Will the real Coconut Shake please stand up?

You know, I've heard people talk about The Coconut Shake in Melaka and I thought to myself, hey, I have a lot of relatives from my dad's side there. Maybe I can find this refreshingly sounding beverage while down there for a visit, usually for Hari Raya or weddings and such. I even suggested as such to my mom.

"Anak Tok Itam pun ada jual coconut shake ni. Nanti mama bawak pergi balik raya ni" (My grandfather's brother's (it boggles the mind!) child sells coconut shake. I'll take you there during Raya festive period), said my mother.

Oh, cool (no pun intended)! What are the odds?

What are the odds indeed. My relative have always lived in Klebang, arwah Tok Itam was a fishermen, and the famous Coconut Shake is called "Klebang Original Coconut Shake". It took me a few minutes to connect the dots.

O-oooooooo. Well, this is embarrassing. My parents, uncles and aunts have all gone there but I have yet to partake in this local delicacy, which I intend to remediate as soon as possible. And if, in the attempt, I over-corrected myself i.e. overindulge, well, just consider it one of the sacrifices we make in the name of familial bond.

Holy sweet nectar fit for royals, batman! I finished like two of these babies in one sitting. With half a nasi lemak bungkus, despite only having breakfast less than a couple of hours ago, I might add. There were other light snacks to choose from as well, various types of local kueh, mihun bungkus etc. And did I mention it was cheap as well? 6 shakes and 2 nasi lemak bungkus at only RM15.60? Technically, we could have gotten it for free, but business is business, family is family, right? Anyways, we got one shake FOC, so that's alright.

Head stuffed with cotton and a belly-ful of icy goodness, as we were headed back to Kuala Lumpur, I noticed there were other so-called coconut shakes along the way. Now, I'm not saying that anybody should just take my word for it that Klebang Original Coconut Shake is the best coconut shake in Melaka (JB and Singapore - hehe I just had to add). By all means, please support the local economy and purchase any one if it strikes your fancy.  All I'm saying is... will the real Coconut Shake please stand up!

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The Conjuring: Movie Review. No Spoiler!

Now, being a Malaysian, I can honestly say that Hollywood horror movies rarely scare me. I mean, sure, jump-out-of-your-seats-cheap-surprise-tactics, maybe. But scared? Puh-lease. I grew up accepting the fact that if I play hide and seek from dusk onward, the infamous hantu tetek (erm, a ghost who has huge pair of breasts) will hide me in her bosom and no one will be able to hear my cries of help as, I  imagine, I am being crushed to death by mammoth sized knockers.

Top that, Hollywood!


So when my sister tells me that I have to watch The Conjuring itisthescariestmovieever since Britney Spear's debut movie Crossroads, needless to say, I am more than a little skeptic.


Thus, skeptically and with as much skepticism that I can muster, I looked it up online. No lame Hollywood ghost story is worth the money, time and hassle, I figured. If I was going to bother with finding a baby sitter for my kids, dress up and eat a bucket load of popcorn, The Conjuring better received at least a Fresh certification on Rotten Tomatoes. It did. Standing at 86% from both Critics and Audience.

Fun fact, did you know that this was based on a true story from the case files of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren? So was Black Hawk Down, you say, and we all know how "true" to actual events that was. Alright, how about I tell you that it was directed by James Wan, a Malaysian-born Australian film producer, screenwriter and film director who directed the film Saw? I mean, nobody knows horror better than us Asians, is there? Co-incidentally, James will also direct the next Fast and Furious project, so suppose I should re-phrase it as nobody knows horror and dangerous-rempit style driving better than us Asians, is there? But that is neither here nor there.

Amidst much rambling, the question remains, is this movie scary and should you go and watch it? The answer is Kinda-yes and Yes! The scare are a-plenty and unpredictable. More than once my actual scream of fright was drowned out by the voice of arguable manly shrieks that immediately afterwards are accompanied by nervous laughter. Yeah, I'm talking to you, Mr I'm-too-macho-to-show-fear-in-front-of-my-girl. I could totally smell the fear coming off you. It's a mixture of anti-antiperspirant and urine leakage, in case you were wondering what fear actually smells like.

Is this movie up to par with the Thai version of Shutter? Probably not. No Asian ghost would have been that easy to defeat. But The Conjuring does give it a run for its money. So, if you have trouble staying awake at night, or you think that an antique wardrobe with a creaking door would look amazing opposite your bed, this is the movie for you.

Final note of advice, if you are the jumpy type, you might wanna pass the popcorn bucket over to your less jumpy buddy. Trust me on this one.  

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