Film Review - Inception

A studio throws close to US$200 million at a 10 year old pet project of Chris Nolan, directing his first movie since Batman: The Dark Knight – sounds promising. It gets better when you find out the movie is about extracting and implanting ideas and information during people’s dreams.

I really wanted to love this movie and was even guilty of trying to convince myself throughout the viewing, that this was a great film: it isn’t. The core concept is undeniably fun but the plot becomes all too clever for its own good, weaving a messy, tangled web that becomes progressively more unweaverable. This is a good movie however with wonderful action and is generally well cast with the English actor, Tom Hardy especially watchable as the specialist in impersonating targets within the dream world. The feel of the movie is great, highly stylised with a low-tech vibe that makes it all about the ideas rather than the nuts and bolts.

For this film to have been considered great however, the promising concept had to be seamlessly blended into the plot. It does not do this smoothly enough to justify the masterpiece label that many have given it.

Auf Wiedersehen Andreas and Myriam

We hosted the leaving party for this wonderful couple who are returning to Germany after a 2+ year stay in Malaysia. They are part of our Running South East Asia team and have been very good friends. A great night was had and we are very sad to see them go.

Haere Ra (farewell).

Dinner at Leonardo's

Food is a big deal in Malaysia. It is something that every Malaysian whether they are Malay, Chinese or Indian have passion for. The day revolves around makan and everyone has firm views on food. A common greeting is Suda Makan ("have you eaten yet?")

Currently the government is promoting the concept of Satu/One Malaysia to discourage tension between the races in Malaysia, and one tool used in the promotional marketing is the concept that food unites Malaysia. Unfortunately this is clearly false as evidenced by our meal at Leonardo's restaurant in Bangsar which specialises in Pork dishes. Suffice to say there were no Malays in attendance that evening due the Muslim stance on pork.

Pork figures significantly in Chinese culture. They love it and the place was packed. I admit to a profound weakness when it come to matters porcine. Belly, shoulder loin, spare ribs, bacon, I will devour it everytime. And for the pork lover, Leonardo's is heaven as we started with the pizza with prosciutto and red peppers stuffed with pork mince. The main course was pork knuckle and just in case our taste for pig was not sufficiently satisfied, it was garnished with crispy bacon. It was definitely too much for Lina and I but I would highly recommend this place for a group.

Just don't expect to see Satu Malaysia in action here!

Pizza with Proscuitto

Red peppers stuffed with pork

Pork knuckle

Asia is the future?

It seems that the general opinion is that Asia has entered this post recession economic phase in a position of strength.

Asia is the future?......

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10658718

DVD Review - Alice in Wonderland (Director: Tim Burton)

I should preface this review by stating that the prospect of another Tim Burton/Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham-Carter collaboration fills me with cynicism. They create a guaranteed cash flow at the box office and unfortunately have become an all-to predictable team for such fantasy projects. Credit where credit is due, Burton does it well: if craggy, claw-like trees, and Goth/pop genre is your thing, but please Tim, let someone else provide a much needed breath of fresh air into it. His one- trick style failed me long before the awful Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the tragedy is that a wonderful acting talent in Depp has followed along.

The wonderland inhabited by Alice and the array of trippy characters is suitably hallucinatory driven, in keeping with Carroll’s vision, but there is something to saccharinely sweet throughout. A softness. And again, that word – predictable. Johnny Depp is fine. He plays the Mad Hatter and he meets the brief. Mad that is. As for Bonham-Carter, she should give thanks that nepotism is alive and well in Hollywood today. So irritating.

Despite this, the experience was thoroughly enjoyed by my 3 year old son, who was transfixed throughout. So if that is the audience that is targeted, I guess this film succeeds.

Thai Cooking

On most Sunday mornings, Lina and I teach swimming at our pool to Chris, the son of good friends of ours, Hansa and Jo. Last week after class, we were lucky to sample Hansa's superb Thai cooking. Hansa is Thai and is always a great source of knowledge where to get the best Thai food in KL.

So she came, laden with ingredients ready to cook in our kitchen. As you can see from the menu, all the great Thai favourites were prepared and it was a delicious lunch.

A huge thank you to Hansa and Jo again

Hard at work


Red Curry

Cabbage

Thai Omlette

Pork Salad