Yesterday, Today ... Tomorrow

The solitary owl stared at the starry sky
As the nigthly breeze blew by and by
On my corner sofa, looking out the window
There I sat, thinking about our ‘tomorrow’

The road to happy ever after may not be easy
Sometimes it’s unevenly winding and ever so greasy
But with your soft fingers laced tightly between mine
Together, we’ll make it through, I’m certain it’ll be fine

At times it’s scary to be filled with uncertainties
It’s alright Dear, there’s no need to say sorry
That’s what I’m here for, to erase all insecurities
All I want in return is for you to give me sweet smileys

Time had passed since our troubled ‘yesterdays’
And we've reassured each other that love is here to stay
As you held me so tight, so happy you were you say
There’s nothing I want more than to be with you everyday

U Village Restaurant, Sg. Wang Plaza

The afternoon yesterday was spent in Sg. Wang Plaza. The reason … SY wanted to get herself a new compact camera. I personally believe that this have been long overdue since she travels so often and a camera can most definitely help her document her trips and bring back cherished memories. We browsed through between six to seven photo outlets and finally we narrowed it down to two models. One is the Fujifilm F55 while the other is the Panasonic Lumix FX36. The Fuji in on promotion and it’s yours for RM599 (made in Japan). The 10 Megapixel Lumix retails for RM1130 and is also made in the Land of the Rising Sun. The latter reigns over the former because it has a 25mm wide angle feature and also the Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer). After much much deliberation, SY finally settled for the Lumix and she got the one in kawaii baby pink. It also came along with a 2GB external memory card, an original Lumix leather casing, original Lumix neck strap as well as a silicone screen protector. For more information bout this camera … go ask SY. :p

BTW, this is the first time SY’s pic is featured in this blog so … *APPLAUSE* *APPLAUSE* Hahaha.

We had a late lunch at U Village Restaurant. It’s rather similar to the better known Kim Gary or Wong Kok Char Chan Teng chain of Hong Kong styled restaurants but I really like it here. Their menu is rather extensive and they also offer dishes like BBQ honey pork, roasted duck, roasted chicken etc. More importantly, they have CHILLY OIL!!! A must-have-condiment that’ll compliment any dish on God’s green earth. I’m serious. We ordered the succulent BBQ honey pork rice with salted egg, Singapore fried vercimilli, fried Ping-Pong fishballs and preserved veg and tofu soup (ham choy taufu). Beverages were iced ‘yin yong’ (coffee and milk tea) and iced HK milk tea. Lo and behold people, I’ve raved about how Kim Gary’s ‘yin yong’ is unparalleled with any other (even those I tried in Hong Kong itself) but after yesterday, I am retracting that claim. U Village’s is just as heavenly if not better than KG’s. Their iced milk tea is just as good too … it leaves behind a rather sweet tangy aftertaste on your tongue after each wonderful sip. Now I’m craving for it and damn U Village from being located so far from where I am right now. HMPHHHH!!!

Another thing worth mentioning is their ‘Ping-Pong’ fishballs. One can have it deep fried or served in a soup. Our waiter recommended the fried version, so we went along with it. These bouncy balls fish paste are flavourful enough on its own but it has more to offer. Inside each ball is infused with soupy li’ll chunks of yummy minced pork that’ll literally burst when you sink your teeth into it … filling your entire mouth with a delightful tasty tang. So I’d suggest that you pop these babies whole and not try to bite it in half if you wanna avoid being in an embarrassing situation of messing yourself.

One other thing U Village has to ‘offer’ is it’s variety in clientele’. You get the young and the old but you’re also able to enjoy the company of the many fashion weirdos / victims that can only be found in this funky shopping mall. SY and I had fun exchanging our two cents worth of comments on these poor souls. Haha. So here, not only are you able to give your sense of taste and smell a treat, your eyes enjoy a feast too. Yum yum.

WTF??!!!

Ok, I had a late night yesterday. Couldn't really sleep and the mind was busy running in circles concerning certain issues which are of less relevance now. So don't ask.

Anyway, I dragged my groggy self outta bed this morning at 7:45am and gave Alexander and Ping a wake-up sms. BY 8:40am, I was walking through the entrance of MyKopitiam for the gang's usual Saturday morning breakkie. Juls was already there and I plopped myself on the stool in front of her. Ping and Alexander came soon after and we were stuffing ourselves with fried mee hoon, curry noodles and toasts.

A lot of things we talked about ... mostly insignificant ramblings But then, somehow, the topic of conversation diverted towards me. I was told that I'M SOFT. That I'M GENTLE. That I'M NOT DOMINANT ENOUGH. BUT APPARENTLY ALL THESE ARE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES ... and that I STAY JUST THE WAY I AM AND NOT CHANGE ONE BIT.

How was my reaction??? Well, my facial expression went from utter shock to stoned. But the mind was playing various scenarios ...

No.1) Put head in toilet bowl and flushhhhhh.

No.2) Bend forward and run as fast as possible towards nearest concrete wall.

No.3) Perform the hara-kiri but this is the last option coz kinda shy to expose my 'spare tyre'. :p

Sighhh ...

But then hor, after breakkie, I went and attended Alexander's Body Vive class. Again, I was the only guy on the floor. Don't mean to brag but I reckon I kick that two Indian housewives' butt big time. Ahaks.

So what does this mean???

Where's a genie when you need one ...

As I'm typing out this entry ...

I wish action doesn't speak louder than words ... at least not all the time.

I wish with a simple blink of an eye, I could be with you right now.

I wish I could read your mind and see through your heart.

I wish there aren't so many 'distractions' and that the path towards my rainbow would be a straight one.

I wish you could have just a li'll more trust in me.

I wish I had a li'll more confidence in myself.

I wish I didn't have to wish for all of the above.

You wanna Kim Gary???

I have a craving for Kim Gary's divine 'yin yong' (iced milk tea + coffee). It usually takes 3 glasses to satisfy moi. That's how good I rate it. Oh and their delicious french toast (pictured above). A thick layer of sweet and smooth peanut butter, sandwhiched in between two slices of deep fried break coated with a layer of egg. Drizzled it heavily with honey, add on a dollop of butter and you're presented with a piece of gastranomic masterpiece. I've had french toast in many other places but till date, no one had taken Kim Gary's crown for serving the best in town. *Hey, it even rhymes too!!!* :p

It used to be a ritual for me to supper there after gym class on a Friday night. So any of you wanna join me tomorrow (as in Friday the 4th of April) at say bout 11pm? I'll be at the Sunway Pyramid's branch. I'm serious yo. We'll eat, drink and laugh the night away. Come on ... it'll be fun. :D

Mango Mania @ Bangsar

What is essential after a hot and spicy Thai dinner??? Well, desserts of course. Friends and I were prowling along the streets of Bangsar to hunt for a good dessert place. First stop was Chilly’s at BSC for their sinfully famous Molten Lava Chocolate Cake. Unfortunately, the waiting time for a table would take no less than 20 minutes. Our burning tastebuds tell us that this was simply unacceptable. So off we went zig-zagging through the messy lanes of Jalan Telawi. A couple of choices came to mind. First, there was Ms.Read’s Delicious Café @ BV II but I’ve personally been there rather often. I wanted something ‘else’. And then there was Alexis for their sweet sweet Tiramisu but this did not jive with the fact that something cool was needed to soothe the sizzling sensation on our tongues.

Finally, lo and behold, like a shining beacon of bright yellow radiance, we found just the place … MANGO MANIA!!!

A peek inside revealed an inviting ultra chic interior. Bold navy blue cushy sofas occupy a portion of the place. It exudes the kind of comfort that begs you to plop yourself on it and let out a lengthy satisfied sigh. And the décor tastefully screams an intense blend of audacious colours … from the huge paintings draping the café’s wall to the artificial lonesome ‘mango tree’ sitting at the corner. The rest of the seating area is completed by metal tables and rattan chairs ala Coffee Bean style. What I really like about the place is the soft lighting that emanates a very relaxing radiance all around which is exactly what is needed after a fiery dinner on a Saturday night.

They operate on a self service basis and the staffs there are most obliging to serve. A pleasant surprise greeted me in the form of a coincidental meeting with Sharon and Purdey there. They ar … very funny wan lo … having desserts while contemplating on what to eat for dinner after that. Found out they went for McDs after that … these gym instructors are not portraying a very healthy lifestyle no? :p

Mango Mania serve everything mango (DUH!!!) and more. On the menu are yogurts, smoothies, ice creams, cakes, teas, juices etc. Well, you get the idea. I sampled their yogurt and smoothie. The yogurt was so smooth. (There's an option to add in fruits to complement the yogurt ... for a price of course) I would recommend that you spread a layer of it over your tongue’s surface and then let it slowly melt all over … enveloping and teasing your taste sense with a coating of sublime creamy sweetness. The smoothie is rich but not the kind of richness that will eventually leave you feeling nauseous. It the kind that leads you to think “HMMMmmmMMM … this is good quality stuff”. Take li’ll sips to really savour the real fruity essence of this flavoursome healthy dessert drink.

Oh ... another plus point ... Mango Mania provides free wi-fi. :) In addition, customers are given loyalty cards where each smoothie, yogurt or cake are entitled to one stamp each. Collect 5 stamps respectively and you're entitled to redeem a free item lo. For example, collect 5 cake stamps and the 6th cake is free. Apparently, they have a website too ... www.mango-mania.com but when I tried accessing it, it failed. Perhaps you peeps have better luck than I do.

I’ll definitely be back here to try out the rest of their offerings. Care to join me???

P.S. The photos above were taken by me using a friend’s hp camera. Nice hor. Hahaha.

Clocking back in

Today, one the 1st day of April, I buttoned up my shirt, put on my slacks, slided in my socks and laced up my leather shoes. Today, after more than two months of practically doing nothing (nothing productive at least), I’m officially back in the rat race. To continue climbing the steep and slippery corporate ladder.

A part of me is really glad that I’m getting back into the groove. To settle back into normality. But boy do I miss the times when I can be carefree and simply laze the day away. To have breakfast at 10 a.m. at a nearby kopitiam, to have long lunches and coffee with friends in the afternoons, to watch late night movies till the wee hours of the mornig. Sighhh … I guess you can’t have the best of both worlds huh.