Lunar New Year

celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year is always exciting... to me of course. well, this time i am in Singapore... my dad's side. arrived in JB around 6am... (yes we took the train). ate 'puri' at a nearby mamak for breakfast before setting foot for the new CIQ complex. it looks nice and all from the outside but the walk from the main road to the customs itself took almost 15 minutes! used almost 5 escalators before landing ourselves at the automated gates for the Malaysian passports. the complex is huge... loads of counters. already feeling tired from the train ride, whereby i only slept for 5 hours... on and off actually... the bunk was pretty narrow but at least it fit my 5'7" frame. sleeping upstairs was a challenge... and if im not mistaken, it is more expensive. curtains have to be closed cause the corridor lights are on throughout the whole journey. it also surprise me that the train was quiet... and majority of the people were actually sleeping! well, i guess the bunk berths do serve their purpose to everybody.

after walking upwards from the main road in the CIQ... now we walk downwards... but only one flight of escalators and we are at the bus stops. it was easy... cost RM1 to Kranji MRT before taking the train directly to Lakeside MRT. walked toward the condominium and Uncle Freddie was waiting for us (he doesnt have sixth sense but we called him at the MRT station).

after resting and having some breakfast... dad and i headed down to Chinatown... as usual, using the MRT. it was very convenient... stopped at Outram Park and walked towards Chinatown. it wasnt that far, maybe around 10 mins of walking before we reached the main area. honestly, i dont remember going to Chinatown for as often as i have been in Singapore. funny!

well, it was an eye opener and a wonderful experience walking through Singapore's Chinatown. it was pretty huge, at least bigger than the one in Perth! there were at least 4 different roads that sold practically anything you want! from food to electronics and stuffs that you will buy and look at it for a month before it rots and spoils. in the same location were a buddhist temple and also an indian temple. foreigners were galore (and we were one of them)... looking at stuffs, trying them out and finally purchasing it. bargaining is a must... and i guess these foreigners are smart enough these days... overall, it was fun and exciting and ending the trip with a munchy lunch at a local Sarawak dry mee stall. it was not bad actually... just a little pricy... SGD10 per person; one bowl of noodles and a drink.

we headed to Chinese Garden & the Japanese Garden soon after and decided to walk home after going through both gardens. it was great... Chinese Garden was really beautiful, very Emperor-like feeling with statues of their great masters and idols. the pagoda was great as well, aside from climbing up almost 5 floors to the top. quite a spectacular view i might add. the whole concept of this garden was pretty similar to the one in Beijing; the Summer Palace. they had the boat there as well, whereby in Beijing is the marble built boat just for the emperor.

the Japanese Garden was not far-off from the Chinese Garden. with loads of bonsai plants for show, it is very typical Japanese. architecture was so Jap that made you really feel like a Jap in the older buildings right there in Japan. didnt really complete the whole place as we were getting tired and my feet was soaring from my brand new Lacoste shoes. first time wearing it after i bought it; and it was not a brilliant idea to wear it to the extreme kind.

overall, photographers and nature enthusiast will certainly love the Chinese and Japanese garden. even heard that many photographers flock to the Gardens in the morning to capture birds of all sorts. fantastic place for all of all ages. dont forget to bookmark it!

Reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year was mouth watering! we had steamboat at one table and a grill on the other table. simple; buffet style. my nieces were playing masak-masak... literally... for REAL! haha. they were actually cooking (grilling) prawns, beef and sausages for the adults. lovely in it? haha. half way through... the induction cooker used to boil the steamboat gave in... smoke started to blowout and it can be assumed that the cooker has a blown engine! and there we go... going back old school style, the stove! ahha. funny but true! stuffed ourselves like hungry people that havent eaten for a decade... and majority of everything were finished! yes... hungry people on the loose!

and that is how the night ended... after a healthy and weight-gaining dinner... we relax and chilled in front of the tv... watching Kung Fu Hustle and also some mahjong show that i watched before. whilst watching, the massage chair was the way to go! haha. oh yes... my back really needed that rubbing!

until i continue my next Chinese New Year adventure...

Have a OX-spicious New Year
HAPPY NIU YEAR

niu is ox in mandarin btw...

BELATED NEW YEAR TO YA'LL

heya! firstly, apologies for not updating me blog... was pretty busy the last few weeks. loads of stuffs and activities going on. secondly... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!! so long 2008, so soon 2009! well, its the new year... and we would normally talk about resolutions and future plannings. as for me, i dont really know what is in-store for me this Year of the Ox, but as usual, im a happy go lucky person and therefore, whatever comes around... i will be there. lol.

New Year's eve celebration was fantastic for me... spent quality time with me better half and had loads of fun enjoying the fireworks in-stored at KLCC. with a bottle of wine with us, we sat by the pool half past 11 and sipped out wine till the new year clocks! Maxis Tower's digital clock was the target time and when it struck (or turned) 12 (midnight), lights lit up from everywhere and the fireworks came just after. it was spectacular! personally, Impiana Hotel is the best spot to enjoy the spectacular fireworks. best view in town! my recommendations of course. hehe.

enjoy the pictures...

for more pictures, please visit my Flickr site. thank you!
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WELCOME TO THE YEAR OF THE OX