Friday, April 28, 2006

Happy Burp-day, Soo and Vincent!

Today is Soo's birthday but we only got to know about it during our team's meeting in the morning. We were actually talking about clubbing somewhere this weekend, and he got really excited about it. So, we got suspicious and managed to find out from his good fren that it is his birthday.


Vincent and Soo (front row from left).

Soo is a very sporting guy. He can do some crazy stuffs which will never ever cross ur mind at all. A very good example would be during our gift exchange session during Christmas last year. He got a G-string and wore it on top of his jeans, on the spot! We were caught by surprise and almost laughed our lungs out. Some of my colleagues almost rolled on the floor. That was really a sweet and wonderful memories we all had...

Vincent on the other hand is more "sane". Haha. He is always seen with his big headset on, not too sure if he is really listening to any songs, or just an act to avoid unwanted guests. Oooppss, sorry. I shouldnt have said that out loud.. :P

Just now, we had a "small" party for them at the Ali Maju Mamak Cafe downstair. We joined a few tables together horizontally, and that really gave the other patrons some hard times to move around. But it didnt seem to bother the owner at all cos we were bringing business to them. All of us including the bosses came down to have a drink and a share of the birthday cake.

We should do this more in the future!! *hehe*

Last but not the least, Happy Birthday Soo and Vincent! Getting wiser! :)

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Family outing

My bro is back again for a 2 weeks holiday.

I was at Low Yat Plaza today and me + bro got ourselves an external notebook hard disk. Yea! I have always wanted to buy one, but procrastination got over me. This time, my bro took the drive so i cant run away anymore.

There goes a few hundred bucks after my trip.. but im surprisingly contented. I have extra spaces now.. no more worries to store movies i wanna watch... until they are all filled up again. I am expecting it to come very soon!!! -__-

BTW, there is a new Hongkie style restaurant opened in Low Yat, called Good Happiness. These kind of restaurants are growing like mushrooms nowadays. Countless of them. Food here is average, but i dont like their milk tea. A bit plain..



Good Happiness, pork rib with potato rice, 5 seasons rice and the free H2OH! can drinks we got at the Low Yat's entrance.

Im experiencing a very slow network. My bro is doing massive downloads, so posting my blog with pictures is torturing...

*sigh*

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Footsteps in Australia #2

3rd Day ~ Great Ocean Road

We set off earlier that morning because it was going to be a long drive along the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell.


Our sole transportation in Melbourne, a 2nd hand Ford Telstar. My fren bought it for AUD2500 only!


Cunningham Pier.

On our way, we dropped by The Geelong Waterfront, which is renowned for its delightful eateries with great views. We visited the Cunningham Pier, The Carousel, Steampacket Garden and Fisherman's Pier. I got excited when i saw all the yachts lodging at the pier, jumping around like a small kid. Why i dont have any rich frens owning a yacht? I wanna go sailing!!

Im popeye the sailor man,
Im popeye the sailor man,
I open the door and singing the song,
Im popeye the sailor man...


Cool advert post.

Ok, cut the crap.

Next, we stopped by the Surf Beach, Torquay, which incidently is authentically a surfer's paradise. We saw a lot of surfer type dudes with tonned bodies and a healthy tan. Some even wore shorts only while we were wrapped by thick sweaters, together with shawls and shades. My fren even wore a beanie, she definitely looked like someone going for ski. Hahaha...


Look at her.. :P


Hot dudes at the back kite surfing.. too bad cant see them clearly.

My journey was then taken a spectacular turn when i was confronted with magnificent cliffs, roaring seas and tranquil coves. This is Victorian's Great Ocean Road, home to one of the most beautiful picturesque settings on earth. Im glad that we went there. If there is a chance, i would love to go there again.


Official start of the Great Ocean Road.


I could still imagine the soft breeze...

As we were happily enjoying the scenic view, we forgot how fast time passes. It was already 3 something, and we have about 200km to cover before we can reach the Twelve Apostles. And to make things worse, the sun in Australia sets before 6pm. *shit*

U cant imagine how rush we were, driving like some mad ladies. Luckily we still managed to catch it slightly before the dawn. That is why the pic was quite dark.. but at least something.


Stunning limestone formations.


Time to say goodbye!

Thinking back about it, i was quite proud of myself because i never drive to Cameron Highland or even Genting Highland before. But this time, i drove for 5 hours at night (Lee Yan drove during the day), non-stop, without any street lights, on a long winding road next to the cliffs. We could only rely on the reflector on the road as a reference to keep ourselves on the track. It was a good thing having a partner with you, cos u can then share the burden of driving.

But pity my bum, sat in the car for 10 hours. No wonder the visitor's guide suggested us to make the trip over a few days. It was very tiring. I was dropped dead by the time we reached home past midnite. O_o

Friday, April 21, 2006

Footsteps in Australia

Finally, i managed to find some time to blog about my awesome trip to Aussie. There are tonnes of work to be done at work, thus i couldnt steal some time off to do my personal stuff. The schedule is really tight, even a coll thought that i am still on vacation cos he didnt see me around. *stretch left, stretch right*

Anyway, here goes. I may need to separate them to a few post, cos it will be hell of a long post :P

1st Day ~ KLIA to Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne

It was just 5am in the morning, but i have to wake up and get my stuff ready to go to the airport. The whole process of checking-in and the flight itself was smooth. I was in the plane for 8 hours, but i did not sleep at all. Instead, i watched 3 movies ~ Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Fun with Dick & Jane and Rumor Has It. Maybe i was just too excited about the trip. *heart beating fast*

I requested the window seat, i have always prefer that compared to the aisle seat. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying when u tried to sleep but everyone was walking up and down the aisle beside u, it just disturbs u. A fren once made a remark that i could get to meet some cute guys on the plane since i was travelling alone. Who knows there might be a handsome hunk seated beside me and i could take that opportunity to start something.. erm.. u know.. OK, stop thinking wild, i meant friendship *duh*

Yea, handsome hunk.. how i wish! I was given the opportunity to have all the 3 seats, yes, i was seated alone. I havent talk to anyone for 8 hours except the air stewardess who was offering me fruit juices and the paid meals, can u believe that? *shook head*


View from my seat on the plane.

Neways, reaching Melbourne made me feel all the hype again. I could see the beautiful lights beaming from the 14th ranked city which offers the best quality of life according to the Mercer Consulting's annual 'World-wide Quality of Living Survey'.



The co-pilot made an announcement shortly before we land.

"The temperature outside is 7 degree Celcius"
*my goodness*


2nd Day ~ Melbourne City Tour


Lee Yan's lovely hse.

Sleeping in a heated room in the cold season was really cosy. I was so hesitated to wake up on my first morning here. Lee Yan made us breakfast; hot cross bun and nachos. I have never seen any hot cross bun being sold massively during easter like they did in Australia. Everywhere i went, there were signs of them and easter bunnies and easter eggs (made from chocolate).


Nachos and hot cross bun *yummy*


My Easter bunny and eggs. I took 3 days to finish the chocolate bunny and the egg is still in my fridge @ home. -_-

The journey to Melbourne from Ballarat (where my fren's hse is located and where i stayed while i was in Victoria) took us 1.5 hours. All along the freeway, there were a lot of road signs reminding you to take a nap if you felt sleepy. It looks really weird and funny to me in the beginning, but when you see these signs every 2km, i guess u wont feel too excited anymore. Seems like the Australian government do take care of the safety of their citizens alot. Maybe we can apply this in our country.


Feeling drowsy? Take a powernap.

First stop, we went to the Queen Victoria Market. They sell a lot of different varities of stuff, clothing, bags, shoes, souvenirs, shades, veges, fruits, dairy product, and etc, etc. I cant finish naming them. If u are good at bargaining, you could get a lot of good deals here. Guaranteed cheaper than what u could get in the shops.


QV Market.

Lee Yan's housemate, Rene brought us for lunch @ Thanh Ha 2, Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant. She ordered a lot of authentic Vietnamese dishes for us to feast on, those are really delicious.


Pancake, seafood noodle, etc.


It is called the "3 colours", basically named because of the 3 colours we can see on the drinks.

After the heavy lunch, we went for a city tour by boarding the City Cirle Tram. It's free and they were introductions and explanations provided along the way. Cool eh?! Their roads are quite similar to those roads in PHX, all built in a grid form, thus making it very systematic and well organized. *thumbs up*


The tram which we could never see in Malaysia..

Jumping off the tram, we visited a few famous places in Melbourne. My feet has been working hard as we walked for the whole day and night. God knows how many kilometres we have covered. *hee*


I saw this advertisement when i was walking in Chinatown. Proud to be a Malaysian?


Warner Bros cartoon statue @ Crown Casino.

Im sleepy dy, to be continued...

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Bye Tee Hui!

I know it's a bit late, but i still wanna post this up, no matter what. Few days ago, Tee Hui left the company for a better career advancement. Although i felt quite sad, but i am happy for her.

Jane, Tee Hui & Siew Kim.

It was my first day of work after the vacation, but it was her last day of work, in the company. I was lucky to be able to catch her. Yes, we can still meet up in the future, but there will be no more frequent teasing and casual chatting around... *sob*sob*

I am really gonna miss u lots! Still remember the time we had our dance lesson together every wednesday nite? U with your hip swerving partner and me with my girl partner. And u kept on complaining that u are not talented for doing all the moves. ^_^

And not to forget the trip to Taman Negara, where u also complained that u are not born to do all the climbing in the cave. I knew u tried very hard and i am very proud of u for being able to make it to the top, with this kind of determination, i am sure u will succeed in your future undertakings. *hugz*

Those are the times that i will always cherish in my life. Remember to keep in touch, ya!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Days of mouth watering food..

It was the first day of my work since coming back from my enjoyable vacation. And i was supposed to catch up with all my emails and stuffs, tonnes of pending work. Guess what, I had more than 300 unread emails in my company mailbox. *gosh*

But i cant. I dont even have the time to sit still in my own chair for more than 1 hour.

My team's big boss came from Phoenix, USA to visit us since last Sat. The moment i finished downloaded all the emails, we were scheduled to have a 3 hours review session with him. *talk*talk*talk*

Anyhow, we took a break for lunch at Mum's Place in Damansara Perdana. I have never been there before, but i heard they serve nice Baba & Nyonya cuisines. It has a very cosy environment, this i must agree.

U guys can give it a try :)

L-R, top to bottom; Fried honey squid, fried cencaru with sambal and petai, daun keledek with garlic, ayam pong teh (in other words, soya sauce chicken) and venison (or what is more popularly known as deer meat).

After the heavy lunch, we were stuck in the traffic on our way back to the office. Apparently the super heavy rain has caused some of the roads being flooded, thus creating a massive long queue.

At night, some of us gathered together again to have dinner with him at Madam Kwan in MidValley. *drool*


L-R, top to bottom; Nasi lemak, acar, assam prawn, beef rendang, claypot seafood beancurd, otak-otak, beansprout with salted fish and finally fried rice.

I was so full till i almost fell asleep when i was on my way back home. Lots and lots of food.

And no, that is not all, we had another round just now. This time is Korean BBQ dinner at Han Sung Restaurant in Desa Seri Hartamas. It is the last nite he staying in KL, so it was sort of like a farewell dinner.


The menu, Korean pancake, kimchi and chicken with ginseng.

As if they know that i havent had enuff food during my trip. Different sort of cuisines in two days.. *wahlao*

Ok, dont get jealous. It is like once in a few years only we get to pamper ourselves..

Monday, April 17, 2006

Happy Birthday Bro!

I had this in my blog as draft for a few days, but i havent manage to get the time to wrap it up and publish it since i came back from OZ. But at least im still on time (or a little late) to wish my big bro a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dont put that in mind, ya. At least i did remember, and called u up. U in the other hand always forgets my birthday, and i or mom needs to remind u about it.. :(


Nevertheless, this is a good year for you. Now u can go and celebrate with ur frens and colleagues (and admirer.. oopppss) in your brand new Civic! When am i going to have the chance to drive this lovely sporty car, huh? Im gonna get the cheap tickets from Air Asia and fly there, i dont care! U pay for the fees, can?? :P

Once again, wish all your dreams come true soon!

Monday, April 10, 2006

Greetings from Ballarat!

It's freezing cold here.

It has been great so far. Today is the fourth day of my trip to OZ, and i am already feeling the tireness. My schedule was planned very tightly, so basically, i only have about 6 hours of sleep daily.

But fun and memorable activities comes first, sleep will just have to follow from behind :P

Anyways, tonite im gonna sleep earlier cos i will have to go to the airport at 4.30am tomoro morning, as my flight to Gold Coast is at 7.05am. Well, im gonna leave Melbourne soon.. sure gonna miss the city. *oh boy*

This is like the first time i get to go back to my fren's house as early as 7pm. The previous 3 days, we were practically reaching home after midnite. Geezz, is the age catching up on me? *worried*

Nah, i dont think so.. it IS the weather! *finding excuses*

Ok, it is 8pm here in Ballarat, Aussie and i gotta get some shower and have my dinner. Lee Yan's housemate, Rene is making rice paper roll tonite. We are gonna get our hands on the original Vietnamese dish. *yummy*

She is a Vietnamese Chinese who has migrated here when she was small, in case u were wondering...

So, i'll see u guys when im back to Malaysia. I dont have any internet access in Gold Coast and Brisbane, so bubye!!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Pack.. pack.. pack

I have to start packing tonite. I cant procrastinate anymore. *hypnotize myself*

I was about to start last nite but then i felt tired after coming back home. I know it is an excuse, but my eyes werent listening to me. But today, I will not fail! :)

I have a long list created few days ago, so that i will not miss anything. Hmm, i wonder if my luggage bag is enuff to fit all of them, and to bring back some stuffs that i will be buying there. I already have a few to-buy food list, for my aunts. Hopefully i have the strength to carry them back to the Malaysia ground. O_o

I just checked the weather report on Australia.com.


Melbourne H 16°C - L 7°C



Brisbane H 28°C - L 20°C


Seems like it is gonna be rather cold when i am in Melbourne. Need to pack jacket and long pants. But i should not bring too much clothing, cos im gonna have trouble transporting them... *thinks*thinks*

Oh well, i can pick one from my fren's wardrobe there. She has a few selections for me to choose from.. *yea*

I really cant wait for this long holiday to come. It has been so long since i got my air ticket and did all the planning. Ok, where is my map? Where is my tripod? Where is my passport? *chaotic*

Packing early is indeed a necessity to avoid last minute paranoid. *nods head*

And dont be jealous or angry or feels deprived, Shin. U CAN go for vacations whenever and wherever u want to. U are more than AFFORDABLE to do so. Dont save the money to get a Taiwanese mistress just yet. Enjoy yourself first! *muahahaha*

p/s: he is gonna kill me tomoro when he sees this. *evil grins*

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Bumbu Bali again

Few weeks ago, a coll made a remark that i havent gone to any makan trip lately. I used to travel to as far as Seremban, Malacca, Ipoh and Penang just to get my hands on the local delicacies there.

Instead, i went for movies quite often... every week to be exact.

"so now u have switched ur role as a food critic to movie critic eh?"
"no lar.. always eat, can get fat. Must control a bit..." :P

Last nite, my makan gang decided to resume our old routine to look and try some good and scrumptious food. One of them saw this introduction of Balinese food in the Bumbu Bali Restaurant, which is located at Bandar Puteri, Puchong in her mom's cook book. Actually, i have been there once with Clive last year. The food is (still) pretty good.


Campur-campur Tiga, Nasi Ayam Bertutu, Nasi Ayam Special and Nasi Kambing Bumbu.

The portion is really big for one person. For those big eaters, this is where u all should head to the next time for a good meal. I had my lesson last time, so i shared my dish with a fren. Yet, we couldnt manage to finish it. -_-


Giant Buddha posters can be found almost on every wall of the restaurant.


The nice environment keeps u cosy while dining.

We stayed on in the restaurant yakking and joking away without realising we were the last customer around. Haha. Luckily they didnt ask us to leave cos we were indirectly stopping them from closing the place and call it a night. O_o

It was really fun, when are we gonna do it again? Wait till i come back first ya!