i am a pretty boy who forgets to log off on his cousin's laptop. :)

Back on my Nexus One

boy I love technology!

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Journey with my DSLR...

Hornbill

Catch me if you can...

Man this bee is buzzing around at WARP speed! so fast and i only managed one shot... i think he's camera shy. hehehe... the bottom is the actual size of my 12Mpixel SLR... woweee..

Makro shots...

Dont you just LOVE makro shots! Makes the tiny little things so live size... actually visual size! :)

Soule mama wanna be :)

Does it look like Soule Mama's blog? :) I love her photos alot!

Check out: http://www.soulemama.com/

New TOY!

Yikes! can't believe i finally bought my brand new toy! Finally will be able to take better quality photos with me SLR...hehe. Watch out for more photos :)

Sunrise, volcanos and horse riding...

Hey hey... it's been quite an exciting and tiring Sunday for me :) Left Surabaya at 12am for a 4 hours drive to Mt. Bromo to catch the sunrise at 2800meters above sea level. 7 of us, a driver, an Avanza, a 4x4 hard top and 5 1/2 hours later, we made it just in the nick of time to awe ourselves with the scenic and breath taking view.

After daylight greeted us, we were left with another jaw dropping picturesque view of the volcano Mt. Semeru which stands just above 8600 meters above sea level accompanied with her sister moutains. Attached you will be able to see Mt Semeru and Mt. Bromo passing gasses... haha.

Took a horse ride up to one of the lower sister volcano moutain Mt. Bromo. Me and my new found mode of transportation seem to be getting along very well. I find myself enjoying back horse riding. Quite easy to master once you are able to communicate with the horse. Actually, communication here means getting the horse to do what you want them too :)

More photos are avaliable in my facebook... do check them out!

me@semarang.indonesia places to go!

hi guys.. guess where i've been visiting during my weekends here in Semarang? Sam Po Kong temple... the website! hahaha.. it's so boring here the only place i've been to is the website.. and that's all they have here... shite! Photo compliments from http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297712-s4/Semarang:Java:Things.To.Do.html

PC&me@bali.indonesia

Actually, this was suppose to be posted way before me@semarang.indonesia. Guess it's not all just work work and work... sometimes we take a little time off to enjoy with someone special. Thanks for coming over dear... i had a great time :)

me@semarang.indonesia

Interesting fact: Pak Arifin said that Semarang is actually 3meters below sea level. Time to proof this fact. I'm getting out my trusted old GPS and me E65 to see if it's actually true. How bored am I?

MIGRATORY LOCOUST

Hey guys! Check out my brand new toy! hahaha.. this is damn fun. Engineering wonder and i've always wanted one of these.. SUPER miniature helicopter!

Finally.. Land of a thousand gods!

Finally after 3 MONTHS working in Indonesia, i've made it to Bali... yea! Found a valid reason to justify my trip here... Haha. It's just my 4th day and i've been able to check out some tourist spots over the weekend. Kuta, muzeums, and eating places. I've also added some photos in my Facebook. Do check them out when you have the time and click the image above for a better view :)

Where I've been wondering...

red: flights, blue:planned trip, green: by car.

map: compliments of MapPoint.

It's been 3 months since i've started my work as Quality Manager for the telco project here in Indonesia. I have to say that i'm pretty glad to be given the opportunity to travel around and living off my "briefcase". Unfortunately, i've been pretty busy and haven't been updating my blog. Please feel free to add me in Facebook. :)

Workshop in Bandung..

All I can say that these people really know what they are doing... hehe some would even say they are just here to 'con' & 'insult' (consultant). I guess not all of them. Well, a lot of rectification and cleaning up to do... better get on it right away!

Ceiter - Hot Springs!

The hot springs was also an experience I haven’t had the chance to indulge in. The water was a nice 42.5 degrees and the alkali level is about pH 2.5. It was fun to dip yourself into it as the water stings your eyes and the rain drops on your head. Very relaxing. Too bad it’s not like those Japanese hot springs with natural surroundingsJ. That’ll be great! My next holiday destination? :)

Tangkuban Prahu – with it’s interesting story!

Well, I do believe that this is the first volcano that I’ve been to. For those interested in visiting Indonesia, I would recommend Bandung. It is the place to visit and has plenty of hotels and service apartments. The traffic is a lot better compared to Jakarta and the air is so much cooler and cleaner. Although it’s just below 1000 meters above sea level, the locals are wearing jackets and sweaters as if it’s 16 degrees! Weird. Unfortunately it’s been raining almost every day since I’ve been here. Besides the Volcano (Tangkuban Prahu – with it’s interesting story) and the hot springs, I was told that there is another volcano nearby which is much better than this! I’m making plans to go there this weekend. Good thing I have the company car and driver to bring me around on the weekends. He he he…

READ The ‘Highlighted Interesting Story’ about Tangkuban Prahu
The 1830 meter high Tangkuban Prahu volcano is one of Bandung 's main tourist attractions. With its 5 craters of which at least three are still active, it makes for a spectacular sight. Unfortunately, the smell is equally spectacular, the sulphur mostly resembling rotten eggs. The volcano can be reached in less than one and a half hours from Bandung and is approximately 30 minutes from the scruffy horticultural town of Lembang . To get there, take an angkot (minivan) to Lembang and change to another angkot that says Tangkuban Prahu.
The area of which the Tangkuban Prahu volcano forms the heart has been given the name Parahyangan , which translates to ‘home of the spirits' and is considered the spiritual origin of the Sundanese. Legend tells that in the past, a young boy by the name of Sang Kuriang fell in love with his own mother who he hadn't seen for many years (because he'd allegedly killed his father and was kicked out of the house). The mother, upon finding out the awkward family ties between her and ‘her lover', tries to get rid of his affection by giving him the impossible task of building 1000 boats in 1 night. If that wasn't hard enough, she also undermined his attempt by making the roosters cry too early. The son fails and will never be able to marry the love of his life. In anger and frustration, he kicks one of his newly built boats which turns upside down and grows into a mountain. That explains the name Tangkuban Prahu, which means ‘upside down boat'.
The park is a huge area with forests that make for great hikes to the craters. The main crater, kawah ratu , is lined with a selection of tacky tourist shops selling miniature ninja puppets, bonsai trees and hats made out of rabbit fur. This is also where most of the street/mountain vendors hold office with their strawberries and raspberries so be prepared to be followed around with those relentlessly.
The small information centre has a model of the volcanic area and some brochures, but the best way to enjoy the Tangkuban Prahu is to take a walk around the crater. There, the tourist traps are absent and the views of the bubbling mud and steam are quite impressive.
It is possible to walk down to the main kawah ratu crater in record speed of two hours, but make sure you wear appropriate shoes since the ‘road' is rocky and slippery. An alternative route would take you to kawah domas , a crater with a small sulphur mine that can be reached in about 30 minutes and where the main attraction is boiling eggs in the 94-98 degree water.
Admittance to the park is Rp.35,000 for foreigners and Rp. 12,000 for locals, the underlying assumption being that most foreigners are loaded. So unless you look distinctly Indonesian, expect to pay up. Sometimes ‘negotiating' with the staff will bring the price down a bit.

Bandung Suprise!

CAN you belive this?? They are planting STRAWBERRIES here on Bandung.. and i heard that they also have APPLE BEARING TREES here in higher ground! it's only about 685 meter above sea level (that's what my Bluetooth GPS says)... Kinda sad looking those strawberries are though.

From Surabaya to Bandung via Jakarta...

I must say, i'm being very bold here trying out the 'really local' food here in Bandung. This is Bakso Mie campur. Bakso = funny tasting meatballs with not edible stuffs in it :) Found this cool looking 'kampung' shop near one of the site visits and thought "Hey, why not... let's give it a try" Oh ya, Jeruk = orange k.. just fyi.

Nasi Padang in Surabaya with some locals...

Can you believe how many dishes were served in front of us?? hahaha.. YUM, all you can eat buffet 'Indon Style'. Having late lunch with Marel (QA engineer) and the driver on the way back from a site near Malang which is about 3 hours South from Surabaya. One of the 'highlights' from my stay here in East Jawa.

Mudslide hits thousands of houses in Sidoarjo, Surabaya !

Wow.. Natural disaster, they dug and hit... MUD! Drowned 16 'kampungs' here and now flooded with rain water. Terrible.. just terrible. Happened just early this month. Read more below...

Mudslide hits thousands of houses in SidoarjoSurabaya (ANTARA News 11/02/2008) - A mudslide flooded thousands of houses at Besuki village in the East Java district of Sidoarjo on Sunday.Prayitno, a victim from the village, said that around 1,453 families have been forced to evacuate after their homes were inundated by the hot mud.He said the level of hot mud had reached over one meter in their houses and therefore they had to flee to safer areas but there were no makeshift tents nor adequate logistic support for them.The mudslide began early on Sunday evening when an embankment burst after days of torrential rains and strong winds.Meanwhile, Sidoarjo Mud Management Board (BPLS) spokesman, Sunarso, said effort to repair the damage was hampered by the speed and force of the mudslide which surged into the village."Anyway, the BPLS has to make every effort to overcome the mud from flowing into larger area," Sunarso said. (*)
COPYRIGHT © 2008

Arrival in Jakarta.. land of many cars!

:) I just uploaded these photos from my camera. So much better from my camera phone photos right? Amazing! 8 BLOCKS on 'Mal Tmn Anggrek', Jakarta. They said that they could feel the floor shake whenever there is an earthquake.. haha, and i'm living on Block 6 21st floor unit C. It's only half the height. If i'm not mistaken, there are over 45 floors there! *gulp*

Working in Indonesia...

Oh well, the traffic JAM is as BAD as Manila. That's about all i want to say about it... sigh! Anyway, I'm staying on top of this HUGE shopping complex call Mal Taman Anggrek. There are 8 towers of 40 over floors high apartments on TOP of this HUGE ass building. As you can in the photo, the shopping 'Mal' is not bad.

There is a photo of my room in the apartment and the other photos is my 'cubicle with a view' at the office. haha.. only looking out at the traffic condition.

Well, i'm headed off to East Jawa (Surabaya) for more work tomorrow morning for 10 days. Hopefully will get a chance to get online there...

Here we go again!

Looks like it's travelling time again :) After nearly 4 months of supporting the local project with U Mobile, I'm heading off to Jakarta! Massive NTS project happening over there and i'm required to stay in Indonesia for at least a few months! I'm coming back to KL at the end of March though.. so, stay tuned for more updates in my blog for hopefully some interesting posts :)

3-4 Nov 2007 - My eChi got Married!

I would like to wish the happy couple congratulations and all the best wishes! Lots of love from your brother :)

Bandung, sounds like a drink eh...

Well, after NZ, it's 1 week training in Bandung, Indonesia. Some HQ RnD trainners came down to update us all on the 'Quality' issues. Meet most of the fellow QA colleagues working all aound Asia Pacific. This place reminds me of Penang but of course just filled with lots and lots of indons.. haha.