Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Another trip came, another canceled

From the pretty empty weekend schedule in the last 2 years, my weekends now are demanding and tiring. With my master program on, I can not have much time for myself.

Sob, sob sob...

Then one plan came, another canceled.

Initially my travel plan for this year was
Family trip in Bali on 13 to 19 June 2010
VTSM gals in Hanoi on 16 to 24 October 2010

with 1 or 2 other short weekend getaways

Then suddenly came my business trip to Folsom from 15 to 30 May 2010. As I was just in the transition mode, trying to cope with new work allocation and study, I have to cancel my trip to Bali :-(

I can not make it to join my department in our quarterly teambuilding. It is so not cool to be able to plan and prepare but unable to join in the very activities. So no teambuilding for me on the 26 June 2010.

And now, I got selected to represent our country to Korea in the Malaysia - Korea International Exchange Program from 2 to 11 July 2010. I will have to skip 2 more weeks of class and a little more money to spend and less annual leave left. With this, I am uncertain if I can still make it for my Hanoi trip. However I will keep this option for now.

To summarize my annual travel calendar
  • 15 - 30 May 2010 - Business trip at Folsom, California, USA
  • 13 - 19 June 2010 - Family trip to Bali, Indonesia (PPKed)
  • 26 June 2010 - Teambuilding at Cameron Highland (Withdraw)
  • 2 - 11 July 2010 - Malaysia - Korea International Exchange Program in Seoul, Korea
  • 16 - 24 October 2010 - VTSM gals to Hanoi, Vietnam (tentative)

Happy for some to happen :D and sad that some got canceled :S

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Holiday Season

Another posting which was left unposted for close to a month in my list....glad that I finally find some time for it.

The original posting time of this posting was 3rd January 2010.

Happy New Year to all my friends!

It has been a while since I last update my blog...just didn't have the urge to update my blog especially during this festive season.

I was in holiday mood since the week I was suppose to visit Sungai Lembing in Pahang. However thanks to rain god, our trip has to be reschedule and most probably without me in it :S

As we were already in Karak Highway when we received the call from the owner of the chalet, we diverted our journey towards Bukit Tinggi instead. Though Bukit Tinggi wasn't much like I have anticipated, I enjoyed my trip there with the companies...I have much great time sweating ourselves trying our luck to get a synchronous jump shot.
So from the initial plan of 3 days 2 nights trip at Sungai Lembing, we spend our time in Klang Valley. So much has been done together...karaoke at Neway, One-U, bowling at Times Square, hiking at Broga Hill, flying kite at Kepong, 'chor tai tee' at EP's house, shopping at multiple malls and on food hunt. Love spending time with them...

my favourite meal...I just love those desserts

Monday, December 7, 2009

Photo from holiday on the other coast

This was from my last holiday on the East coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This was a trip which I didn't really enjoyed much about.

Day 1, it was a long ride to Kota Bharu. We took North South Highway and turned into Butterworth Kulim Expressway at Seberang Jaya. Then into the and Grik Highway en route Baling, Grik, Jeli, Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas and finally into Kota Bharu. Luckily it was a sunny day and the green scenic on the Titiwangsa mountains were breath taking. Our first meal in Kelantan was great too. I love the nasi kerabu and ayam percik served by the Yati Ayam Percik stall at Jalan Long Yunus.
Day 2...my mouth wide open looking at how our public officers were working. We were rushing here an there through out the hold day and yet nothing done (Read my experience here).
I was rotting with the orchids in their office
Our eating out plan wasn't good either. We tried the recommended pulut tapai at Selera CPT along Jalan Long Yunus. None like the tapai and the cendol base was tasteless.

The chinese food at Medan Selera Kebun Sultan was rather poor. After meal desserts in the TeaTalk Kopitiam on the opposite road were less satisfying. And the cough mixture like coffee drink at Hayaki sucked!
Day 3 Most accomplished in a day. Sunrise at Pantai Cahaya Bulan, yummy nasi dagang at Kwang Ling and temples visit in Tumpat. Kelantan has nothing better than the not so well maintained Buddhist temples.
After long hours under the hot sun, we headed back to town for some cool air. So we visited the KB mall, in which my driving skill was put to test...2 turns to get to the car park on the 5th floor. No wonder, the car park attendant stopped me before I got up and asked, "Boleh naik?". I was puzzled. Anyway I answered "boleh" and then only to discover that I signed up for the roller coaster ride. What made the situation worse was we witnessed a MPV on the opposite direction got itself scratch against the wall...ziiiingggggg. Kelantan architect really boleh and the officers lagi boleh. Such a crazy plan can be approved and built to reality.

We didn't stayed long in the mall. My mum was worry all the time we were in the mall. She was worried of how I could drive down later. So to calm her, we left early and hit the car park again and left after another round of roller coaster ride.

In the evening, with the GPS leading our way, we manage to find our way to the best Siamese restaurant in Kelantan. It took us approximately half an hour to Chiang Mai Restaurant at Tumpat. It was worth the drive for the prawn doughnuts and the spicy sour fish...yummy!
We left Chiang Mai minutes after the rain started pouring heavily. Scary moment to be in such an alien place with wild grown one meter tall grass on both side of the narrow path. The raining cats and dogs when we finally passed the clogged bridge linking Tumpat to KB...the bridge seemed flooded. If bridges could be flooded, more over the low lands. No wonder flood was such a big issue to Kelantan. Blamed it on their architects and officers at JKR and pejabat tanah.

Not even half way through the bridge, the KB city in front of us just went black off. No street lights or anything other than the vehicles lamps. This was just a super bad bad for me and my fellow Kelantanese. Wonder how could they stand such a disastrous day? According to the locals, it was normal for the whole or half the city to go back off.
in the world of darkness...in our hotel room
Day 4 My sis learned that her posting would be out today so we were in the pharmacist dept in Pengkalan Chempa early but nothing changed. She got posted to Hospital Daerah Machang. We rushed to the Bangunan Persekutuan for another round of waiting and finally headed to Machang.

Machang was a small town...way smaller than Sungai Bakap.

Day 5...We were back to civilization. I love Penang and am grateful to be a Penangite. Got Haagen Daz buffet treat from sis as my holiday compensation.

For more photos, please visit my facebook album.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Weekend getaway from Penang...in KL and Malacca

On my 3584, I speed down to KL on Friday evening with my parents. We departed from home at 6.45pm and arrived in KL at 10.15pm...3 and a half hour...that was a pretty fast journey :D

Arriving at KL, my first stop was at Serdang Raya, Yoke Heng Restaurant for the yummy claypot lou shu fan and pork ribs. This was on of the many eating places I missed of in Klang valley. Why can't they have their branches in Penang? :-(

Yoke Heng...famous for it's claypot lou shu fun

our claypot lou shu fun...order 2 person share...it is enought for 3

their famous pork rib...with marmite sauce

I started my Saturday with breakfast in the renowned Woo Pin Fish Head Noodle, 湖滨鱼头米粉 at Taman Danau Desa. It was located within the Ho-A-One Seafood Steamboat Restaurant. This was another place which worth driving long for. It took me about 15 minutes drive from Cheras but with a toll at Conought...If not the paying expressway, it will take me an hour on MRR2 then into the KL Seremban highway.

Ho A One Steamboat house the Woo Pin Fish Head Noodle in the morning

After dropping my aunt and cousin at home, we sped off to Malacca. It was a smooth journey down. It took me about an hour and a half to Ayer Keroh toll...followed by another few minutes drive to my brother's place situated at the back of MMU.

Then we headed to Taman Desa Duyong for the Sakura House. It was a terrace house converted cafe...very homey feel. As it was a home cooked Japanese meal, you could not expect too much...rich in choices but tasted so so. However this may be a value for money option.Next stop, we was at the Dataran Pahlawan...went round and round in search of parking lot...I hate this place for we always could not get a proper place to park or ended with a fine note by MBMB...damn MBMB!
Sakura House...1 simple bento only cost
The presentation was good but personally I didn't really like nor dislike the food...just not a recommended place to dine in if you are Japanese food fans
mum's Unagi Bento

We was in Dataran Pahlawan for a mid day food hunt mid stop...our stomachs needed some time to process all our intakes. So we went for Transformer...yeah finally I got to watch it...and it was a great choice for family time...but !@#$^ to the guy sitting next to me. He has been coughing throughout the 2nd half of the movie...causing me having to use my Dettol sanitizer all time...every time he cough, I would have to apply once...Didn't he know what hygiene means now especially with the H1N1 outbreak?

Not to be missed...we had a tea break before the show...though I was full, I could not resist my long crave for drink...my favourite Chocolate milk shake at Wong Kok Restaurant. The thick chocolate milk shake topped with chocolate ice cream was just irresistable.

After the movie we drove for half hour to Umbai for ikan bakar. We ordered a ikan pari bakar cili, butter prawns and squids platter. The main dish, ikan bakar was rather dissapointing...the chili was way too strong and covered the frest taste of the fish. The butter prawns and squid platter were delicious. Not to forget, the otak-otak was good as well. Normally people love to have these dishes with Nasi Lemak but not for me as I was sparing my stomach for next round.

Then, we headed back to town. We went to my favourite cafe in Malacca, the Nadeje Patisserie...We ordered an original mille crepe, strawberry mille crepe, tiramisu mille crepe and a cheese cake. I loved the original mille crepe most. It was best to go with black long coffee....dark and sugarless.


On Sunday morning, we went to the Museum Cafe(Jonker Dessert 88) for the world best cendol...this was always my choice of cendol...better than our Penang Teo Chew Cendol. Cendol. Besides cendol, the Baba Laksa was also my favourite. Unique in it's own way...unlike our Penang laksa nor our Penang curry mee.
After the heavy santan meal, we walked down the street in search for our gifts...the pineapple tarts. As we walked along the road, we found a busy stall selling traditional Nyonya kuih...We got a whole big bag of 'Ang Ku Kueh', Pulut Tai Tai, kuih bingkai and ondeh-ondeh....yummy! These were made fresh in the morning.

We then continued our tour with biscuit feasting at my frequent visit stall...I didn't the name but I just knew my way there. Their tarts never failed me. So we bought a box of pineapple tarts and a box of lotus paste cookies. Mum also got hold of 4 packs of mee sua.

As we were very full but has nothing much to do while waiting for stomach to give a little space, we headed to the Coffee at Cathedale Coffee Art

Next was another biscuit feasting time at Yong Sheng...I always love to shop here. 1.The biscuit taste good, 2. Affordable price as a gift, 3. Good service (the sales person kept offering ;D but my stomach was just too full :S and they deliver it right to your car), 4. We are already their VIP customer (get 15% discount).

I really have given up but as my parents were not very frequent visitor in Malacca, they wished to give Nyonya cuisine a try. So we headed to the Ole Sayang. Ordered a asam fish, ayam poh teng, sambal udang and sambal kangkung. My mum initially said she didn't want to eat rice, just a few bites of those dishes would do, ended up having need of additional plate of rice while for me, I got 2 spoon of rice...need the rice as the flavours were too strong to be taken like that. Anyway it was a great meal for everyone.

Finally we left Malacca at 4.20pm after stuffing my stomach meals after meal in shortly one and a half day. We reached Penang at 10.10pm...so it was a 5 hours and 50 minutes inclusive of a stop at the Seremban Siew Pau Empayar and few other intervals.

I enjoyed traveling with my parents...they were food enthusiacs like me :D

Photos here are from my old collections and from the internet...didn't have my camera with me.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

CCC after a year - White water rafting & Caving in Kampar

Hmm...after a year...a lot of things have changed.

The most significant one...everyone is richer by 2 to 3k a month...many with new cars and 2 with a new house....envy of them...I am stuck with my 3584 but am satisfy to at least have him now rather than my 15 years old SLK.

2ndly, we all have only 1 common topic or rather standard questions which were 'What are you doing now, where are you working in, which department, hows life, hows work and etc...all revolves around working life.

3rdly, we were not as crazy as we did...no more rushing for photo shots...I was not sure if it was due to lack of cameras during our outing or it was just because we were too tired with our normal hectic schedule and 2 days of tiring activities together.

Anyway this was really good for us to get together. I enjoyed it very much but was super tired as I could not recover from my Bangkok trip which was only 3 days apart. Take away my tiredness, my post trip MC and the stuck time during white water rafting, this was a great outing.

Thanks to HJ and HF for organizing it! Hope to see everyone again in our 2nd yr gathering!

Day 1 - Drive down from Pg, white water rafting (*sad for no photographs taken during the raft), Gunung Lang & 豆芽鸡

penang* and ipoh lang at destination first...good to be on time
at gua tempurung area...while waiting for others
heading to our hostel...after the white water rafting
CCC at Gunung Lang
Gunung Lang lake from the tower
replica of traditional houses on the island
boat to the island
another lake view from the top
it was about to rain
1st and only complete group photo...CCC08 is here in Gunung Lang!
our chicken...good but too much...CCCers are small eaters now
this was yummy...better than chicken
YY after few hours under the sun during water rafting...YY, u need more outdoor sports to be a MAN!
at pasar malam during kampung adidas hunting
Day 2 - Dim sum at Ming Court, pomelo feasting at Gerai Limau Bali Tambun 100, caving at Gua Tempurung and finally 游记面包鸡
dim sum breakfast at Ming Court
got a shock...the moment we got the table, the waitresses started to load the table with all these dim sum...may be 100+ of them at first
pomelo feasting
bought 2 home
Gua Tempurung...khazanah negara
these were thousands years old
wah...best shot in the cave
very humid in the cave....
now we are up, the next moment we were meters down
oups...1 missing...it was too dark...the cameraman just pakai hentam
best shot in the cave...due to the humid and less of light, this was the best shot
not sure if it is that extreme good or not but it finished within minutes
makan...makan
last group photo before adios..missing in the photo is HF...thanks her again for this!