Taylor Swift - ‘Reputation’ track by track review

Alright I’m too lazy to do an intro so let’s just get right into it.

Track 1 - ...Ready For It
It’s clear from the first few seconds this bitch is not playing. She has reinvented herself completely in 1989 and no doubt she is riding the wave on the back of the fifth album’s success right into Reputation as well. This track was the second single we've gotten before the album release and I take it as a prelude for what the other songs on the album are going to sound like. It is bold, with loud bass-heavy techno sounds and a catchy, addictive number.

Track 2 - Endgame
Ever since her short duet with T-Pain on her 2008 album Fearless, we've never really heard Ms Swift rap on a track again. Until Reputation. Ed Sheeran returns on this track along with Future. The threesome brings the rap-track together nicely though I would have personally preferred just Ed and Swift as the other guy seemed a bit unnecessary. The bold jeering sounds complement  the breaks in between raps well and holds everything together nicely. And Ms Swift takes a jab at the media with 'the truth from my red lips' indicating that this time with this album, she intends to take back control of the narrative.

Track 3 - I Did Something Bad
With the word 'shit', this is officially the first song that Ms Swift cusses on. Production-wise, it implements simple recurring techno techniques and instrumentation. Lyrically I find it a close equivalent to 1989's Blank Space. Overall this is a decent track, not something I'd go crazy about. But there are certainly little effort put in to hide the shading and jab at a certain nemesis.

Track 4 - Don't Blame Me
At first I thought I was listening to a Hozier song. I love how Swift's soothing vocals cut through so clearly in the opening lines. The tempo of the song unconsciously draws you in the more you listen and they keep your attention until the chorus where you are allowed a fleeting moment of release. Lyrically it gets dark and edgy. The bridge pays homage to traditional quality bridges that Ms Swift so often delivers.

Track 5 - Delicate
The vocoder makes an apparent appearance in this track. Somewhere in this song, Wildest Dreams is hiding or rather, it now becomes the track from the previous album that was just the source code for something equally soothing and vividly imaginary yet unfamiliar. The song holds pertinent to its title. It is a delicate piece of work,dusted with digital synths and would make a nice end-credits song for one of the 50 Shades Trilogy movies.

Track 6 - Look What You Made Me Do
As the first ever single released to the world from this album, this is the heralding of a new era. Ms Swift has put her foot down and declared the old Taylor 'dead'. She does not make any concessions and this track is a jarring clap back to old rivals and clickbait-happy critics. Although this song does not have the strongest chorus, it somehow manages to be an earworm which one does not get rid of easily. Ms Swift is not here to play anymore. Sonically it plays well with what she was doing in 1989 which has proven to be a successful trial run.

Track 7 - So It Goes...
This track does not do much for me. It is not outstanding but far from bad. I would perhaps say borderline average. Lyrically it manages to be a vivid storyteller with Swift's smooth vocals begging to be let out of the strong dominant instrumentation. This track marks the close of the first half of the album.

Track 8 - Gorgeous
This track is riddled with infatuation and in true Taylor Swift tradition, is a song written about intense admiration and frustration towards a certain someone. Jack Antonoff's production watermark is evident with the rhythmic synths and snares without overdoing anything. It is certainly not the cream of the crop but good enough to be addictive. It is catchy, anyway.

Track 9 - Getaway Car
This is quite unquestionably the best song off the record. It is a masterpiece of songwriting akin to 1989's Out Of The Woods. It is intense and raw, taking you on a steady car-chase of emotions which slowly intensifies towards the bridge before allowing you a much needed relief before taking off again. First time listeners might be fooled but this song masquerades a romantic tragedy behind all the brilliant production sounds. It paints a picture of betrayal, hesitation and running away, much like a Bonnie and Clyde production. 

Track 10 - King Of My Heart
Building up on the emotions that Getaway Car leaves you, it is hard to recover from such intense quality music. Therefore, this track has a lot of burden put on it, in which it falls short to deliver. The vocoder makes a return here. Lyrically it is a mildly sexy and suggestive love song. Sonically this is most certainly a dance song and the only memorable part was the chorus.

Track 11 - Dancing With Our Hands Tied
If you're familiar with the idea and inspiration of 1989's I Know Places, then this might be the version of that song reincarnated. Again as with the majority of the album, this number takes its production cues from 1989 with vocally, some impressive solid high notes. 

Track 12 - Dress
Lyrically, this is perhaps the most intimate and rare look into Ms Swift's personal life behind closed doors. I feel like if I were to play this song for a stranger and tell them it's from the official soundtrack of 50 Shades, they would not hesitate to believe it. This might be Ms Swift's most adult song to date. Her vocals cut sharply through and is evident that sometimes the voice is all the instrumentation you need to channel your message. 

Track 13 - This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
The whole song paints a picture of taking a toy away from a naughty child. It's fun, upbeat and probably a more mature version of Red's 22. It celebrates camaraderie and claps back hard at traitors and backstabbers in traditional Taylor Swift style. It takes a jab back to all the drama without stooping  down to being a diss track. And I was not ready for that mid-song cackle dialogue!

Track 14. - Call It What You Want
This is what a traditional Taylor Swift song sounds like. It is properly raw and happy. Lyrically you can really tell she is in a happy place in her life and she's not afraid to pen it out into a song. Instrumentation really complement this track well, mirroring the mood of the lyrics. Is it good enough to be a wedding song? Wait till you hear the next and last track. Even though this is a love song through and through, Ms Swift still manages to slip in some subtle jabs at critics, 'which is more than they can say.'

Track 15. New Year's Day
This is a very fitting album closer which blankets everything up nicely. This is probably the old Taylor Swift  everyone's been begging for. It is simple and stripped down to the basics. It has minimal instruments with a slightly muted piano playing and the strings of an acoustic guitar in the background just subtle enough to indicate it's there. Lyrically, it takes on a realistic and practical approach to the traditional fantasies of love. After the roller coaster of heavy beats, bass and techno pop this song is just like that glass of wine you needed to unwind after a long day. I may call it the best love song that 1989 was lacking.

AirAsia Cadet Pilot Programme 2017 : Experience Sharing

A very good day to all reading. A friend of mine has just recently completed all the stages of his AirAsia cadet pilot programme of 2017. Hence, I thought it would greatly benefit others who are anxious to know about the whole process from start to finish and what goes on behind it. As updated resources and articles from blogs are few and scarce, I am very grateful that my friend has accepted my invitation to write for this humble blog, sharing the same hopes that this will encourage, inspire and in due course, prepare the next batch. Happy reading.

P.S. - It's long. But if you're truly interested, it won't matter, wouldn't it?

"I'm a candidate of the AirAsia Cadet Programme Year 2017 and have just completed my SPM last year. It's a golden opportunity for those who dream to soar the skies when AirAsia announced their cadet pilot programme opening. As an SPM leaver without having any hesitations, I directly applied for the programme on the day my SPM results were released. Soon after that, I was glad to get an invitation of STAGE 1-Entrance Exam a month before sitting for the assessment. The assessments of this year were basically still the same as the previous year. Now I’m going to share in detail all of the processes I’ve gone through.

In Stage 1, we'll be assessed in 3 SPM-syllabus based subjects namely English, Maths and Physics. All papers were in the form of Multi Choice Questions (MCQ). English paper's standard was slightly more advanced than SPM and it was similar to MUET standard. Without any doubt, I just kept practicing by doing MUET Paper 3 as much as I could, although I knew that I was just an ordinary SPM leaver. Remember what Sir Tony Fernandes has said, "DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE, BELIEVE THE UNBELIEVABLE and NEVER TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER." Bear in mind, we weren't allowed to use any calculator for MATHS paper. But non-programmable scientific calculators were allowed to be used in PHYSICS paper. Physics paper was okay for me because it was more to SPM syllabus. Please do not just pick a chapter of SPM Physics which is related to aviation to study, TRUST ME the questions asked in the exam covered all the chapters. Do practice lots and lots of SPM past year questions especially for Maths and Physics until you get familiar, by then you should be able to ace the exam. The most important thing for this first stage is to focus as much as you can in doing your preparations as those efforts will pay off.

Surprisingly, I got my invitation email for Stage 2- Harrison assessment after 2 weeks. The Harrison assessment is a personality test assessing our characteristics whether or not we are suitable to become a pilot. Firstly, I was assisted by a HR lady in logging into the test, so there shouldn't be any problem. Always listen to instructions from the HR people during the assessment. Well, in this test, there are at least 8 statements in each question. Eg. I like outdoor activities, I don't mind sitting for a long time, etc. You will need to drag the statements according to your personality, the one you put at the top describes you the most while the one you put at the bottom describes you the least/not at all. Don't arrange the statements as how a pilot is going to arrange, just be yourself when answering. The system itself is able to detect our dishonesty if our answering pattern is not consistent. So, you will be asked to repeat the test again from beginning to ensure consistency. There's no time limit for this test BUT the HR lady told us not to do more than 30 minutes as doing more than that, means you're over-analyzed of yourself and this surely will affect your marks. As there is no wrong and right in this test, you can’t really tell if you did well or not. And once again, BE YOURSELF when answering the test. That's all for stage 2.

And again after 2 weeks, I was very excited to be invited for Stage 3- Face to Face Interview. It was an individual interview instead of a group interview. There were 2 sets of interviewers, so each set would be interviewing ONE candidate at the same time. We had to wait for our turn to be called for interview session. Yes, it was indeed a very nervous period of waiting time. Moreover, I was the last to be interviewed. My interview panel consisted of one captain and 2 HR ladies, thus it was 3 vs 1. As soon as I handed over my documents and certificates to them, I was asked to tell them about myself. They did ask me a CRM question which seemed to be quite hard. Try not to ignore their suggestions though. And, DON'T lie to them and just say you don't know if you have no idea how to answer their questions because they'll know from the way you answer. I was asked about AirAsia, specifically about the background, newest route and board of directors (Who are they? What are their roles in AirAsia?) all in rapid fire. There were a few candidates interviewed earlier who were asked to draw an aircraft on the whiteboard, label the components on the drawing and explain their functions. They might not ask any technical questions at all, but instead ask a lot of questions related to your academic experiences and qualifications (not necessarily related to aviation) if you're a diploma/degree holder. Everyone has their own background, so we would be given questions differently, but still we have to prepare at least for questions regarding the basics of flight. As they know I'm a flightsimmer and did study about the A320, I was asked to visualize the A320 cockpit instruments, what's shown on Primary Flight Display, what are ECAM actions, how do I cope with engine 1 fire etc. I believe they were just interested in your passion towards aviation. My advice is, BE HONEST. Alright, stage 3 done.

After that, I got an email saying I passed the interview and invited to attend Stage 4- QCT and psychomotor test/Final Assessment of AirAsia Cadet Programme 2017. We were given a manual of the psychomotor test and a short briefing on the overall assessment, so technically don't have to worry much. Then, we were split into 2 batches. I was in the first batch going for QCT first while the second batch would be waiting to sit for psychomotor to save time. QCT (Quantitative Critical Thinking) is a computer-based Maths exam to test our quantitative reasoning ability. There were a lot of problem-solving questions related to simultaneous equations (2 to 3 unknowns) and each question had its own time limit depending on the difficulty. They were in the form of multi choice questions (MCQ) and had 8 choices of answers. Once the time limit is reached, you will automatically jump into the next question. So you need solve as fast as you can and not waste any time. Although you have solved the question and still have time left, you can't go back to it right after you've clicked to proceed to next question. Thus, do make use of the remaining time to double check your answer. The system will keep giving you questions until you can’t answer anymore to see how smart you are. And yes, you're allowed to use non-programmable scientific calculator and given A4 papers in this test.

Next, we proceeded into the 2nd part of the assessment which is the psychomotor test to assess our multitasking skill. In this test, you will be facing a monitor with a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick provided, a 3x3 numeric keypad, a headset and a mouse (which you don't actually need). Before the psychomotor test begins, you will have a short trial for practice and familiarization. Okay, let's talk about the tasks.

First task- On the Primary Flight Display (PFD), you have to follow the flight director/crossbar which constantly moves, as close as possible under the conditions of wake turbulence.

Second task- You need to memorize the 5-digit recall numbers displayed at the top of PFD as you will have to key the number in a box which only appears when the PFD freezes. There will be only ONE 5-digit number appearing for about 5 seconds at once. In my session, I had two different numbers appear consecutively so I had to memorize them and input the numbers in sequence. After you've keyed in the recall number, the PFD unfreezes. Note: You can't write down the recall numbers in a paper, you MUST memorize instead. <------ (This is new) 

Third task- You're required to listen to the voice from your headset, continuously calling out a number (range 1-9) with an interval of roughly 5 seconds before the next one is mentioned. When you hear 3 consecutive odd numbers, press on either one of the odd number-labeled buttons on the joystick. If 3 consecutive even numbers, then press on an even number-labeled button on the joystick. There are buttons labeled 1, 2, 3 etc. on the joystick. Try not to miss out any number callout.

Fourth task- You'll see two virtual 3x3 numeric keypads situated beside the PFD, one on the left and right respectively. It's just like a game. Whenever any key of any of the virtual keypads illuminate yellow, you must quickly react by pressing on the corresponding key on your 3x3 number pad to acknowledge. Prolonging the reaction time will affect your result. Only one key will illuminate yellow at once. It's kind of a test to see how fast our reaction is towards a change.

Overall, you have to carry out all the tasks continuously up to 10 minutes. Felt so exhausted after the test but I was grateful to have completed all the assessments of AirAsia Cadet Programme 2017.

Thankfully after everything I’ve gone through, I received an email from AirAsia to prepare for Class 1 Medical test. I've got my Class 1 Medical Certificate and am now waiting for my enrollment into HMA, Langkawi next month. Being a pilot has always been my dream since childhood, it's now getting one step closer towards getting it realized. Invest your efforts into something you dream to achieve in life and the efforts will definitely pay off. They will."

MASWings Cabin Crew Interview Experience

Since there aren't many articles or posts regarding the interview process for MASwings, I decided to write one based on my personal experience having just attended one in Kuching early this year (on 21st Jan). I hope that my experience sharing will benefit future candidates and help them prepare in case they would want to attend a MASwings cabin crew interview in the future.

Before going for the interview, I searched and read articles and blog posts regarding the Malaysia Airlines cabin crew interview process, just to get a rough idea of how it will be for MASwings. It should be pretty similar since MASwings is a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines Berhad.

The MASwings cabin crew interview that I attended wasn't an open walk-in interview, it was invitation by email. About a month or so before the interview, MASwings posted on their social media that they were recruiting. Interested candidates were instructed to apply online. Only shortlisted candidates would be notified via email. Now this is where you have to make a resume that impresses them. Since they will no doubt be filtering through hundreds of resumes, you want to make sure yours stand out or at least be good enough to be selected. If you have any experiences at all in customer service or even in the F&B industry, list it down! Write in your objective that you really want to give the best service you can to serve not only the airline but also for the passengers of Sabah and Sarawak.

After you've submitted your application, wait for the email. It will take about 2 weeks or more. The closing date for the application was 9th Jan. I submitted my application on the 8th and got the interview invitation email on the 18th. The interview was to be held on the 21st, so only less than 3 days to prepare!

I could tell you, once I received the interview invitation email, I was over the moon. Here’s how the email looked like.

D-day.
Arrived at the interview venue at 0815 and registration was scheduled to start at 0830. Already there were lots of people queuing up. Registration only actually started at 0945. We were brought up to a holding room where we were split into two groups to facilitate the flow as it was getting crowded.

The interview will have 5 stages:

1. Height and weight check
2. Document & credentials check
3. Grooming
4. Drilling
5. Final

First stage, height and weight check.
The first stage is where you will see a lot of people start to disappear already. Your height and weight will be measured. After that, your BMI will be calculated on the spot. They were using an online BMI calculator. One person measures the height and weight, one person records it on your application slip and one person calculates the BMI and checks the boxes 'ACCEPTED' or 'REJECTED'. They will be looking for people with an average BMI. Those who are underweight or overweight will have the REJECTED box ticked and will be told 'sorry, you are underweight/overweight and have been rejected. You can try again next time.' And those people will be sent home straight away. My interview had around 130 candidates (if not mistaken). Out of 130++ people, only half or even less than that were left after the first stage. So my advice is if you are scared that you will be sent home at the first stage, calculate your BMI at home first. If you are under or over, don't waste your time. They are quite strict with little or no compromise at all. I calculated by BMI the night before and I got an average BMI so I was good to go.

Second stage, document & credentials check.
The second stage is pretty self-explanatory. They will check that you have the required SPM qualifications, full body photo, passport size photo, photocopy of IC and other necessary credentials. Please make sure to bring both original and photocopy of any documents you bring. Once you have all necessary documents, you will be given an employment application form to be filled up and returned to the desk. Otherwise, you will be sent home. Oh, and always make sure to bring a pen, stapler or glue to any flight attendant interview. They will hand out forms and some of those forms will require you to stick a passport size photo on it. For those with thick folders of qualifications and certificates, please do not bring all of them. If you have certificates related to customer service, first-aid or anything related to the job of a flight attendant then you may bring them. Otherwise please don’t bring folders that look like Yellow Pages. You don’t actually think the appraisers will have time to go through all of them, do you?

Third & fourth stage, grooming and drilling (combined).
The third stage will be the grooming stage. Probably the stage where even more people will be sent home as they are very strict at this stage. The grooming stage will be held at a different room and only 5 people will be called at one time to go down for the grooming stage. 2 will go into the room and the rest will wait outside. Unfortunate to say, this is the stage where I failed and was sent home. While waiting outside, you will be given an evaluation form and they will ask you to fill up your name, IC number and queue number. The rest will be filled by the appraiser (the person who checks/evaluates you.) It is a 5-6 page form. The first page will be the one where you fill in your name etc and the bottom of the page will be the final decision 'ACCEPTED' or 'REJECED' boxes as well as score by the appraiser. The rest of the pages will have sections devoted to almost all parts of the body with boxes under them. Each section will have 3 boxes saying 'YES' 'NO' and 'Reason for non-recommendation'. Beside the third box will be various reasons for non-recommendation. For example the Face section. Beside the third box you will find reasons like 'shape too broad/shape too long' etc. I'll let the pictures below do the talking. 

For my interview, it seemed like the third and fourth stage (grooming and drilling) was combined. For those with pimples and red scars on the face and neck area, I'm so sorry but it's 95% confirmed you will be sent home no matter how stunning you may look all dressed up. For those with braces or crooked teeth, it's the same. It is brutal and you should prepare for the worst.

To prepare for the drilling, (they MIGHT constantly shoot you questions after questions) read up on the role of a flight attendant, do some research on the company background, their fleet, their slogan, their key people etc. Show that you are interested in being apart of the company.

In the room there will be two tables, one at each end. At each table there will be two appraisers. For men wearing long sleeves, they will ask you to roll up your sleeves to check for any visible scarring, birth marks and tattoos. They will then ask you to loosen your tie and unbutton the top button and they will examine your neck area for scars, birthmarks and tattoos. After that they will sit and have a little chat with you. This is where you have to sell yourself. Interest them; make them curious to know more about you. Talk a lot and with confidence. And one important thing, don't forget to SMILE! Smile from the moment you enter the room. Smile all the way. Heck, smile for no reason at all! The longer they keep chatting with you, the better. Because it shows they are interested in you and they want to keep you to know more about you. They will be asking typical interview questions like 'tell me about yourself' or 'describe yourself' and all that.

There will be a crew luggage bag near each table. You will be asked to walk from one end of the room and back while pulling along the bag. Just like a real flight attendant walking through the airport. So stand straight, chest forward, shoulders back and relaxed, eyes all the way forward with a SMILE and walk with confidence! At the end of that, you will be asked to wait outside for your results. Unfortunately mine was 'I'm sorry Mr. Xxx, you have been rejected. You may try again next time.'

Fifth and final stage.
Oh, how I wished I was among the lucky handful to have advanced to this stage. Unfortunately I can’t tell you what the final stage is like. But from a separate blog post detailing Malaysia Airlines cabin crew interview process, the final stage is supposed to be more relaxed. The remaining candidates will be separated into small groups and will be given topics to talk about. And maybe the appraisers will have a casual chat with you just to know you more. I assume it’s the same with MASwings.

So even if I was not successful, I am still very grateful. Because I am one of 130 people who got the invitation email. Most people dream about it but do not get it yet I got it so I am thankful. I am thankful I passed the first 2 stages when so many people were sent home at that stage. I am thankful to have seen the standards they require so I know where I'm lacking and where I can still improve. Overall I'm grateful for the whole experience. For those who are reading this, those who went and are reading this and weren't successful, it's okay. Be thankful for all the little things. I am so thankful to be among the final 20-30 candidates left.

So thank you MASwings for the opportunity and thank you all for spending your time to read this all the way till the end. 

AirAsia Malaysia (AK) Inflight Hot Meal Review 2: Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak

As I open the second entry of this meal review, let me just say Malaysians as a whole love to eat. We live to eat rather than eat to live. Nothing separates us from good food and it's what we identify ourselves in. So naturally, regardless of which spectrum of the multi cultural melting pot you fall upon, we all have this one favorite Malaysian dish. And AirAsia being a Malaysian-born airline is more than obligated to offer nasi lemak on their inflight menus. Now I haven't tried the nasi lemak offered by Malaysia Airlines but hey, you can never go wrong with nasi lemak especially when you're the country's flag carrier.

To be honest I haven't always been a nasi lemak fan. The strong aroma of the santan puts me off and the lingering smell usually indicates somewhere i wouldn't want to be. However I find the aroma of the accompanying freshly cooked sambal much more appetizing. And ever since that one fateful day where I forced myself to have a portion of nasi lemak, I have been an easy convert ever since.

So this is what you get when you pre-book your meals online. Nice little black microwaveable container with the meal wrapping. No illustrations of what you might get inside and of course, ingredients and allergen information.

'Santan', the latest incarnation of the AirAsia inflight meal branding

Tear open the packaging sticky wrap and voila! A nice visual treat awaits you. And when you heat this up in the microwave, the smell is really strong and you can already smell that signature nasi lemak smell so opening this was just releasing everything out into the open. Also, I've noticed whenever I fly with AirAsia and the cabin crew start heating up the meals in the oven, the nasi lemak smell is always the dominant one and the easiest to identify. Seems like it's a hot item!

Ingredients/condiments wise, everything you might find in a good helping of nasi lemak is present. We've got some nice sambal, chicken rendang, half a hard boiled egg and the customary ikan bilis & kacang. I wished they given more kacang though because they stay crunchy and crispy forever! But overall it's pretty much exactly the same as what you will find on the product illustration.

Starting off with the rice, it is properly cooked nasi santan. It has a nice rich coconut milk taste with just the right amount of greasiness without being nauseating. I find overly nasi lemak with a strong santan taste a tad nauseating. 

The spicy stars of the show, nicely portioned on one side really does add a kick to the dish. The sambal is everything you might expect from a good nasi lemak. It is sweet and savory and it sure packs a punch! Foreigners having this might find themselves constantly reaching for water. But for Malaysians, tak pedas pun!

The accompanying chicken rendang does not fare too bad on its own. I was actually expecting beef rendang probably because I'd choose that over chicken rendang anyday but this was a good accompaniment for the sambal. It really is not spicy. It's a tad salty and the flavors gravitate more towards a kari ayam flavor. But as I've said, it can hold its own. It's a good chunk of chicken there but it wasn't as tender as expected.

Now for people who don't take spicy food well and just happens to be someone who doesn't like to waste food, I find eating the sambal together with the rendang dulls the spice. That way, it's easier to finish off everything.

Final thoughts?

Nasi lemak being a Malaysian staple for basically any hour of the day needs no introduction. Having it onboard can either be a feast for locals traveling home from abroad or a final taste of home before they set foot on a foreign land. Malaysians being a picky bunch with regards to food need not worry. AirAsia's nasi lemak has got you covered. I think it will be well worth the RM15 paid. Or you can prebook it before your flight online for only RM10 and get a complimetary beverage with it!

Overall verdict: 4.5/5

North Koreans at Home

I was heading down the corridor, past the passenger waiting seats on my left and the food court tables on my right. On my left, ahead of me I saw him approaching. I stopped and gave him a smile, eager to hear his question.

"담배 흡연실 있읍니까?" he asked in heavily accented Korean. He had a slightly cheerful and eager expression.
"예?" I replied, wasn't sure what he was asking.

My limited Korean vocabulary was really doing me in. But I recognized a few syllables in that sentence, positive I've heard them somewhere. He repeated the question. But I still couldn't quite grasp the message. Then, slightly exasperated, he repeated the words "담배", motioning with his fingers in a way a person holding a cigarette might. Seeing that, I immediately remembered.

He was asking for a smoking room. I tried my best to replicate his accent so I don't sound too much like how a South Korean would and told him there isn't any here. He seemed disappointed but still cheerful. I was intrigued by the lapel pin worn by him and his countrymen across their chest on their outer garment. So I braved myself to ask whether he had any spare ones. As I motioned to point it out to him, he recoiled back slightly and I slowly pulled my arm back, wary. As expected, he said no, still with a smile. Before I headed back to where I was needed, I asked whether he was going back to Joseon. I didn't specify North or South. He replied with a smile and a yes, probably delighted that I used the correct term. I bid him farewell and continued on.

That was probably the most pleasant conversation I've had with a North Korean, lasting under a minute. Probably not much to shout about but it was an encounter nonetheless. Over the course of the next 3 to 4 days at work I would volunteer as translator for my colleagues at the cash register. Sometimes they didn't need me as the North Koreans spoke passable Malay. For a Korean speaker, the language isn't that hard to learn. Most of them were polite, some were understandably distressed and frustrated due to the language barrier. But generally they were a quiet bunch who were only interested in their own matters and largely kept to themselves.

During the month of April, the government deported over 100 North Koreans who had overstayed. This was just shortly after the Kim Jong-Nam assassination debacle. It was a period where the eyes of the world were turned towards Malaysia and the DPRK. Sarawak was no exception as it was reported before that there were close to 200 North Korean workers working in our coal mines. So naturally the murder case was a catalyst for the mass deportation.

One day one of my colleagues asked me, "if you went abroad, would you remain loyal to your country?"
My interest was piqued. I said of course.
"Would you be so loyal so as to wear a 1Malaysia pin wherever you go?"
"I would wear a pin with the Sarawak flag on it."
"Look at them, they're so loyal," she then gestured slightly to the North Koreans and the lapel pins they wore near their chest.
I then explained to her that they wore it not out of genuine loyalty but because they were mandated to, even in their own country. She was still not convinced. I understood why.

The world thinks the whole country is brainwashed. Mention North Korea and the focus would shift to Kim Jong-Un, nuclear weapons, poor country, evil government. Usually in that order. Mention a North Korean and the general perception will not be received well.

"They are commies, they live in a communist country."

Is China not a communist country? Isn't Vietnam one too? But we do not call them commies.

I for one think that the North Korean people are a misunderstood bunch. If one could just look past the North Korean nationality label and just see a person, it would very much help. Strip away the surface and you will see someone born and raised in a totalitarian country with little choice and freedom of what to think, say and do. You will find someone who has struggled to make ends meet and to survive each day. You will find someone who has to provide for the family. You will find someone who has been told what to think and what job to do without options. And most importantly you will find a human being.

Open up your mind. North Korean laborers are just the same as any Bangladeshi or Pakistani laborer you will find in KL and Singapore.

Ordinary North Korean citizens are victims of circumstances. Hate not the people who do not know any more than what they are told but rather, point your opinions towards the government. 

AirAsia Malaysia (AK) Inflight Hot Meal Review 1: Ginger Fried Rice with Vegetarian Chicken

Hello readers and welcome to the first of (hopefully) many other hot meal reviews from Southeast Asian LCC giant, AirAsia. 

It's no secret that most of us don't bother ordering food on-board when we fly with AirAsia unless we are really hungry and the sweet aroma of the food being heated in the ovens wafting throughout the cabin surrenders us helpless to the temptation. But why do people not often order food on-board? Is it because they may not live up to expectations just because it's airline food? Or is it because they are pricey? Well I'm gonna give you a little helping hand here, just in case one day you may be flicking through the menu wondering what to try and what to stay away from. Also, if the price of the meals bother you, you can always prebook them online together with your ticket!

AirAsia has revamped their inflight food services menu in what they call Santan. And recently they've come up with the Santan Combo Meal offer with prices as low as RM10 when you book your meals online! Each meal comes with a complementary choice of mineral water, coffee or carbonated drink. Find out more here.

So I will start with something I've never had before and which I assume is less popular. AirAsia's Ginger Fried Rice with Vegetarian Chicken. 

Here's the illustration on the menu:

With AirAsia, prebooked meals and on board purchases have different packaging styles. The on-board purchases usually come in a red aluminium container with an illustration of the meal on the cover. Prebooked meals come in a black microwaveable container with no illustrations of the product.

Allergen information should be very useful to people with allergies. 

Vegetarian Chicken does not sound very convincing to me, given my personal accounts with vegetarian meat. I just can't bring myself to take a huge liking to them. But I was excited and curious about the fried rice.

Safe to say the actual product was represented quite well by the menu illustration. Opening up the package, it did not seem to have a very strong distinct aroma. Keep in mind that I had this microwaved for a good 4 minutes before.

The rice was cooked well. What caught my interest was the presence of capsicums in the dish. A mix of an Asian staple with ingredients normally found in Western cuisine proved to be quite interesting. However I thought it went well with the ginger flavors. The fried rice itself was average. It didn't have any 'wok hei' to it but it did have a gingery taste to it, which it should. The capsicums complement the ginger pieces well and introduced a welcome crunch to the dish. 

The chicken, however got me a little apprehensive. At first glance, the 'chicken skin' looked very convincing. However when you take away the skin, it is just a roll of fake meat. The texture felt slightly rubbery but not hard to swallow. It actually tasted like 'ngoh hiang' (five-spice pork rolls wrapped with beancurd skin). I can reaffirm you this will not change the mind of someone who's not a fan of vegetarian meat.

Overall I find the meal to be rather decent. It tastes like a menu item which you won't bother ordering but at the same time won't mind eating if there aren't much choices left. Just...put some real meat in there please.

Overall verdict: 3/5

Types of People at the Airport

Long time no post! Just decided to do a new one for the year. Based on my day to day observations/people-watching/stalking.

The early birds.
The type of people who arrive at the airport 3-5 hours early. 'Just in case'. You can find them in a corner either napping or on their laptops at the departure gate. They're easy enough to make out. Watch when all the passengers for a certain flight has boarded and the aircraft has pushed from the gate, the early birds will still be there waiting patiently. Because airport meditating ain't mainstream.

The latecomers/slowpokes.
In contrast to the early birds, these people have the tendency to take all the time in the world getting to the airport, drop off baggage, clear security/immigration and get to the gate. Easily identifiable. And you can catch their names too! Just listen for staff at the gate calling for their names over the PA. And if you sometimes wonder why your flight is delayed and is still sitting at the gate, these are the people to blame. However sometimes latecomers' luck runs out. And when it does, they'll be stuck at the gate watching their aircraft push back without them before being escorted back to security/immigration.

The oblivious to time.
Yes, there are such people. These are the ones who seem to not know when their flight time or boarding time is and always have to refer to their itinerary or travel companion. These are the kind of people you'll see still at duty-free/food outlets when boarding has already been called.

The aviation enthusiast/aircraft spotter.
These are the ones armed with a DSLR in one hand and their smartphone with FlightRadar24 open in the other. They are the ones chasing every aircraft movement they can, rushing to catch an aircraft arriving at the gate or a departure. Some do it for a chance to have their photos featured in Jetphotos.net or FlightRadar24.

The flight crew.
These are usually either lone rangers or a whole set of them. The lone rangers are usually those paxing (travelling as a passenger) to/from somewhere. Recognizable by their pilot uniform (most often with tie and epaulets removed) and their distinct flight crew luggage and peak cap dangling off the handle. The set of crews are the ones in full uniform, looking sleek and smart, destroying the self-confidence of all in their path. They are often seen together walking in pairs, all 6 of them with the pilots leading the way.

The travel bloggers/Instagram 'famous'.
You may see these people with a GoPro, selfie stick or a DSLR in hand recording everything they do and every step they take. Some are legit travel bloggers, some are on Facebook Live for their five minutes of fame and some are recording Instagram videos, telling followers who hardly care where they are and where they're going.

So yeah that's it! Any more interesting observations? Sound off in the comments below and happy 2017!