Myanmar, The Forgotten Land

Mention of Myanmar, and I think of her opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, the crackdown on anti-government protests led by monks, the recent catastrophe inflicted by cyclone Nargis that left an estimated 100,000 dead or missing. Bloated bodies and carcasses in rivers and flooded padi fields. Generals that sold rice to other countries in the wake of the catastrophe and fed her people with rice rotted by the floods. A country that cuts her people off from the rest of the world to insulate them from economic 'imperialism' and cultural pollution particularly that of the West. A forgotten people.

Until last night, when I went to the Dragon Food Court where two Myanmarese work in the day time and serve as guards at night, sleeping in the restaurant under mosquito nets.

There we were sitting and talking in the empty restaurant when one of them, wearing his sarung put on a vcd on Myanmar popular music. Was I surprised. They are not as insulated as we would like to think. They are like youth the world over, modern, fun loving, vibrant, and how they love the rappers. It came as a surprise that the military government allows large-scale concerts to be held in enclosed premises as well as in the open. On second thought however, it would seem politically astute on its part to provide a safety valve for young people to let off steam. Not only were rapping popular; Chinese songs sung in the Myanmar language seem to be popular too, for instance "Xing Tai Luan" and "Wang Le Wo Si Shui", an indication of the influence China has long exerted on the country. English songs were sung too, in the Myanmar language. I heard one "When You Say Nothing At All" by Ronan Keating.

Truly, music is the universal language that they can relate to; it is the salve of the soul, a temporary respite, for a people that have lived a life of poverty, deprivation and isolation.

Chia Xiang Restaurant

Remember Chia Xiang, the restaurant famed for its crab porridge, at Jalan Tanjung Labuh, a few metres from the one and only roundabout ? Well, it has moved to a bigger premise about a year ago. It is now at Jalan Sultanah, near the junction of Jalan Sultanah and Jalan Zabedah, opposite the road leading to Landmark Hotel. The restaurant has a spacious open-air section that most people prefer. At night, eating there is comfortable because it is airy unlike some stuffy restaurants.

It seems when times are bad, people still spend lavishly on food; rather it is a kind of madness that makes them spend even more. Maybe it is too strong a word to use, but it seems to me that they are obscenely unconcerned about how bad the economy is, that they should spend judiciously.

A couple of nights ago, I went there for some crab porridge (by invitation obviously, as I couldn't afford to feast on crabs, oysters and cray fish on my inadequate pension) and I can tell the bill came to be pretty heavy on the wallet.

Anyway, it was not only dining, but the wining too, as we had a 12 year one litre Old Parr whiskey to go with the food in addition to some beer which one of our friends preferred . I have made it a point not to step out of the house for the next few days just to avoid being invited. How long can you continue to eat without paying? It has become embarrassing to say the least although they keep assuring me that companionship is most important. I would sometimes go late explaining that I have to accompany my mom for dinner; thus skipping the food although being good friends that they are, they would continue to press me to eat something, which I would "reluctantly" do just to give them face. As far as the Chinese are concerned, 'face' is one commodity that cannot be compromised.

Fried battered eggs with oysters

Steamed crabs

Baked crabs

Cray fish fried in dried chili and spring onions and onions

Sorry, no picture of the crab porridge as I was late.

Batu Pahat Ferry Terminal

I had expected that the new ferry at Minyak Beku terminal would be busily transporting Batu Pahat male residents to Tanjung Balai, Indonesia to enjoy the flourishing flesh trade on that island. It is common knowledge that many males from Batu Pahat would drive to Kukup, Pontian to catch the ferry to Tanjung Balai. The developer of the Batu Pahat ferry terminal must have also thought of tapping into that market when the idea of a terminal was first mooted. However, the developer did not envisage that these horny males were a finicky bunch, preferring the safer option of leaving their vehicles at Kukup to avoid detection. The ferry service between Batu Pahat and Tanjung Balai has been aborted for lack of passengers. Now the ferry provides pleasure cruise to nowhere for a fee.

The completed chain of chalets remain empty of occupants. It is inconceivable that people would check into these chalets as there is little guests can do by way of recreation.

The covered jetty

The ferry

The ticketing office

The partially paved beach front

The empty chalets

A factory under construction

A seafood restaurant, inexplicably named "Kingdom"

The interior of the restaurant

Karaoke facility at the restaurant

Yellow Noodles Alert

I have been consuming yellow noodles regularly: mee goreng, laksa mee, curry mee, fried mee, prawn mee, mee soups etc...etc, as a staple food. And now they tell me it is dangerous to my health. It is said that it contains a preservative, boric acid which taken over long term, could lead to testicular atrophy. It is also reported that some samples of the yellow noodles also contained e-coli, a bacterium that causes intestinal and urinary tract infections. I am beginning to wonder what is safe to eat anymore?

Malaysian Cartoons

I received some cartoons depicting some concerns of the Malaysian public. Enjoy them.

The ex-Minister of Works, Samy Vellu, better known as Semi- value

Semi-value and his projects

The great minds of Malaysian leaders

Khairy, the son-in-law of the Prime Minister

Transparency

Former and current Malaysian Prime Ministers

The Prime Minister and money politics ("Mau Duit ka?" translated loosely to mean "You want money ah?")

Fuel price hike

Malaysians' concern about corruption in the Police Force

Remember Ayah Pin's Kerajaan Langit (Sky Kingdom), a 'heretical' Islamic sect or cult hounded by the Malaysian government?

Seaview Restaurant

Seaview Restaurant has come a long way since its humble beginning as a three single-storey shop lot at Kampung Merdeka. For those who do not know, the present premise was at one time a bar known as Blue Swan which later became known as The Flamingo dance hall, notoriously known for its strip-tease acts which had periodically featured none other than raunchy performances of Rose Chan and her troupe.

In addition to the restaurant in town, it has a huge banquet hall at Tanjong Labuh which can accommodate dinner for at least 1,500 people.

I have not had dinner at The Sea View Restaurant for a long time as my choice has always been The Ocean Restaurant at Jalan Shahbandar for its cozy atmosphere. It came as a surprise when I found out that it has introduced a lot more new dishes in its selection of food. My Singapore friend went overboard, I think, when he ordered too many dishes for the six of us. But he had an explanation: he wanted to try as many as possible so that he would know what to order the next time he comes back to Batu Pahat. Anyway, some of the offerings were good, some passable. But as far as food presentation is concerned, it has exceeded my expectation.

The Seaview Restaurant at Jalan Zabedah, diagonally opposite the Crystal Inn

The banquet hall at Tanjung Labuh

The interior of the Seaview Restaurant on the ground floor

The steamed crab rice received mixed responses from us. A lawyer friend claimed that it was excellent while another friend complained that there was too much of ginger in the rice.

Close-up of the steamed crab rice

This is the dish that received the thumbs up. It is actually braised chunks of grouper and other condiments that go well with the noodles that came with it

The noodles served on a square dish. Presentation has improved

Deep-fried pig's trotter, Thai style: the skin crispy and the meat soft and succulent

Close-up of a part of the pig's trotter

We went for the red snapper steamed with preserved olive leaves. We were unanimous that the taste was strange

Deep-fried pork-ribs with whole shallots. It was, well a common dish, except for the whole shallots. Forgettable

Szechuan tofu with mengkuang, or Chinese turnip. The sauce is sweet-sour

Local tofu with toppings of scallops and steamed broccoli

A crunchy vegetable dish

Deep-fried sliced brinjal with pan-fried buttered beaten egg and crispy pork floss. A delicious food that goes well when you are having a couple of beers

Deep-fried yam, shreds of duck meat and diced water chestnut cakes eaten with flat steamed buns. An unusual but savoury dish