1st meal of 2010

my favourite "mee hoon soup"

new year moon 2010

Masjid @ Klang town centre on the riverbank

experimenting with shutter speed....

Man United... 1987

while waiting for the game vs Hull... found this old ticket from the same month 22 years ago.... it was only GBP3.20 then... today its ;

East Stand Upper

£36.00 adults

Uncle Lim @ Subang Parade

long weekend, nothing doing, the cinemas were sold out for Alvin & the Chipmunks (goooddd... so I don't have to bore myself with cartoons) and Avatar (this I wanna watch but all sold out).

A stroll at Subang Parade will do.....

they still have the X-mas deco....

and the nasi lemak and assam laksa at Uncle Lim..... not too bad.

in the foyer @ Grand Kemang Hotel, Jakarta

Con te Partiro (I'll go with you)

the rendition from Andrea Bocelli is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrfvP11Hbo

and with Sarah Brightman is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbN0g8-zbdY

Quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
si lo so che non c'e luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole
se non ci sei tu con me
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada

Con te partiro
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
Con te partiro
su navei per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li vivro

Quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole
e io si lo so
che sei con me con me
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me
mio sole tu sei qui con me
con me con me con me

Con te partiro
paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te
adesso si li vivro
Con te partiro
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li rivivro
Con te partiro
su navi per mari
che io lo so
no no non esistono piu
con te io li rivivro
Con te partiro
lo con te

I'LL GO WITH YOU (Con te Partiro-English Translation)
(E. Sartori - L.Quarantotto)

When I'm alone
I dream on the horizon
And words fail
Yes, I know there is no light
In a room where the sun is absent
If you are not with me
At the windows
Show everone my heart
Which you set alight
Enclose within me
The light you
Encountered on the street

I'll go with you
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now, yes, I shall experience them
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them

When you are far away
I dream on the horizon
And words fail
And yes, I know
That you are with me
You, my moon, are here with me
My sun, you are here with me

I'll go with you
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now, yes, I shall experience them
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them again
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them again
I'll go with you
I with you

Grand Kemang Hotel @ Jakarta

I made the booking for the hotel through Rajarkamar.com and the rate is much cheaper than the published rate. Even though the hotel looks modern, maybe because of recent renovation, the room I was in was a little dated but the bed feels firm.... I normally have problem with worn mattress :). I was told in the new wing are much better but a higher price of course. The room I was in was OK, satelite TV and other creature comforts. The usual tea/coffee making stuff.

Breakfast was a huge arrays of local and international food, even a Japanese counter. Very courteous and friendly staff no complain in that department. If you need to buy general stuff there is a Circle K 2-3 mins walk to the left of the hotel and there is a small supermarket a short walk through the rear gate of the hotel.

The hotel is in Kemang and it could get quite jam packed at weekends as there are quite a few eateries and night spots around the area. Quite exciting if one like the crown and the noise that comes with it. Its quite in the south of Jakarta so its not really suited if you have your meeting in Central Jakarta. Oh.. and the Kemang Mansion is in construction right in front of the hotel so it could get noisy if your room is situated at the front of the building.

Details:

Jl. Kemang Raya 2H Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta 12730 INDONESIA
Phone (62-21) 719 4121 Fax (62-21) 719 4131/51
rsvp@grandkemang.com - www.grandkemang.com

Boer soup

I thought of taking the whole gang out for a meal tonight, but a call from a friend to inform me of my order for the Boer goat meat has already arrived. My favourite... Yummm.

A quick preparation helped by the kids, chuck it all into the pressure cooker and Whalla.... Boer goat soup :) mannnn virtually no fat residue. Serve it with Kopi Luwak and Kopi Toraja... beat that :)

Surprise upgrade

I was booked on the 9.10am flight Malaysian Airlines from KUL to JKT, was surprised to find someone in my seat, the flight was full and the it was very nice of the cabin crew to upgrade me to Business class.

University of life

Somewhere along the university of life one will meet some characters that will stick to one's mind for quite a long period of time.

Quite respectable and honourable on the outset but as one got to know these characters one will slowly see the true colours. There is no need to dig deep and the colours itself will come to surface over time and slowly but surely we will realise that that they are full of deceit, self interest, couldn't care less piece of meat.

One could be fooled, but as time goes by, truth prevailed and we could always shake hand, give a pat on the back and say goodbye. No need for anger or animosity, as punishment is not for us mere mortals to decide.

deceit - the quality

of being fraudulentfraudulence

dishonesty - the quality of being dishonest

documents for signature

it was 5pm and the secretary told me that I have a bundle of documents requiring my signature. Yea give it to me I said... and I received a big shock when I saw those thick bundle of papers that I have to put pen to paper...

Danggg... I took me too long to finish it that I carried some to breakfast at a nearby cafe the next morning.

Maybe I can charge some fees on this? NOT

The Valley @ Bandung

Restaurant overlooking Bandung city.. sorry but the atmosphere is too dark to be caught on camera :)

The Valley

www.thevalley.co.id

Jl. Lembah Pakar Timur 28, Bandung, DAGO, Indonesia

(0)22 253 1052

Huize Trivelli @ Jakarta

all my posts on Huize Trevelli:
http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2008/08/huize-trivelli-jl-tanah-abang-jakarta.html
http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2009/12/huize-trivelli-jakarta.html
http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2010/07/huize-trivelli-heritage-resto-and.html




Converted house turned into an Dutch-Indo fusion restaurant.

from the website:

BANGUNAN RESTO HUIZE TRIVELLI menempati salah sebuah rumah asli dari perumahan warga Eropa-Belanda yang dibangun sekitar tahun 1939. Selama sekitar 50 tahun bangunan asli ini telah menjadi rumah keluarga kami.

ATMOSFIR yang tercipta dari interior klasik eklektik, secara harmonis memadukan elemen-elemen kultural Eropa, Jawa, dan Cina. Dari kehangatan dan kenyamanan Roemah ini, kami menyambut kedatangan anda di HUIZE TRIVELLI: Roemah tercinta keluarga kami dan tempat bersantap yang membuat anda merasa “SEPERTI DI ROEMAH SENDIRI”.

www.huize-trivelli.com

Jalan Tanah Abang Dua 108. Jakarta 10150 Tel./Fax.: 021 3865803

Email: info@huize-trivelli.com or management@huize-trivelli.com

The Malays (orang Melayu)

From: http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/malays.htm

"I cannot but consider the “Malayu” nation as one people, speaking one language, though spread over so wide a space, preserving their character and customs, in all the maritime states lying between Sulu Seas and the Southern Oceans."

Stamford Raffles, 'On the Malayu Nation', Asiatic Researches, 12 (1816): 103.

The Malays are the race of people who inhabit the Malay Peninsula (what is today Peninsular Malaysia) and portions of adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and smaller islands that lie between these areas.

Anthropologists trace the home of the Malay race to the northwestern part of Yunnan, in China. These tribal proto-Malays, or Jakun, were a seafaring people.They were once probably a people of coastal Borneo who expanded into Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as a result of their trading and seafaring way of life. These sea-tribes, refered to by the Portuguese historian Godinho de Eredia as “Saletes”.”Orang Selat”, or People of the Straits, played a major part in the making of the great Malay empires of Malacca and Johor. The present-day Malays of the Peninsula and coasts of the Malay Archipelago are described anthropologically as deutero-Malays and are the descendants of the tribal proto-Malays mixed with modern Indian, Thai, Arab and Chinese blood.

Malay culture itself has been strongly influenced by that of other peoples, including the Siamese, Javanese, Sumatran and, especially, Indians. The influence of Hindu India was historically very great, and the Malay were largely Hinduized before they were converted to Islam in the 15th century. For nearly two thousand years, the unremitting traffic of traders between the Archipelago and India resulted in frequent inter-marriages along the whole of the west coast of the peninsula, especially Tamils and Gujeratis. Some Hindu ritual survives in Malay culture, as in the second part of the marriage ceremony and in various ceremonies of state. Malays have also preserved some of their more ancient, animistic beliefs in spirits of the soil and jungle, often having recourse to medicine men or shamans (bomohs) for the treatment of ailments.

Parameswara: http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/parames.htm

Merdeka Beach (Pantai Merdeka), Kedah

1st time here, not just for me but for the whole family. I was told this is the only beach in Kedah with sand. Place is not too bad, they do make an effort to clean the beach but I think the view is fantastic. There is also a new hotel right by the beach, Merdeka Beach Resort. We stayed until sunset and had dinner at the resort.

The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang, Merbok, Kedah

A trip to an archaeological site today for the whole gang. It wasn't planned but we stumbled upon the site on our way to Tjg Dawai not too far from Sg Petani.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bujang_Valley

The Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately 224 square km. Situated near Merbok,Kedah, between Gunung Jerai in the north and Muda River in the south, it is the richest archaeological area in Malaysia.

These archaeological remains indicate that there may have been a Hindu-Buddhist polity here. The name itself is roughly translated into "Dragon Valley". The area consists of ruins that may date more than 1,500 years old. More than fifty ancient tomb temples, called candi (pronounce "chandi"), have also been unearthed. The most impressive and well-preserved of these is located in Pengkalan Bujang, Merbok. The Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum is also located here.

snail pace on the highway

It was a long drive from KL to the north last night. We started our journey at 8pm and reached the Sg Buloh rest area at 9pm. A quick dinner at Burger King we thought and maybe we could continue when the traffic subside. BBBZZTTT.. wrong answer. Traffic is still heavy and we thought maybe it would be better to exit at Sg Buloh, to Guthrie highway and join the jam at Rawang... yea yea yea.. snail pace till Ipoh, even slower up the Menora Tunnel and Kuala Kangsar. It was only after Bukit Merah that the speedometer can reach 140km/hr and that was at 1:45am. Finally reached Sg Petani at 3am. Total journey time: 7 hours (meal break 1 hr, driving time 6 hrs).

(around Menora tunnel right after Ipoh - 1am)

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha

Paintings @ Jl Braga, Bandung

Hotel Sawunggaling, Bandung

Our favourite hotel in Bandung city, homely, friendly.

Bumi Sawunggaling Hotel

Jl. Sawunggaling No. 13. Bandung 40116.

Tel. 62.22.4218254, 4212045, 4212043,

Fax. 62.22.4218253

www.bumisawunggaling.com

video on detik.com
article on detik.com


other posts:

http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2010/03/hotel-sawunggaling-bandung.html

http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2009/11/hotel-sawunggaling-bandung.html

http://mattingtong.blogspot.com/2008/01/bandung-again-hotel-sawunggaling.html

Grand Hyatt, Jakarta

We booked the family package with G Hyatt Jakarta where we paid the full rate for the 1st room and get the 2nd room for 1/2 price. Modern, decent room with large bathroom and seperate walk in wardrobe. Asked for the view of the roundabout but instead given the pool view room which is not too bad either. Quite a large selection for breakfast - Chinese, local dish, Western etc - but I think the dim sum is quite bland. High standard of service at check in and check out, even the cleaners knows my surname at least. To travel around, the Silverbird taxi will always be waiting just outside the lobby with its Mercedes fleet.

Most important I believe is the location, right at the HI roundabout, next to Grand Indonesia mall and the hotel itself is within the Plaza Indonesia complex which extended to quite a walking distance on some tired tiny feet. Good excuse to tell the missus that the family should go back to our rooms for a much needed rest after hours of shopping.

Overall thumbs up for GHyatt.

Ouch.... its stone in the kidney

It was early morning today today and I felt bloated. Was it something I ate last nite? I felt like my stomach gonna burst... and there is pain like I have never experience before that I sweat even under the blasting air-cond unit. This is too much, I thought and called dr Ghulam our family doctor just up the main road. He was already in the clinic and I made my way, in pain of course, to see him.

"Gimme some urine sample" he calmly said

"Sorry doc... I think I can't, been going to the loo too many times over the last 2 hours" I replied

"Just a little... not much, need to run some test" he told me

So off I go and managed to get something for him.. he ran some test and .. "I think you have stone, there's trace of blood in your urine"

Gosh... whatever happened to my brother and sister is now happening to me.... hereditary? So what about me? Ehem.. I'm still in pain and I got 2 jabs of painkiller on both kidneys and within 10 minutes I felt like I can run out of the treatment room. The good doctor wrote a reference letter for the urologist and sent me home with packets of medicine in tow.

Off to Sime Darby Med Centre and the nurse at the Emergency room ushered me to a Dr Kalai, nice man , good chap who spent a few years in Leeds, so we have something to chat abut other than the obvious 'stone' stuff. The MRI confirmed that there is a 3,5mm little piece of $#%@ somewhere along the tube. 3.5? I think its bloody big..what about the Jkt-Bdg trip planned for tomorrow with the kids. Do I have to go under the knife.... So the good Dr Kalai explained some stuff... so I will take the risk and go tomorrow, with some medicines of course... and we'll meet again in 1 week

Khadijah's Kitchen

• The squid in ink is very nice, i like the fish 'masak assam', daging salai is tasty too, I was told some of the dishes is cooked by the owner herself, Ms Khadijah Ibrahim, a very popular singer, well at least during my younger days, and boy.. she can cook :)

Oh BTW she's the one in black in the photo

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• Address: 21, jalan Bu 11/2, Petaling Jaya 46200, Malaysia
• Phone: +603-79601079

One loss making shop...

Why have a shop when one want to sell at loss making price?