Coffeeshop Thoughts

My head is 'wandering' and 'wondering'. 'Wandering' because it cannot stay as still as I like it to be; and 'wondering' what is going to come up next. The latter, robbing me of my present. 

The mind is both a friend and a foe, and it is crucial to know when one should call for a separation. A separation when it is needed to allow the soul to continue in peace. I have no two minds about that!

It is with a peaceful soul that one can command the mind to be its servant. Then the mind will synchronise and it too will be peaceful. Just like a grand tree, the soul is always peaceful. It is the emotional winds that blow that make the leaves of the grand tree (the soul) flutter. But emotions do not constitute the soul. They are merely temporary states of mind that will blow over.

 -- written using my iPhone while willing my time away in a coffeeshop.

ps. Why did the first sip of the tea tastes so different from the last sip of the tea? Did somebody swap the cup?


For more coffeeshop philosophy, click here.

A Cozy Square

I wouldn't have noticed this little restaurant tucked away in this cozy corner of Telok Ayer Street if my friend had not told me about it. It is a family run restaurant serving Italian styled food. I was told that they are coming up with new dishes very soon too.

Pumpkin and Chicken Corn Veloute 

The ingredients are prepared entirely in-house - a rare treat these days - and that is why the food  tastes home-cooked.

Ceasar Salad served with turkey ham

... this one  is served with turkey ham, as the food here is halal.

Marinated Norwegian Salmon

Confit Sage Chicken

There is a local flavour to this dish with the inclusion of the Chinese Baby Kailan. I was told that there will be more such dishes with blended local character. Which is what the restaurant builds its character on.

Shank of Lamb

When I chose this dish, I told the chef that I did so because this is an "exam piece", as it has to be cooked gently and slowly, for othewise the meat will not be soft and would lose much of its flavour. So, I was delighted when it came out just right, keeping the succulent texture and the delicious taste.

What is delightful to note is that there is still a restaurant like this around in the city, one  that is family run with very friendly service, waiting staff that actually understands what the dishes are about, and a chef that keeps to the whole process of cooking. That is, food prepared from first principles and raw ingredients.

In this era of institutional funds and food franchises, Restaurant A'Square is a gem in the city. There are hardly any businesses in big cities that can still focus on the 'complete process' and the first principles. Sadly, most would focus on turnover and profits in the face of surviving in the harsh market of high shop rents. That usually means ready made sauces and hurried quick fixes. A'Square is therefore a place for ponder. Unhurried and unpretentious. A place also to relax and dine with some good friends. What more, the bill comes up to be surprisingly reasonable. 

Clearing out...

I spilled my cuppa over my keyboard and now my computer is crippled. This is written via my smartphone.

I am  in the midst of moving and have thrown and given away most of my furniture. 

Feels lighter after clearing alot of junk I collected over the years. Almost no possessions now and definitely no religion too!

ps. I have some posts of my past moving woes. It makes amusing reading, and now looking back, also rather educational. Click here.

Kid's Play

Kids grow up and leave their Garden of Eden. Childhood fades away as the attraction to the opposite sex becomes more enticing as it is to the instinct to procreate. Now, the innocent clarity blurs, the photographic memory falters and visions are filtered by layers of conditioning.

Bring back the child in us - the divinity that  lies within. Nothing has ever been lost, they have just been forgotten.

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For more of Kid's Play, click here.

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Anger and Judgment

It was not usual. She didn't utter a word when we met this morning, not even the greeting of 'good morning'.

I later found out that she felt that i am not a responsible person to the family and am also a man vulnerable to being unfaithful. Sounds familiar?! :) And her mere suspicions alone were enough to make me guilty as charged. I was told no explanations were required as she will not accept any.

I heard of women jumping into conclusions in matters pertaining to the heart, but in this case, I was not even an involved party in the broil, if there should be one to start off with. I am neither her spouse nor her lover and ironically her summary judgment on me was that I am a bad influence to her husband.

I am glad I was a mere observer and not sucked into her whirlpool of sad thinking. Life is a game and one becomes cynical after brushes like this. There was virtually electricity biting in the air throughout her cold and silent reception. Then, I decided to turn around and run the other direction, as I won't like to get involved!

Acting the Villain

Many faces, same soul.

Which one of this is the real me?

Of late, I have been playing villains. Casting directors love actors with a beard. They seem to associate beards with villains, or perhaps they are playing to the likes of audiences that love to see their villains larger than life - with beards, gold chains, tattoos and other ferocious looking ancillaries. Villain roles are tiring. As an angry and yelling screen character, the first and most affected person would be me. The rule is that whenever we get aggressive or violent, we feel lousy. Whenever we think aggressively, we feel lousy, as we would be the first recipients of such thoughts.

Thankfully, the same goes for any type of thoughts, including loving or peaceful ones, as we feel their immediate glory and peace. Loving thoughts precedes a calm and peaceful mind and it begets loving thoughts from others around us. Recently, I had the good fortune of doing a shoot by the shore of a placid lake. The environment was so congenial that I actually felt more relaxed after the shoot than when I started.

This really means that I should choose to act in more calm and peaceful films than violent and nasty ones. Sadly, there are more nasty ones around, as there is more demand for them. As Ekhart Tolle said, "... more pain films demanded by pain bodies...".

In real life, we too have to make our choices, and I would choose a peaceful story any day.

If you like to visit my actor's blog, click here.

Get a Life!

"Get a life!" so she said, describing those of her friends who are married and whom she said merely rush and fetch their children from childcare, get home and then cook dinner everyday.

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She on the other hand, single and a well-paid lawyer, goes out in the evenings and party, and travel, hike and climb mountains for holidays. That's what she thinks is "life" to her.

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But aren't all these just activities?

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Activities are just manifestations of life, and life is more meaningful if manifested through love. In the midst of the daily seemingly mundane chores of taking care of the family and children, is life lived through love.

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On the other hand, activities in the absence of love hardly bring one much 'life'. These could well include pubbing, clubbing and dining in places among single well-heeled yuppies and glamorous people who are 'hanging-out', especially if they are there out of the fear of loneliness and disorientation.

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So it is not the activity, but whether it is done out of love.

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