MonsteRocKnife 002

Joe and I waiting for the train

Last Sunday, Joe and I went to a gig in Shinjuku. Funny thing was, we lost each other coming out of the metro. It was most memorable because there I was in the middle of everything, clueless as to where I should go, having given the one and only map to the place to Joe. I waited for him at one spot for at least 15 minutes before I began to suspect that he might have walked further up. The next 30 minutes found me circling the station like a little lost kitten.

Finally I decided that I might as well try to find the venue on my own in the hopes of meeting my gig mate there. My first attempt to ask a passerby led me to the policebooth where the police officer took out a huge^$$ map and showed me the way to the Shinjuku ACB Hall. I was so excited having found out the way that I even stopped by Makudonarudo to get some refreshment, it was after all inching closer to 5:30pm.

When I got there, I couldn't find the hall and was beginning to doubt my sense of direction. The area was kind of dodgy to begin with but thank God there was another policebooth. After unsuccessfully following (perhaps misinterpreted) directions, one of the police officers walked me to the destination. As I was walking, this one mat salleh dude was about to pass me by when I recognized him to be my long lost Joe. Man, I've never been that happy to see him.

After thanking the officer, we started down the flight(s) of stairs to the underground gig site. We were the first to buy tickets, despite our earlier drama. Joe asked me when did I realize that he was gone (or I lost him). Well, I went outside and when I turn around to ask something he was nowhere to be found so I waited for him in a corner thinking that he might return to look for me.

He, on the other hand, lost me inside the station when he went to look at the big map. He waited for me about the same time I did but in a different location, then decided maybe he could find me at our supposed destination (although he actually thought that it was unlikely to happen knowing that he had "my map" with him.) Good thing I was the one who printed it and was able to remember basic information. It was worth getting lost though, the gig was awesome. There were six bands altogether, but I shall comment on my four favorites. Although the two other bands; Local Sound Style and at Anytime, are pretty awesome too, I just don't have any good pictures of them. ;p

my beautiful ending

Ironically this band went first. This band sings in english and their songs are unique because of the keyboard/piano. I like this one song called "tears are falling again". It has a very nice melancholic feel to it, soft yet powerful in a way.

Shove It

Nope, it's not a clone of pop shuvit. Punk rock, english songs and it's all good fun. They play with their hearts, I like. I like the basist as well, and the sweetheart gave me his pic. Aw.. ;)

Flash back

Now this band is hot. The vocalist is so sexy playing the guitar. Kinda reminds me of Duan of scts though, although I must admit minus the sexiness. Their songs are also in english, but it's not as heavy as other japanese indie bands I've heard before. I like the rawness of this band. Plus, this guy is so adorably polite and shy, and I got his pic as well. Love his hands.

Tribal Chair

Now this ladies and gentlemen, is the reason little Ms. Ana dragged her American friend all the way to Shinjuku for. I'm sure that if you went through my earlier posts you would recognize the name. Yes, Tribal Chair is rocking hot. I was closest to the stage, right at the center front, practically drooling over the band.

One thing about japanese gig goers is that they don't really mosh, they rock their bodies and nod their heads to the music and when the chorus comes they'll raise their right arms and make mock guns out of their fingers and wave them in unison. I tried following their lead but decided I'd rather do my head banging and culture clashing. I had one of the best times of my life going crazy in tune with their music.

Hide (Bassist) and Shiro (Guitarist)

Shiro was the one responsible in giving me directions to the map. And the best part was that he remembered me and patted me on the shoulder when he saw me. He also gave me his pic. ;)

Hiroki, my hero

I don't think I'll ever get a decent picture with him. But who cares as long as he's gorgeous in person. I almost melted when I saw the sparkle of recognition in his eyes as I said ohisashiburi to him. He was so gracious and warm *sigh* and even gave us the band's latest single cd (one each). I promise to see them again in Shibuya, after that steamy musical connection, who wouldn't make the effort?

Out the window

It had been raining a lot here these past few weeks. Big torrential droplets, the kind that seeps through the skin and into the bones, freezing your insides like cold steel.

Wet and weak, I often found myself struggling against the karmic wind, stumbling through familiar streets praying for a change, missing the warmth of the sun.

Sometimes, a patch of blue escape through and the rain was momentarily gone. Even the wicked wind was behaving and life would settle itself into a dreamlike state, but only for so long.

Just when I thought that the worse was over, and that someone did call the plumber to have the leaking sky fixed, yesterday's returning storm blew in and I'd be shivering all over again.

Day in and day out, I was soaked through and through. The only way not to get wet was to stay inside, but staying inside was not a way to get rid of the cold.

During these moments, the only way to keep warm was to keep myself occupied with small talks and big walks. The rain was less offensive when you're constantly on the move.

Suddenly yesterday, it stopped raining. Just like a flip of a switch, the sun lit up all smiling and warm. And like a scared cowering bully, the rain ran to hide itself in the blackest depths of the sea.

Looking out through the window, I could feel the sun heating up my skin and drying my face. My frozen parts are melting, I'm going out to play because here comes the sun.

Here Comes the Sun (Harrison)

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right

My new love

I've discovered that I love cooking. Surprise.. surprise.. My family are so gonna be shocked when I get back. I have more delicacies to cook apart from the angin masak kicap and air masak panas.

Last night I made dinner for two of my American friends who had to celebrate their birthday in a foreign country. I figured that if it was my birthday and I were to be at home, I bet my mom would cook something great just for me. I don't want to be anybody's mom (just yet), but I love cheering people up. Besides, these guys have cooked for me before. Joe with his special scampi, Mark with his first/second cooking attempt of veggie pasta, and Bakh for being my constant chef.

Mark's cooking because I'm that good in games.

So at 4 o'clock, Bakh and I set out to find the halal meat store. I promise the guys that I would cook chicken for them. It turned out that the shop closes every Wednesday. Tough luck. But I bought chicken anyway, if I promise anything I could do, I will deliver it.

So the menu was;
1. Ayam goreng kunyit (Bakh and I had to pass this though)
2. Cendawan goreng istimewa
3. Udang goreng mentaga.

Here is the recipe:

Ayam Goreng Kunyit

Ingredients:
Chicken
Turmeric powder
Salt
Green peas
Onion
Garlic
Chilli
Oil

Instructions:
Marinate the sliced chicken with turmeric powder and salt for 10-20 minutes. Fry em in hot oil (add some garlic) until they turn brown and crispy. Take them out, remove excess oil from the pan and cook onion, garlic, chilli and green peas (add salt if you want) but make sure they are not soggy. Put the chicken back into the pan and mix em well.

Note:
They looked tempting, I really didn't know whether they tasted the way they should. But Mark and Joe said they like it, they might be lying just so I won't feel bad. But the dish was empty when it got to the sink so it's all good.

Cendawan Goreng Istimewa

Ingredients:
Mushroom
Egg
Onion
Garlic
Chilli
Turmeric powder
Salt
Margerine

Instructions:
Heat the marjerine. Cooked the garlic until they turn yellow and nice-smelling. Next insert onion, chilli, a bit of turmeric powder and salt (your taste). Stir and mix em well. Then, pour in the mushroom, break an egg and stir-fry them before serving em hot.

Note:
They actually tasted pretty good. Sweet and salty. I don't know what the mushroom I used is called, but they turn out to be a good random pick after all.

Udang Goreng Mentega

Ingredients:
Shrimps (I removed their shells)
Eggs
Flour (Corn, please)
Curry powder
Onion
Chilli
Butter (I used Margerine)

Instructions:
Break an egg and beat it well. Coat each individual shrimp with egg and flour and fry them in hot butter. Cooked them until they look mouthwatering good. Take them out. Break two more eggs inside a bowl, put curry powder into it and mix em well. Fry the eggs scramble like with onion and chilli until they turn brown. Insert the shrimps back into the pan and stir em well until the taste of shrimp soaks into the eggs.

Note:
This is my favorite because I love shrimp and eggs. I helped Justynn make this once, I had to do without curry leaves and corn flour though. But it turned out pretty alright as well. Joe finished em all.

Joe's attempt to eat with his hand.

In conclusion, it's funny how I suddenly realized that cooking is actually fun. I can't wait to explore and experiment. Oh yes.. It's definitely an orgastronomical adventure. And I'll be sure to document them here. ;)

Pictures on 150906

City & Sky

The view outside of my window on a good day.

The Little Grey Cat

There are plenty of cats running around the neighborhood without supervision. But you don't see any stray dogs though. It goes to show that cats know how to take better care of themselves.

Peace

I love this picture. The little girl is giving a peace sign while her friends are figuring out how to do it. ;)

Run

I'm not sure why these kids are running. My guess is that they are training for the festival the following day.

In between

As time swiftly pass by, the town grew up.

野球

Tokyo Dome

Last Sunday, I went to see my first baseball game at Tokyo Dome in support of the home team, the Yomiuri Giants. Honestly, I actually had fun. By the end of the day, I managed to come to the conclusion that baseball is my kinda game. Pretty laidback, not so stressing, you don't have to run around that much. I would definitely play this game if I wasn't so afraid of fast moving objects heading my way.

Where's Peter?

So I don't mind settling for the position of an ardent spectator. The game was between the Giants and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. How cute can a baseball team name get? The giants wore something white and the carps wore something red. Pretty easy to distinguish since Mark got us the best seats in the house.

Zoom in

As it was my first real baseball experience, I was kinda excited. The quick revision I did on the encarta paid off as I was able to follow the game without much difficulty. Well, I did have dear Mark sitting next to me to explain in detail the little rules I was unaware of. ;p

The guide

Everytime a player comes in to bat, the fans always have some cool cheer to chant. All of us joined in the fun and clapped hard like we meant it and we knew the players so well. In the middle of the game, Mark said he wanted to see at least one home run. I replied saying that the carp got one, "from the giants" he added. For the next inning, the carps scored two homeruns in a row, making the score 3-0. "Yikes..Me and my big mouth."

The gang

Well, we lost. But we agreed that it was a good game. One thing I must comment is that japanese fans are the most encouraging, polite, charming and fun supporters ever. Now, I've seen one EPL game, there's nothing polite about calling the opponent's a fallen player "Sei te pinocchio." Amazingly, even though the giants lost the game, the fans sang a loud cheer to the winning team. The carps replied with their cheer in good sport. Awesome.

Dinner at 1am

I think I may have found a new love.

Well, I've always known that if I were to put my heart into it then it will always turn out good. It did. I was surprised that my American friends all thought it was delicious, as if they were some Malaysian favorites. The truth is, I kinda made em up.

Ana's secret recipe

1. Onion
2. Red & Yellow(?) Pepper
3. Garlic
4. Sesame Sauce
5. (?) Sauce
6. Assorted fishcake/balls
7. Salt
-Heat the oil in a pan, and cook the onion, garlic, and red & yellow pepper. Mix in the sauces. Stir in the fishcake/balls. Continue cooking until you think it's alright.

Ana's Tuna Sandwich/Pizza

1. Tuna
2. Tartar Sauce
3. (?) Sauce
4. Onion
5. Potato Chips
6. Butter
7. Bread
8. Cheese

-Cook tuna with onion, tartar sauce and a lil bit of that (?) sauce until it's not too soggy. Crush potato chips into pan and mix em well. Spread butter on both sides of a bread, put the tuna on it, top it with cheese and toast it.

*(?) sauce - I have yet to find out what it's called.

If I ever made em again, I'll make sure to snap some photos of em. ;)

Don't want to wake up

Until I Wake Up
by Dishwalla
album: And You Think You Know What Life's About (1998)

I rest my head
Between the bed and sky
Download my dread
Disarm my mind, make it dry

Nothing in motion, and I’m satisfied
No disappointment, until I wake up
Don’t want to wake up

Into clear space
Vivid vision, see her shape
At my bedside, beam up my mind please

Nothing in motion, and I’m satisfied
No disappointment, until I wake up

Nothing in motion, and I’m satisfied
No disappointment, until I wake up
Don’t want to wake up

Nothing in motion, and I’m satisfied
No disappointment, until I wake up

Nothing in motion, and I’m satisfied
No disappointment, until I wake up
Don’t want to wake up
Don’t want to wake up, no
Don’t want to wake up, no

Don’t want to wake up

Click here for the closest link to hear the song.
I look forward to getting to bed each night. My ritualistic actions. Brushing my teeth, washing my face, putting moisturiser on my lips, setting the alarm, snuggling with my blue blanket, closing my eyes. Such predictability is comforting. I know myself and that knowledge is enough.

Even if the last thing on my thought would be you, I know it doesn't have to be that way anymore. It would be a lie to say that I've stopped caring altogther. The fact is I do, so much but it gets little as time goes by and life goes on. I wish it didn't have to be that way though. I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up with the pain all gone. All the hurt and all the blame magically gone in one swift blow, out goes the candle burning hate. But it flickers on, mocking me.

That's why sometimes, I don't want to wake up. Because in my sleep I won't think of you, I won't think of the pain of thinking of you. No more disappointment, no more confusion. Because in my dreams you don't exist. In my dreams we never were. In my dreams, all I feel for you is indifference. In my dreams..

Tabemono II

Joe, Lisa, Mark & Ashley

We went to Harajuku and found a Turkish Kebab Stall. I miss the taste of real chicken. I looked around the shop and saw Quranic Verses on the wall so thought it might be safe after all. (God help me) It was sooo good, I wouldn't mind going to Harajuku again just so I could grab another one.


The next day, Lisa came over with her friends Yashiko and Eri and cooked for us 'sayuu' with noodles and tamagoyaki with crabmeat. Bakh and I made seafood with black pepper sauce and fried 'ikan masin' from China that Chris gave. It was sooo good, to commence the first day of puasa in Japan for little Ms. Ana. I ate the noodles and some more rice just because it was that tasty.


A while back, Joe and I went to Tokyo Dome City because I kinda owe him my dinner. So I treated him to an 'Obakeyashiki' or a haunted house called the 13 Doors. It was quite scary, you need to unlock 13 doors (duh!) to get out. I was reminded of the game silent hill. There was this one time when we were walking through the hallway with a big mirror at the end. We ignored our reflections because we could see what was behind us. Even though the 2 joined-up flying ghosts were not real, we ran anyway. (I love Obakeyashiki, I'll probably write a whole entry about it, later.)


Anyway, that's actually running away from the topic. After the scare we went to the supermarket to get some ice-cream. And Joe said, "Ana, thanks for the treat. I'm gonna make spaggetti with scampi just for you." Aw... that is so sweet of you.
And so this was my buka puasa meal yesterday. Man, this was the best dish a guy has ever cooked for me (Counted my dad out.) It was actually delicious. I love it and he even served me a very generous portion so I was stuffed and happy. And he remembered his promise, so extra points for that.

All in all, it's nice when your friends are understanding and they accommodate themselves to your needs. It goes to show how a bit of acceptance can go a long way.