A Feast 'supposedly' Fit for a King

In The Star, dated October 13, 2005, Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad says hotels are overcharging for the breaking of fast buffet during Ramadhan. He was commenting on a statement by the Malaysian Hoteliers Association that hotels would stick to their decision to charge RM100 or more for the breaking of fast buffet. And I quote, “I think consumers will have their opinion. Consumers have the right to make a choice. But again, I will say RM100 is too high” end quote.

Well, for today I went for such a buffet. It was at the PJ Hilton. Although it is quite a delightful evening, I’m gonna go with Michael Toyad on this one and agree with him that RM100 for a Ramadan buffet is a bit over the top. But I’m not really complaining because all of this was the treat of none other than the wacky but successful mat saleh Colin Edmonds. A close acquaintance of my father. And he does this every puasa month. I first attended it two years ago and I arrived late back then, probably being too engrossed in my work during my industrial training years to realize the time. And I even had the nerve to drive all the way from Setiawangsa to PJ. Last year I couldn’t make it because Ramadhan coincided with the final examinations so I was stuck at Tronoh. This year I decided to make amends by arriving at least a half an hour early. But fate had other ideas, once again. Since driving would be a suicidal option as I had discovered, I boarded the trusty Putra. Halfway through the journey the train stopped for a half hour because of a “pencerobohan trek” from KL Sentral to Bangsar. What are the odds, eh?

Now, returning to the Hilton, I managed to arrive just a little over 7, which is commendable. And the place was packed. I mean to the brim. It almost looks like a high-class pasar malam. One of the first downside of this RM100 dinner. The second downside is the food. There’s a whole lot of variety but it’s Malaysian themed, meaning you will find nasi ayam, beef rendang, ikan bakar, curry puffs and bubur lambuk. I mean, it’s good, being Malaysian and all but you can get these same stuff at a local pasar ramadhan. And I’m sure the cost is well below the RM100 mark. But of course, it’s the same scenario in all of the hotels throughout the Klang Valley. I don’t know where they do their research on Malaysian’s preference for food but for RM100 I want more than udang sambal tumis and a whole section dedicated to kerabu. I want lasagnas, pizzas, beef bacon, crème brule, cheesecakes, pies, a wide variety of pastries and 10 different flavors of Haagen Dazs ice cream. But one saving point at the Hilton was the presence of my favorite section – the grill. Thankfully they do serve lamb chops and roast beef. Slither them with black pepper and mushroom sauce and voila, I was a happy boy. But back at the table I was once again saddened. There’s not much room to maneuver because of the packed floor. One just has to make do.

So was it worth it? I’d say yes. But just because someone else was paying for it. It was a nice change of environment but had it been my pocket money, I’d be knocking my head on the table. If I had to make a choice, I’d prefer Chili’s. So my advice for this Ramadhan month – avoid the PJ Hilton.

Another interesting issue that caught my attention earlier tonight was the conversation my family had with Ms Geraldine, Colin’s wife. We were talking about marriage and she pointed out the changing trends that’s happening today. During our grandparents’ time, marriage was like during the age of 17 to 19. Our parents moved on to a slightly older age, which is about early 20s before deciding to get married. But nowadays, ask any 20 something man or woman and they will answer, “Please don’t ask me about marriage,”
It’s true isn’t it? Quite strangely so. Even I give that kind of answer when people approach me about it. Most people my age who I know are either married to his or her high-school sweetheart or their girlfriend or boyfriends during their university years. Others who are currently in a relationship are still happy with their partners but the question of marriage is a surreal one for them. I mean, most of us still live with our parents. I’m still being taken care of. How can I financially support another human being? It’s a frightful thought. And don’t start talking about love to me. Biggest misconception of all time. The one thing I do find these 20-something-let’s-get-married people have in common is that either the bride or the groom has wealthy parents. If they don’t, well I guess they’re just plain idiots. So unless you have an RM20 million trust fund locked up somewhere, marriage is not the wisest option right now. This, of course, mainly applies to us 20-something people who watched too many TV and Hollywood romantic movies.

Well, there’s my update. Not really a bombshell topic but I guess it’ll do. It’s another Friday. Another futsal night. Albeit being all the way at Sunway. It sucks not to have a steady source of income. Makes you lose out on the fun stuff living in the city. Money is what makes the world goes around you know. People who say money is the root of all evil don’t have any. Have you ever seen a man get upset when he receives his monthly paycheck? No. He has a big, fat fucking smile.

UTP Alumni is having a buka puasa dinner this 22nd. Would I be interested? Well, for starters I don’t know most of the people that will be attending. Second, most of them would probably arrive with their husbands or wives and may be even children, sporting designer clothes and Chanel handbags and tell stories about their recent job in Dubai and their holiday at Cape Verde. As for me, on the other hand, am partner-less, jobless and not exactly have Prince Williams’ looks to charm the crowd despite my shortcomings. So, no, I am certainly not interested. I would consider had it been an invitation involving just my batch but the alumni? I probably wouldn’t even take a raincheck.

Oh my, I’m turning quite the bitter person aren’t I? Well, my apologies. I do hope you have a good weekend. And for those who only read my blog during office hours, hey, guess what? It’s Monday again.