4D New Year

Bintulu, Sarawak

Geez... I have never plan a trip as drastic as this one before. Of course, its not a vacation but for work-purpose and yet I felt that it was way to short-a-notice and most certainly a short-one too! My Deputy GM told me that we will be traveling to Bintulu, Sarawak on 31st Jan and return on 1st Feb and he told me about this on 29th Jan and the whole of this week, I had dinners with suppliers from China & Egypt that it occupied every night of mine that I only get to reach home at 11ish at night. So, this Bintulu trip really makes me feel exhausted even thinking of it...

Nevertheless, job is job... but I was blessed with an upgrade to the Executive Suite which came as a surprised and I really love the decor and dreamingly hope to have a room like this one day. It's a new Hotel so everything smells new but on the day-time, I can hear the drilling everywhere which was not too pleasant if you actually stay in bed in the day... hehehe...

The bumpy-rides on the Hilux were never pleasant and I'm pretty sure I'll get the sore-back when I get home. The mission for this trip is to have a look at the warehouses and their facilities and also to guide the contractor's staff on a few reporting.

Overall, the highlight of this trip is the many good-looking men I met and I simply love the simplicity of Bintulu... occasionally, along the roadside, I can see crane perk themselves sun-bathing their feathers which too me its amazing because I will never get to see this beautiful creature in my own hometown. My Deputy GM actually asked me if I mind to transfer to work in Bintulu and I told him with a smile, "It's will be pleasant..."

MPO Chamber Concert

Venue: Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

Programme:
Felix Mendelssohn
String Quartet No.4 in E minor (Op.44 No.2)
Allegro assai appassionata
Scherzo (Allegro di molto)
Andante
Presto agitato

Morley Calvert
Suite from the Monteregian Hills
La Marche
Chanson melancolique
Valse ridicule
Dane villageoise

Franz Krommer
Partita for Wind Ensemble in C (Op.76)
Allegro con brio
Adagio
Menuetto
Rondo (Allegro)

How often do you get to watch a chamber concert or any classical instrument orchestra in Malaysia?? And if you do not have any interest in musical instruments, you won't even consider because you will be in fear that you fall in asleep in the Hall *chuckled* And for me to actually take a day-leave and travel all the way from Klang to KLCC as early as 3.30pm, that its sure a NO-WAY kind of thing to do for normal people, right?

Sis gave me some free tickets that her company sponsored and I invited Jaime, Alan and Yong Leh with me. Not sure about the rest but I enjoy it especially the Wind Instruments. I actually have not see 2 of the wind instruments; contra-bassoon & bassoon in my life and during my studies in my music classes. So, I'm amazed and it was quite a cute and funny gestures whenever they stop after each part to clear their wind instruments as its full of their "saliva"... Hehehe...

It was the Partita for Wind Ensemble in C (Op.76) that captivated me for the rest of the night, not just because of the wind instruments but because all of them were full of expression and when they blow their instruments, I can actually feel their rhythm and their body also flow together with the music.

If I'm staying around the KLCC area and its only 15 minutes drive from this location, I don't mind paying RM10 just to watch this chamber concert. Because watching movie in the cinema also cost the same. Furthermore, the cheapest ticket's seat it better, view is clearer. Actually, I'm not allow to take pictures at all when I'm inside because they also never put up the "no-taking picture" sign. So, one of the usher adviced me after I took 2 pictures above.

Hawaiian Nite

This shall be the last event to mark the end of this year... My company annual dinner; this year a little more grand where all the branches' staffs are invited and also the Group Directors. As usual, being the Head Committee to organize this event did not give me much chance and time to have a good time. The few hours of pre-preparation were somehow fun and less stressful compare to the whole month of December.
I'm not being vain to only post pictures of me in them but I'm too lazy to load all of them because this year, it was a big disappointment that our Company's most talented "photographer" couldn't join us. Nevertheless, some food pictures to make you crave for them... I can only see them but did not get to taste them much...

~ Bid my farewell to 2007 ~

Baby G-Piano

The long awaited Christmas is here... Somehow, it wraps up the whole year in a box... I did not expect to get much presents this year, just the usual. BUT, mom got me something I least expected and it's been the BEST gift I have gotten for many years... She bought it for me when she was in Singapore before Christmas and it touches my heart that I have long to have a Baby G-Piano of my own someday... And this Christmas I got a Crystal Trinket Box of a G-Piano all the way from France!! LOVE IT and THANKS MOM!!Now, it's placed grandly on top of our home piano and Mom said, someday, it will be a beautiful piece of decor in my "new home"...

Elisa's Baptism

Attended Elisa's baptism in Assumption Church, Petaling Jaya. Also a chance for me to return back to Assunta Hospital which is right next to the church since I was born here and never step my foot since I was few days old...

The baptism was nothing surprised to me as I had attended many Catholic baby-baptism but since I didn't get a chance to attend Kristen's, this is memorable. Always love to visit Catholic churches, the way they preserved the church is good enough, a touch of modernity and classic.

Bika Ambon

~THANKS SIN HUI~

Sin Hui my colleague from Medan office bought me this Bika Ambon ("Honeycomb" cake) because I requested her to do so since I love the taste of it when she brought for us the last time. But somehow, this one she bought from the Airport doesn't taste as good as the previous. The texture capture lots of my attention. If you cut the cake horizontal instead, you will see from the top that it looks like "bee hive" and it's amazing to wonder how is it made that way.

Anybody has good Bika Ambon recipe?

Way Back Into Love

I've been living with a shadow overhead,
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed,
I've been lonely for so long,
Trapped in the past,
I just can't seem to move on!

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away,
Just in case I ever need them again someday,
I've been setting aside time,
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind!

All I want to do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it through without a way back into love.

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine,
I've been searching but i just don't see the signs,
I know that it's out there,
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere!

I've been looking for someone to shed some light,
Not somebody just to get me through the night,
I could use some direction,
And I'm open to your suggestions.

All I want to do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it through without a way back into love.
And if I open my heart again,
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end!

There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love,
I can't make it through without a way back into love,
And if I open my heart to you,
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do,
And if you help me to start again,
You know that I'll be there for you in the end!

H@PpY bIrThD@Y kRisTen!!

Kristen wanna have chinese food for her birthday celebration so we had Cantonese Ngee-Yong, Hokkien Mee, Bai-Kut Sang-Mee and Fried Keow Teow. And the best is her birthday cake!! Adorable and cute with different flavouring and colours.

The 3 generation-family portraits with Kristen...

Of course, last but not least, the family (Elisa was asleep)...

3 Sekawan : Kuala Selangor

A week ago, flipping thru my calender and thinking, it will be great to go somewhere since there is gonna be a long weekend for the Raya festival and not wanting to spend much on any resorts or flight ticket, guessed Fireflies @ Kuala Selangor was the ultimate goal. Seems many been telling me about the extinction of the fireflies soon and I trully do not want to miss this opportunity while I could. So, I planned for a slow drive there along the off-road of Kapar, stopped to check out the Pantai Indah Seaview Resort then headed to the Kuala Selangor Nature Park which is located at the foot-hill of Bukit Melawati. After the bird-watching at the Nature Park, we shall hunt for the seafood village aka restaurants before we actually head out to our actual mission; fireflies at Kampung Kuantan.

Turns out only Andrew & Yow tagged along with me for this day-trip. I decided to start my journey about 45 minutes earlier than initially schedule since I got back early from church service. And of course, I was excited about the trip and I plan to just drive slowly along the village with the bumpy-Kembara-ride. Departed my house at 12.15pm and picked up Yow shortly after that. Stopped by at the MacD for an ice cream and headed out towards Klang town to pick up Andrew. The journey begins...

As dad advised that Kapar road is the shorter route to take into Kuala Selangor but somehow, it seems not quite appropriate due to the road-constructions here and there... but its okie. It drizzle a bit on and off and after passing by the Kapar town, I had to keep an eye for the Pantai Indah Seaview Resort and the turning was indeed a short-notice but we get there. And the Resort seems just like any ordinary apartment that I doubt many tenants will stay even though it's only RM100 per night for 2-3 rooms. We saw some families enjoying their lunch on some picnic chairs and we decided to park the car and take a stroll thru the mangroves and swamp. I had never visited any swamp area before and despite it's polluted but it was good to see the sight. I was expecting a sandy beach but Pantai Remis probably having it's low-tide so everything seems a little muddy and people are catching clams and some other sorts of creatures probably; mud-skipper.

We saw lots of crabs coming in and out from the holes and we tried our best to get some pictures of the mud-skipper but they are too fast a swimmer; actually, all I see was that they hop very fast with their two fins which from a distance, it seems like the fins are their legs. I think they are amphibians rather than fish because they can actually breath in the land or rather they spend most of their time on swamp. Thanks to Yow to my rescue as I got my foot sinked into the mud thinking that it was a hard-surface which I could try to walk near to the sea-water to wash off some mud stuck to my shoes. Never tried attempting that... that explains why there are squarish-concrete blocks being put for us to actually walk on it till further out to sea on a low-tide hours.

After spending like 30 minutes at this swampy place, we head to Kuala Selangor. Approximately another 25 minutes, we reached the Kuala Selangor district and we looked out for the "Taman Alam" signboards and despite the map that I printed was not a very accurate map, we did not get lost but we reached the Nature Park safely. The first sight of the monkeys welcome us at the entrance. Bought our tickets at the price of RM4 and listen to the guy who managed the place for a short briefing on what we would be expecting to see and what we should not do and etc...

We started off the walk into the "secret garden" with a little muddy and wet ground welcoming us. The perfect weather - could not stop us from the nature walk. We were so looking forward to the sight of some "smooth otter" but we were very much disappointed for not finding any of them. The whole 2 hours walk, I only managed to see 5 species of birds including the cranes & eagles, lizard, some monkeys, bigger sizes of crabs and mud-skipper. The two watch-towers that we climbed - that incurred lots of soreness to my legs. The boardwalk which is designed a shape of a horse-shoe is where the spot that we were told the Straits of Malacca meets the Selangor river. It was kinda non-watchable as it's hidden by all the tall trees and there I was thinking earlier that I can wait for a view of the sunset. Sigh... was I disappointed with the park.

Since we have plenty of time to kill till dinner, we decided to visit the Bukit Melawati for Andrew's sake. Here, we see more monkeys and actually the view from this Hill is pretty good but lots of people were there and I had a good laugh at some of the monkeys that are being treated like the Goddess of Bukit Melawati and their behavior seems hilarious to-sight. The museum and the light-house were close due to the public holiday but Andrew took some good shots and am I glad that I drove the Kembara. The one-way hilly road was no-turning back... if you get stuck, I can't imagine how if someone's car break-downs suddenly and I'm sure the rest of the cars behind will be honking and cursing away till the night-falls. Honestly, I do not dare to imagine...

At about 5.3opm, we left and was planning for our next destination; seafood village Pasir Penambang as per the map. I took a wrong turning and the road I was on is heading to Tanjung Karang, thinking that I had took the wrong road, we tried to get a u-turn ahead but instead the cars are zooming by so quickly that I did not dare to do so... instead, we turn into this junction that seems promising and lots of seafood restaurants and with the instinct of "following the road which others all turn-in", I did the same... and the semi-high-weeds road leads me to the seafood village where 2 restaurants are on the tilts over-looking the river serving seafood and some shops selling all kinds of seafood-related products. We walked around to survey and decided on the first restaurant.

Usually, with a view that is out to the sea/river, I'll make sure I get the tables by the edges but all had the tag "Reserved" on it and the waiter got us a place close to the entrance of the toilets and the kitchen and a big aquarium with the biggest Awana fish I ever saw in my attire life. But the crowds seems promising so we did not wanna be choosy. Ordered our food and while watching the fishermen returned home with their catch-of-the-day in their 'sampan' and boats, our food arrived rather quickly... which after we dig into our food... we find them just simply below-normal. Maybe the enthusiasm is not there either because the two buddies that tagged along with me don't fancy "food" as much as I do. But, we all agreed that Telok Gong's tasted so much better and I think the many people that dine into this restaurant, they did not know yet wherelse is better... hehehe... So not-recomended; Seafood Restaurant K.Selangor. Maybe, my next visit to Kuala Selangor, I'll attempt the 2nd restaurant at this village. Sometimes, less crowd can be better overall.

We stopped by for some "souvenir" before we leave the fishing village, I bought the un-cook 'keropok' and two kinds of fish-balls. Smiling with my purchase, we head back to the Kuala Selangor town to get to our mission location; Kampung Kuantan for our most important task, FIREFLIES!! It was 6 km from the main road that we turn into it and it was pitch-dark. So when I feel that I had driven for about 5.5km, I started driving slowly not wanting to missed the turning and to our most surprised, it was a well-lighted up place with a big board writing Fireflies Kampung Kuantan. Hahaha... we were all so amazed that the Selangor tourism actually made it as a very official tourist-spot to welcome us and it's sponsored by TNB.

Bought the tickets for RM10 and wait for our turn and again, I was shocked to see such a big crowd. Hundreds of us... the life-jacket is a stinko but as long as it's safe, no complains. We got into the sampan and upon leaving the jetty, I remarked, "for all we know... the lighted lights are sponsored by TNB and are being hung on the Berembang (mangroves)." And I think the "Abang" that rows the sampan could not bare to listen to my critics and when we saw the mangroves full of the fireflies, he row the sampan closed to the mangroves and we were up-close-&-personal with the insects. It also flew to us and stay a while in our palms.

Nothing is more breathtaking than the sight of millions of fireflies on the berembang trees, stretching a few kilometres along the riverbank. Pictures are impossible to take but the beautiful glittering and twinkling of the flies are indeed very memorable to me and indeed the look-alike "christmas trees" that is often being described were so true. As we had short chats with the "Abang", I was told that there is another location called Kg. Bukit Belimbing about an hour drive towards Tanjung Karang, will have fireflies too. Was thinking of attempting tonight as well but when we u-turn back to the jetty after about 30 minutes, it started to drizzle and by the time we reached the jetty, it starts a heavy pour. We ran for the car and a little wet here and there but it's worth the money and time.

Feeling exhausted from the nature walk and the short-run from the jetty to the car-park, I still attempt to drive us all back to Klang in one piece. It was raining and I just drove 60-70km/hr. I don't usually want to drive at night but tonight, the feeling seems right. Even the timing were all perfect for us... we have our dinner served quickly, we managed to watch the fireflies before it rain... all seems perfect. Driving for 150km today surely will bring me to dreamland soon... Anybody interested to join me for a trip to Bkt Belimbing for Fireflies??

Note: More pictures will be in my Photo Gallery.