ckkuan

Pre-obese

2011-09-15T01:51:00.000+08:00

Never would I thought this problem would hit me so soon (Okok..I've got to admit old already) but I guessed reality really bites. Since young, I was never a skinny person to begin with but was never fat or obese either. I can safely say I fit well in the normal category for my height all these years.

I can't really remember my weight or BMI (body mass index) during primary school but in high school I think my weight was within the range of 50-60 kg and after that between 60-65 kg during university life and the peak was at 66 kg during that period. My BMI was also within the normal range between 20-23 kg/m2. Right after graduating, my weight was still maintaining < 70 kg but after working for one year it was topping at 72 kg. My waistline had also been increasing steadily from < 30 inches to 32 inches.

I was never a workout freak nor do I have the tendency to work out aggressively - pumping iron to bulk up or whatsoever. Diet was never an issue either as I used to eat whatever I liked in HUGE portions. All these options with the privilege of not growing fat or gaining excessive weight. I just happened to be maintaining an active lifestyle and I guessed during this time my metabolism rate was the one doing all the wonders.

I have been practising Taekwondo since 8 years old, started playing basketball in high school, swimming and jogging regularly in university and after graduating but the frequency dropped rapidly when I started working. However, the culprit (my weight) was slowly getting out of hand when I started my second job in Kuantan. "Fortunately", I was working in shift (12-hourly day and night cycles) for the first four years and my weight was oscillating within the range of 72-74 kg.

The "real" problem instigated early this year in March 2011 when I came out of shift and started working normal office hours (8am to 5pm). I got a rude shock when I weighed myself and the scale read > 75 kg. OMG! The peak reading during this time set a new high and an all time highest reading of 78 kg. BMI was also in the PRE-OBESE region of > 24 kg/m2. To add salt to injury, I could no longer fit into some of my old clothings and all of my pants felt TIGHT and UNCOMFORTABLE! I had to buy larger pants sized 34 inches =.="

I realized this was high time to hit the PANIC button and announced "HOUSTON, we have a problem!" I had to do something... and FAST! I made up my mind to start working out ASAP and have been exercising regularly since April 2011. Unfortunately, my exercise regimen is only limited to jogging at the park or hitting my ofice's mini-gym. There were not enough people for sports plus I did not enrol into a commercial gym as I'm afraid I cannot commit 100% to it. I am not a fitness expert neither with the intention of body-building and my goals are simple - reduce my weight to 70 kg and able to maintain it as well as improve my fitness level.

There were some slight improvements thus far with my initial weight of 75 kg dropping by 1 kg in July 2011 and further decreased to 72 kg in August 2011. Unfortunately, it seemed to increase back to where it started (Argh! 75 kg again) in September 2011 which prompted me to make some additional changes to my workout plan. Previously, I only performed cardiovascular exercise and compound workout twice a week. Subsequently, I increased the frequency to every other day with the inclusion of weight lifting. Currently, I've decided to workout everyday and alternate between "cardio+compound workout" and "weight+compound workout".

Nevertheless, there is still another problem apart from working out which is "a clean diet plan". Just as Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “Great abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. Therefore, you cannot out-train with a poor diet. Sigh! I has a sad :(

Will try to see if working out daily is effective or not for the moment, else when all fails - drastic situations call for drastic measures (to be thought of later =.=). Aza aza fighting for now!

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts

2011-08-25T23:48:00.005+08:00

My latest song and video obsessions..

Buka Puasa

2011-08-24T01:08:00.001+08:00

Entri ini akan ditulis dalam Bahasa Melayu bersamaan dengan tema tajuk kali ini. Bulan ini tidak kurangnya saya berbuka puasa bersama-sama rakan sejawat di sekitar Bandar Kuantan walaupun pada hakikatnya saya tidak berpuasa (malu kejap). Maklumlah saya berbangsa Cina dan merupakan suku kaum minoriti di kilang MMSB/PPMSB ini (tetap rasa bangga gak). Walau bagaimanapun, saya cukup kagum dengan teman-teman saya yang mampu berpuasa selama ~14 jam setiap hari selama sebulan. Kalau nak saya laksanakan memang minta maaf je la, memang tak larat (pernah cuba ok?). Namun, kalau bab buka puasa, saya tidak ketinggalan pulak..hehehe. Rasa-rasa setakat ini dah dekat 10 kali buka puasa dalam bulan ini sama ada di hotel, restoren mahupun di gerai atau warung. Terima kasih kepada penaja-penaja sekalian ya..

Hari ini pula berbuka di Restoren Ayam Penyet-AP (http://www.ayampenyet-ap.com/v2.1/) yang terletak di aras bawah Berjaya Megamall Kuantan. Sebelum ini, pernah sekali nak berbuka puasa di sini tetapi malangnya tiada bekalan elektrik dan terpaksa berpindah ke tempat lain. Termakbul juga hasrat kali ini berbuka bersama-sama teman rapat Ideal, Anis dan Akram. Restoren ini menyediakan masakan Jawa Timur dan Minang dan semestinya terkenal dengan masakan utamanya, Ayam Penyet.

Ayam Penyet AP

Makanan dan minuman yang dihidangkan segar dan enak tetapi servisnya memang lambat sekali. Teman-teman saya terpaksa berpuasa lebih masa (OT) hari ini disebabkan makanan yang dihidangkan lambat tiba. Kita memang faham bahawa pelanggan ramai semasa waktu sibuk tetapi oder telah dibuat sejam yang lalu pun tak sampai-sampai. Kalau tiada tahap kesabaran yang tinggi, memang tak sanggup nak makan di sini. Pengalaman menunggu ini bukan sahaja terasa semasa bulan puasa tetapi pada hari-hari biasa juga. Nasib baik makanannya sedap, kalau tidak memang sah tak kembali lagi. Harap-harap cawangan yang bermasalah ini ditangani pihak pengurusan secepat mungkin dan cawangan-cawangan yang lain tidak mengalami keadaan yang serupa supaya tidak bercanggah dengan keterangan-keterangan bagus belaka di laman webnya.

Kalau-kalau nak merasa juga, boleh cuba di tempat yang lain seperti di atas..

Minuman yang dipesan tidak kesampaian dan akhirnya terpaksa membalas dendam dengan pencuci mulut "marble cheesecake" dan menghilangkan rasa dahaga di Starbucks. Sekian.

Update

2011-08-18T00:07:00.003+08:00

It's been so long since my last eventful update. I somehow lost the momentum as well as interest to blog mainly due to my boring daily life and routine. It is half way through the month of Ramadhan now which is the fasting month for Muslims before they celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri in the month of Syawal. I've always planned for my vacation after Hari Raya Aidilfitri in anticipation of working during the festive season and taking my annual leave after that. I've booked the air tickets to Jakarta/Bandung for a group of 8 people almost a year ago in Nov 2010 to be utilized next month. Unfortunately, it will only be 7 people on this trip as one of them couldn't make it due to work commitment. This will be my second visit to Jakarta as well as Bandung which I am really looking forward to. Had the transportation and accomodation arranged and all that is left is to check in and fly away for 5 solid days of pure vacation bliss. My 1st trip to Bandung was with my colleagues and it was 4 full days of shopping. Will be going with a different group this time focusing more on touristy-like activities such as travelling, exploring, sightseeing and not to forget in search of good local food. Shopping is to be kept to a minimal. How able are we to stick to this principle I wonder? Hehe girls will be girls once they are shown all the sale at the tons of factory outlets available there. Just can't wait :D

Pics from previous trip:-

Heritage

Rumah Mode

Nasi padang

Es Pisang Ijo

Best Breakfast Joint

Forgot the name but it was super tasty & delicious

Reality Check #2

2011-08-17T22:46:00.000+08:00

This is a little overdue since Nov 2009 (Whoa! almost 2 years already) but heck, it's better late than never! Let's recap things that I have yet to achieve in 2009 as below and see if there's any improvement at all after 21 months..

What have I not done/achieve?
- Learn a foreign language *NOT DONE* (wonder when will it starts?)
- Grow my capital for investment *DONE* (in progress)
- Working out/exercise regularly *DONE* (sustaining)
- Lower down my cholesterol level *DONE* (sustaining)
- Completely equip my house with furniture and appliances *DONE* (quite complete for a bachelor)
- Throw a house warming party *NOT DONE* (to be planned)
- Continue Taekwondo practice *NOT DONE* (wonder when will it starts?)
- Attend friends' weddings *DONE* (almost all close ones)
- Acquiring class B licence *NOT DONE* (scrapped)
- Own a superbike *NOT DONE* (scrapped as above)
- Bring mum for a holiday overseas *NOT DONE* (in plan - to be completed in Jan 2012)
- Career development *NOT DONE* (partially as I have only mobilized to another department)
- Upgrade myself with more skills *NOT DONE* (not sure what have I learnt - being positive?)
- Go to a concert *NOT DONE*
- Dye my hair blonde *NOT DONE* (partially as the colour was copper rather than blonde)
- Reunion with coursemates *DONE* (majority but not all)
- Getting drunk *NOT DONE* (almost there but managed to drive myself home so go figure)

In summary, 6 "DONE"s and 11 "NOT DONE"s which is only ~35% accomplishment rate. Two words - UTTER FAILURE! *slaps ownself and bangs head against the wall*

Sunday

2010-06-27T13:45:00.001+08:00

Watched Uruguay vs South Korea last night (this is only the 2nd game that I watched completely since World Cup started) with the result 2-1. I so wanted South Korea to win although I don't support any team in particular simply because they were playing such world class football for a team coming from Asia. Wonder when our beloved country would reach that level? We can only shout Malaysia Boleh! and Bolehland might even be bankrupt before we can even qualify. No?

Went to bed straight after the match as I was determined to go jogging to shed off some of the kilos I had put on during the past weeks. The alarm rang at 7:00 am and I was too groggy and slept back again after shutting off the alarm. Woke up again around 8:40 am and still determined to go jogging although the sun is already high up. Didn't want to get another sunburn again after the incident at Genting. I thought to myself the place should be still in the shades with all the trees around and headed straight to Taman Gelora.

The carpark was quite full since the Malaysian National Paintball League was going on but I was not bothered to even go have a look. Managed to jog 2 rounds without stopping and feeling slightly short of breath - must be due to my slacking for the past few weeks. Continued another round while utilising the tools available to perform some sit-ups and stretching. Drove home and cooked porridge for lunch. Feeling a little healthier already or at the very least I feel that way - it's the thought that counts. Hehe resting and taking a nap soon and going to wash my car later. What a peaceful Sunday :D

Random

2010-06-26T22:38:00.002+08:00

Woke up late this morning, failed to go jogging, went to renew my insurance and roadtax, then had my hair cut and went for facial. Now my face is silky smooth. LOL!

Kuantan Trip

2010-06-26T22:07:00.002+08:00

Last weekend was awesome as a bunch of friends came all the way from Klang to visit me in Kuantan. I am so touched and really appreciate their presence to brighten up my dull weekend. It was a weekend filled to the brim with activities and food - your typical "jalan-jalan cari makan". I swore we did not stop eating at all after they arrived starting from lunch time. We headed to Kemaman while having "lawatan sambil belajar" when passing by Gebeng and arrived at Tong Juan where we feasted on their famous Stuffed Crab and a whole bunch of other dishes. Then we went hunting for the famous "gerai sata" and again feasted on "sata, otak-otak and keropok lekor". Next stop was Hai Peng coffeeshop where we savoured their famous coffee as well as toasted bread and bun. We journeyed back to Kuantan and stopped for dinner at Restoran Alor Akar where we had their famous "hat yi kai" plus a limited number of other dishes as we were all still very full. My stomach almost exploded after dinner and we went for a stroll at Teluk Cempedak before settling down for dessert eating ABC, jelly-ice and honeydew sago. Went back home and had mahjong sessions throughout the night before realizing it was quite late since we had to wake up early to goto Panorama Hill the next day. It was only be my second visit there despite staying in Kuantan for the past three years.

I had only two hours of sleep before waking up and getting ready to goto Panorama Hill. Everyone's enthusiasm made me wide awake and we drove in the drizzling rain to Sungai Lembing. Upon reaching our destination, there are already a crowd of people preparing to hike Panaroma Hill and we followed suit. I can only remember vaguely since I have only been there once previously and didn't remember it was so tough hiking up to the top to catch the sunrise. We started with six people and after three-quarter way up, three of them wanted to give up and asked us to continue without them. We hesitated initially but proceed after making them promised to reach the top once they have rested a bit.

After that we went for breakfast, more mahjong sessions and had lunch at Sendonoya before they depart back home to Klang.

Thanks for coming girls! See you all soon :)

MIA

2010-06-26T21:28:00.001+08:00

Hey people! I kind of MIA for another period and I am back once again :) Quite some major changes happened during the past three months. Firstly, I am no longer in the normal shift whereby I have to work day shift and night shift. Currently, I am attached to the 5th shift and my working hours are 7am to 7pm only, 5 days a week. That means my working hours are much longer compared to before and got less off days unless there is a Public Holiday over the weekend. Finally, adapted myself to the new working style and workload but was told I will be swapped back to normal shift after another 3 months (total 6 months in 5th shift) where as my reliable subordinates are switched back to normal shifts (theirs only 3 months) and I will be getting another batch of subordinates soon starting 5th of July 2010. Another round of setting the pace and momentum again to keep them moving.

Apart from work, I had my fair share of fun and leisures recently. Since there are quite a number of public holidays in May, I travelled back to Klang during the opportunity to hang around with my mum and buddies. My sister was away in NS camp at Sauk, Perak and I got to be the faithful chauffer fetching her back with my mum, not only once but twice. No complains though as I hardly get to spend time with my mum so what's better than sitting in the car with her for the whole journey. Furthermore, I got to celebrate Mother's day on the day itself which I do not have the privilege before during the past few years as I was still working in normal shift and the shift schedule somehow just didn't match Mother's day weekend. Apart from that, just hang out with my buddies and did more cock talkings than usual.

Went to Genting on Agung's birthday and literally got sunburnt due to much queuing up at the themepark waiting for the rides. It was one of the worst sunburnt I gotten as no sunblock was applied. Who would have thought that the sun would be scorching one's ~~ass~~ face up in Genting? However, it should be logical since we are nearer to the sun's ray at a higher elevation. Everyone wouldn't believe me and thought that I went to the beach instead. Genting was indeed warmer than usual and there's no rain so it didn't help much. Even at night, the temperature was over 20°C and I don't even have to put on a jacket while walking outdoors.

Time flies

2010-03-14T23:46:00.010+08:00

Time flies. Really fast indeed. My last update was in Dec 2009 and now it's already March 2010. Everything feels as though it just happened yesterday. This year has been quite a pleasant one so far. I was able to celebrate Chinese New Year back in Klang for quite an extended period of time this year and even went back again before Chap Goh Mei. Though I did not literally celebrate Chap Goh Mei by throwing oranges/bananas (which I never did before in my enitre life), I went to Kukup with a bunch of friends over the weekend. It's been 5 long years since the last time I was there and seemed like the place was pretty much "updated" as well. Gone are the days where those water chalets were only good for one night's stay, now it's luxurious and lavished and some can even compare to some 4-5 stars resorts albeit without the proper sewerage system. Haha, it's still the same "back to nature" concept so maybe that's why the seafood tastes better too!

Going there from Klang was a breeze without much traffic on the roads but it took us about 4-5 hours as we made some stops for breakfast, tea break as well as toilet breaks. Upon reaching there, we had lunch with seafood then checked into our chalet, chilled, camwhore, gambled, not so much of karaoke session due to limited choices of songs and went for an evening walk. The sun was scorching our skins and I regreted not bringing the sunblock lotion. We walked most part of the village before heading back for our BBQ seafood dinner. The food was slightly more than enough as we actually paid for 10 pax but there's only 8 of us. We continued the night with gambling and fishing accompanied by the display/sound of fireworks starting from 8 pm until 2 am. Occasionally, some still can be heard at 3-4 am while I'm dozing off. One family said that they spend RM 60k in total for the fireworks. OMG they burnt a "Proton Waja" that night just for the sake of entertainment?

The next morning, we had breakfast then visited a "kelong" but couldn't visit Pulau Kukup as it was closed for renovation works. After lunch, we made our way to Tanjung Piai which is known as "the southern most tip of peninsular Malaysia". The place is getting more commercialized now and they even charge for parking and there's also a resort nearby. If my memory serves me right, I think the resort was not there 5 years ago. After getting tanned in the sun badly, we finally headed back to Klang. The journey back was not so smooth as the traffic was quite heavy and our F1 driver nearly got booked for driving on the emergency lane LOL.

The pain continues..

2009-12-14T19:00:00.003+08:00

I don't know how long this is going to last but I just revisited the dentist due to the non-stop pain plus I exhausted all my medicines. This time, the extracted tooth socket was found infected and had to be cleaned. The stitches were also removed - not just one (I thought only one) but two and three and four..on the cheek and on the gum itself *faint*

The procedure was quite straightforward - several jabs into my mouth then proceed with cutting the threads, hooking each one out, scrapping etc. Urgh..the agony each time it strikes my gum and also spitting out mouthful of blood several times in the clinic. I left with a numb as well as swollen face and I can feel my mouth and left cheek double its size.

Currently, biting some gauzes while waiting for the bleeding to stop and the pain continues. I lost all appetite to eat anything although I can hear my stomach growling.. T.T

Extracted!

2009-12-08T23:02:00.001+08:00

OMG! I can't believe I did this - I just went for my wisdom tooth extraction today, spontaneously. It was left idle for more than a year ago as I don't think I could bear the pain of getting it removed. My teeth are healthy, mind you. It was just that both my wisdom teeth grew out angularly due to the limited space of my jaw. Over time, it pushes the adjacent tooth in front of it and created a "void" in between which often traps food and a heaven for bacteria. I was advised by my dentist to have it removed back then but it involved some minor surgery which I was made to understand due to the nature of the tooth location. Firstly, the dentist would have to drill/hammer the top portion into smaller pieces. Then make a cut or two on my gum and finally extract it and stitch the gum back. Estimated damage: RM400-600 per wisdom tooth. I had to do not just one but two =.=" Phew, imagining the process already made me determined NOT to do it.

After more than a year of procrastination, the wisdom tooth on the left started giving problems. It began to decay and made a "hole" in the tooth itself. I tried to ease the pain by brushing my teeth and flossing more regularly i.e. each time after meals and using Listerine. It was able to hold on for a couple of weeks but the top portion of the tooth cracked and fallen off bits by bits. I know it's ineveitable for me not to goto the dentist at this point but the tooth breaking off on its own sounds like a good idea (so I can skip the drilling/hammering part at least..hehe). And soon enough, it started giving me chills whenever I bite something and strucking it or drinking/eating some cold food. My meals turn out to be less pleasant and I cannot savour it fully as I tend to chew less and swallow faster.

At last, after lunch today, I went to the dentist for checkup with the pretext of performing scaling and checking my teeth. He said that it has to be removed A.S.A.P. as it had already impacted the tooth in front of it. Else I would have to remove both later. Heck, desperate moment calls for desperate measure - if I remove the wisdom tooth, I still can save the tooth in front (only filling required). So there goes, after 1 hour in the battlefield, I got the tooth removed with not so much detail in my memory as I only remember I got several jabs at my gum until numb, some drilling going on, more pressure tools, some tread being tied around etc. My eyes were closed 95% of the time and only opened when I wash my mouth during the entire course spitting blood and bits of my teeth. After the entire event, I was left with a bloodied mouth, blood-stained T-shift and RM320 poorer and one rotten wisdom tooth as souvenier. Ouch! I have to undergo the whole process again in the coming month T.T

Merdeka!

2009-11-20T09:06:00.011+08:00

After working for excatly 1 month for PDH Shutdown Oct 2009, it's finally coming to an end. At last, reverted to my normal schedule today and getting back my life :)

(All photos courtesy of Dinsai PDH)

Reality Check

2009-11-13T21:00:00.009+08:00

After working for 25 days (and nights included) straight with only 3 off days in between (today is my 3rd), time for a breather which is limited to only getting enough rest and sleep, doing my laundry and cleaning up the house. While waiting for my Pizza delivery (dinner) to arrive, I managed to come out with some enthusiasm to update my blog. Since it's only a month away to end year 2009, time for a reality check to refresh myself of what I have done and not done throughout the year:-

What I have done/achieved?
- Move into my own house
- Partially equipped my house with furniture/appliances
- Changed my car
- Commit to an insurance plan (thanks to Justin)
- Go on a vacation outside Malaysia (went to Cambodia :D )
- Worked like a dog
- Experiencing working during Plant Turnaround/Shutdown
- Bought a new phone
- Started a blog
- Managed to grab AirAsia's free seats (so called zero fare) to Brisbane (RM523) and Bali (RM25) next year :D (thanks to my reliable travelling mates)

What have I not done/achieve?
- Learn a foreign language (chinese included since I'm partially banana..hehe can speak but cannot read/write)
- Grow my capital for investment
- Working out/exercise regularly
- Lower down my cholesterol level
- Completely equip my house with furniture and appliances
- Throw a house warming party
- Continue Taekwondo practice
- Attend friends' weddings
- Acquiring class B licence
- Own a superbike
- Bring mum for a holiday overseas
- Career development
- Upgrade myself with more skills
- Go to a concert
- Dye my hair blonde
- Reunion with coursemates
- Getting drunk

I guess there must be some other things left out that I can't recall..anyway my pizza just arrived..time for dinner (or supper perhaps?) Bye...

Vacation to Cambodia

2009-10-19T09:59:00.017+08:00

It's been quite some time since my last update. I went on a vacation recently to Cambodia with a few friends from 10 to 14 October 2009. It was a nice and pleasant trip as well as a real eye opener to appreciate how lucky we're in Malaysia. Would like to share these infomation in case anyone of you are planning to visit this wonderful place in the near future.

Day 1

1515 : Depart from LCCT
1630 : Arrived at Phnom Penh airport.
1700 : Travel to Bright Lotus Guesthouse by tuk-tuk (USD 7)
1730 : Check-in Bright Lotus Guesthouse (USD 18 per night - quite spacious room, room quite
dark and furnishing a bit old but still acceptable)
1800 : Walking around the street.
- Dinner at Riverside Bistro (Dishes OK, portion kinda small. A jug of beer = USD 4)
- Massage at Island Massage (Full body massage costs USD 8 per hour + USD2 tip - good
service)

Day 2

0730 : Breakfast at Bright Lotus Guesthouse.
0830 : Walk to Royal Palace (USD 25 entrance fees for 4 ppl)
1030 : Goto Central Market (Souveniers and gifts shopping)
- Visit to Cheung Ek Killing Field (USD 2 per pax)
- Goto Russian Market (More souveniers and gifts shopping + "branded" apparel)
- Visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (USD 2 per pax)
- Overall charge for tuk-tuk for all the above = USD 17
1630 : Late lunch at Bright Lotus Guesthouse (Fresh Coconut = USD 1 - very big)
1730 : Travel to Bus Station by tuk-tuk.
1800 : Board an express bus to Siem Reap (USD 9 one way - double decker bus with toilet)
- Stopped half-way for dinner at some "unknown" place. Lucky did not get "slaughtered".
0045 : Arrived at an unknown "bus station" in Siem Reap.
0100 : Travel to Golden Temple Villa Guesthouse by tuk-tuk (USD 8)
0130 : Check-in Golden Temple Villa Guesthouse (USD 15 per night - room quite small but looks bright, colourful and clean)

Day 3

0830 : Breakfast at Golden Temple Villa.
0900 : Travel to Kampong Phluk "shore" by tuk-tuk.
- Boat ride to Kampong Phluk - Tonle Sap floating village. (USD 21 for 4 ppl)
- Lunch at Kampong Phluk (Limited choices, nice environment)
- Visited floating school and pagoda (Bought some books + pencils for the children - charity kononnya)
- Goto Old Market (Souveniers and gifts + gems/stones/silverware shopping)
- Visted Killing Field (Smaller and less famous version of Cheung Ek)
- Back to guesthouse due to rain.
- Overall charge for tuk-tuk for all the above = USD 15
-Went to Artisan Angkor (High end/pricey gifts shopping)
1830 : Dinner at Khmer Family Restaurant (Good food but too much of Amok)
- Stroll along Pub Street.
- Went to massage at Dr. Feet (Full body massage = USD 6 per hour, bad service - no washing feet)
- Goto Night Market (More souveniers and gifts + painting shopping)
- Back to Temple Club at Pub Street (A jug of beer = USD 2.75)

Day 4

0430 : Depart to Angkor Wat by tuk-tuk.
0500 : Bought 1-day pass for USD 20 at official counter - cool with your potrait on it)
0530 : Wait for sunrise at Angkor Wat main entrance.
- Went in to explore Angkor Wat.
- Breakfast at Angkor Reach Restaurant.
- Went to Banteay Srei (Furthest from Angkor Wat).
- Went to Pre Rup.
- Went to Banteay Kdei + Srah Srang.
- Lunch
- Went to Ta Phrom (Scenes in Tomb Raider)
- Went to Angkor Thom - Bayon
- Wait for sunset at Phnom Bah Keang
- Overall charge for tuk-tuk for all the above = USD 18
1900 : Buffet Dinner + Cultural Performance at Koulen Restaurant (USD 10 per pax)
2200 : Back to guesthouse by tuk-tuk (USD 2)

Day 5

0615 : Depart to Siem Reap airport by tuk-tuk (USD 3)
0730 : Breakfast
- Not forgetting Kok Seng's drama with Airport Tax cashier - He mistakenly paid USD 25 with USD 100 + USD 5 (he managed to get back the USD 80 balance after realizing his mistake after breakfast)
0835 : Depart from Siem Reap airport.
1115 : Arrived at LCCT.

Still surviving

2009-09-24T09:33:00.002+08:00

Hey people! I'm still alive and barely surviving after more than 132 working hours over the last 11 days (3 days and 8 nights to be exact) with another night to go. On the plus side, my parents, sis, aunt and cousin were down in Kuantan for a short holiday and celebrated my birthday on the 20th September. Coincidently, Hari Raya falls on the same day and my stomach was constantly over-filled. I got to savour homecook food after work and a lot more Raya goodies while at work. Phew, gobbling all these when I have to control my food intake due to my higher-than-limit cholesterol level. I think my reading can put some uncles who are already 50-60 of age or any tom, dick and harry twice my size to shame. If you're wondering for that lucky figure (or number), you can stop by any TOTO, Magnum or 1+3D outlet and buy 0079 or 9700 (if u prefer reverse) after omitting the decimal point. Hehe..no guarantee though on striking it :P

My birthday cake -> Hazel-Cheese-Choc

Rezaldo & I

Night Shift at PDH

Proof of working during Raya :P

15malaysia

2009-09-01T21:42:00.004+08:00

Since it was National day, I decided to show my patriotism by at least visiting http://15malaysia.com/ to check out what is it all about since many had became a fan of it in facebook. It turned out to be quite of a surprise as I actually ended up liking it - although not all but at least some of the clips featured as below. Enjoy!

Short trip to Genting

2009-08-17T17:19:00.007+08:00

After such a long time without vacation since working in Kuantan, See Tho, Elmo, Nemo, CBC and I managed to plan and materialized a shoft trip to Genting on the 31st July 2009 for one night stay. It was quite a rushing journey as I had to work the night before and only able to sleep for an hour or so before starting my journey from Kuantan to Genting. Before reaching the Gambang toll, there's already a pile up for about half an hour due to an accident. By the time I passed by the tragic scene, there's already a corpse covered up with blood-stained white cloth. What a head start of my journey! Reminded myself to be 100% alert on the road as I was driving alone. The rest of them had already reached Genting as they left earlier from KL with a cab. I finally reached and joined up with them after some 2 hours drive. Firstly, we checked-into our room, then made our way to the theme park. I haven't been into the theme park for quite a few years and it was the first for See Tho. We only managed to get on a couple of rides before it started to rain where we all headed for an early dinner as all of us didn't have any lunch. What's best for all the hungry people? Buffet of course! We spent nearly 3 hours savouring all kinds of food from Malay, Western, Indian, Chinese etc at Restoran Kampong and dessert at Baskin Robin as it was with 31% discount..Woot! After that, we walked around for awhile indoor and braving the cold weather outdoor with our full stomachs before calling it a night. Haha..none of us is keen to enter the casino and earn some money :P

Woke up the next morning and headed for brunch at the Mushroom Farm. It was quite a heavy brunch as we had some fried frog legs, pork knuckles, vegetables and not forgeting their specialty - mushrooms. Next, we headed up to Bukit Tinggi and it was quite a long journey up to the peak. Spent a few hours there at the Japanese Tea House, Botanical Garden and Colmar Tropicale before leaving home. Overall, it was quite a fun and relaxing vacation as well as gathering seession with all of them as we last met during Wen Nee's wedding in December last year. Glad that everyone is doing well, alive and kicking. Looking forward to the next vacation at Cambodia in October 2009 :D

New look

2009-07-30T11:23:00.009+08:00

At last, after numerous visits to the Honda dealer, I got my previous Mugen bodykit replaced with the current Modulo bodykit. It's a lengthy and frustrating process so I don't want to be repeating it here. Glad that everything was taken care of in the end. Not 100% upto my expectation but close enough to be satisfied somewhat. Period. Enjoy the new look - a less aggresive and more "polite" image which will suit my mum's taste more..hehe :)

The wait was finally over

2009-07-07T17:33:00.005+08:00

Jeng...jeng...jeng...the wait was finally over when I collected my new ride in the evening on US Independance Day - 4th July. My initial plan was to collect it the next day when I am working in the night shift but my eagerness and excitement had overshadowed every sensible thinking. I collected it just before I finished work and the dealer closes. Rushed back in time for shift handover :)

Anxious

2009-07-02T21:48:00.007+08:00

I saw my car from about 3m away at the dealer's shop today as it was undergoing some inspection and customers are barred from entering the work area. It's okie for me as it wouldn't make any difference if I see it today or a few days later. Won't change a single thing and the fact that my car has finally arrived :) Woot! I just can't wait...being so anxious and excited already!

The Mugen bodykit will be arriving tomorrow and the end result will look somewhat like below - only that it will be in silver colour :D

My "new" new ride

2009-07-01T17:34:00.009+08:00

Finally!!! My new ride will be arriving tomorrow at the dealer's place. I was busy settling all the documents today. If everything goes smoothly, estimated time of delivery will be on Sunday, 5th of July with a Selangor registration plate, crossing my fingers as I did not made any special booking for the number. Hopefully it will turn out fine: BKK ****

I have waited long enough for it to arrive since I made the booking somewhere in April. It has been more than two months now, relying solely on my mum's car and troubling my sister and bro with no transport to goto school and college. Sorry bro and sis for suffering at my expense!

There's a surprise to it though, my initial Honda City 1.5E is expected to arrive on the 14th of July. After long considerations over the two months period and a bold changing decision yesterday, I made up my mind to switch it with Honda Civic 1.8S (partly influenced by a good friend..hehe). Hence, the earlier arrival date as coincidently there will be a ready stock arrving on the 2nd of July.

What else can I say? Wait no more and grab it of course!!! I'll be checking it out in the evening tomorrow after my CSE training and hopefully its the best quality. Kinda skeptical because my other friend who got his car last week (Honda Civic 2.0S...I'm green with envy ><) had quite some bad remarks about his car. The interior was not tip top, there's road noise while driving, bulging at the A-pillar and some other minor imperfections. *Fingers crossed again* Some teasers before I snap some pictures of the real unit when I get it soon :)

Busy week

2009-06-29T19:32:00.007+08:00

It's had been a busy week last week with work and stuffs that I didn't even have time to even clean up my house. I was in Kerteh for some audit thingy and guess what? Both the best hotels there were fully booked on weekdays. Ended up staying at a villa which I have always been staying every year during East Coast Games (Sports). It was not bad though because this time I got to stay in a bungalow rather than the usual Semi-D. The thought of staying alone in a 3-bedroom unit in an "ulu" place was kinda disturbing. Luckily I have another two colleagues staying with me. Visited the newly opened Mesra Mall for Burger King (a change from the almost "routine" meal at Paka which was always Mc-D). This is the first Burger King chain in the East Coast Region. Currently, it's the only place I look forward to each time during my visit to Kerteh as Kuantan is still not "blessed" with Burger King yet. After being in Kuantan for more than two years, I think I grew kinda bored with the food available here. Need to spend some time and cook on my own in the near future once I have all the necessities - kitchen wares and a fridge!

The shopping spree continues

2009-06-16T14:44:00.004+08:00

Wow! It must be the after-effect of last two days' shopping spree because I bought a lazy chair yesterday and continued today with a L-shape sofa, coffee table and console table. Got everything at a bargained price I could not resist and also it's about time to equip my "bare" living room. At least now it looks and feel a little "proper" and more "homely" compared to previously. Finally, I can sit down and relax after coming back from work watching TV or read the newspaper instead of just sitting in front of my laptop waiting to DOTA. Hehe..not sure if that's a good idea or not..but having more options to choose from is definitely a better deal. Have to make do temporarily with our current national TV channels before I decide to subscribe to ASTRO in the near future. Home sweet home :)

Shopping spree

2009-06-14T22:50:00.008+08:00

Woot! What an unexpected and spontaneous shopping spree I had yesterday and today. It had been a long time since I actually went shopping apart from the normal "shopping" such as groceries and stuffs. Yesterday I went to have dinner at ECM and ended up surveying for kickboxing target pad (much like a sandbag; only instead of being hook to the ceiling this one is supported vertically by a stand and base), handphones - Nokia N97 and 7210 Supernova and clothing. To my surprise, my 1 year-old plus N95 8GB is still worth RM1200 for trade in, which is quite tempting as I had expected it to be around RM800 the most. That's just a market survey as I don't plan to replace it anytime soon for at least another 2 years. The price for 7210 Supernova was slightly higher than my "researched" price at http://www.mobile88.com/. So catch of yesterday is only a T-shift.

Woke up rather early today, considering the time I slept last night after fidgeting with my phone as I have updated its firmware. Got ready and head straight to Berjaya Megamall and had breakfast at Alif. After that went straight to the phone dealer and secure the deal on a Nokia 7210 Supernova. Expected it to be a lilttle extra than what's being offered at KL but who cares as it'll be the same after factoring in the time, effort and transport cost. Had a good chat and bargain with the young chap manning the booth as the "boss" is too busy entertaining other customers. Main catch of the day: Nokia 7210 Supernova.

As I was happily heading out of the mall, I passed through the LG Promo/Roadshow and stopped by to look at some LCD TVs. One of the sales advisor caught sight of me and quickly approached me to offer assistance. He promoted the LG 32LH20R TV I was looking at and even demonstrated by scratching the LCD panel and knocking it with his fists and assured me that the material can withstand scratches and knocking (new features not available with previous models). I was quite appalled with that demo and asked him for the specifications and best price. He said that it's the last unit left (not display unit) and gave me a very special price I could not resist. Considering that I need a TV in my house and it comes with a 2+1 years warranty, feature-packed and value for money, I got suckered :P Secondary catch of the day: LG 32LH20R LCD TV.
Phew~ went back home and was all fired up to set up the TV so I had to clean up the place 1st. Swept, mopped, rearranged the furniture and sorted out most of my balance unsorted items I brought back from Klang. What a tiring but pleasuring task! Just in time for dinner at my favourite Bah Kut Teh restaurant and back home. Called it a night after a few rounds of DOTA and reading the phone manual. zZz...

Off and Rest Days

2009-06-14T22:25:00.005+08:00

After a week battling my fever, sore throat and flu, I finally recovered after consulting 3 doctors >< My longest ever sickness record mostly due to insufficient rest and sleep due to hectic work schedule. Of all times, the plant had to trip when I'm half dead and to add salt to the wound, a fire had to occur as well. The whole week was busy with preparations to repair the cracked HCFE where the fire broke out. Fortunately, the repair was completed perfectly and the other twin HCFE was without defect. This week will be busy with starting up the plant and maximizing the production. Luckily, this time around I get to rest during my off and rest days without the need to do coverage to recharge and be fresh to work during the next cycle. Got to pamper myself with more rest and sleep.

Down with a sore throat

2009-06-06T22:10:00.008+08:00

Shit! I think I'm down with a sore throat and its getting worse. Quickly went to consult a doctor before it turns bad as I have to work tomorrow for full 6 days - 4 days; 2 nights. Man, it's gonna suck! Got my dose of antibiotics and had a pleasant dinner with my colleagues at Secret Recipe earlier. Back at home waiting to start a few rounds of DOTA before calling it a night. Looks like a few rounds will be reduced to only ONE round considering the time my host got back home =.=

Taylor Swift - Fearless (2009)

2009-06-06T13:28:00.009+08:00

Currently listening to Taylor Swift - Fearless (2009). All her songs in this album are awesome. Trust me. I especially like Track 11 - Forever & Always. She rocks!

01. Taylor Swift - Fearless
02. Taylor Swift - Fifteen
03. Taylor Swift - Love Story
04. Taylor Swift - Hey Stephen
05. Taylor Swift - White Horse
06. Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
07. Taylor Swift - Breathe.
08. Taylor Swift - Tell Me Why
09. Taylor Swift - You're Not Sorry
10. Taylor Swift - The Way I Loved You
11. Taylor Swift - Forever & Always
12. Taylor Swift - The Best Day
13. Taylor Swift - Change
14. Taylor Swift - Our Song
15. Taylor Swift - Teardrops On My Guitar
16. Taylor Swift - Should've Said No

My new ride

2009-06-06T12:39:00.009+08:00

Wondering when will my new ride arrive? The salesman informed me he'll try to make it somewhere end of June as the document had officially stated in July. My good, ol' reliable "wife" had already been sold to the used car dealer. It had served me well for 3 years and I feel kinda sad parting with it. But as the saying goes "Old don't go, new won't come". For the time being, I can only fantasize about my new "wife" on my laptop's wallpaper.

First attempt

2009-06-06T11:06:00.003+08:00

This is my first attempt at blogging, been procrastinating this since ages ago but there's always a first in everything..so better late than never..

I guess this blog will showcase my random thoughts and also stuffs I encounter in my daily life. I'll try to update this blog as frequently as I can when I'm not occupied with work by covering shifts.

Working in shift is really stressful as it's a 12 hrs shift and I'll have to get up as early as 5:30 am and only reached home around 8:00 pm (that's for the morning shift). As for the night shift, I'll have to leave for work before 6:30 pm and only reached home after 8:30 am the following day. Speaking of it already making me tired..LOL

By starting this blog, my IXUS 860 IS can also be put to good use as it had only been sleeping in my drawer more than a year ago. I'm not a fan of SLR nor am I an avid photograper so getting a reliable compact camera is more than good enough, at least for me. Will experiment later by posting some older pics snapped with it.