Starring: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Ben Burtt, Sigourney Weaver, Joh Ratzenberger
Director: Andrew Stanton
MPAA Rating: G


Have you seen Pixar Studio’s latest movie, WALL-E?

Like most American families with young kids, when it comes to brand loyalty, one name that we stick the most is Pixar.

It all started with “Toy Story”, I guess. From then on, my Kangmas, our three flowers and I have always anticipated an awesome Pixar movie year after year. (Like the experts say, there is an inner child in every adult.) So, of course, we had been waiting for “WALL-E” for a couple of months before we actually bought the tickets on Friday.

“WALL-E” is the nickname of a “Waste Allocation Lift Loader – Earth class” robot whose job is to clean up the abandoned and massively polluted planet Earth. Due to this mess, every human being is being housed in a giant spaceship while waiting for Earth to be able to be inhabited again. Aided by high-tech robots that do every manual job (even hair-dressing), humans permanently float in moving chairs equipped with screens that entertain them 24-7. However, the downside of the luxury of having robots do all the dirty work is that the bloated humans have lost their mobility.

While cleaning up Earth without humans, and only a cockroach for a pet, lonely WALL-E takes up the hobby of watching old romance movies that show humans dancing and holding hands together. In these scenes, there are cute moments that show that even robots have feelings. And just like its human masters sometimes, WALL-E is a pack-rat who likes storing junk in his “home”. Some of these include a Zippo lighter, a Rubick’s cube, and some spare robotic parts to fix himself in the case of a malfunction.

While at work one day, WALL-E meets “Eve”, another robot sent by humans to periodically check to see if Earth is ready to be inhabited again. Sure enough, after a few days of entertaining “Eve” by showing her all of his toys, WALL-E falls in love with “her”. The rest of the tale is a unique history that encompass good and bad days for a couple of cute robots who are in love with each other, while serving the best interest of their masters, the humans.

What did I and my Kangmas think, you ask? Well, for one, we think that “WALL-E” was made with minimal dialogue in order to reach a global audience, which is a great marketing tactic that will make this movie a worldwide hit. However, at times it is not easy to understand the words the robots say with their synthesized voices. The good thing is, Pixar made sure there are plenty slapstick jokes, such as the ongoing antics of a small janitor robot whose job is to remove any “foreign contamination” materials in the spaceship.

According to my Kangmas, many movie critics hail “WALL-E” as “Pixar’s best movie” since “Finding Nemo”. That means “Ratatouille”, the previous Pixar movie is considered less of a movie compared to “WALL-E” by those critics. Perhaps that is so, if you ask many children. But for me personally, “WALL-E” is not better than “Ratatouille”; maybe just cuter, because of the entertaining robots it features.

Thus, “WALL-E” receives 4 stars from this movie fan.

Length: 286 pages
Publisher: The Penguin Press, New York


"Lamees joined Michelle that night in consuming a bottle of expensive champagne. Michelle had filched it from her father's storage cellar, which held special drinks meant strictly for important occassions. After all, didn't Gamrah's wedding deserve a bottle of Dom Perignon? Michelle knew a lot about brandy, vodka, wine and other such things. Her father had taught her how to pour him red wine with red meats and white wine with other dishes. Since drinking alcohol is forbidden in Saudi Arabia, as it's against Islamic law, Lamees had never before tasted any of these drinks, except once at Michelle's, and then she did not find the taste of whatever it was particularly pleasant. But, hey! After all, tonight the two of them were celebrating Gamrah's wedding! So she joined in with Michelle, since they wanted to make this evening special and unique in every way they could." ("Girls of Riyadh", page 18).

BMW X5 SUV with dark-tinted windows, King Saud University, Western zodiac manuals, Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You", "Sex and the City", superb Napa Valley's Chardonnays and Cabs, plus Yahoo and ICQ mixed with Holy Qur'anic verses: these are the daily staples of life for Gamrah, Michelle, Sadeem and Lamees, four jet-set girls from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Obviously for some this book is outrageously bold; but interestingly, Rajaa Alsanea succeeds in persuading her readers to try to comprehend the complicated lives of the Arab girls in this era of globalization. On one side, the four friends want to maintain their identity as Muslimahs, but on the other hand, as normal young women this digital world full of intriguing men is too chalenging to pass by. Well what's a girl to do with so many temptations?

"Girls of Riyadh" is written in such a cute way that reflects Alsanea's curious observation of life. She's smart, fluent, and above all, has a great sense of humor that results in such an entertaining book as a first-time writer.

In the end, "Girls of Riyadh" confirms my belief in the Prophet Muhammad's (Salallahu Alayhi Wassalam) saying that "An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return, a non-Arab is no better than an Arab. A red-raced man is not better than a black one except in piety. Mankind are all Adam's children and Adam was created out of clay." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Musa].

For that matter, wealth is not the currency of heaven; in the eyes of God, a human being's goodness is not measured in wealth. A rich person is not better than a poor one, and a poor man is no better than his rich neighbor, except in piety.

Thank you, Sister Alsanea, for the enlightenment; and may God bless us all.

Stars: Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson
Director: Carter Smith
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 91 minutes


Amy and Stacy, two American college girls go on a vacation to Cancun, Mexico with their boyfriends, Jeff and Eric. While enjoying their hotel’s pool, the four struck a conversation with a couple of German tourists who invited them to visit a secret archeological dig at some off-the-map Mayan ruins in the thick jungle of Mexico. The German guy who invited the four American college tourists to come along is looking for his brother and girlfriend who have been missing for a day.

As the story unfolds the six college tourists from America and German are warned by the locals not to go to the secret ruins. Thus it is no surprise that as soon as they arrive one of them falls victim to the pretty blood-red flowers that crave human flesh for lunch covering the ruin. In the end only one girl survives the traumatic experience. More tourists still visit the off-the-beaten-path ruin to become parts of it, and we are led to believe that they will never leave.

Although the story plot of “The Ruins” is very simple, I found it more convincing compared to the usual monster movies commonly featured in the American horror genre. If you happen a blood-and-gore fan, you certainly will not be disappointed. As a matter of fact, director Carter Smith (no relation to the screenwriter, Scott B. Smith), seems to overplease the cinema crowds with grisly details.

Furthermore, it’s fair to say that “The Ruins” looks great with Australia’s Gold Coast standing in for Mexico. Plus the faux ancient Mayan temple built for the movie looks close in similarity when compared to the real structures.

Jonathan Tucker who plays Jeff shows us what great acting is all about; however, due to a narrow plot, there’s not much the other actors can do to display their strengths in “The Ruins”. Overall, “The Ruins” earns 3 stars from this movie buff. It’s worth it to see it on the big screen to get the full effects of the scary movie.

Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Kimberley Peirce
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 113 minutes

Theatrical Release: Mar 28, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $4,555,117

Sgt. Brandon King (played by Ryan Phillippe) came back to his hometown from his deployment in Iraq as a decorated war hero. He and his best friend thought that they had returned home to America to build a new life as their required term of Army service was complete. However, Sgt. King was surprised to find out that after ten days of leave he had to report back to Iraq because he had been retained under the “Stop Loss” policy.

In “Stop Loss” we are forced to face the stark reality of war and its casualties. We come face-to-face with the painful sacrifices our brave American men and women in uniform have to endure in order for us to enjoy our freedom.

Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt stunningly displayed raw, mixed-up emotions caused by an endless war for us to ponder in this movie.

In the end, we all learn a valuable lesson from “Stop Loss”. We should not take freedom for granted and we all owe a very deep respect to our American soldiers who dedicate themselves to guard our safety.

Thus, “Stop Loss” earns 3 stars from this movie buff.

My Kangmas and I believe that our knowledge as "foodies" is not complete until we try every restaurant nearby offering unique dishes from different countries. On the subject of tasty cuisines from different countries, one of our favorite is Japanese food.

Here in Tampa, my Kangmas and I agreed that we have found a great Japanese restaurant to visit when you want some sashimi and sushi. The name is "Sakana", and it is located on East Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa, not far from well-known Bayshore Blvd..

For our romantic dinner one night, the appetizers we ordered were a plate of escargot and mushrooms, and some shrimp dumplings. Unlike the French escargot dish, the "Escargot and Mushroom" offered at "Sakana" is folded into a couple of rice wraps. And although personally I had never thought that rice, escargot and mushrooms would mix well at first, I was amazed that this dish was truly delicious. The shrimp dumplings, or siomay we call them in Indonesia, are also very scrumptious, although their size was rather small. Thus, it was perfect for us to share these two appetizers.

For our main entree, we ordered the Sashimi Platter, and a plate of Volcano sushi rolls. We loved the fish presented to us because it was really fresh, and just wonderfully yummy. Plus, as we had paid well for this gourmet food, we felt that the presentation of these meals ensured that they were worth every penny we paid for them.

Sakana's ambience is designed to make you feel at ease as it features Japanese minimalist modern touches here and there. However, unfortunately for us that night, the restaurant was really busy and there were only two waitresses for about 30 guests. So there was a bit of wait time before the food came our way.

All in all though, my Kangmas and I concluded that "Sakana" deserves 4 stars from us. We both enjoyed our romantic dinner, except for an annoying drunk old man who was so excited about telling his stories to his wife and a couple of friends, that he felt he had to yell all the times. Oh well, maybe he's a bit deaf, he can't hear his own voice. Kasihan dia, I guess.

Total damage with beverages and tips: $60, and well worth it.

Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Dillon Freasier
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 2 hrs. 38 mins.

“There Will Be Blood” was loosely adapted from Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel “Oil!”, which depicts business and religion as the twin engines – fueled by greed and ambition – that drove America’s “progress” and hastened its corruption.

In this movie, Daniel Day-Lewis took the center stage as Daniel Plainview, who proudly calls himself “an oil man” based on the fact that his life revolved around prospecting, drilling and eventually selling oil, which sacrificed as much blood as it gained him power and wealth.

Together with his adopted son H.W., Plainview charmed many landowners into selling their land, until one day he met a young man named “Paul Sunday” from the Sunday Ranch in New Boston, California, who claimed that his father needed to sell his oil-rich land to get out of poverty. Plainview and H.W. arrived at the Sunday Ranch only to be surprised to meet “brother Eli”, who bears the same physical likeness as “Paul Sunday”, who mentioned him as a sibling. Plainview was really surprised to notice that Paul Sunday was never mentioned by Mr. Sunday and his family at all.

The movie took a dark turn, as Daniel Plainview’s madness over oil was matched by Brother Eli’s madness for power through religion. As both men clashed in their quest for profits from the oil, Daniel Plainview’s perspectives on life seemed to get more cynical especially after H.W. became deaf in an explosion caused by the oil gushers, and after he found out that the man who claimed to be his long-lost brother Henry was actually only a criminal who had befriended his late brother. It’s important to note that although most critics were only able to depict the evil character of oil-hungry Plainview, what made his character much bigger are some rare moments in which the proud oil man showed his strong family values towards H.W., Henry, and his workers.

“There Will Be Blood” is a long story based on hard characters. As the story unfolds, you will be convinced that both Daniel Day-Lewis (as Plainview) and Paul Dano (as “Brother Eli”) have transported you to a totally different era in the past rather than the fact that you are watching a couple of actors play in a film. Not to be outdone by his adult fellows, Dillon Freasier’s performance as H.W. certainly helps this movie escalate to a brand new height compared to others that came out at the same time.

It seems fitting for Daniel Day-Lewis to win an Oscar for Best Actor in the lead role this year. Although as a big fan of Johnny Depp I had hoped that “Sweeney Todd” would earn Depp an Oscar, I was not disappointed to see the Oscar go into Daniel Day-Lewis’ hands for this movie. “There Will Be Blood” was created so beautifully and thoughtfully, I feel that it is a model of perfection. Everything about it, the performance of its actors, background sets, costume designs, cinematography and the musical arrangements combined makes it a must-have for my DVD collection.

Yes, “There Will Be Blood” deserves 5 stars. And in my opinion, ultimately the film belongs to Day-Lewis and Dano, whose devotion to their characters is itself a bit mad, and director Paul Thomas Anderson, who takes the audience places few other filmmakers dare to go.

As my friends, all of you know from reading my postings that one of the many beauty products I love to try the most is soap. Yes, I believe that using a good bar of soap for your body and face is the foundation of proper skin care.

Well, this time I would like to write about my experience using One With Nature Dead Sea Mud Soap, which is made with Dead Sea Salts and Shea Butter. After hearing and reading so much about many tourists bathing themselves with the world famous Dead Sea mud, said to be able to prevent aging, I bought this bar of soap to discover if the claims are true.

Here’s a list of claimed health benefits of Dead Sea mud or salts:
Improves blood circulation and natural skin generation.
Its fine mud grains cleanse the skin and remove dirt particles, impurities and toxins.
Provides effective relief for skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, acne and wrinkles.
Moisturizes your skin and provides natural skin hydration.
Gently peels away dead skin cells to reveal more youthful, healthier skin layers.

Dead Sea mud has many amazing health properties, and in addition to the ones listed above also helps treat and relieve many other ailments. These ailments include arthritis, muscle stiffness and aches, rheumatism, joint inflammation and even itchy, dry skin.

If you wonder why Dead Sea mud has so many health benefits, here is the answer. The minerals which are present in the mud are all natural minerals, which our skin needs every day. By using Dead Sea mud, or a mud mask, we feed our skin these essential minerals. Minerals in the mud, such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, bromine and calcium, are needed by our skin to help maintain the right moisture levels and hydration.

Another very powerful effect of using Dead Sea mud is that as it dries, it pulls out any toxins that may be present in our skin cells from our everyday diet. This leaves the skin completely clean, refreshed and pure in addition to infusing it with the minerals. At the same time it firms the skin and tightens it, giving users an exceptional anti-aging benefit and leaves skin looking younger. Because of its triple effect of exfoliating, cleansing and providing essential minerals, Dead Sea mud is able to ease many various ailments as well as keeping skin looking young and healthy for a long time!

Tip: Masks made with Dead Sea mud have also proved to be very helpful when applied to a scalp for hair roots strengthening. These masks help to stop hair loss and enhance new growth. They proved to be four times more effective than any other product of this kind during comparative tests.

So I tried using this particular soap, One With Nature, Dead Sea Mud Soap with Dead Sea Salts and Shea Butter for 30 days. The positive result that I noticed was rejuvenated soft smooth skin with less fine lines. With this soap there is no need to apply any moisturizer or body lotion, since the soap leaves your body and face feeling moist after you use it. No more winter dry itchy skin, and yes, it has smoothed out my skin tone!

If you love to combine skin care with aroma therapy, you’ll be happy to know that One With Nature brings you Dead Sea mineral soap in many popular scents including Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Almond and Rose. All of their 15 varieties include the therapeutic benefits of Dead Sea minerals and moisturizing luxury of Shea Butter.

According to the company’s website, all One With Nature soaps are made with a 100% vegetable base and do not contain artificial colors, fragrances or animal ingredients of any kind. They claim that their products are never animal tested and their packaging incorporates biodegradable plastic wrap and recycled labels.

All in all, the four dollars I paid for this bar of soap was well worth it. One With Nature has proven itself to be a very good skin care product worthy of my recommendation. As a matter of fact, because I’ve felt the amazing benefits of Dead Sea Mud Soap with Dead Sea Salts and Shea Butter, I plan on buying a couple of bars for one of my sisters in-law. I think it will take care of her winter dry skin problems.

My husband and I took our girls for a mini vacation to Orlando last Christmas. After noticing that the area near Universal Studios was full of all kinds of ethnic restaurants, we chose to have dinner at Shalimar one night.

Why? Not only because I was hankering for spicy Indian curry and some basmati rice, but because there is also a restaurant named "Shalimar" in Tampa that serves delicious authentic Indian cuisine.

However, unlike the one in Tampa, the "Shalimar" in Orlando had many staff members checking on the satisfaction of its customers. As soon as we came in, we were quickly seated at a booth of our choice by a very pleasant young man. The manager then came over and asked us if it was our first time visiting the establishment, and when we said "Yes", he promptly handed a menu to Kangmas, and opened another one for me, offering us to sample an appetizer. Hmm, how classy! I love this kind of service for sure.

So knowing what we already wanted, we ordered their samosas, which were as big as a baseball each, followed by spicy chicken biryani rice and also some hot lamb curry for us to share. My Kangmas also ordered his favorite sweet Peshawar Naan for dessert.

In my photo you can see our meals after we ate our samosas. The fresh cut up vegetables and cheesy dip here are just mine, my Kangmas also has his own vegetables and dip, too. As you can see, "Shalimar" of Orlando is pretty generous with their food portions.

Our two big samosas were just OK, not as good as the ones from our old mosque back in Michigan; so that's one star off our rating.

But as we both expected, our chicken biryani rice was scrumptious, and the accompanying spicy lamb curry was totally delicious. The cut-up veggies shown here in my photo, added a touch of freshness into our whole dinner. Our waiter, James, from Moldova, was very attentive and patient, regardless of the fact that English is not his native language.

The prices that "Shalimar" of Orlando put on their offerings fit the quality and generous portions that they serve. All in all, my Kangmas and I were happy to leave a generous tip for our waiter.

The only thing is, here is one more thing that robs "Shalimar" of Orlando one star from being labeled as a five-star joint. You can't leave your tip on your MasterCard or Visa. Although there is no sign at the front door warning you of this, you, as a customer, should bring some cash if you want to tip your waiter.

WHAT?

I know, we were stunned too, when we heard this. The reason is, according to Shalimar's manager, in the past their waiters used to change the tips by writing a bigger amount, given through customers' credit cards, so they had to stop that practice due to customers' complaints. Thus, because of that, only the price of foods can be charged to customers' credit cards.

Isn't that ridiculous?

And to make matters worse, there is no ATM nearby. My Kangmas actually walked around for 20 minutes - while I waited in the restaurant - but he could not find one. So in the end we had to tell the manager, the only way we could give our waiter a tip is by charging it on our MasterCard. Oh how cumbersome!

So my advice to you, Shalimar of Orlando, make it easier for your customers to leave tips on their credit cards, or you'll lose their loyalty, and maybe your waiters' too. After all, not very many people carry cash anymore, now that plastic money is more common. And perhaps you need to install an ATM machine inside your restaurant, if you insist on doing business with cash only.

Until you make better samosas and fix the credit card tip problem, for me and my Kangmas, as food lovers, you shall stay as a 3-star restaurant, Shalimar.

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Length: 384 pages
Pub. Date: May 2007


"They chop off hands for stealing bread," Mariam said. "What do you think they'll do when they find a dead husband and two missing wives?" "No one will know," Laila breathed. "No one will find us." ("A Thousand Splendid Suns", page 318).

Mental and physical abuse, and oppression for women. That's the reality of life that Khaled Hosseini, a male Afghani Muslim author tries to show us behind the curtains of shari'ah laws. Laws made by God, directly from the Holy Qur'an. Certainly not man-made, but duly enforced by men upon women.

At the precious age of 15, Mariam, Jalil's little harami (illegitimate child) was given up to marry 45 year-old Rasheed, one of her father's business associates. After years of failing to provide her husband with sons, Mariam's fate collided with Laila, who was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's daughter when Rasheed took her as his second wife. What happens next as their stories unfold - I guarantee - will make it hard for you to put down this book for even a minute.

I lost count on how many times my blood boiled during the course of reading this eye-opening novel. At times I even questioned God as to why there is such a need to use terror and violence in my religion, in Islam.

Although this story of two Muslims wives and their violent husband is beautifully written, clearly Mr. Hosseini did not write "A Thousand Splendid Suns" to merely make his readers fascinated. For me as a Muslimah, this book is a fervent reminder of the manipulative hands of fanatics that will readily use anything, even their own religion, as a tool to help them do their dirty agendas to elevate themselves into a position of power and wealth.

I recommend that you read both "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Then speak out and stand up to those who manipulate religion to further their own agendas. Because they will pay the price at whatever costs, even if the currency is in the form of abuse on humanity.

Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Musical, Horror
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hr 57 mins


I don't really care that much for musicals. For many reasons, I seem to find them a little bit too funny to be taken seriously. And in the end, I always get disappointed for having wasted money for such an unentertaining form of entertainment.

So, although I'm a fan of Johnny Depp, I was not enthused about the idea of watching him sing in a movie, especially a horror movie in which he plays a murderous leading character. But I thought that "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" would surely be better than my least favorite Depp film, "Chocolat", so off I went with my Kangmas to watch Tim Burton's creation.

What a surprise! Instead of being a lame musical, "Sweeney Todd" is actually a thriller from start to finish: scary, monstrously funny and melodically thrilling. And Depp is simply magnificent. He knows he's not Pavarotti and doesn't try to be. However, his light baritone voice has clarity, timbre and emotive power. Depp eliminates the line between singing and acting, fusing them into something that keeps the movie blazing. Oscar fans, take note, Johnny Depp is a potential winner for "Best Actor" for his performance in this film.

Of course, all of you know by reading the three Johnny Depp movie reviews that I written on these pages, I am partial to this great actor / entertainer. But Helena Bonham-Carter was essential to the successof this film playing the role of Mrs. Lovett, the manipulative restaurant owner who incorporated Mr. T's victims into her famous savory meat pies.

In addition to Tim Burton, the director of "Sweeney Todd", credit should also be given to the script writer, for amusing us with a stunning and gory ending for this musical horror movie. What is the ending? Let me just say it is surprising.

This film is perfect for any Johnny Depp fan, who will love to see the dark role he plays this time, however, I feel that the CGI's in the film have the look of a video-game, and that's why in my opinion, "Sweeney Todd" earns 4 stars. Do note though, this 4-star movie so far has earned over 9 million US dollars since it was released on December 21st. So hurry up and go watch it before you miss out on the big screen appearance of Johnny Depp in this deeply dark "Sweeney Todd"!

Hm, biasanya sih, kalo aku resensi restoran di rumah mayaku yang satu ini, pasti aku pake tag "good eatin'" alias "makanan sedap", soale alhamduliLlah, jarang banget aku dan Kangmas nemuin makanan yang gak enak, men-temen. Tapi buat resensi yang satu ini cukup deh pake tag "makan-makan", soale makanan yang kita santap nggak sedap, sih.

Anyway, kali yang satu ini, Kangmasku ngebettttt banget ngerasain gado-gado dan rendang di satu-satunya resto Indonesia yang kami berdua tau ada di Tampa. Namanya? Cafe Kita. Letaknya di jalan Henderson, deket South Dale Mabry.

Sebenernya sih aku rada angot-angotan nyobain makan di sana. Entah kenapa, firasat kali yak? Eh, pertama kali kita muncul, jam 12:10, di pintu Cafe Kita ini ada tulisan "Open @ 12:30 due to Catering". OK, gagal deh makan di sana, soale trus terang aku nggak mau nunggu 20 menit, sementara perut dah kelaperan, gara-gara gak sarapan pagi. Walau pun merengut, aku gandeng aja do'i untuk lanjut ke restoran Jepang di sebelah Cafe Kita.

Kali kedua, kita datang jam 12:40, eh ni resto kok kayaknya tutup. Ternyata, begitu turun dari mobil, kami bisa baca tulisan "Closed due to Catering" di pintu depannya. Walaaahhhh... padahal Kangmasku udah pingin banget ngerasain rendang dan gado-gado bikinan mereka. Yah, walau pun manyun, akhirnya makan juga deh kami di "Indochinois" yang menyajikan hidangan Vietnam. Kasian banget suamiku yang wajahnya udah jelas keliatan sedih banget.

Akhirnya, sebelum ketiga kalinya nongol lagi, aku suruh Kangmas mastiin lewat telpon, tuh resto bakal buka nggak. OK, kali ini mereka buka jam 12:30, lagi-lagi karena catering.

Begitu masuk, kami pesan satu piring martabak telor. Ternyata? Rasanya biasa-biasa aja, nggak ada yang istimewa, malah jauh banget dari martabak telor yang biasanya dijual di Pasar Minggu atawa Kalibata. Untuk makanan utamanya, kami pesan bakmi Jawa, gado-gado dan rendang.

Yang aku potret nih gado-gadonya, friends. Porsinya sih gede, cukup untuk dua orang. Tapi, kalo disimak, ternyata aku aja bisa bikin nih gado-gado di rumah, malah lebih murah. Udah jelas bumbu yang dipake adalah bumbu siap beli yang tinggal dicampur air anget doang. Sayurnya cuman taoge, buncis, dan potongan kubis rebus, dicampur dengan sedikit irisan tahu goreng dan 2 butir telur rebus yang dibelah dua, tambah beberapa iris ketimun. Yahhh... gak seimbang deh sama harga yang dipasang.

Setelah gado-gado kami habis, mesti nunggu lagi sekitar 20 menitan buat rendang dan nasi putihnya. Ya ampuuun... nasinya pelit banget, sampe Kangmasku harus minta tambah, itu pun nunggu lagi 10 menit, sementara mereka sibuk ngurusin 4 tamu lainnya. Dan rendangnya? Rasanya kayak soto yang kebanyakan air dan garam, deh. Trus isinya cuman 6 potongan kecil daging sapi yang keras lagi. Jauhhh banget dari definisi rendang.

Terakhir bakmi Jawa kami datang setelah satu setengah jam duduk di Cafe Kita, sampe 1/2 jam lewat jam makan siang. Kayaknya nih, ni bakmi Jawa dibuat dari IndoMie, friends. Rasanya gak enak blas. Gara-gara kesyel sama mutu hidangan dan pelayanan Cafe Kita ini, akhirnya Kangmasku minta Bakmi Jawa itu dibungkus.

Karena ini suamiku bilang, jangan deh ke Cafe Kita, rugi... Bottom line, my Kangmas said, "Cafe Kita is definitely not our cafe. Neither the food nor the service is worth any stars at all, hon. It's the worst Indonesian restaurant we ever ate in." Yah, karena kasian aja deh, aku kasih 1 bintang. Lagian, untuk masang resensi di Multiply ini, kita harus ngasih minimal satu bintang, ya sutralah... terpaksa...

Tapi nggak lagi deh kita bakal ke sana. Kapok booo...! :)

"Buddhism survives today and thrives all around the world because it is so open-ended. You don't have to obey a set of rules or worship God or the gods. You don't even have to be spiritual. All you have to do is look into yourself and yearn to become clear, to wake up and be complete." (Quotes from "Buddha, A Story of Enlightenment" by Deepak Chopra).

This time Deepak Chopra tries to enlighten us, his readers, with Buddha's life story and philosophy. Leaving his life behind as a pretty much sheltered crown prince, Siddharta walked away from his father's palace in search of enlightenment. What he found was pain and suffering, and in the end, ways to end pain and suffering. Several meaningful accounts of Buddha's life were knitted together in a simple-to-understand way by Deepak Chopra in the form of an entertaining small novel. This is a second Deepak Chopra book that I read, and frankly, I'm amazed at this medical doctor's ability to write in such a talented manner.

Deepak Chopra does not use a teacher's style in getting across his message to us. Rather, he charms us to enjoy his storytelling skills as he subtly inserts pearls of wisdom into our minds through "Buddha".

Don't worry, he is not trying to sell you a new religion. The proof is apparent to see in the book's explanation I quoted above. However, even though ending pain and suffering definitely sounds great, it is hard to ignore the fact that at times we all enjoy the pains and sufferings that fall onto us. Really, why would we want to completely erase them out of our life?

After all, who can jump up and down for joy, if they never shed a tear in pain and suffering?

Honestly. :)

Stars: Amy Adams, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey
Director: Kevin Lima
Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG

Would you rather marry a lawyer with complicated busy daily routines in The Big Apple (New York City) if a handsome prince from a fairy tale is chasing you around to make you his queen?

Sure, Patrick Dempsey is handsome too, but I'm afraid James Marsden in his princely costumes and English accent beats him. Anyway, "Enchanted" tells the story of Prince Edward who goes to New York accompanied by a chipmunk named Pip to find Giselle, a pretty girl with a beautiful voice, with whom he falls in love and wants to marry.

The handsome prince and Giselle met in Andalasia, a fairy tale land, in which they used to live. Until Prince Edward's stepmother pushed Giselle out of the lovely fairy tale kingdom into busy New York; thus the Prince had to follow after to take her back.

In Giselle's search of the way home, however, she met a lawyer and his daughter, who try to rescue her. What happens next when Giselle learns that in the real world you can't just fall in love in a day and get married? How does Giselle feel about going on a date? More importantly, how does Prince Edward feel about Giselle after he sees the real world from his perspective?

In this movie, Amy Adams as Giselle, and James Marsden as Prince Edward, maintain a delicate balance between childhood fantasy and a cute reality of the world with filled with its disappointment and joy.

Although most critics champion Amy Adams as the spark of this Disney movie, I still believe that James Marsden deserves to be an Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor next year. Amin to that, my friends! :)

In order to relieve our aching feet after spending four hours at West Shore Plaza shopping last Saturday, my Kangmas and I chose to try PF Chang's China Bistro nearby for lunch. We both agreed that we should give Tampa another chance when it came to finding out a very good Chinese restaurant to be our favorite; even though we sadly ate a dinner in a bad one first, and then met just an OK one the second time around.

I'd actually been eyeing this place for a month, before we both decided to give it a try. I figured out if Nicole Richie frequented the same chain in Tinsel Town, PF Chang's has got to be a pretty decent China Bistro. Especially for the fact that one of Ms. Richie's first pregnant shots were taken by some paparazzi as she came out PF Chang's in L.A. holding her beau, Joel Madden's hand.

At first I thought by the fancy look of the building, we were going to drop $$$ for this lunch. But once we read the posted menu by the front door, we were happily surprised that PF Chang's is an affordable restaurant whose entree range in the low $$.

So we proceeded to order an appetizer in the form of fried calamari rings. This appetizer is light, it's not too much, nor it is too little in portion. For our main meals, Kangmas asked for a plate of Singapore Street Noodles, while I opted for 1/2 Roasted Duck. As you can see, the Singapore Noodles came with a medium bowl of steamed white rice, while the 1/2 Roasted Duck was accompanied by some Chinese warm breads, and three small cups of different sauces.

Our waiter cleverly showed us how to mix the three sauces to make an interesting dip for the duck meat. We had to admit we were very lucky to have such a fast-moving and attentive waiter like he was.

Anyway, our Singapore noodles had plenty of sauteed vegetables, eggs, and chicken incorporated into it, you'd feel good about eating healthy. The seasoning for it was also just perfect. It wasn't bland, but not too spicy either. Our roasted duck was so tender; even though it was well done, and not greasy at all. Now, that's not easy to do, so our compliments are for the chef! :)

Plus, in addition to our fantastic meals, a great waiter, we both also enjoyed a very nice ambiance inside PF Chang's China Bistro. So I know, that someday my Kangmas and I should go back there again for some more of their delicious offerings. Why not, after all every thing's a bargain when you look at the prices listed on their menu!

Total damage for this lunch trip, including our tip was $40.

Thus, based on our lovely dining experience, PF Chang's China Bistro deserves to earn the top 5 stars from this pair of gourmet food aficionados.

Yes, I watched this movie kind of late, actually - probably the very last week it is played here in Tampa. But you know what, being busy with work and settling down in our new house, you can't blame me for that. At least, I got to watch one of my favorite movie stars (The Rock, of course), and Rose and Jasmine's wish to see petite Madison Pettis was finally granted, too.

No, I don't love the Rock just for his looks, but also for his charismatic handsome smile. And in my opinion, he's a pretty good actor. I think he rocks in "The Scorpion King"; but I believe the reason people think he's not a proved great actor is because he has not found a great script yet.

Anyway, moving on to this cute Disney film. In "The Game Plan", Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays a Joe Kingman, a famous quarterback for the Boston Rebels, who one day finds a little girl in front of his door, claiming that she is his daughter. The problem is, Joe Kingman never recalls ever having a daughter named Peyton Kelly, or for that matter, any child at all.

So what happens when a famous football star with a party lifestyle meets and then lives with an eight-year old girl for a whole month? Well, I'll let you find that out on your own, my friends.

But I can tell you this, although the critics were pretty tough on this particular cute Disney movie, I must admit that Johnson's pearly white handsome smile and willingness to play along make him by far the cutest and most likable of modern movie muscleheads. Thus, he's one of the reasons to see The Game Plan.

Of course what movie doesn't have any flaws, huh? Well, for me and my Kangmas, the role of Peyton Kelly in this flick is a bit too politically correct and too technology-wise for her age. It is difficult for me to imagine the existence of an eight-year old girl who can find her way to meet a father she never knows, who live miles away from her. Unless she is a super genius kid, that is.

Therefore, because of this one flaw, "The Game Plan" earns 4 stars from this movie buff.

Living in Tampa Bay is like living nearby Muara Karang in Jakarta, Indonesia. Both cities are located by the sea, so seafood is a common fanfare for everyone.

On one lovely evening I decided to visit Castaway Restaurant in Tampa. Famous for its gourmet meals and panoramic sunset view large windows, Castaway is a perfect relaxing dining place after a hard day of work.

At first when I glanced at the menu it was hard to choose just one entree, since everything looks so good. Then I found an interesting-sounding meal, Seafood Collage. The explanation for this unique dish is a big heap of angel hair pasta adorned with one half lobster tail, some bay scallops, and shrimp with special seasonings.

I could smell the savory aroma of this dish before the waiter even put it on the table. And when it did arrive on my table, I actually had to tell myself great gourmet food like this is supposed to be enjoyed without a rush. Let me tell you, it was awesome! Although the seasoning is a bit too salty for my taste, the lobster, bay scallops, shrimp and angel hair pasta combination was just perfect. The sauce was creamy, yet it did not taste too heavy because of the Italian accent.

Castaway Restaurant is a classy formal dining place, and the ambiance is peaceful, quiet and romantic. There is no loud music in the background, and everything they serve from entree to dessert are adorable in addition to being edible. To ensure their patrons experience the best dinner at Castaway Restaurant, the staffs there always have a smile for every customer.

Thus, this gourmet food lover bestows 5 stars to Castaway Restaurant.

For me, living in USA means loving burgers, and by that I mean so many kinds of burgers. Well, today for lunch my colleagues took me to Robert's, a small restaurant that serves all kinds of burgers and sandwiches. Robert's is a unique restaurant, it's not a fast food joint, but to get some food, we had to line up at the cashier counter by a blackboard which features the "Specials" of the day, placed our order and paid up front. Once we got our individual receipt we found a place to sit down, and the Filipino lady who served as the cashier, showed up and brought our food to the table.

After taking a glance at the "Specials" of the day, I decided to go with BBQ Beef Burger, complete with fries and a large styrofoam cup of water. At less than $10 for the whole meal, I did not have any great expectations from this restaurant. I thought my meal would basically look and taste like a glorified burger combo meal from McD's.

Then when the cashier asked me what kind of cheese I wanted, I casually asked for a slice of Swiss cheese. That was unique, I thought, because as you know they don't ask you what kind of cheese you want on your burger at McD's or even Burger Kings.

A few minutes later, when my BBQ Beef Burger with Swiss cheese and fries arrived, I was surprised in a happy way. Not only the size of the burger was phenomenal, but the lettuce and sliced tomatoes on it were really fresh! And the beef burger tasted so sweet and tangy as if it had been marinated in some BBQ sauce for a couple of hours in the fridge. Nonetheless the ground beef patty itself was not soggy at all, and it tasted as if it had just come out of a grill. Plus the fries they served was hot and crispy.

In short, it was a perfect lunch for me, whose breakfast only consisted two cups of coffee so that my brain could start to function for a very busy day at work this morning.

Of course, it would be silly to expect a luxurious dining room at Robert's. But due to the facts that you will have some tasty offerings at a very low cost, this food lover and her office colleagues believe Robert's in Tampa deserves to receive 5 stars.

When I took my Kangmas to see downtown Tampa one afternoon, we got so hungry, Kangmas suggested that the first restaurant that caught our fancy would be the place for us to have lunch.

Voila! My eyes happened to catch a glimpse of a small restaurant with a sign saying "Nuevo Cafe - A Taste of Latin in Tampa". Coming from Detroit, Michigan, we immediately guessed that it was a Mexican restaurant which basically serve tacos and burritos.

Boy, were we wrong! Once we read the menu mentioned "Cuban Sandwich", we were so excited about trying a new kind of ethnic food we never had before.

From the menu I ordered a Ropa Viejo (shredded beef sandwich), while Kangmas asked for a Palomilla (breaded fried beef sandwich). When our entree came to the table, we were surprised that there were actually two sandwiches for each one of us. At a price of $6.95 per person, it was an extremely generous portion of food. These big sandwiches were made using some warm soft and thick pieces of bread, filled with very tender and tastily seasoned pieces of beef. Kangmas was also very happy with his Palomilla. Although he never ate them before, he said he certainly would come back and order the delicious sandwiches again.

Neither one of us could eat the second sandwiches in front of us, so our nice waitress Jennifer put them in a box for us to take home. But before going back to our hotel, I ordered a small cut of flan. As you can see in the photo, my flan arrived drenched in very thick dark sweet caramel sauce that was so aromatic, I had to savor every small bite I took. It was the best flan I've ever had in my life. I always order flan whenever it is available in every Mexican eatery we visit, but this flan from Nuevo Cafe beats them all. It was just simply the best flan I've ever eaten. Make sure you order this delicacy when you visit Nuevo Cafe. At U$2.50 per small plate, you tastebuds will thank you for such a sweet closure to a very nice meal in a very affordable place.

We are very happy with the attentive and fast service of our waitress and the cleanliness of the restaurant combined with the good food and inexpensive price, we feel that Nuevo Cafe deserves to get all 5 stars from our rating.

If I were to choose just one of all kinds of poultry to eat, ducks would be my first choice. Ever since I ate a grilled duck at a Persian restaurant in London almost two decades ago, I just fell in love with it. Although it is not easy to cook ducks, the one that I first had in London was just perfect: neither too dry, nor too greasy.

So when my friend wanted to try dining at the Rusty Pelican last night, I delightfully ordered some grilled duck breasts from the menu. As you can see from my photo, they came with a generous portion of brown and wild rice, steamed asparagus, BBQ sauce and a purple orchid. There were two pieces of tender duck breasts on the plate. I'm glad my very knowledgeable waiter, Steven, advised me beforehand, that it is actually best to not have them cooked well-done, to preserve the duck's tender meat. The brown and wild rice and the thick BBQ sauce turned this entree to a winning combination for the palate. Plus the steamed asparagus and edible flower made my tasted so exotic. Yes, I did eat the flower, just in case you're wondering.

And according to my dining partner who enjoyed a plateful of seafood, the two glasses of Chocolate Martini that she had at the Rusty Pelican is one of the greatest mixed drinks she ever had. She also said that the beautiful view of Tampa Bay from the window combined with her meal and her Chocolate 'Tini made it an unforgettably glorious dinner.

Yes, it's no secret that the Rusty Pelican is not a cheap restaurant, but it's worth your big bucks to dine in this classy restaurant with great gourmet food, great service and great ambiance.

Thus, the Rusty Pelican earns five stars from this gourmet food lover (and her dining guest that night).

How did I find this restaurant, you ask? Very easy, the hotel concierge recommends it to me, and luckily Crabby Bill's is less than a mile away from my place.

Crabby Bill's serves all kinds of seafood, from the cheap, medium-priced, or anything with market price such as some fancy fish if you wish, I was informed. It also offers a fun and cozy ambiance for its patrons. You can either sit inside to relieve yourself from Tampa's heat or outside to enjoy the beach.

So the night I ventured out there on my own, I ordered these for dinner: raw clams on 1/2 shell as an appetizer; Grilled Salmon with Rosemary, Butter and Capers as my entree; and a big plate of rice pudding for dessert.

Although I was doubtful about consuming some raw clams at first, I was truly impressed by its fresh taste! The lemon slice and ginger sauce my waitress Donna brought me are awesome paired up with the clams. The salmon which was a special that night, was grilled to perfection, and the rosemary, butter and capers added a special touch to my fish dinner.

Satisfied with my scrumptious three-course meal, Crabby Bill's turned out to be one of the best seafood restaurants I've ever visited, I thought. And although the restaurant was very busy, my waitress did an exceptionally outstanding job by promptly attending my table.

However, the second time I visited Crabby Bill's (this time with my beloved hubby, Kangmas), I was disappointed. No, the waiter is not at fault. But somebody else was sleeping on the wheel. The restaurant was totally out of cinnamon, so the rice pudding that I championed so much to my husband arrived bland. Plus there is nothing special about the frog legs that Kangmas picked as our appetizer; they were just OK, or in Indonesian we call it "biasa".

Thus, because both of us believe that no restaurants should ever run out of any of their important ingredients and all of the food offered should always be spectacular to earn the top rating, Crabby Bill's earns 3 stars from these two culinary tourists.