It has been good being back in KL. It always feels like I’ve never left although there are telltale signs that I have: friends in new jobs, new hangouts, new circles. But the people that make KL so special are still the same.
I’m not sure why I came back again so soon. My original intentions were lost in the few weeks from when I booked my tickets to when I left Brisbane. But essentially it is family that keeps me coming back and I think I always will.
Been up to all sorts of naughty things. Shopping with T, eating my way around town, galavanting with the best of friends; there are so many new things to do here and I’m trying to fit as much in as I possibly can in the next two weeks! Already it feels like I’ve been here forever when it has really only been a few days.
Currently up at Fraser’s Hill with some friends. The drive up was fun and we spent our first afternoon in the sun with EE’s guitar, two djembes and a tambourine. The bungalow EE booked is gorgeous and this was the view we were greeted with:
Possibly my last post from Oz before I hit KL shores for Christmas and NYE. Stuck in long transit at the moment and killing time with a beer.
2009 has been a mad ride, both physically and emotionally and Dec 31 still isn’t even upon us yet. I’ve had so many great days and one or two bad ones to balance things out. The perfect year has again eluded me. Perhaps there is no such thing? Won’t stop me trying though.
I wonder what traces of awesomeness I can squeeze from these last 8 days, because I really need just a little more to end my year with. For once I’d like someone to take over the reins, and allow me a moment to find my bearings. These past five weeks have left me a little tender from all the tumbling around I’ve been doing, as is apt to happen when you get on a train that runs on unstable tracks and running blind. But they were happy weeks. And maybe one day I will finally be able to bring myself to relive it in words, here, and not leave my story unfinished.
In the meantime (just in case I get too caught up with the sort of friends who do their best to keep me away from the interwebs), I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! Appreciate the people who love you, the people who make time for you, and love as though every day may be the last. May 2010 bring you so much more.
This has got to be in my Top 10 favourite tracks of all time.
Can’t take credit for finding this – nickfong introduced me to their Bright Lights album a while ago. This track in particular has been played just a little over 200 times on my iTunes over the last two years. Haven’t listened to this in a a few months but just dug it out recently and fell in love with it all over again. Highly underrated, The New has one of the best basslines I’ve ever heard on a track.
There is so much texture and emotion in this song. Lyrically it is simple, but musically the plaintive beginning tells a story of love, heartbreak, regret, possibilities which slowly becomes more discordant and at the end the repetitive tonal guitar riffs and drums come together in an outburst of sadness and frustration. Lately I have been feeling a lot like this. And Paul Bank’s voice is just sublime, comparable to the beautiful haunting sadness that Radiohead master so well.
The rest of the album is pretty stellar. Plenty of mad bass, relentless drumming, stunning tonal shifts and more of those amazing vocals. Have come to appreciate the drumming so much more since I started picking up drums. Am also in love with Untitled, Obstacle 1, Obstacle 2, PDA, Leif Erikson, NYC and the rest of the album are always on repeat when I put it on. Also, Paul Banks has released a solo album earlier this year under the name Julian Plenti called Julian Plenti Is…Skyscraper which sounds a lot like Interpol. I’m just so in love with his voice!
Anyway. These are the lyrics:
I wish I could live free.
I hope it’s not beyond me.
Settling down it takes time.
One day we’ll live together,
and life will be better.
I have it here yeah in my mind.
Baby, you know someday you’ll slow grow.
And baby, my heart’s been breaking.
I gave a lot to you.
I take a lot from you too.
You slave a lot for me.
Guess you could say I gave you my edge.
But I can’t pretend I need to defend some part of me from you.
I know I’ve spent some time all lying.
I can’t pretend I don’t need to defend some part of me from you.
I know I’ve spent some time all lying.
You’re looking alright tonight.
I think we should go.
You’re looking alright tonight.
I think we should go.
1. How seriously do you take gift-wrapping when you give gifts?
It should be an Olympic sport! I am the worst combination of designer, Aquarius, and OCD-perfectionist :(
2. Do you save gift-wrapping to re-use later?
Only if it’s not damaged in any way (and the print looks nice) otherwise.. recycle and save some trees!!
3. How picky are you when it comes to selecting wrapping paper?
I can spend HOURS when I really get into it, I know it’s ridiculous but.. I not so secretly enjoy the whole tactile process of buying wrapping paper. Or any sort of paper for that matter. Then after that it’s a matter of 4mm double sided tape vs Scotch tape (depends on paper) and finishing it off with a bow (if I have another few hours to spare to find a matching one! just kidding.. really.) Also this has nothing to do with paper selection but I cannot work with scissors! I hate scissors! I have to have my cutting knives with a fresh set of blades. OK I could have answered this question with one word and just said Very. Sorry.
4. How much attention do you pay to the way gifts you receive are wrapped?
Is this a trick question? I notice details.. that’s what I do for a living.. but of course I won’t condemn a poorly wrapped present lah! Aiyoh is this going to put you off giving me non-professionally wrapped presents for the rest of my life WTF I knew it was a trick question
5. Among people you know, who is the most talented at wrapping gifts?
This amazing chick called Miss Mabel that worked in Metrojaya in 2002, on the 4th floor of Bukit Bintang store, when I was buying a vase for someone’s mom and I remember she wrapped it so well that I asked her if I can sit down and watch her work. OK I made that up. No one wraps presents better than I do!!! Just kidding. Actually all my designer friends are bloody good with FA work – I think it comes from all those hours in packaging class so don’t hate us yeah! I sliced my finger apart during that class in Uni and went to emergency room OK :(
Finally got a chance to check out Tabou. It has been on my list for Steak Tartare for a few months now and it was only by chance we went there this time! Tokonoma Shochu Bar was packed out and there was a two hour wait (and was told, “Oh, we don’t take numbers so just come back in two hours and hopefully we will have something for you by then”), so Raymond suggested Il Baretto which had an hour wait (they took numbers), but we didn’t feel like waiting!
In the end I think Tabou made for a better night than either of the other two initial places would have!
(PS: I am not a food blogger, just someone who likes to eat :))
Blue swimmer crab broth, rouget, scampi, almond cream
Twice baked gruyere and goat’s cheese soufflé
Roast Kingfish, petit artichoke, haricot and broad beans, aioli
Roast veal cutlet, sautéed spring vegetables
Classic steak tartare, sour dough toast and accompaniments
Adored the melt-in-your-mouth soufflé. It was just the right amount of airy and just the right amount of cheese. So good! Steak tartare was also good, and just spicy enough. My Blancmange was a divine combination of flavours and textures and the almond milk sorbet was a very nice touch. Raymond and Siti both enjoyed their dinners (though I missed taking a picture of Siti’s escargot entree) – the veal was cooked to perfection and chocolate mousse was devoured with much abandon. I am a big fan of creme brulées, and from the one bite I stole from Siti’s, I can say I wish I had room for one all to myself! Too bad Greg couldn’t make it, otherwise we would have been able to sample more French bistro goodness!
There was also a truffle pomme puree that we ordered as a side dish. I could eat that forever! But maybe not, at $16 a serve. It is worth every cent though, it was really good and for something as simple as a potato puree this one had amazing texture and balance and was just salty enough to stand its own. The additional dollop of truffle butter on top was fabulous.
I must say we were pretty happy campers when we left the restaurant. On top of all that the prices were pretty reasonable for the quality of the food we were served. I will be back to try the blood sausages and steak frites, there was a bone marrow sauce that caught my eye..
