First-Date Faux-Pas

We've all been through the whole dating scene (some of us are still there!) and I'm sure everyone would agree that the first date is the most agonizing. You're probably worrying if you've got something stuck in your teeth, or if your hair is just right or worse, when you didn't understand what he just said and don't want to come across as an airhead. I know I've made countless of blunders over the years (and probably still doing so). Hence, I hope you'll get a laugh out of the ones I've listed below.

1. He asks you out for pool. You tell him "I suck at pool. I've very bad at balls".

2. His mum is present. You tell her "You remind me of my grandmother".

3. At dinner, you accidently hold the knife upside down while cutting your steak. Fine dining cutlery can be very confusing.

4. You snort while laughing at something he just said.

5. You get a wee bit drunk and tell him "Let me tell you how I caught my ex cheating with my friend. Men are such assholes".

6. You fall asleep during a movie and start snoring.

7. You let your OCD get the better of you. At the movies, you isolate the caramel popcorn from the whites and not allow him to touch the caramel ones.

8. While attempting to use chopsticks, the fishball you've been trying to grab jumps off your plate.

9. While offering to pay the bill, you open your purse and a condom falls out.

10. While having ice-cream, you sneeze and ice-cream gets smeared on your face.

Inglourious Basterds - A Review

If you're a fan Quentin Tarantino's work (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), you would enjoy Inglourious Basterds. It's a classic blend of violence, drama and dark humor set during the World War II. The story centers on a group of Americans who call themselves "The Basterds", led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt). Their goal is to kill and slaughter every Nazi in sight, with the aim of getting close enough to assisinate Hitler. There are also other characters in the story contributing to The Basterds' plan.

The one thing I enjoyed about the movie was the role of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa - a role that was played brilliantly in my opinion. He comes off as this really charming, suave Nazi officer but underneath all that charade, is a real sinister character who'd like nothing more than to vaporize all Jews in sight. After all, he's not known as the "Jew Hunter" for nothing.

The one person the movie could have gone on without, was Brad Pitt. He was not really impressive as Lieut. Aldo Raine. In fact, he could been making another Ocean's 12 by how washed out his character was. Perhaps the material given for his character was not much but I still felt another actor could have played his role better.

Overall, the movie was worth watching. Sure, it's rather slow towards the middle but the pace picks up towards the end. If you're into World War II movies, you wouldn't want to miss this. Plus, the scenes are quite graphic especially the slaying of the Nazi officers but I guess that's part of Tarantino's trademark.

3 Pints of Kilkenny for RM50 @ Artista

This was my first time at Tropicana Mall and I was quite disappointed. On the outside, the mall looked huge but it only had 3 floors and nothing really attracted me. Anyway, the only reason I was there was to meet my friend at Artista - this bar & restaurant tucked in the far corner of Tropicana Mall for Happy Hour (3 Pints of Kilkenny = RM50).

It's a very nice concept bar - slightly La Bodega-ish. Although I think high tables would have been more suitable in this case.

On one part of the wall, there are paintings by low-key artists, up for sale. Apparently, if you would like to exhibit your work of art, you could speak to the manager about having your piece up for sale. There are also live bands that play every other day from 10pm onwards. For those who frequent Waikiki (PJ) and Miracles (PJ) a lot, you would probably recognize some of the bands.

I like the fact that Artista is pretty secluded so if you're looking for a nice spot to read and just have a quiet drink, this would be a good place. I would probably try the food the next time I'm there. Plus, Tropicana Mall does not seem to packed to the brim unlike One U and Mid Valley. Therefore, parking shouldn't be a problem :)