Grown ups can have fun too! Uluhati Edition.

Sometimes, in the midst of living; you tend to lose yourself along the way and having said that, it's the only thing I could say about myself. I'm not sure what it was but I did. I had lost pieces of myself while fighting, caring and growing up. I miss writing, be it poems or stories and I really miss creating art the most.

These are my tickets to escape, my secret garden to hide out.

When I stopped doing it, I felt as if I'm a ticking bomb. The past couple of weeks had been me suffocating only because I didn't know I was repressing so many emotions inside.

Today, I found the urge to write. No, actually I started writing a month ago..continuing a story I've abandoned. Slowly, eventually.. I'll get there. Just like everything else.

It's been a challenging year so far. What is only about 2.5 months since we started 2012 to others, it felt like I've been in it for 11 months. I've discovered so many things about myself. Forcing me to grow up a little bit more, if not be more responsible. And I won't lie, it has been quite a challenge. Mentally and physically.

So one day, last month, the day I've been waiting for had arrived. There's this gem in Hulu Langat, Selangor I went for a recce with a colleague prior to #TSDayOut called Uluhati. This little haven made me feel like I was revisiting a place in my mind that has not been attended for many years. It's like a ranch. A beautiful one.

So yes, finally got to share this place with others (thanks to Farhah who's been telling me about it months before) and I was really excited about it. We stayed over at the longhouse in Uluhati with the rest of the crew, Syidi came along too. In that brief moment, it felt as if we were on our way to "balik kampung". Despite the fact that Syidi and I only just got to personally know each other last year, it felt like we were all going back for Raya.

While Uluhati is only 40 minutes away from the city, I think it was my perfect getaway from everything. Honestly, it did felt like I was on a paid holiday. The bbq served by En. Shaipuddin and his wife were just beyond words. There were grilled lamb (which En. Hafeez happily gorged down a few), tilapia, mushroom soup, garlic bread, chicken, fries...oh it was endless.

We weren't ready for a feast but there it was, a celebration under the stars with laughter.

I couldn't have painted a better picture of that night. There were no mosquitoes too. So that's a definite plus. After a couple more plates of dinner (that turned into supper)..we played Chinese Poker and Bluff at the veranda as the wind whisper in our ears until 2AM. Retiring our bodies and minds on the comfy beds.

The next morning, we woke up to a cool breeze. So cool, I had the fleece blanket wrapped around me like a burrito. Just like waking up in the kampung, listening to feet stomping, alarm ringing and roosters crowing. The only thing that came to mind was "not to bathe in the cold natural water from the hills". I'm a chicken cat like that.

Once again, ever lovely Riznida Eliza (En. Shai's wife) made us Nasi Lemak and some toast bread. Oh it was good to be back with Mother Nature, even if it was just for a while. While waiting for the other #TSDayOut participants to arrive from Bangsar at the river; we got to see the sun rise overlooking the Titiwangsa Mountains.

Rasyidi beautifully captured the morning sun at Uluhati

Breathtaking.

Did I mentioned that there are goats, deers, chickens, turkeys, dogs and cats roaming freely around this 2.8acre land? There are horses and ponies too! More about that later.. for now, we have to be at Langat River for bamboo rafting.

It's an adventure day, a great outing to get everyone out from the comfort zone and explore together. Each raft had one raft guide from the local Temuan tribe. Technically, we're in good hands because these people can survive in any parts of the world.

Little did I know I was up for a bit more adventure than anyone thought. And was very much unprepared for it too.

There were 20 rafts, 2 passengers plus one guide on each raft..going on a cruise along the river which took about 2 hours. If there was anything you should try in Selangor, and not wanting it to be too hardcore.. it would be this activity.

Half way through the journey, looking at the houses, little kids watching us city people doing what they do on daily basis..I realised our guide was slightly inexperience. But that's not going to stop me from having fun tho.

That's Salina, enjoying the breathtaking view

The first incident happened when our raft (Salina and I were paired up together) were stuck in between huge rocks in the middle of a very rapid current. While the young guide was trying to repositioned the raft, it was easier if we got off the raft and helped as well. From one thing to another, he had some difficulty and the raft floated even further away. Torn to save us or the raft, we all thought it was best if he took care of the raft first. However, if we made any kind of small move, we are sure to fall head first and that's not good idea when I was holding my dslr.

Seeing as Salina was frozen in her spot, I had to do the one thing I never thought would come in handy in my life. I fell backwards and body surfed along the river knowing that I'll grab the raft when I arrived at the end. My only reason for doing it was to actually my camera first and I knew I can't stand any longer with the kind of rapid pushing us from behind. Salina took a leap of faith and did what I did.

What luck, Syidi & Aida were there to see how the incident unfold.

Thankfully, we both were at Kuala Kubu Bharu last November for white water rafting and The Paddlerz suggested that we should do body surfing as part of the activity. This is when you allow yourself to float in the river face up.

Who knew such trivial activity had the potential to save lives?

Truth enough we arrived where our raft was at, except that my thigh had hit a massive rock underneath which resulted in muscle cramp due to the shallow river. Which made it worst because I couldn't support myself.

It may have looked like I was a klutz (and I am one) but this was just one of those where an accident just happened and all you can think about is saving your life (and the camera). I was pulled out from the river like a helpless body, walked a little bit on the river bank to sit on the raft. One of the guides told us that the river should be much more calm from here onwards.

Where the first incident took place before I body surfed.

"Good. If it was anything like that again, I don't think I could save myself again because of the cramp."

The camera was fine, miraculously! And we continued on our journey admiring the view. I had mentioned to Salina that our guide was actually lucky to have us because of the experience we had prior. Had it happened to other people, we're not sure what it would have been.

I spoke too soon.

Our raft got caught in between two massive rocks and stronger current. This time, I knew I will have difficulty to move away from the situation. True enough, the guide had to literally pull me out of the water and pushed me up the raft. It's during this struggle that my camera took a dip in the river before I managed to lift it again.

I got on to the other raft, the one where Tok Batin Andak, the head of the tribe was on while Salina went solo with the young guide.

From then on, I resolute to enjoy my scenery with my eyes and not behind the lens.

Sounds a bit dramatic doesn't it? Oh well, things happened. All we can do is do our best to avoid getting hurt. And I don't regret going on this adventure even if it had put my camera into comatose.

It's what I needed. A moment to wake up to feel like I'm still alive.

The best part of the journey is still yet to come. When we arrived at the end point of the river, there was only the Mazda pick-up truck and all 6 of us sat at the back, going all cowboy right up to Uluhati. It felt almost like going on a roller coaster, what with the corners and steep hill we had to go through.

It was truly a fun time.

Minutes later, I saw everyone's enjoying the cozy long house and greenery. It was also the first time the rest were introduced to this place. And while waiting for our next activity which was the blow pipe demonstration, we were welcomed with the yummiest home cooked food. It was so good, I didn't even think of taking photos. (All photos after this are from the iPhone)

The long house with the picnic benches. Love.

What I like about the food is that, it reminded me so much of Negeri Sembilan's food (where my dad came from) and I just love the fresh bite of the pucuk paku. If it was Pucuk Paku masak lemak cili api, I'd prolly grabbed the entire bowl ;)

About an hour after lunch, we were all listening to Tok Batin Andak explaining the entire process about blow pipe. We certainly enjoyed his brand of humour. The kind of accidents that had happened while were quite scary, he made it priceless.

Tok Batin Andak and his many funny tales

While I don't remember my experience with blow pipes when I was in Kuching decades ago, it was a good thing I get to experience it here. Tho, Syidi did mentioned that this particular ones are heavier compared to the ones in Sabah and Sarawak.

Yours truly's target..was anywhere but the target point. Some are elephant hunter and one could be a rabbit hunter. It all depends how good you are at blow pipe.

My favourite part has to be when the participants were submitting their photos for the photography competition. That's when you'll get to see all sorts of shots from different eyes. Things you might've missed or taken for granted, this is when it'll open your eyes (and mind). We even get to select the winners under a tree with En. Din. It can't get anymore authentic than that.

I'll come back again.

When everything was over, Aida and I hitched a ride with Syidi to Bangsar. Considering how hungry we were at that time, we joined Cal and Farhah for.. neither dinner nor lunch at G3 Kitchen Bistro.

The rest of the day was left dead.

Airborne-sick

So here I am.

8 months later. I am so sorry.

While it seems like I've abandoned Wanderlust Theories, I really haven't. In theory, it has always been in my mind. It was just never translated from brainwave to words. 

And that makes a lot of difference unfortunately. 

It's not that I don't want to write or that I had lost interest in this; I just went away discovering myself and then (hopefully when I've figured it out) share my theories about whatever I've been experiencing. So this entry is dedicated to everyone who's been reminding me to start writing (David of MalaysiaAsia, Fie, Alid & Wilson of PlacesandFoods) and those who happened to read this. Seriously, I can't imagine why anyone would read my rants but yeah, do know that every reader is special to me :)

Life has been quite the roller coaster ride; physically and (especially) emotionally. The thing is, I realized I haven't set foot in an aircraft since My Selangor Story started and I *think* I have forgotten what it feels like to take off. 

Dramatic right? I know. But it's the truth. Really. 

Honestly, I do miss flying away to places I deem my escapism. It could be the schedule or something else. Somehow, I just never got around to getting onboard. I have sent and picked up people to/at the airport many times tho..

However, I am having fun doing what I never thought is possible. 

Not in a million years.

Then again, I have went on a trip with Johan Farid Khairuddin (or affectionately known as JFK) and Fie in his Cessna around Selangor & Kuala Lumpur back in April. That was probably the closest thing to flying I suppose? 'Twas amazing!

When I said "I'd like to make Selangor as part of my journey", I never thought that my feet will be planted deep in the ground of Selangor! It's so deep, I feel like I'm the information counter for all things Selangor sometimes. Not that it's a bad thing actually ;) It's just that, this experience, this job (if you may call it) has truly changed my perception of traveling. 

I've learned so much about myself as much as I have been researching about Selangor every single day. A journey I'll forever cherish. 

Perhaps this quote by G. K. Chesterton said it best - “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land.”

And in some twisted kind of way, maaaaybe that's what He's trying to tell me; that as much as I love traveling wherever, whenever, it is something else to discover your own country (or in this case, state).

I can't imagine thinking back that I've been to places, seen faces and listen to stories which I wouldn't be able to do without being part of Tourism Selangor. People who would just take me out and show me around Selangor as if I'm a foreigner. I can't say how thankful I am for having such awesome people supporting my dream.

The best thing is that, my friends are now even more excited to go on an adventure in Selangor with me like they've never been before. That alone I think is an achievement itself.

It has been a humbling and cool journey thus far.

One I keep learning and growing from experience to be a better person. 

Here's a big hug to everyone! Muah :)

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 ;)

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