Penang Delights

If you're away from your home country, its absolutely natural for one to crave for one's hometown food. As for me, my eyes are always wide open for Penang food in Singapore. This stall Penang Delights touted themselves as Authentic Penang Hawker Food. I had actually frequented their stall before in Blk 117 Aljunied Ave 2. I believe this is their origianl stall and it seems like they had expanded since then to 51 Old Airport Road Food Centre and 300/302 Joo Chiat Road.

As far as I remember, their char keow teow was so so only. I am not sure whether is this really authentic penang style because they use the thinnest type of keow teow. Penangnite hawkers uses the medium size keow teow. I tried their Hokkien Prawn Mee today. It taste like Penang style, but something is lacking in it. I just cant figure out where. I guess it could probably be due to the soup. In Penang, once you slurp the soup, you can feel the rush of prawn juice all soaked up into the soup. The chilli used as well is more fragrant.

Overall I think the stall food taste can still be improved. But overall, its just so so for me.

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Online Only - Coldplay concert review - from TodayOnline

Online Only - Coldplay concert review
A concert worth every superlative

Genevieve Sarah Loh
genevieveloh@mediacorp.com.sg

My editor groaned when he found out that I was going to be the one reviewing Monday night’s Coldplay concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Something about me listening to Viva la Vida on loop 154 times and how it’ll result in an extremely biased concert review dripping with blind Chris Martin love and gushing superfluous adjectives proclaiming the band’s ascending rock-god status, undeniable stage presence and lyrical perfection.

He was right. But now I have more than 10,000 other witnesses who, judging from their contented faces after a value-for-money two-hour show, will be more than willing to back up my gush.

Forget all the mudslinging criticism about their radio-friendly whine rock, blatant U2 and Radiohead ripoffs, Hollywood wives and naming of children after fruit. None of it matters once Coldplay takes to the stage.

For their third outing in Singapore, the band pulled out all the Big Rock Band trappings – massive video screens, a rainbow of lasers, giant orbs displaying dizzying images, bursts of neon confetti and two runways allowing the band to get up close and personal with their fans. But the Brit quartet still managed to tirelessly deliver their old and new hits – Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, Fix You, The Scientist – in an unexpectedly intimate manner.

Much of that credit belongs to the impossibly charming frontman Martin, whose deft piano skills and drunken schoolboy trance-like dancing proved strangely riveting as he seamlessly moved from guitar to piano to vocals and back. The crowd-pleaser did and said all the right things, much to the joy of the sold out crowd who lapped up lines like “ Singapore ... You guys are right now ranking amongst one of the very top audiences we’ve ever played for” and “You guys know how grateful we are to get to play for 10,000 people right here in Singapore. Thank you so much for coming out on a Monday night”.

Couple that with incorporating “Singapore” into their song lyrics several times and performing a cute version of The Monkees I’m a Believer right amongst the shocked audience members at the far-up cheaper seats, and you got a stadium full of frenzied fans eating out of their hands.

There is a brief creeping sensation that these seemingly spontaneous tricks were nothing but just neatly executed, manipulative crowd pleasers. But Martin’s self deprecating humour, unrelentless energy and vocal prowess, along with the rest of the boys’ (bassist Guy Berryman, guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Will Champion) earnestness easily washed away any doubt of their genuineness.

Coldplay gave a performance that was worth every single superlative – and every single cent.



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Coldplay Fever - from Straits Times

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Living la Vida - from Today

Viva La Coldplay - from MyPaper

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Coldplay Concert Review - 23-Mar-09

Coldplay came and conquer the euphoric crowd of 12,000 in Singapore Indoor Stadium last night. They blasted off the night after 9pm with Life in Technicolor. The crowd went wild, and before the night was over, Chris mentioned halfway through the show that he hoped that Coldplay had given all they got because the crowd surely gave all. Well for the display they put on coupled with the laser lightings, the big video display and the carnival like mood the Coldplay crew threw in, it was worth every single cents. No one would have walked out of the concert venue and say it was a letdown.

Chris was running back and forth on the stage all night. It helps to hold a concert in Singapore Indoor Stadium where Chris showcased his prowess in cajoling the crowd to sing along. He played the piano, the guitars and even the harmonica. Coldplay belted out a cover of The Monkees, I Am A Believer. They surprised the fans by performing an accoustic set with just a mike set up at the far left hand corner of the venue. The crowd on that end certainly got their money worth.

After a short 3 minute break they dashed back to the main stage, they started to play one of their earlier hits Politik and it got the crowd all standing up again. I had 5 picks before the gig, they did all the 5 songs. Viva La Vida really got the crowd singing along with oooh and aaahs, one would have felt that they were in a EPL match. The Hardest Part was taken down by a notch with Chris singing to it with just the piano, brilliant stuffs you don’t get on your cd. They did Clocks earlier on and for the encore, they did The Scientist and Life In Technicolor II.

By the time it was over, it was already 11pm. One of the longest gig I attended which came close to a 2 hour performance. And did I forget to talk about Mercury Rev? This guys are good opening act, they started of at about 8.15pm and ended their stuffs at about 8.45pm. Their lead singer Jonathan Donanhue looks a little eccentric to me on stage, at even one point mimicking a bird or something you see out of Karate Kid deadly finishing move.

Back to Coldplay, it was indeed a superb display of excellent showmanship rival to none. I attended their 1st joint gig with Travis before, and Chris has certainly grown from there. For a band that produces hits after hits and not just stuck with their 1st single curse Yellow, this goes to show that Coldplay truly deserves to be better than a No. 6 band. So Bono, we know U2 is great, but the music scene deserves a few more greats alongside U2.

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P/S: Kim snapped all the pictures that night

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Top Picks Coldplay

I am looking forward to Coldplay's gig this Monday. Blocking whatever distress and worries I have, I am concentrating on the gig. Below are the Top 5 songs, I be singing my lungs out. In no particular order of preferences, here it goes

1. Viva La Vida
2. Life In Technicolor II
3. The Scientist
4. The Hardest Part
5. Clocks



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Netbook Asus Eee PC

I had been wating for some time to get a new laptop considering the fact my Acer laptop is in coma for many years now. And Kim's Fujitsu laptop is having irregular bowel syndrome where it hangs and do a physical memory dumps whenever she feels like it. So with the coming of a cheaper version of a crossover between a laptop and PDA, with the birth of netbook, its really a pleasant coming for budget consumers like me. I don’t play games on my laptop. Mostly the purpose of opening laptop is to read up on some interesting news out there, chatting or maybe do some updates on emails. That’s about it. I don’t even watch movies on the computer except maybe occasionally some stuffs on You Tube.

So from last week's IT Fair, I got myself Asus Eee PC model 1000HE. It comes with new Intel Atom N280 processor. For me, the most 2 important criterias for me are battery life and internet connectivity. You would not want either of that to die on you when you're in the midst of doing something.So with a 9.5hrs battery life and built in WLAN 802.11b/g/n, this netbook is certainly a grab. Plus it weighs at 1.45kg with a 10.2 inch screen with a 160Gb hardisk.

After much haggling on lowering the price, paid $700 cash for the netbook, discounted from the original price of $738. Prior to that, actually went to at least 3 other booths for price comparison. A lady beside me also purchased a similar model as mine. Saw her paying $735, but hers come with additional 1GB RAM. This booth is charging $30 for additional 1GB RAM. So the maths adds up. I believe adding RAM somewhere else can be cheaper.

It has only been less than a week for me using this toy. The multi touch pad needs some getting used to. Addition to that, I intend to transfer my I Tunes from my company laptop to this netbook and then upgrade the I Tunes to a 2.2.1 version. Still a lot of fine tuning to do.

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Assault on Reasons

When Mr Zardari reneged on his words that he will reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif took on it himself to rally the people to take for the "long march". Forget about the stigma of corruption charges still dangling over his neck, it seems like the people are behind this man now. A victorious victory to the people and especially on Nawaz Sharif's image.With weeks more to go for Dato Seri Najib to assume the mantle of leadership of UMNO, it seems like the assault on reasons in Malaysia had leaped a few folds. Bloggers are charged (one of them happened to be my colleague's friend who got charged on Fri, bachelor's night on Sat and wedding on Sun), Karpal is charged under Sedition Act, Gobind Singh is barred from Parliment for a year, the Perak state government had been unlawfully stripped of their give positions by the people, the list goes on and on.

Whats next for ordinary Malaysians like us? “Darkness is descending on our country against liberty and human rights,” says Kit Siang. And I agree. Again I like to remind all Malaysians that are eligible voters, please vote wisely. Every vote counts. And especially to those who are voting for the 3 by elections come this April, vote for Pakatan Rakyat candidates. Send a signal that to BN that the voices that trampled the BN in 08-Mar last year will shout out loud again.



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Skinny Pizza

I was never a fan when it comes to pizza. But everything in the world today is always about thin, slim, small, nano size......etc. So it comes as no suprise that pizza will somehow go through a transformation. So thats how we have thin crust pizza.

Now we have a stripped to the bones version of pizza. Skinny pizza. We ordered 2 Skinny Pizzas. Each pizza will set you back about $18.00. I must say, the crust is crispy but brittle. But I am not complaining since I really enjoy the taste.

To those who had not tried Skinny Pizza before, make your way down Suntec City at level 1. There are many flavours for you to choose from. Next time I am there, I will be going for the curry chicken skinny pizza.

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Setlist

In anticipation of the 2 gigs I be attending, Coldplay in Mar and Oasis in Apr, I had been stocking loads of songs into my IPod. Be it singles. live performances and B sides, its all there in my IPod.

Part of the excitement of attending a gig for me is the pre preparation. Yes I do prepare for every gigs I attend. I make sure I familiarize myself with their songs. When you have a group like Oasis with shitloads of B sides, you can be sure they will be out to suprise you with something you never see coming. On the other hand, you will be also waiting with anticipation, whats their setlist going to be?

I had been trying to figure out what Coldplay be playing. Best guess is always take other venue setlist as an indicator. Below is the setlist from their Australian tour. And from a glance, it looks almost similar to the one in Amstredam last year. It seems like they had 2 encores? I never had 2 encores before in any gig I attended. Hope I be 1st time lucky.

(February 27) in Perth
Life In Technicolor (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
Violet Hill (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
In My Place (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Clocks (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Yellow (from Parachutes, 2000)
Cemeteries Of London (from Viva La Vida, 2008)Chinese Sleep Chant (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
42 (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
Fix You (from X&Y, 2005)
Strawberry Swing (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Talk (from X&Y, 2005)
The Hardest Part (from X&Y, 2005)
Postcards From Far Away (from Prospekt’s March, 2008)
Viva La Vida (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
Lost! (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
Speed Of Sound (from X&Y, 2005)
Green Eyes (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic, sung by Will)
Viva La Vida (from Viva La Vida, 2008)

Politik (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Lovers In Japan (from Viva La Vida, 2008)
Death And All His Friends (from Viva La Vida, 2008)

The Scientist (from A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2002)
Life In Technicolor ii (from Prospekt’s March, 2008)
The Escapist (from Viva La Vida, 2008)



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Sarawak Laksa

In my previous posting, I said that I wanted to try Sarawak Laksa at the stall that sells kolo mee. So on Monday, finally got the chance to sample the dish. Despite the harsh weather with heavy rain, Sarawak Laksa die die must try.

At $4 per bowl, the serving is generous. The seller told me he gave us more bee hoon so that it can fill our stomach. This laksa is indeed different from Singapore or Penang version, but if I had to make a choice, its closer to the Singapore style. Because both version deploys coconut milk in the gravy. My Sarawakian colleague says, this is as close as you can get to the real thing. The soup is boiled using chicken and prawn shells.

In the laksa, you can find shredded chicken meat, prawns and a sprinkle of pepper mint leaves. For those who wants it spicy, help yourself to the belacan and lime.

Is it any good? I would say Sarawak Laksa is indeed a welcome addition to the laksa family. No harm if we have more choices to choose from.

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Oasis

Apart from Coldplay, I will be going for Oasis gig as well happening this 05-Apr. This will be my 3rd time going for a Oasis concert. I still remember my first gig, a date with destiny when Oasis performed in Bangkok at Dong Muang Thani stadium.

Then Oasis made it to Singapore in February, 2006 and I was there yet again to witness a band that proclaimed their bigger than God in action. Never mind that those in China will be missing their gig since the government of China banned Oasis from performing 2 shows there due to Noel's involvement in Free Tibetan campaign like more than 10 years ago.

I know Kim will be so looking forward to see them in action. I know I did and I always will be.

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Prostitution

Is prostitution legal in Singapore? I think Singapore residents get this alot from curious visitors making their way to Singapore for the first time. Technically its legal because the business itself is legal but soliciting is not.

Anyway I had found the best way to answer their queries of this nature next time someone asks me.

I will turn their attention to Singapore Sightseeing Tour and entice them to enrol themselves for Package 6, Red Lantern Tour. Geylang, red light district tour is on the plate. Its kinda an eye opener for me that this old age business can be a tourist attraction as well.

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Coldplay

I am all psyched up for the upcoming Coldplay gig this month. I know Korn is performing as well in KL Sunburst Festival 2009 which also features NERD, NERD gig in Singapore by the way is a soldout.

I dont think I be going down to KL to watch Korn. Theoratically its possible if I take a flight down on Fri night, go for the gig thats happening on Sat, then take flight back again to Spore on Sun, and go for my Coldplay gig on Mon. But I dont think I am up for it anymore. All this zooming back and forth for a gig is really tiring for me. I was supposed to watch Korn in Bangkok few years back with my friend, if not for him getting married on almost the same day. So that threw the plan out of the window.

Now back to Coldplay, I am beginning to dig some of the older albums of Coldplay like Live 2003, their first LP Parachute and A Rush of Blood To The Head. Not sure why, but somewhere down the line, I lost interest in Coldplay when they released X&Y. Then they appear again on my radar when they released A Rush of Blood To The Head.

Looking at Viva La Vida lyrics as well. No suprise that this song won Best Song Of The Year prize in Grammy 2009. How can you beat a song with lyrics that says "For some reasons I cant explain, Once you go there was never, Never an honest word, And that was when I ruled the world". Kim said this song should be dedicated to Najib when he falls down from grace. We'll see about that in the next election.

Back to Coldplay, I am updating their songs in my IPod Touch. And enjoy the video Life In Technicolor II. Its damn funny.



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Kolo Mee

My colleagues said that there is this nice authentic Sarawak Kolo Mee at Macpherson Road, Sing Li Food kopitiam. Seeing how near the stall is to my office, we decided to make our way down last Friday. The stall is located inside this kopitiam thats just sitting across the road where Northwest Interior Design is.

My verdict for this kolo mee is that I dont mind eating it again to be honest. I like the texture of kolo mee because its springy and not soggy like some other noodles when its soaked with gravy. I heard that this stall actually gets the real deal noodle from Sarawak. I am not a Sarawakian. So I definately cant ascertain how authentic this kolo mee is. But coming from another native Sarawakian, this kolo mee is as real as it can get.

Next on my list is the Sarawak Laksa. Point to note is that laksa is only sold on Monday at this stall. Heard its a soldout. Will blog about it when I had the chance to taste it.

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