Singapore Bienalle 2011

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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Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Singapore

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

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

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

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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Back from a Short Break

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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Tea at Sabah Tea House

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

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.

10 Things to Do in Jakarta

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:

1. 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.
2. Visit Jakarta old quarter and see old buildings from past centuries.
3. See the ships at Sunda Kelapa port and if you are lucky, you'll see a nice sunset too.
4. Visit Ancol area. Taman Mini Indonesian and the Underwater World are perennial attractions.
5. Eat somewhere along Jalan Jaksa. A backpackers haunt, the road is lined by many food outlets.
6. Shop at Mangga Dua area for affordable stuff and souvenirs.
7. Shop at Plaza Indonesia or Senayan Mall for more upmarket goods.
8. Stock up on local Indonesian music CD's and Indonesian movies DVD's. The prices will blow you away.
9. Get lost for books at Taman Gunung Agung Kwitang or at any Gramedia outlets.
10. 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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10 Things to Do in Manila

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

The List:

1. Intramuros, in particular Fort Santiago.
2. Manila Cathedral & UNESCO World Heritage Site Saint Agustin Church. Both are located in Intramuros.
3. Have a picnic at Rizal Park/Luneta Park.
4. Look at the excellent permanent and rotating exhibits at the Ayala Museum.
5. National Museum of Filipino People.
6. Roxas Boulevard. Take a walk in the morning or late afternoon along Manila Bay.
7. Shopping at SM Mall of Asia (MoA). I prefer Robinson Place in Malate or Greenbelt/Glorietta in Makati but MoA is huge.
8. Clubbing in J Nakpil street, Malate.
9. Shop for trinkets, souvenirs or gifts, what the Filipinos call 'pasalubong' at Greenhills.
10. 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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10 Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur

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.

10 Things to Do Series

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

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.

1. National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh - completes knowledge of Angkor Wat. (No comment).
2. 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).
3. Sarawak Museum, Kuching - arguably Malaysia's best museum. (I don't want to argue but it's a good museum).
4. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi - most comprehensive museum. (No comment).
5. Islamic Arts Museum, KL - works from Persia & Middle East to China and India. (I enjoyed visiting this museum very much).
6. Royal Palace Museum, Luang Prabang, Laos - formerly a royal residence. (No comment).
7. Sono-Budoyo Museum, Yogyakarta - country's most complete museum. (I also enjoyed visiting this museum very much).
8. 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).
9. Hall of Opium, Chiang Saen, Thailand. (No comment).
10. 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

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?

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

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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Mount Kinabalu: Up Close and Personal

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

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

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

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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