...how do you solve a problem like maria?...

What??? Now they even have a reality show to let the audience cast the new Maria for the forthcoming production of the classic "The Sound Of Music"??? And this is the brainchild of the famous Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber???

"How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria" is set out on the unenviable task of trying to fill the wimple of Julie Andrews (who could???). I do not think anyone can!!! Dame Julie Andrews is and will always be associated to that role of the singing nun-turned governess- turned wife and the movie. I doubted the real Maria Von Trapp could even convince us otherwise!!! Dame Andrews's popularity in that movie even surpassed her Academy Award winning role of the flying nanny - "Mary Poppins"!!! Many celebrities have played the role of Maria Von Trapp, but none could fill the shoes of Julie Andrews. Note : Chris Purcell tried casting me in that role too in 2004...judge for yourself!!!

It seems, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and theatre producer David Ian' launch a new production of The Sound of Music. But in a twist, rather than pick their new leading lady themselves, they've decided to let the viewer of the show, decide. In the audition shows the viewers will see how thousands of potentials are whittled down to just ten finalists. Then the wannabe Marias will perform live for Andrew Lloyd Webber and a panel of three expert critics - David Ian, John Barrowman, leading man and musical theatre stalwart, and Zoe Tyler, a tough vocal coach.

Wait till our local TV channels pick up this and make our own local reality show "Siapa Dia Kassim Selamat?" or for the local defence personnels, "Siapa Dia Sarjan Hassan?"!!! PENGSAN!!!

...songs we still hear today...

Would you believe that the hummable, sing-able, unforgettable song, "Over The Rainbow" is actually 69 years old this year??? It was first heard in 1939 in MGM's classic "The Wizard of Oz" - starring the very young Judy Garland and the rest, as they say, is history. This Academy Award winning song, was written by Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) and became the signature song for Judy Garland throughout her life since. Many artistes has recorded this song to this day, but like they said, nothing like the original.

Another song that has stood the test of time is Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". It is from the 1933 (this makes the song 75 years old!!!) Broadway musical "Roberta" which was made into a movie in 1935 by RKO. It starred Irene Dunne and the incomparable couple on the dance floor - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was sung by Dunne and danced by Astaire and Rogers. The song was then featured in the colourful remake of the movie by MGM in 1952, this time called "Lovely To Look At", starring my all time favourite, the beautiful Kathryn Grayson and the late Howard Keel (Clayton Farlow in 80's TV soaper "Dallas" and he had a very rich baritone voice to match his brassy frame). Also in the movie, my favourite tap dancer (and also one of my favourite STAR), the late Ann Miller. This time, it is Ms Grayson who sang "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" tearily and danced by the marvelous husband-and-wife team, Marge and Gower Champion. The song went to become a popular pop hit in 1958 by the group Platters.

Another winner in Academy Award list is the 1936 (Happy 72nd) hit song "The Way You Look Tonight" from another Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' s movie - "Swing Time". This music of this song is also written by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields (as in "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"). It is becoming popular again these days since 1997 when it was featured in the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding" (Huh??? The movie is also 11 years old???)

What is Christmas without the ever popular "White Christmas"? Almost everybody in all parts of the world knows this yuletide song. It is so popular, that you will hear it every Christmas - in movies, TVs, shopping malls, cars, on radios, restaurants and even from carollers. This is one of the most beautiful heart rendering song for the season (my next favourites are "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "The Secret Of Christmas" and I really have to tolerate whenever I hear someone call the season X'mas!!!). This Irving Berlin classic was introduced by the legendary crooner, Bing Crosby in the Paramount's "Holiday Inn" (1942). It is also won the Best Song for that year.

There are actually a list long of old songs from way back when (from the 30s to even the 70s), that have been recorded and some even changed the rhythms and updated the tempos from the originals, by the recoding "stars" of today for the new generation. Some made it, some didn't and some just killed the songs in cold blood!!! And they said I only listen to old songs!!! Bah!!!

Heavy Metal = Fat Iron(?)

...fish and "chip"pings...

Nope...this is not another write up about food but foot!!! Guess what, after months of wanting to try, finally I went to Happy Feet Fish Spa located in New World Park.

While killing time for an appointment and since I was near that vicinity, I decided to drop in. I was greeted by a friendly staff outside the entrance. She explained the pricing and packages they offer. This sounded attractive enough - RM22 for 30mins and RM28 for 40mins. On top of that, if you are Citibank credit card holder, there will be 15% off. Huh??? Don't play play...for less then RM22 you even get to swipe your credit card for points!!! So decided to take up the 30mins package. After the discount, only RM18.70 nya!!!

I was asked to wash my legs at the back, dry them and go directly up the platform. I went to the shop at about 7.00pm on a weekday, so the place was not crowded. Only a group of about 8 people and two other girls.

I have to sit on the platform and dip my legs in to a small canal like drain filled with clear water. You can see peebles and lots of small fishes swimming around. As soon my gigantic feet touched the water...tahdah...came this huge schools of fishes...like you see the crowd of ladies when there is a cheap sale in a shopping mall!!! These small imported fishes called Garra Rufa (sounded like garoupa), are grey in colour with some black stripes on the bodies, but there were a few "off-colured" ones - pink!!! Hmmm!!!

They come at you like nobody's business...n nibble on your feet. It seemed, you will get this ticklish feeling for a few seconds, but I guess I have thicker skin than most, I didn't get that feeling. Anyway, it felt nice, like those tiny water jets spraying at your feet, ala jacuzzi. The fishes were everywhere...from the sole to the crevices between my toes to the length of my feet exposed to the water. They are no pirahnas nor sharks, therefore no bites but only nice sensational nibbling.

This massage is suppose to stimulate blood circulation and clean your feet from dead cells. Gosh, I must have tonnes of dead cells, as I can see, the fishes swarming and nibbling on my feet, but just the thought of these fishes feasting on the cells and cleaning my legs, I felt my RM18.70's worth.

After half an hour of providing free buffet to the fishes, I have to leave for my next appointment. I would not mind sitting longer to do more free-food charity to these "phor tor" fishes. I would not say, I felt lighter after the massage, but sure you feel you have cleaner legs...either phsycological or truth.

I do not mind going again...:)

...a visit to uncle choy's new adobe...

With the durian craving, Lao Tze organized a small durian-eating trip to Balik Pulau. We visited Uncle Choy in his new home (off the town of Balik Pulau). When we reached the place, a semi bald man in his 50s/60s greeted us with a warm smile...ah...Uncle Choy!!! He has a distinctive Cheshire smile. It seemed he moved from his old plantation further down the road (more than 10 acres) to this smaller one.
It is a semi-bricked kampung home that looks small from the outside...but good gracious...there are rooms and corridors that seems endless...he just finished renovated his upstairs...but the hall ways is like a mini maze. The house is located next to a long irrigation drain. As you enter the side garden, you will see antique vases, antique bathing tubs, mortars and rows of flour grinders and plants hanging from the house and trees. As we enter the side door of the house, it looked like a pratically empty house with a staircase sitting on the side, but as you walked into other rooms, they are filled with wooden carvings, wooden furniture and loads of antique furniture, it looks like a muzeum on a mend. A little messy in the back rooms makes the place looks more like antique curio shop.

Anyway, other being impressed with the house and its collections, we were served durians. With Loh Tow's three children, there were altogether eight of us. We had some of the best durians available there (ranging from ang heh (red prawn) to ooi kneoh (tumeric)) and rambutans. Unfortunately, the mangosteens are not fully riped, but with Seh Seow's hints, we managed to pluck a few.


After all had our tummies filled (so we proclaimed), we decided to drive to the market to have...whatelse...laksa!!! Going to Balik Pulau without having laksa, is like going to Italy without visiting the Pisa Tower. Had one of the best Lemak Laksa in Penang.

Well, durian eaten, laksa taken, weight added!!!

...mel ferrer - death of cad...

Hollywood lost another classic star - Mel Ferrer (25th August 1917 - 2nd June 2008), passed away at 90. Ferrer died of heart failure. He is known for playing villians and cads, but occasionally the leading men, but none as famous as being a leading man in the late Audrey Hepburn's life...as husband and wife (1954 - 1968).

The versatile Ferrer (not related to Jose Ferrer, who married songstress Rosemary Clooney, the auntie of George Clooney), was born to a Cuban surgeon and a Manhattan socialite. He worked in summer stock, as an editor, wrote children's book, became a chorus dancer on Broadway, a disc jockey on radio and also a producer-director.

He made his film acting debut in 1949's "Lost Boundries". He was in Joan Fontaine's "Born To Be Bad" (1950), starred in Columbia's "The Brave Bulls" (1951) story about matadors, as one of Marlene Dietrich's leading men in "Rancho Notorious" (1952) and playing his first villian role, as a Marquis in a very colourful "Scaramouche" (1952) showing off his fencing skills with Stewart Granger fighting for the hand of Janet Leigh. The lanky Ferrer was King Arthur to Robert Taylor's Lancelot in "Knights Of The Round Table" (1953) and suffered as a lame puppeteer pining for waif Leslie Caron in the semi-musical "Lili" in the same year. Another famous role - Prince Andrei in the epic "War And Peace" 1956, co-starred with then wife Audrey Hepburn. He later directed her in "Green Mansions" (1959) and produced for her "Wait Until Dark" (1967). He went on to appear in many more films and TV, most notably guest starred in Jane Wyman's famous soap "Falcon Crest" in the 80s.

...tom yam-my...

Located in one of the units in the stretch of old pre-war government quarters in Burma Road (before the Union Primary School and opposite the Wesley Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church - pay attention here - Church and not Hospital), lies this tea house - Lau Sher.

Inside Lao Sher, you will see all kinds of tea (sorry, I am strictly NOT a tea fan). The are some small garden tables in front porch of the house. As you enter, you will see rows and rows of chinese tea in tins and cans. Never bother to ask around about the tea anyway.

Behind the room of this tea display, you will find dining tables. Aha, this is what I am getting at...they serve food!!! The menu is not very long, after a few pages of tea (sorry, I think it is, as it's printed in chinese), came less pages of food they serve, but still looks good enough that you wanna try everything. Yes and they serve one of the best tom yam in town!!! It comes in mild to super-duper head exploding hot!!! First time Howard took me there, we shared this tomyam seafood soup. I had tomyam fried maggi noddles and he had tomyam fried rice!!! Cool...err...hot, I meant we went tomyam crazy that night. After a few minutes, since there were not many people around that night, came my noddles, then the fried rice and then...walla...the tomyam soup. Looked appetizing and sure smelt good. But alas, I could only go for one small soup bowl!!!

The soup is cooked with tomyam paste and I believe coconut milk (unlike those tomyam noodles you have in many coffee shops - I never really like those...too diluted and oily). In it you will find a fair share of fish fillet, large chunks of calamansi, prawns, mushrooms and tomatoes. Its sour enough, fragrant enough and for that bowl, I find it a little too spicy to my taste but good enough for to enjoy. I gulped down a glass of lime juice and a glass of ice cold water and my usual ice crunching. After the dinner, the taste lingered on in my mind.

After a few days (and after a miserable time in the next morning), I have the urge to try it again. So, I recommended to some of my colleagues. We ordered a few packet of tomyam maggie noddles but adviced the lady who took our orders on the phone to go mild on the soup. This time, it was just right. We had a nice lunch in the office and we have been having tomyam maggie noddle soup for our lunch frequently for the past few weeks. The tomyam soup they serve in Lao Sher is as good as the one I tried in Pronthip.

Ratings : 7/10

...cyd charisse - the long legged beauty of the screen...

The legendary Hollywood musical star - Cyd Charisse - passed away due to complications from heart attack on 17th June 2008. Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas on 8th March 1921. She joined the Ballet Russe at 13.

She started her Hollywood career in the black and white Don Ameche and Janet Blair's "Something To Shout About" (1943), under the name Lily Norwood. She was then featured in revue-like MGM movies...doing bit parts, twirling and dancing, in the all-star "Thousand Cheer" (1943) with Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly taking the lead roles. It featured many of the stars in MGM's roster. Cyd was also seen in "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946) - in the famous opening pink number supporting Fred Astaire (a young Lucille Ball stood out, wearing pink plumes whipping some girls in panther costumes) and the closing "bubble-gone-crazy" number and did a short dance to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a young Gower Champion in "Till The Clouds Roll By" (1946) - a biography of Jerome Kern.

She was then given roles supporting leading ladies like Judy Garland ("The Harvey Girls" 1946), Margaret O'Brien ("The Unfinished Dance" 1947), Esther Williams ("Fiesta" 1947 and "On An Island With You" 1948, in both films danced exotically with Ricardo Montalban) and Kathryn Grayson ("The Kissing Bandit" 1948, in a speciality number with Montalban and Ann Miller).

After a few dramatic roles ("East Side, West Side" (1949), "Tension" (1949)), it was all the way up, back in musicals...most memorable in "Singin' In The Rain (1952) dancing and stretching her legs to the maximum in the "Broadway Rythm" number with Gene Kelly. "The Band Wagon" (1953) with Fred Astaire (who called her "beautiful dynamite" in his memoir), confirmed her status being one of top musical stars. She danced well again with Gene Kelly in the mystical "Brigadoon" (1954) and stimulatingly with Fred Astaire in "Silk Stockings" (1957 - a musical remade of Ninotchka). She was also seen in another all-star cast biopic, this time the story of Jerome Kern, doing the "One Alone" number beautifully and gracefully with James Mitchell in "Deep In My Heart" (1954).

When musicals became less extensively made, she went on to make some non-musical movies and guest starred on some TV series. She also made an appearance showing her still elegant sense of dressing and her still long beautiful set of legs in Janet Jackson's "Alright" video in 1990.

She was survived by her second husband, the legendary crooner, Tony Martin whom she married in 1948. She made her Broadway bow at the age of 70 in "Grand Hotel".

To me, like Ann Miller, June Allyson, James Stewart, Bette Davis and others, Cyd seemed immortal. It's sad to see one by one, the classic entertainers buying farms everywhere but California. They are the epitome of glamour, style and elegance.

Rest In Peace, Cyd...you will be missed...

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

... jo stafford - long ago and far away...

Big band era vocalist, Jo Stafford (12 November 1917 - 13 July 2008) passed away from congestive heart failure. She was with the renowned big band Tommy Dorsey orchestra with her group "The Pied Pipers". She was a favourite among the GIs during the world war and was nicknamed affectionately, "GI Jo". She can be seen and heard together with The Pied Pipers in movies like Eleanor Powell's "Honolulu" (1939) and "Ship Ahoy" (1942), Gene Kelly's "Du Barry Was A Lady" (1943), Ann Miller's "Jam Session" (1944) and Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney "Girl Crazy" (1943).

Among her chart-toppers like "Candy" (1945), and "You Belong To Me" (1952).

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...of ayam masak kichap...

After weeks of not going to the malay food stall that sell "economy malay rice" below the Mar Vista Resort (because my dear colleague Mei Mei who has a phobia of cats crawling near her), my gastronomical appetite urged me to indulge in the ayam masak kichap/hitam (chicken in thick black soya sauce).

I sapu two big chuncks of chooks with a little rice (yes, fat people do not eat so much...myth or fact???) and some ulam. it was simply deeeee-leeeee-cious!!!

This place is located on the opposite side of the turning to Mar Vista Resort (directly opposite the Penang floating mosque). The place is called Arked Tanjung Bungah. It serves a wide variety of malay dishes (from ulam to kerabu to curry fish to chicken in this molass caramel). It is known for its large ikan terubuk (chi kak hoo) fried with sambal inserted between the meat (known as ikan terubuk sumbat sambal or hoo chi rempah). This signature dish is good, but the fish has millions (so to speak) of bones, not recommended to take when there is a power blackout.

It is the "black chicken" that really attracts me. The chicken is fried and cooked in dark caramel-like sauce... seeeedap sehingga menjilat kaki!!! It has that sweet taste and fragrance.

Also "must-try" the fish curry (usually ikan bawal hitam/black pomphret). Then there is an array of kerabu - mango, kacang botol, pucuk paku or bean sprout. For those who like "hot seats" in the morning, then you must take the sambal belacan with the ulam. Personally, I always had problems in the morning!!!

The price is quite reasonable and the place is usually packed during lunch hours, but worth going for if you are a malay food fan :)

Ratings : 7/10

...estelle getty - arriverdeci, sophia petrillo...

"Picture this, Miami, 1980s, three widowed housemates in their 60s and an Italian mother in her 80s who suffered stroke that affects her brain..."and the rest is television history and we enjoyed watching them on TV for six seasons, "The Golden Girls". Estelle Getty (25th July 1923 - 22nd July 2008), who portrayed the role of Sophia Petrillo has succumbed after a long fight to a dementia realted illness. Those who were "80's sitcom" addicted, definately best remember her for her Emmy Award winning role of Sophia Petrillo, the octagenarian with a sharp tongue and short memory who lives with the characters played by Bea Arthur (as her stern looking daughter), Betty White ( as her dim-witted Rose Nylund) and Rue McClanahan (as the nympho Blanche Devereaux).

Although Estelle made some other TV guest spots and movies, she is fondly remembered for the role of Sophia Petrillo who often giving a quick short acidic comments.

Note : costar Bea Arthur who played her daugther Dorothy Zbornak is almost 15 months older than Estelle.

...the birth of this blog...

Often than not, I have wondered, what good is a blog...or rather what is a blog. Since reading some of my friends' blogs, it seems interesting enough to create one of my own. It is nice to share views and opinions. Oh no, I have never read those blogs that made a turmoil to the country, nor those that caused more hurt and harm to others.

Well, this blog is created with no intentions of causing harm to anyone, but my plain old opinions. I maybe wrong, I maybe right, but it's all for the pleasure of sharing my insignificant views. I am no professional writer, although time and again, I write to amuse myself and for my own reading pleasure.

In this blog, I will be writing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. so, here I go....