Hiyashibeeps Goes Mobile!

Posting this from my phone. I wonder if this will make me blog more often. Then again I am very fussy about formatting my post correctly. So... this might or might not work.

Hmmm...

Stuck Again?!?

Here's a new introduction to Hiyashibeeps... 

*drumrolls*

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The Blog that's Stuck in Time.

Honestly, I thought I'll end up skipping the entire month of May but fret not! 

I am here to save myself and my dear blog. 

Now to catch up with life. Let's see. 

Office Moving Day happened. 

And yes, I blogged about packing, I blogged about more packing and then stop! Hahaha. So what happened? We moved and OMG! has been working in the new office for... more than a month now?! Wow! We just passed our one month anniversary on Wednesday. 

So how does the new office freaking looking like anyway?

Sadly, I don't have the interest to do a lengthy post on that now that the excitement has died down but here's a little peek. I'm not that heartless to leave people hanging just like that. 

Yeah right.

Behold! This is the view from my 'window'. 

Why yes, I see a bushy little hill across me every day. Well at least for most of the time, whenever the little hill is sitting tall enough or is not away to somewhere else. Ironically since little bushy hill might not always be there. Mr IdunTalkMuch dengan senyap-senyapnya offered another view of nature for all to share.

A little ball of green that calls itself 'Marimo'.

Apparently, it actually grows which in my opinion is just a tad freaky. 

God knows what it's up to at night while we are away. *shivers*

Well, that's about it for the new office. As for the L.E.P.A.K series, I have a feeling I'm in denial that the series is coming to an end and am delaying my posting on purpose. At least that's what I suspect. I also have a feeling that the next time I will be seeing you here is in June. Hahaha. 

Then again, I'm 'full' of surprises. =P

Stuck at 22!!

Say woot?!?

I was updating my L.E.P.A.K series listing on the right column there --------------------------->

when I noticed that I was stuck at Chapter 22 since I left Amsterdam three chapters ago! 

What was I thinking?

Obviously, nothing. Hahaha.

And because I am too lazy to edit my title picture again, I decided to make this post up instead for myself. So that when I look back and wonder what the heck was I doing, 

I'll have my answer. So yeah. The title of the post can be easily rectified but the title picture not so much. 

On another note... can you believe it's chapter 24 and counting?!

I ask myself at times... "Why you so chiong-hei?"

A Purr-fect Family Trip! (Part III)

Note: This 3-part blog entry was part of AirAsia Bloggers Programme and is also

a Digital Exclusive on AirAsia's very own in-flight and online magazine, Travel 3Sixty. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

How can we make a trip to Kuching without visiting the home 
of the Rainforest World Music Festival!

Sarawak Cultural Village is about 45-min drive from Kuching. The mesmerising view 

of Mount Santubong as we ride on the bumpy ride exudes a sense of myth and mystery with clouds hovering above it. There are many tales revolving the place, one being about the famous Puteri Santubong where the mount got its name.

It costs RM60 per visitor to enter the Cultural Village. Not exactly ‘shoestring’ material 

but after that entire savings, we decided to splurge on this. 

 But here are few tips if you still want to save a bit! 

 We did our research earlier to see where we can save up and my sister being a university student can enjoy a student rate of just RM15. That’s like 75% off the full price! Also, try to get a local to help you purchase the tickets because they too have cheaper local rates! Alternatively, there are tour agencies back in Kuching selling tickets at a discounted price of RM45. Finally, during special events like Harvest Festival and Hari Raya, the entrance fee is only RM10! So, it’s all about planning and timing your trip wisely.

There are a total seven ‘rumah’ or longhouses in the Cultural Village, each representing the different tribes and ethnic groups in Sarawak. From the very modest Penan Hut with only bare necessities to the tall and grand Melanau Tall House that is big enough for a few families, every house showcases its distinctive characteristic of each tribe. 

 These longhouses are not just empty display houses. There are actual people working and demonstrating the daily activities of each tribe. There are also Makciks (elderly ladies) frying local delicacies in these houses which you can buy and savour on the spot.

At the end of the visit, we made our way to the performance hall where a cultural show awaits us. There are two show sessions per day, 11:30am and 4:00pm. The show, like any Malaysian parade, was filled with vibrant colours, costumes and smiles. 

 At one point of the show, two warriors with blow darts easily burst some balloons at the far end of the hall. They then invited a lady audience to give it a try. She tried and tried, alas, did not have the ‘lung power’ to blow the darts that far. No words are needed in such a cultural exchange. In the end, she was ushered right up to the balloon and asked to blow again. Naturally, she popped the balloon and the crowd cheered!

It was certainly a great experience. One that we didn’t regret spending that extra bit of money on. Of course, for adventurous travellers there is always the option of experiencing real live-in longhouses in Sarawak. There are not many left these days and I most certainly don’t mind coming back and exploring them with friends in the future. But for now, I’m having a good time with the family here at the Cultural Village. 

 Oh, and there’s of course one last thing to do 

in our shoestring family trip to Kuching!

How can we go home without a picture with the cats! 

 Indeed, there’s so much more of Kuching to explore with my family and low fares 

at www.airasia.com made my family holiday a reality! =P

A Purr-fect Family Trip! (Part II)

Note: This 3-part blog entry was part of AirAsia Bloggers Programme and is also 

a Digital Exclusive on AirAsia's very own in-flight and online magazine, Travel 3Sixty. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Of course, how can we come all the way to Sarawak and not see the great apes, right? 

 So the next day, we headed out to Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre which is just
45 minutes from Kuching and charges a very modest price of RM3.00 per entry. Students and senior citizens enjoy an additional 50% discount.

 Twenty-six Orang Utans are registered in the centre with the oldest Seduku a.k.a
‘the grandmother’ is still going strong and healthy at 40 years old. However, the big boss
of the jungle is Richie, the dominant male here in Semenggoh.

 There are two feeding sessions in a day, 9am and 3pm. We were there for the afternoon
session and a word of advice is to arrive early because sometimes you may get a surprise
early visit from the apes. There is no promise as to whether the Orang Utans will
show up and a no-show is actually a good sign, meaning they could be doing well
on their own in the wild.

While some of us early birds were hanging around at the waiting area, a mama and her child appeared at the car park area and came walking down towards us. The young adult put on quite a show for us! 

 Finally, it was time to proceed to the feeding area.

That’s the feeding platform right there! We were told to remain quiet throughout 

the entire time because we do not want to startle the apes; seriously, no one wants to mess with Richie, not even the park rangers.

Because that, my friends, is Richie the mighty! 

And when Richie eats, everyone else waits. Yes everyone, both ape and men.

Only after Richie was done with his meals did the others come forward to have their share. 

I guess there’s hierarchy in the Orang Utan kingdom too. We soon bid farewell to Semenggoh and dozed off in the car. 

 Our next attraction is the Kuching Civic Centre.

A place many would skip because it loses its charm over the years due to lack of offerings. But sometimes it’s not how much a place has to offer but just that one good enough reason to go there. In this case, a panoramic view of Kuching and its surroundings.

I can even see Mount Santubong from up here. On a bright sunny day, the view stretches out to even the sea. Sure, the place might not be as exciting as seeing Orang Utans or as fun as shopping at the mall but sometimes we tend to forget simple things in life that well, make life awesome just the way it is. Simple things like a breathtaking view… the refreshing breeze when you are up high...resting your head on the railings and a good old family portrait that has everyone beaming 

Last but not least is the Sarawak Cultural Village!

A Purr-fect Family Trip! (Part I)

Whuahh! A long overdue post that was meant for last year. This 3-part blog entry was 

part of AirAsia Bloggers Programme. If you can't wait for me to post up part 2 and 3 

(I admit I can be a tad slow at blogging.), then check out the complete entry on AirAsia's 

very own in-flight and online magazine, Travel 3Sixty. It's there as a Digital Exclusive 

since November last year. Imagine that! 

Here we go!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Discovering Kuching on a shoestring? 

It’s hard, yes. Travelling for one and travelling for four is very different but not impossible. With the right kind of help and proper planning, I successfully took my parents and my sister to the ‘Land of the Hornbills’ - Sarawak in East Malaysia. And it all started with the greatest saving one can enjoy in a travel - flight tickets!

Ticket price for four from Penang to Kuching, inclusive of luggage was only RM242. 

That’s about RM60 per person. I can barely make it to Kuala Lumpur and back with this price. The key is to book early! So when 30 June 2011 came, the entire family packed up 

and flew to Kuching! 

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 The first thing we did upon landing and settling down was naturally to hunt for food.

It’s cheap, good and a totally different culinary experience from those back home. 

Kuching is famous for its ‘Kolok Mee’, a plate of dry noodles that tastes pretty good in my opinion. The ‘Kolok Mee Special’ (photo on the left) that we ordered was filled with extra fish fillets and other ingredients. It was so good that we actually had a few servings of 

‘Kolok Mee’ throughout our holiday in Kuching. 

 So what can you do on a shoestring trip in Kuching? 

 Easy. Like everywhere else in the world, you head out to town. In this case, the old town 

and make your way towards the Kuching Waterfront.

 

The Kuching Waterfront 

 Here you will find stalls selling all kinds of things, from the famous ‘Sarawak Layer Cake’ 
to unique handicrafts and souvenirs, such as bracelets, necklaces and ornaments made
from beads and wood.

Walking along the waterfront, we found many signs of ‘cruise’ rides and many boatmen offered to take us on a ‘cruise’ along the river. My advice, skip it! It is nothing a cheap sampan ride can’t offer. There are numerous sampans along the river and for less than a ringgit, you get to experience the real way of commuting along the river! 

 Right by the waterfront is the Chinese Heritage Museum that is funded independently by the Chinese community here in Kuching. It is a small and humble museum with just enough exhibits to make it a short yet enjoyable visit. What’s more, entrance is… yup! Free!

What’s interesting here was the short audio commentary available under each description board which plays the dialects of each Chinese community. Apart from Cantonese and Hokkien, the other dialects were almost foreign to me.

There was a set-up of an old coffee shop inside the museum. That’s me sneaking a shot right there, posing as if I’m in deep thought for my next move in the Chinese Chess. :)
As a visitor, you can also help out the museum by offering a little contribution…

…that is if you can find the donation box! 

Yup, it’s that finely carved pagoda right next to the Chinese drum. 

That’s the donation box right there! Who would have thought right? 

We spent the entire afternoon museum-hopping throughout town. I probably visited more museums that afternoon than I did in my past 26 years. If museums are not your kind of thing, I would suggest to at least visit the Natural History Museum. It’s educational yet spooky at the same time! Yes, spooky...in a good way of course, with all kinds of preserved animals at every corner to even the full skeleton of a whale. Sorry, no pictures though as cameras are not allowed in here. 

 Right behind the museum grounds was a beautiful garden with water fountains 

and shady walkways. Don’t give this a miss because hidden in the middle of the garden 

is the ‘museum cafeteria’. 

 But if you’re expecting yucky cafeteria food, boy, are you wrong!

Because what we discovered were the eccentric ‘Sarawak Laksa’ (which is an acquired taste in my opinion) and a very yummy plate of ‘Sambal Bihun’. Obviously, I love the latter more. It tasted very similar to the cuttlefish with ‘kangkong’ dish, except in this case, you enjoy it with ‘bihun’ (rice vermicelli). It might sound weird but I stand by my words - yummy to the last drop! Suffice to say that these Sarawakian hawker delights make a delicious yet very affordable meal.

Of course, how can we come all the way to Sarawak and 

not see the great Orang Utans, right?

Next up! Meeting Richie the Great. 

Hiyashibeeps' Ohhsome Awards 2011

To quote exactly what I said last year in the inaugural Hiyashibeeps' Ohhsome Awards 

"It's that time of the year again to reflect and remember." So here we are again! I'm trying my best to keep the same categories as last year so that it will mean so much more down 

the road when we (more like 'I') look back at these wonderful memories.

Most Ohhsome Moment of the Year

I guess it would be when I landed in London with Cik Anai but that has won a category 

on its own, so I'm going with a revised "Most Whuahh! Moment of the Year"

Winner: WHUAHH!!!

Most Ohhsome Long and Mighty Post of the Year

Winner: The Yet-to-be-Completed L.E.P.A.K Series

Most Ohhsome Comical Post of the Year

Winner: Boy Meets Girl (Penang Version) Part I

For Part II and III, head over to the Comic category.

Most Ohhsome Theory of the Year

Winner: The Simple Truth

Worthy Mention: When Life Throws You Lemonade

Most Ohhsome Conversation of the Year

Winner: Korea Called And Told Me He's in Front of My House

Most Ohhsome Video of the Year

Winner: Because He is Too Cute for Words

Another Worthy Mention: Just Because...

Most NOT-Ohhsome Bad Time of the Year

:(

Most Ohhsome Style of the Year

Winner: To be Simple is Simple: The Results

Also read: To be Simple is Simple

Special Mention for

Most Ohhsome Comment of the Year

Winner: Pam Song aka Tinki Talks for That's What I Call 'Dedication'

*scroll and HAHAHAHAHA...*

I can't believe I actually managed to find a winner for every same category as last year. Hooray! But that list aside, I want to put it out there some other worthy mentions that I myself want to look back if I ever land on this summarised post some day. 

I Had A Dream

&

What Do You Call Pandan in English?

That's all folks! Here's to a wonderful 2012 ahead.

Stickywordsstick

Because I was told that's how they appeared in some feeds. :(

They look fine in the blog though and I don't know why.

See the thing is, that was my very first post using the new Blogger workspace.

And I'm not liking the fact that my words are sticking together.

Who say change is good?

Hmmph!

So let's see how this one goes.

Because I have a long post coming up soon.

The one Video Contest that You and I have a Better Chance of Winning than Mr Spielberg himself

Remember how I won myself some (seven) session of Free Antioxidant Hot Bed Therapy at Ecoparadise (which I have yet to use *sigh*) by doing what I love… BLOG! Well, the kool people at Koolred are having a contest once again. Although this time it’s not one of my many fortes but it’s definitely something some of you guys love to do. I personally know a handful of people who seem to live, eat and sleep camera. *eyeing PSP-san and Mr IdunTalkMuch* Okay, okay, it’s not exactly photography but it’s one of the many functions in the camera anyway.

VIDEO SHOOTING!

It’s a natural thing that we do when we travel aside from taking thousands of photos. There are just some things that a still photo can never capture, like the smiles and waves from the locals or the silly shrieks of excitement whenever we land at a foreign place. Come to think of it, I have a bunch of those in my folders. Maybe I should dig them out and join the contest myself. Hmm…

After all, the prizes are FREE HOTEL STAYS!

It’s like you take one holiday to earn yourself another.
How awesome is that?

If you have yet to discover this little growing community, well, I say it's a pretty kool 'place' to 'hang out' since there's members from all over the world who share their travel experiences well, all over the world.

The Koolred Team is also sneaky enough to keep us members excited by having random big and small contests from time to time. I'm not crazy enough to join every single one of them but that doesn't mean I can't share it with those who I believe will be more interested than me. Hmm… however, all these “Come on, let’s join and win this contest” talk are making me have second thoughts on this matter. I might just join the contest myself. After all I do have my travel videos sitting readily in my folders. Tempting. Very tempting.

Not to mention, I've done the necessary competitor analysis too
and my favourite entry at the moment would have to be this.

I just think it has truly captured the essence of what this contest is about which is to share a video that will make a tourist want to visit that destination. Winning entries are based on two main criteria, one is creativity and the second one is how 'Kool' is the video. Basically there's a 'Kool' button that works very much like the Facebook 'Like' button and the more 'Kool' your video is the better your chance of winning.

Anyway, will I be one of the competitors to beat is besides the point. Check out the contest and prizes here (you gotta hurry though since the contest ends in about a week's time, 17 November 2011 to be exact) or even if you’re not into the contest, check out Koolred’s website. It's a travel website after all, so you can roll around in lots of pretty pictures from all over the world and read up on useful information that can help you plan for your next travel, wherever that may be. ;)

Status Update: MIA > BIA

*blinks*

28 February 2011

*blinks again*

11 April 2011

*blinks blinks blinks*

Whuah! They weren't kidding when they say "in a blink of an eye" were they?
Totally feeling it right now. What happen to March?!?
Lots actually. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do.

Hmm... at least I'm officially 'Back in Action' now.
Slow like always but 'back' nonetheless. Give me till the end of this week.
I promise to brew some good English Tea for ya okay?

Till then.

A Little Late but Hey Chinese New Year is a 15-Day Celebration Right?

GONG XI FA CAI!

This May Be My 300th Post in the Last 5 Years but that's Alright With Me!

I've been busy doing too many things and nothing at the same time. I've been spending my nights planning. Yeah. Big plans ahead. Uhuh. Mom questioned me the other day though, saying after six months and I'm still not done with planning. Well, the general idea is there but now I'm down to the nitty gritty stuff. Being the Virgo perfectionist that I am, I like to be prepared, well-informed, know all my options and well have lots of Plan B, C & D in case Plan A falls flat.

I'm not complaining though. Part of the joy of the entire thing is planning. It's like I'm half way there already. *grins*

Wait. That wasn't what this post is about. Where was I? Oh ya. Hiyashibeeps's 300th post! It's really a very humble amount but like I said, "It's alright with me." So here's a little something to kick-start 2011 with upbeat possibilities. Enjoy while I continue to plan my grand scheme for March. Muahahahahaha!

Hiyashibeeps' Ohhsome Awards for 2010

It's that time of the year again to reflect and remember. This year, we're doing it differently. No more monthly summaries. We're sending in nominations and picking winners for each category. So here we go!

Most Ohhsome Moment of the Year
Winner: The Impromptu Holiday Series: In Which I Finally Met Bobby. Say Woot Woot!

Most Ohhsome Long and Mighty Post of the Year
Winner: 'A Japanese Summer' The Series.
Begun: 27 Aug 2008, Ended: 30 May 2010.

Most Ohhsome Comical Post of the Year
Winner: The Olivin & Cubger: Mini Series

Most Ohhsome Theory of the Year
Winner: The Chopstick Theory

Most Ohhsome Conversation of the Year
Winner: The Walking Talking Typo Detector

Most Ohhsome Bad Time of the Year
Winner: Summing up December in 500 Words

Most Ohhsome Style of the Year
Winner: Banyak Ada Stail Loh

and the winner for the Most Ohhsome Post of the Year goes to...

NOne.

Just like last year's Golden Kancil Award, none of the post was kick awesome enough to win the ultimate award. Let's hope 2011 sees a better set of nominations.
Till then!

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

"If at 26 you still get stopped before entering a casino,
give yourself a pat on the back,
because you my friend, has successfully did what most fail to do,
you grew up without growing old."

- Hiyashibeeps, 15 November 2010

The Birthday Quote of the Day

"An awesome gift is not judged by how much money
you spent on it but how you can gift the best gift
with the least amount of money.
It doesn't have to cost a lot, well, just maybe your heart. :P"

- Hiyashibeeps, 11 September 2010

Miserable Part II

"To eat and not enjoy is a pity."

:(

then again...

"To eat and not appreciate is a sin."
- Hiyashibeeps, 16 August 2010

*sigh*

Miserable Part I

"A little wisdom in the mouth hurts a long way."

- Hiyashibeeps, 13 August 2010

Blogging Makes The World A Smaller Place

So there I was, attempting to catch up on my blogging when I stumbled upon this comment that I've never saw back when I was still MIA from blogging. What's more it's a comment left for a post I've made two months ago. Talk about late, later, latest!

It's always nice to feel appreciated. XD And for that dear Ukraine friend whose name I have no idea how to type ^^;;

"You're Welcome!"

It's a simple yet awesome song that sings volume about the truth in life... or lies. *snickers* And now I'm gonna click play on that video again. You should probably do the same, too.

Y-O-Y?!?

One and a half month later, I'm finally here to update.

And blogger has to choose now to be all weird and don't let me upload my photos properly.

WHY BLOGGY WHY?!

Hmmph!

Now I'm stucked with a pictureless post waiting to be published.

Hmmph Hmmph!

And thanks to that, my first post of 2010 is a rant!

Hmmph Hmmph Hmmph!

ETA 5 mins later:
Sorry bloggy, not your fault. Silly me been uploading an unedited gigantic photo, no wonder it never budged. Silly silly me. I think I've been away from blogging way too long. Arrgh!! So paiseh.

Gone Today. Come Tomorrow!

A gush of good wind passes by and here we are again, looking back at a year of ups and downs, looking ahead to another year of... well more ups and downs. *shrugs* Life. It is what it is.

So what is 2009 for Hiyashibeeps? As the clock ticks closer to midnight, I'm here going through my 69 modest posts of the year. That itself is a tiny miny achievement of mine - to blog a tiny bit more every year. I guess that means I have to beat 70 next year. Hah! So here we go.

*********

January 2009
It was the month of Gong Xi Fa Cai. Whuah! That was early. Nothing interesting seemed to happen at the beginning of the year though. Hmm...

February 2009
I actually made the effort to take up a meme on Facebook and shared with the world 25 most random things about myself. It still amuses me now that I read it. What was I thinking?!

March 2009
11 posts in a month! Highest record ever. *bows* I got Happiness in a Bag. Hiyashibeeps got a new look. And omg! There's also my 'first time'. *giggles* I nominate March as my best month of the year. Who's with me? Me!

April 2009
Oh! Old friends. Seeing this post just reminded me that we need to do this again, like as soon as we possible can loh. My social life needs to revolves more than just my colleagues loh. Like seriously loh. LOH!!

May 2009
Oh my, this is a day to remember! Me working on Labour Day? Where's the justice!! Oh, wait. *grins*

June 2009
Hmm... mid year, mid excitement. Hard to pick one thing significant to be the highlight of the month. And therefore, we get everything! XD

July 2009
Another meet-up with another bunch of friends. Hahaha... 3 out of the 4 posts of the month are about these guys. Gosh, if any of you peeps are reading this, let's go somewhere again!

August 2009
This is an interesting month. First I learned that I have an 'addiction' problem, then I realised I have psychic power! Then again, I have always known about the latter but let's keep that between you and me. Hush hush.

September 2009
It's all about thank you, Thank You and more THANK YOUs! *smiles*

October 2009
This is the month where I officially declared myself the bad bad blogger. *ashamed*

November 2009
What's there to say? There was only one miserable post for this month! ONE! I guess I was trying to live up to the bad blogger declaration I made in October. *sigh*

December 2009
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It's a month of total Kris Allen fangurling. *blushes* I actually put aside all my Japan cray cray for the American Idol. Say woot? Hahaha. Not!

*********

And that wraps up 2009. That was a nice trip down memory lane. Just this afternoon, I was sitting here wonderful what have I exactly achieved this year. I remembered nothing in specific which was kind of a downer but then I realised it's not really about achievements. It's the memories! And that I have many.

Happy New Year Everyone!