Genting Trip and Happy New Year 2008

Today is the last day for the year 2007. It brings many happy memories for me in terms of making money and as well as some tragic news like the unlikely assasination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th Dec. She died a martyr. She was full of confidence and victory in the election just minutes before her death by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi. There is just no explanation to all these terrorists acts.

Also today, I just came back from RHB Bank in Jalan Teh Ewe Lim, near my house. I managed to cash out RM367.59 from my Google Adsense via Western Union for the first time after one and a half years. The bank exchange rate was 3.30 today in RHB. And this month alone, I watched a few movies too like Alvin and the Chipmunks, National Treasure and Golden Compass. As I have promised in my previous post, here are the many photos taken in Genting Highlands during my trip from 21st to 23rd of December.


Genting's very own Statue of Liberty in First World Plaza.


Stage in First World Plaza in preparation for Christmas.


Giant Santa Claus.


Santa Claus sitting on a bench in maroon velvet costume.


Genting Walk in brightly lit neon lights.


Many decorations and items for sale in Genting Highlands.


Eiffel Tower in Genting Highlands. This was taken in First World Plaza, the happening place to be in Genting where most attractions and fun rides are abound everywhere.


Christmas decorations and water fountain outside Genting Hotel.


Chrysanthemum flowers grow abundantly outside Genting Hotel.


First World hotel, the largest hotel in the world with 6118 rooms. This was where we stayed.


Escalator decorated with pots of geniune poinsettias and christmas trees.


The two elephants remind me of my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. They are part of the interior decoration of Genting Hotel where we roamed about.


This is one of the entrance to a casino. We were not allowed to go in as I was holding a camera in my hand. Since we don't gamble, we did not attempt to go in again and instead enjoyed the cool mountain air in our room.


Christmas House.

Happy New Year 2008 to all and Good Bye 2007. Let's hope 2008 will be another year full of excitement, enjoyment, food, travels and making more money.

Merry Christmas

I came back from Genting Highlands yesterday evening after 3 days 2 nights stay there. The mountain air was so refreshing that all the rooms do not need air conditioner. I will put up the photos taken there after Christmas. My second sister is back for surprise visit for 1 week from lecturing in Suchou in China. She will treat the whole family in Hokkaido Seafood Restaurant tonight. My youngest sister will treat us lunch tomorrow in Mitzy's Bistro in New World Park and finally my treat for Christmas dinner in Fishing Village in Teluk Bahang.

This is the season to give and to share. Christmas marks the birth of baby Jesus who came from heaven to redeem mankind from eternal damnation. He is our Saviour and Redeemer. Jesus' birth is a gift to mankind. That's why you see presents and gift-wraps by the brightly lit Christmas trees. Here is to wish all my readers and visitors a Very Blessed Christmas this year 2007.

Window Shopping and Wedding Dinner

I came back from KL last night after 4 days staying in Subang Jaya for business and also to attend my friend's niece's wedding dinner in 5-star Nikko Hotel in Ampang, near to KLCC. Below are some of the beautiful photos taken during the trip.


Here is a nice Christmas house with trees in Sunway Pyramid shopping mall in Subang Jaya. You can hardly find such beautiful decorations in Penang.


Another view of the attractive Christmas tree with presents and golden baubles.


Lights lighted up during the night for Christmas season in Sunway Pyramid.


A Christmas Snowman.


More Christmas window shopping.


More Christmas trees.


This is a giant Christmas tree of lights in the lobby of Nikko Hotel.


On our way back from Nikko Hotel, I took the liberty to snap this photo of Petronas Twin Towers at night in KLCC which was very near to the Hotel.

Stayed in Vistana Hotel for the weekend

On Saturday, I stayed in Vistana Hotel for the weekend. Then we headed straight to Max Gourmet, opposite Queensbay Mall for Tim Sum dinner. The place was crowded with diners as usual from breakfast to dinnner. It is opened from 9:00am to 9:00pm everyday and close on Mondays. I had 2 sets of 'har kau', deep fried prawn dumpling in soya bean skin, almond balls, and boiled ginseng with water chestnut drink. I have stayed in Vistana many times before and they offer 4 soft white pillows for a king size bed. I just love this hotel for its comfort but the breakfast buffet was not so attractive and we have to queue up for limited tables and chairs. The selections were very few and not too good. Other than that, the overall stay was perfect.

Enchanted, the 2007 Movie

Last night, I watched this stunning movie in Queensbay Mall. It was one of the best movies I have seen in 2007 with love and romance and living happily ever after. Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in the blissful animated world of Andalasia, where magical beings frolic freely, animals are talkative companions and musical interludes punctuate every interaction. She dreams of her true love and builds a statue wearing a blue jacket to represent him from her dream with the help of her chipmunk friend Pip and other forest animals. She sings about her true love's kiss, and Prince Edward (James Marsden), a handsome and valiant but dimwitted prince who hears her voice in the forest, rescues her from an ogre. Giselle and Edward get engaged, but her fate takes a turn for worse on her wedding day when his stepmother, the villainous Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), throws her through a magic portal to a place where there is no happily ever after in order to keep her son single and thus remain queen.

Giselle meets divorcee Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), who takes her into his apartment despite believing that she is a little crazy, and he is nervous for his daughter Morgan. Robert is a divorce lawyer who doesn't believe in Giselle's gushings of happily-ever-after and true love's first kiss. The next morning he becomes aggravated when he and his daughter find Giselle has rats and other vermin cleaning their apartment and that she has constructed a dress using material cut from the curtains. Nancy (Idina Menzel), Giselle starts to sob when she finds out that his client and her husband are getting a divorce, causing Robert's boss to angrily reprimand him. Robert takes Giselle, and they go outside the building to Central Park.

Meanwhile, Queen Narissa's henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) goes after Edward and Pip, who have journeyed off to save Giselle. They stop at a motel, where Nathaniel sneaks out to give Giselle a poisoned apple, while Pip, unable to speak in this world, has a frustrating time alerting the Prince of the minion's intentions. Nathaniel tries twice to poison Giselle, only to be stopped by Pip, and Narissa becomes infuriated. Robert tells her he will help her because he doesn't believe Edward will show up. She yells at him, and becomes giddy when she finds out that she is experiencing anger for the first time. They both stare at each other for a moment and come close enough to kiss but Robert turns and bids her good night. Giselle falls into a chair, confused, realizing she is falling for him, and he does the same on his bed.

At the ball, Giselle begins to finally realize that Robert is her true love. Nancy and Edwards keep their eyes on the couple. Nancy decides to cut in and continue dancing with Robert. Giselle and Edward turn to return to Andalasia, and Giselle is visibly upset as they leave the ball. Edward leaves her by the elevators to get her coat.

Narissa appears as the old hag. Seeing Giselle become distressed when she watches Nancy kiss Robert on the dance floor, Narissa offers her an apple that she says will make Giselle forget the whole experience. She takes it and collapses on the floor. Edward returns, and Narissa claims Giselle fainted as Robert and Nancy run to Giselle's aid. A remorseful Nathaniel appears and admits the plot that she was poisoned, sadly, with his help. He restrains Narissa with Edward's sword. If the spell isn't broken in a minute (when it will be midnight), Giselle will die.

Remembering her belief in true love's first kiss, Robert tells Edward to kiss her, only to find it doesn't work. Edward turns to Robert and realizes that his kiss has failed because Robert is her true love. Robert immediately denies this, but Nancy says it's okay and tells him to kiss her before it's too late. He does, and Giselle wakes up. Narissa breaks free from Nathaniel, seizes Edward's sword from him and then transforms into a dragon as she impales the sword onto the dance floor. Narissa declares that she will have to kill them all. She plans to start with Giselle, but Robert intervenes and is promptly seized. Narissa climbs on top of the building with Robert in hand. Giselle grabs Edward's sword from the dance floor and follows, leaving a slipper behind.

Giselle chases the dragon to the point where, thanks to help from Pip, it falls off the Woolworth Building and dissolves into glitter on the pavement. Giselle catches Robert just in time as he falls, and they kiss on the roof. Meanwhile, Edward puts the slipper on Nancy's foot, and they go back to Andalasia and get married. Robert and Giselle open up Andalasia Fashions where they are assisted by both humans and animals.

In the meantime Nathanael becomes a successful author in the modern world writing a book entitled "My Royal Pain" and signing autographs. Similarly, Pip becomes a bestselling author in Andalasia, writing a book called "Silence Is Not Golden." The last scene shows Giselle and Robert with his daughter Morgan playing together and living happily ever after as a family in his apartment.

Back from a Fruitful Trip to KL

I was back yesterday but was too tired to blog. So, I just checked for emails. The recent trip to KL lasting 3 days 2 nights was very fruitful. We visited a few places and projects are waiting for us right up to early next year. We also got some orders from our 2008 calendars sent out. So, I just sit back and count my commissions each month. During the trip to KL, we also drove down to Tangkak in Johor for site visit. I need to also lose some weight as I have put on 2 kg extra due to the delicious buffet dinner in Ipoh's Casuarina Hotel.

Bee Movie

Just last week, I watched bee movie with my friend in Queensbay Mall. It was a movie most suitable for kids. The chrome yellow and black stripes of bees certainly attract attention. From creator Jerry Seinfeld come "Bee Movie," a comedy that will change everything you thought you knew about bees. Take a close look at the world through the eyes of one bee in particular - Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld). A recent college graduate, Barry wants more out of life than the inevitable career that awaits him and every other workers in New Hive City - a job at Honex... making honey. Barry jumps at the chance to venture out of the hive, and soon encounters a world beyond his wildest dreams. When Barry inadvertently meet a quirky florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), he breaks one of the cardinal rules of beedom - he talks to her. A friendship soon develops, and Barry gets a guided crash course in the ways of the human race.

What do to in Bangkok and Pattaya? Part 2

That's me para-sailing in Pattaya. The tour guide took this shot for me. It was like clock work with the para-sailing guides lifting one tourist after another.


Landed safely and got rid of the parasailing gear. It was some experience being lifted up to the skies and viewing the seas below. See the queue on my right side waiting to be lifted up in motor boats.


Pattaya has very beautiful unpolluted blue seas and long stretch of white fine sands on the beaches. It is a tourists' haven. See how many speed boats there are here. I also went for a speed boat ride with my youngest sister with a guide behind us showing how to use the speed boat.


Came back after sea walking (in earlier post) to the white sandy beaches, all wet but very satisfied participating in the many water activities.


In Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. See the sculpted hedges, trees and gardens.


Long almost-langciau-like cacti in the background. Beware, this prick will be ouch! Got the red collared shirt from China with Beijing Olympics 2008 logo in August 2007. It complements the green background and stands out clearly in all my photos.


Big round cacti. This time you don't see them in little small plastic pots.


A different desert plant. This one is rather spikey like a Christmas tree.


With my youngest sister in sunglasses. Notice how vast the gardens are.

What do to in Bangkok and Pattaya? Part 1

We stayed in 4-star Prince Palace Hotel in Bangkok. Here is a view of the room with intricate wall paper design and cosy beds. The clothes wholesaler are located around this hotel. So, if you want to buy clothes at wholesale price, you know where to get next time.


This is a very cosy ambience of Prince Palace Hotel that I took in the evening when the chandeliers are lighted up.


Behind me is the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok. For only 50 bahts (5 ringgit) per person, you can rent costume of various colors to snap with Wat Arun. Here is yours truly in Bangkok. :)


My youngest sister in blue and me in pink. This is the national Thai costume.


You will never be short of ideas of what to do in Bangkok. You can go for an elephant ride. Ouch, my bottom hurts.... The ride took about 10 minutes balancing the seat on the elephant's back, but good for a lifetime experience.


Or go for a horse ride with a cart. Less bumpy than the elephant ride.


Or see dolphine show in Safari World.


Take photo of the beluga in Safari World.


Go to the loo to relieve ourselves. See how colorful the doors are!


Next on the item is Thai kick boxing or muay Thai as part of the cultural show. More photos next post!

Funny Elephant Massage

Just watch the video above of a funny elephant massage on the lying man's private parts. The elephants are revered animals in Thailand and have been trained to paint trees and flowers, carry tourists on their backs, do a bicycle ride, play soccer, play basketball, bowling and almost just anything that humans can do. Here is a recorded video in Nong Nooch Tropical Garden from my trip to Pattaya recently.

Sea Walking in Pattaya

Here is a undersea photo of me doing sea walking and exploration. Sea Walker is offered only in 3 countries, namely USA, Japan and Thailand. As you go down to the sea from the deck, they put a mask fed with oxygen over your head and once that is put in place, you are lifted down about 20 feet deep to the bottom of the sea bed. It is like a lift that transports me all the way down. It is like scuba diving, but you walk on the sea instead.


For photo's sake, I am holding an empty giant clam shell from the sea. See how big it is.


Here is the life one. Be careful not to put your fingers in the clam, otherwise it will immediately snap shut with force. I also got to feel the life corals and in fact got some mild rashes on my left hand (a small patch) after feeling the black sea urchins or the prickly 'rambutans' in the sea.


More beautiful corals.


With my youngest sister.


Blue Sea Diving in another side of the sea with different corals.

Watch the video here taken under the sea.


The trip to Bangkok and Pattaya was well worth the money spent. I enjoyed this vacation very much and took many photos back home.