Are you from Penampang and feeling the world pays you no attention? Think again! Pascal was reading the London Metro on the Tube this morning when he stumbled upon some news about home…

Be careful about having affairs in Borneo... it may cost you a few buffaloes and a pig!

That’s right! Beware all ye adulterers of Penampang for you may be punished for your sins in moos and oinks! *laugh*

This morning I received a member’s newsletter in my Inbox to notify me of a closeout sale happening in the U.K. at the moment.

Borders U.K. Closeout Sale Email

Am I the only one who got the news about Borders book stores closing all of its stores in the U.K. three weeks after it was announced?!

How, pray, did this happen?

Did they get squeezed out because Britons prefer to buy from the larger British brands like WH Smith and Waterstones, or is their impending collapse due to bad financial management? Or is it a bit of both? To run out of cash and put over 1,100 people out of jobs before christmas is really something!

Though the U.K. sans 45-stores would mean that book buyers will now flock to WH Smith‘s 560 stores, 400 Travel Units and Waterstone’s 303 stores. (Wikipedia) However, before that these two chains will have to face the music of low christmas sales instead of chirpy carols!

They are even selling their fixtures, fittings and equipment on Borders.co.uk

Borders.co.uk on December 19th, 2009

Really, this is quite a depressing sight.

Thankfully, this isn’t a global brand collapse but a U.K. franchisee’s. I can’t imagine a world without Borders book stores and while I feel most sorry for the people who will lose their jobs, I’m glad that the folding won’t directly affect all the other Borders the world over!

I was feeling under the weather yesterday and tried to make myself feel better. However, nothing I thought in my Anglo-American mind made me feel any better, so I tried switching my brain into another mode. For about an hour or so I went into French mode and this was what transpired.

Step 1: Look for French things in room.

Step 1: Look at all things French

I didn’t look very hard but at least there was a box of vitamin C fizzies and a tube of toothpaste from my trip to Paris. That was enough to get me to Step 2.

Step 2: Look for comfort shots from previous trip to France.

French plushies are so delicate and so French!

These plushies were just so delicate and soft looking. The cute tender enfant display was such a comforting sight! I really wanted the sheep but it was one of the first stores I saw so I walked right on!

Of course, you wouldn’t truly be in French mode until you got into the mood for chocolat. Below was a sight that brought a huge smile on my face when I saw it calling my name…

My favorite chocolatier in Paris

Oui, j’adore chocolats! Seeing a proper chocolatier sign was just the best feeling in the world. My favorite truffles of all time are from this store in Paris. It is definitely better than Godiva and Leonidas (This is some high grade South American bean stuff.)

Heavenly truffles...

There’s a lot more chocolate photos from where that came from but I’m trying to keep this post brief, so we’ll move on to Step 3.

Step 3: Look for silly photos of self in Paris.

Wohho!

Have you ever seen such a grande iPhone before?! Up until that point, I haven’t! Hmm, let’s try the touchscreen…

Why was it made to stand at this exact height? Pervy sculptor?!

By the time I realized I was looking at buttocks, it was too late. My friend Johann had already taken the incriminating shot of me perving over a solid bum!!@#

Pretty pretty lights!

When we were at Champs-Élysées, I just had to have a photo with the legendary Fouquet restaurant which I’ve seen plenty in French films. It is as romantic as it can get. Christmas lights in front of a historic rendezvous landmark! Hopefully some romantic man will take me there someday…

Step 4: Reflect on how awesome my life really is.

Ah the glee of seeing Avenue Des Champs-Elysees!

Just having the legs to prance around the most romantic city in the world is reason enough to be grateful don’t you think?

Step 5: Finally, doodle out feelings in French. Stick that on the wall for a week.

This is why I took French, to doodle!

Translation: It’s not serious my pretty whatever will be, will be! You must smile little button, your smile is like sunshine!

Voila! It took switching into French mode to pop out of my lackluster state. I guess this is the advantage of having studied a different language and being exposed to its culture. Being able to do that comes in handy when I’ve exhausted my thoughts in one mode. Whenever you feel like you’re stuck trying to figure something out in English, try thinking in another cultural mode. Maybe you might just solve it like I did.

Finally the BBC ‘Best Job in the World’ documentary is out and if you are in the U.K. you can watch the replay on BBC iPlayer for the next 5 days.

For me, it was especially fun to see what the other candidates were up to as we were all being really secretive with our plans while we were campaigning for votes!

Here’s a quick screenshot for your enjoyment if you’re not in the U.K. There isn’t a lot about me in there since the documentary focuses on the British candidates. There is however a flashing of my face and a quick mention of my name along the lines of “Up in the big wheel there are other candidates with an eye on the 70k prize. There’s Jackie from Malaysia…”

Despite a small cameo, I am pretty happy I managed to get myself on the Beeb for “happy-feel-good” reasons while I was in the U.K. I wish my mom could have been around to see this (God bless her soul)! She would have been delighted to see her daughter on British T.V.

Two days ago, I blogged about my Saturday evening with the Typhoon Tigers and need to make a correction about a stat that is shamefully outdated. In one of the photos, I had stated that the Typhoon Tigers were ranked 6th in the United Kingdom, which was a stat I got a year or two ago from distant memory.

The Typhoon Tigers getting mentally ready at the 2008 BDA Victoria championships | Photo: Alan To

Andrew Liu (last year’s captain) wrote to update me that they ranked 3rd in the 200m and 4th in the 500m last year in the 2008 British Dragon Boat Racing Association nationals (BDA). It was also their first year competing in the Premier League and to achieve those results is just an amazing feat, bearing in mind that some of their competitors are actually paddling for Great Britain. My apologies for the outdated info. Here is an updated 2008 photo of the team!

The Typhoon Tigers! I LOVE THEM! | Photo: Alan To

I am so proud I even got the chance to train with them at the Royal Albert Docks in 2007 and feel inextricably linked to them wherever and whenever the words “dragon boat” appears in conversation. If I should ever find myself back in London again on a more permanent basis, I’ll be sure to join them for training again.

Typhoon Tigers Warming up at BDA Victoria 2008 | Photo: Alan To

When it comes to dragon boating, there is no other team for me but the Typhoon Tigers from London. Such a fantastic bunch of people with so much fight you’d think that what started from a couple of friends six years ago, is now a 44-team strong Premier League team! I can’t wait till the day some of them make the Olympics when it becomes an event! Look at them go at it… woah!

Typhoon Tigers in action at BDA Nottingham 2008 Photo: Jo

The season has just begun and I have no doubt they’ll be fighting with everything they’ve got to go up in the rankings in Britain this year. This weekend, they’ll be racing their first event up in Liverpool. I’ll be sure to keep in close contact with them and also pick on this year’s captain Daniel Chin’s brains over the course of the season.

They are also recruiting, so if you’d like to join a team that is committed to results and fun, consider going to one of their training sessions on Saturdays at the Royal Albert Docks in the Docklands. More information about joining the Typhoon Tigers can be found here.

GO TYPHOON! I’ll be rooting for you all the way in Asia.

Life is pretty funny. When it realizes you’re about to give a place up, all of a sudden there are a hundred and one things coming your way to deter you from doing that. For me, it was the reminder that I had (to my acknowledgment or not) built up a comfortable life in London with friends and activities that I now have to forgo.

Last Saturday night, I was reminded of the wonderful people I’ve come to know whilst in London. I went to Bodean’s for some unadulterated American-sized BBQ at Tower Hill for Alan, one of the Typhoon boys’ birthdays. Check out the size of this combo. I only ate half and already was bursting out of my seams!

Bodean's Pulled Pork and Ribs with Chilly Fries Combo - GBP 14.95

The Typhoon Tigers Dragonboating Club were the first group of people I got to know when I moved to London when I briefly joined their B-team for training in 2007. Even though I did not train with them for long, they’ve always just invited me to most of their gatherings and treated me as one of their own. Awesome club, awesome peops! Here’s a picture of me and the captains of the U.K. Premiere League dragon boating team. Just a few days ago, TT paddler Thanh nicknamed them the Four Heavenly Kings (四大天国), and rightly so!

All the captains of the Typhoon Tigers, Great Britain's 3rd ranked dragonboating team for the 200m and 4th ranked for 500m in 2008. L-R: W. Hung, Dan C, Andy L and S. Ping.

After a gorging session of porky goodness, we headed to The Refinery for the K-pop night. No, it wasn’t Karaoke or Korean pop but an R&B party. Here are the boys giving Alan the birthday boy some nookie-loving.

The Typhoon Tigers on a typical birthday celebration

Here are some more pictures from Saturday night.

Bumping into Kim after a year of not seeing her was nice!

Sam C being attacked by chicks on the dance floor! Try spotting this extra in the movie Wimbledon!

I was trying to get a picture with the birthday boy, but he couldn't get over the lipstick doodle on his chest!

It was really quite nice to see everyone again! I’m going to really miss them when I go. Hopefully I’ll catch them in Hong Kong for the Stanley Cup!

I had planned on sharing some sinfully delicious notes from Madrid with you folks, but it got a little wild with the Best Job in the World frenzy so I have had to address the media and doctor my blog before talking about munchies. Here’s where you definitely have to go if you want to have some of the best Spanish food in Madrid!

La Casa Del Abuelo

Cook grilling shrimps at La Casa Del Abuelo

Gambas A La Plancha for €7.60 at La Casa Del Abuelo

Juicy Gambas A La Plancha

Why? This specialist tapas haven is frequented by locals looking for only the freshest shrimps and langostines that are flavored with their house adobo and grilled to succulent perfection. Euh yeah, (vegetarian warning) I ate it all and sucked all the juices out of their heads because it was so fresh and tasty!

La Casa Del Abuelo
Fundada En 1906. Madrid
Tfno: 902 027334
Victoria, 12 – Nunez de Arce, 5 – Goya, 57 MADRID
www.lacasadelabuelo.es

La Mi Venta

La Mi Venta: Across the road from Jardines De Sebatini

If you are a fan of Parma ham, you would probably love Iberian ham! La Mi Venta, a tapas bar near the Palacios Reales hung a Spanish sign that claimed that their ham was “possibly the best in Madrid.” With a cue like that, how could I resist? So I went in and asked and because they liked my style, I was given a slice to try for free! Haha.

Possibly the best Jamón ibérico in Madrid, claims La Mi Venta owner

After tasting their ham I immediately insisted to get 100 grams worth of that stuff to take away without hesitation. It is the “best” raw ham I have ever tasted, I just can’t get enough of it because of how much flavor and character it has. You would think that because it is raw it would taste raw but it doesn’t. Very fatty and very delicious!

La Mallorquina

Window display of pastries at La Mallorquina Bakery

Perhaps the one thing my travel mates and I loved most about Madrid was the discovery of this insanely, yes “insanely” congested bakery! I kid you not, La Mollorquina is so busy they have a line of 6 or 8 servers behind the pastry counter serving takeaway pastries like bartenders selling beer at a popular urban nightclub on a Saturday night. You’d be lucky if you manage to exchange eye contact with one of the staff to get your order in but I insist the pushing, shoving and hollering is well worth it if you love your food.

La Malloquina's specialty: Agujas de Ternera

They have the most delicious cream-filled buns and some wicked Agujas de Terneca which are a type of beef empanada. The mincemeat-filled oblong puff pastry is to die for so needless to say, they have definitely passed my umami taste test!

La Mollorquina Bakery
Calle Mayor 2, 28013 MADRID
Tfno: +34 91 521 1201

Other must-tries are Bar Andalú for their calamares and Lhardy for their bits and bites.

Lhardy: Look at the guy behind sneaking a wave, hah!

As you can see folks, the Madridians are nice. They love people who want to eat their food and couldn’t be happier to share all of that with you if only you’d give the city a chance. Madrid is the third largest city in Europe after London and Berlin, so the flight links are fantastic. Going from London is easy peasy. Flight tickets on Ryanair starts from £0.01 and £22.99 on EasyJet before taxes. With deals like that, it would be a travesty not to see Madrid if only just to have some tapas over the weekend. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets now!

Arty bulls all over Madrid central and children loving them!

Yes, that’s me fighting to get on the bull but the Spanish kids beat me to it those little schemers!

All loved up by these Free Huggers at Plaza Mayor!

These girls had no agenda other than to spread some Free Hugs. What lovely people! (No, my wallet didn’t go missing…)

Madrid's freshest-tasting calamares ever

You don’t know calamares until you’ve had these succulent ringlets from Bar Andalu at Plaza Mayor.