Life is a learning process

A month later

2012-01-07T20:39:00.006+08:00

Today my son is one month old... yes, he is not here by my side but that does not mean i have forgotten about him. He is still and forever will be in my memory. Don't get me wrong, i have accepted what the almighty has destined.

I pray not to have another child, although the almighty knows that i have been longing to have my own child ever since i got married, i will keep on trying. now i have more faith in facing anything that i will never expect in life that i pray for Allah to give me what is best in this world and in the hereafter

When i look at this positively i have seen the 'hikmah'(blessings) on why this happened, im sure in the future i might thank Allah on the changes and the lessons i have learned.

Son,

The moment i knew i was pregnant was the best news i could ever ask for And when the time came for us to know your gender, your ayah was the happiest dad in the world. I guess he must have envisioned you to have a career path like him and your tok mi :).

Sometimes i wonder if i did anything wrong when i was pregnant to you..... But i think allah has planned this, at least i know how my son looks like... More like his ayah. I wonder what you are doing up there. Im sure you are in a better care. With free flow of food and drinks, better than your mom's cooking :)

Son, you will always be my first born, we bought some stuff for you but we will keep it for your adik insyallah . Allah knows best,!
Wait for me at the gates of heaven... it is every mother's wish to meet their child in heaven. (I know he can't read this, but i wish to express myself).

cherish every moment you have... you never know what the future holds - this statement has brought a whole new meaning for me.

My Son

2011-12-19T11:39:00.023+08:00

My son Zaeem Muhaymin bin Farez was born on the 9th of Dec 2011 at 2.53pm weighing 2.1kg

that's me at 37 weeks an hour before my planned cesarean

Because my blood pressure was high at 37 weeks I had to deliver via- c-section. the worst part of the c-section was getting curled up when i was given my epidural, which resulted in me feeling that my legs are not straight through out the operation... urghhh that got me really stressed.

About half an hour after, my baby boy came out crying straight away.... Alhamdulillah he was perfect in every way!!! everything I asked for.

The doctor did a thorough check on him and found out that he had a metabolic disorder (High acidity in his blood) which is a very rare condition.

My boy on the first day, He had Pneumonia which was common for a baby his size.

My boy on his second day, he was progressing well!

My son on his third day, getting ready to be feed by mommy. His acidity was still high, but the doctor could not diagnose his condition yet thus he was allowed to be breastfed.

My son ....he loves mommy's milk : )

My son, sleeps like his father.

He was transferred to HKL on the fourth day since all the metabolic experts are all in HKL. when he arrived he was very weak, the doctors tried to correct the acidity in his blood and decided that a Parethonial Dialysis might help.

Even after the Dialysis his condition didn't look too promising, and the doctors decided to have a long line inserted directly to his heart for him to get all the necessary nutrition.

It is sad for me to see all this being done to him but in my heart, i shouldn't loose hope. He is fighting and i should give him every possible chance that he has to live. Up to this point all his major organs are failing... His heart, lungs , liver, kidney... even his brain has bleeding.......

My boy fighting for his life....

It was very difficult to see him at that stage every time i visit him... i pray that he doesn't feel the pain... i told him if he cant stand it, just let go and that im ready to accept what ever that is going to happen to him.

On the 8th day, the doctor said his overall performance is deteriorating, he is very bloated at this point of time because the Dialysis wasn't working well. due to his blood clogging. My husband and I cant stand this any longer, we prayed istikharah (asking Allah to guide us to make the right decision) either to switch the machine off or to keep on trying.

On the 9th day, Allah answered our prayer and made it easy for us to decide. He was very weak, and we decided to turn the switch off because as parents we have done our best, as doctors they have tried their best and we have never look back and regret.

I requested that he should be sedated so he will slowly go without feeling any pain. I hold him in my arms till his heart stops beating.

I love my son dearly and i thank Allah that he gave me a chance to be a mother, to hold him close to me, to hear him cry when he was still strong.... to have him grip my fingers when i was nursing him. to have him in me for 37weeks..... There is so much to be thankful for. I believe Allah has his reasons for this to happen and i accept it wholeheartedly.

I admire the support my family and my husband's family has given to both of us through this hardship. They were there from the beginning till the very end

I know he is in Heaven, waiting for his parents... he is my inspiration to be a better muslim so I will get to meet him there.
ut
Cause of death: Congenital Lactate acidosis To Rule Out Mitochondrial disorder pyrovate Carboxylase.

Time of death: 1.05pm 18/Dec/2011

Something to share

2011-06-11T12:16:00.002+08:00

Found this on a blog called lessonsoftheday.com, and I found it as a reminder for me

5 Wisdoms

1.
If you are right, then there is no need to get angry.
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.

2.
Patience with family is love
Patience with others is respect.
Patience with self is confidence.

3.
Never think hard about past, It brings tears.
Don't think more about future, It brings fears.
Live this moment with a smile, It brings cheers...

4.
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better.
Every problem comes to make us or break us.
Choice is ours, whether we become victim or victorious.

5.
Search a beautiful heart, not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.
Posted by Mrs. Iffath Hasan at 11:10 AM 3 comments

Istanbul DEC 2010

2011-01-02T09:35:00.016+08:00

Istanbul is another great city to visit and I had the chance to be there for 3 days and 2 nights. Although time was limited i was very satisfied and I might consider a second trip because there is just so much to see and do here : ).

At the time of my visit, the weather was 6 degrees in the afternoon I didn’t bother to know how many degrees it was at night. Winter limits my movement so I think I need a thicker winter jacket next time.

Arrived around 7 on Monday morning and started the day by touring Topkapi Palace since it closes on Tuesday. Took the hotel shuttle bus around 15 minutes to reach sultanahmat area (that’s where all the tourist sights are) .

Paid about TL20 to enter Topkapi and an extra 15TL to enter the Harem and spent roughly 3 hours touring Topkapi and the harem. I would recommend paying the extra money to enter as you get to see the wonderful insights into the lives of those who lived in the Harem. You can also get to see the Sultan and the princess room and the bathroom.

Topkapi used to be official and primary residence of Sultans from 1465 to 1856 during Ottoman Empire Era. Inside Topkapi you will get the chance to see holy relics of the Muslim world such as the prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword, clothes, gifts from neighbouring countries.

Before entering Topkapi Palace youwill find a souvenir shop on your right selling the a guide book for 5 TL, I would suggest to purchase that so you wont miss any important places in the compound.

Opening hours:- open daily between 09:00 – 17:00 except on Tuesdays
Price:- 20 TL for adults and another 15 TL to the Harem.

INFORMATION CENTRE

Around sultanahmet area there is an information centre which I discovered on my second day thus I managed to get myself a map to use for my second visit (I hope) It’s just across the railway tracks opposite the shops.

Since we had time after touring Topkapi Palace we decided to visit the Basilica cistern which was a walking distance. A visit can take 30 minutes to an hour depending on your interest. Could be boring to most but if you appreciate history this place would be worth a visit. A pamphlet explaining the history is free and you can get it on your way out.

The cistern was built in the 6th century under the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, to provide water for the city but after the Ottoman conquest in 1453, it was covered over and forgotten. In 1545, the Turks rediscovered it, and used it to provide water for Topkapi Palace and nearby buildings. There is a small café located before you exit the cistern.

MEDUSA'A Head!!! : )

Opening hours: every day from 09:00 am to 17:30
Price:- TL10 (TL3 for Turkish citizens)

Second day was to visit Ayasofya, blue mosque and the bazaars.

Ayasofya

Ayasofya was initially a church and after the conquest of the city in 1453, Mehmet the conquerer made it into a mosque. It served as a mosque until 1935 when kemal atartuk (turkey’s 1st president) saw it as a historical place and proclaimed it as a museum till today.

Don’t miss the upper gallery which houses beautiful pictures of the museum taken by a professional. Upper gallery closes an hour before the museum.

Opening hours:- Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Pice:-

Blue Mosque

It is named as such because of the interior which is so beautifully blue. Blue mosque is still used as a mosque so its closed to visitors for a bout 30 minutes during the five daily prayers and maybe closed for a longer time on Fridays for Friday prayers.
Bosphorus Cruise

I planned on taking this cruise but because it is winter I can’t afford going on a cruise and the wind blowing directly so i had to say no to this.

ACCOMODATION

I stayed at Novotel hotel which is not very far to the city. From the hotel to sultanahmet we took the hotel shuttle which took us about 15 minutes tops.

Important: if you are using the shuttle please reserved your seats the day before and reserve your return seats as well so you won’t get stranded : )

SHOPPING

I went to spice bazaar and Grand bazaar. Because of my time constrain I visited both bazaar in one day thus I didn’t get the chance to tour the whole bazaar. I bought t-shirts and the ceramics as souvenirs.

I made a mistake of not listing how many souvenirs I wanted to buy thus ended up buying different t-shirts at different shops and ended up loosing quite a bit of Liras. Adult t-shirts I bought it for 10TL, I bet you can get like 9 TL or 8TL if you buy more than one. Kids t-shirt I got about 8TL.

This is what i found while walking... its kinda nice to frame and keep at home

FOOD

loved the turkish delight at this particular tore in spice bazaar... the turkish delight is mixed with honey and not sugar so it wasn't sooooo sweet. here is a picture of me with the store owner.

Had fresh fish sandwich, they made it on the boat and we have it on land... it taste so good and you eat it with what they provide that is some lemon juice and some salt... i would add my own ketchup if i were to have this again.

I love the freshly squeezed juice they offer , im actually more interested on the juicer hahaha

WEBSITE
I found this website to be useful

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-blue-mosque

2011-01-02T01:10:00.003+08:00

In 2009 I made a top 10 list of places I would like to visit for 2010... and fortunate enough I manged to visit a few.. guess i have to update my top 10 for 2011 although I may find it hard to travel since I have started work

2009 list for 2010 I manged to fulfill 4/10 ... ok i guess : )

1) TURKEY– Istanbul (DONE)
2) SPAIN - Cordoba – Granada
3) EGYPT –Cairo
4) ITALY – Rome (DONE)
5) MALDIVES
6) UNITED KINGDOM – London (DONE)
7) INDIA – Taj mahal (DONE)
8) US San Francisco and LA
9) INDONESIA - Bali
10) THAILAND – Bangkok

top 10 places to visit in 2011

1) SOUTH AFRICA - Johannesburg - Number one on my list this time
2) SPAIN - Cordoba _ Granada
3) MALDIVES - Yes this is still in
4) KOREA
5) JAPAN
6) EGYPT- I still want this on my list
7) THAILAND
8) US
9) VIETNAM
10) undecided... : )

Ramblings

2010-12-07T11:42:00.002+08:00

Gosh again I have to say I have not been updating my blog.... will have to update as soon as I reach home... that way i wont lose any important information I would like to share... : )

LONDON PART 2/2

2010-09-14T20:17:00.001+08:00

I Covered almost all the museums and the most interesting Museum of all is The Imperial War Museum

1. The Imperial War Museum,
It has every bit of information that you would like to know about ww1 and ww2. I would advice visitors to visit early in the morning because there is just so much to see and learn from here.
http://london.iwm.org.uk/

Open daily 10.00am - 6.00pm
Last admission 5.45pm
(closed 24, 25 and 26 December)
ADMISSION IS FREE
(Special exhibitions may charge an admission fee)

2.Victoria and Albert Museum
V&A is undoubtedly another great museum London has to offer, nevertheless i didn't spend much time touring this museum. I would say its more towards arts designs and sculptures which is not what i like.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/

3. Science Museum
If you plan to bring your kids somewhere in London I guarantee that kids will love the Science Museum. Again its free and its very informative and interactive for the kids as well as for the adults
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

4.The British Museum

This museum is wonderful, it has remarkable collections that spans over two million years of human history, the museum provides free museum tours that i would highly recommend the tour to everyone. Entrance is free and visitors would spent an entire day here.

www.britishmuseum.org

5.The Royal Air Force Museum

My Husband loves planes and every part of it so this museum is a must. This museum is a little further away from central London thus my husband we took a tube to reach the museum. Im not into planes that much but I did find it rather interesting.

opening hours 10.00am to 1800 Monday to Sunday
entrance free, parking free
Grahame park way, Hendon, London , NW95LL
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/

6. Sherlock Holmes Museum

For Sherlock Holmes fan this museum is a must... i didn't have time for this museum so this will be saved for my next visit to London whenever that is : ).

PARKS
DO Bring your kids along to the parks as London has BEAUTIFUL parks

1. Regents Park
This park is nice during spring, nothing much to see during winter.

LONDON'S ATTRACTIONS
1.London's dungeons
Personally London's Dungeons is a perfect waste of money, I seriously thought it was as scary as how it was advertised but it turned out to be boring... I wouldn't suggest it to anyone but if you still would like to go, get your tickets online to get discounts.
http://www.the-dungeons.co.uk/london/en/index.htm

2.London Tombs
Its a new scary attraction that i just came to know after i went for London's Dungeon. I didn't give it a try enter since i wasted money going to the prior
http://www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com/

3. Madam Tusoude
I didn't plan on visiting Madam Tousoude because i don't find any excitement to see people in wax. To those who would like to go, dont forget to visit the website to get discounts.
http://www.madametussauds.com/

4. London Zoo

There were not many animals in the zoo, I guess its unfair to keep the animals in small cages. Nevertheless, My nephew loved the animals.

http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo//

5.Tower of London

(A picture outside the tower of London)
Entrance fee is 17.00pounds for adults and don't forget to join the free tour to know everything about the tower.
http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/

6.Tower Bridge

Many refer to this bridge as the London Bridge... but this is actually the tower bridge. Sorry i don't have a picture of London bridge but you can google and find out.

7.Big Ben

Big Ben is popular in London as it is the biggest four-faced, chiming clock in the world. Big Ben actually is a nick name of the main bell housed in the tower. whatever it is, Big Ben represents London like the twin towers represent Malaysia I would say .

8.Royal Albert Hall

This building is well known by Malaysians because in 1995, a famous Malaysian singer performed in this very hall.I didn't get a chance to enter thus a picture with this beautiful building is a must.

9.London eye

I can't share my experience on this because i didn't get on it..... maybe on my next visit i will
http://www.londoneye.com/

10. Buckingham palace

For first timers to London this is a popular attraction. Of course if you have been to London many times why would you come to buckingham palace again and again. The Changing the Guard ceremony takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter.The Guards actually arrive at 11.15am with music so its best if you could make it by then to get the best out of the whole ceremony.

THEATERS

1.39 steps

(This picture is at Piccadilly circus with 39 steps theater in the background)
39 steps has only four actors playing a minimum of 139 role so it is very impressive. If you love humor like my sister and dad than this will be spot on for you , as for me ... its not my cup of tea :).
I got a cheap ticket when i purchased it at some booth (sorry i cant remember) .I paid 25.00pounds for a 45pound value ticket.

2.The lion king

The Lion King IS THE BEST, love the actors, love the costumes, stunning effects, enchanting music and glorious colors filled the theater. Basically I loved everything about it. Im sure everyone is aware of the story of simba, his journey from a cub to become king

Tickets are cheaper to purchase from lion king theater (Lyceum theater) as you don't need to pay any booking fee. Mind you that this theater is always a full house. i was seated at the grand circle, wasn't bad if you have your own binoculars bring it or you can choose to rent one for 1 pound. you can bring some drinks and snacks to munch during the interval.
www.thelionking.co.uk

TIPS
I found this website helpful to get most of what you want from London, from attractions to shopping places to food

http://www.londontoolkit.com/walks/london_walks.htm

London Part 1

2010-08-15T11:59:00.015+08:00

I had the chance to visit london twice this year, once in March during winter with my husband and again in June during spring with my sister. i would say the best time to visit would be end of June as the weather is perfect and the day i was leaving that's when oxford street has SALE signs all over the stores. So yeah, do come when its summer sale ( late June) everything is unbelievably cheap

For a start i would suggest you get a 'tube' and 'central London' map to plan your day. I got mine from lost and found counter next to the Baker street station.

For this London entry ill blog about what i did on both visits. Lets start with

Transport in london
From the airport
1>You can either take a taxi ( my sister pre-book a taxi online)

2>Take Heathrow Connect which costs 7.90 straight to central london. I find this better as you arrive faster and its less of a hassel to change tubes and buses
https://www.heathrowconnect.com/index.asp?SID={46D3EE2F-EDBD-4874-B1C8-427A5D6D076C}

3>or you can take the tube straight from the airport

tube and bus takes you almost to every tourist attraction you can think of in london. tube map is available at any tube station at its very easy to understand, it took me and my husband (first timer to london) 2 days to understand and by then we were pro-public transport traveler : )

to travel by tube or bus its better to purchase an oyster card from newsagents or i think you can get it from the tube station. oyster is a great way to travel and you can choose any travel package that suits your budget.

there is daily tube/bus, daily bus/tube, weekly bus/tube. i suggest if you think you might take mora than 3 buses a day better go for daily buss package, it costs 3.90 and you can hop on and off the busses anytime.

if you plan to go on the buss every day during your stay get weekly, its equivelant to 5 times of daily bus for 7 days basically its a free 2 day thing.

I personally prefer the bus than the tube as you can see the stores outside, just stop and hop back on.

For information on oyster, printable tube maps and basically anything you would like to know about public transport in london you can find it on this page http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

London shopping

London is a shopping heaven (i love it more if everything is on sale) to name a few would be Oxford street (a must), here you can find westfield shopping centre, jhon lewis, H&M, Primark etc etc.

High end shops like mango, zara, burberry etc etc is closer to Piccadilly circus. At Piccadilly circus bus stop you can also visit lilywhite ( cheap sports stuff and also a store for camping stuff - which was my favorite store)

Harrods

Harrods is a luxury shopping mall with everything under one roof. When i say everything, it really is everything. view the website for more detail
http://www.harrods.com/harrodsstore/

Hamleys
Is a shopping heaven for kids. Its one of the largest toy store in the world with seven floors covering different categories of toy on each floor . Definitely a shopping heaven for kids

5th floor: Boys
4th floor: Hobbies
3rd floor:Girls
2nd floor: Preschool
1st floor:Games
Ground floor:Soft toys
Basement:Interective
http://www.hamleys.com/

Food

halal food is easy to find every mosque will have a canteen

subway at Goodge st is halal, nearby is a place for prayer at Muslim world league (walking distance from oxford st as i can vaguely remember) Use transport for London .. around paddington st there is a number of halal restaurants.

Malaysia hall is in Bayswater, and the food is all halal
Malaysia Hall 30
Queensborough Terrace
London W2 3ST

Prayer

Here is a directory for mosques or prayer area in london. Plan where you would like to go and see if you can find a prayer area around the place you visit
http://www.iccuk.org/page.php?section=religious&page=masjiddirectory

DELHI – AGRA – JAIPUR – DELHI ( part 2)

2010-05-02T00:00:00.007+08:00

I lost my Delhi part 2 draft and in no mode to write the entire lengthy explanation thus here is a summary of my trip continued

Third day JAIPUR

To start the day we had toasted bread and jam form with a cup of tea which I took one sip since I’m not a tea person neither am I a coffee drinker. So to start our Jaipur adventure we went to Amber Fort.

Our stop before reaching the hill top of amber fort

It was a long ride up the hill to reach Amber Fort and upon arriving I wasn’t looking forward to tour this place, to us it was a waste of time because it was not well preserved that’s probably why there were not many tourist around. This fort is huge and I believe from the time it was built that is in 1592 till the final days it was used as a fort it sure has magnificent stories to share with its visitors.

The palace overlooking the fort

The only beautiful place in the fort- the garden

But sad to say there were not much information available and this beautiful fort made by white marble and red sand stone looks like a big dump site with rubbish probably at every corner. I was told the amber fort- palace which can be seen from the fort’s tower is a place worth visiting. And I could see there were many tourists there. But we had enough of sightseeing and decided to skip this destination

Entrance fee :- Indian adults INR25
Foreign Adults INR75
Additional charge:- Mobile camera INR50
Video Camera INR200

Hawa Mahal

We then requested the driver to bring us to Hawa mahal which is a pyramid-shaped facade with five stories with 953 small windows. Its a unique structure and its open for visitors. I didn't choose to enter but to just take a photo of the structure from outside. Along the road is s stretch of market but there wasn’t anything much to look at, everyone seemed to be selling similar stuff .

Among the stuff sold around Hawa Mahal

We spend roughly 20 minutes then decided to move on to have our lunch and head back to Delhi. Along the way our driver brought us to another shop that he gets commission from which is something Jaipur is famous for, carpets and marbles. I wasn’t into those thus I had a browse and headed straight to Delhi.

Day four – DELHI

We checked in the same hotel in Delhi but we got a different room but that was not a problem, the now room looked better. We didn’t choose to have breakfast at the inn.... by the looks of it I think it wasn’t safe if you know what I mean : )... so we walked about one minute from our hotel and reached hotel Southern which has a Pure vegetarian restaurant right next to it ( sorry i forgot what its called)... the food was absolutely lovely and the best part is its super cheap! don't worry on what to order because it will just turn out scrumptious Unlike the other restaurants our driver brought us.

I can't remember what I ordered but it was yummy.

Southern Hotel looked pleasant and there were many tourists staying here. Although we didn’t but we had a look around and thought maybe if we were to come to Delhi we would choose this hotel.

Ill include southern hotel's room rates in rupees for your reference :
Deluxe – A.C (Single 1,490 : Double 1,690)
Super Duluxe – A.C with breakfast ( Single 2.290 : Double 2,490)
Executive suite – A.C with breakfast ( Single 2,590 : Double 2,790)
Royal suite - A.C with breakfast (Single 3,690 : Double- 3890)

After knowing Southern hotel’s rate we were curious to know our ‘Hotel’s’ rate and guess what the “receptionist” said......it was INR4,000... It’s a budget hotel and do you think we are that dumb!! I can get a Royal suite at southern hotel... of course I didn’t say that out loud but I was extremely annoyed! Gosh! Lucky it was our last day and we are already checking out.

Enough of our driver bringing us to shops that he gets commission from, we went to Khan Market and Serojini (if I spelled it correctly). Despite our driver telling us that this place is expensive and that we won’t get anything here, we actually got really good bargains and nice stuff to bring back.

Our potato snack INR20 at khan market .. just lovely!

After one happy shopping trip (Finally!!!) We went sightseeing Delhi with whatever time we had remaining. Our stop was to Lodhi Garden, it is an amazingly beautiful garden with a mosque built on its compound. The government should do some maintenance to this very old mosque. Seriously, I think they should really take care of historical places like these. Amazingly the toilet at this garden was clean and we did our prayer at this old mosque (picture below).

We departed to the airport 3 hours prior to departure as traffic in Delhi can be dreadful.

Prayer room at the airport

TIPS:- I would advice everyone to do your own itinerary and places to visit and don’t rely so much on the driver they will surely bring you to places they will get commission from.

Some stuff to bring along that might come in handy:-

Wet tissues/ baby wipes
Prayer mat for Muslims – or anything that you can use to pray at the garden.
Towels:- I was glad I brought my own, even 3 star hotels provided towels that wasn’t satisfactory clean for me
Drinking water:- I brought one box of 600ml x 24 and the amount was just right for 4 days for the both of us
Shampoo and soap:- the hotels provided soap and shampoo but i prefer to use my own

Accommodation

Delhi :- hotel karat 87 inn.
It was ok but I guess you have to bargain for the price . i took a package thus I have no idea on the room rate.
Would I stay here again:- probably not

Agra – initial was Apollo hotel - worst hotel so far, I requested that we change hotel
Hotel Royal Residency
– SO much better, but the restaurant was not clean and the food was like a budget hotel food. eventhough this hotel provided towels but it looked warned out with some stains.
Would i stay here again:- yes

Jaipur – Ashrivad , the guest house is nice and quiet but the toilet is disgusting
Would i stay here again:- Probably not

Insight to Incredible India

2010-02-19T13:50:00.002+08:00

I just came across this on Youtube and figured i should share with everyone. Do watch this before you visit India so you get to appreciate the historical side of this country.

DELHI – AGRA – JAIPUR – DELHI (Part 1)

2010-02-18T12:50:00.015+08:00

Pre India

To get my India trip organized, I browsed the lonely planet website, virtual tourist and other websites for some information on tour guides in India. So I emailed many and asked for quotations as this seemed to be the best method to get some idea. Finally I ended up with “Sh*ine G**old Tourist In*dia”. In their quotation, the prices includes, accommodation, trip to Agra, Jaipur and back to Delhi, Breakfast, tax and fuel charges, pick up and drop off the airport, as well as accommodation for the driver during the whole trip, basically everything except for spending money and entrance to monuments.

We paid INR22,125 for the whole 5 day trip which gives us a budget accommodation. In preparation for our trip I also went searching online for cheap shopping places and it seemed like every tourist who visits India would go to the same place thus I didn’t bother writing it down as I assumed my driver would bring us there which in the end was actually a big mistake.

First day “Delhi – Agra”

Our initial plan for our first day in Delhi is to walk around Delhi in the morning, drive to Agra in the afternoon just in time to visit the sun set at the Taj mahal. Things had to change, instead of arriving Delhi at 10PM we arrived Delhi at 4AM because our aircraft diverted to Lahore Pakistan due to a very foggy weather in Delhi.

Our driver A*sim and A*sif welcomed us with a flower necklace upon arrival and drove us straight to Hotel Karat Inn.

At 11 in the morning we headed of to Agra, stopped at Maharaja Motel for prayer and lunch to a dreadfully expensive restaurant where a “Thali” costs INR390

We continued our journey to Agra and arrived at 6.30pm, since we only have an hour to spend in the Taj, we canceled our initial sunset in the Taj and plan on watching sun rise instead.

Before we reached our hotel, driver brought us to a so called factory outlet in Agra, because the shop assistant could sens us as beginners he tried to sell plain raw silk for INR650 per meter.. I bargained for INR300 and got it but seriously I think It should be cheaper because other shops that I went to had a starting price of INR350 meaning you could bargain lower than that.

So we headed to our hotel which is ‘Apollo’. PLEASE trust me this place is dreadfully disgusting, don’t ever stay here no matter how cheap it is. Walking towards the hotel to the reception counter I had to cover my nose with my headscarf as the alley is filled with exhaust fumes from the bus, cars and trucks parked in front of the hotel. Before accepting the rooms I demanded to take a look at the room , again as I walked up the stairs I can smell the car Fumes and thought to myself if I had to stay here ill probably die of suffocation the next morning. Unhappy with the room we asked to change to a different hotel.

We then moved to Hotel Royal Residency which was so much better.

SECOND DAY - AGRA

0630
Arrived at the ticketing counter to enter the Taj Mahal, paid INR750 each (for foreigners and INR20 for locals) inclusive of a of bottle mineral water (which we gave our driver since we brought our own mineral water from Malaysia) and shoe cover (needed when we enter the mosques).

0730
Gates opened and we went through security check as well as bag check…food and drinks are not allowed in except for mineral water.

This magnificent marble structure which was completed in 1653 is unbelievably stunning. Islamic calligraphy decorated its entrance The only thing that prevented us from viewing the beautiful sunrise on the Taj was the thick fog probably due to the winter weather. Its pure marble structure was awsome every intricate detail of its decorative carving can be seen; I wonder who it majestically looked with diamonds glittering when the sun shines during its glorifying days.

The tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Shah Jahan stood at the centre and Shah Jahan’s tomb which was slightly bigger laid next to her. We spent almost 3 hours taking pictures, touring the Taj as well as the Taj mahal’s mosques after which we actually planned to visit the Red Fort of Agra where Shah Jahan was locked by his own son and spent his final days just gazing to the Taj. Due to our time constrain we skipped the fort and headed to Jaipur by road. Now come to think of it, I should have visited the fort as its another great historical monument worth visiting.

1030
After one satisfying Taj Mahal trip, we went back to the hotel supposedly to have some breakfast. Husband had some kind of Indian bread that looked liked its been reheated countless number of time, I had toast bread with butter we had one bite of our breakfast and went back to our room to have our own snack brought from Malaysia.

At the hotel, we refreshed, packed our bags and headed to Jaipur, another 6 hours drive by car. Arrived at our accommodation and as usual we went to see the room first before agreeing. Many foreigners can be seen as this place is very quiet. Its called ‘Ashirvad Guest House’

Lesson:- We should have visited the Fort, and the museum in Taj mahal (it was closed when we visited) , we should have also look for Agra t-shirt souvenir since its so hard to get one in Delhi.

Indian Visa

2010-01-20T21:25:00.004+08:00

Yesterday i went to the straits building to pick up my Indian visa as well as husbands. http://www.indiavisa.com.my/main.html

apparently the Governement of India has decided to ask visitors to apply for a visa when entering their country. This visiting visa lasts for 6 months with a 2 month gap after each visit, with this I do think I wont be visiting India again anytime soon unless its due to some unforeseen circumstances.

Anyway, the first thing that made this such a hassle is when I tried to call the visa center to ask for information and the line was always busy... penat tau nak call again and again. Dah dapat, nak pergi building ni tak ada parking yang dekat lah pulak so we ended up parking kat Central market yang charge RM2.50 for the first hour and RM2.00 every subsequent hour.

We went on Monday and the visa can be collected on Tuesday in the afternoon from 4.30- 5.30. So hari selasa sampai lah at 4.30 sebab husband needs his passport since he has work on Wednesday morning. Sampai at 4.30 dia kata tunggu at 5.30... dah sampai 5.30pm passport still tak sampai lagi and orang dah ramai beratur.

Last-last passport sampai at 6.15 hmmmm dah sampai I checked my name dia salah print pulak and so I had to return my passport to them to make amendments and dorang suruh datang again today at around 6pm... tapi I decided to go tomorrow morning sebab jalan kat KL in sangat jam and I dont want to be stuck there.

Hopefully esok everything will be ok.

School Holiday activities for my nephews and nieces

2010-01-06T20:05:00.018+08:00

Elephant sanctuary in Temerloh , pahang ( 1 hour 20mins drive from KL ).

As was written down on the phamplet, Kuala gandah elephant sanctuary is the base for the elephant relocation team to help locate, subdue and translocate elephants from areas where their habitats were used for plantations or human development.

These elephants who have lost their habitat are moved to other suitable habitats such as taman negara and kuala gandah itself. As areas for their habitat shrinks its hard for them to look for food, as a result these elephants will look for food in converted forests areas such as plantations where they raid crops. To prevent them from being shot by farmers when they 'invade' the land the team at kuala gandah will move them to other suitable habitats

You take their habitat away from them and you kill them when they enter? shesh!

the kids and the adults were all hungry and we cant wait for our packed lunch from home. We found a suitable picninc area, spread our mat and enjoyed our lunch.

with our full belly we are now ready to explore. Our first stop was the video presentation which gives you an idea about this translocation process and some basic idea about elephants . I would suggest anyone who comes to this sanctuary to have sometime to watch this.

While waiting for the video to start

Next we were allowed to get up close and personal with the elephants to pet and feed them during their lunch time. The kids loved this. meanwhile, riding the elephant activity is also available. Mind you, the activities and entrance are limited to 120 person per day thus please make a booking a few days before your intended visit. Bathing the elephant commences right after every everyone's done with the riding and this is straight to the river.

Overall, this sanctuary was great, the kids got to learn a lot about elephants. we asked them to explain the elephants skin, what it uses its trunk for, what they eat etc.

One of the thing that concerned me is seeing elephants chewing on sugar cane without any juice left. im not sure about an elephant's diet so that's just my tiny concern. its was also sad to see them all chained up but i guess its for safety reasons.

Another part which im concerned about and which i realized after watching the whole falling down episode from our video camera is on them using a hook on the elephant's ear to pull the elephant down so those riding the elephant will fall in the water. I know elephants have thick skin but im not sure if that hook on the ear will actually hurt the elephant. I mean, if that hurts you can just remove bathing with the elephant in the activities because seeing the elephant up close is just great by it self.

Entrance fee:- Free but it would be very much appreciated if you would contribute
Activities :- 1.30 pm there is a video show on how these animals were brought here
:- 2.30 pm Fedding the elephant, ride on the elephant and bathing with the elephant
Things to bring :- Food for lunch , spare clothes, towel, soap (if you choose to get wet)
Website: -http://www.wildlife.gov.my
Number to call for reservation:- 09-2790391

Additional information

About 5km before reaching the elephant sanctuary is a Deerland where I was told the deers has a big space for them to roam around freely. I didn't get the chance to stop over the deerland but many said its worth a visit.

New delhi --- INDIA

2010-01-02T23:03:00.003+08:00

This month im planning to visit India, thought of doing a massive shopping spree in Delhi. as for now planning is on the way

1) Tickets - Purchased

2) Accommodation - still searching, i don't need a 5 star hotel just one comfortable enough to stay for 5 days

3) Tour Guide - I hope someone can help me with this... im still searching for someone reliable

4) Places of interest - Im doing a Google search, hope that a tour guide will help me with the whole things to do in addition to what i have

A Dolphin's Smile

2009-12-29T20:42:00.002+08:00

And the letter goes as follows:-

Dolphins are lovely and intelligent animals and in many countries they are protected from abuse. Dolphins are not fish but mammals which suckle and care for their young for years. Records show that at least 2,700 bottlenose dolphins have been taken into captivity and 53% who survived the violent capture died within 90 days and half of them died within their first two years of captivity.

Many countries have now stopped or at least try to regulate certain guidelines with regards to the abuse of captured dolphins. However, the The Dolphins and Sea Lion Show” which features two bottlenose dolphins named Rio and Karon and a pair of sea lions called Gendon and Brad shows that Malaysia is not sensitive to the issue of the mistreatment of animals. Brought into Malaysia by LD Sports Sdn, Bhd. Rio and Karon will be hauled around from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and Johore for the next three months. Imagine the ordeal the animals have to put up with during the transportation from one place to another.

Rio and Karon are forced to perform three shows a day on weekdays and five a day on weekends and public holidays. Even human beings feel ‘tired’ if forced to work extra hours doing work they’re not suppose too. These animals have feelings, and im sure they feel the strain performing for selfish humans non stop. Unfortunately, the fact is that the dolphins face muscles are fixed, whether tired, sad or ill, the smile will always stay no matter what they’re feeling. At least humans get paid, were not trapped and confined, these dolphins? They’re fed dead fish, which they hate. Dolphins eat fresh fish not dead ones! There is absolutely no educational input to the children who make up most of the audience and the whole thing is like a circus with loud music, dancing and ridiculous jokes by the emcee of the event. At the end of each show, what seems to me like an endless number of people paid an extra MR15 to touch, kiss and take photos with the dolphins which creates high levels of stress for the animals. This contrasts very strongly with the dolphin show in Australia at Sea World, where the pools are huge and only one selected person can pat the dolphins at the end of the show. The reason? They wanted to protect the dolphin from feeling stressed. Stress causes the dolphins intestine to crumble, as a result they will die.

Rio and Karon are kept in a small tank which is clearly inadequate and inappropriate. Dolphins in nature, dive up to 150 feet and travel massive distances in the ocean. How can they do that in the tiny tank? How would you feel being trapped in a small jail like that? According to the staff, the sea lions cage is even worse. Yes they’re kept in a cage! I feel that the mistreatment of these intelligent mammals shows that Malaysia has a long way to go to really achieve developed nation status. I was absolutely disgusted at the show and came away with a feeling of revulsion. Unfortunately the coverage in the print and electronic media failed to highlight the torment and abuse these animals are subjected

Rio and Karon were abducted from the Java Sea and the so called owners or trainers in my interpretation should rightfully be called criminals. Dolphins live in pods and have a very close-knit family relation, when a family member is captured, reports states that at least one other family member will die due to stress of the separation. Captive dolphins suffer severe mental and physical stress they lose one of their most remarkable gifts, that of eco-location. This is lost in a man made construction when there is no fish to catch and their environment is featureless and redundant, it also creates unbearable noise pollution when their sonar signals bounces back at them.

This horrible and inhumane treatment of these animals will continue unless decent and humane people reading this letter take action to put a stop to it and protect these animals. These are not disposable animals for a disposable society. They are not objects to entertain us human beings. Dolphins belong in the sea, in the wild with the family.

---------------------------------
In addition to this i would like to add a bloggers comment by Nick Josh Karean who shared two very interesting websites for everyone to watch

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/captive_marine/

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/circuses_entertainment/

thank you very much Nick Josh Karean

More like a Dolphin abuse to me

2009-12-16T11:21:00.005+08:00

Yesterday I accompanied my sister and her kids to a dolphin and sea lion show at sunway pyramid and i was very eager to see how a dolphin show would be hosted in Malaysia and compare it to the shows at sea world Australia...

much to my may amazement a tiny enclosure was used to house the dolphin for shows and for their long stay in this hot Malaysia till February. Every day the animals are required to perform 3 shows with each show lasting about an hour and 5 shows on weekends, think about us humans if we can ever work that hard every single day.

these dolphins were captured from the java sea and were trained to entertain us humans and for a group of people to gain millions of dollars from capturing these innocent animals... i felt so sorry for them thus we planned to take some action rather than just sit and do nothing thus my sister wrote a letter emailing it to various organizations so someone with power in this country will do something pertaining to this matter. but to no avail, the show is still a top destination for families during this school holidays. Remember if there is no demand there wont be supply.

The host was ridiculously dumb!! his attire was not presentable for kids , his jokes were dumb.. he talked nonsense and not a single educational information were delivered throughout the show.... some basic information about dolphins and sea lions would be very good for the kids.... this show was all about entertaining humans, making them laugh and none about delivering information so the kids would go back home and understand the animals and how we should love and care for them..... please.... to make a show interesting it doesn't have to have jokes 24/7 ...

just like the ridiculous kursus perkahwinan i had to attend ... completing the 2 day kursus i came back with no information that was intelligent enough for me to use for my marriage... they should cut the lame jokes short and focus about how the prophet treated his wives, with honour and respect..

Canon G10 tutorial

2009-12-06T00:04:00.004+08:00

I just came to know about this video posted on Youtube and i have to share it with EVERYONE, by everyone i mean everyone who has a G10 camera and is still wondering how to use all the functions.. this guy is pretty good.Just by watching part 1 I learned A LOT... enjoy!

Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)

2009-12-04T22:19:00.020+08:00

Well I didn't really conquer Rome last month but hopefully I will on my next trip :). I managed to spend 2 whole days exploring Rome and the Vatican and since I arrived on an early Sunday morning, Vatican was my 1st destination.

Day one – Vatican city - Saint Peter’s square

To start off the day, i walked roughly 5 minutes to Eur Magliana train station from Sheraton hotel. Bought a 1 euro train pass that’s valid for 75minutes to travel on metro A and B, you can also opt for the 4 euro train pass which is valid all day through going in and out of the train station.

To reach the Vatican we took the train that was heading to Battistini, changed platform at termini and stop at Ottaviano (Vatican city). Walked for 5 minutes to reach the Vatican and toured around for 3 hours.

Upon arrival we went straight in the queue to enter the Basilica of St Peter which offers an amazingly beautiful interior, no matter where your head turns this place is just astoundingly beautiful.

After exploring the Basilica, we went below the Basilica that houses the Vatican crypts which contains a collection of numerous tombs of Popes.

Then, we entered the Cupola which had a long queue despite having to pay 5 euro per entrance and climb 551 steps or pay 7euro and take the elevator halfway after which you would have to climb 321 steps to reach the top of Saint Peter’s Basilica. We took the 5euro option and had a great morning workout : ) and not to mention the view from the cupola was just wonderful.

View half way through

View from the top

Our grumbled tummies lead us over to a nearby kebab stall where we grab a vegetarian pizza for 5 euro.

We head back to the train station and decided to spend the rest of the day just walking around Rome city .

Day 2 – Tour Rome city

We started our day early and took the bus from our hotel to Rome city to start our colosseum tour at 9am.

The ticket price to enter the Coloseum is 12euro and 10 euro if you would like to hire a guide. It is advisable to get a guide, not knowing the history would make you think that the colosseum is just one boring building. Anyway, audiphones are also for rent for 5 euro.

We arrived at the Colosseum and a lady approached us offering 22euro for entrance fee for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which a tour guide. The benefits are that you will get direct entrance meaning you don’t have to queue and this ticket is valid for 2 days. Tour for the colosseum is at 12pm and to choose between 12pm or 3 pm for the tour to the Roman forum and Palatine Hill.

It’s best if you could find out other offers that would probably be better than what we experienced, nevertheless my guide did an excellent job giving us insights to this historical place. Before I forget, please find out about Roma pass its 23 euro, 10 euro for the guide and you get free transportation for 3 days as well as free entrance to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hillt and colessum. I came to know about this because someone in my group had it.

thats a photo of one of the many displays at the exhibition, try nit to miss this free exhibition on the Colosseum to get a little bit more idea on this ancient structure and what it was used for.

At 12pm we had our Palatine hill and Roman forum tour. The Palatine hill at its time is the Hollywood of today, it’s where many famous personalities of the time built their houses on this hill.

In this photo is the large stadium built by Domitian, which is know as the Dominican private stadium, it was used for horse racing decorated with marble statues and later used as a garden.

From the Palatine hill we descended to enter The Roman Forum where we walked to the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, mind you that the door is the original door of that time.

We then found a great spot to perform our prayer

and later exited the Roman Forum and head to the Victor Emanuel Monument which was dedicated to the memory of Italy’s first king Victor Emanuel II.

Next we went on a time machine which brought us 2750 years ago covering the history of Rome which the time elevator. my opinion on this is that it was okay, not remarkable but ok.. if you have that extra cash and need a little more information on Rome than this will do.. it basically gives a movie like view on Roman history and if you are interested check the show time before you decide to go.

And the back of the time elevator ticket is a 5Euro discount on tour Vatican museums and Sistine chapel Or Tour colosseum, Roman forum and the palatine hill Or walking tours of the city.

Price:- 12 Euro
Location:- via dei ss.Apostpli, 20-00187 Roma
www.time-elevator.it
Opening hours:- everyday 10.30 am – 7.30pm
Each shows lasts 45 minutes

Next we walked to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. When it got dark, we walked over to Termini station and found a Halal shop..… so there we go, our meal for the night.

that was 6euro

and mine was 4euro (I like to reveal the prices of what i had done and what i had eaten so if you guys plan to go to this particular place you can roughly estimate how much you would have to spend)

After our big dinner we headed back to the hotel by bus and got ready for our departure to Malaysia the next morning. I do hope ill say hello to Rome for the second time in the future!

Accommodation

Sheraton Roma Hotel & conference
Viale del pattinaggio, 100-00144 Roma, Italia

Sheraton Roma provides bus service from the hotel to the city but Departures from the hotel wold require you to make a reservation and the bill will be charged to your hotel bill

But Departures from the city center back to the hotel is free

Getting older and wiser

2009-10-31T22:26:00.003+08:00

And so it is! Today is my Birthday....Well, never really celebrated Birthdays but at least I get the chance to blog about something. So on this day what is special?? I do as a woman have moments where I reflect on how many many years back my dear ummi without epidural with all her might delivered me to this world and had her fair share of sleepless nights. So why am I just celebrating myself when I should celebrate my mom as well. So my dear Ummi this day is for you too but You are still in the land down under while im here in Malaysia : ).

I guess I should also reflect on what I have done since the last 31st of October till this very day and like every normal human being I should reflect on my goals. Have I achieved any?? Have I become a better person?? What have I done this whole year? Well questions can keep coming and coming. As for now the 1st of November is my very own New Year, not the 1st of January like everyone else.

With my new life, new goals have been written down and we shall see what the next 31st of October brings : D …. A better person always hopefully.
Anyhow, with birthdays come cakes, presents and warm wishes…. Thank you for your warm wishes , presents and cake Mr Husband, family and friends.

today tak bawak camera so tak ada lah gambar birthday cake and also the whole birthday scenario of me going out to Putrajaya with my family makan all you can eat dim sum... around RM50 per adult all you can eat sounds like a good bargain... anyhow another year and another day has passed... looking back now...gosh how time flies!

Early delivery

2009-10-27T18:15:00.001+08:00

After over a month of silence, I have decided to write a little something

Almost two weeks ago I was 9 weeks pregnant.... at 8 weeks pregnant I went for my usual checkup and after the usual scan I was informed that the fetus has no heartbeat thus to be absolutely certain that my baby is in other words not alive , my Doctor made another appointment to see him the following week.

After a crucial week of waiting and being pregnant for 9 weeks, the scan still showed a fetus without a heartbeat, plus to be absolutely sure that this fetus is dead the scan also showed that the fetus has not grown over my last visit. With that result I had to set a date to do a D&C.

Since none in my family members have undergone such ordeal, I wasn't sure if I should do a D&C or wait for my body to experience a natural miscarriage. Given 2 days to think, I went on the internet to look for information and did some consultation with other Doctors on to why this happen and if I should proceed with D&C.

From what I found out on why this happen, the Doctor said its common to miscarry for the first time , but if you miscarry twice in a row than a thorough checkup on your body will be done to detect any problem. In addition, it is advisable that pregnant woman to not go near cats or cat feces as a disease called toxoplasmosis which is transferred mainly from cats and is very dangerous to pregnant woman.

On if I should have a natural miscarriage or to do a D&C

1) Natural miscarriage

As told by the Doctor, If I would like to have a natural miscarriage I would face 2 consequences, either I would get an infection first then a miscarriage or I will have a miscarriage first and if my body does not pass out everything or what they might call a partial miscarriage, I will end up having to do a D&C anyway and sometimes because the fetus is in your body for a long period of time you are susceptible to infection.

2) To do a D&C (Dilation and Curettage)

Basically this operation will take 10 - 15 minutes not including the time you will wake up after given anesthetic. The gynecologist emptied my uterus before which I was given a general anesthetic by an anesthetist and woke up some 40 minutes after the operation knowing everything was done. Before going in the operating room I was very scared not knowing what to expect but after everything was done Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks to Allah) everything was ok. After such operation the doctor will explain to you the Do's and Don’ts for the following week.

It is also important to know that there are some possible risks when choosing to do the D&C. It can damage the cervix during dilation or it might give a scar to your uterus during procedure. If whenever you get a scar on your hand and it ends up getting puffed up or really bad than the Doctor said its better not to go on with D&C.

It is important that you find out everything you can about natural miscarriage and D&C if you have to. I do prefer to have a natural miscarriage but because I have waited a certain period of time and it still hasn’t happened, I decided to go on with D&C.

I do feel sad, frightened and worried that this might happen again but there is nothing much I can do. Everything happens for a reason, and there are just things that you do the best that you can, pray for the best, hope for the best and let everything else in the hands of God.

Im happy knowing im blessed with a great husband who has given me support throughout this marriage and this misfortune…. I Love you so much and I pray and hope our happiness will last ... My family, his family and my friends giving me encouragement and helping me to go through this few weeks of what I can call an early confinement for me. Thank you all!!

Brisbane’s Secrets revealed

2009-09-13T15:01:00.001+08:00

1) Fuel price and fuel discounts

Fuel price in Brisbane fluctuates on a daily basis. What’s important is that generally fuel price tends to be cheaper on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. In addition, by purchasing AUD30 or more in a single receipt you will get a ‘Fuel discount docket’ that can be used through out the week including on Wednesday. With the docket, you are entitled to receive a discount of 4 cents per liter on fuel which is better than no discount at all.

Buying at Woolworth – Discounted docket is for Caltex petrol Station
Buying at Coles – Discounted docket is for shell petrol station

2) Receipts

At the back of your receipt you might get food discounts, bowling discounts, theme park discounts etc. So when you purchase something get your receipt, flip it and have a look if the discount is anything that you need. Sometimes the bus ticket has discounts for white water world and dream world

3) Mega sale

June is a great time to visit Brisbane if you like shopping... every store is on sale everywhere you go especially towards the end of June... you wont regret : ).

Sometimes

2009-09-06T11:52:00.004+08:00

sometimes you just need to think of yourself because when you keep thinking of doing things for someone else you tend to suffer

sometimes you get stressed out when things are not going your way

sometimes you need to spend quality time with the person close to you

sometimes you need to find someone else that understands you better

sometimes you feel like telling the whole world your problems so that they can help

sometimes you are just not ready to deal with changes in your life, you are not ready to be a different person

sometimes you think you are doing everything right and everyone else is doing it wrong

sometimes you cant think for yourself and you cant make wise decisions

sometimes you think you have made the worst decision ever in your life and you wonder if that mistake can actually end up being a great experience in the future

sometimes you just need to get away and calm yourself

sometimes everything just doesn't seem right and writing this releases half the burden. ahhhhhhh that feels much better : ).

Perak - Malaysia

2009-09-01T21:57:00.014+08:00

KUL – GUA TEMPURUNG – TELUK BATIK - KUL

I went to Perak recently with friends and my husband where we stayed for 2 days. Truthfully the first day was great but the second day was what I would call a mini disaster.

First day :- Gua Tempurung

The idea to visit perak was a last minute decision made by all of us with the idea of doing a small adventure trip. Anyway, our quest to conquer Gua Tempurung started with a mini search on what Gua Tempurung has to offer… thus I visited this website http://www.guatempurung.com/ which provided a thorough explanation on what to do, what to bring and a contact number to make reservations.

After browsing the website we uniformly agreed to take tour number 4 (The grand tour) which took us at 3 1/2 – 4 hours of adventure in the cave. For adventure crazy people I would suggest you go for this tour because it encompasses everything, the first stage is climb some steps where the guide will show you some rock formations, second as I vaguely can remember is a trail which has water up to your knee, thirdly you need to duck, then you need to crawl, you will also need to slide and finally enter a small hole which will soak you up to your chest.

We went there on a weekend and the crowd is somewhat appealing thus at some stops we had to wait a little longer for another group to clear till we can move over. Nevertheless I think the whole experience was splendid.

Anyway, back to the start, we woke up at 6am, got our bags packed the night before including our tents and sleeping back for the night, did a final check and started our 2 hours journey to destination. Had a morning stop and had Nasi lemak at R&R Tapah. The idea was to let our tummy digest the food for fear that any of us might need to go to the toilet before entering the cave … there is no toilet in the cave

You have to arrive latest by 9.30am at Gua Tempurung for registration purposes and a brief introduction. Use a plastic bag to wrap your valuables (car keys, camera) and it would be best to bring a water bottle to quench your thirst and PLEASE don’t leave your empty bottles in the cave like what some irresponsible and immature people did.

Anyway, what made the caving exciting was to take it easy, you don’t have to rush in and be the first person inline trying to reach every stop first because at every stop the guide will wait for the last person. So, we were among the last person in the group and because of that we had the chance to take as many pictures as we want along the way….

After our 4 hours of darkness we finally found civilization and came out wet up to our chests. Of course our first destination had to be the cafeteria. Had our shower right after, paid RM1.00 per entry to shower or RM0.40 cents to use the toilet. We brought our own soap and but soap can also be purchased at the toilet for RM0.50 cents. Well, there’s no such thing as free lunch here in Malaysia.

Gua Tempurung – Perak – Malaysia
RM 22 for adults
About 2 hours drive from KL
http://www.guatempurung.com/

Day 2 :- Teluk Batik

All ready for our next adventure, we then continued our journey to Teluk Batik which was about an hour drive from Gua Tempurung, beautiful beach but sad to say its not properly maintained…. How do you expect to attract visitors when rubbish can be seen everywhere, toilets are not properly maintained and empty shop lots are now turned into an unofficial dump site. Oh Malaysians, a simple act of throwing your rubbish in the bin makes a huge different to your surroundings. If only you knew!

Coming back to what happened. We figured to camp at the beach but were perturbed by the whole atmosphere of a big dump site and spotted a fenced camping site where we could bring our car in and make our tent right next to the car… Paid RM8 per head, per night, sounds good but the camping site was a little dirty nevertheless we managed to find a not so bad spot to camp.

It’s a shame that this place is not properly maintained as I see great potential in it. Anyway, We parked our car, found a spot and we build our tent. Everything went lovely till I had to use the toilet… urghhhhhh why didn’t I check on that earlier!! Shower was dirty, one of the toilet had leftover human waste as i can call it since the pump was not working but luckily we found a shower and a toilet that was usable.

When it came for dinner, we brought out our cooker, canister, sardine in the tin, and bread. Although we actually had a choice to buy food at a food stall nearby, we suggested to have a real camping experience… thus our meal was a little dull and my husband’s friend who lived in Perak came and saved our day. He brought in fresh fish, his mom cooked some rice, made some sauce for the fish and because of that the whole toilet incident didn’t bother me until the time came where we had to sleep.

A nearby food stall had a karaoke competition (as it seems) till 1am and right after, there were this group of man noisily accelerating their motorbikes as what we Malaysians call them ‘Mat Rempit’… well that wasn’t all, 3 dogs were spotted on the other side of the fence where one managed to enter through a whole in the fence. I told my husband I do not want to do this kind of stuff at any beach in Malaysia anymore.

Somehow I managed to get my sleep and we woke up in the early morning to perform our Morning prayers. The wind was very strong and not long after it started to rain. My friend and I went in the tent thinking that we were safe from the rain but puddle started to form in the tent so we ran and seek shelter in the car where we actually managed to sleep. Amazingly the guys in the other tent had no problem whatsoever.

After the rain subsided, we packed our stuff, got ready, I vowed not to camp there no more and we headed back to KL with some fruits we bought along the way.

Get a 'REAL' job

2009-08-20T07:35:00.007+08:00

A few days ago my sister's house in Taman Tun got broken into at 10a.m , this crazy people does the job in the morning too. Yeah nothing could be done now, The so called Malaysian CSI team came to the house about 6 hours after the crime has been committed and the silly thing was, you have to make a police report first before the police can come to your house and investigate and the problem with that is, in the police report you have to state your losses and how could that be done unless you contaminate the crime scene aiyoooo

moving on, they eventually arrive WITHOUT a plastic bag to store in evidence that can be brought to the lab for further investigation hmmm that wasnt enough! the best thing is yet to come.... so they came, looked through some stuff but they were not wearing gloves. hmmmmm i guess i got to carried away from watching CSI on TV and I have expected something similar in Malaysia : )....

So now, you can't turn back time but what can you learn from it??

Lesson 1 :- Inform your neighbors that you are leaving town

Lesson 2 :- You should use a timer for lights - (My sister left the porch light on without a timer so when someone passes the house in the morning they know no one is in the house because the porch light is still on)

Lesson 3 :- Lock your bin from the inside ( They entered through the bin door)

Lesson 4 :- Lock all your room doors ( They might get in eventually but at least that buys time

Lesson 5 :- Store your valuables at a secure place - give it to a family member or hide it where you wont expect them to find

The good news is that Rafa's favorite toy Mr snail being the only witness to this crime is still smiling and alive

Sabah - Kota Kinabalu

2009-08-08T09:55:00.014+08:00

7 enjoyable April days in Sabah from the 21st - 28th.

1st day (21st April)

My husband and I Arrived at 8 in the morning at the KK airport and had my friend picked us up at the airport (thanks Tamimi and She). we then went straight to cik lin's house where we stayed for 2 nights... as im writing this i keep on remembering cik lin's sambal terung and masak lemak udang... the best i have ever tasted... cik lin nak makan sambal terung lagi : )..

moving on, we went for a walk at warisan square to do some last minute shopping for any additional items we might need for our climb the next day.

our second destination was to Dataran Merdeka to make a taxi booking to bring us to Mt Kinabalu. The Driver will pick us up from home at 6am and drive us for 2 hours to Mt Kinabalu for RM150 one way.

2nd and 3rd day (22nd – 23rd)

We arrived, we Climbed and we conquered Mt Kinabalu!!!! YEAYYYYY!!! undeterred by light showers and strong wind in the early morning, we continued on with the climb and we reached the peak! alhamdulillah (all praises and thanks to Allah)

4th day (24th)

Regardless of certain parts of our body that were aching we still planned a short trip to Pulau Manukan. welll what can i say but that i was not amazed by this beach. the journey began with us using cik lin's car ( my friends aunties' car), parked at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park and our starting point was at jeselton ferry terminal in search for a boat ride to bring us to the island. The boat ride cost RM25 per person return and an additional RM3 for locals and around RM10 for foreigners to be paid upon arriving at the jetty.

I did plan to go snorkeling but I didn't bring my own snorkel gear and the thought of using a snorkel that has been used by some random strangers is not for me. anyhow, the boat man charged RM10 for a snorkeling mask and an additional RM10 for flippers... BUT when we arrived at the Island, he offered the mask AND the flippers for RM10.... don't fall for their tricks.

after the beach escape, we went to have dinner opposite Le marridien hotel at those stalls i cant remember the name. and this was what we had... the ever so popular sabah's chicken wings

On the 4th day, we checked in a room at Le marridien in KK primarily because the 'famous' shops (Filipino Market and Warisan Square) were just a walking distance away. Filipino market to me was kinda boring because the souvenirs does not show the true sabah identity and instead, I can still find it in KL with around the same price.

My Husband and I ended up looking for stuff at warisan square and found this souvenir shop where we bought a handful of stuff and the sales person gave us a 10% discount on all of he items we purchased.

5th day (25th)

On the 5th day it was rest and relax for us, need to give our body a rest. so we walked over to warisan square and decided to try a foot massage RM40 for 60minutes.

6th, 7th and 8th day (26th – 28th)

Enough wondering around the city we packed our bags and headed to nexus karambunai. styed there for 2 nights and thinking about it now, we should have stayed at nexus from the start since nexus provides loads of activities that will keep you occupied furthermore, it provides a shuttle bus to warisan square if you wish to visit warisan square from there.

below are some activities that the resort offers:-

We had a swim at the beach, spend some time relaxing by the pool and tried batik painting. that was actually a short 2 days at nexus and without realizing it, it was time for us to depart back to KL...

Had our flight very early in the morning and the resort gave us a takeaway breakfast in a box which consists of a sandwich and some fruits.

TOP TIPS:- ... to plan your trip i wouldn't suggest you make the same mistake as what we did, we planned an early flight, so our transport from home on the taxi costs us RM 100 instead of the usual RM75 to the airport. the same thing happened from nexus to KK airport, we had to pay RM112 instead of RM 75 after 6am.

Packing essentials- sunscreen, hat, sunglasses

New Zealand - North Island (Part 4 of 4)

2009-08-01T20:24:00.022+08:00

22nd nov – 11th dec 08

AUCKLAND – ROTORUA – TAUPO – ROTORUA - AUCKLAND

I should continue writing on the things I did in New Zealand from my last visit last November.

Transportation

For transportation, the cheapest at that time for 5 of us was to rent a car at Hertz, go online to see cheap bargains and be careful of the hidden cost you have to know that as well.

Accommodation

We Pre booked our accommodation online at ‘x base’ Rotorua for NZ26pp a night. The rooms were great since they just made a major renovation so everything there is somewhat new. We checked in a room with 3 double Decker beds complete with a toilet and a shower in the room.

Enough cooking utensils in the kitchen, fridge and oven is provided. Of course you have to clean your own plates and cooking pots after you have used it with the provided liquid detergent.

Below is our tasty backpacker meal made in this spacious kitchen

ROTORUA

Once in Rotorua our first stop was the I-center (Information Centre), The Information center provides adventure packages that you could purchase and we bought all our activity packages from there.

1) Our discounted ‘Zorb’ activity costs us NZD 44 (5 dollar discount)
2) 2 ‘luge rides’, ‘return gondola ride’ and ‘sky swing ride’ for NZD45 for all three
3) ‘Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland’ and ‘Waimangu’ package for NZD55 for both
4) Sky Dive and Bungee package for NZD423 ( This is in Taupo)
5) Huka falls (Free)

1) Zorb ride
My Zorb experience was great which left me wanting for more. The NZD44 is for one ride which is one roll down the hill inside a giant inflatable ball. There are 2 options for you to choose from:-

a) The Zorbit is a dry roll down the hill in a zig-zag manner where you will be securely strapped to the ball which provides a slightly longer route than Zydro. But because you are strapped you will end up having a mild headache at the end of the ride because of the ongoing tumble down the hill. ( based on a friend’s experience)

b) Unlike Zorbit, Zydro just by its name gives you the idea of water and so it is. I find this more exciting as around 10 liters of water will be added in your ball, you won’t be strapped so you have the luxury of slipping and doing somersaults down the hill and above all that you can choose have 2 of your friends to join in the experience with you.

My brother and I tried our best to keep on standing but as you can see it was a complete failure : ).

Zorb Location: - located next to the Agrodome, western road, rotorua
Phone: - 07 357 5100
Freecall:- 0800 22 74 74
Min age :- 6 years old
Website:- This website is so cute and sure has all your questions answered
www.zorb.co.nz/

2) Gondola + 2 Luge rides + sky swing

For our second adventure package, we arrived at the gondola ride about 30minutes after it has opened, Rode on the gondolo which was the only way to get on the top and from there we choose to go on the luge first. Because we there were 2 tracks to choose from and we were allowed 2 rides so we tried each one.

The scenic track has a longer route and from its name it is obvious that it provides attractive view as you go down the hill on your luge, a few pit stops along the way for you to get down and take pictures. We went very early and we could stop on the track to take pictures. Of course we wouldn’t have done it if there were others on the track as that would spell chaos.

The adventure track on the other hand,was shorter in distance and the track are bumpier as compared to the first. Nevertheless it was a great ride for all of us as we tried to race one another down the track. after each luge ride, this hanging swing will take use back up

Website:- http://www.skylineskyrides.co.nz/

after the awesome luge adventure we proceeded to tryout the sky swing. You will be seated in a ball like seat with two others, they will first pull you up and with the count to three, they will give you a signal to pull a string and with that you get to swing and swing. It was a scary ride for me and i kept holding the hand rail through out the ride.

3) Wai-O-Tapu + Waimangu

a) Our first visit was to Wai-O-Tapu because we had to see the eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser which erupts once a day at 10.15am. If you are late, say good bye and come another day. After listening to an introduction and watching the eruption we went inside wai-o-tapu

Here you will have the chance to see a colorful volcanic environment which is absolutely amazing. the color formation, the different volcanic environment is just something you dont see everyday. Bring your own drinking water for your own convenience as you will walk around the area at your own pace . Read more or what Wai-O-Taou can offer from the website.

Website:- http://www.geyserland.co.nz/
Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 5:00pm Daily (last admission 3:45 pm)

b) Next on the same day as our wai-o-tapu visit, we visited Waimangu Volcanic Valley. which is another beautiful tourist destination that new Zealand has to offer. To experience this you can walk on the tracks provided which can take 45 minutes on the walkway and if you get exhausted along the way you can catch the bus which will bring you to lake Rotomahana., Here you have an option to get on the boat cruise which wasn't my option because we were so tired after all that walking, and the weather didn't help.

So i would suggest visit those places during winter NOT summer because the intense heat from the sun and the additional heat from the formations was dreadful. We tried walking at first and ended up hailing the bus and back to the counter. I DO think it’s a good idea to visit both Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu during winter.

Waimangu Location:- 587 Waimangu Road
Rotorua 3043

Website:- http://www.waimangu.co.nz/

TAUPO

We had a daily visit to taupo to perform our 4th activity – Sky dive and bungee. We arrived 30 minutes earlier than our supposedly arrival tome the reason being so we get the feel and be prepared to perform this 15000 feet dive. It actually was a good idea because upon arrival we had to fill in forms, get into our uniform and had some extra time to take some photos while gearing up.

The dive was incredible and the view of the earth as you head down was astonishingly stunning. The package comes with a free exit photo and a video of you getting ready and going on the plane and safely landed. Anyone who wish to have a personal video and pictures taken of themselves as they are gliding in the sky will incure additional costs.

After the dive, took our free video ( came together with our package), we got a little dizzy so we went to get something to munch, had some rest, calm ourselves and went for our next activity – The bungee jump. Taupo is a great place to do bungee simply because it has this beautiful view that you can see once you are up there waiting to jump and the beautiful sparkling water down under. I would not do bungee if it was concrete , im just worried the rope might extend too much : )...

Bungee jump was scarier than sky dive to me because you are on your own. Sky dive you are attached to instructor and you have a parachute, bungee on the other hand is you doing it yourselves jumping from a certain height with a rope tied to your ankle. We got a free video which came with our bungee package and we had our friend to snap some photos.

Sky dive location-
Freefall Skydive
Anzac Memorial Drive
Taupo Airport
Taupo
Website:- http://www.freefall.net.nz/

Website:- http://www.taupobungy.co.nz/

5) after all the adventure in a day, we eased our mind listening to the water falls and have a great look at the crystal clear water of the falls.

New Zealand - North Island (Part3 of 4)

2009-07-18T10:33:00.009+08:00

22nd nov – 11th dec 08

It has been ages since i last update my blog, let alone my travel experience to new zealand... so here goes the continuation of my beautiful new zeland experience.

Part 3 will be on Some Islands I visited in Auckland.

1- WAIHEKE ISLAND

Waiheke offers 3 different tours where every tour package includes a return ferry travel and a Waiheke all day bus pass to explore the island at our own pace. All price quoted below includes the above package unless stated otherwise.

A ) The First tour package is called “Wine on Waiheke” NZ 115

Obviously this wasn’t my type of tour as I don’t drink wine. anyway, here is a short description of what this tour offers taken from the brochure:-

“ A vineyard tour that combines world class wine with the beautiful surroundings of Waiheke island. Enjoy premium wine tastings at 3 of the islands best vineyads”

The tour only without the return ferry transfer costs NZ85

B) The Second tour is called “Taste of waiheke” NZ105

hmmmm this was not for me either. its a tour of waiheke island and tastings at 3 vineyards and an olive grove, plus a light lunch

Just the tour without the return ferry transfer costs NZ75

c) And finally Goldilocks found a tour that is just right for her :) “Waiheke explorer tour”
NZ48 (adult)
NZ 24 (child)

This is a 1 1/2 tour of the island’s beautiful sights where i had the chance to stop over some beautiful spots around the island to snap photos. For wine lovers you should go to Waiheke Island, but if you had to choose between two islands and you are not into wine I would suggest for you t go to Devonport, it’s cheaper and the view of the Island is just awesome.

The only thing I love about Waiheke is that because the Ferry ride was 30mins, I had the chance to see spectacular view along the way which you wont be able to see if you go on a short ferry ride.

If you would just like to visit the island at your own leisure without tours return fares NZ32(adult) NZ16(child) NZ80(family)

Some additional information I would like to include:-

Separately all day buss pass costs NZ8, and just the tour without anything else costs NZ18

I took the fullers ferry service package together with bus tour, Personally I think its worthwhile to take the tour because the bus driver will give you some historical information of the island and that’s a great thing to know when you are on a visit.

Overall, I wouldn’t say that it’s a very-very beautiful island, however, the view along the way was just amazing.

Website: - www.fullers.co.nz

2 - DEVONPORT.

The first thought that came to me when I reached Devonport was the design of the buildings that looked very old fashioned , old fashioned in a nice way. It took us 10 minutes on the Ferry, snapped some pictures along the way and made a nice short hike to the summit. The sight is just stunning, I cant say more.

What to bring:- Hat, sunglass , drinking water, camera, some snacks to munch while
you sit,relax and enjoy the view.
Ferry Price: - NZ10 (adult)
NZ5 (child)

My very own top 10

2009-06-15T08:37:00.002+08:00

Top 10 places I would love to visit if given a chance

1) TURKEY– Istanbul
Do I need a lengthy explanation on why I should visit Turkey? Turkey from what I know is a country that has so much to offer on Islamic history. The sultan Ahmad mosque can be a good place to start.\

2) SPAIN - Cordoba – Granada
This was the essence of Islamic culture in Europe and a place that I must visit. I’m hoping I could visit the Roman Catholic cathedral which was once the great mosque of Cordoba, and also the ever so popular Al-hambra. There is so much to see and so much to learn.

p/s To my friend Ardi if you are reading this , I have something to say….I sangat jealous! : )

3) EGYPT –Cairo
I have always wanted to see with my own eyes these gorgeous pyramids. I’m amazed how until now they are still revealing secrets and hidden passages of the pyramid

4) ITALY – Rome

5) MALDIVESMaldives offers beautiful white sandy beaches like you see in pictures but I don’t want just to see it in pictures. I want to experience it myself….. Oh when oh when can I go

6) UNITED KINGDOM – London

7) INDIA – Taj mahal

8) UNITED STATES – CALIFORNIA :- San Francisco and LA
I have been longing to visit the rock a historical prison in San Francisco. Im not sure about LA, but my husband says it’s the place to be .

9) INDONESIA - Bali

10) THAILAND – Bangkok

Mount Kinabalu - Malaysia (Part 2 of 2)

2009-06-10T20:04:00.008+08:00

DAY 1 : - 6 KM climb
KOTA KINABALU - KINABALU PARK - LABAN RATA

After 2 ½ hours in a taxi, we arrived Kinabalu park at 8 am, Paid the taxi driver Rm150, Grab our bags and head to the information counter to register ourselves. The name you write on the book will be the name that will be printed on your tag. Paid another RM 100 for our guide, one guide can take a maximum of 6 people and that RM100 should be shared between the 6.

You can also pay someone to carry your stuff for RM8/kg. you will have to pay I think about RM 3 for a van to drive you to the starting point.

After we registered, they gave us food coupons for 2 days. Our first coupon is packed breakfast consist of an apple, a can of 100plus, a piece of fried chicken and white bread with cheese and mayo spread.

We started the climb as soon as we can because the earlier we reach laban rata the more rest we can get before our second climb. They might sell you a stick for RM3, Its personal choice; I did find it useful especially during my descend. If you happen to get the stick make sure you get a light one.

Some did this 6Km climb in 5 ½ hours, we did it in 6 hours, just follow your pace. Minimize your stops, take plenty of pictures along the way because the scenery is absolutely amazing.

We had a few stops a long the way, you can refill you water bottle too with REAL mountain water at every stop.

LABAN RATA

It was a relief upon reaching Laban Rata. The room has 6 single beds and it was equipped with a heater but somehow we didn’t feel the heater functioning but the blanket provided by the rest house and my snow jacket was sufficient to keep me warm during the night. Tamimi brought along a poncho and we used that as a praying mat in the room.

DAY 2 : - 2.5 Km climb
LABAN RATA - LOWS PEAK - LABAN RATA - KINABALU PARK

Woke up at 2am, got ready, went downstairs for Breakfast and it was raining pretty heavily so the guide said we had to wait till 3am. if the rain doesn’t subside we might have to cancel the climb. fortunately the rain did subside and we began our climb at 3.10am.

after a few minutes of climbing I started to feel some heat since i was wearing 5 layers of cloth, but husband said leave it on, it will get cold on the way. Which was actually true, too many stops to take out a few layers and put it back on is time consuming, and time is all you need to get a nice view of sunrise.

This second part of the climb was a little challenging because at one point we had to climb the rock using a rope. Also There will be a check point at ‘sayat- sayat’ and that will be the final pit stop with a toilet, after that, you will be on your own : ).

I had Tea without sugar that morning so I wont need to go to the toilet : ).
Snapped some pictures a long the way, couldn't take that many because it was freezing cold and i cant take off my gloves for long.

Satisfied with our victory, we took our own sweet time to climb down n reach our cabin. Once there, had something to eat and went to sleep till the room service knocked on our door at 12pm. Bags packed and ready for our 6km descend to kinabalu Park. It took me and my Husband 3 hours to climb down.

used our last coupon for the lunch buffet at Kinabalu park, paid RM10 for our colored certificate and finally found a taxi for rm150 to bring us back to Kota Kinabalu.

p/s - Your Guide will inform you on the time he would like to start the climb as well as the meeting point.

Day 2 Essentials : - Torch, gloves, Rain coat, snow cap, camera, some snacks and 500ml of water.

SUBUH PRAYER (or Fajar prayer)
Since we will be on our way to the peak at the time of fajar prayer, we constantly looked for a place that was rather flat for us to perform our prayer. My suggestion is that along the way if you find a spot just right for prayer don’t hesitate and just perform your prayer there.

This is my friend on their way down after reaching the peak, you will find somewhat a flat surface like this to perform your prayer.

I took ablution using rain water that ran in between two rocks. Took my gloves off, pull my sleeves up and perform ablution the normal way but left my shoes intact. Used my husband’s Qiblah watch and performed our prayer.

With 6 degrees and strong wind the weather was extremely cold, and I think if you could just perform tayamum it should be enough as this is not a normal situation.

TOP TIP !! - "Travel Light"

Mount Kinabalu - Malaysia (Part 1 of 2)

2009-06-10T19:30:00.006+08:00

My Mount Kinabalu climb

My desire to climb the tallest mountain in South East Asia for 4 years has proven to be a success. Throughout the years I have been receiving and reading stories of climbers sharing their experiences, some say it’s easy while others didn’t get enough luck. Regardless of what have been heard or read, to me it all depends on the weather conditions and your own determination and willingness to reach the peak.

The key is not to get discourage very easily, if you are not a professional climber, you may face difficulty in breathing on the second day of the climb but keep on thinking that you never know when you will do this again and you have gone this far so you don’t want to give up. Just Take it easy, and take your time your guide will wait for you.

Preparation

My Training basically started somewhere in the end of February till end of March and it had to stop there because I had my wedding to concentrate on. Somewhere during those training period I went to Gunung Angsi with my partner as well as two of our great adventure friend Tamimi and Shifa.

I and my partner did some jogging around Taman Tun area (I would say more or less once a week). In addition to that I also went to the gym, at first it was 3 times a week and somehow towards the end it became once a week …. Yeah! I wasted my money but I did learn a lot (it’s in my gym for dummies entry).

February and March I went searching on the internet to get some insight on what is expected and these two blogs seems to have some worthwhile information.

1) http://mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/blog/climbing-mount-kinabalu-from-a-muslims-perspective.html
2) http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/

Stuff you may need for the two day climb:-
Basically the stuff that you bring on your first day will be used on the second day too. Of course some can be left at Laban Rata while you do your 2nd day climb.

• Shoes
I bought a Hi-Tec shoe for the climb and tried it on when i did my training at Gunung Angsi. I found it comfortable so that shoe had my approval. My friend used a normal jogging shoe and that worked out well. I also brought my crocs which was useful since I needed a footwear i can use when taking my shower at Laban rata, well a sandal is another alternative

• Socks

• Raincoat
Those emergency ponchos is ok but it's better if you get one that wont get torn easily.

• Energy food
Chocolates would be good ( not ‘cloud 9’ because it will get very hard and you wont be able to chew it), nuts etc

• Drinks
A Liter of water of your choice (500ml 100 plus and 500ml mineral water). We brought 2 liters each and that was more than enough for 2 days, we even had to give our guide on the last day because we didn’t want to bring it down again.

• Hat masks
I would recommend a hat like that picture above, (worn by my friend). It was very windy during our climb and that hat mask will help to prevent the strong wind getting in your nose and mouth. I wish I had one.

• Torch
You will need a torch for your second day because you will start early in the morning, I would suggest you get a head torch which is more convenient than a hand torch. The reason is when you need to climb the rope, both hands can be used rather than using one hand to hold a torch and the other holding a rope. I used a hand torch but I think using a head torch would be better.

• Gloves
Get a proper snow gloves if you can, not those mittens because it can be really cold up there.

• Towel and toiletries
Remember to pack the usual when you got traveling. Toothbrush, soap, facial wash, toothpaste etc , an amount that can last for 2 days. Remember the lighter the better.

• Camera
Have extra protection, wrap it with plastic if you don’t have a waterproof camera just in case it rains really heavily.

• Clothing
I can’t stand cold temperature so I wore 4 layers of cloth underneath and one layer of snow jacket but my husband just had 2 layers of cloth and a snow jacket.

• Medication
I didn’t have to take any but bring some just in case like panadol, headache tablets, plasters if you get blisters, panadol, sun block if you are particular etc...

Getting Ready

Tamimi made the booking for us 3 month prior to the climb. Visit http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com.my and call the general hotline at +60 88 318 888 for bookings. Once you have confirmed you will have to make your payments. If I’m not mistaken, we had to pay RM300 per person. I think different rate is applicable for non Malaysian residents.

For your additional information, It is better if you can book your accommodation at Laban Rata because of 2 reasons,

a) It’s heated so you don’t need to bring a sleeping bag for extra warmth
b) Food will be served at Laban Rata. Its very tiring if you stay at any other accommodation because you have to walk back and forth to Laban Rata to eat, although it may be a short distance but after walking for 6 hours straight, additional walk is just what you don’t need.

1. Laban Rata – Heated
2. Waras Hut – Non-heated
3. Gunting Lagadan – Non- heated

That's the trail you will have to take to reach 'Lows peak'

A Heart for my Husband

2009-06-10T10:30:00.005+08:00

Since i have not been updating my blog.. i have decided to write on this thing i did with my friends around 2 days ago. ( safura, i took the pictures from your Facebook : D )

Safura and Nana suddenly had this baking craze that day and i came along to have some yummy cupcake. with my uncreative hands, i made this for my Husband whom i will meet in 2 weeks time... yeay : )

New Zealand – North Island (Part 2 of 4)

2009-05-20T12:24:00.012+08:00

22nd Nov to 11th Dec 08

AUCKLAND SHOPPING

1- K-road

Besides downtown Auckland, Karanghape road or as many would call it k-road is another popular shopping destination and because I am not… hmmm.. Or should I say I have not ventured to the shopaholic stage, the stage where I would want to purchase just about everything I see, all I do around K-road was enjoying what Auckland had to offer… nice cold weather and plenty of good shops for me to admire.

2- Parnell

Parnell offers nice shopping outlets but what caught my intuition was the chocolate cafe. There I had a scrumptious creamy chocolate drink with a slice of cake which helped stoped my chocolate craving for my whole NZ trip because the drink was just so yummy.

I went to Parnell by bus at night, hopped on the green NZ1.60 per ride; just ask the bus driver if you are unsure, not to worry, they are friendly.

3-Victoria Market

To get to Vicotria Market, I walked from Symonds rd to destination, to me NZ is all about walking from one place to another, the weather is just perfect for a day out walking and exploring the city. Victoria Market has souvenirs for you to purchase but the price difference are not apparent, I would say more or less 50cents from other shops around the city. It is also important to know that the choices and designs of souvenirs vary from one shop to another.

Website : - www.victoria-park-market.co.nz

Aotea square market

Some of what you can find at Aotea Square - scarves, jewellery, arts and crafts as well as selected type of clothes. I didn’t get anything; nevertheless I thought some of the scarves were pretty.

Opening Hours - Every Friday and Saturday
10am – 6pm
Location - Aotea square, 299 queen street, Central Auckland

TRANSPORT

1- Get on the green bus which costs NZ1.60 every time you hop on which will bring you all around the Auckland city ( museum, Parnell, k-road, )

2- The free bus is usually red in colour; it will bring you around the city centre. It’s no harm hopping on a free bus and get a free tour of the city.

I-CENTRE

The information centre is located at the Auckland tower. I would suggest if you still need some idea on where to go and what to do, try make your plans from there.

The best thing I found out in NZ is that if you use land lines ( including pay phones) you can make arrangements for car hire, hotel reservations etc etc for free. How wonderful is that? I was amazed for a moment : ). So, from the I-centre, I went to the second floor, search for a pay phone and made some car rental enquires for my road trip around North Island.

Packing essentials in November: - Hat, jumper, proper walking shoe, water bottle, windbreaker (preferable rather than an umbrella).

that was what happened to my umbrella

New Zealand - North Island (Part 1 of 4)

2009-03-27T23:14:00.015+08:00

Auckland 22nd nov – 11th dec 08

My trip to New Zealand covers only the North Island where my Journey starts from Auckland all the way down to Wellington where Ill share the things I have done and the places I have explored of this beautiful city of sails.

1.One Tree Hill

On my very first day in Auckland, my friend drove me to the summit of one tree hill which offers a 360 degree view of Auckland city, and this perfect day was complete with the clear skies and strong wind that kept us cool amidst the shining sun, its what I would call a perfect day. Just have a walk, jog, and bring the kids a long to see some sheep or just sit and relax. Just for your information, there is a history behind the name and you can read it from this website below or just Google “one tree hill”.

Two options when planning your trip to one tree hill, either drive to the top or walk to the summit and if you choose the former make sure you are wearing proper walking shoes or you will end up having blisters the next day.

Address:- 670 Manukau Road, Epsom
website: - http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/projects/onetree/history.asp

2- Downtown Auckland

Went walking around downtown Auckland, as what my travel friend Rashid calls it “the chewing gum infested Auckland” , and I dont blame him instead i have to agree because you will spot the chewing gum trail on the pathway when walking around the city. I went walking around downtown Auckland 4 times looking for souvenirs and such and based on my observation, although some shops offers a slightly different selection of souvenirs, the price does not vary that much.

Again comfortable walking shoes are an essential.

3- Auckland tower

From queen street its just a walking distance to the Auckland tower, i didn’t try any of the activities offered at the skytower because basically I have ascended two similar towers in KL (Malaysia) and Sydney tower (Australia) . I guess all towers are basically the same. I just went to the souvenirs section to compare prices and of course it’s a little overpriced there.

4- Auckland Museum

One easy way to get there is by using the NZ1.60 bus which I rode on from downtown Auckland. Personally, valuable information was obtained from the museum exhibition “secrets revealed- the backstage mysteries of your own museum".

The exhibition gave information on what it takes for the goods to be displayed to public in the museum. It may seem like an easy process but it has to go through different stages such as the uncrating process, through registration and research, to storage and finally display, that’s when its finally revealed to the public.

Different exhibitions will be displayed at different times, check the website below for information.

Location:- Auckland museum –auckland domain , parnell
Opening hours:- daily 10am-5pm
Price:- free
http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/

5- Symonds street cemetery

Just a nice place to look at old cemeteries

I will go nowhere without you

2009-02-26T17:55:00.007+08:00

Yes i will spend my days at home, or i might call my Farez for directions every time i plan to go somewhere or every time i get lost on my way back home if it wasn't for this brilliant invention. At least by having this i know ill be safe home wherever i am : )... oh and not to forget i can also use it when i travel hehe ... rent a car, save your preferred destinations on the GPS and whohoooo you will be there in no time, no maps needed.

Gym for dummies

2009-02-24T18:17:00.009+08:00

Thats my gym in Kota Damansara, Malaysia.

My first ever gym, which will hopefully help me with my Mount Kinabalu climb in April. My 3 times a week training started just 3 weeks back, sometimes i do feel lazy but my determination to reach the peak and not let myself be left behind kept me out of bed some mornings. the three very helpful girls are Yee Mei, sheila and Una working at this ladies only gym, truthfully , i wouldn't know what i should be doing in the gym if it wasn't for them.

I paid RM480 for 3 months, not sure if that was a good deal but because i was two months away from my adventure trip,i just enrolled. Ill share some points i learned along the way

1. Stretching

I always thought i should do a little stretching before i start running, jog, etc, but yee mei said i should have 5 or 10 minutes walk on the treadmill , stop and stretch, after which you can continue jogging or running to prevent tearing your muscles.

2. Duration

For beginners like me, i started with walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes, cycle for 10 minutes and just tried all the leg crunch provided at the gym. make sure after using the treadmill you lower the speed and walk slowly for another 2 minutes or so because if you get off the treadmill right away you will get dizzy ....thats what happened to me on my first try : )

on my third week , i started using the treadmill for 30 mins (speed 4.5 , incline to 11 ) .... as suggested by yee mei, do some running for 2 minutes and walk for 8 mins. when running ill use the speed of 6.5.... remember to monitor your fitness level and see if i can gradually increase your treadmill time instead of just 30 mins try 35 or 40mins.

as you can see, im not that fit.. thats about what i can do for now : )....

Jalan Pju 5/11
Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara
Selangor, Malaysia

03-61416733

Camera

2009-02-05T14:11:00.005+08:00

A few days ago I went with my friend to search for a digital camera, canon PowerShot G10 to be exact. This camera hunting is only a comparison between these two stores :-

1st :- One Utama shopping center new wing (canon shop)
2nd :- Pertama Complex Camera store – ground floor

Our first store in One Utama for the camera, table tripod, battery, charger and a 4 gig memory stick costs RM 1830 as of February 2009 and RM 750 for the underwater casing…….. like what every salesperson would say “This is a special price”

On top of that special price, we went to Pertama complex in Kuala Lumpur to find not a special rice but extraordinary price for the camera. At first this shop gave us a slightly higher price of RM1850, and RM800 for the underwater casing. we told her that we have no intention of buying it now but was just curious on the price she could offer. having done our survey of the price in one utama we mentioned that the store at one utama gave us a better deal and because of that , this lady started to reduce the price…

even with the price reduction we were not that happy and give her this "dont think i want to purchase this camera look" . with her given price and our budget we sat there thinking ........ looking at us that we were not that eager to buy with her reduced price , she reduced it to RM1700 for the camera inclusive of the camera casing, battery, battery charger , 8gig memory stick and RM700 for the underwater casing.

she then pushed us to buy a screen protector which we ended up buying for RM25 and an additional battery which original cost was RM199 but we ended up paying RM75.

All and all we went back paying RM2500 for the camera, camera casing, battery and battery charger, 8 gig memory stick, screen protector and an additional battery.

I personally think it’s a good buy, maybe to those who have an exceptional bargaining skill you would get it at a better discounted price.

I need a long break

2008-12-29T00:49:00.002+08:00

Hi all

I will be taking a break for a few months and im sorry i wont be able to share my ever so wonderful New Zealand trip just yet because i have 4 months to plan for a really big thing! so hopefully ill spit a whole lot of stories after April!! : )

thank you for reading my blog and i do hope ill share other stories soon : ).

Gold Coast

2008-12-19T08:53:00.033+08:00

Gold coast is just south of Brisbane which will take you around 30min by car from Brisbane central. For accurate driving directions, approximate time and distance for your destination try using morzilla firefox and enter the web address “whereis.com.au”

shopping

1. Harbor town

Harbor Town is the ultimate shopping heaven in Gold Coast apart from surfers paradise, Cheap branded shopping outlets can be found here as well as Souvenirs shops. You can go by car which is the easiest way to travel around or by public transport. ( check my previous blog post on using public transport in Brisbane)

2. Surfers paradise

This is a popular destination for tourists because of the beautiful sandy beach and a long stretch of shops opposite the beach which includes souvenir shops and luxury brands. You might even spot a couple of golden bikini ladies called meter maids who in history, feed coins into expired parking tickets around surfers paradise to beat the bad image to tourist caused by installation of parking meters . A gold coin donation is necessary if you would like to take a picture with them.

Attractions

1. Movie world” , sea world “, dream world and wet and wild

For all these attractions, you would get all the information you need on the address, ticket prices and opening hours on this website http://www.tourismgoldcoast.com/tours_themeparks.html#sea. Be mindful that you will require a whole day for each attraction and eat some food to refuel.

The ticket prices are rather expensive but you should get discounts like double pass discount or if you have an Australian friend, ask them if they have any discount dockets for any of this world. You can also purchase something from Woolworth and if you are luck, you will get the discounts at the back of your receipts. This docket entitles adult to enter using the kids price which is a save up to 24aud each.

A) Movie World

To plan a trip for movie world I would say it is a whole day trip which you should start from the time it’s opened till it closes. Better to go on weekdays as there won’t be that many people and you can get on the rides easily without having to get in a long queue. Your time will be spent on rides, shows and strolling around shops and restaurants. For Muslims, you can find a halal restaurant to take a rest and refuel as well as a prayer room.

Most important is to watch the parade where all the characters will come out and present themselves at usually 3.30pm ( the white printed sheet of paper you get when entering will give you the information). And don’t forget the shrek 4d adventure (I think this is just so great) and any other shows that you might think is fun for you to watch, make sure organize a little of your time to stroll at the kids section too as I find it rather cute : ).

general admission for Adults :- 69.00aud
general admission for Kids:- 45aud
opening hours : :- RIDES & ATTRACTIONS OPEN 10:00am
RIDES & ATTRACTIONS CLOSE 5:00pm
GATES CLOSE 5:30pm
Website: http://korean.movieworld.com.au/visitor_info/hours.cfm
http://movieworld.myfun.com.au/

B) Wet and wild

I thought wet and wild is just another amusement park in Brisbane but I was wrong indeed. We had super duper fun!!!! Getting on the rides : ). 4 in a group is the exact number you will needed because some rides are for 2, and some are for 5 which made our day so fun and exciting. The closing times vary throughout the year so we were lucky as some rides are open till 9.pm so we saved the night rides till we got bored with the other rides that close at 5pm.

Ticket price:- General Admission
Adult $49.00
Child $32.00
Website:- http://wetnwild.myfun.com.au/Attractions.htm
Opening Hours: opens at 10.00am every day, closing times vary throughout the year - as follows:

27 December - 25 January: 9.00pm
26 January - 30 April: 5.00pm*
01 May - 31 August: 4.00pm
01 September - 26 December: 5.00pm*

*On Saturday nights - Dive-in-movie nights - the movie screens at dusk and the park closes at the end of the movie

C) Sea world

A perfect day for kids to spend watching marine animals up-close, Watch the dolphin show , pet a starfish, some rides and a chance to meet cartoon characters like the power puff girls. It will be a fun filled experience for kids.

General Admission: - Adult $69.00
:- Child $45.00 (3-13 years)
Children: under 3 years are free of charge
Website:- http://seaworld.myfun.com.au/Attractions.htm
Opening hours:- 10am - 5.00pm all year round.

D) Dream world

My memory on Dream World is quite vague since the last time I went there was 4 years ago and at that time I find it rather dull. So instead of spending my money at dream world I will go to movie world but if you are rides enthusiast dream world is your preferable choice. If you have to make a choice between movie world and dream world I would suggest movie world.

Website:- http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/drw_2008_home.asp?
Ticket price:- Adults $69.00
: - Children (4-13yrs inclusive) $45.00

2. Super Bee Honey world

You will get the chance to taste different types of honey for free as well as the chance to learn some insights about honey making process, how honey is extracted and interesting facts on bees.

Entrance: - free
Live Bee Show: - aud5.00
Shows held from 10am to 4pm - duration 30min
Address: - 35 Tomewin Street, Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Australia
Website: - http://www.superbee.com.au/

3. Whale watching

It was a memorable experience indeed to get to see whales swimming in front of your eyes but you do need great patience of course to wait for the whale to suddenly emerge from under the water.

This trip was sometime in august 2007 I think. I can’t remember the companies name or any other extra information because I didn’t have in mind that I will be writing a blog. From what I know whales can be spotted in the gold coast between June and end of October, although my trip was on of the last because whales are migrating back we were lucky to spot a few although they were quite a distance away.

Price: I paid 50aud but the price has increased now
Website:http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/queensland/gold-coast/tours-cruises/half-day/spirit-of-gold-coast-whale-watching/
What to bring:- A hat, sunglass, drinking water and have some sunscreen on

4. Orileys

Lamington national park, I wanted to go to this park so much because I came to know there is a history behind this park when I did my prac where I had to teach about rainforest to year 7 kids.

Basically in 1937 an airline called the stinson airline disappeared from a flight from Brisbane to Sydney. This disapearence was the talk of the country where search and rescue went on for days. a week after the plane went missing, a man called Bernard O’Reily decided to investigate where he soon found 2 men alive after 10 days on the top of a mountain.

Out of the 7 men on the plane, 3 survived the crash and they were Jim Westrey, Joe Binstead and John Proud. One of the survivor, Jim Westrey who had the least injury as result to the crash volunteered to find help which in the end he himself died at was buried next to a creek in the rain forest.

Its an amazing story because they had survived for many days injured, with very little to no food and water.

You will have the choice to hike to the crash site or just spent a day walking on some path in the rainforest and climb the canopy ! really scary , not for the faint hearted : ).

on your way down heading back to the city, dont forget to stop over Kamarun lookout... they have a very nice view of mountains and trees.

Website: - http://www.oreillys.com.au/lamington-national-park/

Others that I have not been to but would love to:-

1. Currambin wildlife sanctuary

Just opposite Honey wworld is the currambin wildlife sanctuary. Have not been there, but will hopefull get the chance to go. Better go with my nieces and nephews.

Website:- http://www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au/content/home.asp?

2. Tropical Fruit world farm

Website:- http://www.tropicalfruitworld.com.au/

My absence

2008-12-15T06:53:00.003+08:00

I am aware that it has been a month... probably a little more than a month that i have not been updating this blog. Its because i have been away on a long holiday to a place very beautiful, fantastic views and filled with activities none other than New zealand : ).

Ill update on the stuff i did in New zealand soon enough once i finish on the stuff you can do in Gold Coast.

Will post something on pretty soon : P

Brisbane Shopping and Transport

2008-11-13T07:07:00.004+08:00

Shopping in Brisbane

1- Brisbane city (Queen street mall)

In Brisbane a popular spot for shopping is the Myer centre and queen street which is located in the city centre. If you are a shopaholic Easter sale, Christmas sale or boxing day will be heaven for you.

Souvenirs can also be found at Queen Street and I find some souvenirs here are cheaper compared to surfers paradise especially the souvenir shop right opposite hungry jacks. But you have to keep in mind some stuff can be found in one shop but it is not available in other stores.

• Opening hours for shops are from 9am – 5.30 during the week.
• Close at 5.00 on Saturday and 4 on Sundays
• Late night hours for Brisbane city is on Friday where shops open till 9pm
• Late night shopping for shopping malls in the Suburbs is on Thursday where shops are open till 9pm

2- DFO (Direct Factory Outlets)

DFO has 100 individual factory outlet stores offering discounts up to 70%. You may get some good bargains here but I do prefer harbourtown in Gold Coast better

Transport

The transportation system here in Brisbane is pretty good and I wouldn’t call it excellent because various places will require you to walk some distance before you can catch a bus to your destination. Busses operate using timetables so you can estimate the time you need to reach your destination as well as knowing the time for the last bus so you won’t be stranded wherever you are.

Tickets are sold on single, daily, weakly or concession fare. If you buy a daily ticket on the bus, that will allow you to use the ticket for the train, bus and city cat (ferry) for that day. Off-peak tickets are sold from 9am-3pm and from 7pm onwards. Off peak is cheaper by a dollar I think from the normal ticket price.

There are 3 main public transports which are the City cat, bus and train. For visitors, try get on the City cat, different to the ordinary on road transport. The train will also take you to gold coast, but you might need to hop on a bus or two to your preferred destination.

Also a train from the international airport at night you can catch the coach train which last stop is the city.

More information on the public transport in Brisbane can be found on http://www.transinfo.qld.gov.au/

Hire a car – Brisbane

To rent a car in Brisbane, I would suggest Alpha, Budget or Avis car rental as they are considered to be among the cheapest. Do a Google search for the best bargain you can get and most of the car rental companies will allow you to rent from Brisbane Airport.

Some important information that you need to know when renting a car is that the price shown is without insurance cover. The Insurance you have to pay differs from one company to another and this insurance is optional. Without the Insurance cover, you will need to pay aud2000-3000 for any damaged done to the car but the liability is reduced to aud200-300 if you are insured.

I would suggest you to know (1). How many KMs per day (2).How much will it cost for any extra KMs when deciding the best deal a company can offer.

Brisbane See and do

2008-10-30T08:15:00.009+08:00

Brisbane

1. Clock tower

Going up the clock tower which is located at Brisbane City hall is free. I was told that you have to pay aud2 for adults and aud1 for children now but I can’t be certain on that. To reach the observation deck in the Brisbane city hall clock tower, will require us to use the lift which travels through the clocks working. From the observation deck, you will be able to view most of Brisbane city and the story bridge.

Opening hours: - Monday to Friday 10.00am - 3.00pm
Saturday 10.00am - 2.00pm
Closed Sundays and Public Holidays

2. Roma street parkland

Roma Park has such beautiful flowers and gardens which are carefully maintained. Just take a stroll in the park will give you a peace of mind. Not only the beautiful flowers will amaze you but picnic area and BBQ spots are provided for free. Adding to that, your kids will have so much fun playing at the playground that comprises swings, slides, climbing frames, etc. there is also a train service that will take you around the park.

To get to Roma Park is very easy. The train ‘roma street’ train station is a walking distance to the park.

Opening hours:- 24 hours a day, some section of the park will be closed during the night
p/s- that picture does not show justice to the park, but thats all i have because i didnt think i would share information with others : )

3. Lone pine koala sanctuary

Lone pine koala sanctuary is the first koala sanctuary in Australia which not only house koalas but sheep, kangaroos, emu, sheep, birds etc. Some animal shows will be held throughout the day for birds, sheep and insights on koala.

Visitors will get the chance to hand feed kangaroos and cuddle koalas. Personally to me this place is a little boring as compared to Steve Irwin’s zoo in the sunshine coast but if you don’t have much time and can’t travel to sunshine coast this would be a place for you to get up-close with the Australian wildlife.

Price:- around aud20

4. Mt coot-tha lookout

To visit the spectacular view Mt coot-tha provides, I would suggest visitors to come during sunset and from that time you will get the chance to view Brisbane city up to Moreton Bay during daylight and stay till you see the glittering lights at night…ahh romantic : )

5. South bank

South Bank provides streets beach, parkland and night market. The man-made swimming beach is the only Australian beach in the middle of the city ahhhhh sounds good aye? On top of that south bank provides parks for you to have family fun time with your family. I brought my niece and nephew here and they didn’t want to go back home, they even begged me to bring them back there the next day : ).

On Friday , Saturday and Sunday night, south bank provides a lifestyle market selling arts, clothing, toys, accessories, imported goods etc. and my favorite is Cheeros…. Its flour coated with cinnamon served on its own or cream and chocolate. Very very yummy.

Web Site :- http://www.southbankmarket.com.au/

Operating hours:
Friday-5.00pm until 10.00pm
Saturday- 10.00am until 5.00pm
Sunday-9.00am until 5.00pm

6. Ekka in august

This yearly event in Brisbane which happens only in August attracts a number of visitors. A number of exhibitions such as dairy farm milking barn, animal nursery are offered as well as entertainments, showbags , competitions etc. view the website to get more information.

The only thing I wont be doing if I do go to Ekka again next year is to play the fun fair games. Grrrrrr gets me frustrated wasting my money to play the games offered. Its so tricky that hardly anyone can win.

Web Site:- http://www.ekka.com.au/home/default.asp

For more information visit this website which provides more information on interesting places you can visit. On my blog im only sharing my experiences.

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/see-and-do

Brisbane Activities

2008-10-19T06:55:00.007+08:00

Brisbane

If you would like to come and visit Brisbane, here are some ideas on activities i have done.

ADVENTURE

1. Kangaroo point

Kangaroo point is a nice place to come and watch the beautiful river view, take some nice pictures, have a walk or a bicycle ride on the walking tracks if you don’t wish to do any intricate activities. At the base of kangaroo point is a place where you can select various sports that you wish to try as well as rent necessary equipments for your chosen activity. I tried rock climbing, a one hour lesson with a supervisor which includes safety instructions, harness, helmet, rock climbing chalks, rope etc. Its best if you can come with a partner to try this activity as you will need someone to do belay and doing it with a person you know would add fun into the activity. Do give them a call to reserve a place to try any of the sports offered. The website will answer questions that you may have.

There are other sports company that may offer you the same activities but with a different price. It’s good to Google around to find a company that will provide a great package.

Rock Climbing:- aud29
Location:- At the base of kangaroo point
Website :- http://www.riverlife.com.au/location_home.html

2. Moreton island

There are many companies that provides a whole day activity at Moreton Island. Its better if you can google different companies that will suit your liking. There are a number of options you could choose from, one day, 2 days or 3 days adventure depending on your preferences.

Mine was a little expensive because it was in January which is a peak season. This package comes with sandboarding (the most important must try activity) snorkeling over at the ship wreck, lunch, relaxing at the fresh water lake (blue lagoon) and a tour around the island.

The only unpleasant instance was our snorkeling activity, where the sea was evidently not very calm which made it a lot harder to snorkel. Adding to that, I got the wrong sized flipper which made my snorkeling trip a disaster.

Tips:- preferbably if you love snorkeling bring your own flippers. For muslims or vegetarian inform them you would like halal meal or if they don’t provide halal meal ask them for vegetarian meal instead.

Price – aud150
Company – Goanna adventure

3. Rifle shooting

We tried rifle shooting first before clay shooting because we thought this would give us a beginner start holding a real gun and aiming. There are a variety of guns you could choose form, the first thing is preferably to talk to the person over at the counter on which gun would be best for your level, they will require one photo ID from you which can be your student ID, driving license, Identification card. Next you can choose a range of target that interests you. Finally someone will help you prepare for shooting and will give you some safety instructions.

Telephone: - (07) 3398 1749
Address : - 292 Mt Petrie Road
BELMONT QLD 4153
Website: - http://www.ssaabris.org.au/home.htm

4. Shot gun – clay shooting

Shot gun was not as easy as riffle shooting as you are not aiming at a still target rather it’s a flying clay and adding to that, the gun is a lot heavier because you have to carry it and not placing it on the table as you do with riffles. You have to be alert when releasing the clay in the air and accurately shoot the flying target. When shooting, be wary where you place your gun because I had a slight bruise on my arm as I didn’t place it on where it should be. From what I can remember the cost is aud30 for a box of 25 bullets.

No experience is necessary if you would like to try. And the lovely thing is that the owner and its workers are really helpful. All four of us had one to one coaching.

Address:- The Brisbane Gun Club
Mt Petrie Rd. Belmont
(07) 3398 4555
Opening hours:- Thursdays & Saturdays 12 noon - 5pm
New shooters catered for between
12pm - 2pm or by prior arrangement.
Website :- http://www.brisbanegunclub.com/

Expression

2008-10-11T11:01:00.003+08:00

Gosh, I have not been updating my blog for quit sometime. Is the lame excuse of being busy credible enough ? : ). Well, I have not been up to anything much all this while, just the normal everyday life of waking up, going to work/ class , at the end of the day have a good night sleep and do the exact same thing the next day. I’m impressed by some people who seem to have something interesting to write on their blog ever single day…hmmmm Wish I could have the ability to express my thoughts and be a good writer : ). Take care all.

Selamat Hari Raya

2008-09-30T16:27:00.002+08:00

Another Ramadan has ended. What have I achieved, gained or learnt during this glorious month?? I shall ponder on that to achieve a more meaningful Ramadan next year insyallah. This year ill be celebrating Eid in Brisbane together with umi and abi, just the three of us, and all the rest will celebrate Eid as shown below .

Abang+kak ah
Iyah + A.ikhwan } Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mas + najib

Me, Abi, Umi } Brisbane, Australia

Irfan } Auckland, New Zealand

Zaki } Leeds, UK

Who knows where we will be in 2009.

Eid Mubarak to all!

Explaining hijab to non-muslim kids

2008-09-13T20:38:00.006+08:00

I am now doing a part time job dealing with primary school kids from age 5 to 12. Looking somewhat different from the majority of the people in this school, kids would approach me and ask why I have “that thing” on my head. I knew I would have to deal with this question since I’m the minority in this country, but I wasn’t expecting it to come from an 8 year old on my very first day.

My first reaction was a 20 second silence. Not that I didn’t know what to answer but I was thinking on how to give her a simple answer which is not confusing. In the end my response was “because I have a different religion”. Older kids would ask a lot of other questions regarding the head scarf like “do you wear it when you take a shower” “don’t you feel hot” “what else must you cover” “do you wear it at home”. Because these kids are roughly 11- 12 years old, I answered as simple and as truthful as I could which I think is just what they needed.

Just a few days ago, a new kid arrived and she asked me the same question. Instead of just saying I have a different religion, I said I have a different belief. Because I was not attending to any other kid at that moment, I figured its better that I have a two way discussion with the kid so she understands better.

Me:- You know how different people have different names and look different from one another. They also come from different places, countries. Can you tell me what else is different between all of us?
Girl:- Different eye colour, different hair colour.
Me:- that’s very good. What about different language
Girl:- yeah! and different way of dressing too
Me:- that’s right! And a different religion, that’s what I have, A different religion.

I find this an effective way to approach younger kids provided that you have the time to have the conversation. Some people would say you should tell them why you are covered so they understand why your religion wants you to cover. As for me i would elaborate on that if they raise the question, which usualy comes from older kids.

Some other answers I came across from other people were :-
“I tell them that I want to look as nice as Mary, the mother of Jesus”.
“this is what I believe and it helps me to stay modest"

Add some other responses you may think would help.

Poem by mufti Perlis

2008-09-05T20:53:00.008+08:00

the much talked about poem from the mufti

translation in english by malaysiakini

"The first stanza of Mohd Asri's poem spoke of "the people's wealth being turned into stakes" between players of a game. And when the resulting hatred turned into flames, ‘all that is seditious will be swallowed (as the truth)', the poem went on to say.

In the third stanza, which created the most buzz, the mufti wrote: "When the country has come into disarray, it is better, Sir, for you to step down".

The religious scholar ended his poem with enigmatic words of advice that many believe were meant to focus on who the people should pick as a successor to Abdullah.

"Seek a successor who is of high character. Let not a robber replace a thief,"

Politics

2008-09-05T08:10:00.006+08:00

Politics in Malaysia is getting really interesting nowadays ever since the political tsunami that struck Malaysia on March 8 2008, and since that I can’t help but read the news everyday on Malaysiakini.

From what I can see, the government seems to want to do everything all at once, wanting to win back the people’s trust, and why is this the case…. A simple answer is because the opposition is stronger. They were not doing anything before this.

Imagine what will happen when they are in control again and the oppositions weaken, you think there will be a clean and fair election?? You think they care about the country? They are more concern about gaining wealth for themselves and their family. With this current turmoil happening, many put the blame on our current PM but I would think his deputy plays a somewhat similar role and deservers the blame as well.

I find this excerpt from an article rather interesting. Its in relation to our former PM who many calls 'father of development'.

“Many say Dr Mahathir was a great leader. I cannot accept this. It was his administration that left us in the difficulties we are in now. From reckless deficit spending on vanity mega-projects to a seeming incapability, or was it unwillingness, to deal with destructive corruption to the dismantling of the Rule of Law to the encouraging, nurturing even, of sectarian interests, his was an administration that left Malaysia deeply divided, distrustful and greatly crippled.”

We should vote not to get the best party in because there is no such thing, but vote to get the worst party out. I wouldn’t want to live another 30 years knowing I have to have two jobs to have a decent life to support my family.

Sunshine Coast

2008-09-03T20:29:00.020+08:00

I have lived in Brisbane for almost 2 years, and just recently I started to explore this ever so beautiful Queensland right from Brisbane (the centre), up north to sunshine coast and down south to Gold coast .

THINGS TO DO

On the 10th of august 2008, I began my journey with Safura, Zul and Shahril to explore Sunshine Coast, the northern part of Brisbane.

1. The Home of the Crocodile Hunter

If you are traveling with young children, you have to drop over the Australia zoo. You will be entertained by the exciting wildlife shows offered for the whole day, where every show will give young children valuable information. During your visit you will notice zoo keepers walking around the zoo carrying animals for you to pet which is undoubtedly enjoyable for kids.

You will also notice a special playing area for the kids with a jumping castle and a small merry go-round. An extra aud18 will give you the chance to take a picture while cuddling a koala; I was told that the picture quality and background is better here compared to the one at koala sanctuary. This kid below is so adorable and i cant help but upload this picture.

Tips: - Bring your own food if your kids prefer home cooked meal. Lots of drinking water, wet tissue, sun hat. I’m sure this will be joyous day for your kids and you.

Price: - aud50 (adult)
: - aud31 (children) – do check the website for family passes and updates
Opening Hours: - 9am – 4.30pm
Website: -http://www.australiazoo.com.au/

2. Strawberry Picking

We were lucky since august is strawberry galore we went for strawberry picking. I noticed a number of strawberry farms further up Australia zoo as well as on the way back to Brisbane. after about 1/2hour picking strawberries and taking pictures we headed back to Brisbane. I didnt only bring back strawberries but the strawberry jam too. Im actually not a jam fan but Shahril’s description on how deliecious the jam is made me want to try it with bread and scones at home and i had no regret.

Cost:- aud8 per kilo ( pink bucket)
:- Strawberry jam aud2.50
Opens till :- 5.00 or 5.30

3. Tin Can Bay Dolphin centre

This one was a doleful experience. I woke up as early as 5am, had breakfast, refreshed myself and smilingly ready to meet the others for our dolphin trip. It was a 3 hour drive from Brisbane to reach tin can bay, (thank you Shahril for driving us in the morning, and Zul on the way back).

We had a few stops along the way which extended the actually time we should reach tin can bay. Once there, we were devastated to know that dolphin feeding starts only at 8.00am ‘sharp’ everyday. Yup! We didn’t get to feed the dolphins : ( . ill try again next time! I won’t loose hope.

And because of that, we went on a dolphin cruise at 11am. After an hour there were still no sign of any dolphins and we headed back to the shore. Although they detest us, we still had a great time on the boat taking pictures of the gorgeous scenery.

If you are a person who loves fishing, you can rent a boat for 2 hours (aud50per boat) and catch some fish. Make sure to bring a long sun block, a hat, and your fishing rod.

Tips: - sleepover at tin can bay for the night if you would like to feed the dolphins. I saw a few backpackers hotel along the way to tin can bay. It would be much easier than waking up at 4am and drive to sunshine coast the same day.

Cost: - dolphin feeding. Free but they do appreciate gold coin donation just to keep the bay running
: - cruise aud15

4. The Ginger Factory

This is a worthwhile experience to get some insights on ginger. Admission is free, but if you would like to go on ‘The taste of ginger tour’ its aud9.50 for students. The tour will let you visit the ginger factory, you will get information from how ginger is planted, harvested until its processing stage.

After gaining some valuable information you will escorted to the tasting room to try out some products made from ginger as well as gain some information on cooking tips. Everything tasted wonderful except that I didn’t try ginger sauce coated with meatballs.

The next interesting thing you could do and do tell me about it if you have because I didn’t get the chance to try is to ride on the ginger train and boat tour. You can either purchase your ticket for the boat and the train separately or purchase both together at roughly aud12. The website will give you more information.

Website :- http://www.gingerfactory.com.au/gingerfactory/
Opening hours : - 7 days (9am- 5pm) closed on Christmas day
Address : - Pioneer road yandina, sunshine coast, Queensland
Phone:- (07) 5446 7100

5. Macadamia factory

You should stop over the macadamia factory as it’s just opposite the ginger factory. Here you can find macadamias coated with honey, garlic, chocolate and many others.

TRANSPORT

The best way to move around is to rent a car

FOOD

you can try Pancake at Mc Donald’s

'Pregnant Man' gives birth

2008-08-27T20:29:00.003+08:00

I get really annoyed whenever I come across this news on the internet. I can’t understand why some people are making a big fuss on this ‘lady’ being pregnant. If ‘she’ was born a female, of course ‘she’ is able to get pregnant. Why are you calling ‘her’ the first man to give birth. Get a real man and show how you can manipulate god’s creation and make him pregnant. I find it funny how people play with words and just because she decides to grow a beard and moustache that doesn’t make her a man, she may look like one, but she is not one.

People are trying to make man and woman equal in everything where in actual fact without going in much detail nature has set a clear standard in defining man and woman. Both are a part of a system just like the sun and the moon, according to their nature shall move in their orbits to carry out their divine duties. Women can bare a child while man cant and both creation of Allah have been created and have their own specific purposes. They are both an integral part of the system to be respected and honored.

so why ask to be a man when you are infact a woman.

A Little Princess

2008-08-25T20:53:00.001+08:00

I remembered watching this movie when I was young and I can’t help watching it again now. It doesn’t relate to my life whatsoever, but I do like how they put forward that people will enjoy being around you when you are sincere in helping them and sincere in whatever you do. It teaches young girls who love and wants to be a princesses to know that princesses are not only those with fame, fortune and beauty, but everyone is one and whats important is that you need to find the goodness within you. A good story for kids.

Understand Quranic Arabic

2008-08-24T13:56:00.001+08:00

About a year ago I had this urge to learn Arabic for the benefit that I will be able to speak and understand the Quran when I read it. I started to Google various keywords and at last I found this really useful website “ http://www.understandquran.com/u/default.asp” . Its main aim is not for you to be able to speak but for you to be able to understand what you read in your prayers and to understand the Quran when you read it.

Start with the short English courses and you will find it really easy to understand and follow what is being taught. I would pay for this course if I had to, but Alhamdulillah both the directors have gone through this much trouble preparing and everything is given for free for you to download like the videos, power point slides, work book, notes, text book and a test at the end of each week just for you to assess your understanding on the lesson.

I hope you will benefit as much as I did. Do give it a try and tell me what you think.

Sydney , Australia

2008-08-23T10:50:00.002+08:00

Hi and welcome all to my blog. When it comes to planning for a travel trip, I find myself to be the most conscientious person in the world for which ill spend countless hours planning in an eclectic way.

My trip from Brisbane to Sydney on 20th Nov - 27th Nov 2007 was filled with activities the most, I didn’t capture many pictures as I didn’t have this zeal to start a blog of my own back then. So anyhow, this is the best that i can begin with. When I travel, my aim is to get hold of as many tourist destinations I can, learn about the people, the history and basically anything of interest.

My friend suggested to purchase the "see Sydney and beyond" card (http://www.seesydneycard.com/) which to me was an ultimate money saver. This card comes in different prices, you can get a one day two day or even three day pass. I got the one day pass which costs aud69 for a whole day adventure.

My advice when using this card is to plan your day so you won’t waste money. I managed to use it for six attractions which would have cost me aud197.50. Some of you might not have the chance to visit 6 attractions in one day if you go with a big group. to start with you should go online, look at the offered destinations and plan which attraction interest you the most and see if this card will help you save some $$.

THINGS TO DO

1 » Sydney Opera house tour

To kick-off the day I started with the Sydney opera house tour. The tour costs aud32 for adults, but with the smart visit card its free. I got on the 9.30am tour, since this is the earliest to open amongst the other attraction using the card; I planned not to waste time. I would say this is one of the best value for money tour which lasted for an hour. We entered the performance theater, learn the history, learn the architecture of the building (if you are passionate about architecture and engineering you HAVE to take this tour) and not to forget the chance to snap some pictures inside the building.

TIPS:- if you are using the smart visit card its better to start with this so that you will have more time going to other places.

Website: sydneyoperahouse.com
Opening hours:- 9am – 5pm daily

2 » Jet Cruiser sightseeing ride

This is a sightseeing ride plus some adventure. Without the card, the cost is aud50 per person and during this ride you will get the chance to view those million dollar houses along the river and the harbour bridge side by side with the opera house which is a spectacular view indeed. Don’t forget to bring along your camera to capture the moment.

Tips:- you can depart from circular quay or darling harbour. You don't have to hop off the same station as you departed. this will help you plan your trip better

Phone: (02) 8296 7333
Directions: Wharf 6 of circular quay or pier 26 near the aquarium at darling harbour
Website: jetcruiser.com
Other Contact: ride@jetcruiser.com

3 » Pylon lookout

If you think you want to view Sydney from up high and you are on a tight budget, instead of climbing the bridge which will cost around aud100+ you can view Sydney from the pylon. My third stop costs aud9.50 if you are not using the card. I would suggest this place if you visit Sydney as the chance to view Sydney from the pylon it breathtakingly amazing.

Tips:- I had a hard time looking for this place when Its actually a walking distance from circular quay. Ask the people at the information center if you are unsure. It’s really not that far.

4 » Sydney Jet (45 minute adventure)

This ride was replete with excitement. It’s Aud60 and free with the card. If you are looking for something thrilling that keeps your adrenalin pumping and your hair, face and your whole body soaked (Of course you will be provided with a raincoat), than this ride is for you. You will get the chance to pass some of Sydney's icons (harbour bridge, opera house) and If you're lucky you would get a chance to pass by the nudes beach . I was not wearing my contact lenses so I didn’t see anything : )

Tips :- A lady behind me vomited, so carefully choose who sits next to you . This ride is highly in demand, make sure when you purchase the card at the information center near the rocks you ask them to reserve the ride for you or you can even do it yourself by calling this number below.

Phone: (02) 8296 7366
Directions: If you are from circular quay, take a ferry to darling Harbor, stop at the aquarium, and walk for about 4 minutes.
Website: http://www.sydneyjet.com/

5 » The Aquarium

Once you are done with Sydney jet which is located at Sydney harbour. You should visit Sydney wildlife world or Sydney aquarium which is also located at Sydney harbour. You will have to choose either wildlife or aquarium, I would have gone in both if we were allowed to. I decided to visit the seals and sharks because we were a little late in the evening and the people at the counter said the animal shows are done in the morning, so even if we went in, it wouldn’t be as exciting.

address : - Aquarium Pier, darling harbour
Telephone : (02) 9262 2300
Operating hours : daily 9.00am - 10.00pm

6 » Sydney tower and Oz trek

This was the last stop for the day using the card and my feet are screaming to take a rest. Even the battery for my camera went dead! I should ask you to bring extra batteries if you plan to do what I did.

7 » Round the blue mountain

After our one day fun and adventure using the 'see Sydney ' card. The next day we planned a trip to visit the blue mountain in Katoomba. The train ticket costs aud15.20 from Sydney city central, sorry i cant remember how long the journey was , maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

I took the trolley tour package which costs aud33 inclusive of the hop-on hop-off bus tour, scenic skyway and Railway.

If you are taking the trolley tour, i would suggest you to start as early as possible in the morning, hop on the tour bus, have one whole round of the mountain, then plan where you want to stop on the next round.

This tour has two routes (red) and (blue). The red route covers one big circle of the mountain and the bus will only come to you every hour from each stop ( thats eternity) its worthwhile if you love tracking since this mountain provides many interesting places to track depending on the time you want. some routes offers a 25minutes track while others 45minutes. The second route is the blue route which overlaps the red and from every overlapping route stop you will get a bus every 30 minutes.

The bus service starts at 9.15am and the last bus ends at 4.20. Towards the end, we stopped over the choc factory to have that yummy hot choc drink

8 » Hyde Park Barracks Museum

this one was aud5 for concession and aud10 for adults, Its not a big museum but i did get useful information on the convict system in Australia and the chance to view archeology collection.

9 » Bondi Beach

A beautiful beach but we didnt swimm because it was cold that time of year. if you want, there are a number of shops that you can have a look at.

10 » City

We did a city tour on the fifth day and since we purchased the weekly ticket, we didnt have to worry about transport costs.

11 >> Lakeemba

On my last day, I visited my mom’s friend in lakeemba which is in the green zone so I had to pay aud2.50 for my transport because I’m out of the red zone. Majority Muslims live in lakeemba and that’s where I got to eat Mc Chicken and sundae ice cream from mc Donald’s which I have been craving for ever since I reached Australia .

TRANSPORT

Getting around Sydney: I bought a weekly ticket which includes traveling on bus, train and ferry and i find it an ultimate money saver. i got the red zone ticket for aud35 which covers mainly all the tourist attractions around Sydney. Even if you need to travel in a different colored zone (like to the blue mountains), inform the ticket master that you have the red zone ticket they would cut around aud2 from the original ticket price. That’s not much but what the heck : )

You can purchase the ticket at the tourist information center at circular quay.

To travel back to my house from Brisbane airport i took Coachtrans Australia which costs me aud12, they drop us down to at the city and we took a bus back home. Instead of paying for the taxi which would cost me aud30 just from the city back home, not from the airport. we thought of taking the train but since we arrived at night, we missed the last train.

PACKING ESSENTIALS

Even though it’s nice and sunny in the afternoon but at night it does get a little cold. Bring along your jumper an essential I would say.

I wore my converse shoes to travel for 5 days and it hurts : ).... not a good idea.

SHOPPING

Paddy's market: save the best for last

This market has two locations with over 100 stalls. Most of the stalls sells souvenirs, you do get people selling facial products, clothes, electrical appliances, toys etc. you come in empty handed and you will surely come out with something : ).

How much you spend will depend on how shopaholic you are. Me not being one spent around 50aud.

You can take the monorail; it will stop directly in front of the market. Or if you get lost, once again, you can ask the people at the information counter.

FOOD

1 - kebab at wharf 6

If your main concern is to eat halal food , you can find it here at wharf number 6. Just be careful when you purchase the fries and potato wedges at the same cafe because they fry it with pork. The kebab is at the corner of the shop, not the same owner as the fries.

If that is not your main concern, by all means enjoy all the food : )

2 - Pancakes on the rocks

I didn’t get to try pancakes from this restaurant, but I heard that its a must try when you visit Sydney.

3 - Fish Market

If you are a seafood lover, you have to visit this place. There are restaurants after restaurants selling prawn, lobsters, fish, calamari etc. because we were tired walking around the whole day, when our food was served we found that we have a voracious appetite : ) .

Tips:- They call it a seafood market, me being careful with what I consume asked the sales person if they sell meat, their reply was Kilpatrick oysters are cooked with bacon. They do cook it separately and are willing to change Kilpatrick with other seafood of your choice.

Do add in extra information that i might have missed

Introduction

2008-08-23T09:01:00.000+08:00

Today i have decided to abandon my xanga site and start my posts here just because i think blogspot is more user friendly as compared to xanga.

Here ill write stuff on my travel experiences which i would like to share with the world and occasionally other interesting information. Hopefully you may find some information useful.

Happy reading.