it's like this...

GTI me now...

2011-11-05T20:34:00.002+02:00

God damn, it's almost end of 2011. And god damn how I've neglected blogging, again.

Well, at least I know what I want in 2012.

KL bits 7 - Holy crap on a cracker, I'm overweight!

2011-01-23T14:28:00.004+02:00

Just got a new bathroom scale, and I'm currently 74kgs. With my 165cm height, my BMI is at 27.2 and that only means that I'm overweight. Need to get it down to 18-24 range. Maybe start with less bak kut teh?
Also want to start exercising more, was just speaking to TriStupe on getting myself started with an entry level bike. Let's hope I find one too. Maybe this?

Time to re-program my mp3 player with workout tunes.

KL bits - NYE 2011

2011-01-02T10:39:00.005+02:00

It's great to be back!
4 sekawan among other usual suspects for countdown NYE 2011.

Fireworks from Blastmaster (thanks to an ex college mate back in the days, Krishna Moorthy & Co. handled the event).

p/s. pics poached from Eugene's collection of shots.

SA bits 57 - Rakan sekampung

2010-10-28T15:03:00.005+02:00

My friend and ex-colleague, Terry. He came over from M'sia for a separate project.

"Nice to have someone to speak cantonese with" he says. " And dude you gained some weight, almost didn't recognise you!". I agreed with him on both statements immediately.
He stayed over last weekend, his workplace and apartment is about 30kms away from where I live. Distance is like traveling from PJ to Klang on the Federal Highway. Took him out to the usual few spots for food and sight seeing. He's probably going to venture more into other places in future, for example this weekend they plan to visit the Cradle of Mankind and Sun City. I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves in Sun City since it's a water park and summer's almost here :P

SA bits 56 - I've been neglecting this blog..

2010-09-26T09:53:00.003+02:00

My apologies to my family whom I know would look forward to any news & postings here. I've been very busy at work hence nothing really interesting was happening which explains the lack of postings. But I'm taking this opportunity now to update this space.

What's been happening you might ask? Growing my own spring onions. Yes, it has been that dull..But it's really part of cost cutting :P I always never manage to finish the spring onions I buy until they expire in the fridge so I thought, what the hey, let's grow my own. These babies don't even need soil, amazing isn't it?

My spring onion farm

Speaking of cost cutting, the company (Motorola-Networks division) has recently announced a take over by NSN (Nokia Siemens). As we all know take overs are commonly followed by reductions. Reductions in workforce I mean. So there was our new boss speaking in a townhall meeting, assuring that this was a revenue related synergy instead of cost related synergy. Bla bla bla, no one can really assure us contractors of that in my opinion. So yea, days here are numbered.
Most of us have made plans to return to KL. That includes Suresh and Akash who will most probably be arriving in KL earlier than scheduled. Well, they have their own personal reasons. As for me, I have my personal reasons too. Unless of course they terminate my contract earlier than expected. Until then, tentative arrival date in KL is 28th January 2011. This would most probably be for good, I'll just have to see where the next wind blows and which direction. Or maybe I'll just park safely in KL. Never know...

With that in mind, the next few postings will be of my time spent here. All the "noinsense" that we've been up to :P.... I'm sure it will bring back much memories when revisited in the future, all my housemates, colleagues and friends.

SA bits 55 : Double trouble?

2010-07-10T12:08:00.003+02:00

Look what I've got as a gift for my hospitality :P
Guna from NSTP (friend of Akash) bunked over at my place while waiting for his flight. He gave me this bottle as a token of appreciation. Not as smooth as JW Green Label though. Nevertheless, it was good stuff. Something to keep me warm during these winter nights :P ... and no, I'm not an alcoholic.

SA bits 54 : First time for everything

2010-07-07T16:49:00.002+02:00

There's a first time for everything, and today I was told that I had committed a fireable offence :O
Somewhere along the line of work, tight project timelines and hectic scheduling, a process was not followed in terms of the company's purchasing policies and procedures. The guys in upper management are busy fixing it up and hopefully it will be rectified. Lesson learnt, and don't take policies lightly regardless of the amount of money involved.

SA bits 53 : To Johannesburg Soccer City for Uruguay vs Ghana Quarter Final match

2010-07-03T02:32:00.009+02:00

I had a slightly different view in this match. More centered than cornered so to say. Traffic was horrible today since it's end of the working week. We (Vuyo the criminal and I) arrived early but missed the Brazil vs Netherlands game. We had a boerewors hotdog, a couple of drinks and into the stadium we went.

The bbq pit full of wors on the grill.

Hawker food SA style

The criminal and I... actually I look more like a criminal than Vuyo don't you think?

The more "centered" view :P

Random video of the crowd outside the stadium before the game.

Ghana played a very good game, it was just not meant to be. I was just updating my facebook status, stating how sad to see them play so well but still not make it due to luck. The ball is round indeed....

Seen here is a pic taken from FIFA.com that says it all. You can read the story here.

SA bits 52 : To Johannesburg Soccer City for Argentina vs Mexico

2010-06-28T19:40:00.040+02:00

So I finally went for my first FIFA World Cup 2010 game, between Argentina and Mexico. Thanks to some tickets from Akash the 4 of us (Hemant, Naseer, Akash and I) braved the cold and huge crowd. It was cold alright, but we were ready.

We left home very early (3pm) hoping to catch the second half of the Germany vs England game in the stadium. We bought the park and ride tickets so that we only needed to drive to a designated parking area further away from the stadium and hop onto the feeder bus that ferries everyone to and from the the stadium. By the time we were inside the stadium it was 4.30pm and was just about going into half time. So we decided to walk around and explore the stadium more.

The long 2km walk from drop off point to the stadium

World cup memorabilia on sale!

Hemant, Akash and Naseer behind me.

Cops aplenty at entrance points.. I got frisked and man handled to check for any illegal substances or weapons :P

The guys taking a moment to absorb the view of....

Soccer City!

The design of the stadium is taken after the "calabash", an African pot. This is because it is most recognizable and automatically associated with the African continent.

Countless hardcore Argentinian fans!
Here's a few shots being upclose and inside the stadium.

It was getting cold alright...

Here's a view of where we are sitting, almost the same view from the Confederations Cup game last year. This was 2 hours before the game started.

Lost chinese boy...

And an hour later, it was filled up. Stadium capacity is 90,000 spectators. Attendance was around 86,500 that night.

And the teams began their warm up routine about half an hour before. This might or might not have appeared on the live telecast, but the fans were throwing toilet rolls onto the pitch, even during the game!

Players introduced to the crowd just before kick off.

As the game started we were all too busy trying to concentrate due to the noise :P but it was all good.
As we left, we took a chance to capture the Soccer City with lights on. It's really some view.

Until Friday for Uruguay vs Ghana, at least we have 1 African and 1 Asian team still in competition. Go Africa!!!

p/s Thanks Akash for the sharp pics.

SA bits 51 - Shakira Shakira!

2010-06-11T23:33:00.009+02:00

I never liked Shakira, until last night when she performed in the kick off concert held in Soweto.
6 damn °C and she's dancing around on stage with a tube top, respect!!! And those hips really don't lie, goodness me.... :P

You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
Get back in the saddle
You’re on the front line
Everyone’s watching
You know it’s serious
We’re getting closer
This isn’t over

The pressure’s on; you feel it
But you got it all; believe it
When you fall, get up, oh oh
And if you fall, get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Cause this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Listen to your god; this is our motto
Your time to shine
Don’t wait in line
Y vamos por todo
People are raising their expectations
Go on and feel it
This is your moment
No hesitation

Today’s your day
I feel it
You paved the way,
Believe it
If you get down
Get up oh, oh
When you get down,
Get up eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

"Ngiyabonga Mzansi," means "thank you South Africa"

SA bits 50 - All hell broke loose today... in a good way of course.

2010-06-09T22:59:00.002+02:00

I left home for the office at noon today, big mistake.
Today, 9th June 2010 is "Stand Behind Bafana Bafana" Day. At 12p.m, everyone is encouraged to show their support for South Africa's soccer team called Bafana Bafana. Not only did Bafana Bafana came to Sandton, so did everyone else! On a normal day, it would've taken me less than 5 minutes to reach the office. It took me half an hour today. This video shows why.

Close to 50,000 fans jammed the streets of Sandton, celebrating and blowing them vuvuzelas. Man, those things are LOUD! Here's a more environmentally friendly & artistic version compared with the conventional plastic cousin. The video tends to advertise Cape Town more if you ask me.

South Africa is ready,2 more days. The past 2 months have been a mad scramble and rush to finish off work and prepare the network for this event. Today is the official network freeze and we're apparently not suppose to do anything more for fear of breaking something :P. I just realised we're halfway through 2010 already..

SA bits 49 - Orlando Towers

2010-04-25T19:41:00.004+02:00

I've always wanted to drop by here to have a look, so after lunch in craftsmarket Onur and I took a drive to Soweto. Drove around the township while he was trigger happy with his camera on the surroundings. Passed by Vilakazi Street and Nelson Mandela's home and also had a chance to witness someone bungy jump off the famous Orlando Towers in Soweto. I can imagine the adrenalin rush!

SA bits 48 - Glenwood

2010-04-18T11:40:00.004+02:00

I moved in 3 weeks ago to this single bedroom place since Dorai left SA. It's so small that this is the only place possible for a panoramic photo, hahah. It's a view from entrance to the living & dining area. To the right is a small kitchenette and the door you see in front is to the bathroom. Next to it is the bedroom.

SA bits 47 - White lion? Not!

2010-04-12T20:53:00.009+02:00

We have a manager (Onur) from Turkey who came to visit and assist us with the projects going on currently. I think I overloaded him with questions about Turkey :P... sounds like a very nice place to visit. Anyway, we went to Lion Park on Sunday morning (yes, again). According to him it was a very interesting experience (to be so close to a predator), and he also told stories about what a sorry state zoos in Turkey are, sounds familiar (Zoo Negara).
I thought we saw a White Lion (very rare breed), but apparently it's not. It's a normal species where it's skin and mane will turn brown much later.

Most cats were on their feet as it was close to feeding time, so we got more chances to take some nice pictures. Onur said after he deleted the ones he didn't like he was still left with 200+ pictures :O

Onur and a cub

Cheetarah lari laju, tertinggal baju....

SA bits 46 - Looks who's coming again!

2010-04-01T22:16:00.003+02:00

Well well well, I want to go but that night may clash with a very important work night... damn it!

SA bits 45 - This is going to be a rough year at work...

2010-03-20T17:08:00.004+02:00

I walk past this sign for about 10 times a day in the office and I feel that things will get from bad to worse based on the things lined up...

KL bits 6 - CNY card from Boey ,Chloe & Mommee's birthday celebration

2010-02-19T23:44:00.011+02:00

I got a surprise in the mailbox today, Boey's writing is really nice! Keep it up Boey!

Uncle Jansen, I'm old alright.

Boey

Chloe

The dynamic duo at their best behaviour. It's not easy to get kids their age to sit down!

The steamboat

Sis baked a divine cheese cake for the Mommee and here we are singing the birthday song. There was this funny moment when we finished singing the birthday song and before Mommee could blow the candle Chloe already did it for her LOL! Like I said, when they're at their best behaviour...

Daddee and Mommee

See you all in 2011!

SA bits 44 - FAT bastard or Fat Bastard?

2010-02-19T23:14:00.006+02:00

This cracked me up at the bottle store today. And it didn't taste too bad, very fruity and light unlike other wines I've tasted (not to say I've tasted a lot).

Wines are relatively cheap in SA considering they're among one of the top wine producers. This bottle only costs RM25.

And it really reminded me of this guy in Austin Powers shows, LOL funny dude Mike Myers

"oooo, ma tittieessss..."

SA bits 43 - Gong Hei Fatt Choy, from about 8600kms away...

2010-02-19T22:52:00.007+02:00

Gong Hei Fatt Choy, Happy Chinese New Year to everyone at home.

Things are very hectic here, work wise.

Had a small dinner with my housemate and am trying to perfect this dish I like so much, fried pork with wood fungus stew. First attempt was ok, now I'm trying it again since I consulted Mommee for detailed instructions :P

The pork, about 600gms of it

The lam yue (fermented red bean curd), flour mix and egg

The marinated stuff, added a table spoon of soy sauce, a pinch of salt and ajinomoto plus a dash of Jameson whisky. I'm no drunk, I was told it'll actually make the pork more fragrant :P

And so I'll leave this marinating over night and fry it first thing in the morning. Hope it'll come out just like how I usually eat back at home. hhhmmm... I can taste it already hahahaha

KL bits 5 - When I let loose, I let loose....

2010-02-06T20:56:00.016+02:00

Among things money cannot buy, time with your good friends. This time around was for Eugene & Mun Yee's wedding. HOWEVER, since I was so busy running around helping out wherever and whenever I can, I don't have much pictures of the wedding ceremonies (both tea ceremony and wedding dinner). We adjourned after dinner briefly to HRC, and we quickly found out we were too old for the loud noise. :P

So what do you do then, you thrash the bridal suite! Sorry Mun Yee, we made 1 hell of a mess. Or rather, I made 1 hell of a mess especially with the flower petals throwing and other nonsense, hahahaha
Anyway, like I said... time with good friends. Hope to see all you guys and gals again soon and thanks for the fun night.

Gals get the sofas, while guys get the carpet floors

Huiyi, Karen & groom. Don't ask why he was with us on his wedding night, ANYWAY.....
as more drinks were consumed....

you can imagine the happy people around...

Yueli, CK & Des

With Des

With Pyan & CC

With Huiyi & the groom

With Huiyi, Karen, the groom & Suzen

Thorn among roses? With Suzen, Huiyi, Karen & Yueli

This is when we just can't get enough of each other...Here's one with Des.....hhhmmm....

One with the groom, wth?!?

And another one with CK..??

This has got to be the funniest pic of all... well done boys!

KL bits 4 - Going away, again...

2010-02-06T20:54:00.002+02:00

Thanks for sending me off.

See you all in 2011!

SA bits 42 - Second and last time in SA I hope..

2010-01-07T20:11:00.007+02:00

Just bought another car. Not too bad of a deal, with minimal fixes this time since the car run's relatively well. Don't think I will have problems trying to sell this car before I leave SA in future.

I will have to get my international driving permit before driving it though. That's because I will only get insurance coverage with an international driving permit and driving a personal care without insurance is just a mistake as I have learnt. Plus I will install a new immobilizer and anti-hijack device just so that I "feel" safer :P

SA bits 41- 31st December 2009, my most memorable new years eve so far...

2010-01-01T01:02:00.003+02:00

...because some punk mo'fo just stole my car.

what.the.fuck.

Happy New Year 2010 indeed!

SA bits 40 - Christmas in Nelspruit,Mpumalanga (Part 3)

2009-12-31T19:17:00.030+02:00

Our next day began at 4.30am, for a full day safari tour in Kruger National Park. This wasn't our first game drive but somehow the thought of entering SA's biggest game park got us all very excited. We didn't really know what animals we'd spot since it was a wild park so I guess that's where the excitement came from. It was already packed at the park entrance gate at 5.30am. Understandable since it was the season holidays, we were told that there would be a big in a national park. That was surprising to hear since it was a national wildlife park, but was even more surprising to see when we passed so many cars and so many cars passed us. Before the entrance our guide (Dave) briefed us quickly about what to do and what not to do. Keep ourselves inside the half exposed vehicle, don't make too much noise when we're close to the wildlife, stay still in the vehicle when we come across an elephant in musk. I understood this later in the day which you'll see why too. Anyway,just as surpised as I was to see so many cars, there was actually paved roads in a national park! Well, at least they were only in major routes of the park. Many areas we went were gravel so it gave us the more natural experience. The first wildlife we saw was the hyena lazing by the side of the road. One of us asked how dangerous the hyenas were, and apparently they can snap a giraffes leg with their jaws so taking on a human bone would be like us snapping off a tootchpick. If a man with their bare hands was to battle a hyena, the hyena would win hands down.

We saw a lot of impalas. Since they were at the bottom of the food chain, they were almost everywhere. Very beautiful animals though, their skin looks as if it's suede and they don't run. They sort of skip and when they do they are really fast! I asked Dave if we would be lucky enough to see a kill but he says there will be very slim chance considering the hunting animals don't always feed and the killing shots we see on NatGeo/Discovery would've taken months to film.

Not too far from these guys were the giraffes. Although their majestic height, they are very vulnerable when they are not vertical. Dave went on to explain how easy it was to keep a giraffe down horizontally by just covering his head with a blanket to keep him blind or by just sitting on it's head when it's down. He also related to how the lions have grown smarter over the years in preying on giraffes. Unlike gravel, tar roads are slippery and because of that the giraffes don't have a good grip to run on and the lions would take advantage of this. How? All they need is just 3 cats, with 1 on each sides of the road and that last one behind. As soon as the giraffe slips when trying to run on the road, they go for the kill.

Call it unlucky as we only manage to catch a glimpse of the rhino (white rhino). Dave said that this was a white rhino (there are 2 kinds;black or white rhino). The white rhino has a wider mouth for grazing while the black rhino has a pointed beak like mouth for browsing. Apparently white rhino is less hostile and we could still stop nearby it for viewing. This is not the case with a black rhino though as it tends to attack anything that's not familiar to it.
Just after lunch we saw some cape buffaloes chilling by the river. Dave told us something interesting about their horns where they origin from the center of their skull, and broadens into a heavy shield across their forehead is called a "boss". A hunter never tries to kill the buffalo with a shot into the "boss" as the bullet will not penetrate. Like wow!

This next spotting was priceless. It literally walked across the car ahead of us and they have been watching it for 5 minutes until we came. Sadly I wasn't quick enough to start up my camera for it. Because it was such a secretive animal some people never get to see it even after a week. The leopard.

We got even luckier when some lions were spotted. How about that, 2 cats in 5 minutes. Dave said it was his first in 10 years as a guide. The quickest he's ever spotted all big 5 wild animals was in 3 hours.

And these guys are always underwater it's so hard to spot them until they surface to breath. Even when they do they only stick out their noses above the water. I remember this animal was always a tricky one to spell in primary school. Hippopotamus!

And to make our experiences more worth it, look at these giants.

So we saw Africas big 5, well technically speaking we only saw 4 as the rhino wasn't a black rhino. Nonetheless it was a great experience.

SA bits 39 - Christmas in Nelspruit,Mpumalanga (Part 2)

2009-12-30T00:53:00.043+02:00

As planned, we started our first day in Nelspruit early. This is how 6am looks like here.

This first day would be a light & easy drive along the scenic Panorama Route of Nelspruit. It covers a wide area and along the entire route, one gets to tick-off a few high ground viewpoints, water falls and other recreational hot spots. We did not want to miss this chance.By the end of the day, we would have covered the towns of Hazyview, Graskop, Ohrigstad,pass by Sabie and Pilgrims Rest.First thing I noticed was the HUGE plantation on both sides of the road. At first I've mistaken them for pine trees, only to find out later that they were actually Eucalyptus. Nelspruit has a local industry of timber and paper production harvested from these trees and they are managed by the company called Mondi. Very nice view though, these plantations go as far as your eyes can see at many points along the way.

Our first stop at Graskop Gorge Falls. Water fall is just off the ledge and nearby is the Mogodi Lodge Resort.

We proceeded to God's Window, which I was looking forward to. Sadly, it was a cloudy morning on Friday and we couldn't really see anything from the top. Dissappointing, as we bumped into a family on the way to the top, and according to the man if it was a clear day, we could see see all the way to Mozambique. Damn!

Spider web covered in morning dew.

Imagine my frustration to see only mist and fog.
Anyway we hopped back into the car as it was also drizzling and made our way to the next point of interest, the Lisbon Falls. Check.

And next was the Berlin Falls.

Next point of interest was towards the Three Rondawels, but we stopped by Bourkes Lucky potholes. This valley is very unique as the "potholes" were formed by the swirling waters of the river. Over a period of millions of years and as the river runs dry, these magnificent formations are seen.

Had an icecream here, and off we went to Three Rondawels or also knowns as Blyde River Canyon. The pictures says it all.

As we started to make our way back, we made one last stop in Echo Caves. Nothing much to really shout about, as our shouts don't really echo. It's the stalactites that does echo (a bit) when you tap on it.
This was quite an adventure because at some point of our "caving" adventure, we had to crawl and squeeze into narrow paths and get on all fours to crawl under the stalactite. The best plus point about this cave is that temperature in the cave is very much cooler than the outside. So it was like air conditioning on a hot day.

By the time we finished here, we were all tired from the driving, hiking and crawling. We finally reach the hotel at 5 in the evening. Had dinner in the hotel as everywhere else was closed due to Christmas and ended the day with a few glasses of bubbly :)

to be continued...

SA bits 38 - Christmas in Nelspruit,Mpumalanga (Part 1)

2009-12-28T19:40:00.016+02:00

South Africa has its fair share of highland tourist spots. Over the Christmas weekend, we went for a trip to Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. This place reminded me of Drakensberg in KZN. Equally spectacular scenery and so "Salem High Country-ish". The journey took about 3half hours. Before even reaching the place, we had an idea of what to expect.

Due to high demands of a holiday lodge during this festive seasons, we only manage to scramble for an accomodation in the city center. Not my preferred choice as I was hoping for something closer to nature. Anyway, the hotel wasn't so bad after all. The air-conditioning was very primitive though, looks more like the ones we use to see during our primary childhood tuition centers. Reception area had a very warm feeling, probably due to the amber lights all over the place.

After we checked-in it was already dinner time so we hurried over to get some last minute "groceries" to prepare breakfast and snacks for the next day and also to get dinner. We planned to leave our hotel early the next morning, so lights went off by 9pm.

to be continued......

SA bits 37 - Are you serious?!!

2009-12-18T22:30:00.002+02:00

SA bits 36 - The day Pritam cooked chicken briyani

2009-12-18T15:53:00.008+02:00

No pictures of the briyani though, instead some shots of the gang. We just went through a 4 day training conducted by our vendor. From the discussion we had, there will be A LOT of work come January 2010. I just hope I can assist the rest of the guys as much as I can since I am still waiting for my leave confirmation.
Anyway, some update pics of us after dinner. Thanks Pritam for your invitation and dinner.

Big lawn, perfect for a braai and as seen, for star gazing as well:P

And the following pictures are of the gang, and also what happens when you intentionally set sequential shots without notifying the rest hahahah

SA bits 35 - A weekend without work..

2009-12-13T00:05:00.007+02:00

So what do you? You have an ice cold beer....

On a separate note, I think they should make it a criteria in any beauty pageant contests that all participants must be able to converse in English. If you had to choose someone to represent the country, she's got to be able to speak the international language, no? Well at least Miss Gibraltar could and I think she's Gorgeous with a capital G.

SA bits 34 - Year end function 2009

2009-12-12T16:58:00.008+02:00

We just had the year end function for 2009. Due to recent cost cutting measures, they no longer organize any function which required an overnight stay. Last year they organized a race in a theme park where the entire team had to participate in a lot of the theme park rides, and obtain clues at the end of the ride. That would've have been so cool.

This year it was held in Midways Mall, for Extreme bowling.

A few of the guys started with pool. Then we had 2 games of bowling, 1 before lunch.

Clinton, the only other chinese in Motorola.

Lunch was not really good, but considering the cost cutting measures it's understandable. Surprisingly, the bar was free flow.

Ciak!

SA bits 33 - Nissan Sentra B12

2009-11-15T11:40:00.007+02:00

Behold, our personal ride. Bought this jalopy at a good bargain, serviced it and hopefully it will continue to run this well for many more days. Even the mechanic gave us the thumbs up for our catch.
1990 Nissan Sentra B12 model, 3 gear auto transmission, very nice interior. We had all engine lubrication flushed and changed, replaced all the brakes and topped up brake and transmission fluid. It was thought to be smoking a bit, but problem solved after replacing the brake diaphragm.

Again,can someone help me buy 6638 please? KTM (Kuda, TOTO, Magnum). Why 6638? See number plate.

SA bits 32 - 2 weekends of braai

2009-11-02T20:34:00.013+02:00

Don't worry, I didn't have too much meat to eat.
First session was to celebrate Dorai's wedding. Congratulations to you and Mohana. Sorry I couldn't be a part of this auspicious event but here's to good health and happiness always.

Braai master

The apprentice, and dude is that the swing cushion you're using to fan the coal!?

Like I mentioned in one of my older post entry, I need to be a vegetarian soon

Second session was at one of my colleague's (Pritam) mini-bachelor's celebration. He's going back to get married in 2 weeks time. Congrats to the both of you. Hope to meet her when she comes to stay with you.

Braai master is the future groom himself

SA bits 31 - Joburg Lion Park

2009-10-25T00:24:00.014+02:00

Going to the lion park is like a teaser to a full-blown game drive. This is actually my third visit, and I can still remember my first about 2 years back. The size of the lions are very intimidating when seen in real life, and like I said this is only a teaser. It was definitely more exciting back then. Now I know what to expect, but what made it even more disappointing was there were fewer lions than before. Not to mention they were all having an afternoon nap! (-_-) anyway .......

Akash & family came to visit from Durban.
We saw a bit of Zebras...

.. a few Kudus...

....and the Springboks. Personally, I think they taste horrible (like deer meat). They are sold in selected restaurants. That was my first and also my last time of chowing down Bambi's cousin.

Spot the Cheetah.

Like I said, most of the cats were napping.

There's a separate section in the park's reception area, where you can pet lion cubs. This particular one was about 4 months old.

I still remember the last time I tried to do it, cheeky bugger wanted to taste my knee :P

She looks lost and confused...

And the softer side of these "wild" animals?

SA bits 30 - Durban SA Part 2

2009-10-05T14:45:00.013+02:00

We went to Uncle Taylor's house on Saturday evening and we had this awesome fried pork with chillies and vegetables/herbs. Uncle Taylor held a prayer on the same morning and slaughtered a fully grown pig. He cooked 3 different styles with the meat; fried with greens (chillies, vege and herbs), fried with chilli powder and herbs & lastly with tomato chutney. That's also my order of preference of the 3 dishes he made. Burppp...

The awesome-ness is out of this world! Pork fried with chilli,vege and herbs.

Davis warming up the food for us.

Davis and sons (Rowan, left and Ryan,right). The last time I saw Ryan he was not even 1 year old. Now he's already able to talk and dance!

Uncle Taylor dancing with Ryan!

The next morning we went to the beach! Water was c-o-l-d.

Couple of the year award, AKVK! Like tamileh movie la...

The one getting all the precious attention from everyone around him, Hareshan.

Castles in the sand.

I left Durban with Uncle at 5 in the evening and reached Joburg at midnight. All in all it was a good weekend!

SA bits 29 - Durban SA Part 1

2009-10-03T15:45:00.023+02:00

After weeks of very odd working hours, our project finally came to a close (sort of). Before we move forward to the next project, I thought I'd take this opportunity to have a short break by visiting Akash. We drove down to his place in Durban (about 6-7 hours drive from Johannesburg) after work and the journey took 8 hours with multiple stops in between to freshen up and stretch our legs.

Durban has the busiest port in Africa (which means it's coastal and has beaches nearby, woohoo!)and it has subtropical climate almost similar to M'sia but is not as humid with average high of 25ºC and average low of 17º. Being the 3rd most populous city in SA, it has a very big Indian community. It is also the city with the largest Asian community in SA with 20% Asians.

We visited Gateway shopping center which was just across the road from where Akash stayed. Gateway is a h-u-g-e shopping center in Durban, suprisingly I also just found out today that it's the largest in Africa. It's h-u-g-e, and the environment reminds me of Mid Valley Megamall. A one-stop center of entertainment. This is what I saw during our short visit...

I thought this was all the squirting fountain could do until...

it shot up 3 storeys high, inside a shopping complex.

The entertainment section of the mall. When further explored there's actually a rock climbing wall.

At the base of the rock climbing structure was a swing for kids, except this is not like any normal swing. The kids are harnessed, and belayed over 2 storeys and literally swung. They look like they're only 4 or 5 years old and they are already this adventurous!
The next thing that caught my attention was this. Following pictures almost explains it all.

Here's a shot of Akash's serviced apartment complex, a new and comfy place for a couple (single bedroom place). It's only about 10 minutes from the beach.

Thanks for accomodating me, says Jansen shamelessly ;P

KL bits 3 - Congrats Khai Fuy & Suzen!

2009-09-12T15:45:00.019+02:00

After going out for about a hundred years, they finally decided to get married :P...
Congratulations to my dear friend Khai Fuy & Suzen, I believe everyone wishes the both of you the best of everything as you embark on this new journey of life.

CK and myself were lucky enough to get a free room in the hotel where the wedding dinner was held (courtesy of the the newly wed couple ;),thanks Apek & Suzen). He didn't waste much time choosing his bed, and Eugene crashed with us that night too so that makes 3 of us. You'd be surprised at what kind of noises one can make when they are fast asleep :P

We were kind of delegated a small task during the wedding dinner, to ensure that the slideshow ran smoothly (with music) when queued as the emcee (Anand) introduced them. They were slides of the wedding album and also of their younger years up to marriage (going as far back to baby pics, as usual).

Some random pics throughout the event. I think I had forgotten that I had a camera with me, which explains why there's only a handful of shots :P I still have lots to learn about using a camera indoor as well...

Main table deco

Apek & Suzen with the thank you speech

Table #1

The auspicious Table #18 for 1Academy gang

Chow time

Emcee Anand

Panorama shot

With Suzen, Apek busy layaning the rest of the crowd. A few suspects missing from the pic as well, you know who you are and see you in 2010!

Concert by Apek's Alor Setar gang for the bride and groom

"Stop filling my glass!", said Karen

The joker in CK and myself was highligted when both of us bought new blazers for the dinner as we were informed that there would be an influx of AirAsia stewardess :P .. so we finally made up our minds on which to buy only to realise as we were dressing up for the dinner that we both had the same color blazer, with almost the same design! I swear if we had taken a pic standing next to each other, we would be labeled Brown 1 & Brown 2.

Anyway, cheers to Khai Fuy & Suzen and here's to the next hundred years!

KL bits 2 - The 2 naughty ones....

2009-09-09T21:45:00.002+02:00

Boey 姐姐 and Chloe 妹妹..

KL bits 1 - Went home briefly and I enjoyed myself so much...

2009-09-07T19:49:00.005+02:00

If I could only stay back longer...

...all for a better tomorrow but I'll see you again in 2010!

SA bits 28 - VW Chico, our third ride in SA

2009-07-04T18:21:00.007+02:00

Remember my earlier post of getting the rental car and how stuck we were with a green Piccanto? Well we had to trade that in because of some problems with the car and we got a TATA Indica (which I have no pictures of) as replacement. And then we found out that there is a cheaper package offered by AVIS. And this is much nicer...

Now, can someone help me buy 3D please?

SA bits 27 - Braai 2

2009-07-04T18:06:00.008+02:00

We had another braai last Saturday with Akash visiting from Durban, and celebrating my housemates wife last day in SA. She also just received news that she was the top scorer of an exam she sat for last week. Congrats and thanks Mohana, for the lovely food served during your stay. Please do consider coming back hahahaha...

Uncle Roy doing his thing

Aunty, Rowan, Mohana & Dorai

The 2 naughty ones

We had leftover lamb so Akash made lamb curry for dinner, and I made vegetables. Under the watchful eyes of the pro of course.

SA bits 26 - More poached pics of Confed Cup Finals 2009

2009-07-04T16:46:00.030+02:00

Like I mentioned in my last entry, here are higher quality pictures of our outing. Thanks Akash and Dorai.

On the way to the stadium in the "Park-N-Ride" bus service, and no that's not my look of being constipated. Just excitement building up and no other way of expression. I wonder how I'll behave in more exciting events... :P

Akash and I outside the stadium, you can see clearly how much weight I've put on. In my defense I must say, it's the extra layers of clothes. It was cold ok!

As I said, unnecessary show of emotions..

BRAZIL fan goodies,it's basically a protective hardhat with famous Brazil colors and the words forming B-R-A-Z-I-L in front. So expensive!

Simi with his team's t-shirt

Supersized official tournament soccer ball

Part of the performance included a video presentation projected onto this giant ball in the middle of the stadium

The performers beating on drums, dancing and all..

Impressive lighting color changes makes it more interesting

Performers forming the shape of the African continent. It doesn't look like the continent at first glance because we are looking at it upside down. It was meant to show the VIPs on the opposite side of where we were sitting.

Team USA warming up

Team Brazil warming up

Players emerging from the tunnel before the game

Players shaking hands before the game

Kick-off

If you remember my last post, I mentioned that all I could hear in the stadiums were the vuvuzela. It's shown in this picture, where the guy is holding up a yellow horn like instrument. You put your lips into the mouth of this vuvuzela and start blowing and making your lips vibrate. The horn design amplifies your lip vibration so much, it makes one hell of a noise, almost sounding like the air horn of a truck! They're thinking of banning that in World Cup because of the noise, but many argue that it's a South African trademark and no way are they going to take that away from them.

Half time performers

Team Brazil celebrating after the final whistle

The Cup handed over to the winning team

If you're wondering why they're all donning #10 blue jersey, that's because Brazil's number is 10 among the Federation teams

Till next year....

SA bits 25 - FIFA Confederations Cup Final (Brazil vs USA)

2009-06-30T14:30:00.017+02:00

The last time I attended a soccer match was in Shah Alam Stadium, when Liverpool came to take on Selangor FC. I was 15 years old then. It was so long ago, Bruce Grobbelaar was Liverpool's goal keeper. On Sunday, the gang and I went to watch the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 Final match between Brazil & USA. It was held in Johannesburg town Ellis Park Stadium. I wore 2 pairs of pants, 2 t-shirts and a sweater. Taking a piss was such a hassle :P... To summarize, it was really weird to watch a soccer match without the commentary. All we could hear were the vuvuzelas instead. The excitement does grow each time when they were close to the goal post. Here are more pictures to illustrate the environment.

Outside Ellis Park Stadium

Side view

Confed cup banner

The official fan shop, selling an assortment of t-shirts, cap, beanies, fleece jackets

Supersized official Confed cup soccer ball

Closing ceremony performers lining up to enter the stadium

The beginning of an ending...

Volunteers clearing up the center field where the closing performance was held in preparation for kick-off

Team USA warming up

Team Brazil warming up

Just before kick-off...

And the final score was 3-2 in favor of Brazil. I'll post more pictures soon, after I shamelessly poach it from the other guys camera with zoom lens and all. What's 2Mpixel compared to 10Mpixel. Might just see Kaka's mole behind his neck.

SA bits 24 - Bruma Crafts Market

2009-06-20T14:39:00.011+02:00

If you recall my earlier posts, there is a crafts market about 20 minutes drive away from where I stay. It's also close to "Chinatown" where we had lunch today, so we also made a quick visit to the market.

Statues carved out of stone and wood.

All sorts of animals, but mainly the Big 5 in South Africa (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino & Buffalo).

Assorted decorations made of low grade gemstone which looks like jade. Comes in designs such as plates & bowls, coasters, ash trays, jewel box etc.

Ostrich egg decorations. They are normally painted with African cultural elements such as images of natives and tribesmen & game animals.

Wooden carvings of tribesmen.

Tribal masks.

This is the biggest store within the complex. You can find almost any crafts in here. This was also where I bought my djembe (african hand drum) 2 years ago.

This is the best Big 5 carving I've seen so far.

SA bits 23 - Char Siew

2009-06-14T17:13:00.002+02:00

My first attempt to roast my own char siew, though I used ready made sauces. Next attempt will be with raw ingredients. The oven isn't really working in my apartment though, so I had to roast it in my colleague/neighbours apartment :P

Again, it was nothing close to the ones in KL but it'll do at the moment. At least it's better than the ones I had in Chinatown, where they didn't really lace it with honey when roasting.

SA bits 22 - Old bottles for sale?

2009-06-13T16:04:00.006+02:00

I was doing some grocery shopping when I came across the wine section.

I wondered if it was really necessary to stack the bottles out of the box at that kind of height. Could any customer possibly reach anything above the 6th tier of the rack without any elevation machinery? This reminded me of an old movie with a famous theme song about old bottles for sale..or something like that..

Anyway, South Africa ranks #8 when compared to other countries of the world as wine producers. There are many vineyards located in the Western Cape of this country. I read somewhere that this is because of good weather condition and geographical reasons for the high number of wine making establishments in that region. I will definitely make a plan in future to visit this region, as they also emphasized on the scenic beauty in the winelands. It should be more majestic than that rack of bottles :P

SA bits 21 - Subru (Subaru)... I was told that's how they call it here.

2009-06-06T19:27:00.005+02:00

One of my colleagues toy.

My first experience of being this upclose to an Impreza, not yet personal though. Maybe one day....

SA bits 20 - Happy Rice Dumpling Festival..... from about 8600kms away...

2009-05-31T16:28:00.003+02:00

I did't even know it was this festival until a friend wished me online and I was reminded yesterday when I went to get some groceries. The chinese grocery store had boxes of home made dumplings and each dumpling was sold at RM6.50.. tasted ok.

Happy Rice Dumpling Festival to everyone at home.

SA bits 19 - What colour, what colour, what colour?

2009-05-30T18:12:00.006+02:00

Why would KIA have such a colour in their line of productions? Damn ugly man. Too bad, we're stuck with this car at the moment. Due to different travel plans among us for weeks to come, we have to rent a car for the sake of running around. Peeps, if you're planning to get a second runabout car, don't buy a Picanto (don't take it personally Picanto owners, but I think a Perodua Viva/MYVI is WAY better).

Now,can someone help me buy 6D please?

Emo bits 1

2009-05-27T00:32:00.002+02:00

I rarely get pissed, but lately I find myself getting easily worked up over simple things or words. I hope this is partly related to my lack of bak kut teh consumption, and not a sign of depression.
Long weekdays and weekends ahead with work load getting heavier due to project timeline. But I can honestly tell you that I am much luckier than many of the guys in the same boat as I am. At least I don't need to clock in 13-14 hours, every other day. I don't really remember having to look forward to a weekend as much as I did since a few weeks ago... and it's only 2 months into the job!...sigh...

SA bits 18 - Visiting

2009-05-24T16:04:00.010+02:00

Went visiting to Uncle Roy's place today. He is currently renting this cottage on the first floor of a house nearby our place. Very big compound as you can see.

The landlords dog, called Oscar; a very friendly Pitbull Terrier.

Oscar also has a nickname,Jumpalingam. Now go figure it out.
The landlord called Mr. David, has green fingers. This man doesn't buy any of his vegetables. He grows them himself in the front and backyard. He is seen here working on his vegetable plot. Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, chillies etc.

He was quite surprised to hear that I was from Malaysia and Uncle Roy continued to explain how he got to know about our country from a job offered to him about 2 years ago. If he had accepted, he would've assumed the position of a Senior Manager in a hypermarket corporation (Giant if I don't recall wrongly). He would've earned quite a big amount of salary per annum according him, but he just couldn't because of personal reasons. Weird in my opinion, are we that short of management personel in the country with such caliber? I don't think so, at least not in the past 2 companies I came from.

SA bits 17 - Hi, my name is Bongani and I'll be serving you today!

2009-05-24T10:51:00.003+02:00

In return, please don't be a stingy mofo. I remember how I got into a small argument with a waiter once, because he demanded 20% instead of 10%. I hate this culture, should've just fixed a 10% or 15% service charge.

SA bits 16 - FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 Finals

2009-05-23T18:26:00.007+02:00

I'd have to say, they're doing their best to keep it very organized. From over exposing the nation with commercials...

..to comfortable ticketing and collection points...

..they even automated the collection of tickets to speed up the process and waiting time.

Strangely enough, the application for Confederations Cup 2009 is not as strict as World Cup 2010. I suppose they had different target spectators and making it too difficult for Confederations Cup would deter locals from attending the matches. I guess World Cup is a different market, with more expectations from foreigners rather than locals. Confederations Cup would be the Ujian Percubaan for SA in preparations for World Cup.
Anyway, we are so going!

SA bits 15 - Aston Martin

2009-05-23T16:54:00.019+02:00

I overheard my colleague saying the other day; No desire, no drive.

I use to live opposite this showroom. 2 years ago, I would see these cars every morning and night. Today, I had a peep outside the showroom again after returning from a fruitless effort of transport searching. VERY nice... The Aston Martin DBS.

This Jaguar was parked next to the DBS, and I noticed the slight similarity.

Yerrow power!

And more yerrow power! The newer Shelby GT-500, like the one seen in the movie 'Gone in 60 seconds'. Just that this is yerrow coror!

A yerrow Ferrari...

then a red Ferrari...

and THEN a red Ferrari driving away. MAN, it was LOUD, and FAST! I should've taken a video.

While walking away, I looked up the sky thinking how rich does one need to be in order to own a car like that, and what does he do to earn money... when I suddenly noticed a cleverly & neatly camouflaged RF antenna next to the showroom signs.

Anyone would've thought that it was part of the sign's design.

Sigh..a direct translation from a cantonese phrase; occupational disease.

SA bits 14 - Keep out and stay out...

2009-05-23T15:24:00.009+02:00

Electric fences are a very common sight in residential/business premises within Joburg. I noticed that the further outskirt you are, the less paranoid people tend to be about getting robbed/burglared within their homes/offices. However, because we are staying in Joburg this will look all too familiar and you sometimes feel like you're living in a real expensive jail...

If you look closer, there are actually parallel steel wires running along the fence and they are hooked up to give any trespassers a zap!

These pics are taken from the parking of my office.
Almost every building complexes here would have such protective systems installed as a deterrent to crimes.

What ever happened to a mean pair of canine loyalty with one named "Brutus" and the other, "Bruiser".

SA bits 13 (Non halal post) - Char Siew Pau & Hakka stew

2009-05-17T12:28:00.014+02:00

It's not even close to what we have in KL. Luckily we didn't buy the mini pork dumplings, it would have been such a disappointment. ANYWAY, beggars can't be choosers.

Combination of roast pork,red bean and white lotus pau.

Bedal je la labu.... pun boleh...

Washed down with teh tarik. Good thing about having colleagues who've just returned from KL are lots of KL goodies. Thanks Akash and family, sharing is caring :P hahahah

I also found 2 very important ingredients used to make the hakka stew and immediately bought them for my next cookout.

I think it's called red bean curd, I could be wrong. Heck I don't even know what I'm putting in my mouth!!!

And black fungus. I was told that they have really good properties of preventing a blocked artery from consuming too much fatty pork. I don't suggest it as a remedy for any kinds of blocked artery problems i.e high blood pressure or high cholesterol, so please don't substitute with whatever your doctor has prescribed hahaah
Of course, there is that all important 5 aroma spice powder, but I threw the pack away and stored it in our spice box.
Left the pork to marinate overnight, and deep fried it the next day. Came out rather... overfried.. :P

Close up..

Did everything as per my recollection, and it came like this

Had it for lunch and tastes ok in my opinion, definitely not as good as the ones I had at home made by my parents/aunties.. whack only la... I should go easy on that red bean curd thinggy next time... my housemate is complaining that the smell is too pungent, hahahahah....

SA bits 12 - Car shopping

2009-05-17T11:48:00.012+02:00

We've been surviving without our "own" transport since we arrived. Our rides for the past few weeks were "on loan basis" vehicles from fellow colleagues who were travelling out of the country. In other words, we were "safekeeping" their cars during that period. Now that everyone is back, that luxury left us. Thanks Akash and Pritam, we appreciate it very much.

So we were scouting around, and look what I saw..

Do you think red is my colour?

Yes I know, I still have a lot to learn about taking pictures but just fyi that's a red Ferrari in the background. Maybe another 20 years of contracting before I can even afford the wheels only.
Snap back to reality boy! Or how about...

Nope, still day dreaming...something more like...

or...

Believe it or not, we still cannot afford the one in the pic above.

This is what we should be looking for...or something that would cost almost the same, RM As-Cheap-As-Possible or RM Cheap-Nice-Working

We have a few candidates to screen through, will share it with everyone once we have a deal. I'm gonna find out how to qualify for Pimp My Ride SA.

SA bits 11 - Happy Mother's Day.. from about 8600km away...

2009-05-10T19:08:00.011+02:00

Happy Mummy's Day to my Mummy, Sis and all Mums around.
We organised a small braai (barbeque) to celebrate this day. Thanks to all for helping with the cooking and cleaning, we had good fun outside the apartment. The weather was good, cooling and sunny at the same time.

Lamb was obviously on the menu as it was the favourite for all of us, we also had some sausages, chicken wings, friend bihun, chicken curry and some salad. Yes my dear parents, I know I'm suppose to reduce meat intake... but what the hey, you had cheese cake when you're not suppose to :P... so we'll call it 1-1..... Had papaya with ice cream for dessert to finish off.

With Uncle Roy & Rowan in the background.

The braai set and our main braai man Akash.

Bihun goreng, tertinggal gambar kari ayam pulak.

My colleague, Simi from Nigeria.

Our braai stand.

Sorry, can't help posting more pics of the food we had.

Us relaxing in the yard.

No we weren't working, just trying to get online to meet my family back home. And meet my family back home I did!

Happy Mother's Day! Love you all at home lots!

SA bits 10 - Mee kari and a flashback.....

2009-05-04T22:46:00.007+02:00

If you guessed mee goreng as the answer to my previous post, then you're wrong. My friend's wife made mee kari and it was good. Thanks so much guys, that really brought me back for a while.

I was enjoying it with one leg on the chair, macam ahpek kat kedai makan...hahaha

On a separate note,I received these pics from a good friend today. I look so underaged, wait a minute I WAS underaged when that pic was taken. It was one of those unplanned trips any normal growing up teenager had taken with their parents ride. I think this was one of the first few trips all four of us had participated in, we had to buy nasi lemak and junk food on the way to the beach for chow. That was a good one.

SA bits 9 - Cravings

2009-05-03T13:30:00.005+02:00

OMG I can't believe what I was just told I could buy in Woolworths ....

It costs about RM8 for a packet, a considerably small price to pay for something I use to consume very often back home.

Guess what I'm having for dinner tonight?

SA bits 8 - Fordsburg & a butcher in Midrand

2009-05-02T16:36:00.023+02:00

Fordsburg is a place in Joburg town, which is mainly populated by foreigners mainly from North India and Pakistan. This place is home for most of them from that region, with streets filled with Hindi speaking traders and people. They seem to have very strong entrepreneur skills and are running almost any kinds of trade, from the most common restaurants and mini markets to hair saloons and jewellery. When we visit, we never return home with an empty stomach, with briyani being my favourite. There's a small flea market square at the center of this area which is a good stop if you are looking for pirated Hindi movies.

This is where we had lunch today. Massive plate of prawn briyani enough for 2-3 servings. I only manage to finish 1/3 of my order. Quite reasonably priced for the generous portions.

Streets of Fordsburg

The flea market

On our way to the flea market

Snacks and bites

More snacks and bites

Jewelleries and accesories for women

NOT jewelleries and accesories for women

Then we adjourned to a butchers in Midrand. The community in Midrand is also mostly made up of Indians, but southern Indians (Tamil). The butchers is called Nagiahs, reasonably priced meat with a huge selection of lamb, turkey & chicken all to choose from either marinated or not. There's even seafood and a spice corner.

Not a place to be if you're vegetarian.

SA bits 7 - Street traders

2009-04-29T20:55:00.010+02:00

For once I wasn't the driver and took this opportunity to go trigger happy. Pics taken on the way from one office to another (10 minutes drive).
Our exits from the highway.

Another common sight in SA, where street traders make their living by selling "stuffs" at the robots (they strangely nickname the traffic lights here as robots). They have a wide range of products normally seen to be phone chargers, soccer/rugby club caps & jerseys, clothes hanger, sunglasses, wall clocks, paintings and local art crafts. The guy with the globe and atlas is my first sighting hahaha...

However, the sight of these street traders aren't always harmless. We managed to adapt at the back of our minds to be precautious each time we are behind the wheel. There has been countless reports of smash & grab cases reported at robots. I suppose the ugly ones would use this opportunity to double as a robber. They have ample of time to walk up to your car and survey what you have on the empty passenger seat; maybe an unsuspecting female with a handbag where most cases are reported with. Briefcases/laptop bags in the back seat, fancy handphones on the dashboard, basically anything that looks expensive. It is even more dangerous to stop at quiet robots at night, as these robbers can jump from behind a bush out of nowhere, and before you know it you're a statistic. A lot of times too, there's a beggar lurking around. Sometimes kids or mums with kids. Other times are windscreen washers who will insists on a small fee for a service you did not ask for (what happens is when you stop at the robots, they will just spray your windscreen with soap water and start cleaning and ask you for money after that).

SA bits 6 - Grayston complex

2009-04-27T13:46:00.009+02:00

This is one of our most visited complexes, Grayston.

Such complexes are common in SA, unlike our usual commercial/shoplot area. I have seen a similar concept in Malaysia, in Desa ParkCity, an upcoming poshy residential area. The usual tenants in such a complex includes minimarkets, pharmacy, clinic, laundry, restaurants and of course, a bottle store (liquor shop).

SA bits 5 - TELKOM finally solved my problem.

2009-04-26T14:27:00.002+02:00

After 3 weeks, I'm finally online at home. I sort of gave them an ultimatum before I decide to cancel the line. I guess sometimes you just can't be lenient as a customer.

SA bits 4 - TELKOM SA macam sial...

2009-04-25T09:22:00.003+02:00

We applied for an internet connection during the first week of our stay. As of today, it still hasn't been connected yet. Talk about inefficiency. I've just called in to their customer complaint this morning, again. I've decided that if they don't fix it by end of April, I'm terminating it and will proceed with another ISP.

Most communication services here (fixed line, cellular, internet) are packaged with a 24 month contract. I opted to go without the monthly installment and bought the modem separately elsewhere. Hopefully, I can re-use this modem with the other ISP option. We're also suppose to sign up for a new Vodacom cellular number. Apparently, our management would prefer us to subscribe to Vodacom instead of any other cellular operator. Vodacom call charges are higher compared to the other operators though, I guess I'll just have be more hardworking in claiming business calls with my employers then. After all, we are supporting them as vendors.

In the mean time, I'll continue coming to the office for internet. The setback is that most websites are blocked by the server, even webcam sessions!

SA bits 3

2009-04-14T17:18:00.003+02:00

Guess how much we have to pay to fill up our rides?

I need a proper camera......

SA bits 2

2009-04-10T17:08:00.010+02:00

We have been busy getting ourselves settled at home, trying to get internet connection and buying what ever necessary groceries, etc...
This is how a typical SPAR supermarket looks like, it seems very quiet because most of them have gone outstation due to the long weekend. Today is Good Friday, then coming Monday is Easter Monday/family day. Couldn't take more pics cos i had my hands full with stuff. Plastic bags here cost 25cents. A lot of people bring their own shopping bag, which is a good environmental action.

We also manage to go to "chinatown" today. This place is actually called Bruma and it has a concentrated chinese community. There is this complex, where they sell almost anything like furniture,handbags, clothing, electrical items, and of course chinese food and groceries. We got ourselves a rice cooker.

Further up the road from this complex are 2 rows of shophouses facing each other, where most chinese restaurants and grocery shops are located. This "chinatown" isn't one of those you see in movies, where they have a big overhead arch welcoming visitors etc, it's a more toned down version. I guess the chinese community in SA is a very small minority here and are being sidelined. Anyhoos, had a huge lunch and bought some vege for cooking over the weekend.

Just to give you an idea of how much things costs here.

2 Liter rice cooker = 350 Rands (130 MYR)
Pair of chopsticks = 2.50 Rands (1 MYR)
Wooden chopping board (just a bit bigger than an A4 sized paper) = 35 Rands (14 MYR)Wooden frying stick for non-stick pan = 10 Rands (4 MYR)
Plastic pail = 45 Rands (18 MYR)
A cauliflower and 4 whole garlic = 20 Rands (8 MYR)
Lunch (1 plate of XO sauce chicken, 1 plate of green vege, 1 plate of charsiew/siewyook, rice and tea for 2) = 153 Rands (61 MYR)
6 (350ml bottles) of Savannah dry (cider drink) = 52 Rands (20 MYR)
A handful of cili padi = 5 Rands (2 MYR)
A 5kg bag of basmati rice = 80 Rands (32 MYR)

Off to the gym now but we will be hanging out tonight in Nelson Mandela square, since it's Easter weekend I hope the coffee joints are open for business.

SA bits 1

2009-04-06T18:14:00.005+02:00

This is how it looks like at only 5.30 in the evening and it will be dark by 6.15 p.m.

Quite a common sign in SA. It is also common to get body searched by the security prior to entering a bank or club.

2 bed, 1 bath & a swing.

2009-04-03T19:09:00.023+02:00

Our bachelors pad in Kerkira Apartment. Very cozy in my opinion. Even comes with a full SONY DVD entertainment system.

Our backyard.

Living room painting.

My bedroom.

Dorai's bedroom.

3 door fridge.

The DVD entertainment system.

Dorai cooking dinner.

The kitchen.

Living room.

We signed a 1 year lease, let's hope the neighbors are well behaved like us ;P. Winter is just about to start, we get very cooling breeze blowing through the apartment. We have just applied for a phone line and I should be able to get internet connection by end of the month (if not earlier). Hope to meet everyone online more often by then.

Sneak peak...

2009-04-02T19:46:00.005+02:00

Changi airport rocks!!!!

Spoiled by 2 illegal looking immigrants when we laid on the floor of the boarding hall walkway like it was our own living room.

Here's a sneak peak of what's more to come.

We were given work already, and it's all coming back to me bit by bit....

Time to go home and cook now. Fried tofu and bak-choy for dinner.

It's now or never...

2009-03-26T11:11:00.005+02:00

Just managed to confirm my flight for SA. Somehow, leaving this time is very different compared to the last. I know what is waiting in Joburg and I know what to expect from the people, the weather & mainly the job.

Sad part about my departure is that my parents will not be able to send me off at the airport. I did try to fix my flight so that it was possible, but many factors out of my control influence the end result. I'm sorry mommee and daddee, but I won't mind it. I seriously hope you can too :D. I won't know how it feels because I'm not a parent yet, maybe one day a similar experience will backfire at me :P... well look at it this way, I'm going for a holiday and will be back sooner than you think. Really! I promise to keep this blog alive even though we will be meeting online almost everyday. I will try to describe my personal experiences living in SA and how nice it is to all my blog visitors.

I'd have to say I'm quite happy to return to SA. I thought I'd never do it ever again, but here we go.... Not everyone will be presented with such an opportunity. I don't want to regret not seizing it soon enough, again. I seem to be telling myself more nowdays to "Regret doing rather than regret not doing", in terms of anything legal and sane of course.

Nonetheless, this is an opportunity of a lifetime!

Looks like I will be squeezing you more in a few weeks time.... heheheh...

Thanks mommee and daddee for sending off from home. As for the ride/send off at the airport, Skinny aunt & Bro Jimmy, Hong/Sis & family....

Langkawi 2009 - Part 4

2009-03-19T20:25:00.010+02:00

Island hopping in Langkawi was actually my first experience of :
1. Island hopping (though we only went to 2 islands).
2. Taking a dip in a fresh water lake.
3. Watching eagles feed on a buffet of chicken skin/meat/spare parts in the middle of the sea.

Fresh water lake in Pulau Dayang Bunting. I bet none of us knew that the water is believed to have magical properties? That it grants barren women fertility.

After the tour, we went for duty free shopping and lunch in a western restaurant. We returned to our resort, packed up and left for KL with a heavy heart. If only we could spend another day (where 2 out of 6 did, silly me to not make it 3 out of 6 since I wasn't working the next day :P)

The boys polishing their camwhore pose. Looks like they need another holiday soon.

Thanks for the arrangements and participation, girls and boys. Langkawi 2009 was a good one!

Langkawi 2009 - Part 3

2009-03-17T19:21:00.017+02:00

Langkawi has much to offer, apart from cheap booze. Our second day was filled with sightseeing.

Hhhhmm.... RM10/hr parking..

Our visit to Telaga 7, climbed up I-forgot-how-many-flights of stairs and reached...

hhhmmm.... not much of a scene, but we quickly discovered the cooling water and soaked our feet for a bit. After that we went to the Langkawi Cable Car. I enjoyed the view so much from the top station. It is situated on top of Gunung Machinchang (approximately 708m ASL). The other thing about this location was the cooling breeze while enjoying the 360 view. It's a good +/- 5 degrees cooler than lowlands. We didn't stay for sunset though.. must've been some sight.

We stopped for dinner in this seafood restaurant before returning to our resort. This place called Kitta Seafood Restaurant, operated by some local chinese. But what's more interesting (apart from the food of course) is a particular gothic looking waiter, and the house/trance music playing in the background while we were having dinner. Te-che te-che while we were chowing down the prawns... funky!

We reached the resort, cleaned up and was suppose to continue the session by the beach. Packed our stash; Junk food, our bottles, the cans, orange juice and shit. Sadly it started to drizzle and we had to go back to our rooms, but we still enjoyed the evening.

Over and out for the second night...

Langkawi 2009 - Part 2

2009-03-16T17:13:00.018+02:00

We left the resort for dinner and arrived at this place called Barn Thai. It's a secluded Thai restaurant hidden within a thick mangrove swamp. To get to the restaurant, it's a 5 minutes walk on a long and winded wooden platform from the main road entrance. The food was ok. Here are a few shots of how the interior looked like.

Eugene and I goofing around for the cam.

The following pictures illustrate how the rest of our evening went by. We played games, we drank, we talked.. we had fun :)

Happy Birthday everyone!

Over..

..and out.

Langkawi 2009 - Part 1

2009-03-16T12:19:00.019+02:00

The gang and I went on a trip to Langkawi recently. Superb place to get plastered since alco are cheap. I drank, smoked and had fun with my good friends. If only it was like this every other day....

Here's a pic of us leaving from LCCT. 2 more usual suspects were on turbo mode and walked straight to the plane and boarded while we were still at it with the cam.

Arrived in Langkawi with almost clear blue skies.

Hotel reception area (Andaman Langkawi).

Check out the pool.

Our rooms.

The pool, again.

And then there's the beach...

And more beach....

This one taken just before we left the beach/pool and started the night...

Farewell 2 in KFC & Very Thai @ Berjaya Times Square

2009-03-11T09:07:00.009+02:00

More farewell pics with the group.

Victor (seated right of me, waving) also leaving the company.

The big boys of the group (right to left) Mac, Lam, Loo & Lee. Thanks for the opportunity in UMob, and also the KFC lunch hahaha.

I liked this drink, ordered while in Very Thai@Berjaya Times Square. Details of the concoction;Evaporated milk,gula melaka,tea and ice. It's labelled as "Thai special tea" on the menu.

Pic with Goh, among my first few mentors of the RF/Opti environment.

With Christy (left) & Tee (right) in pic. Thanks for the lovely lunch.

Farewell lunch with TeamNKL @ Penang Village Berjaya Times Square

2009-03-04T16:57:00.009+02:00

Lunch was good. Many thanks to Goh, Ida, Ganesh & Peter for participating.

With Ida in pic.

With Ganesh and Goh in pic.

With Peter in pic.

One for the road.

Turn it up-88.9

2009-03-02T17:23:00.001+02:00

I'm not going to say a lot in my first post.

1. Switch on your radio.
2. Frequency, 88.9MHz.
3. Channel name, Capital FM.
4. Show name, Turn it up.
5. Monday-Friday from 10pm to 1am.

Layan....