Genting Highland Then

I had a chance to visit Genting Highland back then in 2015 prior to the new development. It’s a very late post that i would like to share just so that i remember it and just because..I MISS Kuala Lumpur so much at this time.

One Day, i got a message from a good friend of mine that he will visit KL and asking me for some recommendation. Genting Highland was the place that came up and there we went. To get there you could use a Bus from some of the big bus station in KL e.g. KL Sentral or Pudu Station. Bummer, as it was a last minute arrangement we couldn’t get the one from KL Sentral. Thankfully we could get the one from Pudu. Ticket price was good and they had the package which includes return ticket + genting attraction. While waiting for our departure, we went to KLCG. One of my fav place in KL and somehow become the starting point on most of my journey.

The bus was convenient and the ride took around 1 hour one way. However, we went during public holiday so queue in GENTING was awesome…..it was a very long queue ahead of us to ride the cable car. It was a rather cloudy day so the journey on cable car was a bit scary as it seems as we walked through clouds but it was still an enjoyable ride.Btw, you will need to ride this twice when you want to go up and when you want to go down.

When we reached the peak. It was confusing since the construction has been started. We got lost along the way and somehow ended in the Casino. ( don’t ask. Me and my friends are somehow horrible with direction ) FYI when we were about to enter the guard looked at us and the first question was, “HOW OLD ARE YOU?” and even asked for our passport. Well, i got this a lot so… yes.. that was another occurrence.

Continuing our journey in Genting, we decided to enter the RIPLEY’s Museum. Reason was, the other attraction was quite packed and we only had limited time to spent before we needed to get down to catch our bus. T_T

Here are some pic of the visit in the museum. I was happy inside it. Somehow, it intrigued my mind and maybe… so do you. 😉

Finished that visit, here came the time for us to head back and faced another queue for the cable car. Wish you were there and sharing snacks with us while queuing!

Cheers!

Triana Mustika Rukmi

Another New Year Story

Living in Kuala Lumpur and having Chinese friends made me realise how important Chinese New Year is. This is the time of the year where everyone tried to gather around with their family. Never really been in touch with the festivity beforehand, i couldn’t help myself to be awed by one of the culture which is to have a reunion dinner. It’s an event on CNY Eve where all the family members gather together and eat. Perhaps, it’s like a Thanksgiving or Eid in some sort of way. Imagine the movement especially in China. Billion of people moving together during the same time.

Other than all of that. It’s also a festive season with all of the attractions and shall i say, food? Now, I couldn’t help myself to think about all of the oranges and Yee Sang during this time of the year. And uh oh.. who can skip the lantern in the temples. 🙂

let me share with you some of the sneak peek..

Penang – Kek Lok Si Temple

It was some sort of an unplanned trip to Penang but My friends an i made it. We went on the CNY day itself and the road was okay. For me, the highlight of this trip was Kek Lok Si temple. The temple was lit by all of the lantern and was so beautiful. Perhaps, it will be even more meaningful if you go there to pray as well. If you would like to see other temple please see my writing here.

Yee Sang

So apparently this is something that has been practiced in Malaysia and Singapore. It’s basically a mix of veggies, protein, crackers, etc. You should mix it using your chopstick and toss it as high as you can while shouting your wish for the year. Some say the higher you toss it then the chance of your wish to come true will be higher. Don’t worry you will only need to use a big plate to accommodate the food when it falls back then you can enjoy the good mix with whoever you had the yee sang with.

Now, all of these nostalgia made me thinking that it’s gonna be another Chinese New Year soon. May you be able to meet your family and enjoy your time with your loved ones.

Let me also use this chance to wish all of you a Happy New Year of 2019. May this year be a good year for all of us with a lot of happiness coming to our life.

Wish you were here to spice up !

Cheers! 😉

2 Days 1 Night in Penang

One out of nowhere plan which bring me to one of my favourite City in Malaysia – Georgetown, Penang! Here are some stories of that trip..

DAY 1

1.Penang Botanical Garden

I flew from different city from my group and we decided to meet up here. The garden wasn’t that stunning when we were there. It’s a big garden with monkeys. ( I think they are civil enough ) and numerous sections for different plants. In the end we just roamed around and moving into the next place. note – it’s free entrance with certain section only open at specific time.

2.Penang Hill

Second place that we visited during that day. From this place you could see the view of the city from the top. There is a train that will bring you up there but the queue was uber long. Not a good deal in a very hot weather. Once, you passed this stage…then… it’s another sunburn hot. LOL. However, you could enjoy a good view. It was a bit cloudy but it was nice too. 😉 we stopped by this place and enjoy our meal and rest before the next destination.

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3. Batu Ferringhi Beach

To end the day we went to the beach with the Idea of Enjoying sunset. Too bad..i didn’t pack any for water activities. T^T please don’t repeat my mistake and take some with you. There are numerous water sports that you could try.. *envy* But, hey the beach still nice to stay on. Since none of us ready for water activity we only enjoyed the breeze..another eating.. and waiting for the sunset before going back to the city. At night, there are street market open along the way. Who knows if you could find some over here. I found the famous Apam Balik which ease a bit of food-homesick for me – keep on missing Indonesian Martabak from time to time even when i am writing this.

Later at night we went back to the City and took a bit of a stroll at night to nearby temple. Afterwards, Guys…this is not to be missed place. Nasi Kandar Beratur beside Masjid Kapitan Keling. It will open late at night during the day the shop is being used by another stall. Little did we know once it opens, the queue is supeeerrr Long. Btw, Beratur means queue in english. so, yep, get in line people! and i think this is why they give that name for the stall. long queue. If you ask me, The food itself was good. mild enough for somebody who can’t take strong curry flavour. It Stuffed us just right to end the long day.

DAY 2

Starting the day a bit late, we went out and searched for local type of breakfast. Google brought us over to a nearby local store which turned out to be one of the hot spot! i got bread with egg. tasty! complete it with cold milo and it’s just perfect combination of savoury and sweet with the thought of the aftermath to burn the calories. LOL.

1.Old Town

After the breakfast we went to roam around the Old town section with one objective. Finding the Wall Painting. First of all i think you should have this :

Cap/Umbrella/Sun Glasses/tissue/towel/sunscreen spf 50 please. It’s super hot. You will be drenched in sweat.
Water
Comfortable Shoes as you will walk a lot
Rent bicycle : There are a lot of bicycle types for you to use individually or in a group so don’t worry if you can’t cycle. Your friend could cycle for you. haha.

Now that you set and ready. You could start the journey. If you could stand the heat or going earlier in the morning..the city vibe is lovely. Searching for the classic painting feels like treasure hunt and that’s what excite me. It took us 2 hours until we finally called a quit and continue our journey.

2.Upside down museum

The famous upside down museum. Honestly, this was my first upside down museum and i am far from disappointed. The museum was small but well arranged and managed. Each room has a different team and there will be someone who assist you along the way. They will give you the idea for the pose and arrange people flow from one room to another. You won’t want someone else bombing your pics. Thumbs up for this museum!

3. 3D museum

Another recommended museum is the 3D museum. Well, for me it wasn’t as enjoyable as the upside down museum. though probably it was just because the un-artsy me popping out or simply sad cause this will be my last destination before i have to go and leave the city.

What about the food?

I am lovin’ it! :9 the vibrant food taste, colour, and varieties are enough to cope with quite range of taste palette. Oh, don’t forget to try the Penang Road Famous Chendul. It’s refreshing for a stop during the day.

How did we go around?

Public bus is out of the question as there is no clear schedule. For us we used the online taxi within this journey. Please note that the location within downtown is pretty near to each other. Some trips cost 4 of us only 3 MYR. You could walk on feet but the weather might melt you down.

Uh oh, Time for me to leave the city. Wish you were there too to spice up the journey. Cheers! 😉

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Playing Classics at The Movies

Splendid will be one of the word that could describe this experience. It was one fine moment when you could take a look and say to yourself, “yes, life is worth living”. how couldn’t it be when everything not only looks gorgeous but also sounds beautiful.

Classics at the movies was a show by Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra which held in the famous Petronas Filharmonik Hall. Conducted by Naohisa Furusawa, this programme carried the ‘signature’ music from the movies. Honestly, i didn’t think twice to get the ticket when i saw Pirates of Caribbean. Count. Me.In. Yep, love that piece and… the Timpani/Percussion team. I also have to mention i like the touch of the triangle and the maracas. like that little odd something that stand out and make the whole piece comes together. Oh, it was lovely. This show was ended with a good vibe too with Superman March and continued by Star Wars as the ending.

Other than the music itself, another highlight for me is the music Hall. It was my first time to enter the hall. It’s beautiful but it’s out of my expectation because i was expecting something grandeur. It’s not as big as i thought or as it looked like in the picture. So, guys take my lesson, even the farthest seat is not as far as you think off. it’s fine and you will still be able to see the stage quite okay.

Some things to take note too is the rules within the show. It’s clear no food/drinks/talking/camera/phone. Please be considerate to the others because even the tiniest sounds matters and they also dimmed the light. Next, attire rules. Well, it depends on the show type. Some will ask you to dress formally or smart casual. Check your ticket as they may forbid you to enter if the attire is considered inappropriate for the show. The other important rule is : be punctual. The show will start sharply and you will only be able to get in during a break or even nothing at all if it’s a short duration.

if you have ever wanted to see the show that they play either from the MPO or any show in the filharmonic hall you could check on their website. It’s easy to understand though some improvements are needed for choosing the seat. It’s also quick to get all of your invoice and ticket. for me i Chose to print my own ticket to save the hassle to collect my ticket in the ticket box.

Wish to see you in the similar experience..these seats awaits us. Cheers! 😉

The Science Behind Ordering Tea in Malaysia

Sipping my cuppa in these past few days has flown me back to my early days living in Malaysia. For those who wonder : Indonesia and Malaysia are located very near to each other. somehow, seeing the physical appearance and knowing the culture, you will think that these two countries are very similar with each other. But hey, how it was wrong! One of the example is about the “tea” we call it “teh” in the local language.

In Indonesia, when you order a tea, you will be served with a black tea + sugar and that’s what i expect when i got here. I ordered tea then… TADA…! What i had was Milk Tea that was super sweet. >_< Day after, i asked my colleagues and these are what they have told me :

Teh = Tea + Milk ( condensed Milk )
Teh C = Tea + Milk ( evaporated Milk )
Teh O = Tea + Sugar
Teh O Kosong = black tea with neither sugar nor milk
Teh tarik = Pull tea? haha.. they will pull the tea in between of two cups to mix and cool it down. personally, the taste of Teh and Teh Tarik are very different for my palate. I like Teh tarik better than Teh. It’ll be slightly foamy and i love foamy texture! :9
Ais = Cold
Suam = Lukewarm
Kurang Manis = Less Sugar.

When i head them i was like.. What? On the other hand they ask me, “You don’t have it?”. I shooked my head. Tea tradition in Indonesia is quite simple or is it me who doesn’t know? most probably the 2nd. 😛

in general, Indonesian don’t really drink tea + milk which then bring me to the other side of the story when my friend visited Indonesia for the first time last year. They didn’t understand why :

Most of the tea that they ordered came in Jasmine Flavour
When they ask for tea they have been given “Teh O”
When they ask for Milk Tea which is equal to ( teh susu) they have been given 1 glass of Tea ( teh ) and 1 glass of Milk (susu). This story like smack me on my forehead!LOL. =)))) Don’t get us wrong. My friend ordered it at the small stall. in a middle or high end restaurant/caffee they will know.

Seeing these two sides was interesting for me. Over the time when my Indonesian friend visited Malaysia they will shared with me in surprise. “You know what i ordered TEA and they served me a MILK TEA?!” I can’t help myself but chuckling. Been there done that.

Isn’t it amazing? how similar and how different we are? I am kind of enjoying any difference that i found over the time in any country that i visit. Keep your mind open and hopefully you are able to get your desired type of tea!

Wish you were here so that we could talk over a cuppa. Cheers! 😉

The Glimmering Lights of ICT Shah Alam

“Have you ever lost in thought at night while looking at the glimmering night lights? Have you ever feel at ease by doing nothing?”

It was on one fine night when we drove away to the other state near to kuala lumpur. Our goal is to sit and just to enjoy the sceneries at ICT Malaysia or should i say i-City? It is a place where they put lights, bulbs, lamps, you name it at the buildings, trees, and most of the items within the park. So, yep. You should come at night since it won’t be as beautiful during the day.

When you enter the premise, there is a chance that you might not be able to see the lights directly. It’s because they have several entrance. For mine, i had to go through some attraction first before i finally able to see the garden. From afar you could see how they lit the place inclusive of the ferris wheel.

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Getting nearer to the inside of the park you will see how they put all the lights on the trees. It is somehow brings a tranquility atmosphere for me. What i would suggest is that grab your Cotton Candy and then sit and just enjoy the view! Yummy!:9 I can’t get rid of my hobby to sit and do nothing which then conclude my visit. LOL. i really spent hours doing so.

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other than the garden, there are some attractions like haunted house, some sort of Ice Castle?, a little theme park, wax house, and a small amphitheatre. It’s a good place for a family because you could find something for everyone. Well, in the end wish you were there so that we could make a wish to come back under the wishing tree. Cheers! 😉

Colmar Tropicale the little French Village

I was attracted to this place because people said that this is some sort of a little french quarter which replicate the real “Colmar” in france. I went there.. in one cloudy day. It was beautiful but it will be better when it sunny and i bet it will even be prettier at night.

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First,you will see the gate to enter the french village. After you pass the gate, you will be welcomed by the open spaces, shop lots, and a boulangerie ( Bakery in French ). You could also go to the tower at the other end of the gate to get a higher view of the village and the city from above.I would say The environment is slightly different than usual archicteture within asian region with all of the bricks and colour. 😉

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Next – Japanese garden. Other than the french village, within the same area they have Japanese Garden. There is a free shuttle operate between this quarter and the garden. If i am not mistaken it will only run every half an hour. please check the timetable so that you could plan your trip in between.

This Garden was calming. the only pack place was the Japanese House. You could enjoy the tea ritual, trying the japanese clothes, and take a picture within the area. Well, for me i just would love to wonder around and enjoy the view. As usual, me and my wandering habit.

Wish you were there to enjoy the view! 😉

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Verdict

if you will stay in Kuala Lumpur for couple of days, yes you could plan to go here. It’s near from Kuala Lumpur ( around 45 minutes drive ) but if you only have 1 Day i would suggest you to skip this place since at least it will consume half of your day.

Getting There

It’s located out of Kuala Lumpur. It’s in Pahang which is a state near to Kuala Lumpur. In my experience, we are left with 2 options to go there:

To use the shuttle bus service. Please take note that the shuttle bus service is limited so book as soon as you can. It will depart from Berjaya Town Square in Kuala Lumpur.
Drive your own car >> which is the one that i opted to.

Beautiful Thean Hou Temple on Chinese New Year

No matter when you read this… HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

Living in Kuala Lumpur has opened my eyes to how different Indonesia and Malaysia are. One of it is related with the Chinese culture and tradition. Here, in Kuala Lumpur, i could feel it more than in Indonesia especially during this special occassion of Chinese New Year (CNY).

First of all, please be aware that if you want to enjoy the Chinese New Year festivity, please come before the eve because nearing the day or on the day itself it will be quiet! Most of the malaysian chinese will come back to their hometown then enjoy the family dinner, visiting relatives, etc. Putting it in the simple term, it’s the personal time to spend with friends and family. Some shops will still be open but some will be closed for certain period. Don’t worry though, Mall will still open. Uh oh.. i could go on about this but let’s focus on one of the ‘Main’ temple in Kuala Lumpur – Thean Hou Temple

Many of my friends said that i should go during CNY because they will lit the temple with Lantern so there i wasvisiting the temple back in 2016. There is no public transport to go there so either you drive or simply use the taxi services to go there. For me it was a mix of taxi + a bit of ‘hiking’. It was sooooo packed and we simply ‘parked’ ourselves on the way there. Hence, my friend and i decided to just take a walk uphill. phew…When we arrived.. Aw… it was all worth it. The lantern was AWESOME. It ignited the place with red colour.

You could enter the temple and go into the prayer area. Please be mindfull and do not interrupt those who pray. inside the temple, you could go around and go to the higher level. For me, i could stay in such place and do nothing. The weather was great when i was there and the light was beautiful.

Beside the main building, there are some places that we could visit too. There is a garden behind the main temple. It could be quite scary though cause there are a lot of statues inside the garden. after going to the garden, we could walk down and find a pond where there are quite numbers of animals inside. Well, it was too dark for me so i carried on to another garden. In this garden you could wander around and try to find your Shio explanation. it was quite fun to read 😀

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I spent sometimes in the Temple but i had to end it as i need to save my hungry stomach. Actually, on the way out of the temple you could find stalls at the road side. However, i couldn’t really take it cause i am not sure if it’s halal or not. They look tasty. So, if you don’t have any meal preference as i am i think you will enjoy yourself there!

Overall, i think this temple is worth a visit if you have ever come to Kuala Lumpur. Come by when it’s CNY. Even if it’s not during that time, the temple is located on a hill. At the very least you could still take a peek of the city from uphill.

Oh.. i wish you were there so that we could see the city together. probably next time! Cheers!;)

Triana

IPOH Within A Day

One short Trip to IPOH!

Well, i just know that this city is famous for its white coffee but unsure about the rest. So, one day, i proposed to my friends to go there and here is our story for a one day trip in IPOH.

Gua Tempurung

This is suppose to be the first stop, but it was closed! oh dear… there was a crack so they closed it since it’s dangerous. Well, we should have expected this to happened since we tried to call the place before we came here but no one pick up. I wish they have improved their web and information since my group wasn’t the only one who found this only after we arrived. 😦

Kellie’s Castle

Well, honestly this is a big unfinished House then left as ruined. I would say It has its own beauty type but certain rooms gave me chill when i was there. Not so many things to see, but their garden was nice to sit around. Anyhow, since we can’t do so much thing here we moved to another main destination – Ipoh Old Town.

Admission (foreigner) : 5RM

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OLD TOWN

I think, it’s common for the old town in Malaysia to have those painting on the walls. As if i know a lot while I only have been to Penang and Ipoh old town 😛 at first we tried to do some painting hunting. However, It was too much sun to take so the painting hunting turn into food hunting.

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants. Not to mention the snacks along the way. You could just stop by and try some. The star snack that i really love is Tau Fu Fa. I have to admit Ipoh Tau Fu Fa is awesome! you should try some. I tried the one from concubine lane. For those who don’t know tau fu fa was made from soy bean. It’s similar with tofu but in a different texture. You could eat it with syrup made from ginger, brown sugar, etc. My suggestion is to stay with original + ginger.

Other than that, we went to IPOH OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE. it’s a must try when you are in IPOH. Well, taste wise it has been standardised all over Malaysia but this is something that you can’t miss while you are in IPOH.

Well, there were something else that we did there but it was just sitting and talking among ourselves. This trip was quite unique for me cause actually i went with new friends whom some i have just met on the day we had this trip. Now. that i’m writing this story, i have just realised how ‘brave’ i am. LOL. Hope you can find these type of fellowship to!

Wish you were there. Probably next time. 😉

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