Rowie's Scribbles

Malaysia turned 55 today, so I decided it was my duty to sleep in. Despite clocking in at 3am this morning, I couldn't sleep after 10am and went out with the family for brunch in Pudu. I've wanted to take my family to the Fatt Kee store opposite Pudu Plaza for duck and chicken rice. The store opens around 11.30am; don't be mistaken with the other chicken rice store (that opens earlier) in the shoplot, Fatt Kee's store is on the pavement. While waiting for the workers to set up the store, I ordered some yao char kuay fresh from the wok! :) We ordered half roasted chicken and some duck. Apparently the white rice wasn't ready so we opted for the oily rice. There are various sauces available for your consumption: soy sauce, chilli and ginger. We also ordered peanut soup and salted vegetable. Needless to say, everyone came home with a full tummy and I slept the entire afternoon for the 1st time in a long time. Must be the rice!  Okay done with the food talk, on t...

Last Tues I purchased a new violin, my 2nd biggest investment after my car. The maker is Otto Jos Klier from Germany. The model is carried by Carismen Dolce , do check out their outlet in M-Avenue; there's something about seeing violins hanging everywhere that makes me feel like I'm in a church :p I got some tips from the store owner on violin ownership: 1) Power of the case Some people might think that the violin case is merely a vessel to carry the violin around. However the quality of the case can help sustain the life of the violin. Cases made in China may be sufficient for impact protection but the material used can produce fumes in hot weather which will gradually cause deterioration to the violin. A better quality case provides insulation against varying weather condition and provides better protection for the violin. 2) Rosin quality Rosin is created from the resin of trees, typically pine; the resin is boiled and the fluid rosin is drained off. Good rosin is...

I decided to watch The Dinosaur Project thinking that since a stressful discussion that lasted nearly a week finally ended yesterday, I could use with some cinema entertainment. I heard that reviews were not positive but I didn't check the synopsis; I told others that hey, I'd like to watch and have my own opinion on the film.  Boy I learned that it's good to do a bit of homework before watching the show!  Plot The film starts off claiming that the footage we're about to watch is an original, unedited film. Okay, impress me. Sightings of Mokele Mbebe, the African counterpart to Scotland's Loch Ness prompts an expedition by the British Cryptozoological Society to track and find the creature. Leading the expedition is the renown scientist Jonathan Marchant and his trusted aide Charlie Rutherford.  A TV team tags along with a pretty medical personnel and a local guide and gets on a helicopter ride to the dense jungles where the creature was supposedly spotted....

Indulge me as I daydream about what I would like to purchase this coming September! ;) 1) iPad The whole tablet craze has hooked me; my uncle has an iPad2 and it's fun to see how he enjoys himself with the various apps and camera functions! I wouldn't mind having an iPad in the house, what with the WiFi; dad could use it when he's going out! At the moment the new iPad is priced at RM1499; RM300 more for better resolution and camera quality.  2) xBox It was a long debate but the xBox won over the PS3 because it's cheaper and I'm not a heavy gamer. Plus at RM1400, I can use the Kinect to play more interactive games with the family. Since my main interest is Tomb Raider and possibly Prince of Persia, xBox is the more practical solution.  3) Violin Oh it's about time. The recent exam proved that it is safer to use a better violin! I've a violin in mind but I'll need more time to survey and to feel it out. It's gonna be a big investment beca...

Well last Wednesday I sat for my ABRSM Grade 5 exam for violin. I honestly feel I can either fail or pass this one. I was a nervous wreck: 1) Work is peaking now so I have barely enough time to get in sufficient practice. I also confess to slacking - there are just some days where I don't feel like practicing or I had other appointments/activities that I partook which reduced my concentration during practice.  2) I was worried that my violin's limitations (being a beginner violin) would affect my performance so I was driving all over town collecting violins from friends and acquaintances - I ended up reverting to my own violin and compiling 6 violins under my roof! I suppose all of this contributed to stiff fingers that probably ruined my 1st piece, and accidentally switched off the room lights as I exited (thank goodness the examiner laughed it off, hopefully she got the hint that I was super-nervous!) I suppose it's always good to reflect on the past and plan f...

Online shopping is quite the hype: imagine that with a single click, you can purchase anything from household items, to clothing, to food and electronic gadgets. Once I started checking out Groupon, I became familiar with sites like Dealmates, ilovediscounts, Paypal and many more.  I've gotten many deals off these sites: eating, drinking, activities...sometimes they're incredibly fun but sometimes they can be a total rip-off!  How does it work? Online shopping = money + internet You'ma need a PC with the internet connection. Once you've selected the item for purchase (usually online businesses like to use the concept of "add to cart"), you're require to select a method of payment. You can either use: - credit card - immediate debit from your bank account - intermediate parties eg. Paypal Once the transaction is done, you'll check-out: you should receive a notification as well as the purchased item. Sounds simple? But... What can go wr...

The French Film Festival 2012 had many film offerings: me and a colleagues opted for Romantics Anonymous due to time schedule + reviews. I do wish GSC would provide more screenings and promote foreign films more :/ Plot Angèlique is a talented chocolatier, but due to her bashfulness, she assumed the identity of a mysterious hermit who makes incredible chocolate sold through another person; however when her employer passed away, she is unable to carry on her business and approaches  Jean-Renè for the position of a saleswoman at his struggling chocolate factory. Both individuals are incredibly shy; Jean-Renè listens to self-help tapes, seems grumpy and consults a therapist regularly; Angèlique often sings the song I Have Confidence to overcome her anxiety and she joins a support group for Emotifs . We then see how these two complex individuals fumble their way through to each other in a sweet love story set in the fascinating world of chocolate.  Cast One thing I like...