Funny I have not featured this stall. I’ve been to this Malay mixed rice stall for the longest time and just love the taste of the food here. They are not good in those nice nice food presentation but the taste of the assam pedas over the rice… I tell you, is authentic! Best thing is, it is spicy enough and not overly spicy. Love it. Must have in my nasi padang plate are Assam Stingray, Sambal Goreng (mix of long beans, bean curd and tempeh) and Sambal Dried Mussels.

The stall

Poor presentation but extremely tasty!

Cooked till just right assam pedas stingray... yum yum

Large mug of Bandung for only $1.50 available on the same row at unit #01-11. The good thing about this Bandung is, the water they use to mix this syrup is boiled with pandan leaves and that will leave a fragrance in your mouth with every sip.

Rating: 4/5 (A tad too expensive for some but then again, most Nasi Padang stalls are pretty expensive to begin with. Except the other stall which I featured earlier at Bukit Merah Central.)

Taste: Nice and authentic. I always have the assam pedas gravy over my rice. Some likes the kuah lemak one which is used for lontongs.

Portion: Generous. I asked for more rice and they can really pile up for you.

Price: $4.80 with 4 dishes and extra rice. $1.50 for the big mug of bandung.

RTE: All the time!

Location: #01-07 Sim Place Food Centre.

Such a soothing song to listen to every morning…. *listening to it now infact *

Aizat is THE ONLY AF “graduates” yang bukan sampah-sarap. Yang lain semua sampah, termasuk Mawi….

Enjoy….

Sayu terpisah
hikayat indah kini hanya tinggal sejarah
berhembus angin rindu
begitu nyamannya terhidu wangian kasihmu
hujan lebat mencurah kini
bagaikan tiada henti
kaulah laguku kau irama terindah
tak lagi kudengari
kau pergi.. pergi..
sepi tanpa kata
terdiam dan kaku tak daya kau kulupa
apa pun kata mereka
biarkan kenangan berbunga di ranting usia

“Bittersweet Bilingualism“. I always did wonder how parents make the conscious decision for their kids to be bilingual? To me, it’s always been a cultural thing more than an advantage. I am of Chinese descent therefore it makes sense that I should learn the Chinese language to better understand my roots and my culture. There are some parents who think differently. They have the full intention of allowing their kids to be bilingual so that they can have the advantage they never had.

Having grown up in a multiracial country where Malay is the national language, and each ethnic group speaks in their own dialect, it has always been just a distinction between the cultures. However, these days with the opening of free trade in China, more and more parents of different descent are putting their children through Chinese primary schools so that they would learn Chinese as their primary language – therefore setting themselves apart from the rest in their community.

Before I was unleashed into the main stream schooling system in Malaysia, I only knew English. I had the concept of ‘other languages’ but they were just another language. The concept of multiple ‘other languages’ completely deluded me.

My parents, in the case of me and my brother, made a conscious decision to do it that way. To them, who graduated from university in Canada, they wanted us to have the advantage of speaking English, which they reckon was the most important language, natively. It worked for me, but not so much for my brother. Interesting, considering we were brought up in the same environment by the same parents.

I then continued to pick up Chinese at my primary school where we were prohibited from speaking any other language other than Chinese. This rule did not apply when we were taking language classes. Through that strict regiment I picked up Chinese in a gusto. In Year 1, I was exposed to Chinese and Malay, then in Year 3 English was added as an additional subject. We were taught ABCs in Year 3. For me it was child’s play. Interestingly enough, English was taught in English, unlike in countries such as Japan and Taiwan where English is taught in their native language.

While at school, I also picked up Cantonese which is a Chinese dialect and can now speak fluently. Some of my Hong Kong friends even say that I speak it like a native. Later on in high school, I proceeded to learn Japanese as a fifth language. I find that bilingualism is not necessarily easy for everyone. I myself spent years at Chinese primary school, and I would not even endeavor to say that my Chinese is anywhere near satisfactory levels.

The point, however, lies with the fact of whether or not excelling at a language is important as opposed to being able to communicate effectively in it. To me, I think that’s all that matters. Communication, be it sign language or klingon, is just a way in which human beings interact. It is certainly a convenience, but also a convenience we can live without in this day and age where pocket sized translators exist.

More on “Being a bilingual“.

It’s new episodes on FATBIDIN.TV yet again! Nothing is holding us back!

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS…
THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY
Part 5 of 15
The Krue Se Mosque is the oldest mosque in Pattani at 500 years old. It’s seen some bloody times.

THE P1 NET SHOW
Episode 5 – Unboxing of the Wiggy
Know what a Wiggy is? It’s all explained in the unboxing.

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS…
THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY
Part 5 of 15
The Krue Se Mosque is the oldest mosque in Pattani at 500 years old. It’s seen some bloody times.

Short synopsis:
Zan Azlee, a Malay Muslim documentary filmmaker from Malaysia, travels to Pattani in Southern Thailand to see the violent Islamic insurgency there. He feels somewhat a kin to them since the locals are Thai-Malays and Muslim too. This film is banned from broadcast in Malaysia by the Prime Minister’s Office.

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS is a series which will host long form documentaries. Click here to see all the episodes.

Sa maraming magti-take ng LET, ang mga ito ay maaaring hindi niyo na kailangan pang gawin. Ngunit sa ibang kursong humihingi ng board exam, upang makapasa ay kinukonsider pa ng mga examinees (lalo na iyong mga nasa malalayong lugar) na mag-enroll sa mga review centers na nasa mga pangunahing lungsod o pangunahing unibersidad.

Sigurista, may pera, at lubhang seryoso na makapasa sa licensure exam ang mga taong ito… Lumuluwas pa man din mula sa kani-kanilang mga pook patungong Maynila o Cebu o saanmang may mapagtitiwalaang review center at pansamantalang mananatili roon upang tutukan ang kanilang pagbabalik-aral.

Bago makapanatili nang matagal sa lungsod ay kailangan mo munang humanap ng matitirhan.. Dito nagkakaroon ng halaga ang mga boarding houses. Ang isang boarding house ay kadalasang nag-aalok ng mga paupahang silid at higaan sa mga taong nangingibang-pook o mga madalas bumiyahe. Tanging ang silid lamang ang nirerentahan anupat ang kusina at ang paliguan o palikuran ay pagsasaluhan mo at ng iba pang boarders..

Sa Maynila ako nakadestino at sa bawat araw ng trabaho ay kailangan kong bumiyahe nang mahigit 4 na oras pagpasok at pag-uwi. Kung ang mga oras na iyon sa halip na iupo ko sa MRT at bus ay gugulin ko na lamang sa pagri-review, higit pang magkakaroon ng kabuluhan sa akin. Bukod dito, ang trapik, usok, at ingay na hatid ng biyahe ay nakapagpapahina ng katawan.. Kailangan ko na ngang humanap ng matitirhan sa Maynila…

Anu-ano nga ba ang mga dapat isaalang-alang sa pagpili ng matinong boarding house?

Para sa kapakinabangan ko at ninyong mga naghahanap ng pansamantalang matutuluyan ay gumawa ako ng mga hakbang at tseklist na maaaring gamiting batayan upang makatiyak na maayos ang boarding house na lilipatan..

Mga Hakbang sa Paghahanap ng Boarding House

1. Sa simula ay maglista ka ng maraming boarding house na mapagpipilian.
2. Kontakin mo ang mga ito isa-isa.
3. Tanungin ang may-ari kung magkano mangupahan sa kanilang boarding house. Alamin kung sapat ba ang iyong badyet. Humingi ng diskwento.
4. Pansinin kung paano kang pakitunguhan ng iyong makakausap anupat ito ang magiging batayan mo ng magiging pakikitungo nila sa iyo sa hinaharap.
5. Pakiramdaman ang iyong instinct at alamin kung saan ka palagay sa iyong mga pinagpipilian.
6. Personal na bisitahin ang boarding house.

Tseklist sa Pagpili ng Boarding House

Nawa’y makatulong ito nang malaki sa atin guys…

Bueno, maalala ko ang kaibigan kong humiwalay sa kanyang mga magulang upang sikaping mabuhay sa ganang sarili niya. Nang mga panahong naghahanap siya ng matitirhan ay bukambibig niya na siya ay “magsasariling-sikap”.. ideolekto niya sa pagiging independent… Noong una’y natawa ako ngunit siya na ring katagang ginagamit ko ngayon…

Maligayang pagsasariling-sikap! =D

~

Something strange with this post?

Yeah, I wrote it in Filipino.. the language of my heart.. =D

Would you like to view a journal that promotes the use of Filipino in the academe?

This tree, variously referred to as gamboge, egg-tree, false mangosteen and Himalayan garcinia, is native to parts of India and the Malay peninsula. It can be found growing wild on the forested hills of S. India.

(The common name ‘egg-tree’ should not be confused with eggfruit, or, canistel).

The drop-shaped, bright yellow fruit can be eaten raw and are commonly used in jams. The fruit is divided into soft sections, somewhat similar to mangosteen. There are one or two oblong smooth brown seeds embedded in the pulp. Pulp can be used in cooking in the same way as tamarind paste.

As the species name ‘tinctoria’ would suggest the fruit juice and extract are used as dyes

An 8 – 10 foot tree can produce several hundred of fruits in a single harvest (see photos above).

Mature trees can grow quite tall. They have many of the same growth characteristics as mangosteen, only bigger. I don’t know anything about the quality of wood.

Trees have basically the same growth requirements as mangosteen, enjoying ample water during hot and dry periods.

Mahathir attacks Lee once again.  Temasek Review:

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed has poured scorn on the oratory skills of Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in a documentary – “Mahathir” shown on the Starhub History Channel last Sunday at 8pm. …

The elder statesman was no fan of Lee and had several heated arguments with him in the Dewan Rakyat when Singapore was part of Malaysia in the period 1963 – 65.

In the documentary, Dr Mahathir criticized Lee for his propensity to give long speeches. He claimed that Lee became flustered after he interjected his speech repeatedly with sharp questions which he could not answer.

Both parties almost come to blows with each other in a heated exchange on 25 September 1964 when Dr Mahathir (then MP for Alor Star) made the following stinging remark towards Lee in the Dewan Rakyat:

“They (Singaporean Chinese) have never known Malay rule and cannot bear the idea that the people they have so long kept under their heels should now be in a position to rule them.”

Lee Kuan Yew shot back:

“Of course there are Chinese millionaires in big cars and big houses. Is it the answer to make a few Malay millionaires with big cars and big houses? … If we delude people into believing that they are poor because there are no Malay rights or because opposition members oppose Malay rights, where are we going to end up?”

Article about the documentary at The Star.  Second part of the documentary airs this Sunday Nov 22 at 8 PM on the History Channel.

... Kuma wanted to try the vegetarian steamed glutinous rice.

... Kuma also wanted to try the nasi lemak with ayam rendang.

... ALGJ ordered the curry laksa.

... tea and coffee mixed.

Rating: 6/10

It’s my first time trying the vegetarian steamed glutinous rice. It looks unappetizing and the rice was too soft and sticky. The only ingredient in it other than the glutinous rice was the vegetarian BBQ pork. Kuma was complaining about the lacking of chicken meat. The curry laksa was acceptable, but not the best I’ve had. Today’s cham peng was quite nice with nice creamy foam.

Location: N3 02.879 E101 35.055

Captured from her recent concert “1000 Warna”.

Very very nice rendition

Layan sajer….huhuhu….

Kasih
Kenanganku ingatan saat-saat dulu
Kasih
Apakah dirimu
Merasakan semua itu
Ke manapun hendakku pergi
Ku masih melihat bayanganmu cintaku
Dan ke manapun arah
Angin ku berlari
Hati ini masih kau miliki

Lelaki ini
Yang selalu mencintamu
Selalu tanpa ragu
Lelaki ini
Yang selalu memuja
Hanya dirimu
Yang bertahta dalam sanubariku
Sanubariku ooo…
Aku yang mencinta kamu
Hanya dirimu
Oh…
Kerana cintaku
Tak berbatas waktuku
Kerana cintaku
Tak mengenal jemu hatimu
Hatimu oo…
Yang bertahta dalam sanubariku

sapete..mi manca la malesia.

 non ho viaggiato molto nella mia vita e quindi potrebbero esserci altri posti come la malesia..

ma limitato alla mia conoscenza posso dire che qui ci sono indiani cinesi e malesi che convivono insieme ed è una cosa straordinaria!

e credo che tutto questo accada solo qui..ed in nessun’altro posto, apparte singapore.

basta attraversare qualche strada che dai sapori speziati dei luoghi indiani ti ritrovi immerso in profumi di incenso intenso dei templi cinesi,

 oppure nel vapore tra riso e zuppe malesi,

ed a proposito di mangiare, qui siamo nell’incredibile, mai viste tante cucine e pietanze diverse in una sola strada,

 strade che trovi in ogni dove in ogni parte della malesia,

 ti siedi e mangi un tandori con pollo, oppure laksa, satay, oppure mee goreng oppure steamboat, riso di ogni tipo, noodles , mangiare con le bacchette cibo cinese perche non esistono forchette, oppure usare le forchette dove però indiani e malesiani mangiano con le mani,.

posso dire solo che tutto questo è fantastico!

credo che una parte del viaggio vada dedicata al cibo, 

 questo mi mancava, perche dopo un anno di australia dove non sanno neppure cosa sia una ricetta tipica, e devi mangiare per forza italiano oppure cmq cucina internazionale..come viene chiamata in certi ristoranti.

 qui invece cè storia, qui mangi qualcosa che è stato tramandato di padre in figlio per generazioni, spezie e aromi lontani dalla mia italia,

sapori totalmente differenti ma tutto questo in una parola è: GUSTOSO!

certo che mangiare per strada..ovvero sedersi su uno sgabellino di plastica con un tavolino di plastica con piatti di plastica e se piove si sta sotto ad un telo di plastica..hehehe! non è come andare in un ristorante di lusso o anche in una semplice trattoria che si puo trovare in toscana o cmq in italia!

ma anche questo fa parte dell’esperienza cullinaria, e quando vedo che lavano i piatti in un secchio con una semplice immersione,

 oppure vedo il tutto all’aperto con ingredienti che magari stanno per tutto il giorno a  40 gradi e poi vengono cotti, heheeh io non penso che schifo….ma dico: CARLO SE NON MUOIONO LORO NON MORIRAI NEPPURE TE…AL MASSIMO DIARREA!!!

ed e’ qui che seduto sul tuo sgabellino in un angolo di strada puoi osservare il tram tram quotidiano di questa gente, sia in malesia che in thailandia!

in italia invece non entrerei neppure in un posto del genere..anche se..qui è normale e non credo ci siano leggi a riguardo..invece in italia una cosa del genere sarebbe da arresto…e sono convinto che almeno una volta tutti noi abbiamo mangiato in ristoranti carini ma con una cucina con topi…cibo avariato e scarso igiene!!! e magari pagando 50 euro!!!

io qui almeno spendo tra 1,10 e 2 euro! l’ultima sera in malesia ho voluto esagerare ed ho speso 3 euro…e credetemi che neppure ad un matrimonio avrei mangiao cosi tanto..hehehe!

cmq tralasciando il cibo.. questo viaggio mi piace!

 e come detto mi dispiace di aver lasciato la malesia perche è una terra ricca di storia e cultura a volte puo risultare noiosa per quanto tranquilla, ma non per me!

è rilassante e allo stesso tempo ti tiene sveglio!

 ora invece sono in thailandia, oggi mi trovo piu o meno dove hanno girato il film the beach con leonardo di caprio, io non l’ho visto, e per vedere questa spiaggia… ci devi andare in barca e devi comprare un tour (partono da 10 euro) di un giorno e ti fai tutte le spiaggette e isolette della zona… PHI PHI island.

 il mare è bello ma siamo ancora nel cambio di stagione e le pioggie il pomeriggio sono frequenti ora sono le 17.30 e piove…e devo dire che l’ho presa tutta!!!

stamni dopo aver cercato una stanza a “poco”,

 mi sono buttato in spiaggia..acqua azzurro cristallina! come piace a me! poi alle 3 ho deciso di fare un sentiero per vedere il panorama dalla cima di un monte! bhe come ieri a krabi (e poi vi racocnterò) un volta dentro la foresta…ha iniziato a piovere…ma non mi sono scoraggiato era piu di 40 minuti che camminavo in salita e mancava poco! arrivato sulla cima ho visto l’isola coperta di nubi ..devo dire bella…nonostante cio il colore azzurro intenso dell’acqua era ancora presente!

 a tornare indietro ho dovuto affrontare fiumi di fango con le mie infradito che anche oggi ringrazio!

 ieri stessa storia..ero a vedere il tempio buddista della tigre e mi trovavo nella foresta…e ad un tratto è arrivato un temporale allucinante!!! ho cercato di ripararmi ma quando ho visto che nella grotta dove mi ero rifugiato iniziava ad entrare troppa acqua..bhe ho cercato di raggiungere delle casette dei monaci…i sentieri erano fiumi e dagli alberi cadeva di tutto…cmq sono riuscito a raggiungere il motorino che avevo noleggiato e tornare in città… ma il bilancio della mia escursione al tempio è stato: macchina fotografica da buttare!

 forse ho perso anche le foto di questi giorni!

dizionario thailandese da buttare

 penna usb da buttare

patente internazionale che la fanno di carta…da buttare

 soldi: li ho asciugati..hehehe!

cellulare…fino a ieri non funzionava mentre ora  mi chiede di inserire la sim..!!!

piu o meno queste le cose importanti!

 ma in compenso dopo aver fatto piu o meno 2600scalini (a/r)..per vedere un budda gigante..mi sono fatto una bella doccia all’aperto!

 io senza macchinetta fotografica sono come il papa senza fede!!!

quindi la devo comrpare al piu presto!!!

anche phi phi meriterebbe qualche scatto…ma per adesso devo passare!!!

cmq…cronologicalmente: dopo malacca sono stato alle cameron highslands…una stazione turistica di montagna, per turistico si intende che è molto visitata, quindi i prodotti e servizi costano leggermente di piu rispetto ad altre città malesi, ma non ce niente di male giusto?

 non ci sarebbe nulla di male se quando tu acquisti un prodotto o servizio e lo paghi di piu…tu paghi un surplus per qualcosa di migliore…

e invece no…qui paghi qualcosa di piu ma di qualità inferiore…

perche essendoci piu persone ad esempio gli autobus saranno piu consumati e gli hotel piu sporchi.

questo non mi è piaciuto…un esempio lampante…il bus che mi ha portato qui…a 70 km dalla città ha fuso, cosi ne abbiamo preso un altro…questo a 30 km dalla citta ha fuso ….cosi ci è venuto a prendere un altro bus… dovevamo arrivare alle 16.30 siamo arrivati alle 21..ma l’ho presa come parte folkloristica della malesia..hehehe!

 e vi giuro che non ho fatto neppure una smorfia!

forse ho tirato qualche bullshit ma sono stato bravo!

 inoltre con questo ritardo ho conosciuto 3 danesi (femmine NDR)!!! hehehe! per gli hotel..ho guardato 3 guest house ed ho scelto la meno peggio!!!ma credetemi che lo standard era oltre il lurido! ma la cosa che mi ha spinto qui alle kameron..sono state le piantagioni di the!!!

 veramente belle..non le avevo mai viste dal vivo! mi sono noleggiato un motorino ed ho girato questi monti dove ci sono le piantagioni… quello del noleggio si era raccomandato di non andare nel punto piu alto delle kameron con il motorino perche non avrebbe coperto l’assicurzione, che era pericoloso  e via dicendo…e cosi sono stato anche li!!!

 io la reputo mafia..perche se non puoi andarci col motorino devi andarci con la jeep e quindi acquistare un tour. cosi mi sono bevuto il the sulle piantgioni..ho visitato la fabbrica e pure il punto piu alto… è stata una bella giornata! dopo le kameron sono andato a penang…un isola che come malacca è patrimonio dell’umantà…carina sembra una malacca gigante, quindi con piu cose da fare e vedere…anche qui il cibo è una buona fetta del viaggio! ci sono i vari quartieri..e li ho girati tutti!!! ci sono alcune stradine veramente belle..dove fanno mercati e vedi la gente del posto che compra pollo pesce e verdura…o vestiti..insomma vedi come scorre la vita vera! in uno di questi mercatini ho conosciuto un ragazzo che in effetti non mi sembrava asiatico… from senegal..e qui vende portafogli!!!

che strano…

quando ha saputo che ero italiano mi ha chiesto come mai parlo inglese…era stupito che parlassi inglese..e non è la prima persona che incontro che mi domanda come mai parlo inglese!

ma che reputazione abbiamo all’estero???

qui ho fatto il visto di 60 giorni per la thailandia…

 penang qualche giorno lo merita!

 e da qui sono entrato in thailandia… la cosa piu difficile qui in thailandia è il dialogo e farsi capire.. anche nei centri turistici l’inglese è basso…pure nei centri informazione e hotel! e chi parla inglese lo pronuncia talmente diverso che diventa incomprensibile! ma per me è una grande sfida…e mi piace cercare di farmi capire…per l’appunto ho comprato un vocabolario inglese-thailandese. ma andiamo avanti…

sono stato come prima tappa.. ad hatyai, qualche giorno tanto per ambientarmi!

 il mio piano iniziale era quello di tirare dritto ed arrivare a krabi…tralasciando il sud.. perche pieno di separatisti e fondamentalisti islamici che piu o meno uccidono qualcuno ogni giorno!

 ma un minuto prima di fare il biglietto per krabi mi sono detto… perche devo rinunciare a visitare una citta solamente perche cè la paura degli attentati??? cosi sono andato ad hat yai dove qualche hanno fa sono esplose bombe all’aeroporto internazionale, in un centro commerciale e in altri luoghi. devo dire che all’inizio mi sentivo fuori luogo..qui ci sono le donne col burka e la maggioranza sembrerebbe mussulmana..ma non ho paura di una religione…ho paura degli uomini in generale!

 cosi mi sono rilassato e goduto questa città..che non ha da offrire grandissime cose…ce un budda gigante, qualche moschea e tempio..ma io ero li per vedere le persone come vivono cosa fanno..se è vero che cè l’uomo nero!

mi è sembrata una città ordinata e tranquilla e sopratutto con pochi turisti..anche nei centri commerciali non ho mai trovato piu di un paio di occidentali.

 qui le persone sono ancora genuine..un esempio: un venditore di bacarozzi…voleva faremene assaggiare uno..e il tutto come avviene da queste parti a gesti..perche io non parlo thai e loro inglese! ma ho resistito alla tentazione…hehehe sarà per la prossima volta! cmq ci siamo fatti qualche risata e ho potututo fare qualche foto a lui e agli insetti… la stessa cosa un anno fa a bangkok…ho chiesto se potevo fotografare una bancarella con i bacarozzi..e la singora mi ha chiesto 20 bht..bhe dopo un anno posso dire di aver fatto bene ad aver salvato 40 centesimi di euro!!

 la cosa cambia invece a krabi, qui iniziano ad esserci turisti quando cerchi una camera molte volte è tutto esaurito, e qualche volta ti trovi per strada e sembra di essere in europa! ma non è cosi eccessiva da farti rimpiangere luoghi paradisiaci come malacca..dove il turista gonzo deve ancora arrivare! a krabi mi sono trovato veramente bene ho conosciuto 3 thailandesi con cui ho passato il sabato sera e tanti viaggiatori.anche qualche italiano.. una coppia che ha mollato tutto e ora si fa il giro del mondo…e purtroppo nella mia guest house ho incontrato anche un italiano sui 35 anni che tutte le sere si portava in camera un ragazzo..che forse forse aveva 18 anni! ma secondo me di meno!

quando l’ho conosciuto mi ha detto che stava qui solo per rilassarsi… non ho parole!!!

 italiani BRAVA GENTE!

 krabi mi è piaciuta..con i suoi mercatini notturni …gli spettacoli e i concerti, il mercato mattutino di carne pesce e frutta…tutto come a penang all’aria aperta con mosche e caldo che la fanno da padroni e si sodomizzano l’igiene!!!

anche se..qui inizi a vedere che il sorriso che ti facevano fino ad hatyai è un po meno spontaneo, nel vedere una camera da letto, abbiamo quasi litigato, e anche per noleggiare il motorino..insomma credo che se alcuni thailandesi sono arrabbiati o stressati è per colpa nostra..per il turismo aggressivo e il denaro!

qui a phi phi ho trovato tutto quello che non cercavo..

 è un’isola che potrebbe essere tranquillamente un piccolo paradiso per me…ma… qui il thailandese è diventato come l’occidentale, avaro e con voglia di tirare su quattrini, in un luogo cosi picoclo non ho mai visto tanti negozi, bar e pub, pub che servono cibo occidentale, ristoranti con cibo thay al doppio del prezzo che potresti trovare a krabi..che è turistica e quindi costa di piu rispetto ad hatyai per esempio… non pensate chissa che…per noi non sono nulla…perche alla fine se ad hat yai mangi con 50bht per strada…e parlo di un pasto con bibita, a krabi spendi magari 70, e qui 110, tradotto in euro siamo tra gli 1 e i 2 che non fanno di certo la differenza..ma ti fanno pensare che forse queste persone stavano meglio prima che arrivasse il turismo! negli shop l’acqua costa il doppio che a krabi! stessa cosa per alberghi e internet!!! a krabi gia caro per quello che era spendevo 2 euro a notte..qui ne spendo 10!

e di stare in un isola disegnata per il turista scemo che viene qui una settimana e si sente ricco perche tutto costa poco rispetto a dove vive non mi va!

 fino a ieri nei locali c’erano programmi thailandesi in thailandese…qui ci sono partite di calcio e rugby…insomma una disneyland per chi si accontenta di questo!

io non ci sto e cosi domani me ne vado via di corsa!!!

mi sembra di essere a riccione!

 senza contare della costruzione di nuovi alberghi che stanno prendendo il posto di alcune colline! io voglio tornare nelle cittadine come hatyai o malacca..e non in queste trappole per turisti!!! e la spiaggia di the beach…me la vedro in dvd!!!

 un bacioooooooooooo!

It’s FATBIDIN.TV update time! If you ain’t sick of it yet… that means I haven’t spammed you enough! Hahaha!

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS…
THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY
Part 4 of 15
Zan attends a marriage course in Pattani. Apparently, 31 is too late if you want to get married! And the film is still banned in Malaysia.

WE THE PEOPLE… Chatting with academicians about media censorship
Censorship… we never get tired talking about it.

THE P1 NET SHOW
Episode 4 – QTM… and Michael Lai singing!
QTM is when the P1 team gets together and finds out what is going on with everything. It’s also an excuse for a little rock star fantasy!

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS…
THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY
Part 4 of 15
Zan attends a marriage course in Pattani. Apparently 31 is too late if you want to get married!

Short synopsis:
Zan Azlee, a Malay Muslim documentary filmmaker from Malaysia, travels to Pattani in Southern Thailand to see the violent Islamic insurgency there. He feels somewhat a kin to them since the locals are Thai-Malays and Muslim too. This film is banned from broadcast in Malaysia by the Prime Minister’s Office.

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS is a series which will host long form documentaries. Click here to see all the episodes.

The silly girl was reading the Sunday Times some time back, when she chanced upon this recipe for the famous Singapore Nasi Lemak by the Wee Brothers. This recipe is for the Coconut rice and the sambal chilli sauce. Have fun making this recipe and serve with the normal ikan billis, chicken wings and fried egg.

Ingredients (Coconut Rice)

370g rice, rinsed

625ml water

10tsp thick coconut milk

3g salt

4g ginger, sliced

3 pandan leave, knotted

Method:

1)      Put rice, water, coconut milk, salt, ginger and pandan leaves in an electric rice cooker. Mix well, cover and cook

2)      When the rice is done, stir it gently with a pair of chopsticks to fluff it up.

3)      Serve with roasted peanuts, fried ikan bilis and cucumber slices on the side

*serves 5

Ingredients (Sambal Chili)
70g fresh red chili

1 large red onion

6 cloves garlic

3 tbp cooking oil

80g ikan bilis, ground to a fine powered

8g salt

18g sugar

Method:

1)      Blend the fresh red chilies, red onion and garlic to form a smooth paste

2)      To a heated wok, add cooking oil and stir-fry the grounded ikan bilis for about two minutes until fragrant

3)      Add the ground chili paste,  salt and sugar and stir-fry for another 15 minutes

... asam laksa in yellow noodle. My favourite choice.

... DL's seafood kari laksa.

Rating: 5/10

Unlike the asam laksa I had the previous time, the soup in my asam laksa today was very salty today. The taste was not bad, especially I had mine in yellow noodle. DL commented that his seafood kari laksa was very well worth it, because there were 5 prawns in it, for only RM12.90.

Location: N3 09.424 E101 36.590

If you’ve grown up in Colombo the chances of you being monolingual are very rare. Surrounded by at least two ethnic groups, you’re bound to pick up a language that isn’t your mother tongue.

I do realise I’m stating the obvious, but the thought of Sri Lankans being linguists struck me like a brick to the head the other day. I was trying to speak to someone in Sinhala, and as usual I was frantically searching my brain for words that I blurt awkwardly- punctuating my sentences inordinately with fullstops, exclamation marks and question marks- and being pleonastic about it to boot . And in the bungling gush I threw in a Tamil word!

This caught me by surprise because Tamil isn’t one of the languages I grew up around. I hope I pick up on the language, I can add it to my collection of garbled languages.

Garbled because, while it’s all good and well, when you’re as mixed in ethnicities as I am you tend to learn too many languages that you get very confused at times.

I had to learn about 5 languages at the age of six. This was something my little brain couldn’t handle (what with all the different rules of grammar, alphabets and pronunciation, how could you blame me?). If my brain were a bowl of cereal, the languages I’ve learnt are the Froot Loops. In order to speak a language I’d have to locate Loops of the same colour and string them together.

Here’s how confused I am– I can count up to 5 in Sinhala, only to trail off from 6 to 10 in Arabic. While speaking in French or Malay I inadvertently toss in a few Sinhala words. Or the reverse, like just the other day I was trying to say ‘key’ in Sinhala and ended up saying ‘konchi’ which means ‘key’ in Malay.

Not to mention for the past three days I’ve been ransacking my mind for the Sinhala word for ‘monkey’ but all that comes to me is ‘monyet’, the Malay word for it. I’m too stubborn to ask anyone what the word is, because I know that I KNOW the word for monkey in Sinhala and I’m determined to pick it out of the recess of my mind that it’s lurking in!

But I guess all in all, most Sri Lankan’s are lucky. Coming from this cultural mallum, we’re either bilingual or polyglots. Unless you’re grasp of languages is sketchy like mine which can leave you frustratingly helpless at times! To the point where you misplace your National Identity Card, get served wrong orders and generally never get what you ask for.

Batu Ferringhi

I spent last week in Malaysia with my girlfriend, Waew. It was our first proper holiday together and my first proper trip to Malaysia (I did a brief border hop from Brunei in 2005 but that was essentially just to tick another country off the list). It was also my first proper holiday in South East Asia since moving to Thailand last year, having so far failed to live up to my promise to myself to see as much of the region as possible while living here.

We flew in and out of Penang, where we spent half of the week. The other half we spent in Langkawi. It proved a decent mix of city and countryside, culture and relaxation, with stays in three locations.

GEORGETOWN

Approaching from the air, the provincial capital looked to have been spoiled by an overabundance of ageing high-rise condos, which scarred an otherwise lush, green island. However at ground level I found Georgetown to be charming. True, a lot of the buildings are greying and flaking, but then it is a very old city, and you can’t have history without a bit of wear.

Thankfully the ugly high-rises are more of a feature of the outskirts than the downtown region, which is full of character. Malaysia is known – and celebrated – for its multiculturalism and tolerance, and this is certainly evident in Georgetown. Ancient Chinese shophouses mingle with mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and old colonial architecture.  Dining options offer Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai and European, while browsing the myriad  ethnic stores is a delight. Aural atmosphere is to be found on every street, too, whether the five-daily Islamic prayer sessions, the joyous songs emanating from the Hindu temples, or bhangra pop music blasting from sari shops and Indian CD stores.

A short walk from anywhere in the city centre can take you to most of the downtown attractions and to the seaside, although typically of an urban coast, the sea is murky and unremarkable. However the beach legs of our trip were ahead of us; Georgetown was the cultural side.

A bus or a cheap taxi ride into the centre of the island takes you to the island’s showpiece tourist attraction, Kek Lok Si Temple. The sprawling Buddhist place of worship straddles one side of Penang Hill and dazzles in its colour and design. Chinese, Burmese and Thai influences come together in one site and make for one of the most impressive religious sites I have seen, and certainly among the very best Asian temples.

It’s then a short hop – 5 minutes by taxi or a 25-minute walk – to the Penang Hill funicular station. The train will take you on a steep ascent to the 830-metre-high summit, from where you can take in the inevitably sweeping views, although again the rash of condos do blight the landscape in places. It probably looks better at night, when the city lights switch on, but still the view is far-encompassing enough to offer plenty of interest, whether the cityscape or the jungle or out to sea.

In terms of nightlife, Georgetown offers some smaller, more characterful bars along Jalan Chulia which attract backpackers and expats, or the more upmarket Jalan Penang, boasting smarter bars, a throbbing high-end nightclub and the city’s beautiful people.

We stayed at the Broadway Budget Hotel, which was basic but centrally located, clean and staffed by very friendly and helpful employees. We couldn’t fault it for RM50 (£10) per night. We found it by simply walking around after finding one of the Rough Guide’s recommendations, the Blue Diamond Hotel, to be unacceptable (ancient, musty, threadbare rooms) at the same price.

BATU FERRINGHI

With Penang island being circumnavigable in a day, we decided to hire a car and do exactly that. The car hire company we called was booked in Batu Ferringhi, the nearest significant beach spot to Georgetown, on the north of the island, where we intended to stay one night. The price of the rental was reasonable, but the hire rep had to come from BF to Georgetown, and then drive us back to BF, where his office was based and from where the rental would officially begin. Fine, we thought – it’s a free ride. Unfortunately the rep had seemingly been trained in the Bangkok tuk-tuk school of transporting tourists and rather than simply drive from our hotel to his office, he took us via a luxury chocolate store, a fabrics mill and a coffee outlet – all overpriced and all of which presumably paid him commission.

After checking in to a seaside guesthouse – Shalini’s, which was in a great location, just on the opposite side of the beach road, but otherwise not worth the RM75 they charged, if you compare with Broadway in Georgetown – we set off on our driving tour of the island, working our way clockwise.

The emphasis was simply on looping the island and seeing the countryside, and as it was already 1pm by the time we set off (thanks to our commission-seeking car hire rep), we didn’t have time for the major tourist attractions such as the Butterfly Farm, Tropical Fruits Farm and Snake Temple. Still, away from the city, the island proved beautiful, with lots of photo opportunities along the winding roads of the coast or of the jungle interior – just be careful when driving of monitor lizards crossing the road as if they have all the time in the world!

Almost back in Georgetown, we swung on to the bridge that links the island with the mainland portion of Penang province. At 13km long, it’s an impressive piece of architecture. The mainland seemed fairly featureless and access to Butterworth, the nearest city of note, incurred a toll, so, bearing in mind we were also pressed for time, we simply returned to the island via the bridge, which does offer a scenic run.

Finally, a quick run through Georgetown and then back up to BF and we had completed the loop while it was still daylight, giving us time for a stroll on the beach, which did not boast clear water but was scenic enough, with large boulders framing the western end and playful stray dogs chasing crabs . Dinner of carpetbag steak (beef stuffed with smoked oysters) inside a restaurant fashioned as a life-size ship, followed by a stroll around a night marker, completed a very pleasant day.

Part 2: Langkawi

... the first time I had Milo shake here was many years ago, introduced by a friend whom stays in Setapak.

... the famous special porridge. It was published on newspapers so many years ago.

... nasi lemak bungkus. A brand that I've never had.

... this nasi lemak has soggy anchovies, but the chili was very spicy.

Rating: 6/10

The porridge was pretty much the same as last time, except this time, the pepper was free. The last time I had it, it wasn’t as spicy. Then this time, where were carrot slice in it too. DL was complaining about porridge having carrot in it. The Milo shake kosong has added sugar in it. I dunno what’s wrong with the guy’s hearing. The nasi lemak was very ordinary. DL was chomping down 1 pack, I was licking my lips because I wanted to eat too, but trying hard not to, because he was having the one with “Jun” brand. The brand which I had once too many. Then I realised this was another brand, hence I… was tempted.

Location: N3 06.668 E101 36.680

Had my Malay mid-term today – Oral conversation!!! Passage reading was excellent but conversation was chui!! Luckily, I S/U it. Though I think I still managed a pass.

After passing by Aljunied MRT’s newly opened clinic for 1.5 months, I decide to apply for part-time clinic asst. Was asked to head back to the clinic after 6pm today and so I happily printed out my resume and walked my ass to MRT station. Waited for half hour before I see the Doctor. Doctor Ngiam.. My goodness, he is tampan la! looks young too!!! I sms Yuki Nana before my interview and promised I will intro to her if I got the job. Voila! Yuki Nana got chance now, cos Ms Michy got the job! Although starting pay is slightly lower because still training, but I guess Mr tampan doctor will increase my pay after my training ba hahaha. This means that my holiday job is SECURED!

Tomorrow having CBC311 test, and I really had to thank Ms Yuki Nana for coaching, if I strike 4D, I will buy u that shorts! I suddenly felt that I have mastered Prof Leung informations in just half an hour. I feel so powderful!

Since today is a Good Luck day as I got the job instantly, I’m going to MJ and I feel good luck is shining on me for tomorrow’s paper as well. Nonetheless, just wish me MORE luck!

Dayyummm people!! More brand new episodes on FATBIDIN.TV!!!

FAT BIDIN PRESENTS…
THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ISLAMIC INSURGENCY
More episodes of the banned-in-Malaysia film! The third sees me going to the Pattani morning market and being bullied by a bunch of women. Go watch it here.

WE THE PEOPLE…
Chatting with the Cyber Chicken Proprietor
Have you heard of ‘Cyber Chicken’? No, it’s not a spin-off of Seth Green’s ‘Robot Chicken’! Curious? Watch it here.

THE P1 NET SHOW
Datacom
The third episode tests the vocal capabilities of P1’s CEO , Michael Lai. That dude is like a Malaysian Robbie Williams! Watch it here.

Join the FATBIDIN.TV Facebook fan page by clicking here.