Ugly Monkey Business

It started with a fuzzy, shoddy image in my head that we are living in a very backward, lawless, and barbaric time when the words such as moral, integrity, and ethic were not even perceived in the mind of our very ancestor: Homo Sapiens. I put down the newspaper in my hand and then I feel heavy with the eyes.

Then I had this little dream in my mind that went like this: I was in a Zoo and I was truly enjoying myself watching the animals: The different species of birds, white tigers, lions, pandas, snakes, etc. I strolled slowly and reached a big cage with a big group of monkeys locking up in the cage and my appearance sent them go berserk and that shocked me greatly. I looked around and then I realized that I am the only visitor in the Zoo.

Suddenly, for some reasons unknown to me, the monkeys mutated and they became stronger. They got strong arms and grew bigger than me. This was happening so fast. The steel bar of the cage was easily bended and one by one the monkeys walked out from the cage and like a stone I froze watching what had just happened right in front of me and forgot to run. In no time, I was surrounded by monkeys.

Too late, I got no way to escape and they outnumbered me. That's it! That is the end of my day because they looked like they want to kill me for some reason. They each have an angry and utterly ugly face and if I may, I would go to the extend to say that they look like demons from hell! There and then I saw one of the monkeys hobbled slowly towards me. Apparently the smallest one in the group and it has an undeveloped leg because it limped as it inched closer. It stopped at a distance that I can see its face clearly. It has a human-like face.

I was thinking to myself where have I seen this face before? A face of middle-aged woman. The shoulder-length hair, round and ungrateful face. Frown expression as if she is not happy with anything and everything. She looks like the woman who single-handedly overturned the State Government of Per......

Just there and then. She demanded in human voice "Give me the microphone!"

I puzzled or rather I was startled at her demand and where the hell do I find a microphone for her? I don't have one with me now. Nevertheless, I uttered a response. "What do you mean? I don't have one. Let me go".

She growled a little and with a smirk in her face she went "I know you know me. I have been the victim for so long when I was in in human form like you but I was treated like a worthless worm by human! I was sidelined, I was ostricized, singled out, and I was in pain... very much in pain... that's when I decided to betray human!" At this point, she shed tears and her voice choked and her face showed anguish? Anguish or acting I can't see clearly from where I stand.

Then this big tall monkey with big belly white hair slowly emerged from the background and hugged her from behind. "It is okay now. You are one of us now and I would be your guiding light. Worship me and I shall elevate you. Remember our deal." It smiled an evil grin. I shuddered.

At this juncture, another monkey with round spectacles and obviously much darker hair all over its body appeared from the back of big tall monkey. It looked at me fiercely and I can tell it ready to make a jump on me make me kill.

I panicked. I don't want to die but I am confused now because I did not do anything wrong. I should not be the one that they are after: I queued up, I paid the entrance fees and I did not feed. I followed rules and regulations and am I deserved to be killed because of that? This could be the case of mistaken identity. I calmed myself a little and I uttered "What is wrong cannot be right and what is right cannot be wrong. The Almighty God know!" I don't know what I said but I said it.

Immediately these monkeys gave me the sharpest gaze even known to the monkey kind. They growled crazily and together took one step closer on me!

Shit! I said the wrong thing! Stupid me! It happens all the times to me. Quick, think about something else to pacify them!

This crippled monkey shouted back at me "I can topple the whole Zoo when I want to. You can't keep us monkey in the cage anymore! GIVE ME THE MICROPHONE! NOW OR NEVER!!!"

"Yeah! Right! You have your God to answer to. Right! You don't have to answer to human being of your behaviours! Right! It does not matter how they think and act on you. Errr, right, God will be with you and blessing you all the way through!" Damn! The more I say, the more honest the answer! That's obviously not something you say to appease. The thing about me is that I tend to say directly what is on my mind when I feel tensed! Obviously, I did not think I have calmed them.

"Stupid human, KILL YOU NOW!" The crippled monkey surged forward faster and faster. The rest follows closely behind. It jumped into the air and howled. "I am your nightmare human! Remember me I used to have a human name too I am HeeeeeeeeZeeeeeeeF.........!"

In the time of crisis, I reacted the way I best know how: I remembered I defended myself and I fought with my fists firmly and wildly and... and... and... then I jolted up, opened my eyes and gasped for air! God, it was a dream! I just had a bad dream that's all.

I looked at the newspaper that I held in my hand and suddenly I realized: Despicable ways of Power Struggle in Perak.

I just have this to say: Don't glorify your misdeeds! Don't try to patronize Rakyat Jelita like me! Don't try to rationalize your illegal, despicable acts, and don't fill us with twisted facts! We are not blind and we can see what is wrong and what is right. You are digging your own graveyard and your doomsday is near.

Just as I expected, we are now the laughing stock and subject of mockery as the undemocratic event in Perak unfolded in the newspapers around the world.

Hing Ket Grill House

Lamb chop has never tasted so GREAT to me! It is so Good with the capital G! and I am talking about Hing Ket's grilled lamb chop!
Exclamation mark three times. Huh, that's means very good.

Before Hing Ket, I don't particularly enjoy lamb chop or anything cooks with lamb. I mean yes, I eat lamb chop a few times before but I wasn't impressed at all. Everything about lamb is just average to me. That changed after I tried Hing Ket's grilled lamb chop and who would have though that I become so fond of it?

I was introduced to Hing Ket of Kampung Jawa because it serves grilled crab that is big, fresh, tasty, and at the cheaper price. I am a bit skeptical about the grilled crab thingy. I remember of a time I eat grilled grab at a famous Ikan Bakar in Malacca so many years ago and how I hate it because it was hard to eat the crab as the meat was dried and stuck to the shell and all that because of the grilling or over grilling. Needless to say, I just wasn't enjoyed it.

When I sat down in Hing Ket for the first time, I was not convinced when I know that we were going to have grilled lamb and crab but hey, since there was recommendation well, just go with it. The rest is history because I have been coming back to Hing Ket a few times now. By the way, have to thank Ah Grace for the introduction to Hing Ket!

I was planning a celebration recently and I had been raving about Hing Ket for a few weeks as if I own the business and successfully got Ah Chong drooling and fancying about the food just by mere description. One of the evenings after much touturing Ah Chong, three of us (Me, Ah Chuin) jumped into a car and headed towards Kampung Jawa.

Click here for direction. Click here for a blog's review about the place.

Three hungry ghosts awaiting eagerly for the food to be served.
I mean me, Ah Chuin and Ah Chong.















2 pieces of lamb chop per hungry ghost so there were 6 pieces of delicious lamb chop for 3 hungry ghosts! Grilled to perfection. Slightly charred. The meat was tender and juicy... should I say juicy? I mean the meat was not dried like when you over-grilled it so when you chew it you chew it like chewy gum and you would not be able to swallow it. In fact, it was the lamb fat that is juicy and I can't believe I love it! The raw smell of lamb was not in the taste at all. That's for me makes the lamb chop so lovable and edible. I can have the 3 pieces of lamb chop in a row! By the way, each lamb chop costs you RM7.50 if you want to know.












You have got to try it with the mint sauce. Well, not that mint sauce is necessary because the grilled lamb is as good eating it as it is. Personally, I just like to have it with mint sauce.
















There were other dishes. This one here is oyster with fried eggs mixed with starch. No bad at all. At least the oyster was a bit larger and when you chew it, you could really taste the oyster from the starch.











Fried noodle with mantis prawn. Nice taste! You should try this out.












This one right here is the otak-otak and overall, the dish is okay but honestly not to my liking.















We waited a long while for the crabs to be served and usually it takes longer time to cook the crabs I don't know why. The crab was prepared in simple way as if there is no preparation at all. Usually, when you dine in restaurant, the body and pincer of the crab would be chopped up and cracked open nicely for you so that you could easily remove the shell to get to the meat but this is not the case here in Hing Ket. No cracking whatsoever. The crabs grill as they are. Take a look at the photo!











Well-cooked crabs. Aren't they pretty in orange!. Look at the lovely colour!










The crab right here is 600gm I think (About there) so it is slightly larger than the normal size crab that we have in the restaurant. Anyway, it costs about RM28.00 to RM30,00 per crab. I got news that sometime you can have crab as big it costs you RM50! Imagine the size.











Do remember to make advance booking via telephone a day before for big crab or else you would be disappointed or be satisfied with normal size crab.















It wasn't difficult to remove the shell however, if you are not into intestine, it is a bit of work for you to remove those inedible stuff.











Imagine if this is a female crab, this shell would be filled with crab roe with bright orange colour. Forget about butter or salty egg or pepper or any other way of cooking the crab, the best testing crab has to be the one which is cooked simply and freshly without losing its original taste.











Got this one for free, so to speak.

Aging

Creased forehead
Lined chin
Light and whiter hair
Swollen bags under the eyes
Weakening sight and hearing
Bulging cheek
Softer voice
Shrunken figure
Wrinkled body
Fallen shoulder
Sagging muscle
Diminishing strength
Dragging steps and slower walk

Don't you think it is scary and saddening to see that your parents are growing old each and every passing day.