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And the best way to celebrate it is to post...
( Porn... )
Yes, I'm shameless... when it comes to the above kind of pics XD
Current Mood:  amused |
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Here are the rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you 5 questions of a very personal nature.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them 5 questions.
Questions provided by ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) cbeveridge:
1) You've been on the site for ages now and seen a lot of changes. What's been the best change in the US anime industry that you've seen and why?
The best change I've seen in the US anime industry is the direct involvement of the Japanese companies in producing and releasing their product in the US - whether it be the much praised approach by Kadokawa or the much maligned approach by Bandai Visual or the more adventurous internet approach by Gonzo.
Kadokawa did their homework and excited the US fanbase of its works by making a splash with a current and well-loved property that has been a sensation on the net - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. They marketing to them in a way that titillated and heightened their already fervent interest. Each subsequent show to be released by them went through a bit of meticulous planning in how they approached marketing their product. And kudos to them again, they split the co-production and handling of titles amongst a couple of companies instead of putting all their eggs in one basket. Most of the Kadokawa titles brought over so far showed that they really did their research in what the fans wanted. Recently, I do think they are making a very calculated gamble in bringing over Ookiku Furikabutte, a seinen sports anime show that also gives fodder to the BL/yaoi fans to speculate to their hearts desire. (It's also a show which totally bowled me over due to its attention to detail and characters that feel real, i.e. like you know them. Chris, with the amount of overlap in the anime shows that we both like, I do think it would fall in that overlap.) The key to their calculated gamble is that it is based very closely on a multiple award winning manga, garnered good ratings for a late night show, and sold a very good number of DVD volumes - averaging 19,000 units per volume, more than a large number of shows.
Bandai Visual's approach while much maligned by a number of fans would have been more palatable if they stuck to a Criterion-like approach with a slightly lower price point than what they released them for. Pricing it at usually equal to or more than USD30 above the standard list price of a somewhat similar product is asking for trouble in a market when everyone was feeling the pain of paying more even at standard list price. A premium of USD10 or thereabouts would have had more people buying. In the end, the pricing of their product was too much a reflection of their fear of reverse importation. They were willing to shoot themselves in the left foot so that they could keep their right foot in pristine health.
Gonzo - all credit to them for taking the adventurous approach in releasing their recent shows on the net. While a certain choice of net distributor is not to my liking, Gonzo has been smart enough to ensure there is variety in streaming and download choices. Among the 2 shows released on the net, I've been following Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk via YouTube until Episode 10. That was when Gonzo experimented with their release over at YouTube - Episode 10 had a large annoying white advertising bar throughout the episode which annoyed the heck out of nearly everyone, and Episode 11 was initially released with only 5 minutes of it. I posted my unhappiness and walked away. A lot of people posted their unhappiness. By the looks of it, Gonzo seemed to have rectified after seeing all those comments. Putting aside the furore arising there, Gonzo, with their decent net release of Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk, has made a significant impact in the English fansubbing community. For one, the interest in the show via English fansubs was reduced significantly with most going to the official distribution/streaming sites to watch rather than download the fansubs. There will be diehards but it is a significant success in my opinion.
2) And conversely, the worst?
It's the licensing frenzy between 2004-2006 and the fallout therefrom. I had some misgivings with the licensing frenzy when it happened but was just pleased like most that some very unlikely shows were being licensed for release. There was too much product being released going after a market that was feeling the strain of too many shows to choose and pick from. In addition, a pricing war emerged to move inventory. While this move was good for the consumers, it also started setting expectations that the industry would find hard to meet. The companies with the most cash-cow titles and those which have a clear understanding of the dollars-and-sense (yes, it's deliberate) are the ones who survived. Unfortunately, one of my favourite anime releasing companies in the US was one of the fallen - Geneon Entertainment US, you are sorely missed.
3) What show that hasn't been released in the US translated do you wish would be so that I could finally see it?
So many... I can't choose just one. I could easily make a list more than 50 titles long and provide quickie summaries but that would be taking things a bit too far. As a compromise, I'll list 10 unlicensed shows (some obvious, some not so obvious but a variety. No point in putting in Legend of the Galactic Heroes =D )
- Touch - I've already written a review for you at AoD =) (Obvious entry)
- Kekkaishi - A shounen-type action show on the supernatural but one which has a strong consistency in storytelling and direction.
- Monster - Suspense psychological thriller by Urasawa. After making an altruistic decision to save a boy instead of a politician, Dr. Tenma later finds out that the boy he saved later turns out to be ruthless and brilliant serial killer as he grows up - the "Monster". (Obvious entry)
- Nasu: Summer in Andalusia - Bike racing. A stage that brings Pepe home as his hometown is one of stages of the race. All in time for his brother's marriage to the girl he loves. Nothing sappy there =)
- Yomigaeru Sora ~Resuce Wings - Trials and tribulations of a new military rescue helicopter pilot. Like a slice of life show.
- Nodame Cantabile - Romantic comedy in a music academy. Noda Megume (i.e. Nodame) has to be experienced. Gyabo!
- Touhai Densetsu Akagi - Mahjong. You want to see someone who has gargantuan balls made of adamantium? Akagi is the one. He lives for the thrill of being at the edge and then some. He's an expert at playing mahjong and the stakes gets progressively higher with each match he plays. The main match and one that takes up nearly half of the show is played with blood as stakes. If you take the trouble to understand a bit about mahjong, the version that the Japanese play (and there are many - Taiwanese, Hong Kong, etc), the psychological brinksmanship aspect of the game is like a drug to watch.
- Moyashimon - It's about a university freshman who can see microbes with his bare eyes. Follow him as he enrolls in an agricultural university and learn some microbiology while watching anime. The microbes are too damn cute! The plushies of the microbes sold out very fast in Japan =)
- Bokura no - It's a gawk away trainwreck but there's more to it. The people who enjoy the manga hate the anime adaptation due to it being watered down and certain matters changed. The director of the anime is aghast at the manga story and wanted to do something which made the manga fans even more angry even though he got approval from the mangaka to do so but with certain conditions. The manga is still ongoing. The anime wrapped it up. So, there will be a mismatch but watch it as is.
- Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora - A gimmie in golf parlance. This is available from BOST TV (link). Nice little short series of 6 episodes.
I won't bash your head with some other obvious shows like one of my all-time favourites, e.g. like an old anime about a scoundrel who takes up boxing XD
4) What show have you liked that I've trashed and why was I wrong?
I can't really recall any that I liked that you trashed. For some, 1-2 grades lower. Would grading it 2 1/2 grades lower be considered "trashed"? A B+ rating instead of an A/A+ for me? The show: Five Centimeters Per Second. I like the movie a lot. It's one of my favourite movies. I understand Makoto Shinkai directs his movies not on an intellectual basis but on an emotional basis. If one tries to analyse them on an intellectual basis, oftentimes one will end up missing the message he is trying to convey. I understood that from his very first release, Voices of a Distant Star, and with Five Centimeters Per Second, he has honed his emotional message to near perfection - not one of melodrama but one that is honest and realistic. People who connect with Five Centimeters Per Second are either those who have been or understand the situation he is showing, or those who are finding their feelings being shown. The ending is disliked by most but there's also a large contingent that loves it. Once you get it on an emotional level, it's a brilliant mix of scenes, music, and emotions - all laid down by what has gone before. Let me relate something similar. Someone wrote a review of Billie Holiday's album, "Lady in Satin", in Amazon about how when he got it, he was blown away. That album is not an easy one to listen to. It was her penultimate album and her voice was gone. It scarred, battered, and ravaged by hard drink, drugs, and a hard life. When you listen on an intellectual level, you would hate it because that voice of hers was scratchy and hard to listen. However, when you listen to the album on an emotional level, you will hear the voice of experience singing that communicates much more than words - she sings her life, the wisdom she gained, the experience she has had - everything clicks. You will hear what true singing is about. When I first heard that album, I got it and was rocked to the core. I was humbled and in total awe of her. Watching Five Centimeters Per Second was somewhat similar but not to the extent I had with the album. Makoto Shinkai hit very close to home for me with Five Centimeters Per Second.
5) Best part of living where you are?
Food. Glorious local food. And it's all relatively cheap. If you look at my last few blog entries here on local food (and those over at the AoD blogs), you'll get a hint of the variety and vibrancy of the food. Coming over to Malaysia would be a seriously bad idea for your health, and if you have me as a guide, especially so XD
Edit: Typos and linkagesCurrent Mood:  tired |
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I'm a sucker for Bah-Kut-Teh (肉骨茶) which is translated as "Pork Ribs Soup" (or literally, "Pork Bone Tea"). If any dish is going to be my undoing, it's this dish. This is a Chinese soup made mainly with pork ribs, Chinese medicinal herbs, spices and garlic. The mix of Chinese medicinal herbs and spices used to make this soup varies from vendor to vendor, family to family. Who has the magic mix? No one and everyone. It all depends on how one likes it.
Found mainly in Malaysia and Singapore as it is said to have originated in Klang, Malaysia - the main port town of Malaysia. The popular story behind this dish is that it was prepared and sold to the port manual labourers (coolies), who were mainly Chinese, in the early 1900s. The soup is essentially a one dish meal that is a concoction of meat (protein), medicinal herbs (to provide medical nutrition to ward off sickness), garlic and spices (for taste), accompanied with rice (carbohydrates) to provide a fairly complete meal to the port manual labourers. This dish has now spread out from Malaysia to reach other countries.
As mentioned earlier, there are many different variations. The variations are in terms of flavour intensity, clarity of the soup, how herbal it is, and how it is served. In a number of cases, flavour intensity and clarity of the soup go hand in hand but there are exceptions. Some will have a stronger herbal flavour and flavour intensity and yet the soup is fairly clear. The variation in how it is served is between the old-fashioned method which is individual serving bowls (mostly small bowls) or the more current method which is served in a claypot and can include a lot of additions like mushrooms, tau foo pok (a type of deep fried bean curd but with an airy internal structure), foo chuk ("bean curd skin/sheets/sticks"), etc. What is common amongst nearly every bak-kut-teh stall/shop is that you can specify the different cuts of pork and innards - the more common innards available are stomach, intestines, kidney and liver. The better cuts of pork, like the three-layered belly pork, or pork ribs. like sang kuat (i.e. large main rib) which has not been chopped into small pieces, cost a bit more.
In Ipoh, the usual bak-kut-teh shop I go to is along Jalan Chung Thye Phin, It's one of the more well-known bak-kut-teh shops in Ipoh. Their version of bak-kut-teh is served in a claypot with mushrooms as standard, and you can request for fresh tau foo pok to be added. On Thursdays and Fridays, they offer yam rice in addition to plain white rice. Here's a recent picture of the bak-kut-teh that they serve:
I ordered 2 claypots of 2 portions each. One is mainly pork ribs and pork loin. The other pot has a mixed selection comprising pork ribs, pork loin, pig stomach, and pig intestines. Both have fresh tau foo pok added (the pale yellow squares on top). There's a side plate of mixed vegetables with garlic oil. At the lower left corner, that's a plate of sliced you tiao / yau char kwai (deep fried Chinese crullers) to dip into the soup and soak it up.
My love of bak-kut-teh often compels me to try the bak-kut-teh at nearly any stall/shop that offers it. Connoisseur? No, more like a hopeless addict. But one that still demands the bak-kut-teh must be good if the vendors want me to return.
Tip: A quick assessment can be made of whether a stall/shop's bak-kut-teh would be any good. Just take a whiff as you walk about. If you can't smell anything or there's only a weak aroma of bak-kut-teh, it's a sign that the bak-kut-teh is not good or just too skint with the Chinese herbs.
Current Mood:  hungry |
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Here are some photos from last week's dinner to whet some appetites. Last week's dinner was again at one of the tai chows in the neighbourhood. Had a rice-based dinner instead of noodles and ordered three dishes to go with the rice - the ubiquitous sweet and sour pork, a simple stir-fried baby kai-lan, and steamed red snapper Teochew-style .
( Pictures and description of dishes )
The dishes ordered had sweetness, sourness, saltiness and a hint of bitterness to balance everything out. Total price of the dinner including 4 portions of rice and 4 glasses of Chinese tea came up to nearly RM50 (approx. USD16.00) - that's the price of a simple satisfying dinner for 3 adults. Just by keeping it simple, one can have a filling meal of delicious food. One of the reasons why I'm very happy to be in Malaysia.
Current Mood:  full |
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Occasionally my feelings of nostalgia get triggered by something related. This time it came about as I rewatched "The Last Unicorn" on DVD. I was reminded of another Rankin/Bass production of similar vintage - "The Flight of Dragons".
Between the 2 of them, I enjoyed "The Flight of Dragons" a bit more. The edge came from how this animated movie did not talk down to kids nor did it insult their intelligence. The clear explanation of how and why dragons breathe fire and flew although they were giant beasts made sense and was nicely incorporated into the storyline. In addition, I was well-immersed in Dungeon & Dragons (imported in at great cost) at that time.
This animated movie has 2 well-known actors providing their voices. John Ritter voicing the lead character, Peter Dickinson, and James Earl Jones providing his 'evil' voice to Ommadon, the Red Wizard i.e. 'the villain'. Yet, he is not so much a villain as one who rages against the decline and hopes to turn it in his favour. The plot of the movie is not so much the good-versus-evil type of show that it seems to present on the surface but one about the past and superstition and the advent of science and the future.
The animation is considered quite decent for a TV movie. The designs are not pretty looking but do give the show a more adult look. The background art is reminiscent of the same in "The Last Unicorn". I understand that it even used Japanese animators to do the animation (and that is even what is noted in the Wikipedia entry of this movie although a pinch of salt is required when it comes to Wikipedia).
Here's the opening credits of the movie with the eponymous title song performed by Don McLean uploaded at YouTube.com:
Just can't get enough of the title song when I first saw it on VHS tape in the early 80s.
There have been a few VHS releases and even a LaserDisc release, it seems, but to-date, there is still no official release of this movie on DVD. The last VHS release is in 1999, according to Amazon. Prices of used VHS copies are very high. The whole movie has been uploaded on YouTube.com - 11 parts in all. Video quality is, of course, terrible due to (1) from VHS tape and (2) YouTube streaming "quality". There are also the other *ahem* options.
How I wish this would get an official DVD release or even a Blu-Ray release. It may not have been as popular as "The Last Unicorn" but in my books, it is a more essential purchase.
Current Mood:  nostalgic Current Music: "Flight of Dragons" - Don McLean |
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There's a pork mee shop near where I live that has been packing in the breakfast/lunch crowd. I have often passed by the shop and had not given it a try. Last Saturday morning was an opportune time as I had to meet up with the kitchen designer/contractor for my new house to finalise the work order and whose shop was near my "quarry". My mother came along to approve the design as the kitchen was specified by her for her use. I'm effectively the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) ^_^;; She is also a willing partner in the search for new places to eat unlike my father who only wants to go to familiar places.
That late Saturday morning, the place was expectedly full. Fortunately, there was a large table that the both of us could share with a party of three who were tucking into their food. In Malaysia, you can "thap thoy" (share tables) at larger tables in casual eateries like these when all tables have been taken up but there's available space to squeeze in seating.
Pork Mee or "Chee Yuk Fun" (in Cantonese) is a dish attributable to the Hokkiens/Fujians. It's usually a serving of noodles (choice of meen [yellow noodles], kway teow [flat rice noodles], bee-hoon/mi-fun [rice vermicelli], loh see fun ["mouse" noodles]) in a pork-based soup with minced pork, pork slices, choy sum (Chinese mustard greens), dried tung choy (Chinese water spinach), and deep fried pork lard (my taste buds swoon and my heart flutters in more ways than one =P). Usual optional extras are pig innards (i.e. liver, kidney, and intestines) and egg. Pork liver slices and bamboo pith are included as standard by this shop.
I'm no fan of liver. So, I told them to hold the liver in my order of two bowls of pork mee with a mix of kway teow and bee-hoon noodles - one large and one standard. In addition, I ordered 3 deep fried sway kow - a larger and meatier form of wan-ton dumpling with a filling of minced pork and prawn with fine julienne slices of carrot and muk yee (black wood ear fungus) for the bite. The deep fried sway kow arrived on the double:
This was lip-smackingly good. The wan-ton skin was fried to a crunchy crisp and only had a small bit of residual oil. The filling was meaty but not too dense as the small amount of minced prawn along with fine julienne slices of vegetable keeping it loose. We're off to a very good start.
The bowls of pork mee arrived. Here's the picture of the large bowl that I ordered for myself:
You can see the minced pork, pork slices, bamboo pith with chopped scallions, fried garlic bits from garlic oil, and at the right edge of the bowl, fried pork lard (ah.. me lovelies - *my heart skips a beat*). Unfortunately, too little of these Chinese "croutons" XD The hot soup gave off a wonderful aroma and the taste met the expectations set by the aroma. The soup was meaty but balanced. It did not overwhelm the taste buds and there was only a little monosodium glutamate used. I slurped my way through with a small side plate of sliced cili padi in light soya sauce.
This was one of the more satisfying brunches that I have had recently. The standard bowl of pork mee here costs RM5.00 (approx. USD1.60). If I have to rate it between a score of 1 (crap) to 10 (divine), it would rank an 8 (very good). For the price they charged, it was value for money in my books.
Damn! Recalling that brunch has made me hungry. ^_^;;
Current Mood: hungry |
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The next day, we worked through lunch and ended up missing lunch altogether. At the end day, we left Gurun just before 8pm and was on our back on the PLUS highway, the North-South main west coast highway that is the key highway artery of Peninsular Malaysia. PLUS stands for Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan = The North-South Highway Project. This is one of the key projects that got Malaysia's industrial economy really going in the 80s by linking the industrial and technological centre of Penang (where Intel, AMD, Dell, and a few other IT juggernauts have their main Asian plants) and agricultural areas of the Northern region with the Central industrial heartland to the industrial and agricultural areas of the Southern Region and to Singapore.
Stopped over at a new development in Seberang Prai alongside the highway known as Autocity - mainly because there are a number of car showrooms situated there like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Toyota, etc. It's also a booming entertainment area with restaurants, bars, and lounges, and fast food restaurants too. We parked the car and looked around for a place to eat. Faced with a large choice, we spied a restaurant called "Harry's B1" and I thought it was a Western restaurant and suggested we give it a try. As we got closer, it's actually a Korean barbecue restaurant. Having missed lunch, our stomachs were growling and there was no time for us to argue with 3 angry stomachs!
We ordered the mix platter of chicken, pork, squid, prawns, and eel. In addition to that, a small serving of Korean pancake with spring onions and seafood plus a bowl of hot and spicy bean curd soup. Service was fast and the mini plates of kimchi, assorted vegetables, and other side dishes were served. There was even a long platter of a few varieties of lettuce and some white long cabbage. A bowl of egg custard akin to the Japanese chawan-mushi was also served. We were each given a small appetiser plate of delicate milled Korean oats.
The mix platter then came and the Korean manager did the barbecuing of the meat for us. We could have done it ourselves but I suppose seeing that we are non-Koreans, he thought that we needed help and who am I to deny someone who just wants to help out and serve us.
Just as the meat was about to be ready, the bean curd soup came. It has a few clams in the soup too.
We couldn't wait anymore and just tucked in to the side dishes, the appetisers, and bean curd soup. The soup was savoury and spicy. The bean curd light but was not as smooth as Japanese bean curd. The pancake arrived and was divided into 3 parts before being served to us individually. I was too busy eating to take a snapshot. Sorry =P
The meat and seafood was expertly grilled by the Korean manager. They were most succulent. Wrapped the meat in lettuce leaves with a bit of the Korean chili relish/paste and a slice of grilled garlic. Mmm... yummy!
The long and short of it is that the 3 of us voraciously cleaned up the plates. Dessert was served - a slice of papaya and a piece of sticky desert each. It was a most satisfying meal. Cost? RM173.88 (including taxes) (approx. USD54.00). In Malaysian terms, it is more expensive than the norm for dinner but considering the quantity and quality, it can't be helped. I enjoyed the food but I really wonder whether how much my enjoyment was influenced by my hunger.
Harry's B1 (Korean Charcoal BBQ Restaurant), 1815A Jalan Perusahaan Auto City Prai.
Tel: 04-5010001/2; Fax: 04-5010003
We left about 10pm and got back home about 11:20pm. Thereafter, the first part of this series was posted. Hope you enjoyed this messy blog series. If you like more food-related blogs, do let me know. I still have a few food pictures to share.
Current Mood:  satisfied |
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At the end of the first day of work in Gurun, my colleagues and I left for a hotel in Sungai Petani (still in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah) to stay for the night. Sungai Petani is a significantly larger town about 25km from Gurun. It was about 9pm when we reached Sungai Petani and was famished. We just went to a fairly new commercial and housing area (which even has a Tesco hypermarket [not only groceries but also clothing, shoes, and others] - yes, Tesco, the all-marauding UK supermarket chain is in Malaysia too) looking for dinner. Made it quick and simple by eating out at hawker coffee-shop. In Malaysia, a "coffee-shop" in local parlance isn't something like Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. It's an old term for a local cafe-type restaurant that serves hot drinks, like local coffee, tea, hot chocolate drinks along with soft/carbonated drinks. It has space set aside in the premises for hawkers to rent the space and set up their stalls to sell food. The modern coffee-shop is just one with more modern amenities, i.e. plastic instead of wooden chairs, TVs instead of radios, etc.
We stopped over at one that was just directly opposite the Tesco hypermarket. They have even set up tables on the road (!) along the kerbside. That's quite common in Malaysia =P Not my seating preference but since my 2 colleagues left their notebook computers in the car, we had to sit fairly close by with full view of the car. Here's a picture of how it looks like:
( Porn. Food porn )
There's a part 3! Meanwhile, I'm happily digesting a good dinner. But that's another blog entry...
Current Mood: full |
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Recently I was in Gurun, Kedah (town/city, state) for a couple of days for work. Gurun is a small little town that has an infamous-in-Malaysia steel factory, a motorcycle assembly plant and a motorcar assembly plant nearby. Kedah is a state situated north of the Malaysian peninsula. It's known as the rice bowl of Malaysia due to most of the local rice is planted there. Water is generally abundunt in Kedah for rice planting. Incidentally, "Gurun" is the Malay word for "desert" (and no, it's not a typo of "dessert" :P). It's not really dry like a desert there but the afternoon temperature does get really hot - hence, I suspect that is how the town got its name.
Gurun is mostly populated by ethnic Malays. Finding Chinese food there is not as easy compared to my hometown of Ipoh, where there's a large Chinese population. But find it I did. Here's what I had for lunch on the first day there:
Kong Po Chicken Rice (or Rice with Chicken done Kong Po style)
It looks scrumptious, huh? Single portion of rice served with chicken cooked with dried chillies, spring onions, and ginger. There's also a side plate of sliced cili padi (Malay for "bird's eye chilli") in light soya sauce. Look at the picture and take a deep breath - you may just be able to smell it.
Hungry? I'm a bad and evil man XD
Oh.. by the way, it only costs RM3.50 (approx. USD1.10).
Current Mood: relaxed |
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Went out for a late dinner with my parents. In Malaysia, it's very common for people to go out for dinner during weekends. A decent filling dinner in Malaysia can be had for approx. RM5-15/head (approx. USD2.00-5.00/head).
Went to one of the nearby tai chow (literal translation of cantonese: "big fry" =D) restaurants for dinner. Tai chow are Chinese restaurants that serve localised Chinese dishes that are prepared and cooked to order. The dishes ordered are usually accompanied by white rice. Since it's past the usual dinner time, most patrons would generally order noodles instead of dishes with rice. Similarly, that's what I did too.
Mun Yee Meen (Braised Pre-fried Noodles) - single portion
Foreground: Spinach and Century Egg in Soup; Background: Claypot Loh See Fun (literal translation - "Mouse Noodles" =D)
Also ordered Fried Mi-fun (i.e. Rice Vermicelli). Unfortunately, I was too busy tucking in to take a picture of it. It was a satisfying and filling dinner. The total bill for the food and tea came up to RM21 (approx. USD6.50).
Current Mood: full Current Music: Old Habits Die Hard - Mick Jagger with Dave Stewart |
| » Surprising results of the Malaysia 2008 elections |
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I don't usually post anything on politics but the results of the Malaysian elections held yesterday is a massive turnaround.
The ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, last lost it's 2/3 majority in the federal government seats in 1969 but this time, they lost it again. Why is a 2/3 majority important? Because with a 2/3 majority, the constitution can be amended. This is a massive setback for the Barisan Nasional.
To compound the loss, the Barisan Nasional also lost control of 4 states - Penang (the electronics and industrial powerhouse of Malaysia), Selangor (the older industrial powerhouse of Malaysia), Perak (my home state), and Kedah (the "ricebowl" of Malaysia). These were supposed to be strong states for the ruling coalition although Penang was known to be vulnerable. It is usually the norm that citizens voted for the opposition as their members of parliament (i.e. the federal seats) and the ruling coalition as their state assemblymen (i.e. the state seats). This is to get a counterbalancing voice by the opposition in parliament and to secure local/state development with the ruling colaition.
This round, the voters are angry, especially the Chinese and Indian minorities, who feel badly sidelined, and it shows in the voting with the Chinese and Indian minority parties in the ruling coalition feeling the brunt of the discontent as they lost massively. There's also a lot of discontent with other matters, like the case of influencing judiciary appointments and the continuing sidelining of other religions. If the ruling coalition does not heed this loud and clear message sent to them, they are hiding their heads in the sand. The opposition is going to push them hard to ensure that the ruling coalition will not ram legislation through as they pleased as was done previously.
The opposition parties have asked for change and that they represent a better alternative. Now that they have been given mandates to run 4 additional state governments, it's time to walk the talk. Let's see what the opposition can do in these next few years.
p.s. Yes, of course, I did go to vote.
Mar. 9th, 2008 @ 08:12 am
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| » A Fragment of the Sky ("Sora no Kakera" - 空の欠片) |
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Call me a sentimental old fool but after I got home from work this evening, Ikeda Ayako (池田綾子)'s abovenamed song (which is the ED song for the anime series Dennou Coil - 電脳コイル) has been the only song that I have been listening to. Something just clicked that made me select the song and it's been on repeat for the past 2 hours. Here's the full song with edited scenes form the series on YouTube for your listening pleasure:
Mar. 4th, 2008 @ 11:29 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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"Where's the beef?"
Feb. 17th, 2008 @ 12:26 am
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| » Follow-up: The Politics Test 2008 edition |
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An update on the old one taken in 2005 (link)
Dec. 29th, 2007 @ 03:30 am
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| » Another London derby win: Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspurs |
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Arsenal played poorly yesterday but took their chances when they came and made it a satisfying Christmas present for themselves and Gooners everywhere - top of the table and beating the Scum (i.e. Tottenham Hotspurs). I wish the Scum all the best when they play the challengers for the EPL title this season. It must sicken the Scum to know that if they beat or draw with Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool in their quest to ensure continued participation in European football competition, it would help Arsenal in winning the title.
Will the blue half of Merseyside oblige tonight by beating Manchester United? I hope they do =D
Dec. 23rd, 2007 @ 10:15 am
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| » What a juicy tie we have - Arsenal v AC Milan |
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When I found it about it last night, I was gobsmacked as a Gooner. Not in horror but in sheer delight. It's a tough match-up but this is what it's all about. This is the kind of team that the Gooners want to see their team playing against.
After last night's draw for the last 16 teams in the UEFA Champions League for the knock-out phase, this tie was THE pick of the lot. I believe a great number of football fans want to see the exuberant "kids" of Arsenal match up against the cunning "old" men of AC Milan. Cesc Fabregas, the up-and-coming all-round creative midfielder against the current king of that position, Kaka. Mmm...
Hopefully, AC Milan would not resort to their "dark" arts. It would be a shame because I do think the Arsenal team must be relishing going against them using technical skill and pure football. Will the kids of Arsenal be outwitted by the old men of AC Milan? Definitely staying tuned this February 2008 for the 1st leg of the matches with Arsenal playing at home in Ashburton Grove for the first leg.
*Dreams of a similar 5-1 winning scoreline for Arsenal in the San Siro Stadium in March 2008 but this time against the red half of Milan*
Dec. 22nd, 2007 @ 08:35 am
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| » Back again... |
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Eventful past 3-4 months. Struck down by chicken pox in late September/early October. Then shortly after recovering from the illness, I went off for another secondment in late October for a special project. Worked some insane hours (i.e. 9am to 2-3am daily, anyone?) over the past 1.5 months. Just when I got back home this Sunday, I got laid low by the flu on Monday. Just barely recovered today.
Gee, I'm exhausted.
EDIT: Just had to post the music video for the song, "Land of Confusion" - Genesis. They got the people involved with "Spitting Image" to do the video. Enjoy!
Dec. 20th, 2007 @ 01:53 pm
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| » Sucker for "Bah Kut Teh" |
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I know I shouldn't indulge too often but couldn't help myself when it comes to bah kut teh (肉骨茶) (Pork Ribs Soup). Total sucker for this dish which is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Usually served/accompanied with rice.
While walking back last night to the service apartment that I'm staying at for the duration of my secondment in Kuala Lumpur, I passed by a farily new bah kut teh shop and my weakness for the dish got the better of me. In mitigation, I was tired and hungry =P (yeah, I'm rationalising my way out of guilt). At the very least, I only ordered a single portion of it compared to the usual double/triple portions =D
( Simplicity and washed down with a glass of ice chinese tea )
Aug. 28th, 2007 @ 01:40 pm
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| » Another picture to share |
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Most proper restaurants in Kuala Lumpur are halal (i.e. the Islamic equivalent of the Jewish kosher). Found myself at a shopping mall that has a non-halal Japanese restaurant which I recall serves decent Tonkatsu (豚カツ) (hmm.. Wikipedia link for those who are curious about what is tonkatsu).
( Mmmm... Tonkatsu! )
Aug. 27th, 2007 @ 08:45 am
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| » Sharing a few pictures... |
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I've nothing to post except to share a few pictures...
( Very safe for work pictures )
Yes, I'm shameless =P
Aug. 24th, 2007 @ 01:55 pm
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