Exit Through The Gift Shop

S and I don't go to movies often and I take the blame for that. In the last couple of years, whenever I am in a cinema sitting in front of that big screen, I am likely to fall asleep. Yes, even with all that technicolor and surround sound going on, I get so relaxed, I am lulled into dreamland within 20 minutes of opening credits. If you have an explanation for this phenomenon, please share.

But I really wanted to watch this documentary (or "mockumentary"?) by Banksy and did not want to wait for the DVD. And yay, I enjoyed all 87 minutes eyes wide open. Touted as "The world's first Street Art disaster movie", the movie lives up to its hype. It does not have a mass distribution, but catch it in an independent film cinema near you. My advice – don't read anything about the movie before you watch it so that you won't have any pre-conceived ideas. But here are a few related articles that won't spoil your viewing:

Banksy in San Francisco?

White-washing over a Banksy.

I'd change the name of my band too if Banksy asked (and if I had a band).

Banksy - a list of controversies.

Twitter in 9 words

(via Brain_Wash)

Crab and Asparagus Soup

Life is busy again. And I love it.

I enjoy cooking Malay food which require nine types of spices to be toasted, ground and sauteed. The process of watching over a hot stove for three hours while the dish stews and develop flavors as you stir every five minutes to prevent the ingredients from scorching, may have its therapeutic value. But I enjoy it just as much when my to-do list is long and I am pushed to be more creative in the kitchen because I don't have a whole morning for prep work. So I turn to simple dishes, like this crab and asparagus soup which we had with brown rice.

It barely takes 15 minutes to cook. Less if I omit the onion and garlic. 'Cos sometimes, you just don't feel like cutting onion and garlic. Or, you forget to buy to them. Doesn't matter. The soup still tastes good.

Crab and Asparagus Soup

¼ medium-sized onion, finely minced
1 garlic, finely minced
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 oz. asparagus, cut into inch-long pieces
8 oz. cooked crab meat
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sliced spring onions
1 teaspoon oil

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pot. Saute the onion and garlic for about 1 minute. Add in the stock and asparagus. Bring to a gentle boil and then down to a simmer. Add the crab meat.

2. Break in the eggs into a bowl and pierce the yolks. Stir the soup, making a whirlpool and then slowly dribble in the eggs slightly away from the center of the whirlpool. Let the eggs set for about a minute.

Serve with a sprinkling of sliced spring onion.

The Infidel

I can't wait for "The Infidel" to come to theaters. It's a movie about a Muslim man who's horrified to discover that not only was he adopted, but he was born Jewish. The trailer made me laugh.

Dinner Tonight

Ramen - with braised short-ribs and homemade noodles.