Since the last KL diary episode, we have:

-- Attended an "open rehearsal" by the combined forces of the MPO and MPYO. Heard the Romeo and Juliet overture, and a spirited rendition of Land of Hope and Glory. An interesting experience.

-- Enjoyed another of our occasional Saturday morning walks to Tommy le Baker for a brie baguette breakfast. The chair garden is still going strong, as are the lori sewa trees:



-- Noted that the famous shrine, which figures in so many of my blog posts, has turned yellow... Another little mysery.



-- Watched Kaki Bakar by U-Wei Haji Saari (and he was there at the Ilham Gallery to do some Q&A at the end). It's a sad movie about a Javanese man who struggles to adapt to the social inequalities experienced by the migrant in Malaysia. He doesn't help himself, despising and disrespecting his hosts, and responding to criticism with arson. He's not an entire disaster, loving his family, albeit in a somewhat dictatorial way, providing for them, and continuing to practise his religion and his Javanese culture. But his lack of sociability means he is constantly forced to move on, until he takes the law into his own hands once too often.



-- Watched The Adjustment Bureau (while surrounding some Vieux Porche Camembert and a New Zealand Pinot Noir). This is a light but thought-provoking tale. Are some things really not meant to be? And if that's the case, are we brave or foolish to try to force them? Quote: "Most people live life on the path we set for them. Too afraid to explore any other. But once in a while people like you come along and knock down all the obstacles we put in your way -- people who realize free will is a gift you'll never know how to use until you fight for it." The question is: what exactly should I be fighting for?

-- Watched The Merchant of Venice up at KLPAC, with Al Pacino as Shylock. I thought this was excellent. You ended up feeling terribly sorry for "the Jew".

-- Seized the opportunity of the movie to revisit Samira. Yam and prawn salad, som tam with salted egg, and delicately wrapped "crystal rolls" with beef and vegetables. All excellent, and light enough to give the impression of being healthy (until you fall for the honeydew, sago, and coconut milk dessert, that is...)

-- Tried out cruffins at Dal.komm. Matcha lava for me.



-- Finally got to try the belly pork at Bacchus.

-- Noted that Butter + Beans has become The Common Grind. But the coffee is good, and the chocolate cake is pleasantly gooey, with the salted caramel topping just adding that extra something.

-- Checked out Las Vacas at the Putra Mall. We don't often do the big meat thing. But I have to say my "famous beef wraps" (where the beef is the wrapper and the veges are the filling) and Nigel's lamb shoulder (tasty, tender, and copious) were both nicely done.

-- Lunched at Starz Kitchen at Pavilion. As you eat, you can watch videos of the two Hong Kong singers, Alan Tam and Hacken Lee, who founded the place. The Gary Glitter-reminiscent costumes are only slightly distracting, as the food is pretty good. Our choices were pan-fried rice vermicelli with sliced beef and capsicum, deep-fried squid with a truly delicious "spicy salt" topping, and kailan with garlic. All ably supported by a pot of puer.