Late Night Mini Adventure

Hong Kong Vacation series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Late Night Mini Adventure| Meet Our Mini Snow White|

Ladies Market.

Khadra and I had set this as our destination of the night. Right after we left the younger Khas in their pajamas with their daddy at the hotel, that is. :)I was told that the operating hours were until 11.30pm so when we headed out of the hotel at 10.45pm (walking, mind you) we would had just enough time for some girly shopping of oh you know, the usuals - tops, dresses, pants, vest etc. Wee-hee!

The receptionist told us to head "Thataway" down Nathan Road.

"Very near. Only 5 to 10 minutes walk", she said.

Adventure pun bermula. Just me and my firstborn child. Let's go.

Walk, walk. Turn right at Portland Road into Nathan Road.

Turn left and walk, walk, walk somemore.

Walk, walk, walk...

We started the walk very near to Yau Ma Tei MTR, down Nathan Road. Then, we passed Mong Kok MTR. That sounded about right. Dah dekat lah ni. :)

Walk, walk, walk.

Walk, walk, walk somemore.

Walk, walk, walk...

Then, another MTR station appeared. The Prince Edward MTR stop. Hmm... Ada sedikit musykil di situ.

Walk, walk, walk.

Walk, walk, walk...

We walked right to the end of the road, coming up to a cross-junction. By now, it was already 20 minutes of walking and I felt like I have just lost my legs. And it doesn't look anywhere near the Ladies Market. Ayyoo... :( (Sila refer to Leg 1 of the journey in the map below)

So, decided to be smart and turned back to Prince Edward MTR to take us back to Yau Ma Tei MTR. That turned out to be a good decision. At the end of Leg 2 of the adventure, we noted a map distinctly showing where Ladies Market were. Sebenarnya, dekat aje from the hotel, okeh! Just take the second turn to the right and then you could see the buzz already! Ayyoyo.. Awatla tak tengok map, makcik oi!!!! Gungho bebenor... Leg 3 of the journey, barulah kami tiba di destinasi. :)

It reminded me of Petaling Street, really. With hawkers setting up their booth in the alley. There were a variety of stuff on sale. Tops, shirts, pants, dresses, socks, jade, watches, etc. I was only interested to get some outfits for Khadra and/or me. We checked out a stall which tried to sell us almost everything on display at "Cheap! Cheap!' price. Tapi, rasanya macam kena ketuk je... Memula tu memang dia bukak price mahal. I started to haggle, macam nak dapaaat je.

Pastu, dia tambah lagi :

"Take this one nice."
"This one also nice."
"This dress look very nice on you."
"All , 6 pieces, HKDXXX"

Aku macam kena pukau, ambik je semua. Dah habih bayar, kira-kira macam, "Wei! Kena ketuk la! " Doink!

We were walking back to the hotel, when I noticed a shop (like a proper shop) in one of the alleys. Macam menarik je baju-baju dia. And best of all, the price was sooo blardy much cheaper. And very very nice too! So, demi economies of scale, I had to buy a few pieces to lower the average, right? And we did! Khadra had a fabulous time choosing, as well. Here are some of our catch!

Tu je lah cerita nya. Macam ya-ya je suruh tunggu. hihihihihihihihi

Next on the Hong Kong Travel-log would be our days in Disneyland. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Day 2 in Hong Kong : The Day of Transport!

Hong Kong Vacation series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Late Night Mini Adventure| Meet Our Mini Snow White|

Mari sambung ceritera Hong Kong. (You can read the Day 1 post here)

Couldn't exactly wake up early on the second day of our mini holiday, but what the hey... We were on vacation, man... Our mantra was, "Have a plan, but be ready to just wing it" ;) Kids were decked in purple today. Saje je, kasi theme colour sikit... :)

"We are ready, Dad! Let's go!"

Annnnnyways.... According to the second day plan, we will be going to The Peak to visit Madame Tussaud's. So, even early on, we knew it would involve a whole lot of transportation. MTR, taxi, double decker bus, ferry, tram.. You just name it. :)

Seeing that we were already running late, we had our breakfast at McD in Nathan Road (ya, kami jalan kaki) with Khadra enjoying her hotcakes as usual and Khaleeq discovering that he actually likes Filet-o-Fish. Since we were there during the breakfast to normal menu transition time, Khaleeda was able to have her fries. as well Apa-apa je lah labu, asalkan makan.

Breakfast at McD

We had a very loooong day ahead of us. We took the taxi (couldn't bother to figure out the public transportation, I guess) straight to the Star Ferry Jetty.

At the jetty, we were approached by a Big Bus Tour representative. We figured that hop on - hop off bus was a good way to know the city, right? We immediately bought their package inclusive of:

1. ferry tickets to Hong Kong island
2. the Red tour route (this route goes thru the city and stops over at Lower Tram Terminal to go to The Peak)
   
3. return tram tickets to The Peak
4. the Green tour routes (this route goes over to the Ocean Park dan kawasan sewaktu dengannya)
   
5. sampan boat ride at Aberdeen
6. the Night Tour (for Kowloon area that ends at the Avenue of Stars)

On hindsight, we didn't actually have enough time to go through the Green route, so if you wanna complete both routes, it's probably wise to start earlier on in the day. There's also the option of the 48hour validity if you wanna spread the tour out a little bit.

Anyhoots, sebelum naik ferry to Central, masih sempat lagi kami buat nama anak- anak in Chinese calligraphy. Me and Azrul got ourselves a stamping block of our name in Chinese. Pretty cool... Since it took a while to complete, we decided to come back later on that night to collect the items. No pictures taken at the store as the sales lady strictly showed me the signs - "No Photography" Hmm, O.K! *but I could upload a picture of the finished product later*

The ferry trip was very short indeed. Probably around 5-10 minutes. Tak sempat pun nak mabuk laut. I terasa ala-ala naik ferry kat Penang je, but much briefer.

Mengembara naik feri. Mak bapak pun jakun sekali. Sila abaikan ilusi gemuk saya ittew.

We got down at the Central ferry jetty and looked for the Big Bus Tour stand. We had just missed the Red tour bus and had to wait for the next one. Good thing about it though, we found a Halal kebab store at the terminal. Yeay! (Tak beli pun coz we were still very full then. But we bought it before the Night Tour started and it was oh so sedap!)

Moral of the story here: Please check the timing for the tour as the bus leaves at an interval of 30 minutes for the Red route and 45 minutes for the Green route. Jangan dok sibuk nak beli souvenir aje. *Sheesh*

The hop-on, hop-off Bus Tour was pretty awesome. They had a narration going on about the places we visited with the option of getting off the bus at the pre-determined stops. There were many anecdotes told, one even pointed out that we could buy some kind of misfortune spells. Once you are done exploring the area of attraction, just hop on to the next bus according to the schedule given. We were pretty happy at the roof-less top, even though it was so darn hot! Adoii... Touristy betul lah!

Touristy mode. Biarlah panas pun tak apa..

As planned, we came down at the Lower Tram Terminal to catch the tram up to The Peak. there was a photobooth set up near the ticketing counter where you are able to snap a picture of you and/or your family/group with a backdrop of the tram and the view. They will print out the pictures in an A8 size and also make it into keychains or snowglobes. Being the suckers that we were, we bought them, at about HKD130 per picture and 3keychains for HKD165. (I think) On hindsight, I think that photo op was totally unnecessary as you are able to take nice pictures in the tram, up on the Peak etc. So, tak payah pun tak pe sebenarnya. Tahan ajelah naluri tourist tu..

Posing - posing sikit...

By the time we got up there, we were rather famished. So we went for a little loo break and attacked Bubba Gump. All things seafood. Yumms. Cuma a little pricey, which is to be expected lah since we were up in the hilltops! :) Did a little bit of reflecting and looking at the time we had left, we decided to skip the rest of the Red route as well as the Green route in the Big Bus Tour. So, we had a little time to spend in Madame Tussaud's before catching the shuttle for the Night tour later in the evening.

Madame Tussaud's was next. Each adult tickets cost HKD160 and kids HKD90. (I think la, tak berapa ingat) Tapi kami amat jakun dan teruja sekali. Main activity was camwhoring lah , apa lagi.. There were soo many famous (and not too known by us) faces in such unique settings. Celebrities, dignitaries, accomplished sportsmen, artists.. Eh, tapinya kitorang tak jumpa Justin Bieber pun. Tak cukup glamer kot.

Of course, there were opportunities for the museum to make some quick bucks too. There were photographers stationed in various strategic exhibits all around. They will give you a little photo chit that you shall need to preview your pictures near the check out. We bought a few photos (but of course) and even took one with a Madame Tussaud's photo frame.

Some of the exhibits had additional costumes, wigs and props that one could use for a great pose. For example, the crown and robe near the Queen of England, the fat suit near the supposedly famous sumo wrestler, robes at the exhibit for Rembrant. It was rather fun trying to create funny poses. Well, we certainly did. I especially liked @azrulx's Marilyn Monroe pose. hahahahaha

My regal pose nect to the Royal family, cheeky Khaleeda with Janice, Albert Einstein and also the potrait by Rembrant. Check out Khaleeq smiling away sebelah perempuan sexy ittew.

Mahatma Gandhi, Spiderman, Obama, Captain Jack Sparrow and of course, @azrulx Monroe -only thing missing is the white dress!

Me in the sumo fat suit and chilling with Gaga. @azrulx with Tiger woods and The Beatles. Kids balik kampung jumpak atok Jepun.

Once done, we went up to the Sky View for some more picture opportunities. There's a minimal charge going up as well, but the view is breathtaking. Even when it was a little misty (hazy?), one is able to see a 360degree view of Hong Kong island and it's amazing skyline.

At the 360 Sky View, taking in the sights of Hong Kong from the Peak.

We quickly took the tram down and caught a taxi back to the Central jetty to catch the shuttle for the Night tour.

Sudah mahu pulang...

The route for the Night Tour explores the main attraction in the Kowloon area. Famous for their neon signages, we got to experience the Kowloon night life up close and personal. They also pointed out the Ladies' Market , Kowloon's famous street market where almost absolutely everything is for sale. We ended the tour at the Avenue of Stars to catch the Symphony of Lights at 8.30pm. Make sure you stand near the Intercontinental Hotel to catch the neon and laser lights from the Hong Kong island buildings dancing to the tune of the selected music. Pretty, so very pretty.

Kowloon Night Tour

We took a walk along Avenue of Stars (again) to the Star ferry Jetty to collect our souvenirs. Then, we decided to embark in a little "Jalan-jalan cari makan" to find halal food. Budak-budak dah kemaruk nak makan ayam, so upon some consultation through blog reviews and stuff, we decided to check out Islam Food at No 1, Lung Kong Road, Kowloon City. It is one of those places where the locals get their food, so don't expect anything fancy, yeah. A lot of pointing at the menu afterwards, we got our food and it was yummeh! Kids had the fried rice with shredded chicken. Worthy mentions are the Curry mutton with Pot-pan with scallions and the beef with spring onion. I really wanted to try the veal goulash but there wasn't enough room in my tummy.

Jalan-jalan cari makan

Hari sudah malam, perut sudah kenyang.. So, balik hotel la... Just that me and Khadra had a little mini adventure later that night. Ceritanya? Tungguuuuuu..... ;)

-dillz blogging out-

Meet Our Mini Snow White!

Hong Kong Vacation series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Late Night Mini Adventure| Meet Our Mini Snow White|

We are already back from our short vacation in Hong Kong and boy am I glad that we ended it all in Disneyland. Kids were on high and great positive vibes were all around. :)

One of the activities that we signed up for at the hotel was the "My Little Princess" program - a makeover session for your little princess into Cinderella, Aurora, Tinker Bell, Giselle or Snow White. Seeing that we will be checking out of the hotel at 11am on Saturday, 6th June 2011, I had already booked a slot for Khaleeda on Saturday 9am right from our check-in day. Booking and reservations can be done via the phone or at the souvenir shop in the hotel lobby.

When the day came, we marched to King Triton room at Level 3 (i.e. Ground floor).

There were three packages - Value (HKD 350), Deluxe (HKD630) and Premium (HKD830) Khaleeda chose to be Snow White which is a Premium package, but she gets to keep the costume, tiara, wand and wig at the end of the day and given one free photo (8" x 10") to bring home. Here she is trying out the costume for size in the changing room. :)

Make over in progress - Face, Eyes, Lips, Hair and even a wig and tiara! During this time, the sales assistant will offer you the accessories (wand and glove and trendy bag) for another HKD190 and princess shoes for HKD200. Since Khaleeda already got a wand included with the package, we said no to the additional accessories but she really liked the silver shoes, so we got a pair for her.

Next was the photoshoot. The photographer had an assistant who helped coach the child to do different princess poses. Put your wand up, hold your skirt, play with the curtains, face on hand, princess pose, etc. Wah! So professional... Looks like they'll have quite a collection of good pictures to choose from. It'll be difficult to just choose one, (or so) I thought.

I was trying to get some of the shots myself with our oun trusted camera. But it was rather difficult with the assistant being so close to her and I didn't get any of the tight shots.

True enough, they did offer another package for photography. A complete photo album of 10 additional photos and single use instant camera and Disney princess pouch for an additional of HKD1,600 (or so). Adoiii... Tapi, memang gegar iman la bila tengok the shots. So beautiful.... So professional... Can't believe it's my daughter. So, yeah. We succumbed to it and got them too.

But I truly believe the experience was well worth it la. Just to make all that investment lebih worth it, we took many more pictures of Khaleeda in her costume around the hotel. Nampak macam tengah nak pergi ball, kan? She put those coaching to good use. She knows a few princessy pose already. hihihihihihi

She also kept it on all the way back to Malaysia. Yes, the plane ride included.

She was lapping up the attention too. Many strangers stopped to take pictures of her, say Hi to her and pointing at her. "Princess, Princess" , "Hi Snow White" and there she was, replying to her subjects "Hi!!!!" siap dengan wave lagi. :) After touching down on Malaysian soil, we dropped by my parents' place coz she wanted to show off to her Tok Ki and Nenek. After about 10 hours in that dress and complete makeup, baru bukak. Barulah worth it...

That's all for now. Will get back to my Hong Kong travel-logue in the next entries. Tarra!

-dillz blogging out-

Hai Hai Hai dari Hong Kong!

Hong Kong Vacation series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Late Night Mini Adventure| Meet Our Mini Snow White|

We have arrived. Alhamdulillah... @azrulx's first impression was "It had an air of efficiency to it". Sungguh lah, courteous and informative officers placed everywhere at the airport, no nonsense taxi cab driver (though he did not speak a word of English), highwaynya besar, tak bumpy, sekejaaap je dah sampai Kowloon from the airport. (sila ambil red coloured taxi - Urban taxi kalau nak ke HK island and Kowloon area) The pakcik taksi didn't quite know the way to our hotel, but he got us to Yau Ma Tei MTR station fairly quickly and it was just a matter of time that we found our temporary abode.

We were told that the rooms in Hong Kong hotels were rather small and the maximum occupancy is 3 pax per room. Anak dah ada 3, so secara berhemahnya, kenalah ambik 2 bilik, ya dak? Hmm... Bajet ada lari sikit nih... Anyways, we chose to stay in MHotel that is in the Kowloon area (28 Portland Street,Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon 85227106666) - booking.com had a good deal when we checked!

Mujurlah ambil dua bilik, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sebab MasyaAllah... Memang kecillah..

Siap see thru to the bathroom lagi, jangan marah. Nasib baik we specified to be put in the same floor during the booking. Bilik kami sebelah-sebelah lagi. Kellasss gitu... :) The girls were in one room and the boys in the next.

After checking in and figuring out what to do for the night, we decided that we'll go check out the Avenue of Stars. It's kind of a cool thing to do if you are based in the Kowloon area. One gets to see the Hong Kong island skyline and there's even stars on the pavement to celebrate renowned Hong Kong actors. Definitely worth checking out lah! So we kinda headed towards Tsim Sha Tsui MRT station , all the while following the directions towards Avenue of the Stars.

Now, herein lies the challenge. We haven't had our dinner yet and kids and parents alike are getting rather testy. Lapar wei... Nasib baik jumpa bakery and bought some Cheese Sticks and Chocolate Croissant, before we had some speghetti's at Italian Tomatos in the Food Paradise a.k.a food court at Sogo TST. Lepas dah dapat carbo, barulah semangat nak ambik gambar yang berikutnya...

The directions to get there is very clear. Just follow the signs. Kalau tak silap tadi, exit J at TST MRT station. There were many statues built at the walkway. So, apa lagi? Camwhoring time. Yang paling excited adalah sikenit K3. Macam-macam pose dah keluar. Hilarious. Anyhoots, we were really trying to find the more famous HongKie actors. At least yang kenal lah. Ni tah sapa-sapa entah - Fong Yim Fun la, Tang Kei Chen la, Tang Bik Wan la.... Ng See Yuen pun ada.. Akak tak kenal, you alls.... Rupa-rupanya yang femes-femes semua dah dikumpul dekat dengan Kiosk 2, kat tengah- tengah tu. Jumpa lah Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Andy Lau, Anita Mui.. Macam-macam ada.... :)

At the end of the walk, we crossed over the road via an elevated foot bridge, of which we chanced upon the Middle Road Children's Playground. So damn cool. The place was very well lit, with huge area for play. They even had seats surrounding the park for parents to wait on their children. Kids were super duper psyched, though dah banyak jalan malam ni. Heran ya, how they maintain their facilities so well. Security was in abundance. Makcik tukang sapu and angkat sampah tu pun ada lagi. And this is like 10pm at night, babe. Suffice to say that kids were stoked and getting their asses back to the hotel wasn't easy. Hihihihihihi...

Kami tak jumpa cari TST East MRT staion, so we just took the taxi back to the hotel. Lepas mandi-mandi bersihkan diri... Nilah agenda utama:

MAGGI MIDNIGHT PARTY!!!!

(K1 with invited guest dari sebelah, siK2)

Sila makan......

-dillz blogging out-
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Planning for the term holidays

The schedule for the PKSR1 Exams are already out. Which means the end of term is near. Which also means the kids will be out for a 2-week break starting this 28th May 2011.

Plans have been made. We just finalized the air tickets some 2 weeks back together with the main agenda -- Hong Kong Disneyland!!!!

Picture from: here

We have a 5day , 4 night itinerary in which the first 2days and 2 nights will be exploring Hong Kong and the remaining 3days and 2 nights spent in Hong Kong Disneyland itself. best of all, our stay coincides with Khadra's 8th birthday. So, she will be celebrating her birthday there, Disneyland-style. Complete with decorated room in Mickey & Minnie theme and a special Disney character appearance during dinner with photo op. OMG! Dream come true?

However, the plan is still hazy on the Hong Kong part, but I've told Khadra to research on things she'd like to do there. Apparently, there's Madam Tussaud's there and they have a Justin Bieber wax figure. Definitely worthy of a visit, don't you think? hihihihihi..

Yeah, so any ideas on what to do in Hong Kong is very much welcomed. Plus, where to stay, ah? Somewhere nice for a family of 5, near to the things that we would probably like to see and do before we head on over to Disneyland.

For now, the elder kids would have to revise and prepare for their exams first. Khaleeda, on the other hand, has already made her selections on what she'd like to wear while roaming around Disneyland.

Uuuuu... I can't wait! (eeh.. Ibu dia yang berlebih)

-dillz blogging out-

Taking A Break

Taking a few days off from work to be with Inche Azrul. Just him and me in the land of cheap spas.

*Not looking to shop this time around. Duit bonus dah habis kat Shingapore. Kalau Inche Azrul nak belanja, itu lain cerita. *

Picture from: here

So, see ya in a couple of days. Or not. I might just blog from Jakarta. We'll see.

p/s: I actually brought some work over with me. Can't seem to leave them behind. Shites.

-dillz blogging out-

Shingapore Trip

It was really a last minute trip. 2 whole days at the Summit that ran in conjunction with CommunicAsia2010.

The visionary address was by Josh Silvermann, the CEO of Skype. Then there was the CEO's Perspective forum that brought together the CEOs of Skype, TM, Telstra and StarHub in one sitting. Later we adjourned to the individual tracks. I was registered into the Next Generation Broadband Business Model and Next Generation Fixed Broadband tracks. I came prepared though - several varieties of multi-coloured pens for taking notes, several bottles of mineral water and a Starbucks Frappuciono as back up. :) I really thought that it was interesting. Well, at the very least, it definitely brought some new insights to what was happening in the telco industry.

As usual, bab makan je la kena hati-hati sikit. I only stuck to croissant with strawberry and butter, some juice and cereal at the buffet breakfast. There were, of course nasi goreng, kuey teow goreng and stuff. I didn't take 'em. I just worry that they contain bits of meat in it. The following "assorted leaves with condiments" served at the Summit lunch, for example, contained little bits of reddish pink specks of what I suspect is bacon bits. So, yeah. Be careful, yah. Besides fast food that are certified Halal in Shingapore ( I know KFC, McD and Burger King are) we also tapaued some macarons from this dainty cafe called 1837 TWG Tea at Ion Orchard. All are infused with tea (but of course) and selling at SGD2 per pop. Sedap! :)

Since our adventurous nature was really burning that Monday night, we went ahead and got a cab to Beach Street Food Garden to try out some Singapore Soup Tulang, only at the authentic haji Kadir's place. It's red, I tell you!!!! Kinda gruesome and canniballish but pretty darn good - especially when cicah with roti. They had mee /meehun goreng that was blood red too, but we felt it was way too much lah. hihihihi. Takut...

Despite being caught in training the whole day, sempat juga pergi the Great Singapore Sale. Among the stuff I got:

That nudie jeans will not be washed in at least 6months to get a really nice "wash" to it. What's special about it is that it would follow the natural creases that is unique only to my body = unique "wash". Wah! Tak sabar! Apparently, the tip says that to get rid of any odour, one should put the pants in the freezer. Adoiai! Habisla jeans bau ayam nanti. hihihihihihihi

On the night I was packing the stuff, I realized that I needed to get more stuff for the kids sebab pembahagian harta tidak adil between the three Khas. Seeing that it was already the last night in Singapore and wouldn't have time to shop after training finishes, I did a little more shopping at the airport. (Ya, selepas check-in semua) Suffice to say the kids were pretty happy with what they got. Ibu pun happy, sebab dapat the following at Gucci. :D

-dillz blogging out-

Shopping-shopping Bandung!

Apa gunanya pergi Bandung kalau tak shopping kan? hihihihihi

We went craaaazy at Pasar Baru for textiles and telekung. (Definitely NOT one for the men coz we literally spent 4 hours at Pasar Baru getting our loot!) I'll share with you my favourite outlets too. For textile, we went to Vogue Textile and Tailor at Lantai 2. It looks a little like the insides of a castle - with gold coated pillars and what not. The Sales Assistants are very friendly and helpful, don't be surprised if you are being entertained by the brother to the owner himself. Siapa nama dia, ya? Ram, rasanya. Real dashing young man (with two kids already?).

Really nice cotton fabric going at Rp25k per meter, the chiffon ones at Rp12.5K per meter, with satin lining at Rp15K per meter. Our brocade set siap 6m lace and 4m lining was only RM90. Seriously murah and mata dah jadi rambang, OK? Pilih. Pilih. Pilih. Beli. Beli. Minum air Teh Sosro kotak. Pilih. Pilih. Pilih. Beli. They take credit cards too, so don't waste your cash here! Wallawei....Suffice to say that my little family are all set for our Hari Raya stocks. hihihihihi

For telekung, go up to Lantai 3 to Toko Garuda 35 and talk to Milala. He gives the best deals - at wholesale price. I got a really nice telekung for Mimy's wedding hantaran and one for yours truly. Then a couple of those mobile, foldable, parachute-like fabric telekungs for jalan-jalan. Sangat puas hati. :)

Next are the Factory Outlets (FOs). We only went to three that are worth mentioning. I loved Grande Resort Outlet at Jalan Ir. H. Juanda. I got loads of tops, pajama pants for myself. there were some stuff for the kids too. I was truly a happy camper. The other place that was worth it for me is Rumah Mode Factory Outlet - more so on the kids' selections. My best buy would have to be the costumes I got for them - High School Musical cheerleading outfit for Khadra, Cars racing suit for Khaleeq and fairy outfit for Khaleeda. Each going at Rp139K. Oh so worth it! :) The last FO that I went in was Stamp FO where I got all the swimming towels and panties/underpants for the kids! Gumbira does not even begin to describe the euphoria inside me!

Mission completed. Saya happy!
-dillz blogging out-

The Other Side of Bandung

Was on a sans-kids holiday to Bandung with Inche @azrulx and other adults of the Zaghlol clan a few weeks back. So, before I totally forget about it, I'd better blog about itlah, kan? It was one of those el-cheapo tickets from AirAsia - like RM160 per pax and we booked it like yonks ago. By the time it was actually time to go; 2 people chickened out of it , even - @emazag had to study for her exams and @nazz2121 had a make-up class for his MBA. (Apasal I am referring to people using their twitter nick nih?)

We stayed over at Grand Serela Boutique Hotel which was right smack in the middle of the shopping district. So much so that the earlier group consisting of my sister @ewazag, BIL @eski7 and Banati walked along Jalan Riau to get to the FOs the day prior to our arrival. ;) My mom and dad opted out of the crazy walkathon. (Wise choice, if I had to say so myself! :)) Me and the hubs got the Deluxe room while the rest got the Family room - adalah menakjubkan sebab adalah merupakan bilik duplex, with two twin beds at the bottom and a Queen-sized bed at the loft.

Anyways, we also did other stuff besides shopping that is, albeit only that one daylah. The other side of Bandung, if you will which would be the main focus of this entry. :)

The driver that we hired, Pak Nanang (+612-81-214 76468, sila mention Ibu Ewa) took us to Tangkuban Parahu in the morning. It is actually a national Park with a few volcanic craters - one active and a few dormant ones- in it. The journey took us about 1.5 hours (kot? I forgot already) in the APV. Agak pening, ok sebab jalan turun naik bukit/gunung and berpusing-pusing. Our first stop was at the lower Kawah Dorman Domas (Ye ke? Memandai je kamu.. Lain kali blog lambat-lambat lagi, kan dah tak hengat!) and a tourist guide was already waiting for us. He (and his assistant) said they could take us on a half hour walk along the dedicated trail to the active crater. Can boil egg maa.. Got reflexology and can also dip your leg into the hot spring. Bagus untuk kulit, katanya. The price was just Rp 250K for an hour for our whole group. Seems like a good deal. Rupa-rupanya kami hampir di-taken advantage of! With a little kid in the group (read: the adorable Shoshoff) and my mom with a bad knee, rasa-rasanya boleh siap segala nak rebus telur tu in 1 hour, to and fro? I think not. He said, Rp500K for 2hrs, etc. and went down to Rp400 for lebih dari 2 jam pun takpe. Jadi, the moral is, you need to agree with the guide on the price up front. Kalau tak the price would be so ridiculously expensive. Bisa tarik rambut, deh!

Hujung-hujung tu , kitorang skipped the guide altogether and drove up to the dormant crater, Kawah Ratu and took some pictures there. Another thing, be careful of the mobile street merchants. So many souvenirs sold at almost unbelievably high prices. If you are comfortable, hanggle and buy. I got a stack of pretty cool rattan pipe while we were up there. Else just nicely say "No" and move on with your life. :)

On our way down, we asked if we could take some pictures near the tea plantation. Pak Nanang went into one and we jumped out for some photo op. *Cheh, nak menunjuk sling bag Longchamp dia tu la sebenarnya..*

Next stop was at a strawberry kebun called Kavling Stroberi. They have a few kebuns and we went harvesting at kebun 6. It's like a little gated tempat tanam sayur with strawberries planted in little dirtbags. Tak banyak pun buahnya, tapi thrill je lebih. They charge Rp15K per head to pick your own strawberries and each oz. priced at Rp6K. Not too bad, actually coz each one of us got a strawberry ice-blended drink at the end of it. (Adalah sedappp!!!) The picked berries? We ratah only. Sedap. Even without anything. Or a little bit of sugar. (Can't believe they don't have creme to eat them berries with.)



Next up was Kampung Daun - a cultural village where people can lepak and eat. The walk up was a little long - it took us maybe 15 minutes of walking. Along the way, my mom bought some local kuehs and delicacies. Mana lagi nak try kan? At least nampak macam bersih. But the ambience is oh so perfect. Macam jalan-jalan nak pergi kolah air terjun - sejuk, shady and very very relaxing. There were little ,comfy huts along the climb, where groups of people were having their meal. Looked like they were having fun too. We were placed at the very top balai - on a long table with very comfortable extra cushions. The food was wonderful and unexpectedly reasonably priced. We were definitely pleasantly surprised. :) Berbaloi datang sini. Serious.

After Kampung Daun we went back to the hotel. By then it was almost 4.30pm. So, we dropped by Roger's Spa to make an appointment for cremebath and reflexology a little later.


So, in conclusion, sapa kata pergi bandung untuk shopping saja, haaa???
-dillz blogging out-

Java Jazz Festival 2010 - All My Bags Are Packed I'm Ready To Go!

Java Jazz Festival 2010 chronicle : |1- Contemplating| 2- The Decision & Update| 3 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang |4 - All My Bags Are Packed I'm Ready To Go|


Picture from : here

The day has come.
Am leaving at noon to Jakarta for Java Jazz Festival 2010.
Tonight I'll be serenaded by John Legend and Sheila Majid.
Tomorrow Toni Braxton.
And Babyface on Sunday.
I'll try to update as the opportunity arise.
Do check on my twitter (@dillazag) for the blow-by-blow account though.

-dillz blogging out-

Good Food In Sarawak

Happy Thursday y'all!

I have just the thing for this fine Thursday. Presenting to you the food what we ate in Kuching on that work trip last month. We stayed at the Riverside Majestic Hotel (formerly known as the Crowne Hotel , me thinketh), by the Sungai right smack in the middle of the city of Meow.

Let's start with Top Spot - the damn famous seafood place, just behind our hotel. We wanted to go to ABC but it was closed so we went to the stall beside it. Food for the night adalah tajaan Danawa, Thank you En Bird and Puan Ema. :)

1. Top Spot - Looks like a carpark donnit? YES it is!
2. Oyster cake - I didn't like it though. hihihi
3. Chilli crab
4. Kawan Lala (for the life of me I can't remember it's name) - have to try it, but I'm not a fan lah
5.Soup timun (actually adalah gamat) - quite yummy actually

The next night we went again, sebab naaak jugak rasa makan dekat ABC. Nasib baik bukak! :)

1. The famous ABC sea food.
2. Curry crab - not as nice, I thought, sebab I could rasa the serbuk curry and the taste was kinda piercing gitu. I was told to try the Blackpepper Crab next time.
3. Butter Prawn - Aaahh!! Easily the best I've had.
4. Siakap masak asam.
5. Midin goreng belacan.

On one of our breaks we went to taste the pride of Sarawak - Mee Kolok and Laksa Sarawak.

1. Rajah Cafe, near to the Puspakom Tanah Putih.
2. Mee Kolok - you could choose beef or chicken. (Looks a little like maggi, kan?)
3. Laksa Sarawak.
4. Teh Dangdut. 3 layers of stuff- the bottom one is nira, me thinketh.
5. Air Tebu Lemon Asam Boi. Terbaeeekkkk!!!! (This is also at Top Spot)

Wah! Suddenly I am famished lah pulak. :)~ Jom makan..

-dillz blogging out-

My Dream Grecian Holiday

What better way to forget your sorrows and your pain other than dreaming of a perfect getaway, right? In my case, it's spending lots of time in the sun and sea of Greece!

I have always, always loved Greece. Think Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Mamma Mia. Don't they make you wanna get married in a Greek Island? Where the waters and the skies are always blue. There's another reason to go too. My sister, Kira is now based in Alexandria, Egypt. So, we have been talking about visiting her and visiting Greece too since they are so close to each other. *in our dreams, lah*

Aaannyways, Inche Azrul just got this email from some travel agency about, get this:

7 Days, 5 Nights Aegean Classic

Athens - Mykonos - Cruising to Patmos via Kusadasi - Cruising to Rhodes - Cruising to Santorini via Crete - Athens

The Aegean Classic offers relaxation, sightseeing and fabulous Greek food. Start your journey in Athens and cruise for 4 days to the Cycladic islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes and Patmos, as well as a short stop in Kusadasi on the Turkish coast. There's nothing quite like watching the sun set over the Mediterranean from the bow of your luxury cruise ship while sipping on the cocktail of the day. Paradise.

Pictures from: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Oh. L.O.V.E.

The charge includes return economy flight ticket, airport tax & fuel surcharge, accommodation based on twin share basis-inside cabin, meals and sightseeing as per itinerary. There are departure dates for 25th April, 2nd May and 23rd May 2010.

I want to go! I want! I want! I want! :) Kalau tak this year pun, maybe next year. Or to celebrate our 10th year anniversary in 2012. I want! I never considered going on a cruise before but it sure sounds like fun. Syoknya kalau dapat pergi, kan?

On a totally unrelated note though, I think this drug is working like a charm. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Java Jazz Festival 2010 - The Decision and Update

Java Jazz Festival 2010 chronicle : |1- Contemplating| 2- The Decision & Update| 3 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang |

With regards to my contemplation on the upcoming Java Jazz Festival 2010. It's official now! I AM GOING!!! Wuu-hu!!!

Mental checklist.

Things completed:

• Java Jazz Festival 2010 Tickets - DONE! Bought the Three-Day Pass for the 5th, 6th and 7th of March 2010 with Special Show Passes for John Legend (Section B), Toni Braxton and Babyface.
• Air-tickets - return tickets to and fro KUL-CGK on MalaysiaAirlines, y'all!
• Annual Leave - taken Friday and Monday off. Leave has been approved. Thanks.

Things still to complete before the trip:

• Get doped on the music that will be playing - I already bought 2 of John Legends' albums. (The first two, that is) The CDs have been taking turn to play on repeat in my car. (MyVi don't have CD changer, maa) I also imported them into my iTunes and they've been playing on shuffle and repeat there too. Will be getting the third album sometime next week. (Maybe after my CIA exam is done. haha) As far as Toni Braxton and Babyface are concerned, I think I am still OK with their old songs - would have to ask Inche Azrul to download the MP3s for my Java Jazz Festival playlist.
• Find my obsolete iPod and its peripherals and download the playlist in it for my mobile dose of music.
• Meet up with Zura (the girlfriend I am going with) to have some kind of understanding on our itinerary and schedule. Which other shows to catch, logistics of the day, what other stuff to do in Jakarta. Would love to squeeze some spa time, Johnny Andrean, retail therapy, Hard Rock Cafe, maybe.
• Sort out with Madam Jakarta and maybe squeeze her into our itinerary, kalau sempat. :)
• Find out who else is going. Syok jugak kalau ada ramai geng! So far, I know Munzie's sister Nadia is going. Nad, you have BB or not?
• My most pening-est kepala item: WHAT TO WEAR TO JAVA JAZZ FESTIVAL , lah? Since it's jazzy, so I figured it must be slightly classy, somewhat smart - like smart casual lah kan? Tak kan nak pergi selebet je dak? Better be overdressed than underdressed, right? So, I googled some images of previous festivals and came up with this!

Picture from here , here and here

B, Nak kena pi beli baju baru lah camni. We'll sort it out after my CIA exams, ok? hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Scouting for Our Next Dream Vacation

Was scouting around for a place to take the kids this year and I am intrigued by the buzz surrounding the Resorts World, Sentosa Singapore. Apparently, a few of their hotels are now open for stay since January 20th, 2010. There are 6 hotels available with their own demographic to serve:

• Crockford Towers - by invitation-only all-suite hotel, complete with 24-hour butler services. Must be for the high rollers, yaww!
  
• Hotel Micheal - this hotel is a tribute to the American architect, Micheal Graves. Stepping into the hotel is described as entering into an art gallery. So, not so much for me, then.
  
• Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore - Laaa... hari tu kan baru pi yang Hard Rock Hotel , Penang punya. Rilek dulu la..
  
• Festive Hotel - In their own words, it is "perfect for families travelling with their kids"
  
• Equarius Hotel - suitable for nature lovers and families. It's location is close to the Equarius Water Park. Don't think this one is open yet though. The website says it's opening AFTER 2010, that could be 2011, 2012. Who's to say, eh?
  
• Spa Villas - Choose this one if you want to " you can wake up to the sounds of waves and the beckoning calls of dolphins". Whoaaa!!! It's targeted to the honeymooners, newly weds, those aiming for a lovey-dovey breaklah kot. As per Equarius Hotel above, this one opens AFTER 2010. ;)
  

Anyways, most relevant to us (young family with kids) is the Festive Hotel, lah. Here's additonal info from the website :

Children-friendly amenities are key highlights, such as the assortment of candies at the reception that will put a smile on any kid’s face. Welcome novelty packs and tailored bathrobes are also catered specially for the little ones. For parents with babies, we offer cribs, baby food, wet wipes, nappies and bibs. Should parents wish to have private time alone, babysitting service is available at a fee.

hahahahahaha
Sounds like a dream.

However, this perfect room has to be the deal-sealer for our little family:

Picture from here

Best tak? Ada king bed for the parents, a loft bed and also a sofa bed that opens up to a double bed. I could just see my kids go CRAAAZY over the loft bed! :)

The real attraction for me, however, is the Universal Studio, Singapore. Since Khaleeda is of the right age to be experiencing theme parks, plus the nearest Disneyland is much further than Singapore, I thought this would tie the vacation up quite nicely.

The park is divided into 7 segments. Some of the rides / shows would be making its premiere in Singapore.

• Far, Far Away - Revolving around the theme of Shrek.
  
• The Lost World - Divided into Jurassic Park and Water World. Dinosaurs and all things water, what else could it be?
  
• New York - Experience the Big Apple.
  
• Sci-Fi City - Welcome to the city of the future. :)
  
• Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard, here we come..
  
• Madagascar - Meet the casts of Madagascar; Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria and join in some fun with them in the dense jungle of Madagascar.
  
• Ancient Egypt - Pyramids and sands, eh?
  

Guess we'd have to wait just a little while longer. Bukak je Universal Studio ni, you knowlah where we'll be heading to.

hihihihihihi

Can't wait!

-dillz blogging out-