I have been feeling so darn demotivated at work so far this week. I still do my work, but it just doesn't feel the same as before. I think it's due to the extra long Chinese New Year break and probably my mind is sub-conciously thinking ahead to the other 4 day weekend coming up this weekend. God, it was so hard to wake up on Monday morning. Some people are just plain inconsiderate. I need something to be done by tomorrow morning, but i need someone to finish his stuff first before i can start. So what does this evil evil human being do? He goes for a afternoon coffee break and finishes his stuff on time for him (i.e. just 5 minutes before 5:30 so that he can go home in time), but that means i have to stay on in the office after hours. This is probably another factor that adds to my demotivation of work.
I read in the paper that Erra Fazira ( Local female Malaysian artiste and one half Malay celebrity of the moment) was "overwhelmed with nervousness" while shooting her latest Malay flick Tujuh Perhentian. Just can't seem to stop the voices in my head screaming the words "cheap, publicity, and desperation". Usually i don't even bother with this sort of news, but somehow this one has just caught my eye. I seriously think that Erra is getting a bit too exposed already and people would probably start to get sick of her, but i would probably be wrong considering the fact that i predicted the same to Ms (Soon to be Mrs it seems..) Siti Nurhaliza in her early early years, and look whats happened to her! Again, god knows why I am keeping up with this "useful" piece of information but there you go.
I have started to have a weird fondness of Chinese Fried Rice with a sunny side on top lately and I just can't seem to get enough of it. I seriously do not know why. The first time i had it recently, before i started on my Chinese Fried Rice with a sunny side on top craving was probably a few weeks back during lunch, at one of the mamak stalls at the "island" along Jalan Semarak, just opposite Wisma Telekom Semarak, now the proud headquarters of the now number one (arguably) mobile telephony service provider, Celcom.
Don't know why, but somehow the service provided by the ex-numero uno (arguably as well) Maxis, which i have been a loyal customer for the past 4 years or so, have been utterly disappointing. Absolutely. I have lost count of the so many times my calls have been dropped, or the oh so many times people can't hear me, or when i can't hear to anything the other person is speaking. The only thing thats keeping me from changing over to Celcom would be my reluctance to change my handset number to a new one and the hassle that comes with it, although i have read somewhere before, don't exactly remember where, that there are proposals that numbers would be exchangeable between service providers, ie you can have a Celcom line and still keep your 012******* number with you. I, for one, would be all for this proposal, not because it would be oh so convenient to me, but also it would open up the market and increase competition between the service providers as a lot of the so called customer loyalty for a particular service provider, a huge chunk of customers are probably people like me who just can't be arsed to change as i want to keep my mobile number. Imagine, Maxis giving you crap service? Let me change to Celcom. I am still using my same number. Digi giving better rates and better coverage? Let me change to them instead. I am STILL using my same number! If this was the case, mobile telephony service providers would have to be on their toes constantly to keep their subscribers, and hence offering better deals to the consumers which can only be a good thing to us.
Later.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Hmm... Where are the flying pigs now?!
Bruno Cheryou - Liverpool snapped up this exciting midfielder in May 2002 for £3.7million from Lille. He became the latest in a long line of Frenchmen to link up with Gerard Houllier at Anfield. Cheyrou had an impressive 2001/02 season in Le Championnat with Lille, playing in the Champions League, and won a three-year contract with Liverpool. The player netted 15 goals from the middle of the park that season - three of those in the Champions League - and is considered as a future full France international. Houllier watched Cheyrou in action during his side's 1-0 victory over Paris Saint Germain, and within days the move was complete. New French champions Lyon made it clear that they wanted him, but they could not compete with Houllier and Liverpool. Cheyrou scored 28 goals in 96 League games for Lille. Made his Liverpool debut in the 1-0 FA Community Shield defeat at the hands of Arsenal - courtesy of soccernet [www.soccernet.com]
To tell you the truth, i had particularly high hopes for this particular player when he first joined us in the summer of 2002 as, i would have to admit, i fell for the hype surrounding the transfer of "The next Zidane" from Lille to Liverpool. Supposedly one of the best midfielders in "Le Championnat" (although the term "one of the best midfielder in Le Championnat" was also given to Smicer, hence, now, any credibility whatsoever to that term has completely vanished in my mind), and also supposedly banging on the door of the French first team eager to displace Zizou in that attacking midfield / playmaker, a place that he was earmarked for the future, and also a player who scored a cracker of a goal for Lille in the Champions League against 'em Scums, and also an attacking midfielder with a decent scoring record. You can't actually blame ANYONE to be absolutely excited of the prospect of this gem of a player coming to Anfield, and having wet dreams of hattricks being scored against 'em Scums on a regular basis (OK, a bit far fetched, but people are entitled to dream, no matter how ridiculous).
I don't actually remember which was the first game i saw him play live, but all i can remember was that he only came on as a substitute (which at that time i was complaining to all the people watching, why on earth wasn't he played from the very start?!!), had a few nice touches and passes and did a nice turn in the penalty box where he managed to fool the defender and got us a penalty which for the life of me i can't remember who converted. It was a decent start and i had my hopes up thinking, my oh my, he looks a pretty decent player, and yeah he does bear some sort of resemblance to Zizou. I was thinking about all the hours i spent reading rumours and theories of Zizou coming to Anfield a few years back (courtesy of Teamtalk forums), and now (then) we have gotten ourselves a worthy replacement instead.
It all went downwards from then on. I guess i, and a lot of other Liverpool suppoters too, had just too high expectations of him early on. People started to complain that that he was too light weight, he was too slow, had a dodgy haircut, wore poncy white boots that are usually reserved for people who have skill and are proven to have skill, which he, at that time, was still unproven and also, as some people might say "couldn't score in a brothel". That's pretty bad for the "Next Zidane". I have to admit, i am guilty for probably most, if not all, of those complaints. But yeah, he was absolute crap last year. Total waste of space. Period.
This season, early on, it did look a bit more promising for Bruno. He lost the dodgy haircut (actually i think he shaved his head last season, but i guess it's good that he didn't go back to the mohawk wannabe haircut), and he lost the white boots as well. That's two points ticked off my major gripes of him, although he he was still unproven on the field, where it mattered the most, but unlucky for the lad, he got injured and has only recovered and played in the last few games.
Of the last few games that he has played, it seems that he has found his scoring boots again and has scored two in the last three games (v Wolves and Chelsea me thinks), which is excellent. However, from the only game which i was able to watch, the Spurs match, he was still absolutely disappointing. Absolute crap. Total waste of space. Which brings us to the FA CUP fixture last night which, in the initial plan, i was to go get some sleep and wake up at 130 to catch the game, but as i got attacked by bouts of aches in the stomach area, i spent probably like 1 1/2 hour in the toilet, in pain and agony. Anyway, below is a rating of the players who played last night.
The Dude - He was beaten by an absolute screamer in the early minutes to let Newcastle back in after we went ahead a few minutes before that. At first when i saw the goal i thought "My god. What a goal" while my mouth stayed gaping open for the duration of the replays, but after viewing the replay, it seems that he did get a touch on the ball and could have done better, but i guess the sheer pace of the shot beat him. Nevertheless, he did absolutely redeem himself in the final minutes to keep Shearer out with a smart, reflex save. Other than that, he had little more to do. The Dude gets a 7/10
Finnan - Now THIS is how an attacking fullback SHOULD play. Sort of solid at the back and kept Robert relatively quiet throughout the match, and was constantly going forward to support the attack in the second half. Constantly bombarding forward and being available for a pass. He made a good combination with le Tallec in the second half on the right hand side and we totally dominated that area of the pitch. A truly excellent display from him. Finnan gets an 8/10
Carragher - This game shows just how much we missed this fella in the defense. Although he offered didly squat going forward, but he is absolutely solid at the back, shows gallons of determination, and would probably die for the cause. A good game for him and made sure that Solano was familiar to his pocket as Solano was constantly in it. Welcome back! 7/10
Henchoz - My man of the match. Shows WHY we have been missing him these past few months. Always solid and dependable. Good in the tackle and re-slotted into the central defence position along side Hyppia without much fuss as if he hadn't been gone at all. Re-established the telephatic communication with Hyppia in the central of defense such that Hyppia looks a much better player now, and the whole defense looks much more solid with him in there. Biscan, can you please pack up your bags. NOW. Henchoz 10/10
Hyppia - He must be absolutely GLAD to welcome back Henchoz back into the team. Looks much more composed now and much more calm and relaxed with his trusty partner in crime next to him. Looked pretty solid and had a few chances during corner kicks as well. Mr ex Captain gets 7/10
Didi Hammann - Defensive midfielder who does "exactly was it says on the tin". Calm and composed. Breaking up the Toon Army attacks in the center of midfield and shielded the back four well. Mr Houllier says that he would only renew his contract if he performs as consistently as this. I say sign him up now. Mr Consistently gets the job done gets a 7/10
Stevie G - El-Kapitan had a decent game. Always wanting the ball and always driving forward and also constantly running around. Set up the winning goal with a determined run on the left hand side and wrong footing the Toon defender, and sending in an inch perfect cross for Cheyrou to head in. If he keeps on playing like he did in the second half, i won't be complaining much, really. El Kapitan gets 7/10
Kewell - Again, he looks uninterested in playing. Looks lethargic. Doesn't look sharp Has lost his form completely and looks to have lost some confidence as well as he doesnt run at defenders that often anymore. Looks confused and lost in the field as well. I think it might have something to do with the constant moving around the field from right wing to left wing to right to left and all. I think he needs to be just stuck on the left wing and just stay there, for the time being, til he regains his form and confidence. Kewell gets a 5/10
Cheryou - He scored TWO goals!!! Not one, but TWO!!! GASP!! What is happening to this world?! Yes, i AM very happy that he scored both our goal on the night and it seems like he is just starting to find himself in the league nowadays. He scored one goal in the 1st minute, pouncing on the Given's save to steer the ball into the empty net, and the second, heading in a pinpoint cross from Gerrard past the despairing dive of the 'keeper. However, other than the two goals that he scored, he did absolutely nothing else. I was struggling to think of anything else that he contributed to the game. He needs to get involved more in the game. But, at least he is scoring the goals now. 9/10 for the goals and 5/10 for the performance, so an average of 7/10 for Bruno Cheryou.
Heskey - Useless piece of crap did absolutely nothing in the first half after forcing Given into a save which the rebound was pounced on by Cheryou for the goal. Did a lot of running around and nothing more. I don't know why he was replaced during half time though. Could he be injured or was it tactical? Really really needs to improve. 4/10
Saint Owen - Looked a bit more sharp compared to the Totenham game, but still not good enough for me. I will give him another one or two more games though as he is supposedly still regaining his sharpness from the injury. Now all he needs to do is to score a hattrick against the Bluenoses next. OK, a bit much to ask but what the hell. 5/10
Le Tallec - This is a player that still needs to prove himself. He is just 17 though so i am willing to give him some time, although he is going towards the "Bruno Cheryou route" with his dodgy haircut and hair color. Oh well, at least when he came on in the second half, he showed a lot of promising talent. Some good and neat touches and passes here and there and looks very promising. He dominated the right hand side of the field with Finnan in the second half. Looks promising and looks a hot prospect if he can continue to improve from this, which i think he will. 7/10
Some thoughts on the match
The first half was absolutely horrible. After the first 5 minutes, where one goal was scored each, it got so scrappy with wayward passing and non-evident flow on both teams. When the second half started, i thought that Houllier was going through one of his moments of insanity again. Playing at home, in a cup tie, needing to score, he brings out a striker and plays five across the midfield. I am actually still trying to figure out and undecided about whether our better second half performance was due to the tactical genius of Houllier changing to a five midfield, to control the midfield, or was it just a fluke as bringing ANYONE on for Heskey would be an improvement! Oh well.
You'll never walk alone.
Later.
To tell you the truth, i had particularly high hopes for this particular player when he first joined us in the summer of 2002 as, i would have to admit, i fell for the hype surrounding the transfer of "The next Zidane" from Lille to Liverpool. Supposedly one of the best midfielders in "Le Championnat" (although the term "one of the best midfielder in Le Championnat" was also given to Smicer, hence, now, any credibility whatsoever to that term has completely vanished in my mind), and also supposedly banging on the door of the French first team eager to displace Zizou in that attacking midfield / playmaker, a place that he was earmarked for the future, and also a player who scored a cracker of a goal for Lille in the Champions League against 'em Scums, and also an attacking midfielder with a decent scoring record. You can't actually blame ANYONE to be absolutely excited of the prospect of this gem of a player coming to Anfield, and having wet dreams of hattricks being scored against 'em Scums on a regular basis (OK, a bit far fetched, but people are entitled to dream, no matter how ridiculous).
I don't actually remember which was the first game i saw him play live, but all i can remember was that he only came on as a substitute (which at that time i was complaining to all the people watching, why on earth wasn't he played from the very start?!!), had a few nice touches and passes and did a nice turn in the penalty box where he managed to fool the defender and got us a penalty which for the life of me i can't remember who converted. It was a decent start and i had my hopes up thinking, my oh my, he looks a pretty decent player, and yeah he does bear some sort of resemblance to Zizou. I was thinking about all the hours i spent reading rumours and theories of Zizou coming to Anfield a few years back (courtesy of Teamtalk forums), and now (then) we have gotten ourselves a worthy replacement instead.
It all went downwards from then on. I guess i, and a lot of other Liverpool suppoters too, had just too high expectations of him early on. People started to complain that that he was too light weight, he was too slow, had a dodgy haircut, wore poncy white boots that are usually reserved for people who have skill and are proven to have skill, which he, at that time, was still unproven and also, as some people might say "couldn't score in a brothel". That's pretty bad for the "Next Zidane". I have to admit, i am guilty for probably most, if not all, of those complaints. But yeah, he was absolute crap last year. Total waste of space. Period.
This season, early on, it did look a bit more promising for Bruno. He lost the dodgy haircut (actually i think he shaved his head last season, but i guess it's good that he didn't go back to the mohawk wannabe haircut), and he lost the white boots as well. That's two points ticked off my major gripes of him, although he he was still unproven on the field, where it mattered the most, but unlucky for the lad, he got injured and has only recovered and played in the last few games.
Of the last few games that he has played, it seems that he has found his scoring boots again and has scored two in the last three games (v Wolves and Chelsea me thinks), which is excellent. However, from the only game which i was able to watch, the Spurs match, he was still absolutely disappointing. Absolute crap. Total waste of space. Which brings us to the FA CUP fixture last night which, in the initial plan, i was to go get some sleep and wake up at 130 to catch the game, but as i got attacked by bouts of aches in the stomach area, i spent probably like 1 1/2 hour in the toilet, in pain and agony. Anyway, below is a rating of the players who played last night.
The Dude - He was beaten by an absolute screamer in the early minutes to let Newcastle back in after we went ahead a few minutes before that. At first when i saw the goal i thought "My god. What a goal" while my mouth stayed gaping open for the duration of the replays, but after viewing the replay, it seems that he did get a touch on the ball and could have done better, but i guess the sheer pace of the shot beat him. Nevertheless, he did absolutely redeem himself in the final minutes to keep Shearer out with a smart, reflex save. Other than that, he had little more to do. The Dude gets a 7/10
Finnan - Now THIS is how an attacking fullback SHOULD play. Sort of solid at the back and kept Robert relatively quiet throughout the match, and was constantly going forward to support the attack in the second half. Constantly bombarding forward and being available for a pass. He made a good combination with le Tallec in the second half on the right hand side and we totally dominated that area of the pitch. A truly excellent display from him. Finnan gets an 8/10
Carragher - This game shows just how much we missed this fella in the defense. Although he offered didly squat going forward, but he is absolutely solid at the back, shows gallons of determination, and would probably die for the cause. A good game for him and made sure that Solano was familiar to his pocket as Solano was constantly in it. Welcome back! 7/10
Henchoz - My man of the match. Shows WHY we have been missing him these past few months. Always solid and dependable. Good in the tackle and re-slotted into the central defence position along side Hyppia without much fuss as if he hadn't been gone at all. Re-established the telephatic communication with Hyppia in the central of defense such that Hyppia looks a much better player now, and the whole defense looks much more solid with him in there. Biscan, can you please pack up your bags. NOW. Henchoz 10/10
Hyppia - He must be absolutely GLAD to welcome back Henchoz back into the team. Looks much more composed now and much more calm and relaxed with his trusty partner in crime next to him. Looked pretty solid and had a few chances during corner kicks as well. Mr ex Captain gets 7/10
Didi Hammann - Defensive midfielder who does "exactly was it says on the tin". Calm and composed. Breaking up the Toon Army attacks in the center of midfield and shielded the back four well. Mr Houllier says that he would only renew his contract if he performs as consistently as this. I say sign him up now. Mr Consistently gets the job done gets a 7/10
Stevie G - El-Kapitan had a decent game. Always wanting the ball and always driving forward and also constantly running around. Set up the winning goal with a determined run on the left hand side and wrong footing the Toon defender, and sending in an inch perfect cross for Cheyrou to head in. If he keeps on playing like he did in the second half, i won't be complaining much, really. El Kapitan gets 7/10
Kewell - Again, he looks uninterested in playing. Looks lethargic. Doesn't look sharp Has lost his form completely and looks to have lost some confidence as well as he doesnt run at defenders that often anymore. Looks confused and lost in the field as well. I think it might have something to do with the constant moving around the field from right wing to left wing to right to left and all. I think he needs to be just stuck on the left wing and just stay there, for the time being, til he regains his form and confidence. Kewell gets a 5/10
Cheryou - He scored TWO goals!!! Not one, but TWO!!! GASP!! What is happening to this world?! Yes, i AM very happy that he scored both our goal on the night and it seems like he is just starting to find himself in the league nowadays. He scored one goal in the 1st minute, pouncing on the Given's save to steer the ball into the empty net, and the second, heading in a pinpoint cross from Gerrard past the despairing dive of the 'keeper. However, other than the two goals that he scored, he did absolutely nothing else. I was struggling to think of anything else that he contributed to the game. He needs to get involved more in the game. But, at least he is scoring the goals now. 9/10 for the goals and 5/10 for the performance, so an average of 7/10 for Bruno Cheryou.
Heskey - Useless piece of crap did absolutely nothing in the first half after forcing Given into a save which the rebound was pounced on by Cheryou for the goal. Did a lot of running around and nothing more. I don't know why he was replaced during half time though. Could he be injured or was it tactical? Really really needs to improve. 4/10
Saint Owen - Looked a bit more sharp compared to the Totenham game, but still not good enough for me. I will give him another one or two more games though as he is supposedly still regaining his sharpness from the injury. Now all he needs to do is to score a hattrick against the Bluenoses next. OK, a bit much to ask but what the hell. 5/10
Le Tallec - This is a player that still needs to prove himself. He is just 17 though so i am willing to give him some time, although he is going towards the "Bruno Cheryou route" with his dodgy haircut and hair color. Oh well, at least when he came on in the second half, he showed a lot of promising talent. Some good and neat touches and passes here and there and looks very promising. He dominated the right hand side of the field with Finnan in the second half. Looks promising and looks a hot prospect if he can continue to improve from this, which i think he will. 7/10
Some thoughts on the match
The first half was absolutely horrible. After the first 5 minutes, where one goal was scored each, it got so scrappy with wayward passing and non-evident flow on both teams. When the second half started, i thought that Houllier was going through one of his moments of insanity again. Playing at home, in a cup tie, needing to score, he brings out a striker and plays five across the midfield. I am actually still trying to figure out and undecided about whether our better second half performance was due to the tactical genius of Houllier changing to a five midfield, to control the midfield, or was it just a fluke as bringing ANYONE on for Heskey would be an improvement! Oh well.
You'll never walk alone.
Later.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Halal Yee Sang Anyone?
Now, correct me if i am wrong, but Yee Sang is a Chinese traditional dish which is usually regarded as sort of a must for the annual reunion dinner. What usually happens a is that the Yee Sang dish would be put in the middle of the table and then everyone stands up mixes and tossed the food in the plate around together with their chopsticks, and supposedly, the higher you toss the food, the more prosperous you get in the following year. What i am told, by a colleague of mine that is, is that in your normal kopitiams, you can see the more traditional and elderly folks trying to outdo themselves by tossing the food higher and higher up in the air and would sometimes even go to the extent of standing on their chairs to toss the food higher and higher. OK, now THAT, i would want to see someday.
We had a pre-Chinese New Year project lunch the other day where my project team mates went to the extent of finding a Halal Yee Sang place so that i could join in on the "fun". I didn't really know at that time how difficult it is to find Halal Yee Sang, so i felt a bit obligated to join in considering the fact that they actually went to the trouble so that i could join in. If I wasn't around, probably they would go to some place like Peel Road or Jalan Imbi some place, their normal Chinese Food haunts when i don't follow them for the lunch break. So they decided to go to the Chinese Restaurant at Nikko Hotel for their dose of Project Yee Sang this year. Anyway, once we were there, i let the rest order whatever they wanted, which i really couldn't understand what on earth they were on about with the waitresses there. All they said was the food that they ordered consists of some Yee Sang and some dim sum after that.
The Yee Sang arrived quite some time later and i was starting to get a bit hungry already from the wait as i had already consumed my fortune cookie (Which I just can't seem to remember what it said, but from what i do remember was that it was supposed to be a prediction for 2008, which is like 5 years away, so if it indeed DID happen then, i would have long forgotten about the fortune cookie anyway) (also, are you supposed to eat it AFTER the meal or BEFORE?) and several cups of hot Chinese tea as well. Once it arrived, i could see that the plate consisted of some raw salmon, some shredded carrot and cucumber, some sort of cracker-ish stuff, and also some other stuff which i couldn't for the life of me recognise. Oh yeah, and they actually put some GOLD paper or some sort . It seems that it is supposed to be mixed into the Yee Sang and consumed by an unassuming "lucky" fella, and is supposed to bring prosperity to the person who consumers it. Interesting.
So everybody stood up, shouted "YAM SENG!!", or was it "YEE SANG!!", and took their chopsticks and started mixing it all up in the plate together. I was about to jump onto my chair and start throwing up the yee sang from way up there but luckily the person sitting next to me stopped me, and explained that people only do that in like the kopitiams and all and not at hotels. Darn. Oh well. Maybe some other time then. Anyway, after like 2-3 minutes and after getting the whole table messed up with the yee sang all splattered around (I am imagining how it would be if people actually DID stand on the chair and toss it from way up there!!), we each took a plate full of yee sang and started to eat. According to the more "knowledgeable" ones on the table, the yee sang we had that day was pretty decent. For me, i sort of find it a bit too sweet for my liking, but i wouldn't mind having it again. I was more interested in taking the salmon and also looking for the supposedly gold paper (which no one could find, so someone would have some gold swimming around in their stomach).
As for the dim sum that came after that, considering the fact that i've dim-sum-ed before, wasn't too much of a suprise other than two of the dishes. One of it was the chicken legs, which they call the Phoenix Claw (if my memory serves me well), which at first didn't look too appealing to me, but after a LOT of persuasion from everyone, i decided to give it a go. I must say that it did taste a bit weird, but really not that bad and i guess the only thing that stopped me before would probably be just the THOUGHT of eating the chicken legs and also the sight of it. Once you start "diggin in", it's not too bad. I was told after i finished mine that i was a "brave person" to have eaten it since most of the people on the table wouldn't have it ANYWAY!! Basterds. The other dim sum that i would say probably stood out from the rest would be some sort of deep fried dumpling with prawns and BANANAS in it! OK, i don't know about any of you, but for me, in general, prawns and bananas do NOT mix well together, and that dumpling that day wasn't an exception either.
Anyway, I just received a joke on my SMS a few minutes ago, and here it goes.
"Chinese New Year is very near, so the 12 animals of the Chinese calendar should meet again. Up till now, the meeting has not started as the monkey is still reading this message" - Ha ha ha.
Happy Chinese New Year.
Later.
We had a pre-Chinese New Year project lunch the other day where my project team mates went to the extent of finding a Halal Yee Sang place so that i could join in on the "fun". I didn't really know at that time how difficult it is to find Halal Yee Sang, so i felt a bit obligated to join in considering the fact that they actually went to the trouble so that i could join in. If I wasn't around, probably they would go to some place like Peel Road or Jalan Imbi some place, their normal Chinese Food haunts when i don't follow them for the lunch break. So they decided to go to the Chinese Restaurant at Nikko Hotel for their dose of Project Yee Sang this year. Anyway, once we were there, i let the rest order whatever they wanted, which i really couldn't understand what on earth they were on about with the waitresses there. All they said was the food that they ordered consists of some Yee Sang and some dim sum after that.
The Yee Sang arrived quite some time later and i was starting to get a bit hungry already from the wait as i had already consumed my fortune cookie (Which I just can't seem to remember what it said, but from what i do remember was that it was supposed to be a prediction for 2008, which is like 5 years away, so if it indeed DID happen then, i would have long forgotten about the fortune cookie anyway) (also, are you supposed to eat it AFTER the meal or BEFORE?) and several cups of hot Chinese tea as well. Once it arrived, i could see that the plate consisted of some raw salmon, some shredded carrot and cucumber, some sort of cracker-ish stuff, and also some other stuff which i couldn't for the life of me recognise. Oh yeah, and they actually put some GOLD paper or some sort . It seems that it is supposed to be mixed into the Yee Sang and consumed by an unassuming "lucky" fella, and is supposed to bring prosperity to the person who consumers it. Interesting.
So everybody stood up, shouted "YAM SENG!!", or was it "YEE SANG!!", and took their chopsticks and started mixing it all up in the plate together. I was about to jump onto my chair and start throwing up the yee sang from way up there but luckily the person sitting next to me stopped me, and explained that people only do that in like the kopitiams and all and not at hotels. Darn. Oh well. Maybe some other time then. Anyway, after like 2-3 minutes and after getting the whole table messed up with the yee sang all splattered around (I am imagining how it would be if people actually DID stand on the chair and toss it from way up there!!), we each took a plate full of yee sang and started to eat. According to the more "knowledgeable" ones on the table, the yee sang we had that day was pretty decent. For me, i sort of find it a bit too sweet for my liking, but i wouldn't mind having it again. I was more interested in taking the salmon and also looking for the supposedly gold paper (which no one could find, so someone would have some gold swimming around in their stomach).
As for the dim sum that came after that, considering the fact that i've dim-sum-ed before, wasn't too much of a suprise other than two of the dishes. One of it was the chicken legs, which they call the Phoenix Claw (if my memory serves me well), which at first didn't look too appealing to me, but after a LOT of persuasion from everyone, i decided to give it a go. I must say that it did taste a bit weird, but really not that bad and i guess the only thing that stopped me before would probably be just the THOUGHT of eating the chicken legs and also the sight of it. Once you start "diggin in", it's not too bad. I was told after i finished mine that i was a "brave person" to have eaten it since most of the people on the table wouldn't have it ANYWAY!! Basterds. The other dim sum that i would say probably stood out from the rest would be some sort of deep fried dumpling with prawns and BANANAS in it! OK, i don't know about any of you, but for me, in general, prawns and bananas do NOT mix well together, and that dumpling that day wasn't an exception either.
Anyway, I just received a joke on my SMS a few minutes ago, and here it goes.
"Chinese New Year is very near, so the 12 animals of the Chinese calendar should meet again. Up till now, the meeting has not started as the monkey is still reading this message" - Ha ha ha.
Happy Chinese New Year.
Later.
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