Mos Def featuring Slick Rick - Auditorium

With the kind of lyrics that can make most rappers sound like retarded cavemen in comparison, Mos Def deserves an applause for allowing hip-hop to flourish in the thinking man's iPod playlist. 

Throw in the sickest beat I have listened since Kanye West's sampling-mad producer days, the legendary Slick Rick on the second verse, and sound clips from the classic guerrilla warfare movie  "The Battle of Algiers", we have officially reached musical touchdown.

It is a shame that music like this do not get the level of attention they deserve. With Disney's current production line of preteen sluts, R. Kelly singing about his throat surgery (literally), hipsters dominating the alternative rock scene and the breathing, walking monolith of human downfall otherwise known as Justin Bieber, one can make either one of two assumptions; either pop culture is being dominated by the lowest common denominator of our society, or this world is being overrun by idiots.

However, everyone is entitled to their own preferences, so it's best for me to not simply judge other people based on their own taste and choice in music, clothes, et cetera.

Because kids, that is how I (might) met your mother.

...

Oh, did you know? Mos Def is a devout Muslim.

Buns, Mayonnaise and Meat

There comes a time in just about every Malaysian Bumiputera young man's life where he wants to open a burger stall. My dad did it back in the early 80s when Metallica was actually cool (their latest collaboration with Lou Reed made Justin Bieber sound like fucking Freddie Mercury, so thank you very much and please either start working on a new thrash album or just die, please), and now I guess it's my turn. 

To be honest, I do not know what is it about burger stalls that makes us Malaysian males assume that it's a safe and delicious investment to be a part of, especially in our early twenties. Is this a part of our acceptable urban cultural norm? Or a rite of passage? Since when is circumcision not enough?

Not that I didn't have any doubts about this phase in my life. With the sheer amount of burger stalls opening up or shutting down each week in Kuching, of course I was pretty skeptical about it. Especially since I can't even provide my friends with enough capital to kick start the business. And how on Earth am I supposed to help them mind the stall when the new semester starts? 

Decisions, decisions.

...

All that changed, however when I saw how committed my friends were in this venture. Not only did they do quite an extensive amount of market research (this recipe plus that special ingredient equals profit), hold exciting business meetings (the jokes come aplenty) and conduct some delicious experimental dinners, I was surprised with how much they are willing to commit themselves into it, spending their precious time and earnings. If joining them and sticking to their guns while the going gets tough can help me learn a bit more about the ways of the world, so be it. I am sold.

Oh, did I tell you about the burger? It's pure gold. Soft burger buns, gently buttered and lightly toasted on a pan where they absorb the leftover meat juice from the grilled patties. Fresh, crunchy green lettuce and purple Bombay onions soaked in ice cold water before dried and served with tangy mayonnaise and chili sauce dressing. Beef patties made out of fresh, blood-red ground beef  with a hint of paprika, onions and cheddar cheese. Their collective texture and taste feels like a symphony playing in your mouth. And unlike some stalls which serve their sad customers limp, wimpy sized burgers, just one of these bad boys can make your stomach full to the brim.

We are opening up soon. Please pay our stall a visit when you have the time.