The Travelling Teddies

So I'm BAAACK!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:27:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

Festive period is OVER for me, so i'm supposed to come back here and write my blog. Lots of things happening in my life right now, including BACK TO SCHOOL season for me and Meebops. Don't want to be writing anything informative just yet to savour the beauty of a more organised blog from, say, October onwards. I will have a full weekend at home this week, so i'm going to spend my time "fixing" this messy blog.

Anyways, don't intent to be talking much right now (besides, I'm secretly writing my next Melbourne post at work) but i thought this will be a nice post, POST-F1 fever.

I know that the publicity for the F1 Race in Singapore was huge and I've had many business friends congratulating me (and my country) for the success of the second season of Formula-One Race. All is good and i'm glad everything went well - the concerts were great, the publicity was sensational (quoted: "Fabulous"), big names put Singapore on the map even though its a red little dot :) All is good...

Just days prior to the race however, things were not so wonderful in the city, especially traffic - both humans and machine. Chock-full of people everywhere (this is on a daily basis in Singapore of course)... Not so wonderful for me as i'm late to work every day (3 days before the race and 2 days after the race) but in any case, here are the photos i'm talking about (quality not too great cos i snapped it from my mobile):

We're talking REALLY CONGESTED. We were on the highway for at least an hour before we can get to the exit leading to the city.

Ahh yes... even in such congested roads, you need to pay the ERP - Electronic Road Pricing - Singapore's tactic to "punish", "spank" and "fine" you for owning a car and refusing to join the public transport committee :) I love my country. Yup. Oh by the way, its supposed to "curb" congestion. Right.

So thats $2.50 per entry. Into the city is another $3.00 or so.

Some pictures of the track in preparation - 1 day before Trial Friday.

See those green barricades covering "hot-spots" on the expressway? Its basically to deter cars from slowing down and watching the race (let me add, "for free" - which is what Singaporeans likes to do!). On race days, the traffic police are stationed at those spots to errant drivers slowing down or stopping.

I just thought its a selfish way to deter others from catching a glimpse of it "live" and without paying. The F1 Village, they call it, is totally inaccesible to non-paying public. The entire Marina area was cordoned off.

So that's the day before the race. I only got to the office close to 40 minutes after my official report time, thanks to the traffic :)

Now, here are the human traffic at Raffles Place MRT Station, on the actual Trial Friday. This is not even in the station yet - its at the underground area leading to the station.

I know that the Formula 1 brought a lot of publicity and tourists moolas into the country but really.. its getting way too crowded for me. Too crowded, even for a poor little cubby bear :(

Taking A Break...

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:50:00 +0000

Cos its RAMADAN and soon it will be, SYAWAL and Eid is looming closer and closer!!!

Be back in a week or so...!!! Woohoo!!! :)

Picture taken from here...

Come A-Waltzing Matilda with Cubbies to Melbourne! - PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

So we continue with the anecdotal account of our journey in Melbourne, Australia.

DAY 2 - Billy's Bush Tea (??!) And Why You Haven't Seen Victoria If You Haven't Been On The Great Ocean Road (GOC)!

Our journey outside of Melbourne City Centre began on Day 2. The day was spent entirely on the road. Tour starts from 7:30am right up till 10:00pm. We obviously couldn't wait to see the best first, so we journeyed to one of Australia's great spectacle - The Twelve Apostles.

To get to the great 12, you will take the coastal highway, also known as The Great Ocean Road. And if you are the squeamish, motion sick kind of person (like Cubbies), better hang on to those pills to adjust your sense of balance and equilibrium - the roads are extremely winding and quite bumpy too!

TTT initially planned to take a self-drive tour along the GOC but thankfully we thought otherwise because it is a loooooooooong journey that will not only take a toll on your body but forces you to concentrate more on the road and less on the sights itself.

Albeit the "long winding Cubby-unfriendly roads" and obvious "touristy" spot, you really haven't seen Melbourne if you haven't been on the Great Ocean Road.

I'm not even going to say much about the GOC because the pictures are pretty self explanatory.

First stop on our trip was the Bells Beach (BB), famous for its surfing activities. There were several tour buses that took their morning tea-break stop at the BB. WE were one of them, obviously. For me, it was a the long awaited pee-break! The weather, though absolutely gorgeous, was super duper chilly!

Surfer dudes and dudettes... I once knew a cool surfer chick business associate who travels from Sydney and surfs every single day at Bondi Beach. I must say, they are really something... She was due for a meeting one morning, donned a "power suit" and umm... flip-flops (you know, beach slippers) and this really huge black Billabong carry-all duffel that looked like she was going to have some surfboards up on display! I personally found it very amusing, but apparently, not the rest ;)

Cubbies is not a very good swimmer (well, she's only 2 you know..) and surfing in big open seas is like asking her to jump down from a high cliff! She is terrified about the pounding waves and all that Blue Planet DVDs she's been watching every night (with all the whales and the sharks swimming underneath) doesn't help either. Meebops however (the one with the gusto..), will want to give surfing a shot some day!

This is the overview of BB (on video!!!) on a semi cloudy day. It was freakin' cold and there were quite a few surfers who were crazy enough to surf that morning. The winds were blowing strongly but strangely though, the water was tamer than i expected.

That's our guide, Darryl, doing his spins on Billy the Tea and telling us amusing stories about Vegemite, Lamingtons, Matilda (which by the way, is not the name of a girl..), Victoria Bitter and his hilarious and outrageous stories of his wife and kids. Great guy by the way, so if you do get him as a guide on Grayline, you're really quite lucky because the rest of the guides that we've had were all BLEAH-boooring. The only thing with Darryl is you'd probably find it really tough to fall asleep.

Moving along... this was also where we had a taste of Melbourne's very own "tar-like" Kraft Vegemite (our VIRGIN experience) and Lamingtons and believe it or not, Billy's Bush Tea. Ok i made that last one up, it's actually Bush Billy Tea - the iconic black tea in Australia often brewed with an added touch of Eucalyptus leaves. Billy is actually the can that the outbackers / campers used to brew the tea in. Its really quite pleasant, with hints of soft menthol notes as you sip it. Goes better without sugar or milk!

Darryl doing his Sir Mix-A-Lot... Geddit? Bah!

Yada yada yada... sings "The wheels on the bus goes round and round..."

Oh wait... Here are MORE photos of the GOC, including Cape Patton. Cape Patton was a "photo stop" just before we head to lunch at Apollo Bay. Its really stunning for photos, with waves crashing into gigantic rocks and limestone.

Next up, lunch!

Lunch was at picturesque town of Apollo Bay. It is a stunning coastal town lined with cute little houses, tinted with backdrops of lush green fields and relaxing blue hues from the ocean ahead (Imagine!).

The breakfast Cubbies made (which was burnt bagels with eggs and cheese) finished by the time we got to Lorne, so we had to get lunch because Cubbies had an appetite after the vomiting episode. There are no halal food outlets here so we settled for seafood in cafes.

We got the Classic Fish & Chips... probably costs us about AU$12.99 or so.

And we also got the Fresh Handmade Vegetarian Pasta and Rice. Costs us about AU$6 for a small serving..

After lunch, the bus went pass the Otway National Park and we were sheltered by the scorching mid afternoon sun. The Australian rain-forest seemed like they were made up of nothing but fern gullies and Eucalyptus - actually those are the only two kinds of plantations there.

Along the way, we also spotted a wild Koala (not Koala Bears!) which is the famed and uniquely Australian marsupial. Poaching or killing of Koalas in the wild is a serious offense in Australia so watch out for those slow-coach crossing the road if you're driving. WARNING! Even though the Koalas are cute, cuddly and looked like they are begging for a big hug from you (like how sometimes Cubbies bat her lashes for a hug), they do not like to be stroked or touched!!! You will suffer and bleed when they paw you (not the good way) with their long and sharp claws - so do not try to touch them! They really like it that way :)

We didn't get close enough to focus on the wild koala but i'm sure its cute as the rest of them! Here's another photo of a SUPER cute baby Koala. It must be tough being a Koala though, having to live with white aging hair all their lives... *sigh* Hehehe! :P Fret not, we will post many more pictures of these charismatic marsupials in our postings!

Picture of Cutest Joey Koala borrowed from Erik K Veland

Just before the actual 12, we were stopped for picture taking at the Gibson Steps. These steps are small steps but goes all the way down to the sea front and my God, that was really a test of our strength, stamina and physical resilience (or the lack thereof...). It was here that i realise how pathetic my stamina is now. Bleargh!!! The scenery though, was absolutely jaw-dropping gorgeous-ness :)

Views from the Gibson Steps...

If you are as enthusiastic and persuasive as Meebops, yoan take the stairs all the way down... and you'll see that this is the closest you can get to the limestone Apostles. It was really tough walking along the shores tough, because the sand is really thick and makes it really difficult to walk on.

Next on the road is The Twelve Apostles - main highlight of the day. Honestly, after the entire episode of vomiting and waiting and waiting in anticipation for the great 12, the feeling was quite subdued by the time we get there. It was magical nonetheless, and to see the Great 12 in real time is nothing you have ver experienced before... but... you know the feeling.

Anyway, there are 2 options to take when you're here - either you walk through the tunnel to the viewing platforms at the Port Campbell National Park to view for yourself, the stunning and impressive nature-carved limestone cliffs standing so majestically and patiently, unfluttered by the violent waves crashing against it.

OR for an extra AU$75, you can also get yourself a comfy ride on nifty little copters for a chance of a lifetime!

that's right - an aerial view of the 12 Apostles! Breathtaking indeed but the price was a little too steep for Cubbies. I was quite reluctant (as i always will when it comes to forking out more money!) but Meebops (the more touristy of the 2) was so excited of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so we did! It was our virgin copter ride, ummm... really nice... but kinda scary at the start :)

Here are the photos...

Nifty little machines they are...

Behold the views!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stunning ain't it??? :)

Along the same coastline is also the mysterious Loch Ard Gorge (LAG), which after visiting The Twelve Apostles, you will come to realise just how really charismatic these carved limestone looked like up-close. LAG is the real deal... Up close and personal - so close you can talk to it!

The Blowhole cave...

This is the Island Archway, before the arch collapsed in June 2009. TTT would like to consider themselves lucky enough to have witness the Archway in its full glory in May 2009 :)

This one's here called the Shipwreck Coast, and you can actually (again) take the stairs down for a greater appreciation of its sheer size and magnitude.

Some new friends i waved and smiled at....

Oh hellooo..! LAG was also where i met an acquaintance, Little Pet Kangoo. Someone obviously abandoned it. Though quite pleased that i met a friend, i am also sad that its there alone, waiting for someone to adopt it. I can't adopt it obviously... i have Meebops.

Our last stop for the day was at Port Campbell. We didn't get anything to eat while we're there cos we do want to have something back in the city. But it is a nice little port town overlooking a quaint pier.
Our drive back was a snooze ride all the way! What a day! :)

Oh! Not without what i snacked on all the way back to the city!!! Homemade fries in dog poo bag... :)

USELESS INFO ANYWAY: I don't know how many times i actually peed on that day. The reason being the fact that it was already late Autumn/early Winter and apart from the sweatshirt i was wearing (over the thousand strands of bear-fur on my body), i had only my socks and my cute little Crocs sandals on (that Meebops got me as a gift!) . Now Crocs has holes in it so i guess with the air-conditioning on the bus and the cold weather outside and the lack of necessary protection for my furs, i got cold! And if there was ever an award for "The Most Number of Times Someone Uses the Tiny Toilet in the Bus" - I would've won a lifetime achievement award for it!

Till our next post: Day 3 & 4 (maybe even 5) - Sleep In Day And My God, Those Tiny Penguins Are Exhibitionists!

Cheers, mate!

Come A-Waltzing Matilda with Cubbies to Melbourne!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:31:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

Gosh we had so much fun in Melbourne, it was unbelievable! There were petting zoos, Kangaroos and Koalas and nice cool weather... Sigh! I am in love! :)

So since there's plenty to talk about, i wonder where do i begin? Do i go with Day 1 - what we did... Or do i go with what you really need to know when in Melbourne and compress everything i can into 1 post... ORrrr... gloat and gloat about how wonderful the weather was, and how warm the Aussies are... and and and!... how wonderful the weather was... :) *Did i mention how wonderful the weather was???*

Seriously folks, Melbourne is simply gorgeous. Its a charming city that emits a buzzing metropolitan air, almost akin to Sydney, yet it still held back an alluring charm you can only grow to love (or for me, absolutely head-over-heels for!)... Melbourne leaves you, or rather you leave Melbourne cuddled with a nice, quaint feeling.. and a desire to want more more more! Sure the streets are a little on the "scruffy" side, especially along the cobbled sidewalks, what with the graffiti up on the walls and just plain dampness to everything in the air (Yup! Blame it on the weather!). But hey, that is what we call a city with "character"! :)

Anyway, less talk and more show and tell... Let's start with a picture of the wings to the plane that brought us there, Air Asia X (which TTT already XXX over it many many many times!).

Incident No. 1 - At time of travel, State of Victoria has not yet been crowned the "H1N1 Pandemic Capital of the World" but they did take several precautions here and there. This is how they did it - Quarantine Officers boarded the plane after flight crew informed ground staff that 1 passenger on the flight was coughing profusely throughout the entire journey. Quarantine guys boarded the plane (dressed like scenes from the movie "Sequel to Biohazard") upon touching down. They made everyone else who is not affected stay on board the plane (therefore prolonging time of contact with suspected victim) until all Q&A with the affected completed. By that time, it was well pass 11pm. We took at least 45 mins waiting and wondering... Not good.

"Uhh... what happened arh?..."

"I dontch know. Not sure whether true or not, but someone said that woman got the pig flu lah!..."

"Alamak, bloody selfish you know she... Cough cough cough, never cover mouth one! I sat right in front of her you know!"

Actors from the movie "Biohazard II" :) Clever marketing gimmick? NOT!

Actually, we took more pictures of the Quarantine Officers (we were the only ones on board the plane taking photos like paparazzi, by the way) than this but were instructed to delete all of them before alighting. So we grudgingly did (with everyone else on board laughing with us) - ah yes, ALMOST! ;)

The super-intensive checks and cumbersome Melbourne immigration took us probably another hour or so - the questioning and checking and looking at us up and down and down and up and round and round (they probably couldn't believe how gorgeous Cubbies is despite the furs from a little cubby bear!) - all while trying to keep conversation and spot if we were hiding anything illegal - you know, the usual "immigration" stuff that took an unusually looong time to get through in Melb. HAH! They didn't know that i had a mock Koala outfit in my bag, with the intention of dressing up as one!

WORD OF CAUTION! Based on our keen observation, they single out travellers who are young (or too young, like Cubbies), who travels alone, and especially those travelling with backpacks. Meebops had this theory that we were asked to exit through a different channel because we indicated that we are "professionals" in our occupation list but we looked young (thank you...) and definitely not dressed as how professionals would. We only had t-shirts, shorts and sandals on, so it was contradictory and aroused suspicion... *shrug* Possibly. So BEWARE folks! Don try to be funny especially if you're a backpacker ;) That is, if you want smoother clearance (the Aussie immigration is probably the least friendliest ever...)

We were really too tired by the time we got to the hostel. We shared a cab from the airport with a couple of students from the US. Poor kids didn't even know where to stay but decided anyway, "Yes, we'd like to go to the Elizabeth Hostel please..." Our driver was a Pakistani who barely speaks English, drove them to another hostel on Elizabeth Street. Whatever... I just want to go to bed. The cab ride at 2ish in the morning costs us about AU$80. Expensive? Very.

Fast forward few hours later...

We woke up to the buzzing sounds of traffic from the highway opposite the hostel. My God the air was fresh! :) It was unbelievable.

Here is our first foray into Melbourne as a city, just slightly on the fringe of the CBD areas. We stayed at the Urban Central Hostel, conveniently located on Collins Street in Southbank - the quiet side of Melbourne, but an easy 5 minutes ride into town or 20 minutes stroll on foot - which was what we did every day. UC is a neat hostel that's clean, hassle free and one of those few that has a FULL-SIZE kitchen for you to prepare your own meals. Now we will talk about that later... heh! heh!

Moving along... So our initial plan was to travel outside the city centre on our own, travelling with public transport or even drive! When we calculated the monies though - travelling to and from the city, it adds up to even more than if we go on guided tours. So we weigh the options out and decided that since we are travelling on very limited time and with very very very little money, we might as well make our monies worth and go for the cheapest, most convenient option.

TIP 1! Do not pre-book your tours online - they are usually very expensive! Enquire from travel desks upon arrival and compare prices. Most of the tours offers very very similar experience and itineraries so pick the best bang for your buck! ;P

TIP 2! If you happen to stay at a backpacker / budget hostel and want to join a tour, make sure the first place you ask is the travel desk based at your hostel. They'd usually recommend the cheapest and best tours for your money (which was not a lot for our case). And if you are one of those lucky few (like us) who look young for their age, EVEN BETTER! All you pay are student concession rates! We get to join full service Gray Line tours at a student price. Think double-deck coaches on the GOC - it can't get any better than that!

DAY 1: Explore the City on foot! Make sure you have good walking shoes on!

We couldn't join any tours today because we woke up at noon on our first day in Melbourne - thanks to Biohazard II and Australian immigrations. So we had a quick brunch at McDonalds and walked into the City, towards Crown Casino complex, crossed the Yarra River, took pictures on Flinders Station and marched all the way to Federation Square. before heading back the same way we came. We also made a pitstop - because Cubbies wanted to visit her "aquatic comrades" at the Melbourne Aquarium - it was well worth it though (cos Cubbies was given "child price" for her visit... yayayayayyy!!). Some pictures here...

The Penguin Parade... Live from Melbourne Aquarium!

The river that runs through it... Yarra River running through Melbourne.

You can't miss the very icon for Melbournians - Flinders Street Station. The crowded, noisy, unpleasant-smelling old dame still stands tall and proud today. A visit to the CBD means passing by Flinders Street Station at least once in a day :)

Directly opposite the Flinders Station is the Federation Square - which is the heart and soul of the culture and entertainment scene in downtown Melbourne. Its buzzing, full of activities like demos and people sitting around and chatting on Sundays. Fascinating :)

There what did i tell ya? Demos... LOTS OF THEM. On Sundays, they get even more violent and chanted!!! Tsk...

And there you go, Crown Casino. Everything you need in ONE massive building - food, movies, entertainment, women, Cuban cigars, roulette and sin... All in one. Pretty fascinating!

Oh and they have night shows too. They call it... well actually i call it, "The Great Balls of Fire Show" - huge streams of fire balls burns from massive gas cylinders every night at 8pm Melb time. Can get a little intimidating really, especially when they blow right above your tiny head. FUN FACT: Did you know, that the RSPCA was petitioning to shut down the fire balls because it kills heaps of pigeons daily? Love them birds and animals, but ermm... I 'd like mine roasted please ;P

So that's pretty much what we did on Day One - woke up late because immigration took so much of our sleeping time, had brunch, enquired about tours (and pretty much booked everything we need to see in Melbourne/Victoria with a little extras here and there...), walked around, explored the city on foot and just basked in the sun and cool weather. Neat? Sure was!

OH! Here's the food section for you ;) Remember we had brunch at McDonalds? And it wasn't until late that we felt the hunger pang yet again. So we went around looking for food. Someone told us that at Level 1 of the Crown Casino building, there are food available "foodcourt" style. So we went to check it out and true enough, among the food vendors and Singapore-style food court, there were probably a million other Singaporeans. Bleargh!!!!!

So here's the food. For my Muslim friends, its very true, there are lots of halal food in Australia. You just need to find them, which thankfully, isn't very difficult.

We must be very hungry because i remember we bought 2 main complete meals and a serving of Mediterranean-hummus salad. All we took was a picture of, well, the salad ;P Go figure.

Till our next post: DAY 2 - Billy's Tea (??!) And Why You Haven't Seen Victoria If You Haven't Been On The Great Ocean Road!

Cheers, mate!

PHEW! What a weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

So, The Travelling Teddies went on a solo roadtrip to Malacca (yes, again...)

Since receiving my full-fledge driving license, i have been driving around every weekend to some previously unexplored areas within Singapore with my beautiful black Kenari (which Meebops affectionately named, "Little Black Bird"). I suppose being one of the travelling teddy, my insatiable lust for exploring the unknown spurred me to venture further out of this tiny island. Hence, we decided on Malacca.

Now why Malacca you asked? Why not Johor Bahru (or JB they say..)? Its nearer, a lot of places we have not yet explored in JB. Makes perfect sense... but the reason is simple - we wanted to test our resilience to driving long hours, over long distances. We were thinking Kuala Lumpur, but may be stretching it a little too far. So we started small - and driving along the North-South highway for 3.5 hours (with 1 meal + toilet break) seemed more manageable for a "newbie".

We started the journey early last Saturday - we were at the Tuas checkpoint by 8.30am and on the highway by 9.15am. Everything went smoothly and the mood was light and cheerful :) Here's our ride:

The view of the massive badonkadonk.

We intent to take the first leg up to Malacca by taking turns to drive. Meebops and her "so many more years of driving experience than Cubbies" drove the first half, about 1.5 hours up to Machap rest area.

There we had breakfast and were swarmed by very very intrusive army of annoying houseflies buzzing around your undies while you're trying to get some relief from the pent-up bladder. Not a good thing and food weren't that great either (with half of the time, you're shooing flies away). NOTE: If driving from up-North from SG, give Machap a pass. Try Pagoh stop instead - heard it has been newly renovated. As long as its clean, fly-free and food is OK, then its good for a stop!

We continued our journey after about 45 minutes of refueling our tummies and this time, Cubbies drove. It was quite overwhelming at the start because we rented the Hyundai Trajet MPV - which is essentially a HUGE car. Gave us lots of problem too... but... we'll get to that later.

Here's the "cosmetic" interior.. Don't be fooled. It's about as surprising as getting an A for a paper you didn't study for.

Driving along the NSE is relatively simple because the roads are quite wide. My advice is to ALWAYS keep to the left lane, where all the good cars driving within the speed limit stick to. The speed demons drives on the right lane (which is also the "overtaking lane") and try to intimidate you if you are in their way by flashing high beams, tailgate you very very closely... so you are really better off on the left and move at a speed that you are comfortable with. Lorries will also overtake you if you are a slow coach, so do watch out for cross winds from the side, which if not careful, can steer you away off course.

We arrived in Malacca at about 12:30pm and to the city centre at about 1:30pm. This time, because the company was larger, we decided to stay at a less "glamourous" hotel as a cheaper alternative... hehehe... So, Hotel Seven became the choice hotel - which is located at Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho, opposite Bukit Cina.

Nice clean rooms, nice new beds... Cannot yet feel the "boingness"...

Clean toilets - very important for Cubbies, cos she have had enough experience and memories of dirty, grimy toilets to last her a lifetime. Travel with her, and the first thing she'll ask, "Are the toilets clean?...." Hehe..

Now, location wise, this hotel is a little inconvenient for people who don't drive (about 20 minutes walk to city centre) but what it lacks in terms of location, it makes up for the fact that it is new, and therefore SQUEEAKY clean. The rooms are no-frills, no-nonsense with basic amenities. May i remind you that it is new but i am absolutely in love with the fact that it comes with a smaller pricetag but very very clean (so, i just hope they stay that way!) because a clean room makes me a happy cubby :)

Just right next to the hotel is the famous Sop Lembu Tangkak restaurant - which pleasantly is halal-certified. So that became the outlet where we drown our joys and sorrows. Honestly, it was. It was the beefy version of Central Perks. Oh and when you're there, do get the Honey Lemon drink - its UDDERLY good and refreshing.. HA!

Anyway, after about an hour or so of resting and prayers, we set out to explore Malacca. By this time, most of us are hungry and our main aim was to look for food! It was rather disappointing really cos one of us wanted so much to try the Asam Pedas recommended by her pal - which we later found out was called Asam Pedas Selera Kampung but it only operates until noon - by the time lunch hour is over, the food would've been sold out. So we settled for some very expensive but non too tasty food at the foodcourt - which is really just a waste of calories.

Another disappointment is the constant heavy traffic in Malacca city centre and especially on Saturday evenings where peeps from KL and SG visit the city with their four-wheelers. Driving is NOT fun in Malacca city. What will normally take you 10 minutes to walk, will take you 45 minutes by car.

BEAR NOTES: If you do drive, you are better off parking your car at either the major hotels like Equitorial or at Pahlawan Mall and then walk all over the city centre - starting from Dataran Pahlawan to Melaka Raya and Mahkota, along the river and finish off at Jonker Street for a nice bowl of Chendol.

Then we were off to Jonker by the time night falls. We didn't want to go to Aunty's chendol this time round so went further and queued at this very very insanely popular cafe, called the Museum Cafe, that has endless queues for both its Laksa and Chendol. What's the hype anyway? God knows, so we tried this time round, adamant and joined the never-ending queue.

Sad to say, i think way too many people has poor taste buds that they are unable to differentiate the real goodness of Gula Melaka. GM is supposed to be sweet, very sweet, potent, aromatic and just very lightly earthy. The GM at Museum Cafe is sweet, but way too thick and has a bitter aftertaste, almost burnt! The coconut cream is less consistent and less concentrated than the ones i've tried before this. So why? Why the very very long queue? *shakes head*

The best part of the ENTIRE journey came right after this.

We were out buying supper for the rest of us, when the MPV we rented from a certain someone broke down. Mind you, it didn't just break down - it broke down in the middle of night (at 11.30pm) at some place we don't even know where!

To cut the long night short, we only got back to the hotel at 3am after we met a group of very helpful Indian guys who jump-started the car. What a nightmare! Nobody was willing to help really, even though they see distress. There was this uncle, Malay man, who put up his hand and said, "Sori puan, kita tak boleh tolong lagi... Takde apa yang kita boleh buat. Sori puan.." (Kapla hotak kau berjambul pakcik...) Anyway, we had to camp out in the car and wait for the engine to fire up before turning it off and see if it starts again. All that took our entire night. Naturally, supper was to-go, in the car.

By the time we get to bed, all was good. We managed to get some breakfast the next morning. One of us again, craved for the local Asam Pedas. So we did, drove all the way to Bandar Hilir near Mahkota Parade, where Asam Pedas Selera Kampung is.

The famous asam pedas kepala ikan. Slightly tangy, spicy... the difference is the black pepper added to the gravy.

Giant King Prawns... A whopping RM20 PER prawn. Errrgh! Expensive.

Sambal Belachan. This one is a classic malay appetiser dish. Its chilli, shallots, fried shrimp paste - mix it up, ground it down and you get a concoction that's truly, an acquired taste. Normally eaten with rice and raw vegetables.

The sambal belachan should be eaten with these raw vegetables.

Nothing much to shout about honestly. Annoyingly expensive is what it is - some prawns, veggies, asam pedas costs us a whopping RM 124 for breakfast. What the...

All the hype with Asam Pedas in Malacca can only question the true meaning of taste buds. Like hearts, whose can you trust? Yours only of course! S0 just go with your gut and try try try until you hit the purrrfect spot. Meebops and i however have developed the "similar taste bud syndrome" after being together for more than 7 years. Hee! Hee! :) Yeah it happens...

Supposed to leave for home that afternoon so all ready packed and checked out there was car trouble again... treeet treeeeeeeeeet treeeeeeeettit tit tit... That was how it sounded like when we turned on the ignition. So we had to call in certain people that the owner of this car knows and get someone to jump-start the car, then drive it to the workshop to get whatever thingy repaired.

Apparently, the battery died flat (didn't he check his stupid car before renting it out???) and the IC-Unit, some electricity-aircon-alternator thingamagic (god knows what that is...) burnt. I had to fork out RM 400 to get the battery changed but we decided to keep the IC-Alternator thing intact and by the "expert" advice of the owner, to drive the car back home anyway.

So we did... But the mechanic didn't let us leave without a warning. He said, "You are taking a very big risk. I dunno whether you'll make it back to SG safely but you can try. The least you can do right now is wind down the windows, turn off the AC and no radio or headlights should be turned on... Just drive straight back."

He is definitely crazy! By the time we left the workshop, it was already 5.30pm. Expecting us to not turn on the headlights on the highway is like asking us to cross the mountains blindfolded! But we decided to take the risk, went for the gusto and drove home. Bear in mind, the IC unit damaged/burnt and electricity cannot pass through the car properly - hence, causing further damage to the system and at the same time, do not charge the battery. But we drove... happy to be able to finally get home.

Drove drove drove.... suddenly, BOOMBAM! Just few hundred metres before we reached the start of the highway at Ayer Keroh, it felt like as though the car hit something big and hard, like a big rock or something. I was literally off my seat and chills went down my spine upon hearing the ferocity of the loud bang.

We pulled over to the nearest civilisation (which was McDonald's Ayer Keroh) to check the car. Nothing... Then we tried again. This time, no more treeet treeeeeeeeeet treeeeeeeettit tit tit... There was complete silence. God knows what went wrong. It was only later that someone told us the was a possibility of the car exploding without our knowledge because the electricity is unsecured.

And we didn't even get any insurance for the trip. I don't know why we decided to help out and send the car for repair on his behalf (stupid stupid stupid!).

BLEARGH!!! We couldn't get it fixed and we couldn't get any other form of transport home that night. So we had to fork out MORE money to stay another night in Malacca. The owner of the car wasn't even sensitive enough to refund us of the night's stay or offer comfort for causing us emotional distress. It's pathetic. I am still fuming mad that we had to fork out a lot of money for a supposedly budget vacation. It's just plain stupid.

It is only after this unfortunate incident that i realise something about myself. I always thought that the Malays are more willing and helpful, ready to give helping hand to others. I've dealt with so many Malays in Malaysia before, both personally as well as professionally. They seemed nice.

But that night also made me realise, that some of the most helpful people in Malaysia are those of the other races - the Indians, the Chinese... friendly, down to earth.

Note from the boy who camwhored himself: Nak drive gi KL????? Hehehehe!

Oh and to top off the adventure, Malacca City was flooded before we left it... Go figure. Probably crying that we're leaving.. Bah!

The Daily SHOOT! - Churning of the Sea of Milk

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:27:00 +0000

P6270490, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

Pathway to one of the most famous bas-reliefs in Angkor Wat; this is the route to the display of the Churning of the Sea of Milk reliefs carved onto stone at the main complex of the Angkor Wat.

We were very lucky that this picture was snapped when no one was walking around the alley. Reason for this? We were there in the morning! We told Mr. Tuk-Tuk driver, we wanted him to fetch us at 7am. He was wide-eyed in disbelief - even though at that point, we can't tell whether it was a good thing or some bad sign! :)

Turns out, it was bad for him (cos he had to wake up early!) and a good thing for us! Ha! Ha!

Can We Live On...

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

Oh my my my... I haven't blogged for (24 June - 17 July = 7 days???) ... Nah... I haven't blogged since 24 June, which makes it about 22 days now! Arrrgh...

I've been really busy with stuff at work and some other stuff i can't say on this blog - sometimes i wish i can just disappear! Not die or anything, that will be bad - but just poof! disappear... He! He! Many times i envisioned a cute little cubby bear sitting atop a pristine white lump of cloud, alone, with legs and hands crossed, smiling down saying, haha... i don't want to do that anymore and no can tell me i should! Hmmph!...

Kinda like this one right here, only i am much much cuter than that.

So i'm thinking if i can disappear, where is the next best place that i can disappear to? Another country perhaps? Another state? Another city?... then i read somewhere that all those smart people called "Scientist" are researching the possibility of humans (Cubbies included...) living on "alternative planets" - which is really, 8 other planets besides Earth.

Now wouldn't that be fascinating?

I mean, really... can we live on....... SPACE? Space explorations and travel have always fascinated me and wouldn't it be just exciting for us to start a new life, on some planet we barely know, doing everything from scratch?

You see, there are nine planets in the Solar systems, with Earth being the only one with the perfect balance of everything - good amount of natural gases, liquid water (safe for human consumption), wind, air, food. The other eight are Pluto, Mars, Venus Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.

We can't possibly live on Mars because it is too cold and there's too much carbon dioxide. Sure we can use all those high-tech gadgets to sustain life but who's gonna stay indoors with a helmet on for oxygen all the time. Not sexy.... And on Mars, gravity pull is only a mere 38% as strong as earth, so we will need to wear special shoes to keep our weight and balance on the ground. But most importantly, the atmosphere offers very little protection against things falling from the sky. So that can't be good.

Pluto is really, just too small and we don't even know how the surface on Pluto looked like.

Venus, too hot, great ball of molten fire. We wouldn't wanna end up wearing thick hot-suits all our lives now would we. Mercury on the other hand, has no water, no air, no atmosphere... (that can't be good for the soul either). Why would anyone wanna live on a planet that has no atmosphere? That's just nuts!

Jupiter has too much gas - hydrogen, helium (yup, the laughing one!) and too many strong winds and hurricanes. We'd be flying all over - so that's not good either. Uranus is too cold, too windy and too much poisonous gas. Like Uranus and Jupiter, Saturn is also nothing but a big ball of gas... now who wants to live on gas?

Last but not least, Neptune. Neptune are cousins to Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn and all those other gas guys... 'nuff said.

So now, the question is, how come only Earth is suitable for humans and animals?

Could there be other living things on other planets that we cannot see?

As we speak, are there any forms of life checking out our planet and see whether its liveable for them? (maybe only to find that there's just too much crap and pollution for their kind to live in.. hehe)

Maybe. But one thing for sure, it is amusing yet calming to know how Earth has everything the other eight planets have but all in small moderation. Well, Earth is the only planet in the solar system where one can explore all that it can offer without the need to use a gas mask, a thick suit... heck, you can even explore Earth with nothing on! That's the beauty of Planet Earth - the planet we live in!

So who says there are no perfection in this world?

At least Earth is... Perfect for us :)

So take care of it because it belongs to you!

The Daily SHOOT! - Disneyland, Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:41:00 +0000

Disneyland, Hong Kong, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

Ok so Meebops have to take the credit for this one cos she was the one who snapped the camera... Ain't it cool??? Blue, black and gold :)

This was taken at Hong Kong Disneyland. The fireworks was (and probably still is) the final act of the day - like a premiere before closing time. At that time, the fireworks display started at about 8pm (HKG Time).

Sure they have fireworks display every night, but it can get very very crowded. And the schedule changes with the season. Usually it is between 8pm and 9pm, depending on how much daylight you're saving ;)

Hong Kong Disneyland is a small 100 acres theme park. My advice is to just set aside 1 day for a visit. I believe they have 2 days, 3 days pass but you need only 1 because of its small size.

To get there, you either take a train, a bus, a cab from the city or stay over for the night at the Hollywood Hotel (where we stayed!) and have everything shaped like good ol' Mickey's head - from bed posts to the pool, even your pasta!!!

Stunning for lovers of Mickey and Disney cartoons! :)

The Daily SHOOT! - Bayon Temple, Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:55:00 +0000

Hope, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

I call this "Hope Is Alive"! Amazing contrast in colours don't you think...

The Bayon is another one of those famous temples of Angkor in Cambodia. As you know, the Bayon temple's unique feature are the massive sculptures of stone faces on several towers (i have a t-shirt with only the Bayon temple on it!).

It is also one of those temples where EVERYONE wants a picture taken with the 3 faces (facing South, East and West). So if you are there, be sure to snap fast or face the wrath of evil eyes from other travellers!

The Daily SHOOT! - Budapest, Hungary

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Budapest, Hungary, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

A day at the museum in Budapest, Hungary.

God knows where this was anyway (Gasp! I forgot to take notes!) but it was waaaayyyy back in 2005 when we were there. I know its Hungary, and in Budapest - just not sure where this was. Maybe, they were in the castle...

Anyway, these soldiers were pretty intimidating. Almost life-like... just without soul and flesh. They had other medieval exhibits around as well. Very fascinating!

PS: Avoid Europe (and esp. Hungary) in June and July... Its bleedin' hot and in July especially, is their Formula-1 Racing season. If you are a fan, then by all means. But if you are not, hotel rooms will cost you an arm, a leg and both your front and back pockets too. We paid GBP 99 per night, at a former monastery, 15 minutes bus ride into city centre! Daylight robbery? Indeed!!!

Part II of Malacca - JONKER Walk!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

So this is really slow, late and almost unacceptable!

But! I'm going to post them up anyway ;) and for those who wish to visit Malacca (or Melaka) anytime soon, over the weekends or on convoy, DO CHECK OUT JONKER!

I must say that Jonker is a little overhyped for a stretch of "pasar malam" (night market) styled shopping district but what i love about it is the idea of being truly Malaccan. You know, colonial shop houses, red laterns, Baba-Nyonya still speaking in unique-baba-only-Malay-English, the smell of aromatic "chicken rice" and fried kuih lobak (Carrot Cake) and the grinding of the ice for a bowl of Chendol. Yes, it has its own set of charm.

Where is Jonker Walk? On Jonker Street of course! Hehehe...

The Nyonya Baba inspired shophouses. Quaint ain't it? It looked really gorgeous in the day and even better at night!

If you need souvenirs, why you'll be spoilt for choice here! We're talking fridge magnets and plenty of them. I'm starting to really think that i should be collecting some of these as means of an ego-booster in case a relative decides to swing by my place. Haha! ;)

Another view of Jonker Walk. Its really quite pleasant to take a stroll down the entire street and just "look-see look-see" (or window shop) all the odds and ends displayed so neatly on makeshift table stalls.

That night, we wanted to try out the famed Chicken Rice Balls from the halal outlet of Famosa Chicken Rice Balls. But we were told that their halal outlet is ONLY available at the Malacca Bus Terminal (now called Central).

Personally, TTT didn't think that the ChickyBs (short for Chicken Rice Balls, Cubbies-style!) are out-of-this-world extraordinary (like what most people claimed). But now that we have tried it, we know. Yes it was tasty and all (who doesn't like chicken rice!) but it was ordinary. This is the "non-halal" outlet we found on Jonker, along one of the many smaller lanes.

Oh no trip to Malacca will be COMPLETE if you do not try the Chendol. What is Chendol? Chendol is a traditional dessert that is oh-so-sweet concoction of creamy coconut milk, green starched noodles, red beans, palm sugar, all topped with shaven ice.

We got ours here from a shop along Jonker. You cannot miss it. Its near the start of the north entrance, owned by a couple of hubby grinds the ice and aunty-wife, who is very eloquent and friendly. "You try you try my Chendol. Gua cakap, lu tak boleh jumpa Chendol macam gua punya. Mine is the best!"... Indeed! It was nice and sweet!!

When we were in Malacca for the 2nd time, we went with just one intention: To find the famed Asam Pedas (we didn't manage to find it the first time). "Asam Pedas" is a chilli-based gravy that is cooked with all kinds of spices including lemongrass, chilli, tumeric, shrimp paste etc. The most important ingredient however, is the "asam keping" or dried tamarind pieces, to give it that extra ZING to the dish. Without the tamarind, its just bland. And i personally like them with LOADS and LOADS of polygonum leaves or daun kesum. Delicious with hot piping steamed white rice! Hee! :)

And so we asked around for the best Asam Pedas in Malacca. Shamelessly, we chit chatted with police officers (or better known as The Tourists Police!), passerbys and taxi drivers to ask for tips on where to find the best Asam Pedas . There were mixed reviews of different restaurants but only one name was synonymous with all those who were interviewed - Hajah Mona Asam Pedas.

Here's how you eat them with, Mona-style: White rice, salted eggs and simple, understated fried cabbages. Its really quite amazing that they do this - so you can concentrate on the Asam Pedas and not be too bogged down by the other dishes. Very clever.

The common asam pedas with ikan pari (Stingray). Cubbies ordered this.

Meebops and her ever loving relationship with anything fatty and greasy and tasty, She Like! She ordered the asam pedas tetel, or scraps and spares from beef or mutton.

A plate of satay. Who doesn't know satay? Everybody does! And we love 'em! Oh this is seriously good satay peeps. Tender, sweet, aromatic, with just the right chunk of fat snugged in between the well-marinated meat... Very very nice :) Not exactly from HM but a stall "attached" to it.

My advice is, skip the malls unless you really have to. You can see nothing there but same old mall-rat culture back home. The deal is to put on your good walking shoes and WALK!

OH! Before i go, i didn't tell you what we had for breakfast in Holiday Inn, did i?

2 nice ice cold glass of wine, they call "Sparkling Juice". It was a good thing my beary nostrils wasn't full of sinusy goodness that morning. *Sniff* *Sniff*

"Meebops! Smell this... *sniff* *sniff* Don't you think its...*sniff* *sniff* ... alcohol? *sniff* *sniff*"

"Cubbies! Don't drink it!!!"

We don't know about you but Malacca is now one of the list of places to go to over the weekends, when we run out of things to do here at home. And say, ain't this neat? Malacca was awarded one of the prestigious UNESCO WHC Award in 2008! Boy! I am impressed! :)

Some BEARISH TIPS to Malacca:

If it isn't too much trouble for you, travel down to JB and take a bus down to Malacca. Not only it’s cheaper (RM 20 one way compared to S$38 in Singapore), its also faster and far more effective. Besides, all those travel - makes the journey even more interesting!
You don't need too many days in Malacca. A 2 or 3 day trip should suffice - one day shopping, one day "gluttoning" and one day sightseeing!
You can do the RM 5 "hop on hop off" double deck bus that will take you around Malacca in 30 minutes! Keep your ticket stub! Its free transport for you for the entire day!
Try the Chendol at the stall opposite the Red Church / Red Square, (Jalan Laksamana) sold by an Indian-Muslim man (former Mangosteen Chendol). TTT like it plain but you can also do it with red beans, and is a wonderful thirst quencher on a hot day! I tried it when i was young and never ever forget its sweet taste tickling my tongue to this day!
Must try the fresh Roasted Chestnut at Jonker Street. Just the right dose of sweetness. Buy a kilogram (RM 10) and snack while "window shopping" odds and ends sold along Jonker Walk.

Why I Hate Air Asia...

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:47:00 +0000

And mind you, i am an advocate for low prices. I think all airlines should be cheaper than it was before (indeed, my wish came true...) and i still think Air Asia is better than Tiger Airways in many ways (which should have been long defunct). But there are numerous reasons why i hate this red airline and why they are really, really pushing me into becoming an EX-AIR ASIA passenger.

Dear Tony,

I was on AK704 flight bound for Kuala Lumpur. You see, whenever i travel on Air Asia, the flight is almost always delayed. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30... whatever the schedule, wherever the destination, there will always be delays. And not that i am unfazed of that fact but i suppose i am a little more tolerant of such circumstance. Yes, sometimes its the weather conditions, sometimes its just air traffic. But i've been on so many carriers before, both budget and full-service. The award still goes to you. Oh... and to Garuda too. You guys are almost at par in terms of scheduling.

In this instance, AK704 was 45 minutes off scheduled. We only took off close to 3pm.

For some reason, i have forgotten to take my pen with me when i left the office for KL that day. Oh! I'd usually have it with me. You know, when on business, you never know when you'll need one. So i am quite helpless without a pen. I will usually have no problem asking for one from one of those Batik-clad ladies on one of those conventional airlines. They'll usually pass it to me for use (which i return to them promptly after use of course!) within 5 - 10 minutes. Very efficient.

On board AK704, I asked for a simple humble pen that i can use to fill up my immigration and health declaration forms. Sure, you can argue that i can fill it up at the terminal upon arriving. But the flight had been delayed and you know how notorious KL airports are when it comes to immigration. You can be queueing for quite a long time before you finally get your turn. So i'm just trying to cut the hassle really.

And so i asked young girl in red skirt if i could borrow a pen, any pen. Girl looked at me, top to toe, disinterested and said, "Let me check first...".

So we took off and all was jolly good. The take-off was smooth, everyone happy. But i still didn't get my pen. So i waited. I waited and waited and was listening to my songs playing in my iPod. Time did pass and though i was painfully aware that for a pen, this was taking way too long, i didn't want to make a big fuss out of it. Creating a ruckus is just not my style.

25 minutes... 30 minutes... And i turned behind to see if little miss red skirt lost her way to my place for that pen. But sadly no, Miss Hostess in red short mini skirt was talking and laughing to her other short-skirted colleagues. So i waited for her conversation to finish, a good 5 minutes later, as we were descending, she aimlessly walked down the aisle, just to make sure that everything was in order.

So i said excuse me, what happened to the pen? With an attitude (i stress this), she said, "Gave the pen to other passengers already, that's why...".

You see, now its no longer the pen that mattered. It was her attitude. Absolutely priceless. I was gnawing my cheeks out because i was so angry.

You gave the pen to others. Sure. Its not your responsibility to lend me a pen. Sure. I'm flying on Air Asia and paid less than what others will pay for for the same route on other airlines. Sure. But what could she have done? Simply walk up to me and say sorry, we have no more pens available for your use. And i would've understand. I am not that petty honestly. Yes sometimes i can get carried away with pettiness but i am usually quite civil.

Yes i am angry. Yes i am fuming mad. But you know what Tony, i tell myself, its not worth it. Because Air Asia is Cheap. Cheap airlines buys Cheap 2nd hand fleets. Cheap airlines pay girls Cheap salaries. And hence, we get Cheap attitudes and services. So they can't help it. Its a pity really... But you know what they say, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys :)

Oh then i heard the announcement made on the intercom. I can't help but snort when the stewardess had the audacity to say, "Air Asia was voted World's Best Low-Cost Airline in 2009 by 15 mil people around the world. Thank you for making our dream possible."

By 15 million who? Stakeholders? World's Best is at best, a joke.

You know Tony, there is a reason why some commuters prefer conventional full service airlines over budget "no-frills" ones. Honestly, we get what we paid for. We don't have to pay for everything. Everything is all included. Baggage allowance, service... Not so much on the food or drinks or cheap wines. Its the service. On Air Asia? Sure you get what you paid for. Then again, you pay for everything. Well, not unless you don't need to eat, drink or carry a luggage. Then its the perfect airline for you :)

A fellow traveller to Melbourne once asked TTT which airline we took to fly to Melbourne. And so we said we took Air Asia X - when they were giving away supposedly "free tickets" but ended up charging us for more S$750 each. The traveller was shocked, naturally (we did too...) and said that she only paid S$421 for a full service flight on Emirates. Our jaw almost dropped to the floor. And she added, "No point la flying on Air Asia... they make you pay for everything. And in the end, when you calculate, it's the same like flying on conventional airlines. Might as well fly on big planes complete with meals, 30kg baggage allowance and larger seats..."

So Tony, here's a suggestion:

Rather than hiring hostesses (who are probably MAS rejects anyway) to sell commodities to passengers, you might as well have a vending machine that dispenses drinks (both chilled and hot), snacks and hot meals onboard. That way, you'll be truly budget and don't need to pay for so many of your useless crews (who does very little anyway) - if they're not pushing for a snack on the wheel-cart, they're counting change or chit chatting. But that's a given... after all, they're Air Asia's hostesses :)

Oh, and while you're at it, you might as well charge for each toilet use. Or make commuters pre-order access to the toilet online. And for those who didn't, you'll get a chance to charge them double onboard! Good idea? I think it might just work ;)

Dear Dato' Tony Fernandez,

I asked for a pen. Do i have to pay for this too?

Sincerely,
An Ex-Air Asia passenger

SIDEBAR: Try googling "love, hate Air Asia" and you'll get a good mix of reactions. But the common ground is, you either love it or you simply hate it. I've never been a strong lover or hater for anything... i'd work perfectly as a Diplomat. But you know, they really have pushed me to the other end of the spectrum. And even though i can foresee that i can't break-away from travelling on Air Asia for business (because of the economic crunch, they took away my Krisflyer flying privilege...), i am definitely converted - from "lover of cheap airfares" to "hate that cheap red airline who compromised service and time".

Some will say, well Cubbies, too bad for you...

I'll say! Yep, just too bad really...

PS: Just to test Air Asia's staff concern of safety on board the planes, i purposely didn't put on my seat belt as we were landing and placed my big huge Crumpler bag on the seat next to me. The hostesses pass by me 3 times when getting ready to land. Nothing. I was still safe thankfully but hey, remember Cheap Everything? Even safety it seems! ;)

So do fly with a consistent airline - Cheap flights, Cheap service, Cheap everything!

The Day I Finally...

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:06:00 +0000

PASSED MY DRIVING TEST!!!

I made it. WOOHOO!!! I passed my driving test. 2nd attempt and i got 16 points for it.

Now i can't wait to get on the road and kill someone... NOT! ;)

Look to right, left and check blindspot turning right, look left, right and check blindspot turning left, signal early and stay in your lane UNLESS overtaking :) Good tips? Sure, it came from me! Ha! Ha!

It shall be my mantra from today on... *nod*nod* Cubbies must drive safely. Cubbies will drive safely. Value your life, value the life of others :)

*Oh... the safety video they made me watch after the test was freaky... brrr!*

Back To Kuching Mentel

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:27:00 +0000

With KM's help, i was able to pay about almost everything in Melb in CASH! Oh yes, put away those plastic devils 'cos Mommy's got the mooooola! Hehehehe...

And then we're back and of course, with not a single cent in my pocket, i reckon we better start saving again for our future use. And so we came back to this little island called home TRF.

But KM was almost full when we left so few days after we got back, i realised i had to empty her tummy again! Woohooo! :) Am i happy or am i happy...

So i counted and counted and counted... this month's earnings to a total of S$147.50!

That's like the biggest amount ever! Unbelievable.

So rolled back S$7.50 into KM and now my efforts to raise funds is on its way again - with S$140 tucked neatly under my pillow.... ahhhh *dreamy dreamy*

We're Baaack!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:12:00 +0000

and with good reason too! :)

Grrrowl!!!

Ok we've been sooo bad by not updating our blog from time to time. Truth is, we're just having too much f-u-n exploring the world with our paws! Oh yes, we're back from Melbourne, Australia and missing it with all our hearts... But fret not, we ABSOLUTELY love the city and i just can't wait to share it with you... the hits, misses, the deals, the shopping, the false fire alarm in the middle of the night... ahhh.. we're giving away too much ;)

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

The Daily SHOOT! - Red Urban Taxis

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:09:00 +0000

Red Urban Taxis, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

Don't know how come there were so many swooshing past at one time, but yes, indeed.
Taken at Central District, Hong Kong.

The Day We Took The Bus & Headed Straight For Malacca!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:02:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

So this trip was impromptu - we didn't know what to do over the weekends, Meebops and I. So she suggested that we take a bus down from Johor Bahru and headed straight for Malacca, which is roughly a 3 hour journey on a nice, air-conditioned and comfortable coach.

So that's what we did. We spent just a night there, exploring Malacca Town. It was an interesting journey considering that i haven't been there in more than 17, maybe 20 years. I don't remember anything about Malacca except the Red Church and the thirst-quenching Chendol from the makeshift Mangosteen stall.

The first time we were there was very overwheming for me. We took lots of pictures, walked from one end of Jonker Street to the other, mingled around the Amsterdam/Venice-inspired river walkway and even took a hop-on-hop-off bus to explore Malacca Town i've not seen in 20 years! It was amazing of course! Especially when we were there while love was still blowing strong in the air! *winks* Yup, we were there on Valentine's Day!

We stayed at a slightly posh hotel, which is the Holiday Inn Malacca. At approx. S$140, it was a good steal considering we were upgraded to straits-view deluxe for free. The room also came with free breakfast. Being the lazy teddies that we are, we decided to order-in our breakfast. This is the view from our room:

Isn't this simply amazing? Endless horizons.. It was very calming.

This is the pool view... Oh! The pool by the way, is infinity-edge (the kind i love to swim in!) so that's pretty neat!
I just had to put this up. I don't think the mosque is operational yet... But if it is, i will want to visit. I think its really therapeutic to do one's prayers, especially if it faces an endless sea :)

After a short rest, we were out exploring Malacca. We took the hotel's free shuttle down because we were quite lazy to walk. But if you have the energy and time, you can cross over the bridge and make your way down town on foot. Probably will take 15 to 20 minutes. They drop us off at the Red Square because we wanted to explore Jonker Street. We had a little bit of time; so we decided to get on the hop-on-hop-off bus and let them do the "walking". Very nice! Here's the ride:

And here are the views... Well, not all, some of it...

Oh! the bus will take you around town and come back to the Red Square where it started. Anyway, once was enough.

When it was starting to get dark, we strolled along the river and off to Jonker. Wanna see what Malacca town riverfront now looks like?

From this:

To this!!!

Isn't this just simply wonderful? I think its beautiful! And even though Malacca Town is very touristy, it still retains some of its old charm.

I'll do the Jonker Walk post next. This one's getting a little too lengthy! ;)

Earth Hour - Sign Up Today!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Be a part of the movement and conserve in the name of Beautiful Mother Earth.

She's the only one we've got.

8:30PM local time, wherever you live on Planet Earth.
Saturday, 28 March 2009.

The Travelling Teddies are a BIG FAN of the Earth
&
We support the Earth Hour!

The Daily SHOOT! - The Hong Kong Rush Hour

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:35:00 +0000

The Hong Kong Rush Hour, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

What can i say? The rush hour here in Hong Kong is like all rush hours the world over. People find places to eat, queue for tables, slurp here, slurp there, perspire perspire and go for a short walk, then back into the office.

Causeway Bay at lunch is a MUST. Stop, in the middle of the street if you have to and people watch. Like Cubbies said, "You haven't seen chaos if you haven't seen Causeway Bay!"

The Daily SHOOT! - Sasak Village Chief

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:25:00 +0000

Sasak Village Chief, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

90% of Lombok Island's population are made up of people from the Sasak indegenius tribes and is related to Balinese in race but religion-wise, comprise of a mixture between Hindu and Islam.

The tribe mixes basic islamic beliefs together with Hindu beliefs and created the evolutionary Wetu Telu religion. It is believed that Bali was the force of influence of this "mutant-nised" 3rd religion.

Whatever their practices are, visiting the villages "as part of your local tour itinerary" is, to me, a too-commercialized affair that should be avoided, if at all possible. They make you pay mandatory donations when you leave and most of the dwellers are probably those you can already find at Mataram's central market every morning.

Nonetheless, seeing first-hand how their huts looked like and their actual living conditions are least to say, enlightening.

A Traveller, Not A Tourist...? What's The Difference?!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

Yes yes, its an old adage. "Be a traveller, not a tourist..." so said traveller come celebrity chef and foodie Anthony Bourdain. But really, the traveller-tourist dichotomy has long been one of the most talked about, most discussed and argued "controversy" of the travel world.

Honestly, is there really a difference?

Not much, according to me. I mean, regardless of the kind of vagabond you think you are, or whatever label you place upon yourself (i.e. backpacker, budget traveller, shoestringers, luxury, pleasure, business etc etc.), you are still universally called a TOURIST (except if you are travelling into the United States - they just completely remove all labels and call you, Aliens... err.. thanks *snort*).

Meebops said: "To me, a tourist is someone who is snap happy and will go all out, at all expense, in order to visit popular, must-see areas within a city. It can be up the Eiffel Tower, or into the Pyramids or even a picture of them standing at the Taj Mahal. They care less about how it came to be, or what was sacrificed in the process and worse, they care less about the surroundings around them - poor people, beggars, locals... They don't bother to create conversations or make friends along the way..."

"A traveller is someone who is there with an open mind and someone who wants to do what the locals do... immerse in their culture, make new friends, volunteer if they have to and just have a good time mingling with like-minded strangers... that's me, that's us..."

Well said Meebops, as always... The Wiser One of the Two :P

Vagabondish wrote this piece of article i came across a few days ago while researching on my trip to Melbourne. Pretty insightful tips that, amusingly, many are aware of.

What we really want to do is get to know a country, rather than just visiting it.

But often, due to home-bound commitments (like work, and limited annual leave entitlement, finance etc), we get so bugged down by the limitations of time and budget that we find ourselves covering all the tourist hot-spots and hardly had time to sit down for a cup of coffee at a local sidewalk, people watch, talk to locals and do what they do... Simply becoming an audience to a culture is different from participating. I suppose the latter, brings greater appreciation...

But does that make us any different a traveller to a tourist (or vice versa)?

The idea is simple really, you travel to another country, immerse yourself in another culture, talk to locals and snap pictures of their properties and their people - what makes you any lesser a tourist than someone who probably paid more, make an effort to talk to locals too (esp. when in McDonalds or when asking for the price to the cute little handbag) and snap all the pictures they can in 10 minutes before boarding the tourist bus (according to the itinerary..)?

Its the same to me...

The only stark difference i can see is budget. One sleeps at cheap hostels, eats at cheap places and uses a public transport to move around. The other sleeps in hotels, takes a tour to move around and dine at restaurants.

Whatever you do - "tourist" or "travellers" - keep an open mind when travelling and appreciate the grandeur of what others, outside your world, has to offer. If you have to take the bus to blend in with the locals, do so. If you paid more than you can afford just so you can live it off at the Hilton's Waldorf Astoria in NYC, then by all means. Just be respectful to the cultures and societal beliefs and ideologies that is different from yours. The more you travel, the wider your perspective of life and the world around you is and the more you appreciate what it's like to be alive and be human ;)

Most importantly when you travel, Take Your Time... What you can't do during this trip gives you all the more reason to come back to the city again in the near future ;)

The Daily SHOOT! - Hong Kong Trams

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:20:00 +0000

Hong Kong Trams, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

One of my MUST-DO while in Hong Kong - is to take a step back in time and hop on a HK$ 2 ride aboard the Hong Kong Tram.

TIP: Be sure to sit next to the window for the best views of the bustling city. Besides, the trams are non-airconditioned, so good for basic ventilation too.

Trams passes through colourful Wan Chai district, bustling Causeway Bay and North Point (as well as other spots too). Enter the trams from the back and pay two bucks upon alighting at the front.

Definitely must hop on one of these when you are in Hong Kong :)

Have Coffee, Will Travel...

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

I smelled black coffee on the bus on the way to work this morning. Found a kindred spirit with a stranger, holding that steaming hot cup of black coffee, sipping it ever so slowly - savouring every burst of thick, full flavour tickling the tongue............... The aroma lingers in my mind, all the way to work.

I have to admit, i am addicted to Coffee since way back when. Plain old, black "piping-hot" coffee - a sip will send me straight to Coffee-Heaven; where Angels in black get together with Dancing Espresso machines, for a musical rendition of "The Coffee Song" (by Jars of Clay by the way), while i swim, butt-naked in coffee lake... Ahhh... What coffee paradise :)

So out of pure boredom again, i did a "Coffee Personality Test" to identify the Coffee in me. Interesting results:

I am a White Chocolate Mocha:

You are a White Chocolate Mocha through and through. You are a combination of adventuresome and sweet, hardworking and social. The confident espresso and cocoa stirred with milk and topped with tantalizing whipped cream make for an interesting person. Fun-loving and not too serious, your stable taste but special topping shows that you are flexible to the needs of others. Your balance of strong and fun make you responsible but risk taking. The side of you that is slightly thrill-seeking and active is displayed openly. Others may have to dig a little deeper to get to your rich and deep interior. Your all-around sweet taste of white chocolate is surprising and calming. You generally are service oriented and like to be around people; but you need to relax by being away from it all. The bottom line is that you are fun loving, not afraid of challenge, like being active and outdoorsy. Your uncomplicated twist on the ordinary is exciting but calming. Your enthusiastic and friendly mocha nature warms anyone in your company and uplifts any occasion.

Hmmm... Strangely though, i have never tried White Chocolate Mocha before - and don't think i ever will. I hate White Chocolate and i'll only have mocha when someone else is having it and it "looks good"... Hehehe... Oh well.

Anyways... back to my back stroke swimming in a pool of black coffee (not piping hot though, that'll hurt...)

Ooo, good coffee
Strong coffee
I need to have some
Ooo, good coffee
Strong coffee

- Jars of Clay, The Coffee Song

The Daily SHOOT! - Hong Kong Island

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:01:00 +0000

Hong Kong Island, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

As seen from Kowloon Island, Avenue of the Stars. They also have nightly 10 minute "Victoria Harbour Light Show" (or Symphony of Lights) from this side of Hong Kong, along the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront.

A spectacular display of pyrotechnics and laser beams, 8pm nightly. A must-see in Hong Kong that brings the statement, "good things in life are free..." to another level.

Short Post On My Obsession & My First Trip To KL In 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (The Travelling Teddies...) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:52:00 +0000

Grrrowl!!!

Huh! I realise this will probably my very first post on my many many KL trips. And i don't intent to make it complicated. I am proud to say that i survived the ordeal of having went through immigration and not get caught for using my mom's much less than desirable, unattractive luggage. Here is a photo of how it looked like:

And just to show off my new shoes, here is the photo of the luggage and me and my new Crocs Explorer Meebops got for me for just S$30 during an Expo sale. Schweet! ;)

Just to show off some pictures i took after my maiden flight on Silkair from Singapore to KL, here is my ride on the KLIA Express, which is my favourite mode of transportation to KL City Centre. Cheap (at only RM35 one-way), comfortable (most of the time you get the entire 'cubicle" for yourself), fast (they take you to Sentral train station in precisely 28mins) and best of all, i get to listen to my i-Pod and keep my peace. Of course, there are times when i ge lazy and just want to be driven from the airport to my hotel for RM 70; that's when a taxi comes in. Anyway here are the pictures:

The KLIA train. Picture is a litle blurry because i'm in one of its siblings, on my way to the city! hehehe...

This is a little of what the interior looks like. Clean, executive-feel (just lacks Wi-Fi services) and roomy. Per 'cubicle' sits 4 but you can only get away with 3 at most, unless you're a Hobbit (or a midget for that matter.. hehe!).

And of course, best of all is the view :)

The company put me up at the JW Marriott (like they always do anyway...) and i was quite pleasantly surprised that even though the room stayed the same (the bed is simply gorgeous), they "refurnished" the TV to a flat screen one (like about time!!!). A sampling of how their cosy rooms looked like:

This is the gorgeous bed at the Marriott:

And here's the working / relax area, with a nice couch for 2:

I didn't go out much at all when i was there. It rained all day (thunderstorms, lighting... the works) and there wasn't anything i was looking for in particular anyway. Here's what the weather looked like every day. It gets worse by evening. I have no complaints for the weather though, i love the rain (except when i'm expected to fly!) and cold weather makes me a happy, bouncy Cubby :)

So the first day, i had Subway - no pictures of Subway cos that's quite common, everyone knows Subway. Second night though, i got a little greedy and craved for something noodly and fried and hot, and at the same time i crave for rice, fatty chickeny duckie roasted skin type.

Torn? So i got both! from across the Marriott at Food Republic (Pavillion Shopping Mall). Its the foodcourt type of food - instant, usually laden with MSG but affordable and can be quite yummy at times. I think, i spent about RM 8 for the Thye Hong Hokkien Mee (near the escalator down and usually with long queue) and Roasted Duck Rice was about RM 9 or so. They satisfy my cravings but not as yummy as i'd thought they'd be. Anyways, this is the Hokkien Mee, which is basically stir-fried fat yellow noodles mixed with a pinch of rice noodles (laksa), with prawns and squid and and fish cake added in. This one tasted so-so (even though it received raving reviews from netizens in Malaysia). I've tasted better elsewhere but hey, food is subjective to the different taste-buds. You know your tongue better!

I kid you not. I finished the Hokkien Mee even though it was so-so cos i hate wasting food... OK OK, i'm just a glutton. Missing the prawns cos i think i'm allergic to it *scratch scratch*..

And that's that. Now after that's finished, i went on to have my roasted duck rice. This costed about RM 9 for a portion of the crispy roasted duck (not crispy :( ..) and white rice, topped with special "asam" sauce and soy sauce and whatever there was in there. I'd give this a pretty good rating because i love duck (since Din Tai Fung) and i was still only half satisfied with my cravings. ** Meebops don't quite fancy this though; said she didn't like the sauce... Anyway, here goes:

And the rice, which i must honestly say, looks gleamingly delicious and gorgeous in this photo:

And of course, i finished this too!

I bit and sucked and ate everything - right down to the very last morsel... Told you i eat a lot. Me likes! ;)

Latest Update! Haven't been to KL in yonks. I'm starting to miss everything :(