And they are, in no particular order:
1) Hamburgers
As a kid, during weekend outings with my folks to Amsterdam the highlight would be a stop at McDonald's for a Happy Meal consisting of a hamburger, fries, and a soft drink all served up in a UFO. The mayonnaise they served was out of this world and made a perfect match with the fries, but the star was the hamburger. Even to this day I prefer the hamburger (beef patty, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, golden bun) over any other burgers at McDonald's (e.g. the cheeseburger).
2) Spaghetti
As a kid, before a soccer match on Saturdays, I would have spaghetti to boost my performance on the pitch. We used ketchup back then, but we know better now. Now we use olive oil and canned tomatoes and, if we have it, a splash of red wine. I like minced beef as opposed to meatballs in my spaghetti, which I don't brown but add directly into the sauce to save time (thanks for the tip, Chef Michael Smith).
3) Sate Ayam Madura
Madurese chicken satay. I have to be very specific now: it has to be chicken, it has to be Madurese, it has to be served with peanut sauce (as opposed to soy sauce). They had satay in the Netherlands but it was only after I got to Indonesia that I got exposed to and could fully appreciate the true art of satay making. I prefer regular white rice to rice rolls to go with my satay along with a bowl of goat soup on the side (but only if the good satay man has it available, of course).
Honourable mention:
Beef Rendang
Home-made and prepared with a spice plan so magnificent I rechristened the dish 'Star Wars Episode VII'.
Sunday 28 August 2011
Sunday 14 August 2011
So... we was watching VCDs 2
When I grow up I want to have the awesome powers of Gareth Edwards, writer and director of Monsters. For now I just like to wear black jeans, like Trent Reznor, who did the score to The Social Network.
The Social Network (2010)
A recount of the dispute between Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and ex-girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara); between Zuckerberg and fellow Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield); and between Zuckerberg and the trio of opportunistic brats made up of twins Cameron/ Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) – all relating to the creation of social networking website Facebook; all victims of Zuckerberg's nerdishness; all made insignificant under his shadow. The only person he seems to get along with is geek Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) who, after having watched this movie, I like to call the Leprechaun of the Internet Highway. Watch at the risk of feeling dwarfed by Zuckerberg.
(Running time: 120 minutes)
Monsters (2010)
The plot is a mixture of Jurassic Park (1993), The Mist (2007), and District 9 (2009) though what sets this movie apart is the degree of realism writer/ director Gareth Edwards brings. Each time he introduces a character or characters you feel like you know them, that you've somehow been in their shoes. Edwards never says stuff, he describes it, and he does so in a way that will have you make this movie a benchmark from which to compare any other movies.
So, he describes Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) as cynical and Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) as perceptive by how they interact with each other and with the environment, i.e. an extraterrestrial-infected zone somewhere in Mexico, and from their efforts to make it back stateside.
The ETs (the monsters) could well be inspired by the grip drug cartels have over the country – they rarely make an appearance but their presence is unmistakable – and by global terrorism and its impact on policies. I say inspired by because I doubt they're metaphorical.
Will humankind prevail? If the melancholic note on which the movie ends is any indication, I would say: no, we won't.
(Running time: 94 minutes)
The Social Network (2010)
A recount of the dispute between Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and ex-girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara); between Zuckerberg and fellow Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield); and between Zuckerberg and the trio of opportunistic brats made up of twins Cameron/ Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) – all relating to the creation of social networking website Facebook; all victims of Zuckerberg's nerdishness; all made insignificant under his shadow. The only person he seems to get along with is geek Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) who, after having watched this movie, I like to call the Leprechaun of the Internet Highway. Watch at the risk of feeling dwarfed by Zuckerberg.
(Running time: 120 minutes)
Monsters (2010)
The plot is a mixture of Jurassic Park (1993), The Mist (2007), and District 9 (2009) though what sets this movie apart is the degree of realism writer/ director Gareth Edwards brings. Each time he introduces a character or characters you feel like you know them, that you've somehow been in their shoes. Edwards never says stuff, he describes it, and he does so in a way that will have you make this movie a benchmark from which to compare any other movies.
So, he describes Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) as cynical and Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) as perceptive by how they interact with each other and with the environment, i.e. an extraterrestrial-infected zone somewhere in Mexico, and from their efforts to make it back stateside.
The ETs (the monsters) could well be inspired by the grip drug cartels have over the country – they rarely make an appearance but their presence is unmistakable – and by global terrorism and its impact on policies. I say inspired by because I doubt they're metaphorical.
Will humankind prevail? If the melancholic note on which the movie ends is any indication, I would say: no, we won't.
(Running time: 94 minutes)
Monday 8 August 2011
So I saw 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' (in 3D)
A few years back, during summertime, a shopping mall in Jakarta featured a flying trapeze act from Russia. When the performers made their entrance at the centre of the mall's atrium and underneath the safety net it was quite the spectacle and as they climbed up and took their posts, all eyes followed their every move.
The first couple of manoeuvres had my attention but when the supposedly highlight of the set proved more of the same (a triple as opposed to a single somersault) I found myself lowering my expectations though I could still appreciate the innocent quality of it all – at the end of the day, these people are just trying to show you and yours a good-time.
They were aware of this, of course, that you and yours have seen it before in some way, shape or form. Therefore, like the BBC television series Top Gear, they had to end on a bombshell. Which they did.
Suspended upside down from a bar, the lead flyer let himself pull up all the way to the ceiling. From where I stood (third floor) I could see crew members with walkie-talkies operating the pulley. But before I knew what was going on – blink and miss it – he let go and dive-bombed onto the safety net. Whatever your thoughts were before, you're definitely impressed now.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is that human dive-bomber.
(Running time: 157 minutes)
The first couple of manoeuvres had my attention but when the supposedly highlight of the set proved more of the same (a triple as opposed to a single somersault) I found myself lowering my expectations though I could still appreciate the innocent quality of it all – at the end of the day, these people are just trying to show you and yours a good-time.
They were aware of this, of course, that you and yours have seen it before in some way, shape or form. Therefore, like the BBC television series Top Gear, they had to end on a bombshell. Which they did.
Suspended upside down from a bar, the lead flyer let himself pull up all the way to the ceiling. From where I stood (third floor) I could see crew members with walkie-talkies operating the pulley. But before I knew what was going on – blink and miss it – he let go and dive-bombed onto the safety net. Whatever your thoughts were before, you're definitely impressed now.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is that human dive-bomber.
(Running time: 157 minutes)
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