Fish Avenue

23 Sept 2008 - Tuesday

Luckily our flight return to KL was 5.35pm. After the breakfast in the hotel, we were basically just relaxing in the hotel until 12pm to check-out.

Awana Porto Malai isn't a bad place. It has no private beach, but the view is great still. The room is comfy, both Andrew and I enjoyed it. We expected some smaller room which is only enough for 2 of us. To both of us, we're satisfied with Awana. It isn't as bad as some of the reviews I read on the internet.

The jetty for Star Cruise is actually located at the end of the road after Awana Porto Malai.

After check-out, we went to Jetty Point, a small shopping complex. Guess what, we had KFC for lunch! Hahaha! We just wanted to know if there is any different in the taste between Langkawi and KL. Haha. Silly, of course they taste the same. Now we know. Haha!

The Eagle Square is just beside the Jetty Point. Wow, the eagle is spectacular and big! The wind at the square was so strong!!! Nice view of the sea from the square too.

Didn't know where to go, we went to Telaga Harbour again which we went on the first day. Took more pictures. It was so damn hot and Andrew could stay under the hot sun for so long just to take the panoramic view of the harbour. Hats off to him!

On the way back to the airport, saw this restaurant named 7 Roofs Restaurant. It indeed has 7 individual green roofs. Too bad it was closed then.

Finally, back to the airport waiting for the flight. Bye bye Langkawi.

Geez, I'm now back in KL working like a dog. Hmm... Speak of dog, I only saw one dog in Langkawi... Weird...

The chocolates I bought on the 2nd day, all melted under the hot sun. My colleagues all had a great laugh when they saw the chocolates!

Tips:
1. Do rent a car with tinted film! The sun in Langkawi is hot.
2. Do buy chocolate at night!
3. Do apply lots and lots of sunscreen lotion.

I definitely will go back to Langkawi next year. It is good to go during month of Ramadhan, less crowds and less cars, if you prefer some quiet time.

I still haven't got the time to upload the photos. Promise I'll try to put them up as soon as possible.
I am glad that Andrew can finally take some great shots!!

22 Sept 2008 - Monday

Alarm sounded at 7am, but the brain was still in sleeping mode. Ended up woke up around 8.30am. Breakfast in the hotel. Sufficient, but I wouldn't say nice. Andrew ate a lot. :O He said going to climb the mountain later. Hahaha.

All set, we were heading to Mount Raya (Gunung Raya) for the Air Track (flying fox). I was so excited!
Had a glance at the fuel metre, 2 bars left. Andrew assured me "Enough!"

The road up Mount Raya was like going up the Genting Highlands. For those who drove up to Genting Highlands before would understand what I mean. Half way up (not really sure half way or not), the fuel metre dropped to 1 bar and blinking!!! Andrew, "No joke man! Better U-turn now or you and me will be gliding down hill with the car and stuck in the middle of no where". I couldn't believe it! We were almost there!!!

The petrol station was god damn far. After filling up the petrol, we didn't go up Mount Raya. We went to Durian Perangin Waterfalls instead. It was fun anyway. That was the first time in my life I have climbed so many rocky stairs! They aren't really stairs, just steps carved out of the rocky mountain, with handrill, luckily. My legs were aching half way through, I was gasping for air. I could only blame myself for not exercising enough!

Finally reached the peak. The falls are fantastic! Took some gorgeous photos. Andrew almost fell into the water! Hahahahahaha... Luckily the camera was in my hands... *Phew*

We stopped by at Tanjung Rhu Resort, took some photos by the beach. Nice view. Went in to the resort wanted to use the washroom. One of the security personnel approached us and told us only stay-in guests are allowed to roam here! I worked my charm and managed to convince him to let me use the washroom. Haha! My bladder was so full and I could just wet my pants in front of him if he didn't let me go in.

Next, we went to Kuah town for lunch and shopped in the duty-free shop. Andrew and I bought 1 pack (10 packets) of cigarettes each for our fathers. Geez... What kind of children are we? Encouraging the fathers to smoke!

We went to the Crocodile Farm in the afternoon, RM5 entrance fee each. Nothing much to see. They are all crocodiles, what do you expect. The show was not on, we missed it.

Before turning into Awana Porto Malai, Andrew went straight and we came to a dead end. My gosh! There is a Sunset Beach Restaurant inside and a whole stretch of beach! The view was so beautiful. Too bad that Andrew didn't want to wait for the sunset!!!

Back to the hotel, roamed here and there. Relax a while and freshen up, out for dinner in Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant. Ordered a fish, tiger prawns and vegetables... Cost us RM100. More reasonable than Putumayo!

There, the end of our 2nd day in Langkawi.

21 Sept 2008 - Sunday

Finished packing, slept at 1.30am. Woke up 4.30am, packing the daily necessities and my skincare. Felt like I was sleepwalking, couldn't remember what I packed. Rushed to the LCCT at 5.30am. Andrew's dad sent us to the KLIA instead!! Made a big U-turn to LCCT. Finally reached LCCT at 6.35am. Bye bye Kuala Lumpur for the time being. I would not miss YOU. Hehehehe.

We rented a car for 3 days for RM100, it was a Proton Iswara. Good enough for all the hilly roads. Most importantly, it doesn't consume much of the petrol.

Nice weather in Langkawi, all the sunshine and sea breeze... Funny, I wasn't coughing as much in Langkawi as when I was in KL. My voice was clear and my throat was good!

First destination - Langkawi Cable Car. Located near Pantai Kok. Entrance fee is only RM15 per person. It was fun. The cable car ascends almost at 45º! Along the way up the mountain, there's 2 waterfalls on the left and right side. The view is spectacular! About 10 minutes, we reached the first viewing deck. Another 5 minutes, it's the highest viewing deck. It is at 710 meters above sea level. The view is superb.

There is an Oriental Village located right at the exit of the cable car station. Nothing much there, just a lack of maintenance lake and some orange color buildings.

We went to Awana Porto Malai at 12pm to check-in. Silly Ashley got confused with the check-in and check-out time. Luckily the room was ready and they allowed us to have an early check-in. A plus point there.

The room was nice and spacious, can easily fit in another 2 single beds. The view from the room was fantastic! I didn't make the wrong decision then to top RM10 for sea view.

Freshen up, had lunch in Lan Kwai Fong Restaurant along Pantai Cenang. Not a good choice, but we were hungry.

Went to the Mahsuri Mausoleum (or Tomb of Mahsuri), entrance fee RM5 per person. Nothing much inside, just a walk-through of the story of Mahsuri and some kampung style show houses. There was a small bird park at the back though.

Went to the Kuah town, wanted to go to the Eagle Square. Damn it, no where to park the car! I was so damn tired and sleepy. Andrew parked the car so far from the square, had to walk a long distance to reach the square. I gave up not even half way. Went back to the hotel and sleep!! I was so tired that I slept all the way back to the hotel in the car.

Woke up at 8pm. Went to a fusion restaurant for dinner, Putumayo. What an unique name. The decorations are nice. But the food is damn expensive! 4 pieces of prawns, cost us RM28!!! Total bill was RM80 for 3 dishes and 2 juices. OMG!

After the dinner, we roamed around the shops and boutiques nearby. Back to hotel, explored the hotel. Time for bed.

Went back hometown 2 weeks ago. Showed father my DSLR camera, he was thrilled. He did ask me how much I bought it, and the price that I told him was way too much below the market price, and I even lied that it was a second hand. Hahahaha... He didn't believe it in the first place, that god damn camera just looks god damn new to him!! Geez... Nothing can escape his eyes. I managed to convince him though.

He was so excited that afternoon, he took out all his lens!! They are all Hoya lens! Total about 15 of them!! Too bad, none of them fit the DSLR, they are all 52/54mm, while mine is 58mm...... What a waste. Thought I could save some money on the filters and covers... Arghhhh......

I can't believe father has been keeping those lens till now... It is like, 20 years ago!! I can see that he still has the passion for photography, wish I could let him have it. Sorry dad, I need it for now... Next year, if I get "poisoned" again, I'll give you mine. Hehehe...

Father told me he sold his SLR camera because it had fungus. It was still usable, but he always likes things clean and perfect. He sold it to a friend who didn't mind that. He wanted to buy another one, and he said luckily he did not. Hahahaha...

He did play around with my camera, but I was surprised after I got back to KL and realised that there wasn't any photo taken by him! Hmm... I wonder why.

Quite a number of my friends were surprised when I bought my first DSLR camera. They didn't know that I have interest in photography and wanted to invest in a DSLR. I am lucky to be able to friend with a few great wedding photographers. One of them encouraged me to get a DSLR, while Edwin poisoned me to get a better one...... Hope one day, I could become like Jenny Sun. HA! I'm day-dreaming in the early morning!

I have always liked taking photos. When I had a point & shoot digital camera, I took good photos too. Just that when it comes to my own portraits or photos, people always mess up. :( Sometimes I would feel so unfair that I could take nice photos of them, and yet no one could take nice photos of me. Even Andrew can't take a nice close-up photo of me. Now it leaves me wonder, is it me that is so difficult to be captured by the lens?????????? I wish it wasn't!!!!!

My sisters and I were supermodels to my father when we were small. We have lots and lots of photos during our childhood. Father was very passionate about photography too when he was young. I remember he had a photo hanging in the old cabinet, a night view taken from a hilltop, mom told me that father won a 3rd prize with that photograph. When I was young, I liked to play around with father's camera. I couldn't remember what model it was, I only remember that it could hell take good photos. Haha. Too bad that father traded it off with a digital camera, all of us were equally shocked and sad. Months later, he himself regretted, 'cause the digital camera was nothing compared to his old manual camera. Haha. He missed his old camera.

I wonder how father would feel when I show him my DSLR this coming weekend. I know the very first thing he would ask me would be "how much does it cost". I have decided to lie about it. Haha. Bet he's not going to let go of it for the rest of the weekend. Can't wait to see him in action again!!

I'm the first to reach office, again. Sacrifice my sleep to follow Andrew out, just do not wish to take that bloody crowded train.

Listening to Andy Lau now, don't know what to think.....

Rejected a great job offer yesterday. Some said I'm stupid to let go such a golden opportunity. I could have a brighter future with the new job offer. Whatever it is, I have made my decision. All I can do now is look forward. With the support from Andrew and my superior, I could do better.

I got this name from Andrew. Wonder why he uses it for his Streamyx log-in ID. Found that it's cute, and it ryhmes with Fifth Avenue in NYC. Hahaha. I like fish, and I love shopping... So, I just use it!!

He saw my blog few minutes ago, yelled "You copied my ID!!!"

Hahahahaha...

It is really not easy to plan for a wedding. Be it your own or someone else's. I once thought it was an easy task, just get a date, get a gown, and wait for the day to come. I realised I was so wrong the moment I started planning my own.

I was pretty sad when I couldn't get Jenny Sun as my wedding photographer. The search for a perfect photographer went on for 2 months. I contacted more than 30 wedding photographers available in Malaysia, from super duper pricey to extremely budget.

The next big disappointment is the reception dinner. I can't have it my way, which is in a nicely decorated hotel ballroom. It is going to be in a run-down restaurant located beside the beach. Yep, the beach does give it some plus point. But the interior of the restaurant is disaster...

Anyway, I still feel lucky sometimes. My pre-wedding photoshoot went well, the photos are great. Mom is helping me a lot on small stuff. Got a budget wedding photographer and make-up artist.

Some asked, wedding is coming soon, how do I feel? Well... I was thrilled with my wedding at the very beginning, finally I'm getting married. Now as the day's getting closer, I'm not feeling excited for it anymore. I am waiting for the day to come, just get it over and done with.

By the way, my boyfriend has yet to propose to me. HA! Planning a wedding without a proposal.

Can’t believe that my birthday is coming, SOON!!!

I’ll be another year older, but wiser? I don’t know, I do know that I had been stupid and silly for the past one year.

Geez… My skin is not as perfect as before. I don’t dare to go out of the house without some face powder and concealer(someone might just think that a zombie or panda is walking on the street). My skincare regimen is something which I dare not to miss. (Lucky that I have not seen a wrinkle, yet!!)

Stamina isn’t as good as before, too. I used to shop from 11am to 9pm. Oh hell now I am so damn tired from a 4-hour shopping!

Used to sleep at 3 in the morning, wake up at 7am and still felt like a dragon. Tried that now, damn I could hardly see the words on my monitor which is just 20 inches away!

Geez, I seriously don’t feel like I’m 28 years old(2 weeks away). Looking back, gosh, my 18 year-old was 10 years ago! But I still feel like I’m 18! I still want to try the sky-diving, the bungee jump, skiing…..

Where have all my 10 years gone???

Looking at the photos, the young-looking and not-so-pretty girl, has already become a mature and quite-good-looking young lady. The hands of time had really worked its magic on me, they are just waiting for the right time to draw a few more 'strokes'. HA! As if I’m going to like that!

Valentine’s Day, was about 2 weeks ago. Andrew and I had never had the habit of celebrating Valentine’s Day. But weird enough, he had always bought me gifts on V Day. Guess that was his gesture of love.

Both of us happened to think that everyday is a V Day. Why wait for another 365 days to celebrate the love and eventually you could choose to celebrate it every single day? We do not stop loving each other everyday, so it is only right to celebrate love everyday.

The most unforgettable V Day was not spent with Andrew, it was a dinner together with both my parents few years back. I was back at home, all my sisters were out celebrating with their darlings. I was home with my mom and dad, Andrew wasn’t with me. And big daddy suggested to eat out as there were only 3 of us. So off we went to the river side for some cheap hawker food.

Dad ordered my favorite butter prawn, and mom ordered another of my favorite, fried oyster with eggs. They are all my favorite food, and yes, I can still remember it now. We were having our dinner happily and suddenly an auntie came by, who happened to be the owner of the stall. "What a good girl, having dinner with mom and dad on valentine’s day while most of the youngsters would rather go out with darling," she said.

What a cute aunty!

Anyway, it wasn’t her comment that made me happy and made the night unforgettable. It was the moment that I feel grateful that I could have dinner with my parents on V Day. Guess most of us (yeah, I said most of us, not everyone of us) would have thought of spending it with the girlfriend or boyfriend, not many would have thought of spending it with parents. Many of us would think that we have plenty of time to have dinner with parents. But I guess it is the special occasion that will make the parents happy, knowing that you are home with them, remembering them on such a special day.

It is only recently that my parents do not need my company as much as they did during V Day or any other day. They are getting more and more romantic as they age! They would go out together without telling the rest of us, dad had started buying flowers for mom, they would only have lunch or dinner when the other is around, they would always follow when the other wants to go out, they would hold each other hands when we’re not looking… It’s cute, and fun watching them. It makes me think that they are young again, like us.

Will I be as lucky as they are? Having someone to age together and still hold my hands when they have wrinkled…

I really feel envious of my parents……