Children @ Cameron's

Tea plantations are not the only thing to find in this highland... look a little further and you may just be surprised..... I was.... The children here are so adorable..... broke my heart to leave the Orang Asli village when the time crept up on us... The little girl in the yellow skirt below was one of the cutest things that I've seen.... even among the many nieces and nephews I have....























TV3 cameraman giving out sandwhiches and fruit to the kids...















I was standing beside this lady when suddenly the baby blinked and looked at me.... *cue melting heart*






































































This is actually a pic I took (check below, if you don't believe me...)























The only nice shot I got of the Tunku Mahkota of Pahang and Tuanku Puan Pahang who were there to launch the Orang Asli homestay programme...

























Final shot...

Max Brenner, Singapore

I first came across a Max Brenner outlet in Melbourne and loved sitting down there and savouring the dishes served up. So, I was stoked when I found a branch in Singapore on my first visit to the island after yonks...



















































My meal for the night












Souvenirs for those at home?

Bandung

Traffic in Bandung is just such a nightmare...














Love the architecture!!!






































Tangkuban Perahu volcanic crater














Love this shot of Celia...














I was there!!!














Saw this being sold in the streets... Hmm.... maybe the guys below wanna buy some...

Jay

Tuning into Mix.FM breakfast show brings about a whole load of laughs for me. The sole woman in the team, Jay, cracks me up with her jokes and feminine way of approaching things but also is quite sobering to listen to when she talks about issues she faces.














It's funny how you can identify so much with someone even without seeing them and that was how I felt with her. Some of the topics that she brought up really did strike a chord with me and her being Indian was even more of a pull for me to (weirdly enough) connect with her.
So, when the request to make a trip with her went through and everything fell into place, I was stoked.
Our first meeting was at Cafe Barbera in Bangsar.
She strolls in, about 15 min's late, with an egg tart as an apology and we sit down to talk about places to go which is when she mentions this horse resort in Johor.
To cut through all the faff, we manage to get a night's stay at this resort and after about two months from the initial meet, head down south.
Rider's Lodge is this beautiful southern inspired estate that is a haven for horse-lovers and aspiring ones too.
It however, was only available to us for one night as the other night was spent in JB proper at TuneHotels.com Danga Bay branch.
While I love the concept (of TuneHotels) and how friendly it is to my bank account, both the times that I've stayed at the limited services chain (in Bali and now JB), there have been issues with the drainage in the shower.
But it's a great concept, all said and done. Hopefully next time I'll get a better room...
While in JB, we visit the Sultan Abu Bakar museum and the Arulmigu temple- both extremely fascinating places.












When you do get to the 20 year old museum, you cannot help but fall in love with the Johor royal family- especially when you have a chance to see how they live and discover that they too have the same needs that we have...
The temple was interesting to visit thanks to its architecture- stained glass from about 4 different countries around the world.

Weddings

Like (probably) any other woman out there, I have to say that I love weddings.
In my case, there’s something about seeing two people stand up in front of loved ones and affirm their life-long devotion to each other.
The thing is, sometimes, I tend to get so caught up in witnessing a marriage, I get too comfortable with the surroundings and scatter my things around the area so much so that getting sorted before leaving is like a treasure hunt.
So you can probably say that I had it coming when the last event that I attended— within the closed doors of a ballroom in a four-star establishment in the heart of Kuala Lumpur— is where my phone got swiped. And the beauty is it happened right under my nose.
In the whole circus that took place afterwards, I had the privilege of listening to four different versions of what happened with the CCTV recording for the ballroom.
It went from “No, there was nothing seen being taken from the table” to “The ballroom was so dark, nothing could have been seen” to “The organisers asked that the CCTV be turned off so there’s nothing we can do” and the best (and last one) “ There aren’t any CCTV cameras in the ballroom”.
It was a heart-breaking end to what should have a memorable occasion for a dear friend and his wife.
To avoid such a thing— be it theft of phone or handbag itself— from happening, practise these steps:

1. Avoid carrying your IC, large amounts of cash, credit cards or other valuables to the wedding or reception.
2. For ladies, only have the bare necessities (loose change, keys) in your evening bag while attending the event.
3. If at point you feel the need to leave your evening bag at the table, tell a friend and get them to look after it.
4. Phones like iPhone and Blackberry have ways of being tracked so if you own either one of these products, make sure you note down the serial number of the phone and leave it at home. Phones like Nokia, however, once stolen cannot be recovered.
5. Make sure that everything in your phone is backed up with your phone provider. This can be done for a nominal sum per month. And in the occasion that your phone does get swiped and cannot be recovered, all your contacts are already on the SIM when you get a new chip.

One of the fun interviews I've done

The one tune that Mark Lankester needs time to hum, uncharacteristically, is the one of his friendship with Air Asia figurehead Datuk Sri Tony Fernandes.
The newly fashioned Tune Hotels.com group chief executive officer gives a reflective sigh when asked how and why the giant leap from music to hotels came about.
It’s the only time in this interview that the clear-minded and laid-back entrepreneur doesn’t really have an answer off the cuff but has to sit back and sift through his memory before replying.
When the answer does come, it’s quite clear that these two share a brotherly-like bond, one that starts from childhood when Tony was Mark’s senior at Alice Smith International School here as well as at boarding school, Epsom College and London School of Economics in the United Kingdom.
The two also crossed paths thanks to their senior positions at Time Warner, specifically at Warner Music. While Tony was the South East Asian regional vice-president for Warner Music Group from 1992 to 2001, Mark was the group’s North Asia chairman and chief executive officer from 1998 to 2002 as well as his positions prior to ‘98.
“It took me maybe all of five seconds to think about his offer of heading Tune Hotels.com when he came to see me back in 2006,” says the 44-year old.
Four years on, the limited-service hotel chain is growing by leaps and bounds but the ambitious man behind it all thinks the company has a long way more to go.

Driving force

Some may wonder what the secret is between the success of the hotel among locals and tourists especially as Mark, like the Air Asia icon, is someone who’s only had experience in the music industry but this tag is something that is shrugged off without concern.
“Working at senior management level at Warner Music meant we got tough training from the group. We’re taught to pre-plan everything and expect the unexpected. After all, when we say something we have to deliver it as well,” he says.
He said that the one of the things that he values from his 20 year stint at Warner Music is that strategic planning is key to success to delivering numbers.
With the company opening up 15 hotels in the United Kingdom as well as 44 hotels across Southeast Asia and 30 throughout Indonesia, also on schedule is a 50 percent increase of their staff.
“As a company, there’s always the prospect of stumbling when starting in new markets. The important thing is to learn from it and move forward,” he says.
Learning is also something that happens from time to time with his interaction with the roomful of people working for Tune Hotel.com
The hotel chain’s team work in a relatively open space together with Mark and he recounts an incident with a wide smile.
“I wanted to say something to one of my team leaders and I looked up, saw him on the other side of the room and gave him a shout. It was effective but a couple of people jumped in their seats too. So now, I message people on their computers even if they’re in the room,” he says.

Budget or not?

Mark shakes off the notion that Tune Hotels.com is a budget hotel quite emphatically.
While people may think it fitting to lump the hotel in the category because of its price, the fact is that what goes into the boxy rooms are actually quite not of budget quality.
In fact, with the chain’s latest hotel in Danga Bay, Johor, guests can find bedding equal to that of a four or five star establishment.
“If you make your bookings just before your trip, you’ll find that the prices are about a fifth the price of a 3-star hotel,” he says.
The heavily hands-on man still considers Tune Hotels.com to be a start up business and feels that things are moving along slowly for the chain, not fast like how people think.
“If you break down our progress, you’d find that Tune Hotels.com has only set up 7 (typo!) hotels in its name the last two years. The rest of the chain, be it in Indonesia, Southeast Asia or the United Kingdom, are still either in development or planning stages,” he says.
When looking at planning their hotels from location to accessorising the rooms, there are five factors that the powers-that-be definitely include in the checklist.
These factors — a great night’s sleep, power shower, key locations for our hotels, security and black-out curtains— came from a survey sent around to Air Asia customers back in 2006.
The survey basically asked them to list down what was important to them for under USD$30 (RM99.15) a night which was used to get an idea on what to focus on for the Tune Hotels.com brand image.
Not many people are probably aware that the company genuinely looks forward to hearing what their guests have to say about the rooms.
“A fact that rarely gets mileage is that our rooms are custom-designed by our guests.
“When we get our hands on the comment forms, we pick up on the comments and try to improve ourselves.
“For example, when we designed our flagship hotel, it was done so with the vision that it was to be hip and trendy. That’s why we fitted the bathroom area with black tiles but that was one of the things that our guests commented on.
“We learnt from it and now our hotel bathrooms all boast of a white interior,” he said.
The key thing, though, is to get the right feedback from guests.

Breakdown of guests

According to Mark, Tune Hotels.com is not just frequented by backpackers but also single people and families.
Statistics from their survey around this time last year show that about 67 percent of their customers are people under the age of 35. About 40 percent of their customers earn less than US$ 500 (RM 1657) a month.
He says that the chain allows people to take more weekend breaks than they normally do and lets them enjoy far more for the same cost, thanks to their prices.
He gets a slight gleam in his eye when he talks about the two categories of backpackers— the professional backpackers and the “flashpackers”.
“Everyone knows and can spot professional backpackers. They are the ones who routinely travel on the cheap, and are prepared to go all the way to get as much from their travels.
“Flashpackers” is a term used to describe kids who are used to a certain level of lifestyle and whose parents possess platinum credit cards.
While pro backpackers have no qualms about sleeping six to a room and sharing a bathroom with an entire floor, “flashpackers” need hot water to shower with and personal space is quite important.
“It’s currently the trend for these kids to take a year off university and do a gap year traveling etc. They are also the kind of people who do enjoy crashing at our hotels as we allow them the benefit of all that for an unbelievable price.
“The function of the hotel is such that we want all our guests to go out and enjoy the sights of the place,” he says.

Last words

Be sensible, firm up your travel plans in advance and you’ll get fairly cheap prices.

Miri Jazz Fest

MENTION jazz and I tend to go to a happy place— one filled with smooth tunes and loads of laughter. Basically, good times.
Times like this are few and far between so when there’s a chance to really immerse in this form of music, I grab it.
Which is probably why I was recently part of the thousands that made up the crowd of jazz lovers in Miri for the Miri International Jazz Festival (MIJF) 2010.
Being a city girl from the country’s capital nonetheless, the fact that Miri, of all places in Malaysia, was picked to host a event like this and better still, one that had the participation of only international artists, boggled the mind.
Thus began an internal tussle on why Miri wasn’t a better place to host such an event compared to Kuala Lumpur.
The skepticism about the city tucked on a narrow plain near the Sarawak and Brunei border on the island of Borneo that’s separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea got slowly chipped away from the moment the plane landed at the city’s international airport. And when my travelling partners and I whizzed through the immigration checkpoints and shepherded onto the bus by friendly faces and efficient hands, we were bowled over. We were very well looked after from the very first instance and this undid any negative vibe I had earlier about Miri being a relatively “remote” place, leaving me feeling cloaked in positivity, much like in a bubble floating happily in the air.
Adding to this positive feeling was the sight of neat and tidy areas in this town built by black gold.
Such sight could be seen all the way to Parkcity Everly Hotel, the venue for MIJF 2010.

World Class Act

This five-year-old festival, coincidentally, saw its beginnings the same year that Miri obtained city status back in 2005.
Whether it was planned to start the same month that the city got awarded its status is hard to say, but the festival’s fifth edition saw one obvious change this year— it was held in the outdoors instead of indoors as was the case in previous years.
MIJF consultant Randy Raine-Reusch also did away with bringing back the previous year’s most loved performer (there’s always one performer that’s most loved by the crowd every year), as he didn’t see the need to recycle one slot when it could be filled with a new sound.
The Canadian, who’s also the co-founder of the world famous Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) held annually in the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong near Kuching, got involved in organising MIJF from the very start, following an overwhelming response to RWMF, now in its 13th year.
Raine-Reusch said the MIJF organising board had received 400 applications from musicians worldwide for this year’s line-up when there was only space for eight acts.
The headliner — James Cotton Blues Band — was the piece de resistance of an impressive collection of groups that came from as far as the United States to as near as Thailand.
Oddly enough, local talents were absent from the list, which according to Raine-Reusch, was because the four that did actually apply to play in the festival were not up to standard.
“We’d like to have local acts included every year. In fact, there’s one slot reserved for Malaysian bands yearly but they need to send in an application to us,” he said.
The seven other acts that made the cut were Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder from USA, Jeremy Tordjman from Switzerland, Ricardo Herz from Brazil, Amina Figarova Sextet from the Netherlands, Norbert Susemihl’s New Orleans All Stars from USA, SimakDialog from Indonesia and Mellow Motif from Thailand.
The event’s organisers, Sarawak Tourism Board, had also arranged for a variety of food stalls to be set up around the stage area for people to buy things to eat while relaxing to the soothing sounds of this genre.

All That Jazz

The first day saw Mellow Motif, Jeremy Tordjman, Norbert Susemihl's New Orleans All Star and Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder hold court at the hotel’s Pavilion.
Mellow Motif’s petite lead singer Natasha Patamapong proved to be a surprise with her big voice and her success at scatting (a kind of vocal improvisation common in jazz).
The group were followed by Jeremy Tordjman trio who had the crowd basking in the sounds of jazz led by an electric guitar. It was interesting to listen to him strum and pick at the instrument, making it come alive in a way that only someone who’s so in tune with the music can do.
Norbert Susemihl’s group however, got the otherwise body-moving crowd really into the swing of things with the music that they played.
From the get-go, the New Orleans All Stars proved why exactly they were “All Stars”. The sharp notes of the whistle that the drummer played for the very first song caught everyone’s attention— something that was sustained throughout their set of six pieces. Every one of the average six-minute songs had a feet-moving beat and the crowd truly relished the music so much so the band had to play another two songs to satisfy the “encore” requests.
The specially-put together band proved that their version of jazz— old jazz — was the one that hit all the right notes with the crowd.
Norbert’s gravelly voice was so reminiscent of Louie Armstrong’s that if you closed your eyes, it almost seemed that the legend was the one performing live on stage and not the German native.
The energy brought on by the group, made of jazz musicians from Germany, Denmark and New Orleans, quietly ebbed when the next group, Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder came on.
For those who may not know it, Michael Shrieve gained popularity back in the 60’s for the fact that he was the original drummer for Carlos Santana at Woodstock.
This Seattle-based group were probably somewhat of an anti-climax affair for most after listening to the the “All Stars” as the number of people hanging around the stage area did dwindle.
Truth be told, the band was quite interesting to listen to as they brought a different kind of jazz to the table but it might not have sat well with those used to associating jazz with Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald.

And More

While the weather the first night was largely dry and humid, the rains fell like the lands needed some serious refueling.
That, however, didn’t stop fans from coming in droves to catch the second night’s acts— which started with Indonesian’s SimakDialog.
Geared up with umbrellas, the crowd enjoyed the sultry sounds of the gamelan and Sundanese gendang being used as instruments in making jazz music.
The violin, however, was the instrument that took focal point when Ricardo Herz came on next.
I’ve heard country music being wheedled out of a violin but to hear Brazilian folk songs and jazz coming from this instrument was a new experience that I really enjoyed.
Instruments were obviously the message of the day as the next act, the Amina Figarova Sextet, used the piano as their main element.
Amina’s group was the only one out of the eight acts that had a saxophone incorporated into their group and were probably the best choice for that night to precede the James Cotton Blues Band.
This New Orleans group just rocked. There’s probably no better way to say it but that.
It was an out-of-the world experience to see this 75-year-old blues bigwig take the stage in a shuffling manner and then just come out kicking and lead his band into a swinging number once he was seated at the forefront of the stage. And all he needed was his harmonica.
It was just an awesome moment to be part of— or so I thought, until every single musician who played in the event trooped onstage for a jamming session.
Now, that... that was simply indescribable. To see all of them losing themselves in the music and just letting the moment carry them away, it was something you had to be there to see to really and truly appreciate.

Stepping Back

Looking around me as the event was taking place, I got the feeling that all those people, especially on the second night, who braved the rain to listen to the music had definitely checked out the festival at least once before.
Sifting back to the scene that greeted me when I first checked into the hotel a couple of days back merely cemented the suspicion.
Other media members rushed to greet friends who had also just checked in and there were loud exclamations and gentle scoldings going on for a good 10 minutes after as they caught up on their lives.
These “event veterans” had been faithfully coming up to Miri every year since MIJF’s inception and knew everything the town had to offer— so much so that it was one veteran who took us newbies around town for the “City Tour”.
When asked “Why Miri?” at a press conference, Raine-Reusch returned the query and said that the event was also a good way for people attending the event to explore everything that this town, Malaysia’s first oil town, has to offer.
Not only does it have its own attractions, but Miri is also the gateway point for attractions like Loagan Bunut National Park, Lambir National Park, Niah Caves and Gunung Mulu National Park.
The best thing about the city, whatever said and done, are its people.
Sarawak’s Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud while speaking at the city’s 5th anniversary celebrations recently, was probably spot on when he said that he sees the locals as a community born in an open and positive environment.
And it’s true that it’s hard to be anything but positive when in Miri.
One experience that still gets me all warm inside is the memory of an Iban elder, well into his 80’s, doing a jig for us while we were walking the pavement of shop-lots in town.
It was something that happened out of the blue, something not to be experienced anywhere but here, by the looks of it...
So. Why not Miri?

4,200 steps in Lake Gardens

Green trees extend their “fingers” overhead to create a cocoon from sunlight to all that pass through. Stepping lightly on the mute terracotta tiles, it feels like I’m on holiday in a European city- except for the fact that the warmth of the sun still seeps through the trees above. Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur certainly is a surprise to behold, especially considering the many treasures that lie hidden within its vast grounds.

The sight of the throng of men spilling out from the National Mosque onto the footpaths that lead to Dataran Merdeka always catches my attention as I travel the stretch on Fridays. The area is reputed to be home to not only the KL Orchid Park but also a few other interesting places. I start my discovery from just in front of the mosque, at the Hop On Hop Off bus stand. The location of the pink flag is at a bit of a blind spot so while crossing the street, I catch sight of something eye-balling me from a distance and approach curiously.

Mesmerizing spell

About 325 steps away from the National Mosque lies this relatively unknown jewel- the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. The exterior of the building boasts a balanced mixture of glass and Islamic architecture but what lies within is an amazing collection of Islamic artifacts from the world over.

Trawl the extensive sections and be mesmerised with the different sizes of Quran’s that people from days gone by have come up with. Some are as small as your thumb and need to be read with a magnifying glass! Also impressive is the intricate details of the clothes and jewellery that the management has amassed from India and China among other countries.

In addition to the three peach and blue normal domes that soar to the heavens, this museum has an inverted dome- a definitely unique feature not found anywhere else on earth. All the four seemingly fragile structures boast of intricate details within its design. The inverted dome found right at the start of the exhibition area however is the only one that tourists are allowed to photograph. Nothing else within the centre can be photographed, sadly. It would have really nice to snap some pictures of the architect models of various different mosques all around the world displayed on the top floor. Those certainly are an amazing sight to behold.

For more information on the museum’s activities, visit http://www.iamm.org.my/

KL Butterfly Park

The entrance to this park, a whopping estimate of 1725 steps away from the Islamic Arts Museum, is somewhat hidden away from prying eyes and also quite ordinary-looking. The real fun begins when you step through the mesh and enter this netted area filled with butterflies. These small creatures flit about everywhere in the area so be careful not to slap at your head or body if you feel something brush past you.

The butterflies come by in all sizes. There are some that are so teeny but there are others that are quite big in comparison. All however have one thing in common- the pretty colours that flash as they move their wings to get about. If you’re lucky, kindergarten children may visit when you’re there and it’s quite adorable to see the little kids marvelling at these precious, small insects.

The species are just so wonderful to sit back and observe as they move around the area. The national post carrier, in fact, dedicated a collector’s series of stamps just for them. The philatelic stamps can be bought at post offices- if you’d like something to remember (depending on stock availability).

The park also does have a gift shop within its grounds for tourists to browse through souvenirs to take back.

KL Bird Park

Still in a dreamy state of mind, I step out out the park and trudge almost 1040 steps towards the KL Bird Park. The slightly uphill task quickly snaps me out of my reverie and by the time I get to the Hornbill Cafe, I am a sight to behold. I am not only taking frequent swigs of water but also wiping off the steady but slow train of water coming from my forehead. One brief sit-down later and I push forward the entrance gates of the park.

That a member of the male species could be beautiful is one thought that has never crossed my mind. It, however, does pop up in my head when a peacock slowly descends the footpath at this park, the largest bird park within the region. It’s also unique because the birds here roam around freely, walking side by side with visitors too at times.

During my visit to the park, I peer up at one corner quite intently in hope that the peacock I’m watching does open up its magnificent tail. The bird, however, is in no mood to be photographed and sits quite silently in its corner. About 15 minutes later, the sound of the peacock’s cry rings clearly through the 20.9 acres that make up the park as I walk around. Visitors can come across almost all of the the 2,000 plus kinds of birds that call the park home when trawling the park’s grounds.

The daily show at 3pm is also a must-do for the park’s visitors as you get to enjoy light banter and entertainment by the parrots, eagle and cockatoo’s. Of particular interest to students or those interested to know about the life cycle of birds is the huge information center near the theatrette. Among other things, it has details on the different types of eggs the birds lay and also how to differentiate one from the other.

For more information, check out http://www.klbirdpark.com

KL Orchid Park

From across the road just outside the entrance of the bird park, the sign for the KL Orchid Park catches one’s eyes. The quick 110 steps up the rounded path needed has me stopping briefly at the ticket counter in a puzzle until I realise that there’s no entrance fee. Once I reach the top of the hill, the first thing that catches my attention is the trellises full of green plants creating a nice shade for the place’s pergola. The shady effect is something that is present throughout the walkway that leads to the wide areas where the orchids lie waiting for admirers to wonder at their beauty.

The whole effect, is indeed beautiful as the garden is where about 3,000 species of the flower call home. It’s certainly an amazing feeling to see those fragile looking flowers bending to the sweep of the winds that pass through the area. Even better still is coming early in the morning when the flowers are still laden with morning dew.

The Orchid Park is also kind of a misnomer because the area also houses more than 2,000 kinds of hibiscus within its grounds. Walk a little further from near the row of stalls selling orchids to find these varieties of the national flower in full bloom, whatever time of day it may be.

National Museum

It was surprising to find that the National Museum, a tourist attraction found along the main roads of Kuala Lumpur, could also be accessed by walking through this area. I bypass the Tun Abdul Razak Memorial (381 steps) and the guardhouse for the National Planetarium & Space Agency (266 steps from the memorial) to get to my final destination. The loud clip-clops of horses circling the area were the only sounds that broke the still of the naturally quiet surroundings of where I walk. The horses, which are used by guards around the area, can be found rounding Lake Gardens every now and then, lending an even more quaint air to the place.

The side path that needs to be accessed to get to the bridge before the National Museum is right next to the lake. Tiny yellow leaves line the tarred single-lane road which also leads to the parking area for visitors to the Planetarium. A few steps down and you’re on the bridge, making your way across to the museum, above the buzzing highway.

The first thing to see as you descend is this huge maroon locomotive at bottom of the stairwell. The compartment on display lies about 500 steps from the entrance to the National Planetarium I pass by earlier. This attraction not only houses all the different types of transportation used by Malaysians in days gone by but also holds exhibitions from time to time.

At the end of the day

All in all, I spent a whole afternoon enjoying the few limited sights that I could do within the Lake Gardens. The area not only has all the different parks that I visited to offer tourists but also the National Monument, the Royal Malaysian Police museum, the Deer Park as well as the ASEAN Sculpture Garden.

The Lake Gardens definitely offers a variety of routes for those interested in sight-seeing or even exercising within its area. I do encounter a few runners pounding the pavement furiously while walking around the area myself. The generally cool atmosphere of the area is probably thanks to the large artificial lake at the heart of the area.

It’s no wonder that this two hundred year old park remains the city’s most popular park.