Choosing a stroller for our little one is the most difficult decision for us to make as there are a lot of great stroller in the market... Pricing play the most important factor in this... After that we will judge it on the maneuverability and also the ease of closing and opening the stroller... My first choice to be frank is not this... As I'm a car freak, brand like 'Recaro' is definitely my first pick... Hence my first choice is the 'Recaro Akuna' stroller... The only thing stopping me from buying it is not having a deep enough pocket!!! Without discount, the 'Recaro' is retailing at a hefty price of RM2,199!!! Another reason for not getting the 'Recaro' is the weight!!! Very heavy indeed...

After the 'Recaro', we have a look at 'Quinny' and 'Peg Perego' which are very good brands also and it reflects on the pricing as well especially 'Quinny'... Those that I like is way too expensive and those that I can afford is something that I don't really like... My darling ask me to give 'Combi' a chance as I don't really like the brand... I find their stroller really flimsy (but very light indeed)!!! Tested a few and I almost bought one (luckily it was out of stock!!! if not I will definitely regret buying it!!!)... The thing that I like about 'Combi' is the weight and ease of closing and opening the stroller... But the maneuverability of 'Combi' sucks... Seems like the there are no ball bearings in the wheels and the stroller feels really fragile!!! It feels like a 'Toyota Vios' (no offence for 'Toyota Vios' owner) while the other makes feels like premium continental car!!! The difference is HUGE in terms of fit and finishing!!!

This is definitely not love at first sight for me as I really hate 'Maclaren'!!! Actually I don't hate the brand but more on the style of the stroller... I don't really like 'umbrella stroller' as I find it dangerous!!! If you put too many things on the back of the stroller, it will definitely topple over and this is not something that I like... So this is the last brand that I tested... But once I push it, the rest is history... The wheels are super duper smooth and the maneuverability is just awesome... Should have tested it earlier so that I can save those time testing all the others!!! And the best part is we got a very good deal saying us a lot of money... 

 'Techno XT' which is suitable for new born up to 20kg if I'm not mistaken...

Harness looks really racy!!!

There are a few colours for us to choose but decided to get the black one (actually we regret getting the black one!!!)... We really like the charcoal colour which is more like light grey... The reason we didn't choose that colour is the fear of cleaning it as light colour will get dirty easily...

Reflector on the wheels which is something that I like... At least I know motorist will be able to see me during the night...

Got a free foot muff when we purchase the 'Maclaren Techno XT'!!! Not really suitable for our climate here in 'Malaysia'... The only place that I can think of using it is definitely 'Genting Highlands'!!!  

I used to be an 'Apple' fan boy!!! The moment I lay my hands on the first 'iPhone', there is basically no turning back for me... I'm hooked!!! Frankly speaking, 'Apple' single-handedly change the way we look at mobile phones and this is something I'm very sure of... But after using it for around 4 years, I'm kinda sick of it because there is nothing much for you to do with it... My main gripe is the operating system... True, it is super duper easy to use but there are also a lot of limitation!!! No widgets!!! Widget is something very important to me as it makes the interface much nicer and not forgetting easier to use (this is something that I really like about 'Android')... Now come the sixth iteration of the world famous mobile phone... So does it tempt me to jump back to 'iOS' camp again??? Frankly speaking, the answer is a bloody BIG no!!! 

Look at it, what do you see??? Nothing cause it look exactly like an 'iPhone 4 or 4S albeit a wee bit longer only... We need something revolutionary as we are really bored with this outlook... Imagine looking at it for 3 generations!!! No doubt it does look solid and not forgetting premium (as with all 'Apple' products) comparing to 'Android' counterparts... Still it looks old to my eyes... If this is a new design with at least a 4.5" and above screen size, then it might be a different story altogether...

No doubt my 'Galaxy Nexus' looks cheap compare to 'iPhone' with it's all plastic construction!!! What I really like about the 'Galaxy Nexus' is the buttonless front screen!!! I hate physical button and this is the main reason I choose 'Galaxy Nexus' over other 'Android' phone in the market...

I'm very glad that I made the decision to abandon 'iOS' and turn myself to the darkside... It might be lag sometimes but this is something that I can accept as 'Android' is really much more powerful when comparing with 'iOS'... I no longer looking forward to any 'iPhone' launches from now on!!! Sad but true...

Recently, I've been toying with this idea of selling 'FrankenBenz' and get something cheaper to maintain especially on petrol bills!!! (I've not driven 'FrankenBenz' for more than two weeks now as I've send the 'ECU' for repair... took more than a week for them to sort it out - will blog more about this later... in fact I just got my car back tonight)... But after getting so used to 'FrankenBenz' power and torque, ordinary car will not suffice... So what other car that have the ability to thrill and go gentle with the petrol??? I'm thinking about high revving naturally aspirated (NA) car of course... Before driving a turbocharged car, I used to believe that it will save fuel when you're not boosting it... I'm so very wrong (this does not apply to puny continental turbocharged engine)!!!

So 'NA' is the way to go... But what kind of 'NA' engine??? Rotary is definitely out of the question as it drinks fuel like you drink cold beer during a sunny day!!! Continental engine is out of the question as well as famous potent 'NA' engine are either too BIG in capacity or too expensive for me... So left the usual  three 'Japanese' so to speak... My criteria is very simple this time... 2.0 liter is the max for me... 'Nissan' have the SR20 Neo VVL engine that packs a punch but their car is a bit boring expect the hard hitting 'GTR' and 'Skyline' of the past... 'Toyota' have a very nice engine and it wins me over with it's amazing technology... 5 valves per cylinder coupled with individual throttle body (ITB)!!! Presenting the famous 4AGE 20V engine!!! The only downside to this engine is the capacity which is only 1.6 liter!!! So left 'Honda' which is really famous for it's high revving 'VTEC' engines... From the humle B16A --> B16B --> B18C --> B20B till the mighty K20A, you will definitely find an engine that suit your needs and budget... For me, I'm inching more towards the newest K20A engine which came with 220hp standard coupled with a 6 speed manual gearbox!!! Plonk the engine in a humble 'Civic' and you got yourself a giant slaying car!!! Yummy!!!

'Nissan SR20 Neo VVL'...

The very famous 'Toyota 4AGE 20V' aka 'Blacktop'...

The almighty 'Honda K20A'... But still...

NOT as mighty as this!!! 'Toyota 1JZ-GTE' which is also the heart of 'FrankenBenz'!!!

Like I mention earlier, I just got my 'FrankenBenz' back less than one hour ago and the moment I step on the accelerator, all my previous thoughts are gone!!! What 'NA' or 'VTEC'??? 6 cylinder and a pair of turbochargers are the way to go!!! The power delivery is super smooth and addictive!!! I just can't get enough of it... Will continue boosting tomorrow!!! Will update the status on the 'ECU' repair in my next blog post... Besides, I manage to get rid of the bell tinkering sound too!!! Till then and happy boosting!!!

To be continue...

'Swee Sian' is very famous for it's 'assam fish' in my hometown... They used to serve really good 'assam fish' and I can vouch for that!!! But sadly they decided to close the business down when the boss which is also the cook passed away due to dengue fever... We were all saddened!!! 

Fast forward a few years, the wife decided to start the business all over again!!! When we knew about this, you can bet that we were among the very first to try it out... They don't serve fancy dishes... Just some very normal one and not forgetting limited in variety as well... For me, one dish is enough if it is really good... No point having a table full of dishes when the taste is nothing to shout about...

 The very famous 'assam fish'... Look the same but sadly it doesn't taste as good as it used to be... 

'Otak-otak' that is very famous in 'Muar'... But 'Batu Pahat' serve really good 'otak-otak' as well... Definitely much nicer compare to those in 'Kuala Lumpur'!!!

 Another famous dish of theirs!!!

Although the 'assam fish' is not as good as it used to be, we still can't get enough of it!!! To me, it will always be the BEST!!!

Overall Rating - 4/5

Sorry no address as I didn't managed to get it... Will update once I get hold of it...

I'm really lost for words on this one... Don't really know how to blog about it and where should I start... What I can say is the cast is pretty awesome albeit a bit on the old side and the storyline is as interesting as a washing machine!!! In short you only need to know that these guy just won't die no matter what the enemy did to them... They can be shot at, bomb at and whatever shit you can think of and they won't even get a scratch... And when they fire back at the opponent, all they need is one bloody bullet or a puny little knife!!! 

I can only categorize this movie as extremely old school... 'Rambo' anyone??? Times have change unfortunately and we demand more than pointless shooting and killing... In the 80's yes, this can be accepted and even applauded but fast forward 30 years, we demand more than this... The enormous 'old school' cast is the only reason I can think of that is worth my RM!!! Other than that, none unless you're a psychopath who enjoy watching people shooting at each other!!!

p.s. 'Stallone', Van Damme and 'Arnie' in my humble opinion, please brush up your acting skill!!!  

Some update on our beloved 'Pug'... Two days ago, our 'Pug' is officially out of warranty coverage!!! Isn't it fast that our 'Pug' is already three years old... And it is officially not a virgin anymore when it comes to 'Genting'!!! I drove it up this morning but too bad the condition is not ideal as it was raining cats and dogs... So I tone down my driving a little bit but I'm really impressed at the grip that it produced (tyres play an important role as well)... Really confident with the way it handles... Definitely much more powerful when compared to my ex-daily driver which is none other than my trustee 'Proton Gen2 MME Edition'... Although much more powerful, the thrill or driving it compare to my 'Gen2' is like night and day difference!!! 'Gen2' is so much nicer in terms of handling!!! So what about comparing it to 'FrankenBenz'??? Frankly the 'Pug' feels super slow now!!! The last time I drove 'FrankenBenz' up 'Genting', I'm using only one gear... Gear three all the way up!!! Although much more powerful, I don't find it entertaining as well as 'FrankenBenz' is way too heavy for this kind of driving... 

Since the warranty coverage is over, I must take extra care on our 'Pug' starting from now... And you know what, it decided to give me a heart attack moment this morning when I drove it up 'Genting'... I'm using the tiptronic all the way up changing gears manually... When I was about to reach 'Genting', the gearbox decided to go in neutral but the display says that it was in gear three!!! Step on the accelerator and the car's not moving... Shifted it back to auto and still it won't move until I heard a loud 'clunk' sound (my heart almost stop moving), and 'Pug' was moving again!!! I can't imagine what might happen if I really abuse it this morning... Luckily it was raining and hopefully no damages done to the gearbox!!!

I've been running 'Gummy' custom 'Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)' ROM for a while and it has been great!!! But the urge to move on is really unbearable!!! I've been thinking of upgrading my ROM to the newest 'Jelly Bean' which is of course custom as well (not going to run the official 'Jelly Bean' ROM)!!! The only thing holding me back is the trouble and not forgetting stability of the new ROM...

Don't want my phone to encounter any problem and causes it to malfunction... I've tested 'Jelly Bean' on my friend 'Galaxy SII' and it is superb!!! No lag and buttery smooth... Besides that, there are a few upgrade that are worth upgrading for... Tempting!!! Very tempting... Guess I will put this on hold first till I decide which custom ROM to upgrade to!!! Will do some survey on which is the best Jelly Bean ROM out there now!!! Till then...

Finally managed to get a used good condition rear parcel shelf for 'FrankenBenz'!!! I've been looking high and low for this item ever since I decided to start 'Project FrankenBenz'!!! This is the only part that betrays the age of 'FrankenBenz' and I can't wait to get rid of it...

The first aid compartment is in very good condition... Everything is still intact...

This rear parcel shelf is from a newer model and it is slightly different compare to the one on 'FrankenBenz'...

As you can see from this pic, the speaker cover is in dire state... Notice the different in design??? The new one is definitely better looking!!!

Last time, the mechanic relocate the speaker because the original place can only fit in a 5" speaker while the new one is 6" (better sounding and much easier to source!!!)... This time I insist that the speaker must be in the original place but the magnet can't go through it!!! With some brute force and the help of a plier and hammer, we manage to bend the metal surrounding the speaker area and make the hole just big enough for the magnet to go through... Use some extremely sticky tape and tape the speaker in place... Viola very clean and nice looking rear parcel shelf!!!

To be continue...

OMG I can't believe it as I'm going to all the baby fair that I knew... In fact I just came back from 'IBEX' which stands for 'International Baby Expo' and I'm pretty disappointed with it... No doubt it was much nicer to walk compared to the one in 'Mid Valley' a fortnight ago (Mid Valley one was cramped and all of us looked like packed sardines!!!)... But the problem is, almost all the exhibitionist are the same... So there are nothing much for us to buy...

We were interested in stem cell storing and wanted to have some in-depth understanding hence we approached two of the companies... One of them is 'Cyrocord' and the other is 'Cellsafe'... The most famous one is absent from this fair!!! After hearing both out, both of us are getting really confuse on which to choose... Both have their pros and cons... So we ended up leaving without signing up with either one... Since we still have time, we decided to do more research on this... Whoever have experience on this please feel free to leave some comments!!! 

Okay I admit that after watching 'The Dark Knight Rises', I have no expectation from 'The Amazing Spiderman' because I know how hard it is to better the former (i still can't get over 'The Dark Knight Rises'!!! it is just awesome to the max)... And you know what, that's the correct things to do as 'Spidey' is as predictable as 'RTM1' (you will only know this if you live in 'Malaysia') which is boring all the way... 

If compare apple to apple, this new version of 'Spidey' is in fact much better compare to the older version... The reason for this is simple... More humorous and better looking chicks!!! If they are planning to film 'Spidey 2', lot of works need to be done especially the storyline which is lacking in almost all superheroes movie...

Did I talked about the screeching sound emitting from 'FrankenBenz' in my previous post??? I did talked about the inability for it to rev pass 4000rpm occasionally... Before this happened, 'FrankenBenz' started to have some really strange noise and it only occurred occasionally... So I did not pay much attention to it... Bad idea!!! Really bad idea as I found it the hard way...

I was on my way back from work and I stopped by a petrol station to feed my hungry 'FrankenBenz' (which is always hungry for petrol!!!) and everything went fine until I started my car... I heard a loud 'klong' sound and my voltmeter reading drop from the usual 14.++ to around 11.++... I quickly stopped my car and pop the hood... To my horror, the whole alternator sits on the radiator piping!!!

There, the alternator rest on top of the bottom radiator piping!!! How the hell the alternator managed to drop is beyond me... But after some inspection I found the culprit!!! Culprit for the screeching sound as well as why the alternator managed to come loose... The screeching sound came from the belt turning the waterpump, aircond compressor, crank shaft pulley, alternator as well as power steering... As the alternator came loose, it's position is off and it cause the belt to slip and screech... 

As for why the alternator drop is really simple... The alternator is screw to a bracket from the waterpump and the bracket decided to snap and this cause the alternator to drop... So in order to fix the alternator back, I will first need to replace my waterpump which is still in very good condition!!!

Luckily I was at the petrol station when this happened!!! And I'm really lucky as the petrol station attendant gave me a foreman number (my foreman refuse to come to my aid as I'm too far away and he told me to tow my car back to his workshop!!!) and I got nothing to lose and gave the number a call... After explaining it to him, he said that he was able to help me... Luckily this does not happen a day later as I'm going outstation the very next day!!! 

This foreman have no prior experience with 'Toyota 1JZ-GTE' engine but he have vast experience on 'BMW'... In order to take out the waterpump, basically the whole front part of the engine needs to be dismantle!!! Everything including the radiator up till the cam pulley!!! I don't know what the 'Japanese' is thinking when they designed the '1JZ-GTE' as the amount of work needed to take out the waterpump is mind boggling!!! I really appreciate this foreman that came to my aid as the amount of work needed would definitely put a lot of people off... If I'm the foreman, I will definitely ask it to be tow as this is not a job that can be finish in an hour time... But the foreman is professional enough to finish the task at the side of the petrol station!!! 

It took the foreman more than five hours to finish the job!!! By the time I reach home, it was already 12am in the midnight!!! I'm really grateful for the foreman as he did an excellent job reviving my 'FrankenBenz'!!! Now 'FrankenBenz' is back boosting happily...  

The last of the trilogy that talks about the 'Dark Knight' of 'Gotham City' is something you must experience in order to understand how awesome it is... Truly a masterpiece in my humble opinion... It is totally different from all the predictable superhero movies that screened before... Less action and more on storyline which is something I really like!!! 

If you ask me between this movie and 'The Avengers' I really can't give you an answer right now (and this shows how awesome 'The Dark Knight Rises' is) because both are incredible movies... The difference is the way the story is being told... In order to understand 'The Dark Knight Rises' fully, one will need to watch the first two movies although the first one is kind of boring... 

No amount of words can do this movie justice... My only advise is "watch it to believe it"!!! This is a certified 'kick-ass' movie!!! By the way, 'Anne Hathaway' is freaking hot!!!

Shit!!! FrankenBenz is getting temperamental again... Notice something wrong with it today... Normal driving she's behaving rather nicely... But when I tried to ask more from her, she started to protest... Don't know what is wrong with her but it seems like it can't rev pass 4000rpm on third gear... I tried pedal to the metal on 1st and 2nd gear and everything seems fine... 

When cruising normally and stepping on the gas then I encountered this problem... When it kicked down to 3rd gear, the rev stayed at 4000rpm and it just won't go pass it... If I kept my foot down, it cut off the fuel just like hitting boost cut!!! And worst still I heard bells ringing and I can't pinpoint the location...  I can see that the fuel consumption is getting from bad to worse these few days!!! I'm thinking about 'ECU' problem which is something quite normal for '1JZ-GTE' engine especially from 'JZZ30 Soarer' which happens to be the donor for my 'FrankenBenz' heart!!! Might be spark plug as well as the time for changing is just around the corner... Hopefully nothing serious... Damn she's been behaving very nicely nowadays and shit happened!!! 

The sound of this beast is just awesome!!! You need to heard it to believe it...

Saw this insane 'Nissan GTR' at 'GT Auto' the other day... So what is so special about this particular car... It looks ordinary enough just like any other 'GTR' on the road... You can spot some visual difference such as the carbon fiber spoiler and different tail pipe... Nothing more... But I was told that this car is having a full engine built from 'AMS Performance' which is famous for tuning 'GTR' to insane power... This particular car is fitted with the 'Alpha 10' package which enable it to have more than 1000whp!!! When I was there, they are running in the engine and it was putting out more than 600whp...

And now the car is ready and it churns out an official power of 1070whp!!! Crazy!!! And what is the cost of this??? According to 'AMS Performance' site, it cost from USD64,000 for this conversion... A lot of money for sure but much less compare to buying a 'Ferrari/Lamborghini' but you can smoke them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper... Another crazy thing is this car spot a 'Thai' registration plate and they send it all the way from 'Thailand' just to get it mod and tune!!!