Sad to say but the JCo donuts beat the ones from Donut Factory hands down.
Everyone knows that the best way of dealing with a mish mash of relatively unrelated issues is to checklist them and address it in point form. If you didn't, shame on you. It's certainly the best way if one is feeling/is lazy and not in the mood to write in coherent prose. As yours truly currently is.
Happy 6th Anniversary.
Saturdays
Donuts
It gets boring having dinner after tutorials at the Chinatown area sometimes, especially when as of late we seem just to head for the nearby and convenient food centre at People's Park Complex. The food there is generally nice, though I find myself patronising the same few stalls and at times craving the superb Yu Sang introed by Ed. and CS back at the temporary market near Outram MRT.
So anyway, after meeting Sean for an impromptu dinner, we decided to try out this Chinese food outlet (the name of which when translated literally is 'China Food Lodge') a couple of shops down from the Sarawak Jia Xiang Kolo mee, directly opposite the Yue Hwa Chinese goods departmental store, along the Hotel 81 chinatown stretch. We'd walked past it before and it was always jam packed with people, the majority of whom were unmistakably PRC nationals so the food must certainly be authentic and decent to boot.
The place was packed like always but thankfully we got a table soon and the food was excellent. Large, huge-ass portions and great food, though ordering initially was a little difficult cause all the waitress gave us was some order list that was entirely in chinese (duh) but without a menu (and hence no pictures). Though I found out later, they had those available but they probably thought that we looked like we knew what we wanted. Thankfully it didn't matter, the food was tasty and really good value for money.
Pork Rib noodles (La Mian) - 5 Bucks. Lots of juicy pork ribs and very piquant soup.
Clockwise from left: Steamed pork with cabbage dumplings, Sean's noodles (forgot the name but it was just as good), Cang You Bing (Scallion pastry), pork rib noodles.
Who can ever forget that repulsive, hilarious monstrosity in a pink jacket that is Vicky Pollard? ('No but yeah but no but yeah') Ironing won't be such a chore, for now at least. ^^Because I'm too lazy to come up with a more descriptive name unlike last time, and it is a convenient way of blogging about small, wholly unrelated events. If it seems too disjointed, too bad, coherency seems to be something I'm lacking in today. The headings should help though.
Insolent Casanovas and why they should be shot.
Sean told me yesterday that G. one of his closer friends called up crying in the morning while he was at work and asked for advice. I don't really know G. very well having only met her twice but other than being a little over the top and slightly divaish, she appears to be nice. Which Sean says she is, mostly that is. Apparently, she'd still been seeing the guy at work and continuing their relationship both in office and out of it in spite of the fact that she has a loving(or so I'm told) boyfriend studying in Australia and had been advised by mutual friends to stop seeing that guy. But like Sean said, pussy itchy la, which aptly sums it up.
She'd been sleeping with him for close to a year now, and having unprotected sex, something she'd denied doing till G called Sean up that morning crying and blurted out everything. Which I guess was not really surprising, I had been marvelling at how they had in her own words, just gone as far as heavy petting with some foreplay but no penetration and just stopped there. It didn't really sound correct but naturally you give people the benefit of the doubt when they talk about their personal activities in bed.
So anyway, this chap was diagnosed with TB and informed by the doctors that it was extremely rare for a young-ish guy (30s) to have Tuberculosis and HIV was listed as a potential cause. Which naturally sent G. into a tizzy and panic attack mode. Most people would certainly be considerably upset. What made matters a lot worse was that casanova (and he certainly doesn't look like one.. bleah) told her point blank to her face that even when he got the results of the HIV testing back he wouldn't tell her the results. Which I think is quite ridiculous.
You possibly get someone infected with HIV yet instead of doing what you can to come clean with the people you've had sex with to allow them to decide on their next course of action, you act like a total bastard. True the person might have been a consensual sexual partner but that doesn't mean they consented to sleeping with a potential HIV partner and even if they are partially to be blame, it doesn't give one the excuse to be a total bastard and not let people whom you may very possibly have infected know about your condition or lack thereof when you get the results back.
So G went for the full battery of tests and after a nerve wracking 24 hours was informed that the test results were negative. She does need to abstain and go again in 3 months time to get a clean bill of health because they only just stopped having sex recently. Naturally, she is not blameless but I will not comment on the infidelity aspect, being in no position to do so having myself been guilty of it before while attached to Sean and he was studying( in australia too). Suffice to say, the temptation is strong, the flesh is weak and one stumbles if one doesn't know very clearly what one wants in the relationship.
She'll have to come up with something when the boyfriend returns the following week, to explain just why they can't get it on like bunnies, at least not for the next 3 months. My take is it's pretty hard to come up with a convincing and plausible excuse(lie) for that so confessing would be the best but it's certainly not easy and it's a decision G. will have to make for herself. At the end of the day though, aside from the infidelity bit, it is wise to choose one's sex partners with care or at least those you have unprotected sex with.
HIV unfortunately remains a very real threat and sometimes I am thankful I escaped unscathed from my own escapades. Unprotected sex with casanovas is literally like Russian Roulette and insolent bastards like the one G slept with should be shot and castrated for good measure.
Anime & Manga Blitz
The past few months saw the avid consumption of a number of great anime series, most of which have sadly come to an end. Series like Claymore, Death Note, Code Geass Season 1 and now Darker than Black (sob sob no more Hei). It's always a mixed bitter-sweet feeling I have at the end of a good series, the glad that it has concluded nicely yet wistful, wishing it would go on kind of mixed emotion. Often, I even rue the fact I'll never see the characters (the animated ones at least) again but I guess closure is good sometimes. Better to end splendidly then to drag on and on.
Thankfully, there's still Bleach and Naruto Shippuuden to look forward too, and the anime is now following the manga and the plot is captivating even if they seem to be slowing down on releases lately. In other news, I'm really glad D Gray Man isn't ending at 52 as originally planned, that would have totally sucked, since at episode 51, the show is nowhere ever near the end or some sort of decent closure. Anime news network shows more upcoming episodes till at least 64 which is scheduled to air on christmas day in Japan so hopefully we'll be in for a lot more action.
Been doing a lot more Yaoi reading lately especially since the allure of CoV is starting to wane, to catch up on the unread hardcopy mangas and the softcopy scanlations. More gems amidst the sometimes fluffy stuff of lightweight plots and glorious smut that is typically yaoi. In particular, a few mangakas like Fujiyama Hyouta, Keiko Konno, Yamada Yugi, Shiuko Kano and Miyamoto Kano depict the relationship and real life issues very accurately in ways that are both moving and heartwarming. And just like the good anime series, I get that same bitter-sweet, happy yet wistful feeling upon finishing a good book/series.
Finishing volume 3 of Miyamoto Kano's moving and thought provoking Rules which depicted the obstacles and intricacies in the relationships between two couples and various old flames/friends was no different. Little sigh.
My abysmal luck with Taxi Drivers and Sister's Bakes
Ok I get crappy taxi drivers on a basis that is annoying in its frequency. Remember the taxi driver from hell? This one must be his compatriot. Grabbing the passing cab after catching Resident Evil: Extinction at AMK Hub with Sean today (which was typically almost identical to your average Zombie-Undead-Only remaining human Survivors left on a barren earth plot. The only redeeming grace was watching a trench coat clad Mila Jovorich hack off heads like a demoness on crack.) proved to be a mistake.
Slow old man who didn't know half the roads (come on ok, he didn't even know when to turn into the CTE, it's a fucking EXPRESSWAY), drove at 40 km/h, kept going "Oh Jesus!" every two mins or so and was bloody rude (Cause he was so blur, I had to tell him turn left at road XX instead of just turn left, closer to my place I told him turn left at XX which was like the only way to turn anyway but I gave the wrong name YY whereupon that stupid sod said, 'what you don't even know the name of the roads of where you live?' Well hello I normally just say turn left or right here and every other taxi driver knows, besides you don't say that to a PAYING CUSTOMER. So I was tempted to snap at him but I resisted cause he may just have Jesused me or something.)
Sean even whispered,"Eh can I change cab?" That's how bad it was. So anyway apparently, when he dropped Sean off at his place after mine he declared that the meter was spoilt and charged Sean an extra self-determined $3.00 surcharge since 'tomorrow is Hari Raya Puasa, Public Holiday'. Talk about stinky service with a snarl.
There are things to look forward to, like the Sister's sinfully good Cream-cheese chocolate muffins topped with chocolate chips, which while fattening, is undeniably dee-lee-cious.
I polished two straight out of the oven and had one after the infuriating cab ride to cheer myself up. Nothing like a good dessert to perk one up. But which also means it's time for my jog to burn off a fraction of the calories and with that I bid you adieu.
Weekends and Saturdays in particular is usually the time people recharge and unwind, away from the hustle and bustle of work, ready to face the next week for better or for worse. I'm no different, even though these days PLC affords one the opportunity to recharge even during the week barring the occasional tutorial and assignment; weekends and Saturdays continue to remain extra slothful not least because the Significant Other is free too and the all-too-short break will end once work proper commences again in December.
People have different ways of unwinding, some like to work up a good sweat with some hard exercise, others like jamming with the crowds in town, yet others just enjoy a quiet time at home, lazing around by oneself or with loved ones. My Saturday sustenance when spending time with Sean usually comprises of a mixture of three fundamental activities: good food, some shopping and great sex. Usually, it tends to be a combo of one or two of the three, often food (I'm a sucker for good food[read good - not necessarily expensive]) and sex (cause hey I love it and so does he) as shopping is really subjective and can cost a bomb.
Some Saturdays like today, we do all three even without prior plans to do so, and the gratification obtained somehow seems just a little greater than usual. It's the satisfying trinity of good food in the tummy, good buys in hand and a great workout in bed. Naturally, we do other stuff too, catching movies, dinner with mutual friends and once in a while drinks, supper or other impromptu events with friends. Food, Shopping and Sex remain the main highlights of our precious Saturdays together.
Sean had some work to attend to in town this morning so after that we decided to hop over to JuJu Hokkaido Hotpot at Paradiz center. My last dining experience there more than half a year ago had been very pleasant. The idea of a personal hotpot appealed greatly to me and more importantly the food was fresh and abundant and the service, excellent. We went for lunch this time round, the menu was practically identical to dinner's and it cost 10 bucks less, a very reasonable $17.80.
The food was still great, it's one of the few places I've eaten at so far where you can actually finish the soup (I recommend the kelp 'konbu' one) at the end cause it's so tasty without barrels of salt and all that nasty MSG you normally find at your other hotpot places. The menu's good and the food is fresh, you get to choose from a main course of either seafood, pork, beef, lamb, chicken or vegetarian and the meal comes with very nice additions; appetizers that includes a hardboiled egg with runny yolk, an iced plum vinegar drink to cleanse the palate and your complimentary range of desserts. Plus the service is still excellent la.
It's the only place I've been to, where they top up your tea (which incidentally is very fragrant) and soup so frequently without you having to ask them to and really serve. Good food, great service = packed place. Pictures speak louder than words, so I'll just post a couple here and let you decide for yourself. There appears to be a new staff member, a friendly chap that speaks English eloquently which made ordering and replying a lot smoother than our previous visit.
Appetizer: Kim Chee, Spicy Seaweed and Hard boiled egg with Runny yolk.
Main course: I chose pork this time (foreground), Sean's was fish which was very fresh and we put the chopped fish bones to good use as stock for the soup.
Dessert: Clean forgot about taking a shot of the Iced plum vinegar drink. Some Mango sago with bits of apple in it which was quite good despite its very ordinary look.
So if you like hotpot and you like fresh food, you should certainly consider JuJu at Paradiz center. Especially if you're like me and can't stand those kind of shared steamboat/hotpot events where bits of food remain unclaimed and get nuked to a slimy gooey mess. Your hotpot, your food, your pace.
Shopping today was an unexpected but pleasant affair, Sean was grumbling about having to follow me to the anime/manga comics shop at Sunshine Plaza where I was awaiting the shipment arrival of the latest volumes of Kizuna, Level C and that Byakuya plushie I'd ordered from the US via the shop. Which basically went along the lines of 'I don't see why we have to do this now, I thought you were fucking broke, bloody hell it's so fucking hot'. The manga and plushie still hadn't arrived yet but we discovered a real gem of a shop that quickly silenced him.
The displays kinda drew us in, the unique and different sorts of gifts displayed on the glass shelves were so creative and different, it reminded us of that shop in KL. On top of that the prices appeared to be cheaper. Apparently, other people were similarly affected because there were a number of people milling about in the shop ranging from your average teenager to the family of four, there were even a few aunties purchasing the various merchandises.
There's no specific category of goods the shop sells, if forced to classify them I would have to label them as gifts. Which is a misnomer in a sense because it really is a curio shop with various knick knacks that are useful and stylish. The mechanical clock really caught my eye, it's impossible to describe, but the movements of the little gears and knobs coupled with the flapping motion made as the minutes went past made it really eye-catching. It cost a hefty $98 bucks though, money I wasn't exactly willing to part with just yet.
I did settle for a doraemon usb fan and a really cute and useful Bee toothbrush holder with suction cups you get to stick on your bathroom mirror. You push the wings to open the holder, put your toothbrush in which hangs out like a sting and close it again. So it really looks like a bee with an extra long sting on your mirror. And for one buck it's really cute.
My buys on his bed. I got the cleaner pad for a cool $1.90 at a stationary shop shortly after.
Sean too wasn't immune to the allure of the stuff in the shop. After a little consideration, he uncharacteristically proceeded to plunk down $50 bucks for a very cool looking alarm clock that looks like a block of polished wood when turned of. However, when turned on, it transforms and navy blue numericals that alternate between the Time and the date/ month appear on its face and gives one the impression that the numbers are projected onto the wooden surface, much like your old Over Head Projectors and white screen. And to add to the hip factor, the brightness of the numericals is automatically reduced from 8.00PM to 6.00AM. Not that it matters to me but I can imagine that'll be useful for the light sleepers.
After leaving the shop though, he realised there was really nowhere in his cramped room to put the clock short of displaying it in his cupboard which I told him really defeats the purpose of having a clock in the first place. So after considering a few options which included keeping it as a future birthday present, he very kindly decided to pass it to me for 'safekeeping' which means I get a new funky clock (that works- the last one i bought at KL went kaput after I turned on the air-con...) on the table top. Which makes keeping time a breeze when I'm surfing/porning/blogging and doing whatever it is I do on the laptop.
Da Box with da numbers. The colour is actually a more pleasant shade of deep navy blue but as CS commented before my photography skills are really substandard. But still it's cool!
Can't quite remember the name of the shop, it's at the same row of shops as Aniplay, probably Price Mart or something. The sales attendant was saying they bring in new stock and stuff every fortnight so the items keep changing. The items are relatively cheap too, the naughty man lamp with his dick for the light switch is being sold at $25; I recall having seen it go for $40 plus elsewhere. One thing's for sure though, buying presents will be a breeze now.
Sleepy from the nice but filling lunch and satisfied with our unexpected buys, we decided to head back to his place on impulse. Which unlike mine, is so fucking convenient because it's right on top of the mrt station. And of course when I go over, our favourite activity: a sojourn in bed is inevitable unless 1. either of us is ill (in which case we won't even go out) or 2. we're short of time for a variety of reasons (in which case a quickie would suffice.) There is something about Sleepy Sex, a self-concocted term for what you get when you're sleepy but too horny to just sleep, it can either be perfunctory (quickly get it over and done with and lets go to bed) or incredibly explosive and therapeutic (because there is an added urgency and heightening of senses plus you sleep even better after that... anyone who has had sex, straight or gay can tell you that.)
Sleepy Sex today was good...if anything I think we know all the right buttons to press by now. Sean's oral skills have become quite mindblowing, it's an enlightening experience. He blows, I get a glimpse of Nirvana. Whoever said that sex with just one partner is boring obviously didn't have a very good partner to begin with. Or one lacking in technical skills.
I still prefer the Post Sleep Sex though, some like it in the morning, some in the middle of the night, others like me just like it all the time. That sensation when one is still half-asleep, the fog of sleep just beginning to lift and you feel familiar deft hands exploring and probing those sensitive spots relentlessly. The transition from sleepy to horny is quick and your senses are heightened as naked arousal rapidly takes over and you give yourself to the throes of passion. And when you fuck then, the orgasmic high culminates in an explosive release that leaves one shag but gratified.
As with all good workouts, sex builds an unhealthy appetite which might explain why inspite of scientists reporting that a half hour fuck is equivalent to doing XXX full laps in an olympic size pool, most people probably dump all the calories back on in the post sex pig out session. Eating has never been a problem for me and thankfully due to genes or otherwise, weight is not an issue. I remain slim/presentable even though the body isn't exactly the toned, lightly muscled hot bod one would long for (gymming doesn't excite me, though I'll probably sign up for one sometime in the near future). One can't have it all I guess.
We had the excellent Beef Tendon noodles at the foodcourt downstairs though that didn't exactly fill me up so I kinda dragged him along for Ya Kun coffee and toast since I hadn't had that for some time. Apparently the set came with those deliciously sinful yet comforting soft boiled eggs, all nice and eggy when you stir in the black sauce and slurp it down. Sean shared that with me, though he refused to touch the toast declaring that he was quite full and frowning at me, as usual.
Sometimes, just sometimes, he does make me feel like a glutton. But that doesn't put me off my food, I just blame it on a hyper-active metabolic rate. Though I have yet to see someone who goes as hungry as fast as Alvin. Don't be mistaken by his size ok, that guy can out eat anyone in our usual group and still be hungry a few hours later. And he's still so svelte. Like we often joke, all that energy just goes to his brain. But don't go teasing Alvin, I'll never hear the end of this otherwise.
So today was incredibly satisfying, good food, good buys, great sex, all with a very loved & special person in my life. Thanks dear.
PS: I took a break from the Odex saga, contrary to the Beng's belief (more on that another time) Odex is not a central feature of my life, I'll return with the more detailed analysis of the decision tomorrow.. hopefully.
The entrance of the eatery. In case you can't really make out the words on the glass door, it's 香味, the name of the eatery which when translated roughly means 'Good Taste'. Ok la, they do live up to their name for their dim sum. Situated somewhere along outram road near Chinatown. It's at the row of shops opposite People's Park Center. Opens from 7am-3am on weekdays, can't remember the weekend opening hours but it's rather long too. And it's Air-Conditioned too!! Yep enjoy that dim sum in cool comfort.
The interior of the eatery. As you can see, rather cheena biang(they even have an altar to some old thai monk) and the kind of place that your average auntie and ah peh would frequent. Which as the Boyfriend said they do and that youngsters seldom know of this place. A state of affairs he was perfectly happy with. Sorry dear but the dim sum was so nice. And I doubt there'll be a sudden deluge of visitors from the readers of this blog anyway.
We ordered nine dishes that included char siew pao, carrot cake, Wu kok (yam with fillings), har gao, fried prawn dumplings, siew mai, chee cheong fan, etc. And everything was nice, which in my books when combined with the 2 BUCKS a plate factor (it's cheap damnit) is an incredible feat. Even the 皮蛋(Century Egg) with shredded pork porridge was superb. Those nine dishes and two glasses of barley left us comfortably full and cost us about $21. Which like I said for good dim sum is really cheap.
They often say that one can tell how good the dim sum is from the char siew pao( stewed pork bun) and that certainly has a lot of truth to it. This char siew pao was perfect... THIN soft skin for the pao, lots of char siew filling with a lof of char siew that you can actually see and not just the sauce. The night would have ended perfectly if the incredibly delicious Dessert Hut had remained open but alas it was not to be. Save up on all those calories.. but still I miss their Black Sesame Paste with Glutinous rice Balls. Sighhh...As usual, I've been gripped by this irrational sense of euphoria after the end of the first paper. This inexplicable feeling that the holidays have started and that will-sapping, rose-tinted view that the next paper won't be all that hard. Irrational because no matter how one looks at it, I'm really still in the midst of an exam that only officially ends on 2nd May 15.30 +8 GMT time. Though everytime I try to remind myself that this holiday mood is really a little premature, that hopelessly slacker side of me brushes it off with a 'Just ONE more paper, let's celebrate!'. So I inevitably oblige on account that a couple of days off the grind really doesn't hurt and that perennial excuse: 'Hey so many more days towards that last paper means more time to space out the last min cram session!'
The end result after 50 mins of cooking, a pleasantly piquant and refreshingly tasty soup, the slight tang of tomatoes balanced nicely with the aroma of the mushrooms with the meat still tender and juicy unlike their often tough counterparts in the long boiled soups where all the flavour has already leeched out into the soup. Considering that this was one of the few times I've actually attempted to cook 清汤, I was rather pleased with the result.
I stirred it up quite a bit while tasting before I remembered to take a photo which would explain the rather sad and flattened state of the tomatoes. Though I personally prefer my tomatoes pulpified and it's the taste that counts ultimately! So that, steamed rice and stir fried cabbage with oyster-sauce provided for a gratifying dinner topped off with the Sister's rapidly diminishing supply of Japanese confectionaries. (She ate the last Tokyo Banana! ><)
Which makes it a relatively good time now to go for my night jog, though I fervently hope those cheap ass town council people leave the lights on in the park this time. Yesterday's running through a Pitch Black park was a cheap thrill that at some points in time involved slowing down to a slow measured jog as I attempted to figure out where the path ended and the steep slope begin that eventually culminated in an exit which positively startled two yakking Filipino maids and their small yappy dogs.
And still this irrational euphoria afflicts me, that mental urge to grin like an idiot hard to suppress. So while I'm in this ridiculous helium high, I'll leave you folks bopping or cursing to the strains of Jessica's I Think I'm in Love with You.
"I think I'm in love..Boy I think I'm in love with you... I've been doing silly things when it comes to you.. In love, Boy I think that I'm in love with you... I've been telling all my friends what I feel for you.."
