share my food with you. Secondly, you didn’t even ask for permission and you stick your spoon in my food. Then, last but not least and most tragic of all, you are Hepatitis B carrier and may infect people with your saliva! Then, the colleagues found out about her having Hepatitis B and because of her irresponsibility, nobody wants to have meals with her anymore.

If you have Hepatitis B, I suggest you always use a separate spoon to take dishes and your own personal spoon to put it into your mouth. And for God’s sake, don’t be so tam chiak (hokkien: Greedy) and start sticking your used spoon in everyone else’s meals! Be responsible and do not spread germs to other people who might not have the immunity. All of us should do a yearly check up and blood test for Hepatitis and also for general health.

8 Comments | In: Society | Permalink
Posted by Gina

Chinese New Year

The CNY came and went. All 15 days! The year of Tiger didn’t see many good things happening. I heard from most friends – someone in their family either passed away or hospitalized. Well, am sure not all things are bad. I guess we just have to pray for good things to follow for the remaining of the year.

Sip Tai Sui

Every year people born under certain horoscope signs would conflict with Tai Sui (the Grand Duke) resulting in bad luck and hardship for the year. So, in order to mitigate, devotees offer prayers to Tai Sui. An aunt’s friend had turned into a medium after she closed her coffee shop business came visiting my house yesterday. She said, when you want to “sip tai sui”, you don’t have to kan jiong coz, when you “sip” first, everybody else “sip” later, your offering would be covered by others , so the Grand Duke cannot see your offering. HAHAHAHA!! This is the funniest shit I heard all CNY! Haha!

So much to say

I’ve so much to say but just couldn’t find time to put things into words. Sometimes, whenever I was engaged in an interesting conversation, I would think it’s a good material to blog, only to forget some details that might be of great importance, hence I didn’t blog it. Must be sign of old age. haha. Maybe I should switch to microblogging like everyone else.

Ghosts

A good friend told us, immediately after her wedding, her family encountered ghosts in her house. Apparently, they didn’t pray to their ancestors to “inform” the ancestors of the wedding so, spirits expressed disappointment by creating unrest at home. She just finished her bath and she felt a hand brushed on her back. It sent super chills down her spine! Her husband and father in law “saw” the ghosts and sister in law had sleep paralysis, which many people would think it’s a ghostly encounter. They hired a medium and thank goodness, everything is back to normal. So people, it’s very important to honor the ancestors even if you now live in a “modern” society!

Back to daily grind

March got no public holiday leh! So sien!

4 Comments | In: Random Notes | Permalink
Posted by Gina

I think this restaurant needs no introduction for Selayang folks. It has always been packed for as long as I remember. In the receipt, it was stated Shun Jie Seafood Restaurant, but the signboard shows Hoi Yuen. So, I was not sure of the real name of this restaurant. This is the same restaurant that I have blogged about good vegetarian meals and prawn mee in the mornings.

I have yet to try ordering dishes. So, this CNY, I took the opportunity to have a meal there.

I didn’t know what to order and what’s good, so I asked the waitress to give us some recommendations. She recommended the following:-

Kong Lam Har (RM82)

Steamed Patin fish (RM44.50)

Gwei Fei Tofu (RM11)

Sambal prawn French beans (RM13)

When she suggested “Kong Lam Har”, I was apprehensive because it’s going to cost a bomb! I asked for the price for 100g. When she said RM8, I was further surprised! Casa Venicia is selling 100g at RM25!! I quickly snapped up the offer and instead of eating half prawn per person, we ended having one whole big prawn to ourselves! I asked for 3 big prawns and it’s 1 kg already! Casa Venicia’s prawns are better but then, I think this is quite alright for my taste (also, the waitresses here are far, far more friendly!). My other two friends felt that the prawn was a bit hard and elastic. Hahaha!!!

As for the fish, I think they have other selection of fish too. But being CNY, we rather stick to a safe (cheap!) choice, which is the patin. It came up to RM44.50 for 850g. Takeshi complained that patin was too fatty. But I like patin fish. Fatty is good what. Ada Omega 3! Haha! We saw a lot of tables serving assam tilapia. Perhaps, that is the shop’s specialty? Perhaps, I shall try that in my next visit.

Their specialty tofu is a winner! It has slices of abalone on top of egg tofu, covered in thick oyster sauce and generous chunky garlic!

The French beans in sambal prawn is also delicious! The prawns are finely chopped and the French beans are not overly cooked to maintain its crunchiness. Sambal is not too hot either so, I guess it’s good for people who cannot take too spicy food.

Overall, it was a damn good meal. For RM156.50 for 3 during CNY where prices of goods soared like crazy, I think it’s a fairly good deal as well. Good deal, great meal!

Hoi Yuen/Shun Jie Seafood Restaurant
No. 1, Jalan SJ 1,
Taman Selayang Jaya
68100 Batu Caves, Selangor

Closed on Thursdays.
*The seafood is only served at night. This restaurant serves equally good noodles for breakfast and lunch.

7 Comments | In: Makan-makan | Permalink
Posted by Gina