Bali Experience Revisited

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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..