18 February 2009

RH Residences Sulaman Showhouse

The other day my office mates and I went to see the showhouse at this upcoming residential project along Jalan Sulaman Kota Kinabalu. The project is made up of three storey terrace houses. Prices start from RM325,000. Later, I was told there are no more houses at this price.

I liked the showhouse but sadly the price of the actual house is way beyond my budget. Besides I already have a housing loan to pay for. So, getting another house is out of the question for now. A newer and bigger house means that I have to sell off my current house.

Anyway, here are some photos from the visit. I like the living room the most because of the high ceiling. It just felt spacious.

Living room

Living Room - Empty

Master Bedroom

Family Room

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14 February 2009

I Am A Cat

I was blog-surfing the other day and came across this entry about birthdates and animals. It's just for fun I think. What animal are you?

I checked and I'm a cat. Here's what the entry said about cats (by the way the original entry is in Malay and this is my own translation):

You're loving, loved but sometimes very shy. You enjoy quiet and peaceful surroundings. In life, you like to learn new things and always committed in doing things. In normal situations, you seem calm but when you are challenged, you can easily run amuck. Those under the cat sign are smart dressers. People around you frequently make you their idol in dressing. You are good at socializing but only talk to those you know. You are very careful in choosing friends.

Well, I'm surprised that a lot of what written above is true. Off hand, I can tell you that I am shy, enjoy quiet and peaceful (who wouldn't) and very careful in choosing friends. Perhaps, if you get to know me better, you can tell if what's written above is really true.
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Page Views

Based on my feedjit statistics, 25% of the visitors to my blog are from Malaysia and I assume 90% are probably me myself and I, either updating this blog or just re-reading what I've written. How pathetic huh?

Well, I was expecting 80% of my visitors to be from Malaysia, but strangely United States and United Kingdom visitors came in second and third at 23% and 12% respectively. The remaining page views came from a number of countries as follows:

Australia [6%]
Indonesia [5%]
Canada [5%]
India [4%]
Philippines [2%]
South Korea [2%]
Belgium [1%]
Iran [1%]
Brunei [1%]
Germany [1%]
El Salvador [1%]
Italy [1%]
Poland [1%]
Singapore [1%]
United Arab Emirates [1%]
Thailand [1%]
Chile [1%]
France [1%]
Hungary [1%]

Frankly, my blog is intended for me to write about my life and my thoughts. I'm not seeking popularity, fame and fortune out of this. Having said that however, I appreciate greatly everyone who has stopped to read and view this blog of mine. You come back soon, you hear.
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04 February 2009

Singapore 2009 Pictures

The Malay Heritage Centre / Istana Kampung Gelam – before the Singapore of today came into being, there were the Malay sultans and their subjects.

The Asian Civilisations Museum – a good place to learn about the regions contributing to the melting pot called Singapore today and my favourite galleries are the Singapore River and the Southeast Asian performing arts galleries.



Singapore’s Old Icon – new buildings are being constructed in its background.

Singapore’s New Icon – not the bougainvilleas, but those giant metallic Durians.
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Singapore 2009 (2)

What I like about Singapore is the superb MRT system. I am a stickler for good and working public transportation system. I used to avoid Bangkok until it got its BTS system. I was lucky to be working in KL when the LRT and the Komuter systems were already up and running. Manila, I know, also has its transit system. I sincerely hope that one day Jakarta will have some kind of reliable public transportation. Big cities need good public transportation system. Just look at cities like London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Another thing that impressed me is shopping. I bet my last Ringgit that during the annual Great Singapore Sale, the shopping would be better. I’m looking forward to this, which for this year will be from 29 May to 26 July.

One thing that left a bitter taste (not literally, okay) was the general cleanliness of the public toilets that I went to during my Singaporean trip. Maybe it was the long holidays then but still, I have always pictured Singapore as clean. The public toilets at the Woodlands checkpoint, Raffles Place and Ferrer Park LRT stations were very dirty. To say the least, I was very disappointed.

Anyway, this will not be the last of my trips to Singapore. There are always new places to visit and new things to experience in destination that one goes to. Besides, I’d promised someone I’d visit again.
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Singapore 2009 (1)

My first overseas holiday destination this year is Singapore. Last year, I went to Yogyakarta (Indonesia); Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta. My Singaporean visit wasn’t actually planned. I bought the tickets a few days before I departed and only because the price was a steal – RM198 return from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore. Well, I didn’t intend to stay in Singapore as I had plans to go to Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru to visit my friends. Besides, I’ve been to Singapore on holidays before.

Anyway, in between my outbound and inbound flights, I made a half day trip to Singapore with my friends. During the trip, we visited (revisited, for me) the fine Asian Civilisations Museum and the Malay Heritage Centre (Istana Kampong Gelam). In between, we also took in the Esplanade to see Singapore’s old icon, the Merlion and its new one, the Esplanade Theatre. Before returning to Malaysia, we stopped by Mustafa Centre, a 24/7 shopping place. It’s definitely going to be one of my destinations when I visit Singapore next.

An unexpected thing happened while I was in Singapore. I got an SMS from Australia from a very close friend (well, I think we’re more like brothers), and he happened to be a Singaporean who I first met when I was in Australia. He’s working there now. I promised I’d visit Singapore again the next time he comes home for his annual vacation.
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New Year’s Resolutions

I’ve given up on new year’s resolutions a long time ago. It seemed then that my new year’s resolutions were made up of unfinished resolutions of the previous years. I know that in life, as in a journey, it is best that we have an end in sight. But, over the years, I’ve become more pragmatic. Rather than have a long to-do list at the beginning of each year, I thought I’d be better off if I’d do one major thing at a time, when and how I wanted it. It’s far more satisfying to achieve one resolution than having many incomplete ones at the end of the year.

For example, a few years back, I resolved to get a Master’s degree and after putting a lot of resources into it, I completed my Master’s degree from one of the best universities in the World. I also received commendation for outstanding academic performance from the university’s chancellor. It was one of my proudest moments in life.

Well, this year I’ve made up another major resolution and I hope I’ll achieve it. I’ve already set the ball rolling. For the time being, I won’t write much about it but may refer to it from time to time. Don’t worry, once it becomes achievable, I’ll definitely write about my resolution.

Just a hint: If you’ve been following my blog, it has something to do with a problem I faced before.
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Long Absence

I'm so sorry if you've been waiting to read something here in the past. I know I haven't blogged for sometime now. Well, a few things came up and I wasn’t able to blog as I wanted. One of them was work and another was a matter personal in nature. I don’t want to bore you with the details but I do hope that from now on, I’ll be able to blog more often. For you my readers, I wish you well and a good year ahead. It’s not too late I hope.
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