Cheryl -_-"

Tony's Visit to Penang

2011-03-05T22:41:00.001+08:00

SH's friend - Tony came over to Malaysia.. again :) I guess he loves Malaysia to plan 2 trips under 6 months. LOL. Besides his unfortunate incident in Langkawi, luckily the rest of his trip seemed to go smoothly.

Thanks to my sis - who was our tour guide and driver for the day, we went over to War Museum for my very first visit. It was my sister's third visit. LOL. I am not a museum enthusiast. But, I have to say, this war museum differs from all the other 'standard' museums. This outdoor War Museum was located on the original defence complex built by British dated before World War II. This complicated fort has all the features of a typical defence facilities with underground military tunnels and ammunition bunkers.

The ammunition storage is located 9 meters underground with thick stonewall to enable it to withstand enemy's fire. That was me climbing 9 meters upward! The fort was taken over by Japanese later and after the war ended, it was abandoned for 60 years before it was turned into a tourist destination.

They have night tour in which visitors would have to walk around with a guide, holding torch light. I heard the experience was pretty scary.

Even during daytime, we could walk through the dark tunnels which were between 3 to 4 feet high. We used lights from our phones to try not to knock into walls.

This is part of the tunnel we walked through. So, if you are claustrophobic, acrophobic or achluophobic.. don't attempt to walk through the tunnel.

They have boards which show the slang used during the olden days.. like.. College means.. Prison! Wahaha!

Next, we had lunch and went over to Sleeping Buddha and Burmese temple downtown.

We went over to Batu Ferringhi.. and stopped at the beach opposite Spice Garden.

Before having dinner and sending Tony off to the airport, we made one last stop to the floating mosque. :)

Musang On The Roof

2011-03-02T23:54:00.004+08:00

In Penang, sometimes we heard sounds at night. The foot steps were too loud to be a cat but too soft to be anything much larger than a cat. Our neighbours behind our house told us it's musang. Musang is a small animal of Java (Paradoxirus fasciatus), allied to the civets.

How do we know when the musang visits us at night if we are too sound asleep?

That's definitely not a souvenir from a cat....

Damn you, musang! Even the rain couldn't wash away your.. souvenir!

Ai Tee's Early Birthday Celebration

2011-02-28T12:39:00.002+08:00

On February 16, we went over to Brotzeit - German Bier Bar & Restaurant, Mid Valley to celebrate Ai Tee's birthday.

They served set lunch at RM28++, which includes a choice of (1A) Tagessuppe (Soup of the day) or (1B) Kleiner Gartensalat (Small garden salad); and (2A) Huehnerbruestchen mit Knoblauchbutter (Chicken breast with garlic butter on mashed potato) or (2B) Boyerisches Iachsfilet mit gebackenem Kaese - Lauch - Tomatengemuese (Bavarian style baked salmon fillet with mozzarella - leek - tomato vegetables and spinach flade, or (2C) Schweinebauch mit Gemuesen vom Markt und Ofenkartoffel (Pork belly with market vegetables and baked potato served with sour cream and bacon bites); and Vanilla creme mit Rotweinfruechten (Vanilla creme with red wine berries).

Basically, you've a choice of starter, main course and a dessert. My German friend told me that if I can't type "u with 2 dots on top", I have to spell it as "ue".. Well, you may not even notice the spelling in the paragraph above. LOL.

This is (2A) Chicken breast. At first we thought it's salmon because.. it does look like one :P Anyway, the portion is extremely small. And chicken taste alright though.

We ordered pork ribs but they gave us pork knuckle.. We didn't bother to change it as it took quite long to reach us and we were too hungry. This pork knuckle cost RM85++ and it was very very filling. Just that, I personally prefer pork ribs instead of pork knuckle. The vegetables were too sour to my liking. But I guess Germans love pickled food.

My friends think the dessert is quite delicious but again, the berries were too sour to my liking. I guess I just can't take sour food :P

Happy birthday to Ai Tee :)

Tourist Scam in Langkawi

2011-02-21T23:51:00.000+08:00

My German friend visited Langkawi on Feb 20 and 21. On the morning of Feb 21, he kept telling me how much he loves Langkawi and he would love to visit Langkawi again in the near future to spend more time in Langkawi.

He rented a very old car (Proton) from Langkawi Discovery (Car Rental) near the airport. He paid for car insurance and had given RM50 deposit. When he was about to return his rented car, he went to the petrol station to pump fuel. There was another car nearby which was stationary, suddenly upon seeing his car, the other car charged forward to knock my friend's rented car, then accelerated away from the "accident" scene.

When my friend returned the car, citing that two witnesses saw the incident and they have noted down the other car number plate.. The staff from Langkawi Discovery said that they have checked and such number plate does not exist in Langkawi. Bear in mind that only the police and Road Transport Department (JPJ) are able to check for car number plates.

Six to seven men tried to prevent my friend from leaving even though his flight was in 30 minutes. Luckily he has checked in earlier. They asked for RM700 in compensation - even though it wasn't my friend's fault. They insisted to follow him to the ATM to withdraw money. My friend called and I asked him to reach the nearest police station. Now those "thugs" couldn't punch him and couldn't drag him to the ATM but they held him down. The police said this issue is between my friend and the car rental company.. and refused to intervene.

I told the police that my friend should just file a report stating the number plate of the hit-and-run car and they should follow up with it. After all, the police will be able to check the ownership of that vehicle in 5 minutes. But the car rental staffs said they will hold my friend against his will until the perpetrator is found! They said it's in the car rental agreement but obviously there is no such thing! The police did nothing!

At the very last minute, I told my friend to give RM200 and run to the boarding gate. But the 6 or 7 men refused and wanted more. In the end, they took RM500 from him before my friend ran to the plane.

Sigh, such extortion in Langkawi. Beware!

2011 CNY Music Video

2011-01-28T18:39:00.004+08:00

We will soon be celebrating the year of rabbit. We have filmed our very own Chinese Yew Year music video in early 2010 (for the year of tiger) for fun. This time round, we were much more ambitious.

HL (our director + script writer + video editor + actor) had brought an assistant (his friend) to join us at Thean Hou Temple for the video shoot.

HL explained to us the roles we would be playing. Of course we would be lip syncing the entire time. LOL.

We were using my Canon PowerShot SX110IS for the video recording.

We memorised our lines on the spot. LOL. Just 2 or 3 sentences of lyrics for each scene.

Simon helped out by being one of our crews to hold white board for better lighting.

We began our music video shoot. LOL.

Our first fan... LOL. We have no idea who he is.

Coincidentally, there was lion dance performance right in front of the temple - which we had also included into our music video.

It was sunny at first, and slowly, after a couple of hours, it began to drizzle.

Still, we managed to conclude our video shoot. We had lots of fun! You may watch the video here.

Disappointed with Bookworm

2011-01-07T08:57:00.012+08:00

Simon told me that he is very disappointed with Bookworm game by Popcap.. According to him, Bookworm does not recognise many words in its dictionary... He kept telling me the word is very common and asked me why the word is not found in the dictionary in Bookworm? I asked him what word he is referring to and he showed me this:

Siewpao!

LOL! Just kidding.. :P Siewpao is a local delicacy originated from Seremban.

Theng Keat and Chiew Yi's ROM

2011-01-02T00:11:00.002+08:00

55 couples got married on January 1, 2011 in Moral Uplifting Society in Penang - the most popular place for registration of marriage in Penang. LOL.

Congratulations to Chee Ching's sister - Chee Kiaw and her hubby!

Congratulations to my childhood friends - Chiew Yi and Theng Keat whom I've known since 8 years' old! The couple has been together for 12 years before tying the knot. Chiew Yi looked exceptionally gorgeous on that day, her parents couldn't even recognise her. LOL. Theng Keat must be beaming with pride! :)

The hall was really crowded... with 55 couples, their family and friends all squeezing into the same hall...

Our high school principal - Puan Chuah, who is now retired... became the marriage registrar.

Chee Kiaw looks gorgeous :)

Congratulations to all the couples! :)

Our New Pet Beagle Oddy

2011-01-01T22:55:00.007+08:00

My siblings and I have always love Beagles. We have always wanted Beagles since young but my parents only adopt dogs from relatives and friends - and Beagles weren't available for adoption back then.

Simon has been checking out Beagles for sale online - mudah.my and olx.com list many puppies for sale (along with many other items for sale). He found a pet shop along Jalan Pahang selling male and female Beagle puppies (7 weeks old) from RM799 onwards. The shop is known as Fairyland - situated diagonally opposite Setapak Police Station, same row as Mitsubishi show room.

We fell in love with Odie right away - the best looking male Beagle puppy compared to his other 3 brothers and 1 sister (two other sisters were sold). My brother named it Odie after Garfield's friend in the cartoon series. But my mom changed his name to Oddy instead as she doesn't like the 'die' in 'Odie'. LOL.

He likes biting and we had to stop him many times... The pet shop owner told us to spray vinegar + water (1:1 ratio) as an effective homemade dog repellent. Spraying on furnitures stops Oddy from biting as he sneezes whenever he was near those furnitures. But the effect only lasted a day and had to be reapplied. Anyway, Oddy doesn't bother to bite those furnitures after that.

Oddy is quite a fast-learner. He was easily trained as he would almost do anything for treats. He learned to respond to 'come', 'sit', 'up', 'stay', and 'down' commands within a week and now he's 8 weeks old :)

We'll be sending him up to my sister soon. She has more time to take care of Oddy than me. I'll miss Oddy :(

Rest In Peace Milo

2010-12-31T16:43:00.000+08:00

Our Pug-Spitz named Milo passed away at 14 years - which I believed is pretty old for a small-size dog.

We adopted him from our uncle in Johor. Milo had suffered from skin problems every now and then. My mom managed to take care of him till he recovered. Yet, when his fur was once again smooth, he passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 23.

Rest in peace, Milo.

Joan Ann's Wedding Ceremony

2010-12-27T18:58:00.072+08:00

On December 26, we were invited by Joan Ann to be her entourage. On arriving at the bride’s house, the groom’s party will be met by the bride’s friends, who will not ‘surrender’ the bride until they are satisfied that the groom's party have passed all the 'stages of games' the bride's friends have prepared :P

Joan Ann and I.. :) She has asked us to dress in chilli red. LOL

Ai Leen, Phaik Chin and Lena came all the way from Penang to join us...

We were fed breakfast :)

And, we were given ang pao :)

The bride and family :)

Here comes the groom and his entourage!

First, the groom needs to give us ang pao to unlock the grill door >:)

The heng dai even brought a cutter to pretend that they were going to break through the door. LOL. We were kinda annoyed by the dai kam jeh (the woman employed to guide the couple through the wedding ceremony and to say auspicious wishes) as she said by locking the grill door, we were hindering any good luck for the couple -_-"

Once we opened the door, the heng dai were asked to play a number of games: starting with challenging Yoga poses... Once again, the dai kam jeh tried to stop us by saying that we were too much -_-" Seriously, has she been to any other ceremonies?

Next, they were asked to drink specially made sweet, sour, bitter and spicy drinks...

Next, they were asked to paint their toe nails and some were asked to tie ribbons. At this stage, the dai kam jeh was pretty annoying.. she was saying that men who paint their toe nails will never have bright future ahead (OMG! Isn't she employed to say auspicious things on wedding day?)

But the guys had fun painting toe nails and posing for photos.. LOL

Next, one heng dai was asked to pick out red M&M from a plate of tapioca powder :)

Then, the groom was asked to read out promises to his wife, such as to take care of her, to entertain her when she's bored, to like her cooking etc :) HOWEVER, the dai kam jeh decided to intervene and said she must read it out loud first to decide if the groom is supposed to read it. She said she must check if there is anything inauspicious on the 'contract' which the groom shouldn't be reading out loud.

Finally, here comes the bride :)

Group photos before the bride left to go over to the groom's place :)

Upon reaching the groom's place, the couple had to pray.

Again, the dai kam jeh said she's tired and she went to the kitchen to rest and drink while everyone in the hall waited for her.

Then, they proceeded with the traditional Chinese wedding tea ceremony...

Then, kids lined up to take ang pao from the lovely couple.

The couple and the groom's family :) Congratulations!

Joan Ann's Wedding Dinner at Tai Thong Odeon

2010-12-26T17:48:00.000+08:00

A number of us attended Joan Ann's wedding dinner at Tai Thong Odeon in Kepong. It was Christmas Eve and the traffic was terrible almost everywhere.

We were all late, but so were half the wedding guests due to traffic jam. LOL

The few of us who managed to reach at 8:00pm...

Dinner started at 8pm+ and the couple gave a speech :)

A toast to all the guests :) Many guests went up the stage to sing even though they weren't really talented at singing... LOL

A group photo.. we have known each other for over a decade. :) Congratulations, Joan Ann and John :)

Han Lun's Farewell Party

2010-12-23T22:16:00.002+08:00

Yet another colleague is leaving us.. this time.. Han Lun has decided to pursue another job closer to home.

We bought pizza, KFC and a cake to eat in the office - because Regine said she must return to her office within the hour.. YET, she didn't even turn up for the party :P

Since we haven't had our Christmas party this year, we've celebrated Christmas at work as well.

Farewell Han Lun.. It is disheartening to lose another close colleague.. All the best to you!

Mochi from Taipei

2010-12-18T19:19:00.002+08:00

My sister asked me to buy Lychee Mochi from Taiwan but I couldn't find it. I bought a few different flavours for my family and colleagues. This is Custard Apple flavour.

On closer look, the direct translation doesn't make sense at all - Please do not attract one grain by to swallow. Basically, it's directly translated from the Chinese words. It supposed to mean "Please do not forcefully swallow the whole mochi at one go"... LOL

Ah Mao's Early Birthday Celebration

2010-12-16T00:25:00.002+08:00

We went over to Go Gung in The Gardens to celebrate Ah Mao's birthday. They have set meals available from RM18++ to RM25++. It comes with a main dish, kim chi, 2 slices of pancake (for RM20++ onwards), and rice.

For those who order set meal, you get 4 different types of side dishes. Please take note that their green tea is RM8 per glass. Plain water is free of charge. LOL.

Fang Liang did not order set meal but a typical Korean lunch set.

Yoon Onn ordered Bulbogi at RM25++. The portion was quite large. I tried some of the beef slices as well - quite delicious.

Simon ordered Dengjang Chigye which is basically seafood in miso soup - quite alright but the so-called seafood consists of only 5 small lala (clams) and a few tiny shrimps.

Ah Mao ordered Dolsot Bibimbab, which is basically minced meat + vegetables + egg.

Karyn ordered seafood udon.. according to her, the soup is quite plain - not really recommended.

We love their pancake. It is delicious when served hot - once it cools down, it becomes rather oily.

We have taken group photo in front of Go Gung.

Later in the office, we "surprised" Ah Mao with a birthday cake - not that he wasn't expecting it. LOL. This is Tiramisu from Baker's Cottage.

We bought a memory card for Ah Mao as birthday present.

Happy Birthday Ah Mao! :)

Day 5 in Taiwan

2010-12-15T12:07:00.000+08:00

On the last day in Taiwan, we went over to Xi Men Ding in the morning to shop.

Then, after troubling Vincent's friends again, we managed to get into Taipei International Floral Exposition (open till April 2011).

We visited one of the many pavillions available - Angel Life Pavillion.

First, we went to the tropical garden.

The flower arrangement is eye-catching.

You won't be able to finish visiting the whole exposition in a day. Many said it will take 3 days to visit the whole exposition if you are really into plants.

The exposition is quite crowded even during weekdays. Ai Tee told me that we have to queue up as early as 7.30am to get the tickets into each pavillion.

We went to watch one of the shows, which basically features a 10-minutes animation. I feel those animation in a few casinos in Macau is more impressive :P

More plants on display - and a caterpillar in a cocoon as well :)

After that, we had dinner in Taipei 101... and then bought tickets to the observatory deck.

Night view of Taipei city...

Taipei 101 has the fastest elevators in the world. It takes 39 seconds to the top (1,010m). After that, Vincent's friends drove us to the airport. We are very thankful to have them bringing us around.

Day 4 in Taiwan

2010-12-14T16:36:00.000+08:00

On Day 4, we checked out from High Wharf after breakfast. Vincent's friends came to pick us up.

They brought us to Shitoushan Park. Shitoushan is a foothill on the border of Miaoli and Hsinchu Counties. It has beautiful dense forests and rugged rocks.

The place used to be an off-limit area for the public in the olden days while the community on the island was still under the control of Chiang's regime.

The "Twin Candlesticks" rocks which can be seen from afar.

Ermm.. pretending to be sandwiched by "Twin Candlesticks"....

A group photo taken at the scenic spot.

After that, we went over to Ah Xie seafood restaurant in Ye Liu for lunch. The seafood dishes were fresh and quite tasty.

Later in the evening, we went over to ermm... somewhere (40 minutes drive from Taipei city) for dinner and karaoke.

After that, we checked into another hostel room in National Taiwan Normal University.. with 4 of us staying in one room, costing about TWD1,900 per night. This hostel imposes curfew (i.e. 11.30pm).

Day 3 in Taiwan

2010-12-13T16:02:00.000+08:00

High Wharf Bed and Breakfast overlooks hills and the sea. It is owned by a young man who only comes over to High Wharf whenever there is any room reservation.

It is a nice little place which offers peace and quiet environment. It is very well-kept, clean and tidy.

However, it is not really accessible as the only way to reach High Wharf is by car. Vincent's friend borrowed a seven-seater van from a friend to pick us up.

We went to Jin Gua Shi Shan to look at abandoned gold mine and the scenic view on the side of Kee Lung mountain.

When the rain water mixes with Iron and Carrollite, it is oxidized and catalyzed by bacteria within iron and becomes the yellowish-orange acidic water we see.

It was very windy. I shouldn't have trusted weather forecast. Weather.com stated that it would be 14 to 20 degree celsius everyday during my trip in Taiwan but it was only 9 degree celsius on Day 3 in Taiwan -_-"

Next, we went to Jiu Fen Old Street - another famous tourist attraction. Many local delicacies can be found along the streets.

We tried the minced meat with starch (tasted a bit weird) and the famous QQ (i.e. spongy texture) dessert. Ermm.. many may say the dishes were delicious but again, it wasn't quite what we would enjoy. I think many dishes were just over rated. LOL.

Vincent's friends then drove us all the way to Yi Lan to try pork intestine mian xian. Again, Simon refused to try it. But the dish actually tasted quite alright.

Then, we rushed to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to see guards changing at 5:00pm. Well, it wasn't really changing of the guards... the guards marched over to the flag pole, lowered the flag, folded the flag, kept the flag and marched to their office. It should be called... 'Capture The Flag'.. LOL!

There, 'capturing the flag' in action...

Later, we went over to Kee Lung night market for dinner.

Finally, we found something which Simon is actually able to swallow - Taiwanese sandwich.

We tried several Taiwanese delicacies. Some of the dishes were quite delicious as well. But, I still wouldn't say any of them is spectacular. LOL.

Day 2 in Taiwan

2010-12-12T15:50:00.036+08:00

The next day, we had breakfast in the university. The cafe was understaffed. We waited for almost an hour for our sandwiches. -_-"

Vincent's (Simon's cousin) friends in Taipei then brought us around. They brought us to Ding Tai Feng in Sogo for lunch. We had to trouble his Taiwanese friends to drive 2 cars to show us around since there were 6 of us.

After lunch, they brough us to Yang Ming Shan National Park. It is one of the eight national parks in Taiwan.

The National Park is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes and hiking trails.

Many in Taipei dress up their pet dogs...

Later, we went over to Xiao You Keng to look at sulphur spring.

Some even boil eggs at the sulfur spring.

It is a scenic and relaxing place.

At night, we had dinner at High Wharf where we stayed for the next two nights. The food is quite alright but Simon wasn't used to most of the food in Taiwan at all. LOL.

Day 1 in Taiwan

2010-12-11T15:23:00.003+08:00

We bought Air Asia flight tickets to Taiwan during promotional period for about RM560 per person (to and fro). We bought the tickets 8 months ahead. I flew over with Simon, his parents, his cousin and wife.

We stayed at one of the hostels in National Taiwan Normal University (Shi Da).. for about TWD2,200 per room per night. Our rooms come with ensuite bathroom, living room, and a mini pantry. The rooms are very clean and tidy.

They have other hostels within the same university at different price range. Ours include breakfast as well.

We went over to Shi Da night market for supper. This is one of the few dishes we tried at night.

Narnia 3 Movie Passes from Nuffnang

2010-12-02T18:12:00.000+08:00

After taking part in a contest organised by Nuffnang, I managed to get two movie passes to the Gala Premiere of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader one week before movie release in Malaysia! ;)

They tried to make the premiere looked grand.. LOL.. but without red carpet, celebrities and paparazzi, how grand can the premiere be? But, they do have loud music and a mockup of a ship helm in front of their big poster for photo taking purposes ;) And, many people actually lined up to take pictures.

In fact, if you want to wear Narnian costumes and take pictures... you could do so as well. LOL. Narnia 3 basically has more creatures: dragon, serpent, translucent mermaids, blue star/ woman (think Star Dust), Dufflepud, etc. But, I think they probably tried to fit too many things into one movie... still interesting to watch, though (or perhaps I'm biased because of a certain *cough* Ben *cough* Barnes)

Dinner with Jason and Shu Yun

2010-11-26T12:49:00.003+08:00

KK, HL, Ah Mao, Simon and I are not able to make it to our ex-colleagues - Jason and Shu Yun's wedding dinner in early December... So, we have decided to invite the couple out for dinner instead :)

We went over to Chili's in Midvalley Megamall for dinner. We ordered bottomless tostadas to munch while waiting for our main course.

I think they were a bit understaffed as I had to wave frantically for quite long before any waiter noticed us -_-" But, I like my chicken and mushroom dish though :)

Congratulations to SY and Jason once again. :)

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010

2010-11-23T00:10:00.000+08:00

Simon, my sister and I joined Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) 2010 on November 21. We took part in the 10km men/ women run. Simon and I received our race kit earlier.

My sister went to collect her race kit a day before the marathon, in front of Queensbay Mall.

Compared to the other marathons I've particitpated in, the race kit is quite pathetic - with only a top, two packets of analgesic cream, New Balance discount voucher, Fitness Concept trial membership and medication - all in a single small bag. However, I believed most of the prizes go to the ones who really deserve the prizes - the ones who were the first few to complete the race! RM15,000 cash prize for the first man to complete full marathon, RM8000 to first runner-up, RM4500 to third runner-up, and so on :)

Thanks to my mom for waking up early to prepare breakfast for us. My mom then sent us to Queensbay Mall at 6:00am. We started the race about 10 minutes late and we have never trained for the 10km run/ walk. I am the weakling slowing down Simon and my sister... LOL!

Despite the fact that we were already slow, we couldn't resist taking pictures on the bridge. :)

We managed to complete 10km walk/ run in 1 hour 40 minutes.. (well, since we started 10 minutes late, shall I say, we completed the walk in 1 hour 30 minutes. LOL)

The newspaper published that many complained for not reaching the airport in time due to road closure (on Penang Bridge). But there was announcement on all media, road signs everywhere that Penang Bridge would be closed from 1:00am till 10:00am since weeks, if not months ahead. Which idiot chose to blame the organiser, seriously? In fact, I paid for this run months ahead. If I were to book air ticket, I would be damn sure to avoid the ONLY day (Sunday) the bridge is closed to traffic. Duh!

Monash University Postgraduate Association Gathering

2010-11-16T08:24:00.000+08:00

Monash University Postgraduate Association (MUPA) organised a social gathering on November 12. It's for us to get to know our representatives and voice our concerns of anything related to our university life. More importantly, Monash provides a variety of food and drinks (including pizzas from Dominos). LOL.

We were also given a free T-shirt each :)

I Am A Kindle Addict

2010-11-15T13:07:00.006+08:00

I should have known it. As someone who could read a 400-page book in a few hours, naturally, Kindle has become my biggest temptation. It was only recently that I realised I might have a problem. Is there a Kindle Addict (Kindict) Anonymous Club? "Hi, my name is CC. And, I'm a Kindle Addict." In fact, I believe E4 and her mom need to join the club as well.

Simon picked me up to go to work. As he drove off, I forgot about my watch and my Kindle. I demanded that he turn back so that I could grab my watch. Simon looked at me in disbelief and asked: "Are you sure it's not just about Kindie?" (Kindie - my pet name for my Kindle) He didn't sound too happy with the idea but turned back anyway. I was determined. What if there was a wait for breakfast, or a traffic jam or a flash flood? (After all, Simon eats slow) In fact, nowadays I am actually happy when there is flight delay - this means I could spend more time reading at the boarding gate (After all, I hate having to turn off all electronic devices during take off and landing). Long flights? No problem, I have my Kindle with me.

In fact, Simon was the one Googling about Kindle Addict to subtly tell me how much I have neglected him. I know why. When I read my Kindle, the world disappears. I couldn't hear my boyfriend calling my name. Simon snatched my Kindle away a couple of times and tried to hide it.

As soon as I finished one book, I could download another in a few seconds and pick up reading again before withdrawal started to set in. Ahhh.. withdrawal... it happens right after every good read, when we are able to finish reading a good book in a day, and the author takes a few months to write another book. It leaves us wandering aimlessly in the bookstore (or in this case, on eBooks sites) hunting for another good read. It does not stop there. When I had nightmare yesterday that there was a scratch on my Kindle, I knew I have gone too far.

According to Kindicted.com:

tr.v. kin·dict·ed, kin·dicts, kin·dic·tion

To cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on Amazon's Kindle book reader: The librarian was kindicted.

n. One who is kindicted.

So here I am, writing this blog post, realising I have just missed my lunch time reading. It is a worse feeling than forgetting to put on my watch in the morning. My crossbody bag, lying on the desk next to me, is calling to me to unzip it, take out my Kindle, and get lost in another story. How can I resist?

Note: Picture of 'Kindicted' taken from http://www.kindicted.com/

Ganesan's Early Birthday Celebration

2010-11-12T17:24:00.000+08:00

9 of us celebrated Ganesan's birthday (a day earlier) at Hoagies in Sooka Sentral... We like their Butter Milk rice and Portuguese rice :)

Later in the afternoon, we sang birthday song. Thanks to KK for buying La'Opera (coffee + chocolate) cake from Baker's Cottage :)

Happy Birthday, Ganesan!

We hope you like your birthday gift! :)

Buffet Dinner at Terrazza in Grand Dorsett Subang

2010-11-07T12:05:00.000+08:00

My family came to KL for Deepavali holidays. Simon's family brought us to Terrazza in Grant Dorsett Subang (Formerly known as Sheraton Subang) for buffet dinner.

The restaurant serves international cuisine. But, because it was Deepavali, more variety of Indian food was served.

I would say the food selection was not wide and the food quality was just so-so. In fact, most of the food (even at Grill/ BBQ corner) turned out to be cold. There were a few dishes which were quite delicious - oven baked butter fish - which was quickly snatched away by many hungry patrons. LOL

There was an ice sculpture which probably melted to the extent that we could not recongise what it was portraying... Anyway, we still managed to overeat. :)

My Dad Had Shingles!

2010-11-06T11:43:00.000+08:00

My dad was suffering from shingles! Before a rash is visible, the patient may notice several days to a week of burning pain and sensitive skin. In my dad's case, he had muscle ache to the extent that he could hardly sleep for almost a week.. He went to see doctor but when the characteristic rash is not yet apparent, it may be difficult to determine the cause of the often severe pain.

Shingles is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles is contagious. Shingles can be spread from an affected person to children or adults who have not had chickenpox. But instead of developing shingles, these people develop chickenpox. Once they have had chickenpox, people cannot catch shingles (or contract the virus) from someone else. Once infected, however, people have the potential to develop shingles later in life.

Shingles usually affect adults over 60 years of age. It is important to take note of the common symptoms. My dad is given antiviral and pain medications.

It Has Been A Year

2010-10-31T11:02:00.000+08:00

It has been a year since my grandpa passed away. We returned to Penang to pray. My aunt from Singapore flew over as well.

The memorial was published in newspaper (Kwong Wah Daily). The poem is written by Uncle Ivan.
Within the year, I have dreamt of my grandpa for 4 times. In my dreams, he was happy, he looked like he was glowing. He was STILL watching over his business - I guessed sometimes even in my dreams, he would never change :)

You Again Movie Passes from Nuffnang

2010-10-23T08:13:00.011+08:00

After writing the blog post to participate in one of the contests organised by Nuffnang, I managed to get two free movie passes to watch the movie on October 22 at e@The Curve.

The show is quite entertaining. It's predictable but quite enjoyable to see 3 generations of cat fight. LOL.

My Kindle 3

2010-10-18T18:10:00.031+08:00

Thanks to E4 for bringing my newly purchased Kindle Wireless Reading Device, 6" Display from US! (Saves me the delivery fee!) It costs US$139 (MYR440).. Kindle is Amazon's #1 bestselling item for two years running.

My Kindle 3 has 50% better contrast compared to older versions. We can read Kindles in bright sunlight (no glare). It weighs only 8.5 ounces (0.24 kg) and a single charge battery lasts up to one month with wireless off (and 3 weeks with wireless on). I can browse Internet with its WebKit based browser on Wi-Fi (but with limited browser capabilities - I can still check emails and stuff). With built-in dictionary lookup, I don't have to ignore certain bombastic words when I read. LOL. I'm loving it!

This Kindle can hold up to 3,500 Books (About 3Gb storage). Even if I'm bored, I can play Minesweeper and Godoku on Kindle! :) It has text-to-speech capability. Well, I can listen to MP3 on the go as well. :) I read a book a week on average. However, On the negative side, I can't create folders or have a better organizational system. I have to search for a particular book I want to read stored in my Kindle.

Kindle treats pdf files as image files, therefore I had problems changing font size when I read. Not to worry, all I have to do is to download Calibre E-book Management and convert pdf files into mobi files - and ta da! I can flip through pages with ease, change font size, run text-to-speech.. etc ;)

It feels like holding a book (actually it's lighter than a book) :) It looks like a paperback book. There is no backlight, so you can't read in the dark - just like you can't read a normal book in the dark. LOL.

And guess what? MPH in Malaysia is selling e-readers as well:

1. iRiver Story: Read up to 30 books (3-4 hours day for a week.. hmm.. 28 hours? That means the battery lasts only a little over a day?), listen to MP3, and has a SD card slot. For how much? RM999

2. iRiver Cover Story: 2 Gb storage, weighs 0.28 kg, battery life span up to 11,000 pages, listen to MP3, and has a SD card slot. For how much? RM1,199

3. Hanlin V60: 2Gb storage, weighs 0.24kg, listen to MP3, and has a SD card slot. For how much? RM849

4. BenQ nReader K60 selling at RM1,099 and Oaxis for RM649.

Kindle is not delivered to Malaysia (yet) but you can always use V-Post to re-route your package to you :) Delivery fee should be around RM70.

Please note that most of the Kindle edition eBooks are only available to U.S. residents only. Please refer to a very detailed explanation by Jeff for steps to purchase Kindle eBooks if you live outside of U.S.

Sushi King RM2 Bonanza

2010-10-12T08:15:00.009+08:00

It's that time of the year again.. Sushi King RM2 Bonanza! Unfortunately, we don't go for the promotion during lunch time since the branch at Sooka Sentral closed down several months ago. Well, I guess they couldn't sustain their business after office hours!

We went to Subang Parade on Oct 11.. Shockingly, there was no queue at 6.30pm.. Ricky managed to get a good spot at the Kaiten belt.. so we only had one strong competitor to deal with (the table on the opposite side)..

It was a good table where we get to be the first to grab hold of sushi.. LOL! We had lots of unagi, tempura, fried scallops, smoked salmon etc.. :)

Karyn's Early Birthday Celebration

2010-10-11T19:39:00.000+08:00

We went to Alexis at The Gardens to celebrate Karyn's birthday.

We ordered Pollo Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, Spaghetti Carbonara, Linguine Pesto and Tomato Bruschetta to share.. the portion served used to be larger. The food was delicious but quite pricey at RM38++ per dish.

We took a number of group pictures before we leave the restaurant. :)

We bought sportswear for Karyn and American Chocolate cake from Baker's Cottage :)

Yoon Onn's Birthday Celebration

2010-10-09T12:55:00.028+08:00

We celebrated Yoon Onn's birthday on October 7, at Basil Thai Nudle Bar in Bangsar Village. They are under the same management as Amarin Heavenly Thai in Midvalley Megamall. We wanted to head to D'Lish initially but it was closed down!

We brought Yoon Onn's birthday gift along as well, but accidentally left his card in the office :)

It's a Reebok T-shirt, similar to the Nike shirt YO was wearing on the same day. LOL

We ordered mix combo platter and prawn/ squid with chilli sauce to share, and beef noodle soup, red tomyam seafood soup, keoy teow with chicken and black olives fried rice. I love my beef noodle soup. The rest said their dishes were delicious too. The dishes were quite reasonably priced at around RM13.90 per dish. Plus, we get 15 percent discount by using CIMB/ Direct Access credit card :)

YO told us not to buy birthday cake for him... initially, we planned to get him a cupcake at D'Lish, but unfortunately, the restaurant is no longer in Bangsar Village. YO is happy with candle and birthday tag on a piece of cucumber -_-"

We took a few group pictures before returning to the office :)

Dinner at Favola in Le Meridien

2010-10-07T00:24:00.092+08:00

Two employees from our company were invited to Appreciation Dinner organised by Le Meridien Hotel.. Since Azalea was the contact person, I was asked to tag along as well. Of course I went along happily.

We went to Favola Italian Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant replaced Middle Eastern Al-Nafourah Restaurant which we had our annual dinner in January 2008. I didn't really enjoy the food at Al-Nafourah. However, I am glad to say I enjoyed dining at Favola :)

Hand-made masks hanging on the wall.. which cost Le Meridien a total of RM35,000.. *Gasp*

We started off with bread and 3 special sauces (i.e. olive oil with vinegar, mushroom-like sauce and avocado dip.. I think). I love the garlic cheese bread with a hint of spice. Then, Cold Antipasti was served (i.e. Octopus tossed with chopped garlic, chili flakes, sea salt and olive oil; seafood salad; smoked salmon; and Caprese, a unique salad of buffalo mozzarella layered between slices of tomato, basil, anchovies, garlic confit, and oregano)

After that, we had Spicy Lamb Sausage + Grilled Artichoke + Traditional Pizza which was delicious!

Then we had Zuppa di Pesce alla Marinara (seafood tomato and saffron soup with garlic toast) which tasted a bit like Penang Hokkien Mee soup (The chef is going to kill me).. LOL.

Next, we had main course, from a choice of Grilled Garlic and herbs Marinated Grain Fed Chicken or Lemon and Chive Crusted Snow Fish.. I chose chicken.. and pinched some of Azalea's snow fish.. We both think that the chicken tasted delicious where as the fish is a bit hard...

Last but not least, Illy Coffee Inspired Tiramisu - one of their signature desserts.. which is creamy and not too sweet. But, I couldn't even finish half of the given portion..

Thanks to Le Meridien for sponsoring such wonderful dinner! I was so full I didn't even feel like eating breakfast the next morning.. LOL!

(Note: Food names and descriptions are shamelessly plagiarised from Alilfatmonkey's blog, since I have poor memory. Some pictures are taken from Ah Mok, Soyan Butterfly, and Le Meridien)

FAVOLA

Level 8, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur,
No.2, Jalan Stesen Sentral,
Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2263 7434 (Dining Reservations)
Lunch Menu, Dinner Menu, Dessert Menu

Yin Fern's Newborn

2010-10-06T12:47:00.000+08:00

Our ex-colleague - Yin Fern, gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Pantai Hospital today.

Simon and I bought a gift for the baby.

Fern's son is named Ivan Yap Sheng Wen. He weighs about 3.22kg. :) Congratulations Fern! :)

Monash HDR Gathering

2010-10-04T23:23:00.035+08:00

On October 4, I went over to Monash University after work to attend HDR (Higher Degree by Research) gathering.. just a simple get-together for HDR students to voice their opinion.. usually pertaining to any complaints. As usual, a simple buffet dinner was served :)

There were 22 PhD students in School of Business at Monash University Sunway Campus. Out of these 22 students, only 8 are on full-time basis. No wonder I didn't seem to notice there were that many candidates... I am happy to say that I am a satisfied student, regardless of minor complaints here and there. But, with full scholarship, stipend (for full-time students), lots of trainings and seminars, local annual doctoral colloquium (fully sponsored by Monash University, inclusive of flight ticket, accommodation, food, tour and conference material: 2008, 2009), a paid trip to Monash Australia for doctoral conference, research grant for my research work, proof reading of our theses and funds for journal and conference publications.. Those minor complaints seem trivial!

The minor complaints are the need for ample parking spaces, bigger individual work desk, and better library resources.. which have been looked at by the dedicated staff. Well, there are good reasons why I am in Monash for many years :)

Monash Alumni Dinner

2010-10-02T23:10:00.000+08:00

On September 29, I attended Monash Alumni Dinner at Hilton KL. The event (inclusive of a simple buffet dinner) was sponsored by Monash University. There was a talk entitled "The Taste of Tweet Success: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Business Success" given by three distinguished speakers - Mr Premesh Chandran, co-founder of Malaysiakini.com, Dato' Dr Michael Yeoh - Founder, Executive Director and CEO of Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, and Associate Professor Colin McLeod from Monash University's Australian Centre for Retail Studies.

The talk discussed how social media phenomenon is changing the very nature in which we communicate and revolutionising the way we do business.

I met only two alumnus whom I recognised. For more information on Monash Alumni events, please click here.

Kim Ping's Wedding Dinner at Starview Restaurant

2010-09-26T15:56:00.018+08:00

I attended Kim Ping's wedding in Penang on September 25.. The wedding dinner was held at Starview Restaurant in New World Park..

The bride and bridegroom walked into the restaurant..

The portion of the dishes was quite huge.. I was quite full by the time the third dish was served..

Seok Liew brought her adorable daughter to the restaurant as well.. :)

We took a few group pictures :)

Champagne pouring and cake cutting ceremony :)

Bride, bridegroom and the guests at our table :)

One last group photo before we bid farewell to Kim Ping and Choo.. :)

CK's Farewell at Zen

2010-09-21T18:56:00.010+08:00

Yet another colleague is leaving us.. CK is the 58th colleague who left my company after I joined.. LOL.

We went over to Zen at Sooka Sentral for his farewell lunch. We ran out of ideas where to go for farewells! The food was just so-so, some too dry, some not tasty.. nothing spectacular..

Goodbye CK! All the best to you!

Ampang Lookout Point

2010-09-18T23:33:00.021+08:00

On Malaysia Day (September 16), Simon and I brought his parents to Ampang Lookout Point for dinner. It features a look out point tower for visitors to enjoy an breathtaking unobstructed view of Kuala Lumpur with a few restaurants great for gatherings and meals.

The food is so-so and reasonably priced. It is a relaxing place though. We get to see many customers taking sunset pictures... I managed to snap a few photos with my phone.

The best time to reach there would be sometime before the sun sets. We were there till night fall. My phone does not do much justice to the view. You have to see it yourself to enjoy the view. If you have a good camera, you could take pictures like this:

Ta-da! Much better. This picture is copied from vkeong.com :)

Hui Ling and Joanna's Farewell at Hoagies

2010-09-15T19:31:00.007+08:00

It was Hui Ling and Joanna's last day of internship with us on September 15. They are both from MMU.

We went to Hoagies at Sooka Sentral to have farewell lunch with them.

We took a few group pictures. They are the last two interns in our company - until our next recruitment (if any).

Joanna gave us a can of Famous Amos Cookies which we managed to finish on the same day :) All the best to our ex-interns! :)

Don't Play With Food

2010-09-13T20:03:00.003+08:00

When Simon couldn't finish his bowl of noodles.. he played with his food.

This was what happened when he played with fish ball, fried garlic, spring onion and.. jelly (leong fun) from his Soya Bean Cincau...

Lay Cheng's Wedding Dinner at Vistana

2010-09-11T00:02:00.025+08:00

I attended my high school friend - Lay Cheng's wedding dinner at Vistana Hotel, Penang on September 10.

I met up with a number of high school friends as well.. :)

The ballroom looks nice, but we thought the stage was a bit too high up.. it was difficult for photographers to take pictures! The food was served promptly.. unfortunately, most of the dishes were either cold or almost tasteless.

The wedding dinner went smoothly..

Guests at our table :)

Jason Kho's Farewell at Hoagies

2010-09-10T19:01:00.001+08:00

Yet another colleague bid farewell to us... This time, we had farewell lunch with Jason at Hoagies..

I like their butter milk rice :) Their Portuguese rice is quite delicious as well :)

All the best!

Han Lun's Birthday Celebration at Red Box

2010-09-09T23:00:00.001+08:00

We celebrated Han Lun's birthday at Red Box Karaoke in The Gardens..

We had fun singing and chatting... but can't say the same about the food.. The food is just terrible. Simon's cheese baked rice is over-cooked and almost tasteless... My fried Udon is kinda oily...

Then, we sang birthday song in the office...

And, presented him with a gift.. unfortunately, since the gifts were out of stock, we printed pictures instead. LOL. The gifts had been ordered and are on their way to be delivered... LOL!

Happy Birthday, Han Lun!

Trip to Negeri Sembilan and Melaka

2010-09-07T23:29:00.072+08:00

On Sept 5, Simon and I brought Tony to Negeri Sembilan and Melaka. We didn't know there are actually tourist attractions in Negeri Sembilan. But, according to Tony's guide book, it seems that Negeri Sembilan is one of the top 5 must-visit places in Malaysia!

That's the Royal Museum of Seri Menanti in Kuala Pilah. It was built in 1902 and completed in 1908. An interesting fact about the building is that it was built without a single metal nail. Thanks to KK for directing us to the new highway - LEKAS - heading to Negeri Sembilan from Kuala Lumpur was just.. challenging to keep to the speed limit :P

Apparently, KK said the place is frequently visited by foreigners.. Hmm.. I never knew this place existed!

At least I think the garden looked nice.. LOL

Then, we drove over to Cultural Arts Centre in Seremban... which again, I didn't know it existed...

Those are 1:1 replica of Minangkabau houses.. But I find the door a bit narrow.. like it was meant for.. Hobbits? :P

Then, we drove over to Jonker Street in Melaka to have our lunch... That's the famous 88 Jonker.. serving local delicacies..

That's another famous local delicacies.. Chicken Rice Ball.. but we didn't try it out since we had our lunch at 88 Jonker...

We walked around famous tourist attractions.. including St. Paul's Church and A Famosa..

Next, we walked over to the Maritime Museum... It shows us a Portuguese Galleon.. Melaka was ruled by the Portuguese from 1511-164, the Dutch from 1641-1795, the British from 1795-1941, the Japanese from 1941-1945, and again the British from 1945-1957 before Malaysia gained independence.

We took the River Cruise at RM10 per adult for 45 minutes ride. If you head to the tourist information centre opposite the famous Portuguese red buildings near St. Paul's Church, you can get a map where you can cut out a discount voucher - to get 10% dicount for River Cruise ride.

Next, we walked over to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.. Tony said the temples are different from those in Japan.. because the roof is colourful.. I never knew that even though I visited so many temples and shrines in Japan.. LOL!

We returned to Kuala Lumpur at night and brought Tony to K.T.Z. in SS2 where he enjoyed the food. LOL

Tony's Visit to Malaysia

2010-09-06T00:30:00.014+08:00

KK, WC and I met Seow Hui's friend (Tony) in Tokyo. He's from Germany and he's currently studying in Tokyo University. He has decided to come over to Malaysia for a 9-days visit. KK suggested to bring Tony to Ampang Lookout Point for dinner..

We had dinner at Gasoline - one of the dining places at Lookout Point. The food is so-so and they forgot about my order. I asked one of the waiters to check my order, he stared at me and walked away - without checking on my order -_-" I had my dinner AFTER everyone elses at my table finished theirs -_-"

Later, we brought Tony to Pasar Malam (Night Market), tried a number of local delicacies.. including Durian.. Now, we know that Europeans hate durian. Tony said it smelled really bad to him. He couldn't describe the taste but managed to force himself to finish one small piece. LOL

Tony bought some souvenirs for us from Tokyo as well :)

Day 5 in Macau

2010-08-31T21:02:00.003+08:00

On August 31, our tour guide brought us to Venetian Casino...

We wanted to take the Gondola ride.. but it was expensive.. 108 Pataca per person for a short 15 minutes ride -_-"...

Then, we went over to City of Dreams.. a newly opened casino opposite Venetian...

They have a big display at their main entrance, which looked like a giant aquarium.. with animated mermaids and fishes :)

We took the tour passes to watch The Bubble.. it was still free of charge.. part of their opening promotion..

The award-winning show was pretty impressive!

It made spectators felt like they were trapped inside a bubble.. with majestic creatures trying to break into your bubble... LOL

The only problem was that.. your neck and shoulder would probably ache after the show.. for staring into the ceiling too long... LOL. Then, we returned to Kuala Lumpur in the evening... ending our 5 days trip.

Day 4 in Zhu Hai and Macau

2010-08-30T23:46:00.000+08:00

On August 30, our tour guide brought us to Zhu Hai (3 hours drive from Shen Zhen)... We had our lunch at Zhu Hai and shopped for an hour near the immigration check point...

In Macau, we first stopped by a Guan Yin status - a bronze figure measuring 20 meters in height, the statue stands on a 7 meter high lotus, with a religious information center located immediately below. The overall site is better known as the Kun Iam Ecumenical Center.

We then went over to A Ma Temple... It is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Macau. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

A trip to Macau is never complete without a picture at St Paul's Ruin.... again... LOL

We then went over to Fisherman's Wharf.. A waste of time really... it wasn't even open for business.. DUH!

Next, we stopped by Senado Square for an hour.. Of course, how could we ever miss the steamed milk pudding from Yee Shun?

Later, we had dinner near Senado Square before checking into Royal Hotel in Macau...

We then went over to Wynn Casino to look at Rotunda Show.. the show starts every 30 minutes once..

Above the tree, the rotunda’s cupola opens and a giant chandelier appears.

A gold tree rises up from below the ground and turns majestically. The leaves on this 33-foot ‘Tree of Prosperity’ are 24-karat gold.

Day 3 in Shen Zhen

2010-08-29T23:28:00.001+08:00

On August 29, our tour guide took us to Shen Zhen by coach. We stopped at Windows of the World right after we crossed the border...

It has about 130 reproductions of some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world squeezed into 48 hectares (480,000 square meters). The 108 meter (354 ft) tall Eiffel Tower dominates the skyline and the sight of the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal all in proximity to each other are all part of the appeal of this theme park.

Hmm... Long papaya and short banana? :P

Visitors have to pay for the camel ride...

We stopped by at Niagara Falls.. Hmm.. I would love to go to the REAL one.. LOL

Simon asked me to meditate in front of the Niagara Falls...

I've also climbed the.. fake Eiffel Tower... LOL..

I've also taken picture in front of The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.. which is a triumphal arch (originally) in Paris...

We saw a few couples taking wedding pictures at the park as well.. I mean, taking wedding photos with backdrop of all the wonders of the world... Hmm.. saves time and cost huh? LOL

Shen Zhen is quite a young city... 30 years old.. but at 30, it looked so much more developed than Malaysia (53 years' old).. Sometimes I wonder where Malaysia is heading to -_-" A bit sad, really.

We also stopped by Luo Hu for shopping... It is quite a scary place.. Our tour guide told us to be careful.. pick pocket is rampant.. Other scams include returning fake money to unsuspecting customers.. That was why even the staff at McDonald's double checked the 100 Yuan notes I had given her.. But, it was indeed a shopping heaven.. for fake goods.. LOL

Next, we went over to Splendid China.. It as scaled down replicas of China's historical buildings, wonderful scenes and folk customs. The scale models are in the main in a ratio of 1:15 and the exhibits are positioned to replicate their geographical locations.

We went ahead to watch the cultural show.. it was a bit slow in the beginning I supposed. Maybe because I was expecting acrobatic stunts.. LOL

Simon's dad rang the bell 4 times for good luck...

Later in the evening, we retired to our hotel rooms in Days Inn. We had our dinner at the Chinese restaurant in the same hotel as well. The hotel is located at the city's famous commercial centre, Dong Men shopping street. The deluxe suite costs about 650 Yuan per night...

Day 2 in Hong Kong

2010-08-28T23:15:00.000+08:00

On August 28, we had Dim Sum at a nearby Chinese restaurant for breakfast.

They served this creamy pao as one of their specialty dishes... basically it's just like cream puff. LOL

Then, we went to Disneyland since I haven't been there when I went over to Hong Kong in 2008.

August is not really the right time to head over to Hong Kong as the weather was REALLY hot...

I couldn't imagine how the staff could dance in these costumes... I was sweating like a pig by just walking from entrance to the parade area...

I managed to take a picture with Buzz Lightyear's assistant.. :)

Then, it rained heavily for an hour.. -_-"

That was Belle from Beauty and The Beast.. hmm.. no pun intended! LOL

We went up to Tarzan's Tree House..

Disneyland Hong Kong was quite crowded.. despite the bad weather...

The entrance fee into Disneyland was HKD350 per adult. Heck, for that price, I might as well go over to Ocean Park! LOL. Now, even the souvenirs are.. pricey!

In the evening, we went over to Simon's aunt's restaurant in Wan Chai.. where they served us royally.. We couldn't even finish our dinner!

Then, Simon's aunt brought us to enjoy the night view nearby :)

That's the Golden Bauhinia.. The sculpture is very deemed an important symbol for the Hong Kong people after reunification.

Day 1 in Hong Kong

2010-08-27T23:49:00.031+08:00

Simon's Dad's company organised a company trip to Hong Kong, Shen Zhen and Macau and we happen to tag along for the trip as well.. since it's a long weekend with 2 public holidays :)

32 of us joined the trip organised by Harper's Travel. I don't usually fancy joining tour group. I've always prefer free and easy. I feel that without joining tour group, I get to learn the routes to take, the location of the tourist attractions etc.. I guess I get to know the country a bit more if I'm not dependent on tour guides :)

We've reached Hong Kong in the evening on August 27, Friday.. It's my second visit to the city.. We stayed at Empire Kowloon Hotel.. located at the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui and is 35km from Chek Lap Kok International Airport... The hotel offers direct access to the shopping area of Nathan Road.

The view is quite spectacular as well.. :) It is about HKD800 per room (suite) per night...

The room is really comfortable..

We then had our dinner at a Chinese restaurant nearby before walking around at night for shopping.

Going The Distance Movie Passes from Nuffnang

2010-08-26T23:45:00.000+08:00

After writing about Going the Distance on my blog, I've received two free movie passes from Nuffnang to watch the movie on August 26 at GSC Midvalley Megamall.. It's a romantic comedy centered on a guy and a girl who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between Chicago and Los Angeles to see one another.

The storyline is pretty much straightforward and fairly predictable, so, luckily I didn't have to pay to watch it :P But, it's still enjoyable. There were a few laughs with jokes, sight-gags, hilarious situations, and one-liners..

We also get a button tag from Nuffnang.. Hmm... What should I do with it? LOL

Hui Yee's Birthday Celebration

2010-08-16T20:40:00.000+08:00

Ai Tee and I went out with Hui Yee for her birthday celebration at Dragon-I, Midvalley Megamall on August 14.. Unfortunately, Ling Chin and Emily Yee couldn't join us...

We ordered Xiao Long Bao and fried noodle.. both quite delicious...

The soup noodle with chicken is so-so.. the soup is tasteless though..

Soup noodle with sliced pork and vegetable is completely tasteless.. yucks..

We ordered dessert as well... not particularly delicious..

Happy belated birthday, Hui Yee.. :)

Uncle Ah Woh's Daughter's Wedding

2010-08-09T13:41:00.001+08:00

I accompanied my mom to attend her friend's daughter's wedding in Kulim on August 7.

That's the wedding car. Many of my mom's friends and some of our relatives were there as well...

My mom and the bride's parents :)

The dinner started at 8:00pm..

The bride and bridegroom...

As usual, my mom and her friends did not forget to check if they strike lottery on that day...

Champagne pouring...

A toast to the guests... My mom and I stayed over in Selama after the dinner..

Putrajaya Night Run 2010

2010-08-06T15:02:00.000+08:00

Simon's family and I signed up for Shape & Men's Health Night Run 2010 in Putrajaya on July 31... Some of my colleagues signed up as well :)

The registration fee is RM30 per person for the 5km Fun Run... The fee is inclusive of runner's shirt sponsored by Reebok and goodie bag worth over RM300..

As usual, we reached the starting line late (just like last year) and were left behind.. LOL. For more photos, please click here.

We were lucky that it didn't rain that day in Putrajaya...

We managed to get our goodie bag and we left early for supper.. LOL

Azalea's Birthday Celebration at Secret Recipe

2010-07-26T19:17:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Azalea's belated birthday at Secret Recipe.. we wanted to head to Sushi King at Sooka Sentral but it was closed for renovation!

Back in the office, Yoon Onn played the role of a spy and updated us with Azalea's every move, including logging off computer screen, walking about, distributing documents, heading to our desks etc.

Take 2 of blowing out burning candle...

Thanks to KK for buying the cake and thanks to HL for buying the birthday gift.. thanks to Mao for developing the photos...

Azalea's birthday gift.. a nice photo frame with pictures of her and her newborn daughter - Rayna :)

Janice's Farewell at Nak Won

2010-07-22T19:54:00.003+08:00

Janice has been working in KL for almost 2 and a half years. She has decided to return to Penang. Phaik Hoon, Leon, Janice, Simon and I went over to Nak Won Korean BBQ Restaurant in Taman Danau Desa for late dinner. It is challenging to find a parking space nearby.

The restaurant is quite small and I think the ventilation system wasn't very good. After three dishes of grilled meat, I smelled like a walking chimney! :P

As usual, they serve side dishes... and Janice ordered alcoholic drink.

Hot and spicy Kimchi soup! Quite delicious!

The typical Korean pancake.. slightly different from the one in Dao Rae.. but still quite delicious..

Complimentary steamed egg.. I love egg cooked in any way :P

Grilled + marinated chicken is really delicious! However, I didn't really like their grilled pork - probably because it was over-cooked. Their grilled beef is quite tasty as well.

Before we leave, we were given a bowl of cold sweet rice drink and a slice of watermelon. Its a nice way to cool down after a hot barbequeue dinner. The bill came up to over RM200 - which is quite expensive - but I guess that's the price in Korean restaurants if you order various types of grilled meat :)

All the best to Janice! Farewell!

Ogawa Smart Ace Massage Chair

2010-07-21T19:34:00.000+08:00

During a promotional fair in Midvalley Megamall last weekend, Simon bought two Ogawa Smart Ace and two Vivid Touch for his parents and his brothers. The massage chair is advertised to sell at RM11,999 when it was launched about half a year ago, but they are selling it for RM5,898 during their previous Father's Day promotion. It is now RM9,900 for two units + two Vivid Touch.. That comes down to RM599 for two Vivid Touch and RM4,650 for each Smart Ace. If you're interested, I'll pass you their manager's contact number :)

The price is inclusive of delivery free to two different places within Klang Valley. Ogawa Smart Ace's system provides various massage methods and combinations, like kneading, tapping, clapping, shiatsu, rolling, vibration and air massage. All these methods massages acupressure points accurately to alleviate fatigue, promote metabolism and improve blood circulation. Many of us tried it.. we love it! :)

Using different massage modes and vibration intensity, Ogawa Vivid Touch mimics the kneading and tapping effects of human hands to provide soothing relief. It really feels like someone is massaging my shoulder!

Tian Wen's Farewell at Pizza Uno

2010-07-16T12:53:00.015+08:00

Tian Wen is leaving her company in Subang Jaya next week.. It's also her birthday the day before ;) My cousin - Yan Hui introduced us 13 years ago! She used to be my penpal in high school when I was writing letters to my cousin in Taiping.. (Hey, e-mails were not that popular back then, ok!)

Simon, Tian Wen and I had dinner at Pizza Uno in USJ Taipan :) She'll be starting her new job in Singapore next month! All the best! :)

David's Farewell at Malones

2010-07-15T12:35:00.018+08:00

After working in our company for 4 years and 4 months.. David has decided to move on to greener pasture..:P

We went to the newly opened Malones near Sooka Sentral for his farewell lunch...

The prices range from RM19++ to RM49++.. we ordered Fish & Chips (RM21.90++), Chicken & Mushroom Pasta (RM23.90++), Sausages, Appetizer, Beef Burger, Cheeze Stuffed Chicken etc... The food tasted quite good..

Thanks to KK for buying the farewell gift on our behalf.. a Sheaffer pen..

16 of us attended the farewell lunch.. Kelvin came all the way from KLCC to join us as well :)

Goodbye David.. All the best to you! :)

Day 4 in Phuket

2010-07-13T12:29:00.040+08:00

On Day 4, we went over to Phi-Phi Island.. we paid about 1,400 Baht per person for the day trip..

On the way, we saw a weird-looking insect which looks like a grasshopper (Does anyone know what is it called?).. and fishes fighting for food..

We went pass Viking Cave.. where the occupants harvest bird nest...

Next, we stopped by a lagoon.. it was scenic..

We then went over to Maya Bay.. where Leonardo DiCaprio appeared in the movie - The Beach..

We then went over to Long Island (if I'm not mistaken) for buffet lunch...

Next, we were sent to Khai Island.. or what we called - Tourist Trap :P with nothing much on the beach except paying 150 Baht for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella... Honestly, I preferred my Phi-Phi trip from Krabi 2 months ago.. paying only 900 Baht per person.. with 3 to 4 snorkelling trips including marine park.. What I had today was only ONE miserable snorkelling trip...

Fortunately, Simon and his mom had fun feeding fishes near the beach.. it was shallow and filled with a few types of fishes...

Simon and his mom tried to catch the fishes.. but failed miserably :P

We got ourselves a little souvenir before returning to Patong...

In the evening, we had dinner at Yo Yo Restaurant.. which is located next to Da No.1 Seafood Restaurant.. I would say the dishes tasted quite good even though the food at Phuket Fantasea was much better..

Later, we had pancake for supper.. it was quite delicious.. we tried 2 stalls and found that the pancake at Patong O Top is much better :)

On Day 5, we departed from Phuket to return to Kuala Lumpur. Before that, we went over to Vech Guest House for foot massage again.. LOL!

Day 3 in Phuket

2010-07-12T20:29:00.025+08:00

On Day 3, we went for Island Safari tour... we paid 700 Baht per person for hotel transfer, 30 minutes elephant trekking, elephant show, monkey show, rice farming demonstration, orchid farm, ox-cart riding, and fruits for lunch...

I couldn't believe I actually sat on the ox-cart.. LOL

I also couldn't believe I sat on a buffalo for photo taking...

I fed bananas to a greedy elephant...

And, we went for elephant trekking under the hot sun... the guides provide umbrella in case we needed one.

We then watched elephant show and elephant.. Thai massage.. :P

The elephant posed for photo taking as well :)

The monkey show was simple.. we were then served fruits.. Unfortunately, we were ONLY served one banana and one mangosteen per person! How is that sufficient for lunch? -_-" We asked about orchid farm as it was included in our package and the guide said he would bring us to the orchid farm later. However, we were sent to our hotel after monkey show.. *Disappointed*

Day 2 in Phuket

2010-07-11T12:28:00.032+08:00

We had buffet breakfast at the hotel on Day 2..

Our tour guide then picked us up to head over to James Bond Island... We paid about 1,300 Baht per person for the day trip.

Along the way, we saw beautiful rock formation..

Other tourists canoeing through the tunnel during low tide..

James Bond Island has been commercialised with the set up of a few rows of stores...

We were left on the small island which was over crowded.. so that we could walk around and snap photos..

We stood in front of the ledendary rock.. James Bond Island, known originally and locally as Ko Tapu or Nail Island, found fame through the 1974 Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun". The film starred Roger Moore and Christopher Lee. It also turned the previously unknown Phang Nga Bay into a major tourist attraction.

Later, we went over to a Muslim village to have our lunch...

Right after lunch, we went over for a short swim and later for canoeing :)

We went through dark tunnels as well :) The traffic was quite bad as the place was crowded...

After that, we went relaxing on one of the beaches before returning to Patong...

We had dinner at Da No.1 Seafood Restaurant near Bang La Road... The pineapple fried rice is quite good, Tom Yam wasn't spicy enough.. the overall experience was alright but I would suggest heading to the stall next to it.. LOL

We passed by Bang La Road and returned to our hotel and went for foot massage at Vech Guest House near our hotel.. we loved the foot massage so much! :)

Day 1 in Phuket

2010-07-10T22:25:00.042+08:00

Simon's parents, Simon and I booked Air Asia tickets 7 months ago during one of their promotional period.. We paid about RM205 per person for two-way air tickets to Phuket, Thailand :)

We also booked our accommodation via Air Asia as well.. and managed to book 4 nights stay at Patong Beach Lodge for only RM76 per night for twin sharing room (inclusive of buffet breakfast)! We paid 600 Baht from the airport to Patong Beach Lodge in a Toyota Camry and the journey took about 40 minutes..

The hotel is strategically located within walking distance to Jungceylon, Patong O Top (Market) and Bang La Road... Our rooms are clean and tidy..

Since it was too early for us to check in, we walked over to Jungceylon for lunch.. I tried the food at their food court 3 years ago and I missed it :) It is cheaper to buy a number of items in Jungceylon.. for example, less than 300 Baht for board shorts in Jungceylon, while you had to bargain like mad along the street when the sellers insisted to sell at 600 Baht and later at 350 Baht..

At night, we bought a package from the tour agent opposite our hotel.. the published rate of Phuket Fantasea on their Website was about 2200 Baht per person (inclusive of hotel transfer), but we managed to get it for 1600 Baht per person (inclusive of International Buffer Dinner, entrance fee, fantasy of kingdom show, tiger jungle adventure, and hotel transfer).

The buffet dinner at Golden Kinnaree is fantastic. They have one of the best green curry chicken dishes we have tasted. I love their beef noodle. Simon's parents think their ham served is delicious as well.

After dinner, we went over to Tiger Jungle Adventure. They display white tigers, white peacocks, pythons and other animals.

Simon pretended to be a moose. After a walk around the park, we went over to watch the show. I think it was exactly the same show as the one I watched 3 years ago. LOL. But, I guess the show is quite enjoyable.

My Birthday Celebration

2010-07-08T11:39:00.001+08:00

I fell sick on my birthday.. couldn't go for the two-days training at my campus.. I'm on two days sick leave -_-" Too much eating over the past few days I supposed :P

I had a simple birthday celebration with Simon, his youngest brother and family.. I'm too sick to go out -_-" I had porridge for dinner.. The Mirror Chocolate cake from RT Bakery in SS15 is simply delicious :) It's like a combination of chocolate cake + black forest :)

Also, thanks to Phaik Hoon for the birthday gifts (dress + perfume).. thanks to Janice as well for more birthday gifts (Piao I Tea Pot) :)

I hope I recover soon enough before my next trip -_-"

My Early Birthday Celebration

2010-07-06T23:45:00.011+08:00

Thanks to my dearest colleagues.. I enjoyed yet another birthday celebration (a day before my actual birthday).. 12 of us went to Ying Ker Lou in The Gardens for lunch...

Simon ordered Hakka noodle with minced pork but he didn't like it...

I ordered dry loh shu fun.. at RM13.90 (set lunch, inclusive of drink + dessert).. and it was edible..

The dessert, however, is too 'strong' for my taste.. it's like drinking ginger soup! :P

Later, back in the office, my colleagues gave me a birthday cake when I was talking on the phone with my mom.. Thanks to KK for buying my favourite mango cake :)

Cutting my favourite mango cake :)

Simon and I :)

KK tried to stab me :P

They've also given me a gift.. Shu Uemura eyebrow pencil :)

Later, in the evening, finally, Simon and I managed to go to Dave's Pizza Pasta Vino at 1-Utama for dinner... They have been closed for renovation for quite some time... It's a non-halal restaurant...

We ordered Dave's Stuffed Mushrooms as appetizer.. the waiter suggested their Chef's specialty.. stuffed mushrooms with bacon etc.. and we took the bait :P

The dish comes with 4 stuffed mushrooms which were quite delicious!

They have special discounts on weekdays from 12pm to 5pm...

Their staffs were friendly and helpful..

We ordered mushroom soup as well (RM12.00++) which was tasty as well!

Unfortunately, we couldn't order their pork belly because it is only available on Thursday and Friday (3:00pm onwards)... so, we ended up ordering pasta with salmon.. however, I don't really like this dish..

Thanks again for all the calls, short messages, instant messages and Facebook wishes from all my family members, relatives and friends ;)

My Early Birthday Celebration

2010-07-05T08:04:00.000+08:00

Simon's family celebrated my birthday with me on Sunday.. his parents brought 8 adults and 2 kids to Grand Dorsett Hotel in Subang Jaya (previously known as Sheraton Subang)..

We went to Terazza Brasserie for various buffet spreads.. There's ongoing discount at the restaurants in Grand Dorsett Subang with CIMB card - 50% for 2 adults, 30% discount for 3 adults, 25% discount for 4 adults, and 20% discounts for 5 or more patrons...

The food variety is so-so but more than enough for us to over eat :P I like their pasta :)

I only tried a number of dessert but I didn't like it.. the chocolate cake is.. too bitter? Probably those who love dark chocolate would love the dessert :)

This is my favourite in the restaurant.. roasted chicken.. the sauce is tasty as well!

Simon's nephews... not part of the buffet...

Swimming pool at the hotel :)

Simon's nephew.. Hayden Hoh :) He's wearing the shirt I bought from Melbourne... LOL! :)

Later, we went to Hush Puppies (and Adidas etc.) warehouse sales in Subang Avenue and I bought a number of things.. Then we went over to Midvalley and The Gardens to shop till the mall closed :P Simon bought me a Kipling across-body bag from Isetan as my birthday gift... See description here.

It comes with a monkey key ring -_-" which can suck its thumb.. and if you pay closer attention, the ape is labelled 'Simona'.. LOL!

My Early Birthday Celebration

2010-07-03T23:00:00.005+08:00

I went out with Ai Tee, Ling Chin and Hui Yee for lunch at Haeun Khon Restaurant in Amcorp Mall... I've been there over two years ago for Shu Yun and Alvin's birthday celebration. The menu features mainly sets - Korean, Japanese and Chinese are available. Prices are reasonable and below RM20 for a set.

We ordered Pibim Pap (Vegetables Mixed with Rice in Korean) with beef slices (RM12+) that came with the some appetizers... I find it delicious...

Kim Chi Jjikeh.. RM15.90.. HY found it too spicy for her taste but the rest of us enjoyed it :)

BBQ Chicken with rice :) This is quite alright but I prefer the previous two dishes...

Korean Pizza.. RM18.90..

My birthday gifts.. which consist of a dress, a perfume + lip gloss and a set of purifying + balancing face serum :) Thanks girls! :)

After chatting for 3 hours.. we had to leave because the restaurant closes at 3:00pm usually, but extended to 4:00pm.. they re-open for business during dinner time... We went over to Secret Recipe to have dessert :)

Ling Chin and I :)

Hui Yee and I :)

Ai Tee and I... too bad Emily Yee couldn't join us! I had a great time though.. thanks girls ;)

Visiting Biruntha's Newborn

2010-06-30T22:52:00.001+08:00

On June 27, KK, Ah Mao and I visited Biruntha's two days' old newborn.. Look at her dark hair! I think my mom told me I hardly had any hair on my scalp when I was borned -_-"

A number of us bought a play gym for the baby.. I purchased it online from Baby Care Malaysia.. I think most of their products are considerably cheaper than other Websites as well as other brick and mortar shops.. In fact, since the seller stays near Simon.. she delivered it personally to us without charging us delivery fee :)

Penang Durian Trip Day 2

2010-06-29T18:13:00.002+08:00

Day 2 (June 27) in Penang started with us going for local delicacies for breakfast, then a visit to Snake Temple... It's about 5km away from our house but I haven't been there for over 10 years.. LOL..

We couldn't find many snakes, mostly the same type which look like the one in this picture.. They have bigger ones like Python for photo-taking...

It was recently renovated.. a temple right in the middle of an industrial area...

We then went over to Durian Cap Kaki in Balik Pulau for.. MORE DURIANS! You will get loads of durians here including the varieties of Lipan and D14..

D14 is the winner in 2008... D14 has small seeds but lots of flesh, which can be quite filling too.. Lipan is slightly more expensive but tastes much better too!

Then, we went over to Kek Lok Si Temple.. we missed the turning and went all the way up to the dam...

The temple has been revamped but my last visit was a decade ago... LOL..

The construction of the temple began in 1890 and was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple at Pitt Street. In 2002, a 30.2 m bronze statue of the Kuan Yin was completed and opened to public. It replaced the previous white plaster Kuan Yin statue which was damaged due to a fire a few years earlier.

My mom taking picture with her Chinese Animal sign...

The temple is still growing. Generous donations from the affluent Chinese community allow the construction of additional buildings. The current focus is to create an ornate shelter for the Kuan Yin statue. 16 carved dragon pillars are being built, the concentric roof will be inspired by classical Ming architecture, reminiscent of the roof of Prayer Hall for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

After that, we went over to Air Itam for Laksa and Tomato Rice before returning to KL :)

Penang Durian Trip Day 1

2010-06-28T18:09:00.001+08:00

On June 26, I brought Simon, his mom, his brother (Ricky) and his gf (Crystal), his cousin (Vincent) and his wife (Lina) to Penang for Durian Festival (May to July 2010)...

We went to Bao Sheng Durian Farm... located at 150 Mk.2, Sungai Pinang, 11010 Balik Pulau...

If you can't get enough of durian + mother nature, you can probably stay over at Bao Sheng Durian Farm for RM180 per night...

Simon and his mom waiting for durian :)

We were supposed to make reservation earlier but we could only confirm the number of guests a day before our trip.. We couldn't get branded durians like Ang Heh (Red Prawn)... The Award Winner of the 1989 Penang Durian Competition. This durian has orange reddish coloured flesh, has very little fiber and is fairly sticky with a bitter-sweet taste. Usually it costs about RM25 per fruit.

10 of us started digging in... We tried other durians... Eat-all-you-can at RM20 per person since we arrived quite late (about 6:00pm).. Unfortunately, the durians were not very good.. Well, because we didn't book early! Arggh.. I was told we should call up at least 3 to 4 days ahead!

The view is spectacular.. very relaxing as well...

But the road leading to Bao Sheng Durian Farm is very windy.. and not to mention steep!

Still, although we didn't manage to try all the branded durians... we still managed to wallop quite many durians...

My dad really wanted to try Ang Heh... but I was told we should have eaten at the beginning of the durian season, not towards the end when almost all were sold out...

After durian, we rested at home and then went over to Sungai Pinang Food Court for supper...

They have a variety of local delicacies at night (less stalls are open during day time).. Their char koay teow, grilled stingray with curry powder, curry noodles, rojak (mixed fruit with special sauce) are much sought after.. :)

Ip Man Movie Passes from Daily Chilli

2010-06-24T18:39:00.014+08:00

Daily Chilli (by The Star) is an online news portal which publishes many interesting (and sometimes bizarre) news - from entertainment to politics.. you name it! Thanks to Daily Chilli, I've received two free movie passes to watch "The Legend Is Born - Ip Man"..

And, I thought, watching two series of Ip Man (acted by Donnie Yen) would make me bored of.. Ip Man all together.. but I was wrong! This prequel acted by Dennis To is quite good even though pale in comparison. Dennis To may bear the physical resemblance to Donnie Yen, but Dennis lacks Donnie's screen charisma and acting prowess.

All we needed to do was to answer two questions and email our personal details (i.e. name) to Daily Chilli to win the free movie passes...

We had to go to Tropicana City Mall for the movie prescreen... The movie started slightly after 9:00pm and many of us were waiting outside the cinema... I read that more than 380 people went for the show...

There was bonzai competition near the cinema and I took a number of pictures of the bonzai which were so carefully taken care of...

The overall champion ;) Smells really nice too!

Kelvin's Farewell at Kenny Rogers

2010-06-21T18:52:00.001+08:00

HL brought his DSLR to Kenny Rogers for Kelvin's farewell lunch but he has forgotten to bring his.. memory card.. -_-" This meant that we couldn't take pictures.. :P Nevermind, I'll just dig out some old photos.. since we had been to Kenny Rogers for all sort of occasion N times!

It's Kelvin's last day of working with us.. He's always of great help, finished his tasks ahead of time, in fact, volunteered to do more work! All the best! :)

Father's Day Celebration

2010-06-20T18:28:00.002+08:00

I went back to Penang to celebrate Father's Day. My sister was supposed to bring me to Pulau Jerejak for flying fox, cycling, hiking and other activities but.. due to poor management, even though they promised my sister (a day before) that there are still rooms for activities on the island, they told 20 of us that we can't go on board the boat the very next morning... GrrrRrrrr..

Ended up, Ee Ee and I went over to look for Chee Ching at Fitness Studio... We signed up for one-day free trial.. joined one-hour Yoga, one-hour Hip Hop dance, one hour Body Pumping and half an hour of cycling before I quit while Ee Ee continued to cycle for another half an hour... As expected, we ended up with muscle ache all over the body the next day... The classes were good, but with one complaint - the music for Hip Hop dance was seriously deafening... I couldn't hear properly after I walked out from the room -_-"

I was told that for Citibank staffs, they're only required to pay RM70 per month, while Intel staffs are required to pay RM80 per month.. there's an option to pay an additional RM10 per month for unlimited parking at Gurney Tower... which is quite a good deal! If you prefer to opt for weekend access only, customers are only required to pay RM50 per month. Not forgetting free flow of a selection of drinks (e.g. Ice Lemon Tea, 100 Plus, Milo, Nescafe etc.)!

Chee Ching gave me an early birthday present... I used one of them immediately once I reached home.. LOL! Thanks for the variety of facial masks! :)

Later, my family and I had dinner at Fisherman's Grill in Sungai Ara.. My dad ordered Father's Day set meal with steak + king prawn + soup + drink + dessert for RM38++. I like my Spicy Thai Chicken Chop :) Their mushroom soup is delicious as well.

Address: 300, Jalan Relau, Desaria, Sungai Ara, Bayan Lepas, 11900 Penang.
Opening Hours: 11.30am-2.30pm and 6pm-10.30pm
Tel.: 04-6436206

David's Early Birthday Celebration At Work

2010-06-18T18:25:00.000+08:00

14 of us celebrated our colleague - David's birthday at Secret Recipe (Yes, Secret Recipe, again).. They ought to give us loyalty card, right?

After heavy lunch, we returned to the office to.. well, eat more :P Thanks to KK for buying Tiramisu cake from Baker's Cottage..

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you~ Happy Birthday to David, Happy Birthday to.. you!"

Thanks to KK for buying the birthday gift for David as well... Happy Birthday! :)

Phuong's Farewell at Meal Station

2010-06-10T23:39:00.001+08:00

Phuong used to work with us as an intern over a year ago.. she has now completed her studies and is returning to Vietnam soon.

We had a simple farewell for her at Meals Station in Sooka Sentral...

Bye bye Phuong, hope to look for you in Vietnam and please be our tour guide... LOL :P

My Water Moments

2010-06-08T18:18:00.005+08:00

I go snorkelling and white water rafting quite often.. Padas White Water, Tully River, Great Barrier Reef.. Phi-Phi Islands.. my tan lines are so visible that I had problems choosing the right attire to wear for parties/ wedding dinners etc... But, that's the least of my problems. The regret is always with being unable to capture great pictures of the colourful creatures underwater...

The amount of money I spent on disposable underwater camera and subsequently developing the films within half a year is probably sufficient for half of a water-proof (up to 3m deep for up to 60 minutes), shock-proof (withstand drops of up to a height of 1.5m), temperature-proof (below freezing point up to -10ºC), and dust-proof Sony TX5. Not to mention I've scheduled more snorkelling trips and even conquering the peak of Mount Kota Kinabalu in the near future!

This is what I snapped near Chicken Island (off Krabi) with my underwater disposable camera... Yes, those were colourful fishes swimming around us...

This is what I snapped with my 9.0 mega pixel digital camera from the speed boat... If only I have 10.2 mega pixel TX5 with 4x optical zoom? Not forgetting capturing moving fishes in a sequence of 10 continuous frames per second! Did I mention I only have 27 exposures on my Kodak underwater disposable camera? I missed out so many nice shots of rare fishes and corals too often...

And, comparing a sea urchin captured with my disposable underwater camera with my 9.0 mega pixel digital camera?

If only I can capture such quality (or better) underwater... I don't have to trouble the tour guide to dive in to bring a sea urchin up for us to take pictures. Sea urchins are poisonous!

That was actually a stingray lying on the sands at Great Barrier Reef, but my camera couldn't zoom in to take a better picture... Trust me, if you look closely, the stingray was really there!

It was quite an experience going for extreme white water rafting in Cairns.. We paid AUD100 just to purchase a set of photos taken by the guide across the river...

Quad bike riding is quite a.. dusty experience.. I almost couldn't see where I was riding to.. Hmm, where is a dust-proof camera when I needed one?

Judging from the activities I like to engage in, how I wish I own the World's Slimmest Water-proof Camera - Sony TX5... Thanks to Nuffnang's My Water Moments with Sony TX5, I hope I stand a chance ;)

Other features of Sony TX-5/G:
• Water-proof (up to 3 meters)
• Handheld Twilight
• Intelligent Sweep Panorama
• “Exmor R” CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ Image Processor
• 25mm wide angle Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar lens

Simon's Birthday Celebration

2010-06-06T13:25:00.005+08:00

We celebrated Simon's birthday (a day earlier) at Zen (By Secret Recipe) near our office...

Coincidentally, Simon's birthday falls on Agong's (King's) birthday this year.. Agong's Birthday in Malaysia is usually celebrated on the first Saturday in June...

Later on, thanks to KK, who bought a cake from Baker's Cottage.. presented the cake to Simon...

YO gave the birthday gift on our behalf...

Simon wasn't aware that we 'stole' his car a couple of days ago for an outdoor shooting.. in order to give him a Jigsaw puzzle of his car... LOL!

The Red team's photo taking session.. LOL!

The Green/ Brown team taking picture with Simon...

Next, the Black & White duo taking picture with Simon.. ;)

Later on, I suggested dinner at Dave's Pizza Pasta Vino in 1Utama.. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation! Arggghhhhhh... we went over to Jack's Place instead... The food was so-so but the service was very good..

I gave Simon a new wallet from Braun Buffel as his birthday present...

The next day, on his actual birthday, Simon's family celebrated his birthday with him...

We went over to Chili's at Empire for dinner in the evening to celebrate his birthday... After the meal, I was so bloated I suffered from indigestion and had problem sleeping -_-"

My Family's Visit to KL

2010-05-29T11:31:00.000+08:00

My family drove down to KL for Wesak holiday... In the morning, we went over to Tian Hou Temple.. which is not crowded (fortunately), most probably because we arrived quite early in the morning...

My brother's gf (Li Yen) joined us for praying as well... My mom wanted to pray hard to 'get rid' of us :P 1) Hoping that my sister manages to find funding to further her studies 2) Hoping that my brother finds a permanent job somewhere 3) Hoping to marry me off -_-" Were we not good to our parents!?...

My mom continued to pray harder....

My brother and Li Yen :)

My family took a picture in front of the temple :) Then I brought my parents to check their eyes at Vista since they complained about poor vision.. It seemed they have perfect far vision, not achievable by any means of surgery -_-" They only have poor near vision, the doctor advises them to continue using reading glasses - they are not encouraged to do multi-focal surgery on 1 eye unless they really want to get rid of reading glasses...

In the evening, we joined Simon, his parents, Simon's nephew, Simon's cousin and cousin-in-law for dinner at Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant in Teluk Gong... There are a few restaurants at the same area but only one which is extremely crowded (about 100 tables)...

The service is considerably fast but some of the dishes were sold out when we got there... well, the business was THAT good...

Big crabs were sold out too.. so we had small crabs... The food is quite good and fresh (obviously).. but I heard the toilets were very dirty though... LOL :P

Yuang Shin's Wedding (Evening Session)

2010-05-18T19:18:00.002+08:00

Simon and I attended my cousin's wedding dinner at Oriental Pearl Restaurant in Bukit Jalil...

My relatives who were invited by my uncle sat at one table... Simon, my cousins (YS's siblings) and my cousin-in-law sat at the other table...

We took a picture with the bride at the entrance...

The couple walked into the restaurant at around 8:20pm...

Simon, my cousin, my cousin-in-law and I...

Cake cutting and champagne pouring.. :)

A toast to the guests :)

My uncles and aunts came over to take picture at our table...

The couple had fun singing along with the bestmen and bridesmaids... :)