Merry Christmas!

Well, yeah I'm a few days late but I guess it couldn't harm to wish Merry Christmas now since everybody seems to be pretty much still in that mood. On Christmas day itself I did not celebrate much, mostly because I'm not a Christian, but also because I'm away from home and most of my friends are Christians so I couldn't celebrate with them due to their church commitments. It was rather lonely for me, but I did shopping all the way to Jurong Point and even went to IMM and bought a freaking Under Armour shirt I swore to myself I should never buy because I'm spoiling myself but then I didn't care anymore. I cleared my leave yesterday and went to JB but it turned out isn't a great idea because on a normal weekday, there are tonnes of lorries on the roads and apparently they shared the same lane as the buses. During the weekends there aren't many lorries so I did not notice it, but on weekdays due to these lorries, the traffic is also particularly heavy with almost zero motions. But the customs on both sides are rather clear for Malaysians. I didn't do much in JB because I want to practise a minimalist lifestyle and ergo I abstain from compulsive purchases, which I believe was rather successful. I did bought a drink in Starbucks and chilled, while also banked in some money in CIMB Bank near Menara UMNO which required a little walk. Oh, while on the way to the bank, I accidentally infringed upon the land of "massage" and was asked whether I wanted a service. No thanks, ladies, not me, and even if I want to, not that place.

Impossible Meat

The Impossible Meat is an artificial (or to be a little technical and perhaps slightly less offensive or hypocritical, plant-based) meat that attempts to disrupt the meat industry by gravitating the loyalty of the meat-eaters to a similarly tasting plant food that claims to be much healthier, carbon-neutral and yet equally tasty. Being a person who tries to reduce intake of meat for the sole reason of health that does not pertain to religions, I gave the Impossible Meat a try out of curiosity. I was hesitant to try it because it was bloody expensive. Stuff'd sold Chicken Kebab for SGD5.30, but if I opted for the Impossible Meat version, it cost extra 3 dollars. But out of curiosity I ordered it anyway hoping I wouldn't regret it, even though I hated the taste of beef and the Impossible Meat is crafted with the beef eaters as the main target. Anyway, the meat was really as advertised - tastes like beef, perhaps a little stronger but its ersatz taste stands out pretty strong. It looks also a bit bright red due to some chemicals they put in (said to be original, not synthetic, and plant-based) and that colour frankly looks a bit off-putting. Otherwise, it tastes as good as a real beef (yes I tasted beef before, I just hated the taste) and is definitely a good option for a vegetarian seeking for new food choices or for beef-eaters who want to be a little health conscious and yet able to indulge in the soul-savouring tastes of beef. But if you ask me whether I would eat it again, my answer is a no, for now. It's ridiculously expensive for a plant-based meat, it tastes like beef which is a meat I do not fancy, and it actually looks pretty disgusting - they tried hard to make it looks like real beef but it ended up looking like a little mushy balls of meat that is uncooked. The food could be better processed to look a little less repelling. It would also be great if they come out with a chicken-tasting meat, and if the price is halved I may slowly become a loyal customer.

林俊傑 JJ Lin - 可惜沒如果

He held a concert in Malaysia yesterday. While I don't call myself a fan, I do like a few songs of his.

And this is one of them.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Well, luckily for us in Malaysia/Singapore, Jumanji: The Next Level has a releasing date that precedes the US/UK. I only knew the movie was a hit when I was little (which means in the 1990s) but I did not know there was a reboot/sequel 2 years ago and I certainly did not know this movie is the sequel to that. Anyway, I'll get straight to the point: the movie is good, exciting and the actors are fabulous. They - spoilers alert! - wonderfully play out different characters superbly and they gave colour I did not foresee. Plot wise it was rather hollow with no real storyline, but it did not really bore me. Only three challenges for two hours was quite a let down but each challenge was unique and exciting on its own so I'll try not to complain much about it. Anyway I thought the movie started rather slow, but at the end it was alright. Would give it a 4/5.

p/s I watched it at Emperor Cinema at R&F Johor. It's a newly opened theatre and, though the ticket price was a bit pricey, the seat was incredibly comfortable with reasonable legroom (you'll be surprised how some cinemas have their seats so closely spaced it bothers me that my legs can't stretch out comfortably) and good sound system.