---//To New Zealand & Back In 15 Photos >>

Busy studying for exams?
No time to take leave from work?
No worries!
:)

With the advent of the internet, I bring you Round 2 of the desktop travelling experience!:

1) A first look at NZ from the airplane...


"Kiwi Land, I'm almost there!"
2) First stop, Auckland!


"Ah... Auckland: where the shops close at 5pm and you can jump off a building or a bridge for a price - exciting!"
3) Laughing at the funny billboards around town...


"Hahahaha... erm... They're not refering to me, right?"
4) Here's something fun to do during a drive through NZ - The "Count The Sheep" Game for endless hours of mindless fun:


"1 sheep, 2 sheep ~ 1,000,001 sheep, 1,000,002 sheep..."
5) If you get bored of that, here's a variation - The "Count The Cows" Game!


"1 cow, 2 cow, aahhh.. I give up....!"
6) Here's another fun timekiller - The "Laugh At Funny NZ Town Names" Game!:

(Click photo to enlarge)
"Te Puke? (it's pronounced as "Teh PuKee" by the locals - I'm serious!) Hahahahhahaha"
7) Enjoying wine and food in the Matakana region, north of Auckland:


"Yum........ seng!"
8) Ah... NZ, you are blessed with such variety in your landscape:
Beautiful mountains,.....
(Mount Maunganui near Tauranga)

"1 step and only 999 more to go!"

9) Nice beaches,.....
(Waihi beach)

"I love a good beach!"

10) Rolling landscapes of green hills,.....
(Everywhere!)

"Look! Its acres and acres of sheep food..."

11) Majestic rivers,....
(Okare Falls area in Rotorua)

"Feel like a swim? Be careful though - it's bloody cold!"

12) Spectacular lakes....
(Lake Rotorua)

"So many cute swans!"

13) ... and smelly volcanic areas!
(Hell's Gate in Rotorua)

"Eeerrr.... Smellyyyyyyy"

14) Cute animals at the Paradise Santuary in Rotorua!

"Mmmm,.... baby roast ducks!"

15) Finally, home sweet home....


"Yay! So happy to be home... Sheesh - it's so smoggy though!"

Thus ends the whirlwind trip to New Zealand and back.....
:)

Wanna see Melbourne too? CLICK HERE!


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Travel, Matakana, Rotorua, Tauranga, Auckland, New Zealand, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Going Coastal

The Dinner

The Coast is a new-ish Tex-Mex restaurant in the Hartamas Shopping Center (situated right next to Paddington's Pancakes). It has a casual, light-hearted ambience with miscellaneous things like surfboards, kites shaped like ships and pop art prints which, I suppose, ties in with their "coast/ beach" theme):

The Coast - Interior
One of the paintings on the wall really left an impression on me:

The Ugly Crossdressing Fat Man....
Gah!
O_o
That's either a really ugly woman or an overweight man who has an unhealthy obsession with his momma's clothes....

Anyway, we started off with some Cheese Nachos:

Nachos....!
The nachos were alright, overall.
They are priced cheaper than its cousins at Chili's and TGIF and tasted ok - cheesey and not starchy. It also comes with absolutely no meat (which is probably why it's cheaper).

Next, we had the Mushroom Cheeseburger, Beef & Cheese Sandwich and the Fried Chicken Salad:
Clockwise from top left: The Chicken Salad, The Beef & Cheese Sandwich and the Mushroom Cheeseburger
The Cheeseburger with its grilled beef patty and generous dose of cheese, mushrooms and onions (served with french fries) was monstrously tall. Pat almost had to unhinge his jaw to take a bite.
*lol*
Taste-wise it was ok.

The Fried Chicken Salad which came with a honey mustard dressing was very reasonably priced (about RM13++ only) but didn't impress me - I found the dressing too sweet and this became increasingly overwhelming as I progressed into the dish. The salad greens were fresh though and there was a healthy amount of chicken, so it balances out I guess.

The Beef & Cheese Sandwich was a bit of a disappointment.
It looks like a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich but falls short due to its incredibly starchy bun. It's crazy! - it seems to melt in your mouth within the first 3 chews and becomes this uncomfortable mess of sticky flour-y goop.
If you remove the bun though, as I did, then it tastes a lot better as the filling of beef, cheese, onions and green peppers was actually not bad.

Most of the mains range between RM12++ and RM25++ so I thought it was very reasonable. There were also more expensive options on the menu like steak but I don't remember seeing anything cost more than RM40++.

Lastly, for dessert we tried the Tortilla Ice Cream:
The Tortilla Ice Cream
(We got it as part of a deal where you get a free dessert for any bill above RM30++)
Erm.
Simply put: I didn't like it.
It looked interesting enough and the ice cream was ok but the tortilla thingy was starchy and the berry sauce was so so sweet - like eating concentrated sugar syrup.

So, it's: Reasonable prices, comfortable, casual dining BUT average taste (in other words: "Nothing special").

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

The Coast @ Hartamas Shopping Center

Taste: 5
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM28/++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-6201 2680
Opening Hours: 11am - late

NO PORK SERVED

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Hartamas, Hartamas Shopping Center, The Coast, Tex Mex, Mont Kiara

Blasted Biological Clock

*J the Chocoholic stares at the computer screen, all bleary eyed*
This is the second day in a row that I have woken up at 5.30am....
... and it's a SATURDAY.
*sigh*

I suppose I'm having trouble adjusting to the time difference between here and NZ.
(NZ is 5 hours ahead of us)
I feel so pathetic - I was only there for a week and I'm so affected.
Bah! I used to be able to reset my biological clock very easily...
This is definately a sign of old age.

:(

Well, thank god for the Internet and mindless surfing.
(I suppose it would have been more productive to go to the gym to exercise or something but hey, where's the fun in that? *grin*)

More Poetry

Here's another peek into my past poetic dabblings.....

~~*~~
Untitled 2:

Crowded mob scene,
Sob.
No one will hear you.
In the fervent flood of movement,
Forget about tomorrow,
There's only today.

Now.

The moment of your life,
Inner tranquility in the deafening roar,
Of mass pleasing music,
Feel your soul soar,

Away from reality,
And into a dream,
Of utter, absolute ecstasy,
Scream.

Within,
Your true self is lost,
Ask yourself: Is it worth what it cost?

The price you paid,
The decision you made,
To taste sin,
Feed the Devil you've kept locked in,

For many years until this day,
Now released.
Satisfaction in a decadent way,
So, dance like it's 1999,
Tomorrow might never come.

The end is near,
Toss aside your fears.
Forget all your sorrows,
There's only today.

There'll be no tomorrow.

~~*~~
The funny thing is that I wrote this when I was about 15 years old and had never stepped foot in a disco/ club before.... I think I had just watched a movie with a party scene and took it from there.

Hmmmm, so had I hit the reality of the situation right on the head from that young age or is it far from the truth?
The experience varies from person to person, I guess.
(Who wants to help me name this poem?)

Anyway, I do hope you all have a great weekend ahead.....


Hugs,
J

Oh, btw, I hope that you have all survived the day safely.
:)

Ps/ Once again: Hey, I realise it's not gonna win any awards in the near conceiveable future but it's mine, ok? - Original from my brain 100%! No copying/ plagiarising, thank you!

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Poem, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Honey, I'm HOOOOOoome!

Greetings everyone, on this Friday the 13th morning....
:)

I'm back from the green pastures (and fresh air) of New Zealand - it is so shocking (to me) how smoggy KL/ PJ is right now!
(Big difference from NZ, that's for sure - the air there is so fresh!)
(Although it smells pretty strongly of cow/ sheep poop in some areas)
Look at all those sheep!
Aaaaah,... fresh air!

Hope you all didn't miss me too much.
:)

(Wah - so "perasan", right? Haha...)

Hugs,
J

PS/ Updates on the beautiful sights and all the yummy food I ate in NZ will follow soon.

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

News From KiwiLand

Hey all,

I've just popped into a small internet cafe in New Zealand so I thought I'd just put up a short "Hello! I'm still alive" update.

:)

Well, I'm enjoying my short break so far...
(The air here is so so so fresh!)
... and I hope that everyone's well back in Malaysia (and everywhere else *waves at the internationals*)...

I'll be back in KL a few days so I'll update properly then.


Hugs,
J

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

I'm going off on my holiday soon.
Wheeee......!
:)

It is going to be a bloody 10+ hour flight though.
Bah!
:(

Wish me luck!
Hopefully I won't get stuck in cattle class (as I can only afford Economy *sigh*) in between a flatulent overweight person and an irritable baby.
*prays really really hard*

I've always hoped that one day when I check in at the airport, the nice lady at the counter will turn to me and say: "Oh... I'm so sorry! We've made a horrible mistake - the flight has been overbooked so we'll just HAVE to put you in First Class instead.... and oh btw, Brad Pitt is on the same flight! I hope you don't mind."
*prays even harder*
(Wow,... I feel so holy today)

Wishful thinking, I know...
... but it's fun to have a few silly wishes sometimes.

Ciao everyone.
I'll see you all in about a weeks' time......
(Tomorrow will be a hectic day at work before zipping off to the airport so I'm not sure if I'll have time to put up an update here - sorry)
:)


Hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

The Boat House

The Dinner

This is a little restaurant in the Taman Tun area (near the busy Maybank area) which serves a pretty wide range of Western and Asian food:
The Boathouse Interior
One thing I find really cute about this place is that you can draw on the tables to keep yourself amused while waiting for your food. They provide some non-toxic crayons and let you go wild on the white "mahjong paper" table covers. Here's my art piece:
My Work Of Art
Nice ah?
:)

Anyway, onwards to the food. For the starters, we tried the Sauted Mushrooms, Beef with Enoki Mushrooms and the Stuffed Mushrooms:


Top to Bottom: The Beef with Enoki Mushrooms, Stuffed Mushrooms and Sauted Mushrooms
The Sauted Mushrooms were not that great.
It was a mix of button, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, totally drowned in a pungeant butter sauce that I found simply overpowering.

The Stuffed Mushrooms were better - a few Porcini mushrooms filled with breadcrumbs as well as a bit of cheese and herbs. It was fragrant and the serving was not too big, so you don't have to worry about spoiling your dinner.

I think the best of the three was definately the Beef with Enoki Mushrooms roll. It was a nice textural package - tender beef on the outside and the "crunchy" mushrooms inside with what tasted like a teriyaki sauce.

The mains we had the Fish and Chips, Lamb Steak with Basil Sauce and Lamb Chops:

Clockwise from top: The Lamb Steak with Basil Sauce, Lamb Chops and Fish & Chips
The Fish and Chips is the specialty here, prepared in the classic English beer batter (Hmmm, technically this may not be "Halal" in the strictest sense) and is served with a healthy serving of chips and coleslaw on the side... I really like it - the fish was tender and the batter was light and crispy. When I added some vinegar (which you can ask for), it became simply divine.

Both lamb dishes were rather forgettable. The meat was quite tender and there wasn't any weird "lamb-y" taste but the sauce for both dishes were a tad too sweet, which didn't compliment the lamb very well.

To end the night, we added the Tiramisu, Chocolate Fondue with Strawberries and the Apple Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream into our bulging bellies:

Clockwise from top: The Tiramisu, Apple Fritters and Chocolate Fondue
The Chocolate Fondue, served with fresh strawberries and some marshmellows, was normal. It's not really a proper fondue by definition, really... just some melted chocolate in a nice glass. It also wasn't as chocolatey as I would have liked but it was an enjoyable simple dessert.

The Tiramisu and the Apple Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream were also ok.
They were in no way the best I've tasted but definately not a bad way to end the night.
:)

(Note: I've heard that the Asian dishes here, although reasonably priced, are not that great. I will verify this the next time I go there but I'll just put this down as a word of warning....)

So, it's: Good variety of Western and Asian dishes, nice fish and chips, reasonable prices, fun environment BUT hits and misses on the menu

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

The Boathouse @ TTDI

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM45/++ per person
Parking: OK (Weekday afternoons are crazy though)

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7727 4426
Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri - 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 12am
Sat - 12pm to 4pm, 6pm to 1am
(closed on Sundays)

NO PORK SERVED

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, TTDI, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, The Boathouse, Western, Asian

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

Strange how simple words from loved ones can hurt so much....

My boyfriend is sometimes surprised (maybe even appalled) at how sensitive I am to what he says to me.

Eg. "You have gained weight"

It's a simple enough statement, I suppose.
And for the record, it is a true and fair observation.
(I am still not in the "Fatty" category but I've definately gained a lot of weight over the last 2 years)
(Thank you, sedentary office lifestyle!)
I would readily accept it and maybe laugh it off if told to me by a friend or acquaintance...
... BUT if it was told to me by my bf (or parents), it would cause me to immediately morph into a babbling heap of manic depression, mangled feelings and self loathing.

Strange, no?

So, what's the moral of the story?
To all the boyfriends out there: Be careful of what you say to your girlfriends. It's not like we are trying to pick on you and make a big fuss of nothing but it's just that it's easy for your words to wound us because we love you. OK?
(Erm, or maybe it's just me)

Hmmm,... ok - maybe it's a little heavy for a Monday morning...
Anyway, I shall post up some food stuff tomorrow.
(Be patient with me, ok?)
:)

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Proclamation Of Hiatus

Dear friends,

Just to inform you: I will not be updating from Friday (6 October 2006) till Thursday (12 October 2006) as I will be away to New Zealand for holiday.
*J does the happy "I'm going on Ho-OH-lidaaaay" dance*
:)

Yay.
I'm going to go see the Hobbiton Set!
(I am such a geek)

Hey, does anyone know any good wineries/ good restaurant/ interesting places to recommend for the North Island of NZ?
(Any suggestions would be mucho appreciated)


Hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Hiatus, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

So, That's Where It Is

A pleasurable place spotted in Bangsar....

Looking for some fun?
Try this place:
Phwoar
*lol*
What a name!
:)

Ok, I admit it's a bit lame but hopefully it brought you smile on this wonderful Friday morning.
Have a great weekend ahead!

Hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Fun In The Attic

An interesting (smoke free!) bar with nice drinks and yummy desserts on the quieter side of Bangsar....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(March 09)

Oops. They have moved to CapSquare in KL (since Dec 2008).
I have not been to their new location.... so my review is pretty much completely obsolete but here are the new contact details for you (just in case):

CONTACT DETAILS:
(New) Name: Urbanattic @ KL
Address: G-46 CapSquare, No. 7 Persiaran Capsquare, Off Jalan Ampang, Capital Square, 50100 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 03-26933808
Website: Attic KL website

[ END EDIT ]

The Attic is a fairly new restaurant/ bar in the Bangsar area - it has only been opened for a few months. It is very low key, placed on the second floor of the shophouses in the Jalan Bangkung area (near Opus/ Tea For Two), accessible through a simple glass door next to the golf shop.

I love the ambience here.... It's arty, airy and modern with funky furniture and cool colours with a stark contrast of a bright red chandelier near the stairwell:


The attic interior
I have been there twice and noticed that they change the art pieces periodically, which is nice.
:)

There are also some delicious desserts to try there:


The sweet chocolatey call of tempation.....
I can't remember the names but they were all very yummy.
They usually have 2 or 3 different types of pastries at a time (priced at RM10 each) and the selection is changed daily... There is only a limited amount though, so if you're not lucky then it may have run out by the time you go there for drinks at night.
(They also have an ala carte menu of Spanish/ Italian food here but I haven't tried it yet)

There is also a range of classic drinks as well as interestingly named drinks (some of the names are quite naughty! *blush*). Generally, they taste pretty good and are moderately priced (not expensive but not cheap either) at around RM18++ to RM28++ for cocktails.

The major plus point for me is that they are a smoke free bar.
(Yay - no second hand smoke!)
Smokers will have to puff on their cancer sticks on the adjoining balcony area.

Sadly, this is probably the exact reason why it's always so empty on Saturday nights....
Still, you can call me weird if you want but I really enjoy having lots of space and clean, smoke free air which adds up to a comfortable and conducive environment to catch up with friends.
(As opposed to loud, crowded and smokey clubs/ bars/ lounges)
:)

Overall: Nice restaurant/ bar in Bangsar area that is smoke free! It has nice tasting and reasonably priced drinks and yummy desserts.

Summary Sheet:

The Attic @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar
Telephone No.: 03-2093 8842
Opening Hours: Weekdays (except Monday) - 12pm to 11pm, Weekends - 12pm to 1 am.
Parking : OK

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Bar, Restaurant, Cocktails, Alcohol, Bar, Lounge, Bangsar, Jalan Bangkung, The Attic, Chocolate Cake, Smoke Free

7 Deadly Songs

I have been tagged by Jemima....

Rules:
I have to name seven songs which I am listening to these days. The songs can be in any genre; with or without lyrics. The most important thing is that I enjoy listening to them all and will not get bored.

I suppose music's a good way to understand a person...
So, here's a peek into my soul:
;)
Music makes me happy!
- My 7 Songs! -
1) Bleed Like Me by Garbage
(I love Shirley Manson!)

2) Wake Me Up When September Ends by Greenday
(Well, the aftermath is like, 5 years and counting... *sigh*)

3) Beverly Hills by Weezer
(The ultimate "geeks made good" band)

4) Cry Me A River by Julie London
(Such a classic song - sung with a tone of heartbreakingly restrained sadness)

5) Ghost Of You by My Chemical Romance
(What can I say? I like my emo/ punk rock music)

6) Home by Michael Buble
(Mr Buble's voice is so soothing after a hard day's work)

7) I Don't Wanna Be by Gavin DeGraw
(Dunno lah - it's so mainstream (and I don't even watch One Tree Hill) but I like it)

OK - and lastly, I tag 7 people to spread the joy:
1) Merv
2) Meiyen
3) Ching Ling
4) Serina
5) Soo Jin
6) Lenny
7) Jo Lyn

Now, my work here is done....
(*ta-dah!*)

Hugs,
J


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Tag, 7 Songs, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal