Monday, May 28, 2007

I Saw Spiderman at 1 Utama

I was shopping at 1 Utama with family during the last weekend. On that same day Spiderman was having a day break to have a photo taking session with the kids.
Spiderman (not the front guy, the back one)
Spiderman's shooting the sticky stuff
Spiderman's butt
1 Utama was having a carnival to promote their ONE card on that day. Few of my friends were working there. And few days before that, Taw Jin called and asked if I wana get a part time job for only a day. What we needed to do was to pack the goodie bags. The pay was RM75 from 10am til 7pm. I agreed to him since I got nothing to do at home and at the same time I can earn some side income. Taw Jin was looking for two person so I called Perry along, since he is also doing nothing at home during the holiday.
At 1 Utama Perry and I looked for the Teresa, the person in charge, which happen to be my ex-classmate’s sister! She brought us into a room where all the vouchers and coupons were. Another girl was already there. Our job was to arrange the vouchers and coupons and to be put into the goodie bags later on.
Stacks of vouchers

Perry doing his work.
After finish arranging all the vouchers, we then moved to an empty outlet downstairs where we were going to pack it into the goodie bags. We were also require to put in bottles of mineral water, 1U magazines, chocolates, notebooks etc. into the bags. And we were required to pack 3000 of them!!!

Blackout for 40 mins on that day

Our hideout

Inside the hideout
By the time it was 6.30pm, we only managed to pack about 1500 goodie bags. So Teresa asked whether Perry and I could come on the following day. And we will be paid extra. Well, both of us agreed since we have nothing to do at home except sleeping.

On the next day, Perry and I continue to pack the goodie bags. We had to open the paper bags, arrange them accordingly, then insert all the stuff into it, one by one. As the place was limited, we had to stack them up together so that we can arrange the other paper bags. We finished packing at about 9 something at night. Then Perry's dad fetched us back.
A dinner treat by the boss' daughter of 1 Utama (far right)
The goodie bags we packed

=)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Miri, City of Oil

THE fantastic four of us reached Miri airport at almost 2 in the noon. We were greeted by CY’s uncle and his family. First he brought us to check in a hotel in Miri town then we went to have our lunch. CY’s uncle is working as a government servant so he could get a cheap rate for the hotel room. It really saved up a lot for us.
Welcome to Miri
After the meal, CY’s uncle brought us to Batu Niah. It was a one and half journey ride from Miri Town and the ride quite bumpy. The famous Gua Niah is just located not far from there. However as the sky was getting dark and we are only staying a night in Miri, we were not able to visit the Niah cave. Really wasted. Other people come all the way from all over the world to visit this famous cave. Hopefully I will have the chance to come again next time.
On the way to Batu Niah
Before returning to Miri town, CY’s uncle brought us a his house. It is in a small town about half an hour from Miri town.

CY's uncle house

Then uncle sent us back to the hotel and soon Vanessa (our coursemate from Miri) came to pick us up for dinner. She brought to a place near to the sea and we had seafood for dinner. However it was too dark and we can’t enjoy the sea view. Since it was our first time to Miri, the dinner was Vanessa's treat.
After dinner, Vanessa brought us to her house to meet her family and have some chat. Then she bring us on a night tour around Miri. She also brought us to this cemetery where it is located in between two roads. And during night time in Miri, you don’t see many cars on the road. It was almost like a deserted town. Spooky.
Next, we went to Thai Club. Yup, apart from KL there is also another Thai Club in Miri. It was Wednesday so all the girls had a free drink each. And well, I drank theirs as they don't drink so much. Hehe.
The club there is abit different than the ones in KL, although I don't always go. But one thing that I found out during that night - Vanessa can dance and shake quite well! =p
IT was around 12.30am when we reached back out hotel. Took a nice hot shower before going to bed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

THE next day, CY and I went for the hotel breakfast buffet as they only allow two people. And then, Vanessa picked us all from the hotel and went for breakfast for the second round as BL and HC had not taken their breakfast yet.
Coffee and Teh Si Special...again
After makan we went to a hilltop in Miri. Located at the highest point of Miri Town, we could viewed the whole town from above. But of course, the weather was freaking hot too.
View from the top
Besides looking at the view, there is also a Petroleum Museum and an oil well on top of the hill. The museum is not very big. It is something like the Petrosains in KLCC. We took some photos around the oil well.
We were the only visitors at the museum
The first ever oil well in Malaysia
Some monkeys
Next, Vanessa brought us to a jetty nearby the place we had our dinner the night before. We just enjoyed the sea breeze over there. Before that, we wanted to go to the Miri Marina Bay but we couldn't enter because the construction works were going on. Vanessa said that there is a big seahorse status over there. By the way, seahorse is the landmark of Miri.
The jetty
That's Vanessa on the right
The seahorse status is on the faaaar back
When it was almost 12pm, we went back to the hotel for check-out. The weather was extremely hot as it was noon. And our next stop was to a park called Taman Awam Miri. The attracting part at the place is the suspension bridge. Otherwise we wouldn't go there at this hour of the day.
Chiou Yann
Han Chee and Bee Li

Taman Awam Miri
An advice: Visit there when the only weather is NOT hot
We had our lunch before sending Chiou Yann to the airport. Her flight back to Kuching was at 2.35pm. As we were rushing for the time, Vanessa received a parking summon at airport when she parked her car at the departure/arrival hallway.
After sending CY, which left only BL, HC and me, Vanessa brought us to the Heritage center in the town as HC wanted to buy some souvenirs. Then, we went back to Vanessa's house to have a rest. All of us were feeling very hot and tired. I took a short nap in the living hall.
At about 4, Vanessa brought us to a place to have cendol and rojak. It was nice to have something cold to chill ourself up. I don't really remember where the place was but it looked kinda clean and most of the stalls there are selling cendol and rojak.
We had cendol and rojak here
Then Vanessa drove us to her high school to visit a round before heading to our last stop at the Esplanade Bay. It is a long stretch of beach and a nice place to have picnic during the evening. We stayed there for about half an hour. The sun was setting down and the wind was blowing non-stop. I liked that feeling! =)

The Esplanade Bay

Our flight back to KL was at 7pm so we had to reach the airport by 6pm. Vanessa dropped us at the Miri airport and it was time to say g o o d b y e . . .
How come the front design of airports in Miri, Kuching and KL look almost the same ar?!

Borneo Trip Day 5

IT was Wednesday, the day we depart to Miri. The flight schedule was at 12.55pm. In the morning, we met up with another coursemate, Steven for breakfast at Kenyalang. He showed us a place at a food court above the market. Kennysia.com also mentioned this place before for its Tomato Kuey Tiao. I ordered a Tomata Mee. We wanted to ordered the Sio Bee and it left only five. So we took it all.

After the breakfast, Steven brought us to his house. Before that he drove us pass his secondary school where the canteen just burnt down recently by the students. Sigh, students nowadays.
Steven’s dad is operating a vase factory and a shop selling vases and other souvenirs. And his house is just above the shop. Once we reached Steven’s place, it looked very familiar to me. I realized that I’ve been to that place eight years ago during my primary school trip to Kuching. No wonder it looked so familiar. I wonder if I ever met with the Steven before I came to UTM. Who knows, it is a small world after all. =)
Looking for vase? Visit here
Reaching the factory/shop/house
L-R: HC, BL, Steven and CY


Factory round tour
The worker demonstrated a little bit before letting us try
Bee Li trying the pottery machine
And I just had a mess with it
Workers carving the patterns on the vase
When it is about 11.30am, Steven fetched us to CY’s house where we picked our luggage before sending the four of us to the airport. And off we go to MIRI!
Goodbye to Ang's residense

Auntie, don't play play lah!

The Kuching International Airport

Borneo Trip Day 4

The next morning, all of us slept like pigs and we missed the breakfast buffet. It was just too nice to leave the place. However on 12pm, we gotta check out and CY’s dad was already at the lobby waiting for us.
CY’s dad brought us to the open air market in front of Electra house to have our lunch. Kennysia.com mentioned this place before, for its Sio Bee (or siew mai in the West). I tried the Sarawak Laksa and it tasted just like our Kari Mee in Semenanjung. Then we walked along India street. There were many shops selling cloths and boutiques.
The open air market hawker center
India Street
A pintu gerbang with a small alley entrance

Inside the alley
After that, we went to the Tua Pek Kong temple which is located at the center of the town. Then we walking along a row of shops which sell souvenirs. I didn’t buy anything back to KL except for two postcards which I planned to mail to KL and Seoul.
Tua Pek Kong temple


Inside a souvenir shop
We went back to Ang’s residence to clean up and rest. That night her mum prepared dinner for us and we didn’t go out anywhere after that. I continued my Chicken Little game. It was our last night in Kuching.