aunty pu,aunty pu,aunty pu, woohoo!
Shannon Lissa Lim D.O.B: 25th September 2004 Time: 2.03pm Weight: 7lbs

Poring, Ranau, July 2004 

Must try...

What? Sushi

Where? Wagamama

Name? TAMAGO SALMON

Comments? Fantastico!

Price? Expensivo but wortho

My Opis Song

On a Monday,
I am working,
On a Tuesday,
It’s no better,
And by Wednesday,
I need sleep.

The phone rings,
A Contractor,
All he’s needing,
Is a clear view
Of the Total Contract Fee…

MONSTER MOVIES

Anyone know of a fantastic movie (old/new) to watch? I really haven’t watched a great one recently. I watched ‘Evelyn’ (Pierce Brosnan) on HBO recently, which was pretty good. Monster, the one with Charlize Theron in it is decent. She really deserves an Oscar. Christina Ricci I don’t particularly like, but she did better than usual. The movie reminded me of Monster’s Ball. Sorry Halle but as much as I love you, I really didn’t see Oscar potential in your performance. These are the type of movies that even after it ends the (deflated-disturbing) feeling it plants in you lingers. Anyways, in ‘Monster’, there was a Ferris wheel called The Monster that Aileen (Theron) was always afraid of riding. She did one day, and threw up all over herself. She is monstrous in this movie, fugly too. A serial-killer-whore, that’s what she was. You can’t help but feel bad for her though knowing what a screwy life she had. Under the same circumstances, I can’t say for sure that I would turn out any better. You can’t help but empathize. The film made me angry and it made me sad. She had so much anger and hatred toward men. The only gentleness and care that she ever experienced was from a woman/girl (Christina Ricci) she met at a bar where she was having her last drink (she was going to end her life that night). Anyways, they had a 9-month affair that ended when Ricci (I forget her name in the movie) found out that Aileen had shot so many of her clients. It started with the violent men that tried to rape her. After that she found it so easy that she killed them all. Finally, the police caught up with her and Ricci betrayed her by testifying against her in court. This movie is based on a true story. It makes you feel like even though there is so much that is beautiful in this world we are always closer to the ugly things. 'I like mankind, it's people I dont like'-Gil Grissom, CSI. It goes something like that la. If I were a beauty queen, I would wish for world peace too. Cliché?

The Passion

Excerpts from ‘The Passion’ by Jeanette Winterson:

"I was happy but happy is an adult word. You don’t have to ask a child about happy. You see it. They are or they are not. Adults talk about being happy because largely they are not. Talking about it is the same as trying to catch the wind. Much easier to let it blow all over you. This is where I disagree with the philosophers. They talk about passionate things but there is no passion in them. Never talk happiness with a philosopher. "

"She had made him possible. In that sense she was his god. Like God, she was neglected."

Words that come to mind after reading this book:

War & Love
Sad
True to Life
Moving
Intriguing
Original
Fantasy
Imaginative
Whores & Brothels
Sex & Obsession
Life & Death
Homosexuality
Loyalty
Napoleon and a 3-minute wiener
Chickens
Sweet Sorrow
The Virgin Mary & Jesus
Dirty Priests
Soldiers
Lust
Simple
Great Writing
Porridge

Only 150+ words with four short chapters that come together perfectly- The Emperor, The Queen of Spades, The Zero Winter & The Rock. A Good read. I recommend it to everyone. Comments from anyone who has read it?

A love song for my B

All legs and a perky behind,
Dark and handsome too,
Gentle, loving, so sweet and kind,
How to not love you?

Six feet tall and burly,
Big and built strong,
Real smart and so funny,
I want to hold you so long.

You are my sunshine,
You always light up my day,
A blessing you’re mine,
Together forever I pray.

I love all the good times,
And appreciate the bad ones too,
The laughs and the smiles,
I wont forget,
The perfect love of me and you.

PMS

PMS is truly a confusing phenomenon. I can be in the best of moods one minute and be on the verge of crying the next. I have been experiencing PMS for a few days now, waiting for the arrival of the dreaded menstruation. I exaggerate; menstruating is really not that bad, for me anyway. Sometimes I feel pre-menstruation is worse. My boobs are sore; I feel bloated, think I look fat, start to have more zits than usual and am generally unhappy with the way I look. On top of that, everyone gets on my nerves; I am constantly in a foul mood and on the verge of crying. I am ultra sensitive, super moody and not very fun to be around. Sometimes I feel like everyone is my enemy and I just want to run away from the world. It is an emotional roller coaster that I don’t want to ride. I am emotional enough as it is. When finally the menstruation does start, it’s actually a relief. I hardly ever get cramps and when I do it is only on day one. Taking a crap is much harder than usual though. Thank God I have wonderful girl friends that know exactly what its like so I don’t have to explain my sudden mood swings and frustrations with the annoying world around me. Unlike a lot of people, I don’t get cravings for any type of food (except for sushi but that is a constant craving so it doesn’t count). The only reassuring thing about PMS is that I know that it is natural, my hormones are in control of me and that it will pass (again and again and again…) We complain so much about our menstrual cycle and yet when it finally comes to a halt, are we happy?

5-STAR konon!

My long awaited weekend (in a 5-star hotel) meant for relaxation and pampering turned into a nightmare. First, we arrived at the hotel at around 12:45 and were made to wait over 4 hours before we could check into our suite. Why? The 2 idiots staying there decided to extend their stay (in an already booked suite) without informing the hotel. The guests were not entirely to blame though because the staff of the supposedly 5 –star hotel did nothing to help us get checked-in. They did however feed us with lies about how it will take them 90 minutes to clean the room because they were under-staffed. My mom raised her voice and was close to tears before they actually decided to do something; they actually tried to contact the two imbeciles. Of course no one could get them. Meanwhile, my family and I were made to sit in the not-so-comfortable lobby without so much as a cold drink or even an apology. After close to 4 hours, the hotel staff offered a temporary room where we could rest before moving into our room. It was a bit too late but better than nothing. One whole day was wasted and my family and I were in the foulest of moods. We finally moved into our suite at around 17:30.

The next day, at around 16:00, the electricity supply in the entire hotel was cut off (must have been the strong winds and heavy rain because the whole of KK was affected). It took the maintenance team close to an hour to kick-start the standby genset and even then, it only lit up lights in certain corridors. All the rooms were in semi-darkness and we could not watch television. There was nothing to do outdoors because it was raining cats and dogs. We decided to have an early dinner (17:00) hoping that all will be well when we get back. Right after dinner, we went back home to check on Crazy Hazy and Tao the Mao the Bau. What crappy luck, someone tried to burglarize our home. My parents instantly decided that they would stay at home that night and that Meriel and I would stay in the hotel. We were so upset. Just when we thought things could not get any worse. My parents said they would hang out with us till around 23:00 and then they would have to leave. When we got back to the hotel, it was brightly lit (the power was back on). But upon entering our room and sliding the key-card into the slot, not a light came on. Fantastic! We called maintenance and after close to 30 minutes someone resembling Dennis Finch came in and then there was light, electricity, air-cond, tv, etc. Yay! I switch on the tv and no ASTRO, bummer! System down, hotel staff said. ASTRO came back at around 21:00.

I am being unfair. We did have fun some of the time. We spent Sunday afternoon in the pool playing on the water slide (my mom ‘tried’ the slide 3 times!) and on those buoy-string-buoy-string things that separate the lanes in the pool. I taught Meriel how to do the underwater rolley-polley. Again! My mom swam a few laps. My father attempted one. Meriel finished one slowly but surely. Good family fun. Also, Meriel and I had a bubblicious bath in the Jacuzzi. She made me Eskimo Woman and then Bubble Woman. I was covered head-to-toe in wonderful, glorious bubbles! Then she insisted that I do the same to her. We showed mummy and she couldn’t stop laughing. Later that night, after my parents had left, we watched Liberty Stands Still and then Evelyn on our ever so soft yet firm King-Size bed.

So, even though we had a few horrible experiences, I had a pretty good time in ‘Bleep’ Hotel. Really, it’s not WHERE you are, but WHO you are with that counts. I won’t be going back to that hotel any time soon Because of the bad experiences (lousy service, bad organization); I have decided that (when/if I get married), I will not consider having my wedding reception at this hotel. It is embarrassing and sad that one of the most popular (expensive and prestigious) hotels in our state cannot keep up with the standards that it claims to have with its 5-STARS.

Mocha

I had coffee + Milo=mocha and 2 lemon sandwich biscuits for breakfast today. Yesterday, I parked my car at my usual spot, on a downward slope (asking for it, ay?) at the grassy end of a row of half-ass parking spaces (excuse the language). Anyway, I had to get to site ASAP and when I reversed, I pressed the accelerator a little too lightly and my car slid forward. I pulled the handbrake. I decided to try reversing again putting more force on the accelerator this time. My second attempt failed and my new car slid further down. I pulled the handbrake up as high as it could go and got out of my precious car. I walked three floors up to my office and got three colleagues to help me pull my baby out of her sad state (by the way, it was 3 o’clock). Luckily, she didn’t need pushing and my colleague got her out by putting the pedal to the metal. Yay!

SUSHI

Many weeks have passed since I last made an entry in my blog. Today I have decided that I would like to talk about my deep love for Japanese food (i.e. Sushi). It all began some 4 years ago, when my sister Otta (who is going to make me an aunty very soon) introduced me to the famous, Genki Sushi. By then, she and my other sister, Punie had already developed an addiction for this scrumptious stuff. The first taste I had was Sashimi, Salmon Sashimi to be exact. The dish was served on an oblong, flowery plastic plate garnished with grated strips of white raddish and a slice of lemon. Otta squeezed the lemon over the 6 fat and fresh orange-pinky morsels of salmon. It looked wonderful. I picked up a piece with my wooden chopsticks, dipped it in Kikkoman kicap-drenched wasabi and dropped it in my mouth. The soft yet firm texture of the raw fish, the tang of the lemon, the slight burn of the wasabi and the wonderful salty t flavor from the Japanese kicap blended together, exploded and then melted in my mouth. The aroma of the lemon juice complimented the raw fish perfectly. I was in heaven. You know how the smell of a certain food makes your mouth water; well sushi is scentless and does not require the assistance of smell to make you long for some.

The little conveyor belts carrying plates of sushi around the Japanese restaurant has always amazed me. There is something very exciting in picking up any desired dish from a tempting variety that changes in front of your very eyes (oink!). Of course the color of each plate plays a big role in my choice of dishes. Purple is usually dangerous. Most the Japanese restaurants in KK have a small train that pulls the sushi along the conveyor track. So cool oh!

One of my favorite sushi is 4 small pieces of rice wrapped with slices of salmon and topped with a squirt of Japanese mayonnaise and sprinkled with bright orange roe placed on a purple plate (applies to Genki Sushi, my chain restaurant of choice). One piece fits in your mouth perfectly. After 4, you will be asking for more. It’s an amazing experience. HANA MAKI! Talk about MELTING IN YOUR MOUTH MAN!

Another favorite is the SPIDER TEMAKI. For those who have been missing out on this wonderful delicacy, this is the common cone sushi that you see in every Japanese restaurant display window. The dried seaweed cone is stuffed with sticky rice, fresh, crunchy and thin sticks of cucumber and tender pieces of soft-shell crab. Some restaurants like to add egg into it also. The temaki would not be complete without the rich mayo and roe sprinkles. Before I take a bite (starting from the top), I add some spiciness by pouring in some wasabi-Kikkoman mixture (2 parts sauce and 1 part wasabi). The fried crab shell is soft (duh), crispy-chewy and the flesh is tender and sweet. Another must have dish is, Chawan Mushi, which is steamed egg with mushrooms, shreds of chicken breast and sometimes crab sticks. It is served hot and is fantastic. Also, I like Tempura Moriawasi a lot especially when dipped in the sauce with white raddish paste (I think that’s what it is. If I am wrong, someone correct me). My favorite pieces are the straw mushrooms and prawns with the crispy and light tempura coating. The sauce softens the crispiness slightly and the mix is pretty damn good.

Well, there you have it, the amazing world of Pu and sushi. I have yet to try all the Japanese restaurants in KK (that have been springing up like mushrooms after the rain) but I dare say I have found my favorite, Wagamama baby! If you are in KL, there is a 100% Japanese restaurant in Bangsar that is superb (you know its got to be good when you are the only non-Japanese person dining there) but I forget the name. It’s on the same block as La Bodega but on the first floor. My favorite and most frequently visited chain is Genki Sushi (ah, first love!). For all you people who have not ‘converted’, I hope my entry today has made your mouth water and given you the dying need to rush to the nearest Japanese restaurant and have it all! Bon Appetit!