First Impressions

Rubik's Cubick Maketh Me Stupid

2007-09-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there's a proper, less hair-extracting way to play with this, at the moment, I have neither the spare mental capacity nor the patience to find out. I spent an amount tantamount to what could have been a good meal to purchase one of these and I'm already giving up on it on Day 2. Great motivational guru I'll make one day, huh?

Anyone care to try? It's a dinosaur of a game, where nowadays, strategy and quick-thinking means Starcraft and 3D snake, but at least it helps you kill time when the electricity gets cut off. Nothing like going back to basics when you wanna stress yourself out the old-fashion way.

Beg, Borrow or Steal Your Way to Greater Heights

2007-09-06T07:05:00.001-07:00

I'd been extremely busy lately. Travelling. Which explains my absence and lack of contribution to this blog. But I'm back. And since it's still fresh in my mind, I might as well review it. Travelling by Thai Airways wasn't really what I had expected it to be. It was surprisingly pleasant, given the long-haul flight I was on. The cabin crew was friendly, to a point of getting those few of us who sat a few rows behind that curtain which separates us from Business class, some goodies from Business class! We got Business class lamb chop cooked to perfection (I can't believe I'm reviewing airplane food), when the rest of economy had to live with chicken or fish that looked more like canteen grub. We also had left over champagne from... you guessed it, Business class.

This is starting to sound really pathetic, but I dare say, should you get onto a plane next time, try to get seats closest to that Business class curtain. You may just be as lucky as I was and get some scraps and leftovers thrown at you like you're some desperate stray dog.

Love At First Sight

2007-08-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Apple calls this Beauty with Brains. I don't think words can describe the impression one gets when they see this phenomenon for the first time. I was strolling back down to the carpark from the cinema at the Mutiara Damansara Cineplex when fate (in the form of a security guard who closed one of the escalators) led a frustrated me to an otherwise secluded Apple Store. There, sitting forlonely, in all its cutting edge glory... the new IMac.

Did you see that keyboard? Did you? Oh Gawd! I've died and gone to heaven! Go ahead. I dare you not to look twice.

The Taboo of Tattoos

2007-08-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Those permanent pieces of artwork that some may call bodily disfigurement has received its fare share of fans and critics. I come from a rather conservative country. However, I shouldn’t need to remind you that one of the more interesting races in my country, the Ibans, were practically founders of this ancient art. They tattoo their bodies as signs of their conquests and their identities.

In modern days though, it has become a mark of bikers, street gangs, convicts and things associated with social ills. Associations such as these have made such works of art taboo for reveals in the presence of future mother-in-laws. It’s such a shame though. I’d love to have a testament of my life’s experiences imprinted permanently onto a part of myself without being judged so harshly. Having said that, would I get one? Time will tell while I ponder this one proper.

Poll results: You say in the comments that you're all for tattoos, but the poll shows that 100% of you won't get one. Funny.

The Heels Are Alive...

2007-08-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

These are remnants of an antique culture that wouldn't die out. Why? Because legs look too nice in them. High heels are torture devices, but they make their victims look good. They are just about as useful as ties are to men. Nothing other than an accessory for the total power dress look.

Okay, I was kidding. I love heels. They accentuate the bodice and posture of a woman no other clothing could. Women walk differently when wearing them, almost to a flaunt sometimes. They develop a sense of confidence no amount of loafer wearing could achieve. As much as they are sex symbols in their own right, high heels are hazardous to the untrained ankle, as many people would testify. It takes skill to match your strides with a flat shoed man walking alongside you. More so, when you're heading downhill. Even more so when you are among a panicking crowd, trying to scramble out of a burning high rise down flights of stairs. For all their faults, they should still come in bag-matching colours.

Poll result: The majority of you (75%) are loafer wearers. Only 50% of you wear high heels. The rest of you are flats and barefoot. Hey, that's what the poll said.

Those Mysterious Haw Flakes

2007-08-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

There is something distinctively childlike about these flakes. They remind me of how coins are stacked to a ringgit's worth at the bank, neatly arranged for the teller's disbursements to customers. Or the stack of white paper wrapped coins released into the cash registers by shopkeepers at the old kopitiams (coffee shops).

The taste brings back memories of childhood. Funnily, till today, many (including yours truly) are still baffled by what it actually is. We only know that it is sweet, sticky to the molar and a damn good snack at the right portion for the guilt-ridden sweet-tooth. Everyone who has eaten these, have their unique way of savouring these mysterious discs. Some meticulously separate each slice to be placed gingerly onto the tongue, never chewing. Those flakes would take their time to bend and break within the warm moistness of the mouth. Some chew vigorously, for the instant tangy hit, come hell or stuck residue on those molars.

You can still find these, decades since they were last staples of kids growing up in the 80's. Just pop by any local (Malaysian) Chinese grocery store and ask.

Poll Results: 50% ate Haw Flakes as a child. 50% are still eating them.

Welcome to First Impressions

2007-08-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

We all have it. A first impression about something we use or plan to get. I started this blog as a personal review of those things and experiences I've had and plan to share. This isn't a site about new gadgets. It's not one necessarily about things. I will review anything under the sun. It will be a layman's take, an uninvited opinion by a common user. It will be quirky but rest assured, it will be familiar. So, please come by again and don't forget to let me know what you think.