06.29.09
The great escape to Urbanscapes.
Event: Urbanscapes 2009
Date: June 27, 2009 (Saturday)
Venue: KLPAC, Sentul
What better way to celebrate my 24th by heading over to KLUE’s Urbanscapes last Saturday. It was like one big party for me, and I did not even have to do the planning. Everyone you did not know would just show up anyway. Heh. I could set up a booth saying, ‘It’s my birthday today, come kiss me’, but I did not want to go too far. I bet it’s something you would find at Urbanscapes anyway, though. Heh.
But on to a more serious note, it was my first Urbanscapes experience. And I thought it was quite a nice festival to spend a Saturday at. There was so much going on that I did not know where to start and what to do, that I ended up not really checking out everything at all. Which kind of sucked. Meh.
For those who does not know what an Urbanscapes is, it is a creative arts festival with a very indie theme hanging in the air. There is a marketplace selling very indie fashion clothes. There are performance stages where indie kind of groups go up and do their thing. There is an exhibition hall where all the indie and artsy fartsy, uh, arts are displayed. So, it is quite a niche festival, which is pretty much to my liking.
This year, Urbanscapes had a total of 10 segments going on.
There was a Street Performances area, out in the open under a big tree. Which I thought was a very busking kind of surrounding. It catered to skits and stand up comedies from performing arts institutions, like T4YP, AIIA, EMP, RPT, The ComeBackKings and The Oral Stage.
We checked out some of the stand up comedians, which were just alright. Not like ROTFLMAOwtfbbq kind of funny, but just a ha-ha kind of funny. Which was OK. I was not looking to be blown away anyway.
But the one skit that impressed me was probably AIIA (Artifically Intelligent: Improvholics Anonymous), I think. They had a few people dressed up in costumes – The Joker, Little Red Riding Hood, a mechanic, a sexy secretary, Chun Li, a Japanese dude and a photographer, and they had the crowd shout out scenes of any kind so the actors can improvise freeze motions in 3, 2, 1. The actions they came up with at such a short time were priceless. I liked it.
It was also a showground for busking buskers like KL Stompers and Tugu Drum Circle.
I last saw the Tugu Drum Circle people at Sunburst and once again, there they were, rounding up passers by to provide a tim to the tom, and a bang to the drum.
They drew a much bigger crowd compared to Sunburst. People were voluntarily going up to grab their desired instrument and joining in the improv performance. And I liked that spirit going around in that circle. A pretty good chance for someone to bang their frustrations out.
A crowd grabber was The X Marketplace. As the name suggested, a bunch of indie designer brands came together and brought the crowd wardrobe full of clothes one could go on a spree at.
There were brands by Badgers, Pop! Collective, JouJou & Shugi Toy Art Mart (with designer toys imported from the US), Lah’ Lah’ Land, the Threads Zoo and many many more.
I thought these were cute. Pixelated accessories.
No creative arts festival would be right without a spot for the Lomo lovers.
In fact, you could spot people with lomo cameras and DSLRs walking around and positioning themselves in weird angles, just to take that one creative shot. Makes me feel all demotivated with my “sample” camera. So, forgive me if my shots here are a little out of angle. I was not myself.
There was also a Barsonic booth, blasting the most LapSap music. I thought they were a little out of place, but yet at the same time not so much because when the indie people want to party, Barsonic is where they go to. So, I guess it was alright. But just do not break into a dance in the middle of the day. Or do. Heh.
There were more shopping tents up at the TiC Zone, by the fashion spawn child of Freeform, Tongue in Chic.
Look at the ladies going at it!
At least there were not catfights over a bracelet. Heh.
I did not have the urge to go through the racks and look for something I like. Mainly because I should not. God knows I am not going to stop if I start. Also, I do not like street markets under the hot sun. First half of Urbanscapes was sweltering like a pig.
There was also the Makan Boulevard, because no one in their right mind would organise a 12 hour festival without food. Or maybe there is, but I do not want to name names.
Plenty of food to go around. Hotdogs from Palate Palette, kebabs, rice sets, ice blended bubble teas (which was always trailed with a long queue), loklok and much more.
For music lovers, there was The X Lawn. The line up was not bad as well, with usual suspects like 40 Winks, Yuna, Pesawat, Gerhanda Ska Cinta, Pure Vibracion and Killeur Calculateur.
I only managed to catch 40 Winks and they were quite alright. Very reggae and big band-ish with their brass going on. I liked it that at the front of the stage the fans were not moshing, but dancing – reggae style thingamajig – along to the music. Ah, where is the love, you ask? Here it is. Heh. (Corny, I know – it comes with the age, unfortunately).
Exhibition is where the artsy farts would go.
You can even tapau-a-monster there. It was so darn cute! I almost wanna tapau one home. But I had to restrain myself from the doggypack. I havebought enough of these self-sewn soft toys in weird fabrics and designs that now they are all sitting in a box neatly stacked in the upside cupboard in Penang. So, I should NOT tapau another monster home. Heh.
But still, it would be nice to get myself a little souvenir to commemorate Urbanscapes. What can I say, I am a sap. I would have bought an official Urbanscapes T-shirt but they ran out of my size. Boo. So, I guess it is OK to buy myself a little handmade badge by Oh & Ah. Cuties, aren’t they?
KARYA stuck a few colourful blocks in between wires, and voila, a metaphoric metropolis.
There were even little fish ponds made out of newspaper and basins.
Other segments at Urbanscapes were Indicine, the Cinescape Stage, The Box and the Sunset Disco.
However, it was a shame I did not take enough time to check out everything. So much was happening at the same time, I forgot my to-do list. I did wanted to go see Sepet at The Cinescape Stage, but of course that escaped my mind. Also, I had to leave early too because I needed a ride back. So, I had to miss out on Twilight ActionGirl at the Sunset Disco, and some fire twirling action going on after sundown.
But all in all, it was a fun day out with friends. Bumped into some people I know and met a few new friends on the way – hi, Reta. Even the staffs were generally nice folks. There were no shoving or pushing around; a very nice place to chill out indeed. Maybe next year I will stay on the full 12-hour. Well done, KLUE. It was an awesome birthday party festival. Heh.
ETA: Words have been going around on Twitter that someone who was infected with H1N1 was at Urbanscapes that day. Read KLUE’s official announcement regarding the incident here. If you are feeling unwell, or you are worried you might be infected, do go for a checkup. Be safe, kids.
06.24.09
Book review: Famous Street Food of Penang
Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: Doing pilates and Keane live in Singapore @ 13 August 2009.
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“Discerning foodies invariably dismiss Penang delicacies sold outside of the island as pale imitations of the real thing. Penangites in Kuala Lumpur are usually prejudiced against the Penang hawker food available in the city – they tend to claim that the snacks or noodles are not 100% “authentic”. Even if the food vendor is a member of a Penang family that has made a name for itself with a specific regional specialty. Penangites tasting the food will still insist that it just isn’t the same.”
- p. 8-9
*Takes a deep breath* Hokkien mee, Curry mee, Loh mee, Tok tok mee, Lam mee, Jawa mee, Mee goreng, Nasi kandar, Char kuey teow, Char kuey kak, Lorbak, Oh chien, Or kuih, Chai kuih, Ban chang kuih, Chee cheong fun, Ais kacang, Bubur kacang, Rojak!
Phew, what a mouthful!
And what a mouthful indeed, when you venture up north of Malaysia to Penang for their endless variety of hawkers food.
For a Penangite, some time in your life while growing up, you are bound to hear tidings of who sells the best what in which street. Although you may not have been there and try it yourself, you know they are there, firing up their stoves in the wee hours of the morning to serve a long line of customers for the day.
For people born and bred elsewhere, it may be a little hard unless you engage with a local Penangite and trust him/her to bring you to the best vendors around the island.
However, if you do not have any friends or relatives hailing from Penang, why not pick up a copy of Famous Street Food of Penang: a Guide & Cook Book compiled by The Star Publications.
Inside, it has everything you need to know about filling the tummy in the Pearl of the Orient. From catchy stories of the vendors themselves, whom most of them took over their parents or grandparents business and are still doing the works for at least a decade, to concise locations of their stalls on the island, to even recipes on how you can cook up your own char kuey teow and ban chang kuih!
The Star Publications is one of the more sought after newspapers available in Malaysia, so you can definitely trust them to be straightforward with their writing, while at the same time, engaging.
I like it that they are clear and concise about the history of Penang in the introduction, unlike a certain book I reviewed a while that seemed to go on and on and on.
As the saying goes, everyone has a story to tell, and the hardy people of The Star managed to dig deep and get the story. This shows that they are not merely collecting information from all over and slapping them into a compilation; they really do go out there and get things done.
As I was going through this book, I thought to myself, if I were to come up with a collection of stories or a coffee table book, it would be something along the line that The Star is walking on. The kind of stories that are not displayed out to the public for everyone to read. The kind that you need to grab a hold of the storytellers, sit them down for a cuppa (and perhaps buy them the cuppa), and probe them to tell you everything as if you were their confidante.
The recipe at the back of each story/dish is also something fun for the readers. With precise steps of how to prepare every dish mentioned in the book, who knows, you could be the next Hokkien Mee vendor stealing the scene in Sarawak or in the heart of KL!
Also, it is quite a good book to bring along with you if you are staying overseas, and will not be returning home for a long while. Having the recipes to whip up a meal of nasi kandar in your very own kitchen over in Melbourne or England is enough to satisfy your craving for the time being. Hey, beggars cannot be choosers; anything is better than nothing.
Alas, there is only so much you can include in a book. Where is the duck-lapped Kuey chiap, or the gooey substance sprinkled with finely grinded peanuts – Muar chee, or the pork-crazed Bak kut teh, or the colourful array of Kow chan kuih?
But seeing that The Star has covered most of the hawkers food already, I guess it is OK to let them off the hook for this one. After all, they succeeded in making me miss the food back home. (Why, yes, I am quite the family’s daughter, missing food over my family; but believe you me, most of us Penangites are like that, heh)
However, whether all Penangites would agree that all the vendors mentioned in the book is the best, is another matter. Some may argue that the Kayu nasi kandar is not the best but the Line Clear nasi kandar across the Penang Road; while others may prefer the charcoal cooked Curry Mee available in the Air Itam street market (featured in the front cover of the book) tops the gas cooked one at Lorong Seratus Tahun.
Each to his own, really. The only way to settle your score is to head on up to Penang and go on a big binge out yourself.
Now, who’s with me on a foodie road trip to Penang?
06.15.09
Sunday’s Marmalade matinee.
Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: Aimee Mann live in Singapore @ 29 August 2009.
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It was another Sunday of nothingness, as I lay in bed trying to decide where to go for a quiet meal for one, when I recalled a sweet little place at the corner in Bangsar Village II, where Leng and I last met up for some afternoon tea a while back. It was also a day to try out new joints and see if I like it, instead of heading for another round of waffles at Deli.cious Cafe.
The place was already rowdy with expats and locals with friends, families and kids. Children were running around the wooden floor, as parents engaged in conversations with one another and read the day’s newspapers while sipping on coffee getting cold, cross-legged.
It was already well past noon when I arrived and the breakfast menu has ended. When at a new place and wary as to what to order, delve for the Chef’s Recommendation. You have half a chance of getting it wrong. So, I ordered a Smoked Salmon Quiche, a baked slice of battered smoked salmon, eggs, peas and whatnot, and a glass of Day Starter, a fruit juice consisting of apples, bananas and strawberries blend.
I stole the cherry tomatoes from the cute salad bowl, and delved into my quiche as I continued on a few more pages of Keruoac’s On The Road.
The quiche was just right: it was not too heavy, the eggs were fluffy on the tongue, and the salmon added a sweet tinge in every bite. I was about to finish it when I wondered if I would ever get filled with this slice, then the tummy took up the stop sign and I was suddenly filled.
The Day Starter was refreshing. Every gulpful was a different taste, sometimes apple, sometimes banana, sometimes strawberries. I could still sip the seedy texture of the strawberries. It was nice and thirst-quenching.
I like it that they have cutesy designs on the wall, and they do not go overboard with it. Even their counter and the cakes they serve are a real eye-catcher too. It definitely gives out an atmosphere where you would see yourself in a sundress, sipping iced tea and enjoying your favourite book.
I also managed to catch some familiar tunes playing in the background. Songs like The Boy Least Likely To’s Be Gentle with Me, The Feeling’s Fill My Little World and The Moldy Peaches’ Anyone Else But You. You know, those adorable and indie ones.
Granted it was first built a family-oriented cafe, so if you cannot stand kids running around and screaming, you may want to avoid the place, especially during weekends. But if you are not too picky, and you like doing funny faces to the babies in trolleys when their moms are not watching, may we suggest our next Sunday matinee at Marmalade?
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Marmalade Cafe
1F-18, 1st Floor
Bangsar Village II
Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Opens 10AM-10PM
T: +6 03 2282 8301
E: contact@ilovemarmalade.com.my
W: http://www.ilovemarmalade.com.my
06.08.09
Remember, remember, the 11th of November.
Also guest blogging at Backseat Radio: So, who’s gonna watch you die?
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We had just landed in Labuan on the first day, and I was still sulky over the jetlag when the van stopped in front of the WWII Memorial along Jalan Tanjung Batu. Inside the cemetery the air was still. The tooting motorcycles and zooming cars that pass by indifferently sounded so distant in the vicinity, like there was an invisible bubble keeping the noises out from the yard so the weary ones could sleep another eternity.
Surrounding me were 3,908 soldiers in perfectly squared platoons, much like how they would stand in salutation when they were alive. The Cross of Sacrifice gravitating them around it like the sun holding the solar system together. These soldiers were from all over: Australia, Great Britain, India, New Zealand and even Malaysia.
The island of Labuan, strategically located in the South China Sea and bloated with oil supplies, quickly became a must-have location to the Japanese during World War II. With immediate effect, the Imperial Japanese Army set out to conquer the island, obtaining it on January 1, 1942.
During the Japanese ruling, a POW camp (Prisoner-of-War camp) in Sandakan, Sabah, some 2,500 captives made up of Indonesian civilians and Australian and British war prisoners shipped in from Java, Indonesia, were forced to construct an airstrip at gunpoint. They were often beaten out of spite and left with little food and medical treatment.
When the Allied Forces advanced in 1945, the Japanese Army were forced to flee. Thus, began the Sandakan Death March. The remaining 1,900 prisoners were moved – in sickness or in health – towards the mountains of Ranau some 260KM from the Sandakan POW camp. 300 who were in bad health were left behind in the camp to perish, while the others either died on the way because of starvation and serious illness, or shot dead for slowing down the March.
The Dead Marches occurred from January to June 1945, the population of each March getting lesser and lesser. By the time they reached Ranau, less than 40 POWs survived, all of which were too weak to work for the Japanese Army and were shot dead anyway. Out of the 2,500 POWs, only six managed to escape the iron fist of the Imperial Army. They were helped by local people, who fed them, nursed them and hid then from the Japanese Army, before eventually being saved by the Allied Forces.
On June 10, 1945, Operation Oboe Six commenced with amphibious landings of the Australian 9th Division. Their objectives were to secure the Brunei Bay for the Allied naval base, and to re-capture the oilfields and rubber plantations from the enemies. A fierce battle began in a swampy area in the jungle known by the Australians as ‘The Pocket’, where the Japanese ambushed the Australian army. The fight went on till the end of World War II on August 15, 1945. 114 of the Australian 9th Division perished, while more than half of the supposed 2,000-strong Japanese Imperial Army died in battle.
Today, the POWs of Sandakan, the perished war heroes of the Australian 7th and 9th Divisions, as well as those of the Punjab Signal Corp and a few locals were all buried here today at the WWII Memorial in Labuan. Most of the bodies were shipped in from Sabah, some with their military tags still glimmering around their mangled necks.
They were all given a white headstone each with their names, military positions and death ages engraved on it. Poignant messages from their family members still resonate today with heavy heartaches that would dwell tears in the eyes. Of the 3,908, 2,000 of them were unidentified, and they were merely given a similar engrave of ‘Known unto God’ – while their bravery may not be known of on earth, it is not forgotten in the eyes of God.
When I strolled through the Memorial, my heart twisted at the messages their family members wrote for the fallen. While some seemed to have made peace of their loss, others seemed to be holding onto a grudge that echoed in every engraved letter on the tombstone: Sgt Isherwood: “In this foreign grave his body was lain, He died for us but was it in vain”; Driver Cheesman: “Memories are treasures none can steal, deaths are heartaches none can heal”; Cpl Lavender: “Thinking of you over there, far away, wondering why it must be”.
When I came upon Gunner Wicks’ tombstone, it got to me. The epitaph his wife wrote, I did not know why, but it got to me. Somehow, the thought of a foreigner fighting for the love of a land that was not even his, seemed as heroic and heartbreaking as ever. And especially the ones who were unknown. They gave their lives for a foreign land, but yet they could not be remembered on their own tombstones. Just like that, their heroic names ceased to exist forever in this earth.
But these are all decades ago. Like another lifetime. As I knelt down in front of a stranger’s grave, I paid a silent moment to the 3,908-strong bravery around me, taking in the comfort that at least the loved ones who had wept at their graves and written such gripping epitaphs are with them now. Nothing is lost.
On the first Sunday of November every year is Remembrance Day, or ‘Poppy Day’. War veterans from Australia as well as locals and visitors from all over would gather in the WWII Memorial to pay tribute to the brave souls of yesteryear.
They would wear a red poppy on their chest, a universal symbol for Remembrance Day that is in reference to the famous poem written during World War I, In Flanders Field, where the red poppies grow abundantly, and where war casualties were buried in France. It was written by a Lieutenant Colonel named John McCrae in 1915, after witnessing the death of his 22-year-old friend during war.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
- Lt-Col John McCrae (1872 – 1918)
Make peace, not war.
