Marrybrown's Fried Chicken

Nothing screams "Weekend's Here!" better than a meal of deep fried fast food chicken on a Friday afternoon. 

Arnold's (Ayam Goreng) is my go-to when it comes fried chicken (theirs is indeed very good) but a Marrybrown opened at the Wisma down the road couple of months ago, so we thought we'd try.

Great decision it was, I tell you. 

Didn't matter that all we had was (just) five pieces of deep fried crispy battered chicken in a box- nothing more.

No fries, no coleslaw, no drink, no mashed potato with gravy. 

Just the chicken- and the chicken alone. 

It was a conscientious, carefully calculated decision. 

Chicken was what we craved for- chicken was what we would get. 

Their food was (surprisingly) good. 

Wait, don't get me wrong. 

It isn't because I'm biased- I don't favor one brand over the other- but the last time I had Marrybrown's chicken was when The Parents and I ordered an entire bucket for our dinner whilst vacationing in Melaka more than ten years ago.

I've not had their chicken since then. 

So a pleasant surprise it was, therefore, when, despite the difference between time of purchase and time at table, the batter, when our lunch arrived, was not soggy and neither had the chicken turned cold. 

Instead all of it was as fresh as it would have been had we gone to eat it at their outlet over there.

Every piece- generously sized- was hot to the touch, the skin crispy, the batter crunchy, and there was no sight of undercooked, or overcooked meat anywhere. 

The tenderness of the meat impressed me. 

Especially since I have been to places where the chicken looks delicious, is hot when you touch it, has crispy skin everything, but dear me, get to certain parts of the bird and the meat's tough, tasteless and dry.

None of that with Marrybrown here.

Each piece had been prepared with caution, cooked with care. 

Let's just say it was a fun, fantastic lunch we had that day. 

I loved it. 

Pretty sure you will, too. ;)

Zen Radio (Mornings)

People sometimes find it surprising when I tell them that I listen to New Age. 

"But you're not a practitioner!" They exclaim. 

Afterwards however they become more receptive when I tell that there are, in fact, many sub genres to New Age, and that not every song I listen to has to be because I'm a Reiki Healer, or because I'm doing yoga, or because I'm trying to anchor my chakras.

It can be because I find certain sub genres relaxing. 

And it can be because I simply enjoy the music. 

You don't have to listen to everything, I tell them. 

I don't listen to everything. 

Neither do I listen to everything at all times of the day. 

There are times when I put on the music of Enya, Yanni, Los Rajos or Kitaro. 

There are times when I plug my ears into the Panpipes album which CD I got from Sydney's Farmers' Market years ago, or the Alaskan Journey album in the Lifescapes collection that I got from Target during the time when I was there.

These days, however, I seem to want a bit of variety- and that's when I switch to the Zen Radio app which I downloaded from Google Play couple of months ago. 

When exactly I downloaded it- I don't know. 

It might have been late Spring, or early Summer.

Or it might have been during the second HA after I got tired of the offline spa music apps but still wanted something ambient to begin the day. 

It's not the kind of music that makes me enter into any sort of mood. 

It's just the kind of music that I like playing in the background whilst I have my meals, check the emails and do the necessities- a sort of (ambient) Space, if you will. 

I've found it helpful. 

One thing I like about this app (besides it being free) is that it's got multiple channels that you can choose- and which you can then plonk what you like into the Favorites which allows you go to straightaway. 

The other thing I like is how you can experiment with the different sub-genres and then determine which suits you, or not. 

Some of the channels- I have to admit- are a little too ambient, a little too atmospheric, a little too penetrating for me. 

I don't turn on the app because I'm trying to fall asleep. 

I turn on the app because I'm trying to start the day, get tasks done, or needing to escape to a (less urban) Space whilst on the bus enroute somewhere.

It all depends on the hertz (Hz).

And whilst someone might find Study Music, Deep Focus, Deep Concentration, Ocean Sounds, or Space Dreams suitable for their needs, me- on the other hand- felt like the hertz was going into my brain a little bit too much, sending me onto an unintended pathway far from the direction I was supposed to go.

Maybe one day I'll find myself in a place where Shamanic Music seems right to put on (I won't know). 

Maybe one day I'll find myself wanting to put on Atmospheric Dreams or Native American Flute (I also won't know)

But for the moment I'm good with the music of Tranquility & Healing, Relaxing Piano, Relaxing Guitar, Reiki, Downtempo Lounge and Chillout Dreams. 

The Food of HA HA 2021

Locally transmitted COVID cases in the country have crossed the 1000 mark as of Saturday. 

Case numbers now stand at 1004. 

It is a little boggling, I have to admit, particularly since most of us have been vaccinated, most of us have kept to the masking and social distancing rules, and furthermore we have had two Heightened Alerts (HA) this year. 

It's funny but I actually remember the first HA more than I remember the second. 

Even though the second took place in August- just over a month ago. 

I guess time blurs out when you don't put much thought into what's going on where the days just roll at their own pace (thank God- I'm done with excitement).

There was, of course, a significant change in lifestyle. 

Like how instead of keeping to the regular routine, we found ourselves planning our day's schedule around the meals we were going to have. 

Those were days where we asked ourselves if we were going to order in our meal, if we were going to go there, do a takeaway and bring it back to the officetel, or if we were going to make it such that we'd do a takeaway and then find a public place to enjoy our meal?

Let's just say that I don't think I've had as many picnics as I've ever had in my life. 

It was pretty fun, all of it.

There was once we did a basil rice and pad thai takeaway from this Thai eatery in Chinatown and had it whilst seated on the benches in Hong Lim Park. 

There was once we bought burgers and fries and munched them sitting under a plant at the open area between Millennia Walk and Marina Square. 

Then there was once where we had our wagyu burger, ebi rice burger and iced milk tea sitting on the wooden platform of the Sentosa Boardwalk facing the waters of the Sentosa/Mainland 'pond'. 

I don't think I'll forget us (carefully) balancing paper bowls of century egg and pork porridge whilst being crouched on square shaped seats in this little interim park across the road from Raffles City and the Padang. 

And neither will I forget the day we had our hawker meal of ban mian and chicken rice at the void deck under a block of flats near the hawker center. I remember this well- because although I was hungry, I had been rather happy to see tables at residents' corners being occupied by diners happily having their meals there. 

Amongst some of the most memorable meals I had this HAHA included salted egg chicken with rice from this newly opened stall at a coffee shop down the road, a whole deep-fried chicken from this fast food place at the Wisma building in Geylang Serai, and some of our self-prepared brunches.

It's funny; looking at these pictures now I realize I don't know if they're from HA 1 or HAHA. 

Some of them look like they might be from the first one...

Doesn't matter- I really enjoyed them all. 

And, frankly? 

I wouldn't mind eating some of them picnic style again. :)

Computer Graphics, Augmented Reality, and Skincare

People sometimes find it a little difficult to understand the correlation between the business of a skincare company, the business of entertainment, entertainment content, technology, public relations and 3D. 

It's no surprise, I have to admit, when one considers that both worlds have (traditionally) been kept rather far apart. 

For the longest time, the closest that consumer goods ever got to the world of entertainment was through advertisements- theater/television/radio/print/ billboards etc- and connections they had with entertainment (Hollywood) came usually in the form of celebrity endorsements. 

It was unthinkable for entertainment companies and studios to be openly involved with cornflakes, butter, laundry detergent, cosmetics, bananas, fresh milk, pre-mix pancakes and shampoo. 

It still is unthinkable today. 

Not that companies haven't adapted to present-day technology. 

They have. 

If they didn't, we wouldn't have the entire ecosystem of social media marketing, social media influencers, Youtubers, IG stars, and the like. 

Still- that's the tech guys- not the entertainment ones- and it is hard- indeed- to comprehend why, or how, the two worlds can (or will) be integrated.

Some of the 'side-eye' questions I've gotten can be interesting.  

Like, what does entertainment content like your comic and your music festival have to do with a lavender-scented face mist? 

Why are you talking and talking and talking about the digital comic when it really is just an online version of a marketing collateral created to reach out to the product's target demographic? 

Then, what is the big deal about computer graphics and 3D? It's just 3D what. Same as advertisements and those in-store standees, isn't it?

To all these questions, there's really just two answers. 

Augmented Reality; and 

Applications (APP)

Let's first talk about Augmented Reality. 

It is Augmented Reality that dovetails the two worlds together. 

Without it, the 'face on the bottle' would be 'just another face'. 

But AR is what enables the 3D face (it has to be 3D)  to be transformed into a full-bodied model who can not only gesticulate and move, but can also interact with you. 

And AR is what enables her to become a gateway, sort of like a QR Code if you will, that opens up a universe of real-time interactivity and engagement between yourself, and the product aka the brand. 

Mind, the key word here is real-time.  

Real-time engagement- real-time interactivity- is what differentiates her from the virtual influencers of present-day technology. There are similarities, of course, all have backstories, all engage with their audiences etc, but real-time engagement poses a different set of challenges altogether. 

If you've ever noticed the difference between catching up with a friend versus chatting with a friend all the time, you'll understand what I mean.

See, real-time interactivity is a journey, a continuous awareness of what's going on in the individual's life. Real-time engagement is not a series of updates or announcements or histories. It is not a situation where you have to search through countless posts or articles to find out what has been happening, what has been going on, where he or she comes from, where he or she is heading to. 

It is a conversation where you communicate to each other the stuff that happens real-time- right now- as they are- without the summaries of events past and events future. 

You want to be able to connect with the individual immediately and straightaway ask , "wazzup how's it going?"

And it goes two ways. 

So here be the questions that we ask: 

What would make the consumer interact with the individual real-time? 

Why would anyone want to interact with the individual real-time? 

What would draw them to communicate with her? 

Who is she to them? 

What more can she be to them? 

Our answer? 

Characterization. 

Along with a story, a dream, a journey, a life, a lifestyle- unveiled through the pages of a digital comic (and a webtoon).

You see, this is where the individual ceases to be just an 'unknown, random 3D model' and transforms into a Character- a (fictional) person with personality, individualism, history, present life, future life etc etc etc. 

It is Characterization (and personality) that- with the use of AR technology- shifts her position from an on-screen character (where there's only passive engagement) to a companion and friend which you can connect with instantly (and where there's now active engagement) 

So, is the comic (it always begins with a comic, by the way) a marketing collateral? 

No. 

Because even though the comic can be used as marketing collateral, it was not intended to be so. 

It is one thing to have marketing collateral which talks about the product (and the celebrity ambassadors or influencers both real life and virtual.) 

It is another thing where the 'marketing collateral' has a universe, a synopsis, a development, a backstory, and a Character Bible sufficient enough to be translated into a music video, an anime, a webtoon, a game, which is then launchable to distributors, studios, channels, and distribution platforms.

You can't go to content distributors with a marketing deck. 

But you can sell your product to product distributors and the like- because besides the familiar marketing deck, you have entertainment content, and entertainment commerce as the marketing plan. 

Beyond that, however, is the simple fact that companies, corporations especially, (quietly) desire to build brand loyalty with their customers, obtain data about them, and harness said data. 

At present day technology we've already got blockchain and AI. 

But engagement techniques so far do not yet justify both. 

Which is strange, because honestly I wouldn't mind Bausch & Lomb recommending me an ophthalmologist in my area, or reminding me it's time to change my soaking solution. 

Neither would I mind if I could tell some (FMCG) brands that this particular shampoo that they distribute didn't work out and would they recommend another- instead of having one pretty girl with long flowing hair on FB recommending me the newest offering in their arsenal. 

I mean, offhand, I'd like to ask a couple of cosmetic brands if besides showing me what shade of lipstick works best for me, they could also bring back that lip gloss which they had in the early 2000s but don't have anymore. 

And I'd love to ask someone/anyone from a nail polish brand if they would bring back that shade which made me fall in love with their brand oh so long ago. 

I don't want to post on their page. 

The answers are so templated, so canned. 

I want to go to a single place, I want to go to a single spot and chat with them. 

That's where the APP comes in. 

That's the connecting point- where the whole ecosystem lies. 

Yes, we have the websites. 

But hey it is the app that permits the catalog, the sales, the entertainment,  the interaction, the real-time engagement- through the Character/Virtual Influencer- without having to go to other platforms- and which (from the company's point of view) leads to real-time data capture, leads to AI, and answers the question why the model has to be 3D. 

That's how the tech is. 

That's how the tech permits consumers to interact with the brand. 

That's how the tech permits brands to be their consumers' friend. 

By the way, there's another part of the technique that's not often known. 

You can't license an ad or the mascot or the company's brand story. 

But with a Character- and a Universe- you can. 

I should know. 

That skincare brand you see up there? 

Yeah, we've done it. ;)

Shot One Shot Two

It has been a week or so since the app on my phone indicates "Vaccinated" 

Whilst that has been a bit of a relief- a good portion of my meals are either at dine-in or best consumed at table- I must admit I wasn't an Early Adopter of the Vaccine. 

I don't mean that I'm an anti-vaxxer. 

Neither do I mean that I had been influenced by friends and loved ones. 

It simply means that I didn't rush out for an appointment when it opened to folks my age. 

But, yeah, it's been done. 

Were there misgivings? 

Yes... a little.

Besides the fact that I haven't had an injection since (I don't know when)- there had been a (physical) inflammation blowout earlier this summer, and- given the chemistry of the Vaccine- well, let's just say I was concerned about the slightest possibility of a second blowout.

But life is such that it has to go on. 

So the appointment was made, and it was done. 

The procedure was smooth. 

You got there, showed the staff at the entrance your appointment SMS, and went to sit down in a tent/hall with a number slip in your hand. 

When your number flashed on the screen, you went to this desk at the front, showed your ID, answered a couple of questions and then got redirected to a queue by the side. 

Less than five minutes (or so it felt) and I went into the hall towards a booth where the shot would be done. 

Again it was very efficient- showed me the Vaccine in the bottle- had me take a deep breath- and it was done.

Out I went to the Observation Hall after that where I was shown a seat at the back. 

Here's where it got a little embarrassing. 

This was my first shot. 

And because I didn't know that I was supposed to go to the front when called, I happily plugged in my ears. 

They probably called my (number and full name) three times or four (which, of course, the whole hall heard, so malu) before I heard it through the music from my earphones and stumbled out front. 

Second time I knew better. 

Never mind that my chair was much nearer the front. 

I simply sat there and watched the screen. 

The second shot was more "thrilling" than the first.

Besides the fact that it rained (I love rain), and that Gojek sent me a Beemer (with a driver that cut across three lanes smoothly on the highway), the side effects were also more dramatic. 

If the first shot had been fine- other than a sore arm- well, they came with the second. I didn't get the fever or anything serious enough for the A&E, but hey, I got the chills and the body aches and they were equally bad. 

Funny thing is that they didn't happen immediately= we still went out for some nasi lemak and bingsu. :)

They happened the very next day. 

I don't think I've ever had chills, nua-ness, or a body ache this bad.

I mean, this ache wasn't just at the arm (like the first time). Instead it was all over- at the back, the arms, the waist, the neck, the thighs, even the ankles.

I know my ankles hurt because I walked out to get dinner that evening, and my legs ached so bad I thought I was going to just drop the plastic bag of soup and rest on the kerb by the road side. 

That dreary discomfort was just for the day, however, and I was all right after that. 

I've been all right thus far. 

Nothing too frightening that I haven't been able to handle. 

I'm still continuing with the barley water, the green tea, the orange juices and the coconut water, however. 

After all, regulating the body's level of heatiness- despite it being a month or so now- seems like a necessary thing that someone with my (physical) system has to do. 

Tim Ho Wan

This dim sum place originally from Hong Kong has to be one of my most frequented dining places whenever I'm in town. 

Not because it is Michelin-starred. 

But because it is dim sum. 

And I love how dim sum is one of those meals where you can either order eight, or order two. 

It doesn't matter. 

No one at Tim Ho Wan will bat an eyelid if I make just a single order of pau. 

It is, after all, their signature dish- one of Four Heavenly Kings on their menu- crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with fillings of moist, soft, sweet, little chunks of char siew. 

This dish is a staple that we always make space for. 

This one comes up first in our order. 

The rest vary. 

Some days we go for the cheong fun. 

Some days we go for either the puffs (very well fried!) or the spring rolls. 

Then there are days when we go for one plate of baked paus, one plate of spring rolls, one bowl of chicken and mushrooms steamed over rice with cordycep flower sauce, whatever's hot on the menu, and Chinese tea. 

Their new dishes always catch my eye. 

One Chinese New Year they had pan-fried nian gao and water chestnut cake. Loved them- wish they were on the permanent menu.

A while back they had their version of salted egg custard buns. Either fried, or the sweet potato kind- I can't quite recall.

Then recently we attempted their pork cutlet and egg with rice and curry on the side.

It looks ordinary, but it is in fact rather good. 

Not quite the glorified chap chye png as some might think, but a dish where you get a lightly battered piece of pork chop skillfully fried, a piece of thin, light omelet on the side, a lovely portion of rice underneath, and lashings of curry. 

Interestingly the dish gave me char chan teng vibes. 

Or, at least, what I remember of the times where I ate at them. 

It's been too long a while since I've been to Hong Kong. 

And maybe I'll get there soon. 

But in the meantime, there's Tim Ho Wan- with her excellent takeaway boxes (yes, seriously), her warm char siew paus, her century egg and pork porridge, and her new introductory eats.