Random Notes 24

1. Should I name this post Random Notes 23B? Most Chinese people do not like the number 24 as it sounds almost like 'easy to die' in Cantonese.

2. It is amusing to enter a lift in a condo and see buttons 4, 13, 14 and 24 missing. Instead, the 4th floor is replaced with 5th, 13th floor replaced with 16th and so on. So if you press button 25, do you know which floor you are going to actually? Let's see if you can do the maths! Haha!

3. I went to watch 'The Secret Life of Nora' musical at Istana Budaya KL a few weeks ago. I went there with high expectation but unfortunately it was not awesome enough for me.



I can only say that Adibah Noor and Aznil Nawawi's funny antics plus the outstanding dance choreography saved the show from being average.

4. Last month I received a gift from Filipino blogger Bluedreamer! It was a Kernel-Pult plush toy from the Plants vs Zombies game. Thanks Bluedreamer for this cute gift!



5. I had flu and a really bad cough a few weeks back that would not go away. The cough was so bad I could not sleep at night. I normally don't see a doctor for flu but I almost resorted to seeing one for this horrible cough. Then, my mom asked me to eat this leaf.



Do you know what leaf this is? I don't, but I have this plant in my garden LOL! I ate the leaf raw and I must tell you it was bitter and had an aftertaste that I did not like! But guess what? After eating just two leaves one night, I immediately stopped coughing!

It was like a miracle! Of course the cough was not completely gone but I would say it was reduced by as much as 80 percent! I even had a good sleep that night! It was definitely better than any cough medicine I know!

6. It had been some time since I last dine at the New Paris Restaurant in SS2 PJ. I had the opportunity to go for dinner with my brother and sis-in-law at this famous restaurant last month. The dish I liked best was this - watermelon chicken! So yummy!



7. Are you a fan of X Factor? Recently, I was engrossed in X Factor USA reality show on 8TV. Having been bored to death with American Idol, this new show is like a breath of fresh air! In fact I like all the 4 judges here especially Nicole Scherzinger.


Nicole Scherzinger photo courtesy of Judyhalone.com

There were so much drama and unexpected twists in this reality show that I was hooked. Besides, the contestants are all so talented, although not all of them have the X factor, I must say.

8. Do you like 'pun choy'? I am not a fan - in fact, I find it boring! - but I thought this one from Restoran LYJ in Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh quite good.


One side of the poon choy


The other side of the poon choy


The restaurant facade

9. Christmas is coming soon!! I know, I know, I should not be talking about Christmas when Deepavali is not even over yet, but I just love the Xmas mood! Cant wait for another Christmassy December and end of the year holidays!



I wonder if 1Utama shopping mall will put up this cute snowman again after it went missing for the past few years?

FIRST COMMENTER

Will You Still Watch American Idol Without Simon Cowell?

Well, will you?

Some of you may say "I don't watch American Idol whether Simon is in it or not!"

Well, if that happens to be you, then bye bye and come back for my next post, sweetie!

And there are some of you who will ask "Who the hell is Simon Cowell?"

Or even worse. "What the heck is American Idol?"

Well, for those of you who think American Idol is the newest franchised restaurant in town, or a store selling branded clothes from USA, then you too may skip this post. You don't belong here. Or should I say, you don't belong to this planet we called Earth! Maybe you are an alien from some other planet.

OK, OK, if you really really do not know what is American Idol, please google it, read about it and then come back here, will you? I am doing this out of sympathy for those few of you who had either just woken up from a 10-year long coma, or had just miraculously returned from the Bermuda Triangle after disappearing into another dimension for more than 10 earth years.

So that's how long it has been yes? I mean the American Idol reality show. Well, almost.

This latest season which is the 8th season, sees one of the best finales in the history of American Idol. Yet, the finale and the final result show registered one of the lowest ratings for American Idol in years. I wonder why.

Are viewers fed up with the show? Are they bored with the contestants? The judges? The host? Even Kara DioGuardi strutting herself in a bikini on stage didn't help!


Photo of Kara courtesy of News America Now

Maybe a lot of people think American Idol is crap. Well, after the result a few days ago, I am inclined to think so too. Kris Allen is the winner and not Adam Lambert? I really don't get it, but if that's how Americans voted, so be it!


Photo of Adam Lambert and Kris Allen courtesy of mtv.com

Now I am not going to dwell on this issue because I think it's been talked to death in many other blogs. So my post today will deal with the famously acerbic judge, Simon Cowell.

Oh, before that, did you hear that song written by judge Kara DioGuardi for both the finalists to sing? I think it's called "No Boundaries" or something. I absolutely hated that song! Couldn't she come up with something better? Last I heard, this song to be made into a single for Kris Allen was poorly received.

Anyway, Simon Cowell's contract with American Idol will expire in 2010. Will his contract be renewed? Most likely, but the question is, will the man himself stay on? He had already considering leaving the show so we may not have Simon in American Idol after 2010.


Photo of Simon courtesy of Square Eyes

So that leads me back to the title of my post today and the question I have been dying to ask.

Will you still watch American Idol if Simon Cowell is no longer one of the judges?

Maybe they should just get rid of the four judges and bring in fresh new ones. Or Simon Cowell should just stay on while the other three judges are to be replaced. What do you think?

FIRST COMMENTER

Who Is Your Favourite American Idol Judge?

American Idol is the craze these days! If you have not heard of American Idol, may I ask which planet are you from?

Everyone is talking about who will get booted out every week. Yes, ask anyone who watch this reality show and they will tell you all about their favourite contestants and who they want out of the show!

That's why I'm not going to blog about the contestants. I mean, I don't really care who gets booted out actually, because from past seasons, we've only seen two winners that were really successful in the recording business and they are Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. So it would seem that winning the title don't quite guarantee you success as a recording artiste.

So what am I going to blog about today regarding American Idol? The judges, or course!

There are currently four judges on the show and they are, in no particular order of importance, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.



Now here's my take on the judges. I think Simon Cowell is the best judge. Most of the time, he does give very honest and accurate judgment. Although he can be quite harsh, what he says usually makes a lot of sense.

Randy Jackson is OK as a judge although sometimes I don't quite agree with him! Many may not like that he seems to be overly concerned with pitching, but I think it's really important for a singer to sing in pitch! Any singer who does not sing in pitch should not be a singer at all!

Paula Abdul makes an absolutely lousy judge to me. Half of the time, I do not get what she's talking about! She doesn't make much sense and I don't think her advice is of any help to the contestants! But what she lacks in being a judge, she makes up for her active dancing during the contestants' performances. Also, her chemistry and funny antics with Simon Cowell surely add more spice to the show. No wonder they still retain her season after season!

As for newcomer Kara DioGuardi, I think she at least gives better and more helpful comments than Paula. However, sometimes her overly long comments kind of irritate me. Maybe she should just keep it short and to the point!

Well, that's just my opinion. How about you? Who is your favourite American Idol judge?

Before I sign off, let me leave you with this current favourite song of mine called "My Life Would Suck Without You" performed by Kelly Clarkson at one of the recent American Idol result shows.



Click here for the lyrics. Happy weekend, everyone! : )

FIRST COMMENTER