Snap Snap

Singapore Getaway

2007-08-07T22:30:00.000+08:00

Merlion!

I was in Singapore for a weekend in May 2007 (yeah this is a very very belated post!), which for me was very enjoyable. I don't think I wanna share all the details here since it was three months ago, but here were the highlights of the weekend in Singapore:

- Visited the Urban Redevelopment Authority City Gallery (yes I am a simcity freak, so I love all these city planning stuffs. And they have many built-up models of Singapore!)
- Walked along the river at night from Clarke Quay to the Merlion
- Window-shopped on Orchard Road, and purchased a Paul&Joe t-shirt and The Sound of Milano Fashion.
- Sightseeing around Esplanade, Supreme Hall and Raffles Hotel.
- Listened to live jazz performance at Jazz@SouthBridge.
- Rode the Double-Decked bus from City Hall to VivoCity.

Historic City Hall area

Small-scale models at URA Gallery

Heritage buildings in Chinatown, City Hall and Bugis Area

Orchard Road

Hmmm all these memories make me so excited for my coming Christmas Shopping Spree with my best friends in December!

Atilia's Sangkar

2007-08-07T21:09:00.000+08:00

I recently discovered Atilia's website through TheYogaInstructor's blog. I have heard of Atilia a few months back, but haven't really tried to listen to her music. She is the daughter of Salamiah Hassan, the singer that is very very famous for singing almost all the commercials in Malaysia during the 80s and 90s! I guess everyone would know and recognize that voice huh?

Anyway, I think the songs in Atilia's debut album, Sangkar is so damn good! I especially love the single Sangkar, which is very smooth and such a good song to listen to after a hard day at work. Have yet to listen to the whole album, but from the review that I read it is highly recommended. Can't wait to look and buy it soon!

To anyone who is interested to discover her music, click here.

High Tide In Bali

2007-05-30T00:42:00.000+08:00

Remember a few days ago Indonesia experienced a very big tide, May 18th to be exact? I read in the newspapers and they mentioned that the high tide, coupled with the big swell destroyed a few stalls on Jimbaran Beach and even reached the road along Kuta Beach. Damn that was a really high tide, as when we were at Kuta Beach a few days prior to that, the waves were like 50meters from the road!

So I searched the internet for pictures of the waves during the high tide, and here is what I got. This amazing picture of the wave was taken at Uluwatu Beach in Bali, a world-famous surfing area in Bali, and featured at Surfline and UluwatuPhoto.

What do u think? Brave enough? Damn that was so scary!

Bali Bagus Part II: Southern Bali - Nusa Dua, Kuta, Seminyak, Tanah Lot & Bukit Peninsula

2007-05-20T22:22:00.000+08:00

Day Three

Nusa Dua Beach from Space

We left Ubud and headed to The Westin Resort at Nusa Dua, where we will be spending our final two nights in Bali, courtesy of Mr. Kix-kix! I am so lucky to be your friend! (Kembang tak? :P)

Nusa Dua is a planned beach-front tourist enclave built in 1980s and with the help of World Bank, and designed to minimize the impact of international tourism to the Balinese cultures and way of life. There are lots of big 5-star hotels in Nusa Dua, like Grand Hyatt, Club Med, Conrad, St Regis, Amanusa, Sheraton's The Luxury Collection, Melia, and of course The Westin Resort!

One obvious thing that we noticed in Nusa Dua was the security was really really tight. At the main gate of Nusa Dua complex, all cars have to drive through a security post that have cameras installed on the road facing the bottom of vehicles, so that they can detect if anyone carries a bomb device or something! Later we had to go through another security post at the main entrance of The Westin Resort, with cameras facing the bottom of vehicles too. And finally before we could enter the hotel lobby, we need to go through a metal detector (similar like the one in airports)! I guess they have to beef up the security to prevent another bombing from happening in Bali, which will be very very bad for the tourism industry there.

Anyway, we checked-in without having to stand or queue at the reception desk, but at the comforts of sitting on comfortable couches, and a glass of cranberry juice to quench our thirsts. Really good service eh? The frontdesk-lady later ushered us to our home for the next 3 days, the Family Studio! :) Our studio was located on the Ground Level, overlooking the swimming pools (Yes, there were more than one pools!) and the beautifully manicured gardens. The studio comprises of two rooms separate rooms with the following features:
i. Master Bedroom - Westin's trademark King-sized Heavenly Bed, a sitting area, balcony, plasma TV, DVD player, bathroom with shower and the usual hotel room stuffs
ii. Second Bedroom - 3 Westin's trademark Super-single-sized Heavenly Beds, balcony, plasma TV, Playstation2, Boardgames, bathroom with bathtub and the usual hotel room stuffs.

The TV in the rooms had more than 30 channels I think, not only with the usual channels (HBO, CNN, StarWorld, Channel V, etc.), but with separate Australian, Russian, Japanese and French channels! A really good indicator of where the majority of tourists in Bali came from!

The Westin Resort Nusa Dua

The resort's clam-loungers

Back in Malaysia, I already arranged for a Daihatsu Xenia for 2 days rental from Bali Car Rentals (BCR), to be sent to our hotel. I met up with Mr Dino, the representative from BCR at the hotel lobby, and he escorted me to the car at the parking lot. While chatting and walking towards the car, I noticed a guy signaling and waving his hands at us. He ran and approached us, but both Mr Dino and me does not know who he was. Later, we got to know that two different companies had received bookings from me! Damn I was so anxious!! How can that be?! I went to only ONE website and made only ONE booking! Mr Dino talked to that guy and upon further discussion, it was proven that I only made one booking. But the problem was, recently one of BCR employee left the company, and the ex-employee stole a few of BCR's customers! Mr Dino settled the problem and later handed me the keys for the car. Damn I was so relieved as it wasn't my fault at all! :)

Our rented Daihatsu Xenia

We got ready and head for a late lunch at KFC on the outskirts of Nusa Dua. The typical meal at KFC here is a bit different compared to Malaysia, as they does not serve mashed potatoes and coleslaw, but replaced those two with some rice! And they also serves vegetable soups (the clear ones, not the creamy ones), and begedel! Tasted some of the begedel, and very yummy indeed!

And now is one of the highlights of our Bali trip. We went to The Bvlgari Bali Resort!! It is the only Bvlgari hotel in the world, with the other one in Milan! This super-exclusive-very-chic resort is perched on a cliff, 130meters above the ocean, with an almost 90Deg vertical drop! The view is to die for, and this all-villa resort is the most expensive resort in Bali. The cheapest accommodation in Four Seasons is around USD400 per night, but in Bvlgari the cheapest is USD1000 per night!!! Damn! Anyway, we had our drinks there and hanged out at the Bar while enjoying the dramatic view that was simply breathtaking!

The Bvlgari Bali Resort, Pecatu

130 meters above the ocean

Amazing view at Bvlgari Bali

Views of Indian Ocean

Stunning Bvlgari

Later we went to Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of the most sacred temples in Bali and very famous for its dramatic cliff top location and stunning sunsets. It is also the location for the Kecak Dance, the Balinese dance that does not use any musical instruments, but only the sound made by at least 70 people chanting "Kecak-chak-chak-chak" through out the dance. Quite an experience, especially with the stunning sunset as the backdrop of the dance!

Kecak Dance at Pura Luhur Uluwatu

After the show, we headed back to our hotel for shower and freshen up, before headed to Kuta. Kuta is the place where mass tourism started in Bali in the 1960s. The star attraction of Kuta is of course Kuta Beach, surfing central for Bali. The surfing wave here is considered average by Bali standards, but definitely big by Malaysian standards! Hahah! Once a sleepy village, Kuta now comprises of several areas namely Tuban, Kuta, Legian and Seminyak that stretches for at least 5 kilometers, filled with hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and malls.

Busy Kuta Beach from Space

We had dinner at McDonald's (yeap today is our fast food day), fronting the busy Jln Pantai Kuta along Kuta Beach. One very interesting fact about this McD is at the entrance, there is a place to put your surfboards, as oppose to umbrellas or bicycles in Malaysia. Very surfer-culture oriented!

Filled with energy, we headed to Seminyak, known for it's lively and up-market nightlife, as compared to Kuta. We went to two clubs that were located on Jln Dhyana Pura, which was very lively and fun!

After all the fun, we headed back to our hotel, so that we could be well rested for the following day. :)

Day Four

We woke up a bit late and got ready for a trip to Dreamland Beach! It is one of the most beautiful beach in Bali, located in a secluded area between the western cliffs of Bukit Peninsula. The surf here is a lot bigger compared to Kuta, and we had so much fun playing in the very shallow part of the water. The surf was as high 6 feet, and causes quite strong undertow currents which can be quite dangerous. But I have to say that the feeling of big waves rushing towards you can be very thrilling, and soothing at the same time! I can just hang out at the beach doing nothing but this! Unfortunately since we have other things to do for today's, we had to leave Dreamland. Huhu :(

Beautiful Dreamland Beach

We headed up to Kuta for some shopping. I bought a few stuffs that really made me happy, and headed for a drink at Krispy Kreme! Damn the donuts were so soft and heavenly, it simply feels like it melted in my mouth! Ahh I'm drooling now just thinking bout it... :P~~~

Kuta & its beach

Later we headed to Pura Luhur Tanah Lot, a temple located on a rock formation island, which can be reached from the shore during low tide. It is one of the most famous landmarks in Bali, and famous for its stunning sunset as well. (Yeah there are so many places in Bali that are famous for sunsets!) We reached there a few minutes before sunset, and at that time the tide was quite high. The waves were quite big and coupled with the sunset, provided me with quite a dramatic shot!

Sunset at Pura Luhur Tanah Lot

We went back to our hotel to freshen up, before headed out again to Hard Rock Cafe & Hotel in Kuta for some souvenirs. Satisfied with our purchases, we later went to Pizza Hut for dinner. The Pizza Hut here is a bit different from Malaysia, as they doesn't have Packaged Meals, but totally Ala Carte in their menu. Like my last Bali trip, I had the Mushroom Teaser, which is such a very-delicious-and-hot starter. Even though it was very hot, it was really worth it! I think everyone should not miss it whenever you are in Pizza Hut Indonesia!

For our final nightlife in Bali, we headed up to Ku De Ta, a beach front restaurant, bar and lounge in fashionable Seminyak. Ku De Ta is the place to be for nightlife in Bali, geniusly designed with an open concept in mind. The is a small pool of water in the middle of the courtyard, with many loungers facing the Indian Ocean, and Electronic-Chill music playing in the background. The twinkling stars, waves crashing and the music at Ku De Ta surprisingly binds together very very well. All of us had such a good time at Ku De Ta, and loves it so so much! :)

Friends of Ku De Ta

Beach front loungers in Ku De Ta

Ku De Ta's Courtyard

Day Five

Fun at Westin

It was our final day in Bali, so we just stayed in the hotel area and enjoyed the facilities. We went to the beach and killed our time by lying and swimming in the sea. The waves in Nusa Dua beach is not big at all and perfect for swimming, as it is protected by coral reefs hundreds of meters away offshore. We also played beach volleyball and tried the water slides at the swimming pool area! The water slides at the resort were not meant for kids only, but were also for adults! Hahah had such a wonderful time!

Westin's Farewell Shot

At 12pm, we checked out from the hotel and headed to the Ngurah Rai International Airport for our 2.25pm. The rental car was returned to Mr Dino from Bali Car Rental at the airport, and all the remaining payments were settled.

All of us were a bit sad as the vacation was almost over, and we had to go back to the working world reality! Damn if only the vacation could last forever! Anyway, we experienced a lot of things that if I wanna describe it here, this post will be too long!

But overall, we had a really fantastic time in Bali, and I think all of us will definitely come again to Bali in the future, since we all have been enchanted by the indescribable Bali magic. :)

Bali Bagus Part I: Central Bali - Ubud

2007-05-19T22:13:00.000+08:00

The Island of Bali

Day One

On 9th May 2007, the day finally arrived for my second Bali trip. Yippie! All of us woke up early that morning and gathered at my house. We took two cabs to the LCCT for our 10.25am flight. It was my first ever Air Asia experience , so I did not really have high expectations, after hearing about all the flight delays from others. Anyway, the plane boarding was a bit delayed by 15 minutes due to heavy rain. It is totally ok for me, as long as it is not more than 1 hour :)

The flight was smooth and took about 2hrs 45 minutes to reach the island of Bali. During the flight I sat on the right side by the window, and like last time, I was extremely excited with the landing approach on the runway! Bali's main gateway, the Ngurah Rai International Airport, is located on a strip of land that juts into the Indian Ocean. I can see views on the left side is the Tuban-Kuta-Legian-Seminyak tourist district, and on the right side is the Jimbaran & Bukit Peninsula areas. At the final minute before touching down, you could already see surfing waves right under the wings of the plane, and you kinda feel like the plane is going to land on the sea. Few seconds after that you see the ground and then touch down! Quite an experience huh?

Ngurah Rai International Airport from Space

After settled on immigrations and our luggages, we took two cabs to the cultural heart of Bali, Ubud. Ubud is a world famous small town, known for it's many art galleries selling paintings, loads and loads of shops selling crafts like wood carvings and stone carvings. It is also the place to watch Balinese dances as nightly performances are held at numerous venues, all at the same time. It is also famous for its amazing views, as the small town is surrounded by forests, ravines, rivers and rice terraces.

The 45 minutes ride, with endless amazing stoneworks and wood carvings shops along both sides of the small road (at least 30km!), took us to Ulun Ubud Resort & Spa, one of the plenty boutique hotels in Ubud town. The hotel is very charming, with 19 rooms built on a very steep ravine with a small river 20 meters down below. Our suite comprises of two rooms, with a very big balcony and a dining table, facing the most wonderful view of the ravine! Such a nice change compared to the views in Kerteh & Kuala Lumpur! It was drizzling a bit at that time, so took the photos of the hotel the day after, with better weather and lighting. :)

The driver of the hotel dropped us for dinner at Nomad Cafe, a very beautiful cafe with very good food and service. One unique thing about the cafe was the usher placed frangipani flower behind our ears, which is a similar practice like placing a Leis around your neck in Hawaii. Do take note that wearing flowers behind ears in Bali is not considered something feminine at all, but something very masculine! Hahah!

Nomad Cafe

Later we went for a Legong Performance at the Yamasari Peliatan venue. The performing troupe has a very high reputation and has been performing around the world since 1960s! Hebat giler! Luckily at that time it was still not the high tourist season, so we got the front row seats, and there was no one else except us! Talking bout performing for VIPs! :P The troupe performed in the form of a few Legong dances, a Baris dance, and the very cute Barong dance. It was really really amazing to watch the dancers utilize all parts of the body, especially the fingers and the eyes, to emphasize and tell the story.

Yamasari Peliatan Performance

After the performance we went to Jazz Cafe, an open air cafe cum bar with a live band. The cafe however does not play jazz music only, but mixes with latin songs as well. We had a really fun time, dancing with one super-holiday-mood English lady, and a few other Europeans! And yeah, we sweat like hell. :)

Night at Ulun Ubud

Day Two

Panorama view from our balcony

I was so excited to wake up as I have been looking forward for the breakfast with the view ever since our last trip to Ulun Ubud last year! The meal was really simple: sliced papaya with lime, scrambled eggs, toasts and Balinese coffee. But it was the view and the sounds of the river that make it a memorable experience, so divine!

Ulun Ubud Resort & Spa

Our first destination for the day is the Monkey Forest, a major attraction in Ubud. It is an area with a few Pura (Balinese for temple), dedicated for the dead. One thing I noticed was all the statues in this area was kinda scary and disturbing, I definitely won't come here at night! Kinda like a Tomb Raider setting, with a small river with big trees and vines all over.

Monkey Forest

Ubud's Street Scenes

We walked along Jalan Monkey Forest, which is lined with many shops, boutique hotels, budget hotels, spas, and restaurants. I bought a few stuffs and went to have a drink at Ary's Warung, while waiting for a cremation ceremony at noon. Do take note that in Bali, the name warung does not really mean a typical warung setting like in Malaysia. Some warungs in Bali can be very expensive and serves high-end food and beverages, like Ary's. :)

Drinking at Ary's Warung

Cremation ceremony is a very big social event for Balinese, as the whole villagers participated in the ceremony. It is quite rare to watch a cremation ceremony taking place, as the ceremony is only conducted on specific dates, depending on the birthday of the person that passed away. So I guessed we were lucky since we managed to observe the ceremony during our first Bali trip, and again during our second trip! :) The locals wore their traditional attires, brought tall pyramids of foods, and played really loud gongs (which was very catchy and stayed in my mind for quite some time). We waited for about 1 hour for the ceremony to start, but once it started, it lasted only for about 15 minutes. But it was really worth the wait to observe their colourful culture.

Cremation Ceremony in Ubud Central

Tired it was, so all of us went for a spa session! We had it at The Fibra Inn's Wibawa Spa. I had the Royal Javanese Lulur, which includes a full body & face massage, body scrub, yogurt applied on skin for soothing and warm bath with flowers (ginger tea and sliced fruits included) before the final shower. All that took 1 hr 45 minutes, and costs me only RM45! Damn cheap for that kinda package, in a very nice garden surroundings with an open shower & tub! Owh by the way they only supplied me with a very thin-see-through cloth to cover up during the session, so I was kinda naked most of the times. The female masseur was really experienced and she was really professional, so it was not that awkward. In Malaysia that would be a very big no no rite? :)

The spa was really rejuvenating, so we went to the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan for sunset drinks at the lounge bar. The whole setting of the resort was really serene, as it is built on the slopes of Sayan Ridge, with the Ayung River down below, flowing right next to the lobby. The resort is one of the tops resorts in Bali, and always got listed in the Top 10 best resorts in the world category.

Sunset at Four Seasons

Four Seasons' Entrance to Lobby

Fabulous Four Seasons Resort at Sayan

Four Seasons' Jati Bar

We were really hungry by that time, so we went for dinner at Murni's Warung, a really good restaurant with delicious foods. By that time we were quite exhausted, so we went back to our hotel and played charade before calling it a day! The theme was English and Malay movies. We laughed our hearts out, as some people tried their very best to describe the movie. Remember kix-kix's "Bayi Buluh Betong!"? :P

Day Three

Like the day before, we had our breakfast at the balcony before heading off to the swimming pool! The water was quite cold as the swimming pool was spring fed. We took some photos (some of which would not be shown here!) and enjoyed the moment since there was no one else other that us.Ulun Ubud's swimming pool

We went to Ubud Market, the place to buy crafts and souvenirs at bargain prices. It was around 10am in the morning, so we got good prices as the sellers considered our purchases as a pelaris for the day. I bought a wooden box that can be locked, and 3 pieces of coasters made of seashells. Hehehe really happy with the purchases.

We visited the Ubud Palace, the home of a Ubud royalty. The palace is divided into a few areas, and some of it were open to the public. The layour of the palace is like typical Balinese houses, with individual and separate pavilions for living room, kitchen, dining room and bedrooms. All these pavilions are surrounded by nice beautiful gardens.

Ubud Palace

It was our final day in Ubud, so it was time to leave for Southern Bali, famous for its many beaches and stunning sunsets! The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, here we come!

7 Things

2007-05-18T15:40:00.000+08:00

Se7en

Hmmm kix-kix tagged me with this list.. Damn it was so difficult to list 7 things about myself! So, read on!

7 things to do before i die:
- Have my loved ones by my side
- Buy whatever luxury goods that I want
- Travel to all continents (except Arctic & Antarctic)
- Have at least 5 investment properties, all in very good locations
- Need to be happy and grateful with my life, no matter what
- Have my own travel agency
- Perform Haj

7 things I can't do:
- Stretch my legs and touch my toes (Same like kix, kiter nie cacat ke? :P )
- Touch amphibians
- Read while riding in any transportation
- Sleeping without making any sound ;)
- Sneeze less then 3 times in a row
- Say no to things, very very difficult
- Watch wrestling show, so fake!

7 things that attract me to Europe:
- The climate
- The people: really stylish, sophisticated and good looking :)
- The coast along French Riviera, Italian Riviera & Greece: Damn gorgeous!
- The architecture of the cities
- The Roman and Greek ruins
- The city of Venice: Totally one of a kind
- The luxury goods

7 things I say:
- Damn
- F*ck
- Yes
- Focus focus!
- Ye kot?
- Hmmm...
- Siot!

7 good books (Damn I don't read books! I will list something else!) :
- Details magazine
- Conde Nast Traveller
- Readers' Digest
- Wikipedia website (Love this one!)
- KLUE magazine
- Time magazine
- erk.. Those are my favorites. Why do I feel like I'm a himbo? Damn.

7 good films:
- Sister Act
- Chocolat
- Layar Lara
- The Exorcist
- My Best Friend's Wedding
- As Good As It Gets
- The Bodyguard (Movie kinda cliche, but really love the soundtrack!)

7 blogs to tag:
- Muddy
- Masri
- Rough
- Krinch
- Herlina
- cukup la kot kan? Tak tau nak tag sape lagi..

License to Drive

2007-04-28T17:29:00.000+08:00

The RM150 permit

I am now officially and legally ready to drive on foreign soil. With this International Driving Permit (IDP) I can drive in almost every country on earth! Hehehe kinda cool heh? For me this is kinda like a personal achievement, so i am very happy for getting it. As of now, I will be using this IDP when driving in Bali. Unfortunately the IDP is only valid for one year, so I guess I have to try my best to optimize it.

Hmmm, where will be my next international destination to drive in, after Bali? :)

Cherating Beach

2007-04-23T21:16:00.000+08:00

The beach from the Holiday Villa gardens...

Recently I attended an away day at Holiday Villa Cherating during the weekends. I have stayed at Impiana Hotel, Best Western Suria, and Residence Inn prior to this, so it was my first time staying in Holiday Villa. As expected, the hotel was kinda crap. A bit old and desperately in need of total refurbishment!

Sunset at Cherating..

Anyway, staying there made me remember the memories that I had with my friends, during the times when I lived in Kemaman. I would hang out with my friends at the lounge chairs on the beach at Holiday Villa, have dinner right on the beach at Moon Cafe, and sometimes play squash at The Legend (my friend Han was a member of the Health Club).

Hmm the good times, when can I do those things again huh?

Panorama Shot

Heatwave

2007-04-23T20:56:00.000+08:00

Shower-on-the-move, anyone?

The weather has been extremely warm lately. During the day, there's either no cloud at all, or just paper-thin layer of cloud. Even at night the warm condition doesn't really change much. Sleeping every night, wearing only my boxers doesn't really help my body to cool down. I am so wishing to have an air-cond installed, and put it on full blast.

This Is What I Am Feeling Now

2007-04-15T21:25:00.000+08:00

The person in the picture is not me.

At this moment, I am feeling very lonely. I feel like a loser. I really don't know where my life is heading now, and what the future has for me. My life feels so pretentious and without hope. I am so lazy to interact with my surroundings, since there is nothing much in common to relate to. I really really desperately need to connect with familiar surroundings, something that I have passion for. There is no point of being there but not enjoying the moment at all. I feel so invisible and I think people kinda take me for granted. Is it because I am not that grateful for whatever that I have? Damn, I am so fucked..

Blogger Found

2007-04-10T18:59:00.000+08:00

Paper bag is good for the environment...

Damn today my colleagues gave a revealing statement, that they have known the existence of my blog shobshob since 2 months ago! Prior to this, they have asked me a few times of my blog, and of course I didn't reveal anything as I wanna remain anonymous. So after they found it, diorang saja buat pura pura tak tahu, until today...

Hmmm bukan menarik mana pun shobshob kan? Anyway, I think nothing juicy can be found here on shobshob, unless they found and read my alter ego blog. Hahah I'm sure that the blog still remains as a secret! Hehe...

So life goes on.... Lalalalalala.... :P

Destination: Bali

2007-04-09T22:10:00.000+08:00

I think the Barong creature is cute..

Exactly one month from today me, Muddy, Lenny, Kix and Acai will be flying off to the Island of Gods, or better known as Bali. I am super-excited about this second trip to the island, as we are all now more prepared financially and yeah, Kix will be joining us this time after he had to excused himself from joining our previous Bali trip.

So here is my proposed itenary for the trip, any comments?

Day One :
- arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport, and head to Ubud
- check-in at Ulun Ubud Resort & Spa
- Ubud Arts Market & vicinity
- Legong Dance at Ubud Palace
- lounging at Jazz Cafe

Day Two:
- breakfast with view of the river gorge
- Sukawati Arts Market
- drinks at the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan
- Spa session
- Barong Dance at Ubud Palace
- rest

Day Three:
- breakfast
- Ubud Monkey Forest and Goa Gajah
- check-out from Ulun Ubud and leave for Nusa Dua
- check-in at Westin Nusa Dua Resort & Spa
- sunset at Uluwatu Temple and watch Kecak Dance
- seafood dinner at Jimbaran Bay
- rest

Day Four:
- breakfast
- sightseeing & shopping in Kuta
- sightseeing Dreamland Beach
- sunset at Tanah Lot
- clubbing in Seminyak

Day Five:
- breakfast
- lounging at Westin's swimming pool area
- drinks at Bulgari Resort
- check-out from Westin Nusa Dua
- depart from Ngurah Rai International Airport to KL

Damn Burglars!

2007-03-27T22:17:00.000+08:00

No more window..

I had a really nice 3-days weekend, except for one thing, a DAMN burglar broke into my car! I parked my car from 6.30pm till 10.30pm at quite a busy residential area near Jln Telawi in Bangsar. That place is always the place for me to park my car in that neighborhood, since there will always be human traffic in that area. Unfortunately, the burglar saw my car as his potential easy money, and broke my left co-driver window. The burglar went through my car's glove-box compartment, and the small storage box near the handbrake. I guess I was lucky, coz he only stole:

My smartag, together with the touch 'n' go card, with credit worth RM6.50
My smartag holder that was attached on the windscreen
....and my gear knob. (what the f*ck???!!!) Why why why would you steal the gear knob dumb *ss?!! Dah takde kerja lain?! Macam haram! Bodoh nak mampus!

Broken glasses everywhere..

The headless gear stick..

All my other stuffs like my Emporio Armani sunglasses, A/X sweater, Kenneth Cole shoes and my newly bought Docker's pants were amazingly saved from being stolen.

Anyway, early in the morning the following day I was on my way to the Police Station in Brickfields to file a police report. I was driving on the NKVE Highway, when suddenly a small black object bounced and flew from opposite direction, and BAMMM, hit my car bonnet! I kept on driving and took a glimpse at the bonnet, and everything seems fine. Only when I reached the police station that I realized that the black object dented my bonnet! Double damn.

Bad bad black thingy..

The police officer took my statement, and took some photos, which will be used during the investigation afterwards. I kinda have doubt with whatever investigation they gonna do, are they really gonna do an investigation on my case? If it's a murder case I guess definitely they gonna focus on their investigation, but for my case I guess I will just be one of the statistics in the "Number of Car Broken Into in WP Kuala Lumpur 2007".. Huhu..

Later I proceeded to the Proton Platinum Service Center in Mutiara Damansara to fix the broken window. I have to say that the customer service was really nice, and the place is really comfortable. Unfortunately they do not have the parts that I needed, and upon further checking, the parts are available at the other Service Center in Kepong. Due to the urgency of the parts (yeah takkan nak balik Ganu with a wide open window kan), I went to that place. It was so packed with customers, so I had to wait from 1200pm till around 4pm to get the job done. Damn speaking about time wastages due to that stupid burglar actions!

I guess from the whole situation, I have learned that anything that might lure a burglar into your car should never ever be visible to them. My smartag device is always hidden in the glove-box compartment, so that was not the issue. And I don't think the burglar knew the luxury brands that I have in my car, since he did not steal any of it. Therefore in my case, it was only the smartag holder on the windscreen that provoked the burglar. :(

It's ok , always learn from the mistakes that were made, so that you will be wiser in the future.

How Sexual Are You?

2007-03-27T20:39:00.000+08:00

Horny archer?

I got this sex zodiac from one of the forwarded emails that entertained me on daily basis during work.. Hehehe yeah everyone need a break once in a while during work rite? Not really sure whether the description is accurate or not. I am a Sagittarius, what are you?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.:SAGITTARIUS:. The Sexy one. Spontaneous. Horny. Freak in Bed. High appeal. Rare to find. Great when found. Loves being in long relationships. The one. So much love to give. Not one to mess with. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique sexiness. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing in Bed..!!! Did I say Amazing in Bed? Not the kind of person you wanna with you might end up crying.

.:VIRGO:.
The Virgin Dominant in relationships. Sexy. Someone loves them right now. Freak in bed. Always wants the last word. Caring. Smart. Intellectual. Attractive. Loud. Loyal. Easy to talk to. Hard to forget. Love at first sight. Everything you ever wanted. Easy to please. The one and only. Ultimate sexiness..

.:SCORPIO:. The sex addict can be mean. EXTREMELY sexy. Intelligent. Energetic. Predict future. Most erotic. (Freak in bed.) (GREAT kisser.) Always get what they want. Sexy. Attractive. Easy going. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. The sexiest ever....Romantic. Caring.

.:LIBRA:. The lame lover. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique sexiness. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing n Bed..!!! Did I say Amazing in Bed? Not the kind of person you wanna fuck with... u might end up crying.... the most irresistible.

.:ARIES:. The Liar. Outgoing. Lovable. Spontaneous. Not one to fuck with. Erotic. Funny. Take you on trips to the moon in bed. Excellent kisser. EXTREMELY sexy. Loves being in long relationships.=) Addictive. Loud. Best in bed.

.:AQUARIUS:. Does it in the water. Trustworthy. Sexy. Great kisser. One of a kind. Loves being in long-term relationships. Extremely energetic. Unpredictable. Will exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out. Amazing in bed, THE BEST LOVERS BETTER THAN EVERYONE!

.:GEMINI:. Does twosomes. Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners. Very good in bed. Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you the ass out. Trustworthy. Always happy. Loud. Talkative. Outgoing VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile.. Generous. Strong. ULTRA SEXY. THE MOST IRRESISTABLE.

.:LEO:. The Lion in bed. Great talker. Sexy and passionate. Laid back. Knows how to have fun. Is really good at. Great kisser. Unpredictable. Outgoing. Down to earth. Addictive. Attractive. Loud. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Not one to mess with. Rare to find. Good when found.

.:CANCER:. The Cutie. MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high sex appeal. Great in bed!!! Love is one of a kind. Very romantic. Most caring person you will ever meet! Entirely creative. Extremely random and proud of it. Freak in bed. Spontaneous. Great telling stories. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out if it comes down to it. Someone you should hold on to.

.:PISCES:. The Piece of ass. Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. Too Sexy, DAMN IT. Very high sex appeal. Has the last word. The best to find, hardest to keep. Fun to be around. Freak in the sheets. Extremely weird but in a good way. Super good in bed. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. A partner for life. Always gets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet.

.:CAPRICORN:. The passionate Lover. Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Predict future. Irresistable. Awesome kisser. Loves being in long relationships. Great talker. Always gets what he or she wants. BY FAR the BEST in BED. Very sexy. Coolest. Loves to own Gemini's in sports. Extremely fun. Loves to joke. Loves to be your first. So you'll never forget. Smart.

.:TAURUS:. The Tramp. Aggressive. Freak in bed. Rare to find! Loves being in long relationships.=] Likes to give a good fight for what they want. Extremely outgoing. Sexy as ........ Loves to help people in times of need. Outstanding kisser. Very funny. Awesome personality. Stubborn. Sexual as......... Most caring person you will ever meet! One of a kind. Not one to fuck with. Are the most sexiest people on earth!

American Idol 6's Melinda Doolittle

2007-03-21T22:05:00.000+08:00

Is she the next Idol?

I just love love love Melinda Doolittle's style of singing! Her voice is really pleasant to listen to, even if she sings the high pitch! Such a composed person all the time, and I think that she's extremely humble. Always a sensational performance week after week. I just hope that you will be crowned the next American Idol! Love you Melinda!

G Hotel @ Penang

2007-03-19T23:37:00.000+08:00

The fabulous lobby

I recently bumped into an article about the opening of a new hotel, The G Hotel. It is located on the Gurney Drive, which explains the simple name of the hotel. From the pictures that I saw, the hotel looks really chic and I think it can easily be featured in the Wallpaper magazine.

The Executive Suite

A very sensual bathing experience

I really love the interior and the choice of colors in the rooms. Neutral colors really exudes some relaxing mood to any person that walks into the room. The interior designer also introduced some bright red colors and dark wood furnishings to create a really warm feeling as well.

The minimal bathroom

Standard Room

Four-Poster Bed

Hmm I guess the next time I'm in Penang, I will definitely try out this new hotel. It is so so soooo nice! And I hope that more hotels with newer and modern designs will be built in Malaysia, since we have very few of it, compared to Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

For more details of G Hotel, click here.

Spring Cleaning Day

2007-03-17T22:58:00.000+08:00

Before..

I declared today as my spring cleaning day! The spring cleaning is for my whole bedroom, but the most important priority is the wardrobe. Yes, the wardrobe has been in really messy and disorganized condition for the past few weeks! Shame on me huhu... But I guess I get the excuse for not organizing my wardrobe, since most of the weekends I'm in KL huh? :p

Shopping bags everywhere..

The wardrobe is so full of clothes, some of which has not been worn for the past 5 months I guess. So the solution is to throw away all those unmoving items, such as 5 t-shirts, 2 shirts, 3 pair of socks, 1 trousers, 3 underwears, 2 boxers and 4 NOMEX coveralls! Throwing all those stuffs definitely gave me more extra space, for more new clothes hehe..

After..

Instead of folding my clothes and put it in stacks inside the wardrobe like before, I decided to roll up all my clothes so that the space usage will be more optimized. Yeah I have been practicing rolling up my clothes in my luggage bag whenever I travel and it is a really useful technique. However, all my nice shirts, t-shirts and jackets are hanged inside the wardrobe, which I think is simply fair for the definitely above average price that I paid for them, compared to the ones that I rolled-up..

Rolled-clothes galore.. :P

After color-coordinating my hanged clothes, I just realized that I have too many brown and white clothes! Time for more summer-happy colors eh?

Too neutral..

p/s: Kix-kix & Muddy, we have to go to Singapore this June for the Great Sale!

Beautiful Teluk Bidara & Tanjung Jara

2007-03-16T23:28:00.000+08:00

Teluk Bidara during monsoon season..

During last monsoon season, on one of the weekends that I didn't go back to KL, I drove all by myself to just browse and look at the beaches around the town of Dungun. I remember even with the fierce and very rough sea, and plus the weather was drizzling a bit, the beach at Teluk Bidara still managed to looked very beautiful. I took a few photos of the beach, and made a promise to myself to come and visit the beach again after the monsoon season, to take more pictures.

Road to the beach

Calm waters at the river mouth

Local version of Portofino? :P

Today the weather was really bright and sunny, so I decided that this is the perfect day to visit Teluk Bidara. The route along the way to the beach was really scenic, a little bit winding road near a hill, then passed by the Dungun River mouth with colourful fishermen's boats. Later I passed a very nice malay village, before approaching the Teluk Bidara beach. I personally think that the beach is one of the nicest beaches in Terengganu, if not Malaysia.

Scenic view..

Picnic on the beach

Postcard pics?

Happening Teluk Bidara beach..

The beach was full of activities, families, youngsters and students having fun in the water, or just by lazying on the sand and rocks. Some kids played flying kites, and some just cycle on the pavements. One makcik sells rojak buah, drinks, kepok lekor and goreng pisang. There were also a few guys with fishing rods on the rocks, and even a barber trimming his customer's hair under one of the many gazebos! Interesting huh? :)

A cave for the naughty ones huh?

Laid back flip flops

I bought some rojak buah and ate it while enjoying the beach. Hehehe so heaven! Took some pictures and then headed to Tanjong Jara Resort for a visit.

Rojak buah yang sedap..

Clear waters..

I have stayed twice at Tanjong Jara with my friends, so it really brought back the happy memories that we had there. Some of it were playing Saidina at the lobby till late (and till everyone went bankrupt! Haha), lounging at the huge swimming pool all by ourselves, and the dinner at Di Atas Sungei Restaurant. The resort just renovated the Tanjong Club Spa to become the Spa Village, so now it is under the same spa brand like at its sister properties at Pangkor Laut Resort, Cameron Highlands Resort, Ritz-Carlton KL and Tembok Village Bali. Hmmm maybe I need to spend my time again there very soon heh?

Di Atas Sungei Restaurant

One of the bigger villas

The award-winning Spa Village

My New Adidas

2007-03-16T22:58:00.000+08:00

My good ol' brown Adidas sneakers just got ripped on the front-tip sole, after three-long-serving years for me. That was really my favourite sneakers! I think I wear it to almost everyplace I can imagine. My adidas terkoyak while I was window shopping in KLCC with Kix-kix and Muddy. So I guess the best option was to buy a new pair of adidas sneakers that very moment!

Buy me buy me!

The moment I saw the chalk colored sneakers at the Adidas store, I immediately love it. It was a pair of Adidas Porsche Design CL sneakers. I asked the store assistant whether they have size 10, and they have it! I guess I was really lucky on that day because from my experience, it is really really really difficult to find a really nice pair of sneakers for my size! I was in Singapore last December and I couldn't find my shoe size over there as well, damn takkan nak kena pegi Europe or US just to buy a pair of shoes kan?

You are mine now..

Anyway, I bought the sneakers and immediately wear it at that very moment. Superhappy with my purchase, but I think I will still repair my good ol' brown sneakers because it is a very classic design.

Dreamgirls

2007-03-10T21:34:00.000+08:00

All you have to do is dream

Before I watched this movie, I really don't know what to expect from it. But I do know that the reviews of the movie were really good, further justified with all those Golden Globe & Oscar awards.

After watching it, Jennifer Hudson's performance as Effie White really blew me away! Such an excellent performance for a first timer on silver screen! I have liked her singing since the American Idol days, even though sometimes the way she sings can be a bit over-the-top. I think the best part was when she sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", it was a really really sad scene..

Effie White crying out loud..

Beyonce Knowles was really gorgeous in the movie, but acting wise she was a good performance and not that outstanding (compared to Jennifer Hudson of course). Her character as Deena Jones really resembles Diana Ross, with all those big hairs and glittering dresses.

Overall, I will give the movie rating 8 out of 10 stars (based on Shobshob score card haha), for excellent performance by Jennifer Hudson, and the ability of the movie to create a really feel good emotion (as well as sad emotion), through superb soundtracks with motown vibe!

For more information on the original musical "Dreamgirls" , click here.

Bali Experience Revisited

2007-02-03T00:47:00.000+08:00

I remember during me and Kix's university years, we always dreamt of going to Bali. I dunno what was the reason, but the exoticness and the mystical characters of the island really made us fell in love with Bali (yes, even by dreaming huhu). So we made a promise, that one day when we are already working, we will step our foot on the legendary island of Bali.

In May last year (yeah I have been postponing this post for the longest time), me, Lenny and Muddy finally got the opportunity to go the the island of Bali. Kix was supposed to join our trip, he already even got the ticket! Unfortunately due to his work commitment, he had to excused himself from the trip. Must be really frustrating for him, but I'm sure his work commitment is worth it as well. Kan?

From the trip, all I can say that I really LOVE Bali. Kinda obsessed with Bali actually! Here are the description of the places that we went, from my observation:

1. Ubud: Lovely small town. She has this really calm and serene atmosphere, but at the same time buzzing with arts and culture! No wonder it is considered as the cultural heart of Bali. Countless arts, woodworks and stoneworks boutiques. The number of these boutiques are so amazing for such a small town! Balinese dances are performed at various venues (we went to watch at Ubud Palace). Amazing movement of the Legong dances and following the chaotic but enchanting sound of the Balinese Gamelan. te teng teng! The surrounding landscapes around Ubud are so unique, parallel hills and valleys with river stream deep down below. One of a kind! Ubud is also the place that we managed to catch a traditional Balinese funeral taking place, very fiery and lively!

2. Kintamani: A small village located on the rim of the Mount Batur caldera. Absolutely breathtaking view! That was the first time ever for me to be in front of an active volcano.

3. Kuta - Legian - Seminyak: The epicenter of tourism in Bali. Long wide beaches and famous for beginner to amateur surfers. Loads and loads of boutiques, hotels and resorts. Very commercial, but still have the characteristics of traditional Bali, though much much less compared to Ubud.

4. Tanah Lot: A unique temple on a small rocky island by the sea. The island can only be reached by foot when on low tide. Very famous for sunset (though we did not experienced it at all, too little time). Have this black- moonscape rock formations.

5. Uluwatu: Another unique temple, perched on a very very steep cliff 100 meters above the sea. Very famous for the sunset and the Kecak Dance performance. The whole setting of the dance, with the backdrop of the sunset is so mystical. And the sounds that the dancers made during performance is really catchy, surely to keep on playing in your heads after a few hours. Kecak-chak-chak-chak!

There are loads of lovely Bali pictures (500+ to be exact), but here are the pictures taken by me that I think best describes Bali. Enjoy!

Breakfast in Ulun Ubud Resort

Ulun Ubud Resort on the hillside

Pura Tirta Empul holy springs..

One of typical Balinese temple stoneworks

Beautiful rice terraces in Tegallalang..

Lively Balinese funeral..

Traditional Balinese costumes..

Spa session in an Ubud hotel..

Floating flowers that gives a relaxing mood to the spa..

Graceful Legong dancers at Ubud Palace..

Ubud Palace gates' used as the backdrop for Legong dances

One of Ubud's deep valleys and river streams..

Pura Tanah Lot..

Kecak Dance at Pura Luhur Uluwatu..

Southern Bali view from the flight back to KLIA..

My Own Four Seasons

2006-08-12T17:24:00.000+08:00

Hahah such an overrated statement! But I really love my room, and planning to make it nicer and more stylish. One step at a time ok, since money is kinda an issue huhu.. Living here in this small town, can be a bit boring and there is really not much to do.. So after work, normally I would just stay in the room, and only go out from my room just to watch astro, eat or shower. Since I spend so much time in the room, so might as well make it liveable, and as comfortable as possible.

I've been using the standing-fan for more than one year and it's really not that efficient in terms of cooling capacity. Most of the time the room is like a sauna. Damn! And it's also not reliable, senang je rosak..

So today I called the electrician to install a new ceiling fan in my room! I am SO excited and happy with the result! Even with the direct afternoon sun coming into the room, it is still cool! Yippie!

So this is the way my room looks like at the moment, and there are still so much things to do..

The heavenly bed and its side table...

The entertainment centre.. Can't live without it..

The balinese dancers paintings..

The dressing area.. Very important..

The wardrobe.. No lion and no witch..

A New Post!

2006-03-01T19:42:00.000+08:00

Hmm it has been a while since I last updated my blog. Haiyoh sorry for being such a lazy bum! It's just that I lost focus along the way... Huhu.. :(

So after being pushed a few times by blogger friends Muddy & Krinch, here's a new post! (Muddy memed me!)

10 FIRSTS
1. First Best Friend : Hezrin. He was my classmate during Primary School (Sekolah Rendah Jalan Datuk Palembang, Bukit Baru) and I sat right next to him.
2. First item you stole : Some pebbles that were used in a plant box in Singapore Zoological Gardens.
3. First pet : Don't have any pet. Not really a fan of animals.
4. First piercing : Never had the chance. Used to really wanna have it on the tip of right eyebrow.
5. First school : Sekolah Rendah Jalan Datuk Palembang in Bukit Baru, Malacca.
6. First house location : Taman Tasek in Johor Bahru.
7. First Crush : My school mate during secondary school. Her name is Cheah Pei Wei. :)
8. First Kiss : Kinda late. When I was 18 years old. Huhu.
9. First Car : A red mini clubman with white colored roof!
10. Err Muddy mana soalan??

9 LASTS
1. Last time you smoked : Does shisha counts? At Lecka Lecka in front of Starhill Gallery.
2. Last food you ate : Real Potato Chips
3. Last movie you watched on DVD at home : Troy
4. Last movie you watched at the cinema : Walk the Line
5. Last text message : Kepok lekor kat Kemasik?
6. Last music video you saw : Shakira's La Tortura
7. Last song you listened to : A song from Hotel Costes' by Stephane Pompougnac
8. Last words you said : Aku maybe kena kerja weekend nie tapi aku nak balik jugak. Kena carik technician ganti...
9. Muddy mana soalan?

8 HAVE-YOU-EVERS
1. Dated a bestfriend : Yes.
2. Been arrested : No.
3. Been on TV : No.
4. Eaten sushi : Yeap.
5. Cheated on your spouse : Yes.
6. Been on a blind date : Yes.
7. Been out of the country : Yes.
8. Been in love : Definitely yes!

7 THINGS YOU ARE WEARING
1. .
2. ..
3. ...
4. ....
5. .....
6. ......
7. White and blue stripes boxers. Yes only that.

6 THINGS YOU HAVE DONE TODAY
1. Chatted with a colleague about our office clerk who got possessed and how she went hysterical in the office, about 2 weeks back.
2. Checked the PLC logic using RSLogix5.
3. Had lunch with my colleague and a contractor.
4. Participated in a meeting for a planned shutdown.
5. Watched Desperate Housewives season 2 episode 15.
6. Did 3 sets of 20 repetition sit-ups.

5 FAVORITE THINGS
1. Hanging out with my best friends (which are scattered far away) in a really nice restaurant/lounge, once in a few months.
2. Lounging at Tiffin Bay Starhill Gallery, overlooking the KL skyline, with soulful lady singing in the background.
3. The travel section in Kinokuniya KLCC.
4. The smell of earth when it just started raining.
5. Being with my loved one.

4 PEOPLE YOU TRUST THE MOST
1. Myself.
2. My mum.
3. My best friends (sorry but I really do trust all of them!)
4. My very special person :)

3 THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1. Travel the world every year, from continent to continent.
2. Be really rich, so that money will never be an issue, in any situation.
3. To be in a really deep relationship with a special person, so that I won't die alone. :(

2 CHOICES
1. Vanilla or Chocolate : Chocolate
2. Rock or Rap : R&B

1 PERSON YOU WANT TO SEE RIGHT NOW?
1. Aderlah.. *blushblush* ;)

Not an enthusiast

2005-09-13T23:33:00.000+08:00

I'll be going for a team building session with my colleagues this coming Thursday.

Haih malasnya! I don't have any sports shoes, so I went to the town to buy a BATA shoe. Ok la kot, RM49.90. Buying nike/reebok/adidas for sports is SO not worth it (for my case only!). I would rather buy a pair of sneakers for walking in malls!

Kasut POWER tu...

Visiting Malacca

2005-09-13T23:20:00.000+08:00

One of the museums..

A few weeks ago, I went to Malacca to met up with one of my best friends from my Uni. Initially we met up at Mahkota Parade, then we went to Harper's Cafe for some drinks and snacks. The cafe is located by the riverbanks, with an open-air seating area under this huge tree. It was really really nice!

Harper's Cafe by the river..

The yummy chocolate cherry cake & fries..

After some chatting, we walked along the famous Jonker's Walk. It is situated in one of the oldest parts of Malacca, and have dozens of antiques & souvenirs shops. The architecture of the shophouses are really amazing & the colours are brilliant!

One of Jonker's Walk bars filled with backpackers..

Feels like in HongKong..

We spend only a few hours updating stories. So many interesting things to look at, and I have to come down to Malacca again to really jalan-jalan and learn more about the histories & cultures. As of now, just enjoy the pictures! Hmm... :)

Another museum..

The Stadhuys..

Arrggh My Car!

2005-09-13T22:49:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday while on the way to work, my car had an accident. It all started with this Car A, which wanna turn right at a junction. I guess dia bagi signal untuk belok lewat, so Car B which was behind Car A had to push the brakes immediately. I was right behind Car B. I pushed the brakes soooo hard that I the tyres screeched! Sempat la break kan.. I immediately looked at the rear mirror the make sure that the car behind me managed to keep the distance, rupa-rupanya tak sempat! The lady driver behind my car hit my car hard, and it really felt like I was in the bumper car ride! It was a bumper-to-bumper situation. Both my front and rear bumper rosak. Huhu...

I pulled over to the left side of the road. Luckily on the rear side, only the bumper kemik, while on the front side are some scratch on the bumper and the signal casing shattered into pieces.

The lady driver turns out to be my friend, and she works in a one of the departments in the same plant. And she driver a yellow satria, EXACTLY like mine!

It really hurts to see your car got hit by another car. But when I look at the whole situation again, it was kinda funny because:

i) both of us drives a yellow satria
ii) both of us wears a yellow jacket (plant uniform)
iii) and my boss and a colleague stopped at the scene while on the way to work (both of them wears yellow jacket too!)

Memang kelakar la coz everything from the car to the people were all in yellow colour!! LOL :))

The front side..

Tak comey dah..

The rear view..

Yeay!

2005-08-15T20:08:00.000+08:00

I found him! Kesian cocoman terbaring atas tanah... Maybe a few cars already ran over him, but it's ok. Still clean and gebu.

It is such a relief to find him.. So happy, and I promise that I will never lose him, ever again...

Where Have Cocoman Gone?

2005-08-14T22:01:00.000+08:00

I am so disappointed with myself for losing Cocoman.. Damn! I only realized that I lost him after about 2 hours.. Where did I dropped him?

I wonder what happened to Cocoman now.. Is he lying on the floor of my office? Is he lying down on the gravel of the parking lot? Or is he being chased by the mengkarung (small lizards)?

I love Cocoman very much.. I got him as a present from someone that is SO special in my life. An the fact that I actually asked Dia to bought it for me (after a few attempts), really makes it so damn special!

I promise tomorrow morning, I'll go to the office earlier so that I can look for Cocoman... I promise..

And please don't be angry with me for being so careless... This would not have happened if I was more alert.. I am so so sorry for losing Cocoman.. :(

Kinky ke?

2005-07-30T11:15:00.000+08:00

Hahahah... I just completed a kinkyness test.. Heheh macam dah takde keje kan? But it's the weekend, so acceptable la kot.. :)

So this is the result that I got...

Btw, what does it mean by vanilla boy? Huhu..

Here's the link if you wanna try it..

Kinky Alert!

Adventurous Drive

2005-07-20T16:32:00.000+08:00

For this post I wanna tell about the journey that I went through last week to pay my Tok Wan a visit. The journey began from Kerteh at 1.30pm, and finished in Jitra at 10.30pm! It's a 9 hours journey, which includes 3 times stopping at toilets to pee, and one time to fill up the gas! This has to be THE ultimate driving journey for me! I drove all alone and I did not stop for a meal coz most of the area that I passed by was like in the middle of nowhere.

The route that I took passed through Kerteh, Dungun, Rantau Abang, Marang, Kuala Terengganu, Jerteh, Machang, Tanah Merah, Jeli, Grik, Pengkalan Hulu, Baling, Kuala Ketil, Sg Petani, Alor Star, and finally Jitra. I passed through the 4 states: Terengganu, Kelantan, Perak & Kedah. The total distance covered was about 600km, and it was the first time for me to drive along that route!

The stretch from Kerteh to Kuala Terengganu is so beautiful coz it runs parallel to the coast. You get to see all these fishing villages and swaying coconut trees with the South China Sea as the background.

Around Jerteh area, there was a road block. The policemen asked me to stop to the side, and told me that I had exceeded the speed limit of 70kmph(I drove only around 87kmph). Damn! He asked me whether I can afford to pay the RM150 summons for speeding, and of course, I said no. Then he asked me, "How much can you pay?". The moment he said that, I knew that I have to pay him, and I gave him RM50. Damn all these policemen, makan duit haram! I really don't wanna support this kinda thing, but RM150 is too expensive! Takpe la, maybe kali nie aje..

When I was about to drive off, a Kancil with a female driver was asked to stop, also for speeding. After less than 5 minutes talking to the policemen, the female driver miraculously tak kena saman, and she did not even has to bribe him! So unfair! Ggrrrr!!!!!

But the best part of the journey has to be from Jeli(Kelantan) to Grik(Perak) coz that is the East-West Road. It's about 100km, and cuts through the center of mountainous Titiwangsa Range. The road along that stretch was so beautiful, but it was really empty. I even heard people telling me not to use that road late in the day, coz sometimes wild elephants will be crossing the road! I thought it was just rumours, but I actually saw a few places with signboards warning drivers of wild elephants. Nasib baik tak jumpe, kalau tak harus jadik the shock of my life!

From Kedah back to Kerteh, I used to PLUS Highway and headed back KL first, before used the East Coast Highway via Kuantan. My god! It's like a round-a-bout through Peninsular Malaysia!

I took several pictures along the journey, but I'm so disappointed coz my camera ran out of batteries near the East-West Road! Damn!

I am so proud of myself for being able to complete the long and adventurous journey. But most importantly, I managed to reached the destination safely.

The long and really straight road along Rantau Abang..

The unique vegetation around Rantau Abang..

Nice malay style wooden houses with beachfront...

Wooden houses with beachfront...

Terengganu's version of Malibu...

Pulau Kapas in the background...

Kuala Marang..

The white-coloured floating mosque..

Crossing Sungai Terengganu with Kuala Terengganu in the background..

Sungai Kelantan..

My grandma a.k.a. Atok Kedah....

Atok Kedah's blue house....

Driving back to KL....

Passing by my ex-hostel at a boarding school....

My boarding school's entrance....

Sawah padi....

Storm in the making....

Alor Star's skyline....

Kedah's Masjid Negeri....

Tok Wan

2005-07-20T15:29:00.000+08:00

Last week Wednesday while I was in a meeting with Rolls-Royce, I got an sms from my mum. She told me that my Tok Wan had just passed away, and that she was already on her way to go back to Kedah.

.......

I was speechless. Eventhough I was still in the meeting, I just can't stop thinking about the news. I went out of the meeting room, and called my sister to reconfirm. She told me that it's true, and that her family and my eldest sister's family are getting ready to leave for Kedah.

The moment the meeting finished, I told my boss about it and requested for emergency leave the following day. He approved it and even asked me to take the whole weekend off(it's during Plant Turnaround, we have to work even on weekends). I was so glad and went off home around noon, so that I can leave as soon as possible to Kedah.

On the way back from office to my house, I called my mum to tell her that I'll be coming back to Kedah. I asked how was everything over there, and she told me that Tok Wan hidup lagi dan tengah nazak. And I was like apsal pulak nie? Kata dah meninggal, apsal sekarang nie dying pulak?

It turns out that Tok Wan actually did not breathe for about 30 minutes! He still has pulses, really weak & slow pulses.. That is so weird.. Normally, the person's brain will be dead if that happens rite?

When I reached Tok Wan's house in Jitra, I saw him lying down on the mattress in the middle of the living room. He looked so weak and thin. Memang macam tinggal kulit dengan tulang. I really don't know how to react.

The last time I met up with Tok Wan, he was so healthy. Siap boleh naik motor lagi, eventhough he's already more than a hundred years old. It all started when he was diagnosed with a tumor in his head. After that he became weaker, till the current situation.

Panjang umur Tok Wan kan? Probably because all of his other siblings reached an age of more than 90 years old. Probably because he's a religious man and a Tok Imam. Probably because he told my uncle not to buried him after he died, before all of his children & grandchildren paid a visit.

My mum called me yesterday to tell that Tok Wan is getting healthier now. I was so glad, and I wished that he will live longer! Love you Tok Wan!

Disappointments

2005-07-12T10:58:00.000+08:00

Today I realized that I am not a good example of a leader.

I cannot decide on simple things in life. I guess it must be due to the way I think, the way I list down the pros and cons of everything, which in the end, really makes me confused on which one to choose. I prefer to accept orders, rather than making orders. I often cannot adapt quickly in any environment. It usually takes some time (actually long time) for me to be comfortable with anything. Really bad at organizing, which makes my work tasks a mess. Have a really really bad memory. I need constant reminding from other people so that things can run smoothly. Names easily slips through my brain, which is SO bad for networking and communicating with others. And it's really easy for me to feel guilty about the bad things that I do to other people.

I really need to do something about this, before it affects the other things that I enjoy. Damn! I'm so dissappointed at myself. I really envy how other people handle their tasks/jobs/plans or watever. When can I be one of those people? How can I change and be like that?

During high school, I think some people look up at me. I got really good grades, and got offers from several universities. But later in university, I'm really not that good. In the first few semesters, my CGPA was above 3. Then in the final year, it reached just below 3. Actually 2.97 to be exact! And now at work, rasa macam lembab giler!

I'm just an average (or probably below below average). Watever happened to the old me?

I'm a biohazard.

Bored Bored

2005-07-08T14:01:00.000+08:00

Is my life really that boring?

It has been quite some time since I last updated my blog and to tell you the truth, i really have no idea what to say (or in this case type).

Life is slow in Kerteh. Just go to work in the day, and after office hours go back to my house. Sometimes I'll drive to McD and buy some munchies as a reward of the day. But most of the time I'll be driving straight to home, watch Desperate Housewives(I downloaded from the net), take my shower, go for dinner, and later be back in my room. Thank god my room has streamyx, so that I can surf the net (which has now become my favourite past time). Before go to bed, I'll be talking on the phone with "you know who", wish goodnite, wash my face (so that I can put my expensive La Mer) and sometimes watch porn(Yes, I am a pervert).

Sometimes I think that my life sucks, but then again, there's nothing much that I can do? My very best friends are not here, my "you know who" is not here, and kinokuniya is not here. But I do have my PC, and my really special Rudy. :)

I guess we can't really have all the best things in life just a step away from us. Damn.

Up In The Sky

2005-06-21T14:50:00.000+08:00

A few weeks back, me and two of my friends were in KL, and were really out of ideas on where to hang out. Dah naik jemu ngan shopping malls. I gave an idea to go to KL Tower, and everyone agreed! So, here we come KL Tower! :)

We queued for a while, and when I bought the ticket, I was surprised that they actually have a different fee for malaysians! Non-malaysian adults pay RM15, and malaysians pay only RM7. Quite a bargain huh?

The Iranian crystal art at the lobby..

We took the elevator together with some foreign tourists. After entering the elevator, the attendent told us that the elevator ride would take about 7 minutes, and then she presses the one of the buttons on the panel.

The door closes.
All of us are SO excited.
Waited for a few seconds for the elevator to move.
Confused whether we are moving up, or not.
5 minutes has passed.
Still confused, and in doubts.
One of the tourist tried pushing the door open button.
Door open..
Turns out that we are at the BASEMENT.
Duh..

All of us laughed, thinking that we are speeding up the tower to the observation deck, only to find out that we went one floor down to the basement!

Upon reaching the observation deck, we went around and enjoyed the views. Eventhough this is my third visit, still tak boring-boring lagi.. Maybe because everything looks like a scene from Simcity huh?

I can see my yellow car!!

My best friend's office building.. :)

The iconic Petronas Twin Towers..

Mi Casa

2005-06-21T13:40:00.001+08:00

I recently moved into my new house, which is far nearer than my previous home. I was actually more excited than sad to leave for the new house. Yelah kan, takde la makan sorang-sorang lagi, ader streamyx, and the most important, lower fuel expenditure for work! Heheh..

I managed to move and organize all my stuffs within 2 days. Kinda tiring to drive three 90km return-trips, plus do the packing, loading, unloading and unpacking all alone. Huhu.. But the best thing is installing the new IKEA wardrobe! Best best.. dah la beli sendiri.. :))

The final result: I feel like I'm finally living in my "home". The size of the room is almost similar to my room in KL, so memang rasa macam bilik sendiri.

Grooming area..

Lets just hope nothing will say hi..

Goodies..

I love IKEA..

Mayor and the City

2005-06-03T13:07:00.000+08:00

I guess my bestfriends know that I have two jobs. Being an Engineer is my primary job, and being a Mayor/Urban Planner/Developer is my part-time job. Berangan sangat!

I take the responsibility of a Mayor after office hours, on my desktop PC, through a virtual world called SimCity 4. Yes, I am a SimCity nerd. I've been playing this city-simulator game since it first came out as SimCity 2000, then SimCity 3000, SimCity 3000 Unlimited, and now Simcity 4. So, basically I've been a part-time mayor for the last 11 years! Kinda amazing huh? Even Datuk Bandar KL pun tak lama camtu.. Hahah..

Of all the SimCity releases, I have to admit that SimCity 4 is by far the hardest, the most challenging, and the most realistic. At this moment, I only managed to create a region of several cities with a population of 1.8 million. The urban area in this region consists of large agricultural estates, big cities with towering high-rises, mountains, beach-front cities, deep harbours, industrial powerhouses, and sub-urban residential areas.

My goals at this moment: I wanna enlarge the cities area and increase the population to reach 2 million population.

Go Mayor!

The sims love the beach-side district created by visionary Mayor..

Late Night Work

2005-05-21T02:15:00.000+08:00

I got a phone call from my colleague, asking me to come to the plant at 12.45am. Yes, it was past midnight.

We were supposed to do the testing of the pump around 9pm, and I waited for the phone call as I was put on stand-by. I thought the testing session was gonna be postponed to the following morning, coz the installation work has been delayed. Rupa-rupanya tidak.. :(

So there I was , waking up around 12.45am, getting ready to go to work ASAP. It was raining really heavy at that time. So I drove slowly and carefully. Along the road to the Kerteh, there were 2 things that I bumped into. A couple of wild boars crossing the road, and a big herd of buffalos strolling by the roadside. Interesting...

I reached the office around 1.30am, getting ready for a few minutes with my personal protective equipments(PPE), and then off I go into the plant area. It was no longer raining, and the night (or should I say morning..) was really calm, minus the sound from the high pressure flares. I walked to the work site excitedly.

All of the testing works, including the preparation of the report, finished around 6am. I then drove back home, still wide awake, and managed to see the sunrise along the coast. And as it was drizzling a bit, there is also a rainbow. It really sets the mood, and made me so happy after the early long hours at Kerteh. It was simply wonderful! :)))

Sunrise.... sunrise..

Somewhere over the rainbow....

Come to Bed

2005-05-21T01:40:00.000+08:00

Before this, I stayed in the 2nd room, which is in the middle of the house. The room was only ok, as it doesn't have ceiling fan, and a window. The only ventilation for the room is the door and some small windows near the ceiling, which is not that sufficient. So it gets really warm most of the time, which makes me either wearing shorts only (which includes boxers and underwear), or just go naked in the room. Erk!

At that time, I shared the bathroom/toilet together with my other housemate. Pening kepala jugak kadang-kadang, coz it really annoys me that I will always be me the one who gonna clean the bathroom. EVERYTIME.

I already moved to the master bedroom, coz the previous occupant moved to KL. It was such a big transition compared to the old room. There is a ceiling fan, a window looking to the front of the house, much bigger size, and the most important, a connected bathroom! Yeay! No more meracau-racau about how lazy my housemate is to wash the toilet. :)

Nice and cosy...

Cinderella Anyone?

2005-05-18T11:20:00.000+08:00

I read a really interesting article in Readers' Digest about "How to live happily ever after?". Basically there are 4 stages that everyone has to experience before they can be considered in a happy long-term relationship. By the way, this is from scientific point of view..

1. Romance - The stage when 2 people starts falling in love, where everything is happy and perfect. There is a high level of oxytocin a.k.a bonding hormone that hides the irritating behavior of each person from one another.

2. Disillusionment - After romance stage, both people will start to think and notice that their partner is not perfect (in other words, full of flaws). They will start to feel anger, irritated, fear and insecure towards their partner. This stage is what the scientist call as a "normal chemical letdown", and it is due to hormonal and barin chemistry change.

3. Power Struggle - This is after still being together after the second stage. At this stage, each partner will try to encounter the chemical letdown by trying to change their partner, so that they will be like the person that they were (or thought they were) at the Romance stage.

4. Awakening - The couple finally realise that they cannot erase each persons individuality. They realise that after being too close, they need to psychologically separate, not physically. At this point, all the feelings (irritated, anger, fear) will be mostly ignored. They try to be not that emotional about the whole imperfection of their partner.

Ayoh pening la pulak kan cerita macam nie.. But the conclusion of the article is that, in order to have a happy long-term relationship, there must be enough independence, and enough togetherness. Both parties must realize that there must be a balance of separation and intimacy.

Heheh... cukup la.. penat.. huhu...

Pon Pon Pon.. Kereta Kecilku Berbunyi...

2005-05-18T10:48:00.000+08:00

Kuning bangat sihh..

About a month ago I bought my very first car, the yellow-coloured Proton Satria SE. Memang la cerita nie dah basi sikit, but I still wanna put it on my blog because I am really proud of it! :)) Nothing much to modify or add accessories to the car because for me, it is just perfect.

So far there are no major problems for the car, I guess I am lucky. Coz for most people, buying a Proton car means buying a car full of problems. But there is one little thing about the car window, it tends to stuck halfway. The solution: put some lube oil, or you can do some acrobatic stunt to pull and push the window up while driving.. Huhu...

Kerja Kerja....

2005-05-18T10:30:00.000+08:00

So far I have worked in Kerteh for about more than a month. Commuting about 40 minutes daily from my home to the office is still acceptable. But the thing that I'm not really comfortable with my new job is:

1. the fact that I will be on-call at least once in a month (each on-call schedule lasted for 24-hours for 7 consecutive days). The maximum distance from the plant is about 50 km radius. (There goes the weekend trip to kuantan & kl.. Huhu)

2. the job is really critical. Most of the works will be done during weekends or public holidays (when the plant load is lower), and each problem need to be rectified ASAP (kadang-kadang sampai 4 am!)

3. it requires strong technical knowledge! so i guess there will be a lot of stresses coming down the line.

Bile la nak boleh totally comfortable with this new job.....

Anyways, I still have some pictures from the Kerteh area, which i think are really nice and unique.. Enjoy!

Inside the huge plant complex.

Taken last wednesday before the storm.

Night picture of the "City of Lights" :P

Penang Reloaded

2005-04-29T03:35:00.000+08:00

Here are some of the pictures that I took during the trip to Penang..

The suspension bridge at Penang Hill.

The funicular train going up Penang Hill.

The indigo coloured Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.

A beautiful tree at botanical gardens.

The leisurely ferry ride from Penang Island to Butterworth.>

Island Glades

2005-04-28T13:20:00.000+08:00

KOMTAR - The landmark of Penang

Last weekend I went to Penang with a bunch of friends back from my boarding school and university years. We stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment at Batu Feringghi, which was really nice and cosy, at a bargain cost of RM 50! Yeay!

The thing that should never be missed when in Penang is of course the food! We had the pasembor, sotong bakar and laksa penang at Gurney Drive. It wasn't the best food but I guess the whole idea of eating under the stars at Gurney was really exciting. We also had some jeruk and cendol from Chowrasta Market, which was really cheap and tasty. For Nasi Kandar, we went to Kayu Nasi Kandar in the town centre, after close to one hour looking for Pelita Nasi Kandar, which is considered as one of the best in Penang. Tapi takpe la, lain kali makan kat Pelita Nasi Kandar kat Jln Ampang or Bangsar aje la...

We also went to Bukit Bendera a.k.a Penang Hill. The trip to the top of the hill was really scenic, and kinda thrilling coz the funicular train climb up the hill at 45 degress slope, and sometimes a lot steeper! I can't stop from thinking how would it be if the cable of the train snaps halfway on the way up, maybe it would feel like going down the steep hill into a water pit like in the log flume ride in Sunway Lagoon, except that there is no water pit, but a station crowded with tourists. Scary...

At the top of Penang Hill, we tried walking on the canopy walkway, which is actually a pedestrian suspension bridge from one tree to another tree, about 50 metres high above ground and about 100 metres in length. Definitely not for someone who is afraid of height, but it was such a feat and we were so proud to walk the whole length!

But the highlight of the Penang trip has to be the visit to Choong Fatt Tze Mansion. It's a really big and old mansion, with the trademark indigo exterior, and has won the best conservation project in Asia Pacific from UNESCO. The mansion used to be owned by one of the richest man in Asia, and was declared perfect by 116 Fengshui masters! Selalunya nak dapat perfect from only one fengshui master pun dah susah, ini 116. Hebat giler! Hmmm I love everything from the history, architecture, color and decorations of the mansion.

The Specialist

2005-04-28T10:05:00.000+08:00

Ahhhhh... lamanya tak post kat blog nie...

Just a week ago, I was transferred from my previous job at Kemaman to my current job in Kerteh. For people that is not familiar with Kerteh, it is located in Terengganu. It is the capital of oil and gas industries in Malaysia, with several process plants smack next to each other. So I guess working in this industrial area that scale must be really challenging, and it is SO true.

The beginning of the first day was fine, and my new colleagues were really helpful. Then as the hour goes by, after talking to some senior staffs, I realized that the job position that I'm holding is a Senior Engineer position! Erk, I just started working January last year, with no experience, tetiba kena jadik specialist.. Damn.

Huhu... So I guess there will be a LOT of confused and "tunggu kejap, saya check" situation when they ask for my "technical expertise"... Hmmm... Banyak la kena buat crash course to learn the technical things... :(

Oh My God!

2005-03-16T10:45:00.000+08:00

Last nite I formatted my PC. Like always, I will backup all the important and most importantly my 'treasure'.

After eating the KFC that I bought and completed the formatting, I tried to open the folder of my treasure.

"Erk............ Apsal takleh nak bukak folder ni?"

I was in shock! All the hard work to collect, save and download the treasure cannot be open, at all! It's right in front of your eye, but nothing can be done. Damn.

I really don't know what to do.........

huhu.........

Boogie Wonderland

2005-03-15T10:50:00.000+08:00

I realized most people are scared with this one particular thing, and no matter what you do, you still have to face it... It's not the annoying kid from Juon (though one of my bestfriends can make himself look like the kid), and it's not a Pontianak. It is what people call as loneliness. Even when you are smacked in the middle of the crowds in KLCC, loneliness seems to follow you like your shadows. Being far from your friends and families, without anything to do after work except watching astro and play SimCity4, life can be boring and sometimes so lonely. And having housemates but still feels like living alone is not helping at all.

And sometimes it's so puzzling coz you can still feel lonely eventhough you have someone special in your life. But I guess it's not that bad coz at least you have someone to talk & express your feelings.

I wonder, is there a point when you won't feel lonely at all?

Hide and Seek

2005-03-14T10:17:00.000+08:00

Hello~~~

Is there anybody here?