Happy New Year 2010

Ok my bad for not updating this blog for quite a while. But firstly, I would like to wish everyone

A Happy and Prosperous New Year.
May the new year brings you happiness, joy and good health.

2009 has been a very hectic year for me. Some good and bad things had happened last year but a friend told me to look at it (the bad things) in a positive way. Thinking back of the things that had happened, I must admit that I was very occupied with everything from traveling, family, office work and church activities.

I lost both my grandparents last year; just two months apart (Feb and Apr). I miss them so much and often think about them.

And then on church activities, wow...where do I begin? Maybe with the latest one that I can remember is the Christmas preparation. It was truly a nightmare before Christmas. We were to have an open house on Christmas day but with a new twist... we're going to serve Christmas theme food. I managed to get 3 turkeys and send it to the restaurant to cook it. And then for the rest of the food, we didn't have a choice but to cook it ourselves because it was too expensive to be catered. After the Christmas eve mass, few of us stayed behind to cook and prepare the food. It took me 2 hours to cook 9 packets of Macaroni! We also prepared the green peas and carrots, spaghetti, mashed potatoes and macaroni salad. We were worried that the food will not be enough to cater for about 150 people! We are not expert or have any prior catering experience. We just try our very best to do what we can. Anyways, we went home at 4.30AM on Christmas morning. I only had 2 hours of sleep and then I was up again to pick up the turkeys, prepare the rest of the food and to go to mass at 9am. We were still working on the food until the very last minute and thankfully, the food was enough to feed the crowd. Everyone was happily fed and the turkey was a hit! hahaha
In the evening we had the migrant nite and we were back in the kitchen again to do some more cooking. I managed to cook baked cheese broccoli and cauliflower even though I don't eat them. We had another 2 turkeys and had a lot of leftover. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted but nevertheless satisfied and happy. It was a good experience and we really enjoyed it. Hopefully this year we will do catering! j.k.

On the traveling side, I've been to two new countries last year: Bali and East Timor. I hope I will have the chance to visit East Timor again this year. My other plans are to visit one of the orient countries (Hong Kong, China, Korea or Japan). I'm already booked to go to UK (again!) this coming March.
I've been traveling every month since June 2009 until November 2009. But as for December, I only went to Miri because my passport ran out of pages (I've renewed it already) and I ran out of my leave. Anyways, I'm sure there'll be more traveling this year. Oh yah I'm off to Singapore in two weeks time with my fighting partner. There'll be no peace in Singapore when we'll be there! hahaha Purpose of visit: Gadget shopping! iLike!

I guess that's all I can update for now. Once again, Happy New Year. Till then....Adeus! Atelogu! XOXO

Weekend in Sporapora

Yipeee..its the weekend again and I'm off to 'Sporapora' hahaha a new word created by my fighting partner, Stephyhoo.

I was looking back at my last year blog entries and was surprise to know that I went to 'Sporapora' last year and almost on the same date!! I went on the 7th to 9th of November and this year, I'm going on the 6th to 8th.

Sometimes this blog entries can be very useful to remind us of the events in the past especially for a forgetful person like me.

I'm looking forward to the trip. Gonna have my chili crab and IT gadgets shopping hehehe wuhooo....

over and out....

A year older

I have something typed out for my blog already in MS Word but somehow it got corrupted and the words are in alien language so I'm just gonna type out a new one now.

So what have been happening lately and what's gonna happen in the next few weeks....
Latest happening: I turn a year older early this week. Did not had a celebration or anything like that. But my thoughtful friends celebrated it 5 days early. Thanks peeps! Really appreciate it. And then my 'fighting partner' greeted me every single day via text messages (she eventually give up on the eve of my birthday because she was tired hahaha).
Anyways, it was a quiet one for me this year. I also went to the cemetery for a prayer service for the dearly departed (All Soul's day) after work and was teasing my friends and family that I was celebrating my birthday there hehehe. My parents bought me a birthday cake (sorry no pics!) and for pressie, my dad paid for my airfare to UK next year... YIPEE!

Gonna happen: I'm going to S'pore for the weekend and maybe go on a crazy shopping spree (but I've not figure out what I'm going to buy yet though an iPhone sound really tempting at the moment!). And in 2 weeks time, I'm going to the Philippines (pray that the weather will be good by then). hmmm... wat else? My passport is running out of pages after only 3 years from the date of issued and extended pages last year =(

I had plans to go somewhere in Dec but most of the flights are full and expensive so I'm not bothered now. I guess its a sign from God that I need to take a break from traveling hahaha and to be continued next year.

Anyways, here are some of my IT gadgets targets for Christmas or next year:

The new iMac

MacBook Pro

iPhone 3Gs


iLike ;)
and yes I'm turning into a MAC person

Bali, Indonesia - Two stops in a week

I was supposed to go to Bali last July with a friend but due to some reason I was unable to. But instead the opportunity to visit this island came during the trip en route to East Timor.

We arrived in Bali at 8.30pm from KL on AirAsia. It was about 3 hours journey. We only stayed for one night at a hotel by the beach in Seminyak as we were only in transit before our next flight to East Timor the next morning.

Approaching the island of Bali

There was an earthquake in the morning at the north part of Bali in the Nusa Dua area. According to a taxi driver, it caused panic among the tourists and locals who ran out into the streets (some with no clothes on) but no injuries or death were reported.

With little time to explore the place, we decided to go to Kuta for dinner. The place is packed with tourist and traffic jams. I can’t help feeling the fear for my safety when I was there especially when we pass by the Bali Monument where 202 tourists and locals were killed when a bomb exploded in a pack nightclub in 2002. The places are surrounded with bars and nightclubs blasting loud music and few blocks away from it and in between some shops there’s a temple, which is sacred to the Hindu believers.

A temple at the hotel

No... I didn't drink this.

The traffic in Bali is as crazy as the one in Bangkok. The drivers drive in the middle of the road and will only slow down or swerve when there’s an incoming car or motorbike. Some of the roads are narrow and could hardly accommodate two vehicles.

On our return trip from East Timor, we stayed another 2 nights in Bali and this time we stayed at a hotel in Kuta. Apparently, it was a peak season in Bali so most of the hotels are fully booked. We hired a van and driver to drive us around for sightseeing.

We went to Tanah Lot, which is a ‘must-see/visit’ place to go in Bali. It’s a sacred Hindu temple and only their Hindu priests are allowed to be there. We can only see the place from the rocky beachside. A lot of tourists flock to this place at sunset. Apart from it being a sacred place, it has also become commercialized. There are rows of open market along the way to the beach selling various handicraft and souvenirs and bargaining is a must!

At Tanah Lot

From Tanah Lot, we went to the Nusa Dua Beach hotel for dinner, which is owned by BIA. The Nusa Dua area is a popular place because most of the luxurious hotels are there like Sheraton and Novotel.

At Nusa Dua Beach Hotel

The view of the beach is very serene. We arrived just before sunset and there were few people on the beach. We went down to the beach to dip our tired feet. My injured foot was now purplish red and still swollen (I slipped and fell on some stairs on our last night in East Timor) I thought I might have a broken foot or toe but I didn’t think much about it because I was in BALI! hahaha The sand on the beach is quite different from what we have here. It’s rough and it sticks to the leg. There were a lot of broken shells and the sand was quite thick and deep, we could hardly walk 'normally' on our way back to our table for dinner.

My purplish/red/swollen foot
At Nusa Dua beach

Walking back

We spend the evening having dinner before going back to the hotel to freshen up and hit the town again for last minute shopping. One shop that I couldn’t resist going (apart from Starbucks) is Billabong. I couldn’t decide on two Roxy wallets so I end up buying both and I also bought a Billabong bag because my luggage was full. Too bad they don’t carry big sizes for the clothing unlike in Australia. We walk back to our hotel, which are about 20 or 30mins away. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was already midnight and after showering and packing, we only had about 2 or 3 hours of sleep. We left the hotel at 3am because our flight was at 6am to KL. Strangely even in the wee hours there is still traffic jam! The driver told us that people are going home from the nightclubs because it closes at 5am O.o We arrive at the airport around 4am and two tourist told us that they are not open yet *yawn* so we end up waiting outside the door. I was so freaking sleepy!!! And there were no luggage trolley available. We saw a family sleeping on the floor outside the airport; I guess they decided to stay overnight at the airport. It was a full flight to KL and it was a quiet one too because almost everyone fell asleep throughout the journey. I woke up an hour before we landed in KL.

Anyways, I really enjoy my first and second trip to Bali. I do hope I can visit there again; explore more places and go for a Balinese massage!

East Timor – Part II

I must admit East Timor is one of the best travel adventures that I’ve ever experienced. I met a lot of people and spend time with children in the orphanage. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me.

I learn a lot about the history of the country from a Filipino priest who has been serving there for a very long time. He witnessed the brutal massacre and the turmoil of the country. The violence are in the past now but it has left deep scars on its people. They are slowly building their life back and it’s a long way to go. It’s truly a heart-wrenching story to hear but what I truly admire about the East Timorese is their strong faith.

The country is rich in resources but some of the people are unskilled. They are seeking opportunities to gain experience from abroad or from their local technical schools but because of language barriers or limitation (they speak Tetum and Portuguese and few words of English) only few are able to go through it.

Along the way to Baguia, in the District of Baucau, we saw a lot of places or scenery that looks like a part of another country (or maybe we were just hallucinating because of the long car journey hahaha). We saw places like Saudi Arabia, Japan, Malaysia, etc. Some of the areas are covered in green like the padi rice field, or a golf course and some look like the dessert.

It was a long journey to get to the orphanage in Baguia. But the moment we arrived there, we were in awe. The environment is way different from the capital, Dili. Life is not as busy as in the city, it’s more laidback and life is simple.

Looking back at the places I’ve visited and the people I’ve met in East Timor, it makes me realize or more like a reminder that how fortunate we are to live in this peaceful country and we often take it for granted. The children in the rural areas in East Timor attend school few days in a week which is run by the government. They are not provided with any transportation so they have to walk, which take them about an hour or more and often, the teachers don’t turn up due to some reason. It’s quite disappointing to hear about it because the children are so eager to learn and are willing to walk that far just to go to school to learn.

“Life may be hard but it’s simple and they are happy” said a friend. This quote is stuck permanently in my head! I saw for myself how they run their livelihood and indeed there are simple. They grow their own fruits, vegetables and sell them to earn a bit of money to buy other necessities. There is no electricity in the morning and the generator is only switched on at 7 in the evening till midnight. And they collect their water daily from a well or water source which is few miles away. Basically these are their daily routine.

To see and witness this lifestyle is truly an eye-opener. Other countries may be well in advanced with technology but there are still some countries who are still living in the past. The internet, mobile phone or computers are alien to them. But who knows one day things might change for the good of the people. And hopefully somehow somewhere we can help to make that changes.

Jetsetting

Wow I didn't realize it has been a month since I last posted anything in here. I just didn't have the time or just being plain lazy to update it hehehe Anyways, I've been traveling lately, trying to conquer the world hehehe

Being an avid traveler can be exhausting (physically, mentally and financially!) but it can also be rewarding. I recently went to East Timor a.k.a. Timor Leste with a group of friends with stopover in KL and Bali. It never cross my mind to visit East Timor but I'm glad I make the decision to just go ahead and see it for myself what is it like there.

Despite its violent history, East Timor is a beautiful country, rich in natural resources and the locals are very friendly. I was there for 5days and spend two nights in Baguia in the District of Baucau.

I hope to visit this country again next year. Somehow the beauty of this country captures my heart.

At the capital, Dili.

Will update more soon...

Travel, Fever, Cough and Flu – the whole package!

I’ve been travelling again... this time to Bangkok, Thailand. This is my third trip to Bangkok for three years in a row! I went with my parents for a short break during the long weekend. We just went there for shopping. The weather was terrible. It was very hot and during the night it rains heavily. The road to our hotel was flooded one night and we had to walk as the taxi couldn’t go through. The drainage system is not that great there and with millions of people living in the city, the surrounding is not clean either. I make a habit of washing my crocs shoe with dettol when I return to my hotel.
Unfortunately upon my return back home, I caught the cough and cold. My dad was already coughing badly when he was there (he ate too much of the longan fruit even before we went to Bangkok!). I had the fever as well and was given 2 days sick leave from work. Thank God it’s nothing serious like the H1N1. It is just a common cold and I’m still recovering from it.
My next trip will be in 2 weeks time. I need to recover fully first and get some vaccine shots as well. It’ll be an adventurous one and I’m pretty excited about it. I can’t wait! Will update on it soon...

View of Bangkok from the airplane

Arriving at Bangkok airport

View from the 43rd floor of the hotel

Down below

Police on segway at Chatuchak Weekend market

Coconut Ice-creamSugar rush at Dunkin Donuts (had this on the first day)

The road to the hotel flooded!

Night view
In front of CentralWorld
Durian Mooncake from Starbucks

12:34:56 on 07.08.09

Its 12:34:56 on 07.08.09
That's 123456789
cool!

Some stick figure drawings

Crazy Month

Not been updating my blog lately because I was quite tight up with a lot of things. I was away to Singapore for the weekend to bring a friend who recently got back from the UK to surprise another friend who is working there. And it turned out really well. We stayed somewhere near to Clarke Quay which was an excellent choice because of the night life there and also because of the food! Oh yeah and I also went on the Singapore Flyer which was amazing though I was afraid of height!

The Famous Singapore Chili Crab

Baked Tiger Prawn with Cheese

The view from my hotel balcony (Singapore River)
Below: my attempt to sketch it

On board the Singapore Flyer

The following weekend I went to KL to watch Manchester United in action against Malaysia. They scored 3-2. I thought they will not win! I would be very disappointed if that happen. Anyways, I enjoyed KL cos' the last time I was there was about a year ago. I was going on a shopping spree... unbelievable! I spend so much in just one day before going to the stadium to watch the match in the afternoon. Never thought I could actually find something to buy there hahaha I never fancy going to KL for shopping but this time round it was different.
My airasia flight back was delayed for an hour. There's nothing much to do in LCCT except shopping (again!) at the duty-free shops and eat, eat, eat. Thank God they have free wi-fi and I was constantly updating my FB status and checking my emails. Amazingly, my luggage only weighs 11kg in total (I had a duffle bag and backpack checked-in). The plane finally departed at 7pm.

The very next day after I arrived back from KL (20th July was a public holiday)I went to Ulu Belalong, Temburong with a group of friends. I've never been to Belalong before and also, I did not came prepared...physically!! My friend who lives in Temburong did not tell me that we need to hike. We took a long speed boat to the place which takes about 30mins and then we hike and climb ALOT of stairs (385m to get to the canopy walk). Upon reaching (I swear I felt like I was going to die while climbing those stairs!) we need to climb the scaffolding which is about 45m high to be above the trees. The view was amazing up there but getting there was hell! hahaha Nevertheless I enjoy the trip though it will be my first and last time! My hands and legs were shaking after the climb. We rested and have lunch by the riverside which was very cooling and proceeded to enjoy the waterfall which was about 10mins walk into the forest.
It really feels good to be away from the city once in a while and enjoy a nature walk. Oh yeah... I was wearing a CROCS shoe for the hike...very convenient I might say...you can just dip your feet in the river after the long walk hehehe and get it clean at the same time ;)