Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Kota Kinabalu trip

I went to Kota Kinabalu one week ago, I trip to conquer Mount Kinabalu.



Even on the plane the sky look more blue then the one here (west Malaysia). The water also looks more blue. Is totally what I look forward for.



After coming down from airport, I straight go to the town to look look see see. The town is so much better then what I expected it to be. But people here really like KFC, everywhere there's KFC just around the corner. I would said, Catholic church rank No.1, next thing is KFC. But the town is nice to walk around. Not as congested as major town on the west Malaysia. If you stay in town, there are handful to walk around.



The sunset on the coast, opposite warisan shopping mall. Very delightful sight.



Even the local kids are having fun in the water, the water beside the city is even cleaner then the one in Batu Feringgi....haha
Am I praising this place too much??



Not only I can enjoy the view, I can even have some pasar malam food beside the coast, is so nice. The aroma of the chicken wing, bring me direct to it. And it only cost RM1 per wing.....delicious.



At night my friend bring me to this place call Ocean Seafood, the prawn there is freaking nice. I totally forget to take picture, because the prawn is so freaking delicious, if u were there, please don't forget to order the coconut pudding, for a person who don't like dessert, trust me on ordering the coconut pudding.



A day has pass, this picture is taken from the backpacker place in the morning, not far from Karamunsing. This picture is taken at 6:pm in the morning. The sun there rise quite early, because of the time zone. I woke up so early to prepare myself for the highlight for this trip, that is to conquer Mount Kinabalu.



From KK town we need to take a 2 hour drive journey to Kinabalu park not far from Kudangsan. During the journey there, the view are breath taking. Above picture u can see that we are like standing above the clouds. Is really an eye opener.



This is kinabalu park, which is the place to register yourself if your are going to climb mount Kinabalu.



There is 2 route to reach Labang Rata, one is Mersilau trail, another is Timpohon (which is the easier one). From Timpohon to Labang Rata (which is the rest area) is about 6km.



I will write more on conquering mount Kinabalu on my next post, but to show-off that I actually reach the top since is not as easy as I though. Or maybe is just me getting old already....haha



Up there every single view are breath taking. Maybe if I have an SLR camera, the picture will turn out better, but what my eyes saw will always stay in my memory.



Saw a rainbow while I was coming down from the mount. Give a lot of semangat after seeing the rainbow.



The first thing I reach the car, I straight away sleep, because I was so freaking tired.



After coming down, not much picture is taken, as I was freaking tired. This is the food I eat in Salut, the prawn may not be as nice as the one in Ocean Seafood, but is alot cheaper. The restaurant is in a fishing village (I think, as it was dark when I reach there).



So before I leave Sabah to go back to Peninsula. My friend bring me to the Sunday morning market. Is really huge, those of you who been to SS2 pasar malam, this place is at least twice bigger then the SS2 pasar malam, and the crowd is really huge. Can find a lot of local stuff. And we stop and eat the Ngau Chap noodle (beef noodle), the Ngau Chap is really very tasty.



This is where I stay, when I visited Kota Kinabalu, cheap and clean backpackers area. What I miss most about Kota Kinabalu is the nature surrounding and the adventure it can offer. My next time coming back to Sabah is to do my Sipadan dive. But if time permit, I don't mind coming back to this beautiful town again. Before I end this post, this place really got alot of Leng Lui....haha (more tempted to come?)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

A happy day

This post is suppose to post before I go Kinabalu trip, but is better late then never. That day is a happy day, because I just won a pitch for my company. Then Min Jie call me up to go for a drink, which for now is my favourite beer.


Total we drank 8 bottle of beer and a bottle of red wine. Life been fun that nite.


Six of us having a good time there, this is one of our favourite hang out area, where they serve weihenstephanar...I consider the best beer I ever drink. But it is a bit pricey still once a month is alrite. By the way today is my birthday, and I just bought a box for tonite celebration.


By the way this hang out is also to wish Stephen have a nice stay in KK, Sabah. He will be back soon to join for new year celebration...ola steven. Please let me know who interested to test this beer, I will always glad to bring them for a taste.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Saturday nite Gathering

Since monday I've been cleaning up my place. But after monday I did no cleaning, until saturday. Quite lazy in between that time frame. Is our usual Saturday gathering in my place. But this time around we will be doing back the makan-makan gathering.



This is my reorganize place, I move the TV rack to the dining area, so I have bigger space on the living area. So more people can sit comfortably. This picture is taken from the balcony.



Steven and Min Jie in-charge of the food. We a got a lot of stuff that night, we have cold-roast, fried rice, wanton, kelabu and pork ribs king, Of course our usual bevearage will be beer.



The tradition for newcomer to my place is to do shortgun. Every male have to do it. So this time around is this 3 new people, Chin Hui, Adam and Weng Leong.



We actually play games to finish up the fried rice. Where we pick a card, the loser of the previous game with the smallest card number can make up the rules, like all the heart eat, or even numbers eat or below number 9 eat....etc. Is quite fun, all we need is a good few rounds, and the fried rice is all clean up already. We also play Dal-motti and our favourite Queen and bubble,



Get some artistic shot since quite drunk already, total we finish more then 30 cans of beer, consider not bad, not too much also. Still waiting to get my and Weinstephen for house party, although is really expensive to drink, but is one good beer.



How can we forget to have group photo at the end. Is a fun nite, I hope to do this more often. Maybe at least once a month. Anyone want to come to my next gathering, or want to have gathering in my place, just let me know...haha

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

I want to go Diving

I got my diving licence last August. Since then I didn't go for any dive at all. I wish I can go diving very soon, but too bad the monsoon season already started, if I plan to go diving in the east coast of penisular Malaysia I have to wait until March next year.



This is my picture in full wet suit in the training pool. This picture is taken way back in February. Don't I look very professional in those suit?....haha who am I kidding.



I complete my open water test in Tioman. Is a nice place to chill out and dive. Is not that expensive also. If you can sleep on those bunker bed style of accomodation then, this place is nice and cheap to go with.



The first preparation to go to sea, preparing for a shore dive. Shore dive means walking from the beach and all the way to the sea. Very tire if caring all those big big stuff.



But lucky for us, they go trolley to carry the stuff until the checkpoint. haha...if no, then it will be a tiring walk, before we can actually dive, we already tired liao.



After a tired dive, CM (second from right) bring us to a waterfall not far from the Sealantis hut. The water if freaking cold. After a tired day, a can of beeer is a must....haha



My first real boat dive. Posing beside my gear.At last can now go deep. Of coourse to those pro's this is just easy stuff. But for me, this is full of excitement, where we can go down as deep as 30m....I think.



The funny stuff is, in the training pool we always wear wet suit, but in actual diving site, this is all I wear, t-shirt and short pants. We are lucky didn't meet any Jelly fish. Diving with plain clothes feel good.



Surface up for a thumbs up. Every dive give a new experience to a world that I always see in discovery channel but never did I know that one day I'll be really hands-on in the water enjoying the underwater world. Down there is a different world all together. I really wish can go for more dives a year. My aim is 4 dive trip next year at least.



On the last day of the Tioman trip I manage to get 6 dives, as for my friends, they did 10 dives, as I was sick on the last day. I wish to do more dive next year. Going all over Malaysia east coast to enjoy the water. OF course the aim is by end of the year can go Sipadan.....haha...Any one want to join me for a dive?

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

New hair cut

Since last saturday got not much activity on my hand, was quite free in the morning, I went for a hair cut. Those friend that are really close to me now that I seldom go for hair cut. If I do, there must be something wrong to me. I used to cut my hair once a year....haha, giving a excuse of trying to safe money, but my last hair cut in the saloon cost me a bomb (consider a bomb to me) it cost RM54, and it not that nice also. So after that hair cut I opt back to the old shcool - the indian barber shop. I can cut 5 times a year and is still cheaper then I cut in the saloon. Each visit to the Indian Barber cost only RM10, plus they give a good massage on the neck.



This is how I look before the hair cut, my long hair, and is a chaos of mess. Plus I losing a lot hair. I plan for the hair cut for long time already, just that every weekend there is something on, that keep my time occuppied.



This is my new hair cut, the indian barber call it No.2 on the side. Must be the communication problem, that I can't really get what I want the hairstyle to me. But I was quite satisfy with this style. I cut it short because I going for the mount Kinabalu climb in this coming december. Is easier to clear the sweat away. The next step is to put some colour to make it a bit blink blink @ look more like Ah Beng....till then....haha

Sunday, November 11, 2007

my Ipoh trip

Long time didn't write the blog. After so many month of slacking off is time I continue with my blog. This is about my trip to Ipoh. I take a bus down from KL about 7:30am and reach Ipoh about 10:15am. This is my first time, semi-backpacking to other town that are consider unknown to me. Before that I have do some research and got some map from the internet, and where is the best place to "makan" in Ipoh. As I was from Penang, hawker food will always goes nice to the stomach....haha


This is where it all started, I start my journey in Old town after I took a taxi from bus station to Jalan Bandar Timah in Old Town. This street got a lot of good food. A non-stop eating street. Almost half the famous Ipoh haker food u can find here, like Ipoh Ho-fun, Dry Curry noodle, Satay Babi & the famous white coffee.


The street it self is like Penang Georgetown, colonial style building. Very old school, very nostalgic. I like very much and the weather that day really permit me to walk around as it was cloudy.


My first stop is a curry noodle house called "Sun Seng Fatt" on Jalan market. I order ho-fun dry curry. Is freaking nice, although people there normally eat with mee or meehun, but since Ipoh is famous with ho-fun, I'll go with ho-fun. And is really delicious. Of course with a cup of ice- white coffee to top it up. Is really my best breakfast, since normally I only eat nasi lemak in the morning.


This is the famous "Thean Chun", they serve the best Ipoh ho-fun and custard, u can find some satay babi there also. Cause I just took my break fast I didn't eat there, I continue walking and sight seeing.


As I keep walking I pass the Kinta River which split the 2 towns that is the old town and the new town. I walk around 10min from Jalan Bandar Timah, to the Market place.


Before I reach the Pasar Besar Ipoh, I saw some abandoned building. I which I have an SLR on my hand, as the view of the abandoned building is nice. My artistic sense kick in, I stand there for a while to admire the view.


This is the Pasar Besar Ipoh, alot of people doing their marketing there. You can also find alot of white coffee bean sell here.


If you scare of the hot market you can always go opposite the pasar besar to Yik Foong complex. Where got some Air-condition to chill you down.


I spot this old signage which look like those signage from the 60's or 70's.


Again I spot a funny signage bearing the name "PurBerry", cannot tahan. Why don't just put Dolce & Banana.


The convoy of my Penang relaltive reach Ipoh, then I join then and visit my Ipoh's relative, which I don't know about untill recently. They have a old-old school house. The house remind me of my grandpa house. I think the house is around 100 years old. The kitchen look creepy but alot of nostalgic feeling into it. They still cook their food with carcoal.


My brother and the relatives are admiring the hall.


The wall bring back a lot of memory of my grandpa's house. The colour skim and door design are all the same. Maybe last time got not much choices in choosing colour and door panel.


Again I wish I have a digital SLR to shoot more nicer picture and stuff.


Is a very big house, with a big compund. Alot of mosquito to. While I was outside taking picture the mosquito get a few good bite on me.


They still maintain the place very nicely. The furniture all are sure older then me, but still very solid. Sure not like the stuff of Ikea.




After my parent and uncle auntie chit chat with the relative in Ipoh, we decided to drop by at "Thean Chun" to have some good food. The place is famous for Popiah also. But some said the popiah in Padang, penang taste nicer.


Of course I must have my satay babi intestine, before I join the convoy back to Penang. Raymond if u reading this "must try" if you coming down to Ipoh. Ask me to come around also.....haha

In this trip I learn alot of backing packing stuff, like have to prepare or plan your journey, so can have more time eating all the good food in Ipoh. Is more like a eating trip to me. Of course we still go and eat in some places that I forget to take picture, maybe the food is so good that I keep on eating without bother about taking picture. But next time I come, I sure eat all their good food in both old & new town. Like the Tauge Chicken & Hokkien Ho-fun. Ipoh sure have good heritage and good food that is everywhere in the town. Anyone want to join me to Ipoh again. But I'll be walking in the town, not taking car. As I learn, you see more when u walk.

After this trip also inspire me to check out other town with good food. Melaka will be my next target. To go and savour some good food and sight seeing. A day trip or weekend trip will be fruitful to visit Malaysi hidden food treasures.