The Amazonman Cometh

Need You Now

2010-02-03T11:40:00.003+08:00

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever crossed your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all
It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without

I just need you now
I just need you now
Ooo, baby, I need you now

Jonker Ho

2009-06-21T02:22:00.006+08:00

This short video was taken at a community hall at Malacca's Chinatown, Jonker Street. The group of mostly middle-aged women (and a very enthusiastic teenage boy in yellow!) are having a great time dancing to the Slumdog Millionaire song, 'Jai Ho'. They regularly hold weekend dance gatherings which never fails to attract onlookers, particularly tourists who happen to walk by on their way to the night market just outside the hall.

Here fishee fishee fishee

2009-05-07T22:01:00.002+08:00

I took this short video of the marine life in Tioman recently. I have to say that the corals and fish here is definitely way more healthy and abundant than in Redang or Perhentian.

Next time, I will take a video of clownfishes aka Nemos.

Disco Clam

2009-04-26T22:40:00.002+08:00

This is a giant clam which exhibited 'electrical sparks' running across its body when provoked. We saw it while diving at Lembeh Straits in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We christened it the Disco Clam.

Top 10 on my iPod

2009-03-05T23:31:00.008+08:00

Here's a few of the songs that's been burning a hole through my iPod earphones as well as the car audio speakers lately. While some may be very familiar radio hits of the past few months, there are a few of my personal favourites that have not (yet) become big hits, at least not here in Malaysia. Hope you guys like them.

1. Sweetest Love - Robin Thicke
He is perhaps most well known for his 2007 R&B #1 hit, Lost Without You and he has recently released a follow-up album called Something Else. The first single, Magic was used in promotional spots for the Samsung Soul handphone, but I found the second single Sweetest Love to be even more soulful.

2. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
She was embroiled in a very public spat with RCA head Clive Davis over her last album, My December which resulted in a cancelled concert tour and lacklustre sales for an album that many critics found too angry and negative. Well, on her forthcoming album, she seems to have lightened up and even donned some pretty tight and suggestive leather outfits to try and win back some of her fans who felt alienated by her angsty previous work. The first single, My Life Would Suck Without You is a tongue-in-cheek send-up to the powers that be and in this song, she manages to apologise AND give the finger (metaphorically) to Mr Davis. I guess some things never change.

3. Permanent - David Cook
Three months on and everytime I listen to this song I still get the chills. Co written by David Cook, its dedicated to his cancer-stricken brother Adam. Its a very personal song that grips you from the first piano keystroke to the last. The line that gets to me the most

"And so I ask Oh God is there some way for me to take his place
And when they say it’s all touch and go I wish I could make it go away..."

4. I Told You So - Carrie Underwood
And the American Idol bandwagon rolls on. This is the fifth (fifth!) hit single to come out of her sophomore album Carnival Ride. Originally a hit for country legend Randy Travis, Carrie received resounding endorsement from him to rerecord this typical country ditty that yes, if you play it backwards, the guy comes back to the girl and they fall in love again. ;)

5. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyoncè
Oh I just love the black and white video of her in leotards and dancing in high heels . I recently found out that one of the backup dancers is actually a man, well, who has since become a erm.. lady, of course. This is a typical example of how a fabulous music video can heighten the appeal of a song and push it into the upper charts stratosphere. There's even a SNL sendup of the video which I blogged about recently.

6. Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
Kings Of Leon is an American rock band which first achieved fame in Europe before finally gaining critical and commercial success in their home country. They were recently awarded the Best Rock Vocals performance Grammy for their single Sex On Fire and this is the follow-up single which also became a hit particularly in the UK and Australia.

7. Please Don't Leave Me - P!nk
I have always been a fan of her music and and even bigger fan of her music videos. The cheekiness and often dark humour that she portrays in them never fails to entertain your truly. This latest release off the Funhouse album sees her do a Kathy Bates ala Misery in which she exacts grievous revenge on her ex-boyfriend and prevents him from escaping her clutches. An instant classic! Oh, and the song's not half bad either. ;)

8. Stepping Stone - Duffy
Her 'Mercy' was my top song for 2008 and she continues to pull out another gem from her debut album, Stepping Stone to try to reestablish herself in the US. This song is about not allowing herself to be just a stepping stone for someone else and to stand up for herself in life and love. Hear hear!

9. Gravity - Sara Bareilles
A friend of mine was talking to me the other day about loving the one that got away, the one that you would drop everything at the drop of a hat to be at his/her beck and call even after being ignored, spurned, heartbroken or just plain treated badly. Well, every time I hear this song, it always reminds me of that conversation, so Nick, this is dedicated to you. I hope you don't try to kill yourself after hearing this song. :p

10. Bust Your Windows - Jazmine Sullivan
Oooh... hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Newcomer Jazmine Sullivan does a Carrie Underwood on her two-timing man and collects multiple Grammy nods in the process. Let this be a lesson to all you unfaithful boys. Today's women are empowered and will not hesitate to bust up your pretty little ride if she catches you cheating on her with someone else. Just heed the ancient Chinese saying, "If you want to steal some food, make sure you wipe your mouth clean afterwards". Hehehehe

Like Dance Biscuits

2009-03-04T17:08:00.004+08:00

A friend just forwarded this SNL snippet to me on FB and I have been rolling on the floor laughing my guts out for the past hour watching it. Keep a lookout for Justin Timberlake's really "beautiful" smooth legs. Priceless!

Of Thick Worms and Crimson Tides

2009-03-01T23:07:00.013+08:00

Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending a play directed by my good friend, Christopher Ling, called The Secret Love Life Of Ophelia at KLPAC. Chris was recently awarded the Anugerah Seri Negara (National Arts Award) Young Talent Award for Theatre Directing and as I have never seen him in action, I was very excited to see his work for the very first time.

I arrived at the theatre at around 8pm and was surprised to see that there was already quite a sizeable crowd in the main hall waiting to see the play. It turns out that that evening's performance was part of a series of plays specially for students of the various performing arts schools in KL. Oh and also because there was the finals of the Radio Idol (Tamil language) competition upstairs. ;)

The play was written by renowned playwright/actor Steven Berkoff and it centres upon the secret correspondence between two (and only two!) characters of Shakespeare's Hamlet, namely Hamlet and his forbidden love, Ophelia. It was charmingly anachronistic in spirit as ye olde English was used throughout the play (...I thank thee for thy generous invitation and would be humbled to hear thee play thy pipe...) even as the two protagonist lived their lives watching DVD movies and checking emails from their laptops.

Both the actors, Sharon Lam and Alfred Loh were relatively new to the theatre scene but I wouldn't have known that as their excellent protrayal of the star crossed lovers had me and the entire audience besotted with the evolution of their passion and lust for each other.

Perhaps the other 'star' of the play was the sexually charged language of the play itself (...my horn doth grow...thy thick worm shall satisfy...), which, to students of Shakespeare wouldn't have been a surprise, but as there were quite a number of teenagers in the audience chaperoned by their Literature teachers, elicited a few sniggers from the boys as a crimson tide invaded the pale shores of the young girls' cheeks.

All in all, I found the play a thoroughly delightful and intelligent production and definitely an eye-opener for me, a kampung boy who hardly ever gets the chance to see a play, let alone a Shakespearean one. Kudos to the cast and crew who managed to stage a very engaging performance that left me thirsty for more. Now if only I can remember where I put that Mel Gibson DVD.....

Don't ask

2009-02-28T11:13:00.005+08:00

I've been invited to attend yet another friend's wedding ceremony dinner. While I am all for celebrating my best buddy's most joyous occasion of his life, I dread having to spend an entire evening seated at a table amongst strangers and old acquaintances whom I have not bothered to keep in touch with and vice versa. And since I don't drink, I don't have the luxury of having alcohol to soften the agony of boredom. And then there is the question that all singletons abhor getting at such occasions.

Yes, THE question.

"When is it your turn to get married?"

Gee, I didn't know I had taken a number and joined the line to queue up for my shot at matrimonial bliss. And I think that the person asking is often not that innocent, as he/she is usually implying that since others have succeeded in snagging their life partner, I have somehow failed at one of life's most important tasks.

To add salt to injury, they go on to justify their enquiry by saying, "...you're not getting any younger you know," and smile ever so sweetly, pretty much like how Cruella De Ville would smile when she's pleased with the slaughter of dalmations for her next fur coat.

To which I would answer (had I had the gall, of course),

"Well, you're not getting any younger yourself. So, when is it your turn... to die?"

I am so damned to hell. Mwuahahahaha

Holding Hands

2009-02-27T11:23:00.006+08:00

A young Singaporean couple came in this morning for their regular checkup and cleaning. The poor girl was so scared that she insisted her boyfriend stand right next to her and hold her hand while I clean her teeth. You could see the fear and anxiety in her eyes and fidgety body language.

Oh boy.... part of me was touched and filled with all the 'awww...' type of feeling inside, while another part of me was fighting the urge to roll my eyes upwards till it disappears into my skull forever.

The cynical part of me won.

If there's a camel up a hill then it's Gong Li with me when I do

2009-02-09T00:20:00.004+08:00

You guys have got to check this one out. Korean Idol wannabe records his version of Mariah Carey's Touch My Body in a way that only his mother (and perhaps Bee Gees in a windy interview) would love. Enjoy!

Here's the actual lyrics to the song for comparison.

I know that you've been waiting for it
I'm waiting too
In my imagination I'd be all up on you
I know you got that fever for me
Hundred and two
And boy I know I feel the same
My temperature's through the roof

If there's a camera up in here
Then it's gonna leave with me
When I do (I do)
If there's a camera up in here
Then I'd best not catch this flick
On YouTube (YouTube)
'Cuz if you run your mouth and brag
About this secret rendezvous
I will hunt you down
'Cuz they be all up in my business
Like a Wendy interview
But this is private
Between you and I

Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you like my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body.

Boy you can put me on you
Like a brand new white tee
I'll hug your body tighter
Than my favorite jeans
I want you to caress me
Like a tropical breeze
And float away with you
In the Caribbean Sea

If there's a camera up in here
Then it's gonna leave with me
When I do (I do)
If there's a camera up in here

Then I'd best not catch this flick
On YouTube (YouTube)
'Cuz if you run your mouth and brag
About this secret rendezvous
I will hunt you down
'Cuz they be all up in my business
Like a Wendy interview
But this is private
Between you and I

Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you like my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body.

I'm a treat you like a teddy bear
You won't wanna go nowhere
In the life of luxury
Baby just turn to me
You won't want for nothing boy(Nooo)
I will give you plenty joy

Touch my body
Put me on the floor (throw me on the floor) Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel Like you never did.
Touch my body

Let me wrap my thighs (let me wrap my thighs, around your waist for just a little taste)
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body

Know you like my curves (I know you like it)
Come on and give me what I deserve (Give me what I deserve babe)
And touch my body.....

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2009-01-26T00:35:00.003+08:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy Lunar New Year 2009. Here's hoping that the year of the Ox will bring you bountiful joy, love, peace and prosperity!

Out with the old, in with the new

2009-01-08T23:05:00.004+08:00

In a few days time, we will welcome a new Leader of the Free World, Barack Obama. Quite frankly, I am quite relieved to see the current one go, if nothing else, for the multitude of silly remarks and quotes he has uttered throughout his eight years in the Oval Office. The following is a (very incomplete) BBC.com list of what is now known as Bushism. Adios, oh misunderestimated one, we will miss ya... NOT!

ON HIMSELF

"They misunderestimated me."
Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000

''I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right." Rome, 22 July, 2001

"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002

"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
Washington DC, 11 May, 2001

"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me."
Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times."
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself."
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

Washington DC, 5 August, 2004

"I think war is a dangerous place."
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the - the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
Washington DC, 7 May, 2003

"Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat."
Washington DC, 17 September, 2004

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."
CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

EDUCATION

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000

"Reading is the basics for all learning."
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."
CNN, 30 August, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

ECONOMICS

"I understand small business growth. I was one."
New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
Reuters, 5 May, 2000

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine Labour Secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."
Austin, Texas, 8 January, 2001

"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."
Washington DC, 19 May, 2003

HEALTHCARE

"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs."
Orlando, Florida, 12 September, 2000

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 6 September, 2004

TECHNOLOGY

"Will the highways on the internet become more few?"
Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000

"It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber."
Washington DC, 10 April, 2002

"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."
Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Saginaw, Michigan, 29 September, 2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 18 October, 2000

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."
Tucson, Arizona, 28 November, 2005

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?"
Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

ON GOVERNING

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."
Bartlett, Tennessee, 18 August, 2000

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."
Washington DC, 18 April, 2006

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it."
On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

"All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone."
San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

Happy New Year 2009

2008-12-31T20:30:00.003+08:00

Here's a to a joyous 2009 and may the new year bring you lots of good cheer, fabulous health and abundant wealth!

Recap 2008: A Few Of My Favourite Things

2008-12-11T19:18:00.015+08:00

2008 was definitely a very eventful year for me. The first half of the year was racked with one misfortune after another. I won't bother to recount them anymore but suffice to say that I am really really glad to see this annus horibilis go the way of the dodo. Instead, I prefer to count my blessings and in spite of it all, I have been blessed plenty this year as well. ;) So without further ado, here is my list of my favourite things this year.

1. Favourite Gadget: Canon G9

My trusty S80 is still working (or was, as the lens cap jammed recently and I have yet to get it back from the repair guys) but the problem was with the underwater casing. I had been having trouble with the buttons which seemed to not work the moment I hit the waves. Since they've decommissioned this camera, instead of finding a replacement casing, I decided to get an entirely new camera, one which has been getting rave reviews by underwater photography enthusiasts here in Malaysia and Singapore. With 0.0 cm super-macro capabilities and the clincher: Advanced Image Stabiliser (which was sorely lacking in the S80), I could see why. I tried it out in Komodo back in November and the results were, if I may say so, breathtaking!

2. Favourite Album Track: Permanent (David Cook)

You guys absolutely have to check out this beautiful, haunting and personal song written and performed by the American Idol 2008, David Cook in his new self-titled album. The first time I heard it, I remember I was in my car, and as the first few lines came on the car speakers, ".... Is this the moment when I look you in the eye, and break my promise that you'll never see me cry.....", I stopped the car by the kerb and before long I had tears welling up. This song was written specially for his cancer-stricken brother and his emotion-laden vocals really got to me. I still get get misty eyed every time this song comes on my iPod.

3. Favourite Person: Lynn

The camwhore, we called her. She burst into my life as the fun-loving, obscenity spewing, chain smoking, beer guzzling underwater supermodel that one would find hard to forget long after the last morsel of compressed air was exhaled into the blue waters. We had so much fun the first time round (in Weh) that plans were underway for an encore adventure even before we had finished packing our gear back into our divebags. So Dive 2.0 in Komodo ensued six months later, and Lynn was, in the words of Tyra Banks, "fierce!" as she produced shot after shot of utter posing brilliance against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean. Made me forget I was there for the fishies. Well... almost.

4. Favourite Experience: Being part of Election '08 that shook the entire country

It was a watershed event for Malaysia and one which had everybody at the edge of their seat as the election results trickled in, seat by seat, polling station by polling station. Dissatisfaction with the ruling coalition's recent performance coupled with the economic slowdown made the voters long for a change of guard, in the hopes of better governance, transparency and an end to corruption and cronyism that had held the country back in the global race for economic development. The 'landslide' victory of the opposition has given me hope that this nation has finally grown up and is neither afraid nor too ignorant to voice its opinion and move forward into future as one people, and not as Malays, Chinese, Indians or Lain-lain.

5. Favourite Book: The Power Of Now

Long before Oprah made Eckhart Tolle a global phenomenon when she publicly supported his self-help masterpiece, A New Earth, I had already been mesmerised by the concepts he expounded in his previous book, The Power Of Now, which arguably was the self-help bible that led to 'Earth'. His easily digestible delivery of what was perhaps very profoundly revolutionary ideas about how we, human beings, have become caught up and then enslaved by our own minds, helped me to understand why and how I had become so bogged down with all the minute daily grievances and as a result, missing out on what was really important. He helped me to appreciate all that Life has to offer and allowed me to once again "smell the roses by the roadside". Read it, or try A New Earth. It's, in a word, mind-blowing.

6. Favourite Amazing Race Team: Pam and Van

And from my favourite show of year, the Asian edition of the Amazing Race, comes my favourite team, the Malaysian sisters, Pamela And Vanessa Chong. I could never tell them apart, not because they looked alike, but because both were equally bumbling comics which made the second season of the show utterly enjoyable. Kudos to them who, despite multiple traffic infractions, a minor head concussion and countless Aiyoh!s, managed to snag the first runner-up spot and even beat the hot favourites, Marc and Rovilson of the Phillipines to the finish line. Malaysia boleh!

7. Favourite Youtube video: Ken Lee

No words can describe the hilarity of this clueless Bulgarian Idol contestant who, thanks to youtube is now even more famous that the eventual winner of that programme. Ok, all together now..."Ken Lee!!!!.... Tulibu dibu douchoo......"

8. Favourite FB Application: Wordscrapper

A pair of Indian computer programmers was shot into the limelight (not for entirely good reasons) when their Facebook application Scrabulous veered too close to its real-life boardgame ancestor, Scrabble. The resulting legal wrangling between the boys and the American copyright owners of Scrabble gave birth to the Wordscrapper that is currently available only to non-american users of FB. Its a game with similar rules and features to Scrabulous / Scrabble but with the bonus tiles randomly spread out over the board. I am stoked everytime I get to use a combination of quadruple and quintuple word score tiles to make a word worth .. oh say.. 6oo points! Wicked!

9. Favourite Movie: Wall*E

Everybody's favourite trash compacter came to life in Pixar's lovable animation classic of 2008, Wall*E. In a post-apocolyptic Earth (caused by none other than Mankind's own folly of unbridled garbage production), this lone recycling robot showed us how one person (or robot) can make a difference in our struggle to make Earth habitable again for everyone. My favourite scene has got to be the one where he has an outer-space rendezvous with his more advanced girl-robot-friend, Eve, charming her pants off with nothing more than a fire extinguisher and his peculiar sense of wit and humour.

10. Favourite Dessert: Mango On Sticky Rice

No list of mine would be complete without at least one gastronomic entry. And this year no other dessert was more delicious or memorable that the famous Thai delicacy Mango on Sticky rice. Funnily enough we had to hunt for almost two hours under the sweltering Bangkok sun for this dessert that oddly enough, not many locals (well at least not the ones at Chatuchak) knew about. Hmm... could this be another one of those tourist traps that the Thais secretly laugh at us about? No matter, I would gladly be the laughing stock so long as I can have my sinfully sweet concoction of fresh mango and glutinous rice topped with rich coconut cream.

And so there you have it. My favourite people, places, things and food for this past year. I am confident that next year, God willing, will be yet another memorable one and until then, I wish everyone a Happy 2009 and may the new year usher in lots of good health, great wealth and lovely memories for one and all.

Recap 2008: Favourite Songs

2008-12-09T11:51:00.026+08:00

My, my, how time flies. I can't believe it's almost twelve months since the last time I had to compile a list of favourites (and not-so-favourites) for the year. It's been a roller coaster of a year for me and personally I am quite happy to see the end of 2008. New beginnings, new hopes, new life. But before that, as always, I have listed the top 10 songs that have burned a hole through my iPod headphones and whose lyrics are forever etched onto my brain.

10. Here You Come Again - Carly Smithson
Before this, the only song from Dolly Parton I actually liked was I Will Always Love You and even that, I only listened to the Whitney Houston version. Carly's rendition of what was originally a midtempo and oddly cheerful song on the American Idol stage early this year was and still is one of my favourite 'heartbreak' songs for 2008, the drama queen that I am. There! I've said it!

9. Us Against The World - Westlife
It's my guilty pleasure, Westlife. I've always enjoyed their cheesy renditions of other people's songs and even more cheesy renditions of their own originals. One can only take so much of edgy punk rock before returning to more familiar albeit sticky sweet ear candy and Westlife does it for me.

8. Still Learning How To Bend - Gary Allan
Before we all start getting any ideas, no, this is not a song about 'coming out'. He is actually singing about dealing with the ghosts of relationships past and learning to move on and place his trust in love again. The line that gets to me the most has got to be this:

I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand....

7. In My Arms - Kylie Minogue
Sometimes a suitable music video adds a visual dimension to a song thereby making it much more interesting and memorable. This was definitely the case for In My Arms, which, prior to the release of the music video, had not caught my attention much. The video was a very colourful palette of dance moves, acrobatic contortions and of course the effervescent Ms Minogue playfully beckoning us all to go straight into her arms! Pure pop magic!

6. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
This song gained notoriety for seemingly promoting lesbianism but if you listen to the lyrics carefully, Katy was in fact doing the exact opposite, ie. making girl-on-girl action sound risque and somewhat of a forbidden fruit. Seems like her gospel roots still wield some influence over her after all. Oh, to the Malaysian Censorship Board, please, don't butcher the song and make the poor girl sing, "...I kissed [silence]... and I liked it..."!

5. Always Be My Baby - David Cook
Who knew that this Mariah Carey classic was an emo-rock ballad just waiting to happen? Kudos to this year's AI for such an original performance that blew the rest of the competition out of the water (yes even cute-as-a-button David Archuleta) and made Daughtry seem so five minutes ago.

4. This Is Me You're Talking To - Trisha Yearwood
Getting married to Garth Brooks, the most powerful country artiste in Nashville did wonders to reviving Trisha's career, what with a Grammy nomination for the album "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love" and a Best Country Vocal Performance Female for this song, my favourite track off the album. Her sincere and understated rendition of this song about the awkwardness when one meets an ex-lover was poignant and heartfelt.

3. Don't - Billy Currington
I hated the video. The director's attempt to make this song about a guy pleading with his newfound love not to leave so soon, into a 70's Starsky and Hutch car chase sequence just didn't quite work, making the entire video look dated and B-grade-ish. The song, however, was vintage Billy, with that lazy drawl and come hither tone that would make any girl go weak in the knees.

2. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
I have never been a fan of Coldplay's music, but this song... man, this song was so good I have been playing it non-stop in my car for months on end. Everything about it screams Record of The Year in next year's Grammys from the insightful lyrics to the anthemic melody to the U2-esque production. Wo-oh-oh-oh-oooooooooh......

And the #1 song of the year is......

1. Mercy - Duffy
I first heard this song in, of all places, a provincial market in Solo, Indonesia! Back then she was just breaking out onto the UK pop charts and when I got back, I hunted high and low for the song only to end up purchasing it off iTunes. For those of you who don't have a clue about Duffy, just imagine Amy Winehouse on helium singing the 60's. Weird, I know, but it works. Big time! Yeh...yeh...yeh!

Light On!

2008-11-07T17:29:00.002+08:00

This is the music video to David Cook's latest single, Light On. It's the lead single from his self-titled major label debut CD that is due out Nov 18th. Enjoy!

Light On

Never really said too much
Afraid it wouldn't be enough
Just try to keep my spirits up
When there's no point in grieving
Doesn't matter anyway
Words could never make me stay
Words will never take my place
When you know I'm leaving

(Chorus)
Try to leave a light on when I'm gone
Something I rely on to get home
One I can feel at night
A naked light, a fire to keep me warm
Try to leave a light on when I'm gone
Even in the daylight, shine on
And when it's late at night you can look inside
You won't feel so alone

You know we've been down that road
What seems a thousand times before
My back to a closing door and my eyes to the seasons
That roll out underneath my heels
And you don't know how bad it feels
To leave the only one that I have ever believed in

[Chorus]

Sometimes it feels like we've run out of luck
When the signal keeps on breaking up
When the wires cross in my brain
You'll start my heart again
When I come along

Manila Part 1: The non-halal entry

2008-11-04T10:01:00.007+08:00

Last Merdeka weekend, I got talked into going for a short holiday in the capital city of the Phillipines, Manila. To be honest, I had little or no expectations about this place and from what I heard about it, it was no Bangkok in terms of things to do or places to see.

What Manila did have in common with BKK tho, was the abundance of roast pork. EVERYWHERE.

And they had it in all shapes, sizes and flavours. And cheap too. Imagine, a whole slab of succulent roast pork for only RM3.50 or US$1!!!!

They roased the meat the traditional way, over a huge vat of charcoal to lock in that smoky flavour.... my mouth waters at the thought of it. :p

The best (or worst, depending on how you view it) part of it was the thick fatty portion of the meat left intact thus rendering my diet non-existant.

And if you weren't porkily inclined, there's also the roast chicken. Kinda reminds me of 'ayam golek' back home.

Served in a banana leaf wrapper, the freshly roasted pork was, in a word, heavenly. Especially when dipped in the special barbacue sauce on the side.

What better way to celebrate my first evening in Manila than a leisurely stroll along the breezy and picturesque Manila Bay esplanade while munching on cholesterol laden, artery clogging, succulent and utterly delicious roast pork. :p

Bangkok 2008: Tale of Two Temples or How We Got Taken For A Ride

2008-10-13T22:10:00.008+08:00

Between The Grand Palace and Wat Pho (just next door) we got talked into taking a tuk-tuk on a two hour tour of the 'other' temples in Bangkok as Wat Pho was 'closed' for the afternoon due to a religious ceremony taking place that day.

So there we were being hustled through the narrow streets of downtown Bangkok, almost getting into collisions with other tuk tuks and cars and buses and even bicycles, till we arrived at the Marble Temple or Wat Benchamabopit.

Constructed by King Chulalongkorn in 1901, it is made of Italian white marble and is adorned with European accents such as stained glass windows and Roman architecture. Being one of the lesser known temples, it was almost deserted, which was a welcome respite for us.

The main hall was quite small by Bangkok temples standards, but no less beautiful in a trippy sort of way with its huge golden Buddha statue, incense burning and monks chanting away in the corner. Legend has it that the ashes of King Chulalongkorn is buried underneath the statue.

Surrounding the central courtyard was a collection of life-sized bronze Buddha statues, collected from various locations throughout Thailand, Indochina and other Buddhist kingdoms.

The one I found most unforgettable was this statue of the Emaciated Buddha, symbolising an aging deity who has just undergone months of fasting and uninterrupted meditation.

There was a scenic moat around the temple, complete with a very red bridge and the 'three gabled water pavillion'.

OK, back to the main businiess at hand. After being literally taken for a ride, we arrived back at the front gates of Wat Pho, only to discover that there wasn't any 'special religious ceremony' going on that day and the temple was open all day long.

Wat Pho is the oldest and largest wat / temple in Bangkok and is home to more than 1000 Buddha images and statues, and also to a few not so Buddha statues.

Wat Pho is also home to the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world! It's so huge, my camera couldn't take it all in one shot!

One thing I liked about the temple was that because the statue was so bigass big, the hall that housed the Buddha had to be even bigass bigger. And as a result the temple was very airy, shady and cool, perfect for people like me who sweat buckets at the mere suggestion of the sun!

A row of big bronze urns lined the temple walls. Worshippers purchase a certain amount of beads and drop the beads one by one into the urns as they chant their prayers around the statue.

Outside the main temple stood many stupas and chedis that look like pyramids but with really long and pointy pinnacles.

Beauty is definitely in the detail when it comes to Thai temple architecture. If I wasn't already all 'templed out', I'd use my Tamron zoom lens to take shot after shot of the intricate desings and motifs that adorn every square inch of the temple walls, pillars and roofs.

And finally, what better way to end the day than with a much deserved traditional Thai massage complete with herbal steam bath? Plus, the massage hall was airconditioned as well! Phhwoar!

Bangkok 2008: The Royal Palace

2008-09-24T21:32:00.007+08:00

The first place we visited was of course the first on every tourist's list: The Grand Palace. This complex of buildings was the hub of Royal and government activity way back in the 18th and 19th century and is also the site of the Wat Phra Kaew which houses the Emerald Buddha.

The palace was built during the reign of King Rama I along the eastern banks of the Chao Phraya river and is enclosed on its inland sides by canals, making it technically an island.

As we entered the Emerald Temple, we were greeted by this 15-foot bronze statue of a Hindu hermit who is credited with inventing Yoga.

It must have been a special religious day, as there were throngs of Buddhist worshippers burning joss sticks and kneeling in prayer everywhere in the temple complex.

Its quite easy to feel a bit overwhelmed by all the gaudy towers that attack your senses with their golden walls and intricate designs especially on the red tiled roofs and domes that rise high up to pierce the blue sky.

It was a very sunny day... a bit too sunny for my liking. So we were only too glad to seek shelter in this cool corridor that seemed deserted for all of five minutes before a group of really loud Chinese tourists decided they too had enough of the Bangkok sun and happily muscled their way in.

All throughout the temple are statues that depict various Hindu, Buddhist and Chinese deities, emplyed to either ward off evil, scare off would-be enemies and protect the monks as well as the Royal family.

Perhaps the most eye-popping temple is the Phra Sri Ratana Chedi which is completely covered in gold mirrored tiles. According to the guide, this temple houses a piece of the Buddha's breastbone.

There were so many shrines built, all so beautifully crafted in gold, it was like bathing in a sea of yellow everywhere I looked.

Here's a familiar sight - a miniature replica of the Angkor Wat. Actually Angkor Wat sits on land once part of the Siam empire until it fell into Khmer hands. In fact, Siem Reap, the town beside the Angkor temples means 'Siamese Defeat'.

This five headed serpent is the Siamese version of the Naga, employed to guard the entrance of the temple...

...as were these 'demons', or yaksas which are more Hindu than Buddhist, but nonetheless adds an otherworldly charm to an already exotic landscape.

This is a kinnorn (kinnari) which is a mythological creature that is half human and half bird (and all babe!) that is derived from Buddhist and Hindu mythology and mentioned in various ancient texts like the Mahabhrata and Lotus Sutra.

I think these people were all crowded in the main temple area as much for the prayers as for the cool shade. Bangkok sun is brutal and the fact that it had rained a little earlier on made it even more stiflingly humid.

The Royal Pantheon houses life-sized statues of the Chakri kings, which is unfortunately only open one day a year to visitors , on Chakri Day, April 6th. And since my watch showed it wasn't April 6th, I had to be satisfied with just gawking at the multicoloured walls and contrasting red and green tiles that make up the gigantic roof structure.

Ah... there's nothing like a brief respite in a shady courtyard with the majestic multihued chedis as a backdrop. Why, the monotone of the monks' chants almost lulled me to sleep.

Then I found out it wasn't the monks but groups of schoolgirls, taking turns to recite from a prayer book!

Alas, it was time to head out from whence we came. But not before bidding adieu to a pair of dedicated Royal guards who were all gallant and yet stern whilst performing the changing of the guards ceremony.

Brain Pattern

2008-09-17T00:53:00.004+08:00

Just something i picked up while reading a friend's blog today. Try it.... it was quite true for me.

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a tempered, reasonable way of thinking.

You tend to take every new idea in, and meld it with your world view.

For you, everything is always changing. Each moment is different.

Your thinking process tends to be very natural - with no beginnings or endings.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Bangkok 2008

2008-09-10T10:55:00.003+08:00

This past Merdeka hols, I decided to spend our great nation's 51st Independance Day in Bangkok, Thailand.

There was lots of huffing, puffing and sweating.... from all that spicy Thai food like Pad Thai, Kuay Teow, Green Curry.... and also some not so Thai food from the good people at Sizzlers... Pork Ribs....mmmmmmm :p

I think we will need to go on a severe diet after chowing down on this deliciously aromatic herb-infused fried chicken.

The most memorable thing about BKK this time around was definitely the mango + sticky rice combo. It cost us 50 Baht (RM5) at Chatuchak which we thought was a bit pricy, but the moment we took a bite of it.... it was heaven at first taste.

Oh, and of course there were the temples. How could we forget the temples? It's BKK's raison d'etre! More to come!

Stop Hoping

2008-09-04T23:25:00.005+08:00

Continuing my love affair with this Indonesian pop star's brand of old-school R&B, here's Marcell Siahaan's latest single, Berhenti Berharap (Stop Hoping). Here's hoping that you will like it as well.

Dulu Ku Tak Pernah Percayakan Cinta
Yang Tak Harus Memiliki
Pernah Ku Paksakan Walau Tak Sejalan
Meski Ku Tahu Ku Salah

Dan Ku Coba Melupakanmu
Karena Ku Tahu Kau Bukan Milikku
Dan Ku Berhenti Berharap
Akan Cinta Mu Yg Dulu Ada Di Hati
Dan Ku Coba Tuk Bertahan
Walau Berat Kini Ku Berhenti
Berharap...

Kini Ku Akui Hatiku Tak Bisa
Selalu Miliki Dirimu
Pernah Ku Paksakan Walau Tak Sejalan
Meski Ku Tahu Ku Salah

Dan Ku Coba Melupakanmu
Karena Ku Tahu Kau Bukan Milikku
Dan Ku Berhenti Berharap
Akan Cinta Mu Yg Dulu Ada Di Hati
Dan Ku Coba Tuk Bertahan
Walau Berat Kini Ku Berhenti
Berharap...

Around Labuan Part 2

2008-08-27T11:43:00.010+08:00

On my final day in Labuan, I visited the Labuan War Cemetary.

This is a Commonwealth World War II cemetary where soldiers from India, Australian, New Zealand and Great Britain who died while defending Borneo (including Labuan) from the Japanese Invasion were laid to rest.

There are a total of 3908 graves here, arranged in long neat rows bearing plaques of the Commonwealth Army.

Most of them are identified and bear the names of the deceased soldier, but those that are not, are but "known to God".

A pavilion erected in the centre of the field housed pillars of red brick. On each pillar is a list of the soldiers who died defending this land.

Every year on the first Sunday of November, a special memorial service is held in honour of the war heroes buried here, attended by friends and families who make the pilgrimage from all corners of globe.

Later, we went to visit the infamous water villages of Patau-Patau which looked like a squatter village at the edge of the sea.

The village is inhabited mainly by Brunei Malays, which is a loose collection of peoples from Brunei and coastal regions of northern Sarawak and Sabah.

They are mostly of the Muslim faith and speak a type of Malay language that is phonetically distinct from the Peninsular Malay.

It was low tide when we visited the place so the water village was, in effect, a mud village.

On our way back to town, we stopped by another water village, Saguking.

According to Mark, most households in the water villages own boats instead of cars.

Saguking looked a lot less 'prosperous' than Patau-patau but was no less colourful. The people here was perhaps a lot more friendly and waved happily at me at I took a picture of them.

Some of these dilapidated houses are also hideouts for illegal immigrants from Indonesia and the Phillipines. The leftovers stilts on the edge of the village is proof of governmental efforts to force them off the island but they just keep coming back and build new houses next to the old ones.

Before I knew it, my short visit to Labuan was over and I headed to Labuan's spanking new airport to head back to KL. And as expected, my Airasia flight was an hour late!

Around Labuan Part 1

2008-08-15T09:57:00.009+08:00

I had about a whole day to see the sights of Labuan, with Mark, my personal tour guide, who ably showed me around the various places of interest on the island.

First up was the Chimney, a 30-metre red-brick tower, which was built in the early 1900's at the height of the coal-mining industry here under British Occupation.

No one really knows the actual purpose of the tower. Inside, it appears unused, and as it is not connected to any preexisting mine shafts underneath it, could not have been used as a ventilation shaft as its name would suggest.

There are some speculations that it probably was as a lighthouse due to its location by the sea, but till today, the tower remains a source of mystery and fascination for locals and tourists alike.

Next up, was a ride along the seaside highway. The beaches in Labuan are not exactly the most picturesque, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of serenity and contentment as I made my way along the sandy coastline.

The beach was deserted save for a few people fishing by the water's edge. It was 12.00 noon and I have to really admire their enthusiasm and tenacity in pursuing their hobby as it was FREAKING HOT out there under the cloudless and sunny Labuan sky.

Afterwards, we decided to get some much needed refreshments at a hawker centre next to the War Memorial Park, also known as Peace Park.

Peace Park was built as a symbol to renunciate the horrors of war. At its centre, there is a big white tiled memorial mound which is surrounded by Japanese style landscaped gardens and pavilions.

Next to the Peace Park is Surrender Point. This is the exact spot where where the commander of the Japanese Army surrendered to the Australian 9th Division on September 9, 1945.

All in all, Japanese soldiers occupied Labuan (and the rest of Borneo) for four years from 1941 - 1945 before the Allied forces headed by the Australian Army recaptured control of the island, signalling the end of World War II in Borneo.

Today, the town of Labuan (formerly known as Victoria) is a modern town that is growing rapidly due to its burgeoning ship-building industry and its status as an international off-shore financial centre.

As we drove across town following a rather heavy lunch, we stopped by this ubiquitous clock tower standing proudly in the middle of a field. Mark wants me to state it loud and clear right here: This clock tower, which cost RM4 million to build, is a white elephant. It doesn't even keep the right time!

Labuan Botanical Garden

2008-08-14T12:58:00.008+08:00

Mark beought me on a leisurely evening stroll around Labuan's very own Botanical Garden.

The Botanical Garden, was formerly the site of the Government House which was built in 1847 but was completely destroyed during World War II.

Today it is a very well-kept garden filled with luscious greenery, shady lanes and small outdoor gyms for people to walk or jog and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

There were many flowering plants everywhere and I took the opportunity to test out the macro function of my new compact camera, the Canon G9.

I must credit Mark for being such a gracious host as he was waiting patiently while I took shot after shot of the beautiful plants and scenery.

This is a very popular jogging and exercising spot for many locals, and also a place where many a 'kereta rosak' can be found too. Wink wink.

On the grounds are a couple of graveyards that are believed to be the oldest on the island. These graves were transferred from Ramsey Point next to the beach, which was facing the threat of erosion by the ocean tides. One of them is that of Commander James A. Gordan of HMS Wolf, who was present at the handing over of Labuan to the British on December 24, 1846 and who assisted in the construction of the grounds.

The other one is a grave of a much-loved foxhound by the name of 'Jim' who dies in 1966.

There are numerous lakes and streams in the park. Quaint gazebos and cute little bridges were built along these picturesque spots which further added the garden's appeal as a lovers' haunt.

One particular lake has since dried up, and is now filled with patches of lily and the cement frame of a broken down bridge.

As soon as I finished taking this picture, a lady went down to the lily flower and plucked it right off its stalk to give to her little girl as a hair ornament.... which she threw away two minutes after! What a waste!

I think this is a very large bougainvilla bloom. Anyone care to correct me if I'm wrong?

Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout....

Before we knew it, we had spent an hour and a half walking round the park. Dusk was upon us and my stomach was beginning to growl in protest.

Mark too was becoming a bit restless and hastened me to finish up my picture taking. Later I found out that he wasn't very comfortable loitering in the area after dark for some reason....

So, I took one last shot just as the sun was setting over the lake and made a promise to return again... maybe in the morning next time, eh Mark? ;)

On The Waterfront

2008-08-06T12:55:00.004+08:00

During my short trip to Labuan, I stayed at the Waterfront hotel, a 4-star hotel located next to the Labuan port and shipyard.

The hotel was very nicely designed to look like a marina clubhouse and was surrounded by a well landscaped garden of shrubs, palm trees and flowers.

In front of the main entrance stood a huge fountain that, according to Mark, was placed there to improve the feng shui of the hotel.

As you can see from the pictures, it was a very sunny day in Labuan, perfect for sightseeing and sweating like a pig. :p

The hotel pool looked very inviting and it was a pity I didn't have enough time to take a dip as my itinerary was pretty full that day.

The room I stayed in was big and rather ordinary, but the huge balcony outside my room made up for it. Thanks to Mark, I got the 'seaview' room and man, did I get to view the sea!

This is a composite pic of the entire vista as seen from the balcony of my hotel room. I used Photoshop Elements to piece it together. Click on it to enlarge. This is my first time 'stitching', so be kind. :p

Eating out in Labuan

2008-08-04T15:30:00.004+08:00

Unlike Penang, Melaka or Kuching, Labuan is not very well known for the food. What it is well known for is its duty-free status. There's no tax on just about everything. Cars cost half of what they would cost elsewhere, cigarettes are cheaper than even the duty-free ones in KLIA, and chocolates are EVERYWHERE and they're dirt-cheap!

Everywhere I went, there were shops selling all kinds of chocolates, mostly imported ones from Australia, Europe and even Japan. And they're really a lot cheaper than in Peninsular Malaysia.

I never really liked Kit Kat, but Mark insisted I try the 'imported' version, and you know what, the imported ones really do taste much better than locally produced ones.

Being tax-free, alcohol is also really cheap here, in fact even less than the duty free shops at KLIA. The selection here is quite good too. It's a pity I don't drink.

Ok. Back to some real food. Mark brought me to a fancy Chinese restaurant and ordered a Cheese Baked Tiger Prawn for me to try as it was the restaurant's signature dish. And my oh my, it was delicious! And this is coming from someone who doesn't care too much for prawns or seafood for that matter!

Another local delicacy is the coconut pudding. It's basically chilled coconut flavoured pudding served in an actual coconut husk.

Inside is a delicious brew of coconut, pudding and the juicy white coconut' meat. Frankly I am surprised no one else thought of this yet.

The waitress who served us was kind enough to scoop out the pudding and garnished it with a few slivers of the white 'meat' of the coconut that she scooped from the inside of the coconut.

And it was delicious! So delicious I couldn't believe how great it was!

Roti Jala at 20,000 feet or This is not an Airasia PAID advert.

2008-07-21T14:27:00.006+08:00

Airasia recently introduced several new items to their in-flight menu and one of them was the popular local dish Roti Jala.

Roti Jala or 'Net Bread' in Malay (net as in fish-net, not inter-net) is a lacey crepe that is usually eaten with curry or dhal.

This is what it looks like (or rather, the Airasia version). Four rolled up pieces of lacey crepe plus a small portion of curry gravy.... for RM7.00!

But wait! As I dug into the first piece of dough, I realised there's something else within the roll. It tasted like ground meat, although what kind I couldn't make out. My guess would be chicken since pork and beef would be a no-no for various religious reasons (that only Malaysians would understand hehehe).

And it tasted really good.... especially when it was dipped in the curry gravy.

I only have one beef with the dish. As I said, it was really delicious and the inserted mysterious ground meat was a nice surprise. But I realised something was missing. And if you look in the picture above of the wrapper closely you will also see that....

THERE WERE NO POTATOES IN THE GRAVY! HOW CAN ONE HAVE A PROPER ROTI JALA DISH WITHOUT POTATOES??????

Irresistable

2008-07-17T12:05:00.009+08:00

The recent earthquake in China not only affected the human population, but also a big majority of the wildlife as well, including the endangered panda bear.

Here we see rescue workers erm... rescuing the baby pandas from the Wulung Panda Breeding Ground in Sichuan province.

The babies were given milk as they had not been fed for a long while after the quake.

After a hearty meal, it's time for their afternoon siesta....

This little fella went and got himself some more....

Then, it's feeding time again! Amazing, they actually know how to hold and drink from a feeding bottle.

This baby panda is not very willing to get his shots..... reminds me of some of my patients. :p

Awwwww... SO CUTE!!! pic #1

Awwwww... SO CUTE!!! pic #2

Awwwww... SO CUTE!!! pic #3

"I didn't do it. No one saw me do it. You can't prove anything!"

"Please, Your Honor! I am innocent!!!!"

Thanks to TK for the pics.

How Malaysian Are You?

2008-07-11T11:57:00.008+08:00

TK forwarded me a humorous quiz to gauge how 'Malaysian' we are. I am happy to report that I passed with flying colours and proudly call myself a top-quality belacan who can't live without roti pisang and a tall cold glass of cham. How about you?

**********
HOW MALAYSIAN ARE YOU?

NO CHEATING PLEASE, We're Malaysian.... !!!

1. How much is satu kupang?
2. Where's the favourite spot to take wedding pictures in Taiping?
3. In what dialect is Apo Nak Di Kato?
4. Name at least five variations of roti canai.
5. What is the staple food of native Sarawakians.
6. Name a popular Malay ointment made from "sea-cucumber"
7. Name the sauce made from fish or shrimp that the Kelantanese love.
8. What does pi mai pi mai tang tu mean?
9. Which fruit is Ipoh famous for?
10. What is the English name for putu mayam?
11. "Lah" is to Peninsular Malaysians as"..." is to Sabahans.
12. What does ABC stand for?
13. How long is a sari?
14. What does the Cantonese phrase" ngam ngam " means ?
15. Name Penang's famous beach.
16. How do you order coffee mixed with tea at a kopi-tiam?.
17. What's on Malaysian TV at 8pm?
18. On one side of our RM1 coin is the bunga raya, what's on the other?..
19. Now what's on our 10 sen coin?
20. What was the name of the KL Commonwealth Games 1998 mascot?
21. When you fill in a form, if you're not Malay, Chinese or Indian,you are...?
22. Who is Malaysia's favourite Kampung Boy?
23. How did the word "gostan" come about?
24. Lobo's Whispers in the Wind is the English version of which famous Malay song?
25. When did Malaysia last win the Thomas Cup?
26. What is the name of our national flag?
27. If you want 4D numbers, who do you consult?
28. What's the name of the Malaysian-made 175cc motorbike?
29. Name our national bird.
30. If the father is a baba, and the mother is a nyonya, then what is the son?

ANSWERS

1. Northern slang for 10 sen
2. Lake Gardens
3. Negri Sembilan, meaning "What's there to say?"
4. Roti bom, roti pisang, roti planta, roti telur, roti sardin, roti tisu, roti bawang
5. Sago
6. Minyak gamat made from sea cucumber, for wounds
7. Budu
8. Northern dialect that means coming and going but ending up at the same spot
9. Pomelo
10. String hoppers
11. Bah
12. Air batu campur OR All Asia Broadcast Centre
13. Six yards
14. Just in time or just fit or just right.
15. Batu Ferringhi
16. Kopi cham
17. The news
18. Keris
19. Congkak
20. Wira
21. "Other" or Lain-lain
22. Lat
23. A corruption of "go astern"
24. P. Ramlee's Getaran Jiwa
25. 1992
26. Jalur Gemilang
27. "Datuk"
28. Jaguh
29. There's none - lah
30. Baba

SCORES AND EVALUATION :

0-10 - Malu-lah you! We suggest you spend at least one hour a day at your nearest coffee-shop.

11-20 - Boleh pass. Okay, you may claim to be the average Malaysian with a score in this range but you could watch less CNN on Astro and more local content on RTM.

21-30 - Wah, you one true blue Malaysian-lah. Top quality belacan. We are truly impressed, especially if you know the answer to No. 24 which we admit is very tricky!

Steamboat For Daddy Day

2008-07-10T13:02:00.006+08:00

A couple weeks ago, the entire Gan clan (meaning me, my sisters and my parents) wnet out for a Father's Day dinner celebration. We gave Daddy the choice of what to eat and he insisted on steamboat even though he had just had that two weeks earlier. So we went to the usual place at Sri Petaling.

The place had just started for the day, so they were still getting things ready, arranging the tables etc. So we had lots of time... and guess what we did....

Even my dad and mom were sporting enough to pose for me. :p

Before long, the waiter came to switch on the gas and light the mini stove to heat the soup.

Sis made sure the waiter brought lots and lots of sambal and cut chilli. This woman has a stomach of steel!

The plate by plate, the goodies came. First up was the seafood platter filled to the brim with prawns, squid, jellyfish and wanton.

My dad practically drooled down his shirt when he saw the prawns....

This semi circle pastry is called erm... Sui kau. (Water dog?) It's made of prawn and fish meat wrapped in a wanton-like dough paper.

The balls were next. There were fish balls, sotong balls, pork balls, even beef balls.

There was also the vegetable platter, which included lettuce, spinach and various kinds of mushrooms. Don't they look cute?

So, everything goes into either one of these two compartments. The left is filled with clear seafood broth, while the right is filled with tom yam soup.

Just look at that 'fierce' red hot soup.... and it tasted soooo delicious!

"Hey, you took my prawn! Stay away from those lovely beef balls. They're mine! All mine! Bwahaha!!!"

"I'll fight you for it! En garde!"

"Oh God..... I'm so full!..... I think I'm going to faint......."

Love Drug

2008-07-02T11:10:00.017+08:00

One thing about Indonesia that stuck in my mind long after I've returned home was the sheer variety of music styles and ideas that brews in the Indonesian music scene. Indeed, many of Indonesia's pop icons are also very popular here in Malaysia, including Sheila On 7, Samsons and of course Kris Dayanti.

I was most impressed by an R&B artiste by the name of Marcell, who performs a blend of pop, old-school R&B and traditional Indonesian gamelan music that is very soothing to the ears.

In this video for the song Candu Asmara (literally, Love Opium), he sings of his lady love casting a spell on him making him become addicted to her like a love drug.

One minor gripe tho: He should fire his hairstylist for that ghastly 'electrocuted' look. :p

Idiot patient #24981

2008-06-27T11:56:00.004+08:00

Typical conversation at the dentist's:

Dentist (D): Ok, sir, you have a minor swelling around your molar. You need to take some medicine for a few days to help ease the pain and also to reduce the swelling before I can go in and do a root canal treatment.

Patient (P) : Ok. So will I feel pain?

D: You have to finish the 5-day antibiotics course that I am going to prescribe for you. Then the swelling will go down, and you will not feel pain when I do the treatment on that tooth. But you must finish taking the medicine accordingly first.

P: Yes. Ok. So will I feel pain after doing the treatment?

D: No, after we have performed the root canal treatment, your tooth is essentially 'dead' and therefore you will no longer feel pain from that particular molar tooth. But you must first take the medicine that I have prescribed for you, complete the whole course, and THEN come in for the treatment. Ok?

P: Ok. (Thinks a while...) Ok, So if I take the medicine and tomorrow I don't feel the pain, I can come to do it tomorrow?

D: No. You need to finish the entire course of the antibiotics I have prescribed for you first because the swelling may not have subsided adequately by tomorrow even if you don't feel the pain. So, you may still feel pain while I am performing the procedure if we do it tomorrow.

P: The root canal will be painful? I thought you said it won't be painful....

D: I said.... You need to take the medicine as instructed, whch means taking the antibiotics three times a day for five days, by which time you will finish the entire course of the medicine, and THEN when I do the procedure for you, you will not feel the pain.

P: Oh so no pain lah?

D: Yes, finish the medicine, then swelling goes down, then no pain.

A week later....

P: Doc, you said no pain, how come I still feel the pain? What kind of lousy medicine did you give me?

D: Hmmm.... (examines the tooth and finds residual swelling)... have you finished the medication that I prescribed for you?

P: Erm.... no, I didn't.

D: Why not?

P: I stopped after taking it for one day. I thought no pain already, so no need to take anymore.

D: [Speechless]

Honest, this happens all the time. And people wonder why my hair is falling out.

Redang 2008: Part 4

2008-06-18T21:50:00.011+08:00

On my final day in Redang, I could not go diving due to the 24 hour 'no-fly-time' to make sure I don't get the bends en flight.

So I could only stand on the beach and watch with envy as divers go out and then resurface with smiles on their faces for having completed yet another rendezvous with the sea.

Later, I chanced upon a kiosk in the resort which offered 'temporary' tattoos using waterproof ink airbrushed onto the skin.

They had lots of designs to choose from, mostly stylised animal shapes like scorpions, snakes, dragons and dolphins. I chose a snake design for my back and a scorpion for my arm.

Nice or not? Hehehe.... For the next week or so, I will have to be careful not to scratch my back and also remember to lie down prone while sleeping.

Here's the scorpion design on my arm. It was supposed to be blue and red but they had run out of blue. So I settled for black and red instead. I think it makes me look 'fierce'. :p

Then, I got talked into having a third one... at a discount, of course!

I chose a lime green gecko for my left leg. Check out the red toes. Cool or what!

All in all, it was a fun way to spend the afternoon, getting all 'decorated' and having a reason to walk around half naked. Ha!

And that was it for my trip to Redang this time around. The diving was just so-so, my camera housing got kinda busted (yay, another reason to go shopping for a new camera....housing) and I got a few tatoos, even if it was only for a week. :)

Redang 2008: Part 3

2008-06-13T16:43:00.006+08:00

I had some problems with my camera while underwater. Well, actually I had problems with the underwater casing. Some of the buttons wouldn't respond accordingly and I spent half the time just pressing the macro button like a crazy monkey on its first beetle of the day.

When I finally got it to go macro, the white balance button got jammed up pulak! DANG!

Hence the relatively few and poor quality of pix this time around. Solly lah. Asther, kasi chan ah. ;)

In any case, the poor visibility during most of the dives, coupled with the storng and unpredictable current made it all the more difficult to keep focus and get steady shots of anything animate. So... sponges, anyone?

I went back to Sandy Bottom again to find more qierd creatures I may have missed last year like this scorpion fish that doesn't swim. It walks!

The DM had really sharp eyes to spot this flatworm just lying erm.. flatly on the sand.

This is not a snake, its a pipefish. Sorry bout the green, forgot to switch on the flash / strobe light.

I took about 30 shots of this teeny tiny ... something... perched onto the whip coral. Asther?

Here's the Mrs Pipefish that we spotted swimming not far from the grey one.

Ooh... a new kind of nudibranch. Asther?

Another hermit crab wearing a 'Private Benjamin' type of hat.

The prerequisite shot of Nemo!

This is what they call a table coral. It was really big, about 10 feet across.

Up close, the surface looked like a 3 day beard growth on Nan's chin.... ;)... or on Crew's scalp....

A pair of very shy red feather stars trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.

When I finally managed to get the camera and its housing to work, all the fishes had gone away.... sigh....

SO, what to do? Take pics of my dive buddy for the dive lor.... Meet Gregory, divemaster extraordinaire!

Redang 2008: Part 2

2008-06-09T00:16:00.008+08:00

No trip to Redang would be complete without going for a dive (or two). This place never fails to surprise me with its bountiful fish, beautiful corals and out-of-this-world creatures.

My first dive was to a newly discovered Vietnamese boat wreck about a mile out east from the resort. The trip there was rather eventful as the waves and strong current took its toll on my queasy stomach. :p

The visibility this time around was quite bad, as we could only see only a few feet ahead of us, prompting some of the less experienced divers in our company to panic a little.

So down and down we descended into the blue nothingness, the bad viz not helping much... till we caught sight of an ominous dark shadow....

Imagine swimming in the semi-darkness, straining your eyes trying to make out the shape of something quite huge in front of you, and at the same time, turning round every few seconds to make sure you haven't lost sight of the others in the murky waters.... and then you see this, a huge spear-like anchor jutting out from the stern of the sunken ship pointing right at you.

I don't know why, but every time I see this picture, that dreaded Celine Dion song begins to echo in my mind and I know that it will go on and on....

Everywhere on this ship, all sorts of marine creatures, great and small can be found either attached to its surface or swimming around hunting for food.

Here's a blue-spotted stingray making its escape from pesky scuba divers disturbing its afternoon nap.

It took me about twenty shots to get a semi-decent picture of this tiny spider crab that was hanging on a whip coral for dear life as the currents swept everything (including us) around like rag dolls.

Anybody missing a brain?

I have to say that this dive was one of the most challenging ones I've had in Redang. The currents were really strong and the termoclimes made havoc of the visibilty not to mention causing a lot of us to get a shiver or two halfway through the dive.

Indeed, the lack of visibility only made this dive all the more mysterious and memorable. The only problem I had with it was that it completely jammed up my camera's ability to focus on anything but the biggest of creatures. ;)

Redang 2008: Part 1

2008-06-05T14:25:00.009+08:00

Last Wesak I decided to go to Redang with a few of my buddies for a short break. As usual, I took the Airasia flight from KL (LCCT) to Kuala Terengganu where I then made my way to the Merang jetty about an hour from the airport. Oh, do try the Roti Jala on the in-flight menu. I really liked it and is highly recommended!

From Merang, it was another two hours by boat before we finally sighted the distant silhouettes of Redang Island made famous by that Sammi Cheng-Richie Ren movie "Summer Holiday"

As we approached the island, we could see a few small fishing-type boats anchored near the shore. These were used to transport the holiday-makers to various coral reef sites around the island for snorkelling and swimming.

Finally we arrived at our resort, Pelangi Redang which was situated in the heart of the main stretch of beach, Pantai Panjang.

After checking in our respective rooms, I decided to take a walk by the beach. I soon realised something. It was almost deserted!

Where was everybody? I looked to my left and my right and was hard pressed to find a single soul.

This was really strange, like something out of the Twilight Zone....

Then I realised the reason: it was only 10.00am! Since it's Island-time, everybody would still be asleep! Sure enough, people slowly began to come out of their hibernation and pretty soon, the beach was once again abuzz with activity!

As it was the long weekend, there were many families who took the opportunity to bring their children along for some fun in the sun.

And of course, there were the jokers whose idea of fun was to bury their sleeping friend in the sand in the hot afternoon sun to cook his nuts off....

Luckily the poor guy woke up in time to shake it all off..... oh wait, he actually liked being buried in the sand. Good luck getting all that sand out of ur ass, buddy!

Most of the other people just did the conventional thing: Hit the beach! Woohoo!

This time around, the waves were pretty high, and there were even a few surfers trying to ride the waves!

This couple was just content to stand there and look.... what a waste of a barely-there bikini!

Ah, this fella had the right idea.... why bother getting your hair wet with sea water, or have sand up your butt? What better way to pass a lazy afternoon than lying in a hammock, swayed by the cool sea breeze as the sound of the waves crashing onto shore lull you to sleep....

Life should always be like this.....

A Day At The Zoo

2008-06-01T22:50:00.009+08:00

A couple of friends came down to Melaka this weekend for a visit and I took them to the famous Melaka Zoo, arguably the best zoo in the country.

Melaka Zoo is the second largest in Malaysia (after Zoo Negara in KL) and contains over 1200 animals of over 200 species within its 54-acre land area.

One of the more popular exhibits was the pair of orang-utans, Moochie and BB (I forgot their given names so I made up new ones!)

Moochie seemed very animated and almost human-like in her mannerisms. She loved the attention and very willingly posed for pictures.

Her bf, BB was a bit more defensive and actually stood on his legs and hollered out loud when the flash from someone's camera went off in his face.

This is my first sighting of a porcupine, complete with the spikes on its back. Although its name is derived from a French word meaning 'thorny pig', it's actually a type of rodent (like the rat).

This is the Malayan Sun Bear. In Malay, it's called Beruang Madu or Honey Bear. Erm... suddenly Winnie the Pooh comes to mind.

"You must have patience, oh young padawan..." said the wise old baboon to his young red-butted apprentice. ;)

At the northern corner of the zoo is a lake that separates the zoo from a golf course. In that lake, there were many different types of water fowl and golf balls.

A flock of flamingos were busy preening while standing effortlessly on one leg. Showoff!

As we were about to leave the park, we spotted a pair of parrots 'calling' out to us.

Then, as I was getting ready to take a shot of them, they decided to give us an R-rated performance. I have always wondered how birds kiss. Now I know!

Ok, show's over. Time to take a bow!

Guitar Heroes

2008-05-30T00:15:00.008+08:00

It's been a week since the finale of American Idol 2008 and as expected, I am starting to feel the symptom of AI withdrawal. I have never been one to go cold turkey on anything. So I downloaded the performances from iTunes to soothe the cravings a bit.

Then Nick (bless his soul!) sent me a link for a Guitar Hero ad spot featuring the two Davids that viewers outside of the US won't get to see. I got such a hoot from watching it and I hope you guys who haven't seen it will like it too. And for those of you who have seen it, feel free to check it out again... and again... and again. Go on.. I won't tell on ya! ;)

All I can say is Tom Cruise had better watch his back.... NOT!

Java Jive '08 Part 9: Begawan Solo

2008-05-25T21:50:00.017+08:00

Our final destination in Java was the city of Solo, a small city (by Indonesian standards) of about half a million people, famous throughout Asia for the song Begawan Solo.

The city exuded a more glamorous persona than neighbouring Jogja, due to the presence of stately colonial buildings and statues of war heroes right in the middle of city streets.

That, and the fact that the train actually ran alongside the main street during rush hour!

Solo was supposed to be just an overnight stopover as our flight back to KL was from Solo airport early the next morning. Then Airasia called informing us that our flight had been cancelled and we were bumped to the evening flight!

So we found ourselves with an extra day to go sightseeing! We hooked up with a local tour guide named Patrick who offered to take us on a trip to the picturesque countryside outside of Solo.

So that was how we found ourselves on a scenic drive up the mountains that were covered with rice terraces and tea plantations.

Our fascination with the gorgeous views outside our car windows such as this made us rather grateful for Airasia's heavy handed scheduling gaffe.

A few times, Patrick stopped the car to allow us to go out and breathe the fresh and cool mountain air. At one junction, we spotted this waterfall far off in the distance. It was a pity we had to hurry back by 3.00pm, otherwise Patrick would have driven us for a picnic by the waterfall.

Still, the sights we were treated to were charming enough. There we were, happily snapping our pictures away, while the locals were hard at work in the rice fields.

It was a similar scene at the tea plantations, and the whole thing reminded me very much of Malaysia's very own Cameron Highlands.... minus the oftentimes overpowering smell of manure, of course. ;)

As we approached the top of one of the hills, Patrick stopped at a small temple named Candi Cetho. There was a wedding ceremony as well as a prayer ritual being held at the time, so the place was a bit crowded.

Candi Cetho is an ancient Hindu temple complex built in the 15th century during the last days of the Majapahit Empire. As previously mentioned, this temple is still used by the local Hindu worshippers for their rituals and celebrations.

The main temple is a pyramidal structure built atop nine levels of lesser temples symbolising the nine planes a man must journey through to reach the heavens.

The stone gates at the front of each level looked very similar to the ones in Bali. Indeed, the Hindu kings and their servants were driven out of central Java by the invading Islamic army and they fled to the neighbouring island of Bali bringing along their culture and religion.

At each level, there were small wooden huts that served as altars to various gods like the god of prosperity, god of healing, and god of protection.

Erm... methinks this is the altar to the god of fertility?

We had to be careful not to step on these small offerings and incense that were placed on the steps leading up to the main temple.

Then, as were busy listening to Patrick tell his story about the legend of the Hindu Wolf-king, the mist began to encroach into the temple slopes....

Fearing that the visibility on the way down would be too limited, we quickly made our way back to the foothill, but not before taking a pic of us 'leaping into the beyond'...

So down we went.... through a narrow footpath beside a tea plantation... and then Panda got one of his 'ideas' for a photo op...

So one by one, we trudged through the thick tea bushes.... I think Panda has watched too many of those song and dance Bollywood movies...

Our next stop was at another 15th century Hindu temple named Candi Sukuh.

This temple is famous for its distinctive thematic reliefs depicting life before birth and sexual education. Oh dear, were we going to see altars to the fertility gods again?

A lot of the reliefs and statues were defaced or destroyed after the fall of the Majapahit empire, and today the salvaged but disjointed pieces are arranged side by side as if to tell a story that has no beginning, no middle and no end.

Of course weathering has also taken its toll on the carvings and it was only recently that active conservation works have been undertaken to save what was left of this priceless ancient monument.

Its main monument is a simple pyramid structure with reliefs and statues in front of it, including three tortoises with flattened shells and a male figure grasping his penis. I do have the pic of the male figure, but I think we've all had enough of penis statues, right?

Wrong! Here the final pic of a relief with such a persuasion, I promise.

Having had our fill of the rice terraces, tea plantations, candis .. oh and a delicious lunch of goat meat satay, we headed to the airport for our much delayed flight back to KL.

It has been a hectic but extremely enjoyable trip for the three of us and I feel blessed to have been part of this ten-day trek across Java with my two best buddies. And guys, I sincerely apologise for the times when I stepped on toes or behaved badly or just plain irritated the shit out of you two (and I know there were plenty) and I hope you will forgive and forget, eh? ;)

He Had Me At Hello

2008-05-22T23:58:00.011+08:00

America just crowned their new idol and it's David. No, not David Archuleta as I thought would happen twelve weeks ago, but David Cook, a 25 year old bartender from Missouri.

He may not have started out as the hot favourite but his ability to interpret songs from just about any genre into an emo-rock performance began to garner him votes week after week like a slow burner. Soon many of Archie's fans jumped ship (including yours truly) and hopped onto Cookie's bandwagon even as one by one, the lesser idols fell by the wayside.

By the time the two David locked horns in the finale, it was already a forgone conclusion that the man who could rock out Billie Jean AND Always Be My Baby would join the elite few whom they call an American Idol.

He had so many standout performances throughout the competition, from the aforementioned Billie Jean to Roberta Flack's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face to Phantom Of The Opera's Music Of The Night. For me, I will always remember the first time he caught my attention (and not let go since). It was way back during the round of 16 when he transformed Lionel Richie's Hello into an unrecogniseable but utterly fantastic rock ballad.

I guess you could say that David Cook had me at Hello.

Java Jive '08 Part 9: The Bird, The Pool and the Centre of The Universe

2008-05-22T12:37:00.010+08:00

Our final day in Jogjakarta saw us on a city tour which took us to three main tourist spot: The Bird Market, The Water Castle and lastly the Sultan's Palace.

First up was Ngasem, the famous Bird Market. Yes, they sell birds here. All kinds of birds. Actually, in hindsight, I wondered if it was such a good idea to visit a bird market in a country with the highest incident of human bird-flu infection.

The front part of market was also a proper produce market where vegetables, fruits and meat were sold.

There were many types of grains, like rice, corn, wheat and barley, in various colours and grain size. Some were for human consumption, while others were for the birds.

A lot of the stalls at the market were tended to by the womenfolk, most of them rather elderly. The whole scene reminded me of the market in Kota Bahru. Very colourful and very matriachal.

Then, we saw the birds. Live cockatoos, doves, even chickens and ducks can be found here.

These are fighting cocks, all caged up and separated from each other, lest they start killing each other with no one to profit from their duel to the death!

Actually, we found out that the market also doubled as a pet store where one could buy any domesticated (and not so domesticated) animal one wishes, from Persian cats to poisonous cobras.

Awwww....sooo cuuuuttteeee!!!! I was so tempted to buy this bunny rabbit till I remembered we couldn't bring live animals on board the plane. Sigh...

A couple of hundred metres behind the market, nestled amongst the village houses lies the ruins of what was once the royal swimming pool also known as Tamansari.

But first, in order to reach the pool, we had to make our way through a series of underground tunnels.

I was definitely not complaining as it was getting quite hot outside and the sheltered concrete tunnels made for a very cool passage.

As we got back out onto ground level, this huge wall filled with the typical Indonesian style carvings greeted us. It's the front gate to the pool compound.

Also known as the Water Castle, back in the 17th century Tamansari was a recreation garden or a resting house for the Sultan and his erm.. entourage (if you get what I mean. Wink wink.)

Every day, the ladies would go for a swim in the pool, frolicking and generally trying to look graceful and sexy, while the Sultan would peer out from the viewing deck above the pool and decide who shall be keeping him company for that day.

Speaking of Sultans, it was time to visit the palace of the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta or Kraton which means the royal abode.

Located almost exactly at the centre of the island of Java east to west, the palace is defined as the centre of the world or universe as the Javanese knew it.

We were given a short guided tour into a part of the palace grounds which comprised of a series of pavilions which housed the orchestral instruments, library, and also the meeting hall.

When we arrived, a religious recital was taking place, and this lady was performing the blessings for the Sultan on the occasion of his youngest daughter's impending wedding.

Outside, I chanced upon this funny contraption hanging precariously in one of the gazebos. I am not quite sure what it was, whether it was a very elaborate silk-making machine or a contraption that perhaps Samantha Jones would find useful. ;)

At another corner, the palace officials were having a meeting to discuss a very important business at hand - what to have for lunch later. Bakso or bakmie?

Our final stop on the tour was a visit to the school building where the royals were educated by teachers specially brought in from Holland and England. In one of the rooms hung the 'family tree's of every Sultan that ever reigned the land. The leaves symbolised how many offsprings that particular Sultan had in his lifetime.

Needless to say, this one had a rather quiet household. ;)

Up next: sing along with me ... Begawan... Solo.....

Java Jive '08 Part 8: The Center of Central Java

2008-05-16T15:16:00.015+08:00

One thing you must do while in Java is to visit Borobudur. Believed to be situated at the exact centre of Java, it is an ancient Buddhist temple complex (or candi) situated about one hour's drive from Jogjajakarta, in the city of Magelang.

Borobudur was founded around 800 AD during the Sailendra dynasty as a shrine to Buddha and also as a Buddhist pilgrimage site. Its construction took 75 years, and when completed, resembled a pyramid with each side a point on the compass, namely North, East, South, West.

The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms representing the three planes of conciousness - Kamadhatu(the world of desire);Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless).

Upon arrival at the complex, we hired an English-speaking local guide to help us make sense of what we were seeing as apparently there were almost 3000 bas reliefs (stone carvings) depicting various aspects of life, Buddhist mythology and historical records.

Our guide was also very good at suggesting the best spots to take great pictures by taking advantage of the way the sunlight hits the temples many corners and angles.

It was a good thing we arrived early at the temple, as the sun was still not prohibitively hot, but that didn't stop us from running from shade to shade even as we tried to keep up with the guide's stories and explanations about the stories behind some of the bas reliefs.

This one tells the story of how the King had a dream one night and summoned his advisors to interpret his dream. The advisors told him that he will soon be blessed with a male heir to the throne, something he has been waiting for years to happen. Or so I think... I wasn't really listening the guide when he was explaining....
The middle and upper rungs of the temple is occupied by more than 500 statues of Buddha, seated cross-legged in a lotus position.

We were given ample time and opportunity to take our photographs, and there seemed to be countless carvings, statues and temple features that caught my eye, like this gigantic and well preserved water spout.

Along the way, we learned that Borobudur was establshed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1975, and since then, conservation and repair efforts have been undertaken by both the Indonesian government And UNESCO to restre this magnificent temple along with its beautiful carvings and statues to its former glory.

Like the Hindu-influenced Angkor Wat, the temple was built high up with narrow steep staircases built on each side. I really appreciated the steel side railing while I was climbing the rather tall steps, often times with my hands and feet.

After a while, I kinda got bored with the guide's monologue.... so I decided to walk around the second tier a bit... and look what I spotted taking breather on a stupa. (Hey, that rhymed!)

Ok, by now you'd have figured it out that this ia a Buddhist temple judging from the countless statues of the guy everywhere, looking all serene and contented, right? Then this Western tourist (probably European) suddenly asked the guide, "Isn't this a Hindu shrine, like the Angkor Wat?" D'oh!

I would've loved to be sitting where this particular statue was, as it had a commanding view of...

... Mount Merapi, an active volcano that's still spewing lava and smoke today!

The top tier symbolises the plane where one is supposed to be beyond human desires and has reached realm of the Gods... I think. Wasn't really paying attention to the guide as I was busy snapping pics of these stupas.

Each stupa contains a statue of Buddha, and even though there are about a gazillion stupas here, only one contains the 'lucky Buddha'. And if you stick your hand (and arms) and touch the ring finger of the statue and make a wish, that wish will come true! Oh boy, I am so in trouble with my church elder now when he sees this. ;)

Someone blew the lid off one of the stupas.... Looks like Buddha in a flying saucer a la the Jetsons, doesn't it?

Next, we headed to another ancient ruin, this time to Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple complex in South-east Asia.

In May 2006, the temples were rocked by a powerful earthquake that cracked some of the candis and reduced others to rubble.

Restoration work is still in progress, and we could see the aftermath of the earthquake everywhere.

Prambanan was built in the 9th century by either the kingdom of Mataram or Sanjaya and is characterised by its tall and pointed Hindu style architecture.

We opted not to hire a guide for this temple, as we realised not many of us were actually paying to the last one at Borobudur anyway. So we just wandered around the complex in twos and threes, taking our time to marvel at the architectural wonders.

The entire complex was completely cordoned off from the public, so we could not get too near for fear of falling stones and interference to the restoration works. Luckily I brought along my Tamron zoom lens to get some pretty zoomed up shots of the candis.

Everything was grey, and looking at my pics afterwards, I thought I had accidentally switched on the b/w filter. Still, the stupas, carvings and statues were amazingly detailed and beautiful.

As you can see, the temples were really huge and one has to wonder the practicality of building such great monuments and the amount of blood, sweat and tears that went into it.

Before we knew it, the sun was beginning to set, signaling the closing time for the site. As I was taking one last breather before we headed for the hotel, I spotted a few goats having an early dinner amongst the ruins. Hmmmm... I wonder if the mutton satay stall will be open tonight. ;)

Java Jive '08 Part 7: The Art Of The City

2008-05-15T15:08:00.012+08:00

When in Jogja, do what the Jogjan tourists do: Get conned into riding one of these rickshaws, or becak.

Don't get me wrong. I love getting onto one of these rickshaws as it squeezes through rush hour traffic without bothering to stop at lights and cars are expected to stop for it whenever it crosses their paths.

It's just that every so often, they will just stop by 'special shops' that sell the 'cheapest' batik, or the 'best and cheapest' Indonesian paintings, or (this is the best one) the factory outlet where students of the local art colleges stock up their work. Every purchase you make will yield them a commission. Smart, eh?

Having said that, this t-shirt shop was quite reasonable with their prices and their t-shirt designs were quite humourous and interesting. Yes, I got persuaded to buy not one, not two, but EIGHT t-shirts! Good thing I brought along an extra luggage to stuff all these shirts in.

A trip to the batik factory was next. Jogjakarta is famous for its unique brand of Indonesian batik, with its earthy tones and intricate repetitive designs.

As with most artistic work, a large portion of the batik-making process is manual, and we witnessed a few elderly ladies patiently and skillfully drawing the designs onto roles of cotton fabric.

These are metal stamps that are used to print the batik designs onto the cloth. There were about twenty metal stamps on display, each with its own unique design.

Using a special blend of dye and molten wax, the designs are stamped onto the cloth at least three times to make sure the imprint is completely transferred onto the fabric.

Once all the printing and painting is done, the cloth is then washed and soaked in a vat of hot water before it is hung out to dry.

Indonesian batik is most commonly made into cotton or silk shirts, dresses and sarongs. There was this batik shop which even made and sold batik ties and underwear!

Jogja is also famous for its contemporary arts scene. Artists from all over the country flock to the city to learn and to display their works in makeshift art galleries everywhere.

A majority of the art works employ similar batik techniques, using metal stamps and waxy dyes. The subjects, however are very eclectic, ranging from the traditional motifs of flora and fauna, to artistic renderings of religious icons such as Buddha and Jesus Christ.

I was very tempted to buy a few but hesitated as I couldn't figure out where I would hang them. My walls were full of pictures as it was!

In the end, I gave in to the constant persuasion by the very able salesperson, and bought this simple painting depicting Indonesian kampung life.

Just next door to the batik art shop was a workshop that specialised in puppets and facemasks.

Here they made all sorts of face masks usually worn by dancers and theatre actors during their cultural performances at weddings, religious celebrations and festivals.

I realy liked this particular mask, but unfortunately it was not for sale. Something about sentimental value for the artist. Whatever.

Then there were the puppets. These aren't your average Barbie dolls. These are Indonesian dream dolls. I think they probably would give me nightmares....

Of course no tour of Jogja would be complete without a trip to the shadow puppet performance.

When we arrived at the theatre, the show had not yet started. So we went to the puppetmaster's workshop to witness the puppet-making process.

This is the design framework for one of the puppets. I wonder how long it took for the artist to produce such a fine and detailed work.

And this is the finished product all nicely painted and stacked on a wooden block ready to paraded on the screen.

Shadow puppet plays or wayang kulit typically present mythical and morality tales based on ancient texts such as the Ramayana and Mahabhrata epics.

As the background orchestra started playing the music, signalling the show was about to start, we entered the theatre and got ourselves really good seats front and centre!

I ventured behind the screen to see these lovely female singers getting ready for the night's performance.

The orchestra used traditional musical instruments to produce the distinctive Javanese sound famous the world over.

Finally the show begins. Oh no, it was in Javanese (and not in Bahasa Indonesia which I could understand!). And man, was it hot in there. All the windows were closed and there was no a/c, not even a ceiling fan! Sadly, I lasted only fifteen minutes in there before I made a hasty exit to the cool outer courtyard to dry myself off. ;)

Java Jive '08 Part 6: My first train ride... ever!

2008-05-13T11:13:00.014+08:00

Having shopped our wallets dry and credit cards maxed out in Bandung, we started out early the next morning to our next destination: Yogyakarta or as the locals would call it, Jogja. I was very excited as we would be going by rail. Believe it or not, this was my first time traveling on a train!

The trip would take us 7 hours, with multiple stops along the way not helping things much. Still, the leisurely pace gave me lots of opportunities to savour the lovely Javanese countryside one padi field at a time.

I even managed to hang out by the railing and take 'risque' shots like this. In hindsight I guess it was pretty dangerous, but the feeling of the wind in my (ever decreasing) hair and one of my hands hanging on while the other is holding the dslr was absolutely, terrifyingly priceless. Talk about Malaysia Boleh - Indonesia Lagi Boleh!

Over the hills, and into the valleys, across the plains and through the woods, I dare say that I had more fun during this train ride than I did in the entire time we were in Jakarta! Then again, I am sure Panda would beg to differ. ;)

I wasn't sure what this was... a fish farm? A giant tic-tac-toe grid? Swimming pool for ducks?

We were on the 'executive' coach which was airconditioned, and they served complimentary nasi goreng and free flow chinese tea. Not bad considering the price of ticket was only RM30. th I wasn't in my seat much as I was too busy running around the length of the train exploring... and hanging out the side doors.

It's a pity we don't see padi fields much in Malaysia anymore. Nowadays all we get back home are palm oil estates and ... palm oil estates.

9 hours later (the ticketmaster lied!!), we arrived in the heart of Java, Yogyakarta!

Jogja was really hot. I guess after cool Bandung, every other city on Java at sea level was bound to be hot. Still, it had a very vibrant feel to it, with cars and motocycles and even horse carts jostling for space on the choked roads with devil-may-care pedestrians crossing the streets at the most inopportune times.

Here's a familiar sight, one which I haven't seen in the past two cities - the rickshaw or as the locals call it, becak.

The hotel sent a minivan to pick us up and our driver was kind enough to give us a ride around town as a preview of what we could expect in this lovely city.

He circled around the south town square where a football match was being played. As expected, it was packed with spectators and hundreds of stalls selling tidbits, drinks and even balloons.

"That is the Sultan's house", said the driver. Almost in unison, all three of us went,"You have a Sultan??" I thought Indonesia was a republic?!?

Finally we arrived at our home for the next three days: Delta Homestay. From the outside it didn't look like much.... but first impressions can be deceiving....

After checking in, we were led through a narrow footpath into the interior of the hotel grounds...

... past a few units of charming chalets...

... to our rooms. Finally! I needed a shower really bad by then!

Ooh... a pool! Nice! Wonder if we'll ever have the time for a dip.

As Panda and Nan beat me to the bathrooms, I took some time to take a walk around the property, as the open air garden setting of the hotel felt very comfortable and soothing.

Erm.... For a small guy, he sure has a very... long.... earlobe!

There were flowers everywhere, on the walls, all along the foothpaths and by the pool. Macro time!

I think my mom had this plant back home, but I have never seen her plant bloom as beautifully as this! Sorry mom. ;)

I remember plucking a few stalks of this honeysuckle and sucking the sweet nectar from the ends of the stalk back in my childhood days.

The hotel laundry service was quite expensive, at 6000 Rp a shirt. I found this small launderette that charged only a quarter of the price! And it was only two doors away from the hotel!

Our first meal in Jogja was at a small restaurant that specialised in all things bakso. Bakso is rice noodles soup with meatballs. The drier less soupy version is called bakmie while Nan preferred the rice dish (instead of noodles) as he was nursing a toothache at the time.

Toothache or not, that didn't stop him from trying out the world famous (and most espensive) coffee, Kopi Luwak.

Get this: a cup of Kopi Luwak cost 120,000 Rp which was about RM45 and a 500g bag of the precious beans retailed at US100! What is so special or 'rare' about it? Well, it's made from coffee beans harvested from the droppings of the civet cat. I know it doesn't sound very appettising, but believe me, it was the most delicious sip of coffee I have ever tasted. (Yeah I was too cheap to order a RM45 cup of coffee for myself.)

And finally, this is the face of a very contented coffee connoisseur who has just had his first taste of glorified wildcat-poo.

Java Jive '08 Part 5: Crater Lake

2008-05-12T00:48:00.009+08:00

Early the next morning, we hired a taxi to take us to the nearby town of Ciwidey to visit the crater lake of Kawah Putih (White Crater). Along the way, we were treated to excellent vistas of padi fields and volcanoes.

As we ascended up the hill, the vista got even more impressive, as padi fields gave way to rice terraces and strawberry farms.

The morning mist gave the place an added sense of serenity and isolation. I could live here forever. Then again, maybe not. ;)

The taxi driver was kind enough to stop along the way to give us some time to stretch our legs and also to take some pictures of the strawberry farms. As it wasn't the season, we could not do the usual ritual of picking our own strawberries. Oh well, there's always Cameron.

After about two hours of numbing our butts, we finally arrived at the park. It looked deserted...

Welcome to Ciwidey's Kawah Putih National Park!

As we got out of the car, the guide instructed us to hike up a footpath through the woods. Hmmm..... good thing I brought my hiking shoes.

It struck me as rather odd to see a lot of the tree trunks and branches here to be almost black and charred, and yet there were flowering shoots coming out of them.

As we descended the steps towards the crater, the 'rotten egg' smell became noticeable, as would be expected in seismically active areas.

The footpath then gave way to gravel and small rocks and the going got tougher by the minute. The fog too was setting in.... Hmm... This is starting to look a bit too much like the recent Stephen King movie, The Mist!

I looked around and all I saw were charred tree branches and dark grey earth. It didn't help that Nan kept whistling the Twilight Zone theme song.

The fog got really, really thick and the stink was almost overpowering...... It got so bad we had to call out each other's names to 'see' where they were.

And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the fog lifted.... and we saw this - dead branches sticking out of milky green water.

I didn't realise that I had wandered onto a narrow sand bank that jutted right out into the lake. One wrong step and I would have drowned in the lake! Ok, that was a wee bit overdramatic. ;)

It was indeed a very strangely beautiful place and once our noses got used to the stench, we got out our cameras and started snapping away like hungry crocodiles in a fish farm!

We spent almost an hour in this otherworldly place, taking tons of pictures as the fog came in and went, revealing more details of the background and then drawing back the curtains as if playing peekaboo with us.

There was a mine shaft where sulfur was being extracted and we were warned not to stand at the mouth of the cave for too long. I wondered why until I actually stood there and got dizzy from the blast of sulfurous wind coming out. The cave farted in my face!

I thought my mind was still playing tricks on me because of the mild sulfurous intoxication when I noticed a wedding photography session in the distance.... till the very 'fierce' bride looked my way and stared right back at me! I so pity the groom.... ;)

Java Jive '08 Part 4: Land Of The Happy Soda

2008-05-10T10:46:00.007+08:00

Having had enough of muggy and chaotic Jakarta, we traveled eastward deeper into the heart of West Java to the city of Bandung which is Indonesia's 4th largest city with a total population of just under 7 million inhabitants within its metropolitan area.

Bandung has the feel of a provincial town gone awry, with development and chaos growing side by side. Luckily the city, being at an elevation of about 900m above sea level, has a much cooler climate, so navigating through the streets choked with motorbikes, cars, 'angkut's and horse carts that were moving in all directions just seemed less stressful. ;)

In between two-storey shophouses and office buildings were small plots of land that have been planted with padi seedlings, to be transplanted to the big fields and terraces once they have grown to a more manageable size.

Walking around the city center proved to be quite a challenge as a big part of the area were unlit, apart from the main street that runs through the entire length of the town, Jalan Asia-Afrika. I almost bumped into this charming coconuts leaves woven... something that was just hanging there by the roadside.

Bandung is well known for its shopping bargains. Everywhere we turned there was a market to be explored, selling everything from 'branded' shoes to pirated DVDs, religious headgears to the shortest of shortpants I have ever seen.

Speaking of headgears, we went to this particular stall which sold all kinds of Islamic garments, in all the colours of the rainbow. And who said prayer is a sombre affair??

Panda was on the hunt for a telekung, the costume that ladies wear while performing daily prayers, for his mum. And his elder sister. And his younger sister. And his cousin who was coming to visit. And his eldest niece who would get jealous if she didn't get one too. And...

They even had telekungs-to-go. The entire costume came folded and squeezed into this cutesy little colour-coded linen bag. Now, ladies, you have no reason not to perform your prayers while on the go!! Hehehe

I wondered what the people here in Bandung would call a drink that back in Malaysia is called Sirap Bandung, which is rose syrup mixed with condensed milk and fizzy ice-cream soda. Would they call it just Syrup? Or reciprocate by calling it Soda Malaya? Well, after much thumbing through the drinks menu, we finally found a similar drink, which was called .... SODA GEMBIRA or Happy Soda!

Erm... ok... I know that many East Asians like to eat dog meat, especially in Vietnam and Korea. But here in Java, apparently the locals prefer baked felines for supper?

O, I have to put in a good word for the place where we stayed. It's a homestay, and the owner a very lovely young lady by the name of Kanti lived in the main part of the house while we took the west annexe.

It was basically its own little apartment, with two well furnished bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a bathroom of course.

Every morning, we would have our breakfast al-fresco (freshly prepared by Kanti) here accompanied by the sound of birds chirping and bees buzzing.... relatively peaceful and quiet considering the main road was just about 100m away!

I would've loved just sitting here, sipping a nice cup of tea, chatting with friends or playing cards, enjoying the cool weather, watching the world pass us by....

Instead we went gallivanting around town (the taxi fares here are cheap... by KL standards!) searching for shopping bargains. One place we went to was a one-stop shop called Rumah Mode for all things 'branded'. I got myself a couple of leather wallets for RM30 each, and a really fancy 'Prada' laptop bag for only RM60!!

Then we went to the famous 'Jeans Street' to shop for clothing bargains... Ooh... Superman!

Hmmm..... Bandung people must have an obsession with comic book superheroes....must be related to Nick, eh? ;)

Java Jive '08 Part 3: Taman Mini Indonesia or But I Did Go To Bali And I Have The Pics To Prove It!

2008-05-07T16:06:00.010+08:00

There are about a gazillion islands in the Indonesian archipelago and it would seem impossible to visit each and every one of them. However, there is a place not far from Jakarta where they have built replicas of famous landmarks from all corners of the country so that one can get a small taste of what it's like in say, Medan, Jogja and even Bali, without having to go there. Although, I'd think one would be foolish to actually give Bali a miss!

This is Taman Mini Indonesia. Its is a 250 acre park which displays distinctive cultural aspects of various provinces such as architecture, clothing, music and food. And what better way to see it all than by cable car!

Right in the centre of the park is a really big , or rather long, lake in which mini islands in the shape of the actual islands of Indonesia have been 'planted'.

Here is the 'island' of Sulawesi as seen from the cable car. Yes I realise it is upside down, but what to do, the stupid cable car didn't pass by the other side of the lake.

Some of the houses on display were really very impressive, like this one from the western Sumateran province of Padang. The horn-like shape of the roof symbolises its cultural affinity with the water buffalo.

This all-roof spiral structure comes from province of Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.

The domed cage is the Bird Park. I dunno why, but I kept getting reminded of the pteranodon aviary in Jurassic Park 3.

And this is Indonesia's very own version of Disneyland!

The day we went to the park happened to be the very same day they were celebrating the park's 33rd anniversary. The entrance fee had been waived for that day and so the park was filled to the brim with visitors and of course CARS!

Meanwhile, back on the ground, we decided to explore a few of the more interesting houses on display.

The first one we went to was the one representing Padang, with the horned roofs. Up close the walls were very richly decorated with motifs depicting gods, human faces and local flora and fauna.

There were quite a lot of rather scary faces put up around the house, presumably to ward off evil spirits.

We spotted this monkey who was a bit too narcissistic for its own good as it kept looking at its own reflection in the mirror and not performing tricks for the audience.

This house looks like my friend's grandmother's house in Johor... and no wonder, its a replica of a typical residence found in the province of Riau which is just south of Johor (and Singapore).

People here sure loved their sampans. And they must have had lots of time on their hands to decorate the entire breadth and length of these 150ft long boats.

We arrived just in time to witness a performance of the 'dondang sayang'. Ah.. I feel like I'm back home in my kampung in Johor....

Just around the corner was a small museum that exhibited cultural items pertaining to the Riau way of life. We made a bee line for the museum.... mainly because it was fully air-conditioned. Hey, it was freaking hot, ok?

These are the musical instruments used during official and cultural ceremonies in Riau. As noted, they are somewhat similar to the ones in Johor and Singapore.

Erm.... I think this is the headgear used by the bride (or groom, I'm not sure) during the istiadat bersanding (kinda like the main wedding ceremony).

Hey, so that's where my grandma's old iron went!

Exiting the museum, we wandered further until we found ourselves in .... BALI!!!

The architecture and artistic values of Bali was very unique and the island's lot was by far the most popular among the tourists.

They've even reproduced a faithful replica of the front gate of a typical Balinese Hindu temple or chandi.

All in all, we had a very enjoyable and informative time here in Taman Mini. If only the whole of Jakarta didn't decide to follow us here!

Java Jive '08 Part 2: Jakarta Jaunt

2008-05-05T22:07:00.012+08:00

It's the world's 11th largest city and is the capital of the largest Muslim nation on the planet. You could fit the entire population of Malaysia into its metropolitan area and by looking at its legendary traffic snarls, I am convinced that is true. Welcome to the capital city of Indonesia, JAKARTA!!!!

Flying into Jakarta, we were caught in an afternoon shower which did no favours for the traffic jam that we found ourselves in for the first two hours of our time there. KL traffic is like a walk in the park compared to this!

Jakartans have various ways to get around, from bikes and cars, to the 'tuk-tuk'esque bajaj and 'kereta angkut's - minivans the size of a Daihatsu Charade which they pack in at least ten people at any given time.

After checking into a decidedly pink 'family room' at the hotel, we decided to look for our very first meal in Indonesia. And Nan's really hungry for his daily dose of tempe, a savoury soybean cake that's synonymous with Java.

And what luck, we found a cosy little restaurant just opposite our hotel which served Nasi Padang, which basically is white rice with mini portions of a variety of dishes ranging from coconut chicken and beef curry to fried cow's lung and raw tapioca shoots. All in all we were served with 20 dishes but... NO TEMPE!!! Then we figured out why - Nasi Padang's from Sumatera, not Java. Doh!

We all got a kick out of this dish - Sup Buntut. Hehehe. Ok, translation time. In Malay, Sup Buntut would mean Ass Soup. Well, obviously Indonesians don't eat ass.... in a soup. ;) In local Bahasa, Sup Buntut means (Cow) Tail Soup which would make more sense... but only just a bit.

Afterwards, with our stomachs satiated, we hit the tourist trail and made for the National Monument (MONAS) in the heart of downtown Jakarta. This 450ft tall tower stands proudly as a symbol of the nation's struggle for independence from the Dutch and affords its visitors a bird's eye view of the Jakarta skyline, if it's not too smoggy, of course.

Dunno who this guy is, but me thinks the sculptor must have been a fan of Tolkien's elves. Hehehe

Beneath the monument, is an underground complex which houses the National History Musuem where one can view the enitre history of Indonesia in a series of dioramas, from the Java Man to the Declaration of Independance.

Unlike the Malaysians, Indonesians viewed the Japanese Occupation favourably as it gave them the opportunity to escape from the clutches of Dutch colonial rule.

After a half-hour wait for the exceedingly small and slow lift up to the observation deck, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the city in all its smoggy glory. Oh well, at least it was cool and windy up there.

Later we ventured into the Old Town area, also known as Taman Fatahillah. My first impression of the place was that it was definitely a world of contrasts. Beautifully restored colonial buildings stood side by side with dilapidated shophouses complete with collapsed roofs.

The most impressive building was the Jakarta Historical Museum, once the Stadhuis of Batavia, the seat of Governor General of Dutch East India Company.

The buildings surrounding the central square appear to be the only ones that have been restored to their former glory.

There was also this swanky restaurant on the east side of the square that was apparently famous for its elaborate lunches and glamorous all-night parties. Way too posh for us.

Just a stone's throw from the restaurant are buildings that looks the same except they look like they've just been bombed out and their roofs have caved in.

Some were just walls left standing while trees and birds invade their insides giving them an eerily haunted fascade.

As we walked further along the roads, we found ourselves in a port filled with huge sailboats and swarthy dock workers filling them up with all sorts of goods like rice and coal. We had wandered into Sunda Kelapa, the old OLD part of Jakarta. Talk about going off the beaten track.

These ships remain a viable method of transportation of goods across the Indonesian archipelago and all the way to Singapore. Speaking of the archipelago, up next: a trip across the entire 'archipelago'... in one afternoon!

Java Jive '08 Part 1: Impressions

2008-04-30T20:53:00.010+08:00

I just got back from a 10 day 'backpacking' holiday in Java with two of my best buddies Nan and Panda. We had a great time there sampling the local culinary delights, were awestruck by the temples and ancient ruins and broke the bank shopping for souvenirs, t-shirts and everything else in between!

Now, comes the gigantic task of sorting through the hundreds of photos I took throughout the trip, from Jakarta to Bandung, then by train to Jogja and finally a half-day sojourn in the Solo countryside.

So, while I put iPhoto and Photoshop Elements into overdrive, here are a few tantalising morsels of what I call my Java Jive 2008. Enjoy!

We touched down on a very wet and congested Jakarta. Those horror stories about Jakarta's traffic jams? All true!

First up: MONAS (Monumen Nasional) Park. Lots of monuments (duh!) and a very informative museum about Indonesia's political history.

We wandered around the seamier side of Jakarta in our quest to venture beyond the beaten track and found a shipyard of gigantic sailboats and a squatters block side by side. Amazing!

This is Taman Mini Indonesia, a Bali-meets-Disneyland-meets-Taman Negara behemoth of a park which was filled to the brim with visitors because we happened to go there on its 33rd anniversary celebrations and entrance was free for the day!

We then escaped to cool Bandung, a city situated about 750m above sea level. Panda got a hoot out of performing his solat at the largest mosque in the city, Masjid Agung.

Then it was off to the markets for some retail therapy. Here we are at the local textile market looking for telekungs for Panda's mum.

Traffic in Bandung was also chaotic, no thanks to traditional modes of transportation like horse carts and trishaws.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so volcanoes and hot springs abound throughout Java. This is Kawah Putih (White Crater) where the trees are charred black and the lake water is an otherworldly green.

In Jogja, we were literally driven into a batik factory, but I didn't mind as it was an educational trip which allowed me to appreciate the fabric art-form even more.

I couldn't say the same about the Wayang Kulit performance, as it was performed in a sweltering hall with no fans, no windows and worse, the performance was not in Bahasa, but Javanese!

The jewel in Java's crown is Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist temple complex situated about an hour from Jogja.

Nan couldn't pass on trying the famous local coffee called Kopi Luwak, brewed from coffee beans collected from within civet cat droppings. It tasted a lot better than it sounded, believe me.

We also got to explore Taman Sari, a partly ruined complex built as a pleasure garden by the first Sultan in 1765. Lots of tunnels, pools and dutch style architecture. Great photo-ops!

Our last day in Java was spent in Solo, a city renowned for its beautiful countryside. Everywhere we turned, there were picturesque rice terraces, majestic tea plantations and wind swept sugar cane fields.

There were also a few ancient Hindu temples (called candi), which are still used today by the local population for their religious ceremonies as well as sites for their wedding photos.

This is where I sign off for now. Hope you guys enjoyed the pick of the litter. There's more, of course, and I hope to be posting them up in the days to come. Tunggu ya, pak!

Three cocks for the price of one!

2008-04-29T13:32:00.005+08:00

This telephone conversation was recorded during a phone-out by two local djs to a catering company. CAUTION: I will not be held responsible for any bodily liquids squirting out the nose or death by ruptured funny bone or any other causes as a result of listening to this audio clip.

Pulau Weh 2008: Part 7

2008-04-14T10:29:00.009+08:00

Pulau Weh has got to be one of best dive sites on the planet due to its crystal clear waters and abundant marine life. The sheer variety of corals and fishes was astounding, from pilot sharks to mantas, giant gorgonian sea fans to tiny nudibranches, there is something here for every diver.

And thanks to this lady, my good friend and dive mentor Yanni, I was able to savour the underwater wonders of Pulau Weh.

Ok, on with the final few dive pics. And have I saved the best (most of which were taken by Nazri) for last. This is a black-saddled sharpnose pufferfish. It's basically a pufferfish lah (fugu, you know?) but got a bit too creative (or narcissistic) about its appearance. ;)

This is a very very small nudibranch which only a very skillful diver could stay still enough to capture on film. Who else: Nazri lah!

This pretty little thing is called a flatworm. And its brightly coloured body is to ward off predators. Unfortunately this strategy had backfired when facing its most notorious enemy: the underwater photographer. Pretty mah.... so take picture lor....

This elusive fish is called the spotted boxfish. It is a distant relative of the pufferfish (probably by marriage) Hehehe

Wah.... a lady diver dropped her handkerchief..... no lah, this is a nudibranch egg mass. Apparently they spiral in an anti-clockwise direction. I wonder if nudibranch eggs in the southern hemisphere spiral in the opposite direction.....

That's me with Simon and his big-ass underwater camera equipment.... looks impressive but damn bloody hard to manoeuvre underwater especially when there is strong current.

The thing about Weh is the abundance of fish and the water clarity that makes the entire vista so enchanting. Everything is just that much more colourful, and many a time we found ourselves in depths over 40m and yet it was so clear and bright.

This is a table coral with its very own centrepiece. Maybe the host is expecting a few divers for dinner. Yummm....

Another honeycomb moray eel guarding its lair against predators and pesky divers who can't seem to leave it alone.

Our final dive of the trip was at a shallow sand bank dubbed the volcano due to the underwater hot springs that spew out boiling hot sulfurous gas.

Even in such an environment, we could see lots of fish, and very large ones at that, swimming around as if they realy relished the sauna-like environment.

This is the aquatic version of a communal Japanese sauna where every one just gathers around the warmth and lets it all hang out. :)

Erm.....I think this is Simon making his contribution to the gaseous environment.

Before we knew it, it was time to go back up.... for good. The last dive on the last day was over.... Time to head back to shore and clean up and pack up everything.

Ah, here's the group photo of all 25 of us... erm... where's Nazri? Alamak, he has been cut out of the pic... Sorry bro!

So until the next dive trip, I wish you all clear skies and everything nice. Oh oh, coming up... my JAVA PICS!!!!!

Pulau Weh 2008: Part 6

2008-04-09T12:11:00.007+08:00

Poor boatman's wondering where everybody went...

Well, Aris, everybody had jumped overboard when they found out mantas had been sighted here earlier today!

Well, we didn't see mantas right away of course. What we did see right off the bat was a giant school of jacks in a vortex formation.

Needless to say, quite a few of us tried to approach the vortex, but if you have ever tried to chase after fish, even if they're in their thousands, you will know that fish can outswim human divers very very easily.

So, I decided to concentrate on less mobile creatures... like this very interesting species of sea sponge, which actually reminds me of a multi-toothbrush holder which I bought in Bangkok last year.... or was it from Bali.....?

While waiting for the others to descend, I spotted this huge lobster.... head. Quick, somebody call the CSI: Marine to this crime scene.... Decapitated lobster, COD looks like erm... decapitation.... no signs of forced entry into its coral, need to check for traces of GSR and I guess its gonna be a DOA case.

This heavily adorned star fish is another type of noduled Sea Star. Its arms were about six inches long and I swear the thing try to reach out to grab me! Either that or the narcosis had started to kick in.

Another clump of feather star. Remember, this is an animal, not a plant. Whatever.

This is a striped surgeonfish. Its name is derived from its razor sharp hind fins which are used as a protective measure from would be predators. Hehehe and also due to its resemblance to McDreamy.

This hard coral looks like extra large clumps of white fungus... You know, the stuff your mom puts into the Leng Chee Kang and makes you eat because its "good for you"?

After hours of exhaustive searching through my fish books, I finally 'think' that this is a Vagabond Butterflyfish...see the bluish tinge on the edge of its dorsal fins?

Lest you think that I have gotten tired of my favourite u'w subject, here's a very beautiful specimen of the Chromodoris kuniei nudibranch. Thanks to Nazri for pointing it out to me and also for allowing me to post this pic.

This regal looking fish is an Emperor Angelfish....

And not far behind, is his baby, Crown Prince Angelfish. (That's a juvenile Emperor Anglefish for those who are a bit slow.)

This little surgeonfish went to market.... this little surgeonfish stayed at home.... this little surgeonfish had roast decapitated lobster..... this little surgeonfish had none... and this little surgeonfish cried blwee blwee blwee al the way home.

Then suddenly, just as we were about to give up our search, right on cue! Look up in the shallow water! Its a bird! No, it's a plane! No lah, stupid, it's a Manta ray!!!

See, everybody was so happy that they forgot that they need to breathe through the second stage!

No Lynn, you can't breathe through your mouth like a fish.... Oooh.. nice teeth....

Pulau Weh 2008: Part 5

2008-04-05T16:18:00.008+08:00

Here are some more dive pics from the amazing clear blue waters of Weh. It was so clear (and therefore bright) that a lot of us didn't realise we had dived to almost beyond the recreational depth limit of 40m!

These are live anchovies. You know, the stuff you put on your pizza? Getting kinda hungry now.

They call this the day octopus because, you guessed it, it comes out during the day (most other octopuses are noctournal). Personally I would rather it come out in bite-sized rings, deep fried in batter with tartar sauce on the side. With a hint of lemon juice, thanks.

This star fish is called the Noduled Sea Star. And alas, it is not edible. At least not by me.

Another inedible critter, the zebra lionfish, unless you want to have swollen lips and puffed up cheeks from being stung by its poisonous back fins as you chomp down on it lah.

This is a really long trumpet fish.... about 5 feet long. If you don't believe me, go fly to Weh, and measure it for yourself!

The sea fans here are huge! And perfectly beautiful!

My first impression of this was of a huge hippo yawning in my face. However, since hippos can't live underwater (they can swim and submerge to hunt for food in rivers, but only for minutes at a time), I had to settle for just a sea sponge trying its best to look like a hippo's gaping mouth.

A close-up of some of the pretty flower-blooms-like soft corals aptly called flower corals. Really! I didn't make it up.

Ah, here's another one of those attention hungry lionfish. Why else would they be strutting around in the open sea with their stripes and lacey but poisonous fins all decked out like a proud peacock?

Oohh... a family of clown fish having a picnic at the local hard coral. Quick! How many clown fish can you spot? Uno.... dos.... tres.... catorce!

Kesian! This coral octopus is trying his best to tahan the onslaught of attack from the fishes while posing for us. So sporting one!

This colourful bushy outcrop is called a Feather Star. Believe it or not, it is an ANIMAL, related to starfish and sea urchin.

This of course is not an animal... No wait, it is! It is a type of hard coral. And corals, hard or soft, are classified as animals.

Meanwhile, this is a very green... erm... angelfish? I couldn't find its name in my fish book. Have I discovered a new species???

This cutie shyster is a hermit crab that has hijacked a snail shell and used it for its own protection.

Ok, after all that fun playing Superman underwater and taking pics, we were all herded back up to the surface....

Then I noticed Vincent, one of our divemasters gesturing to Su about something.... from what I could gather, it was about Su having lost sight of her dive buddy, Azura. Oh no!

Ah, here she is! Je vous presente Azura aka Remora (aka suckerfish).