Pug Gets New Wheels

after using more than 2 years, it's time to change the 2 front Goodyear tyres which has been rotated from the rear to the front from my last visit to the tyre shop...the vibration & shaking from the tyres was felt obviously on the steering wheel...plus the sound coming from the worn off tyres is more visible while on the road & the alignment & balancing was totally out...so, was a must to head to the tyre shop...

this time, went to a different shop instead of my usual preferred tyre shop...but it's also located around here...decided to go for Michelin as Ammar, a friend of mine recommended it...unfortunately, stock was out...so moved on to my 2nd choice which was Continental...after looking at the list of tyres available, decided to go for the ContiContactComfort CC5...RM188 per piece...this was my 1st time going for Continental tyres...from survey on the internet, the verdict was quite good...so my choices went like this - Michelin, Continental, Falken...other than that, it's a NO for me...so, a continental taste for my pug...

after using it for a week, i would say that I was very satisfied with the performance and silence of the tyre...would go for Continental again next time...more details on the tyre:

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/my/en/continental/automobile/themes/pcar/comfortcontact-5/comfortcontact-5.html

Mini Vac : Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut, Lumut

annyeong-haseyo...been a little bit busy & lazy lately...hence the lack of updating this blog...sorry on that :P...but as promised, i here bring the much delayed Mini Vac : Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut...

pushed off from office on Friday at about 3pm as Lumut was quite far...the journey took around 4 hours plus and at almost 8pm, we finally reached Swiss Garden Damai Laut...as we reached, we straight went to the reception to check in...after that, we then headed to our room...the resort was quite nice at first sight, but because we arrived at night, so can't really tell how it really looks like...room was quite okay too...

a little bit about how we got this Mini Vac invitation...there was one day, a consultant from the Swiss Garden International Vacation Club (SGIVC) called me saying that my name has been selected by AmBank to attend a tour at Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut and to listen about the product which is the SGIVC as I'm a credit card holder of AmBank and that my payments are prompt (yeahhh right~... :P)...in order to attend the tour & to listen to their product, they are giving a free 3D2N stay at the Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut...not bad since they are giving out free stay, even Palace Vacation Club (PVC) did not gave the free night stay to attend their tour, although they did gave a complimentary voucher to stay at Palace of The Golden Horses but can only be utilized during weekdays unless u sign up as a member...so that's how I got the free 3D2N stay at the Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut...

the next day morning at 9am, we then headed to the Swiss Garden Apartment which is nearby the resort...actually the whole area belongs to Swiss Garden and the piece of land consist of Swiss Garden Resort, Swiss Garden Apartments, Swiss Villas and there is also a golf couse in there...so u can imagine how huge the area is...the SGIVC office is located at the Swiss Garden Apartments and at there, the SGIVC consultants were waiting for us and the others who also received the invitation...1st activity was to tour the whole resort area of Swiss Garden...we rode on a mini train but was running on tyres on road ofcourse :P...first was to the golf course, then headed to a boat pier which belongs to Swiss Garden Damai Laut too...the view there was quite nice...next was Swiss Garden Resort & Swiss Villas...then we head back to the Swiss Garden Apartments to listen to their product briefing which was SGIVC...

the list of resorts under SGIVC was quite good and impressive...pricing was much cheaper than PVC...and the method of payment was really flexible...too bad that we're already members of PVC...however the manager of SGIVC told that we can cancel our PVC membership, so we enrolled and joined the SGIVC membership...unfortunately, when we were back in KL, i called up PVC and they informed that i can cancel my membership but then the payment released by the bank to PVC will not be refund to the bank and that i would have to settle the payment...so what's the point of cancelling my membership if i still have to pay to the bank...so no choice but to cancel my SGIVC membership which luckily was still within the cooling off period...so all payment made will be refunded...

after the tour & product briefing, me & my wife then headed to Manjung town to have our brunch...we had our brunch at the chicken rice shop at Tesco and bought a few more things there...after that, head back to the resort...we juz chilled at the room at then at about 6pm, i went out to have a walk around the resort while my wife stayed at the room to relax...the resort was really nice as it has a swimming pool, a pool for water polo and they even have a private beach which was quite nice...after a stroll at the beach, i then headed back to the room...we then juz watched tv and then went to bed to call off for the day...

the next day morning, we had breakfast at one of the hotel's restaurant where it was a buffet breakfast...the line of cuisines was not bad and has quite a wide of variety...after breakfast, went back to the room and then checked out from our hotel room...it's then time to head back to KL...

BERSIH 2.0 from a different perspective

annyeong-haseyo...it's been 2 weeks already that i haven't updated this blog...wow, really that long...been quite bz at the moment (plus lazy :P)...i've mentioned that i will be posting about our short vacation trip to Swiss Garden Damai Laut...that will be arriving shortly after this post...

it's been 2 days already BERSIH 2.0 rally has passed, yet was still the hottest topic talked about for the past couple of days...and i bet will still be the hottest topic in Malaysia thru out this whole week...during the BERSIH 2.0 rally day, it is advisable to stay home instead or go places that were not affected by the BERSIH 2.0 wave...as for me & my wife, we went for a spa massage at Slimming Sanctuary Puchong...luckily the traffic has not spread Puchong yet at that time...by the way, we bought a voucher each at ilovediscount for the spa massage at RM38...was really a good deal...

let's talk a bit about BERSIH 2.0...different people will have different points of view towards the BERSIH 2.0 rally...each person has their own perspective of the BERSIH 2.0 rally...be it against it, or support it, or just keep a blind eye on it...whatever it is, we shouldn't condemn other person's view especially using bad or vulgar words...although we have a different view than others, we should respect them the way they are...if everyone has the same view & perspective, there wouldn't exist opposition parties, be it PAS, DAP or PKR...and the existance of these such parties makes the politic world in Malaysia more interesting...

as per the aftermath of the BERSIH 2.0, this part is the most interesting and will be the hottest topic spoken this whole week...we can see many versions, many reviews of them, especially in the TV3's Buletin Utama & the Berita Harian newspaper...those are the media that condemns the BERSIH 2.0...and yesterday, TV3 has already came out with their advertisement condemning BERSIH 2.0...it was that fast...hahahahhaa~...however, the pro & supporters of the BERSIH 2.0 has their own media as well...they have the tv selangor, Facebook & twitter...they are going online not only in Malaysia, but thru out the whole world...so it's tv/newspaper VS internet...who will prevail?...we'll just see...

as from my point of view, we should be looking on the bright side of something that happens...in malay they say "ada hikmah di sebalik setiap kejadian"...we should turn something negative to positive, turn something bad to good, bring out the best out of the worse, look on the other side of the coin and look on the bright side of what has happened...so, lets take a look at what we have gained from the BERSIH 2.0 rally a couple of days ago...

1-PDRM (the police) were fully utilized and were all out that day.
2-Petrol & toll saved due to no need to go into KL that day.
3-Most citizens had a good rest at home that day due to curfew by PDRM.
4-Girls/Ladies/Womens get to save a few hundred ringgits that day due to unable to go shopping.
5-Most KL roads were cleaned by the water spray by the PDRM.
6-KL less poluted that day due to ultra minimal road traffic.
7-Electricity saved as PDRM limited LRT's services.
8-KL Bus & taxi drivers gets a day off that day.
9-Workers & staffs at Midvalley, Pavillion & KLCC had an easy day at work although it was a Saturday.
10-Bersih 2.0, UMNO youth & PERKASA participants had a good exercise by rallying KL that day.
11-Got to see Datuk A. Samad Said walking in Chinatown and being interviewed.
12-Malaysia was famous thru out the whole world that day.
13-Facebook & Twitter was merrier than ever.

next will be my mini-vac to Swiss Garden Damai Laut, Lumut...stay tuned...

Fly to Seoul : Day 7 (Chongga Kimchi World and Goodbye Seoul)

annyeong haseyo...nothing much to do at work today...so gonna update my blog then :P ...

final day at Seoul...a mix of feelings actually...happy that we're going back to kl, craving for the malaysian dishes & cuisines...nasi lemak, roti canai, hehehe....but was also sad that we had to bid farewell to Seoul....although we stayed there for almost a week, time flies very fast and we were absolutely not done yet exploring & enjoying Seoul to the fullest...i must admit that Seoul is a really nice place to live...the amenities, facilities, technology & people were just amazing...really made my heart wanted to migrate there, seriously...and ofcourse i would like to visit Seoul again in the future...but who knows, i might migrate there someday or continue my phD studies over there :P ....

in the morning, we headed to Insa-dong as my wife & mother-in-law wanted to attend the kimchi making class at Chongga Kimchi World...from Seollung station line 2 head to Seoul National University of Education, then change to line 3 heading to Anguk and drop off at Anguk...exit via exit #5...once exit, there is an SK Telecom building on the right...walk straight about 100~150 meters, Chongga Kimchi World is at the building on the right...there's also a signage pointing to the location there...at Chongga Kimchi World, they teached how to prepare the Kimchi, how to wrap it & how to pack it...the ingredients itself were already prepared by them as the ingredients were kept secret (i thought only KFC keeps the secret ingredients of their 11 herbs & spices :P)....the class was also joined by 2 other ladies from Thailand...since i didn't take part in the kimchi making class, i became the official photographer for the class instructor :P ...after about an hour, the class then ends...the participants were allowed to bring back the 1 kilo of kimchi made back home...so we had our very own made kimchi back at kl....

 

after that, we headed back to our hotel to have our prayers and straight away check-out from the hotel as check-out was 12 pm...however we requested for and extension of 30 minutes to perform our prayers...at 12.30 pm, we checked out and left our luggages at the reception counter as we had our lunch first at Itaewon before heading to the Incheon International Airport...would be very troublesome to carry our luggages together with us to Itaewon...we then head to Itaewon again to have our brunch at the Foreign Restaurant, the place where Simon from our AirAsiaGo tour took us for lunch...this time we had buffet instead since when we arrive, buffet lunch was set up there...quite a variety of dishes they had there...pricing wise was quite okay...about the same price per person's meal at Usmania International Restaurant...

after satisfying our hunger, we then head back to the hotel to get our luggages and off to the Korea City Air Terminal to board the bus to the airport...it was the same bus as we came to Seoul from Incheon International Airport...was the same price as well...the journey this time, all of us including me slept most of the time due to exhaustion & tired...after almost an hour of journey, we then arrived at the Incheon International Airport...the AirAsiaX counter was not open yet, so we had to wait...after about an hour, auntie Angeline and the gang arrived too at the Incheon International Airport (did i mentioned that auntie angeline also went to Seoul but a day later than us? :P)...

after checking in our luggages and our selves, we hanged around a bit at the gate entrance area to wait for our 11.25pm flight...around 10.30pm, we started to board the plane to bid farewell to South Korea...it really has been a wonderful trip, seeing wonderful places, experiencing wonderful facilities and interacting with wonderful people of Seoul...am already missing Seoul...will definitely want to visit Seoul again and perhaps stay there :P ...

stay tuned for my next post, Mini Vacation, Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut...

Fly to Seoul : Day 6 (Namdaemun Market and NANTA Show)

annyeong haseyo~...was a bit busy & lazy recently...hence the late update of this blog...juz came back from Lumut the recent Sunday as we had a free 3d2n stay at the Swiss Garden Resort Damai Laut, Lumut...will be posting about this trip after done with my Korea trip posts...

day 6, the day before heading back to KL...went out at from our hotel at around 11am and headed straight to Itaewon to have brunch at Usmania International Restaurant as the nite before we only had a light diner...was really starved that time...Usmania International Restaurant is one of the halal food restaurant at Itaewon...from Seollung station line 2, head to Sindang, then change to line 6 heading to Itaewon....head to exit 1...walk a little till u see KFC...turn right into the alley of the KFC and u can see the restaurant already...

each of us ordered a set but since the portion was large, we shared our meals among the 3 of us...we ordered meals that consist of chicken, meat & lamb...had a really good meal as the nite before only had mee maggi :P ....each of our meal costs 16,000 won, equivalent to around RM48...for more info can look at their website http://usmania.com.ne.kr/index.htm ...after a delicious brunch meal, we then went to Namdaemun market...from Itaewon station line 6, head to Samgakji, then change to line 4 heading to Hoehyeon station exit 5....

 

 

 

 

 

we met ojai a.k.a rozailina, my ex-coursemate at there and she brought us around there to do some shopping...ojai was my ex-coursemate degree...although she has a degree in computer science, she took another degree in foreign language study which in this case was Korean language due to her deep passion into Korean language...luckily we have her there to bring us around Namdaemun market as she guided us where to shop for souvenirs, brouch, etc...Namdaemun market is almost similar to our CM or Central Market combined with Petaling Street in KL...a lot of interesting stuffs can be purchased but mostly were clothings, attires & apparels...also, there is a complex there where the whole floor sells brouch & pendants...the design were really nice...my wife & mother-in-law bought a few of those....

 

  

  

  

 

 

after almost an hour and a half, we then head back to hotel to send my mother-in-law back...took the subway from Hoehyeon station line 4, head to Sadang and change to line 2 to Seolleung station exit 4...after that, me & my wife went out back to head to Myeong-dong to watch the NANTA show...from Seolleung station line 2 head to Sadang, change to line 4 heading to Myeong-dong, then exit 6...Myeong-dong is where the cosmetic heaven is located if u remember on my previous posts...the NANTA theater is located there...to head to the NANTA theater, once out of exit 6 subway, turn around and walk down the street of cosmetics & apparel shops where there is a shop called Migliore on the left...walk straight the street where there are rows of shops on both left and right till reach the Woori Bank on the right, then make a left turn, walk a little and look out for the NANTA Theatre on the left...there are 4 NANTA theater actually in South Korea...1 is located at Jeju Island while 3 others are at Seoul...

NANTA show is actually a non-verbal 90 minutes show about 4 chefs and the restaurant manager...the chefs would have to prepare dishes for a wedding ceremony in 90 minutes time...however, the show has many elements, musical, stunts, magic show, interaction with audience and plentyful of humor which i had a really good laugh that night :P ...although the NANTA show ticket admission was 60,000 won per person, it was really worth the penny...it was the best theater show that i have watched...since it was a non-verbal show, no problem for anyone in the planet to understand and to enjoy the show...the theater was full house at that time...no wonder NANTA show can survive for so long and was so famous world wide...highly recommend to watch it if u are at Seoul...after the show, me & my wife then headed back to the hotel to call off for the day...

 

stay tuned for my Korea trip final day...