February Highlight: Genting Highlands Day Two

Day Two of my first Genting trip! Programme for the day: Chin Swee Temple, Strawberry Farm and Mushroom Farm. Yes, more pictures. They just say it all xD

Chin Swee Temple

Good morning! View from hotel room.

We are travelling by cable car down. Gulp!

The cable car experience is okay but I'm paranoid I guess. Nice experience though! Can ride on good weather days.

Yep. See how high it was? Lol...

Mushroom Farm

On our way down, we paid a visit to the Mushroom Farm and had our lunch nearby too. More pics!

Lunch. Bak Kut Teh. Not bad!

Off to the Mushroom farm. Honestly I had no idea mushrooms are grown like this. Hehe.

More pictures taken just outside the Mushroom Farm. Some sculptures and statues outside.

Strawberry Farm

Further downhill we stopped at the Strawberry Farm too. I heard the strawberries are better in Cameron Highlands. Still, this is my first Strawberry Farm ^^ At this height we can already slowly feel the heat xD

Besides strawberries, they also exhibit some other stuffs like bees, honeys etc.

After going around the farm and buying some strawberry products, we completed our journey back to the city. It was afternoon when I got back into my room and I felt like I just came back from another world. It's easy to see why people opted to go up to Genting for some quick getaway from the city; it gives you that sense of escape from reality and allows you to be a kid again.

February Highlight: Genting Highlands Day One

Thanks to the generosity of my friends for their invitation and accommodation, I had the chance finally to go to Genting Highlands! Heard of this place for a long time already and finally had the chance to go there! So we all went there for the Doraemon event that was happening at the same time, also to look at the fireworks display at night in celebration of Chap Goh Mei xD

Some interesting structures along the way up

As we go higher it's cooler, foggier and cloudier. Mountain feel FTW!

We finally reached and had a walk in the First World resort, and it's wonderful. It's a whole different world up here. Mini theme park, and everyone dressed in their warm clothes due to the cold. Awesome! And the casinos are in there too.

We actually queued for quite a long time outside for the Doraemon entry because of the huge crowd so we were all freezing because of the wind, despite the sun. However, we finally got in after more than 1hr and started our Doraemon tour.

Then we went and ate dinner and then walked around more in the First Resort. Then time to go out for the fireworks. It was awesome! :D

Again another 2hrs of standing outside but getting high. xD Afterwards we got some coffee then went back hotel to rest for the night.


Next up: Day Two!

Sept Highlight: Family's Vacation to KL Part II

Here you go, Part II!


27/9/2012

They're back and I met them at Hang Tuah and mom wasn't looking very pleased. I can only deduce my bro pissed her off again. Sigh. Anyway, we checked into our hotel and there was some difficulty bringing all that luggage to Bkt Bintang. We had dinner at Jalan Alor and after some argument abt where to go, we went to KLCC by taking monorail to Bkt Nanas then boarding the LRT there.

Dad wanted to see the Twin Tower at night and he got his wish, and we took some pics. However, mom was already very tired and sleepy so we all head back to hotel to rest for the night. Been a long journey for them and it's a shame they didn't get to explore KLCC more. Mom showed me some of the stuffs they bought from Universal Studios in Singapore and the pics they took there. Wish I'd gone with them! But then I didn't want to see my relatives in Batu Pahat so yeah.


28/9/2012

I went off early for work and left my family to walk on their own and met them after work at Pavilion. Dad thought I was gonna bring them to Nando's but I took them to Din Tai Fung instead and have them try the Xiao Long Bao there it was famous for. It was also a birthday dinner for my mom who had her bday 3 days earlier xD Then we walked abit in Pavilion then took the free bus back to hotel and rested. They had already went and explore in Plaza Low Yat and Dad nearly bought a new CPU which was ill-advised. How do you carry that back?

29/9/2012

Their final day in KL. And I brought them to the Aquaria in KLCC to see all the fishes and stuff. It was also my first time there! I was thrilled at seeing the creatures. It brought me to another world and calmed me abit (I wasn't happy at work). Mom paid for the tickets though she doesn't want me to overspend on them. What logic rite? I spend on my family is a rightful thing... haha...

And then we rushed back, checked out and then took taxi to KL Sentral to board the bus to the airport LCCT. Taxi guy kept telling us he can bring us direct to airport RM 85 to LCCT, RM 90 to KLIA but I declined. Soon we reached LCCT early and we had tea at Coffee Bean while we wait for the check-in counters to open(mom was so anxious abt the checking in lol). When it's done we sat at Starbucks passing time and I took a pic with them before they leave. Then they board the flight back and I'm happy they all came here and saw & experienced things. Most of all I'm happy to see them, but a bit sad I'm going back to the world without them and back to work.



All in all, I'm just glad we spent the time together :)

Sept Highlight: Family's Vacation to KL Part I

I was really happy I get to see my family in advance instead of only during the CNYs when I go back. They were here for a week-long holiday, coming first to KL then traveling to Batu Pahat, Johor, where my mom's hometown is, and then for a day trip to Singapore squeezed in too.


21/9/2012

Started raining heavily in KL around the time I'm getting off work, and my family had arrived in KL and is traveling into the city in a van, stuck in the jam. I went to the hotel to check us all in first and waited for them to come. Alas they arrived and due to the rain my initial plan to bring them eat the famous claypot rice in Petaling Street ended up in me bringing them to eat Hokkien Mee instead. There was a minor lion dance procession while we were there and after dinner we went to walk around in Petaling Street. Dad then told me he's looking for a stall selling duck which is famous. After asking around we decided we will get the duck 1st thing in the morning the next day. Went back hotel to rest and then my bro and I spent the night camwhoring LMAO.


22/9/2012

Dan Ngan Lou Duck, Petaling Street

Cheong-fun, Petaling Street

We did get the duck in the morning (Dan Ngan Lou Duck Stall) and guess what? It's the best duck I've eaten in KL! No wonder it's so good. We devoured it over bfast before heading out to Titiwangsa station and took the bus from there up to Genting Highlands. It's a famous resort with casino on top of the hills in Pahang. Mom hadn't been there for more than 30 years, and remarked the road is better and wider now, and that it used to be a narrow winding road up. When we finally reached there brother is very excited to go on the rides but we decided to take the cable cars to Chin Swee Temple first due to the nice weather (no clouds) up there, and that made him unhappy. Such a spoilt brat with no patience. It sorta ruined my mood cos I don't like sourfaces during vacations, I mean what's the point right.

Anyway after walking around and taking pics around the temple, where there's a HUGE Buddha statue, Guan Yin statue and statue of Genting founder Uncle Lim Goh Tong, we took the shuttle bus back and went to First World and walked around. It was then that we finally went to the rides and my bro cheered up again. Such a kid! Dad and mom waited for us while we were playing and when we're done, we went to find them and took our bus back to Titiwangsa again. Halfway thru the rides I became sick due to the wind and lack of food and it made me nauseatic. My bro was disappointed I couldn't go with him on rides any further but he went for a final round and at least he's happy now, tho he couldn't go on the coaster due to lack of time.

Back in the city, we went to dinner where dad don't want to go to a fancy restaurant because I'd spent alot on them already. So we just ate at the measly food court at Berjaya Times Square where bro had Korean and the 3 of us had Little Wok haha. Then we just hung around in the mall because there was power shortage in Plaza Low Yat where I wanted Dad to visit and see all the tech stuff there.


23/9/2012

Brought them on a walking trip to Merdeka Square where our nation's independence was announced 55 years ago. Then we went back nearby hotel to eat bfast and then check out, took the LRT all the way to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, the new bus and train terminal on outskirts on city. They will be taking the bus back to Batu Pahat from there. And I'll be alone again at least for another 4 days. xD

Tun Samad Building, Merdeka Square

Terminal Bersepadu Selatan

Next up: Part II!

Belated Birthday Post

The problem with writing THIS late about your birthday post is, you don't really remember what happened. Or most of it. Maybe because nothing too special happened, but mostly it's due to laziness.

One thing I remember was that September was the starting of a 3-mth spiral into depression for me. Because I sorta "lost" my very good friend (okay I admit now, best friend. What's with needing to label stuff sheesh) and I just got ignored for no apparent reasons as well. It affected me alot and I was very unhappy most of the 3 mths since.

Anyway it's my birthday and I was feeling angry again at my friend for her behaviour. Nevertheless, I went to work and got a few birthday greets but it didn't help that my friend said nth to me and is still ignoring me, despite it being my special day. Oddly though she wished me on fb. Oh wells.

My friend asks me what plans do I have and I said none... well because I treated myself already two days prior on Sunday, where I went out and watched movie and treated myself to cake and soba dinner at Secret Recipe:

The movie, in 3D - Resident Evil: Retribution

I thought the movie is bad, plot-wise. It's just a filler movie. Basically the plot is just to survive from one area to another. Makes no sense to stretch it into a full movie. Forgettable. Milla Jovovich still kicks ass though. No matter how sucky the movie is. I felt ripped watching it in 3D. Oh wells.

Then I treated myself to cake(one MUST have cake on their birthday) at where else but Secret Recipe of course. Since it is dinner time I dined there too. Japanese Soba + Chocolate Hazelnut cake!

It was pretty fulfilling :D

Back to 18th September, I finished work and, in a moment of impulse and anger, I went to a nearby mall and got my ears pierced. I had wanted to do it for quite some time already, and what better day than to do it on my birthday?

The physical pain actually lifted me up; I instantly felt much better, and I was able to breath without the sorrow inside of me. Now I more or less understood why certain ppl adopts physical pain to free themselves from their devils within. I don't encourage this, but I've benefited from it that day. It made me slightly happier for the next few days.

Nothing too exciting this year. Still I am blessed to be alive and healthy. Plus my family came over for a holiday the end of that same week. So I'm very happy to see them and spend time with them. :D I'll probably blog about that.... hmm....

Lastly, a pic of an email my colleague sent me. I thought it's a pretty cute pic and it cheered me up, so here I am sharing with you. Take care everyone! :D

Merry Christmas!

So.... this means, we managed to survive "the end of the world aka 21st December 2012 aka Mayan Apocalypse"!!!

It's been a long time since I last blogged, and I didn't even write my birthday post yet until now, but I'm gonna talk abt it in another post as this is a Christmas post.

As you can probably guess, I am now sitting at home on Christmas Day blogging about my Christmas. No I don't have any house to visit nor churches to attend (I don't.). I'm far away from home and my family and most of my friends aren't Christian so they don't really celebrate Christmas but like me, took part in the Christmas atmosphere and bought gifts and such. And made plans. So I'm just alone at home with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

I actually have something to do: make a drawing of Crayon Shin-chan for my colleague in the finance department. I sort of already promised her that so I'm going to try to finish it.

This year's Christmas, I gave more than I got, and I'm happy for it. The feeling when you gift someone and you see the joy in them receiving it, makes me happy the most. I definitely overspent (even bought a wrong gift and it's now lying on top of my work PC CPU alone) on gifts this year but it's okay. There's a gift for work colleague (Secret Santa!), gift for friends at an early Xmas BBQ celebration, and gifts for my best buddies who'd been by my side through the whole year.

And I'm thankful. Very thankful. Even though I am alone on Christmas Day stuck at home, I am not unhappy; in fact I'm very thankful and I feel blessed. Because I have everyone I love still alive and healthy around me. Even though me and my family is far apart, but recently we tried to get closer to each other through online and mobile chat platforms. The connection to them eases being apart from them.

And the two buddies, whom I think I've "lost", are back with me again...I really didn't see this happening, and rightfully around Christmas month for it to turn around. September was awful and by the time I reached November, my other friend told me she doesn't want to talk to me anymore and we broke off. Slowly i patched things up with this friend....but the 1st one took a far longer time. But slowly... we got back to each other again. Started with eye contact, then to speaking TO each other, then warming up by joking with each other. It feels like the beginning all over again.

And what is it if not considered another beginning? We started anew. We didn't talk about the past anymore. We just let it go, let it be slowly forgotten in times past. Gradually, by December, I've got both of them back. I guess all this loss and found teaches us a lesson to not take the other for granted, and makes you realise how lost you are were you to lose them.

So I'm grateful and thankful for everything that has happened. Maybe not so much the bad parts, but they did somehow play a part in shaping out the good parts, and especially some life lessons, so I still have to give it to them.

Thank you. I thank everything and everyone. God bless us all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! :D