Beginilah Aku

Singapore Bienalle 2011

2011-06-01T17:27:00.000+08:00

The first day I was in Singapore on 15 May 2011 coincided with the last day of the two-month long Singapore Bienalle 2011 edition. Organised by the Singapore Art Museum, this is the third Bienalle after the first and second ones in 2006 and 2008. The Bienalle is an exhibition of contemporary visual arts from around the world.

The works of arts of 63 artists from 30 countries were showcased at four locations on the island. As it was the last day of the Bienalle, I only managed to visit the exhibitions at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and its extension Singapore Art Museum at 8 Queen Street (SAM @ 8Q).

There were many interesting works of arts by the artists involved. I'd like to post them here but to protect intellectual property rights, I've decided against it. By the way, Singapore Art Museum allows non-flash photography on its premises.

Interestingly too, two Malaysian, Ise (Roslisham Ismail) and Shooshie Sulaiman, were among the artists featured. In total 29 of the artists are from Asia. Someday, I hope someday Malaysia would also organise a similar event. In the meantime, I'm planning to be back for the next Singapore Biennale.

Singapore Biennale 2011 Bunting

Singapore Art Museum (SAM), organisers and one of the venues

Singapore Art Museum at 8 Queen Street (SAM @ 8Q)

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Painting Outside, Paintings Inside

2011-06-01T15:10:00.000+08:00

A lone workman carrying out painting work on the outside walls of the Singapore Art Museum, housing many paintings inside. Photo taken on 15 May 2011 at 1.27PM.

Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Singapore

2011-06-01T13:35:00.000+08:00

This is a collection of photos of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Singapore taken on 15 and 16 May 2011.

Built in 1932, the station was designed with Neo-Classical and Art Deco architecture external facades. The station is the southernmost terminus of the KTMB railway line that runs north-south of the Malay Peninsular. On 1 July 2011, however, this will change when the station is handed back to the Singaporean government and ceases to operate as a train station. The southernmost terminus of the KTMB railway line will be Woodlands, on the north part of the island.

Anyway, don't worry they building will be preserved in any development and in fact, the Preservation Monuments Board of Singapore has already declared the building the country's 64th National Monument. I'm sure it will be turned into something useful.

Station's front facade

Another view of the front facade

Platforms and Tracks

Station waiting area with vault ceiling above

Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR) insignia

Two of the six murals

Another two of the six murals

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Singapore Trip May 2011

2011-06-01T13:27:00.006+08:00

Late last year, I had purchased return tickets from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur on Firefly Airlines for the middle of May. Right around the time, I read that the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore would cease operating on 1 July 2011.

The strangest thing about the station is that all immigrations and customs clearance into Malaysia is conducted by Malaysian authorities here at the station and the Singaporean one is done at Woodlands, further north on the island. Well, at least until 1 July. Due to this, I've decided to make a train trip to Singapore to experience the anomaly and also while the building is still functioning as a train station. By the way, the first trip I made to Singapore about 13 years ago was also through here.

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PETRONAS Twin Towers

2011-05-05T00:05:00.004+08:00

Photo taken on 14 January 2011.

The twins have to be the most photographed man-made structure in all of Malaysia. Read all about them here. Visiting up the skybridge that connects the twins at levels 41 and 42 used to be free but these days, a Malaysian adult or any child below 12 years old pays RM3 while a foreign adult pays RM10 for the privilege. For RM20 (Malaysian adult or any child below 12 years old) or RM40 (foreign adult), a visitor can go up to the observation deck on level 86 and the skybridge. For the curious, there are 88 levels or floors in the both buildings. Tickets are limited, so be sure to come early in the morning, except on Mondays when visits are not available.

I once worked here and frankly, one of the things that I would try to avoid then was coming here on my off-days. Not even to shop.

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Zero KM, Kota Kinabalu

2011-05-04T13:33:00.004+08:00

You Are Here

This site was gazetted on 8 August 1996 but was only inaugurated on 16 March 2011. In case you are wondering, it's located in the compound of the Sabah Tourism Board building, one of the oldest buildings in town. The building's history dates back to 1916. Here's a cool link about the inauguration.

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Missing

2011-05-04T13:16:00.001+08:00

Pavement, Beach Street, Kota Kinabalu. Picture taken 1 May 2011.

Labour Day Outing

2011-05-03T13:22:00.002+08:00

Baby baby baby ohh.

A group of my work colleagues, who happened to be photography enthusiasts went on a photography walkabout at the famous Gaya Street fair. It was a fun and enjoyable day. The photo above is my favorite shot of the day.

After lunch, we headed to the Times Book Fair 2011 at Suria Sabah shopping complex. There were too many books to look through and as I was too tired to look at all of them, I only got three novels (one hardcover and two softcover) and a career related book (for the year 2011 no less), all for RM36. The fair will run until 8 May 2011. (Note: Book purchases year-to-date count: RM504)

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Third Header For My Blog

2011-04-30T00:29:00.000+08:00

I've lost the second header of my blog. The second header featured me at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. It was then temporarily replaced with another header but without me being featured in it. Well, this is my blog after all. So, for the third header, I've chosen a self-portrait taken at Sabah Tea Garden longhouse a few months back. It's me taking a photo of a framed-up traditional article of clothing. Here it is the third one.

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Five Foods that Will Make You Look Younger

2011-04-24T23:38:00.001+08:00

A magazine that I will try to buy each month is Details, an American lifestyle, fashion and entertainment magazine. I'd like to share the above from the April 2011 issue with all my readers. The five are:

Sweet Potatoes
Wild Salmon
Tomatoes
Citrus Fruits
Leafy Greens

In addition to the above, I'd like to add a sixth item. It's not food, just an advice to have less worries in our lives. We can do this by separating inconveniences from problems and wants from needs.

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What I Do on a Saturday Night

2011-04-24T00:56:00.002+08:00

I am too old to go clubbing these days. So, when I don't have anything else to do on a Saturday night, I will spend time in a coffee shop. Yes, one belonging to an international coffee chain. They have air-conditioning, wi-fi connection and usually great friendly staff on duty. What more could you ask for.

Besides having something to drink (my usual choice is hot chocolate) and something to bite (a piece of pastry), I usually read books, magazines or newspapers, or surf the internet. The coffee shop is a good place for people watching too.

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Missing the Sun

2011-04-23T02:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a public holiday, so I decided to go my favorite photography spot, Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu. I was there from about 5 PM until 6.30PM. I've captured a lot of sunsets from here. Sad to say, the sun decided to hide behind the clouds and an island. So, here's the best of the lot that I captured.

Photo taken at 6.09 PM.

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My Photography and I

2011-04-22T23:35:00.004+08:00

First and foremost, for the record, I'm not professionally trained or anything like it. I just tweak with my tools, try to get the best angle and then, shoot. I usually use either the camera on my Nokia E-72 (and a few other Nokia models and an O2 model before it), my point and shoot Olympus FE-310 or my DSLR, Olympus E-520. The DSLR comes with twin kit lens (14-42mm and 40-150mm).

Sometimes the photos turn out okay (for me, at least), sometimes they don't. The ones I put up are the ones I like, of course. A photo not shared is a photo not taken. Your constructive criticisms on these photos are most welcome.

Please note that I do not perform any post-processing on my photos, save for reducing the size, say from 1 to 4 MB to an uploading/downloading friendly size. What you see is what I shot. I strongly feel that if I'm to share my photos with anyone, the photos must be how I saw them and not how I imagined them.

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Back from a Short Break

2011-04-20T22:28:00.007+08:00

I just got back from a short break and these days, my airline of choice is Firefly Airline, your community airline. FY, that's the code for the airline, (like MH for Malaysia Airlines and SQ for Singapore Airlines), is a subsidiary of MH and started to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching earlier this year on their Boeing 737 800 series. I actually flew on the inaugural flight to Kota Kinabalu. Maybe that's another post for another time.

Anyway, this was the third time I flew FY and they made me do a digital customer relationship survey while on-board. The device used (photo above) is an Apple Ipod. And no I didn't get to keep it or get any gifts.

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E-mail for Every Malaysian?

2011-04-20T22:11:00.006+08:00

This has to be one of the most preposterous (this means "absurd") idea coming out of corporate Malaysia. Many areas in Sabah have no basic facilities such as electricity and water and someone is going to connect everyone there on the Internet. Puhleeze..... Remember the story about the rural school computerisation project? How to run the computers with limited electricity? Hello! Anybody home?

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Tea at Sabah Tea House

2011-04-19T21:47:00.004+08:00

With Mount Kinabalu as the backdrop, a typical afternoon tea is transformed to a beautiful experience at Sabah Tea House. Sabah Tea House is the food and beverage outlet of the Sabah Tea Garden, at the Sabah Tea plantation in Kampung Nalapak, Ranau, Sabah. Read more about Sabah Tea Garden here.

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A Weekend in November

2011-04-18T00:21:00.005+08:00

Mount Kinabalu from Celyn Resorts, Kundasang, Sabah.

Taken on 12 November 2010 at 5.50 PM.

Taken on 13 November 2010 at 6.38 AM.

Taken on 14 November 2010 at 7.15 AM.

The Gap

2011-04-16T21:39:00.001+08:00

The gap between Sapi and Gaya Islands, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Taken on 10 March 2011 at 11.24 AM.

Table for Eight

2011-04-16T21:21:00.002+08:00

Old tables and chairs at Yuit Cheong Coffee Shop, Jalan Pantai/Beach Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Photo taken on Sunday 27 February 2011 at 11.30 AM.

Lone Angler and the Sea

2011-04-16T21:16:00.001+08:00

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach (3rd Beach), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Sunday 27 February 2011 at 5.31 PM.

Blogging Again

2011-04-16T21:00:00.001+08:00

Ohh uhh I'm sorry for not blogging for a very long time. I got tied up with work and then, facebook happened. I was late on the bandwagon but as they say, the rest is history. I'm not as busy now as I've been in the past and I've actually recently deactivated my facebook account. So, here I'm (that means “Did you miss me?” in my code words with some friends on meeting people. By the way, “Hello there you are.” means “I miss you”.) Ok, I'm not up to making long posts just yet. Please bear with me. I'll be back sooner than you know with my usual posts. For the time being, my next few posts would be photos I've taken while I was away.

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I am Back

2010-06-30T17:44:00.001+08:00

But I don't know for how long this time.

Well, where do I start? I'm sorry to all my readers. I've been busy and I admit it, lazy too, for the past six months. I suppose I've lost it. I just didn't feel like blogging despite it being one of my new year's resolutions. Anyway, I'm going to be busy again as our new academic is starting soon. However, I hope I will not be lazy again. Lookout for my new posts soon.

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Happy New Year

2010-01-02T00:19:00.003+08:00

Image from widgetslab.com

To all my readers, here's a Happy New Year wish to you - I hope the new year brings success and happiness in your lives. I also hope you've achieved what you set out to do last year. As for me, I've not. Anyway, I've a few things I want to accomplish this year. Here are some of them:

Be a better person to my family and loved ones as well as to my friends, colleagues (maybe not all of them as some are just right down nasty) and students.
Arrange my finances.
Exercise more. I'm not getting any younger and yes, my biological clock is ticking.
Have more leisure time for my other interests like reading more books and improving my photography skills. Right now, all I would say is that firstly, I've too many unread books in my bookshelves and secondly, I've a camera which actually can do more than being an expensive point & shoot one.
Blog more and maybe resuscitate my other blog once my photography skills improve.

At work, I do have a few things cut out for me to do this year and I'm sure that I'll work my ass off to get them done, somehow.

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New Year's Day Sunset

2010-01-01T20:08:00.002+08:00

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Friday 1 January 2010 at 5.58 PM.

Father and Son Again

2009-12-25T15:47:00.000+08:00

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 6 December 2009 at 5.52 PM.

Sunset or Gazebo

2009-12-25T15:44:00.003+08:00

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Saturday 5 December 2009 at 5.50 PM.

Imperial or Metric?

2009-11-26T13:59:00.001+08:00

I just started secondary school when the country began the switch from imperial measurements to metric ones. Yes, it was confusing though once you get it, I'd say metric is easier. Afterall, for example, there are 100 centimetres in a meter and 1,000 meters in a kilometre but 12 inches in a foot, and three feet in a yard. Which one is easier to remember? Metric ones, of course.

Anyhow, I left school and went to university in a country which still uses (even now) the imperial system. When I got back home, I got my first job and I remember one occasion when I got the two systems mixed up. On of my colleagues asked me how much I weight. I answered wrongly, saying “65 pounds”. Another colleague quipped, “That must be the weight of one of your legs.” Everyone laughed. After that, I never used pound or feet, any more.

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Arabic or Tamil?

2009-11-26T13:57:00.001+08:00

Many years ago, I was travelling on a flight between West and East Malaysia. For this particular flight, I asked to be seated at the last row of the plane, which was a Boeing 737.

Anyway, sometime during the flight, one of the female flight attendants took a stack of newspapers from under the aisle seat and placed them on the seat.

Apparently someone must've asked for a newspaper as I saw her loooking through the stack. She must've noticed me for stopped in the middle of the stack, which happened to be on a newspaper in the Arabic script, probably the Utusan Melayu, the only paper printed in that script. Back to the flight attendant, when she stopped, she first looked at the paper and then at me, mouthing a question in Malay, asking me if I could read it. Caught off guard, I sheepishly answered that I could but a little slow.

The flight attendant continued looking through the stack of newspapers. I was still watching her and I supposed she noticed it as she stopped looking and looked at me again instead. This time, I had a question for her. I nonchalantly asked in Malay too, "Looking for the Tamil one, is it?"

I had the last laugh this time because she was probably too dumbstruck to answer. Instead, she just returned the whole stack to under the seat. From then on, I hardly notice her smiling when she passed by. Well, you started it.

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American or British?

2009-11-26T13:55:00.000+08:00

A few years back, when I applied for a visa to a certain English speaking country, one of the requirements was an interview with the staff at the country's Embassy.

At the appointed time, I came but had to wait for a little bit for those applicants who came in before me to be interviewed first. There seemed to be a prepared set of questions asked by the Embassy’s staff.

I wasn't so concerned about getting the visa because the organization I worked for then had dealings with organizations in that country. What concerned me was what would be my answer for a particular question I overheard, which was, "Do you speak English?". I could've answer with a simple, "Yes" or with a triumphant and thumping "Yes indeed, I do". I even thought of answering it with a question, "American or British?" in my best accent of both, of course.

Anyway, when my turn came, the staff enquired about my English as expected. But he asked me, "How's your English" instead of the question I thought about. Unexpectedly and too bad, all I could muster for an answer was an uninspiring "Uhm, okay."

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A Tale of Two Mobile Service Providers

2009-11-22T00:50:00.003+08:00

One of them is not applicable in this post.

I have two mobile phones with two different service providers. One is the same with my broadband service. For my birthday, I didn't get anything from this service provider, not even a free happy birthday sms. Last month, however, I got 30 minutes of free calls for numbers within the same network for my 12th anniversary using their service. Yes, 12 years. During this time, I’ve kept the same number but have been changing from one package to another.

The other provider, on the other hand, gave me 1 whole day of free calls for numbers within the same network on my birthday. Believe it or not, I've been using their service for less than 2 years. Less 2 years.

One more thing I feel my birthday is a more significant date than the anniversary date of my signing up with a service provider. But I guess that's not up to me to decide.

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My Broadband Service Provider is Amazing

2009-11-22T00:45:00.000+08:00

Only one of them is applicable in this post.

Amazingly slow, that is. I've been using the service since April this year and its not getting any better. Sometimes, both the upload and download indicate 0 kpbs. I'm not a heavy user of Internet. Normally, my monthly usage is way below than the 5G allocated. I usually use facebook, e-mails, look up information for work, blog and enjoy interactions in social and interest forums. Actually, I wanted to terminate the service but then the modem is tied to this particular provider, which means, I can't use it with another. Too bad, huh. Well, my own stupid mistake.

I've asked a friend who works with the service provider about this and one of the possible causes I was told is that much of the bandwidth was being used up by the students at a nearby university. I can see that but I know that the students have completed their final exams and most would be on their way back to their hometown. I expected the service to improve when the students are gone. Sadly, its still the same now.

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What did I get for my birthday?

2009-11-21T23:38:00.004+08:00

A book, a perfume and deodorant set, a lunch, a digital camera bag (but I managed to squeeze my notebook in there too), a digital photography book, a cake and a lot of wishes from my family and friends. Thank you all. For me, its the thoughts, not the physical items, that count.

P/S: I'm still thinking of what to buy for myself. I'm thinking of getting accessories for my digital camera - maybe, a lens or two and a flash.

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My Birthday

2009-11-19T11:19:00.001+08:00

I was born today many years ago. Sometime ago, I got around asking my mother about the time I was born. Well for starters, I was born in the local hospital of my mother's hometown. She said labor wasn't very difficult. My mother came to the hospital around 8am and voila, 2 hours later, I was born. If you check here, you'll know I was born on a Tuesday.

My mother said I wasn't a particularly difficult baby to take care of. Even later, as a young boy, I wasn't a difficult child. According to her, I usually followed what I was told, like to stay in one place or to behave. (Wow, I'm amazed of myself, really.) Anyway, I still could recall being mischievous at times, but there were not so many of these. Kids being kids, I guess.

I usually try to take leave on my birthday. That's not possible today as I've a lot of things to do at work. If I'd taken leave, I'll probably do them at home, anyway. So, what's the point of taking leave, right? It's too bad that I'd to work on my birthday but I'll get through it.

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10 Things to Do in Jakarta

2009-11-15T00:48:00.000+08:00

Photo: Ships at Sunda Kelapa Port

I've lost count of my trips to Jakarta for work. I first went in 2001. My worst experience was being in the city the day the Australian embassy in Kuningan was bombed. My colleagues and I even passed by the area on our way to work that particular morning.

For a change, I was in Jakarta for a proper vacation for the very first time last December.

Here's the list:

Visit Monas, the National monument and have a picnic on the grounds. Don't forget nearby buildings, like the Istiklal Mosque and the Roman Catholic church.
Visit Jakarta old quarter and see old buildings from past centuries.
See the ships at Sunda Kelapa port and if you are lucky, you'll see a nice sunset too.
Visit Ancol area. Taman Mini Indonesian and the Underwater World are perennial attractions.
Eat somewhere along Jalan Jaksa. A backpackers haunt, the road is lined by many food outlets.
Shop at Mangga Dua area for affordable stuff and souvenirs.
Shop at Plaza Indonesia or Senayan Mall for more upmarket goods.
Stock up on local Indonesian music CD's and Indonesian movies DVD's. The prices will blow you away.
Get lost for books at Taman Gunung Agung Kwitang or at any Gramedia outlets.
Take a train and get away to Bandung and Bogor, 3 hours and 1 hour away respectively. Enjoy the cooler climate in both places and in Bandung, some more shopping.

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Last Night

2009-11-14T23:59:00.000+08:00

Actually, ten nights ago. There was a full moon, so I decided to take my camera out and take a photo of the moon.

Reminds of Az Yet’s song “Last Night”. Last night, while making love to you. I saw the sun, the moon, the mountains and the rivers…

Photo was taken from outside my home, Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday 4 November at 10.15PM

10 Things to Do in Manila

2009-11-10T21:45:00.000+08:00

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Palm Tree - Roxas Boulevard during the anniversary of People Power Revolution

The List:

Intramuros, in particular Fort Santiago.
Manila Cathedral & UNESCO World Heritage Site Saint Agustin Church. Both are located in Intramuros.
Have a picnic at Rizal Park/Luneta Park.
Look at the excellent permanent and rotating exhibits at the Ayala Museum.
National Museum of Filipino People.
Roxas Boulevard. Take a walk in the morning or late afternoon along Manila Bay.
Shopping at SM Mall of Asia (MoA). I prefer Robinson Place in Malate or Greenbelt/Glorietta in Makati but MoA is huge.
Clubbing in J Nakpil street, Malate.
Shop for trinkets, souvenirs or gifts, what the Filipinos call 'pasalubong' at Greenhills.
Visit the still active Taal volcano.

I have been to Manila only twice, so that doesn't make me an expert. My first time here was a surprise for me. Generally I found people were warm, friendly and helpful.

Another thing that really struck me is that there are so many beautiful and handsome people in this city. It was impossible not to notice. I even remarked to a travel mate that may be there's a law keeping the not so beautiful and not so handsome people, or most of them at least, locked at home.

P/S I might visit again in early December.

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Father and Son (3)

2009-11-05T01:05:00.001+08:00

I've to admit that my father and I had never been very close. When I was growing up, my parents had to work two jobs (one during the day and another at night) to support our family of ten people. So, I only saw them in the morning and around dinner time and of course, on weekends. Then, at 12 years old, I went away to a boarding school and since then, I've been spending my time away from home, studying and working.

The past five years have been the longest time I spent at home since my 12th birthday. My parents are the main reason I'm back in my hometown instead of working and travelling around the world. A small price to pay for what they’ve done for me all my life.

Perhaps not as much as they did when I was small (and even now), I worry about them a lot. I never say it much but, Bapa and Mummy, I love you two very much.

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Father and Son (2)

2009-11-05T00:59:00.002+08:00

At around 3PM yesterday, my sister called me saying that my father was unwell and wanted to go to the hospital. My father hasn't been well since last Monday, when he went to a private clinic and the doctor referred him to the hospital. Stubborn, (like me, I guess it's one of the traits I probably got from him), he didn't want to go.

Earlier in the morning, he complained about having diarrhea and I got some medicine from the pharmacy for him. After the call, I rushed back from the office to our house to fetch my mom and dad to the hospital. My sister and my brother-in-law came by too.

After a long wait at the Accident and Emergency unit, my father was admitted to the hospital wards around 6.30PM. My mom is staying back to look after him. He's admitted only for observation but if you are reading this, do say a prayer for him for a speedy recovery.

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Father and Son (1)

2009-11-04T23:48:00.001+08:00

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 25 October 2009 at 5.40 PM.

Out Of The Frying Pan (And Into The Fire)

2009-11-03T17:15:00.002+08:00

Microphone and examination announcement script for the chief invigilator.

My students diligently answering my examination.

The institution of higher learning where I worked has just commenced its final examination weeks for the on-going semester. Examination for both my papers were held in the first week. One is for about thirty students; the other, about three hundred students. Each paper has five questions. I am fine with the smaller group, as the questions are all qualitative. But with the larger one, I'll have to pore over 1,500 answers. And being a quantitative paper, I'll have to go over each question carefully especially when the students answers' do not match my own marking scheme. I give credit where credit is due.

Marking examination scripts is the thing I like least in my job. Ask any academic, they'll probably say the same. I'll probably spend the whole of the next week or so marking. But, if you are reading this my students, don't worry, though I may take time marking, I don't take shortcuts in doing it. Be rest assured that scripts are duly checked from front to back.

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Reflections and Contemplations

2009-11-01T23:01:00.001+08:00

Five years ago today, I made the jump from the corporate world to the academia. Some of my friends then thought I've lost my mind. Looking back, maybe I really did. I'm now nowhere closer to where I'd like to be then. Perhaps it's time look reflect on what I've done and contemplate what I should be doing next. Did I make the wrong choice? Should I stay on or should I move on with my life? These are the questions playing in my mind. I don't have the answers but once I do, then it's my resolve. I know, this time around, some of my friends now might think I'm losing it again. Ah, well, c'est la vie.

Butter Prawn Recipe

2009-10-20T00:05:00.002+08:00

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (for four to five people):

1. Prawn - 500 grams - Keep shell intact but slit the back and remove the black thread

2. Cooking Oil - 1/2 cup

3. Egg Yolk - 4 to 5 eggs - Beaten (Hint: you can use the egg white to stir fry vegetables with)

4. Butter - 2 to 3 tablespoons

5. Fresh Curry Leaves - 2 to 3 sprigs - Chopped

6. Bird's Eye Chillies - 5 to 6 pieces - Chopped and if you prefer, deseeded

7. Sugar - 1 tablespoon

8. Salt - to taste (I usually use minimally)

Method:

1. Heat cooking oil

2. Half-fry prawn, remove and dry

3. Remove used cooking oil

3. Heat butter

4. Pour egg yolk slowly from a high position and keep stirring (Hint: This is the hardest part.)

5. Add in curry leaves, chillies, sugar and salt

6. Add in half-fried prawn and mix with the rest of the ingredients

It's that easy. By the way, the prawn is the key to the dish. So the fresher the prawn, the better. And one more thing, don't ask me for any other dishes because my favorite dishes are simple fried fish and stir-fried vegetables, which anyone can cook.

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Butter Prawn

2009-10-20T00:03:00.001+08:00

A few of my friends in the office decided to have a potluck gathering over Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Everyone agreed to bring bring/make/buy something for the gathering. Mine was Butter Prawn, the dry version. I thought it tasted so and so but some of my friends liked it. Here's a photo of it, which was cropped from a friend's photo taken on that day.

18 October 2009 Sunset

2009-10-19T13:23:00.002+08:00

One of the things I try to do on weekends is a visit to Tanjung Aru beach to catch the sunset. The beach would be filled with people, enjoying themsleves either by sitting around, eating and drinking, playing games (soccer, rugby and seasports) or taking photographs (like me and many others). The other places that I take photographs of sunset is Anjung Samudera or the Waterfront in Kota Kinabalu city center and the building where I work (really).

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 18 October 2009 at 5.51PM.

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 18 October 2009 at 5.53PM.

It's Been A While

2009-10-19T13:15:00.000+08:00

I know. I've been busy the past one month, with work particularly. I feel like going on a good long vacation but I'm not so sure if that's possible anytime soon. Anyway, it looks like the next one month will a hectic one for me. So if you are a regular visitor, please forgive me if I don't post that often.

16 September 2009

2009-09-16T23:59:00.002+08:00

One year on, we are still governed by the same federal government. Where's all the talk of forming a new federal government? Maybe it's just a case of empty vessels make the most noise. (Check out the meaning of this proverb here). My guess is he's just too busy with other more pressing matter.

Anyway, happy Malaysia day, Malaysians.

Malaysia Oh Malaysia

2009-09-16T03:00:00.001+08:00

Malaysian map (source: www.maparchive.org/details.php?image_id=263)

One of the things I really feel bad and unhappy about is that when I get to Peninsular Malaysia and people I meet (usually for work) asks, "Bila sampai kat Malaysia?" or "When (did you) arrive in Malaysia?" It makes me feel like I am from another country altogether.

This happened when I went on to study for my whole secondary and part of my tertiary education in Peninsular Malaysia and then went on to work in Sarawak and here in Sabah. It still happens today. The sad thing is that the very people who asked me are generally educated fellow Malaysians, who I believe should have better general knowledge, if not historical knowledge, than your average Malaysians.

For the record, 46 years ago today, a country by name of Malaysia came into being by the federation of British North Borneo (as Sabah was known then), Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore. If this didn't happen, there wouldn't be Malaysia as we know it today.

There's an interesting report by the Malay Mail about Hari Malaysia. Check it out.

09.09.09

2009-09-09T00:01:00.001+08:00

What a nice date! To commemorate it, let me tell you nine things about me that you probably don’t know (unless you’re my best friend or something). Here goes:

One is the only distinction I got for my last examination in secondary school. Anyway, I impressed the panel of a scholarship interview because it was conducted in English. One remarked (loudly, because I heard it), “He can speak English.”
Two is the number of girls I’ve fallen head over heels over. Too bad, we didn’t work out.
Three is the number of cars I had over the years. All cute small cars.
Four is the number of years I took to complete my bachelor’s degree after finishing my school. That meant I got at 21 years old.
Five is the number of close friends I have since leaving secondary school (you know who you are). One friends even had a name for our group – NTL.
Six inches above five feet is my height. I’m short but still managed to be a starter on my school’s basketball team.
Seven years is the length of time I spent living out of the country.
Eight is the number of siblings in my family, five boys and three girls. Sadly, two are no longer with us today.
Nine months is the time I took to complete my master’s degree.

Today’s post was brought to you by the number Nine and letter Jae.

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Don’t Blame the Indonesian People, Blame Some of the Indonesian Media

2009-09-04T13:38:00.000+08:00

I know I’ve written not so nice things before on the current Indonesia-Malaysia row. I don’t blame the Indonesian people for this. The parties to be blame for sensationalizing the issues are some of the Indonesian media, who I consider as overzealous. Worse still as members of media, they failed to check the authenticity and veracity of the news, print or broadcast. I thought that would be taught in Journalism 101.

As an example, the latest row is about the song Terang Bulan. If the journalist had bothered to google or do some Internet search, he/she would have read that the song was composed by a Frenchman in the late 19th century and in early 20th was adapted as its national by the state of Perak, a state in Malaysia today. This was a long time before it was recorded by Indonesia artists and adapted as the national anthem of Malaysia. Go ahead look it up yourself.

Well, I guess these kinds will write and air anything to sell their newspapers and make more watch their television programs. The kind of reporting they are practicing is sickening and must be stopped. There is no need to make a wedge between us as there are so many things where Indonesians and Malaysians can co-operate for the betterment of the two countries. Like it or not, we are stuck as neighbors until kingdom come.

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Poverty in Malaysia : The Answer (?)

2009-09-01T00:05:00.004+08:00

Someone wrote to me about the post on poverty I did earlier.

Well, I don't have all the answers but I believe the key in solving the problem of poverty lies in education. If you educate the children of the poor well, these children then can help their families. Hopefully, the cycle of poverty will stop.

But when I mean education, its not just sending them to the nearest school. If you are a poor child and have to help in the family to get food on the table, which would you choose? Going to school or going without food?

What is needed is a comprehensive program where the children of the poor are given all, yes ALL, that they need to get educated well. Put them in hostels during primary and secondary schools. Provide them food, clothes, books and some pocket money. Give them a break for entry to institutions of higher learning. As long as they meet the minimum entry requirement, let them in. Give them scholarships to study. I know its cliché but remember the saying about teaching a man to fish? Here, we are teaching the poor children to fish. Where there is a will, there is a way.

I know that studies after studies have been done to study poverty in the country. But, even now, where are we? Back at square one. Why are there still poor people in our country?

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No Malaysian National Day Parades This Year

2009-08-31T18:46:00.009+08:00

Due the H1N1, there are no large scale National Day parades this year in most places in Malaysia, including Kota Kinabalu. Too bad because I love parades for as long as I remember. In fact, as a child, I only wanted to a soldier. In high school, I joined the marching band and took part in five National Day parades. Later at work, I took part in three National Day parades, including one at the national level.

If I'm free, I'd usually try to be one of the spectators lining up the parade way. I guess, I'm patriotic this way. Well, since there is no parade this year for me to take photos of, I leave you with some photos I took from the last year's parade.

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10 Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur

2009-08-31T00:02:00.002+08:00

The Twins

I first came to KL, as we Malaysians affectionately call the city, many years ago as a twelve-year old boy, en route to another city to continue my education in a boarding school. Since then, I’ve lived and worked in the city and yes, even holidayed there.

The list:
1. Visit the PETRONAS Twin Towers, go for the free skybridge tour. I worked here before and for the record, the highest floor I’ve been was Level 81.
2. Visit KL's old and new train stations, which are one stop from each other. Experience the old and new KL.
3. Stand in Masjid Jamek, the muddy confluence of Klang and Gombak Rivers, where KL began figuratively and literally.
4. Visit the Islamic Arts Museum.
5. Shop in Bukit Bintang, from venerable Sungai Wang and Bukit Bintang Plazas to new Pavillion and Berjaya Times Square.
6. Shop for handicrafts and gifts at Central Market.
7. Have a picnic at the Lake Gardens and visit the surrounding attractions like the Malaysian National Monument, Deer Park, KL Bird Park, Butterfly Park, Hibiscus Garden and Orchid Garden.
8. Dinner at Seri Angkasa (revolving) Restaurant, KL Tower. Superb views especially when there’s rain, thunder and lightning.
9. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper at the many food outlets around the city, some are even open 24/7.
10. Catch a performance at Istana Budaya and/or PETRONAS Philharmonic Hall.

Happy National Day Malaysians

2009-08-31T00:01:00.002+08:00

No matter what's our race, religion and political affiliation, I wish that we Malaysians will continue to contribute to our nation's development. I've lived in and visited many countries, Malaysia is always THE country for me. I'm proud to be a Malaysian. Malaysia, my home, my country.

Sexy photo

2009-08-30T00:15:00.005+08:00

Of a cat, not of me hehehe. This is Arsene, one of my five cats.

These are four of them. From the left, in clockwise direction, are Chester, the white tiger lookalike; Arsene, or is it Ashton, I can't see the tip of the tail to tell them apart and finally, their sister, Chelsea.

The fifth cat is actually Chester, Arsene, Ashton and Chelsea's mother. No she is not named after another English football club. Hmmm Liv, after my favorite club, Liverpool, would be a cool name for a girl cat. We call her Fina after the Turkish club, Fenerbache.

The cats live outside our house. It's a corner lot terrace house, they have lots of space to run around in. I'll write about them in the future.

10 Things to Do Series

2009-08-29T21:45:00.001+08:00

I guess I will make my "10 Things to Do" lists a series. The list includes places to visit, food outlets to try out an of course things to do at each place. My list is based on my own experience visiting and in some cases, living at these particular places.

My hope is that the "10 Things to Do" lists will help you start the ball rolling in visiting a particular place. You don't have to follow my list. Well, that's why we call it my list in the first place. Mine would most likely include places like a museum or two, historical related, nature related and most importantly, food related.

Go ahead and make up your own based on your likes and interest. If you can, don't forget to share them with fellow travellers. You can read my earlier list for Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and Bangkok, Thailand.

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Top 10 Museums

2009-08-28T17:25:00.001+08:00

According to the June 2009 edition of Airasia's in-flight magazine, travel3sixty. These museums are located in Airasia's destinations.

The list with some remarks is below. My own comments, only applicable to cities I’ve been to, are in brackets.

National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh - completes knowledge of Angkor Wat. (No comment).
National Museum of Singapore - fresh modern approach and history back to 14th century. (Hah, I beg to differ. When I last visited about 10 years ago, the period between 14th century and 1824 was a blank. Anyway, the Asian Civilizations Museum at Empress Place is a much better choice).
Sarawak Museum, Kuching - arguably Malaysia's best museum. (I don't want to argue but it's a good museum).
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi - most comprehensive museum. (No comment).
Islamic Arts Museum, KL - works from Persia & Middle East to China and India. (I enjoyed visiting this museum very much).
Royal Palace Museum, Luang Prabang, Laos - formerly a royal residence. (No comment).
Sono-Budoyo Museum, Yogyakarta - country's most complete museum. (I also enjoyed visiting this museum very much).
Natural History Museum, London - botany to zoology. (I've never been here but I enjoyed my visit to the British Museum. I practically spent a whole day there).
Hall of Opium, Chiang Saen, Thailand. (No comment).
National Palace Museum, Taipei - on par with Lourve & MOMA and features Chinese architects. (No comment).

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I Don't Know if Malaysia Airlines Will Make It

2009-08-28T17:13:00.003+08:00

This is a follow-up to my previous post. The more I look, the more depressing the figures become. The table below shows the operating revenue and operating expense of Malaysia Airlines from 2005 to Quarter 2 2009.

2005	Operating Revenue	Operating Expenses	Difference
Q1	2,964,009	(3,059,158)	(95,149)
Q2	2,804,539	(3,164,404)	(359,865)
Q3	3,014,203	(3,440,004)	(425,801)
Q4	3,129,329	(3,816,994)	(687,665)

2006
Q1	2,970,959	(3,342,542)	(371,583)
Q2	2,945,833	(3,205,802)	(259,969)
Q3	3,501,792	(3,558,346)	(56,554)
Q4	3,708,178	(3,685,703)	22,475

2007
Q1	3,470,547	(3,398,677)	71,870
Q2	3,385,232	(3,390,954)	(5,722)
Q3	3,758,443	(3,738,326)	20,117
Q4	4,056,783	(3,858,422)	198,361

2008
Q1	3,663,681	(3,620,020)	43,661
Q2	3,652,349	(3,715,008)	(62,659)
Q3	3,954,080	(4,070,285)	(116,205)
Q4	3,764,132	(3,800,197)	(36,065)

2009
Q1	2,495,444	(2,985,918)	(490,474)
Q2	2,701,031	(2,877,507)	(176,476)

It seems that out of 18 quarters, operating revenue exceeded operating expense only 5 times. How do your sustain your core activity if no profits are derived from your core business activities? I think the airline should look into more efforts in reducing its costs.

I read somewhere once that Tony Fernandes the CEO of Airasia once said that costs is Airasia’s enemy and not other airlines or other modes of transportation. Perhaps, Malaysia Airlines should take heed of this statement.

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Will Malaysia Airlines make it?

2009-08-28T12:25:00.001+08:00

My friend posted this interesting post about Malaysia Airlines. Here’s my take on the same issue.

When I look at companies, one of the things that I like to know is its operating results. In the airline industry, among other things, you’ll look at revenues, passenger/cargo load factors and yields. Other than revenue, profit or loss from operations figures would indicate how a company is doing financially in its core business activity.

Based on data from Malaysia Airlines website, here are the profit or loss from operations figures in (RM’000) from 2005 to Quarter 2, 2009 (figures in brackets indicate loss):

2005
Q1 91,091
Q2 (278,356)
Q3 (363,534)
Q4 (605,125)
Total (1,251,603)

2006
Q1 (309,533)
Q2 (160,677)
Q3 72,693
Q4 94,673
Total (133,737)

2007
Q1 146,843
Q2 54,379
Q3 376,389
Q4 260,764
Total 875,227

2008
Q1 132,898
Q2 62,029
Q3 44,277
Q4 66,252
Total 305,457

2009
Q1 (137,917)
Q2 (420,814)
Total (558,730) (Q1-Q2)

For 2009, here’s what the airline has to say:

The Group's targets are: RM499 million loss - RM50 million net income (on target), RM51 million - RM500 million (exceeding) and RM501 million - RM 1 billion (outstanding).
In July 2009, Aviation Week announced Malaysia Airlines as one of the top 3 airlines in the world (together with Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa) capable of weathering the current crisis.

I’m not making any analysis or posting an Excel graph here. I leave it to you to make your own conclusions. Only time will tell.

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Of Pendet, Reog and Rasa Sayange

2009-08-27T19:07:00.007+08:00

If Indonesia is so hard up about wanting back whatever it owns like Pendet, Reog, Rasa Sayange and so on, then it should also take back the thousands, if not a million of its citizens who are in Malaysia illegally. These illegals or "pendatang haram" in Malay are certainly not welcomed in Malaysia. This comment is for all those anti-Malaysian commentators on the recent Pendet furore, here, here and here. And in the end,as reported by an Indonesian English press, it was a mistake. A BIG one if I might add. By the way, Indonesians who are in Malaysia legally are more than welcome to stay.

Frankly, I've nothing against Indonesians. I've a number, not many I admit, of Indonesian friends. I enjoy Indonesian music (all bought legally in Indonesia or here). I like Indonesia food - Nasi Padang, Pecal, Gado-gado, Gudeg, anytime. In fact, I've lost count of the number of times I've been to that country, either for business or leisure. What I don't understand is why are some people are like hell breaking loose on issues like Pendet, Reog, Rasa Sayange and so on. We are from the same archipelago and as our people move from one place to another, we are bound to share a lot of things, culture included. Having said that, however, I'm seriously thinking of not going to Indonesia anytime soon or even anytime at all.

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If only there's such a thing.

2009-08-27T00:14:00.006+08:00

I'd like to be on the first one up.

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If you want to bend bamboo, do it while it is still a shoot.

2009-08-26T23:10:00.008+08:00

The title above is a translation of a Malay saying, "Kalau hendak melentur buluh, biarlah dari rebungnya." Likewise, if we want to instill something positive in people, we need to do it when they are still young.

About a couple of weeks ago, I was at the weekly Gaya Street Fair and was pleasantly surprised to see local dance performances by a young dance troupe from a local primary school and gamelan performances by a gamelan group from a local secondary school. It's heartening to see their performances being showcased to local and foreign tourists at the street fair.

This is all part of the Pusat Seni Setempat or Culture Hotspot organised jointly by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall and the Sabah National Culture and Arts Department. There were also performances by local singers and the department's cultural troupe. One improvement the organisers should consider is a proper stage for the performances. If you are interested, you can catch the next one on Sunday in the third week of October.

Here are some photos of our young dancers.

Dancers from Stella Maris primary school.

Sumazau dance.

Dancers getting ready.

Another traditional dance

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Mount Kinabalu: Up Close and Personal

2009-07-24T05:52:00.004+08:00

Despite being born at a small town at the foot of the majestic Mount Kinabalu, I've never been up to the peak of the mountain. So far, the highest point that I've been to is the first hut or stop up the mountain. These pictures are the closest I got to the peak of the mountain.

During my last trip to Sandakan, I managed to capture the pictures above on my afternoon flight back to Kota Kinabalu. The day before I also took the afternoon flight but sadly took the window seat of the wrong side of the aircraft. Anyway, on the flight back, when I checked-in early and asked for the seat which gets the best view of the Mountain. Thank you to the nice lady at the counter, now I know its seat 8F or 9F for the Boeing 737 flight between Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Never take 7F because it has no windows to speak of.

Now that you know, reserve the seat when you buy the ticket or do an early check-in through the web or by arriving early at the airport. Another thing is I suppose it's also be best if you could take the early morning flight (as of now, around 730am from Kota Kinabalu) rather than the afternoon flight. You can see that there's a lot of cloud surrounding the mountain. Have a good view.

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Timeframe

2009-07-24T03:31:00.003+08:00

You've probably read his books or saw films based on his books. Yes, this book was written by the late Michael Crichton. I've read a number of his books like Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Andromeda Strain, The State of Fear, Prey and Next.

I read Time Frame because the author of Flight of the Titans, Kenny Kemp, suggested it in his book. If you're interested in the aircraft manufacturing battle between Airbus and Boeing, you should read this book.

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Flight of the Titans

2009-07-24T03:15:00.009+08:00

I am into the airline industry. When I was doing my Masters degree, my research papers for my coursework were mostly on or related to this industry. One of my papers got the highest score in my class and another is published in an academic journal.

I found the above book at a book fair. It's an interesting book about the race between Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Airbus is now winning. The A380 is already in service, while the 787 is still on the ground, with both flight test and (subsequently) delivery to the first customer delayed.

This race is not about size but rather two aircrafts with different propositions. One is large and the other smaller but has a longer distance coverage. Which do you choose if you are an airline CEO?

One problem with airline industry, similar to hotel industry, any unsold seats on a flight are gone forever. At times, it might be hard to fill up airline seats, so what's the use of having an aircraft with large capacity, with all those many possible unsold seats? Another problem is that few airports have the infrastructure (runways and terminals) that can accommodate such a large airliner.

I guess you know which aircraft I like. Well, my first flight was on a Boeing 737 many years ago and then I went on business trips on Boeing 747s and 777s. Besides, the Dreamliner looks way too cool for an aircraft.

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Sleepless in Sandakan

2009-07-24T02:50:00.006+08:00

Last month, I went on business trips to the towns of Tawau (day trip) and Sandakan (overnight) in the east coast of Sabah. Our admin support made the booking for hotel in Sandakan.

Little did I know that there's a story behind the hotel. I'm not going to name the hotel here. If you're familiar with Sandakan, it's enough for me to say that the hotel is on a hill and surrounded by the jungle. Yes, jungles, I should've known.

I checked in around 5PM and when I got to my room on the 4th floor, I can tell the hotel was quiet and looked deserted. After dinner, I got back to the room to rest. Usually when I go to sleep I will have one light on.

Anyway, while lying in bed, I suddenly heard a woman's voice screaming for maybe less than a minute. I thought maybe someone was having too much fun. But then, immediately the room's window curtains rustled for no reason. Well, after that, I switched on all the lights in the room and tried very hard to get to sleep.

Later in the office, a colleague told me her experience in the same hotel. She stayed there once. But at least she was luckier, she was with her husband. I'm definitely staying in another hotel the next time.

Photo of a hotel in a jungle: illustration only (taken from internet)

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Let me touch you one more time

2009-07-14T23:42:00.003+08:00

After a day at the beach, this boy returned to the seashore to wash his hands and may be touch the sea for one last time today.

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 12 July 2009 at 6.31PM.

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Going home

2009-07-14T23:33:00.009+08:00

I don't know where she's heading with a bag full of purchases in her left hand and shoes in her right hand. Maybe there's a invisible ship waiting for her. Maybe she's going to swim out into the South China Sea.

Photo was taken at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 12 July 2009 at 6.12PM.

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I'm Back

2009-07-14T23:13:00.005+08:00

Only for a little while though.

Sorry, especially to my few precious readers and followers (you know who you are). I've been busy and lazy the last few weeks, so there was no post. In my line of work, we are now beginning of our busy period, which will last for the next twenty weeks or so.

I'm a bit down now after finding out something someone or two did to me. It's okay, life is like a turning wheel. This time you are on top, the next time you will be back at the bottom, where you belong. Don't worry though, nothing will come from me. I'm don't stoop to such a low level like the likes of you.

Anyway, I'll try to put up a few posts in the very near future, I promise. I've got posts on a spooky hotel, the Mountain (another one), books I've read and my new toy (I think I am turning into a geek) coming up. Check this blog out later. Till then, I hope you'll bear with me. Enjoy the shots from my new toy (I just had to tell you hehehe).

(193 words)

16 July is Buy Nothing Day in Malaysia

2009-07-14T23:04:00.006+08:00

This coming Thursday is Buy Nothing Day in Malaysia. I came across a news item on the Malay Mail about this. Apparently, it's the second time around this is organised by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations or FOMCA.

The writer lists following things that we can do to support this day:

Instead of going to the local kopitiam for coffee, make your own coffee at home.
Don't go out for lunch; prepare your lunch at home.
Cook dinner instead of having dinner out.
Do recreational activities such as jogging and cycling at the free public park.
Instead of spending money buying books, visit the library.
If a close one is celebrating their birthday, make your own personalised birthday card.
Even better, challenge your own creativity by making your own gift!
Be the host of a movie-viewing party and invite your friends.
Visit a museum where entry is free.
Try free samples at the supermarket.

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Someone's House

2009-06-19T20:00:00.006+08:00

Someone I know owns a property down there. We could've been neighbours but some numbers got in the way. Taken on the landing descent on Friday, 19 June 2009.

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Tell It To The Mountain

2009-06-19T19:47:00.005+08:00

The Mountain and the morning sun. Taken at Kota Kinabalu International Airport Friday, 19 June 2009 at 6.15AM.

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Sunset At Anjung Samudra (Waterfront) Kota Kinabalu

2009-06-15T17:50:00.005+08:00

Sunset

Boardwalk

Food Outlets

These photos were taken at the Anjung Samudra or Waterfront in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday 15 May 2009.

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Slumdog Millionaire (Again)

2009-06-13T23:27:00.005+08:00

Ticket stub

Yes, I know, enough already but I just had to pay tribute to this great movie. Yes, I went ahead and saw the movie today at the only cinema showing this movie in town. All I can say it was worth every sen I spent to watch it. Yes, all 700 of them.

I know that there are detractors of the movie out there, especially those saying the movie puts India in a bad image. Well, I didn't see the movie doing so. It had great cinematography which showed parts of India in a good way. Then, almost all of the cast of the movie was of Indian origin. Anyway, if it's a bad movie, why and how did it win all the Oscars, all the Golden Globes? Think about that.

If you have read the book, you'd know that` the movie's storyline didn't exactly follow that of the book's. But that's okay, I haven't seen any book-movie adaptation that has done so.

The only thing I wasn't so happy about my movie watching experience is that somehow in the movie hall I was in, I could hear people singing Karaoke. Not so loud but then again, when it was quiet on screen, you could hear clearly the singing. The worst thing was that the singing was more like frogs croaking after rain. I hope the management of the cinema will do something about it.

(239 words)

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-06-13T00:15:00.007+08:00

I've just completed reading (all in one sitting, as usual) this very interesting book by Vikas Swarup. Originally published in 2005 as Q&A, the book was adapted into a movie. Go ahead and read this book. Like me, you'll probably won't put the book down except for those mandatory toilet break(s).

I haven't seen the movie, which, unless you are not from this planet, you would know that has won 8 Academy awards, 7 BAFTA awards (the British equivalent of Academy award) and 4 Golden Globe awards. These include best picture for Academy, best film for BAFTA and best picture - drama for Golden Globe. And the movie almost ended up to be released directly on DVD instead general theatrical release. Simply amazing.

I haven't watched this movie because when it came out initially earlier this year in Malaysia, for whatever reason, it was only released under the Golden Screen Cinemas International Screens, which are available in the Klang Valley. There are two Golden Screen Cinemas outlets here in KK but there is no International Screen.

Luckily for me, the local Growball Cinema is now showing the movie in KK. They are showing it once a day at 7:30PM and I hope to catch it over the weekend.

(210 words)

It's Pandemic

2009-06-12T00:41:00.005+08:00

The World Health Organisation has just declared the swine or AH1N1 flu pandemic. The last time something like this happened was in 1968, when Hong Kong flu was declared pandemic.

If you are travelling out there, please take precautions. As for me, I don't see me going to any overseas destinations for the next 6-12 months. I haven't got any plans, anyway.

Just to be on the safe side, please refer to this FAQ from the Star online.

The website stated some of the symptoms of the flu (actually similar to those of regular flu):
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases

If you have been travelling overseas or exposed to anyone who had travelled overseas, do get yourself checked okay. Better safe than sorry. The Hong Kong flu killed about a million people (close to 3,000 a day).

Take care of yourself, you hear.

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Follower(s)

2009-06-09T15:40:00.000+08:00

I'm no prophet and no leader of a religion or cult but I've got a follower now. Anyway, a warm welcome (or should I say "Bienvenue") to my first follower. If you'd like to be the next one, check out the link on the left column.

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A Trip to the Beach

2009-06-07T02:39:00.007+08:00

I had nothing planned for the weekend. No city to visit or explore. So, I happily joined my two sisters and their families for a picnic at Manukan Island, one of the islands making up the Tengku Abdul Rahman Marine National Park. Since it was a Saturday and a public holiday (Happy Birthday Your Majesty - Wishing you well and good health always), we decided to leave for the island early. We reached the island well before 9AM and managed to get a nice spot, a picnic bench. I know, it's not much but the last time I was here, we had to settle for picnic mats.

Anyway, I decided not to swim in the sea this time. I just sat in the sun (well, not really, under a shady tree actually). I tried to read a book but got bored after a few pages. So, before you know it, I started to play in the sand. With some help from my sisters and their kids, here's the result:

A sand castle by the beach

Although it wasn't well constructed, the castle attracted quite an attention as it is quite big. If we charged a ringgit per photo, it would easily pay for the entrance or conservation fee for the park for the eleven of us in the group. Some unashamedly asked to be photographed with/near it, while some just used their long camera lenses to photograph discreetly from afar.

Anyway, have a good weekend my readers.

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Airlines

2009-06-03T17:41:00.005+08:00

I first boarded an airplane when I was barely 12 years old. It was a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kota Kinabalu (BKI) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL).

The first flight for me was both exciting, well who wouldn’t be, and sad as at such a young age, I had to leave home in East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo) to continue my secondary school education in a boarding school in West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia).

Anyway, starting from that first flight, I’ve been on the following airlines:

1. Malaysia Airlines
2. Delta Airlines (USA)
3. Southwest Airlines (USA)
4. American Airlines
5. Pelangi Airlines (Malaysia) (*)
6. Turkmenistan Airlines
7. Turkish Airlines
8. Singapore Airlines
9. Royal Brunei Airlines
10. Thai Airways International
11. Lufthansa (Germany)
12. Swissair (Switzerland)
13. Alitalia (Italy)
14. Airasia (Malaysia), Airasia (Thailand), Airasia (Indonesia)
15. Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Indonesia)
16. Garuda Indonesia
17. SilkAir (Singapore)
18. Pakistan International Airlines
19. Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
20. Virgin Blue (Australia)
21. South African Airways
22. FlyAsianExpress (Malaysia) (*)
23. MASWings (Malaysia)
24. Tiger Airways (Singapore)

(*) No longer in existence.

I am also thinking of starting a new hobby, collecting model aircrafts of airlines I’ve flown on. I already have two models for Malaysia Airlines (Boeing 747 and Boeing 777) and I just bought one for Tiger Airways (Airbus 320).

Here’s a photo of the model aircraft for Tiger Airways.

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Photos in Singapore

2009-06-03T17:35:00.003+08:00

Here are some photos of my visit to Singapore. I didn't take many photos because I was too busy shopping or enjoying the company of my travel mate.

Photo of Hotel Ibis, 170 Bencoolen Street, Singapore. Rate is SGD138++ excluding breakfast. As an AccorAdvantage Plus member, I paid only SG90++. Hotel is in a good and quiet location. The room I stayed in was basic but very comfortable. There's free Wifi service. Nearby the hotel are Sim Lim Square the IT central of Singapore, Albert Mall, Bugis Junction and Queen Street bus terminal for buses to/from Malaysia. Nearest Singapore MRT station is Bugis.

Bugis Junction. In the older days, I suppose you'd see streetwalkers of the third kind instead of shoppers in this area. Redeveloped in 1995, Bugis Junction today is a shopping mall. Bugis MRT is accessible from this mall.

A photo of another building in Bugis Junction.

Departure area of Budget Terminal Singapore. Important services: Airline check-in counters, GST refund (especially after all the shopping) and left luggage (costs about SGD5 per day per 10 KG bag). You can get free internet WiFi account from the left luggage/lost and found counter too.

Departure lounge in the budget terminal. There are duty free shops selling cosmetics, gifts, alcohols, cigarettes, electronics and so on. Selection is not as wide as the other three terminals in Changi but sufficient. There are also food outlets in the lounge, including Secret Recipe. 7-Eleven has an outlet here too.

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A Weekend in Singapore (2)

2009-06-02T19:34:00.004+08:00

I am now at Budget Terminal Singapore, the home of Tiger Airways. Its located in the vicinity of Changi Airport and is reachable from Terminal 2 via a free bus service.

The airport is actually like one big warehouse, similar to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang. Anyway, I would say that the conditions here are much better. Partly probably because there are not many passengers going through this terminal. Besides Tiger Airways, only Cebu Pacific Airways, a Manila based low cost carrier, flies through this terminal. Having said that, the facilities and services in the terminal is much better than LCCT Sepang's. There are many food outlets and many duty free shops in the departure area.

Its 740PM now and my flight leaves at 820PM. By the way, I didn't take that many photos again this time. I'll try to upload some later.

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Second Header For My Blog

2009-05-30T00:30:00.001+08:00

This is my blog's old header. I've retired my first header and replaced it with the second one. Just for the record, the old header was a photo of me at the Sonobudoyo Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The new header is a photo of me at The Tip of Borneo, Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, Sabah, Malaysia. It was a very windy day then. Thank you to my friends who took the photos used as my blog header.

(77 words)

A Weekend in Singapore (1)

2009-05-29T23:43:00.008+08:00

I'm in Singapore now. I'm staying at a hotel somewhere in Bencoolen Street, which is somewhere in between Orchard Road and Bugis Street. The hotel is very comfortable and has free Wi-Fi. As I haven't had a good rest the past few weeks, I just stayed in the room after check-in, taking an afternoon nap before going around to the nearby shopping areas later.

As today is the start of the Great Singapore Sale 2009, most of the shops are having sales. The GSS runs until 26 July, so there is still time to plan your visit here. Since I'll be here till Sunday, I really hope I can resist the temptation. I've already bought some stuff after having dinner tonight. We'll see how the rest of the weekend goes.

Photo of my cosy hotel room.

Photo of my shopping outcome (Round 1 hehehe).

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Another Weekend Another City

2009-05-28T00:20:00.003+08:00

I'm off for another weekend break. This time I am going south to Singapore. Actually, I’ve passed through Singapore at least once a month since January this year in order to get to Johor Bahru.

Anyway, this time I’ll stay for two nights in Singapore first before crossing over the border again for another two night stay. I’ll be flying on Tiger Airways, which is a Singapore based low cost airlines. Return airfare between Kota Kinabalu and Singapore was 139 Ringgit. The plan this time is museum visits and some shopping, again.

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Photos in Manila

2009-05-27T13:12:00.002+08:00

I didn't manage to take many photos in Manila. Actually, less than 30. Anyway, here are some of them and my comments:

Pedro Gil (pronounced Hil) LRT station in Malate, the closest to where I stayed.

View of EDSA, Taft Avenue LRT Station. One thing I noticed is the Roman Catholic element in the design. If you look closely, the roof of the station resembles a large cross. The background is the skyline of Central Manila.

An LRT train. Did you know that Manila LRT system starting operating from 1984? On the other hand, Singapore MRT system operated from 1987 only. Based on my experience, the Manila LRT system is very well utilised. Trains are usually filled to the brim. Its cheaper than taking the taxi. A similar trip I took costs 15 Pesos on the LRT but 200 Pesos on Taxi. One thing that needs improvement on Manila LRT is the cooling and ventilation system. It was really hot in the stations.

External view of the fine Ayala Museum. The museum has four floors of exhibits. Admission cost is 425 pesos for non-residents. I truly enjoyed my visit. Too bad, there just wasn't enough time. By the way, I didn't get to go the other museum that I wanted to visit. Next time, perhaps.

Filipino women dress exhibition in Robinson's Place, Malate. Nice traditional clothes. More in the next two photos.

Some of the results of my shopping excursion in Manila.

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A Weekend in Manila (3)

2009-05-24T17:09:00.004+08:00

I'm at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) now, waiting for my flight home. By the way, DMIA doesn't look so hot from the inside but once inside, there's free Wifi, which is better than some international airports that I've been to.

My last day in Manila was not much to write about. Only managed to sample the night life here and did some shopping again. I don't know if I'll be back in the future. If the airfares are really cheap, maybe I will. Anyway, signing off from DMIA - the aircraft has just landed here and we should be boarding in 30 minutes or so.

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A Weekend in Manila (2)

2009-05-23T01:35:00.006+08:00

I'm in Manila now. It took forever to get to the hotel - a busted car tyre, in the middle of the North Luzon Expressway, no less and a bar full of Guest Relations Officers. I'm now in a hotel room somewhere in Malate, with free Wifi (yeah). No photos to upload yet. It was dark when I arrived here.

The plan for tomorrow, well, actually later today, is to visit two museums, the National Museum of the Filipino People and the Ayala Museum and maybe, do some shopping in between.

You can read more about the history of Manila here and general information on the city here.

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A weekend in Manila (1)

2009-05-20T17:50:00.001+08:00

I'm off to Manila this Friday afternoon for the weekend and will be back on Sunday. Yeah, its crazy but I've been there before and I really don't mind going there again. I haven't planned out what to do but probably some sightseeing (a museum or two) and some shopping (Robinsons Place and Mall of Asia, here I come, again). This time, I'll take more photos to share. I'll be staying at a budget accommodation in Malate area. I'm going with a friend and hopefully this time the weather's better than during my last year's trip. I'm crossing my finger on that and will be packing an umbrella, just in case.

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Lunch at Nasi Padang Ibu (Again)

2009-05-15T13:45:00.002+08:00

This time, I went with a very close friend. I also managed to snap some photos with my PDA. Here are some of the photos:

NPI from the outside (this photo was taken a few days earlier using a digital camera)

Tables by the window - in the background, the Jesselton Point ticket sales counter and waiting area

Tables by the window - in the background, futsal arena and more food outlets

Entrance and Food Counter

Food Before

Food After

One thing you have to remember when eating Nasi Padang to finish everything in the plate, if you've ordered the food using the plates. There are no discounts for unconsumed portions of the food. So, choose wisely. Our orders (*) were:

Food:

Nasi Puteh (Steamed Rice) - 2 portions - RM1.50 x 2
Dendeng Basah (Spicy Beef like Jerky) - 2 portions - RM7.00
Perkedil Kentang (Mashed potatoes with meat and spices) - 2 portions/pieces - RM4.00
Sayur Nangka Berlemak (Creamy Young Jackfruit) - 2 portions - RM4.00
Ikan Tenggiri Gulai Kuning (Yellow Gravy Mackerel or Kingfish) - 2 portions - RM8.00

Drinks:

Air Mineral (Spritzer 600ml) – RM2.00
Kit Chai Sejuk (Iced Lime/Calamansi Juice with Dried Sour Plum) – RM3.00

(*) Except the rice which was in a large plates, each food was served in small plates, which I think can be eaten by two to three persons. Don't forget to add service charge of 10% to the bill.

Total bill for two persons was RM34.

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Packing Lists

2009-05-14T13:12:00.004+08:00

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be flying on Tiger Airways, a Singapore based low cost airline. While clicking around the airline’s website, I found this neat Packing List Customisation tool. Basically you’ll be given choice of items under a few of categories and based on the items you ticked, the tool will generate a list for you. The categories are:

Important Documents and Necessities
Personal Items and Hygiene
Clothing and Accessories
Medications and Health
Gadgets
On the Plane
Outdoors
Family
Miscellaneous
Your Additions

There is also another website called The Universal Packing List, which has been on the net since 1993. Wow, more than 15 years. Anyway, in this website you tick a few items such as dates, temperatures, gender, locations (domestic/international), types of activities, etc, and then the tool will generate a list for you. You can also have the generated list e-mailed to you.

Why not try these websites out for your next trip. Happy packing!

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The Traveler IQ Challenge

2009-05-14T02:45:00.000+08:00

If you are good with world geography and places, you should try out Travelpod.com’s Traveler IQ Challenge. IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient and based on the challenge, mine’s 135. It’s only for this challenge and for the subject matter related to it. In real life, an IQ of above 130 is considered as "very superior" and can be equated with "genius." Well, in real life, I think I am anything but "very superior" or "genius."

The Traveler IQ Challenge covers the world and the various regions. You can choose

World
World Capitals
North America
Europe
Canada
Asia
Africa
Latin America
Oceania/Australasia
UNESCO Sites
Flags of the World
Photos of the World
USA Challenge
Amazing Race

The one I played was the world as a whole. Go ahead, play and find out what's your Traveler IQ.

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Lunch at Nasi Padang Ibu, Jesselton Point, Kota Kinabalu

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000+08:00

The other day I had lunch at Nasi Padang Ibu (NPI) with some friends from the office. Although I like Indonesian food, I’ve eaten at NPI only three times. Well, I’ve been to Padang myself, so I’ve to say that Nasi Padang in Padang is way better. Then again, Padang is so far away. So, if I crave for Nasi Padang, NPI it is.

Based on my last two visits, NPI is doing good business these days. The first time I went there, it occupied a small area but now it has expanded. To help you price the food at NPI, here’s the price list from my lunch. Do note that the food was served in larger plate with the rice rather than the traditional way, i.e. in small plates. Servings in the small plates are double the price and usually enough for two or three persons.

Food:

Nasi Putih – RM1.50
Ayam Panggang – RM4.50
Ayam Goreng Sambal – RM4.00
Rendang Daging Lembu / Usus / Paru Basah – RM4.00
Dendeng Basah – RM3.50
Sotong Gulai – RM4.50
Perkedil Kentang / Sayur Nangka Berlemak / Sawi/Buncis Sambal – RM2.00
Telur Dadar – RM2.00
Sambal Merah – RM1.00

Drinks:

Jus Apokat/Avokado – RM6.00 (Yes, that’s the price)
Air Mineral (Spritzer 600ml) – RM2.00
Soya Bean (Can) – RM2.50
Kit Chai Sejuk – RM3.00

Sorry, no pictures of the food to share.

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RM20,000 Mattress

2009-05-07T13:04:00.003+08:00

One of the things I do on weekends is read the Saturday edition of the Star newspaper, which has a good business section, BizWeek.

BizWeek has been running a weekly series of 10 questions for corporate figures or celebrities. Last week’s figure was Azizi Ali, pilot, writer and millionaire. This was one of the questions and answers that caught my attention:

What sort of luxuries have you allowed yourself? Tina Adam

Not much. All I need is a good breakfast, a good book to read, a computer to write and time with my family. I have all that already.

My family lives in a nice house in a fabulous neighbourhood. We have a few items to make our lives more comfortable but nothing out of the ordinary. I think, the average Malaysian has more toys than me. As I wrote in one of my books, visitors often comment that my house is spacious. My house is spacious not because it is big but because it is sparsely decorated. I call it minimalist decor. We still have only one TV in the house and a 10-year-old mini-compo. I don’t have any branded goods and see no use for them.

I spend money on quality (not branded) goods. For example, my mattress costs some RM20,000. If you’re going to spend a major portion of your life (eight to ten hours a day) on a mattress, the only sensible thing to do is to buy the best mattress you can afford.

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The Weekend That Was

2009-05-06T13:34:00.002+08:00

What an excellent weekend. It started on the night of 30 April 2008, when my friends in Kuala Lumpur arrived here in Kota Kinabalu. It’s great to meet up again for a trip together again after our Bangkok trip last year. Well, technically it’s not a trip for me but when I could, I was with them while they were here.

The highlights for me were the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau trip, the Manukan Island trip and of course, the dinners at Gayang Seafood (yes, we went twice). The lowlights were not being able to join all the other activities due to my work commitment and the last dinner. Sorry friends, I didn’t think the food at TLC, Anjung Selera would be that bad. Hopefully the location made up for it.

All in all, I think my friends had a great time here. Now, where next guys?

Photo of me taking photo at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau

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Friends' Vacation in Kota Kinabalu

2009-04-30T17:30:00.004+08:00

My friends will be vacationing in Kota Kinabalu this long Labor Day weekend - Yeah. This is what I have planned for them:

Friday, May 1 – KK and Surrounding

Lokkawi Wildlife Park and Botanical Gardens
Lunch at Grace Garden
Tamu Penampang or Sabah State Museum
Signal Hill Lookout
Pasar Pilipin
Dinner at Anjung Selera (sunset)
1Borneo Mall
Movie

Saturday, May 2 – Tanjung Simpang Mengayau

Kota Belud
Tanjung Simpang Mengayau
Rungus Longhouse, Kampung Bavaganzo
Pantai Dalit/Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort (Sunset)
Seafood Dinner at Salut Kg Gayang
Pasar Malam

Sunday, May 3 – Gaya Street Fair & Pulau Manukan

Gaya Street Fair
Fortune's
Lunch at Nasi Padang Ibu, Jesselton Point
Pulau Manukan
Kampung Tanjung Aru Lookout
Tanjung Aru beach (Sunset)
Dinner at Damai

Monday, May 4 – Kinabalu National Park

Pekan Nabalu
Kinabalu National Park
War Memorial, Kundasang
Poring Hot Springs
Dinner at Restoran Seri Melaka/1Borneo

Sadly, I won't be able to join them all the time due to work commitment. Sorry, friends. I hope you all will enjoy your vacation anyway.

(195 words)

Spam SMS

2009-04-30T13:15:00.001+08:00

From time to time I'll get spam SMSses. Well, I'm not that stupid and greedy to give my money to these spammers. I'm only smart enough (I think) to reply their SMS with an SMS of my own.

Here's an example of what I got from the sender:

Congratulations!
Nombor Hotlink
Anda tlh berjaya
Mendptkan hadiah
Utama,Cek b'nilai
RM 10,000.dari
Power-Root SDN.
BHD.Sila dail tel:
xxxxxxxx
Terima kasih

And here's what I send back to the sender:

Tahniah!
Nombor anda
tlh berjaya
Mendptkan hadiah
Utama,tempat
Tinggal & makan
percuma dari
Kerajaan m'sia.
Sila ke pejabat
polis terdekat.
Terima kasih
Bodoh.

Feel free to use this the next time you get a spam SMS. And people, please please, there is no such thing as free lunch in this world. Everything comes with a price.

(135 words)

Selamat Hari Lahir

2009-04-29T23:47:00.002+08:00

It's someone's birthday today. I wish you a long life and prosperous always. Take care and be well.

(20 words)

What a Beautiful Day!

2009-04-28T16:05:00.000+08:00

I don’t have words to describe it but just a photo for you to see. I just wish I wasn’t stuck in the office working now. It’d be nice to be able to sit by the beach, reading a good book and sipping ice-cold lemon tea.

View of the sea from my office building.

(56 words)

Happy World Book and Copyright Day

2009-04-23T13:19:00.001+08:00

Today, 23 April 2009, is world book and copyright day, according to the UNESCO since 1996.

What do you do on this day? I suppose the least is to read a book or a part of a book. It’ll probably take the whole day to read a book, so why not read a short story or something similar. Just reading a short chapter this day will symbolically show our support for books and copyrights.

If you asked me, I’d suggest Jeffrey Archer’s and Robert Fulghum’s short story collections. For Malaysia related ones, you can try Adibah Amin’s or Robert Raymer’s. These are the ones that I have read and found interesting.

Happy reading!

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My New Toy – Up and Running

2009-04-20T17:05:00.002+08:00

Over the weekend, I managed to get it up and running. Also got these:
• Celcom Internet Broadband account – the best one available now in the market.
• Microsoft Office license – Home Office and Student edition – expensive but necessary.
• Multiple USB port hub – there are only two available.
• Carrying case – a temporary one until I get the HP one.

I am planning to get the following too:
• External DVD drive – just in case I need to watch movie or listen to music.
• McAfee Antivirus license – too many viruses out there.

Photo of new toy with this blog.

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HP Mini 2140 Notebook

2009-04-17T17:15:00.002+08:00

Before I decided to purchase the notebook, I searched and read reviews of it. The following are highlights of some the review: (As these are highlights only, do read the full review through the links).

Laptop magazine
Pros

Six-cell battery provides more than 7 hours runtime
Spacious, comfortable keyboard
Durable chassis
Fast recharging times

Cons

Poorly placed mouse buttons
16:9 aspect ratio limits on-screen text
Underside gets warm

CNET
The good:

Solid metal construction
Full ExpressCard/54 slot
Big keyboard

The bad:

Odd resolution loses a few pixels
No mobile-broadband options (yet)
Awkward mouse button placement

The bottom line: HP offers a premium version of its plastic Mini 1000 while keeping the price down, making the Mini 2140 the Netbook to beat.

PC World
Pros

Premium model features speedy hard drive
Rugged design and aluminum frameCons

Cons

Awkwardly placed mouse buttons

Notebook Review
Pros

Excellent build quality (BEST in class)
Great keyboard (BEST in class)
ExpressCard slot offers fantastic expansion possibilities
Multiple configuration options

Cons

Base configuration has low-resolution screen
Strange location for touchpad buttons
Screen is too reflective due to second glossy protective layer

Here are some other mini notebook models to choose from:

Samsung N10
Dell Inspiron Mini 10
LG X110
ASUS N10
ASUS Eee PC 1000HA
Lenovo IdeaPad S10
Acer Aspire One

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