Still On CNY And A Lil Vday!

It may seem weird that while I went back for the Chinese New Year, but it also seemed like a 'food holiday' of sorts.

Well, what can I say? But take that away and the hometown will be all different..



Anyway, I decided to have the putu piring on the last night. I still remember buying from this Aunty and Uncle after my tuition.. nothing has changed much from the shop. The putu piring is still 'the best ever'.. tho the price has gone up like 3 fold.

On Sat morning, I had wanted to eat some Nyonya nasi lemak but alas the shop is closed.. 6 days into the New Year. And one would have thought they'd cash in with the influx of visitors.

But well, like some say 'money ain't everything'.



So instead I had a rather popular dish too - the Taiwan pork noodles (towards the end of Jln Gajah Berang). This time round, I also had the pork throttle since I came in early.



My final meal in Malacca was homecooked by mum. No matter how busy she is, she always find time to cook when we children return.. and this was the meal filled with sambal prawns and ayam goreng lada.

In the evening, I was ready to leave Malacca.. back to home - Pea Jay! There were many goodies to load into the car - as mum packed bak kwa, oranges and cookies.



Then into the player went this soundtrack CD - You Are The Apple Of My Eye (which movie I'm very inspired by btw).



And soon I was home!



The next day tho being the 7th Day of the Chinese New Year.. was quite a 'low key' affair for me. Owh but I did have the birthday noodles tho (soup mee sua to be exact).

And in the night I headed down to Kay El for some yong tau foo.



There, I took this shot. And then it dawns on me Valentines Day is near! Owh I had better start planning! :)

My Chinese New Year 2012!!

So I mentioned on how this Chinese New Year is different. Well, it truly is.



The first - it's the 1st time in years that I'm spending so much time here in Malacca. But very surprisingly, I'm far from being bored!





I've done my share of spending time with relatives - including eating the very yummy homemade Nyonya popiah made by my aunt.

Now ask a fussy Nyonya - and you'll know why eating this is heaven.. the ingredients are finer, and the popiah skin is different too!







Owh talk about food - I have had a fair share here while back in Malacca.. like the Nyonya cendol (from Kenny's Delight), Filipino cuisine - yeah one of my fav food!! (at Laguna Restaurant), and Malacca's wan tan mee (which Malaccans always prefer ehem ehem).



Now apart from the good food, I've also visited the house I took photo with (in my Batik Inspirations book). The place is now all restored and turned into a museum. But that beautiful staircase remains :)







Owh and I've also been doing some iPhone photography - shooting with the iPhone and then using different apps to get some cool effects.. even poster like!!



And finally, apart from all the business.. I managed to find time to read some book.. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid to be exact. Yup, just me and my book, and getting some inspiration.. for how such a simple book can be an international bestseller.. with cute (but not far fetched) drawings. Something Id like to explore!



Which you can already notice that I've done some comics with the Pepper & Salt.. and yea for now, they kinda follow me wherever I go! Haha!!

So to this Dragon Year, it's been pretty cool so far! Yay!!

Back Hometown & Happy CNY!

Some close to me will know I hardly go back to the hometown.. the jam to, in and back is one big reason. Plus, yeah, I love being in Pea Jay/ Kay El!! Haha!!

But then it's the Chinese New Year, and yeah I am back Malacca!

While at first I have expected a quiet and boring trip back, but so far.. it has been rather good!



I've already started the CNY dinner with relatives.. 8 course meal with shark fins and all!



Oh ya then there's also the reunion dinner - some yummy Nyonya dishes.. Sedapnya!! Haha!



And I also went to Jonker Walk on the eve till countdown.. something I would have never thought doing - thinking it was very teenager! But at Jonker I was!

And owh ya, to the temple I went to pray too - right at midnight :)



Now apart from the CNY stuff, the other happy moments here - seeing this doggie which didn't bark at me for the 1st time.. I think it's also in the CNY mood haha!



Then there's the visit to the night market.. which I always enjoy.



Oh and yeah, kampung eggs for breakfast.. which mum prepared! So syiok!!

And all these happened in slightly over 36 hours! I wonder what's in store got the week!!!

Happy Chinese New Year, all! Have one blessed one :)

Win This Through (Lyrics)

Whenever I feel a lil low, I find solace in songs and 'writing lyrics'. 

This time round, I wrote this lyrics based on Akon's song Be With You - which is also one of my favourite songs. If you take a 'minus one', the lyrics will fit rather nicely with the song :)

We start off being happy

Always smiling, always jumpin

Blue skies with birds chirpin

Happiness within

That's what life is

Or how it started off

So happy, so true!

But then comes times with all the problems running

Along with all the heaviness looming

Life gets tough with sadness coming

Life turns out blue..

And no one knows

What we're going through

Cos in life we keep on smiling cool

And no one knows

What pain we're in too

Cos all they see is a mask that we learn to do

That's why we'll breakthrough

And I don't care what they say

I wanna win this through

I wanna win this through

I wanna win this through

And I don't care what they do

I'm gonna win this through

I'm gonna win this through

I'm gonna win this through..

And then someday I'm sure things will look brighter

The day when we go back and smile with laughter

The time we drink with our cold magaritha

We will sing and jump sweeter too

It's all about putting up, moving forward, living it through

One day the sun will shine up again, all anew

That's the way it has to be, every problem

Gone away from you.. 

And no one knows

What we're going through

Cos in life we keep on smiling cool

And no one knows

What pain we're in too

Cos all they see is a mask that we learn to do

That's why we'll breakthrough

And then someday I'm sure things will look brighter

The day when we go back and smile with laughter

The time we drink with our cold magaritha

We will sing and jump sweeter too

My 450 Baht Seafood Story

Ok so we rented the car in Phuket. Now with a car, we couldn't not drive it right?

So what we thought why not take the car for a spin.. to the other part of Phuket for some seafood.. while at the same time for some jalan jalan too.

So from the hustle of Patong beach, we hopped onto the car and headed south.

All the while I knew we were shot of Thai Baht.. but thought that the other area would most probably have some money changers too! Wrong!!



We ended up in the quieter part of Rawai beach. Unlike bustling Patong with all the money changers and restaurants around, this was more like a fishing village.. quiet and serene.

There was only 1 stretch of restaurants, and we ended with one by the sea.

It's a lil laid back and guests have an option to sit on the floor to dine.

The next thing to do after settling down was to look at the menu.. knowing very well that a full seafood dinner was out of the question.



Hence came the questions like "this.. how much is it?".. "how bout that then?". All the while keeping check with the monies in the wallet.



But while we didnt order a real seafood dinner but in the end, it was still rather decent - with Tom yum, fried pork, and phad Thai. Owh and one fried fish too!

The food was okay.. won't go gaga over it. But wasn't bad either. Just that maybe a drive this far may not have been that 'worth it', minus the jalan jalan to another part of Phuket.

Anyway, finally the bill came, and as expected it was within our budget. And to top it off, it came with some smiling face too!! Haha!!

3 Hotels In 3 Nights (Phuket)

3 different hotels in 3 nights may sound crazy.. but that's exactly what I did!

It actially wasn't planned as such at first.. But due to some miscommunication to the other hotel I initially booked.. I was left with 2 nights with no rooms and the flight was in the evening!

A slight panic mode kicked in as that was a super peak period to travel to Phuket.

Went online, checked some hotel sites out. And most hotels had only 1 night available.

So that left not much choice but to book different hotels for each night. While I knew this would be a lil troublesome, but well I did something similar before in a few other trips!

And besides, I do love to hotel hop and try out different hotels.. especially so in Thailand, where the hotels are all usually above average!!

And so were these 3 that I stayed!!

The Album - the Cute hotel!!



The Ups: What I like about this hotel is the hotel lobby cum dining area (for breakfast). It has a very unique touch of its own with mini toys & stuff being displayed. 

They even have the board games for one to play, which I did after breakfast. 

And the location is a walking distance to all the happenings - restaurants, bars & beach of Patong!

They could do better: While the lobby exudes creativity, the room don't somehow share the same feeling.. though the sign boards, and even the telephone add to its cuteness. 

Kalim Place Hotel - the Sweet(est) hotel!!

The Ups: I was fortunate to have stayed in the suite of this hotel - which comes with a bedroom, living room & even kitchen & dining (more like a spacious 1 bedroom hotel). 

Owh and also a balcony to see the sunset at the sea! That was simply awesome!!

The staff here are the friendliest ever (and helpful too).. and made me feel so comfortable. 

Location wise - it's at the quiter beach of Kalim (just above Patong) - for those looking for a quieter beach. 

In addition, this hotel has bikes & cars for rent - which we did! The price was reasonable too! (THB 1200 for the Honda Jazz/ day). 

They could improve: Well being new, they still lack some facilities like swimming pool. And the hotel lack 'character' if one is looking for a uniquely designed hotel. 

The beach while quieter, but it's a lil rocky and not so suitable for swimming. But one can still watch a great sunset and laze on the beach!

The Belle Resort - the Chic hotel!!

The Ups: The most stylish hotel of them all has got to be this hotel. The room is beautiful though rather small. But it has everything one need. 

I love the design in the room, and how the bathroom and the bedroom is partitioned with just one glass panel. 

The pool maybe a lil small too, but if you are in a a small group, it's just nice (provided there aren't too many guests using it at that moment). And it comes with jacuzzi too. 

Owh, and location wise, this is of course, undeniably the best, as its located at just one of the lanes opposite the bustling Patong beach!

They could improve: On their service. While they are still friendly and all, but it can't compare to the other 2 hotels which are a lil more relaxed, and helpful. 

It's really a small difference actually, but for a frequent traveler to the land of smiles, that actually do make quite a difference.

There you have it, my stay in 3 different hotels in 3 nights in Phuket! Owh and if you ask me which hotel I'd go back to when I visit Phuket again... it could really be either one though higher chances of Kalim Place Hotel & The Belle Resort.. though I must add, I might just try another round of other boutique hotels!!! :)

Btw, here's the contacts in case you want to contact them during your stay in Phuket :)

The Album Hotel

Link: http://thealbumhotel.com/

Address: 29 Sawatdirak Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket 83150 Thailand

Email: info@thealbumhotel.com, rez@thealbumhotel.com

Tel: +66 (0)76 297 023 

Kalim Place Hotel

Link: http://kalimplace.com/

Address: 322/3 Rd.Prabaramee, Patong Beach, Kathu, Phuket

Email: nongnut0904@hotmail.com.

Tel: 76-618089, 084-1984454 (Nongnut Thongyon)

The Belle Resort

Link: http://www.thebelleresort.com

Address: 104/31-33 Patong Beach, Soi Post Office (Pri-Sa-Nee), Thaweewong Road, Kathu, Phuket 83150

Email: reservation@thebelleresort.com

Tel: +66(0) 76-292782, +66(8) 9070-8383

Phuket Best Seafood Restaurant!!

I spent my New Year celebrations in Phuket.. and as usual, being a holiday.. and part of Thailand, it was fun!

And again, one of the things I enjoy while traveling is to taste the local food. And in this trip, I did just that!

This restaurant (Kalim Rim Lay) is located at Kalim beach, just above the more crowded Patong beach.

By the looks of it from the outside, it didn't looked pricey.. nor run downed.



Instead it looked rather cool with atap roof 'huts' and a seaview for diners. Plus points!!



Also it seems to have lots of local customers. Another (big) plus point!



What greeted us was the 'chef' BBQ-ing some chicken and fish.. which turned out to be the best dishes here! (and a so must try!!).

But apart from that, I also enjoyed the other dishes like the raw prawns and BBQ squid (just couldn't resist that each time I eat at a restaurant by the sea)!



The food on the whole was good. The BBQ fish were nicely cooked and the meat fresh. It reminded me a bit like those baked fish I've had at the roadside at Bangkok.







The service is also pretty ok tho may get somewhat busy during peak times. But if you are a tourist, not in a hurry, that may not matter.

Anyway I know this cos we went to the restaurant twice (yup, it was that good!!).

Oh and finally, the price was reasonable too (a baked fish was about THB60).

Truly a restaurant one should visit when going to Phuket, and who wanna try what the locals eat - at local prices!!

*The restaurant is open for lunch & dinner. Opening hours from 10am - 10pm. 

*To get there, just take a taxi (tuk tuk). The restaurant is just opposite Sea See Hotel/ Kalim Place Hotel. 

*The boss is Daris, tel no 08 95914008. 

The After Haircut (Biolyn)

What usually happens a few weeks after your hair cut?

Especially if you are a guy with short hair?

My experience with some was.. the hair would grow into a round Afro like hair ball!! Which only means.. time for the next haircut!!

But so far, my haircut at Biolyn Hair Spa two weeks back is still pretty alright (check the pics I took at Phuket).



Anyway, that sure is a good thing..!! (cos I hardly cut my hair except after every few months! :) ).

Owh btw I've also been trying the lotion that they gave in their goodie bag. It says it's suitable for the face and body.. firming it.. be it you are a guy or girl!

Some sort of magic potion!! Haha!!

While I still think its a lil early to comment on the effectiveness of it (apart from the radiant look it gives aftrr applying it), but I'm sure it helps in one way or rather in 'stopping time' and make us remain.. young!! Haha!

*I'm not sure if this hairdo can last all the way till the CNY, though I do hope so! :)

And So Comes 2012!

2011 has passed.. so has all the countdown, booz and parties!

And now, we are already in 2012!

But before we move on, I think the question to ask is "How was 2011 for you?".

That's one question I've been entertaining the past few days.. I know should have done this in the end days of 2011 but it was such a busy year end (at least till I was in Phuket! Hehe).

Anyway I've been reviewing my goals and resolutions achieved.. and those that I missed.. Giving credit (pat on my own shoulder for the goals accomplished!) and looking at what could have been done better (to achieve the missed goals).

And just like the past years.. next was to write the New Year resolutions! :)

I've just completed them (like just just! Haha!!). Anyway, I still need to review them to make them totally sync :)

And while I usually don't share my resolutions, but here's 2.. Trip to Japan!!! And the success of the web series Summer Love!!!

Owh, and finally.. Here's my New Year greetings :)

To those who had a rough year last year, here's wishing a Brighter year ahead!

And for those who have had a good year, may this year be just as great, if not better!

Keep believing! :))