Another day in...

It’s Friday again! Left the office earlier than usual to pick up SAS from the airport…and later drove up to Seremban in the pouring rain via the Sepang F1 route to Seremban. Had dinner at my younger sister’s place whom has prepared a sumptuous meal consisting of Chicken Curry, Mango Sambal Belacan, Fried Tauhu, Kerabu, Mixed Vegetables and Fried Kerapu cooked Chinese style…it was fantastic! I had two helpings of rice last night…hehehe. My parents, eldest sister’s family and my Uncle and Aunty from Ipoh were there too.

For after-meal entertainment, my nieces and nephews decided to make those cute funny faces and let them tell me their experiences in Langkawi. My eldest sister’s family were also in Langkawi the weekend prior to my arrival in Langkawi. Apparently they took a family package which consists of lodging at the Langkasuka Hotel, a rental car, breakfast and dinner. Didn’t actually ask her how much it costs but I believe it’s probably pretty expensive! Hahahahah

I didn’t have to drive my mom and aunt to KLIA after all, coz my dad decided to take them to KLIA himself accompanied by my uncle. So SAS and I just lounged about at my younger sister’s place before we finally left for home around 9pm. Driving along KL-Seremban highway around that time was a doddle…not much traffic going towards KL which helps the stress level down! Hahahah

As soon as we arrived at my place, I just had a quick shower and went straight to bed as I was too tired from the day’s activities. Sleepy head logging off….

Day 4 – Langkawi Island 19.11.2006

It’s the last and final day today…woke up pretty early and started packing to ensure that we’d be able to check out of the hotel and pick Emma up from her place. After checking out, we drove up to Emma’s Hotel and pick her up to go to Kuah Town to do a bit of last minute shopping. She was wearing a lovely white dress…a bit see-through like for most Langkawians … coz it probably showed more than what they are used to. It does make us a bit special when walking around town with her heheheheh

Kuah Town was starting to get busy when we arrived despite the fact that it was still early…but bare in mind, Kedahans work on a Sunday…it’s like any other Monday to us! We stopped by a local Roti Canai stall to have breakfast as it gave us the opportunity to introduce Emma to The Tarik and Roti Canai. She loved them just as we expected.

Later we drove up to Kota Mahsuri again to pay our last visit to KM before we leave for KL. We showed Emma the way to the Kota Mahsuri entrance and left her to explore herself while we chatted with KM. Half an hour later; she came out smiling and looked rather satisfied with herself. It turned out that she was happy going to the tomb…as Kota Mahsuri had lots of other things to offer. She even bought little souvenirs to take home.

We left Kota Mahsuri around 11.45am, once we’ve said our goodbyes to KM and family. We then drove back to Lanai to drop Emma off so that we can catch the plane back to KL. We said our goodbyes to Emma and promised that we’d be in touch via email to ensure that we can exchange photos of the holidays together. We arrived at the airport around 12.30pm, returned the rented car and checked in. I did manage to do some last minute shopping at the Duty Free…I found a lovely Leather Briefcase which was heavily discounted. I got it for RM200! A bargain for what it is…the original price was RM500…J. I also got myself a nice aftershave which also was heavily discounted…

The plane took off about 3pm… and finally landed at the LCCT about 4.15pm. SA and the boyfriend picked us up…gave us the opportunity to chat and tell her our experiences. We dropped off SAS at the KLIA Main terminal because he had to fly off to Hong Kong for work, and later they drove me home back to Bukit Jalil. It was tiring, but nevertheless an enjoyable, full of activities and a trip to remember….The memories of the trip to Langkawi for my 34th birthday will always remain close to my heart!

Day 3 – Langkawi Island 18.11.2006

Well it’s the 3rd day in Langkawi… SAS and I were up early this morning in preparation to get ourselves ready for the Snorkeling Trip. The bus was suppose to pick us up from the hotel about 8am…but Malaysians being Malaysians they ended up coming 45 minutes late…but anyway…. They did eventually pick us up…and what do you know…Emma, the French lady was on the bus too! We found out that she was going on the Scuba Diving Activity instead of the Snorkeling activity. Regardless of the difference of activities, we went on the same boat and to the same destination…

As soon as we arrived at Pulau Payar, the sight of the clear sea and white sand beaches got us all excited…the one hour ferry ride was worth it! The beach looks amazing…you can see a school of fishes swimming around underwater…We were given a short briefing regarding the security and the agenda for the day….then the snorkeling equipment were distributed to everyone. After a quick splash of the sub-block cream, I jumped into the clear-green sea….joining the rest of the participants and not forgetting fishes. About an hour later, SAS shouted to me that he just saw a baby shark swam past him…creepy! The tourist guide shouted to him that if we wait a bit longer, the shark’s parents and grandparents should be joining him too!

Soon it was lunch time...we were served Fried Rice and Fried Chicken...not too bad… at least its filling. Right after lunch, the tour guide asked us to gather around the jetty as it was time to feed the sharks. Suddenly there were like more than 20 small to medium sized sharks gathering near the jetty for food to be thrown to them. Apparently they love fried chicken… hehehehe so they gave whatever was left by us participants during lunch. The sharks were very playful and tame. They didn’t mind being teased and love fool around underwater.

We were then asked to continue with our activities and were also invited to snorkel with the sharks. And yes, I did swim and snorkel with the sharks. The closest they’ve been to me was about an arms length! So now I can successfully put into my diary that I, the 34 year old git has swam with the sharks! Hahahahah we fed the fishes with bread which we bought the night before and we were also glad that we brought the sun-block with us…we have both turned DARKER!

Emma joined us a bit later after she finished scuba diving…she was gloating that she was not afraid of sharks…but she was squeamish whenever little fishes come nibble her thighs! Hahahah Around 3pm, we were then asked to pack our things up as the ferry will be taking us back to the Kuah Jetty. We picked up our stuff and boarded the ferry. I had a quick shower on the ferry and got changed into something more comfortable…went downstairs to the Business Class seating area and had a nap. Woke up about an hour later and we have finally arrived back at the Kuah Jetty. The bus drove us back to the chalet and you’d notice that we went back with smiles on our faces!

After a quick rest at the chalet, we got ready and drove up to Kampung Mahsuri, where SAS’s cousin, KM lived. She has invited us over for dinner the day before, so it was just good timing that we were able to have some home-cooked meal as were both just tired form the activities during the day. After dinner, chat and Mahsuri spooky stories, we excused ourselves as were getting sleepy. We promised KM that we’d see her before we fly off back to KL…

Day 2 – Langkawi Island 17.11.2006

It was morning again… and the sun was shining…the panoramic window of the chalet provided a scenic view of the beach…and hey, it’s my birthday today! Checked my phone… and there was a missed call and a voice message…checked it and it was from NK…and the voice message… well it was a birthday song from NK’s kids…how sweet! Received a number of other SMSes from my siblings, parents and friends…which made my day… and it was only 8.30 in the morning! Took a little stroll down the beach as the weather was just perfect…the sun was shining…the white sand was warm…and the blue sea was just so inviting.

After that quick stroll, we got ready and went out to have my birthday breakfast which consists of Nasi Lemak and my usual Nescafe Tarik…and right after that, we drove up to Gunung Mat Cincang to go on the Langkawi Cable Car which SAS has told me so much about. We decided to stop by the Petronas Quay which was too pretty to ignore…it was one of the most beautiful Petronas Stations I’ve ever seen. Imagine having a Petronas Station with amazing architecture located on the quay with the beautiful mountains and sea as the back ground…just gorgeous!

Not far from the quay was the Langkawi Oriental Village which was the entrance to the Langkawi Cable Car and located close to the Seven Wells. Took a little short-stop to the Rabbit Farm… being a bunny lover! One of them reminded me of Peter…my beloved rabbit who has passed away a month after I left the UK…there were so adorable! There was also a deer in the Rabbit Farm… unfortunately the deer was rather grumpy…and not as cute as the bunnies…We then decided to take the cable car ride…it was smooth and reasonably priced… costing RM15 for an adult ticket. The view on top of the mountain was amazing! You can see almost the whole island from the top…there were 3 viewing platforms available depending on which part of the island you’d like to see. Later we took a flight of stairs down to the Curved Bridge. It was an architectural wonder! A sight for sore eyes, most definitely! Apparently this whole thing was an idea from the previous Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir. Well done him! You’ve definitely got to try it out…

We then took the cable car down to the entrance and decided to have lunch at the Kuah Jetty which was a twenty minute drive from where we were. We went to the food court close to the Kuah Jetty and found this little place selling Nasi Campur with all sorts of dishes. I had Daging Masak Rempah and Serai…and also Masak Lemak Nangka. It was so good…that I had two helpings of rice...there goes my healthy regime! Urggghhhh

Later we went to the jetty to get tickets for the Snorkeling activity. It was a bargain…Snorkeling trip to Payar Island (one of the little islands around Langkawi)…RM110 per person inclusive of Hotel Pick-up, Ferry Ride, Lunch and all the activities…went back to the chalet feeling excited for tomorrow’s activities. Decided to stop by the Mahsuri Tomb... we were lost believe it or not... and we blame the sign boards... and the new look to the Mahsuri Tomb... it's now called Kota Mahsuri! We were charged RM3 for the entrance fee and an additional RM2 to bing in the camera...and GOD it has changed a lot! It did feel a bit eerie as we entered... not sure why. But as soon as we left the tomb, we felt a bit more comfortable and decided to get ourselves some banana fritters as we were hungry... AGAIN! And guess what... just so happens that the Banana Fritters seller is SAS's cousin. Apparently she used to take care of him and his brother when they were small...conincidence or what? Very nice lady...and she even threw in free Banana Fritters for us heheheh. After a quick chat we decided to leave for the chalet and promised we'd be coming to her place tomorrow for dinner.

Had a little rest back at the chalet and later decided to spend time at the beach. While “lepaking” at the beach…we suddenly had this idea of trying out the Paraglide….we were fortunate to be offered the newer version of the paraglide which launches the person and lands back on the boat itself so it avoids you having to launch yourself or to land on the beach coz if things go wrong… you might end up falling badly! We managed to get it for RM75 per person…and GOD that was one of the best experiences I’ve had…being up high in the sky…it was just fantastic! Another definite recommended activity! By the time we got back to the chalet, it started raining…so we went indoors and had our showers and rested before going off to do a bit of shopping and dinner.

We went back to Kuah town and did a bit of pre-shopping…and surveyed the prices of items we wanted to buy. Once that was out of the way…we went to a restaurant down by Pantai Tengah next to the chalet called The Lighthouse…a hip and trendy beach restaurant with good food. I had one of the best Rib Eye Steak that evening…succulent, well cooked and very tasty! Okay it might be slightly expensive but hey… it’s my birthday! Didn’t really care then…I had about 3 hours left before the day is over so…might as well pamper myself the best that I can… heheheheh The bill came to about RM200…it was worth the money most definitely!

We then walked over to the chalet and had an early night as we had to wake up pretty early the next morning as the bus will be picking us up in the wee hours of the morning… well not that early… but hey, we’ve got to get ready and that takes time!....One things for sure...it was one of the best birthdays I've had...THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Day 1 – Langkawi Island 16.11.2006

It was a lazy Thursday for me as SAS and I took the day off from work so it was a rather pleasant sunny morning….and later SA picked us up from my place at about 2pm…to go to the airport. We arrived at the airport, checked in and later just chilled out at the airport chatting whilst reading the newspaper. As we were about to board the plane for Langkawi, we were approached by this very pretty pleasant young French lady called Emma who was standing behind us while we were queuing up to get on the plane. We started chatting and we decided to exchange phone numbers so that we’d be able to meet up on the island sometime.

We arrived at Langkawi about 5.30pm… and looked cloudy as though it’s about to rain. We managed to rent out a Proton Wira for RM50 a day and drove off to look for accomodation in the rain…finally reached Pantai Chenang…looks nice but I it wasn’t what I really wanted. Finally found a modest chalet in Pantai Tengah (next to Frangipani Langkawi) for RM126 a night…an air-conditioned chalet facing the secluded private beach. What a treasure!

Had a quick shower and went out to find food…and finally ending up in Kuah Town to do a bit of window shopping and to get snacks for the hotel room...we reached the chalet again about 10.30...and spent the evening watching telly and eating snacks...

Selamat Hari Raya...Maaf Zahir & Batin

Okay… it’s been more than a month since I last wrote… and yes, I do feel somewhat guilty…and the excuse I’m going to use this time is… coz….err…..it was Bulan Puasa…what do you expect??? Heheheheh

It’s the 23rd day of Syawal today…and according to the Islamic Calendar…I’m 35 years and 13 days old… but according to the Gregorian Calendar…I’m only 18 year old and 13 days! Hah! Yeah right…okay I’m telling fibs! I’ll be turning 34 on Friday…and it’s sort of driving me nuts at the thought of it…oh well… Let’s just face it! I am OLD!

This year’s Hari Raya was a let-downer…too much drama going around… and I wasn’t that impressed with it…ES is history…bless her…I’m sure she’ll make someone VERY happy indeed…but I just felt that it’s not going to be me…all the best ES. She helped me make that decision for me…as I was contemplating on doing the same…but wasn’t sure if I’d make the right moves…Alhamdulillah He pointed out the path I’d have to take…

The weekend was somewhat eventful…you must be wondering why? Well for some odd reason…the company decided to let us mortals drive home in brand new BMWs and to be returned on Tuesday. I clocked 700km in the 325i from Friday to Wednesday morning. I didn’t really return it on Tuesday… as I was on Medical Leave… sore throat, headache, coughs and body aches… urgghhhh Came to work today anyway despite the nasty feelings I’m having right now…and in all honesty, I’m not really in the working mode at the moment…tomorrow I’m leaving for Langkawi! Whoppeee! Sort of a self-birthday treat…yelah… siapa lagi nak bawak kan? Nak tunggu cari a rich wife sampai bila… heheheheh

Also had some good “open houses” of old friends and relatives for the Hari Raya festivities over the weekend. Had a great time at NK’s place…father’s a real joker…couldn’t stop laughing. NK’s kids were adorable…and I also took the opportunity to have a long chat with NK…we’ve never actually had the opportunity to chat this long and this privately since coming back from the UK. While having that chat with her, normally I’d be giving her advice here and there… but one thing I’ve noticed different about this chat is that I was actually listening to myself talking…I was advising myself too! It’s doesn’t normally happen that way…but it did this time. I was thinking about the contents of the conversation again just before going to bed…and the things that were going through my mind when I was saying it…hmmm…I’ll need to do a bit of thinking in Langkawi….

SA has been sweet enough to agree to drive me up to KLIA…and pick me up on Sunday…haven’t packed yet… not with all this demam feeling on me…I think I’ll go home early today… just not up to it…hahahahah! Anyway…. I think this is all for now… I’ll have to write more when I come back form Langkawi of course… :-D