hulu langat (field trip)

SNSD - Jessica & Tiffany - Only One For Me

i have been infected with the SNSD virus! ; )
also known as Girls' Generation (So Nyeo Shi Dae).

are you the only one for me?

gloomy sunday

last weekend, frankie was in town so we were out shooting.
here are some photos that were taken.






i like this "i am shooting you shooting at me" shot by frankie.
taken using nikon d70 50mm f1.8.

hajimete no lesson

i'm totally worned out...now i know how hard it is to look after kids...i salute my grandmama for that and all the women out there who are super! i guess cos i never really moved about so much at work my legs are killing me. other than that, some kids were very cute, naughty, loud but i hope i can handle well when the current teacher leaves. i think i will sleep very well tonight, no doubt.

p/s: kids ask the darndest questions! めちゃめちゃかわいい~ やばい！！~~~

omedetou gozaimasu to me! haha...i'm starting a new job on monday. it's very new to me and i hope i can cope with it. it will be very different from my previous jobs as i have to deal with children. yes, very challenging! especially for a noob. wish me all the luck i can have!

もっと強く! もっと もっと強く!!

liu liang

it's the time of the year again...

some things are better left unknown.
the fact will remains the same no matter how much we try to deny it.
sometimes, i do think life is unfair.
but so what. life IS unfair.

helpful travel tools

i never really like planning in advance when it comes to travelling or backpacking. it's the thrill and fun when it comes to it but for those of you who prefer to book your accomodation in advance, i recommend these two Hotels Combined and Wego which helps you save all sorts of hassles of time and what's not.

hotelscombined.com and wego.com like any search machines provide an easy platform to find your ideal accomodation/hotel especially those on honeymoon trip. all quotations are in ringgit so you don't have to crack your head calculating. all major currencies are available too.



the good thing about hotelscombined.com and wego.com is that it provides descriptions of the hotel you are staying, it gives you map of the area, photos, reviews by past customers and also attractions around the place with prices quoted so you can have an idea what and how you want to plan your time there.



for those of you who is always on the run, it helps eliminates time wastage. i guess it's time to plan another trip again!

bali - day 4 + 5

on the forth day, it was chilling day for me as it was also my last day in bali. since the first 3 days was packed with activities, i didn't have a chance to surf yet so it was official that i must surf! as no one was there to look after the cameras, it was only right not bring along. too bad there was no surfing shots of me or rather get washed up by the waves.

so allen and i walked to kuta beach and we rented ourselves two surf boards. i sort of briefed him how surfing is done...lie on the board, paddle into the wave and wait for the wave to come and start paddling...well, i'm not good at it but that's how i remembered from my surfing lesson 5 years ago in perth. LOL...yes, that was a long time ago.
as it was such a long time ago, i couldn't recall much but somehow i managed to paddle myself into the sea and wait for the next wave to come. the thing is, i waited quite a while for the wave and when it did come, it was big and i washed me up good...yes...i was washed up like inside a washing machine. it didn't help when the tide became low and the wave got bigger. there was this one time i was caught in the wave and i sort of crashed into this white surfer chiq...our surfboard leash got tangled up and had to walk up to the shore to untangled them. yes, shame on me. there was this local balinese kid laughing his ass off at me. crap. what a day but i was very happy i surfed again. i will be back for the wave. i will.

in the afternoon, it was window shopping and souvenir hunting. i didn't get anything except some local coconut candies. after the shopping, we headed back as allen wanted to try some balinese spa. the thing is, we couldn't find the type of spa he wants so we headed back to our hotel miserably. as i was tired from the surfing, i didn't bother anymore and asked for the hotel's very own traditional balinese massage. RP50,000 (RM16) for an hour of pleasure. allen on the other hand didn't enjoy it because he thought the masseurs were hot balinese babes which turns out to be the same fleshy girl who served us breakfast, do the house keeping and what's not.

lunch and dinner was the same as day 3 (bakso, soto kambing + satay kambing).

we had to get up around 4am the next day as we need to rush to the airport before 5am (our flight was 7.50am). luckily the night before, we got ourselves a good deal right in front of the soto kambing stall where these two motor-"taxi"-guys were trying to get us to ride in their motorbikes to airport. yes, in bali, motorbikes are also transformed into "taxi" where they charge without the metre. so we bargained our way till they agreed to give us RP40,000 (RM13) for two person. good thing we had our "rides" to fetch us to the airport early in the morning as we didn't see any taxi in the early morning hours. it was all good.

if my financial allows me, i will be back for second round. to explored the unexplored and to surf the awesome wave again. till next time, the island of gods.

photos here!

bali - day 3

every morning, we were served with toasts, eggs, fruits and tea or coffee. it's as good as it gets. the place to go today is ubud and tanah lot. ubud is hailed as the centre of art and crafts. it's a much quieter town compared to bustling kuta.

bali is also famous for the layers of paddy fields. although it's not as evident enough in this photo. you can see tons of them in the country side. at ubud, we visited two main museums, neka art museum and the blanco renaissance museum.

neka art museum has heaps of collections on balinese day to day lifestyle and dates back to many decades to modern days style of drawings.

as there was no photography allowed inside blanco renaissance museum, i have to dig out some photos as reference from the world wide web. antonio blanco on the other hand is a spanish artist that uses women as his main painting subject. in his mansion, you will see heaps of nude women paintings and he is also a poet as poems were combined in his paintings.

the late antonio blanco (google search image)

one of the many blanco's piece (google search image)



a must eat at ubud is babi guling. the infamous ibu oka stall. you won't miss it as the place is always packed. surprisingly, the workers here too speaks fluent mandarin and japanese too! man, i guess they have heaps of chinese and japanese customers. babi guling actually tasted much like our roasted pork. the vege that comes with the rice was a bit spicy for me.


sitting next to us was this japanese lovely old couples from kyushuu. they were very nice and friendly. i managed to chat with them a bit with my broken japanese and manage to get away with it. really makes me miss my japanese friends whom i stayed with in nz. don't exactly remember how much this meal was but i say it was roughly about RP90,000 (RM15 per person).

next stop was tanah lot. what can i say about this place. it was swarm with tourists. like too many if you ask me. most of the tourists are from indonesia, lots of chinese from china, some japanese and few europeans? not much to say about tanah lot except it has way too many tourists.


after a tiring day, we headed back to kuta and indulge ourselves in soto kambing (soup), rice and satay kambing (lamb) for RP20,000 (RM3 per person). this stall is located at the corner of Jalan Kuta 1. it's the exact some stall that sells bakso during the day time.

the truth is, we had bakso for lunch and these for dinner twice.


more photos here!

bali - day 2

kuta beach

second day started with a stroll at kuta beach, enjoying the breeze, feeling really grateful to be alive! to be able to enjoy mother nature in full glory. watching awesome surfers hitting the waves remind me of the good old snowboarding days in nz. we had two lunch. initially allen wanted to try out this stall at Legian so we got into this metred taxi (not all taxi in bali is using metre so you have to look out for the blue swallow icon/logo. all the others are rip offs and doesn't run on metre.) later on we realised we were taken a ride because the place we wanted to go is within walking distance like 10-15 mins away from our hotel. well, there's always a first time right? when i got off from the taxi and looking endlessly but couldn't find the shop and decided to just eat at any local stall that looks authentic.

bakso

we found one stall selling bakso (meat balls) so we decided to give it a go. the coconut drink was awesome with heaps of soft coconut meat in it. it was very refreshing as we were both sweating from the heat and walk. we sat down together with this elderly man which later told us that he was from perth. it was really nice of him to show us his black and white photo if not mistaken looked like a sailor from the second world war. i think he is probably in his 60s or older? he also told us that he has been to malaysia 30 years ago and he has been to penang 3 times? if i didn't hear him wrongly. the meal cost us RP18,000 which is like RM3 each!! dirt cheap right? meal + drink. after the meal, we walked around in search for something else as the bakso was not filling enough. the aussie man had 4 bowls!! we only had 1 each so we can try out other food.

as we were walking aimlessly, we found this restaurant called Made's Warung that i heard from friends that it a must try. the price on the menu is pricier than i thought but the place was fully packed. the food was just alright, nothing to shout about. we ordered pork satay, fish satay, and something that taste similar to otak-otak that comes with rice. the other dish tasted a bit like indian rojak. i think the bill was around RP96,000 which is about RM16 each. so now you can probably tell the difference when you dine in a restaurant and any local stalls in bali.

dreamland (a.ka. new kuta beach)

the afternoon schedule was half day tour to Dreamland (also known as new kuta beach) and Uluwatu to watch the sunset and Kecak Dance. the beach and water are much cleaner compared to kuta beach and you can see why surfers will travel in their motorbike all the way here. yes, motorbikes are for rents in bali and most of them are modified version with special metal holder to hold the surf boards. really kickass if you ask me! surfers on motorbikes! with the sunnies riding to the next surf destination.

uluwatu

kecak dance

uluwatu temple was nothing fancy but the place was really packed with tourist from all over. the kecak dance is based on balinese "romeo & juliet" storyline. the play was good and very entertaining. everyone was wow-ed by white monkey god jumping in and out of the flame which at times was very funny as he will sit on one particular audience and make fun of them. dinner at jimbaran was a bit cut throat but the bbq prawns were delicious and has the char grilled after taste. the seafood was not as fresh as they claim. we had white snapper, sea prawns and mussels (with additional rice and kangkong). it all comes to a total of RP340,000 which is around RM55 per person.

on the way back to kuta, we talked about how same different malaysia and indonesia is. the government. the corruptions. the languages. how much similarity there is to it. that boys will be boys. we talked about girls. that the driver and i share the same kind of preference on girls.

more photos here!

bali - day 1

i'm back from bali. actually like 3 days ago. overall it was a fun, tiring, tanning, exciting and different kind of experience. well for one, i would never imagine that bali would be so much different from what i projected in my head before the touch down. considering it is my second backpacking experience. it was actually a bit hectic, unorganised but still nice reminiscing back. the truth is, we never booked any hotel or backpacker before hand. no one was there to pick us up at the airport. the only thing we prepared ourselves was reasonable amount of cash, sleeping bags, backpacks, dslr, enough clothes for the next 5 days and we were off to another adventure.

i slept over at allen's place (my backpacking buddy, a friend i met during my backpacking days in nz last year) the night before. his brother in law was nice enough to drive us to lcct. with the swine flu going on, i don't see anyone backing up from travelling and let's just say the airport security on H1N1 isn't as strict as it can be. even upon arriving Bali, we didn't even have to walk through the H1N1 scanning machine. if you ask, we are all as well as dead. who know one of us is a walking time-bomb waiting to explode. as usual, international travellers are required to fill the necessary forms and medical form for H1N1 and to be carry at all time during the stay in the country. when we arrived at the airport, the arrival hall was packed with sea of humans holding welcome signboards and names. for a moment i felt like i was being welcome like some sort of celebrity! it was very tense! hahaha taxi drivers will holla at you to get your attention and asking you where you are going! it's unbelievable that there is no public transportation such as shuttle bus or public bus to city centre. it's just so bizzare! so the only rational thing to do is to bargain with the taxi driver. from RP80,000 to RP50,000. it's RP25,000 each for two person. (just remember one thing, take away the 3 zeros behind and divide everything by 3 and you will get that in ringgit, it was really hard on the first few days but the calculation will come naturally after a while...really cracks my head for mathematically challenged!) not sure if it was the best deal but being desperate, we got on the toyota avanza and headed towards Kuta (city centre).

poppies lane 1

as soon as we were dropped off by the main road, the driver directs us to where we want to go which is Poppies Lane. where all the backpackers are. prices varies from each backpackers and hotels. usually comes in 2 single beds no dorms like the ones in nz. cheapest price asked was around RP80,000 per night with no breakfast, comes with fan, no air cond so basically very basic stuff like beds and toilet (not to mention very run down and it's those kind of love hotel you see in movies or haunted motels). those with swimming pools, air cond and breakfast are above RP200,000 per night.

our resting place for the next 4 days

so we got ourselves a deal on one of the hotels called Rita Hotel - RP150,000 per night, which is only RM25 per person with 2 single beds, air cond, no water heater but comes with a breakfast set that include fruits, toasts, any kind of eggs of your choice (scrumbled/half boiled....) tea/coffee. it's a good deal if you ask me although the room might not be the kind you want to bring your gf or wife on vacation or honeymoon to. oh, did i mention there is not blankets provided? good thing we brought our sleeping bags!

kuta beach

didn't do much on first day as we arrived around 3.30pm in bali and by the time we got settled with our accomodation was already half day gone. we were sweaty, tired and trying to plan what to do for the next few days. we decide to chill at the beach watching surfers surfing and just enjoying the moment. it's so weird because everyone in bali was super friendly and at times i feel like we are taken advantage of in some ways. don't get me wrong. i like friendly people but there is a fine line that people shouldn't cross. later during the trip only do i realised that these people wants to do your business and will try anything even making friends with you. earlier on at kuta beach that day, allen was bargaining with the beach vendor on a flip flop and i was telling allen that he should ask for cheaper price. during that conversation, we were conversing in mandarin and to my surprise, the vendor's friend said "san shi wan" = RP30,000 ... i was dumbstrucked! literally. from then on, the next few days were more and more surprises as i withness balinese speaking in fluent french, spanish, japanese, mandarin, english...fuh yooh! so i made allen speak teochiew which was our mother tongue or family dialect. once we use teochiew on the street talking between us both, the less they will bother on us as they couldn't understand what were were saying. or should i say less annoying locals trying to sell you their day tour/products or just trying to get you to try their "magic mushroom" hahahahah....that my friend is another story i will share soon enough. while relaxing by the beach watching the sunset, this bloke from the beach who is a surfing instructor by the name of Brad (which is not his real name) made friends with us. we talked for a bit. about surfing. touring bali and no plans made yet. and i don't know if you are reading this but mate, i am really sorry we never take up your day tour as we found even cheaper tour the next day. he was a cool and nice guy. telling us not to talk to strangers or stay away from people selling "mushrooms" and "weeds" on the street. it's not very frequent to have friends telling you they encounter this kind of situation and moments in bali, which is probably why i am slowly falling in love with backpacking. learning to enjoy simpler things in life.

more photos here!

空気読めない (KY)?

6月に会えますか？
もう恋人同士になれないけど、またいつかあなたに会えることを願っています。

memories of auckland

odd building across auckland library.

devonport.

surf's up.

yui chan + tomomi chan monkeying around outside of burger king.

street art.


two strangers i met on my first day in nz. we were very much unseparatable for a week.

tomomi, taka, kousuke, me, ye eun, yui.


good times. i miss you guys.

minna no tameni

sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. how to tell the ones who want us from the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. and maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy/girl, maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. maybe the happy ending is just moving on.

spam

yeah. like the headline. that's how i feel about my current life and situation. i'm amazed sometimes some people are really blessed but yet so unappreciative. how people can take things for granted. just like that.

pending dreams

i'm back on the wheels again despite the advice doc given on the knee (skateboarding keep me sane). lately, i have been thinking a lot about my future. more precisely, my job options and what i wanted to do. other than my current profession, those other possible options don't really pay me much or may be i'm just too chicken to try it out. the safest bet at the moment is go back to square one, back to my profession that help pays the bill, put food on the table and may be save a little on the side. there is also the thoughts of going back to study which will required a lot of money. i hated to ignore the fact that money plays a big role here. can't i afford to be more carefree? i guess i can if my bank is loaded with endless greens but that is altogether a different story.

doing what i love to do isn't going to cut it. those dreams are like endless re-play on an old cassette player replaying over and over again in my head. may be it's time i really need to remind myself that reality is what i need, not fantasy. it's so hard to stop thinking and doing the things that i love most. it's even harder than forgetting a person. my addiction to the snow is at a level no normal human can understand. unless they too have been there and done that and still craving for more like i do. if only there is a way one step closer to achieving what i want.

after watching the some snowboarding clips, it really made me reminisced the good times in nz. i miss new zealand dearly. the snow. the sheeps. the mountains. the people. i want to go back there someday.

aw. another interview tomorrow. part of me is not looking forward to it because i'm not sure if i'm doing it for the right cause. but that cause will definitely put food on the table. if i do, i too will become a human robot. no less different from the sheeps.

信じられない！

i am officially a full time bum again. thanks to my own act. not very proud. today the boss called and wish me luck and all the best, asking me to give her a call when i feel like going back to work for her. after all those antics she pulled on me. i don't know if i'm suppose to be grateful or amused. it's not even funny. some people really knows how to put on a good show. someone should give 'em standing ovation for stunts like that. are they even listening to themselves talking at times? we don't need more crazy and dictatory people in this suffocated world. we need more love yo. the worst part is, i don't even know if i should feel sorry for myself or her.

way behind schedule

you know when someone tells you not to do it but somehow the words just not get into your head? i kind of did something that i shouldn't have. i needed to let it out. there's a lot of things i needed to let it out but it's not possible. thanks to myself, now my knee is giving me that sensation i have not feel since thursday. the moral of the story is, never try to be a smart ass.
i wasted my sunday not doing anything productive again. just lazying around. reading snowboarder magazine. figuring about life. myself. work. love.
i came to a point that i just tell myself. fuck everything. fuck it all. i can't change what is out there but i can change what's inside. sometimes i ask myself, why are we always trying to please others but not ourselves. why do we seek approval and acknowledgements from people. do we really need that recognitions? why can't life be simpler? why can't we be carefree and mellow about everything? why are we tied down by responsibilities? there is just endless questions to everything that evolves around us. why some countries has better currency and they can do a part time job and still earn more than those sitting behind the desk in a third world country like us. why can't i be normal like everyone else and just get a normal job and be a sheep and not say a word when the higher authority tells you to the work the way they want it whether it's right or wrong. the truth is, i can't. i will not let anyone take away my pride. for that, there will be a price to pay. some says my decision to leave the company was right. some says i should stay till i found a better job. i don't want to please anyone anymore. i just want to please myself. if i'm not even happy with myself, i will never be happy with every little other things in life. i heard this somewhere. it is very rare for anyone to work in a job they are 110% passionate about but not everyone has that luxury. it is not impossible but only few in a million. may be i'm just tired of my life the way it is. i'm tired of just waiting and seeking for answers.