Desaru Trip ^_^



Splendid getaway from the bustling Lion City and the recent market crash...Pulau Bintan. A place to relax with friendly attendants, free foosball, affordable laser quest and pool, cheap spa and heavenly massages.

Once again, we witness the greatness of good governance as compared to tourism at home. This isle is jointly developed by the Indonesia and Singapore government.

Cute Little Girl on SQ878

She turned to me and showed me a sticker with the airlines logo on it. Made a mistake entertaining her and i missed almost a quarter of the movie.

Cute and bubbly and definitely not camera-shy.
I asked her to look into the camera and smile. And this is her smile, "RrroaaaRR!"

Changi Airport's Toilet

Clean, spacious, odour free...

Australia - Land of Dream

20100528: Touch Down

We reached Melbourne at a quarter before twelve midnight. My mind was still not at peace as I wasn't sure if our visa will actually get us through. Applied the visa online back in April and it only took me 5 minutes and 40 Australian dollars to complete the application for both of us. This was way too easy. The flutter in my stomach only ceased when the immigration officer finally stamped our passports and let us through.

Too bad, they confiscated our "bak gua", gifts for our friends in Aussie. Luckily the shrimp roll and broiled cuttlefish were undetected.

We felt the chilliness of the early winter even before we stepped out of the airport. We wrapped ourselves up with layers of winter outfits, mittens, scarves and hats and pushed our carts like two walking rice dumpling and headed to Thrifty to collect our transport. They upgraded us from a Toyota Corolla Ascent Hatchback to a Hyundai i30. Cool, though I don't know the difference:p Anyway, the i30 is really a good ride.

It was time to put our newly purchase Garmin to the test. We missed quite a number of junctions being fairly new to the device, fortunately it proved its valour despite kept directing us to the toll way (which after, we learnt from EC that we could set the device to avoid it). We finally arrived at the hotel at the wee hours in the morning. After a relaxing spa bath, we tucked ourselves beneath the cosy quilt.

20100529: Rise and shine to Philip Island

Woke up at 8.30am, scheduled to meet EC for breakfast at 9am. Met EC on the way out to grab a tube of toothpaste from 7 Eleven. EC brought me two kathmadu fleeces and lent us one of his cellphone. After a brief breakfast with our dear friend, CM and I hopped into the car and head off Philip Island. We stopped along the way whenever we came across any nice sceneries, starting only two blocks away from where we stayed. Pls pardon us because to "suaku" like us, any scene is breathtaking and worth cam-whoring:p

Churchill Island Heritage farm is a nice place to hang out and to get hands on the several farm activities like milking the cow, sheep shearing...etc.

Penguin Parade - It's fascinating to watch the penguins emerge from the sea after dark, preen themselves on the beach and taking counts before parading off to their nests. Too bad, I am not allow to take any pictures.

20100530: Melbourne City Walk

After a pleasant breakfast beside the manor operated by a Korean couple, we drove to the city, which was not a sound idea as it was pretty challenging to drive with so many traffics in a foreign land with weird rules like the hook turn, and scarce parking spaces. We finally landed a parking lot after wrestling with the seasoned city dwellers and risked almost being run down by the tram. ~wipe sweat off forehead.

There are many magnificent buildings and structures which caught my attention like St. Paul's Cathedral and Flinders Station. Even went to the Old Melbourne Gaol to check out the Ned Kelly legend, he is probably the guy who invented the first kevlar vest.

Went to Mulgrave to meet EC for dinner. It is a nice suburb he is staying, but he is moving to a better place:) EC brought us to Kingsway which is saturated with Asian food and we had a bud-tantalizing bowl of pho (Vietnamese beef noodle)! After dinner, we dropped by at the Philips in Boxhill, another suburb known to be occupied by many Malaysians. The Philips are staying in a rented heritage house, the exterior looks old yet cosy and the interior is spacious and homey. Love the kitchen, living room, and the veranda!

20100531: Great Ocean Road

We woke up pretty early for this as the GOR stretches more than 200 km. Along the way, we stopped anywhere we wanted to as EC's saying goes, "This is the beauty of free and easy tour."

We stopped at Bells Beach for some photo and had brunch at a little town in Anglesea. Right at the roundabout before the town, a grey kangaroo hopped like nobody's business beside us, overtook us and bounced across the roundabout and vanished into the bush across the road. After the meal, CM bought her shades and we moved on to Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet.

Pam, the tour guide at the lighthouse is a jovial petite lady and made us felt at home immediately with her cheerful laughter. We toured the lighthouse with 3 Indian dudes and 3 local ranchers from Queensland.

We made another stop at Separation Creek near Wye River as I was attracted by the wooden bridge at the river mouth.

Stopped at Apollo Bay tourist centre at about 3pm, the staff told us that we will be able to reach the Twelve Apostles by 5.30pm to catch the last glimpse of light. And this is the part where I started to drive like a rally driver, with my co-driver dozing off:p The GOR does not stick along the coast all the way, it leads towards inland somewhere after Marengo as it slices across Otway National Park.

We reached the Twelve Apostle at 5.15pm, still sufficient light for me to shoot some nice pictures. We think that the greatness of nature can only be felt there and then, no postcard-like picture is able to convey the message across entirely. Discontented with the time we spent with the rocks, we decided to stay overnight at the nearby Port Campbell, which was not in our plan.

We had a sumptuous dinner at Waves before we went searching for a place to put up for the night. We checked out a few places before settling at Port Campbell Hostel for AUD25/night, which is the all time favorite for backpackers. Pretty decent stay for such a cheap price, clean bathrooms and toilets.

Woke up at 6.30am and headed for the apostles again where we practically own the entire lookout deck all to ourselves. More cam-whoring before we dropped by Loch Ard Gorge and marvelled at the work of nature, how the wind, waves and rain craft the natural sculpture skillfully with time. And the best part is, it ain't finish till the end of the world.

20100601: Ballarat

We checked out from the hostel and had our breakfast. The owner has a collection of artwork, mainly paintings on the rocks and the port, it is ther work of the owner's mom. Refilled our fuel tank, and off we go to Ballarat in search of gold!

We visited Sovereign Hill, a mocked up gold mining town recreating the gold rush yesteryear in the 1850s. I was awestricken at the mining technology these people invented back then, how strong is the will of man to achieve something they strongly desire. And also we observed the dire condition our fellow Chinese ancestors were put through back in those days when they were lured to this barren land to seek fortune. At least now their younger generations live in a place where they can freely call home. Sovereign Hill is highly recommended for family with kids because you can shop, dine, and have fun all day long.

Next, we moved over to the Gold Museum which is opposite Sovereign Hill. Our eyes glittered at the generous showcase of gold nuggets and gold dust. The good news is that you're still able to stumble upon this precious element if you look for it hard enough in Australia. Who knows, you might find a nugget while you're gardening in your own backyard.

We returned to Mel city in the evening to meet up with CM's secondary school classmates, JY and HL. Initially, JY intended to treat us to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant but once we reached the place we turned him down as it's too posh for us:p So we detoured to a Greek restaurant for kebab.

20100602: Dandenongs

Yay, it's zoo and wine day! Healesville Sanctuary is located 61km to the east of Melbourne. It was a relaxing day since we do not need to travel very far. And so in the morning, we reached the sanctuary at about 9.30am and stayed there till noon. Saw the emu, roos, koala, tasmanian devil, wombat, platipus and dingo, which are the only one we were interested. And then we moved on to Yarra Valley to visit the vineyard.

Was back in the hotel at 6.30pm, waited for EC to pick us up and go to Little Italy. Sort of like a farewell dinner before we depart for Sydney. And again, it's not about the food or wine that night that matters, it's the moment together that counts. How unpredictable life can be when 2 years back, we hung out in Penang in search for local delicacies and 2 years later, we were dining in Aussie. God knows where we will meet again years later.

Photos of the Week

Merry X'mas!

Ong Cheng Huat Seafood Restaurant (王清发)

This is one of my favorite restaurant up north at Butterworth. EC introduced this place to us during one of our makan-makan trip when I was working in Penang. Subsequently, I'd revisited this place for couple of times with my colleagues and friends back then, and now with my family whenever we visit our sis:)

The restaurant is situated quite secluded off Jalan Bagan Lalang. One may easily miss the turning if he/she does not pay enough attention to spot the restaurant sign board along Jalan Bagan Lalang. And even if you do swerve in in time, it is quite a challenge to manoeuvre your vehicle through the sharp and narrow corners (only two) to reach an opening to the destination. Nonetheless, when there is a will, there is a way. Here is a short description on how to get there:

1. After exiting Juru Tol, continue to drive along the North-South Highway.
2. Exit left at Sungai Dua, exit to Bagan Ajam and go up flyover.
3. Keep left to exit to the left at the traffic light, it says Mak Mandin/Bagan Lalang on the sign board.
4. The restaurant is on the right hand side.

It is famous for its signature dishes: fried quail (we called it 小鸡), steamed red snapper, prawn crackers, coconut tuak (an alcoholic beverage made of fermented coconut flower dew).

Fried quail. Must try!

Oooo Lala

Fried mee.

Fried mee hoon

Prawn crackers

Steamed red snapper. Must try!

Some say that you have never been to Butterworth if you didn't patronize this restaurant.

Location: 2004, Bagan Lallang, 13400 Butterworth.

Opening Hours: 11.00am-5:30pm (Close on Monday)

Contact: +604-331 4782 / +6012-453 5188 (Always better to call beforehand)

How to get there: map

Duck Egg Char Koay Teow

Sis brought us to this famous duck egg char koay teow stall at Jalan Kulim, Bukit Mertajam, a shabby hawker center under a huge banyan tree. As can be seen from the picture, the char koay teow is fried with charcoal, which is deemed the BKM (best known method) to fry koay teow. This is of course coupled with the formidable combo of duck egg + lard + cockles. The duck eggs undoubtedly yield richer taste and thicker texture compared to regular chicken egg while the lard really heightens the fragrance of the dish.

Mom and dad went there twice on previous trips only to return in despair as the stall was not open. So this time we were really lucky and when we probed further, the boss revealed that he would take a day off whenever he feels like it. But worry not, two of his siblings are running similar stalls nearby, one near the taxi station and another one near the BM railway station.

Nice to look, good to eat!

Location: Jalan Kulim, In between of Taman Kuari and Taman Jaya/Sentosa

Opening hours: 8pm - 1am (Sunday - Thursday), 8pm - 2am (Friday & Saturday)

How to get there: map

大山脚 鸭蛋猪油炒更香
地点：居林路榕树下

时间：每逢星期日至星期四：晚上8时至凌晨1时；每逢星期五和星期六：晚上8时至凌晨2时（休息时间不定）

价格：大RM3.00 、小RM2.50、荷包蛋RM1、加料另计。

大山脚闻名的“鸭蛋炒粿条”有3档，分别由伍家3兄弟“操铲”，即分布于居林路榕树下、的士车站、火车站前路不远，3档有各自的美味特色。

相信大家都知道，要炒出一盘香喷喷的粿条，除了要讲究火候，也要注重配料的搭配。大山脚鸭蛋炒粿条就是舍弃一般用鸡蛋炒粿条的传统，改用鸭蛋，再用猪油来拌炒，再加上新鲜的蛤、虾、豆芽等，一炒好就是香喷喷令人食欲大增的炒粿条。

此外，大山脚鸭蛋炒粿条另一特点就是，业者是以火炭及木柴来炒，增添香味。食客们还可以选择加料，有者喜欢加半生熟荷包鸭蛋。

而位于大山脚居林路榕树下的鸭蛋炒粿条，是由伍德庆（49岁）经营。拥有20多年炒粿条经验的他，之前是于大山脚市区的士车站前售卖，后来迁至居林路榕树下经营。目前在该处经营已有3年多的时间。

<摘自光华>

Photos of The Week: Peony Jade, Clark Quay

TK and CY invited us to Peony Jade, Clark Quay for buffet lunch over the weekend. Peony Jade (玉河畔) is a Sze Chuan Cantonese restaurant where the couple had their ROM. The buffet starts at 11.30am and ends at 2.30pm, $28.80 per pax. I find it pretty affordable and worthy after the meal, the food is simply délicieux and the ambience, swish.

Glad to see Jenny again. Intend to meet up for mahjong sessions in near future but we will need to wait till Jenny & CM's exams are over.

Zhengzhou Trip

酒庄藏源酒的酒缸

对酒当歌，人生几何？ 譬如朝露，去日苦多。

慨当以慷，忧思难忘。 何以解忧？唯有杜康。

青青子衿，悠悠我心。 但为君故，沉吟至今。

呦呦鹿鸣，食野之苹。我有嘉宾，鼓瑟吹笙。

明明如月，何时可掇？忧从中来，不可断绝。

越陌度阡，枉用相存。契阔谈宴，心念旧恩。

月明星稀，乌鹊南飞。绕树三匝，何枝可依？

山不厌高，海不厌深。周公吐哺，天下归心。

~曹操《短歌行》

今年七月，小弟有幸赴河南省郑州及周口两地。此行不如之前与家人一起到中国的七天江南游，没有所谓的地陪小姐为我们说故事、行程没有旅行团般紧凑、所到之处也当然远远不及江南游时来的多姿多彩。 但是，感觉上这次看到的中国更真更实。回到新加坡时有一位上海的朋友问我到了周口，感觉怎样。我觉得还好，虽然当地是落后了一些，百姓比较穷困，但是风土人情还算纯朴。

“对了，就是穷和落后！没有文化！这就是真实的中国!” 朋友斩钉截铁的说。我不以为然，毕竟朋友持有上海户籍，说话时难免会对外省的人存有些许偏见。虽然他说的不尽然对、但多少也是有根据的。只能说见仁见智吧！

回头就说说此趟到郑州的一个趣事。话说到了郑州的第一晚，黄师傅把我送到酒店。因为带的行李太大，黄师傅便差遣酒店里的服务员将我的行李送到房里。到了房里，不知道规矩的我就掏出20元人民币给服务员作小费，“小弟，辛苦你了。”那服务员看了我一下，说了声谢谢也就走了。一整天坐了七个小时的飞机（新-北-郑），想赶紧洗个澡就跳进被窝里睡大头觉。哪知，刚脱下衬衫门铃就响了。

“咦？会是谁呢？”

房门一打开，眼前竟然站着两位亭亭玉立，楚楚可人的妹媚。看起来年纪大概只有十六七岁。虽然没有涂上浓浓的胭脂水粉，她们的穿着性感却也不在话下。

“你们找谁啊？”没头没脑的问了一句。

带头的那个丫头微微一笑，一声不响的就想往我房里钻。我用身体挡着不让她们进来，又问了一句，“你们找谁呀？！”这次语气重了一些，带头的丫头看着我过了半响，肃然收起笑容，带着另一个丫头转身就走了。我马上把房门关上，暗呼好险。

只听走廊上传来那两位丫头的抱怨声，接着就是刚才那位服务员的声音，“诶，怎么给了小费却不要小姐呢？真是奇怪！”

原来这里打小费是招小姐的暗号，这乌龙可摆得大了。第二天和一桌朋友吃午饭时说了出来，朋友们哄然大笑。

周口市红砖屋

第二天乘了两个小时半的车去周口。高速大道两旁都是小麦田。和郑州相比，周口就像是一个郊区。郑州就好比我们的新山市，周口就好比我们的居銮市。随口问了当地人口的数量，才乍然发现单单一个周口市的人数就和整个马来西亚的人口一样多，而且回民也不少。这里的回民不吃大肉（猪肉），但是白酒却是喝的。一位姓穆的老哥带着我往村里钻，黄土小巷的两旁都是一栋栋的红砖屋。家境稍微富裕一些的，会用瓷砖砌上砖墙。我说这些屋子蛮有特色，穆老哥对我说再过不久这些屋子就要被拆迁，以后就看不到了。我赶紧用我的相机照了照。

穆斯林圣训

走着走着，就来到村里的回教堂。第一次看到中国式的回教堂，虽然有些不同，但是大体上和马来西亚所看到的蛮相向的，感觉额外亲切。

此趟到河南虽然来去匆匆，也没机会好好的看看。希望下次有机会可以到千年古刹少林寺和六朝古都之中的开封和洛阳走一回。

My Photo of the Week

Was back in Kluang to meet up with my elder and younger sis during the Raya Merdeka holidays. I have passed by the scene umpteen times and each time I had the urge to shoot it.

Obviously, the subject is appealing to me - the rear of a row of old Kluang Town shophouses, age-old concrete wall with the paint long washed away by the ruthless rain, leaving grainy patches of moss and fungi, an evident of the humid tropical weather.

Each time, I didn't have my camera with me and am slothful to make a deliberate trip to Jalan Sultan. This time, I brought my cam and after a pleasant breakfast at Kluang railway station with my family, I requested my sis to stop by while I took the shot.

The greyish sky showed that heavy rain is imminent. The colourful roofs and the pasture of the abandoned land further enrich the subject as the bleak sky brings out the sense of desolation of the pre-WWII structure.

east coast park

East Coast Park is much better than Labrador Park. We went to ECP mainly to check the place out and I took the opportunity to hone my composition skill. Nice place for leisure: you can ride a bike, inline skate, water ski, camp for the night, barbeque and eat crab all in one place. I will be back.

"Hasta la vista, baby"

乌贼路 Lorong Sotong??

Some cinapek approached me and asked where is 乌贼路 (Lorong Sotong) in Singapore and it caused me ponderous time to search high and low for this street in the directories.

Thanks to the PRC slank.

It's actually Orchard Road. %!#?$%#~*

Anyway, here is the legendary prawn noodle which is said to have draw 10,000 patrons almost every night back in those days when the owner was still operating at an open air food court along Orchard.

You can find it at Food Republic @ Wisma Atria, Orchard Road. Bon apetite.

Well managed...but er...lots of make-up

CM's sister and her boyfriend are in town and we "as a matter of factly" became their tour guides. Very little things to do in a short 2 days trip here. So we went to Jurong Bird Park, which sadly, I didn't bring my telelens. What a waste. The Night Safari was ok...and Sentosa is really a cut throat.

I hate to be tall...because part of my head gets chopped off most of the time. Gerrram.

Putting this up because out of 1xx shots taken, this is the only one CM commented,"There is something about this picture." Really grateful for the consolation, because not everybody has the eyes of a photograher...tq.

(Front to back) CM's sister, CM's sister's boyfriend, CM's sister's and CM's sister's boyfriend's tour guide for the day.

What fascinates me in this pic is that a child this young is wearing a glasses. Looks like Harry Potter, except that the hair isn't black and the perut buncit a bit:p Damn cute, in cantonese I think we will describe him as," Fey toot toot."? Hahahaha...

This is a common beach view in Singapore with ships and cranes lining up the sea horizon. Well, these are the honey pots of this little nation.

From hearsay, once Singapore was separated from Malaysia, Lee Kuan Yew immediately chartered an economist from Wall Street and an engineer from Japan. The economist advised Lee that the first thing that Singapore must do is to sustain itself - to make money. And without any natural resources, they capitalized on their strategic position in the heart of Southeast Asia and built one of the busiest ports in the world. When the cash started to roll in like nobody's business, then the Nihon engineer is tasked with infrastructure planning.

Today, they have all sorts of man-made marvels like the Merlion, the beaches at Sentosa...And tourists are pouring in from all over the world from what I observed (to be fair, it's school holiday lar), just to catch a glimpse of the legendary lion and fish hybrid, and they don't mind to swim along titanic container ships in the sea. Looking back at the lacklustre manner Bolehland promotes its tourism and the lackadaisical operations at the tourism spots, I think we have a chance to cash in more with our natural waterfalls, highlands, beaches and even historical sites simply with a change of attitude and management.

Or a change of government, maybe?

A walk back in history