Oct 3, 2009

Victim of Pick Pocket in Geneva

The sms read, "Daddy got pick pocket loss credit card IC and RM1600." The news came like a bolt from the blue. My adrenaline started rushing. I was in total confusion. I tried to think, but my mind was blank, empty. What should I do now?

I wanted to call Mom, but I didn't know the country calling code to Geneva. Instead of calling, I decided to text her back. So, I did some research online, hopefully to find something useful that could help them. So, I Googled, to be specific.

"Pick pocket victim in Europe + what to do" I typed. As usual, hundreds of thousands of sites appeared in front of me. And, usually, I won't bother looking at the second page if I find what I need on the first one.

My eyes were fixed to the screen and started filtering unnecessary information.
"Warning: Are You A Pickpocket's Next Victim?" No, the incident happened.
"How to React After Being the Victim of A Pick Pocket" Yes! This is the one.

Here's what to do:

1. Don't panic (which would naturally happen)
 

2. Call the helpdesk to cancel all the credit cards that were stolen (which might take up time...the site says that it usually takes only 20 mins for the robber to make several purchases using your cc)
 
3. Call 911 or go to the nearest police station to lodge a report (which might never happen due to the hassle or tight schedule)

So, I texted my Mom all the info I got.

And here's what she replied, "Our tight schedule lucky he didnt take our passport."

Because my parents are on vacation, they don't have time for a police report. You can say they're ignorant because if they do lodge a report on pickpocketing, the police could keep track of the crime rate and hopefully, do something about it.

However, my parents are visiting several places in just 2 weeks and that means, they have to utilise every min they have. That means, forgoing the police station.

My mom called me hours later to update me on their situation and told me that my dad was robbed in the washroom. Luckily, he wasn't mugged. That would be terrible.

I'm not here to scare you. I'm not here to tell you, "It's safer to be here than there." My only message is "Be extra vigilant."

Here's how to avoid being pickpocketed by ehow.com:

1. Look confident. Don't show confusion or the expression of "I am lost".

 
2. Carry your backpack in front. Maybe you should start calling it frontpack. Or use a money belt.

 
3. Trick the trickster (I like this!) Carry an empty wallet in your back pocket.

 
4. Don't be a nosy person. Pickpockets may stage scenes (as a distraction) while their other allies will rob you when you're so busy looking at what's happening.

 
5. Always, always treat your belongings like your precious babies. Don't leave them unattended even if they're close to you.

 
6. Remember that kids will steal too.

Finally, this is what I always do, keep ur cash separately. Some in the wallet, some inside the pocket, some leave in the backpack.

That's all, travellers! Happy travelling!

Aug 17, 2009

It's TGI Saturday's @ Pavilion

I told KK we were going to celebrate his belated b'day, for I
realised that we hadn't been celebrating his special day for quite some time now.

So "Charm", right? So, I took the initiative to organise a party for him!

I then tried to gather as man
y friends as possible by posting a message on Facebook.

Well, it turned out to be quite inefficient as there were only 2 people who responded, sadly.
They were Choy and Le Sze, who are obvio
usly FB's big fans or as I would call them "people who have too much time to spare." :b

I waited and w
aited. No new replies. So, I texted the others on Friday, which apparently
was too late for them to
cancel their initial plans.

Thus, only four of us turned up.


It's embarassin
g for me to say that I was late that day due to overnapping. *pai seh*

When I got there, the 3 of them were in the mid of finishing their main courses.

Well, it was TGI Saturday's for us that day as we celebrated our buddy's BIG day
last Saturday @ Pavilion KL. *yay*

Since age is not so important for guys, I can say that he's now 27! So old dy...Haha.



(Top: Left - Right KK, Me, Le Sze)


Yum Yum...here comes the best part of the meal!
Mini desserts:
Introducing Mocha Latte & Oreo (below)!


Yes, that's my bulky wallet I'm holding.
You know what it means, "Waiter, Bill please."


My bro (Below: Right: Wai Yen)

Wonderin' why they look so busy?
Look again...Something is keeping 'em occupied - it's always 'bout
the
$$! *che ching*
(Gee, can you see what they're using to calculate such small amount of $$? tsk tsk..) :b


KK was asked to make a wish

When he stepped into TGI, he didn't know what awaited him...a BIG surprise!

The surprise came when we were about to leave...and he was caught by surprise.

"KK's in the house!" a staff shouted loudly.

The b'day boy was asked to stand on a chair, with his shoes on, so that the limelight
would be on him.
A staff then passed a bottle of ketchup to act as a mike.
KK was asked to sing a song for us...
but he gave a short speech instead!

"What!?" I said to myself.

"KK, sing, you're asked to sing a song!" I cheered.
He was stoned.
"...I don't know how to sing."

The magic sentence had let him escaped from singing a song for us...huhuhu...*no fair*

Then, we sang "Happy B'day to you..." in English version.

"In Chinese! Ju ni sen je kuai le..." we all sang.

He blew off the candle, ate the ice cream cake and we left.

(Images courtesy of KK)

Aug 4, 2009

The Big Apple

NEW YORK CITY
0 °C - 9 °C

"Ahhh….New York City!", most may exclaim as they step on the soil of the huge metropolitan for the very first time.

However, nothing really amazed me, just yet.

It’s the third day I’m in the big city, which is full of branded boutiques (ranging from Levi’s to Coach), delis, authentic hotdog mobile stalls and beautiful people clad in beautiful winter clothings (despite it being spring season now).

It’s the third day I’m in this big city & that’s also how long Onn’s been sick. Poor him.

The wind chilled my tiny bones as I walked out from Newark airport at around 8sth pm last Saturday. It was 6 °C.   According to Daphne (Onn’s sis-in-law), it was warm last week & the weather got colder this week (which is not supposed to be) and what surprised me most when I was watching the news on TV was, it snowed heavily in Texas!

I mean, everybody knows that Texas is hot all year round. The weather has changed horribly. It signifies the coming of Armageddon.

The question is, are we ready to face it? What can we do to delay the process? Think and act now!

Ok, we (including Alex & Daphne) got up early on Sunday to have a shopping spree at Woodbury outlet (where you can find really good bargains on branded goods like Coach, AX, Guess, Kenneth Cole, Seiko, and so many other brands).

Ooo La La~ Before our spree, we fueled up at Ihop (where they serve authentic American food - hotdog, bacon, crepe, chips, omelette, etc.)…drooling yea? ~ Yummy.

However, I didn’t manage to finish my food as the portion was huge! We had to wait to be seated as the restaurant was overcrowded but, we needn’t have to wait too long tho’.

The very thing I love about America is their extremely good services & not to mention - their politeness. It makes me think now — why do foreigners think that M’sians are friendly, warm & polite?
Hmmm…hmmm…Easy answer!

It’s because M’sians regard foreigners as GOD or more superior. We really look up to them aye? Sure, they’re tall, fair, what else…? Hmm…Nothing superior.

We reached Woodbury at noon (that was the time they open on Easter Day) & completed our bargain hunting at 4.30pm.

Well, doubtlessly, I bought lots of stuff (I think I saw tears in Onn’s eyes) as he carried more and more shopping bags. Haha…kiddin’!

We had to endure the chilly wind as we got into one outlet to another.

Okay, that’s all for now…Shower time.

Onn booked tickets for the "Bodies Museum" at 11.45am today.
And, it’s now almost 9am.

"Bodies Museum", which I watched on the TV in M’sia, is a museum that exhibit complete, real human bodies attached with veins, bones and inner organs.

Yea, the first time I saw it on TV, it really grossed me out. How would it be like to have a first hand experience? Errmm…I’ll tell you about it…

TO be cont’…

(This was posted on my Friendster in 2007....and I haven't
got to finish it)

Andaman, Langkawi



So there I was
looking all so beach-y
with cool shades on
'cos I was in Andaman, Langkawi baby!
It was the best getaway/pre-honeymoon
so far

The acclaimed Andaman hotel nestles high up on a hill
with tropical rainforest surrounding it
And the beach is just steps away from your room
How cool's that?


It's a 5-star hotel so you can expect top-notch services
You get to have DVD player in your room
DVDs are hotel complimentary
But don't expect to get Transformers 2
At least they have Jurassic Park 2

Oh, monkeys of different species are at your reach
They love to hang out at the parking areas
Just sightseeing, you know
And play like monkeys do!

The lobby is so serene and spacious
There's a lounge
There's a band in the evening
Playing beautiful tunes















There's a souvenir shop
which sells beautiful, high quality items
Hats, keychains, necklaces, dresses
But whoa, the prices are as 'good' too!

Our room overlooked the jungle
But we never opened the windows
'cos we were afraid hairy visitors with long arms
might get into the room
and make a mess!



The room was wonderful!
The deco was simple and nice
There's so much space
you can invite a large group of party animals
to shake their 'whatevers'


On the way up to the hotel
Saw a few bird watchers with their binoculars
dangling around their necks

If you're a nature lover
There's a nature guide
if you concern for your safety
There's morning and night tour

I won't say the beach is all that clean and
beautiful
but it's nice to flip-flap your way
along the white sandy beach

Or you can just go for a dip in the large hotel pool!
The hotel has one
no worries
but I didn't get the chance to have a swim
for I was busy exploring the nature
and Langkawi


If you're in Langkawi
make sure you don't miss out
this place
BARN THAI


This Thai restaurant
is set in the heart of a huge mangrove
and is said to be the first in the world
to have this concept

Now, the trail to the restaurant
is made of wooden planks
So if it pours when you're there
Be careful of your steps
It can be very slippery

You know what's amazing?  
I saw two woodpeckers at the mangrove
The first time ever
That's why I can never forget Barn Thai
because I love Woody Woodpecker cartoon! (this is random)

It's very easy to get around "the Jewel of Kedah"
Rent a car!
Grab a map
You won't get lost
It's a small island :)
But we found out that it wasn't 'that' small after all
after a few rounds of driving

Btw, we rented a Nissan Sentra for 3D/2N for RM300 (for your info)

I heard that there's a more spectacular hotel located in nearby area
called the DATAI Langkawi
The price is, of course, higher than what you pay for a
Andaman room

Jun 8, 2009

Experience Dubai

It was Friday night in Dubai when Onn and I decided to visit the renowned Gold Souk (Souk: a traditional market) and experience the Dhow dinner cruise which brought us cruising along the beautiful, serene creek.

The creek is indeed a wonderful sight, especially at night.

Now, while others might give you a taste of sweet experience first, I'm going to feed you the sour side of my experience.

What I'm about to highlight here is a lesson you HAVE to learn when you're on a trip in Dubai. It can be scary to travel in a big city. Trust me.

So, RENT a car.

Yes, you're now thinking, "Hey, there are cabs everywhere! It's a metropolis."

Gosh, you're so wrong. You're right if you're out there on the weekdays before sunset. Don't be fooled.

The problem will only present itself when night falls and sometimes, even during the day!

So, we finished strolling along the creek and the Gold souk at around 9.30pm (Dubai time). We didn't want to stay there longer as we were afraid we might not be able to catch a cab back to our hotel.

Unfortunately, our fear manifested.

By car, we could reach our hotel in 15-20 mins.

That night, we ended up going back to our hotel in 2 whole hours on foot, with only brief seconds of rests. It was the longest two hours in my life!

Not only did the people cut queues, cab drivers were extremely selective! They only agreed to take passengers going to the direction they had planned or wished to go.

That was 'the' moment when I felt like going on a rampage. The rage was neck high.

Note that Dubai has no well-planned transportation system despite being the fastest growing city.

Along the way, we tried to hail cabs. We stopped several times hoping to get a cab to drive us back since we were already very exhausted, but to no avail. In the end, we had no choice. We walked back to our hotel and finally reached at 1.30 in the morning.

When we were approaching our hotel, I was like "Ahhh...,Finally!" I managed to give a faint smile to Onn. We were so glad to have reached, but at the same time, we were totally fatigued. My legs ached and I could barely speak.

Without that experience, we wouldn't know that Dubai's a very safe city! Or, could it be we were just plain lucky to have not bumped into any bad guys?

I was telling Onn about this and I told him, "If it wasn't for those taxi drivers, I wouldn't have known the level of my endurance and it wasn't so bad after all because I have you to accompany me, not anyone else."

Jakarta-Bandung





                                                                     (pic: Sweet desserts at Tanah Abang food court)

Talking about Indonesia, Bali and Yogyarkarta might be two of the most interesting and beautiful places you can think of. Jakarta, on the other hand, is not a place that would come across your mind easily, if you’re a tourist.

Unless you’re a party animal or a boring tourist, Jakarta is truly a bad choice for holidaymakers.

Hi-Lites

OK, maybe it’s not as lousy as I’ve stated.

There are still some pretty interesting stuffs that you can find in Jakarta, like the three-wheeled, two-seater vehicle (dubbed the ‘bajaj’) that chokes out dark mini clouds of fumes terrorising the streets with its noisy engine.

                                                (pic: Jakarta is really a bustling and chaotic city)

The sight of hundreds of locals grouping at the entrance of Tanah Abang mall, mostly waiting for their friends or family members to finish their shopping spree, was simply mind-blowing.

And locals taking a walk or playing football in the middle of the road (the police blocked the roads so that citizens can have leisure activities there - what privilege!).


‘Round We Go - No trains??

Getting around the metropolis is slightly tougher than any other cities like KL, due to its poor transportation system. They do have taxis in all corners. ‘Bajaj’ can be found in the city vicinity - they don’t travel far tho’.

Buses are everywhere. But they do have a slightly better bus system - Busway - where one lane of the road is dedicated specially for its buses (cost 35.000Rupiah/ person for all stops).

Something is missing in the picture tho’ - trains. Where are they? We have LRTs in KL, MRTs in our neighbouring country, Spore, MTRs in HK and Subways in NYC.

So, is there a rationale behind the absence of trains in this metropolis?

According to a friend who got this from a local taxi driver, that, if there’s a train system in Jakarta, it’ll lead to the reduction of buses and taxis, which means the increase of unemployment.

                                                               (pic: Proton, one of the Best Cars in 2008? Seriously? )

When more people are jobless, what’s going to happen? Bingo! The crime rate will escalate. The government’s main concern - sustaining social stability. And, they’re doing just that.


The High Low

Since the labour in Jakarta is surprisingly cheap, having a driver of your own and a few maids is a common sight.

If you’re rich, you can enjoy extreme luxury in Jakarta than any other places you’re in.


                                (pic: A dilapidated shack bearing Coca-Cola signs in the town of Jakarta)

While waiting for my friend’s friends (who came with a driver in an Innova) to come pick us up at the lobby, we saw a man (in his 30s) got down from his car, carrying his baby, and together with him were his maid and his caddie (as presumed by my friend).

He’s got his own driver too.

Luxury doesn’t have to come with age. It’s never too young to experience a luxurious life in Jakarta.

It’s true. I’ve seen young housewives with at least one maid with them in shopping malls. While they were busy getting new clothes for their wardrobe(s), the maids were busy taking care of the babies.

What lucky mothers!

Oh, one more fact for you - Girls marry young in Jakarta. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see young mothers in clubs and discos, partying all night thru’.

So Boys, don’t be dumbfounded if you find yourself surrounded by kids the next morning! (info from a friend who’s working in Jakarta)


The Down Low


“While the rich is getting richer, the poor is getting poorer,” replied a taxi driver when I asked him about the gap of the society classes: borned-rich class, working class, just-enough-to-survive-another-day class.


                                                             (pic: Lush paddy fields growing under the railway track)

Yea, it’s a cliche. We hear this everywhere, mainly in developing countries. People are suffering.

What I’ve seen in Thailand is similar in Jakarta-Bandung. Small kids gently knock on your car window and point to the items they’re selling, sometimes, begging you to buy something from them, in the streets.

Young men play their guitars and sing nice tunes right at your car window, when they’re supposed to be working in offices. I saw a shameless aqua dressed in pink with heavy make-up on, making girly gestures right in front of my tour van.

What does the future hold for these people? Really.

It’s really chaotic to see people walking in the streets, showing no concerns for their safety. Motorcycles zooming past every second. Notorious traffic jams. Car drivers driving recklessly, stopping anywhere they like.

The metropolis is insanely-overpopulated and the government’s not doing a very good job in giving what’s best for its citizens who’re working their asses off to make ends meet.


Huh? What talking you?

No, I haven’t lost my sense of speech. I’m talking about Indonesians and their passion for their language - Bahasa Indonesia. English, as proclaimed by my tour guide, is like ‘ghost’ to them.


                                          (pic: Pizza Hut delivery machines lining up in front of the fast food chain)

They don’t use foreign language in their daily conversation; many do not use it in months or even in years. They understand each other very well in B.I.

A girl, who's a friend of my friend, who only speaks Hokkien and B.I. (not Bahasa Inggeris, mind you) told us about her lone-trekking expedition to a foreign land - S’pore.

She has travelled to all places in Indo and some parts of M’sia too. One time, she was in S’pore and was enjoying the time she had on a sandy beach when she realised all buses had stopped their services.

That left her with no choice but to ask around how she could get back to her hotel.

She had to ask each person she met, in Hokkien, “Eh hiao gong hokkien bor?” Finally, a man who understood her drove her back.

“If I knew English or Mandarin, I would’ve had gone to China and Europe or somewhere farther,” she said in Hokkien (a language which I can understand fairly O.K.).

For the love of their language, they’ve abandoned the very important language that would get their messages across the globe - English.

That’s a really big mistake. It might be the root of their underdevelopment.


Shopping Haven - Bandung

No, no, no. ‘Shopping Haven’ is definitely not a phrase used solely by girls. Trust me.

I was there and I saw it all at the La Mode. Guys LOVE shopping too.

I was taken to Chilampelas the first time I was in Bandung. Chilampelas a.k.a the jeans street is a street full of street shops selling street T-shirts and jeans.

If you’re a fashion chic on a shoe-string budget, this is the place to get not-so-bad quality clothes.

Even if you’ve got a fat wallet, you might want to consider just walking along the street to see the efforts of each shop to be the most appealing one, in terms of signboard designs, etc., which can be quite enthralling.

The appealing side of this street is not the clothes that are exported out of the country, but the creative signage of each shop to attract patrons.

La Mode Outlet

Let’s get back to the La Mode, shall we? It was crowded! Damn crowded.

People kept swarming the place like there was Super Mega sales goin’ on. I was one of the drooling patrons too. Well, why wouldn’t we?

We could get MNG, AX, CK even LV at low prices or factory outlet prices. Bandung’s attraction - factory outlets! It’s insane. There are various outlets and one day’s just ain’t enough.

The prices are attractive, but you might be disappointed when you can’t find the right size or the perfect piece.

Some of the pieces might be torn or buttons missing or dyed in red. Oh, you know…all the rejected stuff. Still, you can get great bargains. There’s just something for everyone. ;)


Pricey Tour Package

The Indos laughed at me when they heard that my tour package included Chilampelas (not the outlets) and they laughed even louder when they found out that my Bandung trip cost USD95.

To think of my Bandung tour is really…Pissing Me Off. So much for so little.

Nonetheless, the sight of the enormous crater is just magnificent. It was breathtaking.

What I can tell you about my experience watching the crater?

“There’s nothing much.” Sometimes, it’s best not to expect too much. Just enjoy the scene.

Bandung shares resemblance with Bali - stunningly beautiful green paddy terraces. But what Bali doesn’t have that Bandung has are tea plantations that stretch across the hills of Bandung.

Bandung nestles at a higher altitude and therefore, the air is much clearer and fresher and cooler compared to Jakarta. It’s something like Genting Highland, only with not much entertainment.

Bandung - Yes. Jakarta - Depends on the purpose of your visit.

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