No Internet for a Day?

"Can you live one day without the Internet?" asked Onn, one fine day.

What!? I responded in my mind.

It had never once occurred to me that I'd be asked such a question, in particular.

I felt so bare, so exposed, so nude when he posted me that question.

Of course I didn't want to look like an Internet fanatic.

But, but...I have to blog, check my email, facebook, MSN...

What would I do without the Internet for one whole day? still struggling for the right answer.

Maybe picking up book reading habit, finally?

Since I haven't read 80% of the books I've bought.

Becoming a couch potato for a day?

Since I have Astro with the subscribed channels (but not all channels, only educational and cartoon programmes) all to myself.

Really? TV programmes?

I can only survive up to 3 hours of watching TV, Max, before I get bored. *Yawn*

Don't blame me. You know how the programmes suck sometimes, or most of the times.

Only "24" TV series can get me hooked to TV screen and get me all addicted.

"No Internet for a Day" reminds me of the times when Internet connection was down or TM was having technical problems when I was working.

"Hallelujah!" everyone would shout in their hearts.

But, they would usually say, "Awwww, the Internet's down," pretending that they cared.

No Internet, means no work!

Yes, that's how employees would respond.

But think about it: There are other means to accomplish every task, every assignment without ever having to use the Internet.

Use the brain. Use existing materials. Read up. Do the filings. Anything.

"No Internet, No works" really reflects how dependent we are on the Internet and it's sad, like everyone's got no life.

"Life without the Internet (or Facebook in particular) is no Life", is the message.

C'mon, people! Get a Life.

So, after a minute of thinking it through and thoroughly, I said,"Yes, I can live one day without the Internet."

After all, it's just one day.

And, I still have Streamyx at home.

You can have the Broadband, Onn.:)

Feast at Cinnamon, One World Hotel

by z_l3nG


Cinnamon @ One World Hotel


Time to dine, buffet time that is!

It's time to loosen those pants for a big, all-you-can-eat feast.

This restaurant at One World Hotel is located at Concourse, one level down from the lobby.

This is no ordinary buffet, it cost RM237 for 2 pax. So, I'll let you do the Math for one person.

If you're an American Express cardholder, you get 15% off.

You pay for the ambience, service and fresh food.
What more can you ask for?
Yeah, I know....a bit pricey.




But, if you don't mind paying a little bit more for a sweet treat, this is a place for a romantic dinner, without candlelights.

It's also a place to hang out and chill out!


Please don't talk about business in the restaurant. It'll only ruin others' day.

This restaurant is really spacious. It can house up to 260 people.

You can choose the non-smoking area and enjoy the air-condition or chill out at the smoking area, where you can enjoy an alfresco dining.

Both areas have fine ambience, only different.

At the non-smoking dining area, bask in to the soothing sound of water drippling from the water feature in the garden terrace.

The terrace and the water feature are a perfect blend.

Cinnamon offers a broad array of local and international cuisine.

The menu includes fresh, raw sushi and seafood, pita, dim sum, prawn noodles, congee, roti canai, mamak noodles, pizza and many more...











If buffet doesn't fit your appetite or there's no way you can eat as much as RM100 of food, you can opt for ala carte.

Of all the buffets (only 3-4 times) I've had, this one is recommended!

Also, see chefs in action when they're cooking up a storm! 

The setting and atmosphere are nice and relaxing.
The food served are delicious, no kidding!

I was surprised, but erm, I guess the saying of "what you pay is what you get" is true!

You pay more for the freshness of food and taste, not forgetting its good service.

Most importantly, it's not full house.

When I was there, only 3-4 tables were occupied.

Bon Appetite!


Cinnamon opens from 6am to 1am daily.
For reservations, call 03-7681 1154

Where?

Don't have a clue where's One World Hotel?
Easy! It's just next to One Utama.

Don't know where to park?
Don't sweat...the 2 buildings are linked.

Craving for a shopping spree after dinner, just follow the signs at One World Hotel lobby and you'll get out at One Utama in no time.

Australia, Blue Mountains - Part 1

Australia, Blue Mountains Review


By z_l3nG

22 Apr 2010


We went to the Blue Mountains for one reason - it's Famous!
And, we just had to see it.  
  
Why is Blue Mountains so famous?
One:  The mountains look bluish.
Two:  The 3 Sisters. 
 

Meet 3 Pretty Sisters


Temperature: Only a little chilly, around 20 degree celcius?
To bring: Water, light jacket.
To wear: Sports shoes or hiking shoes, trousers or short pants, tight jeans is not advisable.


What do the 3 sisters of Katoomba have in common?
They're all stunning.
Not only do they look almost alike, they're carefully sculpted.

           3 Sisters (922, 918 and 906 metres tall) standing in front of the never-ending stretch of mountains


OK, I gave the wrong info. The 3 Sisters don't look alike.
They come in different sizes, the middle being the fattest.

There's an interesting myth about the 3 Sisters in Blue Mountains though, involving 3 men from a different tribe and a witch doctor who got killed in the war before he could transform the 3 sisters back into humans.

You can read about the myth at:
http://www.marimari.com/content/australia/popular_places/new_south_wales/blue_mountains/main.html


To Get There

You have to get to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia.

You can either take the train and get down at Katoomba station OR drive for about 1.5 hours from Sydney.
Make sure you get a GPS.


Our Trip

We left Sydney at 9.45am and reached Blue Mountains at around 11.20am.
Without the traffic jams in Sydney, we would've had reached earlier.

Take note: Travel early. You don't want to get stuck in traffic jams during peak hours, when people are rushing to work.


Car Rental

We rented a car, a Nissan Sentra, from DISCOUNT for AUD75 for a distance of 250km.

Every extra km is charged AUD0.25.

The condition of the car was not bad.
At least the car didn't break down, so that's good. :)


#1 Stop - Echo Point, Katoomba

First, we went to the loo!
Once we got out of the car, we hopped straight to the World Heritage Plaza, Blue Mountains to answer the urgent call from nature.

What? We were travelling non-stop for 1.5 hours.
You don't have to pay a penny to use the toilet. *Sweet*

Apart from the loo, it was a sweet treat for me to see a huge, cuddly bear sitting at the entrance of the Plaza, waiting for me to hug it. 

And, what's more, it's my Koala Bear! 

There are some pretty interesting souvenir shops, but I didn't enter any of the shops in order to Save time.

We then walked to Echo Point to take a look at the 3 Sisters and Blue Mountains.


On Echo Point
 
There isn't much to see, really, at this Point.
However, this is the closest Point to view the 3 Sisters in Blue Mountains and the mountainous landscape.

If you want more fun out of this trip, head to Scenic World.
It's a great place to be for the whole family.

For more details, go to http://www.scenicworld.com.au./

I'll talk about Scenic World in my next post!


Sea of People

Expect this - a lot of tourists. Chinese tourists, especially.
Remember, this is a tourist spot.
If you're planning to do yoga here, it's foolish.

If you're lucky, you'll get to snap a photo without any strangers in the background.

We stayed there for 1 hour, taking as many photos as we could and left for lunch.

What you can do at Echo Point, Blue Mountains is to sit and breathe in the aura of the nature.
Just admire the beauty.

To me, the 3 sisters is not the centre of attention at Echo Point, it's the mountains that stretch infinitely to another end.


To Get There

By car:
It takes around 40-45 minutes to reach Echo Point, Blue Mountains from Sydney.

Follow the signs of Paramatta and take the M4 Motorway that starts at Strathfield, through Lapstone to Blue Mountains. 


By train:
It takes around 2 hours to get to Katoomba from Sydney.

From Katoomba station, you can take a cab to Blue Mountains. Train leaves every hour.


By coach: Most coaches leave from Circular Quay in Sydney.


(Note: All texts and photos are copyright reserved by Z)

Australia, Blue Mountains - Part 2

Australia, Blue Mountains Review  

 


By z_l3nG 
 

#2 Stop - Katoomba Town

Lunch Time!

Let's talk a bit about Katoomba town, shall we?

If you get hungry while seeing the 3 Sisters at Echo Point, you have 2 options.

1. Grab a bite at a cafe at the World Heritage Plaza. (the nearest)
2. Choose your preferable cuisine from a row of cafes and restaurants in Katoomba town.

We drove to Katoomba town and reached there in 5-10minutes.
It's a pretty quiet town and a relaxing one.

Discounts & Bargains!

Katoomba town is a place where you'd want to take a stroll and do some shopping.

They have quite a fantastic collection of jewelleries there.

What's best? You can bargain the prices with the sellers.

OR, you can just sit back and relax at a cafe and enjoy the tranquility.


Colourful Smileys

Calling all those with sweet tooth!
You just can't resist all the wonderful, colourful and yummy-ful buns and muffins displaying at the window of this bakery shop.

But, be warned, there might be unwanted guests feasting on those buns.
We saw flies circling around the pastries and we were immediately turned off by the sight.


Spot the Proton


Wasn't able to spot one in Sydney, but here, in Katoomba town, we spotted a Proton Gen-2 parked near a store, next to a VW. 


We walked past several cars, and I was immediately attracted to the well-kept orange VW, but it was Gen-2 that got my fiance's attention.

He's got sharp eyes for Malaysian cars.

To Scenic World, we go!

We didn't spend too much time in the town of Katoomba.
We had our lunch at a Chinese restaurant, took a brief walk along the street and dashed our way to Scenic World!


(Note: All texts and photos are copyright reserved - Z)

Australia, Blue Mountains - Part 3

Australia, Blue Mountains Review  
 


Scenic World, Blue Mountains

Walk on Air

Never mind Echo Point, that place's no fun. 
But, undoubtedly an ideal point to snap photos of The 3 Sisters in close range. 

Oh, have I mentioned that Blue Mountains is in the World Heritage list?
Yes, you bet it is! 
You'll know why when you get there.


But now...

Welcome to Scenic World Blue Mountains, where a whole new experience awaits...
Yeah, I know, it does feel like I'm writing for a Scenic World advertisement.

But, it's the truth! 
I had a jolly good time there and I'll tell you why.

Before that, let me feed you with some infos.

There are 3 rides you can take to explore Blue Mountains.

1. Scenic Skyway
2. Scenic Cableway
3. Scenic Railway

Another way of exploring the ancient rainforest at Blue Mountains is by walking.


#1 Float on Air

You've experienced this before, on cable cars, perhaps.
Or bungee-jumping. Or parachuting.

At Scenic World Blue Mountains, it's called the Scenic Skyway ride, in which you'd be standing or sitting throughout the journey which will take you across the ravines, mountains and Katoomba Falls.

The sight of Katoomba Falls will leave you breathless. 

If you're worried about your safety, don't have to. 
It's a slow and relaxing ride.   
Even my fiance who has fear of heights (aka Acrophobia) had no problem throughout the ride!

One Skyway car can accomodate more than 20 passengers. 



Highlight of the ride
  
I find this feature Awesome. 
Black men would say, 'Dang!'.

Here's why:

Electro-Sceniglass floor 


You can see everything that's below your feet from 270m above, through the see-through glass floor.


With this feature, you now literally have a 360 degree view!

If you have acrophobia, it's not advisable to look down for too long.

Pic: Looking downward to see the rainforest and Katoomba Falls, through the glass floor







Admission Prices:

Adult
$ 16 (return), $ 9 (1 way)

Child (4-13)
$ 8 (return), $5 (1 way)


Family Pass (2 Adults & Kids below 13)
$ 40 (return), $25 (1 way)

(Note: All texts and photos are copyright reserved - Z)

Australia, Blue Mountains - Last Part

Australia, Blue Mountains Review  

 

by z_l3nG


Let's resume with Scenic World's other exciting rides!

But first, let's take a stroll along a trail (over 2.8kms of boardwalk) set in the heart of the rainforest in Blue Mountains.

To enter, you have to get the Scenic Walkway pass (at the entrance).

It's quite an educational tour because there are fact boards provided about the local flora as well as the history of the valley as you walk.

This walkway is disabled-friendly as it offers a 380-metre long of wheelchair accessible walkway.

In addition, there are benches along the way for you to sit and rest your sore legs after a long, tiring walk.

It's worth the walk, really. You can feel tranquility setting in as you enter the rainforest. 

Don't worry, I've checked.
There's no "Not for the faint-hearted" sign at the entrance although it may get a little creepy as evening sets in...

Before exiting the walkway, there's a very old site of Katoomba Coal Mine.

Katoomba Coal Mine

At the press of a button, you can listen to the narration of the history on this particular coal mine, the Katoomba Coal Mine.

I pushed the button, but I could only hear a word or two clearly. Speakers no good.


Tools used by the coal miners are exhibited, like the "Pit Pony Shoes" and "Rabbit (or rat) trap". Other artifacts on display are as below:

Well, that's all I have on Scenic Walkway!

Now, let's proceed to the next ride...


Scenic Railway (aka the coal miner's ride)

 

All of I've gotta say for this ride is, Hang On Tight!

We took this ride to return to the centre. And, it was pure FUN!

Imagine going down the hill on this, with a rather fast speed.
Oh, the thrill and adrenaline!

But, it's no roller-coaster ride, so you're good to take that ride.




Scenic World opens everyday, from 9am to 5pm.
Take note: Last rides at 4.30pm.


For more info, visit http://www.scenicworld.com.au/

SYDNEY - Take 1

Australia, Sydney Review 

 

By z_l3nG


Temperature
15 - 26 degree celcius


I was in Sydney for 4 nights,  from 20-24th April,  2010.

I would be lying if I say Sydney isn't a beautiful city,  the weather was so fine I wouldn't want to come home. Imagine,  walking for one hour without breaking a sweat!

 

 (Top: Darling Harbour bridge in Sydney standing proud under the bright, clear sky)





I was surprised that my brief stay in Sydney was completely dry,  not a single raindrop,  as opposed to the information I got online saying that the weather is unpredictable and it's advisable to bring weather gear such as umbrella and raincoat.

My fiance's uncle said we were lucky with the weather.

I bet we were, since we all agreed that the weather was 'just nice'.
Humidity at its lowest level.

However,  I didn't like the wind that was trying to blow my hair off and making me look like a Mad lady. Other than that, it was fine.


Chinatown Mostly

We did mostly sightseeing in Sydney,  as tourists do,  as we didn't have much time exploring every single corner of the city.

 (Top: Charming Sydney view at Circular Quay)






I like the cleanliness of the streets in Sydney,  except those in Chinatown.
Dirty is always the adjective to describe every Chinatown I've been to.

Despite that reality,  people in Chinatown Do Not represent the whole Chinese community in general.

Talking about Chinese,  yes,  I discovered that Sydney is just full of them, and Koreans too.  But then and again,  maybe because we were staying near Chinatown,  which is just a few streets away.


On Top of the World

Four nights were spent in one of the amazing units at the World Tower in Sydney,  which cost AUS 255 per night.  Yes, it's rather costly but worth every penny.

It's a spacious 2-bedroom apartment,  equipped with sofas,  flat panel TV,  toaster,  oven,  cutleries and so on.  They even provide food containers for you to store leftovers.

The best part of this unit is...its viewing deck (enclosed balcony) that allows you to have a bird's eye view of Sydney.

A rattan table and 2 chairs are provided for you (and your partner) to sit and enjoy the panoramic view of the city.

It's definitely the vantage point to see the city,  apart from Sydney Tower.

(Top: Smog covering the horizon in the morning, creating a mystical atmosphere. Picture taken from our room.)

(Right: Colourful lights lit up the dark sky, bringing Sydney to life. Picture taken from viewing balcony)





On the first morning in Sydney,  when I was still sleeping soundly,  my fiance woke me up from my dreams, and said,  "You've got to see this."

In the corner of my mind,  I was thinking,  "What's the big deal that you need to wake me up like this?"

But,  I got up and looked out of the window and...was stunned by the sight. It was phenomenal.

"Wow! Is that beautiful or what?" I finally uttered,  after getting hold of myself.

It was a magical morning.  The light, thin clouds (or was it smog?) was enveloping the entire city and I felt like I was on top of the world,  whisking me away from the real world.



(Note: All texts and photos are copyright reserved - Z)