Movie Review: Dabbe The Possession

It's been like ages since I last posted anything on my blog. To be honest, I'm not keen on coming back but watching this horror movie from Turkey makes me want to lay out all my thoughts about the so-called best turkish horror movie in recent years

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The Typical Sceptic vs Believer

The movie starts with a montage of old news paper about an obscure village in Turkey where many of its inhabitants die in unspeakable manners with a voice over of a conversation between two people; probably a police officer interrogating a witness of such horror. The opening montage itself doesn't stray away from the typical horror movie setup. It's not new or even particularly special but I was expecting a story about cult related deviant activities which was not that far from what the movie truly is.

We then follows a psychiatrist, Ebru who is filming an exorcism carried out by a religious man, Faruk as thesis study. Ebru is a sceptic who suspects Faruk of faking an exorcism to prey on people who are mentally unstable by calling it a supernatural possession instead of the scientifically more acceptable reason, PSYCHOLOGY.

Again, this is not a groundbreaking theme. We've seen time and time again bout how people of science would do anything to disprove of supernatural being. The movie is trying to ground the story as authentic as possible by framing the whole movie in a found-footage format. So if you're not keen on shaky camera and weird camera angles, I think you will find this movie a bit exhausting. Personally, I'm not a fan of the format but as the movie progresses I understand why it is shot in such a way.

Disproving Faruk's Method

As Faruk performs an exorcism on a woman, Ebru is following nearby and filming everything. Even though the exorcism is successful, Ebru remains reluctant to believe the authenticity of Faruk's practice. She suspects that Faruk was in cahoots with the possessed woman and planned the exorcism for the filming before hand. 

Despite being accused of fraud, Faruk is more than happy to continue with the filming. Being a sceptic, Ebru suggests an exorcism on someone she personally knew, someone Faruk would have not been able to collaborate a fake exorcism. Ebru asks Faruk to heal her childhood friend who she had not seen for a long time after moving to another town when she was a child. Faruk agrees to her suggestion.

We are then taken to a small township near an abandoned village which was first mentioned during the opening montage. The village, called Kibledere, is apparently a sensitive topic among the inhabitant near it. Some of villagers they met along the way would even turn violent at the mention of it. While on the way, they lost their way and found themselves near a wishing tree with talisman and gory entrails hanging from it as well as the number "7175" written on its trunk. Faruk explains that some wishing trees are meant only to wish for evil. 

After asking for direction from a sus herder, the finally found the house they are looking for.

The Possession of Kubra

We meet Refika and Esra, the family member of possessed Kubra whom Faruk was supposed to heal. We learn that Kubra was believed to have been possessed on her henna night and resulted in Kubra stabbing her fiancé to death in the process. Conveniently they had taped the whole stabbing. It was quite a traumatic visual for me especially due to the amateur hand held quality of the video.

Ever since then, Kubra has been plagued with night terrors and inexplicable fear of the unknown. Faruk insisted on starting his treatment immediately as the disturbance might escalate since the djinn that possessed Kubra knows of their intention to help Kubra. Unfortunately, the exorcism is too weak against such a powerful djinn. Nevertheless, Faruk uncovers the location where multiple talismans were buried to inflict horrors upon Kubra. It is said that Kubra was doomed to suffer a possession since before she was born and her soul was to be fed to the djinn for as long as she lives.

The movie then goes on about how Faruk tries to defeat the djinn while Ebru records everything. I would not go on any longer as it will be a major spoiler for this movie.

Plot Twist and Inspired By True Story

As you progress through this movie, you will be served with a few plot twists and they keep piling up as you go by. The story moves very quickly by the third act but keep your eyes peeled for every detail because it can get a bit confusing at times.

I don't particularly like plot twist after plot twist and I strongly believe that a movie should only have 2 plot twist at the max or things would get pretty ridiculous very quickly. But for this movie I think the plot twists were masterfully written and executed. In fact, I rather enjoy the revelation by the end of the movie.

The final montage explains the doomed fate of Faruk and Ebru but doesn't elaborate to a point of bore. The best line is "inspired by a true story". Now that's something that would send shiver down your spine especially when it is told at the end of a horror movie instead of in the beginning as a precautionary statement.

Nothing comes out from Google when I try to find out what true story the movie was based on so take that statement with a grain of salt. It was a brilliant story-telling method nevertheless.

Should you watch it? By all means, yes. Watch it. Even if you're not easily spooked, the story telling itself worths a view. The first act might be a bit tame but not to draggy while the 2nd act would seem like a cliché but the build up for the third act is commendable.

This gets an 8/10 from me. -2 for the shaky cam because I hate shaky cam!

Adieu

Movie Review: Mother! (2017)

Many movies was ruined for me by spoilers. One of the prime example for this was Gone Girl. Seriously, watch that movie if you haven't and stay away from spoilers or any article on it.

However, I am actually glad that I watch a movie explained video on mother! before watching it. From many article I've read about mother!, I can say that the movie is grossly misunderstood and undermined.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky who directed the likes of Black Swan and Requiem for A Dream, I've expected the movie to be rather dark and psychological. It is dark and does invoke some debate. Mother! is an allegory. Some would call it blasphemous in its depiction of God and religion.

I was ready to write the whole synopsis for the movie just now. Actually I did write three paragraphs of it. Oh well. Better not. To best enjoy the movie, try relating the action of the characters in the movie with biblical characters.

First, the man of the house was said to be God, or a Creator. The movies starts with him placing a crystal on a pedestal. A burnt surrounding is then morphed into a beautiful house. His wife who was unnamed but was the titular character so she was dubbed as Mother, is maybe best understood as mother nature. She is nurturing, keen on building the house with care and dedication. House might be the embodiment of earth. Upstairs is a study where Creator writes his poem (ehem..ehem.. poem equals to religious scripture). The study is supposed to be Heaven. Later in the movie, two characters (probably Adam and Eve) sneak into the study and broke a very special crystal in the room so The Creator sealed the room and vowed that the two of them will never enter there ever again. Hmm, not dissimilar to when Adam and Eve being banished from Heaven eh?

Later come Adam and Eve's sons who fight in the house until one of them is accidentally killed in the brawl. Wait a minute, that's Cain and Abel story. The Creator hold a wake for the fallen son inviting more men into his house. We see that Mother is getting weaker and more frustrated with her husband. Her frustration is peeked when a stranger breaks down a sink, flooding her kitchen. This might be a reach and I think that was supposed to mirror the big flood in Noah's Ark story.

The Creator finally has sex with wife which we see previously something that he avoided for a long time. The next morning, you know it, Mother is pregnant! The Creator is overjoyed. He is inspired so he goes on writing poem. When it is finished, The Creator shows it to Mother and his publisher. Abruptly, The Creator gain insane follower. Hmmm.. if this is not a depiction of religion and followers, I don't know what. His fame grows so big that men come pouring in the house, stealing things from the house just like how religious fanatics hoard religious relics with them.

In the chaos, The Creator takes Mother to his study, away from the fanatics and Mother gives birth to a BOY! Let me guess, Jesus?

Mother is understandably distraught by the amount of strangers in her house and she refuses to give her baby to The Creator to hold. But she finally falls asleep and immediately The Creator takes the baby away from her to show him to his fans. And what do you know. The fans kill the baby (like how the Romans killed Jesus) and eat the flesh (like how Christians eat Body of Jesus, a piece of bread by the way, during communion).

Mother is mad MAD! The Creator asks Mother to forgive his fans saying that he doesn't know that they would kill their son. Wow, this man a whole load.

Mother then runs to the cellar and ignite a tankful of gasoline. The house erupts with hellfire and everyone except The Creator is burnt to crisps. As they should. Human are pest and I hate them in this movie. Good job Mother! Now doesn't that sound like the Apocalypse? In fact, there was one instance where Mother said "I'll prepare for the apocalypse" referring to her impeding labor at that time.

The movie doesn't end there. After all is burnt down, The Creator, unharmed by the fire, brings Mother's horrifically burnt body to his study and ask for her love. Mother weakly cries in her deathbed asking why were she and the baby not enough? Why did The Creator need men? He says that it was his nature to create which is why he needs her love to rebuild the world. She allows him to take it from her chest. The Creator reaches for Mother's heart and brings out another crystal. He then places the crystal on a pedestal and the cycle starts again with a another version of Mother.

This movie is amazing! Jennifer Lawrence is perfection. I hate The Creator and Men so much that I was rooting for Mother to burn the whole shitshow. Although the movie is sometimes framed very tightly, it creates this uneasiness that suffocates you the longer you're in it which fits with Mother's own reaction to the events unfold in front of her. The first act in the movie shows how beautiful the house and the surrounding is. From the very start of the movie, we know that this world is not set in the real world. And when the ending is set in motion, the way the camera pan to every chaos in the house gives a visceral view of human's downfall. Absolutely nuts and gripping! Give mother! a watch. It can be blasphemous at times but boy this movie is made for second viewing.

And please.. Give your love to Mother. Reduce plastic waste and promote recycling. Kesian tau Mak penat dengan perangai makhluk-makhluk perosak yang bernama manusia ni.

Waiting Read: Murakami [Birthday Girl]

This was a while back.

On the morning of April 28th, I headed down to Dpulze to watch Avengers Endgame. I hate spoiler so I knew I had to be fast about watching the movie before some asshole could ruin it for me. Because of how immensely popular the movie franchise was (and still is), I could only manage to buy ticket for 4.30pm show. I had to either go home and come back or kill my time at the shopping mall for 5 hours. Before I can make that decision, I went to MPH to look for some worthwhile reading material. Lo and behold..

What a pleasant surprise. I am easily intrigued by anything Murakami. And this is talking as someone who still struggles to finish 1Q84. Birthday Girl is a short story. It doesn't even follow the typical novel or pocket book size which makes it seem like a children book rather than an adult read. I wanted something longer to kill my hours but there was no other Murakami on the shelves so I settled for the short story. Was it less confusing than Murakami's other books? You would wish that.

Though it was more grounded than most, its main topic remained a mystery until the end. The story follows a woman recalling her 20th birthday. Due to series of coincident and mishap befalling people who work at a restaurant with her, she was tasked with serving its mysterious owner his dinner. This had never happened before and shouldn't have been her task because she was not supposed to be working on that shift.

Probably her birthday was working its magic on her or maybe it was all a coincident, but she ended up meeting the mysterious man. Even more surprising, the man was rather fond of her and offered to grant her a wish. The wish itself was never revealed and the girl left after making her wish. The man said the wish had been granted and they never met each other again.

The girl grew up into a woman who is now telling this story to her companion.

Now this is me spoiling the story but even with that much information, you can't really make out anything from the book. This is how Murakami writes his stories. It was a good read. But don't expect to have anything explained to you.

I finished the book very quickly. As with any other Murakami, I was left with wanting more so I went back to the bookstore and bought a classic, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Half through the book, I had to go watch Avengers Endgame. Have I finished reading HGTTG? Nope. The story is interesting, I just lack persistence.

So that's it. I'm currently reading Murakami's After Dark while setting aside HGTTG. I know, I shouldn't do that but this is Murakami we're talking about. Until next time, take care.

Adieu

Day in Cambodia: Part 1 of 4 [Day1: TONLE SAP]

I've been looking for a way to fit all the scanned pages into the blog post. Today's post might load a bit slower than usual but bear with me.

Links to this series:

[Introduction]

[Day 1: Tonle Sap]

[Day 2: Angkor]

[Day 3: Pnohm Kulen]

[Day 4: Goodbye, Lea Hi]

We actually went back to Family Mart for a quick snack.

I don't know what it is with flight meal, I'm just way too excited for it.

Stepping out of the AC-ed airport was like walking into a sauna. Much much much much hotter than Malaysia, I'm telling you.

To be honest, I would rather stay in bed rather than went out with the tour group. But then again, why would you fly to a different country just to stay in the comfort of your lodging? Let's go out and see things.

Night time was a work out session.

So that's it. Not much instant photos eyh? Actually I took quite some numbers but they didn't come out as nice so I kept them in my personal album. Plus, I gave a few away. 

Adieu

Day in Cambodia: Part 0 of 4 [INTRODUCTION]

Hi guise,

I just got back from Cambodia and let me tell you this, personally I think my travel journal is a huge success. I manage to finish it in a short time. I've captured most of the thing I wanted to capture and I am less annoyed at the outcome. So yes, a SUCCESS!

I will be posting the travel journal in phases so that I won't sit on the whole thing for too long. There will be 5 parts to the travel journal including the Introduction. There will be very minimal additional write up except for this entry. You'll be reading the raw scans of my travel journal and I won't be changing any of the grammatical errors. I wish you would enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed writing it.

Links to this series:

[Introduction]
[Day 1: Tonle Sap]
[Day 2: Angkor]
[Day 3: Pnohm Kulen]
[Day 4: Goodbye, Lea Hi]

So, let's start. I began preparing for the trip for almost two months earlier. I bought new luggage, new hiking pants and some other tiny stuff. It was about three weeks before the trip that I actually decided to do a travel journal while on the go. I managed to get some new writing supply with the remaining money I had left after paying for the trip and setting aside some money for souvenirs.

The trip was partly sponsored by my company so it was rather affordable. A little bit about the trip, it was an annual company trip organised by Gamuda Sport Club. I don't usually join these kind of activities because I don't have many friends at the HQ. Being a seconded staff usually means that you are cut off from the rest of the parent company. I took a leap of faith with this trip after Kak Nurul, someone previously worked in the same office with me, invited me to be her roommate during the trip.

We were required to pay only half of the total cost. We paid RM1300 in 3 installments to the Trip Coordinator. It was even more convenient than what I thought it would be. The trip was well managed and we were frequently informed of the latest development.

(Special thanks to Kak Cha, my housemate who lent me her prized SJCam which I used mostly on videos.)

(Oopss.. kay... I didn't anticipate this. Apparently, my scanner is not big enough for flip. I will have to scan them on a bigger scanner but my personal scanner has been far better than the one we have at work so I'm a bit conflicted here. Anyway.. we'll see about it..)

So that's it for an introduction. Tune in next time?

Adieu

New Adventure : Instant Photo for Travel Journal

So..

I'm gearing up for my next trip. I am thinking about doing another travel journal and I'll be focusing more on instax journal this time around. I know I haven't been in touch with my instant camera after India. It's quite an expensive hobby so I hesitate a bit. What I notice from my previous journal is that I didn't really have time to write what I wanted to write because I focused to much on the sketching. I will still be doing watercolour journal but the whole artwork might start/be finished after the trip.

Bad news is, I misplaced the battery charger for my instant camera. I had to spend quite some money to replace it. And the film is not cheap. Anyway, since we'ere in the topic of instant camera, I figure I might share some insight. For those who are interested in instant photo journalism, I'm giving you a simple breakdown of the cost. Price might vary:

The Camera

I'm using Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. You can get it at around RM550 at Lazada. Some sell it with free 10pcs film. Just make sure they provide the free film or you might have to buy them separately. Unlike its predecessor, the Neo Classic uses rechargeable battery (NP-45). Each charge can last around 100 pictures. The camera also comes with neck strap. You can read about all the shooting mode and other details at Fujifilm website.

Cheaper alternative is the Instax mini 7s (Around RM200).

The Film

Fujifilm offers instant film in 3 sizes. The one used with the mini camera series is the instax mini film. If you're using the bigger model, you will have to use the Instax wide. The latest addition to the family is the Instax square; it is used exclusively for the new Instax Square (the hybrid digital instant camera). The mini film can also be used with the Fujifilm Instax Printer. The printer allows you to print from your smart device onto the instant film.

Always remember to check which instant camera you're using. Instant films are expensive. You don't want to purchase the wrong film. Another tips, always check the expiry date of the film. Yes! Instant film has expiry date. The price for a box of film is around RM70. Every pack consists of 10 films. Fujifilm sell 2 packs of those film in one box. So that's around RM 3.50 per picture. Use them wisely.  You can get them cheaper when you buy them in bulk. Always plan your usage so that you can choose the best pack.

Simple cost per film:

• Regular box (2 x 10pcs) - RM70 (RM3.50 per picture) *if you're lucky you can find RM47 deal from Lazada
• Twin Package (4 x 10pcs) - RM130 (RM3.25 per picture)
• Bulk 50pcs instax paper (5 x 10pcs) - RM125 (RM2.50 per picture) *packed in single box
• 3 box package (6 x 10pcs) - RM130 (RM2.15 per picture) *weird right? I know

Quick Update!You can get cheaper film from Flash Gadgets IOI City Mall (L1-22)

• Single box (10 pcs) - RM33 (RM3.30 per picture)
• Regular twin box (2 x 10 pcs) - RM62 (RM3.10)

The Pen

I would usually recommend a few brands for writing depending on your preference but for instax film, just go with Sharpie. If you find the Sharpie marker too thick for your liking, use the Sharpie extra Fine. That is for writing on the frame of the film. If you want to write on the developed print area itself, use the white pen. Alcohol based ink will ruin the print. I might need to experiment more on this but the film is too expensive. I don't want to waste them on testing pen. At least not for the time being. 

The Album

If you are traveling with an instant camera (Instax to be specific) always bring an envelope or mini album to store your photos. The instant photos are easily scratched and if you leave it out in direct light, it will fade. You don't have to shake the film to make it develop faster. Shaking does nothing to the setting time. Just tuck it nicely in a safe place, away from your keys or lose changes. It would be best to take a mini album with you. You can buy them online from as low as RM5. Or you can do scrap booking. Stick it to your best notebook for travel journals.

So that's all I can share with you. I am still learning about it myself. It's a fun way to capture the moment so try it if you are interested. Or you can choose the mini photo printers. There are a few brands that uses instax film, zinc paper and regular paper. I don't know if I will ever try them but for the time being, I'm enjoying my Instax Mini to the max.

Here are some of the photos we took in India. looking forward to a bigger collection this time around.

Adieu

Movie Review: Raw (2016)

I watched a French movie last night. At the first look of the movie, I was quickly transported to the same cold, isolated tone as my favorite vampire movie "Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Let The right One In)". Okay, off for a good start.

The movie focuses on Justine, a freshie at a vet school where her parents and older sister previously went to. The school had an extreme hazing ritual. From there it just got weirder and weirder. Raw is not a cheesy horror movie. It doesn't have cheap jumpscares. It relies a lot on slow buildup of uneasiness. I'm not going to spoil it because this is important. Watch it and see it for yourself. There were times where I just wanted to turn off the movie for it's unapologetic portrayal of taboo matter. It's not a movie for the fainthearted. You'll be disgusted by it. That's saying a lot for a movie with only 3 occasion of body horror. Underneath it all, the movie really force you into understanding it's unconventional heroine. I feel for Justine. I felt anxious for her. I felt angry at her at times.

If you can't stomach the movie, at least the soundtrack is bomb.

So yes.. Watch Raw. But maybe not during ramadan. Do not read the synopsis of the movie anywhere. It's just gonna spoil it. 

Adieu

Travel Read: Murakami (Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World)

I finally finished reading the book when I went back to Terengganu. Haaa.. It was a long read.

Murakami tend to write complex world in his book. He did it in Kafka on The Shore but that got nothing on the world he built for Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End of The World. I went back and forth between two settings and throughout the majority of the read I was waiting for the two worlds to collide.

There was a collision and true to its nature, the collision was brief. Almost too brief even.

The story followed an unnamed man. A calcutec, someone who worked like a keygen or something. His storyline was a science fiction with made up career and monsters and bad guys. It's hard not to get invested in his story where most of the action took part. As long as you get your mind around the whole made up technology and terminologies, you'd be down for it.

The other narrative followed another man with different discovery of a new occurrence. Something rather magical than scientific. At the beginning I loved this world more that the other one. In my head it was a sephia world. The other world was mostly grey in my head except for one of the characters who would always be visualized as lively pink, pumped and youthful.

The stories progressed in parallel without a sign of them ever meeting in the middle. But when they did, it felt like the story ended way too quickly. Well, that is Murakami's style of writing. But unlike his other book, this one actually ends. There was this sense of closure. Rather different from his other works I'd say. For that, I was pleased.

So that's it.

Adieu

My Latest Obsession With Hijab

Ahh bawal chiffon..

So chiffon is an amazing fabric for a long shawl. It places beautifully with perfect creases and comfortable balance between being lightweight and not see through. But wearing long shawl sometimes takes longer time and requires delicate care through out the day.

I love bawal. It's simple. It's elegant. And it's dirt cheap. The problem with cotton bawal is that you either get the soft ones which feel good on your head but too thin and hard to place or you'd get the stiff ones which are rarely comfy. There is a good range of cotton bawal in the market but let's go to bawal chiffon. To be more precise, the heavy bawal chiffon.

Some of the good things about bawal chiffon are:

• It's not see through: This is super important. Unlike cotton bawal, the heavy chiffon does more than covering your hair. It covers the neck. No more tracing of skins when you're standing with the backlight on. It is also pretty breezy.
• It stays in shape for a long time. Depends on your initial placing, heavy chiffon really stays that way through the day provided that you pin it in place.
• It's less wrinkly than cotton. When you are rough with your cotton bawal, it tends to crease and stays wrinkly afterwards. Heavy chiffon is more durable to wrinkle. It's harder to crease.

When there are good, there are bad too. So these are what I find annoying with bawal chiffon

• Although it stays in shape through the day, the initial placing can be hellish. No matter how hard it is to place the fabric, do not use ironing starch. I might be an advocate to using starch on bawal cotton but with chiffon, it's a no-no. You'll ruin it's natural folds forever. So be very patient with placing your bawal. Once it is set, it will behave for the whole day. The peak won't ever fall flat.

• Chiffon is hard to crease but it is also hard to iron! Ironing bawal chiffon can be hellish. This is why choosing the correct type of chiffon for bawal is essential. Invest some time in getting the perfect-no-crease finishing by using steam ironing or be very attentive when using water spray.
• Chiffon stained easily especially with oil. When you stain your bawal cotton, you can rinse it off with water and soap. If you do that on chiffon, the stain mark would only get bigger until you wash the whole thing. And chiffon is sensitive even to the tinniest amount of oil like the sebum coming from your sweat. Once the sweat evaporated, the damp mark stays unlike on bawal cotton where it dries to an even colour.

So that's it... For what it's worth, bawal chiffon is amazing. It's not surprising though because chiffon is commonly used when making jilbab. So fabric is not really new to hijab scene. I'm just glad that there is a comfortable and stylish alternative to the comfy but see-through bawal cotton. I'm looking forward to having more bawal chiffon in my wardrobe.

This is not a product placement post. I'm just appreciating hijab and its diversity.

We're both wearing heavy bawal chiffon.

Adieu

Food Face-off: Squid Boy vs Shihlin

Dah lama aku kepamkan gambar-gambar ni dalam draft tapi sebab malas menguasai diri baru kali ni sempat nak buat write-upnya.

First of, aku tak la minat mana mee sua ni. Adik aku yang suka sangat. Biasanya dia beli dari Shihlin tapi tiba-tiba hari tu cakap nk try yang Squid Boy pulak. So aku cadangkan apa kata buat perbandingan dua brand ni? Walaupun perut aku dah kenyang melahap lamb chop hari tu, gagahkan jugak beli satu serving mee sua dan crispy chicken.

Squid Boy

Shilin

Mee Sua

Kepada yang tak biasa makan atau yang tak tau mee sua tu apa, mee sua tu sejenis mee yang diperbuat daripada tepung gandum. Rupa dia kasar sikit dari mihun. Tapi mihun diperbuat daripada tepung beras so texture dia lain sikit. Ada macam-macam cara nak masak mee sua tapi yang jual dekat Squid Boy dan Shilin ni taiwan style, Oyster mee sua. 

Note: Atas Shihlin, bawah Squid Boy

Perbezaan paling ketara antara dua brand ni adalah daging ayam. Shihlin ada tambah carikan daging ayam dalam resepi mee sua. Squid Boy takde ayam tapi ada banyak sos. Mungkin payah nak nampak sebab kualiti gambar tapi warna mee sua Shihlin lebih gelap berbanding Squid Boy. Bilangan tiram yang diberikan adalah sama, 3 ketul. Shihlin juga lebih pemurah bab daun ketumbar. Umm.. yum.

What about the taste? Shihlin punya mee sua rasa masam sikit. Sebab sos dia kot. Personally, upon first bite aku lebih prefer Squid Boy sebab rasa dia subtle je. Tapi lepas berkali-kali suap cepat rasa muak. Unlike Squid Boy, Shihlin mee sua x rasa macam tu. Aku pun tak paham kenapa. Tiram Shihlin pun lebih firm dan berperisa. So for this round, Shihlin menang.

Crispy Chicken

So ada perbezaan yang sangat ketara antara Crispy Chicken Shihlin dan Squid Boy. Shihlin tak potong ayam tu. It comes as one whole piece of chicken. Squid Boy pulak potong ayam tu kecik-kecik macam ayam Uncle Bob kat pasar malam. Cara diorang tambah serbuk perencah pun lain. Squid Boy letak perencah kat sebelah je bahagian ayam so rasa dia tak sekata tapi takde la tak sedap. Ok je. Both taste almost the same. Texture-wise, Shihlin won by a landslide. The science behind this is not to cut your chicken. Kalau korang tengok packaging tu, Shihlin punya paperbag ada basah sikit tapi paperbag Squid boy memang basah teruk. By not cutting the chicken, they retain the juice inside the chicken longer. So kalau korang planning nak tapau bawak balik rumah, pilihla ayam Shihlin. Tapi kalau nak makan terus, baik amik Squid Boy sebab less messy to eat in public.

Tapi kalau dua-dua ni lawan ayam uncle bob Putrajaya, dua-dua pun takleh lawan. Uncle Bob reign supreme. Shihlin and Squid Boy found dead in a ditch.

Harga

Hmm.. Aku tak tau mana aku campak resit-resit ni tapi Shihlin lagi mahal la. Berbaloi ke tidak tu depends on korang punya preference. Bagi aku memang berbaloi la sebab hmm sedap.

Masa Penyediaan

Serius Squid Boy lambat gila buat kerja. Customer tak ramai pun slow buat keje. Dah la silap Aku mintak crispy chicken perisa wasabi dia bagi perisa biasa. Shihlin laju sikit la. Tapi dua-dua pun slow bila sampai bab Crispy Chicken sebab masing-masing goreng based on demand to control the freshness. So kalau korang order ayam memang la lambat sikit.

So, tu je ceritanya.

Adieu

Travel Read : Murakami, Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde

I'm not a reader. Not someone who would spend hours on books on daily basis. I lack persistence. One thing I'm good at is reading in a moving car. And I get bored easily. Usually I would whip out my smartphone, read something random online. But I've bought way too many books and read too little, so why not go back to classic bounded papers? 

Travelling back to Terengganu is not as tedious as it was few years back. 4 hours on the road is bearable. But it's 4 hours of staring at nothing but asphalt and the repetitive roadside greenery. Oh.. I hate expressway. So I brought 4 books with me, hoping I would somehow manage to finish them during the long holiday.

Margery Kempe: How To Be a Medieval Woman

I had high hope for this one. It's only 125 pages long and the Penguin Classics are always nice to hold. I'm a sucker for a pocket sized literature. The title is intriguing, don't you think? I at least thought so. But it was a dull read, like reading a diary of your very religious cousin hoping to find some delicious secret to gossip about during family gathering only to find her same holier-than-thou facade bleeding through her most intimate writing. It was uninteresting and tiresome. I finished reading it in two days.

 Oscar Wilde: Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast

It's a collection of Oscar Wilde's quotes. An interesting read but I prefer books with some narratives thrown into them. Still, brilliant words from a brilliant writer. It should be titled as "Sass by Sass Master Oscar Wilde be Wilding". I should really get a copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I kinda know the theme but the way he used his word is too intriguing to pass.

Leo Tolstoy: How Much Land Does A Man Need?

Hmm.. what a familiar name, eh? That was what I thought when I vetted through this copy. I know I heard that name somewhere. Tolstoy.. Tolstoy.. I'm sure he's written something famous. So this book is actually a compilation of two short stories; "How Much Land Does A Man Need?" and "What Men Live By". A light read. Interesting and profound. I adore short stories and this man is amazing. I would definitely get more of his work. Anna Karenina, anyone?

Haruki Murakami: Sputnik Sweetheart

"Oh Murakami is overrated"

No he's not. 

A master on his own standard. What a sweetheart this work has been for me. I'm not going to spoil anything about this book. Delightful. Unlike Kafka on The On The Shore, I actually read through this in one sitting, holding my breath to know what comes next. And as always, Murakami always manages to make me feel emotionally constipated. He never ends his story where we want it to end. Witty exchanges. A gist of mystery, nightmarish plight.. How to put it? Kafkaesque? I'm not sure if that's a correct term for it. Read it. Don't let it go unnoticed. Suffer with me.

That's it. That's all.. I really need to read more. 

Adieu

Art Supply Collector : Watercolour Brush

Aku pengumpul. Rasanya ramai dah tahu tapi aku kena gak bagitau sebab, kumpul dan terer pakai ni dua benda yang sangat berbeza.

Terbaru koleksi aku banyak menjurus ke arah perkakas cat air. Dulu kumpul water brush sekarang aku dah sedikit berani nak pakai traditional paintbrush. Aku tak arif sangat berkenaan berus-berus ni tapi berdasarkan pemahaman aku yang tak seberapa, boleh la aku kongsikan sikit.

Berus cat air ni ada banyak jenis (duh). Dari segi bentuknya, aplikasi, material dan lain-lain lagi lah. Dari segi bentuk aku personally kategorikan berus cat air kepada dua jenis, flat dan round brush. Aku tak pakai flat brush. A bit intimidating to me. Aku pakai round brush. SO aku akan bincang pasal round brush sahaja.

Dari segi material berus cat air ni terbahagi kepada 3 jenis (at least. Of course korang boleh micro categorize lagi tapi ni personal view aku)

Type 1: Water brush

Waterbrush ni memang versatile. Bagi yang baru nak berjinak dengan cat air, sama ada pakai cake form ataupun tube form, aku syorkan pakai waterbrush. Waterbrush ada small water reservoir dalam body dia. Cara pakai pun senang. Kena belajar control air dalam reservoir tu. Kebaikan waterbrush ni ko tak payah bawak water container untuk mixing atau untuk washing. Perfect for travelling watercolour journalist.

Apa yang membezakan sesuatu brand adalah water stopper dan brush material dia. Water stopper memastikan air tak tumpah dari reservoir kalau tak dipicit. Kan susah nak kaler kalau air asyik dripping uncontrollably. Memandangkan aku cuma pernah try 3 brand, mungkin aku bukanlah orang yang tepat untuk bagi contoh stopper yang bagus atau tak.

Untuk brush material pulak, kebanyakan waterbrush pakai sintetik hair sebab sintetik hair lebih tahan air, tak mudah rosak kalau terendam lama. Kalau dah nama waterbrush, of course la manjang je basahnya. Semua waterbrush aku pakai sintetik hair.

Sakura Brush - free brush masa beli Koi Watercolour. Least favourite brush. Air dia susah control. Tapi bagus untuk illustrasi yang besar. Aku banyak lukis illustrasi yang kecik dan detail so brush ni memang tak kena ngan aku.

Derwent Brush - Macam yang aku bagitau tadi, aku banyak kaler benda detail. Fine brush No.1 dia memang terbaik untuk mewarna benda-benda kecik. Masalah dia, tengah syok-syok kaler dia start dripping. Tak teruk pun but it caught you of guard sometimes.

Kuretake Fude Waterbrush - Hands down, my favorite child. Fine brush dia tak sehalus Derwent No.1 tapi brush hair dia lebih pendek which means, better control. Untuk medium size area, brush ni memang best pakai. Reservoir yang paling mudah nak control.

So ni tiga waterbrush yang aku personally pakai. Berus ni la yang memperkenalkan aku pada the joy of watercoloring. Super easy to maintain, durable and dependable. Whip out one of these and you're good to go. Aku siapkan Journal India aku entirely using waterbrush. Great time..

Tapi lama-lama rasa la nak try berus lain pulak, ye dak? Which brings us to..

Type 2 : Synthetic Hair

Sintetik brush adalah berus yang paling senang nak dapat dan murah. Kalau rosak, sekejap je dah boleh ganti. Aku rasa semua orang yang pernah dipaksa mewarna guna Buncho zaman sekolah dulu mesti dah pernah pakai berus ni. Mak ayah pun lebih selesa beli berus sintetik sebab yakin suci. Tak campur berus babi. Gittew. Personally aku hanya guna sintetik brush untuk bersihkan mixing plate dan untuk apply masking fluid. Selain dari dua tugas ni, memang aku tak percaya nak pakai. Tapi ni depends jugak brand apa yang ko pakai. Kalau pakai Windsor & Newton, sintetik brush dia berkualiti dan ada jugak yang mix dengan natural hair so confident la sikit nak pakai untuk apply colour. Macam berlagak gila ayat tak suka pakai sintetik brush. In my defense, aku beli sintetik brush yang kualiti tak berapa cantik. Jaga pun sambil lewa. Sebab tu la hasil dia pun tak lawa.

Type 3: Natural Hair

Berus cat air diperbuat dari berbagai jenis bulu. Bulu kambing, babi, kuda, musang dan sebagainya. The most expensive ones are made from Kolinsky, a type of mink native to Western Russia. Binatang ni macam musang pandan la lebih kurang. Ewah lebih kurang. To be honest aku tak tau binatang ni dipanggil apa dalam bahasa melayu.

The smallest Raphael Kolinsky could easily cost you RM60 (more or less. Lupa harga dia). Winsor & Newton Series 7 Gift Set (3 brushes) cost you a whooping RM300. Kalau tak silap aku Series 7 is the most expensive Kolinsky brush. Agaknya natang weasel tu makan dedak mahal kot tu yang mahal. Lebih besar saiz berus tu lebih mahal harganya. So kepada yang minat sable hair brushes, good luck.

Apa yang bagus sangat dengan sable hair ni sampai harga minta pelempang? First of all, anything natural is expensive. Especially when the material is only native to a certain part of the world and had been hyped as the best for centuries. Secondly, sable brushes are usually assembled by hand, strand by strand. It is labor intensive and quality controlled environment. Can you blame them for pricing it so high? Lastly, the quality and demand.

From my observation, the sable brush could retain a lot of liquid in it. The brush springs back easy retaining it's shape easily after each wash. Bila berus tu boleh kekalkan bentuk dengan baik, takde la berus tu bercabang-cabang sampai stroke pun jadi tebal dan tak sekata. 

Selain Kolinsky, ada orang cadangkan aku untuk try goat hair. Bagus untuk heavy wash. But I don't do heavy wash so I'm still thinking about it. 

Sebelum aku tutup entry ni aku nak tekankan sesuatu. Doing art is not about having the most expensive tools. It's about finding what best suit you. Ada orang boleh hasilkan artwork yang lawa gila bila pakai water brush tapi bila switch ke natural brush terus tak selawa pakai water brush and vice versa. It all comes down to how you interact with the tools you have. I for one prefer A4 paper 80 gsm when doing watercolor instead of the sturdy 300 gsm cold pressed cotton paper. Other than warping. printing paper is amazing! And unlike many watercolor enthusiasts, I prefer hot pressed paper than the cold pressed ones. So again.. It's not about the price. It's what suit your style. What suit others might not suit you. Stop comparing your art with others. Instead compare it with your own artwork and see the difference the tools make.

I don't want to sound conceited when talking about tools. As I said in my opening, I am a collector. Being a collector doesn't make me an expert but it does open up opportunity to try more tools. To those who knows me, I don't shy away from letting people try my collection be it brushes, markers or papers. Because it's never about proving I'm better for having these tools. It's about trying new things and sharing my feelings about them.

So that's it. I hope you learn something from this sharing. Best of luck in your endeavor. Keep on doing things that makes you happy.

Adieu

Day in India: The Rest of It

Hi guise..

Previously on Day's Travel Log Series
Part 0: Prologue
Part 1: Bangalore Diary
Part 2: Dharwad Diary

So by now, I'd been so tired with everything. The long journey.. The unforgiving honking. So while in Delhi, I only managed to draw two pages of journal. I hate the shirt I wore when we went out for sight seeing. I hate that my anxiety was at a dangerous level. Yeah, I was so close to slapping someone. Maybe it was not anxiety. Maybe it was anger issue. Whatever it was, Delhi was challenging.

And I'm uploading everything this time. Good luck to your loading time and have fun reading my handwriting without the write up.

Ok abeh dah azab

Adieu
Terima kasih kerana sudi singgah dan membaca entry ini. Silakanlah merapu di ruang komentari bersama saya. Yeaha~