Captain America: The Winter Soldier

We have all watched the first movie, Captain America: The First Avenger focusing on Steve Rogers became America's favourite superhero. The show was okay, just not the strongest among other characters (Iron Man & Thor) in the Marvel franchise.

And then came sequel, The Winter Soldier. The plot no longer dwells much on Steve's past, rather showing his journey to adapting to the modern world which all seemed too strange for him. The film began Cap on a rescue mission & oh boy, the actions were mind-blowing.

The pace is just right with the right amount of action & humour. No doubt there were several loopholes in the plot but generally intelligent & witty. What's more, who would want to miss out Chris Evans' gorgeous hair transformation from 1940s to modern day hottie. Me likey!

In typical Marvel fashion, the movie left trails of interlinked plots leading to the upcoming Marvel movie or sequel. This tactic always keeps us anticipated & hungry for more, though the wait can be quite a torture considering the follow-up movie only releases in 2 years time. But we all have to be patient in order to get the good stuff, right? XD I'm not spilling any details because you just have to watch it...

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Remembering MH370

Upon getting news that our PM has called for a press conference at 10pm tonight, my heart skipped a beat. Such immediate action surely points to a breakthrough or discovery of the incident. Although I was partially prepared that no one would be able to survive those harsh sea conditions, I was still anxious to hear what our PM had to say.

Quoted from The Star, he announced that MH370 is believed to have gone down in the southern Indian Ocean at a remote location west of Perth. The conclusion was based on the satellite data analysis conducted by satellite company Immarsat & UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). "This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites", said Najib in the press conference earlier today.

I felt a jolt of pain in my heart, trying to comprehend what went wrong on the plane that it diverted off-course & ended up in the Indian Ocean. A quick search on Google shows that the area where the last ping from MH370 was picked up by Immarsat is a path not traveled by commercial airlines nor vessels. This is because the location is too far from landing sites in case of emergency & the sea condition is rough even for huge cargo ships especially during bad weather.

No matter how heartbreaking I felt for the relatives of passengers on board, no one can ever understand their loss. All I can do is join the rest of the nation to pray that the exact crash site can be identified soon in order for the search team to locate the black box. Time is running out as the battery only lasts for 30 days but the search operation has already reached 17 days. The world around hopes to unravel the mystery of MH370 disappearance soon. As for the relatives of MH370 victims, stay strong & keep going. We are all with you spiritually during this difficult time.

Turning 28

Ten years ago, I was just another school leaver, full of youth & vigour, all prepared to enter the next phase of my life - college life. Fast forward to this year, I turned 28 today. Wow. Time flies & I didn't even realised it. In those days, I used to yearn for a birthday blast celebrated among my closest buddies. As time goes by, I didn't expect those happening parties anymore. In fact, I'd prefer to keep my birthday low key & only shared with my loved one. WL religiously celebrated with me for the past 5 years. And I'd have to thank him for that because this year is no different than before.

I opted to have a simple dinner after work since we already went for a short trip last week. We headed to Suki-Ya at Paradigm Mall to try out a Japanese style steamboat.

It's not any different from a typical Chinese style steamboat we're all accustomed to. There are a choice of 4 broths - shabu shabu, sukiyaki, miso & kimuchi. We chose shabu shabu & miso as our soup bases. The rest of the ingredients are served buffet style ranging from vegetables to seafood. WL said the buffet offering was different from the last time he visited. Perhaps the restaurant changes the buffet spread on an occasional basis. Meat for dipping comes in 3 variety - beef, chicken & lamb.

The Japanese are passionate about how to enjoy sukiyaki that they even have table sheets to educate the customers. The step-by-step guide are clearly illustrated with diagrams for easy understanding & I found the tips pretty useful tips on how to ensure the meat is well done without overcooking it. Interestingly, the eating guide can be found on Suki-Ya's website.

Overall, the dinner was a nice change from the usual steamboat I had in Sunway Mentari or Klang. Suki-Ya seems to offer a healthier option maybe because the broth is less oily & fatty. It's a little pricey but I supposed it wouldn't hurt indulging once in a blue moon especially for special occasion. XD

And because today is my birthday, I couldn't hold back the urge to splurge a little bit than usual to pamper myself. I bought 2 CDs at an insanely cheap price (RM9.90 per piece), mascara & a liquid eyeliner from Sephora.

I even got a little birthday surprise from Sephora! I wouldn't have stumble upon the birthday gift redemption email if I didn't have to check for my card number. I must thank myself for being forgetful sometimes. =P

Until now, I still find it hard to believe that I'm already in my late 20s. There's so much more that I want to do, yet so little time. Well, the only advice I can give to myself is to stay focus & make the most out of everything I have now. After all, I'll be pursuing a course soon & in the midst of preparing for my new path. I'm looking forward to it... =)

Address:

Suki-Ya Paradigm Mall

Lot UG-13, Upper Ground Floor

No.1, Jalan SS7/26A, Kelana Jaya

47301 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Contact:

03-7887 3042

One week & counting

It's been a week & yet there's still no sign of the missing MH370. Speculations are rife on what possibly happened to the aircraft, moreover the debris is nowhere to be found. Some theories are plausible but some were obviously nonsensical. It's also disappointing to know that some Malaysian netizens would rather trust unjustified news, believing it as the real thing.

Here are some of the news which I find ridiculous.

1. The plane allegedly landed at Nanjing airport after the aircraft disappeared from the radar. This is absurd because Nanjing airport would have confirmed their arrival.


2. Three bomohs turned up at the airport performing a ritual, supposedly to help locate the aircraft. One was holding two coconuts while the other was paddling using a walking stick. The third guy held a basket. Instead of helping in the search & rescue, the trio generated much media attention for no good reason.


3. Families of passengers  from China was flown to India instead of Kuala Lumpur. Omg, this has got to be the stupidest rumour I've ever read. Are you trying to tell me the passengers boarded a flight to India by mistake? Hell, no way.


4. An Australian lady suddenly came to the public accusing the co-pilot of MH370 for being irresponsible by allowing her to enter & snap photographs in the cockpit despite strict rules on forbidding pilots to invite non-authorised personnel into the cockpit. If such rules have been enforced, the incident should be taken in a separate investigation. Right now, the main objective is to search for the aircraft & this lady is not helping to make the situation better.

It gets disheartening reading the papers on the unfruitful outcome each day. The chances of survival for the passengers all seem like a distant hope. Whatever it is, all we can do is have faith that we'll recover the aircraft. Let's not give up until MH370 is found. #PrayForMH370

Flight MH370

As I woke up frantically & prepared to go for a check-up at the skin specialist clinic this morning, I caught a glimpse of the news that Malaysia Airlines' MH370 bound to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur lost contact with the air traffic control at 1.30am on Saturday. The flight operated on B777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am & was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

I read with much despair that there are 239 people on board which comprises 227 passengers (including 2 infants) & 12 crew members. There are 15 nationalities on board with the majority originating from China. It was reported that the plane disappeared from the radar at 1.30am & failed to arrive at the destination. Friends & families were shocked to receive the news & were anxiously waiting for news update from the airline.

Search & rescue team have been deployed at sunrise, scouring through the South China Sea near the Vietnamese airspace where the aircraft was believed to have vanished. Speculation arise that MH370 may have crashed into the sea. Until now, there is no sign of debris at the purported crash site though the Vietnamese officials have found oil slicks nearby which could possibly be jet fuel from an airliner. This piece of info is unconfirmed until the sample is sent for lab test.

I personally found the whole incident perplexing mainly because it is hard to believe that such a technologically advanced aircraft could mysteriously disappear without any trace. I'm sure there are other communication device that beams the aircraft's location should the radio signal device suffer technical failure. If the plane crashed to the ocean floor, debris could be seen floating on the surface by now. Yet, there is sightings of broken aircraft pieces.

I feel for the affected parties whom their loved ones are passengers of MH370. I don't think I can ever understand how much pain they're going through right now. All I can do is pray silently for the crew members & passengers to return safely. There's still hope... #PrayForMH370

The Journey

Any Malaysian would know the movie, The Journey at the mention of its name. It gained momentum as soon it was released & many friends of mine gave rave reviews about the film. I certainly didn't want to miss out supporting a good local movie & decided to watch with WL after work. The turnout at the cinema hall was tremendous. A rare sight to see young & old alike gathered at the same place.

The plot is simple & predictable, something that all Malaysian Chinese can relate. Nevertheless, one can't deny how charming & heartwarming the movie turned out to be. It began with Bee (Joanne Yew) returning hometown with her Caucasian boyfriend, Benji (Ben Andrew Pfeiffer) to visit her estranged father during Chinese New Year. Their wedding announcement infuriates her father (Lee Sai Peng) who is unsurprisingly against the idea. Finally, the father gave in on one condition - the future son-in-law accompanies him to deliver wedding invitations to his ex-classmates on a motorcycle.

Many middle aged audiences were reportedly exiting the theatre halls with teary eyes after the movie. Such achievement with simple storytelling definitely deserves an applause. My take on the movie was more of a stark reminder about my relationship with my family especially with Grandma. I describe it as a love-hate relationship whereby I detest her conventional beliefs & stubbornness to change with the times. Again, no matter how much I disagreed with my elderly lady, I still try to accommodate her out of love & filial piety. In this case, I share Bee's sentiments. She wishes for her father to give his blessing for the wedding & unconditionally submit to his demands.

While certain plot points are absurd, the cinematography is excellent. Those beautiful scenery resemble a travel documentary ala Samantha Brown's & I was able to appreciate my country in a different perspective. I would never have thought our homeland could look so gorgeous in the eyes of the camera. It is certainly an eye-opener! After this, I'm looking forward to the next homegrown production with solid storyline which is able to emulate the success of The Journey.

Pic courtesy of Golden Screen Cinemas

Tabletalk Restaurant, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

My last experience at Tabletalk Restaurant was mediocre because the dishes I ordered were less favourable. I remembered WL complaining the food tasted awful perhaps due to less fresh ingredients. Upon hearing him commending about their tom yam soup, I was surprised & agreed to go back to the restaurant for another round.

This time, I ordered a breakfast platter while my beau opted for his favourite tom yam soup. I was in for quite a shock with the portion of the soup. It was huge & had a lot of seafood in it. I digged in my spoon into the soup & put one spoonful in my mouth. The sour-ish taste is pretty authentic although thankfully not as spicy as I thought it would. See the seafood galore peeking out of the soup surface!

And then, my breakfast platter was served. Fabulous, isn't it?

I was pleasantly surprised that the dish turned out be pretty delicious. All for the price of less than RM20. Just look at the yolks oozing out of the poached eggs. Bliss! The eggs were complemented with chicken ham & spinach which the restaurant claim to be a healthier pairing. Although spinach was the least I expect in the dish, the veggie adds an interesting flair to the palate nevertheless.

Now I wouldn't think twice about getting my lazy weekend brunch at Tabletalk again. Glad that I gave another chance to the team, else I could've missed such good food. It's certain I will dine in again when I'm around the neighbourhood. =)

Address:

Tabletalk Restaurant

No. 4, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:

03-7733 7718

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 10:30am - 3:30pm, 5:30pm - 10:30pm

Saturday & Sunday 8:00am - 11:00pm