FoodComa: Between Love and Temptations

Life is nothing when you don't have love, people, work, travel, thoughts and food. Without these elements; there won't be stories to tell. Our lives revolve around talking over something (that is food), at least in Malaysia. It's evident during Ramadhan when cafes, restaurants and the likes are empty during the day as compared to other months.

So we, Malaysians - like it or not are foodie people.

The one thing I missed when I am away from Malaysia would be the late nights/ 24-7 eateries because in overseas it closes early! There's no place to lepak (hangout), other than pubs, clubs or your own cribs. Starbucks in London closes at 5pm. Oh the shock I had on my face said it all when I asked the first time.

Anyway, part of traveling consists of food. Anyone who travels, will most definitely want to know the best/cheapest/unique food. What better way than to have an extension to WT - FoodComa.

There were 7 of us being invited to Vansh, (603 2142 6162)  Feast Level, Starhill, KL all thanks to Amelia (the superwoman behind MySelangorStory). The 7 of us come from different background and being a newbie in the new age blogworld, this was my first invite for a food review.

They say (whoever they are), there's always a first to everything. 

While there are hundreds/thousands across the internet regarding foodbloggers, I will claim that I am NOT one. Not my forte. I'll introduce people to great places to eat, speak endlessly what's good but that's about it.

Therefore, the format may be different from the usual food reviews other foodbloggers are accustomed to.

Let the feast begin!

I read from Starhill's website, Vansh means a new generation within the family.
Well, that makes sense.

See, the thing about Vansh is that, I've passed by this place so often it just never crossed my mind to try it out. And since I got back from India, I've always wanted to go on an Indian cuisine food getaway. But didn't.

Much like other things I managed to checked in my to-do list, this is yet another one. 2010 is a whole wacky year, I can't even begin to describe it.

I thought the people in Vansh were pleasant. Full of smiles. Which I think is a breath of fresh air in this city. They don't mind smiling as you take their photos (especially when you ask for their permission) and it makes your visit all the more enjoyable. Mokim was our go-to person regarding the food served to us.

Maybe it's Tuesday, the night we signed our lives to be in food coma because the place was almost close to empty. However, that is something I like about Starhill, it's not overcrowded, not too silent either. You can have your space, your food and your company without compromising anything.

When we were served with Vansh signature dishes, we weren't expecting an array of goodness laid out in front of our eyes all at one go, yet that's what we were faced with.

For a moment, I think I forgot to even breathe. Too busy wanting to try each and every dish there were on the tables. At least 19 dishes altogether. Yes, that's how many there were.

We were served first with Mango Lassi and Papadom while they prepare the rest of the dishes. For the avid Lassi drinkers, this might not be the one that'll rock your world. I've tasted something creamier and mango-er(I can't find a word for it), then again I'm not an avid Lassi drinker, so I actually did not not like it. :) The papadom was a new twist. I've not seen it made the way it is, rolled into a cylinder which we are meant to dipped it with the 3 sauces (mint, raita and chili) they gave us. I actually loved the raita. The sourness was perfect for my taste bud.

Maybe the only thing I found a little bit frustrating was that, as I was biting the papadom, bits and pieces were falling off all over me and I felt like it was a waste (somewhat). I like to have my food in whole rather than feeding the table and floor.

Then again, I eat like a 5 year old a lot of the times..soooo..maybe it's just me?

After papadom, we were presented with three different kebab platters - chicken tandoori, vegetarian and variety sampler. Vegetarian platter featured Aloo Mutter Tikki, Tandoori Mushroom and Tandoori Paneer Tikka. This one I've never tried before and thought it was not bad. Chicken Tandoori was just as delicious, it being one of the most popular dish in Malaysia, one must not ruin this dish. Then I had a go with the Variety platter which had Malmali Sheekh, Murg Malai Tikka and Tandoori Tiger Prawn.

I must say, I have applied a new perspective to Tandoori. Tiger Prawn rules! (Ending the sentence with rules reminds me of high school all over again)

The next batch came before we could say "Next". I saw Bombay Pani Puri (crunchy semolina puffs wtih chilled spice water and sweet tamarind chutney) and couldn't help but feed the curious cat in me, it's an appetizer I thought was exquisite in taste and presentation. If anything, it was made well.

While I'm not a cheese lover, Paneer Tikka Chaat was a delight. I know the rest of us enjoyed this one.

The three Naans (Garlic, Butter and Plain) didn't score high in my book. The taste just wasn't there.

BUT!

Yes there is a but.

For someone like me who is more often than not lazy to eat with her fingers, the Tandoori Lamb Chop was not the case. It was calling my hands to hold and eat it like a barbarian. I even licked my fingers after sucking on the bones to savour the spices absorbed in it. Now this is what I call a gastronomical experience baby!

When it was time to try other dishes, I told myself this was like a food marathon. It was back to back tasting this, munching that, smelling everything. (I suppose Dylan didn't have problem with it) Like marathon, I need to charge this with a good strategy. Small bites of everything then attack the ones I want more. There was really no time to ponder on what to eat next. It's more like ..

"Ok, I want that one, the other too. What's that? Oh that can do as well!" One after another after another after another..

Poor tummy of mine. At least you won't be singing hungry tunes for the rest of the night :)

Kashmiri Rogan Josh has my big nod for being one of the best dishes I've eaten, not just in Vansh but all over. And I'm not even a lamb eater to begin with! What is Kashmiri Rogan Josh you might ask? Well, it's lamb cubes simmered in a fennel scented yogurt gravy. Perfect marriage with it's next big dish - the lamb briyani. Oh yeah! I think I died and went to heaven at that moment. The Chicken Tikka Massala is a default dish many will order when they come to an Indian restaurants which I think was good.

Marc's been mentioning Vindaloo for at least 5 times throughout the night and he managed to get his dish. I think it was alright. Not one I'll order the next time I come but at least I know what Vansh's Vindaloo tastes like.

Credit to Marc for Honey Kulzza's photo

I actually didn't realised there was Samosa on the table (this is a proof how focused I was with the food I have in front of me) and was lucky to grab the final piece. It was not bad. The dip definitely made it tastier. Now, the Chili Cheese Kulzza was something else. It reminded me too much of a pizza but it's really just tasted something like Cheese Naan with..chilies on top. At least that's what I think. I didn't get to taste Honey Kulzza (fresh fluffy bread topped with a sweet spread of honey, tomatoes, coriander and onion seeds) but from what I've be told, it somewhat tasted weird. I think I have enough of pastries for the moment.

I was too absorbed with the tender, juicy, well spiced meat.

The Palak Paneer is a homemade cottage cheese in fresh spinach. While I may not have ordered it if I were to come here without tasting it before, I thought it was so-so. Of course if I were to overdosed on cheese, I might have puked, so I had to be smart about my cheese portion. It doesn't help that I'm lactose intolerant too.

One of the big stars in Vansh will have to be the Lamb Briyani. Hands down, one dish I couldn't get enough of. The lamb itself was so tender and juicy. The rice was well spiced and didn't stick together. That RM45 to me is worthy to spend on. It could feed 2-3 people comfortably with extra serving. And in every indian restaurant I go, I always order Chai Masala. It's just something I just had to do.

Amelia was looking at me like I grew horns and asked why was I sniffing the tea non stop. It's just too fragrant not to! Then she held her cup and she did the same. ;) The taste was just amazing. Just perfect. Just..everything I had in mind. Oh yes, surely I was in heaven by then right?

Honestly (and don't kill me), I am not a fan of Indian desserts only because more of often than not, it's too sweet to my liking. That perception changed when Mokim recommended us the Khajoor(exotic dates) Kulfi. Oh this was yummy. It wasn't sweet. Lychee Kulfi was nice but I'm definitely a Date type of Kulfi. Say what? Oh Kulfi is a homemade frosty flavoured ice cream :) And you know how I love my ice cream.

Great, just thinking about it is making me hungry right now.

No, writing this entire entry makes me hungry. Vansh I'll most definitely see you again. 

Overall, I thought the food was delicious. Of course, it would have been better if the dishes weren't served all at once but given the circumstances, I thought it went successfully, especially for a noob like me. While there were some dishes that didn't get my vote, the good outweighs the not so yummy.

I'm a happy bunny. Good food, good company, good service and good ambiance. I like.

What do I think about the prices? For what it is and where it is at, I thought it was actually not as expensive as I thought it would have been, most probably because these dishes are meant to be shared. So if you think of it that way, it's a fair price.

I think Luciano Pavarotti said it best regarding food,

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~ Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story.

And it took us at least 30 minutes or more after we were done eating to come back to reality. We did had fun talking and laughing. A good way to summed up the night. Some were in expense of Quachee (and a little bit of Bella too). Big thank you to Rebecca for compiling all the dishes we had eaten that night. A life saviour that one. The best part of the night, it was as if I was waiting for the bill to arrive only to be reminded that this wasn't the case. Yes, I am a noob.

So that's it! This is how my first food review looks like. Woohoo!

Hidden Acrobats.

Just when you think life is all about routines and schedules, just take trip to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island in English) which is situated at the other end of Selangor. Take my word for it, this is one trip that's worth your time and soul.

It's been a long time coming this one. Me and my ultimate gamer friend Hafiz had planned this trip for a very long time and finally got our heads together to go last Saturday. It's usually the last minute plans that works for me, I just don't know why.

Quite surprisingly, not everyone knows the existence of this island here. Which adds an air of mystery even more to this little place.

We decided to start early (what with the unpredictable weather and all), as early as 8.30am and instead of driving to Port Klang like we would to any other place, we decided to throw ourselves out there with the locals. That means, ditching the car at KL Sentral parking lot, take the KTM train to Port Klang and the speed boat from the jetty to the island.

I always believe to get the best stories, one should be a part of the society, which means taking the public transportation. Taxis, buses, trains, .. you name it. These are gold mines for great inspirations!

KTM ticket from KL Sentral to Port Klang is RM8.60 per way and it takes about an hour to reach to the last station (depending on the train speed, it's inconsistent).

Be prepared to stand because every train is usually pack with passengers. On average it's pretty cool inside, unless if the air condition is down .. that's not going to be a pleasant ride. While we were inside, I was happy to see many of the passengers were reading to kill the time. There were many printed materials on the panels for one to read too. Jokes were among the most common one you'll find in the train.

When we arrived at Port Klang, armed with very little information about our destination, we came up with a strategy - to follow this particular traveler who we assumed was also going to Pulau Ketam. Hafiz who did his research prior to this trip had mentioned that on average, there are many photographers who visit the island for some photography sessions. I guess last Saturday wasn't in their plans.

Soon as we got out of the station, we saw this building with big sign "Jeti Pulau Ketam" and immediately headed for it. Much to our chagrin, that wasn't the place we were suppose to take the speedboat/ferry to the island. We managed to ask one of the lady staff and she instructed us to walk on the other side where the actual jetty is located.

So here's how you get to the jetty from the train station:

As you walk out of the train station, turn right where you'll see an empty land with blue panels blocking the sea view. Keep walking until you'll see an opening/entrance with the ferry/speed boat sign board. Then make a left into the entrance and go straight ahead. Voila!

Apparently there are two ways to get to the island, you get to choose either a speed boat which takes 30 minutes to arrive for RM7 per way or the ferry. And the boat ride ends at 6pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays; 4pm on weekdays.

No worries as the attendants are friendly and the seats inside are comfortable. You could even watch WWE matches throughout the journey. Along the way, you'll see many fishing boats, villages and mangroves. Something you won't see while you're in the city, that's for sure.

The salty air is one that you have to get used to and when you do, in an instant the air smells like normal. So for the very sensitive nose, this one can be a challenge for you but hey, it's au-naturale. Can't beat that!

When I found out that photographers who visit this island love to take black and white photos, it just doesn't register in my mind. Why? Because everything about this island is just so colourful. It's vibrant colours from one person to the other, one house to another. So it makes more sense to capture the lively spirit in it's original state.

I knew people in this island are used to tourist going in and out of their territory but I didn't know they were as friendly and warm. The first person to talked to us was Miss Na, who was on her bike and dressed in vivid colours. She probably represented Pulau Ketam to the core.

Oh yeah, besides walking, your only other mode of transportation here is bicycle. That's RM5 per bike for rental :) But we preferred walking, just because we wanted to experience this area without missing a spot. Besides that, you might wonder if there were crabs around the island since it's named after this creature and I'm glad to say yes, they were crawling sideways everywhere on the sand. Heck, I got to see salamanders crawling too. Not too excited for that one actually. :/

I love the wind. It was breezy. It was also hot. But not as humid. Or maybe I was to stoked about being in the island for the first time? You'll be the judge of it when you get there.

If you feel like staying for the night or more, there's only one hotel called Sea Lion waiting for your presence. And it's just a short walk from the jetty. About 2-3minutes? If you're a fast walker, you could even do it under one minute :)

Only been there for a few minutes and I already loved the things I experienced. Not only was this island quaint and charming, it's full of character. You can find good food (naturally) here, that is a sure thing.

Don't forget to bring long lenses as well, you might never know when it comes handy. Actually you'll need at least two types of lenses, then you'll be satisfied with what you capture.

As we walked deeper inside, we discovered the many little things that were not around in the city anymore. Those old school junk food I used to buy when I was a kid can be found here. Such a joy! I was ecstatic to find my childhood chewing gum, Marukawa's Fusen Gum, that still costs 10 sen per piece, fish/prawn crackers and fried ice cream :) It's like a mini food land here.

Cheap yet very good food land.

You might be surprised when you enter the island, it seem quiet and lonely but when you get to the market, you'll find the rest of the population hanging around there. I cannot stressed out how friendly these people were while we were there. It didn't feel like a Malaysian thing (sue me for saying this but I've always grown up knowing the unfriendly people) and suddenly it felt effortless to put on a smile or say hello. In fact, you can wave all you want too. Which I did and was reciprocated :) Hey, I really like it here.

If there's one thing I could say to describe Pulau Ketam is that, it's a kampung life, a much more basic (not to mention super bright) kampung life than the ones on other parts of the country. How basic is basic? I realised as we were walking along the path, many houses didn't have big furniture like sofa or coffee table. There's cabinet but I think that's one of the necessity ones. Then I wondered why and figured it's probably due to the fact that it's hard to bring it in. It could get to the jetty but the rest of the way, you're on your own carrying it in the narrow streets.

Besides these things only takes up more space and it'll only feel crowded for them. Therefore, they apply the minimalist concept, which I highly agree. For convenient sake, that is.

As we were exploring, we found a few attractions that one could never missed out on. There's a Buddhist temple and a very pretty police station with mountain bikes parking outside. It's possibly the prettiest police station we've ever seen. For the Muslim, the surau is called Balai Islam (I initially thought it was some Muslim station) when it's a community hall instead. So I learned something new.

From my observation, I find that the community here are very tight. Just about everything in this island involves the community. They were the ones painting the buddhist temple garden or have a chess club for people to play.

Now, that's one thing the city lacks and could learn from. I'm pretty sure everyone knows everybody here too.

It was so easy to be ourselves and take in the peaceful mood Pulau Ketam exuded. The docks were available for anyone to chill out and simply experience how simply life could be. That was what I learned from this trip. To simplify our life is to know what's essential and what's not. In reality, we could do so much without the things we have now but because we were so consumed with materials in this world, many a times we are blinded by it.

I love when a place I go strips down my belief to it's core and show me the importance in living. And I like it the way Pulau Ketam is; secluded, mysterious and charming all wrapped in one. I wouldn't want it any other way, and hopefully it will remain the way it is.

I thought I've seen it all while I was in Delhi with a small motor vehicle crammed with half dozen people. I didn't know we have our own version of acrobats too! ;) Amazing eh?

As we walked further inside, we were welcomed with an array of dried fish. I've not seen this one before, I mean the process. I'm so used to the after product that it didn't occur to me to know how it looks like before it was fully dried. The smell was overwhelming the first few seconds, and then eventually I got used to it.

It is a kampung life this one.

But we could only do so much walking for 3.5 hours that we needed to get something to eat. And behold, the best seafood in Selangor..well one of them. I like to believe to enjoy the best crabs, one should go to the island of crabs to be feasted :P So yes! 

This chili crab is 1kg for RM40! Ours was RM48 for the extra weight. Look at that! I'm drooling as it is. Bah! For that price, you can't get it anywhere else in the city. Yeah baby!

We wanted to order deep fried battered squid and butter prawns but..we decided to devote our life to the crabs instead. And wouldn't you know it, Fish gave up 1/3 of the way. Thank god I'm a massive crabs fan (especially since I don't have my braces on anymore)..so I managed to wipe it clean for the two of us! That was some hearty meal alright. Possibly the best. It's just finger lickin' goooood.

Thankfully, we still have space for dessert and I promised that we would eat the fried ice cream before we head out back to reality. So we did!

If you grew up to Japanese comic Doraemon, you might recognise the look of the fried ice cream looking like Dorayaki. Only instead of red bean paste, it's ice cream :) It's just yummy! While walking back to the jetty, we managed to witness people unloading things from the boats.

To watch them work with smiles on the face as they sing song or make jokes was a breath of fresh air to me. I'd love to apply that to whatever I do. It shows the spirit they have and it was such a precious moment to capture.

On the way back to the train station, we found a lady selling fresh steamed corns :) Oh yes, this has always been one of my favourite street food to purchase. I grew up going to night markets for this! And now, after so many years, I finally get to relive it. Walking while indulging in the sweetness of the corn. Yeah, the perfect end to our trip indeed.

I love every minute of it.

Guten Nacht

It's been said too often that where there's a beginning there is an end. I like to think only this chapter has ended and new one is in the works. For some of us, this is like an adventure of a lifetime, others an opportunity to mingle. For whatever reasons it may be, I don't think it could have been done any better.

Ok, that part probably can do without the worst jam in Klang Valley - Taman Tar's traffic jam.

If you must go to this area during peak hours, I advise you to study the alternatives to avoid this mindless traffic jam. If possible, avoid at all cost; especially during Ramadhan.

We were late by 1.5 hours stuck in the jam and headed for the wrong destination. All is well after because as we reached at the lower end of Ampang's lookout point, we were told to make a run and take whichever car to Haven. (Hehe, I like how that sounded)

This particular part, with heavy rain to add, made the whole scene looked like it came from Amazing Race. Just a little bit of thrill to wake our tummies up :)

Yup, you got it right. Our final destination for the grand dinner was at the top of Ampang's Lookout point. The one place where I find solace in at night if there's a need to get away from the city's rush. And also to indulge in the food stalls by the brink of the lookout point.

Despite the many times I've been up here, this was my first time to go to Haven Restaurant. After all, there's always a first for everything right?

The moment we arrived at the entrance, we were embraced by all of Haven's staff! There were photographers taking our pictures too! To this fifth day, I've yet to get used to this sort of treatment.

As we walked further inside, we saw this hanging on the building across us. We were also taken away by their preparations for this Grand Dinner that we were late for. We felt really guilty for holding them back because we were told Haven closes at 10pm.

We arrived at 9pm.

Nonetheless, they were all smiling and receiving us warmly. We signed our name on the guest book and were given (our 6th) goodie bag! This must be what those celebrities go for when there's events around eh?

We came here because of the view too!

I don't think we could asked for more with our seating arrangements strategically facing the city skyline. Even if you're not in a good mood, you won't be for long when you lay your eyes on this majestic view :)

I think there was a good reason why we were late. Had we arrived as scheduled, we would be basking in the coldness of the heavy downpour and would not be able to see the skyline at all.

As part of this grand dinner, Encik Anantharaj Appanan, the Managing Partner for Haven Restaurant gave a welcome speech to all of us. Hey, it was a pretty nice feeling to know that people around have recognised the power of blogging (although where I come from, it's called the dinosaur blog era). It was really good, being here with everyone.

When we arrived, we were given a menu to choose our main course. The entire list sounded so delicious, it made me indecisive for a moment. Not to forget, a long list of drinks to choose from too!

After we ordered our main course, we headed to the buffet appetizer and desserts. When you know there's Lobster Thermidor waiting for you to feast on, you'll do whatever it takes to not delay it. Otherwise, there won't be any left for you.

Ah lobstaaahhh.. how I love you so very much :)

The very dish many who are close to me know I'll go crazy for.

Just as we were picking out the various appetizers on the table, Haven's waiters served our main course as well. So what does this mean? Full speed ahead when eating! My chicken chop was super yummy, that portion alone took me a while to finish. I can't imagine what I'll be like if I had ordered the ribs!

I think even Kings won't be able to finish this! Just look at the portion. It's an amazing race on it's own. Why? Because Sy, Max, Thristhan and Dylan who were sitting on our table decided to have a ribs battle among themselves. You should see how the battle started! Now this is what I call food fest! Heck, Dylan and Thristhan even went for second helping of the ribs. It must have been finger lickin' good for them to feed themselves more even though they were already full.

We were also entertained by One Night Service solo Razlan Saharuddin, Kak Ning, Hafiz and Wen Yi (I didn't get to take your photo!) throughout the night. The best part was when Kak Ning took the mic and took control of her audience. Even Haven stopped in their tracks and listened to her tongue-in-cheek comments. She should be an emcee on the side too.

We laughed, we sang, we smiled, we cheered, we took (a lot of) photos and we celebrated.

Haven couldn't have been any more sporting than to wait for the dinner to end towards midnight. Kudos for that!

We were very fortunate throughout this journey to be able to enjoy what we normally wouldn't have stumbled upon. And here we were, making memories that will forever be embedded in our minds.

Oh, there were more goodies for us to bring home before we left Haven - mooncake by Casahana and an umbrella from Haven :) More reason to hit any strangers who tries to do anything fishy. Hehe. Not to mentioned the vouchers Haven sponsored for the 10 of us too! I'm sure this is not the last time we'll be here.

That night, I think none of us wanted the night to end. We lingered on the deck for so long hoping time would move slower than usual. Alas, everyone will have to go back to reality the day after. Starting with Alid's super early flight. He had to leave us all at 6 AM and we didn't get to say proper goodbye.

The many times I've been to the lookout point, it has always given me good memories. It started of as one and this grand dinner will only add one more into the collection.

It was a very merry MySelangorStory Monday for all of us.

Oh! Before I forget, I'd like to thank Tourism Selangor crew for driving us up and down that night! The things they did for us :) Everyone's just awesome! Wee.

So Day 6 is coming by fast. Let's see how I manage to conclude the week with one single post :)

I would love to hear what you have to say or if you like this post enough to vote it, head over to MySelangorStory/GutenNacht.

Devil May Care

Secretly, I think MySelangorStory is trying to convert us all into food bloggers. The amount of food we ate.. even kings don't eat this much. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. Although, it is a good thing to eat 6 times a day as it burns more calories...(granted) if we eat moderately. Looking at the rate we were going.. moderate was a little bit further behind, I think.

Then again a schedule like Day 5, we probably needed all the energy so right after our "break" at Tropicana Medical Centre, we went to Frames, a concept restaurant outside Sunway Pyramid. There were a lot of trendy bars/restaurants and clubs around this area that I didn't know. Some are very interesting but because it's "trendy" therefore in a couple years down the road, it'll be yesterday's trend instead.

This Frames restaurant has an interesting concept. Like the name itself, the walls were decorated with multiple frame with photos (assuming they were all taken by different people). That was really nice actually.

It's got this contemporary minimal design theme going along the place with a dash of victorian-esque feel to it. One theme you'll see used by fashion boutiques around the city. It's just one of those "in" thing at the moment.

The thing is about trends, it comes and goes. Following a trend is something I don't really like. However, we live in a world where trend is taken seriously. I like to think that if you create a timeless idea, you'll be assured to never be forgotten. And not be used too often by others too.

Frames is a place I'll recommend for the camwhores. Because of it's decor, it makes such beautiful photos for people who love to take photos. That's the ticket to get people to come :)

 

The way the menu was presented on the table makes it feel somewhat like being in a wedding, a little dainty touch which is something different from the other restaurants. A nice presentation, I must say. It's a very design-y place. Would be a great attraction to those in the 18-35 years old group of people.

We had to choose among the many ala carte dishes to eat for lunch. After seeing Spectre's dory, I think that was one of the good choices. My spaghetti pomodoro sauce was a little too thick to digest. Tomato base pasta is usually lighter and easier to eat if you were to compare it with cream base but this was close to the creamy side. A little bit sad that I couldn't finished it. Maybe I'll come and try the grilled dory next time :)

After our heavy lunch, we were given with an all day all parks pass to Sunway Lagoon. Considering half the day had passed by, we only had a few more hours to spend in the theme park. This theme park is actually pretty huge, much much much bigger than the few times I've visited before. So it takes at least a day to cover the entire place.

This all parks pass is worth RM100 excluding RM10 deposit for the wristband(which we only found out when we read the fine prints at the back of the ticket) and a few other rides in the Xtreme Park. You'll get a discounted rate if you have your MyKad with you. If you would like to rent a locker, it's RM5.

Now that we're covered with the ground rules, we didn't want to waste anymore time not using this pass to the maximum.

Don't forget to apply sunblock cream on your skin. Even though Malaysia's weather is unpredictable at times, I would advised you to use it anyway.

Thank god for Denise who brought her sunblock along in her backpack. Although I got tanned after the Sunway Lagoon escapade, I would've been darker without it :) The first ride we all went together was the Grand Canyon River Rapids. A ride I've been dying to go for ages and I finally got to do it!

We then went to this giant slide thing that my heart insisted in taking a plunge out of my chest while sitting on the float. Sorry Nicole for causing your back to hurt :/ God that was really scary. Super duper scary 90 degress down the slope! Holy mother of all crazy rides.

Since I've already established myself regarding not being the fun-est person on earth when it comes to theme parks, I immediately took the liberty to take care of other people's belongings while they go for the other mad rides and horror house.

They even went to this ride that went 360 degrees. Crap.

They are truly the daredevils living among us. I must salute Wen Yi for her tenacity to brainwash me so that I'll go for the rides but she too gave up in the end :) I like watching people. So I don't mind standing on the side :)

This is just beyond madness. I may be crazy but not crazy enough to go to all these rides. Haha! Yes call me chicken or as Alid would say "Fried Chicken", it's allllll goooooood baby.

Crossing the world's longest suspension bridge wasn't as frightening as I thought it would be. I manage to walk and look down at ease. Canopy bridge is a whole different story! I don't even know how I got to walk all the way from the lowest level right up to the top alive.

On the suspension bridge is where people can do bungee jumping. Err, excuse me, what?! On the suspension bridge? Right. Okaaay.

Tian Chad went for it and even at his size, as he dived downwards, his head dipped into the pool. A little bit scary that one. If you really want to go for bungee jump, please head over to New Zealand instead. There used to be one in Menara Kuala Lumpur but not anymore. This is one of the rides you have to pay, RM50 with MyKad. Well, at least it comes with a certificate :)

Flying fox looked cool. That is, if you're willing to wait for 2 hours queuing up.

There's the reverse bungee but it didn't looked as extreme as the one I went at Menara KL. A tamer version but still not for the faint of heart ok? It's an awesome ride nonetheless! I had fun being in it. Thrown off to the sky in a ball :) Crazy crazy.

We then decided to queue for the All Terrain Vehicle(ATV) and archery. Both are free to try with our passes. I'm aware that the ATV in Sunway Lagoon is nothing like the real ATV experience in the jungle but because it's ATV, I'm all game for it. Like the name itself, it's called ATV Scenic trail so you'll be able to go around the park on a quad bike.

When it was our turn to ride it. I noticed the guide who rode with us only told us the stop/start button and breaks. And not to place our legs close to the engine. Then we're off. Mid way going through the red earth trail, Alid wasn't able to control his bike and hit the divider.

THIS WAS WHEN I GOT PISSED.

Not at Alid. But at the management of Sunway Lagoon.

Thankfully when Alid lost control of his bike, he was opposite me, so I was aware of the situation. Why would I be losing my mind over some little thing? Because.. those who hasn't ride an ATV before will have this natural instinct to stop the vehicle by placing their foot out. WHICH IS A DEFINITE NO NO.

Any qualified instructor for ATV knows this for safety reasons.

I quickly asked him to lift his foot off, didn't want his foot to get injured by the tyres or worst the hot engine. All the guide in front of me did was just look for a moment and then told him to steer it the right way. Things like this wouldn't have happened had we were briefed properly you know.

Nevermind that.

After the ride was over, I saw Spectre walking uncomfortably. He told me his back heel hit the tyre when he tried to stop the bike with his foot.

HMMMMMMMMMMM.......

I rode an ATV along with my other 3 friends in Kemensah, in the jungle with mud, in the rain, on a steep hill with massive holes inbetween for 2 hours and none of us came back with injuries or had accidents. Some of us got stuck in the mud but that's a given. And this is because the people who run the ATV Adventure Park are all professionals and stressed the importance of safety before/during/after we got on the bike.

Honestly, nobody wants something bad to happen to them so the only way is for everyone to play their roles. Then if anything did happen after that, it's just meant to be.

Later, Some of us decided to go on the trampoline. It looked fun. And it was fun for the first few minutes. It's one of the activities that challenges your stamina (with the harness on that is). Because there were 3 of us on the trampoline and only 2 employees working, one of us had to be suspended because they couldn't manage 3 people at the same time.

This was when I started to feel the pain creeping from the harness. As they tried to shuffle between the 3 of us, someone else was left behind. So it wasn't fun anymore. Max even got stuck in the middle as the 2 employees were arguing in front of him and left him suspended on his own.

Now I can understand why Sunway Lagoon injury stories comes up more often than any other theme parks. Their own management were not even focusing at what their doing. No, actually they weren't even doing their job. Go figure why there's death stories happened in this theme park before.

Sure, Sunway Lagoon is not responsible for any injuries or death happened to the visitors but such a thing wouldn't happened IF their own employees were hands on with what they are suppose to do.

It's easy for us to spend our money for entertainment, especially with the kind of "facilities" Sunway offers but seriously, with this kind of treatment, I wouldn't want to spend any more money here.

I do hope the management will take this issue seriously. I believe it would do wonders to everyone on their side and their visitors :) I'm sure the rides were really fun but safety is very crucial when running a big place like this.

With so little time left, we all rushed to the hotel to get ready for our Grand Dinner. I'm not kidding when I wrote Grand. Hello, Lobster Thermidor for appetizer yo!

My last post for Day 5 Part 3 will be dedicated to our awesome sponsor at..... oh you have to wait for the next post for that ;)

If you agree, disagree or feel indifferent, come share your views with me :) I'd love to hear them. And if you think this deserves a vote, click MySelangorStory Day 5.

The Medicalis

When I woke up on Day 5, reality hit hard. I couldn't believe 4 days have gone by so fast and we're leaving the day after. Good thing that reality came and went in a minute or two, I was back on this reality right away the moment I recognized the hotel decors.

"At least we've still got one more day out of MySelangorStory." I psyched myself.

This buddy system thing MSS had been applying throughout our stay is a good rule whereby whoever we share a room with, we're responsible for each other. We're suppose to know where our roommate is if one is not around. That way no one gets lost for no reason alone. Despite many times Chia Li had told me that I could go for breakfast first before she gets ready, I was adamant not to. What if Amelia asks of her and she's not there, I'll be sure to get some drilling. Also, if ever we couldn't find the rest, we've got someone else with us to figure it out.

I highly approve of this system indeed!

Like many times before (especially during fasting month), my tummy has it's own schedule to eat. When this message is transmitted to my brain, I automatically didn't take any photos of our buffet breakfast at Sunway Pyramid Tower Hotel. I managed to shove nasi lemak into my mouth knowing how grueling our itinerary for the day would be.

After breakfast, we're all set to go to the hospital. No, no one's hurt or sick. This is one trip I underestimated since the day we were made aware of it.

This is Tropicana Medical Centre (TMC). It is situated in Kota Damansara, a place I often visit for IKEA's meatballs, meet clients or friends. I never thought I'd stepped foot in this building. Then again, it's a good thing I didn't have any expectations for this visit. That way, I'm able to absorb and enjoy what they can offer us. Settle!

Going a day without warm greetings by people is a death wish. When we were greeted by TMC staff, all joy and happy to see us - it made the start of my day from nothing to Woohoo! Oh c'mon, if someone greets you sincerely, you would of course be just as elated as the next person too. Kudos TMC for rewriting hospital experiences for all of us even before we were briefed. :)

We were attended by TMC Management at the entrance, it's like a field trip but with a touch of VIP-ness to it too :) We were taken (even demonstrated) to many of their facility rooms like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner, Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner, Digital Mammography, Imagining Room (where Flouroscopy machine is seated) and even Sinar X room.

As much as I love to capture the photos of each and every machine they have, I was too busy figuring out what is where. There's simply too many medical terms to remember and understand, I just had to put my camera down; chose to concentrate to what TMC staff was explaining.

It did felt a little bit like being in the Crime Scene Investigation scene.

When we were brought to see how the machines functioned, it opened my eyes to know how hi-tech TMC has been. Their state-of-the-art machines only speaks half of what TMC offers.

 

They even brought us to the Physiotherapy Center for kids and adults. The parquet tiles they used for this entire section is very similar to what I have in my house, the only difference is - they applied a special coating on the surface to protect their patients from falling down or suffer injuries if they do fall. Indeed, it shows how meticulous they were when they build this hospital. From a visitor's point of view, it looks more like a gym than a physio room. Cool eh?

I remember drawing Mickey Mouse & Goofy as a thank you message to my doctor after my first surgery when I was younger and he pasted it on his message board at the waiting room. I would looked at all the messages/drawings that was pinned there. Somehow it gives a certain comfort while you're waiting.

When I saw this thank you note on the glass door, it put a smile on my face. A small gesture is never too small to give an impact to others. 

In case you were curious, that's how Brandon Lee looks like. Next to him is Mr. Alan Chin, TMC's Marketing Manager who were so patient in answering my 1001 questions -______-

We also managed to make a trip to the Fertility Room. Most famous visit among all. Since we were divided into two groups, and I was with a bunch of curious cats, our tour lasted way longer compared to the other group. I'm not complaining, because I learned so much as everyone asked questions.

We even managed to go into the labs at the semen collection room, intensive care unit (ICU) room, delivery room, as well as the one and only - viewing room.

What's this viewing room about? It is where some very qualified doctors play god. It is the room where In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is performed. I used to read this from science textbooks. Now that I'm able to be present where it takes place, it gives that much more impact. 

You know what would be perfect with this field trip? All schools should make a point to do the same. Our education system has been known to be full of flaws and students shouldn't be confined in the classroom and books to learn something. They should go out, be curious and see things.

That and at least it knocks some senses in their head about what reality, responsibilities and consequences are about.

Yes! This would be the perfect visit. At least for the 16-17 years old.

Each doctor in the Fertility room has a featured wall and therein photos of every baby they had help. Got me wondered how do they remember so many babies but when you've touched so many people's lives, you will somehow manage to remember each single one of them.

I didn't know TMC is the leading fertility centre. With so many articles and success rates, this is something Malaysia should be proud of :) Hello, you can give birth to twins with 18 months separated in between. That's.. almost unheard of until that very day. This world..it's moving so fast, or I'm just not on the same page. Hmm.

Their suites are very comfortable. Being the kid that I am, I love their kid's suites for it's cartoon murals. It just brightens up the room. Their room rates is stated here and with the kind of facility they offer, I think their rates are affordable. It's bigger, newer, cleaner and more comfortable than many other similarly reputable hospitals close to it's rank. 

The best part is, TMC really wants to rewrite every patient's experience being in a hospital. Their suites are enough to justify that.

As we waited in the International Patient Centre, I found a leaflet regarding the classes and workshops they offer for expecting parents like Ante Natal Class, Parent Craft Programme and many others for a very affordable price. Had I not found this leaflet lying on the table, I wouldn't have known about it. See, there are many of us who are not aware what classes like this are able to help parents to expect after a baby is born. Those who do also knows that such classes are expensive to join as they'd charge you per session.

So this is definitely a blessing for all parents, one TMC should promote everywhere. I would know because I've got a friend who was interested but wasn't able to commit to the price outside, and a few others who went and praised about it. 

For instance, the Parent Craft Programmed has 2 sessions, first session is about the development of foetus, understanding the stages of labour, the miracle of stem cells and baby immunisation. Second session comprises of nutrition in pregnancy, pre and post natal exercise, breast feeding and care of newborn. This package only costs RM140 per couple for both sessions. Tell me this is not the best news ever? :)

I'm very glad that TMC really placed people's needs as their utmost priority, even if they're not (yet) a registered patient of TMC. Small steps like these would most definitely woo them in :) Hey, they won my heart like many other thousands of hearts out there too.

We were served with refreshments(more food!) before we left this incredible hospital. 

Amelia then announced of TMC's new plan; to publish their own medical blog which is A GREAT NEWS. They should spread the greatness to others.They should and they must.  I hope they'll go all out in advertising their services because I couldn't imagine the amount of good deeds they'll able to do with people.

Trivial fact of the day, the world medical derived from Latin medicalis/medicus for physician.

It's only 1/3 of the day, and I've been made aware about the science of medicine. It's a tourism on it's own, one I just found out too. 

See, not expecting anything is a good thing indeed. I wouldn't be as excited as this if I had expectations.

Well done Tropicana Medical Centre. You rock. 

There's still 2/3 of the day to go and I assure you, it's a ride not to be missed. ;) So stay tuned!

All thoughts are welcome here. It's evident by the way I write that I love to communicate. Sooo..feel free to do so :) And if you think this entry deserves a vote, it's been awesome to go to MySelangorStory/TheMedicalis :) Grazie mille!