Ramadhan Feasting 3 - Awana

First is the photo - it is obviously a shot of Starbucks ... this particular outlet is located at the Kuah Jetty ... right smack in the city ... in case I didn't mention it earlier, the Jetty is about the only place that seems to have a "cafe" scene ...

Anyway for this round of review, I am presenting Awana ... a hotel in the famed Genting group. It is located at the end of Pantai Tengah ... you just drive along the road past the "famous" Unkaizen ... Japanese restaurant and onward until you see a huge guard post ... continue through and before you stretch an immense and usually empty carpark before you reach the main building

The hotel itself has been touched up a fair bit from what I recalled in 2001 when I used to go there to purchase "DVD" and "cheap eats" ... now it seems like a proper hotel ... I especially loved the outdoor seating where there is a plank boardwalk of sorts that you can sit or lean over and peer into the darkness ... a row of orange-y light bulbs give the place a sort of quiet carnival (is there such a thing?) atmosphere ... and you can actually see Kuah town from this place even though it is a good 20 to 30 minutes drive along winding hilly roads ...

So how is the food? Like Aseania they have a rotating menu ... unfortunately the price tag is RM38 per pax ... and what is shocking is the lack of variety ... I guess they were not expecting many guests and therefore prepared very little food ... unfortunately with this, it becomes a vicious cycle ... our table had 3 pax ... another table 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) ... another table of 4 adults ... and that was it ... all others walk through and walk out!!!

There is 1 type of soup and 1 porridge, no salads but only pickles etc typical of kampung Malay stuff ... less than 10 types of hot dishes/ main course and a smattering of desserts ... the action stands were deserted ... of 4 stands on the outside ... 3 had something to offer ... first up was an Asam Laksa (very delicious!) ... Tomato rice with beef rendang is in the next stand and then teh tarik on the third stand ... and that was it

They had less to offer than roadside stalls!

Sad really ... I won't be making a return trip, that's for sure ...

Ramadhan Part 2: Aseania Langkawi

To those who emailed me after the first posting on food - a big thank you ... for today, we moved on to the next hotel that is less than 5mins driving time from our first ... Aseania. The hotel is a pink monstrosity located near the intersection between Pantai Chenang and Pantai Tengah ... you cannot possibly miss it ...

Before we delve into the food, one thing that I thought was lovely (not the pink facade) ... was the location of the pool ... when you walked down the winding staircase to the coffee house ... the first thing you will see is the pool and right next to the pool is an immense chunk of rock ... a mountain/ hill is backing the pool ... as in really close ... as in you can reach and touch it ... gives it a nice sense of space and location ...

The price is RM28 per pax for the food ... and the menu changes throughout the week ... so before going do call and get a copy to choose what you like ... I must admit that this is lovely ... menus are predominantly local/ Malay recipes ... there is the usual drinks stall of teh tarik ... then 3 action stations with no one on duty (ikan bakar, bubur lambuk and Thai koay teow soup) ... for breaking of fast we had an array of hard dates and limp kueh (not good) ... followed by the main courses of 1 beef, 1 chicken (very nice), 1 koay teow goreng (too greasy), stir fry vege, rice, fish curry ... and a host of local salads and crunchies ...

Though the selection is not vast, the taste is more or less spot on ... the only problem is that because this is low season in Langkawi ... each chafing dish has a very limited quantity ... you better take whatever you think you like ... there are no seconds! To a certain extent, I don't blame them ... not many guests and they expect guests to be in before 7:30pm. Unfortunately for those of us who liked to linger and eat a little slower ... we were disappointed ... because they don't do re-fills

What was also odd is that they permit the staff to dine off the buffet carts right on the dot when the guests are permitted to eat ... we see a number of staff coming to take glasses of drinks and food and going through the door to eat behind ... they should have done this prior to bringing out the food

Ramadhan ...

What has Ramadhan got to do with me, a non-Muslim? The answer is very simple. I am Malaysian. So it is the FOOD, glorious FOOD. Ramadhan is really cool because this is the time when the entire Malaysia turns into a veritable feast ... from kampungs to cities ... in 5-star hotels (where you have to make reservations in advance) to roadside gerais ... you can sample everything and anything traditional ... even fusion (organic fried chicken) ... and it will suit any budget and palate ...

Since I am still in Langkawi (6 weeks and counting) ... I have taken the opportunity to put on a couple of kilos (I kid you not) and been busy checking out the local eateries ... so which eatery is up for the first bout of scrutiny?

Casa Del Mar - beautiful place but with only 30 + villas/ rooms ... they do not offer this (boo!)

Meritus Pelangi - about ten times the size of their neighbour, Casa and styled in traditional Malaysian village architecture ... unfortunately they do not have anything for breaking of fast as well ... justification? Not enough tourists and locals to partake so they maintain a normal BBQ buffet dinner (boo!)

Shrimps - the first 2 are hotels and this is a restaurant located next to a shrimp farm ... hence the name. I didn't even think there was a buka puasa (breaking of fast) offering ... but a few colleagues who had been in Langkawi for a fair number of yeas dialled them up and .. away we go!!!

At less than RM20 per pax, the offering is traditional fair but boy was IT YUMMEEEEEEEEEE! The drink for the day was jagung (corn) ... something I didn't have since school days. Then there is the usual dates and local kuihs (more than 6 different varieties). Fruits of papaya and pineapple are sliced and arranged side-by-side placed within the shelled out husks of pineapple. It was very nicely done and we took one of these to share. For those who need their carbo, aside from steam rice, there is fried koay teow and fried rice. Next comes the soup - a fragrant Thai tom yom that is sour and spicy and oh-so-heavenly! For the side dishes or rather main courses, from my memory, there was more than 15 dishes. 2 types of shrimps (naturally) that was sweet and juicy, sotong, cuttlefish, fried fish, ikan bakar, raw vegetable salad, stir-fried vegetable, beef, lamb and a variety of chicken

What more can you ask for at that price especially since it is Langkawi where some roadside tandoori chicken can rake up to RM7.50 a piece???

What more can one ask for???

Why seconds of course ... which is what all 4 of us did ... and thirds ... and ... heheheeh

Ummm in terms of atmosphere, you have a choice of sitting in the little pondoks/ huts overlooking the beautiful village scenery or nearer to the food chafing dishes in a canteen like environment. Being the greedy gluttons that we are, we chose the latter (HAH!)

Settling into the Rhythm ...

... of life in Magnificent Malaysia ... yeah for those of you who know me in Bahrain (the Beautiful) ... I am still kind of lame with these types of phrases ... sort of like a pathetic 13-year-old trying to sound smart ... actually upon reflection as I grew OLDER I noticed that I get swamped with lots of inconsequentials like ... work, relationships, outing obligations, small talk, reading the news, etc ... to the point that the personal things that are important to me in my younger days, that I felt most proud of, that I actually cultivated on, that drove me ... have disappeared.

Amongst these include writing (yes I used to write for the university magazine in Australia, to the English dailies like NST and STAR and even kept the clippings whenever I got published and to some fan-zines in the States) ... my weak-assed sketches using mechanical pencils ... a while back I spent a few weeks brushing up on this and posted them somewhere on the 'net ... paintings in watercolour ... etc ... things that are deemed to be "creative" ...

Sad, isn't it? Maybe that's why I am doing this blog. Maybe I am hoping that if I do this consistent enough, I can finally pluck up the courage to complete the novel that I had drafted and carried with me wherever I go since ... 1997 ... if memory serves ... all 600 over pages of the damn thing ... I even had hardcopy ... I even checked out the agents and publishers to send it to ... but I never got around to polishing it up ... sigh!

Perhaps if I can settle down into a job for a good 12-months I can get around to this as well ... perhaps ... but whatever it is, I will definitely share it (and bore all of you who read this) with everyone on this blogspot ... hahahahaah ... did you realize that by reading this I have taken the most precious possession of yours? Time?

Mwa-ha-ha-ha ... I am indeed the thief of time ... but hey, bear with me ... I am so tempted to spill out all the bitchiness of life here ... without censorship ... give me time ... I am sure it will come ... hahahahaah!

In case you are wondering, today's photo is taken in Langkawi during sunset when I was here on holiday in Feb 2008 ... little did I know I would end up working here in Langkawi ... hah!

Apologies for the silence ...

First up, thanks to all those who sent me emails etc and wondering what the heck happened ... I have been away ... sorting out the swirl of confusion within my tiny little brain ... I had anger, frustration, etc going on ... in fact, I was so tempted to brain someone ... a number of sabotage ideas came to mind ... but in the end, I am glad I flew out of Dubai for a couple of weeks ... it was what I needed to cure me ... after all, what's the point of sticking around in a company wherein Directors are screwing up millions, right?

I was fortunate. On the day I touched down, I was contacted by a recruitment agent for job openings. In the space of a week, I had so many interviews ... but after a couple of days' pondering ... I decided that after the whirlwind relocation of the past 9 years ... it's time I headed home for a while ... it may be short or otherwise ... but what the heck ...

You see, I left home before internet and handphone technology became so pervasive ... so this is my opportunity to play catch up ... re-establish friendships with ex-colleagues, family and childhood friends ... and hopefully when the time comes for me to move, I can continue these relationships ... and for this I have to give a SHOUT OUT to FACEBOOK ... I actually located so many old mates through this ... thank you thank you thank you ...

Anyway, back to the story ... of my life ... after the 2 weeks at home ... I packed it back to Dubai to sort out matters ... 1 week and I wrapped up matters ... there were some frustrations still ... but I decided to just grit my teeth and get things over with ... time to move on with my life ...

For those who helped me through during this period in Dubai, here are my thanks:

1. Carlos - thanks for taking time out. Hope Suzie gets better soon. I appreciate your time especially in view of your personal challenges

2. She Chen - tied down with work but still squeezed out those precious hours. Thanks!

3. Dang - for keeping my spirits up during that week and being so positive

4. Chung - thanks for putting up with me especially when I surrendered my apartment. Hope things go well for you and your family ... moving to Dubai with you, bro?

So I left with money in my pockets and a future to look forward to ... and that's where I am ... after managing a quick stopover in Hanoi, Halong Bay, etc ... naturally ... I am still that much of a wanderer at heart ... hehehehehe ...

I will be a regular poster here ... Insyallah ... and I will try to put photos that are more appropriate ... this posting's photo is taken in the Dubai dessert ... during my safari there ... thank goodness I managed that before I left ... it was enjoyable ...

To everyone who reads this, THANK YOU.

Holiday in Hanoi Day 2 : on to Halong Bay

[This is typed on 04.03.2012 @ GPT Sepang based on photos and memories]

As we are not meeting Ad and his wife for a few more days yet ... we had decided to book a few excursions ... and the first is an overnight trip on Halong Bay ... yup Halong ... I was there about 8 years ago when I was with SC ... and we did sail through ... but we never had much chance to actually see and enjoy the Bay itself ... so this time with Eds, I decided to go

It was nice ... the bus came ... pick us up ... and pick up a few more people along the way ... before doing the usual tourist stuff by stopping by other places such as lacquer ware factory ... some awesome pieces there though ... and would have loved to buy it ... except the prices ... the prices are typical that of these tourist traps ... so bloody expensive ... even though we get to see how they helped the community

At the jetty ... we had to hang around waiting for our turn ... and it was hot hot hot ... sweating hot ... but once we started on our way down the narrow path to our waiting boat ... excitement was PUMPING ... adrenaline that is ... and I was finally in a boat again ... I was worried about seasick ... but then the thrill of being on a boat was just great ... there are 3 options : 1) Sailing in Halong; 2) Overnight on the boat; 3) Overnight on a fisherman island - we picked the third option

We had a simple lunch on the boat ... listened to some loud youngsters from KL or Singapore ... and sailed all over the Bay admiring the rocky islands ... and how on some rock outcropping or other ... life abound

We sailed past some areas where there are fish breeding programmes going on

And ended up at this base where loads of people got off for a bit of hiking into the mountain to admire the limestone stalactites and stalagmites ... awesome view too from the top of the cave before we headed back to the boat ...

Then it was onward to Cat Ba Island ... and this was odd ... we landed on one side ... the bus took us to the other side ... and deposited us at our hotel where food was waiting for us ... the rooms were simple ... and everyone sat and ate the same touristry food ... then we decided to join the gwailo at our table and some others and went for a stroll of the sea front ... it had a pasar malam of sorts ... not sure if it was a special festive season ... for the group from our boat ... they split us into 3 hotels and we ran into the rest here as well ... it was a quiet night ... just to chill and soak up the atmosphere but it appears popular for local tourists

After that, it was night night ... end of Day 2 ... and Day 3 will be looming up shortly

Holiday in Hanoi Day 1

[This is typed on 12.02.12 at GPT using passport and old digital photos]

After all the work, what else is there to do but to go on holiday, right? And this time I am going back to Vietnam to finish the last few segments that I missed the first time around when I was with Nguyen Thanh Loi ... hehehe ...

I am leaving Malaysia with cousin E ... and in a few days we will be joining up with my best bud from KL, the Ad man and his wife, the Aid woman ...

Well, we decided to do nothing specific ... so when we touched down at the airport everything was kind of like a surprise! We got out of the airport, waited for our luggage which was not that long and had a good first few of the residents. The locals seemed to dress in very 70s to 80s fashion of slippers, plain trousers and stripped or plain shirts ...

The airport is surprisingly modern and large ... different from my last visit to Ho Chi Minh City ... so I guess it is time for me to go back to Saigon eh? Hehehehehe that's for the next trip!

We grabbed one of the licenced cabs and then it was a straight drive to the city ... we passed by surprisingly beautiful green landscapes ... brighter and more vibrant than any I have seen in a long while ... and as we reached the outskirts of the city ... we came across something that I have missed ... narrow 3 to 4 storey Vietnamese house ...

Our hotel was definintely in a great location ... typical Vietnamese house look too but for the price of about USD25 ... we got an AC room with queen sized bed ... old fashioned heavy safe ... small but satellite channels TV ... minibar and even a bath tub with hot water ... they said in the morning there will be choice for breakfast too!

But for today, as it is almost lunch time, we headed out and walked around and found a small kopitiam and had our first taste of Vietnamese food ... Chinese descent flavoured ... Yu Cha Koay ... and giant fried wanton with noodle soup!

The rest of the day ... the heat got worst ... and we sweated as we walked down street after street just absorbing in the local culture and flavour ... and I loved every second of it ... sigh ... loved Vietnam ...

We thought at first we were lost or that our hotel chap gave us bad instructions but actually we took a wrong turn ... once we found it ... it was very quick to reach the focal point i.e. the lake at the center of Hanoi ... and lots of people are there ... we did a walk around the lake and then cross this bridge ... to a sort of temple or some fort in the center ... it's a nice idea to have this place to chill out for the people ... and all around the lake ... there are buildings with coffees, souvenirs, ice creams, western and local food and even KFC ... hehehehe!

Well enough for Day 1 ...

What it takes ...

.. is a little shopping to make the world a better place? HAHAHA

This photo is taken in one of the many malls of Bangkok. Yup I have actually not been there since the early 80s when I was a kid with my folks and during the past month, thanks to Fabrice and Yana, I actually dropped by and found the city to be as charming as my memories of the place ... lots of good shopping and eating too ...

And that's what one can expect here in Dubai ... this is the city wherein I actually started to go shopping ... aggressively ... I became a mallrat ... is that the right word? Going to Mall of Emirates twice to three times a week was the norm during my first month here ... subsequently this was interspersed with Ibn Batuta Mall, Madinat Jumeirah and of course, Bur Juman and Festival City ... of course going to Malls does not mean buying things. This Carlos and She Chen will easily attest to I am sure ... we had an in-joke where when salary comes we will go on an indulgence ... instigated by yours truly, natch!

And then when we are there, I somehow could not bring myself to splurge except on music and movies ... and they would bitch that they ended up buying more than me on each trip ... hehehe ... thanks guys for joining me though. I liked window shopping, looking at people and things ...

I promise I will learn how to splurge one of these days ...