._zilch

wedding identity: logos

2009-02-11T01:20:00.001+08:00

farewell blogger, hello facebook

2008-12-05T20:27:00.001+08:00

i have decided to stop posting on blogger, so folks just watch out for my posts on facebook, thanks all

testing

2008-11-03T11:51:00.001+08:00

testing

what's so great about the iphone?

2008-10-14T18:18:00.003+08:00

kitty needs a home

2008-10-04T18:39:00.004+08:00

kitten for adoption. serious pet lovers only. more pictures here.
please contact me if interested.

word clouds

2008-09-25T00:34:00.002+08:00

what does your word cloud look like? world clouds are simply clusters of frequently used words in your blog for example, pieced together to form this:

try it here.

if you think you've heard worse...

2008-09-22T03:02:00.001+08:00

wait till you see this one:

beatboxing

2008-09-22T02:29:00.002+08:00

the funniest beatboxing ever since Lasse Gjertsen

Modern Man - George Carlin

2008-09-13T14:40:00.006+08:00

i am a modern man
a man for the millennium
digital and smoke-free
a diversified, multi-cultural, post-modern deconstructionist
politically, anatomically and ecologically incorrect
i've been uplinked and downloaded, i've been inputted and outsourced
i know the upside of downsizing, i know the downside of upgrading
i'm a high-tech low-life, a cutting-edge state-of-the-art,
bi-coastal, multi-tasker and i can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond

i'm new wave but i'm old-school,
and my inner child is outward-bound
i'm a hot-wired, heat-seeking, warm-hearted, cool customer,
voice-activated and biodegradable
i interface with my database
my database is in cyberspace
so i'm interactive, i'm hyperactive
and from time to time i'm radioactive

behind the 8-ball, ahead of the curve
riding the wave, dodging the bullet, pushing the envelope
i'm on-point, on-task, on-message and off drugs
i've got no need for coke and speed
i've got no urge to binge and purge
i'm in the moment, on the edge
over the top but under the radar

a high concept, low profile, medium-ranged ballistic missionary
a street-wise smart bomb, a top gun bottom feeder
i wear power ties, i tell power lies
i take power naps, i run victory laps
i'm a totally ongoing bigfoot slamdunk rainmaker with a proactive outreach
a raging workaholic, a working rageaholic
i'm out of rehab and in denial

i've got a personal trainer, a personal shopper
a personal assistant and a personal agenda
you can't shut me up, you can't dump me down
cause i'm tireless and i'm wireless
i'm an alpha male on beta blockers
i'm a non-believer and an over-achiever
laid-back but fashion-forward
upfront, down home, low rent, high maintenance
super-sized, long-lasting, high definition
fast-acting, oven-ready and build to last
i'm a hands on, foot loose, knee-jerk, head-case.
prematurely post-traumatic and i have a love-child who sends me hate mail

but i'm feeling, i'm caring, i'm healing, i'm sharing
a supportive, bonding, nuturing, primary care-giver
my output is down but my income is up
i take a short position on the long bond
and my revenue stream has its own cash-flow

i read junk mail, i eat junk food, i buy junk bonds, i watch thrash sports
i'm gender-specific, capital intensive, user-friendly and lactose intolerant
i like rough sex, i like tough love, i use the f-word in my email
and the software in my hard drive is hardcore, no soft porn

i bought a microwave in a minimall
i bought a minivan in a megastore
i eat fast food in the slow lane,
i'm toll-free, bite-sized, ready to wear and i come in all sizes
a fully-equiped, factory authorized, hospital tested, clinically proven, scientifically

formulated medical miracle
i've been pre-washed, pre-cooked, pre-heated, pre-screened, pre-approved pre-packaged, post-dated, freeze dried,
double wrapped, vacuum packed and i have an unlimited broadband capacity

i'm a rude dude, but i'm the real deal, lean and mean,
cock, glock and ready to rock
rough, tough and hard to bluff
i take it slow, i go with the flow,
i ride with the tide, i've got glide in my stride
driving and moving
sailing and spinning
jiving and grooving
wailing and winning

i don't snooze, so i don't lose
i keep the pedal to the metal
and the rubber on the road
i party hardy, and lunch time is crunch time
i'm hanging in, there ain't no doubt
and i'm hanging tough, over and out.

watch the video here
WARNING: explicit language

uncanny resemblance

2008-08-25T15:57:00.007+08:00

during one of the performances by Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin for the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, my buddies and i couldn't help but notice...what the heck is our PM doing up the stage performing a guitar solo?

future of internet search mobile

2008-08-19T15:21:00.003+08:00

this is really cool:

for more info click here.

I'M FAAAAATTTT!!

2008-08-16T19:33:00.003+08:00

so what?

you eat your ice-cream, char kuay teow, curry mee, nasi lemak and all that crap and you feel fat. of course you feel fat after eating all that shit, what are you, stupid?

does it make you feel attractive after not eating for 40 days, having bouts of anorexia and "going on a diet". cmon, don't bullshit yourself. you will only think you're slim when you're skinnier than every girl around you.

seriously, girls? shut up already about how fat you think you are. it's seriously idiotic.

claycam anyone?

2008-08-07T22:43:00.001+08:00

Red Heart Shape With White Text Reading "I Love You Rachel"With Hotlink, so much is possible

Create yours at Hotlink Rewards ClayCam NOW

HK part 2

2008-08-05T06:58:00.033+08:00

for those who are still clueless, i was sent by Rachel's parents to assist Rachel in her daily chores, due to an unforeseen freak accident that left her with 7 stitches on her right hand at the back of her thumb, causing great grief and extremely limited use of her right hand. my 'assignment' lasted 9 days, and i had to juggle time for Rachel, work(because i didn't take leave and worked remotely), freelance, and as a mini-reward some sight-seeing around places in HK.

since i didn't intend to fly to HK for a holiday, i can only write about my food adventures and other misc stuff.

what if i told you i had my dinner from a toilet bowl?

Modern Toilet @ Mongkok

this restaurant with a queer name, is hidden few levels up a mall along Portland Road in Mongkok.

i wonder what did its business there...

Basin under table as deco. No, its not usable.

talk about bright ideas, here's some shit-shaped lamps. if ostriches could fly, this is probably what their droppings would look like before you kiss them.

Relieve yourself while you eat! Toilet bowls as seats: now you don't need to walk to the washroom.

It's a REAL toilet bowl!

"Excuse me, may i know where the toilet is?"
"Pee on the walls, dammit!"

toilet seat cover designs

urinal shaped mugs

"Waiter, waiter! There's shit on my food!" "Its actually cover, sir"

stubborn girl still trying to use her right hand

yup, believe it or not. food from a shit-hole.

while food presentation and deco is one of a kind, food is nothing to shout about. and if you plan to visit this place to try-out, don't order the longan with jujubes tea. you'll regret it.

Rating 2/5

Goldfinch Restaurant @ Causeway Bay

this is another unique restaurant, in Causeway Bay, famous because acclaimed director Wong Kar Wai has shot many of his films in this particular restaurant(one of them being "In the Mood for Love), because it has maintained its 60's look in terms of mood, setting and deco, and has preserved that till this day.

egg salad

mixed grill

food is relatively inexpensive, good place for romantic dinner (if everyone in HK doesn't talk out loud)

5/5

Big Bite @ North Point

This small cafe is just outside of Rachel's apartment. Boasts signature american-style burgers with home-made patties and well known snack Poutine, Big Bite also has an extensive menu for the size of the cafe.

Buffalo wings spiciness (Mild, Medium, Hot, SUICIDE)

I ordered the Poutine Set which comes with the Poutine (duh), a choice of any burger and any drinks. I got the Bak Goo Mushroom Burger and Iced Lemon Tea.

Verdict: The burger did not impress me at all, home-made patty was too soft and tasted like over-processed beef. However it was the Poutine that scored. The Poutine is actually fries laced with melted cheese and tasty gravy. a definite MUST-TRY.

4/5 (i would come back for the Poutines)

Tin Hau Laksa @ Tin Hau

Who would've thought this small restaurant hidden behind the streets of Tin Hau was started by a Malaysian? Boasting delicious laksa dishes with Malaysian-touch, i decided to give it a shot by ordering the Prawn Laksa. They also asked how spicy i would like my laksa to be on a scale of 0-4 (0 being non-spicy). I went with 3.

Now, we all fear some restaurants which claim to serve authentic dishes that fail to impress. This one surpassed my expectations and killed all my doubts - this has to be one of the best Laksa dishes i've tasted!

what makes it special: laced and loaded with generous servings of taufu-pok, prawns, sliced tomato cubes, minced garlic and onion and decent amount of spiciness to keep your nose dripping, this is definitely a place to remember for their laksa.

5/5

Exhibition of Works by Sui Jianguo @ Times Square, Causeway Bay

Outdoor and Indoor exhibition of art pieces by Sui Jianguo. Art is weird.

Mao Zedong 's coat

clones with frisbees

Barney's cousin from China

giant stones with metal pieces soldered into netlike covers

random statues

Barney's chinese cousin, again.

weird looking towers

And with that, concludes part 2 of my limited travels around HK. After taking HK's public transportation for 9 days with NO complaints, coming back to Malaysia and only taking 3 hours of bus and KTM and i'm already pissed off. It's good to be home, but I miss HK too.

Rings

For her:

For him:

back to fragrant harbour

2008-08-01T01:25:00.003+08:00

due to an emergency situation, i will be flying to HK on 1st Aug - 10th Aug. I will work remotely from North Point, and can be contacted via my msian number, skype and MSN.

Skype username: zzzilch
MSN email: ser_young@hotmail.com
HP#: +6016.3133115

till then, cheers.

ps: please bear in mind that it costs me to answer your call as well, and SMS is way lot more expensive (RM2 i think)

Y SO SRS

2008-08-01T01:19:00.003+08:00

few days back, my colleagues sent me this:

i generously created an msn size for you :D

and my own version with our classic O RLY friend:

dear nadia

2008-07-31T23:04:00.004+08:00

so my sister nadia and i were talking about those micro compact thumbdrives like this one.

Nadia says (22:41):
kewl
i can nvr own one of those..
sure get lost 1

._zilchº says (22:42):
haha
put in your wallet la haiyo

Nadia says (22:42):
my fav is stil the capless kingston ...where u slide it up with ur thumb

._zilchº says (22:42):
aiyo
that wan so common

Nadia says (22:43):
cannot...im sure to misplace it
yea but it doesnt have a cap
so i dun have to worry bout losing the cap

._zilchº says (22:43):
swt
eh u dun use thumbdrive better la
modify your hands
become thumb drive
that's it!!
THUMB drive
hahahahahahahahahhahaha

Nadia says (22:45):
HOHOHO
funny
typical...*rolls eyes
eh eh...draw tht on a tshirt for me
nola...u shud come up with ur own line of thumbdrives
n use tht as a corporate logo

._zilchº says (22:47):
if i'm king of lame, then you're the goddess of lame lah

Nadia says (22:47):
yea thts y we're bro n sis

why so serious?

2008-07-22T00:35:00.002+08:00

disturbing. if not, captivating. director christopher nolan takes us on a rollercoaster ride that lasts for 2hrs and a half on a battle of the dark knight versus the mind of a intelligent yet hell-bent, evil, murderous psychopath. do not watch with a weak heart and mind.

an evening at black canyon coffee...

2008-07-07T22:10:00.002+08:00

aunt ordered fried pasta.

brother notices parmesan cheese shaker.

"you forgot to put cheese"

"oh, i love cheese"

proceeds to spam it on her pasta.

makes shocking discovery.

it wasn't cheese; it was SALT!

(both of them wear glasses but didn't take them out because they were eating)

by far one of the funniest family dinners we had.

Chronicles of Niamah: Prince Thespian

2008-05-19T21:14:00.008+08:00

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD (yes it may spoil your decision on watching the movie!)

its a children's fairytale. hence the happy ending, weak plot and soppy romance between Prince Caspian and Susan Pevensie.

apparently, children's fairytale and violence doesn't go together well.

not-very-convincing performance from Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian, hence i coined him the title "Prince Thespian", because he was so drama+emo thruout the whole movie and did nothing much except make a lot of noise everytime something goes wrong (much like Mary Jane from Spiderman minus the screaming).

"Aslan: Why didn't you look for me earlier?
Lucy: Because i cannot find another reason to make this movie lengthier!"

yes, Aslan only appeared at the near end of the movie to finally do something, and Aslan was GODLIKE like some WOMD (weapon of mass destruction) and nearly wiped out the entire army with 2 loud roars. and i just discovered that Aslan has a hidden talent: regrowing mice tails!

and to wrap up this weird epic tale of courage, heroism and talking animals, the prince and susan kissed as expected ( i sighed loudly in the cinema )

however, graphics and visual art direction was stunning and impressive. thats the best bit of the movie. wait, rephrase: thats the ONLY best bit of the movie.

my rating: 2/5

ps: this is my personal review and my comments are totally personal. so if you disagree / have your own opinion / your opinion differs, whatever, go write your OWN review. kthxbuy!

Listening to: Paramore - That's what you get

i have not done this in ages, so...

2008-05-07T00:17:00.004+08:00

1. What is your pet's name?
i don't name my scorpions, so the name of my first dog was Prince.

2. What is your most favorite thing to do?
i love to do a lot of things, to name one: GYM

3. Three things you plan to do before you die.
i) travel
ii) get married and have children
iii) start a band

4. If you have a close close close close friend since childhood who loves to take away whatever you like, including guys/girls, and he/she always wins, will you still consider him/her your friend?
no such thing as close friend for me

5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
marry my girlfriend :)

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
no

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
my faith and my love

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
save 50%, the rest goes to family, charity and marriage + future life

9. If you can choose a place for retirement, where would it be?
quiet and slow-paced town / outskirts

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Jo: cute, friendly, bubbly.

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
love

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
frequent flyers (sit aeroplane)

13. What is your ambition?
to be successful in life in all aspects

14. What is the best thing that can happen to you?
see 13 lol

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
God

16. If you have to choose between career and family, which will you choose?
Family

17. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
laziness + procrastination, ignorance, short temper, selfishness and impatience

18. Who is the person that you can share all your problems with?
no one i can think of atm

19. Name a fruit or vegetable which is most beneficial to you. Why?
banana. energy food + fiber for digestion

20. If u were to have God's Power, what would you do?
no one can fathom God's power, so this is not a good question to ask (???)

ok the last question is weird, but i don't think this question is answerable by anyone.

tag: if you read my blog, you're tagged. those who do not post this will be tagged by my wooden bat.

Listening to Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Mix)

iron man is...

2008-05-04T19:18:00.003+08:00

one word:

OMGITSFREAKINAWESOMECOOLNESSIWANNAWATCHAGAIN.

HK 8-14.04.08

2008-04-16T00:30:00.119+08:00

warning: SLPA (super-long post alert)
NHPA (non-halal post alert)

for 2 decades i have waited for this. yes. 20 years since i last stepped out of Malaysia. a breath of fresh air. new perspective of things.

i had the privellege to travel to Hong Kong or Fragrant Harbour (direct translation) to most importantly, visit my darling girlfriend and also to tour the island (and surrounding areas). i will try to explain in as much detail possible about my adventure.

DAY 1 - to Macau & HK

cetana and i had to finish our projects in hand so that we could go on leave for this trip. after completing our tasks, we left the office at 1am. the plan was to journey from the office to LCCT, then board our flight to Macau, then from Macau, take a ferry to HK. gavin drove cetana and myself to the KL Central station (thanks bro!), and from there we took a bus to the LCCT.

one thru security and checking in our luggage, we boarded Air Asia AK50 Airbus to Macau. and off we go!

i have been waiting for scenes like this:

ok now you can call me jakun. 20 yrs never sit on plane, ok?

cetana and i were tired from our late nights ordeal (due to OT over the weekends), so we nodded off several times during the ride.

once we landed, we were in the Macau international airport.

we decided to fill our stomachs with something first, so we ended up in the airport restaurant...

...which was a big mistake!

bowl of noodles + beef stew + vege + soft drink = HKD 87 / RM35!!

this is henceforth my first and MOST expensive meal for this trip. my only consolation is that the portion is huge and i therefore couldn't finish it. for those who know my appetite, this has got to be really big. but still, its RM freakin 35.

ok, whatever. before our trip, our boss gave us a really good tip on getting to HK WITHOUT paying a single cent for transportation and here's how: take a free shuttle service on a bus with "The Venetian"(more info)(wiki) on it, to, well, the Venetian (d'oh)which is an internationally renowned casino-resort. and from there, sign up with a privilege card called the Cotai Rewards Membership for free as well, and from there, take another free shuttle service to the Macau Taipa Ferry Terminal, and then go to a specific pier and flash the privilege card and ride their exclusive CotaiJet Ferry...yes, you've guessed it, for free, to HK.

outside the Macau International Airport, i made a few observations about Macau and its transportation:

roads here are considerably CLEAN and empty. maybe the for the fact that we're not in the city center.

Macau is full of casino resorts, so there are many free (possibly) shuttle services like this one which goes to Grand Emperor.

and you will see a lot of "Gung choy che"s

taxi's. taxi drivers drive toyotas and mazdas. in Malaysia? sigh. smelly beng-ified iswaras.

the Venetian free shuttle service, which heads to the casino resort.

the bus is either quite high tech, or i'm a frog beneath the coconut husk. they have freakin cameras as their reverse aid.

another observation is that drivers here are more slow paced and courteous. but not painstakingly slow.

The Venetian Macau by night (taken from link)

decor of the driveway of the resort:

interior:

after registering for the privilege card, cetana and i discovered that only half of our boss' tip worked: it was only a promotion valid in february. ARGH+SWT+OMG+WTH+BBQ. so we had to pay for the ferry ticket afterall. either way, we made full use of the free shuttle service to the ferry pier.

suspension bridges like the one below are a common sight, even in HK as i discovered later.

not sure what this tower is, nor do i know its significance.

New World First Ferry: HKD 140 = RM56.50

quite a comfortable ride: air-conditioned, and smooth sailing. i tertidur halfway during the journey which took about an hour.

i woke up due to the announcement on the speakers, that we have arrived in HK, and that we will be docking soon. my heart was beating with anticipation. finally i made it to HK! (ok don't mind me, i'm just having the time of my life)

first view of skyscrapers from the ferry. the building on the far right has a gap in the middle of the building, like a giant arch.

we ended up in Kowloon (we actually thought we'd end up in sheung wan) so cetana and i had a mini amazing race asia event of our own. armed with only a limited map of the area, we walked around with our luggage. our first task was to look for cetana's motel, which is located in Mongkok.

advertising is everywhere in HK, and the billboards here are 3 times the ones you see in Malaysia. below is only one of the medium sized ones. the huge ones will be almost as tall as a skyscraper (which you will see later).

we finally located cetana's motel, hidden away in one of the buildings in mongkok. we encountered 2 bloody conmen trying to sway us to their hotel (or they'd probably get commission for fishing victims). 1st one was a bad conman, we almost immediately shrugged him off. the 2nd one nearly lead us to another motel. i discovered his bluff later because he took us further away from the block where the motel was located. when he saw that we were hesitant to follow him, he even threatened to leave. so cetana just said "go lah". haha.

what was more shocking was the motel itself (sorry i forgot to take pictures). oh. my. goodness. www.it-is-freaking-small.com. i missed home when i saw his motel room. there's hardly any place to walk around. and i thought the room was a claustrophobic's nightmare. until i saw the TOYLERT. OH MY GOUURRRDDDDDDDDD.

enter bathroom. in front, sink, on the right, toilet bowl. if you had to change in the bathroom, you'll have to do it standing. i had second thoughts about taking a bath after seeing the bathroom. even a contortionist will complain. while taking a bath, i elbowed the toilet door several times. i can even hear sounds from the next room CLEARLY.

ok, enough about small rooms and toilets. after this, we made our way to Rachel's office which is in north point, using the MTR from Tsim Sa Tsui (TST)(pronounced "chim sa cueh").

using public transportation in HK is easy; IF you know which transport to take, where to exit or get off, or board which mode of transportation (taxi, tram, MTR, cab, walk, bus). if you know HK from the back of your hand, public transportation is relatively efficient. otherwise it will be time consuming because you need time to figure out where to go and etc. which is what happened to cetana and i. but we managed and made our way to north point, following Rachel's directions given several days beforehand.

two more convenient points is that most public transportation connects you to most locations, and you don't have to walk very far, and another being that over here, public transportation and places are very disabled friendly. at pedestrian crossings they have beepers which alert the sight-challenged whether it is green or red light. at MTR stations they have markings on the floor towards lifts, entrance and exit points to board the train and beepers at the foot and end of escalators.

bus and taxi drivers here can be scary. speed + skill = rollercoaster ride. and backseat belts are a must.

also, it would be advisable to get an Octopus card available at selected places including MTR stations.

the Octopus card can be used for virtually all public transportation, 7-11s, laundry, and a number of other services or stores. its an equivalent to Malaysia's Touch-n-Go, only more flexible. reloading it with cash is also relatively simple, also at MTR stations at reloading kiosks where you can even scan your card to find out how much balance you have left. cool eh?

the MTR station logo

the MTR or Mass Transit Railway is the fastest and efficient way (economically and comfort-wise) to travel around commercial areas of HK (the MTR line does not cover southern part of HK island). it is fast, on time, and frequent. and it can get chilly inside, because the wind blows strongly inside the train.

a typical scene in an MTR train.

believe me, you ain't seen rush hour yet, and you definitely don't want to be in rush hour in an MTR. full to the brim.
taking the MTR almost everyday, i can see all kinds of people from all walks of life. and again a few observations:

1) a lot of the working men are in suits.
2) everyone who has a cellphone probably has a 2nd cellphone, and even more probably using it to play games / talk or using it instead of keeping it in the pocket.
3) nearly every youth has a Sony PSP or a Nintendo DS. more often a PSP. iPhone is also everywhere.
4) everyone talks out loud on the phone
5) 80% of the girls are slim (and healthy looking)
6) 80% of those girls are lala.

what is lala?

1) a type of clam or shellfish eaten as seafood.

"mai hum! mai hum!"

2) a type of girl either:
i) dressing fashionably (or so she thinks she is!)
ii) posing in front of the camera with a peace sign
iii) posing and acting cute with the camera
iv) posing with a visible camera or phone with camera in hand and self shot photo either via mirror or directly
v) posing like a model wannabe

examples below:

feeling abit naughty, i decided to just walk in her office to make a surprise entrance instead of calling her first. my heart leaped for joy when we embraced each other tightly. that, is my definition of happiness.

so after she packs up and leaves her office, we checked out her apartment which is conveniently down the road.

Rachel lives on the 14th floor of her apartment. the view is not too bad, i could see the sea, a lot of skyscrapers and some activity going on one of the rooftops. (if you look closely on the 2nd enlarged image below, you will notice some folks doing tai chi)

at night, rachel took us to a cha chan teng (which means coffee shop, and is equivalent to our coffee shop).
when seated, customers will be served hot tea. and here comes the interesting part.

you can tell a local and a tourist from what he/she does with the hot tea. tourists will drink the tea.

locals will wash their utensils in it. LOL, i can imagine that look on your face because thats the same look cetana and i had after being told that AFTER we took a few sips. rest assured, it is safe to drink. but still cetana and i didn't drink it after.

we will also be usually served 'chin tong' (clear soup)

sadly, yet again, i forgot to take pictures. words cannot describe how delicious our 'ku lou yuk' (sweet n sour pork), mushroom chicken and vege tasted. the authentic hong kong style exquisite taste. mouth watering indeed.

DAY 2 - Ngong Ping 360

today is Ngong Ping 360 and a lil shopping day. Ngong Ping is a village among the mountains and hills on Lantau island. and to access that area, we need to take a MTR to Tung Chung, which is one end of the MTR line.(also leads to HKIA airport) and the 2 highlights which i seek in Ngong Ping is the Tian Tan Buddha statue (largest outdoor seated buddha statue) in the Po Lin Monastery up 268 steps up the stairs and the wisdom path which is 300+++ steps along a long path (yes, alot of walking)

Along the way, i saw these:

Citygate shopping mall in Tung Chung, right outside the MTR station (in fact, its connected!)

this shopping mall consists of mostly outlets. meaning, its like the FOS of major brands. you will find brands like Nike, Adidas, Quiksilver, New Balance, cK, A|X, Esprit and many more...ALL OUTLETS. i nearly bought a Esprit jeans for HKD270 = RM108. but i figured i can buy this another time, since i am planning to come to HK again.

looks familiar? if you guessed Guardian, you are correct. here its called Mannings. just like how Burger King in Australia is called Hungry Jacks, and Ah Bengs in UK are called Chavs. lol?

Tung Chung Bus Terminal

Tung Chung Post Office

and the Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal

Ngong Ping 360 (wiki) is a tourism project by the gov, combining services of the cable car and the village at the end of the cable car ride. Return ticket costs about HKD135 = RM54.50

passengers go in...

...switch closes the doors...

...and off we go!

before purchasing the tickets, the staff were nice enough to inform us that the weather is a lil cloudy and windy so we might not get a great view, plus the winds would shake up the ride a lil. we went for it anyway.

and that guy was right. misty mountains.

angle station. at this point, the station steers the cable cars

small fishing village in Tung Chung.

view of the HK International Airport (HKIA)

looking down from the cable car, we noticed a trekking path stretching all the way, cutting across the mountains until the village (i think)

and we spotted some trekking enthusiasts. i must say they're pretty energetic for their age, to be trekking this far. and very friendly too. they waved at us when we passed them overhead.

i was wondering what the hell happened to this cable car! (its actually meant for maintenance crew)

from this point onwards, it became more misty and the fog eventually thickened...

...till we couldn't see a thing.

eerie glow from headlights on one of the pylons.

and finally, sight of the village! phew! (one more ride back to go)

Teahouse

Starbucks followed us everywhere we went. not kidding.

the thick fog that enveloped the village gave it a 'ghost town' feel. its kinda cool.

the Bodhi tree where Buddha achieved 'enlightenment'.

by now you would've noticed that its a fake right? look at the leaves ;)

creepy atmosphere. this gateway leads us out of the village, towards several other locations, including the tian tan buddha (which is where we're headed)

stairways up to the statue. and this is where the mist isn't cool. we're supposed to able to see the statue.

Gateway to the Po Lam Monastery.

interesting carved altars along the way to the top

and this is all we got of a shot of the statue

the buddha is surrounded by 6 buddhistic statues, praising and making offerings to the buddha.

try not to fall down, yea?

after the descend, our next visit was to the wisdom path.

and no, that is not the wisdom path. well, in a way it is. after walking on it, you will suddenly realise that you should've brought roller skates!

in the middle of the walkway towards the wisdom path, we came upon another eerie spot, probably open only during holiday season. closed restaurants, empty (almost seems like abandoned) houses, scarecrows everywhere and not a soul in sight. panoramic shot:

carved and painted figure of a phoenix.

this goes to I-don't-know-where. if you can read the characters on the signage, please let me know and i will update the commentary.

and here it is:

"Wisdom Path, an outdoor replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, one of the world's best-known prayers that is revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists alike. The sutra is displayed on wooden pillars placed in the form of a figure "" to symbolise the idea of immeasurable splendour and infinity." (quoted from link)

this is when the mist adds a really good atmosphere!

mealworm spotted on rock steps

empty panel. if you had your own words of wisdom, what would you inscribe here? insert your ideas in the comments page.

on the way back

by the end of the day, it was already dinner time, so we went to Tsui Wah Restaurant (link), a famous cha chan teng because some HK celebrities will come here to eat. well i didn't manage to catch any of them, but even if i did, i probably wouldn't be able to recognise them.

and guess what? i forgot to take pictures of the food again. SWT!! dunno bring camera for what. anyway, the portion is still huge here, had beef fried rice and some toast bun with condensed milk and butter. DELICIOUS!

DAY 3 - Cheung Chau Island

Cheung Chau is accessible via ferry at the Central Ferry Terminal, Pier 5. This island has been inhabited for longer than most other places in HK, and is known to be a fishing village. in comparison to HK mainland and island, life on Cheung Chau is more laidback and slow-paced. People there take their time to do their own things.

On the way to the ferry terminal, panoramic view of a construction site along the coastline. in the background you can see the HK Convention Centre (HKCC) right behind the crane on the left, and on the right, the AIG tower, and far right, the Bank of China Tower. see that smaller building draped with green covers? underneath it is a Calvin Klein ad i was talking about that was as tall as skyscrapers. huge eh?

the First Ferry, that takes us to the island.

the fare is considerably cheap, economy seats are about HKD10 = RM4. but for that price you get this:

poorly air conditioned, open-air, carbon monoxide filled ride. but still bearable.

remember what i said about suspension bridges? they're building one here.

journey took us about 45 minutes, and we have a view of the cluttered fishing com
munity

some unknown weird red stuff hanging outside a restaurant

some known weird red stuff sitting outside the restaurant

more weird unknown stuff outside the streets (later i found out this is fish stomach)

bicycles are a common mode of transportation on the island. some ppl rent them to go around.

markets along the streets

small vehicles like this one is common on the island. they use it to load and transport bulk/heavy goods.

even in Cheung Chau, advertisements can be really loud.

we stopped by one of the shops to have lunch

hardly see any coffeeshops like this in HK!

we ordered 'Yu Tan Hor Fun' (Fishball Kuay Teow) Soup. the black thingy is their version of sambal. more fragrant and savoury than sweet.

walking around the island, a typical street road

i'm beginning to think ppl on this island do eat alot of weird stuff. i'll let you guys figure out what it is, as for me, ignorance is bliss.

not only in Cheung Chau but in HK as well, workers use bamboo from china for construction as it is cheap and strong

typical house

they have trishaw services too

some random structure

fishing boats docked along the shore

some people use mirrors, hoping that the demons will be scared off by their own reflection. here they use CDs.

random temple

intricate carvings and statuettes, decorating the roof of the temple, probably depicting a myth, legend or a story.

buddhist school

panoramic shot of the sea from shore

a lot of seafood drying outside.

like, freakin a lot.

one random restaurant had a display of various edible sea creatures:

more ~~beatrice~~ ~~elvie~~ lala

i just discovered these weird looking things are called Geoducks (wiki). like, what the heck?

someone told me this is some rockfish with starfish (is starfish edible??)

mantis shrimp?

lobsters

horseshoe crab aka king crab. should they be lucky to be horseshoe crabs in this predicament? (are they even edible??)

poor stringray in shallow water, being sucked by cleanerfish all day

we had dinner in another restaurant, ordered 'ko lo pai kuat' (sweet n sour pork ribs)...

and fried garoupa

banner advertising bun scrambling competition. for more info read here.

Park n Shop. an equivalent of 99 market.

panoramic view of Cheung Chau at night

DAY 4 - Shopping in TST, Mongkok & Causeway Bay

i've never seen so many people and signages in my life!

Ladies Street

i skipped sneaker street because if i went there, i would be SURE to spend money on a pair of shoes. those who know me and my "Imelda Marcos footwear collection" will know my shoes and sandal fetish. here's an excerpt of a MSN conversation with adrien while i was in HK about sneaker street:

._zilchº says:
they 'worship' sneakers here
so there's a street full of sneakers
guess what its called?

Adrienz says:
sneaker street!

._zilchº says:
lol, bingo

Adrienz says:
OH I GOT IT RIGHT LOL

._zilchº says:
LOL
this is going into my blog

lunch at one cha chan teng in TST. this is some fried fish skin. eaten as snack or soup dip.

Char Siew Hor Fun

Taiwanese minced pork rice

shopping experience is like this: CROWDED. everywhere there's people, and the fact that most malls spaces are like the ones in sungei wang plaza doesn't help either. only some malls like time square and sogo are large enough to walk around. even so, they're always full with people. walking on the street has never been so troublesome. people keep banging into you, stepping on your foot and people walk and smoke at the same time. nevertheless, these areas that are mentioned above, are full of shopping malls. so worry not, even if you're as picky as me, you will find at least a few items to look at.

streets of Mongkok at night. taken from quiksilver shop (their shops are huge!)

Times Square in Causeway Bay

Day 6 - The Peak & more TST

The Peak is accessible by tram. so we walked from Central, towards Battery Lane then past the Court of Final Appeal and St John's Cathedral. we couldn't check out the church premises because there was a wedding ceremony taking place.

Court of Final Appeal

St John's Cathedral

back view of the cathedral

St John's Building. on the left of the building is where you purchase tram tickets to the Peak.

in the tram

the tram goes up at an angle of roughly 45º most of the time. i wonder how heavy is this thing because its going up considerably quick, must've required alot of power to do so.

once up, we are in The Peak shopping mall. greeting us outside Madame Tussaud's is Bruce Lee's wax figure.

and...his 'stuff' is protruding, so i volunteered to mosaic it out. hey, anyone could be reading my blog right??

view of the city

outside the shopping mall, an older version of the tram

the Peak Galleria (shopping mall) which is opposite the Peak shopping mall.

some restaurant with nice english architecture

apartments on the hills. it seems that Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh lives somewhere on The Peak.

once again, bad weather hampered our view of the city below. quote from Sean (who joined us few days ago) "It was marvellous! We saw nothing!"

pathways along the edges of the mountain

going back down...

eating late lunch in TST. apparently some places have same problems, same source.

nevertheless, food is good. curry chicken dish:

vege doused with tangy mayo sauce

some seafood fritters.

after that, we headed for dessert! ad on staircase:

Sweet Dynasty

nice interior and decor

from this point on, i'd like to apologize to all diabetics...sorry!

red bean dessert

honeydew + sago pudding

sweet rolls + strawberry and mango (mango is a famous fruit in HK)

tau fu fa (hidden beneath mango) with fruits. check out the presentation man!

something savoury for a change. shrimp cheong fun

streets at night in TST

going back via tram (photo taken from flickr)

the tram is probably the cheapest mode of transportation. locals call. it 'ting ting' because of the sound of the tram bell. passengers board the tram from the back, and only pay HKD2 when they get off their destination.

DAY 5 - Church + Dim Sum and rest

attended Rachel's church, Island Evangelical Community Church (Island ECC) in . they don't have a fixed location, so every week's venue could be different. this week their meeting was in the JW Marriot Ballroom in Queensway, Admiralty. Fastest mode of transport: taxi.

worship experience was great, and the message was challenging as well. the speaker spoke about abstinence and the message cut right thru the congregation.

after the meeting, we went for dim sum with Rachel's friends at Metropol Restaurant. per person: HKD100 = RM40

Victoria, Rachel and me

giant sharkfins in the restaurant. Michelle don't look!

Rachel took me to try this weird looking but good tasting dessert in Causeway Bay

who wants to guess what this is? is this:
A) tau fu fa
B) yoghurt
C) milk
D) none of the above

some cutesy shoes Rachel bought. (and she's very proud of it!)

DAY 6 - Back to Malaysia *sob sob*

people say that time flies when you're having a good time. and sooner than expected, its already time to leave HK and Rachel behind. oh well, all good things can wait :)

finally decided to try McDs. this is called Big and Tasty Burger.how interesting.

there was some communication problem with cetana and sean and i somehow ended up taking the CotaiJet back to Macau Ferry Terminal.

its not too expensive though because i took the economy class at about HKD 145 = RM58.50

Macau sea is dirty compared to HK

some new ferry terminal under construction

at the Macau International Airport, planes land on a separate island then slowly drive thru a long runway towards the airport on land and take off in a similar fashion in reverse.

goodbye Macau...

i certainly hope i don't see anyone walking outside this area during the flight

alas, at the end of the trip, tired but happy and satisfied. i would conclude that HK is a nice place to visit, but definitely not good for long term stay (ie work, study) because the life here is pretty much fast-paced, there's hardly time to breathe (or room for that matter!) unless you live on Cheung Chau or outside the city area.

i wish i didn't have to leave Rachel behind too, as i know we'll both be sad to be away from each other again.

here i'd like to dedicate this post to my loving girlfriend. i cherish you and i love you. thank you for the wonderful and unforgettable experience and time we spent together in HK :)

fragrant harbour

2008-04-09T23:47:00.000+08:00

in HK now. will update when i return. 080414.

updates march 08

2008-03-16T23:55:00.003+08:00

1) work has been fun
2) i sprained my wrist during futsal
3) got myself a new pda phone
4) i will be travelling to HK on the 8-14th of april. my line will be on roaming.
5) chatting with colin, brightens up your day:

._zilchº said:
y din play futsal?

Colin Gan says (11:42 PM):
i miss futsal
so long d didnt play
i wanted too..
i pulled out last minutes
cause of me assignments..
banyaknya..
and like have to hand in tom..
so yeah .. work in progress..
haha
why?
miss me izzit..
futsal not the same without me?

._zilchº says (11:45 PM):
yea
no one to laugh at

Colin Gan says (11:45 PM):
O.o
oi!
so bad
come on.. im sure.. you miss my skills
*ahaha.. okok.. kinda perasan

._zilchº says (11:46 PM):
yeah
no one can do a bicycle kick and kick his own face like you do
hahahaha

Colin Gan says (11:46 PM):
hahahaha..
soon k
it's just like.. when ur young. you ride a bicycle..
you'll definately fall down
but ..that wont stop you from cycling rite?
eheh
em.. i think it can apply here too
wahaha!

._zilchº says (11:47 PM):
how can you compare that to futsal skills?
you can't keep kicking your own face man

Colin Gan says (11:48 PM):
hmm.. well i love playin futsal against you
seriously

._zilchº says (11:49 PM):
why ah?

Colin Gan says (11:49 PM):
to be honest.. cause you make it hard for me
to score..

._zilchº says (11:49 PM):
please

Colin Gan says (11:49 PM):
sometimes i can't detect you -___-

._zilchº says (11:49 PM):
dun satay

Colin Gan says (11:49 PM):
satay?

._zilchº says (11:49 PM):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satay

Colin Gan says (11:52 PM):
why show me satay wikipedia all.. i dont get it -_-

._zilchº says (11:52 PM):
u ask what is satay
that is satay

Colin Gan says (11:52 PM):
nonsesne la!!!
walaU!!!!!!!!!!!!
swt..
send me wikipedia all
why did i even read it
-___________-" lagi swt

Listening to: Tool - the Pot

submit thy portraits!

2008-02-02T19:10:00.000+08:00

...or suffer the wrath of ugly mugshots. yes. thanks to inspiration from noobshit, i will be placing your photos as links to your blogs under "the other whos" on mine. if you have preferred photos, do kindly inform me and send me a copy of your ~~narcissistic~~ handsome/pretty pics and i will gladly update the pictures.

fishy friday

2008-02-02T19:05:00.003+08:00

my dad went fishing on friday, and this is the result of his sea-looting:

(click to enlarge)

anyone wants to buy fresh fish?

what the cake!

2008-02-02T18:56:00.000+08:00

i had a pleasant surprise in the office yesterday:

thank you my love :)

camerons: revisited

2008-01-20T17:50:00.000+08:00

SLP(Super-Long Post) Alert

yes, again. our main purpose was to ~~eat lots of food~~ visit our dear RBS students ~~kel-sern~~ gaylord, jozilla and joel mohan, stranded in HCC without donuts, chilli sauce and a luggage of excess baggage. the wait is over, FINALLY! ~~after pestering mr meals for his photos~~

courtesy of / credits to mr meals and miss steamboat

our journey starts with an accident spotted along the highway after rawang, a friendly reminder from above not to drive fast and recklessly

also during some parts of our journey, the highway was smothered in a strange and unusual fog. with a visibility range of up to 500meters ahead, we proceeded with extra caution.

first stop: kellie's castle!

i've been wanting to come here and i can't believe i missed it on my previous trip ( i didn't know it was only a short detour from the simpang pulai route to camerons). i'm a history buff, and i was completely thrilled by the incomplete elegance and mystery that surrounds the castle. to heighten your historical experience, i would suggest you read it up on wiki.

the tree with the bear face, outside the castle

panoramic view of the castle (click to enlarge)

the mysterious corridors (it is rumoured that the spirit of William Kellie Smith still haunts the corridors. question: if he died in Portugal, why is his spirit here? kelvin the kuli's answer: he took airplane back ._.")

"the bush, THE BUSH!!"

i like this shot. reminds me of some levi's ad. somehow.

one of the guides giving us some background about the castle. this is one of the ventilation shafts, connecting the underground tunnel and cellar which is still being explored by the company managing the castle and currently unopened to visitors.

panoramic shot of the castle on the left, and the first house that the family built before the construction of the mansion. sadly after the construction was abandoned, the japanese army used the premises as shelter and probably storage. most parts of the house was destroyed during the japanese occupation. (click to enlarge)

the kitchen area

at this section of the house you can see marble imported from italy used for the walls. this is most likely the bathroom.

the family were Catholics, so this is the altar section of one of the rooms.

down to the wine cellar

it was pitch black in this room, fortunately kel-vin's LED flash from his mobile came in handy.

can you spot jason?

Helen's room

beautiful ornamental art on the arches.

nearly all the rooms in the castle were complete with alternative routes and exit stairs.

view from castle rooftop. well, almost

this area was supposed to be either a rooftop courtyard for parties or a indoor tennis court. i would think the former most likely. itchy hands of previous visitors scarred the floors.

cameraman tengah syiok sendiri

cheryl and matthew wandered too near to the edge of the castle and nearly fell to their demise. luckily enough, my reflexes were quick and i managed to save cheryl while matthew managed to grip the edge.

...okay i was only kidding. cheryl could save herself. and matthew flew to safety.

(click to enlarge)

narrow and railless stairway. were the scots really that small sized?

one of the 2-3 guest rooms in the castle. apparently William plans to have foreign guests over often.

the elevator shaft. here William plans to have the first ever elevator in Malaya. unfortunately while he was on the way to Portugal to get the elevator, he died from pneumonia. according to the guide, while this shaft was abandoned there were some reports about unfortunate victims who were girls, kidnapped were raped, murdered, and their bodies hurled into the elevator shaft deep down below. some other casualties include freak accidents of people standing too close to the edge of the shaft, probably lost their balance or slipped, and fell to their demise. i would advise people with the 'gift' to sense or see supernatural things to steer clear from looking down, as there were some who claimed they saw things which weren't meant to be seen.

an awesome panoramic view atop the castle. (click to enlarge)

the indian temple located about 500 meters away or so. good job mr meals for spotting it.

the mirror ain't doing its job

final shot of the majestic mansion before leaving. (click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

some really old colonial buildings spotted (passing by Tambun i think, to and fro from the castle). Camerons here we come!

unfortunately for this beetle, caught just before entering our apartment, is going to be grace's lil bio project.

miss steamboat tired from the journey

and so is kelvin the kuli

a short break before proceeding to HCC

we could see HCC from the balcony of our apartment

after meeting them, we decided to have lunch in our all time favourite stall, Yong Teng Cafe.

nasi lemak with curry chicken

eggs and tomatoes on toast with sausage

food, glorious food!

look who decided to join us for lunch

what yong teng is famous for: pancakes

a group pic with the lovely couple and their favourite trademark thumbs up sign

our next stop, the market at brinchang. watch out for screaming monkeys that will hitch rides in your car.

"no rain plsssss..."

corny ~~conman~~cornman selling corn

another levi's ad look-alike

multi-coloured cauliflowers

next, cactus valley. actually, we didn't exactly visited cactus valley. we went to the strawberry park which was in the same location.

strawberry merchandise galore

strawberries!

miss steamboat and i started to get kinky with mysterious looking strawberry man

"another ice lolly pic again??"

of course, don't miss the brinchang night market if you're over in camerons for the weekend on saturday!

cute girl with rosy cheeks making strawberry fondue. can-i-pinch-her-pls.com

very, very unhealthy fried stuff. prawns, crabs, chicken, you name it. rumour has it that these sellers throw in plastic bottles when they fry them, to add to the crispiness. eat at your own risk.

raw honey+honeycombs

mr honeycombs

panoramic view of a section of the night market (click to enlarge)

:(-

apam man

highlight of the day: home cooked steamboat! wowee!!

sweet jagung madu

if you have no clue what the look of gluttony is like, let miss steamboat demonstrate it for you

bon appétit!

and in case you were wondering, no, we did not finish all of that.

we took a nice long walk to the gardens in town to help the sumptuous dinner digest

back at the apartment, we had fun with several rounds of mafia, a fun simulation game

of course, who could challenge the great skills of jason aka zzzman (named for an obvious reason!)

next morning, after worship+BOB, the morning breakfast crew preparing...duh,breakfast.

edwin intruigued by mr meals' honeycomb

cheap and decent western food and more pancakes with the RBSians at restoran excellent, hidden behind stalls in tanah rata town.

a visit to Cameron Valley Plantation

trust me when i say it looks easy climbing all the way to that spot, but it isn't at all. as i was struggling to navigate the steep climb, i was like "now how am i going to climb down?"

vast fields of tea (click to enlarge)

mr meals, miss steamboat and yours truly. spot the uninvited hantu.

rainbow on the way to blue valley plantation, before heading down the hill. goodbye camerons!

kampar town, famous for...

curry chicken + herbal chicken with bread!

...complimented by fried sang mee and wad tan hor!

and that pretty much sums up the trip. a big thank you to God for keeping us safe, for good weather and an opportunity to marvel at His work of art, and to all who made this trip enjoyable and an extremely successful one! where to next? :)

_my.december

2008-01-01T17:09:00.000+08:00

random images

.testing drumset at yamaha-aeon bukit tinggi

.gathering at chery-g's. spot me.

.fireworks solutions christmas tree!

.rachel n i took a weekend trip to camerons. here's a delicious pic of carbonara spaghetti.

.when we travelled between towns (brinchang to tanah rata) there were traffic congestions due to the holiday season.

.splendid view

.splendid view (again)

.splendid view (again x2)

.never before have i seen a monk smoke cigars (and quite a big one too!). spotted in souvenir shop.

.for those who do not know, yong teng cafe is famous for their oh-so-delicious pancakes. ran by a deaf and mute couple, this place has been around for quite long (if i'm not wrong, they relocated from an old spot). they are now behind the first shophouses you will see on your right once you enter tanah rata town area.

.rachel,tapah rest area

.christmas at KJGH

.spotted:spongebob squarepants themed kancil along kesas

.the happy couple

Listening to: Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones - Big Country

_blink.of.an.eye

2008-01-01T03:56:00.000+08:00

somehow i'm TRYING avoid the stereotyped "template" new year blog post. but i think i'm going to fail.

it almost seemed like yesterday, 07 just flashed before me. i guess it serves as a reminder to all of us, that time is extremely priceless. some people complain, that 24 hours is not enough. bullshit. time is, after all, what we MAKE of it. and being very honest? i don't think i have been a good steward of my own time. i can't blame it on anyone or anything else, but my ignorant and lazy attitude. it takes more than just discipline and a sense of urgency to do anything. well, time to change that part of me.

for 08, it will be a year full of new surprises, struggles, cheers and challenges. what will you do with the time given to you?

Listening to: the Used - dark days

wanted: fault

2007-12-15T21:55:00.000+08:00

too many people find fault, as if there is a reward for it.

Listening to: A Perfect Circle - Passive

dear santa

2007-12-03T23:07:00.000+08:00

i know you're just the figment of my imagination. but in case you do exist, here's my wishlist for christmas. lol.

~~leather wallet~~
~~or any nice leather wallet that looks similar.~~
*edit - thank God quiksilver was closed otherwise i could've gotten the wallet i wanted, instead my dearest Rachel already bought me one, how sweet of her :) God-sent? maybe.*

~~army duffel bag~~
yes, i think it looks cool.

raybans
*edit-its freaking expensive, yes. and its fully black, not like in the pic.*

hoodie
or anything that looks similarly cool.

futsal shoes: this / that
its the shoe that maketh the man!

and a new wardrobe of 3 quarter pants, cool tees, jeans and casual shoes to start the year.

men can ever have too much stuff.

Listening to: The Used - Pretty Handsome Awkward

omg...

2007-11-30T01:21:00.000+08:00

i swear this is the longest i've been without writing anything on my blog. been relatively busy for the past months with work. don't forget to check out my deviantart page for my latest projects.

i seldom have anything to complain about, or to talk about. i'd say my life is becoming more of a routine. work, come back, online, then sleep. not even exercise. so lazy. unmotivated. except at work tho. i wonder if thats a good or a bad thing.

what i need? i need a fresh start. somewhere, somehow, i don't know when. i just know i need it.

Listening to: The Used - Paralysed