Thursday, October 27, 2011

Sea Lion C1101

Sea Lion brand badminton shuttlecock might be rarely heard by some of us but it has been around for sometime now.

As the name implied, sea lion is used as their logo. It's hard to associate a sea lion with badminton though.

The shuttlecock is made from China and cost RM 52.90 per tube. It is quite an expensive shuttlecock and I hope the price tag reflects on its quality. Apparently, it did not exhibit its speed number (76 or 77 for this region) on the tube.

The shuttlecock looks like any normal shuttlecock and has a sea lion logo at the base of the cock. The feathers feel sturdy and it looks like a good and quality shuttlecock.

The green strip around the cock has "sealion" word all over it which makes it easier to distinguish.

This is how the shuttlecocks looks like after a long rally and hard smashes in a 21 points system match. It definitely able to absorb a lot of beating and still flying as it should be.

Sea Lion C1101 is a decent shuttlecock. It has good durability and flight performance. The performance of this shuttlecock is on par with any quality shuttle cock I had played so far.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Kolam Decoration 2011


The floors of almost all shopping malls in the Klang Valley are brightly decorated with kolam colours to mark the arrival of Deepavali on 26th October 2011.

The kolam art use rice, rice powder or dried coconut to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity so she can bestow her blessings.

The kolam in Berjaya Times Square is huge and measured at 6.4m in diameter in way of the main entrance. The elephant headed Lord Ganesha symbolising strength and power is incorporated to the kolam design.

Sungei Wang Plaza kolam size is a bit smaller. The design is a symmetric line drawing with curved loops to showcase a colourful symbol of love and happiness.

The KLCC's kolam are placed at its 3 entrances and use mainly peacock and flowers as the motives

At the Pavilion Mall, the art of designing kolam is given an unconventional twist. In collaboration with The One Academy, they came out with one of a kind 3D kolam at the sixth floor of the shopping mall.

Titled "Unconventional Greetings", the design comprises a peacock surrounds an oil lamp to symbolize the triumph of good over evil, which is what Deepavali is all about. It used up some 100kg of rice in 9 hues as well as stickers and glitter papers to create this 3D kolam.

Water features and flower motives are also featured in this kolam which shows the importance of nature and signifies the balance of mind, body and soul.

An anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image. An anamorphosis is an image that is distorted in such a way that it only assumes the proportions of recognizable forms when viewed from a certain angle, or by reflection in a curved surface.

In this piece of Anamorphic kolam Art, the painting is stretched out at the back so when onlookers look at it from a right angle, it appears 3D.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Hang Jebat Mausoleum

Hang Jebat mausoleum is an old Malay grave at Jalan Kampung Kuli, Malacca.

The grave itself is Achinese in style and is of the type normally used to mark the burial places of high ministers and Sultans of the period 

Here lies Hang Jebat, a warrior labelled a traitor, all for the love of a friend.

During the rule of Sultan Mansor Shah (1456-1477 A.D.), there lived 5 young men who grew up together. Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu were inseparable and became known as the "Five Companions" in the epic "Hikayat Hang Tuah". The lives of the five "blood brothers" who were expert exponents of martial arts, took a turn when they saved the live of Bendahara of Melaka, Tun Perak.

Sultan Mansor Shah was so impressed with the skills of the five that he immediately gave them positions at his court and Hang Tuah became his favourite. Sultan Mansor presented Hang Tuah with a beautiful keris, the Taming Sari, said to possess magical and mythical powers.

However, the sultan's undisguised appreciation and favouritism of Hang Tuah did not augur well with other court officials, namely Patih Karma Wijaya. They plotted his downfall and accused him of seducing the Sultan's favourite consort. The Sultan, upon hearing the rumour immediately ordered Hang Tuah\s execution. Tun Perak, who believed in Hang Tuah's innocence spirited him away to a secret hideaway.

Hang Jebat could not understand why the Sultan ordered his brother's execution without first giving him a chance to prove his innocence. Disillusioned and broken hearted, Hang Jebat ran amok and sought revenge, killing everyone that tried to protect the Sultan. Fearing for his life, the Sultan approached Tun Perak and expressed his regret over Hang Tuah's hasty execution.

When the Sultan agreed to pardon Hang Tuah, Tun Perak told him the truth. Hang Tuah's joy at being pardoned turned to dismay when told his new mission and after an extended soul searching, went in search of Hang Jebat. In the ensuing fight, which was said to lasted 3 days and 3 nights, Hang Jebat enlightened his childhood friend on why he turned against the Sultan, but being a man ingrained with the convention that the Sultan deserved absolute loyalty, Hang Tuah refused to accept Hang Jebat reasoning. finally he drew his keris, the "Taming Sari" and fatally stabbed Hang Jebat and the later died in his arms.

Hang Tuah went down in history as a hero who made a worthy sacrifice while Hang Jebat was labelled a traitor, all for the love of a friend

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen


I picked up Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen from Cold Storage (RM 19.49) the other day since a large number of Oktoberfest beers are made available of late.

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Marzen has an alcohol content of 5.8% of volumes which is slightly stronger than most beers in the market. I can't help to start wonder if the Oktoberfest beers are brewed with higher alcohol content on purpose.

Nothing out of the ordinary in the ingredients used to brew this beer. It uses water, barley, hop and hop extract.

The expiry date of the beer is printed on its sticker which I reckon is about 1 year shelf live.

The bottle cap design is rather unique which negate the need for a bottle cap opener. All you need to do is to lift the wired cap holder in way of the bottle neck. I find this design extremely useful as I can pratically enjoy it anywhere and anytime.

It pours to a nice caramel brown with a decent head which dissipate quickly without much lacing. It has nice and sweet German malt taste with a wonderful hop depth. Overall maltiness and sweetness of this brew works so wonderfully together.

It's really a drinkable beer. It's full of complexity but at the same time has a really high level of refreshment.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls


There are basically 2 shops in Malacca which are famous for their Chicken Rice Balls and one of them is Chung Wah Coffee Shop.

The shop is located at the entrance of Jonker Street, just next to the Tan Kim Seng Bridge.

The traditional Chinese name plate hanging above an arch which imply that the shop might had been run for generations.

This place is usually crowded during lunch time and I manage to get here before lunch time (before 12pm) where the traffic was still manageable.

The place is small but clean with white marble tables and wooden chair. It kind of have that old rustic feel while dining here.

The owner in action where the chicken been chopped. Only steamed chicken is served here, true to its Hainanese style.

As you can see the chicken serving was in a mess as if it had been chopped by an amateur butcher.The is chicken is average in taste, juicy and tender. They don't use much sesame oil and soy sauce for the chicken. The rice on the other hand is pretty good. Probably slightly better than Hoe Kee. It is safe to assume that How Kee serves better chicken whereas Chung Wah serves better rice balls.

I don't have a proper breakdown but it cost a total of RM 13.20 for 2 person (including drinks).

Saturday, October 15, 2011

St. Francis Xavier's Church @ Malacca


St. Francis Xavier's Church, located at Laksamana Road in Malacca has a domineering presence in the skyline of Malacca.

Built in 1849, by Reverend Favre, a Frenchman, the Gothic towered church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier is well remembered for his missionary work spreading Catholicism to South East Asia in the 16th Century.

This twin spired neo gothic structured was built on the site of an old Portuguese church and was believed to be modeled after the Cathedral of St. Peter in Montpellier, France, which closely resemble the older church's original construction except for a portico which was added in 1963.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier

It's the annual Oktoberfest beer festival again and some seasonal beers for the occasion can be seen around the pubs and supermarkets lately.

I manage to get hold of Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier (RM 19.49) from Cold Storage. It used to be a seasonal beer but I read it is now made almost available all year round.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier has a rather interesting pictures on its bottles which depict the citizens of Munich enjoying the beer in 1800s background and outfit.

Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier is made of water, malted barley, hop and hop extract. It has a higher alcohol content at 6% volumes and this make it somewhat stronger than the usual lager beer.

It pours an orange amber color with perfect clarity. Head disappear quickly with almost no lacing. Malts dominate the brew, with hops bringing in a slight balance. The herbal flavors go well with the sweet malts. Clean finish and after taste.

With a hint of malty sweetness, the Paulaner Oktoberfest beer possesses the perfect balance. It's an easy to drink beer and definitely a good beer choice to enjoy during the Oktoberfest event.