Tripadilly - coz life’s a trip!

If you’re ever in Manchester (England) and you have a craving for some delicious home-made Malaysian snacks, get in touch with Din. Din is the brains behind RASSA currypuffs.

Din, an old pal from my stint at XM Malaysia, now plies his trade in Manchester with Sony Ericsson UK. Currypuff making currently occupies his after-work hours so when you feel that little late evening tummy growl, you know what to do!

RASSA currypuffs retail at £1 for 3 pieces (cooked and ready to eat) or 4 pieces (uncooked). For more information about this Mancunian-Malaysian culinary delight, check out www.alittletasteofmalaysia.com

WARNING: Sickeningly sweet content ahead. Reading of such material may result in nausea, vomiting or severe indigestion. Side effects may vary.

I try to be cute every once in a while. You know, just so she knows I’m still her big softie (I’d do anything to get that lovable doe-eyed look from her)

*Clicks fingers repeatedly, snaps back to reality*

Was clearing up my sms-es when I came across one I sent to janz sometime last year. It went something like this:

Hubby duties aren’t a chore,
Especially for someone I simply adore,
At times I’m beat, you ask for more,
When it takes its toll, in bed I snore,
But for you my dear, I cant ignore.
Can hardly wait for what’s in store,
Our lives together will be anything but a bore!
So here’s to an ode to my darling lou por,
Just a little slow but worth waiting for.

Yeah I know, the lengths we go to please them. I also know for a fact that I’m not the soppy romantic sort young women fall head over heels with. Far from it, really.

Something tells me I’ll have to do much more to keep the youthful exuberance of our relationship going. In some way or another that might include one or all of the following: romantic hot air balloon ride, massage, spa and salsa dancing.

Well, thank goodness for RedRibbon Days, a new concept Sherin and Nik brought into Malaysia recently. RedRibbon Days are gifts in the form of fun experiences, rather than physical things - so instead of that bag from Prada, get Couple Yoga. Forget Burberry and sign up for a quick course in archery! You get my drift, yes?

So guys, here’s your chance to quell her overtly-materialistic tendencies. Women, your chance to prove that diamonds aren’t the only way to your hearts. Also for those who have trouble finding the perfect gift (because shopping simply isn’t in your genes), this is for you!

Their website hasn’t been launched yet (we’re still working on it) but I’ll update everyone once it goes online.

RedRibbon Days blog: http://redribbondays.blogspot.com

Our wedding date is May 17, 2008 (Saturday) at MINES Palace Beach & Spa Resort, Kuala Lumpur.

Invitations coming soon!

Nope, not talking about Batman. Or Shaft. Or Pootie Tang for that matter.

I’m talking about Dexter (the TV series, not to be confused with Dexter’s Laboratory, the cartoon)

The protagonist is Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a blood-spatter analyst working for the Miami Metro Police Department. He’s also a serial killer (yeah, for real!)

The show recently finished airing its second season and a third is being planned this year. Those who have watched it can agree with me that it’s hard to watch a single episode on its own. We normally do 2 episodes in one sitting (the record is 3). Definitely one of the best writing and character development for a TV series I’ve watched so far.

Seriously twisted but deliciously addictive, I tell ya. Janz and I are totally hooked. Go look it up online or at your favourite neighbourhood DVD store!

It all started with the expiry of the advertlets.com domain name on January 3rd, 2008. Josh Lim (CEO of Advertlets) somehow managed to overlook the renewal of his domain name, thus causing the Advertlets website to go offline. As a result of this, thousands of affiliated blogs that depend on Advertlets to earn ad revenue were affected as well. Advertlets’ temporary inability to serve banner ads within the blog network caused uproar in some quarters of the blogger community.

Ironically, Josh Lim had earlier (in 2002) made some remarks about the importance of registering domain names. His run-ins with the Guinness legal team caused quite a stir and the whole episode turned him into somewhat of a local celebrity.

To complicate things further, a director of my company is being falsely implicated in connection with the Advertlets fiasco.

For the record, Integricity and its directors do not have (and have never had) any stakeholder interest in Advertlets or any of Josh Lim’s business ventures.

Bloggers’ response to the Advertlets fiasco:
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/605150

Ok, so it turns out I’ll have to sing AND play the piano at the wedding. My wedding.

I’m thinking it’s gonna be romantic and soulful (maybe even a little funny?) Janz says it’ll be the moment she remembers for the rest of her life. So it’s gotta be truly memorable… just hopefully for all the right reasons.

Oh God, help.

We hope anyone who reads this post reads it before it happens to them!

Now while we all know how important it is to keep our travel documents safe, it’s vital that we are aware of the available contingencies, if for some reason we lose our passports while traveling.

Disclaimer: This guide attempts to cover the basic steps in ensuring a return journey home. We don’t intend for it to serve as a guide for recovering your lost travel documents, nor do we promise it to be an authoritative resource or “best practice” guide for such occurrences. Steps may also vary depending on country. We haven’t personally experienced any such loss (nor do we wish to!) but have realized, by way of a 3rd party account, that the lessons learned might serve as a contingency plan for all travelers.

Step 1: Make a police report
Report your passport lost or stolen at the nearest police station immediately. Needless to say, all statements recorded must be a true account of all actual events. Don’t falsify any part of your testimony, or you may risk facing charges of contempt (or worst, imprisonment). When testifying, try your best to re-trace your steps, right up to the point where you might have exposed your passport to theft or mishandling.

Step 2: Get the immigration office’s report
With the report, get to the nearest local immigration office. The aim of this step is to obtain a formal acknowledgment report. The report might be issued in the local official language.

Step 2b: Get the report translated
If you’re in a country where English isn’t the official language, translation of the report to English might be required by the embassy or consulate (see Step 3) prior to them accepting your application. Please clarify beforehand to avoid unnecessary complications.

Step 3: Get a temporary passport
Get to your country’s representative embassy/consulate to obtain a temporary passport. This temporary document is usually valid for 1-way, single destination only (it’d better be Home!).

Note: At the time of writing, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry website (www.kln.gov.my) is inaccessible. If you have any contact information of Malaysian embassies/consulates/representatives abroad, please leave your e-mail/IM/Facebook in the comments box below. We hope to compile and publish all information on this blog for the convenience of all readers.

Step 4: Apply for a visa
With the temp passport at hand, return to the immigration office to apply for a visa. This will allow you to leave the country. It’s also wise to check with the departure airport authorities to ensure all things are in order. It’s best to have a copy of all documents (police report, immigration office report, included) at the point of departure.

Important:
1. Call to notify as many people as possible of your situation, including your family, friends, neighbours and the boss. Even your business associates, to inform them that you won’t be able make a planned meeting or appointment.
2. It may take days, if not weeks for all processing to be done - and this will most likely put a dampener on your travel/sightseeing plans. Try your best to maximize your time, and if possible, enjoy the remaining time you have on your trip. Remember to always relax and find ways to keep your spirits up.
3. Once safely home, apply for a new passport as soon as possible.

If you have any tips to share or add to the above, please leave a comment.

Happy and safe traveling, everyone!

Quality versus affordability: It’s the age-old trade-off that’s been ever so prevalent from the world’s earliest capitalist societies to the Made in China-type marketplaces of today. Think Porches and Protons. Rolex and Swatches. Diors and Giordanos.

Then, ever so rarely, along comes something that challenges the norm. The anti-establishment, if you may.

Damansara Utama, a prime commercial hub (Uptown as the locals call it) is where PJ’s best kept food secret can be found: The RM1 cendol

For sake of perspective, Madam Kwan cendol costs a whopping RM5.60, Bismillah cendol (Taiping) sells for RM1.30 and a bowl at the Famous Penang Road stall goes for RM1.20. A can of mass-produced Coke costs RM1.50. Now, if you thought RM1 was a steal, try analyzing the food menu:

Cendol (regular) = RM1
Cendol + pulut (glutinous rice) = RM1

According to sources, it’s been sold this way for the last 15 years! Inflation, increased costs of living, currency depreciation… Mr. Cendol doesn’t let them get in the way of his passion for glorious cendol-making. Amazing.

If not entirely for the love of cendol, I could’ve easily thought of a hundred better ways for Mr. Cendol to enjoy his retirement days.

We salute you Mr. Cendol. Much love and respect.

Nothing like spending new year’s eve in Penang…

Fabulous time spent with close friends
Discovered my intake capacity for food far exceeds my expectations
Stayed at 3 different places on 3 different nights
Counted down the new year at QE2, a shiny new club located at the ferry boat pier
Witnessed first-hand, local gangster hospitality (read: flying/broken tables and chairs)
Cruised the highway like I owned it (in a bimmer 325i nonetheless)

Some pics to do the trip some justice.