Thursday, July 29, 2010

Kuching Trip


Kuching International Airport

I'll be landing at Kuching International Airport using MH3155, at approximately 2210 Hour tomorrow. And my baby will be clutching on me.

We'll be joining my wife for a 9-day family trip. Destinations : Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Our first family trip for the year.


Kuching skyline

Of course, we're looking forward for bowls of Kuching laksa and popiah in Choon Hui Cafe, juicy duck meat in Imperial Duck Restaurant, Pullman's buffet dinner...

Kuching Cat Museum, Sarawak Museum, The Spring, Boulevard Shopping Complex..

24 hours to go.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Nostalgia

I 'stole' some of the photos that were added by people in Facebook.


The year was 1991. Photo was taken on the day we took our UPSR results. Thanks Jacky.


The year was 1998. Many of my classmates are guiding our next generation to become tomorrow's leaders.


The year was 2009. Very very memorable. Thanks Kylie. U6S2 surely rocks! The future doctors, scientists, dentists, teachers, lecturers..

Cougar
for you,Donny?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Stesen Keretapi Kuala Lumpur



I took this picture when I was in a mini train towards KLCC. Anyone knows where's the place is? It's Stesen Keretapi Tanah Melayu. During my uni days, this station is as important as Kuala Lumpur Sentral these days. It's nostalgic. There were so many people using the place to transit to their destinations. Probably fifteen years down the road, we will not be seeing this landmark.

Just like Pudu Prison.


Once there was this Deputy Finance Minister said "It is not something to be proud of" when asked why government decided to demolish the building rather than preserve it as a heritage place.

Yet another Malaysian joke from our VVIP.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Chiang Mai



I visited Chiang Mai two years ago.



Beef noodle. Somehow, the spices made the dishes in Thailand, nice.


A must-try papaya salad.


Breakfast.


A visit to Thailand will never be complete without the tour to its temple.





Hmm... Am so happy with Thai desset.

Have a great week ahead, folks.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I miss Bali


Tanah Lot 2008



It's approaching middle of the week. Hang on there, guys. Friday is within sight.
I'm trying to cheer myself by looking at some old photos, taken in Bali while having my honeymoon with my first and the last wife.

The obligatory meal in Ubud (in the picture) The rice in Bali tastes more or less the same with ours. Nothing near the fragrant Thai rice.


My Bali 'friend'


Rest assured she's not my Bali girlfriend. If she is a 'she'...

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Mukah


Mukah 2009


I had the chance to attend a traditional styled wedding in Mukah early last year. Arriving in this small town using a small plane (as pictured above), I was greeted with lots of beautiful sunshine.


Mukah Airport


The place for the traditional wedding ceremony to be held


Non-stop feasting for few days added few kilos into my bodies!


Not to be missed fresh umai- thinly sliced raw fish


And of course the famous sago worms and sambal squid


Don't you feel like to pop one of this crawlie into your mouth?

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Cost of Living


Sibu 2010



Some 25 years ago, an average person in Sibu, probably working in a sawmill or cutting trees in the jungle, earned around RM150 to RM250. A loaf of white bread was around RM0.70 to RM0.80. Kampua kosong was RM0.30.



When I left to study in UKM some eleven years ago, a loaf of white bread was around RM1.00 to RM1.20. Kampua kosong was RM1.00. An average person who was working in the sawmill earned around RM1900 to RM2200.

Today, those sawmill's jobs are long gone. Only teachers, doctors, accountants, engineers and business people are working in this dying town. An average person earns around RM2800 to RM3500. A loaf of white bread easily costs between RM2.20 to Rm2.80. A plate of kampua kosong costs RM1.60

So, income level has plateaued. The price of white increases two fold every ten years. Sibu signature dish also increases exponentially.



You really don't want to know the price of getting married nowadays compared to two decades ago, do you?

Being a Father (Part 2)

My baby just went back to his afternoon sleep. When he woke up around 11.30am, I gave him his usual Nestle milk. He doesn't like to be in one place. He'll make noises and I have to bring him around and outside the house. He is particularly interested in the vehicles moving along the street. Dogs, cats and birds are not much of his interests.

Around 12.45pm to 1.00pm
He tends to take his nap. That will give me some time to do my laudry, eat lunch, blog.. He probably sleeps for 3 hours. I give him his milk around 3pm

5pm
It's time for evening bath. This boy of mine really likes water. He'll smile and laugh in excitement. Another round of getting him clothed, I bring him to dinner table. He has his own seat, bought by my wife in IKEA (hand carried back!) I give few grains of rice and water. My wife will give him porridge cooked with carrot and chicken if she's back from Kuching.

6.30pm
My parents will carry him while I take my dinner. They will play with him. Sudden burst of baby's laugh is quite common. I'll clean the soiled lampin and soaked them in water overnight. I might lepas gian blogging during this time too. Last round of milk feeding session will be around 10.30pm to 11pm before he goes to sleep.

Sound simple being a father? Being a NATO (No action Talk only) is easy lah.. But having to take care of a not-yet-a-year old baby hands-on, really needs a lot of patience and love.

THE END

Being a Father (Part 1)

Seeing my baby coming out from his mother's womb is God's gift. He lets me experience the joy of being a father, who will guide the boy to His path. My wife is currently outstation. So, I'm taking the roles of two parents. My parents chip in to help with some chores too.
Let us see my usual Saturdays:

Baby slept at around 11.30pm to 12.30am previous Friday nights.

Around 2am to 3am
Baby cries because he wants his milk. I pour the room temperature water into his bottle and some hot water. Close the bottle with its cap and pour some of the water onto my palm.

Optional(pour some water into my mouth to test the water temperature. It takes many tongue scalding episodes to master the skill). Then, I put towel over the baby's neck. Feed him. Wipe away any excess milk that flowed out with a damp towel. Nasib no need to burp him nowadays because he can burp himself. Kiss him goodnight.

Around 5am to 6am
Repeat the whole process.

7.30am to 8am
Baby wakes up. He'll give me a smile that will break even the coldest heart on Earth. I smile back and play with him for 30 minutes.

8.30am to 9am
Most of the mornings, the first task will be cleaning his butt's mess. I need to get the warm water ready for his morning bath. And the same time, looking over him, in case he puts anything strange (an insect maybe) into his mouth.


Mandi time.

9.30am
I will have the baby dried, oiled, talcumed, clothed and ready for his next feed. I'll put the baby's clothes into washing machine to wash. I get the milk ready, feed my boy and cleaned any excess milk around the mouth. By now, baby will cry, wanting to sleep. I put him into his swing to sleep.


Taken from Kampung Boy by Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid a.k.a. Lat

Time now is 11.15am. I need to get the milk ready. Else the whole block will be able to hear his cries

End of Part 1. Stay tuned

Good Happiness Restaurant



I have always been a fan of dim sum since my wife introduced the splendid dim sum choices in Foo Phing Restaurant, Sabah. In Sibu, both of us spent numerous Saturday mornings in this classy restaurant, opposite SMK Deshon, named Good Happiness Restaurant.


Eating dim sum is incomplete without Gieh Kah (Chicken feet)

A picture is worth a thousand words







Satisfyingly delicious!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Industrial training students


These are students from various tertiary institutions in the country, having industrial training in the lab I'm working in. Notice one significant scenario?

Correct! They are all girls. Of many Pegawai Sains (Kimia Hayat) in Sarawak, fewer than the number of fingers on your right hand are male. Where are all the guys? Almost all of the working staff in the lab are from Eve's descendants. It is a global scene. When I was studying in UKM, almost entire people in the programme are from Hawa origin. When I was earning a living in the Lion City, most of them are.. you're right.. perempuan.


Picture sent by one the students having industrial training in Singapore

The current Prime Minister in Australia is a nice-shaped nose lady. The last powerful figure in Chinese empire was Empress Dowager Cixi. Don't tell me you don't know who was Queen Cleopatra? Wiki yourself lah.. My first boss is an influential lady and my last boss in Singapore is a female Senior Consultant. My current Head of Department.. you tell me lah..