Melaka Indoor Swimming Pool

This is the new "heaven" I discovered in Melaka. Too bad I am only here for 2 months. =(

Finally.....FINALLY, Melaka has its SUKMA indoor swimming pool open for public!! It is a swimming complex with 2 pools: 1 Olympic-sized pool (25m X 50m) with 11 lanes and 1 diving pool which are 18 feet deep. Here you often find the state's polo team do their routine training. The complex is part of Stadium Hang Jebat, located in Krubong adjacent to the federal highway.This something new to me; indoor means independence of weather to go for a swim, be it hot sun or lightning storms. =D

Thing you might need to take notes:

The pool closes every Monday, rm3 per entrance, 9am-12pm, 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm. The water is not clear at the moment and its is very cold, since it is indoor. =D The only bad thing about this pool is that it would be off when there are competitions or training sessions going on. =\ Therefore it is vital to make a phone call to the POCs if you are not sure of it.

Somehow I still prefer the MPMB swimming pool, certain aspects. Because it has clear, warm water with a 12 feet deep-end for swimming and diving. And most of my swimming party are always there. =)

Crazy Geologist

Geologists are folks with crazy brains;

All of them are curiously trained.

They count the sand, grain by grain;

Memorizing rocks with stupid names.

They crush the rocks, again and again;

Just to discover fossils not known to man.

They dig the earth, hand after hand;

Hoping for oil to spill in the barren land.

Its the fact that never change,

that geologists are indeed crazy in the end.

....

Nah...just too stressed out and all this funny ideas came from nowhere....

So I wrote it down since it is funny. xD

I really hope that I could survive for these few final hectic weeks...

-BUT-

Here came the millions of tiny green bugs again that swarm the whole blocks in UTP.

Biting us, making us itchy, and dirty the floors.

SIGH~

The Driver and His Public Transport

Having a car is convenient; you can go tronoh makan nice food, no need walk to class, can go Ipoh hangkai every week, can go explore Ipoh, and some even said can pikat perempuan (tackle women). Yeah indeed, to those who never own a car in UTP, you guys might think tat having a car is something very honorable and enjoying. I would said it is true...but only up to certain extend. If you don't believe me, bring a car to UTP and you'll find what I said is true! And I bet, nobody would evr understand my feeling and the problem that I face.

Despite being a driver, which sent people in and out to main gate, Taman Maju, Ipoh, etc

You'll face another big dilemma, real BIG DILEMMA!!!

People would start borrowing your car. In fact, if they paid me the petrol money I would be more than happy to lend it. But frequent borrow doesn't sound pleasant at all, and that's the case! Imagine almost every 2 day on average (which now up to everyday) there would be someone come up to ask:"Eh, can pinjam your car?", "Can fetch me to bus station?" Here comes the hard and undesirable part to make decision: It is very difficult for me to reject their request neither to accept it!!!

IF i deny, then that's really bad (since most of them are my close friends, and with good reason to borrow), and I would seems to be a lousy friend for being "selfish", "inconsiderate", and"calculative".

--------------------BUT-----------------------

What if I borrow my car frequently to different people? It sounds more than making my car into a piece of public transport, which is even worse! (since you paid to ride a p.transport) and do bear in mind...whenever my car is in other hands, I have the reason to bear some unnecessary worries: crashing and summons. Not even to mentioned about the maintenance, which ain't you know that....

It need time? Money? Energy? Situations where it would fried you? Such as workshop closed on Sunday? Tauke go limteh? Need to wait so long!!! Just one word - TROUBLESOME! And there are so many parts to be spoiled: tyre would run out, so does the brake, clash, lubricant oil, car radiator, alignment, aircond gas, battery, etc. The more the usage, the more I need to service my car. So please do understand that I am trying very hard to cut down those, and even myself, I cycle to class EVERYDAY. in UTP, i used only my bike. =)

There are some "bonuses" too:

You'll start noticing some distant friend start to come close to you temporarily, you'll feel the "hypocrisy". Then off they go again once business is done. Then there is even a worse case where people actually took my car to Lumut WITHOUT my permission and NOT even informing me, then having my bumper CRASHED, then diam diam (keep quiet). This also happened to a few frineds of mine where people use their car full-heartedly without them knowing.

Now then, I am really pondering whether my car had bring me more troubles than benefits. =/

Hmmmm.....

Shitty Timetable and Cafes

Having no other options, I have to kiss goodbye to my ever relaxing life....Seriously I am a lil dishearten by the time table this semester. Imagine that everyday you gotta leave ur warm and comfortable mattress early 7 in the cold morning and force that reluctant lids to open just a few cms...then barely grab a few bites of biscuits before going to class - late. (yea maybe I m not used to since last sem my class were all late...mostly 10am) But, there are little breaks in between my hectic, "lab-ful" classes before I could call it a day in 5pm. Problems often complement well with other problems. It had since become even troublesome and undesirable because the only available cafe is in Pocket D, far beyond reach from my academic block, and also far beyond my pathetic budget as a student. NO breads, NO biscuit nor simple economical take-away snacks is available, means you have no option but to queue up A DECADE to make an order. Would we have time for that? Even worse, the food prizes are getting more expensive, and still increasing!
Lets have a look at the very basic meals:

-1 toast bread
-1 scrammbled egg
-1 ramli chicken burger meat
TOTAL = RM4

-2 omelet eggs (rm0.64)
-2 small hotdog (rm0.60?)
-2 toasted normal white bread (rm0.30?)
TOTAL = RM5

-1 beef/chicken burger meat
-1 mixed vege (tesco beans n carrots n corn)
-rice
TOTAL = approx RM4.50


(PS: with those prices we could obtain a big chicken and a few vege and drinks in a normal cafe, and maybe 15 AA eggs!!!)


Other menu you don't even need to know since they are meant only for the rich international students and lecturers! RM10 fried chicken, rm12 beefs, rm30 burger? Locals (even with rm500/month scholarships) would find it financially burdened!For heaven's sake its our DAILY meals and in a long run, our wallet would bleed! How about those private students who need to pay RM138 per credit hours (excluding hostel and book expenses)? Perhaps they need to acquire the art of hibernation so that they no longer eating. Why would UTP make the Chancellor Complex such a "high-class" location? Yea, student may bring their own lunch box during academic period, but the issue is, we should be given other options instead of a single, "high class" cafe. Even with my own lunch box, gosh I would not wanna eat bread every single day! What else could I prepare other than bread? Pizza, Lamb-chops, Teppankaki, CharKuehTeow?

There is even a time where MINERAL WATER is NOT available in the cafe...therefore making the entire Chancellor Complex a mini-Sahara Dessert. I do bring my own water, but it would finished off by noon. Then I have to learn from a cactus to survive till 5pm. In fact I had to drink pipe waters sometimes. Maybe I should bring more water, 2 heavy bottles, or a big pail. Then I shall ask the camels how to carry them. Maybe UTP have to consider installing water dispensers. Having hundreds of lightings and running the IRC aircond 24-hours would be a pride, but what for having something which is nice to eat but not healthy? Nice to look but hard to use? How about the money and electricity which vanished into thin air? Students shall deserve better cafe and facilities because we paid for it (and our sponsors). Or maybe UTP really meant for those who are willing to pay.

"Badan Cergas, Hotak Cerdas"

Fantasie-Impromtu by Frederic Chopin

Music Sheet: Fantasie-Impromptu

Perhaps one of the most well known piece of Frederic Chopin is Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op 66. I first heard this music played by one of my friend, and later on reminded me of an old classical "Tom and Jerry" film which used the middle part of this piece as background music. I real like its ending part, where it ends slowly with the left had playing a few notes of the main melody. I tried to play this with my piano but its way beyond my standard. First challenge came when I realized it has a unique tempo of 8:6, where each bars, right hand plays 16 notes while left hand plays a 12 notes. This means when your right hand hits 4 notes, ur left hand hits 3 notes. In addition, I am real sux in side reading since I had never attended any piano lessons, luckily I found a useful video in Youtube to help me recognize a couple of numbers of notes. Anyhow I could manage to play a few part quite smoothly with the right tempo. Hopefully I would seek some guidance from my friends. They are some of the most talented musical people I would said.

Anyway, lets appreciate what these great composers in the medieval time had done for us.

Other pieces which I liked is:
-Etude Revolutionary
-Moonlight Sonata
-Original Flight of the Bumblebee
-Rachmaninoff Prelude
-Hungarian Rhapsody

This is the video which helped me a lot for being a bad side reader. In case you have no idea what the software is, I let you know, its called Synthesia, kinda O2Jam interface which reads and translate MIDI files into graphical visualization.

Yundi Li playing Fantasie-Impromptu. Sit back relax and enjoy!

Same Fate... =.=

Me n my car share the same fate.

I got mild fever coz throat "pecah"....my car oso got "fever" coz radiator pipe pecah... =/
I wan go clinic but is Sunday so closed....my car wan go "clinic" oso but same thing...=/

me: HAIH~
my car: HAIH~~

My Beloved Mom: Pencil sketch...takes around 2 hours.

Yeah since I am sickish and I cant go anywhere I'd decided to do some "indoor" stuffs. But when I finished this portrait of my mom, I just realized that today is FATHER's DAY? Really ironic isn't? Maybe I shall give the drawing to my dad...as father's day present? haha...he would be contented maybe...=|

Anyway....Happy Father's Day!!!

CASFUMAL Food + Pulau Perhentain

The room I stayed in during CASFUMAL in Pan Pacific Hotel. Really a nice stay.

This holiday I really had a super fantastic vacation in Pulau Perhentian after my tedious but memorable event, CASFUMAL (Career Summit for Malaysian's Leaders) where in my life, I had lived in the very 1st 5-stars hotel and had enjoyed all the 5 star facilities albeit a whole day of tired workings. The event was held in KLIA PAN PACIFIC HOTEL. I really enjoy my stay in such a grand hotel. Its all FOC. However, what I wanna focus here is THE FOOD. It is literally a food heaven! I nearly went crazy as it was my 1st time to eat in a 5-stars banquet dinner buffet, with fresh oysters, smoked salmon, sashimi shushi, pasta, pizza, CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN with all sort of desserts, cheese cakes, even some very expensive fish liver pate similar to the infamous "foie gras", and etc. (Can't name finish). The chefs there is ever ready to grill anything you want: steaks, salmon, etc. The Breakfast is also excellent, with a "gallery" of breads, cheese, (i tasted the blue cheese, but yucks), smoked bacons, grilled hams, Japanese breakfast, cakes, scrabbled eggs, served with fresh milk, coffee, etc... Some day I think I would return to this "Heaven", but RM90, who can sponsor me again? xD

These are what I had for a single dinner...damn full after that but the I would not forget this meal.

Chocolate fountain where I coat some marshmellow and fruits.


Non-Asian Friendly: This is the yuckish blue cheese. Didn't finished it all cause it is so pungent, bitter and taste a lil spicy. It is terrible because eating it is an acquired taste. Its like eating Durians for SE-ians, and eating Nattou for Japanese and Korean.

I real like the gym there, clean, ventilated, complete and modern.
Had a few heartful workouts here.

This is my temporary "office" or workstation. 2 laptops with a printer, some blades and siccors. Dun really like the solitary of the work. :(

-the 2nd nite of CASFUMAL-

I left and check out my room at 4am, leaving Pan Pacific to LCCT...
where my true vaccation starts!

I woke Robert and Ah Kok up, passed them my car key and laptop, so they would help me to drive my car back to my home. I felt real exciting that time, coz would be boaring a plane soon to Kelantan for the much anticiapted Pulau Perhentian trip. 6am I reached LCCT for the very 1st time, very crowded. The air planes are really small.

Ready to take off!
Air Asia is indeed cheap, with all its economical set ups.
The journey only costs 40 minutes.

I would like to thank to my room mate and Yun Huan for the time and effort for touring us around in Kelantan and Terrenganu. While in HanShen's "Kampung", we kinda linger around, playing with cow, spiders, going to river, climbing up a short coconut tree to pick some coconut, chop it on spot and drink coconut juice.

Well, I am not gonna said much for the trip in Pulau Perhentian. Pictures tell a thousand words:

Group photo: In front of the Beach of Teluk Dalam.
From Upper Left: Henna, Yun Yuan, Pei Fen, Feng Jie, Branson, Andy, Micheal, DG,
From Lower Left: Han Shen, Tom, Denson, Me

Playing with the cigarette: being a "Pai Kia" seems cool. Will consider...xD

The top-rated "pai kia".

Look at Micheal's Hand. Something fishy...

Aviator shades is cool. Haha. People said I have a police face, esp with this shade. Haha.

Snorkling is a norm in Pulau Perhentian. The water is crystal clear, being famous for the beautiful coral reefs which are home to many fishes.

Coolest pair of room mates? Hehe...

Another group pic with the cool boatman, standing in the middle.

In front of Han Shen's House. The elderly man in the middle is his dad. A very nice and generous person.
Thank to the stay!