Extraordinary Blind Side of Toy Story

another 3 movies from the mind of syigim - two of them are inspired and based on true stories, and the third one is definitely, a made-believe one.

extraordinary measures, the blind side, and toy story 3.

* * *

a father with two sick kids. very sick kids. they will die, because there is no medication for their illness. what does he do?

'don't hope for a miracle. make one' - so goes the tagline for the movie, and that's exactly what the father (brendan fraser) does. he reads up a lot of the illness. he contacts this grumpy scientist (harrison ford) who did many research and produces many writings on the illness. he pays the scientists. he rakes in money from other sources. he makes things happen, just so he could have a few more years with his kids.

harrison ford looks super old in this movie, but delivers powerful performance as always with his signature smirk as the aging scientists that seemed to be overlooked in his own time. too bad the the mom-dad-of-sick-kid team of brendan fraser and his female co-star wasn't believable.

i don't feel their sadness. i don't feel their desperation. even as they stood in front of their kids, looking at them playing helplessly on their wheelchairs, the parents didn't hug, or at least hold hands - a physical act to show that 'we'll get through this', or 'we'll be here for each other' kind of physical display. they should at least dramatized the affections between the parents!

as a movie about parents with terminally ill kids - this one doesn't move me as it should. you wanna watch a really touching story - watch 'lorenzo's oil'. excellent. anyway, really - to what length would YOU do to save your kid's life?

* * *

sandra bullock won best actress with this movie, and i can see why. she delivers her character with gusto; a rich southern white lady welcoming a huge black teen into her family, into her life. she's confident, she's kind, and she's got guts!

the black teen, big mike evolves throughout the story - first, the lost puppy look, sad and unloved. gradually, as he became more and more part of the family, his expression changes - more confidence, more life, and certainly more joy. it moves me to be part of this changes.

the movie itself is simple, without any extreme conflict that would normally arise when your wife or your mom or your neighbour brings home a total stranger - a homeless black teen of a drug-addict mother from the ghetto, no less! her husband only expresses doubts, but gives in with full support. her kids love big mike.

'the blind side' refers to a term in american football, and watching the movie you'll see why it's important in nurturing big mike's talent in the sport, as well as how he cares for his new family.

highly recommended!

* * *

fine, fine. by this time i'm probably the last few people who has seen toy story 3. but now i have, ok so pipe down! hihi. well, never expect an animated feature about toys could ever make me cry.

woody, buzz, jessie, rex, mr. potato head and the gang had been a part of my 'cartoon' collection for the longest time alongside snow white, aurora, cinderella, ariel, aladdin and genie, nemo, sully, remy and many more endearing characters. so, seeing them in this 'goodbye for now, but we will always be together' theme of a movie really brought me to tears.

andy, the owner of the toys are all grown up, and i thought that would bother me, but andy is actually as adorable as the grown-up kid off to college and naturally detaching himself from his childhood toys.

the final scene is extremely sweet - at 31, i wonder where my barbie doll with the kembang hair is, and my bright purple-pink clown who moves its head when you turn the lever behind it. are you guys safe somewhere, my little childhood toys?

oh, my favorite scene has got to be when buzz started speaking spanish. priceless!

* * *

more movie-reviews coming. watch this space.

Wonderlicious Waffle World

big fat hot fresh waffles, plump scoop of my favorite ice-cream flavor, a trickle of hershey chocolate syrup, slices of banana, and a little cherry on top to make perfect the dish - excellent!

a year away from malaysia, this is still one of my favorite dessert spots in one utama shopping mall - the waffle world.

usually after a heavy meal of nasi ayam at the foodcourt, or laksa at penang village, or a mcd meal, we'll go jalan-jalan first before making a pit-stop for dessert. and usually, it's waffle world.

just a little cafe next to a&w at one utama new wing, it offers wonderfully delicious desserts of waffles, crepes and pancakes. sure you can go to the much posh 'paddington pancake' cafe for many more choices, but for a cheaper plate of pancakes, go to waffle world.

the place were almost empty when we came, much to our delight. the waiters were friendly, and even the outlet manager helped us make a choice.

not that he needed to help - i already knew what i wanted. fat waffles with banana, choc syrup and vanilla ice-cream!

my kahfi

khaleef and kahfi waited in high anticipation. khaleef is a real sweet-tooth and ice-cream freak, while kahfi eats anything. hihi.

my khaleef

here there are not only sweet waffles, but savory ones as well. i've never tried any of these sandwiches - made of waffles stacked on one another with salmon or turkey in between. sounds like a treat?

haven't i said enough about my hot waffles with the ice-cream and banana? that's what i ordered! i chose the 'banana waffles', while mr. khairul went further up and ordered 'banana walnut', which was basically similar to what i ordered, but with an added walnut spread on top.

* * *

...and here's my banana waffles! gemuk kan, waffle dia?

waffle may appear smaller than actual size!

that's what i really like about waffle world. the waffle is not only filling because of its size, but the texture is really wonderful - soft interior with lil bit of crispiness lining the sides. incredible, especially when you add cool vanilla ice-cream to that mouthful of hot waffle shreds. throw in a couple of banana bites, and you're in waffle heaven! hihi.

just perfect.

..and here's mr. khairul's waffle. with walnut! he also ordered this strawberry smoothies. a nice drink to complement the awesome dessert!

strawberry smoothie

open wide, kahfi!

* * *

step into waffle world today - one utama, 2nd floor at the new wing, right next to a&w. man, writing this made me wanna go there right now and have a plate of warm waffles!

Little Scientists @ Petrosains

have you been to petrosains - the science discovery center in suria klcc? the one on the top floor? do you know that with RM12 entrance fee, you can go on a simulator ride, try out endless experiments, see a lot of interesting exhibits and learn many science stuff?

all at our very own petrosains! i didn't know there were SO MANY science stuff, so i was so impressed when i went there recently. i have been to its gift shop many, many times during my student days, but this was the first time i entered the actual center - with a husband and 3 kiddos!

first, we lined up to go on the 'dark ride', or 'perjalanan sekilas masa'. i was a bit confused with the different translation - shouldn't it be 'perjalanan gelap' or better - a 'journey through time'?

anyway, we went on this black color semi egg-shaped pod that can fit about 7 people. however, since we brought along the folded stroller along, we took all the space. so comfortable!

the black 'pod' would be secured, and off we went towards a dark tunnel. here we passed what seemed to represent 'nature', with a booming voice-over in the dark saying how lucky we are to have an abundance of natural resources in our midst.

when we first stopped at the first 'station', i wasn't expecting hundreds more interactive exhibits and experiments.

khaleef immediately made himself at home trying out all sorts of experiments. kahfi was all too glad to be free running around the spacious room.

i'm definitely not a science geek, and i would surprise myself if i remember anything i learnt in high school during science 101, but i really enjoyed the interactive exhibits. i also appreciate how easy they made it sound through the description and brief explanation at each exhibits and experiments.

each exhibit and experiment has a board with explanation that start with 'let's try', 'what to do?' - this is the interactive part. it concludes with 'what's happening' - this is when the science of the exhibit is explained.

khaleef trying out a little driving!

this is a cute interactive bit about how far can you drive with certain amount of fuel. there's a lever that acts as a gear, and a reading will appear, depending on how fast or slow you're driving. cool, eh?

this is a cute corner with clear white background and bright light, where kids can learn how to use their finger to form animal shadows!

here's khaleef trying to be bob the builder! sit on a replica of a an excavator that really moves with a touch of a button! coolness!

you can't see it in the pictures, but there were actually a lot of school kids on a field trip hogging that place. however, it was so nice that when they saw this younger boy khaleef, they quickly gave way and let him play first, eventhough they've been lining up and waiting for their turn.

i saw this happening many, many times throughout our time here. it's so touching to see that our younger generation haven't lost their manners and consideration for others!

there were so many sections, so many science stations - this particular one was on movies - how to make 3d movies, and holograms.

next, we walked through this 'time tunnel' - when dinosaurs roam the earth! here we saw how the earth was billion of years ago. the animals, the soil, the air and the rocks.

funny thing was, we were 'greeted' by this groovy t-rex at the entrance, and he was singing! yeap! he was singing a very catchy tune, introducing himself and his role in the olden earth!

this was one of the coolest stuffs we encountered - 'try some ancient air' - but i was actually reluctant to try it out because there's something creepy about being able to smell air from billions of years ago!

of course this was not some doraemon gadget - it's not REALLY ancient air, but just made to 'smell' like it. want to know how - go to petrosains and find out!

i'm sure to khaleef, this would be one cool stuff to - to be able to 'fly' a jet! there's a steering wheel, the jet moves, and there's even hard wind coming out. awesome!

mr. khairul was very involved. he tried most of the experiments and read with interests most of the exhibits. this particular activity amused him the most!

bagaimana anda menafsir maklumat yang salah? it was a funny one, and got both of us laughing while we try it out!

throw the small bean bag at the bull's eye. you will be able to hit the target. however, take a specially made spectacles and put it over your eyes, and your vision might be compromised. your brain interprets what your eyes see. try throwing the bean bag again, and you'll definitely miss!

ah, this was my favorite part of the science discovery center. a visit to the oil platform. to make it more interesting, we 'went' to the oil platform by a 'helicopter'.

khaleef with the helicopter

it was actually a helicopter flight simulation! i love this kind of rides!

simulator rides are a type of amusement park ride, where the audience is shown a clip while their seats move to correspond to the action on screen.

i remember at universal studios me and family went on the 'back to the future' ride when the time machine went through a volcano, and the 'car' bounced, bumped and moved left and ride exactly according to what's happening on screen!

inside the helicopter, a clip was shown, as if we're taking off to go to the oil platform. on the way there was a 'storm' and the helicopter experienced a slight 'turbulence'! there was also a voice-over - the 'pilot' asking, "semua okay?" after the helicopter passed the storm!

this, to me was a really cool part of petrosains that shows the discovery of petroleum, the roles of the crew working on board and many machineries for the kids to explore.

this section really looked like an oil platform (i've never been on one, anyway - but it sure looked like how it could have been!) with its bright yellow color, metal floors and high ceiling.

cool, cool stuff. of course, khaleef tried out a few machineries there. pressing this button and that. pulling this lever and that. he really enjoyed the experience.

there were so many more exhibits and experiments that we all saw, but my camera ran out battery! just when i thought that a section might be the last one, we stepped into a new section.

the exhibits and experiments were all about using your five senses in exploring science. see, hear, smell, touch and feel - certainly perfect for growing minds and young, inquisitive kids.

bring yours there next weekend!

Award : Bestest, Interesting & Blog Lawa Gile

so many awards! so little time!

this one is a really 'ancient' one, from my dear dubai friend fida. thanks fida - blog fida pun memang best!

anda mesti memuji pemberi award

fida ialah member dubai aku. orangnya peramah, humble dan senang berkawan dengan dia. yang paling best ialah dia pandai buat kek dan roti yang sedap-sedap, terutama sekali nasi tomato dia! memang terbaik!

bagaimana anda boleh digelar blogger yang best?

sebab aku memang best la ok! hihi.

* * *

been keeping this award for so long! thanks ummi hanie for this honor! continue to support MBP, and the contributors ya?

to receive this award, i have to state 7 facts about me :

1. i am a 2nd child of 5 girls
2. i was born and raised in ipoh
3. i now reside in dubai, united arab emirates
4. i am married to a penang boy
5. i have 3 boys; khaleef, kahfi & kazim
6. i am now holidaying in malaysia
7. i am hungry

* * *

award ni baru pertama kali tengok. dari nadiah, umi kepada si comel safiyyah. uminye pun comel je. thanks nadiah!

Suke tak award ni?

bukan 'suka' je. tapi sangat suka. hihi.

Kamu rasa blog kamu lawa gila?

mestilah. kalo tak, takde la pilih layout ni kan? kan? kan?

Kamu selalu singgah di blog sape?

blog yang best-best - topik menarik serta penulisan jujur dan teratur yang tak banyak shortform yang aku tak paham.

Beri senarai blog yang lawa gila bagi kamu

bagi saya, blog adik-adik saya lawa gile. betul. tak caya gi tengok.

syidot

azot

Tag kepada orang yang kamu rasa patut dapat award special ni

kasi balik kat nadiah lah! haha. pasal dia baru tuka layout!

I Did Not Eat Frog @ Sakae Sushi

the japanese restaurant 'sakae sushi' may use a frog as its logo, but i don't see any on its menu. hihi.

you'd think using a cartoonish frog is just for fun but there's a whole meaning to it. the name 'sakae' itself means 'growth' in japanese, so the frog represents the company's aim to go leaps and bounds. the frog's smile shows the friendliness of the staff while the green color symbolizes growth. deep, huh!

the froggy icon is not JUST an amphibian - it's the company's mission statement!

sakae sushi is a japanese restaurant chain based in singapore. we went to the one in the curve. it was a weekend, and it was pretty crowded. fortunately we got a seat at the far back, just nice to park the stroller.

it's a tech-savvy makan place - it offers patrons the convenience of ordering food via a screen placed at every table, right along the conveyor belt where the sushi plates are.

mr. khairul had fun browsing through the many tantalizing pictures of sushi and all stuff japanese on screen.

as you can see from the picture above, there's a hot water dispenser at every table too, making it easy for you to add hot water to your mug with the green tea sachet, without having to call on the waiter everytime you finish your hot drink.

anyway, tech-savvy or not, i still prefer ordering using the menu. some things are better left as they were! hihi. you can ask whether this meal comes with this and that, or ask whether they use fresh corn or corn from a can, or request for something to be placed on the side rather than together - questions like these cannot be posted to the lcd monitor!

azi & syida

what's good? we went with my sisters the wombats. like mr. khairul, they enjoy good authentic japanese dishes too. i only tag along for the chicken katsu!

syida and azi passed on the bento (japanese box meals) and ordered separate dishes instead.

they ordered this smashing soft crab - which, according to them was absolutely delicious - crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

soft crab

they paired it up with this plate of prawn tempura - a classic favorite of any japanese-food lover.

ebi tempura

* * *

mr. khairul ordered a bento consists of mix vegetable and prawn cooked in tempura flour. and was that unagi?

..and it came with this a bowl of steamed rice and this egg pudding, which to me was quite tasteless. also, the texture was too smooth that it practically melted in my mouth. this is probably a good thing for fans of this particular dish, but not to me lah.

* * *

a satisfied customer! hihi

when i go to japanese restaurant, i'll just look quickly for any chicken dish. here i found chicken katsu, which is basically fried breaded chicken.

yummy chicken katsu

it's absolutely delicious. fits every criteria for a good chicken katsu - freshly fried that it's hot. crispy exterior. juicy and well-marinated chicken flesh on the inside.

...add a bowl of steamed rice to complete the meal!

* * *

khaleef, as always, enjoyed slurping away his bowl of hot miso soup - salted to perfection. nice.

thanks, khairul san for the japanese meals treat!