 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Kimberly Witherspoon (Editor), Andrew |
The book contains essays from famous chefs about their culinary disasters. Due to the sheer amount of writers, the result is unavoidably a mixed bag. Some, such as David Thompson and Anthony Bourdain, are great writers. Others miss the theme. The rest should not be allowed to write.
The tales range from the tame (mostly about brawls in the kitchen ala Kitchen Confidential) to the outrageous (hiring a blind cook? Perhaps Chef Hamilton was forced by political correctness not to ask for any illness during a job interview?). Some (eg. Mario Batali) appear to write this just to get back to their boss as they are still bitter about the experience.
However, chefs are a funny bunch. It’s entertaining to read the snippets of their habit through the answers of the following questions. Answers are all mine:
a. what do you eat for breakfast? [Muesli with yoghurt or milk on weekdays, something luxurious like pancake, omelet, fruits, the works, for weekends]
b. what dish would you cook in order to seduce someone? [Hmm…. My husband was seduced by my mother’s Hakka’s stewed bacon in preserved veggie (Khiew Nyuk). Does that count?]
c. what do you never cook? [Never say never but for now… rabbit?]
d. What’s the one dish you find hard to get right? [Chinese-style Fried Noodle. It’s impossible to get the right smokiness and to get the ingredients properly scattered among the noodle strands. Mine sits at the bottom of the pan.]
It’s a nice, easy read. But borrow, don’t buy.
PS: Mia, I hope you forgive me.   | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Elizabeth Gilbert |
I've been severely tempted to buy this book because her travel brought her to Bali and I'm a sucker for anything Indonesian. But I was hesitant due to comments which label the book as whiny and excessively but emptily spiritual.
But a good review of a friend made me think twice. I tried to like the book but failed. Sorry, Bert. Let me count the ways.
The book started well enough with her travel to Italy but I cannot get over the idea how whiny she is without a proper cause. She complained of having gone through the biggest pain in her life but she initiated the divorce! Her intention of not airing dirty laundries from both side is laudable but that makes her bid for sympathy very hollow.
The part in India? Well.. I'm practicing Yoga (or trying to) so I rather understand the philosophy behind it but her claim of reaching perfect state of happiness through meditation and all sounds very dubious and very western and rather misleading. I wonder how many long for a union with God and be persuaded to escape the daily grind of life by running away to an ashram in India.
When she gets to Bali, it is simply nauseating. Where did all the self-fulfillment gone? I thought she'd be all independent and free that she wouldn't fall for a creepy, sweet-talking, lustful Brazillian?
Having said all that, she's a gifted writer. I like her style, her analogy, her description. I might even try her fictions. I do admire her for baring it all. Her portrayal of Bali, particularly the story about this friend Wayan who had a reversal of fortune and got greedy was really accurate. Her methods of finding inner peace, of accepting herself, of getting rid of her pain are all very helpful in envisioning some spiritual concerns I have.
But I don't think I can forgive her lack of detail on the divorce because it's so central to the book yet it's omitted for no good reason. And I have a very big problem with people who have everything and still whine. There are real problems out there, people. While no one knows for sure the demon each person is fighting, there are others who have no time to fight their own demon because they are fighting for survival.
 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Gabriel Garcia Marquez |
This is Marquez' other book that I've read. One Hundred Years of Solitude was the first but I find the Buendia bunch to be a very confusing lot. Moreover, the style of magical realism doesn't really sit well with me. I couldn't really write a review and was rather intimidated by it, truth be told.
This book, however, is about love. Florentino Ariza waits for his first love, Fermina Daza, for more than 50 years while she, in the meantime, has married someone else. That central story enticed me: how can a person keep the feeling alive after 50 years and how do they pick up what they left?
The answers are not straight-forward and sappy but human, complex, and real. I like that the depiction of marriage is grounded and normal. Despite the love they have for each other set amid a prestigious social setting, Daza and the Doctor do have their problems just like any married couple. Despite the romanticized view of a man faithful only to his first love, Ariza is far from being saintly and chivalrous. All these contradictions, written in tender, vivid, and I didn't expect this from Marquez, humorous manners, are extremely engaging and not at all difficult to read.
Love in the Time of Cholera is not your typical love story-telling but essentially, it is a typical love story. I enjoy it immensely.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Jennifer Cody Epstein |
I read the book's review in NYT and picked it up due to its intriguing story about a painter from Shanghai's golden era who used to be a prostitute. While it is a work of fiction, the story is based on the real life painter Pan Yu Liang who is famous for her beautiful nude paintings which combine both the western and chinese painting styles.
At 14 and orphaned, she was sold to a brothel by her uncle. She then attracted the attention of a wealthy official who made her his mistress. He also encouraged her to pursue her passion of painting. She defied the norm by winning a place to study art in the Shanghai Art School and won scholarships to Europe. She left China when her art was under attack for indecency: she painted nude women, western-style, and often used herself as a model.
I didn't expect much as I understand it's a no-brainer perfect for my beach holiday but the story is too superficial. While the description of her days in the brothel is horrifying, the central question posed on the book, can a prostitute escape her past (or something similar), was not answered in the end. The story went on and on about her angelic saviour, the wealthy government official, and the exotic whims of artists who suffered for his or her arts. The writer's padding of the already known facts was thin and typical. It is a pity, really, because Pan's life story is fascinating which may be better told in a form of biography.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Shizuo Tsuji |
This is one of my best gambles in Amazon. I can't remember how I stumbled into this book but upon checking out Amazon, I saw there weren't many reviews but all were amazed at how thorough and authentic the book is. I guess this one is a classic. The edition I have was first published 25 years ago!
This book tells me all I need about Japanese cooking. The writer conveys the spirit of Japanese cooking while acknowledging that it is OK to substitute as long as the spirit is there. The book is divided into two parts: part one elaborates the culture of food in Japan, ingredients, utensils, and various cooking techniques. There is even a dedicated section on knives in this part one. Part two contains recipes following the cooking types.
Although the writer can be a little too much in his chauvinism (that Japanese food is the best), I enjoy the book immensely and read it from cover to cover, all the 470 pages. It is such a good read. I learn useful things like good cutting techniques and otherwise unfamiliar ingredients and a few interesting facts (the Japanese word for potatoes is Jaga-imo which reflects their journey from Europe to Japan through Jakarta or so I am told).
The cooking method can be tiresome at times. Fried food must be blanched in boiling water to get rid of excess oil, all veggies must be parboiled separately but some are really simple. I've been having craving for tempura and am really surprised to find that it's very easy to make. No special flour is required but special mixing technique is needed to avoid heavy and oily batter. I will definitely try this.
The recipes are classics. From the simple beef-bowls, rice-bowls (donburi), salads, pickles, noodles to the more challenging teriyaki, yakitori, tempura, etc. Some are not so well-known or exotic such as the sake-steamed abalone or salt-grilled sea-bass. Each recipe is accompanied by serving recommendation (for example,foil-cooked enoki mushroom is said to go well with deef-fried kebabs and clear soup with shrimp).
I tried one simple recipe, udon in broth with corn, dried sea-weed, and shitake, and I was transported to rainy days when we used to patronize a Japanese noodle shop in Jakarta, but with less MSG.
This book is not cheap but worths every penny, especially considering that good Japanese food is almost impossible to find here. Furthermore, this handsome book is printed in Japan and the paper quality shows. However, be warned that there is no photograph in the book, only illustrations to describe some utensils or technical aspects.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Yann Martel |
I've heard of this book for a long time and I'm aware of its good reviews but was afraid to read it because of the name of the protagonist, Pi Patel. I thought it was one of the then-popular mathematical novels which can be a little hard to read.
One day, my husband came back from the library and proudly showed two books to me: one for him, Life of Pi and one for me, a chik-lit called Good something. I was squealing over his choice and complimented him on his good taste while holding onto the Life of Pi. He was surprised that I prefer that book and explained to me that the librarian recommended it to him. He thought it would be a manly book and therefore suitable for him because the book won the Man Booker Prize.
After sputtering my outrage at his chauvinism and explaining what a Booker Prize is (an award for English-language novels from Commonwealth writers), I snatched the book from him indignantly and haven't been able to let it go (or let him go near) since.
The book is divided into three parts: Pi's life in Pondicherry, Pi's life on the lifeboat when the ship carrying him and his family on the way to Canada perished in the Pacific Ocean, Pi's life after the rescue.
The first part is hilarious. I particularly like the scene where the three wise men (a compilation of a priest, an Imam, and a pundit) explores the contradicting principles of major religions, trying to convince Pi, who is all Muslim, Hindu, and Christian, that their religion is the best.
The idyllic life soon vanishes when, due to a political turmoil in India, the family decides to move to Canada. The ship they are on is wrecked and Pi is the only survivor on a lifeboat with a savage hyena, a motherly orang-utan, a wounded zebra, and a ferocious tiger. The second part, I must warn you, is gory but extremely gripping brought to live with precise and uncommon phrases. I felt his anguish of being alone on the boat and marvel at his resourcefulness. Perhaps, I even learn a thing or two about survival on sea.
The last part is almost an epilogue with an incredible twist. I finished reading in the middle of the night and was rather shaken with disbelief as the essence of the story seeped into my brain. I decided to up my review by another star for this ingenuity. I might even have to read it again.
This book is perhaps not for everyone. The phrases are funny and vivid yet focused but the content is gory and bloody, Quentin Tarantino style. But it's great story-telling. I regret I borrow instead of buying it.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Alexander McCall Smith |
This is the first book of the series on Mma Ramotswe, a charming, clever, and traditionally-built (as the author describes her) African lady detective from Botswana. I’ve spotted the series in the bookstores everywhere and I was surprised to know that the first book was actually published in 1999. It garners popularity recently and I am tempted to see what the fuss is all about.
I love it. The story brings an lively description of an unusual environment for a detective story: Africa. But unlike The Constant Gardener where it takes a view from foreigners’ eyes, this book is right in the life of Botswana with peeks into their windows to see how how people there live their lives. That alone is an interesting read. Unlike J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace* (although now I’m essentially comparing mandarin with blood orange now), this book is not depressing and brow-knitting at all.
Some critics fail this book for its flat, uncomplicated plot which is told simply and humorously with impeccable comic timing. I think that’s the charm for an easy, warm and fun read. The author also writes children book which may explain the somewhat simplified but not less masterful story-telling. I must warn fellow readers though that this book is not for suspense or thrill seekers. The plot is not as intricate as Hercule Poirot’s or bloody as, I don’t know, Patricia Cornwell and pals’?
I personally look forward to reading the sequels.
*Disgrace was so depressing for me that I shun fiction about Africa, until now.
 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Jody Vassallo |
Confronted with tall rows upon tall rows of beautiful cook books in Chapters , I panicked. After a few deep breaths, I refocused and spotted this book. This is one that I do not have: a book about breakfast and possibly brunch. I snapped it up as I do want to recreate the delicious brunch I had in Toronto.
I was suitably rewarded. The book covers all bases: quick breakfast inspirations (halved banana drenched with syrup and chopped nuts) to savoury dishes (the traditional egg benedict, sexy gravlax with parmesan sheets) to sweet treats (muffins, pancakes and bread).
The book is decorated with beautiful photographs for each recipe. I tried a few already. Their blueberry muffins are gorgeous: their texture supple instead of spongy. Their cheese and herb corn bread is moist, savoury and, well, herby. Excellent to be had with the suggested scrambled egg or, as I tried, mustard-coated roast chicken with gravy. Their blueberry pancakes are fragrant and fluffy with the use of bananas. The chocolate muffin with cappuccino top? Delicious with its enticing coffee fragrance, moist texture, and just-enough sweetness. My husband, the hater of all things sweet (except me of course), can't decide whether he likes the blueberry or coffee muffins better.
A great joy to have for endless breakfast and brunch inspiration.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Nonfiction | | Author: | Eric Schlossher |
I could easily give this book a 5 for its well-researched and informative content, its engaging pacing, its excellent mix of dry facts and gossipy tone. I literally couldn't put the book down since I picked it up from my sister's bookshelf.
I started reading with high hopes. I heard so much about the book and how it changes people's perception on fast food. I do not eat a lot of fast food but I enjoy my occasional burgers from Burger King, crave Chicken McNuggets from time to time and adore KFC with heaps of fries, rice and ketchup.
The book begins with the history of McDonalds which encompasses not only the corporate history but also the history of fast food and its supporting industries. So far so good. As I proceed, I find it hard to accept its two major themes: big corporations are the big bad wolf who feast on little people and the king of the pack is McDonalds.
Although the author writes that he doesn't say McDonald and the fast food corporations are the roots of all American problems, he essentially implies so throughout the book. That is not fair. The reason for finger pointing to McDonald and some unknown Carl Jr and Jack in the Box is not apparent in the book. Brand-wise, I wonder how KFC fare in all these debacle although tacobell, owned by the same company, gets an honorary mention. Consumerism-wise, what about those insatiable American appetites?
Another strong message is that the big corporations sell cheap food, by taking advantage of suppliers and their poor, illiterate workers, not from the goodness of their hearts but for humongous profits. Fair enough. But he goes on to argue that the marketing tactics employed, though necessary, are unethical. I am not comfortable with this statement. Since when have we all lost our cognitive power and freedom of choice? When an advertisement says that drinking insecticide is good for us, won't our instinct warn us otherwise? If the kids insist on eating McDonald to collect the latest figurine from Nemo, where are the parents with conscience who will firmly tell them no when a no is warranted?
I have no problem with presenting selected facts to support a theory or argument. But I have problem with authors who do not explore or conveniently neglect the other side of the equation. One particularly disturbing fact-massaging is his argument that fast food restaurants are favourite crime targets and the crimes are mostly inside jobs. On the same page, he mentions that fast food industries have high labour turnover and can afford only to hire people with questionable background. Now, is it chicken first? Or egg?
The author offers obvious solutions in the epilogue. One of the most irritating ones is proposing that free-roaming cattle rearing is the way to go. He conveniently avoids these questions: How can he reconcile the math of vast overhead to maintain the land, huge labour cost (we want our workers to be paid and insured well), and small customer base (transporting meat to all over the country is bad!) with affordable prices? Aren't these organic, grass-fed beef normally sold in chic upscale supermarkets? Is he suggesting no-child policy to curb the population and to make way for those healthy, happy cows?
The book doesn't stop me from anything. Prior to reading, I already know that these fried foods are not good for my health and moderation is key to all my eating activities. I enjoy reading the book but feel misled by its content. The problem with the fast food nation is not the cheap end-product at high social cost but the lack of common sense and excessive gluttony of its consumers.
I remember someone who wrote an email full of expletive because, after reading this book, he felt McDonalds caused his children's addiction to the Happy Meals. Now I understand why he, like countless fans, was so readily bought: the book's theme is David vs. Goliath, its tone straight from tabloids, its information tasty morsels from the dark side of an otherwise wholesome industry. The book provides ammunition for people who prefer to absolve personal responsibilities. In short, this book is served the way people like it, regardless of its content.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Fuschia Dunlop |
What can I say? It's from Fuschia Dunlop, the writer of Sichuan Cookery which is one of my most utilized and prized cook books.
Her love for Chinese cooking, particularly from Sichuan and Hunan, is unmistakable. As per her earlier book, this book starts with factors which are deemed to influence the Hunanese cuisine: its culture, its people, its climate, its history. Apparently, Mao Ze Dong comes from this province and I guess that explains her cultural revolution theme in the book. She then moves on to discuss the foundation of flavours, ingredients, tools and menu construction. Her detailed accounts everything surrounding the area, not only a simple compilation of recipes are the source of my love for her work.
One great part is the story of General Tso's chicken. The dish was famed in the world as a Hunanese dish but it was virtually unknown in Hunan. She explained that it is true the dish doesn't originate from Hunan because Hunanese dish do not marry sweet and savoury. Apparently, it was created by a Hunanese Chef who moved to Taiwan. Upon opening his restaurant in New York, to suit the American palate, he dosed his creation with sugar and, therefore, the General Tso's chicken, as the Americans know it, was born.
I have tremendous respect for her as an authority in chinese cuisine. Not only she speaks, reads, and writes chinese (learnt during her years as a scholar in China) which is important in order to grasp the philosophy behind the dishes through interactions with the locals, she also cooks adeptly and convincingly like a Chinese with wok and ladle instead of spatula and pan.
Her recipes work. I know that by experience as evidenced by my numerous attempts of her previous book in my recipe section. Her recipes have all been tested in her London apartment and therefore, very convenient in terms of ingredients sourcing and method without diluting its authenticity.
To entertain her audience, instead of compromising, say (with apology to fans), like Kylie Kwong's Asian salad recipe where she defined Asian salad as greens dressed with sesame oil, she defines thoughtfully of how to combine certain dishes with Western dining norm to ensure that they blend well without losing their essence.
Hunan dishes are thick in flavours, including spiciness, although they pride themselves with balancing the flavours with ingredients. They apparently like to mix sour and savoury though not sweet and savoury. Hunanese people accuse the Sichuanese of being inelegant by overdoing the spiciness. From my point of view, they are actually rather similar.
I am excited to attempt her Hunan dishes. There are, as of the quick browsing last night, 42 recipes marked for sampling. Time to get to the kitchen.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Nonfiction | | Author: | Lynne Truss |
This book took the world by storm when it was published due to its hilarious take on the use of punctuation. I was curious: we all studied grammar but I do not think we ever went into depth with punctuation. To this day, I can never be sure how to use all these things except for the full stop.
The book is a joy to read. The first chapter is filled with her despair over the increasingly common misuse of punctuation to hilarious effect. One of my favourites is this:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
After a few pages of these examples, I am convinced. Correct punctuation not only show sophistication and prevent ambiguity but also has the possible power to unite the Catholics and Protestant.
She then proceeds to discuss each punctuation from apostrophe to italics, from the origins and historical reference to easy-to-remember usage and examples.
I must say it took me a while to finish this book despite its hilarity. Perhaps the content is too dry. I mean, how can I get excited over punctuation? And how can anyone embrace it as enthusiastically as she can?
I plan to keep this book as a reference though. Some critics attack it for a range of reasons, from being haughty to the excessive use of British humour and therefore confusing for the American readers. But I like its deeply researched content, easy to remember hints, and funny examples. In any case, the book, handsomely bound and elegantly decorated in red, white, and black, looks great on the bookshelf.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Eileen Chang |
I 'discovered' the book when 'researching' Ang Lee's then upcoming movie of the same title. It's a short story written by an apparently popular Shanghainese writer, Eileen Chang, about a young girl who sacrifices herself for her country by seducing the enemy and then trapping him to be killed by other team members.
I am no good with short stories as I find them confusing. This one included. Like Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee created a full-span movie from a thin material. It took me one hour flat to finish it, including the fore- and afterwords. Reading various reviews of the movie, I realize that there was a lot of padding, including the steamy scenes which prompted a warning from the Chinese government to its subjects that the scenes should not be tried at home and can only be done by flexible people (particularly female). Goodness!
Sadly, no such juiciness can be found in the book. The story is interesting, the characterization, too but I cannot find more between the lines unlike the film's producer, James Schamus, who discussed the issues at length in an essay. To me, it's a straight forward story, capturing a fleeting moment in the life of a girl who falls in love with her prey. What is there to discuss? Idealism vs. love? Literature 101? Why she did it?
I fully intend to watch the movie. Not for the scenes' sake but to see the visualization of things between the lines that perhaps only the literary type can see. I'm rather sure Ang Lee does a great job of spinning a great movie out of this very basic outline.
PS: I wonder if translation dilutes the delicate content. In Chinese the title of the book apparently has layers of meaning.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Travel | | Author: | Marco Polo |
Marco Polo had a very irritating way of writing. He peppered the book with "Let me tell you", "You must know that...", and "I have told you that...". It is not a travelogue but more a patronizing story telling. The story, however, was methodically told from one country to another, moving quickly when there was nothing interesting to tell.
The coverage was quite extensive from India to Africa despite the title. I think there might be more interesting travelogue about this part of the world than this skinny book.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Cooking, Food & Wine | | Author: | Julie Powell |
As a food maniac, I had high hopes for this book because of the intriguing theme: 365 days, 524 recipes but I had always been hesitant due to the mixed review. When opportunity arose to pick this book up at 50% off recently, I agreed to buy it.
The book was touted as the original food blog. Vogue said, "Restore[s] your faith in eating for pleasure". The Times said, "I savoured each [dish] with the same delight as the author." But this book is not about food or the love of cooking. It's about the boring live of a bored secretary called Julie Powell.
She didn't even like food. She took up the project because she was bored with her job and her life and her apartment. Prior to the project, she didn't eat egg and was squeamish about bone marrow. A rather disappointing introduction to foodie. A person can be labelled a food-lover (and produce a book about cooking) only if s/he keeps an open mind, right?
As I read through her yet another clumsy attempt at cooking, I was disappointed and contemplated in stopping right there. The writing is messy (blog-appropriate though because there were too many distractions from cooking about her tepid life), the heroine whiny (why must she throw tantrum every time a dish failed and aggravate her poor husband? After all, the project was her call), the recipes uninspiring (every dish, from appetizer to dessert, required at least 1 stick of butter. I begin to lose faith in this Julia Child lady). Then I realized: instead of reading it as a culinary book, I should read it as a chick-lit. It worked: the book suddenly got a fraction more enjoyable. But still, there was more whining than food and I expected the reverse when I bought it.
In the end, she said Julia Child changed her life. I'm not sure in what regard. Sure she gained a lot of weight from all that butter and 15-minutes of fame from attempting to cook French food in American kitchen. But personally? I'm not sure if the project made her happy. She screamed obscenities throughout and didn't care about learning from experience: she kept on making mayonnaise by machine despite failing numerous time and always had to repeat the process by hand every time. What an irritating waste of food.
The book is best left as a blog but if you're a foodie, go and read Chubby Hubby instead. It's free.  Actually, I can simply write "need I say more?" but I try to elaborate this review if it's only for my own future daydreaming.
As I don't travel very often, I was very excited when I had a chance to go to Singapore recently because I could try this new product from Singapore Airlines. Their new business class has been the talk of town since its launch as evidenced by its full occupations for Friday-Monday flights both from and to Zurich.
Let me start gushing by elaborating the seating area. Each seat, covered in buttery leather, has direct access to the aisle. For the aisle seats, a partition can be put up to maintain privacy while sleeping. The seating area is extremely generous with more storage than I know what to do with it. To illustrate the point, if I sit on one corner of the seat, I can't place my elbow on the other arm rest. When I sit, I can't touch the end of the leg room with my toes.
On one side of the chair, there's a little corner table for drinks and assorted items. This patch continues along the side to the leg where there is more surface to rest the legs on when sleeping or lounging. Above that area, there is a big bin for storing, I don't know, magazines? On the edge of the bin, there's a little jacket hook which, I think is superfluous as jackets are normally taken away upon boarding anyway.
On the right of the wide-screen TV, there are vanity mirror with lights (!) and another drink tray. On the left, there are a work area, or what they call the Business Panel with 2 USB port (in order to work using their installed office software without using laptops) and a laptop power supply and another little compartment for, I guess, little trinkets and glasses.
Needless to say, I didn't bother with work and was determined to thoroughly enjoy myself. Upon take-off, I immediately slouched and put up my legs like I would do while sitting on a sofa across a coffee table. Then I proceeded to screen their entertainment system. While it remains slow, the console is hugely simplified. Items for the flight attendants and seat control are removed to the arm rest. The console screen shows not only the title of the songs or movies played, also the remaining time to destination. A thoughtful feature, people do not have to stop watching to switch to flight-path mode now.
This seat comes with plenty of lights: besides the normal overhead light, there are two reading lights on each of the side head-wings. Additionally, do not fear in getting lost on the way back from the toilet when the ambiance lights have all been switched off as each seat is equipped with a seat number which lights up ala cinema's seats. Beside the seat number, there's a little Do Not Disturb light in case you want to enjoy the flat bed all the way.
The bed is an ingenious invention: instead of trying to extend a seat electronically into a bed, which takes up a lot of space and, I imagine, power, the bed is actually folded manually behind the seat. Sounds complicated? Imagine unfolding a japanese bed. A pull on the latch, unfold the mattress and voila, in 10 second, a fully flat bed. To conserve space, people sleep in an approx. 30 degrees angle. But it was comfortable, I assure you: I witnessed a cool business man who actually put on his sunglasses when the sun shone into the plane but slept sprawled out in all direction as if he were in the comfort of his own bed.
The bed is equiped with a light duvet (in addition to the usual itchy airplane blanket) and a large pillow (in addition to the decorative sofa pillow). It is designed for lounging, too so you can stretch your legs and remain in a seated position with the help of a little bump on a side. The bump is uncomfortable: it is way too hard and narrow for lounging so I put away the bed and reclined my seat when I wanted to lounge.
As always I make use of the flight to Singapore to scan the movies I want to watch but refuse to pay and the CDs I want to purchase in Singapore. Rather than the fragile little earphones with delicate, disposable ear covers, each seat is given a solid, thickly-padded earphones with noise-canceling features and excellent sound quality. Khalil Fong's This is love sounded sexier there than at home.
Service was excellent as expected: a perfectly chilled champagne upon boarding, good food at meal times, and helpful staffs throughout. Speaking of food, I had an amazing carrot cake for breakfast. It was a properly-sized, perfectly-cooked carrot cake in a real china with chunky omelet, big prawns, and fresh spring onions ala dimsum restaurants which I savoured gratefully after a good night's sleep. Eating while watching TV, a favourite activity of mine, is made easier because the table's height can be adjusted. Consequently, walking out with the table fully set can be done without fear of spilling and breaking the chinas.
One last feature I need to mention is the toilet: it is equipped with full length mirror (with lights along the sides, of course) and a minimalistic, rectangle sink with automatic water spout. No more annoying acrobats where I had to continously press the button while trying to wash the other hand. The waste water flows directly onto a slanted base into a drain that runs parallel to the length of the sink so no wiping after use is required.
I had my ultimate "me" time there. Twelve hours flew by so quickly. On the way over, I was enveloped in the dark coolness of the plane with humming engine in the background while I let my thoughts wander through the up and downs of great soundtracks accompanied by Hercule Poirot and cups of espresso. On the way back, fortified by booze, I slept all the way back and woke up in time for delicious breakfast. After this experience, I am seriously worried: when I was shuttling between Toronto and Jakarta years ago, I wished that I could lay flat while flying on the plane. The reality now is much more impressive. After this taste of luxury, how can I fly cattle class now?
Image from www.singaporeair.com  | Category: | Movies | | Genre: | Animation |
I don't normally review movies but I need to record the experience of watching Ratatouille. WHAT A MOVIE! It's great in so many layers and allow me to peel it like an onion.
First of all, it's sweet and cute and cartoony. But there are loads of moral messages: family vs. friends, dream vs. reality, loyalty and trust, etc. In Pixar kind of way, it's not excessively sugary. Mixed with tension and excitement with a dash of very very subtle humour (and at times, too American), the movie is sophisticated.
After a while, I forgot that I was watching an animated film. The actions, the details, the expressions were all too real. In the end, I was reminded again that it was just a cartoon: no rat can possibly run a kitchen.
I thought the title is brilliant, again, in so many layers. Rat, as in the animals, do go around sniffing like a good chef. Ratatouille is a simple and unpretentious dish, like the message on being true to yourself. It is also a very difficult dish to make because it relies heavily on good, fresh ingredients, subtle taste, and perfect execution. The dish is humble, like the food critique who though feared, truly understands that to enjoy food is to savour the experience and not merely dissecting the components, let alone recommend every single restaurant he visits.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this but Ratatouille is one of the best movies I've seen. It's so complete: it's heart-warming, sweet, funny, exciting, delicious, and inspiring. Today, instead of using spatula to sautee, I actually flip the ingredients around from the pan. It gives me insight to the subject that I love: cooking and eating. It made me appreciate fine dining and its creativity: I almost burst into tears when the final dish came out. Who would've thought to do Ratatouille that way?
Maybe it's because I'm in Europe. Maybe it's because I like food. Maybe it's because I can spot a microplane grater. But whatever it is, I absolutely love this movie and the experience that it brings. I especially love the ending. It's happy but not soppy ala Cinderella's rag-to-rich story. It's much more sophisticated yet down-to-earth than that. And I love Brad Bird. He inserts generous dose of jazz in the scores like he did in The Incredibles.
PS: Wine selection was jaded. Chateau Latour and Cheval Blanc? Please... But hey, the French knows the truth, right?
Image from www. ratatuee.com  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Dee |
This book is a collection of short stories from the singer-turned-writer Dewi Lestari, also known as Dee. I dislike intensely her first book Supernova. It is just a pretentious piece of work which is confusing to read. I condemned it to be a Saman wannabe. I never got to finish the book as I lost it in the process of reading.
Filosofi Kopi, albeit a mix bag, is a much better work. The pretentious tone is less profound, replaced by a more down-to-earth stories but it is quite pronounced in some of the stories such as the title story (the humility presented in cups of coffee is just an empty vessel), Surat yang Tak Pernah Sampai (don’t know what she’s talking about), and some of the very short stories called prosa (which are confusingly and pretentiously philosophical).
The good ones are unexpectedly good. I like her play of words and descriptive setting. Of the latter, I like Rico de Coro. A typical love story between two completely different creatures, it is completely imaginative, believable, and touching. For narrative stories, I like Lara Lana with its tender emotions and unexpected twist in the story. In the food-for-thought category, my favourite is Spasi which, I think, is very Khalil Gibran.
Overall, the book is grossly overrated when Arswendo Atmowiloto says it deserves the Nobel prize in literature. However, I find her a talented writer. I enjoy this book but I may not enrich her further until she gets rid of the pretension.
As a sampler, I quote below the last two paragraphs from Spasi:
Mari berkelana dengan rapat tapi tak dibebat. Janganlah saling membendung apabila tak ingin tersandung.
Pegang tangankuk, tapi jangan terlalu erat, karena aku ingin seiring dan bukan digiring.
Unoriginal content but phonetically beautiful.
PS: thanks to Jenzcorner for the book.
 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | NInit Yunita |
This book has a lot of potential. I mean, in the sea of pointless chiklit, the book picks an interesting topic: infertility in Asian, particularly modern Indonesian society. I mean, as rightly said in the book, a lot of young couples greet each other with “How many children do you have now?”. A very annoying and impolite way to start a conversation I might add.
Let me start by tacking the easy part first. I like the story and the language used to convey it. I even enjoy the conversation which is done in a mix of casual Indonesian and English, normally a sore point for me. The English is almost flawless (but what is it with her and the word ‘crap’?) and it’s inserted in a conversational manner and not at all snobbish ala empty-headed socialites. The whole thing flows in a blogger/chat room kind of style. Easy and engaging as it is, I finished it in 2 hours flat.
The story line is great too. However, the handling is lazy. Despite numerous repetitions on how much Tata wants a baby (we get it, really…), there’s no real rationale on why she wants it. There’s a part which says something about wanting a kid to hold her hand when she dies. But the whole book preaches about commitment which is about loving someone unconditionally. Then, (horror) she wants kids so she’s not lonely? How selfish is that? Further on, she says it is because she loves the husband so much but husband doesn’t really care because he loves her and not her ability to reproduce. So, why gives something to someone who doesn’t want that gift? How can that be precious? Much later, the husband wants a child as much as she is but realizes it only after he is sentenced as infertile. Then his talks about loving the wife for who she is are just empty talks?
That sort of ruins the story for me. I realize it is very difficult to intelligently explain why people in general want children. Parents like to think that they do it all of the selfless reasons but what I read between the lines are all the selfish ones. Therefore, it’s a pity that the issue is not explored in more clarity but instead it’s a mix of mumble jumble of ‘popular’ beliefs and norms about the reasons for children.
Secondly, I find it disturbing that the husband is described as a non-romantic type. In the increasingly chauvinistic society, how much more romantic do you want him to be? The little things he does, obeying his wife out of love (or, in this book, is termed ‘commitment’), doing lovely gestures (noticing that she is down, watching her sleep, and stroking her hair), accepting her the way she is, are the most romantic things that men can do. The author is rather superficial and dated in her view of ‘romanticism’. Flowers and cards? Puhleazeee… We’re way past the era of Mira W.
Thirdly, there are little unnecessary arcs. Two of the most disturbing are on the ex-girlfriend and the swap of handphones. Sinta sticks out like a sore pimple. She’s an ex-girlfriend who’s suddenly becomes available and she’s the only one who can make Tata jealous. She’s infertile, too. All that have buds of an interesting character but nothing happens. She remained two-dimensional. Why?
The swap of handphones is a distraction from the true climax which is Tata wanting to leave the husband. The author could have explored further on Tata’s anger but instead, she plays with the slapstick swap scene which adds little value to the story. When Tata finds out the result of the husband’s fertility test, her husband changes from an object of affection to hate. I read faintly that her resentment is rooted from his nonchalant view towards wanting a child and therefore, must have known about his infertility all along. If that was the case, than her anger to the point of wanting to separate could be justified. But it is mentioned so briefly it feels like something heard in passing. That failure makes Tata’s decision to separate seems like a needless whim and the climax weak. A pity.
Despite the issues above, I thought the fact that Tata doesn’t want to go to the gynecologist for seven years was a stroke of genius masked as an idiotic act. At first, I was very irritated and was ready to classify this book as another brainless chiklit because this story has become a typical all- whine-and-no-act. However, I realize something. Denial. What would I do if I discover a lump in my breast? (Touch all the wood in the forest). I’ll probably be in denial too and avoid talking or even thinking about it. Let alone taking action to see that the problem is addressed.
In conclusion, this is a great book with great story and great story telling. However, it is executed rather lazily: it lacks explorations of thoughts and emotions. Marriage, children, and love are individually tough and complex subject which needs careful and in depth study and must be presented in a concise and thoughtful way regardless of the style chosen. I wish it could be more well-developed and better edited. Then, it could be a treasure.
PS: thanks to Jenzcorner for the book.
 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Biographies & Memoirs | | Author: | Bill Bryson |
Unlike the previous Bill Bryson's books, including the rather technical A Short History of Nearly Everything, this is his first book that I couldn't finish in one sitting. I was lucky I went with my instinct and waited for the paperback instead of splurging on the hardcover.
Style-wise, he remains funny and different but the story is so spread all over the place that I can't really say what this book is all about: his childhood? Sure. America in the 50s? That, too. Thunderbolt Kid? Who the hell is he?
Maybe I am not familiar with America of that era so I cannot relate but I don't think that's the problem. A good book should be able to engage me regardless of time and place and this book doesn't. Furthermore, unlike his other books, it's really difficult to understand whether he was kidding or being serious. Some were obvious (cigarettes were deemed to be good for you then and people smoked in droves) but some were less (like the story of the kids who stole, at first a container full of beer then a whole warehouse without anyone watching).
The recommendation on the cover is certainly exaggerated. In this book, he is not being 'laugh-out-loud' funny but 'I-can-never-tell-whether-he's-serious-or-just-being-nasty' funny. And the arc about the Thunderbolt Kid is just annoying: this kid pops up unannounced and ruins the thread for no purpose at all.
I gave it a three just because it's a Bryson's. Or maybe it deserves a two because it is a less-than-standard Bryson? Alright, a two it is.  | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Literature & Fiction | | Author: | Alice Munro |
I am often tempted by great literary names in an attempt to be culturally sophisticated. This is one of the occasions. While browsing at Indigo, I thought this book was one good buy: I was in Canada; she was one of the greatest Canadian authors; and the book, particularly the title story, was highly acclaimed.
This is my first Munro and it took me a while to get used to her style. She, I read further, apparently specializes in telling stories about the changes that happen in people's lives. She is known to be really sensitive and accurate in describing the emotions and thoughts that go through the characters facing illnesses, affairs, and other unexpected life events.
Having read through this collection of short-stories, I tend to agree. She writes well. However, I had to read the title story, Away From Her, twice because the first time round, I couldn't really get what the story was about. I was expecting a sobbing story about a man whose wife forgets about him because she had Alzheimer but the story was told in such dignity, preservation, and calmness that normal people do in times of calamity. It struck me only the second time I read it. I wish the story evolves to a book though, to explore further the development of events that happen as the wife's mind deteriorates.
While some stories captures a moment, there are others that concludes, like in Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage (which is the original title of the book, published in 2001), where a childish prank unexpectedly turns around life of an aging spinster. This, along with Nettles, What is Remembered, Post and Beams, and Queenie are satisfying reads.
Understanding her now may entice me to read more of her books. I can certainly learn a lot about description, particularly that of events, environments, and emotions. However, I will not be a con and I am quick to admit that I don't get some of the stories at all. I had to put the book down and read it in a few sittings. That is not exactly my feeling when faced with a great book and that may prevent me from trying further.
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