KINABALU

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !

2012-02-14T23:47:00.000+08:00

Flowers for my wife from all of us - son, daughter and me to celebrate Valentine's day!

Valentine day has always been an important day for our family.

Eating out is already a tradition. we dined at a hotel in the city.

From the Salad Bar.

Cuttle fish and lamb from the BBQ corner.

The BBQ corner.

Live band in attendance.

Happy Valentine's day to all who celebrate this important day!

AIR ASIA SAFE TO FLY?

2012-02-12T22:14:00.000+08:00

2 weeks ago, a Japanese friend asked me if "Air Asia safe to fly?" I told him that it was OK as Air Asia has a fairly good safety record except for the two incidents - one in Kota Kinabalu when their B737-300 skidded off the runway during landing in November 2004 and the other one was in Kuching when an Airbus 320 overshot the runway after touched down in January 2011. In both occasions, all passengers were safe.

The B737-300 in Kota Kinabalu

The A320 in Kuching

I warned him thought that Air Asia was "not always cheap" and could be more expensive than other airlines because of the hidden charges. The hidden charges are check-in baggage, seat selection, meals, insurance and many like the credit card processing fee and the recently added 'Convenience Fee'. There is also a check-in fee at their check-in counter.

To day, I read an article in an online newspaper reporting that Air Asia X pilots had breached the Australian safety margin. Australian air safety investigators have found that Air Asia X pilots twice flew so low into Gold Coast Airport that they breached the safety margin between ground and other plane.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau in a report, which classified the incident as “serious”, said the jets descended to a height where there was no longer separation assurance from the ground and from planes operating outside controlled airspace. But investigators said the crew were “probably not adequately equipped to manage the approach in other than autopilot managed mode”. There was low cloud and reduced visibility at the time but no reason was given for the pilots breaching the safe distance.

A330-300 of Air Asia X.

Anyway, I have forwarded the "news" from the online newspapers to my Japanese friend and leave it to him to decide to fly with Air Asia or otherwise.

WINDOW SEATS

2012-02-09T23:09:00.001+08:00

Perhaps, you may select an aisle seat on your next long haul flight after reading this blog. I would like to share this information which I came across in the Yahoo's health column.

Sitting in a window seat of an aeroplane during long distance flight can increase the risk of "Deep vein thrombosis" (DVT).

Window seats are one of the risk factors for DVT travelling on long haul flights. Deep vein thromboses are blood clots which usually develop in the legs. If a clot breaks away, it can cause a potentially fatal blockage in the lungs known as a pulmonary embolism. Other risk factors highlighted include being elderly, pregnant or taking oral contraceptives.

The experts also say that so-called '"economy class syndrome" is a myth, as the risk of developing a blood clot during a long haul flight is the same for those travelling in first or business class.

According to the journal Chest, the risk of developing a blood clot on a flight is "very small" for most people, but was strongest for flights taking longer than eight to ten hours.

Prolonged sitting, such as in a window seat of a plane, where someone is less likely to get up and move around, can increase the risk of DVT.

The guidelines recommend that all long-haul passengers should take preventative measures such as getting out of their seats and walking around, and do calf muscle stretches. In addition to this, people at higher risk of DVT should sit in an aisle seat if possible and wear below-knee graduated compression stockings.

The doctors also advised against the use of aspirin or any other anti-coagulant medication to prevent DVT for long-distance travellers.

The above information was extracted from the Health Column.

Knowing that sitting in the window seat tend to have limited mobility, I still prefer that as I could enjoy the view during take-off, landing and even during flight when the weather is clear.

View like this was spectacular - flight over Kansai, Japan.

Cruising into sunset - flight over Indonesia.

Sutera Harbour Resort with Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park in the back ground just before touching down at Kota Kinabalu International.

Will you select a window seat the next time you fly?

KAMPUNG KIULU and DURIANS

2012-01-30T21:53:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, we spent half a day with my nephew's family in kampung Kiulu. The Kiulu river was at it's best providing a cool environment in the afternoon heat.

We were not really interested in the river but the fruits of the kampung. Rambutans were in abundance and ready for harvest.

"Rambutan"

It was my lucky day when I stumbled upon a durian that just fell off the tree.

A whole basket of durians were picked up for the afternoon snack.

Everybody was happy and ready for the feast !

Very creamy "kampung durian"

These exotic "kampung" durians were of the smaller size but their flesh were creamy, sweet with a bit of bitterness. I prefer them to those of the Thai or the popular Malaysian D24.

It was a good afternoon of fun and the wonderful "durians". "Thank you" to the in-laws of my nephew!

A DAY OF ORCHIDS, FOOD, CATTLE FARM and A TOW TRUCK RIDE

2012-01-25T22:23:00.000+08:00

On the second day of Chinese New Year, we took the road to Kundasang near Mt.Kinabalu for a break in a convoy of 4 cars. It was a day of Orchids, food, cattle farm and a "Tow truck" ride home.

A stopover at the "Hybrid orchid" farm was worthwhile.

Tempted for a picture.

According to the owner of this place, he has at least a hundred species of hybrid orchids.

Next stop was at Fairy Garden Resort for lunch.

Fried fresh vegetables with garlic.

Deer meat with spring onions and young gingers.

Stewed local shitake (mushroom) with seafood.

Lamb in special sauce.

Home made bean curd (tofu) with minced meat.

Fairly Garden special - Fried chicken with mango and chili sauce.

After a delicious meal, we moved on to Desa Cattle Farm. Unfortunately, it was raining with heavy mist.

A picture to remember.

We did not stay long as the place was jammed with visitors and cars.

A coffee break before returning to the city at a roadside cafe.

It should have been a perfect outing if not for the rain. The worst thing that happened was when my old Pajero suffered a stroke (overheating) as a hose connecting the engine and the radiator burst.

I have to "escort" the Pajero home.

My first time riding in a tow-truck , arriving home safely just after dusk - ending otherwise a good day !

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-22T16:01:00.000+08:00

Wishing everyone a very HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR !

May the year of the "Dragon" bring us a Happy and Prosperous Year !

A decorated corner in our home.

Last night, both the LIDO and FOH SANG night markets came alive with the crowd doing their last minute shopping.

The popular "Nian Gao " glutinous rice cakes were readily available.

The Pomelos were another favourite for the Chinese New Year.

"GONG XI, GONG XI, GONG XI FA CAI" !

HAMBURGER WITH MANGO

2012-01-14T23:37:00.004+08:00

On the second day in Fukuoka, we stopped at the Freshness Burger shop in Nishijin-Machi for a bite. This was where I discovered something new.

This shop had the imagination of producing a unique burger which was different from other burger shops.

A fantastic piece of combination - beef burger with the usual fresh onion and lettuce + a huge slice of mango: hmm .. so juicy and delicious.

This special burger was selling at 600 Japanese or RM24.00 per piece. For a set meal of burger + American coffee, it would be 850 yen or RM34. What do you think of the price? Expensive kah? (Malaysian slang)..Not so lah !!!

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY - ANOTHER BLOW TO SABAH

2012-01-06T18:07:00.003+08:00

I am saddened by the ridiculous decision to suspend all the direct flights from Kota Kinabalu to Kansai, Haneda in Japan, Perth, Australia and Seoul, Korea starting from January 2012.

The B737-800 which has been flying the 4 destinations.

The decision of pulling out Kota Kinabalu as a hub in the East Malaysia States by the new CEO who has no airlines experience was just not right. His decision has no logic. The halting of Firefly was already a mistake.

This is already history - no longer in service.

It just does not make sense, why decided to suspend all flights by giving so short a notice. The CEO could have reduced the frequency instead of making a total cut. Alternately, he could have made use of Firefly to fly to these destinations. This should be the strategy of the CEO. Perhaps, as a newcomer in the airlines industry, he failed to see that the present travel trend which is heading for budget travel. I believed such a scenario will continue into the future.

Even Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-largest carrier by market value has their vision on the low cost lucrative market. They have launched a budget carrier called "Scoot" in November last year and should take to the sky by mid-2012. I believed that their forecast can not be wrong!

The image of Scoot's B777-200.

The people of Sabah are the main losers. If Malaysia Airlines is not doing anything for them, the Sabah State government should buy over Firefly to continue the services. It is also strange that the Sabah Tourism Ministry is not making any serious complaints over all the suspension.

Looking at the situation, the CEO of Malaysia Airlines may not be the decision maker as the people behind these changes have their own agenda. The forces driven by Air Asia’s are so strong after the share swap. These people are just greedy. Many people believed that they are the ones who have been tailoring the changes so that Air Asia could take over all the routes suspended by Malaysia Airlines.

I hope the CEO of Malaysia Airlines will stand up against all odds and review the operations to make the right decision.

May God help the staff of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and the people of Sabah.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-01T21:28:00.001+08:00

WISHING EVERYBODY A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Mt.kinabalu - New year day

Good luck, good health and happiness throughout 2012!

うさぎ居酒屋 - 東三国 IN OSAKA

2011-12-29T23:06:00.000+08:00

When we were in Osaka, a friend took us to an Izakaya located near Higashi-Mikuni (東三国)station. We had the best of the best Japanese traditional cuisine in this family run restaurant. With great food and exceptional service come together as one, it was a great evening.

The menu consisted of traditional sushi highlighted by contemporary Japanese cuisine.

This dish of radish and chicken slices was delicious.

Fresh oysters for the taking.

The "kamo udon nabe" (鴨鍋) duck meat with noodles and mixed vegetables in clay pot is one of the popular menu in Izakaya especially in Winter.

Seasonal fish roasted in salt.

Deep fried spring chicken

Another Winter fish served with radish.

" 焼きカモ" BBQ duck meat was fantastic.

"天ぷら" Tempura

焼き鮭 "Salmon" - another exquisite dish.

"自家製漬物" Home made Japanese pickles

"お好み焼き" Popular pancake dish of Kansai

After a good meal, we took a picture with the mama-san to remember Usagi Izakaya.

If you are in Osaka and want to try the Izakaya food, I strongly recommend this "Usagi" restaurant. Take the Midōsuji Line (御堂筋線) from either Umeda or Shin-Osaka and disembark at (東三国) Higashi-Mikuni (M12). Take the exit from platform 2, turn to the street on the left and you can see the restaurant just 50 meters away.

MERRY X'MAS !!!

2011-12-22T00:04:00.000+08:00

It's just 3 days before X'MAS eve. Christians all over the world are preparing for the biggest celebration of the year. Like many others, my wife and I have been busy since last week, in setting up our celebration needs - cleaning the house, putting up the X'MAS tree, buying presents and etc etc.

Our X'MAS tree

It's like a bakery - with so many fruit cakes and cookies done at home.

My wife spent quite some time in her " bakery" making all these.

Final production - all ready to give away to our relatives and friends.

A favourite piece of mine.

Last night, we went over to City Mail for some last minute shopping and the mall is decorated with X'MAS colours. There was a group of Carollers singing to entertain the shoppers.

They sang some of my favourite Christmas carols.

When I compare the XMAS decoration and lighting here with those in Japan, I must say that we are no way near to what they have put up in for the festival. They decorated extensively even though their Christian population is only about 1%. It is more of a commercial event. However, many non-Christians are using this occasion to exchange gifts and presents.

The beautifully lighted up Tokyo Hilton.

A huge X'MAS tree in the hotel lobby.

For the first time, Hakata Station, the main railway terminal in Fukuoka has been transformed into a X'MAS playground with a spectacular view.

A street in Tenjin, Fukuoka.

Flower stand like this is a common sight in the Japanese street.

Perhaps one day, our City Hall could be more creative in making Kota Kinabalu a colourful and brightly lighted for festival like X'MAS.

Wishing every one a MERRY X'MAS !!!

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY - END OF THE ROAD FOR FIREFLY'S JET SERVICES

2011-12-16T23:40:00.000+08:00

Let's share a very sad history of the Malaysian aviation history:

On 15 January 2011, at 09:30, a Firefly's brand new B737-800 landed at Kota Kinabalu International Airport on their Borneo inaugural flight. On this day this low cost carrier owned by Malaysia Airlines began their 2 x daily services between Kuala lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Within a few months, they increased their frequency to 6 x daily and added a 2 x daily Kuala Lumpur - Sandakan vv from 01 August 2011.

Firefly has been well received by the people of Sabah because of their competitive low fare and the superior services both in the air and on the ground.

It's a shock when Malaysia Airlines made a decision to scrap all Firefly's jet services to the Borneo states. The sudden decision in dropping such a bombshell was unbelievable , especially to the people of Sabah. The CEO of Malaysia Airlines confirmed that the pull-out was a result of the restructuring exercise to turn around the losses. However, many people and I believed that Malaysia Airlines was forced to remove Firefly from the jet services to make way for Air Asia after the share swap deal.

This billboard is already "history" in less than a year.

A friend of mine, a regular on Firefly told me that he took the last flight out from Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur last week. It was a full flight. The crew were friendly as usual but he noticed a young stewardess with a gloomy face. She could have joined Firefly less than a year and now have to face the misfortune of losing her job. The crew were almost in tears as they bid farewell to passengers after landing at KLIA.

Today, Air Asia is the only low cost carrier dominating the Malaysia sky. People with low budget have no choice but to fly Air Asia at the mercy of their fare structure which comes with many other charges. It is very strange that the Government did nothing to protect the people's interest despite the protest from majority of the people.

Two days ago, Malaysia Airlines announced that they would suspend eight loss-making routes early next 2012. They include the daily Kuala Lumpur-Surabaya, thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Dubai, twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Karachi- Dubai, twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Dubai-Damman, daily Langkawi-Penang-Singapore, thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur- Johannesburg, twice-weekly Kuala Lumpur-Cape Town -Buenos Aires and thrice-weekly Kuala Lumpur- Rome.

I doubt Malaysia Airlines can recover by merely cutting off their services. In my opinion, Firefly can help to generate profit by continuing to serve the highly lucrative low cost market.

There is a strong rumour in town that Malaysia Airlines will cease their operations in the Borneo states and MASwing, their subsidiary Borneo wing is to completely take over all the domestic routes in Sabah and Sarawak. If this happens, air travel in Borneo will return to the 70s era with no jet services.

May God help the staff of Malaysia Airlines and Firefly !

THE "KOUYOU" (紅葉) RED LEAVES

2011-12-14T21:40:00.002+08:00

I would like to share these beautiful pictures of the "Kouyou" taken at the temple "Heirinji"(平林寺) garden in Tokyo by Miura san on 05 December.

The spectacular view of the "Kouyou" can be seen all over Japan as early as October each year. I understand these red leaves are currently at their best.

A BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE AUTUMN DAY

2011-12-04T15:47:00.002+08:00

On our first day in Tokyo, we went for a tour with Miura san who acted as our "driver" and "guide". Thank you, Miura san!

Before leaving the hotel, we had our first breakfast in Japan.

Healthy breakfast as recommended by Miura san.

This one was slightly heavier.

Beautiful scenery at Rikugien gardens.

Maple trees were all around.

A coffee break at Doutor.

Good coffee and sandwich.

Our 4WD limo.

Yellow leaves lining the side road near the Meiji gardens.

The "Aki Matsuri" (Autumn festival) at Meiji gardens.

So many of the Japanese delicacies from all over Japan.

We were offered " Shiso Yaki" or soya BBQ beef tongue from the Sendai stall.

For the rest of day, it's "jalan-jalan" (walk about) in the city and "makan-makan" (feast) time.

We moved into the Tokyo concrete jungle.

One of the best Unagi restaurant in Shinjuku area.

Unagi set for lunch.

Later in the evening, we selected this "Izakaya" (local Japanese restaurant) for an early dinner.

The starter was "beer + raw cabbage and miso sauce.

Followed by all the local delicacies.

Beef on hot plate.

Sashimi.

Yaki gyoza.

Home made sausages.

Deep fried spring chicken.

Yaki zakana

Last but not least, it's the "takikomi gohan" rice cooked with mushroom and meat.

It was a day of leisure taking our time enjoying the gardens and the food before getting down to business on the next day.

THE KOTA KINABALU-HANEDA DIRECT FLIGHT

2011-11-29T21:58:00.004+08:00

Currently, Malaysia Airlines operates 4 x weekly Kota Kinabalu-Haneda direct and back using their brand and new B737-800. It was our first time flying on this sector last Saturday.

Boarding the aircraft at the Kota Kinabalu International.

Safety demo was done manually instead of using the LCD screen.

A MASwing ATR was seen taxiing in as our aircraft was lining up for take-off.

A smooth "take-off" - overflying the city of Kota Kinabalu.

The economy class seat pitch of 30 inches is narrow.

Seeing that the seats at the emergency exit were not occupied, we moved over there for more leg room.

As the aircraft was leaving the Borneo air space, we could see Mt.Kinabalu fading away in the distance.

This cabin features the new Boeing Sky Interior with a higher ceiling, mood lighting and the in-flight entertainment which come with a 9-inch LCD wide screen video on every seat. The only minus point is that the seats were thinner and not comfortable for long flight as compared to those on the older B737-400.

Meals served on this sector was worst than expected. The selection of main courses were bad - same old meals served on their domestic services.

The difference was that they came with a small portion of soba and salad.

The sunset view was beautiful as the aircraft was making it's descend into Tokyo International. We landed at 22:25, 35 minutes ahead of schedule.

Before boarding the flight at Kota Kinabalu, I was told that the new management of Malaysia Airlines in their bit to turn around their losses would be cutting of services to destinations, like Tokyo, Kansai and Seoul from Kota Kinabalu. The airlines would no longer rely on Kota Kinabalu as a hub in East Malaysia. A sad news indeed and if it materializes, the losers will be the people of Sabah.

THE "KUNANG-KUNANG" RIVER CRUISE

2011-11-20T17:56:00.001+08:00

Majority of the Klias wetland river cruise operators use long boats or speed boats for their cruise. For young visitors, riding on these boats could be fun.

For me, I prefer to enjoy the cruise with dinner on board on the big boat like the double decker operated by Borneo Klias River Tour. It has a washroom with a toilet for the guests' convenience.

The double decker.

3 weeks ago, I joined a group of All Saints class 58 reunion outing and discovered that another operator, OIB, has started to use a 80ft long house boat converted from a fishing boat to do their cruise.

This boat's name is "Kunang-Kunang" which means fireflies.

The weather was not in our favour. It was raining when we arrived at the river jetty at about 16:30 in the afternoon. Fortunately, the main deck has a long shade to keep the rain out.

It was time for afternoon snack once everybody were on board - There were coffee or tea and the traditional Malay titbits like fried banana, sweet potatoes and coconut cakes.

This boat has a capacity of 50 people. For our group size of 31, it was very comfortable.

Fortunately, the rain stopped as the boat started to move.

A group of the Proboscis monkeys were spotted. This dominant male was keeping a look out.

A long boat moved in to have closer look.

..........and joined by others.

The smell of the grilled lamb led me to the small kitchen at the rear of the boat. This lady chef was preparing dinner.

It's dinner time at dusk.

It's a western buffet dinner consisting of cream corn soup, salad, grilled lamb shoulder, grilled "Hawaiian" chicken, cauliflower fresco, mashed wheat potato, fried rice and fruit slices.

Dinner on the plate.

The rain returned as we were having our dinner. It was still showering when we were cruising back to the jetty. Normally, guests would enjoy fireflies lighting up the trees along the river. However, it wasn't so this evening because of the rain. Overall it was a great outing for class 58.

TANJUNG ARU - TENOM BY RAIL

2011-11-14T18:24:00.005+08:00

Sabah State Railway operates a daily service from Tanjung Aru to Tenom covering a distance of 134km. It is the only railway in Borneo with a single line connecting Tanjung Aru to Tenom, a small town in the Interior. Believe it or not, the journey takes about seven and a half hours.

This new diesel powered locomotive is capable of doing 100 km/h, leaves Tanjung aru station every morning at 07:45.

Sabah State Railway in their modernisation process, features brand new air-conditioned coaches fitted with comfortable seats.

It is a scenic ride all the way - from coastline to lowland with rivers, small towns, wetlands, some deforestation, a market or two before arriving Beaufort, a midway station.

The old wooden shops of Kinarut town.

Schedule arrival into Beaufort station is 09:45. The train is terminating here and for those who want to continue to Tenom, they need to change to another train which is only departing at 13:00.

A transit time of 3 hours in Beaufort is a bit too long. There is nothing much to do in this frontier town. For some reasons best known to Sabah State Railway management, the schedule is just not right and inconvenient. They should provide through or otherwise immediate connecting train to Tenom.

To kill the time, there are few things people can do. They can either take a walk to the Beaufort Waterfront, local market, do some window shopping and then have lunch before returning to the station to catch the next train.

Other option is to return to the station early and take a look at the old trains and the coaches.

Visitors will be surprised that they have to board this very old diesel locomotive with the old passenger and cargo carriages.

Comparing to the Tanjung Aru-Beaufort service, it is a total downgrading. Passenger coaches are non-air-conditioned, fitted with only basic seating and ceiling fans.

For visitors, the ride from Beaufort to Tenom is exciting as the train moves through the forests and along the Padas river gorge. It's a total new experience for some.

The rail tracks run parallel along the Padas river most of the way providing a spectacular view of the river and gorge.

There are four main stops along the way. However the train will make non-schedule stop at certain remote platform to pick-up local passengers.

Approaching a short tunnel, before arriving Tenom.

The Tenom Lama bridge, which is just 10 minutes from Tenom town.

Approaching Tenom station.

The Tenom Perkasa hotel is seen on the hill in the back ground - a land mark of Tenom.

Schedule arrival at Tenom is 15:15.

It is tiring to travel by train to Tenom unless Sabah State Railway could provide a better schedule without long transit in Beaufort. Currently, people still prefer to use the air-conditioned Express bus as it takes only 3 hours to Tenom.

The schedule of the return trip to Tanjung Aru is better. The train will depart Tenom at 07:30 arriving Beaufort at 09:50 to connect the Beaufort - Tanjung Aru service departing at 11:00.

Perhaps, no body should complain as the fare per person is less than RM8 for oneway!

Pictures were provided by Shirley, my office staff who did an inspection tour recently.

A COZY LITTLE HOME GRILL RESTAURANT

2011-11-07T21:57:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, we had a quiet dinner at this Clarence's Steak house, not too far from our house in Lintas.

A cosy little restaurant in serving western menu(s). We selected their set menu.

Smoked salmon and apple macaroni chicken salad.

Mushroom soup with garlic bread.

Choices of main course are Rosemary lamp chop, meatball lasagna, grilled fish fillet, sirloin steak, snapper picata, grill chicken and etc etc.

My wife asked for this chef's recommended home mix-grill.

It's Chicken snitzer cheese baked for me.

Finished up with ice-cream and coffee.

I enjoy having meal here as their waitresses are very friendly and providing good service. The food is good with reasonable pricing. Their set dinner ranges from RM18++ to RM28++ per person.

SABAH STATE RAILWAY WITH TOO MANY UNMANNED RAILWAY CROSSINGS

2011-11-01T21:55:00.002+08:00

Many people were caught in the massive 10 kms or more traffic jam along the road leading to Petagas near Kota Kinabalu International Airport yesterday evening when a Sabah State Railway passenger train carrying about 200 people collided with a fuel tanker at an unmanned crossing.

Picture taken from the 2nd floor of the Kota kinabalu International Airport - published in Facebook.

A view of the locomotive with the carriage burning.

According to a report, nine people were injured who were on a routine train ride home.

The impact set off an explosion and a huge fireball that could be seen for miles.

It also caused the oil tanker to spin and the locomotive derailed.

More than nine fire-engines including two from the Airport Fire and Rescue were dispatched to control the fire. Eventually, it was brought under control just before 19:00.

This was the first major accident in seven months after the Sabah State Railway resumed it's services. It took them several years to upgrade the 134 km rail tracks and the purchase of the new diesel locomotive.

There are too many unmanned crossings along the railroad. I am not surprised if a similar accident is to occur in future if nothing is done by Sabah Authority. They must take corrective action to the danger of these unmanned crossings. I was told that there have been some minor accidents since the train services resumed. The talk in town is that the Sabah State Government is not keen to inject fund to solve the problems since Sabah State Railway has not been making money since day 1.

AUTUMN IN JAPAN

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000+08:00

Miura san reminded me that it's now Autumn in Japan with some beautiful pictures taken in Hiraizumi Iwate prefecture.

In Spring time, Japanese people celebrate with "Hanami" (Cherry blossom viewing) and in Autumn, they do "momiji-gari" (Maple leaf viewing). "Kouyou " (the red leaves) are now everywhere in Japan

This "中尊寺”Chusonji Temple in Hirazumi Iwate Prefecture is a World Heritage Site.

According to the Japanese history, this temple (中尊寺) was established by a monk called Jigaku Daishi in 850.

People come here to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the beautiful scenery.

Visiting Hiraizumi Chusonji Temple is like a journey back through time taking visitors deep into a Buddhist paradise with nearly 1000 years of history.

The trees on both sides of the "Tsukimizaka" (moon viewing slope) are cedar trees planted three to four centuries ago.

Spectacular autumn leaves are everywhere.

Autumn is the best season to enjoy the fascinating view of the "Kouyou" (red leaves) in Japan. There are also many Autumn festivals or "Aki Matsuri" throughout Japan mostly celebrated to either pray for a good harvest or to honour the local Shito gods.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY - 4

2011-10-19T23:49:00.000+08:00

Malaysia Airlines chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement yesterday that their Low cost carrier Firefly will cease all jet operations by 04 December 2011.

What a pity! Malaysia Airlines has wasted so much effort and money in promoting low cost travel for the benefit of the public. Friends who have flown Firefly commented that they offered better service than Air Asia, both in the air and on the ground. They operate from the main terminals in KLIA and KKIA with the support of areobridges and their fare is almost the same as Air Asia. With less than a year of jet operations, all the services between East and West Malaysia will be terminated, just like that.

From 04 December 2011 onwards, Air Asia will be the only low cost carrier monopolizing Malaysia domestic routes. Many believed that they will increase their fare for more profit! Why is this happening? Why does Firefly have to pull out when they are doing well? Majority of the people believed that Malaysia Airlines gave up their low cost carrier because of pressure from a certain group who has strong political support. The "talk" in town is that a few greedy people are all out to get rid of Firefly and let Air Asia enjoy all the revenue.

Air Asia

So what will happen to Firefly now? According to the Malaysia Airlines Ceo, the national carrier would absorb all their jet fleet consisting of six B737-800 and two B737-400.

Under the new network rationalisation programme, Firefly's ATR 72-500 aircrafts will only concentrate on serving short-haul turboprop operations, while Malaysia Airlines focus on enhancing its premium full-service offering.

The "takeover of the Firefly's jets" will definitely be a burden to Malaysia Airlines. The poor new Ceo has to make some business realignment exercise and address the network and fleet restructuring plans.

Malaysia Airlines already has an excessive fleet of B737-400 and 800. Where can they deploy the Firefly's jets? If I was the Ceo, I would sell them and make a profit so I could give some "bonus" to all the staff.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya has also announced that Malaysia Airlines would remain committed to East Malaysia and continue to operate all services to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching in Sabah and Sarawak.

The only losers in the Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia swap share deal are the people especially those in Sabah and Sarawak. There is no other choice for those budget travellers but to fly Air Asia. To date, the Government is still mum on the share deal. What is happening is anybody's guess!

May God help Malaysia Airlines !

MIMPIAN JADI GOLF AND BEACH CLUB

2011-10-13T23:14:00.014+08:00

Mimpian Jadi Golf club is about an hour 15 minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu city. This Golf course was developed by a Taiwanese corporation way back in the 80s.

The club house entrance.

Reception.

Lobby area.

The Bar.

I have never played here ever since it was opened in the late 80s. I was invited by a friend 2 days ago to inspect the course and have a game there.

The buggy hut.

They have about 100 + old "model" petrol engine buggies.

The tree behind the sign board has dried up giving me an impression that maintenance was lacking here.

It is a leisure course especially for the beginners as most their fairways are wide and flat.

The bunkers are in bad shape. It is easier to use a putter to get your ball out instead of the sand wedge.

This is the only "yardage" golf course in Kota kinabalu. All other courses use "meters"

160 yards par 3 service hole - easily "one on" for a birdie or par.

Though it is a buggy course, there is no buggy track - the fairways could be easily damaged during wet season. There are some hidden water hazard right in middle of the fairways!

"Rough" in the center of the fairway!

I like this signboard with the wooden monkey relaxing at the side.

The signature hole, a Par 3 over water.

Hole 14, one of the best kept fairway.

Playing this 443 yards hole 18 back to the club house was challenging for me with water hazard on the left and trees on the right.

Overall, the course is not well maintained. Fairways are not well kept and flood during the rainy season. However the "greens" are still acceptable. Guests playing should not expect too much as the green fee is only RM60 for 18 holes + Buggy + a 1000ml mineral water. With such a price, no body should complain anyway!

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY -3

2011-10-05T18:30:00.016+08:00

Can you believe that the government of Malaysia announced that it had “no choice” but to let some one with no experience running an airline as the CEO of the embattled Malaysia Airlines.

The Deputy Finance Minster made this statement in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament)sitting on 04 October, that the new CEO of Malaysia Airlines has no experience in the airlines industry but asked the members of Parliament to give him a chance! The new CEO was formerly the Head of a Public-listed company in Malaysia.

Ahmad Jauhari, the new CEO of Malaysia Airlines.

The question is - can he turn the losses into profit? Perhaps, a "Miracle" could happen. Good luck to this man who may belong to a certain group trying to milk Malaysia Airlines dry.

Why didn't the government appoint one of the current most senior manager who knows the business to be the CEO? Alternately, why not have this vacancy published nation and world-wide to select a capable person to run the airlines? Why take the "chance" instead of the "Choice".

Another very disturbing news is that Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines would be forced to terminate their low fare services between East and West Malaysia.

The brand new B737-800 of the Firefly

Firefly started their East-West Malaysia services from January 2011 with their brand new B737-800 aircraft fleet, providing low fare into Kota kinabalu and Kuching from Kuala Lumpur.

Click into Flyfly website, you will find the latest news as below:

We are truly sorry for the inconvenience that has resulted from the recent route cancellations due to a business realignment exercise by our parent company, Malaysia Airlines. There are many questions over this and Malaysia Airlines will be releasing a statement to address your concerns in due course.Please rest assured that Firefly will take all necessary steps to minimise the disruption to you, valued passengers who have been impacted by the business realignment exercise.

The rumour is that a new premium carrier, called Sapphire Air will be set up to operate regional and domestic routes. This carrier will be given all the new B737-800 from Firefly. Who are the owners of this Sapphire Air? It's anybody guess! What will be the fate of Firefly, the current low-cost unit of Malaysia Airlines? .......Nobody knows.

What will happen to these Firefly staff when they have no B737-800 aircrafts to attend to?

Many people said that the termination of the East-West Malaysia services of Firefly was "directed" by the boss of Air Asia, Tony Fernandes, who is also a 20.5% share holder of Malaysia Airlines. He sees Firefly as a rival, taking substantial amount of revenue away from his Air Asia. He could not afford to lose to such competition. Many believed that he would do all the tricks to benefit his group after the share swap deal. Remember the QPR T-shirt deal? Malaysia Airlines has to pay RM18 million to QPR, a football club owned by his group.

RM18 million for this T-shirt deal.

Malaysia Airlines workers unions representing some 20,000 employees have earlier objected to the deal of swap share between Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines sighting that such a deal would not benefit their workers and their welfare would be at stake. As their grievances were ignored, they have given their bosses 2 months to withdraw the deal with Air Asia, failing which they would stage protests in December.

With the Malaysia Airlines-Air Asia deal, there is a danger that both Malaysia Airlines and Firefly could just disappear from the East Malaysia sky.

Kicking out Firefly, Air Asia would be the sole low cost carrier operating in Malaysia. The consumers will have to dance to the tune of Air Asia's tariff. The winner is Tony Fernandes who will be laughing all the way to the bank all the time!!!

May God help Malaysia Airlines and their staff !

THE NORTH BORNEO RAILWAY

2011-10-01T23:05:00.004+08:00

A ride on the North Borneo Railway is a journey to experience the days of the Chartered Company and the British Colonial rule.

The North Borneo Railway features a British ‘Vulcan’ Steam Engine number
6-016 manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry Ltd in Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, United Kingdom.

This steam engine represents the last of a fleet operating in North Borneo since the late 1880s. It is also one of the few functional wood burners left in the world.

The North Borneo train has six colonial period carriages which can accommodate 180 passengers. All the carriages have been refurbished and restored to reflect the luxury of the era.
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The train tour is on every Wednesday and Saturday, departing TANJUNG ARU Railway station at 10.00 am.

Welcome aboard.

Itinerary:

09:45 - Check-in and boarding

10:00 - Depart Tanjung Aru Station

10:40 - A short excursion in Kinarut and visit Tien Shi temple.

11:00 - Depart Kinarut Station

11:45 - Arrive Papar town - visit the local market and shops of Papar.

12:05 - Guests to reboard train

12:10 - Depart Papar Station.

12:30 - Lunch is served

13:45 - Arrive Tanjung Aru Station - End of tour.

The old British “Tiffin” style lunch will be served on the return trip from Papar.

From local fried rice to Vegetables, Satay and dessert.

Advance booking must be made to take this train tour from any local travel agents or Sutera Harbour Resorts. The train ride package price including lunch is RM250 per adult, RM150 per child and children under 5 years old are free. This price is excluding transfer from hotel to the train station and back. Guests can either go by taxi or pay a surcharge to travel agent for the guide and transfer services.

WATER VILLAGE "KAMPUNG AIR" TANJUNG ARU

2011-09-22T19:00:00.000+08:00

In Sabah, the name "kampung air" or water village does not give a good image to the people as many of these water villages are associated with squatters, garbage, crime and other anti-social elements. To my knowledge, it is not the case, depending on the location of the village. This water village in Tanjung Aru is just average.

Located 10 minutes from the City centre and 5 minutes from the Kinabalu International airport.

From the walkway, visitors can have a good view of the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort.

I saw this boy walking in the water as the tide was moving in.

He was "fishing" and proudly showed us his "catch"

This boy was using a home made "fish gun" to spear fishes that followed the tide in.

Part of the old wooden walkway.

There are around 3,000 villagers staying in some 240 dwellings on stilts. People who live here are the low-income group like fishermen, blue-collar workers in the public and private sectors and some illegal immigrants.

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The Sabah Tourism Board has been promoting this village as an attraction for foreign tourists who have not seen a floating settlement in their respective home country.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY - 2

2011-09-13T21:39:00.005+08:00

The loss-making Malaysia Airlines together with AirAsia, yesterday announced that they have signed a shirt deal with Queens Park Rangers, a English Premier League club (QPR) owned by Tony Fernandes and others.

Malaysia Airlines has never put their money for such branding and marketing strategy in the past and now, out of the blue, committed on something that is unlikely to generate a favourable return.

What is going on? Who is Tony Fernandes?

. The man who recently purchased the two-thirds stake of QPR.

. The Air Asia Tycoon

. A Director of Malaysia Airlines (after the last month MH-AK swap deal)

Some people commented " Why spend money on such a lousy football club like QPR. Why not MU, MC or Liverpool?"

I just wonder how will the staff of Malaysia Airlines react?

Malaysia Airlines suffered a loss of RM769 million in the first half of this year. Can this deal help?

May God help Malaysia Airlines!

A TOWN CALLED BEAUFORT IN VICTORIA AND ALSO SABAH

2011-09-10T21:40:00.004+08:00

Fancy seeing a small town named BEAUFORT on the Western Highway between Ballarat and Ararat in Victoria, Australia. We have a town with the same name in Sabah, located about 97 kms from Kota Kinabalu.

Approaching the Beaufort town, Victoria. The name Beaufort is practically in most of the buildings here.

Beaufort Motors.

Beaufort Bakery.

According to the Tourist Information, this small town started with gold mining back in 1852 and today the town is only servicing the surrounding farming district.

Beaufort Garage.

Beaufort Animal Supplies.

This Beaufort can be reached by train.

One of the trains operating through the Beaufort town.

Back home in Sabah, Beaufort is basically an agriculture town located on the main highway linking the city and the Sabah - Sarawak border. In the 50-60's, Beaufort served as the main transit station for the North Borneo Railway from Kota Kinabalu to the interior of Tenom.

Beaufort town, Sabah, is best known for the juicy local green oranges which are the prized produce of the district.

The new Beaufort Railway station.

This is the train to the interior of Tenom, old but still operational!

New part of the town with concrete structures

The older part of the town.

In terms of attraction, Beaufort has not much to offer. Visitors may find themselves here for one of the several reasons - to take the train to Pangi station for whitewater-rafting the Padas river, to catch the train to/from Tenom, or to take a break while doing the overland trail between Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak.

THE SEAGULLS OF SHIRAKO BEACH

2011-09-04T22:09:00.006+08:00

Miura san updated me on his recent trip to Shirako beach in Chiba Prefecture with pictures of seagulls skimming the waves. What a sight to behold!!!

A surfer trying to imitate the seagulls???

Enjoy the pictures!

HARI RAYA FEAST

2011-08-30T23:17:00.011+08:00

We were invited to a Hari Raya celebration by our brother in-law's family. It was a feast after a month of fasting.(Ramadan).

My grand nephew and niece showing off their green packets of "Duit Raya" or Money for the Hari Raya celebration.

Family and friends

"Curry Kambing" Curry lamb

"Ayam masak merah" Chicken cooked in spicy red sauce

"Beef rendang"

Enjoying the feast.

Chicken and beef Satay with Peanut sauce.

Joe helping himself to the satay and peanut sauce.

"Acar" the pickled vegetables.

Minced meat in vinegar and spices

BBQ Lambs done by a local professional.

So delicious !!!

How to resist such a temptation!!!

Glutinous rice in coconut milk wrapped in banana leaf - best to eat it with curry lamb sauce.

A happy occasion for everyone.

Local banana from my nephew's fruit farm.

These three beautiful and cute young ladies were so happy to pose for my camera.

To end the day, some opted for a dip in the swimming pool. It was a good feast. Thanks to my sister in-law, the chief cook for all the wonderful food!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI !

2011-08-29T20:46:00.004+08:00

The new moon has been sighted to night. Malaysia will be celebrating "Hari Raya" to-morrow, 30August 2011.

Wishing all Muslim friends " Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!"

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TODAY

2011-08-28T12:15:00.012+08:00

Last week, Malaysia Airlines’ Group announced a net loss of RM527 million for the second quarter 2011 attributed by the high fuel cost. The same reason was given for their loss of RM238 million in the first quarter of the year. It is hard to believe that our National Airlines could incur such heavy losses comparing to the huge profits made by other airlines, like, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines .

MH new B737-800

Singapore Airlines

Dragon Air - a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific.

A Cathay Pacific B747-400.
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All these Airlines are flying the same skies, having the same sexy young Asian girls, and serve about the same type of Asian and Western food, yet Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are making tons of money, while Malaysia Airlines is the sole money loser.

Even, Qantas reported a net profit of AUD239 million for the first half ending December 2010 and they forecast a much better earning in 2011.

I flew to Brisbane and returned via Melbourne on Malaysia Airlines and both ways were full. It was reported that Malaysia Airlines achieved a very healthy load factor of 76% in the first quarter and 75.5% in the second and yet they lost money! How come? Any load factor above 70% should be making money.

Malaysia Airlines on the surface showed that they have done a lot of cost cutting exercises to trim down the operating cost. For example, they have downgraded their International in flight meals from "premium" to "economy". Their meals are simple and cheap comparing to other airlines. In reality, have they cut the meal cost or is it just a show when they are over-charged by caterers, especially the Sky Chef in KLIA.

Malaysia Airlines should have maintained their own flight kitchen in KLIA, instead of selling it to Sky Chef under political pressure. Malaysia Airlines should cater not only for their own flights in KLIA but also all other International Airlines that stop-over there. It can not go wrong as all airports' caterers in the world are making money!

It is unbelievable Malaysia Airlines blamed the high fuel cost resulting the heavy losses. I believed that there are many other factors, one of them, is the political/governmental interference in the management of the airline. I strongly believed that Malaysia Airlines should be able to turn around and be profitable when the political interference stops. A team of "good" managers who are familiar with the airlines industry should be brought in to wipe out the "red" figure. Get the right people like those in Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific.

Will the earning of Malaysia Airlines further deteriorate with the the latest development - the share swap deal with Air Asia? Air Asia has become one of the single biggest shareholders in Malaysia Airlines. What is going on? I think many Malaysia Airlines staff are left wondering where is their value of loyalty to the airlines after all these years?

Malaysian government staff will be paid bonus this "Hari Raya" ! What about the staff of Malaysia Airlines? Nothing! I guess.

May God help Malaysia Airlines!

KANGAROO COUNTRY

2011-08-20T20:49:00.005+08:00

From the Great Ocean Road, we headed inland to the Kangaroo country. Our next destination was Hall's Gap a small town in the Grampians National Park. Grampians National Park is renowned for its breathtaking rocky views, rich Aboriginal culture, superb wildflowers , many birds and kangaroos.

Along the way, the yellow "Kangaroo" road sign could be seen every 30-40 kms.

Driving in Australia's countryside is easy and relaxing as majority of the roads are generally reliable and in good condition.

There was nothing much to see except farm lands.

Approaching the Grampians National park.

We checked in this Log cabin

It was very quiet at the reception however when we entered the area, the whole place was alive with wild Kangaroos and other wildlife.

We were greeted by this kangaroo with her baby in the pouch.

The Emus.

Our Log Cabin

The lounge area with a fire place.

This self-contained unit came with cooking facilities.

A comfortable bed for the night.

In the morning, this Magpie was our alarm clock. It was outside our bedroom door cooing for food. I guessed it usually got it's breakfast from guests staying here.

Kangaroos in the morning having their breakfast in the field next to our cabin.

A toasted bread for this hungry kangaroo.

A quarrel broke out between these two.

Though our originally plan was to stay 2 nights, we left the Grampians National Park later in the day without exploring the places of interest. The Visitor Information Centre in Hall's Gap informed us that most of the area in the park were not accessible as many roads were still under repair after the big flood in the early months of the year. The clearing of landslides containing, mud, trees and giant boulders are still being carried out.

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOOS

2011-08-12T23:30:00.001+08:00

During a stop-over at Halls Gap, a small town in the heart of Grampians National Park, we relaxed an open-air cafe at the Brambuk Cultural Centre for coffee and snacks.

A lone cockatoo flew in and stood on the fencing next to our table.

2 miuntes later, another one arrived.

Then the 3rd one appeared...

....and then another one..

In about 8 miuntes or so there were already five lining up.

These 3 were the daring ones, approaching us for food. They were friendly.

The came nearer once we started feeding them with the leftovers.

It was amazing to get them so close. They were beautiful. Their heads and the undersides of the wings including the tail have a pale yellow or lemon colour.

40 minutes later, flocks of these amazing white birds flew over the valley. They were very noisy as they flew pass. I told my wife that we should leave before more of them come for food.

The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos are relatively large white birds found in wooded habitats in Australia and New Guinea. In some parts of Australia, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo can be very numerous, and may cause damage to cereal and fruit crops. They can also be destructive to structures made of timber, such as house planking, garden furniture and trees. They can be sometimes considered as pests.

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD - DAY 2

2011-08-07T13:02:00.031+08:00

Leaving Apollo Bay in the morning to continue our tour. We hoped to get into Warrnambool, the last town on the Great Ocean Road to watch the whales in the afternoon.

Our first destination in the morning was the Cape Otway's Light station, the oldest surviving lighthouse in mainland Australia since 1848.

The Light station picture as shown in the tour brochure.

As we were mid-way to Cape Otway, I did not believe that there were stray cattle on the road just like back home in Kota Belud or Tambunan.

I decided to abandon our plan to visit the light station and turned back to the main Ocean road after being blocked by so many cattle.

A brief stop at a scenic lookout.

Looking back at where we started.

Beautiful scenery near Port Campbell.

The 12 apostles - the famous sandstone stacks near Port Campbell. This is the icon along the Great Ocean Road.

According to the tourism information, these striking natural sculptures are the result of many thousands of years of erosion. The soft sandstone that makes up this section of the Victorian coastline is disappearing at a rate of 1cm per year.

A picture for remembrance.

Beautiful Great Ocean road!

They called this the London Arch or London Bridge, an amazing natural landscapes along the great Ocean Road.

Arriving in Warrnambool in late afternoon and headed straight to the Logan beach hoping to catch the whales.

Warrnambool is known as “Victoria’s Southern Right Whale Nursery” according to the travel guide book. Each year, around June - September the Southern Right Whales return to Logan bay to give birth to the next generation of these rare creatures.

We were a bit disappointed as no whales were sighted despite staying there for an hour or so. I guessed we were just unlucky. We would come back in the morning.

In the evening, we had our dinner at a small Australian Cafe.

The roasted Lamb was delicious accordingly to my wife.

My BBQ steak was a bit burnt. Overall it was not a bad place to enjoy an Australia Dinner.

THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD - DAY 1

2011-08-04T21:22:00.041+08:00

Having heard so much about the Great Ocean Road, we decided to take a self-drive tour. The Great Ocean Road starts from the coast of Torquay, passing through Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, and Peterborough and ending in Warrnambool.

According to the tour brochure, this Great Ocean Road offers the breathtaking views of the cliffs, ocean vistas, beaches, rain forest and the incredible rock formations along the way.

There was nothing like having a good breakfast before we started our tour.

We had the "big" breakfast in a country style restaurant near the Melbourne airport after picking up our rental car.

Driving on a weekday was easy and relaxing as traffic was mild on the road.

The scenic coastline starting from here onwards.

We made a brief stop at the Eagle Rock lighthouse.

As we were leaving the lighthouse, a small flock of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos landed beside our car. They were tame and seemed as if asking for food.

The Car from Hertz.

Enjoying the views from some of the lookouts.

Arriving at Apollo Bay where we spent the night.

Apollo Bay is a very small town along the Great Ocean Road and it is a great place to enjoy the sea and the countryside.

We had a closer view of the farmlands.

The huge Australian cattle

This unusual sight caught my eyes.

A closer look revealed that these were the dead foxes killed and hanged on the fence. I was told by a farmer that these foxes were pests and they have caused serious damage by predating on farm livestock including lambs,calves,poultry,water fowl and goats.

We "check-in" this comfortable self-contained motel just outside the town.

As the forecast for the overnight temperature was below 10C, we selected a room with a fireplace.

"JALAN JALAN" di MELBOURNE

2011-07-30T21:00:00.151+08:00

This time, we put up with our son who has a rented apartment at the Maribyrnong, a suburb situated 8km north-west of Melbourne CBD.

The place is quite convenient as we could easily get to the city by tram.

The nearest tram stop is just 2-3 minutes walk. Travelling time to Melbourne CBD is about 30-40 minutes.

Tram like this one come by every 20 minutes, providing an efficient public transport system.

As this was the first time we travelled by a public tram, we had some difficulty in using the ticketing machine on board.

It was complicated as there were buttons to press to do a transaction and it could only accept coins. Eventually, after a few tries, we managed to purchase our tickets - the fare was AUD7.00 per person for a return trip.

It took us about 35 minutes to get to the city after stopping at 40+ tram stops.

It was much easier to use the City Circle services as no tickets are required. The tram services are provided free for tourists around the city.

There are many street musician and this old man was playing the country style violin.

As we were staying in a city's hotel on our last visit, we just "Jalan jalan" to see some of the familiar places.

We hopped onto the free City Cycle tram and headed for the State Museum which we missed last year.

Inside the city cycle tram.

The entrance is AUD8.00 per person. As a senior citizen, I was exempted.

There are so many state's scientific and cultural collections in this museum. It was good to see the exhibitions of the past.

The magnificent fossil of dinosaurs on the ground floor of the museum.

Our next stop was our favourite pie shop "Pie Face" It was good to have a steak pie and a cup of skinny flat white coffee.

The lemon and pecan pies were delicious.

This shop offered a variety of different pies, like steak, chicken, thai pies - you name it they have it. In my opinion, this is one of the best pie shops in Australia.

We took a 30 minutes break in this shop and headed for home with some of the selection of pies packed for dinner.

BRISBANE - MELBOURNE

2011-07-28T20:55:00.015+08:00

We flew Qantas Airways from Brisbane to Melbourne. Initially, we were placed on "standby" as the flight was fully booked. .

We were told to report to the Customer services City Flyer Service Desk in the departure hall.

Luck was with us as we were given the boarding passes to board this B767 just 10 minutes before departure time.

For the Brisbane-Melbourne services, Qantas normally operates B737-400 or 800 series. I was told that they upgraded our flight to B767 to cater for overbooking. If they were to operate the normal B737, we would not be able to get to Melbourne on that day.

This cabin layout for this B767 is 2-3-2 - a comfortable seating arrangement.

Meal service was provided on this two hours and 25 minutes flight.

Coffee or tea or juice with a pack of sandwiches - either roasted beef or egg.

I selected the roasted beef while my wife had the egg sandwich.

It was a comfortable flight as the weather was excellent all the way. We landed at Melbourne airport on time.

Believe it or not, there is a AUD4.00 charge for using the baggage trolley. I did not realise it until I tried to get one at the arrival hall.

It was a long wait. Our baggage never showed up! There was no record of offloading in Brisbane when I checked with the Qantas Baggage services staff. The lady attending to me just asked me to wait for the next flight from Brisbane which was to arrive in 30 minutes time. To our relief, the "lost" baggage appeared on the conveyor belt of the next flight.

View of the Melbourne city from where we are staying. It may look far but it is just a 30 minutes tram ride.

"JALAN JALAN" di BRISBANE

2011-07-23T21:49:00.001+08:00

On the 3rd day, we took a tour "Jalan jalan" around Brisbane. It was a beautiful day and we started from the Brisbane river walkway near our accommodation.

This part of the river walk was rebuilt after the devastation caused by the Brisbane River flood early this year.

We passed through the remains of the famous riverside restaurant, the "Oxelys on the river". It was destroyed by the flood and the owner has yet to restore it for business.

Brisbane City Council operates a fleet of ferries along the Brisbane river - the "City Cats" criss cross the river ever so often.

A "City Cat" docked at the Regatta(Toowong)Terminal to drop and pick-up passengers.

From the river, we moved to the Queen Street Mall, a premier shopping destination of Queensland where major department stores, shopping centres and designer boutiques are.

Conveniently located in the mall is the Brisbane Visitor Information Centre. This centre offers a one stop shop for travel information including maps, brochures, and itineraries for all visitors to Queensland.

It's also a good place to enjoy open air cafes in the mall.

A street magician was showing off his skill in a cards trick.

One of the historical building in Brisbane - an old mission church just next to the Queen Street Mall.

There is nothing like having a cup of flat white coffee and a delicious steak pie to end the tour.

"THAI ON EARTH"

2011-07-20T20:30:00.003+08:00

As we were on our way to a local restaurant for dinner on the second day in Brisbane, we came across this huge signboard inviting us to eat all you can for UD16.95.

It was unbelievable that this hotel could offer such an attractive price for " All you can eat"! I almost went for it. However, my wife and daughter objected as they preferred Asean food.

As originally planned, we arrived at this small "Thai on Earth" restaurant as suggested by my daughter.

While waiting for our food, the waitress brought us these tasty prawn crackers.

Our first dish was the traditional fried fish cakes. They were delicious.

Hot and spicy Prawns "Tom Yam Kong" soup.

The restaurant speciality - the red curry with duck meat.

To go with the curry, we had this special pineapple fried rice. It was a delicious dinner, definitely, a better choice than the "All you can eat ribs and pizza".

KUALA LUMPUR - BRISBANE

2011-07-18T21:55:00.001+08:00

Last weekend, we flew from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane on board the Malaysia Airlines brand new Airbus, A330-300.

The Captain of our flight proudly announced that this A330-300 was only 3 weeks old. According to him the aircraft was an improved version - cost efficiency and equipped with the latest technology. It was also an environmentally friendly aircraft.

Leaving Kuala Lumpur International in good weather.

It was a full flight.

Two choices of "breakfast" were served when aircraft was at cruising altitude. I opted for the Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian breakfast. The other choice was just Omelette and sausage.

A close-up of the "Nasi Lemak" - steamed coconut flavoured rice, hard boiled egg, peanuts, anchovies and prawns in a spicy shrimp paste.
Entering Queensland air space during sunset. We landed Brisbane International at 20:58. It was a comfortable flight despite some bouts of turbulent weather.

Brisbane city from Brisbane river on the following morning.

THE GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE !

2011-07-10T13:34:00.001+08:00

All roads leading to Kuala Lumpur city was shut down by the Police in the evening of 08 July. They wanted to lock-out a rally organized by 62 NGO(s) using the slogan of "Bersih" which means "Clean" in English. The "Bersih" initial plan was to submit a memorandum to our King on the 09 July.

The "Bersih" is asking for a fair and clean election and their request are:

* Clean the electoral roll *Reform postal ballot *Use of indelible ink *Minimum 21 days campaign period *Free and fair access to media *Strengthen public institutions *Stop corruption *Stop dirty politics.

The whole Kuala lumpur city was deserted in the 09th morning. However, many streets came alive in the afternoon.

Where did the crowd come from? How did they sneak through the police barricades? What happened to our men in "blue"?

With so much preparation, the men in "blue" could not control the crowd and protect the city. Something must be wrong somewhere!

All calm down after 5.00 PM without serious casualties even though police used water cannons and tear gas. I heard the police arrested some leaders from the organizers. The city was back to normal in the evening.

Note: Pictures are from the Malaysian media.

HYDRANGEA - 紫陽花 in 本土寺 Saitama Prefecture Japan

2011-07-07T23:41:00.000+08:00

Some said that Hydrangea is the symbolic flower for rainy season in Japan. I do not think so as they can been seen all over Japan even in the dry season. Now it is good time to appreciate them.

A close-up of the Hydrangea macrophylla.

The 本土寺 from a different angle

These pictures were taken in the grounds of 本土寺(Hondo Temple) in Saitama Prefecture where my friend, Miura san resides.

The grounds of this temple park is well-landscaped with different colours of Hydrangea.

A beautiful combination of blue, green and white.

It will be nice if we can have something similar in any of our parks in Kota Kinabalu.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

2011-06-29T18:10:00.002+08:00

26th June is always a memorable and important day of the year. It is the birthday of a VVIP in the family. You may not believe it! This beautiful yam cake was made by the birthday girl herself !!!

My sister in-law and her 2 children were the first guests in the house.

Cutting the cake.

As I have to attend an important function in Kuala Lumpur on the next day, we flew over there in the afternoon. In the evening, I decided to take her to the popular Angus House in KL Pavilion for a western dinner.

Angus House, located on the top floor of KL Pavilion is a "Charcoal Grill" Steakhouse serving Charcoal grill steak & seafood.

Cooling off with this chilled "Tiger", one of the most enjoyed beer in Malaysia just before dinner.

Delicious hot bun.

The starter

Salad

Pumpkin soup

For my main course, I selected this Hamburger steak.

The tender and juicy rib eye for my wife.

The service and the food were very good. We made the right choice for the occassion.

HAPPY FATHER DAY!

2011-06-18T18:55:00.000+08:00

I accidently stumbled on this very entertaining piece of Country Music which I feel many of you may like.

Enjoy the show!

Malaysia, like USA, Canada and UK celebrate father's day on the 3rd Sunday of June.

"HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL OUT THERE!"

A PICTURESQUE GARDEN of IWATSUKI

2011-06-14T23:09:00.004+08:00

This evening, I received some breautiful new pictures of flowers from Miura san. They were different species of Roses, Petunias and Pansies.

I especially like these pink Hydrangea. They are just lovely.

Thanks, Miura san, どうもありがとうございました. よろしくお願いいたします.