Underoos

About a movie that should be Dawn of Convenience(s)

Holy sh!t snacks!
Negan + Maggie = Bruce Wayne

Spent the weekend with that infamous Batman v Superman (well spent most of it scouring the comments and reading the tonnes of articles,mostly)
I had in mind to blog last night after the movie, but with the recent worst dip of Internet connection here, it's just, well, back reading/speeding up back on Stephen King's 11.22.63 to get back to the differences since the finale of the mini-series.

this was, what, 3 weeks ago dayum.
anyhow I better post some of these drafts that's been stuck around the folder, and well, I suppose the impending showtime of the only one superhero (no, the movie of 2016) movie that I am to choose as the only movie this year hits today to finally catch Spidey in roughly 5-6 hours, I should defend that movie that was Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice.

I wasn't that gungho about it.
Not from the start of that announcement , what 2 years ago? I mean I was looking forward to it, and I for one loved the casting of Ben Affleck(and practically my favorite and saving grace of said film), and was still right up til the many teasers and trailers.
That's when I felt there might be too many things all at once on this movie. I don't think if it was 3 hours it would do it justice (oh, unintentional pun) ..in which I suppose the extended version is at 188mins is it? No matter, with the direction it was going, I wouldn't believe the extra half hour would make it a better film. I am not going to nit-pick, but I would point some out.

I wouldn't say it sucked, anyhow. It certainly ain't Fan4astic (that movie last year which I haven't touch it with a ten-foot pole) I did enjoy some scenes. Its just the convenience of things in the plot that just bugs me, and millions others. I would not go into the many plotholes and miscasts and etc there are so goddam many rants out there and the hate for Zack Snyder; even calling for him to be removed from Justice League, bah!

I don't blame it on Mr Snyder though. I think he did alright, his trademark shots and feel is there, and beautifully done as usual. But my probable blaming finger would be on the execs that made up the thinkthank of the DC movie universe(s) . Ok the DCEU... and to some extent the writers.

The absurdity and dumbness of the CIA's Jimmy Olsen of hiding a tracker in a camera (duh!), to the whole mess that is Lois Lane (she was written this way since Man of Steel isn't it?) and of course the unnecessary Joker-esque potrayal of Lex Luthor, hell, I could even tolerate the nonsense of "they would kill Martha!"
This I would attribute it to the writers, but I lost it with that scene of (us as) Diana Prince checking out Lex's secret military grade encrypted video folder of future teasers of the other movies coming soon. (Oh, I get it, it wasn't Lex's files, it should be DCEU chiefs computer)
That with the pointless 'discovery' of Aquaman potrayed like a simpleton sea creature/merman poking out of whichever humble seasponge abode, I mean WHAT-THE-F*#K?
Arthur Curry suffered amnesia and became lost under the sea found he could breathe and found his supposed inherited trident, became intrigued and get caught on video? That just made me not too keen on his movie. Ok, I am fine with Cyborg's, ok with The Flash bit (even though I am put off as usual with multiverse not consisting CW's universe, to me, Grant Gustin is The Flash to me, but hey, ok whatever rocks your boat DC) and the utter un-super-ness of the mystery woman in supposed amazonian battle gear and the facial-recognized atm video; to be fair, that should just be a case of doppelganger nothing to make Lex Luthor to create a persona and logo for a Wonder Woman.
Yeah, the creme de creme would be the convenience of these logos already created neatly for their respective folders. This I eff-ing put this one the DCEU chiefs.
(Hmm, I need to watch it again, there isn't one for Green Lantern isn't there?)

It is an okay film. There were nice bits, Batfleck is brilliant, as is the few lines from Jeremy Irons, of course Wonder Woman (though I am looking forward to Gal Gadot in a lead role, I mean she is good as a bit part scene, essentially in this movie it was still Gal Gadot acting like, well, what we came to expect of her atm), and err, well, the fun part of seeing J D Morgan and Lauren Cohan as Thomas and Martha Wayne.

That being said, I don't think Zack Snyder is at fault. He is definitely pressured (or teabagged) by the 'creatives' of chiefs of DCEU to be doing what he did , adding those unnecessary and mind-boggling (at least to some of us neutrals) scenes to make BvS not the awesome superhero movie we came to expect of, certainly with 2 (okay 3 counting Wonder Woman's cameo) of the most important heroes in DC lore I suppose.
Mayhap he is at fault, like what most people think, but my money is on him being under orders, in which we'll never know in the foreseeable future.
It still make money, and continue to do so, (and most definitely be a successful franchise)but this convenience piece of a film does not do justice to having so many stories and characters in a movie that opens up to its own cinematic universe.



p/s : I will not touch on what I'd think as a miscast of Lex Luthor, as I became aware that my earlier prediction years ago before a certain Steve Rogers in its first film, here (or was it the earlier blogsite?)

ii : I am not a Marvel fanboy.
the MCU took years to establish that in this medium, and hence the success of it. I do agree not all MCU movies were without fault (some were choke full of it too) and some pretty backfired, but I don't think it managed even half of the hate for BvS by its own fans,eh?
As many links and articles there were before and after the film was out pointed that DCEU was a rushed-job to compete in its own way to milk this superhero movie cashcow, I am sure they will be getting better, hopefully.

Now it is time for "Underoos"!

the birthday posts

I (think) did my fair share of orphanage visits in my younger days, but I've never been to old folks' homes.
It was supposed to be just another day like these days as a sort-of-techie for Dad's pastoral duties and responsibilities, however somehow Harry skips out this morning (we kinda come in pairs, essentially he complements my dire lackness in Mandarin) and I found myself apparently as a goalie in a wheelchair with a blistering strike to the far corner. Not that I am a keeper anyway, nor in a wheelchair, but yeah, caught in no man's land or something of the like.

I suppose it wasn't that overwhelming, really. Sunshine Folks Home is relatively small and new, there were only 8 present this morning. At least from what I heard there should be another 2, but they were out for medical checkups. Okay I didn't count a lady who was half in half out, so yeah it was only 9 old folks this morning.
2 males , some in wheelchairs (not metephorically) most in their 80's, the oldest is a 93 year old male though he hardly looks and acts the oldest to be honest, and 2 Indian dames, from whence my shortfall came to light. I reckon I don't ever encounter conversation problems in Malay, but translating dialects and Mandarin to both English & common Malay in a pinch; now that's something new for me.
No doubt, I'd attribute the fact I've never did formal speech translations before, but it was just a small group of 9 ain't it? (Okay +2 ma & da, +3 party of Pastor Cheah and   +2 orderlies)
Teehee that was a moment of "common hall fright" eh?

At this moment in writing after about 7 hours (yeah practically crashed on the 2nd oh most glorious bed once got back home, thanks to staying up til 5-ish this morn replying my birthday thanks meme individually) I reckon

Eh, where was I?
I suppose I came away with a bit of experience , and with more practice I should be alright. It wasn't that shabby and there are ideas for more songs for worship. 2 weeks to go before the next visit, let's do this.

So that's basically I spent my 36th.
The first in 3 years to not being stuck elsewhere on working trips with my late sister.
The first back home, and this old folks home visit and embarrassing Internet speed.

I say thankya sai.

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went through my Camera Roll folder and found the few pics during those days, well, I suppose so many donkeys years has gone by since I last made this particular drink; that was what I made, well it ain't a full-on scratch-recipe of Gold Medalist,but it has characteristics of it of course; although I managed to sneak in a good amount of home-grown mulberries into the mix.

Pictures ain't grand, I recalled it was sweltering hot as a dry cauldron these days; and I must've been racing to snap the pics after the candle-blowing affair. (the cake of course)

I ought to be changing this layout somehow. I mean it is high-time to do so? It must've been 6 years or so ever since I ported over here, give or take. The layout and sizes of the various fonts are making a mess of everything. The only thing I am loathe to change would be losing these cute and cuddly bears. I better find this background copy and , well keep a copy, I reckon it should be unavailable, if memory serves me right, I did thought of this years ago when I was thinking about changing it.

Beefy ABC Soup

ABC Soup , or technically known as Lou San Thang is a simple yet wholesome Chinese soup. Ever popular as a homely nutritious soup for the humble home to soup stalls, I suppose it is safe to say you could find it everywhere; with a different name or versions too.
The simplicity of its ingredients lends it as a base to other soups and with a tweak or two in additional ingredients the end result would be a totally different dish.
My fascination with this soup comes from a little research and itching question on what did it come from and boy, its origins story is well, practically confusing, like a ret-conned superhero origins story somehow.

A simple name search of Lou San Thang yields it originated from China, and once it gets to its bastardized name of ABC Soup, it just gets so much more confusing. Some say it was because of the vitamins A, B and C from carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, whilst some probably stated that cooking it was as easy as spelling , and how it was aptly named thus as a version of canned alphabet soup.
In my case, I grew up calling it ABC Soup, as another hand-me-down from my elder siblings (in which they were pretty infamous in naming things their way) and for ages I thought this is just another one of it. Somehow along the way we(including our mum) got to know the other name elsewhere and found out others do call it ABC as well. To my surprise, it seems people do call it ABC Soup other than in Malaysia and Singapore.
I'm sure the base ingredients are the same, with variations and substitutions (nope, dried anchovies imho does not maketh an ABC Soup!) but the amazing thing to me is that people from different countries could made up a name unanimously somehow. Ripple effect?

Anyhow, on with the recipe.
The generally accepted Lou San Thang calls for Pork Ribs, Potato, Tomato, Carrot, Onion, Garlic, Ginger and salt & white pepper. I did list out other versions with additions of Corn, Cabbages etc in a previous unsaved version but I am not going to this time around as I am basically rewriting all this again before I sidetrack myself again.
I've always made mine with beef, either by fully substituting it in, or together with a mix of pork or lamb. To me, beef complements the rest of the ingredients for a much more kickass soup. Perhaps that must be why my elder siblings sang the praises to my mum. Also, I tend to believe it was because I don't serve it on the first round, I mean, a kickass soup takes patience and time eh?

BEEFY ABC SOUP

Kevin's Simple Beefy ABC Soup @ Kickass ABC boeuf

0.5~1kg - *Beef (your choice for your soup, but for this time I used a decent sized shank; uncut)
2~2.5ltr - Water
4 nos     - *Onion; large, rough cut
4 nos     - Carrot; cube or slice
4 nos     - Potato; cube
1 inch    - Ginger; lightly smashed
1 bulb    - Garlic; smashed whole or whichever your preference
to taste   - Coarse Salt & White Pepper; crushed/uncrushed is fine. 4 tsp of Salt and 2 for Pepper
4 nos      - Tomato; wedges
optionals which I added
2 oz        - Chinese Cooking Wine
1/2 oz     - Fish Sauce

Prep: 20 mins + 5 mins         Cook: 60 mins + 60 mins give or take      Serves: 8-10pax or 2 days for 2(with 2nd helpings)?
0. (additional step) Lightly brown the meat before adding Onions, Carrots, Potatoes, Ginger and Garlic.
1. Add all ingredients except seasonings and Tomatoes and set to minimal flame.
2. Stir occasionally if it boils, turn off heat around hour mark.
3. Add the seasoning and let cool and catch up on a book or go out for lunch or something.
4. An hour prior, remove meat to cut (if applicable) and add the tomatoes.
5. Resume mid flame and adjust additional seasoning to taste. Off heat when bubbly, and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish if the occasion calls for it and dig in!

* substitute to pork or chayken if need to, but you have been warned about dried anchovies. 
* my favorite is self-made minced beef clumps (I don't shape them to balls, as it retains more flavor)
* you may add Corn, Cabbages, Radishes, Turnips, Breadfruit, Waterchestnuts, hey, go crazy!

pardon this bad pic, this is by Round 3 that I figured heck I should take a pic

About A Goddam Soup @ Another End To Another Hiatus

I never did post a single recipe for food, didn't I? 
I mean a full post on a certain food, complete with pics together with the recipe.
Mayhap for a beverage somehow, perhaps I might've posted a snippet or two on twitter or Instagram somewhat (gawd, that must've been ancient eh)
You know, a full recipe post with the how-to's like every goddam Google search for every goddam cuisine, no, I think I've lost my motivation to do those trendier under-a-minute how to videos sans audio,too.
I will stick to an old fashioned cooking blogpost, thank you.

I've never been a proper chef, per se. I would align myself as a mixologist first, as I used to clearly quote I've never for the life of me cook to earn a living (which, this fact should be redacted as it is getting closer to a year old anniversary since I gave my aforementioned cook-for-a-living virginity)

I suppose it's not because I am too conscious to actually blog about my recipe, nor I am *gulp* ashamed of my creations. I guess it's just another matter of the usual Kevin & his priorities...as everything else too.

But I suppose things happen for a reason, as with my constant battle with my priorities these days. I was half researching for facts and trivias  (and ideas, but I'd say about  10%...really! I know how to make my bloody soup as spanking good with minimal ingredients ) and somehow it struck me this darn little soup is as confusing in its origin story.

I should keep this separate eh?
This way I hope I could go about and resume the other intended blogposts..somehow
#wishfulthinking

________ approx 2 hours later___________
Thou shall remember to click Done and the Save icon whenever Thou blog from mobile.

Yes. I fell into that trap again years after my previous entry in justifying my apparent near-weblog posts.
The what now?
I seriously doubt I could draw from memory what I typed about ABC soup , I only have fragments and my recipe plus the 3 not-so-interesting-looking pictures.
Oh well I'll do it later or tomorrow then, if the muses decide I'm worthy.
For now, it is Me Time with iZombie and Agents of SHIELD, perhaps.