My 2009 new toy...

Its a Merida Matts 5-MD, 2009 model.

I'm going ride on her from KL to S'pore....wish me luck :P

black jack became boring this CNY

because we have new games this CNY and this does not required us to visit our late Uncle Lim for it...

the ancient 'yu har hai' game (fish, shrimp, crab) - the animal game

i wonder where can i get both of these...

2009 Chinese New Year (Chor 1 - Chor 3)

Its a long holiday for me, as i've took 3 days off and this gaves me 9 days of straight holidays...
Its is also a waste that i didnt get to plan something out to travel to other places....so, i ended up eat, sleep, gamble and rest at home.

Today is Chor3 and to me, CNY considered being wrapped up.

Chor 1 - every year without fail, we will visit grandmother house (dad's side)..the place where all my relatives, uncles, aunties and cousins will meet up. This is the day that i will get to meet my cousins and uncles once a year. Usually we will spend half a day there and by 3pm we will go back to take a power nap if there's no other plans. This year, i've grouped our Choong's family troops and 'attacked' ShyShy's house for Asam Laksa ala P.Pangkor...haha...quite paiseh coz ShyShy only invited me and i brought 3 more ppl to sapu the Laksa...Well, i guess this is a positive feedback to ShyShy's mum that her Laksa is good and there's always a reason for her to continue to cook every year...hehe :P.
At night, for the first time ever...our small double storey house housed 25+ relatives...it was a drinking, eating and gamble session. Highlights was my uncle brought a 30years old whisky...i have no idea how to describe the 30 years old whisky with words...

Chor 2 - The early planned movie plan did not work, coz clashed with a last minute but very early dinner (5.30pm!) with my aunties....so, we've spent the early afternoon queuing in the cinema to buy new tickets and changed our movie plan to Thursday (Chor 4) instead. We've actually prepare to burn the earlier tickets but suprisingly the cinema allowed us to change the tickets...so, no $$ damage :D

Chor 3 - Met up with my fellow crazy school mates for a gift exchange + makan + gamble session.

During CNY, and if you're at a place like Ipoh which is so crowded with ppl during festive...you definitely dont feel like going out and compete for a space with the rest. And if there's no travel plan, i think 3 days of CNY is enough for me...else i will be bored and start growing fungus at home....

2009 New Year - Its all about 'ang moh' and Thai food~~~

Went for a short break last minute of 2008 and very first minute of 2009.

27-30 Dec @ Phuket

30Dec - 1Jan @ Phi Phi

1-3 Jan @ Krabi

To summarize the trip, its all about beaches, ang moh, lotsa Thai food.

Phuket in brief is a large island. We were dropped of by the bus somewhere near Phuket town, to get to the beach, it was almost 30mins by motorbike. One of the interesting experience i have was 3 person + 2 huge backpacks squeezed into 1 bike. Pheww....interesting and kinda impossible considering both myself and travel mate are both L size ppl...its a pity that there's no picture captured of the interesting scene...

Phuket shopping is great. There are wide range of sports equipment and will just make you shop non-stop. No exception for me, broke my wallet and bought a 60L Deuter backpack & a 20L dry bag.

The other unforgettable thing was i've been travelling with a handicap person almost the whole journey...y leh? coz my travel mate sprain her ankle on the 2nd day and been limping throughout the journey...haih....pity her and this also reminds me to be extra caution...

We joined a day trip to Phang Nga Bay, James Bond island and some islands at surrounding areas..

The famous James Bond Island...somehow i couldn't recall eventhough i watched the movie..

Initially i thought we will get to kayak during the trip...who knows we have these well trained kayakers to kayak us around the islands and caves...

The 2nd destination was Phi Phi Island, 2 hours boat ride from Phuket. Phi Phi is a small island and flocked with tourists...the island is full of small shopping outlets. So...there's nothing much u can do there except for sun bathing, massage, shop & clubbing....

Phi Phi beach flocked with sun bathing tourists

We stayed at Phi Phi Viewpoint Resort. It's a quiet & peaceful resort during normal days but definitely not during new year eve....the beach party started as early as 6pm until 6am the next day...this is how serious those ppl partying. Being a kiamsiap tourist, we didnt spend any $$ partying but just a can of beer and sat at the balcony appreciating the fireworks..thats how we spent our new year moment...i would say its peaceful and also eventful :)

Our last destination was Krabi...its a much quieter town & small town compared to Phuket & Phi Phi. The happening places is at Ao Nang where its similar to Phuket...Krabi town itself, nothing much but i kinda like it...quiet...ocassionally u can see tourists walk around and its not crowded at all!

We did went Ao Nang beach, watched the sun set and shop around. The next day, we spent half a day at the Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple) nearby Krabi Town. Wat Tham Seua is a small temple built inside a long shallow limestone cave, surrounded by natural forest. There are two staircases wind up the limestone cliffs. The first one leads with 1,237 steps to the top of the mountain offering a superb 360-degree view and is definitely worth a try. Reaching the top will reward you with an incredible view and there is a huge sitting Buddha, a golden pagoda and a few other small constructions. There was a huge downpour on our way up...which made the stairs climbing process more tricky but somehow we did it...so proud! It was a great work out and both my legs start shaking while i'm descending...wow...no joke!

The 3 sitting buddas at the mountain top

Good Dread GuestHouse. Highly recommended. Cheap, good rooms and informative guest house. You will get a chance to get a free beer by just asking the owner (Brian) a secret question.

I need a winning lottery ticket~~

Shy shy advised me to live a more affordable life, taking into her advise…I recap how I spent my $$$ this year.

Diving – RM10K spent for 4 diving trips + equipment
Photography – RM2K spent for a DSLR camera body with kit lens
Travel – RM10K spent for 2 weeks Eastern Europe holidays + 1 week beach getaway at Thailand

2009 wish list
Diving
– RM5K for 3 diving trips.
Photography
– RM4K for a multi purpose lens + flash + tripod
Travel
– RM3K for Vietnam & Philipines trip which already confirmed
- RM3K for Adelaide & Syney Aussie trip (tentative sept09)
Sports
- to get a bike

* my apartment will be ready this year and need to allocate sum of $$ for renovation

Btw, I am NOW going out to buy lottery....Good Luck girl!

Hello 2009!

For my new year's resolution, I wanna:
1. Be happier
2. Stay healthier
3. To travel more
4. To dive more
5. To strive further in career
5. Be slimmer
6. To make more $$$
7. To have more time for myself
8. To be able to dream on
9. To be more open
AND last but not least...

May all my wishes come true~~~
* I know i am greedy~~ :P

Freedom is the right of all sentient beings...

So i've spent my Christmas night watching Transformers....its such a great movie and no matter how many times i've watched it...it wont bored me...

I know its a bit of out-dated but who cares? Uuuhhh...i so love this...every time i hear this, my tears rolling in my eyes..

Jazz: "What about Bumblebee? What can't just leave him to die! And become some human experiment!"

Optimus Prime: He'll die in vain if we don't accomplish our mission. Bumblebee is a brave soldier. This is what he would want.

Ironhide: "Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race."

Optimus Prime: "Were we so different? They are a young species. They have much to learn... but I've seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings...... You all know there is only one way to end this war: We must destroy the Cube. If all else fails, I will unite it with the spark in my chest."

Ratchet: "That's suicide! The Cube is raw power—it could destroy you both."

Optimus Prime: "A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet... We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes. It's been an honor serving with you all. Autobots, roll out!"

—The Autobots discussing their next move

I want my freedom too and i deserve it too...so i'll be heading to Phuket, Phi Phi Island & Krabi...in search of freedom...

Its a shoe shopping spree~~

I must have been crazy about shoes recently....in less than 1 month period..i've got myself 3 pairs of different types of shoes...Btw, i only have a pair of legs

Timberland hiking shoe - expensive and its causing bruises at this stage

Reebok running shoe - purposely bought this for marathon...but i have no idea when is my next marathon

Rock Pillars climbing shoe - thanks to Nomad Christmas sale which left me no excuse not to get myself a pair or climbing shoe + harness
(p/s thanks to uncle soo generously let me wear his shoe all this while :P)

Guess how much total damage? ==> close to 4 figures!

The Merry Makan Gang (MMG) Melaka Food Trail

Honorable MMG team members:-

Ramund Lai (RL) - driver 1 + makan captain

Peggy Yap (PY) - driver 2 + photographer 1 + shopper

Jessie Tang (JT) - planner + navigator + shopper

Ang Siew Lin (ASL) - honorable treasurer + shopper

Winnine Chai (WC) - shopper

Myself (AC) - photograher 2

23 November 2008

8.30am - kick start food trail with cuppa 'nung nung' de kopi @ KopiKaul, Puchong

RL: Less is more ya! Eat a little of many many food, glorious food

ASL: I'll just have porridge, meehoon & toast bread

RL: Good choice, I'll mirror your order

PY: Am not a breakfast person, will just have 2 half boiled eggs, kopi o & toast bread

WC: The meehoon here is nice, 1 is not enuff, lets order 2

JT: I want peanut butter bread

AC: aiyar, i want to eat everything la~~

Breakfast starts at 8.20am & ends at 9.15am

Food stop#2: Mission starts at 12.07pm & ends at 12.26pm

12.07pm - queue-ing for Po Po Chicken Rice

Po Po Chicken Rice

Yum yum! can fight with Ipoh Chicken Rice

Food stop#3 - Jonker Street @ 1.20pm

cockles a.k.a.'see ham'

PY: wow! this is the best chendol durian ever!

cendol biasa ala Melaka

century egg a.k.a. pei tan

Mission accomplished by 1.46pm (19mins to devour 9 bowls od cendols/ABC and etcs)

Food stop#4 - Coconut water stall @ 3.02pm

PY demonstrating her sucking skill
MMG stop to purchase pineapple tarts for the dept

Freshly made pineapple tart, one of the must-buy

Food stop#5 - Satay Celup @ 3.20pm - 4.05pm

Food stop#7 - Satay Babi ala Hainan @ 4.10pm

Stop#8 - Eye of Malaysia @ 4.55pm

most of us were very excited to visit Eye of Malaysia @ Melaka, as we didnt get a chance to visit while it was stationed at KL...

At night, we went for typical Nyonya cuisine...no pictures capture as all were tired. After dinner, we went sightseeing Melaka night view at Taming Sari Tower near Pahlawan Mall.

Reached home at 1am+

Summary of the trip:- fun, full and tiring :)

P.Weh Diving (24-28 Oct 2008)

Came back from my 1st oversea diving trip to P. Weh @ Acheh, Indonesia.

Been lazy and slack recently and by right should have already updated this blog 1.5 months ago!

I went with the heart to see whale shark and manta rays....and of coz came back empty handed coz its not the season...i'm just trying to be wishful. Many have asked me is there anything interesting in Weh....somehow i dunno how to answer. How do you define interesting? Different ppl have different standard and definition towards it though...

To me...seeing a yellow box fish in a dive can really excite me....i can stare at an ordinary octopus or minutes....even huge sea fans consider something interesting to me...how about u?

OK...apparently there's some: -

1. underwater hot spring

-Its special coz u wont get it elsewhere....imagine u are soaking yourself in cool water and can feel the warm bubbles around you? and with fishes swimming around it? Its a new experience i would say....

2. volcano mud spa with wet suit + bikini top

-we really have fun digging the boiling volcanic mud from a hole and blow it cool so that we can apply it on our face & body. Also enjoyed helping each other to apply volcanic mud...

-too bad that to date i still havent get the photos captured in Rebecca's camera...else i've sure share with all :P

3. on board with a special 'VIP'
-the special 'VIP' i meant : VIP = corpse! How special could it be? We shared the same ferry from Banda Acheh to Pulau Weh. Luckily no smell detected.

4. get to see a boat that rest on top of a single storey house and surrounded by many houses nearby
-thats the post tsunami scene that u dont get to see it at like anywhere..