Messed Up...

The past few days have been pretty messy. There was frustration. There was hurt... lots of it... I wished I could just take my heart out but alas I can't. There was anger. Some people just love to report half facts and get others worked up... really spoilt my days.

Anyway, thankfully I had planned to spoil myself last night and that kinda made up for everything for the time being. I bought myself tickets for Avatar-3D on Monday for last night, midnight. My last 3D movie was Jaws 3D... and I think I was about thirteen then. I decided on 3D for Avatar as I read somewhere that this would be a good movie to watch on 3D. To cut a long story short... I was happy as shit. Damn! It was so cool! Really cool... nowhere near what I remembered it to be. I was literally fascinated... switching views to see the difference... trying to touch certain things... and here comes the best part.... there was a scene with an explosion and  the debris flew towards the audience... I actually ducked! It was a good experience. Go try it... you won't regret.

This is a view that I should be seeing daily soon. I've always dreamed of having a beach-side house but I guess a beach-side workplace will have to suffice for now... really looking forward to it... get away from this place... away from everyone. Maybe I'll find peace there... maybe I'll just decide to sever all ties and start life all over again... maybe that's the best way since people can't move on... they just have to haunt you.

If the weather is good I'll go out for some photography tomorrow...

Aww... Shucks...

It looked like it was going to pour this morning and since I had to vacate my apartment by the end of the month I decided I'd catch the gloomy morning scene before I lost the chance.

The phone rang at 8:33 am to the theme of Ironside. Only one person in my phone book with that ringtone... my boss. Alamak... not again... last week's argument was enough. I don't need another one. I've been having too many arguments with him in the last 8 months. Come to think of it, we've had more arguments in the past 8 months than over the last 10 years. I take the call and he asks if I am at work yet. Yes, I am... he's here too. Aiyoyoh... karavale, karavale... this is so unusual. I go to meet him and he asks that we adjourn to my office. That's even more strange. This is the first time he's been to my office.

Something's not right. He closes the door after he gets in. It was an hour session. He apologised for not guiding me properly since I took this challenge 8 months back. He must have heard or felt that I was serious when I said I was going to leave though he never touched on that topic. He explained many things which had to stay within the four walls of my office. There were emotional moments... him holding back his tears when I told him how shitty it is to be a senior management and to get your 10-year service cheque and letter from your own HR manager and the letter signed by the HR manager and not from the owner himself or Council. Of course he assumed responsibility for that failure. As usual... Well... to cut a long story short, he's managed to make me feel guilty. I tell you... this one man is the only thing binding me with this company.

Anyway... I have NOT changed my mind. He's got me mixed with my feelings and I MAY stay on but that certainly remains to be seen. I am still going ahead to recce the resort next month during Raya Haji and I called Mahmoud yesterday to ask him for leads on international postings. I'll be sending him my resume tomorrow.

Oh, by the way... in that discussion... I was told I now don't have to move from the apartment... damn... he sure knows how to go for the moral ground. His Sun Tzu is WAY superior to mine.

Intai-Intai to Kunang-Kunang

I woke up early again today. Made my coffee and decided to watch my DVDs. I managed to finish Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and also Quantum of Solace. Brunch was sausages, burgers and drummets again. Then I did some cleaning and lazed around a bit.

By 3:30 pm, I was hungry again and decided to go out and have some sushi... yes Ampang Point again. By the time I got to Ampang Point it was 4:30 pm. Had my usual fare and then I decided to check out what was at CapSquare. There wasn't much to see there. I was in and out of that place in less than 30 minutes. I had my camera with me with just my 50 mm lens. I didn't feel like bringing the 55-250 mm zoom lens along as I didn't think there would be much use of it. I managed to snap a couple of shots without spending too much time looking for an appropriate angle. Here they are... nothing fancy... just straight forward and thoughtless shots.

A shot of the Petronas Twin Towers is a must... gee, I'm so Malaysian now. Just like how each and every local movie or drama MUST HAVE a Petronas Twin Tower background scene. Hahaha... and if you look at the left, that's proof that I was there.... as if I need to prove this to anyone. Hahaha...

Then there's the KL Tower... this is not so popular these days. I have some ideas for this but it will have to wait till I get a sturdy tripod.

Got myself a coffee at Starbuck's and left. Drove around a bit and was just about to head home when I thought of a place that I read about. It's called Intai-Intai... supposedly a well-kept secret. It's located somewhere along Jalan Ulu-Kelang. I came from Jalan Ampang and as I drove slowly on the left lane looking for signs of this restaurant I noticed the traffic building on the opposite direction. As I drove further down towards Setapak I realised that it is probably located on the opposite direction but since the traffic looked bad I decided not to make a U-turn. So I just drove on. I see the Muzium Orang Asli signboard so often and today I just decided to follow it and see where it was located.

I drive and drive following the signboard and the next thing I knew I was driving on Route 68. It took me all the way to Genting-Sempah. This route is no joke... kinda eerie and looks like a good place to dump dead bodies if you know what I mean. Winding like the Tapah route to Cameron Highlands and narrow too. I drove pretty slow since I was not familiar with the route. I arrived at Genting-Sempah just after 7:00 pm. Made a quick run to the washroom and quickly made my way back to KL.

I was starving by now so I decided to head on to Kunang-Kunang since it was the nearest place I could think of. I got to know of this place back when I used to plough the Karak highway regularly when I worked in Kuantan. Everytime I stopped to refuel at Shell, northbound on MRR2 just before you turn off to Karak Highway I would notice this restaurant as I pulled out of the petrol station. Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I stopped there one day and checked it out. It was oklah... garden a la feed-the-mosquitoes-while-you-dine concept. Just a note though which I think needs to be mentioned just in case. Not that I am a racist or anything... but in the few times I have been there I only saw Malays. So, if you're not comfortable then up to you lah. For me, I hantam je.... I kan Muhibbah?

Laksa Kedah... I think it was RM8.90++. It was very good the last time I was here but today, kurang sikit.

This is the Nasi Lemak Rendang Daging which I think was RM4.00++. No... I think it was RM4.00 extra for the rendang. A bit too much sliced serai in the rendang and a bit too much cardamom in my opinion.

The other side of the platter for a better view of the condiments. The ikan bilis was nice...

This is my favourite drink for this place... Watermelon Lychee. Totally refreshing and generous with their lychees too. The damage for those two dishes, my drink and a mango puree was RM32.00.

Cumulus

I got home and took a peek out the balcony and saw this. I was intrigued and fascinated at what I saw. Cumulus... that's all I remember from school. Which cumulus? I don't know. I'm intrigued and fascinated at it's density. It just looks so 'garang'...

A closer look at the clouds... I think it is a cumulus congestus.

Day Out

On Raya night I happened to catch CSI: Miami on ASTRO while visiting. I don't have ASTRO at home so I'm stuck with the normal free channels on TV. ASTRO was showing Season 7 of CSI: Miami while NTV7 was showing Season 6. So, on my way home after pigging out last night I dropped by at the DVD store and bought myself Season 6 and Season 7.

I slept late last night thanks to Lieutenant Horatio Caine and gang. I woke up early and continued where I left off last night. Breakfast was sausages, chicken luncheon and eggs. I decided not to be a couch potato all day and planned to visit the Bird Park since I haven't been spending time with my camera. One episode led to another and another and the next thing I knew it was already 3:00pm.

I was still determined to go and I was hungry. The park closes at 6:00pm. So I decided to get my food at the park itself. I had a Tenderloin Steak at The Hornbill Restaurant and Cafe adjacent to the park. The steak was crap. It was the saltiest steak I have ever had in my entire life. Alas, I was hungry...

The restaurant has a balcony overlooking the park so if you don't want to go in you can still chill out and makan-makan at the restaurant and still see some birds. Probably about two species only from the vantage point. The park entrance fee is RM15.00 for MyKad holders. The park was okay but I guess I was late and I may have to revisit it. The pictures are here at my Flickr page.

As I was driving home, I suddenly remembered a conversation during Raya about a Lookout Point in KL, specifically in the Ampang area. I grew up in the Ampang area but I have never heard of this so I decided to check it out. A quick check on my Garmin Mobile XT and I found the place. I had the system navigate me there.

It costs RM3.00 to drive in and an additional RM3.00 if you decide to drive to the top and have your car jockey parked. I recommend you walk... it's less than 100 meters to the top.

There are 3 restaurants there. Haven @ The Peak, Bread and Olive Cafe and Gasoline. I went to Haven @ The Peak.

This is one of the views from the balcony of Haven @ The Peak. The have two balconies. One upstairs and one downstairs. Upstairs is covered while downstairs is open. Notice the row of blue roofed buildings? Notice how it somewhat sinks in the center? Strange huh?

Another view during sunset. Sadly the sunset wasn't spectacular as there were clouds. Another visit is in order or maybe many more.

This is their Mee Mamak Special. Costs RM11.00+. It's good... for me lah. Special comes with chicken, prawns and sotong.

Kampung Fried Rice at RM8.00+. Quite good but it was not spicy enough though...

Chocolate Ice Cream. Whoa! RM5.00+ per scoop. That's RM10.00+ here and it tastes like Walls or Magnolia. Better not order this...

Ice Blended Chocolate. RM7.00+ for this and it was just so-so, I was told.

Shoestring Fries at RM6.00+. What can I say? They're fries... please excuse the dark photos, didn't want to use the flash.

That's the other two restaurants. Gasoline at the far end. Bread and Olive just in front. They both have the open and closed, lower and upper floors respectively.

Okay... two shots of the city from where I was seated. I didn't have a tripod so I placed the camera on the balcony's beam. 30 seconds @ f8 and ISO100 with my 50mm prime lens.

Another shot from the base of the look out tower, handheld. 50mm prime lens @ f1.8, 1/5 seconds and ISO800.

There weren't many people when I arrived at about 6:15pm but when I left it was quite full and there were many more people arriving. I definitely will be coming back here.. for a late night snack probably.

Wanna guess what I did when I got home? I had butter cookies while I continued watching CSI:Miami...

I'm Back... Yet Again...

I'm back in KL... was reassigned in February. The company provided me a place to call home... and this is the view from my balcony.

First of all, I miss Kuantan. Never thought I'd ever say that being a KL-boy. I went to Kuantan kicking and screaming but now I miss it... especially the beach... accessible every single day. I guess the quality of life is just way better than in KL, that's why.

Anyway, what have I been up to? Life's been busy... very busy.

1. I'm back in KL against my will. I knew that this assignment was going to be a nightmare that's why I didn't want to accept it and neither did any of my peers. But here I am... struggling to cope.

2. I'm now officially divorced. Received the papers a couple of months back.

3. We got conned of approximately RM55k last month. Not my fault but me being the boss here, I am responsible for it.

4. I was just informed that I will have to be issued a warning letter. A decision by the board... my 1st ever in my entire career.

Some new things I've learnt...

1. 10 years of service means nothing... you'll still get a warning letter. All it takes is 1 mistake to wipe out 10 years of excellence. I think the time has come to look for greener pastures as soon as the economy stabilises.

2. Some people... well not some... there are a lot out there who just thrive on poking their noses into others' affairs. What they gain out of it I will never understand. The EX is tying the knot (again) in November for crying out loud. If you report 100% facts, fine... facts are facts but you idiots report half-truths which just drive me up the wall. I just want to carry on with my life peacefully. So why can't they just leave me alone?

The Moon

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/320Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F10, ISO Speed 250, Lens EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, Focal Length 250.0 mm, Program Mode Aperture Priority

This is a shot I took just before dusk... at 1840 hours, to be exact... and hand held. I'll probably make another attempt sometime this week if I get a chance.

Sultan Ahmad Shah State Mosque

Tv(Shutter Speed) 5Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F10, ISO Speed 200, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 44.0 mm

I took this shot last night. This is the state mosque and is one of Kuantan's main landmark.

Streak Of Light...

The following shot is a re-take of my so-called first shot. This time, I did everything manually to create a different effect (after reading about it)... the streak of light created from a moving vehicle...

Tv(Shutter Speed) 6Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F10, ISO Speed 200, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 33.0 mm, Program Mode Manual

Eye On Malaysia...

I have to be in the Industrial Court in KL tomorrow morning at 9:00am. So I drove over to KL this evening. I arrived at about 10:30pm. Had a view of the Eye On Malaysia. I had brought my new camera with me, obviously... actually I had to take some pictures for work that's why I brought it. And here are the pictures...

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F5.6, ISO Speed 800, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 55.0 mm, Program Mode Night

Tv(Shutter Speed) 0.6Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F5.6, ISO Speed 1600, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 55.0 mm, Program Mode Night

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/4Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F5.6, ISO Speed 800, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 55.0 mm, Program Mode Shutter Priority

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/4Sec, Av(Aperture Value) F5.6, ISO Speed 800, Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Focal Length 55.0 mm, Program Mode Shutter Priority

Oh, by the way.. I didn't bring my el-cheapo tripod along so all these were taken hand-held...

My First Shot...

Well, actually not my first as it is numbered IMG_0004 but my first as in properly composed shot. This was taken from my room...

Tv(Shutter Speed) 1Sec.

Av(Aperture Value) F5.0

ISO Speed 800

Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Focal Length 42.0 mm

Pandan Waterfalls

Today is a public holiday here in Kuantan so I decided to take a drive to the Panda waterfalls located about 25kms from Kuantan towards Gambang. It was relatively easy to find. At the entrance they collect RM1 per person. As I drove in I noticed about 4 large buses parked outside which seems to look like a designated bus parking area. I drove further in but only to be stopped by a group of kids in National Service uniform. There were some cars parked alongside the road so I gathered that, this was as far as I could go. I parked and made my way to the waterfall. As I approached the waterfall I came across the National Service students getting a brief from their leader. There were about 150 of them in total, give or take.

As I was in jeans and had no intentions of 'playing' with the water, I made my way up the trek alongside the waterfall. As I trekked I saw many, many people playing in the water and after awhile, I noticed I was the ONLY Chinese there. Well, I wasn't alarmed as this happens a lot here in Kuantan. I would have been if I was in KL and I would have been a few months back.

This is a shot of the waterfall that I took from the website. As you can see later it is of a different angle from mine as this shot was taken while standing in the stream which I didn't want to do.

This is the shot that I took with my ever faithful Nokia N95. I took it from the trek alongside the waterfall.

As I was trekking down, I came across this mushroom.

And I also came across this flower. Don't know what it is called though.

All in all it wasn't really much fun and I doubt non-Muslims would enjoy it either unless you enjoy playing in water fully clothed like most of them were except for the men that is. And if you do decide to go as you wish you'd probably end up getting 'dagger stares' or even get cited for indecency. It is Kuantan after all you know...