Kevin's Birthday

Date: 31 December 2008
Location: Senja Rd, Bukit Panjang, Singapore

Trip to Indonesia (8): Around Burujul, Tasikmalaya

Date: 8 December 2008
Location: Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia.

This entry is part of our "Trip to Indonesia" series on December 2008:

1. First Time Karaoke-ing
2. Grand Indonesia
3. Sari Sunda Restaurant, Bandung
4. Rumah Sosis, Bandung
5. Holiday to Garut, West Java
5.a. Holiday in Garut, Danau Dariza (posted by my wife)
6. Garut Town and Mulih K'desa
7. Crown Mahkota Graha Hotel, Tasikmalaya
8. Taman Safari (posted by my wife)

Tasikmalaya is the hometown of both of my parents. My grandmother is currently still living in Tasikmalaya, specifically on Jalan Burujul, off Jalan Ciamis, very near to the railway crossing not too far from Lima roundabout.

I remember that when I was still a kid, I loved to go to the railway track which is located just a stone throw's away from my grandmother's house, and watched the trains passing by. So when we were there, I took Irza for a stroll along the railway track.

There was a train passing by from Bandung towards east at that time, I think it was the Lodaya train bound for Yogyakarta and Solo (Balapan). Irza was very happy to be able to see a "real" train (not just the small MRT trains we often find here in Singapore) from a short distance. :)

Trip to Indonesia (7): Crown Mahkota Graha Hotel, Tasikmalaya

Date: 7 December 2008
Location: Crown Mahkota Graha Hotel, Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia.

This entry is part of my Trip to Indonesia series on December 2008:

1. First Time Karaoke-ing
2. Grand Indonesia
3. Sari Sunda Restaurant, Bandung
4. Rumah Sosis, Bandung
5. Holiday to Garut, West Java
5.a. Holiday in Garut, Danau Dariza (posted by my wife).
6. Garut Town and Mulih K'desa

Crown Hotel, or Hotel Graha Mahkota in Indonesian, is the hotel we were staying during our short stay in Tasikmalaya.

This three-star hotel used to be the best hotel anyone can find in Tasikmalaya. But now, I heard from one of my relatives there that there's a new hotel being opened along Jalan KHZ Mustofa, near a new shopping mall which is supposed to be the biggest shopping mall in Tasikmalaya.

Unfortunately, we didn't really have the chance to explore the town since our schedule in Tasikmalaya was quite packed. I even didn't have the time to meet one of my fellow bloggers Kang Iwok (which I believe is the first and only Indonesian blogger from Tasikmalaya at the moment).

More pictures in Tasikmalaya will follow.

Bright Lights at City Hall

Date: 27 December 2008
Location: Raffles City, CHIJMES, CityLink Mall

The lights around City Hall is not as bright as the ones along Orchard Road, but the festive moods are definitely still there with a giant Christmas tree outside Raffles City and many shops (including Robinsons) are on sale.

This is also the first time we entered CHIJMES and see what's inside after countless times of just passing through it.

Bright Lights along Orchard Road

Date: 20, 21, 23 December 2008
Location: Orchard Road and Marina Square

Soaking into the bright lights and festive moods along Orchard Road (and Marina Square) during this year end's festive season.

Trip to Indonesia (6): Garut Town and Mulih K'desa

Date: Sunday, 7 December 2008
Location: Garut town centre, Mulih K'desa restaurant

After staying for a night at Danau Dariza hotel in Cipanas, we left Garut for Tasikmalaya, my parents' hometown located about two hour's drive east of Garut, for us to celebrate Hari Raya Idul Adha there.

After checking out from the hotel, we proceeded to Garut town centre, specifically to Jalan Ciledug, for us to buy some oleh-oleh from Garut. The town's specialty is the dodol.

After buying oleh-oleh, we went to Mulih K'desa restaurant for lunch. This unique restaurant with saungs (small houses) on top of sawah (rice fields) and balong (small lake) is located in Samarang, around 30 minutes' drive west of Garut town centre, on the same road leading to Kampung Sampireun.

The food is very nice and the price is reasonable. There's a small playground for the kids to play around, and a horse ride along the rice fields to keep them occupied. However, the location is quite remote on the west side of the town, so after having our lunch there, we needed to backtrack via Garut town centre for us to get to Tasikmalaya, which is located east of Garut.

Trip to Indonesia (5): Holiday to Garut, West Java

Date: Saturday, 6 December 2008
Location: Bandung to Cipanas, Garut

After having a great time at Rumah Sosis, we left Bandung for Garut, a town 2-hour drive south-east of Bandung. Specifically, we went to Cipanas (which means "hot water" in Sundanese), which is famous for its hot spring water from the nearby Guntur mountain.

We stayed at Danau Dariza hotel, and it turned out to be one of the best holidays we experience ever. :) Photos and reviews on Danau Dariza hotel will be posted by my wife (who is still in Jakarta with the kids now) soon. Update on 22 December 2008, 11:30am SGT: My wife has uploaded the pictures in Danau Dariza here.

In the evening, we had dinner at Cibiuk Sundanese restaurant, which is located along Jalan Otista, north of Garut, on the main highway to Bandung just near the junction to Cipanas.

Trip to Indonesia (4): Rumah Sosis, Bandung

Date: Saturday, 6 December 2008
Location: Rumah Sosis, Jalan Setiabudi, north Bandung

This kids-friendly attraction in Bandung is one of the kids' favourite. Located along Jalan Setiabudi, north on Bandung, the kids can ride ATV gokart, horse, flying fox and many other attractions while enjoying sausages (and other Bandung delicacies) for snacks.

Take note that except for the restaurant, all the attractions are only open on weekends and public holidays.

Trip to Indonesia (3): Sari Sunda Restaurant, Bandung

Date: Friday, 5 December 2008
Location: Sari Sunda restaurant, Jalan Setiabudi, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

After spending several days in Jakarta, we went to Bandung last Friday (5 December 2008). We left Jakarta in the morning and arrived in Bandung close to noon. After performing shalat Jum'at (Friday prayer) at a mosque nearby my parent's house in Bandung, we went to Sari Sunda restaurant for lunch.

This Sundanese restaurant is located along Jalan Setiabudi (bawah, near the junction to Sukajadi), just opposite Hoka-Hoka Bento restaurant there. Serves quite a nice Sundanese cuisine in a saung-style environment, and there's a small playground behind to keep the kids amused while waiting for the food to be served.

Trip to Indonesia (2): Grand Indonesia

Date: Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Location: Grand Indonesia, Jakarta

After sending my wife and my parents to Blok A, Pasar Tanah Abang, I brought Inka and Irza to nearby Grand Indonesia, since I know that the kids won't like to be dragged around Pasar Tanah Abang.

It was our second time visiting this huge and modern shopping mall. After having early lunch at the food court there (the kids had KFC while I had my favourite chicken steak from Fiesta steak), Inka and Irza were having a great time at the indoor theme park located within the shopping complex.

Trip to Indonesia (1): First Time Family Karaoke-ing

Date: 29 November - 1 December 2008:
Location: Changi Airport Terminal 1, Plasa Semanggi: food court, Shabu Tei restaurant and Inul Vista karaoke lounge, Bubur Ayam Djoko, Pondok Indah Mall

Yes, after going to Plasa Semanggi on our first day in Jakarta, we went there again on Sunday, for us to try karaoke-ing for the first time at Inul Vista family karaoke lounge there, upon recommendation of my sister-in-law, Via.

To be frank, this was our first time going to a karaoke lounge with the whole family, and both Inka and especially Irza were really having a great time. :) If I knew that the kids like to sing, I would have been bringing them to K-Box in Singapore more often. :) :) Thanks tante Via for bringing us to the karaoke lounge, we really had a great time. :)

Prior to karaoke-ing, we had dinner at Shabu Tei restaurant, also as per Via's recommendation. Although Inka enjoyed its chawanmushi and salmon sushi, however overall the food is not really that great and it's very much overpriced, even for Singapore standard.

Earlier today, after going to Cinere to settle some banking matters and for the kids to enjoy Bubur Ayam Djoko for breakfast, we went to Pondok Indah Mall to have our lunch at Sari Ratu restaurant there. My wife was very much craving for authentic Minang-style Padang food. The kids were also having a great time playing at the arcade centres (Timezone and Fun World) there.

Before we left, my mother purchased some donuts from Krispy Kreme, the original root version of the doughnuts currently served by many other outlets like Donut Factory in Singapore or J.Co in Indonesia. However, for me, I would still prefer J.Co's version or Donut Factory's version of the doughnuts, except for the glaze donuts. Even the kids like Krispy Kreme's version of the glaze donuts. Inka finished 4 (yes, FOUR) glaze donuts earlier today. :P

Using IM2 Broom Unlimited

I and my family are now in Jakarta, Indonesia for a (short?) two-week holiday. We left Singapore yesterday afternoon, taking Lion Air flight to Jakarta. It took more than 40 minutes for us to queue for checking-in at Singapore's Changi airport. The flight was full, there were so many passengers queuing for checking-in and yet, there were only 4 check-in counters available. It also caused around 20 minutes of delay of the flight since it took some time for all passengers to eventually checked in to the flight, despite an additional one (yes, only one, sigh) counter being set up.

We arrived at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at around 4pm. It turned out that we were on the same flight as Yudi (one of my friends from the Indo-Sing community, and I initially had mistaken him as Pieter, another friend from the same community, gosh!)  and Audi (one of my band-mates) with his wife Erina and son Rifa. My parents picked us up at the airport and we went straight to Plasa Semanggi for late lunch/early dinner. Lion Air is a budget airline and they don't serve any snacks or meal on board. We also didn't have the chance to have our lunch at Changi airport prior to boarding the plane due to the check-in's long queue taking up much of our "precious" time at the airport. Had a Bakmi Gang Kelinci's chicken noodle at the food court in Plasa Semanggi, which is located on the 3A floor of the shopping mall.

I also went to Indosat's IM2 Broadband Centre located on the first floor of Plasa Semanggi, for me to buy the starter pack of IM2 Broom, for our Internet connection during our stay in Indonesia. The starter pack costs IDR 150,000, and it provides unlimited HSDPA/3.5G-based Internet connection for a month. Subsequent months will even cost less, only IDR 100,000/month. Quite worth value for money, especially since now we have mobile phones which have HSDPA capabilities so we don't need to invest for additional HSDPA modem, which can be quite costly.

I am currently using my daughter's Nokia 6120 classic phone as a HSDPA modem using the PC Suite for me to enjoy the Internet connection using my laptop. Since I'm taking the unlimited package, the maximum bandwidth speed I should get is only up to 256 KBps for the first 2 GB of data transfer, after which the bandwidth will be capped at 64 Kbps, unlimited until it expires in one month. However, seems that I could get up to 460.8 Kbps of connection last night when I tried to connect. :) Connection is good for browsing purposes, accessing international sites sometimes can be a bit slow, but I believe this is more to infrastructure issue on the ISP's connection to the global Internet rather than issue on the HSDPA connection itself. Accessing local Indonesian sites is very fast.

Unfortunately, IM2 Broom only provides data connection without any voice capability, while I also need a local Indonesian number for normal voice calls, to save the roaming charges. I might be getting a Telkomsel's Simpati line today, so that I can also use its Telkomsel Flash feature for ad-hoc Internet connections for my phone. I won't be using my SingTel line for HSDPA connection here in Indonesia, the data roaming charges are very expensive.

Other than Jakarta, I'll also be visiting my hometown Bandung (of course) and Garut (Cipanas, to be exact) for a short holiday, before going to Tasikmalaya to celebrate Hari Raya Idul Adha (Hari Raya Haji) with my family and relatives there.

A Bit of the Princess-Themed Birthday Party

Date: Saturday, 22 November 2008
Location: A community hall near Duddy and Ellen's residence, Tampines

Happy birthday, princess Iffah. :) Semoga panjang umur dan menjadi anak yang berbakti kepada orang tua dan agama.

Having to go to Suntec City with Irza earlier in the afternoon to attend a movie gathering event by SingTel for its customers, we went to Tampines a bit late, reaching there at around 3:30pm. Therefore, I only took a few pictures, mostly the kids (and kid-at-heart like om Rio) who were playing at the playground next to the community hall.

We met Iko and Hera at the carpark, they were about to leave while I and Irza just arrived. Was very surprised to see Kanaya wearing a dress. :) She looks very pretty. Eventually, I noticed that most of the girls are wearing princess-themed dresses as well. If only I knew that the birthday party is princess-themed, I would have asked my wife to force Inka to wear dress as well... :) :) *while still wondering whether it can be done* :P

Related links:

Enam-an
Pesta Pajak
Princess Tampines' Birthday Bash

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: My First Review

I have been using my Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 for about a week, so now I'm trying to write my review about this phone. I'm not really too good in reviewing gadgets so I will try to keep my review short. Especially, since I have been using this phone for only a week. I might write another review again after I have used the phone for quite some time.

I was considering this phone and HTC Touch Pro over other Windows Mobile-based PDA phones like Samsung Omnia or HTC Touch Diamond because of an obvious reason, the sliding keyboard. And frankly, I was quite disappointed with Xperia X1's keyboard, initially. Its flat surface makes me difficult to type on the keyboard. The good news is that I managed to get over with the difficulties over time. Once I have gotten use to it, I find the keyboard is still much more convenient to type compared to if I have to use the stylus and the on-screen keyboard. While typing, the optical joystick is also quite useful to replace the arrow keys, which are not available on Xperia X1's keyboard.

With regards to the interface, many people said that the Xperia X1's panel is not as good as HTC's TouchFlo 3D. I haven't tried the TouchFlo 3D myself, although we can actually port over TouchFlo 3D interface into the Xperia X1. However, I am personally satisfied with the Sony Ericsson panel. I can put the clock, calendar, weather, appointments and some shortcut buttons, all in one display. That said, I really appreciate the big (and somewhat long) screen that the Xperia X1 has.

The GPS also works like a charm. Its built-in internal GPS receiver locks on to the satellites much faster than my Garmin GPS 10x receiver. I have installed my favourite Garmin Mobile XT software into the phone, and it can detect the built-in GPS receiver without any issues. I also do not need to activate my favourite GPS proxy software, WMMiniGPS, for the GMXT to work, although sometimes I would still turn on the WMMiniGPS if I need to do 1-second tracking for my contributions to Malsingmaps and Malfreemaps.

After getting used to only GPRS connection on my old Dopod 818 Pro, I find the high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA, or 3.5G connection) to be much rewarding. Paired with Wi-Fi capabilities, the phone makes my microblogging activitiy much more fun and definitely faster. Browsing the Internet using the pre-loaded Opera Mobile software is really fun, and thanks to a bigger display, I can see more on the screen compared to my older phone. So guys, expect to see more of my updates on Kronologger, Twitter, Plurk and Facebook. :) :)

The only downside I can think of now, is the battery. It drains very fast under heavy usage. Yes, I am a heavy user of the phone, since I use it for phone, SMS, GPS (every time I drive around), and the Internet (mainly for microblogging). And I have to charge the phone almost every night. A 100% bar of battery in the morning can drop to a 20-30% bar in the evening. Understand that this is normal for a PDA phone, however I still wish that Sony Ericsson can invent a more powerful and long-lasting battery for this phone. :)

Well, that's what I can think of right now. I might write more reviews once I explore more on the features of this phone. Stay tuned. :)

Marina Barrage

Date: Sunday, 16 November 2008
Location: Marina Barrage, Marina South, Singapore

I and Inka went to Marina Barrage earlier today. We are supposed to meet some of my friends from the Indo-Sing Photographers community, however I was unable to find them. I was also unable to reach Adrian over the phone.

The view from the dam, especially from the rooftop of the building, is quite astonishing. However, what most impresses me is the water playground for children (and adults, too). It is much nicer than the wading pools at VivoCity, and I guarantee that the kids would be having a great time there. Don't forget to bring some change clothes for your kids. :)

There's also a gallery, which showcases how the reservoir and the dam were being built.

It's quite difficult to reach Marina Barrage using public transport. Last time SBS bus 400 used to ply that area, but not anymore now. However, you can use a free shuttle bus service from Marina Bay MRT station to Marina Barrage, at 30-minute interval. More information can be found here.

IMAS Gathering and AD, RA and HT's Walimatus Safar Event

Date: Sunday, 9 November 2008
Location: Blk 757 Pasir Ris St 71 Community Hall

Selamat menunaikan ibadah haji untuk pak Dasuki, pak Ruly dan pak Toriq. Semoga menjadi haji yang mabrur, aamiin.

Related links:

Paris Van Singosari
Walimatus Safar part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4
Paris 091108
ws_09nov08
Pasir Ris in Paradise

Irza Playing DrumMania: "Almost Easy" and "Concertino in Blue"

In addition to his weekly drum lesson at the School of Music Clef at Suntec City, Irza also loves to play DrumMania, the drum simulation game which can be found at many arcade centres in Singapore (and Timezone in Indonesia as well). His skills in playing the drum simulation game is quite good now, even better than me when playing certain songs. When he's playing it, usually other people will normally gather and watch him play.

I managed to take some videos of him playing the simulation game. Apologise for the low quality of the videos since they were taken using my daughter's mobile phone camera. I also didn't manage to record the full songs because I needed to take the picture silently, since the arcade centre actually doesn't allow anyone to take any pictures, let alone taking videos. :)

The drum simulation equipment he's using was the latest one, DrumMania v5: Rock to Infinity.

Almost Easy:

Concertino in Blue:

Getting Myself a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 for only S$338

I just came back from the Sony Ericsson SingTel Roadshow, located outside Plaza Singapura, near The Atrium @ Orchard, Dhoby Ghaut. I have decided to get myself the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 phone to replace my old Dopod 818 Pro. The normal price for the phone is S$1,298 (without contract), and from the roadshow, I can get the phone for only S$338, without any trade in. How did I get the S$960 savings?

On the roadshow which will end today, SingTel sells the phone for only S$638 with iOne Plus or Classic plan, plus a 3-month Broadband on Mobile Plus subscription. Compared to my current mobile provider M1's promotion, which sells the phone at $998 under their SunSaver Plan, that's already quite a big S$360 difference. Based on my average monthly phone usage with M1, I decided to take the iTwo Value plan from SingTel, which allows me to purchase the Xperia X1 phone for only S$538.

Furthermore, SingTel gives additional S$200 discount for me to switch over from M1 to SingTel, thanks to the full mobile number portability. Since my M1 mobile line's contract has expired, I can port over the number to SingTel so that I can still use the same mobile number under SingTel's service plan. With all the discounts, I can get myself the Xperia X1 phone for only S$338.

What's more? Exclusive to the roadshow, I also can get some additional freebies, such as a $50 The Choice vouchers (which can be used at Cold Storage and Giant supermarkets), a Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car Handsfree kit and a DVD mobile converter software.

Unfortunately, the phone was fully sold out during the first day of the roadshow yesterday, so even when I can purchase at the same low price today, I can only collect the phone next week. Never mind, I think it's worth the wait. :)

 

Why Not HTC Touch Pro?

Good question. I have been comparing the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 with its closest competitor, the HTC Touch Pro. The specifications of both phones are very similar, although each has some pros and cons as well. To be frank, I decided to choose the Xperia X1 because of this promotion. Hey, where else you can get a high end high end Windows Mobile-based mobile phone with sliding keyboard for only $S338? :) Right now, if I'm getting myself a HTC Touch Pro, I will definitely be paying more than that, since none of the mobile providers in Singapore has similar promotion for HTC Touch Pro. For example, M1 is selling the HTC Touch Pro for $868 for a 2-year contract.

Furthermore, having a Dopod mobile phone for almost three years, I had some quite unpleasant experiences with HTC support in Singapore, both at SIS Technologies' Leng Kee office and the HTC Service Centre at Keppel Bay Tower, Harbourfront. Even though the Xperia X1 is actually built by HTC for Sony Ericsson, at least I can still expect the same quality of product and tap on Sony Ericsson's (hopefully) better service.

Hopefully. Let's see. :)

PS. Pictures are courtesy of Sony Ericsson website and CNET Asia website.

Happy National Blogger Day and Happy Deepavali

27 October 2008 is the first anniversary of Indonesia's National Blogger Day. Therefore, I would like to wish all Indonesian bloggers a very happy National Blogger Day.

And since this very same day is also a Diwali day (which is a public holiday here in Singapore), I also would like to wish a very Happy Deepavali to all my Indian friends who celebrate the festival of lights.

Azmi's Raya Open House and Alysha's Birthday Party

Date: Saturday, 25 October 2008
Location: Azmi and Ayu's residence, Bright Hill Drive, Singapore

Claypot Chicken Rice

My first encounter with claypot chicken rice was in Malaysia. I immediately fell in love with this dish, rice cooked in a claypot together with all the additional ingredients such as diced chickens, vegetables and, most importantly, the spices, thrown in. Cooked over charcoal stove, and served with the pot while still hot. Wonderfulicious. :)

Since it's a Chinese traditional dish, it's quite difficult to find halal claypot chicken rice in Singapore. Normally, I would go to Johor Bahru to look for this dish, notably the food courts at Johor Bahru's City Square and Tebrau City. Therefore, it was a very delightful surprise to see this dish in one of the stalls at Banquet halal food court, located on the basement two (B2) floor of VivoCity shopping mall, Singapore.

On a side note, Banquet VivoCity is one of our favourite Banquet outlets, other than the Bagus by Banquet at IMM and Banquet Jurong Point. In Banquet VivoCity, the kids would normally go with the chicken rice, other than fish and chips or chicken cutlet from the western stall. For me, another favourite dish there is the cockles kway teow.

Julie's Biscuits also Tainted with Melamine

Picture courtesy of Channel NewsAsia.

I was very surprised (if not shocked) when I read from today's Weekend Today newspaper (which I get for free in my doorstep everyday, by the way) that some (or all?) of Julie's biscuits made in Malaysia are also tainted with melamine.

This is because our family (myself, my wife and the kids) has been buying Julie's biscuit products all this while. Inka is a great fan of Julie's wheat crackers (see above picture) while Julie's Cocoro crispy chocolate wafer rolls are also one of our family's favourites.

Yes, the Agri-Food and Vetenirary Authority (AVA) has reassured that the levels of melamine in the affected products are very low, and one has to consume large quantities of the contaminated products over a prolonged period of time before it can affect his/her health. But this still cannot much relieve our worries, especially since we have been consuming the affected products for quite some time.

Flickr-ku sayang, Flickr-ku malang...

Since I use Facebook quite often now, I'm a bit "neglecting" my Flickr account. Especially since I now has less time in front of my computer for my personal activities (since mostly they are for work-related). I also just realised that I have not been uploading my pictures, let alone "photo-blog-walking" there, for couple of months!

Actually, I felt sorry in neglecting my Flickr account, since I met quite a lot of friends there. For example, I knew and met Satya, Chandra, Ivan, Tata/Wati and Mdamt through Flickr. With the exception of Tata and Wati (whom I always can find everywhere), the others are not really active on any other photosharing and social networking sites such as Multiply and Facebook, so I kinda miss them quite a lot. :)

So, Flickr... here I come... again... :) :) Hopefully I will have the time so that I won't neglect you too much... hopefully... :)

Tang Tea House

Date: Sunday early morning, 19 October 2008.
Location: Tang Tea House, Simpang Bedok, Singapore.

Last Saturday night, I took Irza out for supper, while Inka has already sleeping. Since were were not too sure where to go, I decided to go to Tang Tea House.

This MUIS-certified halal Chinese "makan" place is recommended by my friends from the IMAS community. Its specialty is the tim sum, although it also provides any other types of dishes such as chicken rice, seafood and even shark fin soup.

It was past midnight when I and Irza reached there. It's located at Simpang Bedok, along Bedok Road, opposite the Bedok Market Place. It provides a very nice and cozy alfresco seating arrangement. It's just a short 15 minutes walk from Tanah Merah MRT station, although if you don't want to walk, you can also take bus number 2 or 9 from Tanah Merah MRT station, or bus number 10 from Tampines bus interchange.

I ordered four (yes, it's FOUR) dishes of tim sum: my favourite chicken feet, siew mai (siomay in Indonesian), har kow (shrimp dumplings) and chicken pau, which is requested by Irza since it's his favourite.

However, Irza loves the chicken rice, which I specifically ordered for him. His comment is that even without the chicken and the soup, the rice itself is very nice. He also loves the har kow with the shrimp inside.

The price is, surprisingly, reasonable. A dish of siew mai (3pcs) and har kow (3pcs) costs $2.50, chicken feet costs $2.20 and chicken pau (2pcs) costs only $1.60. My longan drink only costs $1.80 while Irza's milo dinosaur costs $2.80. His chicken rice (a set of rice, chicken and soup) costs only $3.

Bowling at The Chevrons

Date: Sunday, 12 October 2008
Location: The Chevrons, Jurong East, Singapore

Bowling is one of the kids' favourite pastime activities. Orchid Bowl, which is located at the fourth floor of The Chevrons in Jurong East, about 15 minutes' drive from our home, is one of our favourites.

Another favourite bowling alley of ours is the new Orchid Bowl at e!Hub Downtown East, which is located in Pasir Ris. It has automatic gutter barriers so the kids can bowl with the barriers while we can bowl without the barriers, on the very same lane. Unfortunately, it's quite far from our home since it's located on the other side of the island.

"Maksiber" Indo-Sing Photographer

Date: Saturday, 18 October 2008
Location: McDonalds, Junction 8, Bishan, Singapore

This is the second Indo-Sing Photographer gathering I attended after the lighting workshop conducted last April.

Again, since I am just a "penggembira", I chose to take pictures of the event (with help from Inka and Irza) while the rest are discussing about photography and their SLR cameras. And yes, I am the only one coming to the event with pocket cameras. :) :)

Unfortunately, Frans (Salim) needed to leave early so I didn't manage to take his picture during this event.

PS:
1. "Maksiber" stands for makan siang bersama, or lunch gathering, in Indonesian.
2. Some of below pictures are taken by Inka and Irza.

Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant

Date: Saturday, 11 October 2008
Location: Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant, Changi Rd, Eunos, Singapore

After the gathering event at VivoCity, I picked up my wife and Irza at Raffles City and then proceeded to Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant for dinner.

It is a halal seafood restaurant located along Changi Road, around Eunos/Kembangan area. It is on the same side of the same road where Mak's Place Hawkerant is located, just further blocks down the road.

Except the shark fin's soup for Inka, we didn't order any other signature dishes. I ordered sambal beef kway tiauw (spelling?) while my wife ordered crispy noodles. The restaurant is not really packed on that Saturday evening. Could it be that most Singaporeans are now a bit cautious in spending their money because of the imminent economic crisis?

One Saturday Evening at Coffee Bean VivoCity

Date: Saturday, 11 October 2008
Location: Coffee Bean, VivoCity, Singapore

Earlier this evening, I and Inka went to VivoCity to meet mas Rino, my ex-colleague, ex-supervisor and ex-mentor at RADNET, who came from Batam for a short 2D1N trip to Singapore with his wife.

Tebakan: "Nongkrong" di Orchard

Was driving along Orchard Road with my family yesterday (Saturday 4/10) evening when I spotted this happy family, consisting of my friend, his wife and their two twin sons, were relaxingly sitting down on the stairs in front of The Atrium @ Orchard, Dhoby Ghaut, just next to Plaza Singapura.

I took the picture using my PDA-phone camera and from within a distance, inside my car traveling along Orchard Road, on the middle lane. Therefore, of course you can't expect a good high-quality picture. :)

Can anyone guess who is the happy family? :) :)

PS. Yang merasa ada di foto ngga boleh ikutan nebak, hehehe... :) :)

Halal Bihalal in Sengkang

Date: Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Location: Anchorvale, Sengkang, Singapore

After performing Shalat Ied prayer and attending Hari Raya Open House at the Indonesian embassy, we went straight to Anchorvale, Sengkang to attend the biggest halal bihalal event for Indonesian community in Singapore.

This halal bihalal event is hosted by the IndoSing-Mums community, particularly from those who live around what they call "gang senggol", which is an acronym derived from Hougang, Sengkang and Punggol. :)

This is the first time the halal bihalal event is conducted in Sengkang, after conducting them in Tampines in the past two years. It is a resounding great success, kudos to the organisers of the event. Food is aplenty, and the guests even managed to take some of the food back home.

There were supposed to be family photo events being conducted by two appointed official photographers, Pak Ahmad Dasuki and Pak Wawan Setiawan, however it turned out that it's quite difficult to gather each family together, especially since the kids were playing around everywhere. Most of the family photos were taken without the kids, and even om Rio and tante Eva would have to "borrow" Kinara for their family photo session. :) :)

Please help to fill-in the missing captions whenever possible, I couldn't remember all of the names, especially the mothers and the kids. :)

Other pictures can also be found here:

Halal Bihalal Ied Fitri 1429H
Halal Bihalal di Blok 314 Sengkang 2008
Halal Bihalal Iedul Fitri 1428H
Halal Bihalal Iedul Fitri 1428 H - upload kedua
Halal Bihalal Iedul Fitri 1428 H - upload ketiga
Halal Bihalal Iedul Fitri 1428 H - upload keempa
Lebaran Sengkang 01102008
Eid! .. eit, jangan salah ...
edisi lebaran
Lebaran 2008
Halal Bihalal@Sengkang
Eid 2008
Ied 1429H: Gang Senggol
Ied Fitri 1429 Gathering @Sengkang
Lebaran 1429H
1 Oktober 2008, Sengkang, HBH
Lebaran 1429H S'Pore
Lebaran 2008
Ied Mubarak

Shalat Ied Prayer and Open House at KBRI Singapura

Date: Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Location: Indonesian Embassy, Chatsworth Road, Singapore

This year would be the second time we celebrate Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Singapore. Unlike two years ago when we performed Shalat Ied prayer at a nearby mosque, this year we went to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, located on Chatsworth Road, to perform the Shalat Ied prayer as well as attending Hari Raya Open House there.

We left home at around 7:15am and reached the embassy at around 7:45pm. By that time, the Istiqamah mosque located within the embassy compound have been filled up, so I and Irza chose the location inside a tent which is set up just next to the mosque itself.

After shalat which is followed by the sermon/khutbah, we put our shalat equipments in the car before joining others to the Hari Raya Open House event. Surprisingly, we met Pak Budi Rahardjo, a prominent Indonesian blogger who came to Singapore to celebrate Hari Raya with his daughter who is currently studying in Singapore.

We met some of our friends at the Open House event, and had a late breakfast before proceeding to Sengkang for a halal-bihalal event for the Indonesian community in Singapore, hosted by our friends from the IndoSing-Mums community (foto-foto menyusul).

Other pictures can also be found here:

Ied 1429H: KBRI Singapore
Kembar Group
Shalat Ied@KBRI SIngapura
Lebaran GA MUDIK

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri

Wishing all Muslims a very happy and joyous Eid ul-Fitr celebration. Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri, mohon maaf lahir dan batin. :)

Another Drum Concert for Irza

Irza has been selected again by his music school, School of Music Clef, to perform again for another solo drum concert this weekend, after his previous concert last month. This time, his school is conducting another concert to celebrate Children's Day, which falls tomorrow on the same day as Hari Raya Idul Fitri here in Singapore.

The concert will be conducted at the same place in Suntec City Mall, on Sunday, 4 October 2008 in the afternoon. I don't have the exact time but most probably it'll be on the late afternoon.

Irza will perform two songs on the upcoming concert. In addition to Won't Go Home Without You which he already played during the last concert, he will also play another song of Maroon 5, This Love.

Kastengel ala Indra and Inka-Irza

Date: Saturday, 27 September 2008
Location: at home

Following last year's success in making kastengel cheese cookies, I made the same cookies yesterday afternoon to celebrate this year's Hari Raya Idul Fitri, before we went to the KBRI's buka puasa event.

Following exactly the same recipes as last year, I mixed 200 grams of margarine and 50 grams of butter with 2 egg yolks, and then manually mixed them with 350 grams of plain flour and 200 grams of shredded edam cheese. After shaping, I put egg yolk and shredded cheddar cheese as toppings before putting them on a tray and bake them inside the oven under 170 degree Celcius temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

During the kastengel cookies making procees, I got help from Inka and eventually Irza who also wanted to join the fun :), while my wife helped us to bake them.

Before someone is asking :), no, I don't take orders. :) I'm only making these cookies for personal and family consumption only... :) :)

Another Buka Puasa Event at KBRI Singapura

Date: Saturday, 27 September 2008
Location: Indonesian Embassy, Chatsworth Road, Singapore

Similar to last week, we attended another buka puasa event at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore, earlier this evening.

Some of the people I met there are mostly from IMAS community. Not many people turned up at this week's event compared to last week, most probably because most of Indonesians in Singapore have went back to their home towns for their "mudik" ritual.

Other pictures can also be found here:

Buka Puasa Bersama di KBRI tanggal 27 Sep 2008
Buka Puasa Bersama di KBRI Kedua

Buka Puasa Event at KBRI Singapura

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2008
Location: Indonesian Embassy, Chatsworth Road, Singapore

Thanks to Mbak Hany for the invitation, we had a very great time at "buka puasa" event at the Indonesian embassy earlier this evening.

Great friends, great food. The kids also enjoyed their time there, despite a small fighting incident earlier in the evening.

Some other pictures can also be found here:

Bukber KBRI 20092008
Bukber beratus umat..
Bukber @ KBRI 200908
Bukber di KBRI 20092008
Bukber @KBRI
Buka puasa bersama di KBRI 20 Sept 2008
Buka Bersama di KBRI
Pertama Berbuka di KBRI 20-09-2008
Bukber @KBRI
Bukber at KBRI Singapore
Bukber di KBRI

Related links:

Milis

Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Botanical Garden, Christchurch, New Zealand

During our busy schedule in Christchurch, I and some of my Indonesian friends managed to visit Christchurch Botanic Gardens, which is located just behind the Canterbury Museum. There's no entrance fee for tourists to visit this park.

Christchurch's Avon river plies through the park, and this is the location of one of the routes (the "Park" route) of the famous Punting on the Avon attraction.

You can also hire a small boat and canoeing through the river yourself, just like what some of Malaysian students we met there were doing.

Celebrating Hari Raya in Singapore

It's confirmed. Unlike last year, we will not be able to go back for our "mudik" ritual to Indonesia for this year's Hari Raya Idul Fitri. I have called Inka and Irza's school last week and confirmed that not only that there'll be no school holiday during the Hari Raya week, they will also have their SA2 paper 1 exam for both English and Mother Tongue on the following week after the Hari Raya.

Therefore, similar to two years ago, we will be celebrating Hari Raya Idul Fitri here in Singapore. Feeling sad? Of course, but we (myself, my wife and the kids) have already accepted this as one of the consequences of hidup merantau di negeri orang. We just have to live with it. :)

Based on our experience two years ago, celebrating Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Singapore is not really too bad, after all. This is because we have many Indonesian friends in Singapore who also, mostly due to the same reason, do not go back to Indonesia during Hari Raya. I remember two years ago, we went to three different places in Singapore on one day: Hougang, Tampines and Braddell, to celebrate Hari Raya together with our Indonesian friends here. My wife even conducted our own open house on the following weekend at that time.

Therefore, we are looking forward to celebrate Hari Raya in Singapore again for this year. For friends who plan to conduct an open house event in Singapore on this year's Hari Raya, please do not hesitate to invite us along... :) :)

Love Letter

Akhirnya, "surat cinta" dari Traffic Police itu-pun datang juga...

Last Sunday, 7 September 2008, I was driving along Bukit Timah Road after picking up my wife and daughter at Bugis Junction towards Al-Azhar which is located along Upper Bukit Timah Road for us to break our fast for the day. Was held up on a red light junction while two traffic police officers were riding their motorcycles just beside our car.

When the light turned green, one of the officers then asked me to pull over on the side of the road. Apparently, he noticed that Irza was sleeping on the middle seat without properly secured by a child booster seat, even though he always wears his seat belts. The police officer explained that a child younger than 8 years old and less than 150cm in height would have to be properly secured by an approved child restraint. I had to wake Irza up so that the officer can measure his height, which definitely is shorter than 150cm.

Really didn't know that he still has to use a booster seat until he's 8 years old, since he has not been using the booster seat for quite some time. The composition amount is $120 (!!!) which I have to pay by 10 October 2008, plus 3 demerit points being given.

After the incident, Irza now re-uses his old booster seat and will do so until he turns 8 next year. He was also a bit shocked when he had to wake up and being checked by the police officer at that time.

Lesson learnt: if you have a child which is not yet 8 years old and not yet 150cm in height, please ensure that the he/she uses an approved child restraint (either a child seat or a booster seat, depends on his/her age/height) in the car.

Related link:
Tilang

Windsor Bed & Breakfast Hotel

Windsor Bed & Breakfast Hotel is the hotel I'm staying during my week stay in Christchurch. As one of the APNIC meeting fellows, the hotel cost is bourne by APNIC (thanks Sunny!) and I'm sharing a room with another fellow, Stanley Osao from Papua New Guinea.

I would have to say that their service standards are quite high for a budget hotel. The hosts (which are the owners of the hotel) are very nice and friendly, and the room is very clean, tidy and comfortable. The bathrooms are shared, but they are quite a plenty and bathrobes are provided.

Every morning, they serve a very generous English-style breakfast, which is cooked on the spot. We can choose the breakfast menu, which consists of eggs (scrambled, poached or fried), sausages, bacon, baked beans and sweet corn. I love their beef sausages, unfortunately I couldn't try the bacon since it's made of pork. On top of that, there are also toasts, fresh fruits and cereals which you can have your own servings. To be frank, the breakfast time is one of my most-waited time during my stay there. :)

They have a lounge where guests can watch TV and use some computer terminals to connect to the Internet, free of charge. On top of that, they also provide free wireless Internet connections for people like me who has laptop with wireless connection. The lounge also allows us to interact with other guests, creating a "warm" environment for the guests. Free carpark lots are also available for those who drive or rent a car.

It's conveniently located near the Christchurch city centre, just in front of Cranmer Square and only several minutes walk to the Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and Cathedral Square. The historic Christchurch Tramway also stops just in front of the hotel.

These high standards of services for a bed and breakfast hotel makes its rates to be a bit higher than other B&Bs in Christchurch. The price for single is NZ$89 while for twin/double is NZ$128, and they have a plan to increase the rates to $NZ98 (single) and NZ$140 (twin/double) after 1 November 2008.

Christchurch Day 6: Christchurch Gondola

Date: Friday, 29 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Gondola, Bridle Path Road, Heathcote Valley, Christchurch

On my sixth day in Christchurch, after attending the APNIC Member Meeting, I joined the APNIC's social event by going to the Christchurch Gondola, which is located on Heathcote Valley, south-east of Christchurch. We took the gondola up to the summit and and had dinner at the restaurant located on top of the summit.

I had the chance to meet some of other APNIC staff and conference delegates from all around the world.

Tamaki Heritage Village and Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchurch

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Ferrymead Heritage Park, off Bridle Path Road, Heathcote, Christchurch

On the same my fourth day in Christchurch, after attending the conference, I joined the cultural night social event, which is a visit to Tamaki Heritage Village. The Maori heritage village is located within the Ferrymead Heritage Park complex located off Bridle Path Road, Heathcote, east of Christchurch.

I would have to say that it was a spectacular experience for all of us, at least for me! It showcases the indigenous Maoris who were battling the English immigrants and their musket warriors. It was followed with a visit to the English settlements using old-style trams and steam trains, and completed with a sumptuous dinner with free-flow wines and juices.

Christchurch Day 4: Walk around the City Centre

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Various places around Christchurch

On my fourth day in Christchurch, in addition to attending the APNIC conference, I also took the opportunity to walk around the city centre together with my Indonesian friends.

Buka Puasa Bersama di Mesjid KBRI Singapura

Tidak sempat mengikuti acara buka puasa bersama komunitas Muslim Indonesia di Singapura, di mesjid An-Nahdhah minggu lalu (seperti saya)? :)

Jangan khawatir, rekan-rekan dari komunitas IndoSing-Mums yang dimotori oleh mbak Hany, teh Ellen dan mbak Iif akan mengadakan acara buka puasa bersama di mesjid KBRI Singapura, pada hari Sabtu, tanggal 20 September 2008, mulai jam 5-6 sore waktu Singapura. Mesjid KBRI ini berlokasi di kompleks KBRI Singapura di Chatsworth Road.

Saya pertama kali membaca pengumumannya di milis Keluarga UI Singapura sehingga tadinya saya pikir undangan ini hanya untuk alumni UI di Singapura, apalagi melihat event organisers-nya juga merupakan EO acara reuni besar alumni UI di Singapura awal tahun ini. Tapi setelah membaca postingan mbak Hany di MP-nya dan di blog-nya, ternyata undangan ini terbuka untuk warga Muslim Indonesia di Singapura, apalagi setelah melihat undangannya di-forward juga ke milis IMAS dan Indo-Sing.

Namun, mengingat mesjid KBRI hanya menyediakan tempat, tentu saja para tamu diharapkan membawa makanan dan/atau minuman untuk disantap bersama disana. Sistem potluck, begitu. :) Bagi yang berminat untuk datang dan ikut menyumbangkan makanan/minuman, silahkan mendaftar disini.

Menurut mbak Hany, selain menyumbang makanan/minuman, rekan-rekan juga bisa menyumbang sesuatu (e.g. pakaian bekas, sikat gigi, odol, dsb) untuk Mbak-Mbak yang ada di penampungan KBRI Singapura, bisa sekaligus dibawa pada acara tersebut.

Verify You Are Human

Occasionally, now I sometimes get this Captcha message when logging into my Multiply account.

---cut---
Verify You Are Human
   
Verification:
There's been a lot of activity on your account that appears to be automated. This sort of thing isn't allowed on Multiply, which is intended for humans to share their lives with their human friends!

Please enter the code shown below to verify your humanity. If you're a visually impaired human, click here and our customer support robots will help you out.
---cut---

So I would need to key in the code as displayed on the captcha image.

Not too sure why. Has someone abused my Multiply account? Anyone else encounter the same problem?

Buka Puasa Event at Pandan Valley

Date: Saturday, 6 September 2008
Location: Pandan Valley, off Holland Road, Singapore

Continuing last year's tradition, Mia and Aci conducted a "buka puasa bersama" dinner event last Saturday, at their residence.

Christchurch Day 3: Opening Ceremony and Reception of APNIC 26 Meeting

Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch Town Hall

On my third day in Christchurch, which is the second day of the APNIC 26 Meeting, I attended the opening ceremony and the full day conference.

In the morning, I walked from the hotel to the convention centre together with my roommate, Stanley (Papua New Guinea) and some of my hotel-mates: Dan (Cook Islands) and Etu (Fiji). At noon, I had lunch with all my Indonesian friends: Christian, Andy, Yudha, Don and Angga.

In the evening, I also attended the APNIC 26 opening reception, sponsored by Cisco, located inside the Christchurch Town Hall. There's a cocktail reception and a pipe organ demonstration by an organist, Martin Setchell.

After the performance, we were invited to go up and close to the pipe organ, for us to take pictures. One delegate from Japan even tried to play the organ.

Related links:

Day 4 - APNIC Conference

Skiing at Mt Hutt

Date: 28 August 2008
Location: Mount Hutt, Canterbury, South Island, around 1.5 hours drive from Christchurch

While in the South Island near the end of the winter season, I and some of my Indonesian friends: Christian, Don and Yudha, took the opportunity to head to one of the snow-capped mountains and learn how to ski.

We purchased a package of ski lessons for beginner, from a travel agent called Discovery Travel, located in downtown Christchurch.

We chose Mt Hutt for our ski destination, around 1.5 hours bus ride from Christchurch. The package price is NZ$204 per person, which includes almost everything: return transfer from Christchurch to Mt Hutt and vice versa, ski equipments rental including the jackets and boots, and two 1.5 hours sessions (total 3 hours) of ski lesson by a certified trainer, first session in the morning and another session in the afternoon, after lunch.

We had Wanda, a certified ski trainer, to teach us how to ski, from the very basic. She patiently taught each of us on how to ski properly. There were eight of us in a group under her care, four of us plus another family of four from Saudi Arabia.

It was indeed a rewarding experience for us. At least, for me: from someone who never touches snow before, I was able to ski downwards along the beginner slope several times without falling, albeit very slow. That was after many times of falling while learning. :)

Other pictures can also be found here:

Day 6 - Ski at Mt. Hutt
Munt Hutt (Yud, wrong spelling atuh...)

Souvlaki Kebabs

Date: Monday, 25 August 2008
Location: Souvlaki Kebabs, High Street, Christchurch

This kebab restaurant is located on High Street mall, a street in the Christchurch city center which is closed for traffic and only for pedestrians, with shops lining both sides of the street. This is one of only a few restaurants in Christchurch serving halal food, run by a father and a son of Moroccan descent.

The small restaurant is located at the entrance of High Street on the left side, nearest to Cathedral Square. It is just a 5-minute walk from the Christchurch Cathedral.

Christchurch Day 2: APNIC 26 Meeting Started

Date: Monday, 25 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Convention Centre, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Christchurch Town Hall

The APNIC 26 meeting kicked in yesterday, although the official opening ceremony is only today. The main issue being discussed in this meeting is the depletion of the IPv4 addresses and the slow implementation of IPv6 addresses by the major ISPs in Asia Pacific region.

The event is conducted at the Christchurch Convention Centre, which is directly connected to the Christchurch Town Hall and the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the buffet lunch is served at the Victoria Cafe there.

I met some new friends from my home country, Indonesia, on that day, and suprisingly, some of them are bloggers, Multipliers, to be exact. :) They are Christian and Don who work for two different internet service providers in Indonesia, as well as Andy and Yudha, from the Indonesian ISP association. We also met Angga, an Indonesian who has lived in Christchurch for 21 years with his family.

Pictures labelled 1xxx are taken at the Christchurch Convention Centre, pictures labelled 2xxx are taken at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Victoria Square, while pictures labelled 3xxx are taken at the Christchurch Town Hall.

Update at 4pm NZT (GMT+1200):

Related links:

Day 3 - APNIC Conference
APNIC 26 Day 1 @ Christchurch.NZ

Christchurch Tramway

Date: Sunday, 24 August 2008
Location: Along the tramway route, Christchurch city centre

This is another prime attraction in Christchurch. The Christchurch tramway plies along the 2.5 km circling route around Christchurch's best attractions, including Cathedral Square, Arts Centre and Canterbury Museum. The drivers also act as a tour guide and explain all the tourist attractions along the way.

The ticket prices are $14 for adults, and $4 for children. Children under 5 years old can travel for free. However, I purchased the combo tickets for the tram and the Gondola, for $30 (adult). I planned to take the gondola on Thursday, together with my Indonesian friends and a Mongolian friend here.

Cathedral Square, Christchurch

Date: Sunday, 24 August 2008
Location: Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand

Cathedral Square is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Christchurch. Its main attraction is the Christchurch Cathedral. It's free to enter the cathedral, although you still need to pay ($5 for adult) to climb the cathedral's tower.

Nearby, you can also visit the Christchurch and Canterbury Visitors' Centre and the nearby Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House, or board the historic Christchurch tram from the Cathedral Square tram stop. The fee for the tram is $14 for a two-day unlimited ride. You can also take the free yellow City Shuttle bus around the city centre from a nearby bus stop.

From Singapore to Christchurch

Date: 23-24 August 2008
Location: SQ297 flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Christchurch International Airport

The Singapore airlines flight, which was scheduled to depart at 19:50hrs Singapore time, was delayed for about 40 minutes because it had to wait for some transit passangers from London whose flight was late in reaching Singapore.

The plane landed safely at Christchurch International Airport at around 10:00hrs local time, or around 06:00hrs Singapore time.

For some reasons, I was unable to sleep throughout the flight journey so I killed the time by watching two movies from the movie on-demand inflight entertainment. This caused a jet-lag issue although the time difference with Singapore is not much, only 4 hours. :(

Christchurch airport is a small but modern and clean airport. Going through immigration and customs was a breeze. I used the Super Shuttle service to get from the airport to the hotel.

T3 Changi Airport

Date: Saturday, 23 August 2008
Location: Terminal 3, Changi Airport, Singapore

After Irza's birthday party event yesterday, we went to Changi airport since I needed to catch the evening's flight to Christchurch.

This new terminal is quite impressive with its nice and unique roof design. The gate A20 where the aircraft was being docked is quite far from the departure hall, and I didn't know that I actually could use a Skytrain shuttle to reach the gate within a minute, while it would take up to 10 minutes by walking through the travellators.

Thanks...

On behalf of Irza and the whole family, I would like to thank everyone who came to Irza's birthday party yesterday. I would let my wife to upload all the pictures of the birthday party event, but in the meantime, the pictures can be found on these sites:

Ultah Irza (thanks to tante Hera)
Ultah Irza (thanks to tante Ati)
@Bukit Batok (thanks to tante Wati)

Right now, I'm already arrived at Christchurch after a long 10 hour flight from Singapore. It's quite cold here (around 10 degree Celcius) and it's raining non-stop since this morning when I arrived, although that doesn't stop me for touring the city today.

The city centre is quite compact, and is quite easily explorable by foot, the tram and the free City Shuttle bus service. Luckily I stayed in a bed and breakfast hotel which provides free wireless Internet service, therefore, more pictures will be posted on the photo section, stay tuned. :)

Bedok Jetty at East Coast Park

Date: Saturday, 16 August 2008
Location: Bedok Jetty, East Coast Park, Singapore.

On that Saturday evening, I went cycling with Inka and Irza at our favourite cycling place, East Coast Park. This time, we went eastward from Raintree Cove where we rented our bicycles, passing the Island Resort, the cable-ski park lagoon and the East Coast Lagoon Food Village, and we found this long jetty towards the sea.

This long jetty is called Bedok Jetty. We can cycle right up to the end of the jetty, which is located on the sea. This jetty is packed with anglers who tried their luck in catching the fish using their fishing equipments.